Mark Harmon’s career experienced a few ups and downs before he secured his role as Gibbs in NCIS. One filmmaker wondered if other directors overlooked the actor because of his appearance.
This filmmaker felt that Mark Harmon was too conventionally good looking Mark Harmon | Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images
Harmon didn’t start out wanting to be a famous actor. Rather, the NCIS star was introduced to the profession through an old acquaintance. In a 2011 interview Harmon did with the Av Club, Harmon confided that he met actor Ozzie Nelson through his job as a lifeguard. Ozzie starred in the classic television series Ozzie’s Girls at the time. One of Nelson’s actors and co-stars who was scheduled to be on the series couldn’t make it, so Ozzie asked Harmon to replace him.
“It was the spring of my senior year at UCLA, and he called and said,...
This filmmaker felt that Mark Harmon was too conventionally good looking Mark Harmon | Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images
Harmon didn’t start out wanting to be a famous actor. Rather, the NCIS star was introduced to the profession through an old acquaintance. In a 2011 interview Harmon did with the Av Club, Harmon confided that he met actor Ozzie Nelson through his job as a lifeguard. Ozzie starred in the classic television series Ozzie’s Girls at the time. One of Nelson’s actors and co-stars who was scheduled to be on the series couldn’t make it, so Ozzie asked Harmon to replace him.
“It was the spring of my senior year at UCLA, and he called and said,...
- 1/1/2024
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Character actor Cliff Emmich, who played major roles in “Payday” and “Thunderbolt and Lightfoot” has died, his agent confirmed. He was 85.
Emmich’s rep and friend for over 50 years, Steve Stevens, tells TheWrap that the celebrity died Monday in Los Angeles following a long battle with lung cancer.
“He was a very special man and an underrated actor,” Stevens said. “He loved being a member in good standing of Screen Actors Guild and AFTRA and so very proud of his chosen profession. He loved being a cowboy and could ride a horse with the best of them. I’m sure Cliff would be embarrassed with all the attention he is now getting.”
Also Read:
Christine McVie, Fleetwood Mac Singer-Songwriter and Keyboardist, Dies at 79
Emmich’s best-known roles were that of Chicago, the driver who drove the Cadillac sedan to transport honky tonk singer Maury Dann (Rip Torn), in “Payday” (1973) and...
Emmich’s rep and friend for over 50 years, Steve Stevens, tells TheWrap that the celebrity died Monday in Los Angeles following a long battle with lung cancer.
“He was a very special man and an underrated actor,” Stevens said. “He loved being a member in good standing of Screen Actors Guild and AFTRA and so very proud of his chosen profession. He loved being a cowboy and could ride a horse with the best of them. I’m sure Cliff would be embarrassed with all the attention he is now getting.”
Also Read:
Christine McVie, Fleetwood Mac Singer-Songwriter and Keyboardist, Dies at 79
Emmich’s best-known roles were that of Chicago, the driver who drove the Cadillac sedan to transport honky tonk singer Maury Dann (Rip Torn), in “Payday” (1973) and...
- 12/3/2022
- by Dessi Gomez
- The Wrap
Click here to read the full article.
Cliff Emmich, the fun-loving character actor who made his mark in Payday, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, Halloween II and Little House on the Prairie, has died. He was 85.
Emmich died Monday at his Valley Village home in Los Angeles after a long battle with lung cancer, his rep Steve Stevens told The Hollywood Reporter.
In perhaps his most well-known role, Emmich played the driver Chicago, who steered the Cadillac sedan with Rip Torn‘s hard-living honky tonk singer Maury Dann in the backseat, in Payday (1973).
In Michael Cimino‘s Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974), Emmich portrayed the Western Union security guard with a porn fetish who is attracted to the long-legged, dress-wearing Jeff Bridges. He played another security guard, one who falls victim to a hammer wielded by Michael Myers, in Halloween II (1981).
Emmich was at his best on the fifth season of NBC’s Little House on the Prairie...
Cliff Emmich, the fun-loving character actor who made his mark in Payday, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, Halloween II and Little House on the Prairie, has died. He was 85.
Emmich died Monday at his Valley Village home in Los Angeles after a long battle with lung cancer, his rep Steve Stevens told The Hollywood Reporter.
In perhaps his most well-known role, Emmich played the driver Chicago, who steered the Cadillac sedan with Rip Torn‘s hard-living honky tonk singer Maury Dann in the backseat, in Payday (1973).
In Michael Cimino‘s Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974), Emmich portrayed the Western Union security guard with a porn fetish who is attracted to the long-legged, dress-wearing Jeff Bridges. He played another security guard, one who falls victim to a hammer wielded by Michael Myers, in Halloween II (1981).
Emmich was at his best on the fifth season of NBC’s Little House on the Prairie...
- 12/3/2022
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Here are a few bits of trivia about the beloved family sitcom “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.” It ran 14 seasons from 1952-66, a record until Fxx’s “It Always Sunny in Philadelphia” kicked off its 15th season last year. But “Philadelphia” has only aired 162 episodes compared to a whopping 435 for “Ozzie and Harriet.”
