Mickalino the First

Mickalino:

Your famous words were uttered by Lee Marvin to Ralph Bellamy in one of the final scenes in director Richard Brooks, THE PROFESSIONALS (1966). I love that scene at the campfire when Claudia Cardinale tries to seduce Burt Lancaster, and she unbuttons her blouse. There was a lot of controversery about whether or not any of us could actually see a quick peek of nipple on Ms. Claudia, who claims that she has never done a nude scene in any film. The lighting was such, or the censors blacked out that portion of her breasts. Of course there is that lovely scene where Miss Chiquita, Maria Gomez washes hereself topless at the pump handle in front of several men. Even though we only see her breasts from the side, it was rousing as I recall. While shooting the film mostly in Nevada, the cast stayed in Las Vegas. The two biggest pranksters were Woody Strode and Lee Marvin. Strode would get drunk and sit in his hotel window shooting arrows at the famous smiling cowboy neon sign, hitting it several times. Keenan Wynn told me that story as well in 1976. Remember that scene where Cardinale tries to escape from the canyon just before it blows up? Her stunt double got hurt real bad filming it, and Claudia actually, who was not a good rider, was forced to shoot the scene herself. Can you remember any of the character's names? Who was Jack Palance? Lee Marvin? Ralph Bellamy? Burt Lancaster? I loved Woody Strode's character's name, Jake Sharp.

Yes, my Joker Jackson quote was a direct pun to Mae West. Nice of you to take notice. You are correct, sir, it was Elvis Presley who wanted to play Joker. Initially they wanted Sammy Davis Jr. for the other part. I'm afraid Elvis would have jerked his tiny black butt all over the swamp. Yes, it was Theodore Bikel who played the Sheriff, and Lon Chaney Jr. as Big Sam. Super correct on Whit Bissell being in DEFIANT ONES and SPENCER'S MOUNTAIN. We also like him in COOL HAND LUKE. Yes, and our pal, Charles McGraw was the Captain. What film was he in where he played Robert Blake's father? You only missed Claude Akins and King Donovan. Donovan tried to play a bad ass miner in THE HANGING TREE (1959) with Gary Cooper. Did you see that film? It was kind of a precurser for Robert Altman's McCABE & MRS. MILLER. In HANGING TREE, who played the bad guy, Frenchie? Who was the Paul Newman clone who debuted in the film, soon after losing his hair and becoming a character actor? Who played the crazy preacher? Who was the female lead? I liked Coop's character's name, Dr. Joe Frail; heavy symbolism there.

But I too digress. Back to THE DEFIANT ONES (1958). They say that Tony Curtis insisted that Sidney Poitier get top billing; pretty courageous for the 50's. On that film they had a technical advisor that had to go unbilled, because he had escaped from a chain gang in the past, and was still considered a felon. Yes, that was Carl "Alfafa" Switzer who played the kid with the transistor radio, who was later shot to death. By the way, there was a TV remake of THE DEFIANT ONES in 1986. Who played Joker and his black co-star?
Ed Lauter played the Sheriff, and the venerable William Sanderson was in it, who I loved in BLADE RUNNER and the HBO new series, DEADWOOD.

As to quotes, who said,"Bring a pitcher of beer every seven minutes until someone passes out, then bring one every ten minutes."

Regarding your digression on Teddy Bikel in THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING, THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING (1966) directed by Norman Jewison, not to be confused with the German film, DIE RUSSEN KOMMEN (1971), I remember thinking that that tall blond dude, John Phillip Law was pretty lame. 30 films later his acting never really improved. Like Spielbergs 1941, this comic epic was star-studded. Besides Jonathan Winters, who else do you remember was in it?

As to SPENCER'S MOUNTAIN, the director was Delmer Daves. and yes it was Donald Crisp that played Grandpa. That was his last role before he died. As to holding a record for the most movies appeared in, he did appear in 174 films, starting with THE FRENCH MAID (1908), but I think John Wayne nearly tied him with 172, and John Carradine put them both to shame since he appeared in 332 films starting with BRIGHT LIGHTS (1930). Correct, it was the buxom and lovely Maureen O'Hara as Ma Clay, and the stiff and clunky James MacArthur as Clayboy. Richard Thomas was a much better Johnboy. Actually I did like THE WALTONS as did the majority of America. I met Richard Thomas at the studio where they filmed (on the old Warner Brothers lot). They were still filming THE WALTONS when I was shooting THE LONGEST DRIVE (1976), which was a two part 17 day shoot on Kurt Russell's series THE QUEST. Did you ever watch that? Thomas was laughing it up because John Boy was not wanted much that week. He only had to appear at the set one day that week. "I feel like a burglar when I cash my check." he said.

