It Takes Fred Astaire

One of my very favorite male (for a change) performers is Fred Astaire. It hasn't always been that way, however. In fact, I remember the very first time I ever even heard of Fred Astaire. Even as a budding film buff, I somehow managed to avoid hearing of or at least paying any attention to his name until I was ten years old! Then it was announced that Fred Astaire would be appearing in the TV series, IT TAKES A THIEF starring Robert Wagner (whose no doubt fascinating autobiography is due soon). Now, here's the thing. You may find this impossible to believe but even as a TV kid of the sixties, I never saw one single episode of that series! Somehow, all the publicity stuck with me, however, and I remembered the name. As time went on, MGM released THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT and it was! Suddenly I became quite enamored of this easygoing, amazingly graceful man. Over the next few years, Fred began to appear fairly regularly in films and on TV again, turning in pleasant but well-acted performances in everything from THE TOWERING INFERNO and BATTLESTAR GALACTICA to GHOST STORY and THE MAN IN THE SANTA CLAUS SUIT. What he did not do, though, was dance.

At the same time , I was discovering the younger, dancing Fred in big screen reissues of all of the RKO classics with Ginger Rogers. According to legend, the comment after his first movie audition was "Can't sing, can't act. Can dance a little." Ahem. FRED ASTAIRE WAS AMAZING! His dances with Ginger were incredible (they always said she could do anything he could do only she had to do it backwards and in high heels!) but his solo setpieces in the later MGM films were masterpieces of invention and style.

In real-life, I hear he was vain about his hair loss (he usually wore a toupee or a hat like Crosby), loved horse racing and porn films (I read he used to wear disguises to go to adult theaters in those pre-'Net days but everyone always knew it was him), he married a much younger female jockey in later years and could really hold a grudge. Who cares? This was Fred Astaire!

Last week, after all these years, I finally got a chance to see some of Astaire's appearances on IT TAKES A THIEF and they are quite fun! His amiable style translates well to the role of international thief Alistair Mundy and his not so smooth relationship with son Alexander (Wagner, of course) was well-played. Sometimes I wish that I lived my life in a linear fashion like most people but at times like this, I'm glad that I was able to spend a little time back in the sixties with RJ and Fred...finally.

Random Panels of Comic Book Weirdness # 38

Jack Kirby's MACHINE MAN here feeling a bit angsty over the apparently impending lack of dessert .

Hayley Today

Longtime readers know that I have always fancied Ms. Hayley Mills nearly as much as I do Linda Blair. As other popular bloggers had already staked out an obsession with the star of THE PARENT TRAP and (my favorite) THE TROUBLE WITH ANGELS, I've kind of kept my own undying appreciation for Hayley on the back burner but today on TMZ.com they had THIS recent shot of her and I thought some of you folks might like to see it!

Michael Palin For President!

Mark Evanier posted this today but I couldn't resist presenting it here, also as I strongly support Mr. Palin (just as in past years I have supported Snoopy, Pogo and Howard the Duck for president!)

Jerry and Neal and Jerry and Joe

Undoubtedly from the late seventies when Neal Adams (then the most popular artist in comics) and Jerry Robinson (the original BATMAN ghost) were shaming Warner Communications into giving Siegel and Shuster at least SOME of what they were owed, here's a great photo I'd never seen before. This appeared recently in USA TODAY's huge article about Jerry Siegel which plugged Marc Tyler Nobleman's BOYS OF STEEL and Brad Meltzer's new (and strangely-related) bestseller, THE BOOK OF LIES! In case you didn't know, l to r you've got Joe Shuster, Neal Adams, Jerry Siegel and Jerry Robinson. See Gerard Jones' MEN OF TOMORROW for details of the campaign which not only got S & S some long overdue money but returned their credit to SUPERMAN.

Second Spirit Trailer

I report, you decide. I still think it looks quite cool in its own right...but is it THE SPIRIT??