Despite the fact it aired 14 years, the series only cracked the top 30 in its 11th season where it came in 29th place. The exterior shots were actually of the Nelsons’ real home at 1822 Camino Palmero Street in L.A. (it recently sold for 5.9 million) and the interiors were recreations of their own home. Though the TV Ozzie didn’t seem to have a job, the real-life Ozzie starred, produced, co-wrote and directed “Ozzie and Harriet.”
Topics were far from controversial. There was a whole episode revolving around the fact that a local store delivered new chairs that they hadn’t ordered.
Despite the fact it aired 14 years, the series only cracked the top 30 in its 11th season where it came in 29th place. The exterior shots were actually of the Nelsons’ real home at 1822 Camino Palmero Street in L.A. (it recently sold for 5.9 million) and the interiors were recreations of their own home. Though the TV Ozzie didn’t seem to have a job, the real-life Ozzie starred, produced, co-wrote and directed “Ozzie and Harriet.”
Topics were far from controversial. There was a whole episode revolving around the fact that a local store delivered new chairs that they hadn’t ordered.
- 8/1/2022
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Holy Moulin Rouge flashback!
Oscar winner Nicole Kidman‘s considerable, rarely-heard pipes are being put to use in HBO’s six-episode limited series The Undoing, which premiered Sunday (read recap).
More from TVLineThe Undoing Recap: Grace Under Fire — Plus, Grade the Premiere!The Undoing's Nicole Kidman Addresses Big Little Lies Comparisons, Drops 'Tidbit' About Potential Season 3Nxivm Frontman Keith Raniere Sentenced to 120 Years in Prison
The sometimes-chanteuse recorded a cover of “Dream a Little Dream of Me” for the thriller’s opening title sequence, which features a young version of Kidman’s Undoing character Grace playing with bubbles and...
Oscar winner Nicole Kidman‘s considerable, rarely-heard pipes are being put to use in HBO’s six-episode limited series The Undoing, which premiered Sunday (read recap).
More from TVLineThe Undoing Recap: Grace Under Fire — Plus, Grade the Premiere!The Undoing's Nicole Kidman Addresses Big Little Lies Comparisons, Drops 'Tidbit' About Potential Season 3Nxivm Frontman Keith Raniere Sentenced to 120 Years in Prison
The sometimes-chanteuse recorded a cover of “Dream a Little Dream of Me” for the thriller’s opening title sequence, which features a young version of Kidman’s Undoing character Grace playing with bubbles and...
- 10/26/2020
- by Michael Ausiello
- TVLine.com
Family comedies have gone to Schitt. “Schitt’s Creek” that is. The little Canadian comedy series that airs on Pop and streams on Netflix has hit Emmy paydirt in its sixth and final season, earning 15 Emmy nominations including best comedy series, actor for Eugene Levy, actress for Catherine O’Hara, supporting actor, writer and director for Dan Levy and supporting actress for Annie Murphy.
Sort of a reverse “The Beverly Hillbillies,” the series follows a seriously vapid, dysfunctional family, John and Moira Rose and their adult children David and Alexis, who lose their family fortune and end up living in a rundown motel in Schitt’s Creek, a tiny rural town which is the only asset they still own. And “Schitt’s Creek” is a family affair with Eugene Levy creating the series with his son Dan, who plays his eldest on the show. And the comedy legend’s daughter Emily also is...
Sort of a reverse “The Beverly Hillbillies,” the series follows a seriously vapid, dysfunctional family, John and Moira Rose and their adult children David and Alexis, who lose their family fortune and end up living in a rundown motel in Schitt’s Creek, a tiny rural town which is the only asset they still own. And “Schitt’s Creek” is a family affair with Eugene Levy creating the series with his son Dan, who plays his eldest on the show. And the comedy legend’s daughter Emily also is...
- 8/20/2020
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
On NCIS, no case ever stumps naval investigator Leroy "Jethro" Gibbs, but in real life, Mark Harmon, 66, has long been befuddled by one mystery: fame. "My parents kept things real — I had no idea they were famous," says the son of sportscaster Tom Harmon and actress Elyse Knox. "In fact, it didn’t hit me until one day when I was riding in the car with my father in Ann Arbor, Mi — I was maybe eight and could barely see above the dashboard — and we stopped at a crosswalk. Suddenly, we were surrounded by people who recognized my dad and were really thrilled to see him. I remember looking at this man I thought I knew so well and thinking, Who are you?" Millions of people ask the same question about Mark to this day. He’s the star of TV’s No. 1 drama yet he maintains an intense sense of privacy.
- 5/30/2018
- by Closer Staff
- Closer Weekly
Veteran’s Day is November 11. While we all try to escape from the most exasperating Presidential Campaign in our history let me pay tribute to the Men and Women who have served in the military to insure we keep our electoral process and our freedoms.
Having served in the Navy four years (there he goes again!) I have a keen interest in any movie about the military, especially the sea service. I did serve during peace time so had no experience with combat but still spent most of my tour of duty at sea on an aircraft carrier, the USS Amerca CV66. Among other jobs I ran the ship’s television station for almost two years. Movies have always been important to me and so providing a few hours of entertainment every day when we were at sea was just about the best job I could have had.
The author...
