R. I. P JACK DAVIS

You may not recognize the name, but you will recognize the artwork. Mad magazine and TV Guide covers, print ads for the TV show Cheers, Sesame Street children's books, covers for several country artist (he must have been a favorite of Homer & Jethro), the famous "giant Frankenstein Monster poster" that was advertised in comic books of the 60s & 70s, the designs for Mad Monster Party and the Jackson 5 cartoon and the Man From UNCLE lunchbox. Jack Davis was everywhere.

TARZAN AND THE IMPOSTERS

One of the big movie releases this summer has been The Legend of Tarzan. Reviews are mixed but it is another addition to the long history of one of the most famous adventure, literature characters of all time. The first Tarzan story, by Edgar Rice Burroughs, was published in a magazine in 1912. The first comic adaptation was in 1929 in a newspaper strip drawn by Hal Foster. Reprints began appearing in a new form of reading material called comic books. Later, original stories and adaptations of Burroughs stories began appearing in comic book form in 1947. From 1939 to 1972, Tarzan comics were published by Western Publishing, first under the Dell imprint, then Gold Key Comics imprint. Starting in 1972, Tarzan was published by DC Comics. Then in 1978 to 1979, the character went to Marvel.

There were also many Tarzan imposters, that sprang up with the popularity of comic books. In the mid 30s, Marvel launched a character in their pulp magazines known as Ka-Zar of the Hidden Jungle. They brought the character back in the 60s. Here are some Tarzan covers as well as some imitation jungle men and women. Incidentally, the Tarzan comic strip still appears in newspapers, thought Universal Features.

GARY MARSHALL'S FORGOTTEN CLASSIC - EVIL ROY SLADE

Most news stories about the late Gary Marshall are mentioning his many successes in television, such as Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, Mork & Mindy and The Odd Couple, as well as movies such as Pretty Woman, Runaway Bride, Beaches and The Princess Diaries. However, one of his biggest failures has become a cult classic.

In 1967, Marshall and his long time collaborators, Jerry Belson and Jerry Paris, came up with an idea for a Western comedy called Sheriff Who?. The show would feature a different guest star hired to be the sheriff, with the job of bringing to justice a outlaw named "Evil" Roy Slade, played by John Astin. At the end of the show, Slade would kill the new sheriff. Needless to say, NBC refused it because of violence. They re-wrote and filmed four different pilots of Sheriff Who? and each one was voted down by NBC. After the had a hit on ABC with The Odd Couple, the trio gave up on the comedy Western.

Then, in 1972, the four pilots were edited into a two hour movie for television called Evil Roy Slade. It aired on the network several times during the 70s and then was syndicated to local TV stations in the 80s. It became a cult favorite. At one point, rocker Alice Cooper was photographed wearing a T-shirt reading "Evil Roy Slade for President." In his autobiography, Marshall said it was one of his favorite projects of all time.

The plot revolves around a railroad, telegraph and bank magnate (Mickey Rooney) trying to bring Evil Roy Slade to justice. During a bank robbery, Slade meets a beautiful, idealistic schoolmarm named Betsy (Pamela Austin, the Dodge Girl). They fall in love and Betsy decides to reform Roy. She eventually takes him to Boston, where he is treated by a psychiatrist (Dom DeLuise). When he is cured he goes to work in the shoe store of her uncle (Milton Berle). Eventually, the railroad magnate hires a retired singing lawman (Dick Shawn) to hunt down Slade and marry Betsy.

The dialog in this movie is great. The funniest lines stay with you long after you watch the film. At one point, Betsy tries to teach Roy math with the problem of having six apples and a neighbor takes three. When she asked what he would have, Roy replies "A dead neighbor and all six apple." The absurdity of the humor takes the edge off of the idea that this is a movie about a vicious killer. The portion where Roy works at the shoes store has to be the funniest part.

Also the well-known cast make this film a fun experience. Of all of the stars involved, John Astin is the one who makes this work. He is perfect as the deranged but likable Slade. Throw in the narration by Western sidekick and Green Acres star Pat Butram and you have a great comedy package. Also look for Gary Marshall's sister, Penny Marshall, as a bank teller.

The movie is available on DVD as well as on YouTube.








 







      

FIVE ADVERTISING CHARACTERS THAT MADE COMEBACKS

Recently, Dos Equis Beer announced that it was retiring the popular character in their commercials known as "The Most Exciting Man In the World." The character, played by actor Johnathan Silverman, became popular outside the advertising world as well, inspiring Internet memes and T-shirts. Just because he took off into space in the last commercial doesn't mean he wont be back. Several famous advertising character have come back over the years, some in different forms.


