DCS: diane jergens

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At 8 years old, little Diane Irgens auditioned in Hollywood for two different studios. She was asked to return to make a movie. She made her big screen debut in 1946 in the film Ginger, using the stage name “Diane Jergens.” She went on to appear in a number of small roles, alongside big names like Spencer Tracy, Katherine Hepburn and James Stewart. She landed leading roles in a series of teen dramas like High School Confidential and Sing, Boy, Sing.

Diane turned her attention to television with appearances in Dragnet, The Danny Thomas Show, The Addams Family, and 77 Sunset Strip, as well as a recurring part on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. She married fellow TV actor Peter Brown, star of the Western series Lawman. Later, she married New Christy Minstrels founder Randy Sparks. At the ripe old age of 30, Diane retired from acting to raise a family.

Out of the spotlight for over fifty years, Diane passed away in 2018 at the age of 83.

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inktober 2026: week 2

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It’s Week Two of the JPiC version of Inktober 2026 – a salute to “made-for-television” horror movies. Today, it’s Crowhaven Farm.

Fresh off her two-season Emmy Award-winning stint as “Carolyn Muir” in the sitcom The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, a breezy, updated take on the 1947 film, Hope Lange showed up in Crowhaven Farm.

Camp TV impresario Aaron Spelling presented Hope Lange and rugged Paul Burke as a young and unsuspecting couple who inherit a New England homestead with the ominous name “Crowhaven Farm.” Poor Hope starts having disturbing visions that lead to a very convoluted story involving witches, a Satanic cult, reincarnation and bonnet-wearing Puritans. The movie culminates in a disturbing scene in which Hope is placed beneath a wooden door which is then laden with heavy stones. It was mildly controversial for the time… which was 1970.

Crowhaven Farm was not overtly gory. It was more of a slow build. It featured a crew of television stalwarts like Patricia Barry, Milton Seltzer and the perfectly sinister John Carradine. The final film was banned by the apartheid censor board in South Africa, despite the fact that the country had no television service until 1975.

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DCS: d’urville martin

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black history month 2020 week 2

D’urville Martin enjoyed a string of small roles in television and movies. He was featured in supporting parts in Black Like Me, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner and Rosemary’s Baby. He co-starred in two unaired pilots for All in the Family playing “Lionel Jefferson.” The role was recast when the series was finally sold.

A veteran of several films in the “blaxsploitation” genre, D’urville’s big break came when he directed the 1975 film Dolemite starring comedian Rudy Ray Moore. This film is cited as genre-defining, paving the way for a successful run for hundreds of films in the 70s. Stars like Fred Williamson had great success, and rappers like Snoop Dog and Notorious B.I.G. found inspiration from D’urville’s cinematic vision.

D’urville passed away in 1984 at the age 45.

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inktober 2026: week 1

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Hey everyone! It’s October! Summer is over. Hallowe’en is approaching! Pumpkin spice has been infiltrating all of your favorite food since July. But, October also marks the arrival of Inktober, the annual drawing exercise proposed by artist Jake Parker via his “Inktober” website.  Every October, Jake and his crew posts a list of 31 “prompts” or suggestions (one for each day of the month) and challenges artists around the globe to produce a daily drawing. While I have participated in this artistic exercise for over a decade, I have never followed the rules and I have never done an Inktober drawing based on any of his daily “prompts.” (’cause I’m a loner, Dottie. A rebel!) Instead, I do a weekly drawing based on a seasonal topic of my own selection. This year, I pay tribute to a relatively short trend from the 70s (that spilled into the early 80s) — the made-for television horror movie. I loved horror movies when I was a kid. I frequently watched the Universal classics when they were shown on Saturday afternoons by a local horror show host here in Philadelphia. In the days before a zillion streaming channels and when there were just three networks from which to choose entertainment, made-for-television movies were a big deal. Someone in network programming got the great idea to make horror movies and present them alongside the usual dramatic fare that made up the majority of made-for-television movies. For the most part, these horror movies were very low budget, very poorly conceived and very poorly acted. But, my pre-teen sensibilities didn’t know any better and I loved ’em all. Over the next month, I will attempt to jog your memory.

The 2026 version of Inktober (Josh Pincus-style) begins with Week One’s entry — Moon of the Wolf.

My favorite of the celebrated Universal Monsters was The Wolfman. The 1941 horror classic starred Lon Chaney Jr. as the hapless Larry Talbot, a role he reprised four more times on the big screen. Poor Larry was bitten by a werewolf and every full moon that popped up over the course of five films, he turned into a bloodthirsty werewolf himself. Although he was killed in each film, he would return and return again like a hairy Energizer bunny. The werewolf legacy proved to be enduring and has been the storyline for countless movie franchises.

