Mickephistopholese

Mick, sometimes called Slick:

Where is that quote in the title from? I think your quote was Bert Lahr, as the Cowardly Lion in THE WIZARD OF OZ. The "Women are like elephants quote was W.C.Fields. The "Death ends a life but not a relationship" quote was Gene Hackman referring to the death of his Dad, Melvyn Douglas in I NEVER SANG FOR MY FATHER.

I guess you're right sir on Groucho's sponsor. I do kind of remember the DeSoto ads, and his face coming out of the logo at the end of the show; but he also sold a lot of Gilette Blue blades I believe. Man, I would love to have seen the Harpo Marx in place of the duck show. Did you enjoy the W.C.Fields trivia? Too bad most of Buster Keaton's best work was done in the silent films, like Chaplin. It is so much neater that the Marx Brothers, Eddie Cantor (who made several movies in the 30's almost as funny as the Marx Brothers), and W.C.Fields. Of course we haven't started on Phil Silvers, Abbott and Costello, or their clones, Martin and Lewis. Glad you liked the Bio information on Billie Burke.

As to back to TOPPER. Leo G. Carroll's TV wife, Mrs. Henrietta Topper was played by Lee Patrick, who went on to be on the Wally Cox series THE ADVENTURES OF HIRAM HOLIDAY in 1957. As to her film career, which started in 1929, most of ther roles were unremarkable, but are you referring (in terms of her "famous" role) to her playing Effie in THE MALTESE FALCON (1941), or her cameo in VERTIGO (1958), where she plays a dame that gets mistaken for Madeliene (Kim Novak) by Jimmy Stewart? Great recall on the Boss, Mr. Skyler, and Neil the drunken St. Bernard.

As to SERGEANT RUTLEDGE(1960), you certainly nailed studly Jeffrey Hunter as the white lead, but let's not forget the very forgetable Constance Towers as the female lead; who the year earlier, in 1959, got to kiss the Duke in Ford's THE HORSE SOLDIERS. She ended up, and still is working on GENERAL HOSPITAL. Good call on Rafer Johnson, and the two Ford stock player/stunt men/doubles/actors Roberson and Pennick. Pennick had been in a ton of older John Ford films, and did a few more later, including THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE. Rafer Johnson was an Olympian, yes, that's right. I thought he was a football player. This was his first film. He worked in films until 1990, mostly TV roles. There was even a TV bio-film done about him; THE RAFER JOHNSON STORY. I remember him in NONE BUT THE BRAVE (1965), looking like a beautiful shrimp next to Clint Walker. I also liked actor Juano Hernandez in it. He had done a ton of black character parts, and was always very good. Yup, that was our bow-legged pal, Hank Worden as Laredo.

As to WARNER BROTHERS WESTERNS on TV in the late 50's and into the 60's, yeah, they were my mainstay for years; CHEYENNE, MAVERICK, SUGARFOOT, and BRONCO that replaced CHEYENNE. Those adult westerns that were replacing the early 50's kiddie westerns like BUFFALO BILL JR., ANNIE OAKLEY, GENE AUTRY, ROY ROGERS, HOPALONG CASSIDAY, THE LONE RANGER, WILD BILL HICKOK, and THE CISCO KID, with FURY, SKY KING, and SGT. PRESTON thrown in for kicks. The new shows like GUNSMOKE, BONANZA, HAVE GUN WILL TRAVEL, WANTED-DEAD OR ALIVE, TRACKDOWN, TALES OF WELLS FARGO, CIMMARON STRIP, HIGH CHAPPAREL, BLACK SADDLE, COLT.45, YANCY DERRINGER, LAWMAN, and THE DEPUTY (with Henry Fonda); with the short lived SHANE tossed in too. And hey, how about WYATT EARP, BAT MASTERSON, and BROKEN ARROW? With those Ken Darby singers, and other insipid groups warbling their theme songs. And hey, let's not forget THE REBEL with Nick Adams, right? I suppose THE BIG VALLEY, and THE VIRGINIAN belong in there too. John Payne had a show too, but I can't think of it. On Rory Calhoun's THE TEXAN, I loved the French horns in the theme song. Scott Brady did some show called SHOTGUN RIDER (?). DEATH VALLEY DAYS, WAGON TRAIN, and TALES OF THE PLAINSMAN too. I am leaving out the silly JIM BOWIE, DANIEL BOONE, and TRAVELS OF JAMIE MCFEETERS, with Kurt Russell, Dan O-Herlihy, and Charles Bronson; or FRONTIER CIRCUS.

Nice historical tidbits on Al Sieber. Yup, John McIntire, Richard Widmark, and Robert Duvall all played him. As to Charles Bronson, born Charles Dennis Buchinsky; they misspelled his last name in his first film, YOU'RE IN THE NAVY NOW (1951) with Gary Cooper, calling him Buchinski. By his second film, they had it right "BUCHINSKY". He actually used that handle, that name for 29 films, including MISS SADIE THOMPSON, PAT AND MIKE (1952) with Tracy and Hepburn, a ROY ROGERS SHOW in 1952, HOUSE OF WAX (1953), APACHE (1954), DRUM BEAT (1954), playing another Indian with Alan Ladd. [ I will always remember what a great film poster Bronson had for CHATO'S LAND (1972), even though the film was silly.], then he was in VERA CRUZ (1954) with Gary Cooper and Burt Lancaster (looking like Starbuck in THE RAINMAKER), and he became Charles BRONSON in 1955 with a great little prison movie called BIG HOUSE, U.S.A., with Broderick Crawford, Ralph Meeker (as the Iceman), William Talman, and Lon Chaney Jr.