Did you remember the Western that MacArthur did for Disney in 1958? He also did SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON and KIDNAPPED in 1960. In his version of KIDNAPPED, Peter Finch played Alan Breck Stewart in the adaptation of the Robert Louis Stevenson novel. How many times has it been filmed, not counting the 6 times it was filmed in silent movies? So start in the 1930's. Who was in the 1938 version? The 1948 version? The 1971 version? Great trivia on his parents Helen Hayes and Charles MacArthur, and the MGM fued. MacArthur hit paydirt with his part on HAWAII FIVE-0 (1968). Did you know that the pilot was a TV movie in early 1968? Jack Lord, of course was the stalwart head detective, Steve McGarrett. What was the colorful rodeo series he starred in done in 1962? Who was his sidekick in that series?

As to your RKO trivia, that pulls those short hairs, sir. RKO was always just referred to as Radio Pictures, and it was affialiated with Pathe' Pictures. I never heard what the K or the O stood for. I can't recall what Clay Sr. called his youngins--the brood maybe. I just remember his line,"I learned to cuss before I could walk." They filmed it near the Grand Teton National Park, a full ten years after they filmed SHANE there. It still pisses me off that those grand mountains are only five in number, about 6 miles in length. But the camera lens makes us feel they go on forever. Will Geer hit pay dirt with his Grandpa Walton. Yes, he was blacklisted, only appearing in THE SALT OF THE EARTH during that period, done by blacklisted director and crew in New Mexico. I met Will Geer in LA in 1976, up in one of those canyons, like Topanga. His place was very folksy, and well fenced with high trees and bushes. He has a series of wooden benches and stoops all over the vast yard and porch. A lot of hippies used to camp out there. He told stories of letting Woody Guthrie stay there and many other progressive types. A great man, Will Geer, and a damned fine actor. He died in 1978 just as THE WALTONS was in its last season. Ellen Corby had had a stroke the year before, and her muteness was written into the show. Geer was blacklisted from 1951-1962. Do you remember him playing Wyatt Earp in a 1951 famous Western? How about the asshole Ben Slade in BROKEN ARROW (1950) with Jimmy Stewart? THE WALTONS started in 1972, but Geer did a ton of other TV roles during that time, always wanting to work, never forgetting the pain of being prevented from working in the 50's

YANCY DERRINGER, good shot on Pahoo-ka-tah-wah the Pawnee with the shotgun. No, I didn't know that Jock Mahoney died in Bremerton near where you live. That is hot trivia. No, sir, I do not recall the name of the social club or bar where Yancy and Pahoo hung out. I wonder if it flooded in Katrina? Jacques O'Mahoney, called Jocko by his friends did die in Bremerton I found out, of a stroke in 1989. He suffered his first stroke in 1973 while fighting with David Carradine in KUNG FU, the series. He was stunt coordinator on TARZAN, THE APE MAN (1981) for director John Derek. I wonder if he had to show Bo how to undulate? He played Tarzan in TARZAN IN INDIA (1962), and appeared as a bad guy in TARZAN THE MAGNIFICENT (1960). He had been a noted stunt man and double in the 1950's. That's why Gene Autry hired him to star in THE RANGE RIDER (1951-53). He also starred as Tarzan in TARZAN'S THREE CHALLENGES (1963), even though he was sick with dsyentary and pneumonia. He got to wrestle with Woody Strode as Khan in that one. His was in THE END (1978) with stepdaughter Sally Field and Burt Reynolds. Speaking of Burt Reynolds, what were his two Western TV series? Correct, sir, it was the young Dickie Jones who played the sidekick on THE RANGE RIDER. He was discovered by Gene Autry, and had done several guest spots on THE GENE AUTRY SHOW, as had Gail Davis who became ANNIE OAKLEY for Autry's production company. Dickie appeared several times in 1955 on ANNIE OAKLEY, and in 1956, Autry gave him his own series, BUFFALO BILL JR. Wild Bill Elliott who played Red Ryder for years was in a ton of Westerns. I don't specifically remember Dub Taylor as Elliott's sidekick. I do remember him for a time as William Boyd's sidekick on the first season of HOPALONG CASSIDY. Is that what you are referring to? From 1939-1944 he played Wild Bill Hickok in 18 Westerns. Then he started playing Red Ryder with Robert Blake, as I outlined for you previously. As to the Leo Gordon reference, no I do not know what the peace offering was to Andy, nor do I know what Buddy Epson stole from Opie.