COLONEL SANDERS - Colonel Harlan Sanders (above) was a real person, who appeared in commercials and even cameo appearances in movies promoting Kentucky Fried Chicken. He died in 1980. In the 1990's, KFC (as they were calling themselves) used a cartoon version of the Colonel, voiced by Richard Paul, from the short-lived 70s sitcom, Carter Country, and the movie, People VS Larry Flynt. When Paul died, the cartoon Colonel disappeared. Recently a new series of commercials featuring featuring a rotating comedians (Darrell Hammond, Norm McDonald and Jim Gaffigan) portraying the Colonel have been running on TV.

MR. CLEAN - Mr. Clean was first introduced in animated form with his catching jingle. In the mid 60s, he appeared in the persona of a live person interacting with people. Two actors, House Peters and Mark Dana (above), are credited with playing him. He returned to animated form and some recent ads have shown him in his formative years as a baby and small boy (bottom photo).

THE MARVELOUS MAGICAL BURGER KING - In the late 70s, Burger King introduced a live action character called to compete with Ronald McDonald and the McDonaldland characters. They created a dashing, red headed, bearded, Tudor-era king, who could perform magic, played by actor Fred Barton. When the chains began adding playgrounds to their restaurants, they featured giant plastic sculptures of the Burger King. The company stopped using the character in the late 80s. In 2003, someone at the Crispin Porter + Bogusky ad agency came up with the idea of having someone wear one of the giant plastic Burger Kings (bottom photo) in a commercial. From 2003 to 2011 these ads ran. However, when the company switched agencies, the giant plastic Burger King was dropped because "mother said it frightened their children. WHATEVER!

MAN FROM GLAD - I've mentioned it before that one of my favorite TV shows is The Man From U.N.C.L.E. During the initial run of the series, Glad came up with the Man from Glad, a white haired and white suited hero, who arrived in fantastic vehicle with a blaring siren ("Calling the Man from Glad! Calling the Man from Glad!") and jazzy music, to save housewives with various Glad products. The character was never player by the same actor (not sure who the actor in the photo is). The producers of the Man from UNCLE even poked fun at the character in an episode called "The Prince of Darkness Affair" (released to movie theaters as The Helicopter Spies) featuring a cult of killers with white hair. The character was retired after the Man From UNCLE was cancelled. In the 70s, Glad briefly brought the character back with comedian Dick Shawn playing him as a klutz. I was surprised to find in my research that the Man from Glad came back a few years ago in a series of ads that appeared on daytime TV. Still with white hair and white suit, he was now a soft spoken fellow giving cooking tips using Glad products. From campy secret agent-superhero parody to Food Network host wannabe.

     
THE QANTAS KOALA - This was one of my favorite character from my childhood and they ruined him. Beginning in the mid 60s, Qantas ran commercials featuring a real koala watching Qantas planes land bringing tourist to Australia. The koala would explain how a these people were taking advantage of the bargain prices of Qantas flights to Australia. Then he would whine about tourist taking photos of him and staring at him. He would whimper "I hate Qantas" and use the phrase "un-bear-able." The voice of the koala belonged to actor Howard Morris, who not only was the voice of several cartoon characters, but appeared in several Mel brooks films and had the recurring role of Ernest T. Bass on The Andy Griffith Show. One from of the commercials of the 70s shows the koala in a huge Qantas plane with a buffet and cocktail lounge in the back! I found some recent ads. The new ads feature an anima-tronic koala with a Australian accent. He also has a different attitude. He is now a brownnoser for Qantas. He brags about how wonderful the flights are with adjustable seats, snacks and headphones, yet he and the other passengers seemed to be crammed in like sardines. In one spot, he seems to be sitting on a sleeping woman's chest. I'm not sure if these new commercials are to be ironic humor based on the sad state of air travel or the company just doesn't get it. Before they brought back the koala, Qantas commercials featured a loud, drunken, redneck character. Now I really do hate Qantas.

So don't count the Most Interesting Man out, because a good pitchman may come back.

R. I. P NOEL NEIL

This is a great clip of Noel Neil as Lois. You can kill Jimmy Olsen, but making "goo-goo eyes" at Lois Lane will make Superman very angry.

HAPPY 4th of JULY 2016

Instead of fireworks you will get stuff I found on Tumblr. Enjoy! We will start with comic books. As always, click on the pictures to enlarge them.

And of course, famous retro babes.

VERA-ELLEN

BARBARA EDEN

CYD CHARISSE

And now for the all Ann Miller section.

I don't care what kind of fireworks you see this weekend, they won't be as hot as these photos of Ann Miller in a patriotic outfit putting makeup on her legs.

HAPPY 4th OF JULY! BE SAFE!