John Phillip Law
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Born September 7, 1937(1937-09-07)
Hollywood, California
John Phillip Law (born September 7, 1937) is an American film actor, with move than a hundred movie roles to his credit. He is the son of actress Phyllis Sallee, and the brother of actor Thomas Augustus Law.
He is best known for his roles as the blind angel Pygar in the science fiction classic Barbarella, and as news anchor Robin Stone in The Love Machine. (The latter reteamed him with Alexandra Hay, his costar from the 1968 "acid comedy" Skidoo.)
Tall (six-foot-five) and handsome, with steel blue eyes, Law became a sex symbol in the 1960s. He was a VIP guest at Hugh Hefner's Playboy Mansion and in Hollywood society. While he never achieved superstar status, he became a popular action hero, particularly in the Italian movie market, with movies ranging from science fiction and fantasy to comedy, westerns, drama, and war movies.
Besides Barbarella, a few of Law's movies have become cult classics, including Danger: Diabolik, The Golden Voyage of Sinbad, Death Rides a Horse, Attack Force Z, and The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming.
Two of Law's films, Danger: Diabolik and Space Mutiny, were also featured in the movie-mocking TV series Mystery Science Theater 3000.
In 2001 he appeared in Roman Coppola's directorial debut CQ, an homage to the Italian spy/sci-fi B-movies in which Law often starred during the 1960s.
HOW TO TICK PEOPLE OFF
Leave the copy machine set to reduce 200%, extra dark, 17 inch paper, 99 copies.
In the memo field of all your checks, write "for sexual favors."
Specify that your drive-through order is "TO-GO."
If you have a glass eye, tap on it occasionally with your pen while talking to others.
Stomp on little plastic ketchup packets.
Insist on keeping your car windshield wipers running in all weather conditions "to keep them tuned up."
Reply to everything someone says with "that's what you think."
Practice making fax and modem noises.
Highlight irrelevant information in scientific papers and "cc" them to your boss.
Make beeping noises when a large person backs up.
Finish all your sentences with the words "in accordance with prophesy."
Signal that a conversation is over by clamping your hands over your ears and grimacing.
Disassemble your pen and "accidentally" flip the ink cartridge across the room.
Holler random numbers while someone is counting.
Adjust the tint on your TV so that all the people are green, and insist to others that you "like it that way."
Staple pages in the middle of the page.
Publicly investigate just how slowly you can make a croaking noise.
Honk and wave to strangers.
Decline to be seated at a restaurant, and simply eat their complimentary mints at the cash register.
TYPE IN UPPERCASE.
type only in lowercase.
dont use any punctuation either
Buy a large quantity of orange traffic cones and reroute whole streets.
Repeat the following conversation a dozen times.
"DO YOU HEAR THAT?"
"What?"
"Never mind, it's gone now."
As much as possible, skip rather than walk.
Try playing the William Tell Overture by tapping on the bottom of your chin. When nearly done, announce "No, wait, I messed it up," and repeat.
Ask people what gender they are.
While making presentations, occasionally bob your head like a parakeet.
Sit in your front yard pointing a hair dryer at passing cars to see if they slow down.
Sing along at the opera.
Go to a poetry recital and ask why each poem doesn't rhyme.
Ask your co-workers mysterious questions and then scribble their answers in a notebook. Mutter something about "psychological profiles."
Hey, hawkman. Thanks again for your background on the stars. Great ways to tick off people, Bob, and even better than some of Sinatra's tricks.
Love the one about psychological profiles.
Our Raggedy is once again having pc freeze up problems when she attempts to access our forum, so let's hope that our lady in PA can work it out.
Let's take a peek at John Phillip Law in his movie "Eye of the Tiger"
Back later with other songs of interest, folks.
This is cyber space, WA2K radio.
Love this one, listeners. It's a spoof on the mighty sailor:
I'm Sindbad the Sailor, so hearty and hale,
I live on an island on the back of a whale.
It's a whale of an island (that's not a bad joke);
Its lord and its master is this handsome bloke.
Who's the most remarkable extraordinary fellow?
Sindbad the Sailor!
I scare all creation on land or on sea.
But talk about women--they all fall for me!
I take my adventures wherever they're found.
I don't mean to brag, folks, but I've been around.
Who's the most phenomenal extra-special kind of fellow?
Sindbad the Sailor!
From the Valley of Serpents these diamonds I took!
I cleaned out those serpents with one dirty look!
Now look at this monster, so strong and so huge!
He'd frighten King Kong, but he's only my stooge!
The capture of Oola for me was just fun;
Whoever said two heads was better than one!
Who's the most phenomenal extraordinary fellow?
Youse! Sindbads the Sailor!
On one of my travels, I ran into this:
Now there was a thrill I'd be sorry to miss!
He spread out his wings, and the sunlight grew dim.
He took me in his feet, but I ran off with him!
Who's the most remarkable extraordinary fellow?
Sindbad the Sailor!
Who's the most phenomenal extra-special kind of fellow?
Sindbad the Sailor!
I'm afraid of nobody under the sun!
All I say is "Boo!" and my enemies run!
Who's the most remarkable extraordinary fellow?
Sindbad the Sailor.
some sillyness on a warm , humid and sunny friday afternoon
sit back , relax and keep a song in your heart !
hbg
Quote:Happily Ever After
Brobdingnagian Fairy Tales
music by Marc Gunn, words by Marc Gunn & Nancy e. Pearsall
In days that have long since passed,
There lived a beautiful mahogany lass.