As to the PETER GUNN trivia, some of it you are on the mark, but..... Gunn drove a Plymouth Fury convertible. I loved it so much I bought one in 1964. They had hemi-V-8's and were real hot rods. Robert Altman was one of the more famous directors that first season. Blake Edwards was one of the producers and writers at that point in 1958. Yes he did use Henry Mancini for many of this future films, and it was Mancini who wrote the great GUNN TV theme. Now let's see, yes, that was the demure Billy Barty, and Hershel Bernardi was the voice of Charlie Tuna for Star Kist. He was Tevye in FIDDLER on Broadway. I have the album from it. He was pretty good; deeper voice like Topol who did such a great job with it in the Norman Jewison film. Well, let's see what you could not remember. Blake Edwards directed GUNN (1967) starring Craig Stevens. Laura Devon played Edie. Ed Asner played Lt.Jacoby. Blake Edwards also directed PETER GUNN (1989) as a TV movie, with "Peter Strauss" as Peter Gunn, and "Peter" Jurasik as Lt. Jacoby. Craig Stevens had been in BUCHANAN RIDES ALONE (1958) with Randolph Scott.

Yes, it was JOHNNY STACCATO as the other series with a jazz theme, starring John Cassavetes. It was one of those fantastic, yet short-lived series. It only ran for 27 episodes. Cassavetes directed about half of the episodes. What was the name of the jazz club where he hung out all the time, and what crusty character actor was the propieter/owner? Do you remember Charles McGraw and Elisha Cook jr. on the show? Who composed the theme music and did the music for the show? What very famous film composer played piano in the house band?

The "My dick has stage fright," quote was Cheech Marin to Stacy Keach in UP IN SMOKE (1978).

The ON THE WATERFRONT trivia was great, no? Yes, it was John Garfield that Arthur Miller wrote the first screenplay for. Correct, and kudos for knowing the young upstart Malden directed in the scene sent by Kazan to Brando was Paul Newman. Great recall, sir! Yes, it was Grace Kelly who turned down the role if Edie to play in Hitchcock's REAR WINDOW. Karl Malden's real name, uttered by Fred Gwynne as Slim was "Mladen Sekulovich" Right on the mark for Elizabeth Montgomery who almost won the part of Edie from Eva Marie Saint. Yes, that was Pat Hingle, in his film debut, as Jocko the bartender! Somehow you eluded the question about what two actors who were considered for Terry Malloy before Brando took it. Believe it or not, the lead choice was Frank Sinatra, followed by Montgomery Clift. Laurence Tierney of PULP FICTION these days, was the first choice for Charlie.

As to REQUIEM FOR A HEAVYWEIGHT (1957), the live TV version, as part of that Golden Age of Live TV, Had Keenan Wynn as Maisch. The producers were very concerned about old Ed Wynn forgetting his lines. This was live TV. My pal Keenan Wynn had a lot of great stories about the bloopers on live TV for PHILCO, KRAFT, and ALCOA, etc. Jack Palance's original character, written by Rod Serling was called Harlan "Mountain" McClintock. Later, Quinn's character was called Louis "Mountain" Rivera. Kudos on remembering both Jack Dempsey and Cassius Clay! The social worker was played by Kim Hunter as Grace (Stella! Stella!) in the 1957 teleplay; long before her relationship with the PLANET OF THE APES series. The movie had the prim and wierd "American" actress, Julie Harris, fresh from doing love scenes with James Dean in EAST OF EDEN (1955), and then to go onto playing Ophelia in HAMLET (1964), with Alfred Ryder as the sad prince of Denmark. She told Paul Newman that he had "cop's eyes" in HARPER (1966), and then to keep up our TARZAN connection, she did several TARZAN episodes on the 1968 series, with Mike Henry doing Lord Greystoke. Interestingly both Jock Mahoney and Woody Strode appeared with her. I remember a RAWHIDE she did as well.

