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TAC, Jr. #20
From the publisher of The Adventures Continue
May 6, 1998
1) DABBS GREER ON ALLY McBEAL
2) SUPERMAN ON TELEVISION
3) JACK LARSON IN KID MONK BARONI
4) QUERY FROM DON KAPLA
5) YOU'RE FROM THE BLADE, AREN'T YOU?
6) BEN WELDEN MAKES THE PAPER . . . THE BLADE, IN FACT
7) MORE ON SPEEDING BULLET
8) TAC, JR. GOES ON SUMMER HIATUS
1) DABBS GREER ON ALLY McBEAL
Dabbs Greer has had a long show business career, as an actor
and director,
beginning in 1925 (at the age of eight) when he appeared as Prince
Rupert in
a production of Cinderella. During the 40s he directed
and appeared in many
plays at the famed Pasadena Playhouse. A television pioneer,
Dabbs made his
television debut in a live production of The Masterbuilder
in 1944. In the
1950s he appeared three times on the Adventures of Superman.
During the 50s
and 60s, his movie credits included House of Wax, Riot
In Cell Block 11,
Invasion Of The Bodysnatchers, Mark of the Vanpire,
My Man Godfrey,
It! The Creature From Outer Space, Cash McCall,
and Palm Springs Weekend.
Histelevision credits range from now almost forgotten shows such
as Dear Phoebe
with Peter Lawford to Science Fiction Theatre, Gunsmoke,
The Andy Griffith Show,
and Perry Mason. In 1974 he took on the role of Rev. Alden
on Little House On The Prairie
for its entire run. His latest regular role was that of Rev.
Novotny on David Kelly's
Picket Fences. Kelly will again utilize Greer's talents,
this time in an episode of
Ally McBeal on Monday, May 11. Don't miss it. I saw the
previews on Monday night,
and it looks like Dabbshad a ball in his newest role.
2) SUPERMAN ON TELEVISION
Michael Bifulco's updated Superman On Television
is now available, and all
pre-orders were shipped earlier this week. I will continue to
take orders
and will be able to ship whenever your order arrives.
3) JACK LARSON IN KID MONK BARONI
Reader Steve Maurer recently wrote that Kid Monk Baroni,
a 1952 film in
which Jack Larson has billing right after title player Leonard
Nimoy, is now
available on video for $19.95 from Englewood Entertainment. You
can order
your copy by calling 888-573-5490.
4) QUERY FROM DON KAPLA
Recently Don Kapla wrote with this question: Just curious . .
. in the comic
books Superman has a forehead curl, but Kent does not. Kirk Alyn
followed
that example . . . George didn't. I wonder why, however, Dean
Cain chose to
reversed the characterization. His Clark Kent has the curl, Superman
does
not. Do any of you have information on this?
5) YOU'RE FROM THE BLADE, AREN'T YOU?
Apparently there were only two newspapers in Metropolis. ("You
got one more
chance, see, just one. I want you to go put an ad in the lost
and found. I
want it in every paper in town . . . in the Planet, in
the Blade . . . every
paper in town.) Probably some people, when they hear the name
Steve Martin
think of the comedian, but fans of Superman surely think
first of the
reporter turned traitor who worked for that other paper, the
Blade.
GENERAL: I told you this morning . . . no interviews. How
did you get on
the field?
MARTIN: Well, it's a trade secret, General, but if you really
want to know,
I stabbed two guards, bribed a lieutenant colonel, and then flew
over the
fence.
GENERAL: Too bad you're not in uniform.
KENT: You're from the Blade, aren't you?
MARTIN: That's right. Steve Martin. You're Kent, huh?
KENT: That's right.
MARTIN: Suppose you have to work on the Planet to get
special privileges.
GENERAL: These people aren't here as reporters, Mr. Martin. They're
personal
friends of Capt. White, and he arranged the visit.
KENT: You'll get any official information just as soon as the
Planet does,
Martin.
MARTIN: Yeah, I'll bet.
But while perusing Steve Lance's Written
Out Of Television recently I was
reminded that there was yet another American newspaperman (and
a more loyal
one, I might add) named Steve Martin. This from Lance's Perry
Mason entry:
In 1956, Raymond Burr starred as American newspaperman Steve
Martin in
scenes that were inserted in the American version of Japan's
Godzilla, King of
the Monsters. Burr reprised the role for the sequel, Godzilla
1985. I
wonder if the Steve Martin character will appear in the new Godzilla
movie?