Hey, big guy, what are you saying about January 16th? Are you returning for more advanced CATS training? Or What? Or are you just stopping by with another appointment somewhere else in the building? Those calendars you refer to are a Living Skills prosthetic, so my considerable influence will not be very helpful.

Good job on the nipple twister from Paul Lynde to Neville Brand.
Paul Lynde in GLASS BOTTOM BOAT with Rod Taylor.
Rod Taylor in THE TRAIN ROBBERS with the Duke.
John Wayne in THE HORSE SOLDIERS with William Holden.
William Holden in STALAG 17 with Neville Brand.
You could have skipped a degree if you had done:
John Wayne in CAHILL, U.S.MARSHALL with Neville Brand.

Odd though, because our "great minds" ended up in the same film. I did.
Paul Lynde in BEACH BLANKET BINGO (1965) with Harvey Lembeck.
Harvey Lembeck in STALAG 17(1953) with Neville Brand.
How about that?
Your nipple teaser will be to get from Lloyd Bridges to Judy Garland.

And now for mine, to get from Tony Fransciosa to Red Buttons. Christ, you keep giving me the tough ones. OK:
Anthony Franciosa was in RIO CONCHOS (1965) with Richard Boone.
Richard Boone was in BIG JAKE (1976) with John Wayne.
John Wayne was in HATARI (1962) with Red Buttons.

That will do it for now my fine feathered friend.

Glenn the Kid with the Green Hair (Who was in that film?)

Mick wrote:

Who uttered those immortal words which just happens to be one of my best impersonations. I'm dying to find out the author of those two quotes which cover the sublime to the ludicrous with Elephants, women and wifes, relationships to death and the sublimest of all, the unresolved issues of life! Grouchos first sponsor was the only American made car named after a Conquistidor the Desoto Plymouth dealers and he ended the show by sticking his head out the car dealers logo and saying the next time you visit your local dealer "tell them Groucho sent you" which is where that phrase came from. I remember seeing a rerun of his show when Harpo came down with the secret word instead of the duck to everybodys surprise and uproarious laughter and it was just like watching one of their zany movies. I guess we could go on forever with the stories and hijinks of them, WC and the rest of the old time comedians and slapstick shenanigans but we will condense them in volumns l, ll and lll of our favorite comedic capers and sell them to the public for $9.95 not including shipping and handling. The way Buster Keaton could run around in circles with that comedic panic and never get anywhere is the story of my life and he did it without saying a word.

Thanks for that Bio on Billy Burke, she really was a neat broad, and what was Toppers tv wifes real name and what part in what movie will she always be remembered for? The bosses name was Mr Skyler and the brandy totten drunk dog was Neil the St Bernard on tv. The studly Jeff Hunter was the lead in Sgt Rutledge and the olympian, Rafer Johnson, was in it along with the ever present Jack Pennick, who never won any beauty contest, and Chuck Roberson who was Dukes stand in double was another member of the Ford stock players. I believe our old bow-legged buddy Hank Worden was Laredo. I remember the Bowie tune warbled by the Ken Darby singers along with the host of the songs and ballads they did for the Warner Bros crank em out tv westerns of the 50s and 60s. How many of those shows can your frenzied, fancied, fractious, faultfilled Freudian frought and frost-free fermented mental retention come up with without fabrication or falsesification. Tuesday nights had a trilogy of them and somehow I still recall the names and the warbled ballads. If you nail just those three your doing good but there were a shit load more of them.

You mentioned Al Sieber who is an American classic story by himself, who by the way fought with the lst Minnesota in my home state during the Civil War and was wounded close to twenty times by bullets or arrowheads in his soldiering and scouting days and still survived into the 20th century. Mcintyre played him in Apache with Burt and do you recall Charles Budschinsky who played the part of the Apache, Hondo. I don't know when his first billing as Bronson happened but he was Budschinsky in that one. I bet you know when it became Bronson?
You devil, you chose my nip number the same way I did.

Be prepared for my west coast promotional tour coming up in Jan. which I'm kicking off Jan 16 at American Lakes and my first stop will be with the delectable Dietician Dianne with a Blind Rehab reunion and autograph session around noon. Please inform all concerned that this is strictly a casual affair and white tie and tails are not required. If you could find it in your infinite powers and cherubic clout to procure one of those big blind ass calendars in the stock room for 2007 I will personally see that you receive all the 2006 masterpieces and of course I will again be indebted to you for your creative and imaginative prowess.

Remember that for a brief period in one of your past lives you were "The Thief of Bagdad" before they hung you. That is why all the woman have said that Sir Glenster of Shire is really hung! You mentioned Patrick Duffy who played the Mexican appointed "Empresarrio of Texas" Stephan Austin in Micheners Texas. Do you recall anythiing about his real life death because it sounded like foul play to me.

Okay, Paul was in the glass bottom boat with Rod Taylor;
Rod was in The Train Robbers with Duke,
Duke was in the horse soldiers with Bill Holden,
Holden was in Stalag 13 with Neville Brand who was a highly decorated soldier of WWll. and really was a real life tough guy and it showed in all of his parts he played. Your nip nuggin is to get from Tony Franciosa to Red Buttons, you know the red headed Schwartz kid.

Regards: The Mephistopholese of Movie Mementos, Mick!