Having served in the Navy four years (there he goes again!) I have a keen interest in any movie about the military, especially the sea service. I did serve during peace time so had no experience with combat but still spent most of my tour of duty at sea on an aircraft carrier, the USS Amerca CV66. Among other jobs I ran the ship’s television station for almost two years. Movies have always been important to me and so providing a few hours of entertainment every day when we were at sea was just about the best job I could have had.
The author...
- 11/11/2016
- by Sam Moffitt
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Fred Astaire ca. 1935. Fred Astaire movies: Dancing in the dark, on the ceiling on TCM Aug. 5, '15, is Fred Astaire Day on Turner Classic Movies, as TCM continues with its “Summer Under the Stars” series. Just don't expect any rare Astaire movies, as the actor-singer-dancer's star vehicles – mostly Rko or MGM productions – have been TCM staples since the early days of the cable channel in the mid-'90s. True, Fred Astaire was also featured in smaller, lesser-known fare like Byron Chudnow's The Amazing Dobermans (1976) and Yves Boisset's The Purple Taxi / Un taxi mauve (1977), but neither one can be found on the TCM schedule. (See TCM's Fred Astaire movie schedule further below.) Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers musicals Some fans never tire of watching Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dancing together. With these particular fans in mind, TCM is showing – for the nth time – nine Astaire-Rogers musicals of the '30s,...
- 8/5/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
This story originally ran in the Comedy/Drama Series issue of TheWrap’s Emmy magazine. From Desi Arnaz and Ozzie Nelson to Louis C.K. and Lena Dunham, there’s a long history in televised comedy of actors who double as showrunners. And that means there’s also a long history of exhausted actor/showrunners. “It’s fascinating, terrifying and exhilarating in equal parts,” said Will Forte, who plays the title character on the Fox sitcom “Last Man on Earth,” and also created the show with Phil Lord and Chris Miller. “Even though I used to be a sitcom writer, I...
- 6/19/2015
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
As we look back on People's 40 fabulous years, we can't help but linger on some of the images that have us saying, "We put who on the cover?" For every Most Beautiful Woman there's a cover of a lingerie-clad Muppet (see Miss Piggy below), and for every George Clooney wedding album there's someone (er, something) like E.T. True, they were big deals at the time - but that doesn't make them any less hilarious now. Here's a look at some of our favorite gems - and yes, they are definitely real: Mork & Mindy's Pam Dawber Sure, Robin Williams went on...
- 10/13/2014
- by Laura Lane, @lauralanenyc
- PEOPLE.com
The Wasteland:
Television is a gold goose that lays scrambled eggs;
and it is futile and probably fatal to beat it for not laying caviar.
Lee Loevinger
When people argue over the quality of television programming, both sides — it’s addictive crap v. underappreciated populist art — seem to forget one of the essentials about commercial TV. By definition, it is not a public service. It is not commercial TV’s job to enlighten, inform, educate, elevate, inspire, or offer insight. Frankly, it’s not even commercial TV’s job to entertain. Bottom line: its purpose is simply to deliver as many sets of eyes to advertisers as possible. As it happens, it tends to do this by offering various forms of entertainment, and occasionally by offering content that does enlighten, inform, etc., but a cynic would make the point that if TV could do the same job televising fish aimlessly swimming around an aquarium,...
Television is a gold goose that lays scrambled eggs;
and it is futile and probably fatal to beat it for not laying caviar.
Lee Loevinger
When people argue over the quality of television programming, both sides — it’s addictive crap v. underappreciated populist art — seem to forget one of the essentials about commercial TV. By definition, it is not a public service. It is not commercial TV’s job to enlighten, inform, educate, elevate, inspire, or offer insight. Frankly, it’s not even commercial TV’s job to entertain. Bottom line: its purpose is simply to deliver as many sets of eyes to advertisers as possible. As it happens, it tends to do this by offering various forms of entertainment, and occasionally by offering content that does enlighten, inform, etc., but a cynic would make the point that if TV could do the same job televising fish aimlessly swimming around an aquarium,...
- 7/22/2013
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
It would have been impossible for Mark Harmon to have been born anything less than gorgeous. His father was University of Michigan football All-American and Heisman Trophy winner Tom Harmon. His mother, Elyse Knox, was an actress and artist. With this combination of looks, beauty and brains, he couldn't miss. Thomas Mark Harmon was born September 2, 1951 in Burbank, California. He has two older sisters, actress and painter Kristin Nelson, formerly married to singer Ricky Nelson, and Kelly Harmon, actress-model who was once married to auto magnate John DeLorean. Mark attended Los Angeles Pierce College, then transferred to the University of California, Los Angeles where he became the starting quarterback for the UCLA Bruins football team in 1972 and 1973. He received the National Football Foundation Award for All-Round Excellence in 1973. In his two years as quarterback in coach Pepper Rodger's wishbone offense, UCLA won 17 games and lost only 5. He graduated from UCLA with a B.
- 8/8/2012
- by jbonadona@corp.popstar.com (Julia Bonadona)
- PopStar
Update: If you find yourself walking on the Hollywood Walk of Fame today, be sure to stop and look down: Today is the day William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman are awarded their double star, with David Mamet and Aaron Sorkin serving as guest speakers at the ceremony. Let’s all be immediately jealous that we’re not as cool or adorable as these two.
