Ten-year old Jay R. Smith made his debut as part of the “Our Gang” comedy group in Boys Will Be Joys in 1925. He was brought on by Hal Roach as a replacement for the popular Mickey Daniels. Freckle-faced Jay stuck with Roach Studios for five years, appearing in over thirty short films, until he …
Who knows what Suzan Ball’s career could have been? At 13, young Suzan Ball moved from Jamestown, New York to Hollywood to a home near Universal-International Pictures (a division of Universal formed from a merger to distribute lower budget films and British imports). Suzan, second cousin to comedienne Lucille Ball, landed her first acting job at …
I have ranted… I mean, related many anecdotes from my nearly thirty years as a professional artist. There’s one story that I have told numerous times, but have never put into print… until now. I was employed for almost five years in the advertising department at the main headquarters of a major after-market auto parts retailer whose …
Viv Stanshall hated being referred to as “eccentric”. He felt it suggested that he was putting on an act. He wasn’t. When he and band-mate Neil Innes first met, Viv was wearing checked pants, a Victorian frock coat, purple glasses, pink rubber ears and was carrying a euphonium. The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band (originally “Dada” Band, …
Just after separating from her second husband, twenty-one year old Barbara Payton took her young son and set off for Hollywood to take a shot at stardom. At a Hollywood nightclub, Barbara, a fun-loving “party girl” caught the attention of a Universal Studios executive. She was given the female lead opposite Lloyd Bridges in the …
Everyone knows professional wrestling is fake. The fans know. The wrestlers know. The officials know. Everyone. But, professional wresting has remained popular ever since it was the only thing to watch in the early days of television. In fact, it has exponentially increased in popularity and made a fortune for its promoters, most notably Vince …
You need a bear? Call Janos. You need a gorilla? Call Janos. You need a monster? Call Janos. For fifteen years, Janos Prohaska was Hollywood’s “go-to” guy when a script called for a ursine, simian or otherworldly character to interact with a leading actor. Janos would don one of his many homemade costumes and happily …
Rugged, good-looking Eric Fleming began his acting career in low-budget features like Curse of the Undead and Queen of Outer Space opposite Zsa Zsa Gabor (yes, she was actually in movies). In 1958, the 6-foot 3-inch Eric was cast in Rawhide, a TV Western that joined the ranks and popularity of Gunsmoke, Bonanza and others …
Sixty-five years before Anna Nicole Smith set her sights on oil tycoon J. Howard Marshall, there was Peaches. Wealthy New York real estate mogul Edward Browning just couldn’t pick women. At 41, Edward married Adele Lowen, a young lady 18 years his junior. Edward showered his new bride with gifts and jewels and furs and …
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Chico Ruiz had an unremarkable career. He hit two home runs in his rookie season and never hit another. He played eight seasons in the majors with a lifetime batting average of .240. About average. But, on September 21, 1964, Chico Ruiz became the bane of every baseball fan in Philadelphia. In a scoreless game …