More Bananlicious Memories

In yesterday's post, friend and ace researcher Derek Tague mentioned his buddy Dan Hollis. Here's Dan today with more guest reminiscences on THE BANANA SPLITS at their 40th anniversary. Check out the links to Dan's terrific site also (which I would've plugged before but JUST now discovered!). Here's Dan Hollis:

I was born in 1968, the same year the Banana Splits Show premiered --so that is pretty awesome in its own right. That would mean I started watching the re-runs. pretty early on, of our beloved furry pals. Matter of fact, the Banana Splits (along with Speed Racer, The Wonderful World of Disney, The Abbott and Costello Cartoon, Bozo the Clown and Sesame Street) are the very first kids shows that I can actually recall ever viewing at around age 3 and half. I even remember going to a well-known (at that time) ice cream parlor in Michigan (where I once lived) called Farrells Ice Cream...and seeing many "pictures" of Fleegle, Bingo, Drooper and Snorky on the wall as you walked in. Apparently, they had visited Farrells at some point. That was just amazing to me! Dare I say it...I'm sure everyone in attendance that day had 'Banana Splits' (yuck...yuck...yuck)...The Banana Splits became quick favorites of mine. I would instantly light up when the show would come on. The accompanying cartoons (Squiddly Diddly, Secret Squirrel and Morocco Mole, Winsome Witch, the Hillbilly Bears, Atom Ant, Precious Pup, the Microventures, the Adventures of Gulliver, the Arabian Knights, the Three Musketeers) were all truly awesome as was Danger Island and the New Adventures of Huck Finn. However, it was when our heroes, the Splits themselves, would grace the tv screen -- that it was like witnessing something magical in the universe. When the opening theme to the show would come on, I would get goose bumps. (Heck, my goose bumps got goose bumps). Thinking about the Banana Splits today at my current Jack Benny age of 39 is to instantly transport myself back to those wonderful, magical childhood years of innocence and of no major responsibilities. Some of my favorite memories of all, involve my families' magical (okay, so I love that word a lot ) trips to Boston to see my grandparents. The journey there from New Jersey, my grandparents, my relatives--just perfect times. And then there was getting up early on Saturday morning to tune in to re-runs of Underdog, Superman and of course, the Banana Splits on the wonderful channels 38 and 56 out of Boston (long before cable). Not only was I watching my favorite show, but it was at my favorite place to be! As I got older and VCRs became prevalent, I eventually taped all of the Splits episodes. I would make tapes chock full of kids show openings way back then as well...all of the stuff I loved and grew up on...and bring my 'tapes' to parties to share with everyone and reminisce. Boy were they a hit. And the biggest cheer was always when the Banana Splits theme came on. As I'm typing here in my office, I can see to my right (and above here also), a wonderful picture of the Splits that my wife Charlene drew for me quite a while back for my birthday. And to my left, there's my Banana Splits vinyl lunch box. So yes, I will always be a true kid at heart.

As you may have just read, my friend Derek has pointed out the amazing discovery of Fleegle's certain 'choice of words' in a particular clip. You can use the below link to a page on my website to see it: http://www.timetravelispossible.com/MyFavoriteThings.html (scroll down some, it's on the left side of the page).

Also, I had the real pleasure of interviewing Paul Winchell (Mr.Fleegle himself) on the radio back in March of 2004 with my friend and colleague, Doc South...and Paul was marvelous! If you'd like to hear it, follow this link: http://www.timetravelispossible.com/ourradioprograms.html

(It's on the left, half way down, listed as -- Paul Winchell Interview)

Thanks Steve for including my two cents on what will always be my favorite show as a kid, the Banana Splits. (Note: I always joke with my buddies Derek, Jeff and Chuck that I had 100's of 'favorite shows' growing up, but seriously folks...the Banana Splits is THE ONE that transports me back in time - the most!!) --Dan Hollis 9.6.08