Earlier: Adorable, functional Hollywood couple news? You betcha! William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman are getting the rare double star (all the way!) on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce announced...
Earlier: Adorable, functional Hollywood couple news? You betcha! William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman are getting the rare double star (all the way!) on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce announced...
- 3/7/2012
- by Aly Semigran
- EW.com - PopWatch
Adorable, functional Hollywood couple news? You betcha! William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman are getting the rare double star (all the way!) on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce announced that the famous pair will join a distinguished few who get to take part in a double ceremony. Macy and Huffman, who have been married since 1997 and have two children, will become the second married couple to be honored with their stars on the same day. (The last time was in 2008 for film producers Lauren Shuler Donner and Richard Donner.)
Macy, who currently appears on Shameless,...
Macy, who currently appears on Shameless,...
- 3/2/2012
- by Aly Semigran
- EW.com - PopWatch
Everett Sherwood Schwartz
Sherwood Schwartz, a television producer and sitcom creator best known for his beloved 1960s and 1970s shows “The Brady Bunch” and “Gilligan’s Island,” has passed away in Los Angeles. He was 94. Schwartz also worked as a writer on such well-known programs as “Ozzie and Harriet” and “My Favorite Martian,” and won an Emmy writing for the variety program, “The Red Skelton Show.”
Schwartz wrote in his book “Brady, Brady, Brady” that he was reading The Los...
Sherwood Schwartz, a television producer and sitcom creator best known for his beloved 1960s and 1970s shows “The Brady Bunch” and “Gilligan’s Island,” has passed away in Los Angeles. He was 94. Schwartz also worked as a writer on such well-known programs as “Ozzie and Harriet” and “My Favorite Martian,” and won an Emmy writing for the variety program, “The Red Skelton Show.”
Schwartz wrote in his book “Brady, Brady, Brady” that he was reading The Los...
- 7/12/2011
- by Nick Andersen
- Speakeasy/Wall Street Journal
Sherwood Schwartz , the television genius who created " The Brady Bunch " and " Gilligan's Island " -- and wrote the theme songs for Both shows -- has died ... TMZ has learned. Schwartz is a TV legend -- back in 1961, he won an Emmy for his work as a writer on " The Red Skelton Show ." Schwartz also served as a script supervisor on " My Favorite Martian " ... and a writer and producer of " Harper Valley PTA ." Sherwood worked in radio...
- 7/12/2011
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
David Nelson, best known as the older brother in the television show The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet (1952-66), died of colon cancer on Jan. 11 in Los Angeles. He was 74. David Nelson was the last surviving member of the Ozzie & Harriet cast: Ricky Nelson, who battled drug addiction for years, died in a plane crash in 1978. Harriet Hilliard (Nelson) died in 1994. Ozzie Nelson died in 1975. Surprisingly, the blond, blue-eyed, incredibly handsome Nelson (born Oct. 24, 1936, in New York City) didn't have much of a film career, appearing in supporting roles in only a handful of films. Most notable among these are Mark Robson's Academy Award-nominated potboiler Peyton Place (1957), in which Nelson played Hope Lange's sweetheart (things go sour after she gets raped by her drunken stepfather, Arthur Kennedy); and Joseph M. Newman's The Big Circus (1959), a cliche-ridden circus melodrama that makes The Greatest [...]...
- 1/12/2011
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
David Nelson, who was the last surviving member of the 1950s sitcom "Ozzie and Harriet," has died, the Los Angeles Times reports. He was 74. The cause was colon cancer, Nelson's publicist, Dale Olson, told the paper. Nelson died Tuesday at his home in Century City, California. "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" originally debuted on the radio, in 1944, with Nelson's real-life parents Ozzie Nelson and Harriet Hilliard. Nelson [pictured, top] and his younger brother Ricky [bottom] replaced the child actors portraying them in 1949. In 1952, the show moved to television...
- 1/12/2011
- by Dylan Stableford
- The Wrap
Actor David Nelson has died at the age of 74. David was best known for his role on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (TV), a family show created by his parents which drew it's plot lines from many of the Nelson's real life experiences. The series ran from 1952 to 1966 and featured David's father, the famous band leader Ozzie Nelson, David's mother, singer Harriet Hilliard, and his teen idol brother, Rick Nelson. David was the last remaining member of his television family. The pioneer actor passed away at his home in the Los Angeles area on Tuesday following a battle with colon cancer. Throughout his career, David added other TV credits to his resume, appearing in such shows as High School USA (TV), The Love Boat (TV), and Up in Smoke (TV). He also directed several television series, including a number of episodes from The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (TV...
- 1/12/2011
- by jmaurer@corp.popstar.com (Jennifer Maurer)
- PopStar
Nelson was last surviving castmember of the popular 1950s and '60s family sitcom.
By Gil Kaufman
David, Harriet and Ozzie Nelson
Photo: ABC
In the 1950s and '60s the Nelsons were one of the most popular families on television, but on Tuesday the last surviving castmember of "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet," David Nelson, died at the age of 74. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Nelson passed away in his Century City, California, home after battling complications from colon cancer.
