For someone with such an interesting and unusual name, there is not a lot of information about Bo Peep Karlin. She was born Lioba Karlin in 1910 in Green Creek, Illinois, located midway between St. Louis and Terre Haute, Indiana. An aspiring dancer, Bo Peep made her film debut in an uncredited role in the …
Dino Martin was encouraged to pursue a career in show business. After all, his father was Dean Martin, one of the most famous figures in entertainment. Just into his teens, Dino teamed up with multi-instrumentalist Billy Hinsche and drummer Desi Arnaz Jr., both of whom Dino knew as grammar school classmates. The trio auditioned for Frank …
Al Adamson wasn’t about to set Hollywood on fire. He wasn’t making groundbreaking film. He wasn’t an innovator of directorial technique. He was churning out low budget schlock and he knew it. And he didn’t care. Al’s films touched on many genres — westerns, horror, sexploitation, blaxploitation, soft-core porn, outlaw biker films, sex comedies, science-fiction, …
My wife and I recently visited the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, New York. Despite its somewhat remote location, the center houses an impressive and comprehensive collection of all aspects of comedy — including films, props, costumes and awards. Through numerous interactive displays, the world of comedy is explored, reviewed, analyzed and, of course, celebrated. …
Tommy Cooper was a popular British comedian for four decades. The hulking funnyman, never without his trademark red fez, would perform magic tricks… most of which failed miserably. He used his failures as fodder for rapid fire one-liners that had his audiences rolling in the aisles. In April 1984, Tommy was performing on the popular …
Twenty-one year old Christa Speck was working as a secretary at Bank of America when she was discovered by Playboy talent scouts. Soon the German-born beauty found herself gracing the pages of the September 1961 issue as the “Playmate of the Month.” Her popularity earned her the title of “Playmate of the Year,” the first …
My wife’s grandmother — Sonia — lived 103 years. She never knew her father. She lived with her mother and grandmother. Sonia was too sick to make the trip to America with her mother, so she was left with her grandmother until she was in better health. Her mother’s parting words were a promise to …
There are two things I love: unusual and obscure baseball statistics and celebrity deaths. The story of former Major League Baseball pitcher Odalis Pérez fits into both categories. Odalis signed with the Atlanta Braves in 1998, making his big league debut in September of that year. His regular season record was 0-1, however he won …