6) BEN WELDEN MAKES THE PAPER . . . THE BLADE, IN FACT
I recently received a nice letter from Chuck Weinblatt, Ben Welden's
nephew.
He wrote in part:
Enclosed is some information about my uncle, Ben Welden. Born
as Ben
Weinblatt in Toledo, Ohio, he began his acting career while studying
engineering at Carnegie Tech. He acted on state in England after
that,
marrying a real duchess. Following their divorce, he moved to
Hollywood
where he was type-cast as a gangster.
I never cease to be pleasantly surprised when I see him unexpectedly
on
television. One of his best roles was Charley Delaney in the
1937 Warner
Bros. release Marked Woman with Bette Davis and Humphrey
Bogart. In one
scene he took Bette Davis into a room (off stage) and beat her
up. When the
film was released in Toledo, people in the theater were quite
upset. My
grandmother, who was horrified by the audience response, stood
up and
shouted, "That's not my Benny . . . he wouldn't do a thing
like that!"
Chuck also sent along an article about Ben written by Mark
Zaborney.
Ironically, the name of the Toledo paper in which the article
appeared is
The Blade!
7) MORE ON SPEEDING BULLET
You can now order your copy of the Jan Alan Henderson's updated
Speeding Bullet.
Under the new title, Heroes Last Forever -- Reflections of
the Life and Bizarre
Death of George Reeves, the revised format includes additional
information and
rare photographs. The newly re-worked piece is being published
this July by
Retro-Vison as part of a 3-volume set called "Men Of Steel."
Volume 1: Kevin Smith and the four Chris Reeve films
Volume 2: Heroes Last Forever
Volume 3: Kirk Alyn serials, Lois & Clark, and the animated
adventures
8) TAC, JR. GOES ON SUMMER HIATUS
TAC, Jr. is going on summer hiatus, and this will be the last
issue until
September. Issue #15 of The Adventures Continue is long
overdue, and I must
devote more time to that. Of course, if something special happens
in the
summer months, I'll drop you a note, and you can be sure I'll
let you know
when TAC #15 is ready.
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TAC, Jr. #20a
From the publisher of The Adventures Continue
May 9, 1998
1) OOOOPS
2) THE CASE OF THE REVERSED CURL SOLVED
3) SUPERMAN MUSIC IN THE MOVIES
4) DABBS REMINDER
I know TAC, Jr. is on summer hiatus and I should be working
on TAC #15, but
I received these few items I thought might interest you.
1) OOOOPS
I guess you noticed that on most of the newsletters sent out
I wrote "TAC,
Jr. #20" in the subject line but incorrectly identified
it as TAC, Jr. #19
in the newsletter's heading. That's what I get for trying to
save time by
copying and pasting for the previous newsletter.
2) THE CASE OF THE REVERSED CURL SOLVED
Kerry Gammill, who used to draw Superman for DC Comics (and wrote
of George
Reeves' influence on his life and work in TAC #10), answered
Don Kapla's
question about Dean Cain's forehead Curl. He wrote:
<As for Dean Cain's forehead curl, when I asked Mike Carlin
at DC about it
he said he thought that since the show was spotlighting the romantic
life
of Lois and Clark, the producers chose to give Clark the hunkier
look and
make Superman more straightlace.>
3) SUPERMAN MUSIC IN THE MOVIES
Tom Chenevert sent an update on an item he reported on in TAC,
Jr. some
months ago:
Chief, About 6 months ago I mentioned a movie that had an
incidental piece
of music that I had heard on the TAOS "My Freind Superman".
It is finally
on again.
Friday, May 8 at 6:00 AM HELL DRIVERS (1958)
Trucker tangles with corrupt boss and his thugs. Stanley Baker,
Herbert Lom,
Peggy Cummins. D: Cy Enfield. BW 104m. LBX Turner Classic Movies.
4) DABBS REMINDER
Don't forget to watch Dabbs Greer on Ally McBeal on Monday
night. In the
previews I saw he looks like Dabbs is trying to do his own version
of
Superman! I'll ask him if he did his own stunts.
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The Adventures Continue . . .
. . .with George Reeves -- where you can order your copy of
Superman On Television by Michael Bifulco. |