In an age before reality TV, Nelson was one of the first true reality stars. Appearing alongside his actual family in the long-running sitcom that starred his parents, Ozzie and Harriet, and younger brother and future music/film star Ricky, David Nelson got his start on the radio in 1949 with the original incarnation of the sitcom, which his parents had launched five years earlier.
The show made the...
By Gil Kaufman
David, Harriet and Ozzie Nelson
Photo: ABC
In the 1950s and '60s the Nelsons were one of the most popular families on television, but on Tuesday the last surviving castmember of "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet," David Nelson, died at the age of 74. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Nelson passed away in his Century City, California, home after battling complications from colon cancer.
In an age before reality TV, Nelson was one of the first true reality stars. Appearing alongside his actual family in the long-running sitcom that starred his parents, Ozzie and Harriet, and younger brother and future music/film star Ricky, David Nelson got his start on the radio in 1949 with the original incarnation of the sitcom, which his parents had launched five years earlier.
The show made the...
- 1/12/2011
- MTV Music News
David Nelson, (pictured back, left) most famous for appearing on "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet," has died at the age of 74 after a battle with colon cancer, a family spokesman says.
"Ozzie and Harriet" ran for 15 seasons and 435 episodes. Real-life family Ozzie Nelson, Harriet Hilliard, Rick Nelson and David Nelson played themselves for all 435 episodes and even got started before that as a radio show called "Here Come the Nelsons." David was the last surviving member of the TV family.
David married his first wife, actress June Blair, in the early 1960s and she even became his TV wife on the show. His last appearance on screen was as Traci Lords' father (and opposite Patty Hearst) in the 1990 Johnny Depp movie "Cry Baby."
Nelson is survived by his wife, Yvonne, four sons and a daughter, seven grandchildren and he is the uncle to twins Matthew and Gunnar Nelson...
"Ozzie and Harriet" ran for 15 seasons and 435 episodes. Real-life family Ozzie Nelson, Harriet Hilliard, Rick Nelson and David Nelson played themselves for all 435 episodes and even got started before that as a radio show called "Here Come the Nelsons." David was the last surviving member of the TV family.
David married his first wife, actress June Blair, in the early 1960s and she even became his TV wife on the show. His last appearance on screen was as Traci Lords' father (and opposite Patty Hearst) in the 1990 Johnny Depp movie "Cry Baby."
Nelson is survived by his wife, Yvonne, four sons and a daughter, seven grandchildren and he is the uncle to twins Matthew and Gunnar Nelson...
- 1/12/2011
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Pop2it
Hollywood mourns the loss of actor David Nelson who died January 11 at the age of 74. Today, the TV icon's nephew, recording artist Gunnar Nelson, spoke on behalf of his family in regards to David's passing. "On behalf of the Rick Nelson family- Matthew, Tracy, Sam, and myself, I would like to extend our collective and heartfelt sympathies to our Uncle David's wife Yvonne, Sons John, Danny, Eric, James, daughter Teri, and all the grandchildren," said Gunnar, the son of rock legend Rick Nelson. "We will all miss Uncle Dave's laughter and evolved sense of humor. I'm sure that Grandpa Ozzie, Grandma Harriet, and our Pop Rick were all waiting for him to welcome him Home when his time came. His passing is a great loss to the Nelson family as well as to the whole world- but I'm certain that his legacy will endure for generations to come. Our thanks...
- 1/12/2011
- by TheInsider
- TheInsider.com
David Nelson's family was actually way ahead of its time. As stars of The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, Ozzie and Harriet Nelson and their sons David and Ricky were doing a sitcom-as-a-play-on-real-life a few years before Lucy and Desi and decades before Larry David took the idea to HBO. And they lasted 14 seasons! Sadly, David Nelson, the surviving member of the quintessential 1950s-era family of four, died Tuesday at his Los Angeles home after battling colon cancer. He was 74. Even before Ozzie and Harriet ended its run on ABC in 1966 (it was in color by then!), David had started a solo acting career, appearing in the classic 1957 film Peyton Place, as well as B-movies like -30-, Day of the Outlaw...
- 1/12/2011
- E! Online
Well, it was weird enough when the White House said that President Obama was going to be on Mythbusters. Now he’s booked himself on The Daily Show on October 27th, just before the “Rally to Restore Sanity.” How is this going to help Democrats in the election? I’m staring at Republican ads nonstop talking about liberals inviting a comedian (Stephen Colbert) to Congress then going home without passing tax reform. This is just feeding the fire.
The CW is developing a musical/dancing show called Acting Out that takes place at a summer camp. It's described as Glee meets Bad Santa, so I'm expecting a darker tone.
Dan Choi is too old to be a Marine, but pending medical tests, he’s signed up to be in the Army. Meanwhile, in San Diego, a former Marine tried to re-enlist only to be told they didn’t know if they had room for him,...
The CW is developing a musical/dancing show called Acting Out that takes place at a summer camp. It's described as Glee meets Bad Santa, so I'm expecting a darker tone.
Dan Choi is too old to be a Marine, but pending medical tests, he’s signed up to be in the Army. Meanwhile, in San Diego, a former Marine tried to re-enlist only to be told they didn’t know if they had room for him,...