Wow, so Anthony Quinn, before he was an Indian in THE PLAINSMAN (1936), and married to Cecil's daughter, Katherine De Mille, he was a punching bag for Primo Carnera? Good trivia, sir! Primo, who died in 1967, had been in Italian films since the 1930's. Do you remember him as the Strongman in MIGHTY JOE YOUNG (1949), or chasing Robert Wagner around in PRINCE VALIANT (1954), or threatening Bob Hope in CASANOVA'S BIG NIGHT (1954), or even out pumping Steve Reeves in HERCULES UNCHAINED in 1959?

Hey, Deborah Kerr was a pure guess, a stab in the dark. Glad I snatched it though.

Hey, you can't change up the names in the game. Johnny Depp has been in like 50 films. Haven't you seen any of them? So very clever, young man to just willy-nilly change Johnny Depp to John Saxon, and then to find your way to Dennis Hopper.
My idea was more like:
Dennis Hopper in TRUE GRIT with Robert Duvall.
Robert Duvall in COLORS (1988) with Sean Penn.
Sean Penn in BEFORE NIGHT FALLS (2000) with Johnny Depp.

Or Dennis Hopper in EASY RIDER with Jack Nicholson.
Jack Nicholson in THE MISSOURI BREAKS with Marlon Brando.
Marlon Brando in DON JUAN DE MARCO with Johnny Depp.

Your next assignment, hopefully more in the realm of your brain pan, is to start with Smiley Burnette, and the target actor is Frank Sinatra.

Before I attempt to get from Jay C. Flippen to John Gavin, I must say that I absolutely loved your epic poetry. So much so that I whipped up a little poem of my own.

GUS AND JAQ

Once upon a midnight's creeping,
Two one-eye fat men
Huddled in their own huts,
Constantly peeping
At perpetual flickering
On several massive screens
Scattered in their domicles.

Great compadres were these,
Busily exchanging witticisms, quotes,
And ersatz bastardized lines of movie dialogue;
Just like dead Siskel
And nearly dead Ebert;
Smiling as they traded barbs, retorts, and opinions;
Feeling confident that one
Would or could
Stump the other.

No one
On God's green earth
Asks for their views,
And no one plays the role
Of their Muse--
Yet they yammer on incessantly
About "Stinking Badges"
And that famous board game,
WHO IS SPARTACUS?

They say that the Gods
Favor bold men,
Big of belly and ego,
Who hide in the shadows,
Burning out their pea brains
With a trillion celluloid adventures
Playing out on screens
The size of large cereal boxes.

But as a cute winged Cherub
Once sayeth:
"Long may they bray,
Banter and blow;
And long may it run,
though it has no sponsor;
The MICK AND BUTT SHOW!!!

Glenn Buttkus 2006

Now here is my titty twister:
Jay C. Flippen was in WINCHESTER 73 (1950) with Tony Curtis.
Tony Curtis was in SPARTACUS (1960) with John Gavin.

That's all Folks! Good night Mrs. Calimick, wherever you are!

The Man Who Never Lived (except in a movie) Glenn

Mick wrote:

