Rest In Peace Shelley Winters

Sad to say that Shelly Winters has died of heart failure. She was a great actress. She was the winner of not 1 but 2 Oscars. However the role that I will most remember her for is the one in the Posiden Adventure. Her big scene was where she finished a swim under water that would enable the rest of the passengers to continue their journey. However the strain was too much and she died, ironically of the same thing that killed her in real life, at the end of the swim. It was a heroic scene that any actress would give their eye teeth for. I don't know anything about her personally but here is the site that I learned about her death. Not much but take a look if you are curious. 

Happy Anniversary Batman TV Show

Ok this is a short break from the break. This date in TV history is important to comic book fans. Today is the 40th anniversary of the Batman tv show. I was again reminded of this fact when I was on Fred Hembeck's page One of my memories of the show really happened the next fall when Milton Berle was trying to start a new variety show. My Mom and Dad had company come over to the house. When the arrived I was watching TV. They had a daugther and sat her next to me and we both watched as Batman arrived in the Batmobile. He got out and raced on stage to talk to Mr. Berle. I asked "I wonder where Robin is?" The girl said "Didn't you see the show last week?" She told me how Robin was tied up and Batman was looking for him. I could believe what I just heard. I was only 5 or 6 at the time but I knew Batman was just a tv show. It wasn't real but this girl thought it was. Even if it was real I don't think Batman would stop to be a guest on another tv show if his best friend was in danger. Anyway I also had alot of Batman toys and wish I still had them. Saddly I don't. I did have the lunch box that you see above. You can bid on this one at http://cgi.ebay.com/Original-1966-BATMAN-Lunchbox-Great-Condition-TV-Show_W0QQitemZ6242279247QQcategoryZ7270QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Happy Anniversary Batman. Now back to the break. 

Taking a break

Taking a page from Mark Evanier's site. He uses a can of soup I will use the cover of this book. If you see this it means I am taking a break from posting for awhile. Unless I have something to say really important I will be off for a few days. I plan to be back posting hopefully next week.
Also if you want to order the book above you can click here

Hamilton Camp Memorial

Mark Evanier on his site is trying to help find video clips for a Memorial for the singer/actor/comedian You can see the info if you click here to help if you have anything they can use. 

David Bowie Jazzin for Blue Jean

In an earlier post I mentioned the mini-movie Jazzin For Blue Jean starring David Bowie. It was really a half an hour music video and it was really very good. Above is the cover of the Beta tape version. Here is where you can go to get a used copy of the VHS tape. Click here
It is a musical comedy with David doing whatever he can to get into a nightclub to meet a girl. He sings the song "Blue Jean" from the "Tonight" album. This is what MTV could have been like. Mini musicals that really promoted music. Instead we have that promote a fake reality and endless I Love this decade programs that has semi celebrates that in some cases are really too young to remember that decade. Sorry if I got on my soap box. I just hate to see how MTV turned out when it could have done so much more. In the 80's it was powerful. If they didn't play your video then chances were slim that you would have a hit. Ask the Monkees. MTV helped their comback. Later they had a falling out and MTV refused to play their new single "Heart and Soul." The song was a good pop tune but it failed to crack the top 40. That was not the case with the song "That Was Then, This is Now" That video MTV did play.