- 10/20/2010
- by Ed Kennedy
- The Backlot
They were the Modern Family of their time, back when cars sported tailfins, Americans raced the Russians to the moon and everybody liked Ike. They were the Cleavers, delivering a bit of sanitized Americana every week on the TV sitcom Leave It to Beaver: stalwart dad Ward, hormonal older brother Wally, trouble-prone kid brother Theodore (better known as "the Beaver," for his oversized front teeth), and the always perfectly coiffed, calm and collected mother, June, played by actress Barbara Billingsley. Billingsley, 94, died early Saturday morning at her home in Santa Monica, Calif., after a long illness. "Barbara was a patient advisor and teacher.
- 10/17/2010
- by Stephen M. Silverman
- PEOPLE.com
The Nelson twins are synonymous with many things, not the least of which is music. Lightening struck fast and furious when their debut album "After the Rain" went platinum in1990, and with a new CD in the works, they're primed for a second strike. It's not unlikely, afterall. Talent does have a way of repeating itself. Mathew Nelson and Gunnar Nelson surged onto the musical scene in 1990 with their long blond locks, boyish good looks, and a handful of catchy pop/rock songs and videos. Their so-called "overnight success" began with a platinum debut album that garnered a #1 hit with "(Can't Live Without Your) Love and Affection," followed by four top-ten hits, four #1 videos on MTV/VH1, and a world-wide tour. Their venture into music at a young age came as no surprise. Aside from inheriting good looks by "hitting the gene pool lottery" as Matthew describes it, the brothers...
- 5/4/2010
- by jmaurer@corp.popstar.com (Jennifer Maurer)
- PopStar
McClatchy Newspapers (McT) -- Halloween may still be six weeks off, but don't be surprised if you hear an eerie wail from the ghosts of Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, Samantha Stephens and Hot Lips Houlihan as you watch TV Wednesday night. It's an evening for reworked genres, and the wraiths may be outraged — and in a couple of cases, a little jealous — at the posthumous cosmetic surgery they've undergone. I don't know if Ozzie and Harriet will like the new versions of themselves in ABC's "Modern Family" (9 p.m.), but I certainly did. For the first time since "Married ... With Children"…...
- 9/23/2009
- by By Glenn Garvin
- PopMatters
The Post Office unveiled some very special stamps yesterday morning in Southern California; a set devoted to classic television.
The "Early TV Memories" set of commemorative stamps were launched at a special event at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in North Hollywood. The 20 shows that are honored on the stamps are The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet; Alfred Hitchcock Presents; The Burns and Allen Show; The Dinah Shore Show; Dragnet; The Ed Sullivan Show; The Honeymooners; Hopalong Cassidy; Howdy Doody; I Love Lucy; Kukla, Fran and Ollie; Lassie; The Lone Ranger; Perry Mason; The Phil Silvers Show; The Red Skelton Show; Texaco Star Theater; The Tonight Show; The Twilight Zone; and You Bet Your Life.
All of the performers pictured on the stamps are no longer with us. Stars like Sid Caesar would likely also have been honored but Post...
The "Early TV Memories" set of commemorative stamps were launched at a special event at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in North Hollywood. The 20 shows that are honored on the stamps are The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet; Alfred Hitchcock Presents; The Burns and Allen Show; The Dinah Shore Show; Dragnet; The Ed Sullivan Show; The Honeymooners; Hopalong Cassidy; Howdy Doody; I Love Lucy; Kukla, Fran and Ollie; Lassie; The Lone Ranger; Perry Mason; The Phil Silvers Show; The Red Skelton Show; Texaco Star Theater; The Tonight Show; The Twilight Zone; and You Bet Your Life.
All of the performers pictured on the stamps are no longer with us. Stars like Sid Caesar would likely also have been honored but Post...
- 8/12/2009
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
The Post Office unveiled some very special stamps yesterday morning in Southern California; a set devoted to classic television.
The "Early TV Memories" set of commemorative stamps were launched at a special event at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in North Hollywood. The 20 shows that are honored on the stamps are The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet; Alfred Hitchcock Presents; The Burns and Allen Show; The Dinah Shore Show; Dragnet; The Ed Sullivan Show; The Honeymooners; Hopalong Cassidy; Howdy Doody; I Love Lucy; Kukla, Fran and Ollie; Lassie; The Lone Ranger; Perry Mason; The Phil Silvers Show; The Red Skelton Show; Texaco Star Theater; The Tonight Show; The Twilight Zone; and You Bet Your Life.
All of the performers pictured on the stamps are no longer with us. Stars like Sid Caesar would likely also have been honored but Post Office rules stipulate that a living person can't appear on a stamp.
The "Early TV Memories" set of commemorative stamps were launched at a special event at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in North Hollywood. The 20 shows that are honored on the stamps are The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet; Alfred Hitchcock Presents; The Burns and Allen Show; The Dinah Shore Show; Dragnet; The Ed Sullivan Show; The Honeymooners; Hopalong Cassidy; Howdy Doody; I Love Lucy; Kukla, Fran and Ollie; Lassie; The Lone Ranger; Perry Mason; The Phil Silvers Show; The Red Skelton Show; Texaco Star Theater; The Tonight Show; The Twilight Zone; and You Bet Your Life.