Who uttered those immortal words in what movie? The joker jackson quote reminded me of May Wests "is that a gun in your pocket or are you just glad to see me?" I think Elvis wanted that role but I don't know who his choice for Sidney was. Teddy Bikal, who I saw do Fiddler on the Roof a few years ago on stage, is another great Jewish actor who can do it all. I saw him in the sixties on the old Steve Allen show singing folk songs and ballads as good if not better than the social protest era. I loved him as the Russian sub skipper in the Russians are Coming. I digress, but he played the red neck sherriff and Lon Chaney Jr was Big Sam. That had to be Alfalfa because as a kid I remember hearing he had been shot to death. Our buddy the deep male voiced Charles McGraw and Whit Bissell, who also played the Doc in Spencers Mt when he told Clay that his dad (Donald Crisp) had broken every bone in his body, were the only two I rememeber in the Defiant Ones. The record for being in the most movies is held by Donald Crisp or is it someone else and if so who? Maureen Ohara was the wife and "book em Danno" Helen Hayes kid James MacArthur was Clay boy the oldest of a very large brood. Helens husband Charles MacArthur was a great writer and behind the scenes man and James was their adopted son. Helen hated Louis B Mayer and was one of the rare celebrities that would speak disparingly against the movie moguls who could be very tyrannical and despotic. Louis once boasted that there were more stars on the sets of the MGM studio lots and under contract to MGM than there were stars in the heavens! When Leo the Lion roared at the start of a movie behind the MGM porthole what was inscribed on the molding of the porthole which in Latin means art for the sake of art. Over at the older RKO studio which had the plane flying around the globe for their Logo what did the letter K stand for? What was Clay Sr pet name for his flock of Youngens? Earl Hamner Jr grew up in the depression ridden Appalachains and went on to be a great journalist and wrote his book about his experiences there. Hollywood changed it to the West and I'm sure glad they did. It made for a much better setting and movie than the sugar coated tv series the Waltons. Will Geer as Grandpa Walton was blacklisted in the McCarthy witchhunts and was away from the screen to long. I loved him as Redfords mountain mentor in Jeremiah Johnson. I don't know who directed Spencers Mt but it must have been a pure pleasure especially the scene where Clay Sr with the borrowed pick up truck and his broken leg visits the college president about getting Clay boy enrolled. That was acting, as Clay was figuring out how to get Clay boy there he would burn his and the wifes dreams.
Did you know that Jock Mahoney died here in Bremerton where I now reside in 1989. Yancys sidekick was Pahoo the Pawnee Indian who carried the shotgun along with his knife hidden in his indian hairdo. What was the name of the social club and bar Yancy visited that they couldn't call a whore house being a 50's tv show. When I was in New Orleans many moons ago that establishment was still there. I think the name of the Range Riders young pal was Dickie Jones. Do you recall Dub Taylor as Wild Bill Elliots sidekick. I remember Woody Strode in one of Jocks Tarzans but not Leo Gordon. My favorite Leo wasn't one of his heavys but the episode on Andy Griffith where he returned with a peace offering to Mayberrys Sherriff and everybody especially Andy thought he was coming for revenge after the Sherriff years before had shot him in the line of duty and left him with a permanent limp. What was the peace offering? What item did Buddy Epsen steal to make Opie think differently about him before Andy would have to get rough in another great episode.

I think Peter Gunn drove a Lincoln convertible and the small person had to be Billy Barty because he was the most filmed little person of them all. The jazz music was all Henry Mancini who hooked up with Blake Edwards for the Pink Panther so I think he was the producer. You Gunned me to death on the other questions. Hershel replaced Zero Mostel for Fiddler on the Roof and the voice and commercial escape me. Can you imagine that? Cassavetes starred in Johnny Stacotto or maybe that was his name in the show but the music was the great jazz classic Night Train.

The dick remark sounds like something Richard Pryor would say. The Terry Malloy part at first must have been John Garfield because he died about that time. The young actors pal from the acting studio might have been Paul Newman who also was a friend of Maldens and all I remember about his last name was a polysyllabic Polish name. The first actress had to be Grace Kelley because she worked with Hitchcock then. The other choice must have been either Barbra Eden or Robert Montgomery daughter Elizabeth. A young Pat Hingle played Jocko the bartender and did you notice Marty Balsam and Leif Erickson? I remember Jack Palance and Ed Wynn in the live tv version but thats all and the movie had Gleason, the manager, and Mickey Rooney I think was the cut man for Quinn. Young Cassius Clay and the Missouri Mauler Jack Dempsey caught my eye. Rod Serling how I miss him! One of those prim and proper English actresses played the social worker but the name escapes my punchdrunk head. Tony Quinn really was a sparring partner for Primo Carnera back in the 30's. YOU get a big Kowwabunga kudos for all of your trivia and Deborah Kerr was the right answer so you didn't completely Kerrplunk on that one.

Okay, these new actors I don't know like Johnny Depp so I looked up Nightmare on Elm Street with John Saxon;
John was in Appaloosa with Marlon Brando,
Brando was in The Missouri Breaks with Jack Nicholsen,
Jack was in Easy Rider with Dennis Hopper.

Okay, target J.C. Flippen to John Gavin.

I'TS time for the rising of the great pumpkin so heres your Hollywood Holloween Hijinksed Hyberbolic Hymn! aka one of Micks poems to put in your Iambic Pentameters scrapebook.

The what if's of life are legion to one and all
As I stare at the stage in my luminous crystall ball
The presenters of the Best Actor heed there curtain call
Striding to the podium with there envelope of hope and dreams
The audience is silent for the enchanted moment of moonbeams
The gala dressed duo announce the winner of the Oscar goes to
Glenn Buttkus for his performance in A Man Called Horse Can Do Who
His smiling coutenance and graceful talent amble to center stage
As he confesses to the world that he owes it all to the missing page
Yes it was the one eyed fat man Mick who had been "The Great Sage"

Regards, The Man Who Knew To Much, Mick