Batman TV show anniversary family memories in honor of the show

Thanks to Booksteve's site for reminding us all that this week is the 40th anniversary of the TV show of Batman. You can click on the link to his site on the left side if you want to read his post. That show had a huge impact on everyone. I have so many memories that relate to it that it is hard to single one out. One is how when my cousin Steve and I would get together we would almost always play Batman and Robin. My Mom has a picture of us sitting on her lounge chair. Steve was acting like he was driving the Batmobile and I was by his side as Robin. That was alot of fun for me. I hope I don't embarress him with this post. It is a nice memory and shared out of love and since by the time you see this it may be the 9th I will wish you a happy birthday.
During the summer my family would often take picnics at Coney Island in Cincinnati, Ohio. One year they had a ride through a haunted house. I don't know why I asked my Dad to take me on it. I never have liked haunted houses and still don't to this day. But Dad took me. I held my hands over my eyes the whole ride. Rembering that I love the Batman show Dad tried to get me to look by saying "Look Rick! There's Batman and Robin." The hands never left the eyes. I thought they can be there if they want. I am too scared to look.
This next memory I thought was about Batman. My folks were out grocery shopping one Wednesday night. We bumped into my Aunt and Uncle and Grandma. They lived next door to us and they were finished shopping and going home. Unless a little boy is shopping for toys he is usually bored with shopping. I asked if I could go home with them. Grandma said she would watch me till they got home. When we got home I turned on the tv. Now for years my memory said to me that Batman came on before the one I watched. However, according to a refference guide that I just checked Batman was off the air on Wednesday and only aired on Thursdays. The program I wound up watching was the "Legend of Custer" Custer made me think of custard pudding. I asked Grandma if I could have some and she made me some. We had a good time eating custard and watching Custer. Actually the photo of the Batman movie DVD above was given to me a couple of years ago by Grandma as a Christmas gift. So this whole post is all in the family.

Micky Dolenz solo album (CD)

Ok Monkees fans here is another one for you. Micky Dolenz did do a solo album. It is a CD of lullabies. It is some very mellow tunes of the 60's and one 80's tune from John Lennon. It has the perfect tongue in cheek title of "Micky Dolenz Puts You to Sleep" It is really a very good album that if it doesn't put you to sleep it will at least put you in a relaxed mood. The only upsetting thing about it is that Rhino didn't put it in the traditional CD case. They put it in that confounded long cardboard case that you see above. The holder of the CD isn't even a good fit as it keeps sliding out. The music is outstanding. It was part of the Kid Rhino line of music. Saddly this to my knowledge is Micky's only solo album. I know in the 70's he release some singles but nothing came of that. By the 70's gone were the days when you could make a good career off of having only hit singles. If your albums didn't sell well then forget it. There were alot of one hit wonders that were waiting on tables.
Not that the other 3 Monkees were bad. All of them were very good actors and musicians. But the one I thought had the best voice and deserved a great musical career was Micky. He had the best voice in rock and roll in the 60's. However, Micky is a visual artist who decided to concentrate on a directing career. The music indusrty changed so much in the 70's and 80's that it was probably a wise decision. I still long to hear a solo effort of rock and roll music by Micky. Lullabies are nice Mick but I want something that will wake us up. 

Happy Birthday Elvis oh and to Soupy and David too

Well a friend at work reminded me that today would have been, I guess it really still is, Elvis' birthday. Thanks to Fred Hembeck http://www.hembeck.com/FredSez.htm I found out that it is also Soupy Sales and David Bowie's birthday. I don't know much about Mr. Sales as his show was off the air before I was old enough to watch tv. It ended sometime in the early 60's and I was born in the early 60's. From what I have heard I probably would have liked it. I nver have cared too much for Mr. Bowie's music but I did like his 30 minute music video 'Jazzin for Blue Jean" It was like watching a movie. I once had it on Beta but now I can't play that. Maybe I will find it on VHS or DVD one day. Also, Mr. Bowie has a connection to the Monkees. When he was starting his career he had to change his name so there would be no confussion. You see his name use to be David Jones. Different musical styles altogether.
However, here I am writting about Elvis. I liked his movies when I was a kid because he liked children. There was always at least one in his films and they were his friends. He treated them as equals. He never talked down to him. There were two movie stars in the 60's that I loved to see Elvis and Jerry Lewis. I remember going to the drive in during the summer to watch his movies. They were usually the same plot but I didn't care. They were fun to watch and I liked to hear his singing. He wasn't a very good actor but we all know he could sing. When I got older I saw a western he starred in called "Charo" No singing just acting. It wasn't very good. Too bad. Maybe with acting classes he could have been a good actor. Maybe a great actor. We will never know. He stayed with singing and died way too early. Those light hearted musicals of his have a special place in my heart. I use the photo above as that is how he looked in most of those films and that is how I like to remember him. Elvis was a master at reinventing himself and that helped to keep his career going. But that look above is the one I like the best. So thanks for the good times Elvis and happy birthday.