All of the performers pictured on the stamps are no longer with us. Stars like Sid Caesar would likely also have been honored but Post Office rules stipulate that a living person can't appear on a stamp.
- 8/12/2009
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
Stamp collecting is something I just never got into (don't worry, I have plenty of other obsessions), but this might be the first time I actually go to my local post office and get a sheet.
Yesterday, 20 new classic TV stamps were unveiled: I Love Lucy, The Twilight Zone, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Tonight Show, The Honeymooners, Texaco Star Theater, Perry Mason, The Lone Ranger, Burns and Allen, Ozzie and Harriet, Hopalong Cassidy, Lassie, Dragnet, You Bet Your Life, The Dinah Shore Show, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Phil Silvers Show, Howdy Doody, The Red Skelton Show, and Kukla, Fran, and Ollie, Continue reading Classic TV stamps unveiled
Filed under: Programming, Celebrities, Reality-Free
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Yesterday, 20 new classic TV stamps were unveiled: I Love Lucy, The Twilight Zone, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Tonight Show, The Honeymooners, Texaco Star Theater, Perry Mason, The Lone Ranger, Burns and Allen, Ozzie and Harriet, Hopalong Cassidy, Lassie, Dragnet, You Bet Your Life, The Dinah Shore Show, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Phil Silvers Show, Howdy Doody, The Red Skelton Show, and Kukla, Fran, and Ollie, Continue reading Classic TV stamps unveiled
Filed under: Programming, Celebrities, Reality-Free
Permalink | Email this | | Comments...
- 8/12/2009
- by Bob Sassone
- Aol TV.
The holidays are all hustle and bustle, and Arnold Schwarzenegger has it all compacted into Christmas Eve day as he dashes and crashes through a last-minute obstacle course to find the perfect toy for his young one. Like fast food, this fast film -- under 90 minutes with a thin story center but heaps of slapstick garnishes -- should hit the spot among young holiday viewers, chiefly elementary schoolers, and fill 20th Century Fox's boxoffice cup with a merry bit of cheer.
As one would expect with "Home Alone" director Chris Columbus listed as one of the producers, "Jingle All the Way" doesn't exactly dawdle along in its storytelling. In fact, narratively it's akin to a two-reel silent, one of those madcap ditties that Hal Roach or Mack Sennett might have cranked out at their laugh factories. "Jingle" is, essentially, a frantic race against time as the story's straight man careens along in his quest on a course completely booby-trapped by banana peels and obstructing oddballs.
The star and straight man in this outing, of course, is Schwarzenegger, who hunkers down into the role of Howard Langston, a workaholic father whose booming business has left him little time for his wife (Rita Wilson) and young son, Jamie (Jake Lloyd). Unlike Ozzie Nelson, good-hearted Howard seems never to be around the house and, as he realizes, he's down to his last chance with his wife and child. If Howard doesn't get Jamie the Turbo Man toy for Christmas (he white-lied to his wife that he had bought it ages ago) he might as well pack it up and take a permanent cot down at his factory. Naturally, the Turbo Man has slipped his mind and now he's down to the day before Christmas to get one. And, of course, all the stores are sold out.
For modern-day warrior Howard, the Turbo toy is the Golden Fleece and Holy Grail rolled into one. Quite sagely, screenwriter Randy Kornfield has pitted Schwarzenegger against an array of obstacles where neither his brawn nor his brain are assets: feisty female shoppers; a dastardly mall Santa (James Belushi); a disconsolate postal employee (Sinbad) and a role-model neighbor (Phil Hartman), who gets an A+ in dad-stuff. Borrowing from the classic farces, there's a running-gag authority figure, a cop (Robert Conrad), as well as a cute reindeer who doesn't take kindly to him. Most winning, the story has its heart in all the right places.
Director Brian Levant's ("Beethoven") expert wrapping, including its tightly drawn slapstick and zesty pacing, decks "Jingle" out with all the right trappings. That much of the slapstick mauling takes place in Minneapolis' gargantuan Mall of America, as Arnold is bedeviled by cute kids and irate moms, adds a fittingly spectacular toy-store look to the holiday hilarity.
As the frazzled suburbanite, Schwarzenegger is well-cast as the well-meaning but overworked Everyman. Admittedly, the part is not sprinkled with as many characteristic ticks and quirks as, say, the well-intentioned but neurotic Clark Griswold in the "Vacation" movies, but Schwarzenegger's sincere vexation and earnest tenacity are well-suited for the role. The remainder of the cast is similarly well-selected, including Wilson as his exasperated wife and Lloyd as their confused kid.
Like the tinsel on a tree, the supporting cast adds the perfect shine, namely Sinbad as a pent-up postal worker, Conrad as the running-gag cop and Hartman as the unctuously "perfect" neighbor. The technical contributions are also fitting ornaments, highlighted by Leslie McDonald's warm and spirited production design and David Newman's jaunty, shimmering score.
