In 1968, seventeen year-old Barbara Hoyt ran away from her Seattle home with her sights set on Los Angeles. Alone in the big city, Barbara was befriended by a man who called himself “Karate Dave.” He took the teen to see some friends who were living at a place called Spahn Ranch, an abandoned movie …
Sue Lyon was 14 years old when she was cast in the title role in Stanley Kubrick’s 1962 film Lolita, opposite her 53 year-old co-star James Mason. Director Kubrick described the actress as the “perfect nymphet.” Sue was slightly older than the character depicted in Vladimir Nabokov’s novel, but Kubrick had to make this change to …
In 1970, The Bonzo Dog Band broke up by mutual agreement – except for saxophonist Rodney Slater, who was stunned when leader Viv Stanshall made the announcement onstage at Loughborough University. The band members went their separate ways, though they reunited briefly in 1972 to record Let’s Make Up and Be Friendly. The album, however, …
Sid Haig made a career out of playing slimy henchmen, seedy heavies and unsavory criminals. Dissatisfied with the path his career was taking, he decided to retire from acting in 1992, opting to become a certified hypnotherapist. During his hiatus, he received a script for an upcoming film. He would play a mysterious gangster who …
Imogen Hassall was born into a creative family. Her grandfather, mother and aunt were all illustrators. Her father was a poet and lyricist. She claimed, at various times, that her godfather was prominent Welsh composer Ivor Novello. Other times, she said it was British composer Sir William Walton, with whom her father often collaborated. These …
In the summer of 1973, while attending the funeral of Clarence White, a musical colleague and member of the country-rock band The Kentucky Colonels, Gram Parsons, the singer-songwriter-guitarist who was influential in the “alt-country genre,” instructed his friend and manager Phil Kaufman to cremate his body at Joshua Tree National Park when his time came. …
He was a bird and a grouch and we will miss him.
I am not embarrassed to admit that one of my all-time favorite movies is The Ghost and Mr. Chicken. The film was released in 1966 and starred comedian Don Knotts who had just left a five season run on The Andy Griffith Show. Knotts played nervous deputy “Barney Fife,” a role which earned him (incredulously) …
Dallas McKennon was one of the most prolific actors you never heard of. He was featured in a slew of uncredited roles going back to the 1940s. Dallas was a recurring character in the TV action series Daniel Boone starring Fess Parker. He was featured in a number of Westerns, including Death Valley Days, Wagon …
Michael J. Pollard enjoyed a long and prolific career as a character actor, appearing in quirky roles on television and in movies. His most recognizable role was as “C.W. Moss” in the 1968 film Bonnie and Clyde. The role earned Michael an Oscar nomination. In 1990, actor-director Warren Beatty, Michael’s co-star in Bonnie and Clyde, …