In 1972, ABC jumped on the werewolf bandwagon with Moon of the Wolf. With a cast of familiar television faces like David Janssen, Barbara Rush and Geoffrey Lewis, Moon of the Wolf presented a creepy tale set in the creepy bayous of creepy Louisiana. Another familiar television actor, Bradford Dillman played the werewolf, sporting make-up that looked as though it was picked up from the Woolworth’s Halloween department. Following an often used trope, Moon of the Wolf told the tale of a mysterious canine that was terrorizing the sparsely populated bayou country. Packed with rehashed lore, predictable action and words like loup garou, Moon of the Wolf was perfect entertainment for any 11-year old horror fan… which I was.

Two years later, David Janssen would enjoy success in a role more to his suiting. He played detective Harry-O for two seasons. Barbara Rush took a recurring role in The Bionic Woman as the title character’s mother. She was later cast as the love interest of Captain Stubing in a two-part Love Boat. Bradford Dillman was a busy actor before and after Moon of the Wolf, with roles in theatrical releases as well as TV series and more made-for-television movies, though no more werewolf roles were in his future.

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DCS: harry chiti

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Harry Chiti had a pretty unremarkable career in Major League Baseball, but he did manage an interesting piece of baseball trivia.

With a lifetime batting average of .238 and 41 homeruns and 179 RBIs, Harry bounced around the majors as a back-up catcher. He played for Chicago, Baltimore, Kansas City, Detroit, Cleveland, and both New York teams. Harry’s reputation as a catcher who was able to handle a knuckleball brought interest from several teams, but his overall contribution as an offensive and defense player left a lot to be desired. In one game in 1956, however, Harry was at the plate and found himself being intentionally walked. Milwaukee Braves right-hander Ray Crone threw a ball a bit too close to the outside corner and Harry drilled it into right field for a triple.

In April 1962, Harry — then playing for Cleveland — was dealt to the New York Mets for a player to be named later. Harry played 15 games for the Mets and racked up a pitiful .195 batting average. In June 1962, The trade was completed when the player to be named later was finally named. It was Harry. He was sent back to Cleveland — making him the very first player to be traded for himself.

He spend the end of his career in Triple-A league until his retirement in 1964. He passed away in 2002 at the age of 69. Although three more players have been part of similar transactions, Harry was the first.

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DCS: judee sill

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Judee Sill had a turbulent childhood, a turbulent adolescence, a turbulent adulthood and an early, turbulent death.

The child of a broken marriage, Judee violently fought with her parents. As a rebellious teen, she and a partner began robbing gas stations and liquor stores in Southern California until the pair were arrested. It was during a nine month stretch in reform school that Judee rediscovered music. The piano lessons she took as a child reemerged and she became a church organist and developed a love of gospel music.

After her release, Judee worked as a piano player in a bar to earn money for her drug habit. In 1966, she married fellow musician — and fellow heroin user — Bob Harris. Once again, Judee resorted to crime — including robbery, sex work, forgery and fraud — to support her addiction. After her release from a jail sentence, Judee concentrated on songwriting.

Even during the lowest points of her life, Judee always displayed musical talent. She secured several gigs opening for Graham Nash and David Crosby. Her performances caught the attention of producer David Geffen and he offered to sign her to his new Asylum Records label. Her first self-titled release featured the single “Jesus Was a Cross Maker.” The single received a flurry of acclaim and Judee toured with singer Jimmy Webb as his opening act. Despite positive reviews, Judee’s debut album sold poorly. She released a second album that also did not do well commercially. She grew frustrated with her “opening act” status and expressed he frustration by berating David Geffen onstage, using several homophobic comments about the then-closeted producer.

With her friendship with Geffen dissolved, Judee found herself with a record label. She began work on a third album, recording songs at Mike Nesmith‘s studio. She struggled with her current songs and considered leaving the music business for other pursuits. Meanwhile, her drug use increased and her health deteriorated. Judee was found dead of a drug overdose in her North Hollywood apartment in November 1979. Although disputed by friends, the LA Coroner ruled the death a suicide. Judee was 35.

Although far from a household name, Judee Sill was often cited as an important influence by a number of successful artists, including Andy Partridge, Liz Phair, Warren Zevon, Shawn Colvin and many others. Nick Lowe said that Judee’s song “Jesus Was a Cross Maker” was very influential on his composition “(What’s So Funny About) Peace, Love and Understanding.”

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