JINGLE ALL THE WAY
20th Century Fox
A 1492 Picture
A Brian Levant Film
Producers :Chris Columbus, Mark Radcliffe, Michael Barnathan
Director :Brian Levant
Screenwriter:Randy Kornfield
Executive producer:Richard Vane
Director of photography:Victor J. Kemper
Production design:Leslie McDonald
Editor: Kent Beyda, Wilton Henderson
Co-producers:Jennifer Blum, James Mulay
Associate producers:Paula DuPre'Pesmen
Music :David Newman
Costume design:Jay Hurley
Casting :Judy Taylor
Visual effects supervisors:Gregory L. McMurry, Glenn Neufeld
Visual effects supervision:Rich Thorne
Sound mixer:Edward Tise
Color/stereo
Cast:
Howard Langston:Arnold Schwarzenegger
Myron Larabee:Sinbad
Ted Maltin :Phil Hartman
Liz Langston :Rita Wilson
Officer Hummell:Robert Conrad
DJ :Martin Mull
Jamie Langston:Jake Lloyd
Mall Santa: James Belushi
Johnny: E.J. De La Pena
First Lady: Laraine Newman
Billy :Justin Chapman
President :Harvey Korman
Running time -- 82 minutes
MPAA rating: PG...
As one would expect with "Home Alone" director Chris Columbus listed as one of the producers, "Jingle All the Way" doesn't exactly dawdle along in its storytelling. In fact, narratively it's akin to a two-reel silent, one of those madcap ditties that Hal Roach or Mack Sennett might have cranked out at their laugh factories. "Jingle" is, essentially, a frantic race against time as the story's straight man careens along in his quest on a course completely booby-trapped by banana peels and obstructing oddballs.
The star and straight man in this outing, of course, is Schwarzenegger, who hunkers down into the role of Howard Langston, a workaholic father whose booming business has left him little time for his wife (Rita Wilson) and young son, Jamie (Jake Lloyd). Unlike Ozzie Nelson, good-hearted Howard seems never to be around the house and, as he realizes, he's down to his last chance with his wife and child. If Howard doesn't get Jamie the Turbo Man toy for Christmas (he white-lied to his wife that he had bought it ages ago) he might as well pack it up and take a permanent cot down at his factory. Naturally, the Turbo Man has slipped his mind and now he's down to the day before Christmas to get one. And, of course, all the stores are sold out.
For modern-day warrior Howard, the Turbo toy is the Golden Fleece and Holy Grail rolled into one. Quite sagely, screenwriter Randy Kornfield has pitted Schwarzenegger against an array of obstacles where neither his brawn nor his brain are assets: feisty female shoppers; a dastardly mall Santa (James Belushi); a disconsolate postal employee (Sinbad) and a role-model neighbor (Phil Hartman), who gets an A+ in dad-stuff. Borrowing from the classic farces, there's a running-gag authority figure, a cop (Robert Conrad), as well as a cute reindeer who doesn't take kindly to him. Most winning, the story has its heart in all the right places.
Director Brian Levant's ("Beethoven") expert wrapping, including its tightly drawn slapstick and zesty pacing, decks "Jingle" out with all the right trappings. That much of the slapstick mauling takes place in Minneapolis' gargantuan Mall of America, as Arnold is bedeviled by cute kids and irate moms, adds a fittingly spectacular toy-store look to the holiday hilarity.
As the frazzled suburbanite, Schwarzenegger is well-cast as the well-meaning but overworked Everyman. Admittedly, the part is not sprinkled with as many characteristic ticks and quirks as, say, the well-intentioned but neurotic Clark Griswold in the "Vacation" movies, but Schwarzenegger's sincere vexation and earnest tenacity are well-suited for the role. The remainder of the cast is similarly well-selected, including Wilson as his exasperated wife and Lloyd as their confused kid.
Like the tinsel on a tree, the supporting cast adds the perfect shine, namely Sinbad as a pent-up postal worker, Conrad as the running-gag cop and Hartman as the unctuously "perfect" neighbor. The technical contributions are also fitting ornaments, highlighted by Leslie McDonald's warm and spirited production design and David Newman's jaunty, shimmering score.
JINGLE ALL THE WAY
20th Century Fox
A 1492 Picture
A Brian Levant Film
Producers :Chris Columbus, Mark Radcliffe, Michael Barnathan
Director :Brian Levant
Screenwriter:Randy Kornfield
Executive producer:Richard Vane
Director of photography:Victor J. Kemper
Production design:Leslie McDonald
Editor: Kent Beyda, Wilton Henderson
Co-producers:Jennifer Blum, James Mulay
Associate producers:Paula DuPre'Pesmen
Music :David Newman
Costume design:Jay Hurley
Casting :Judy Taylor
Visual effects supervisors:Gregory L. McMurry, Glenn Neufeld
Visual effects supervision:Rich Thorne
Sound mixer:Edward Tise
Color/stereo
Cast:
Howard Langston:Arnold Schwarzenegger
Myron Larabee:Sinbad
Ted Maltin :Phil Hartman
Liz Langston :Rita Wilson
Officer Hummell:Robert Conrad
DJ :Martin Mull
Jamie Langston:Jake Lloyd
Mall Santa: James Belushi
Johnny: E.J. De La Pena
First Lady: Laraine Newman
Billy :Justin Chapman
President :Harvey Korman
Running time -- 82 minutes
MPAA rating: PG...
- 11/20/1996
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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