An unmarried and virtuous princess, alas,
She was brave, strong and bold.
Tra la di di hidey ho
Di hidey hey, di hidey ho
Tra la di di hidey ho
Happily ever after.
One morning while riding no guard around,
Armed with sword should trouble abound,
She heard the most horrible sound,
And her nose burned of sulfur.
The sky it darkened, gave her horse a fright.
A dragon swooped as black as night,
Grabbed the princess then out of sight.
Her horse ran frightened home.
The king cried, "All knights be sworn!
Kill the dragon with your swords.
Return me daughter for this reward,
That you may marry her."
The bravest knight in all the realm,
Young, handsome and vain as well
Declared the maid his holy grail
And rode off to rescue her.
The knight he climbed up rugged heights
Snagged a run in his pristine tights
At cavern's shaft, he saw no lights
And heard no sound inside.
The knight called the dragon out.
But only a lady's voice came back.
"I killed the dragon!," the lady shout.
And stepped into the sun.
The princess dressed in scraps of cloth,
Her mahogany hair was all burned off.
A muddy face, the vain knight scoffed,
"Can you clean be for we go?"
The princess still in clothes undone,
Told the knight, "I work alone."
The knight rode lone into the setting sun.
And the princess was happy thereafter.
:wink:
Love it, hbg. It's so nice when the scorched princess gets the last laugh.
Tried to find Ogden Nash's "Fractured Fairy Tales" without much success, folks, but this song will do for now.
Sam The Sham And The Pharaohs
LI'L RED RIDING HOOD (Ronald Blackwell)
Owoooooooo!
Who's that I see walkin' in these woods?
Why, it's Little Red Riding Hood.
Hey there Little Red Riding Hood,
You sure are looking good.
You're everything a big bad wolf could want.
Listen to me.
Little Red Riding Hood
I don't think little big girls should
Go walking in these spooky old woods alone.
Owoooooooo!
What big eyes you have,
The kind of eyes that drive wolves mad.
So just to see that you don't get chased
I think I ought to walk with you for a ways.
What full lips you have.
They're sure to lure someone bad.
So until you get to grandma's place
I think you ought to walk with me and be safe.
I'm gonna keep my sheep suit on
Until I'm sure that you've been shown
That I can be trusted walking with you alone.
Owoooooooo!
Little Red Riding Hood
I'd like to hold you if I could
But you might think I'm a big bad wolf so I won't.
Owoooooooo!
What a big heart I have-the better to love you with.
Little Red Riding Hood
Even bad wolves can be good.
I'll try to be satisfied just to walk close by your side.
Maybe you'll see things my way before we get to grandma's place.
Little Red Riding Hood
You sure are looking good
You're everything that a big bad wolf could want.
Owoooooooo! I mean baaaaaa! Baaa?
And I love this pun about Snow White.
Once upon a time, Queen Peach looked into the mirror and asked,
"Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the most beautiful peach of all? The mirror replied, "Snow Peach."
Queen Peach was so angry, she called, "Green Peach! Green Peach!"
She told Green Peach to take Snow Peach into the woods, kill her, and bring back up her pit to prove she is dead.
Green Peach took Snow Peach into the woods, and she was so pretty, Green Peach said, "Run, Snow Peach, you are so beautiful, and I can't kill you."
Snow Peach ran far away.
She had to get a job.
She became a shoemaker.
That's how we got the first peach cobbler.
here is a song that should go well with my post on the advisability of having a GUINNESS A DAY !
hbg
Quote:The Irishman Who Doesn't Drink
words and music Andrew McKee
Now listen all it's hard to think
of an Irishman who doesn't drink
and if you'd thought you'd found one
you would surely wonder why
the drink is good the drink is bad
but drink won't tell you what you've had
so look at me and all be sad
for that Irishman tis I
Me father drank, His father drank,
whose father drank, for his father's sake,
me Family tree could surely tap
a Guinness factory for sure...
Now me uncle was a handsome lad,
He's married more than five men had,
But his ailment wasn't all that bad,
For in drink he's found the cure
Me sister who does love to read,
and loves to drink her favorite mead,
to understate she's well-studied,
In mead a doctorate in.
Me Cousin lives near Tennesseee,
His favorite drink of course JD
But his lawyer could not well agree
that it was his next of Kin
When grandmither was very young,
She'd play at her granddad's for fun,
By riding all the day among,
The horses she did tell.
Now her granddad used to gamble drunk,
He beat a Carny's boat that sunk,
And won some holdings, not all junk.
Cause he kept the Carousel.
I do not drink, I do not smoke,
I don't cavort with women folk,
Well maybe... just a little
I've a liberal view of sin.
Now ladies are my vice tis true
I like to see them through and through
And when I see no more to do...
Well then with drinking I'll begin.
Hee, hee, hbg. I love the line, "I have a liberal view of sin".
Here's a funny one, Canada.
Who Put the Overalls in Mistress Murphy's Chowder
Mistress Murphy gave a party just about a week ago,
Everything was plentiful, the Murphys, they're not slow.
They treated us like gentlemen; we tried to act the same
And only for what happened, well it was an awful shame.
When Mrs. Murphy dished the chowder out she fainted on the spot;
She found a pair of overalls at the bottom of the pot.
Tim Nolan he got ripping mad, his eyes were bulging out,
He jumped upon the piano and loudly he did shout.
"Who threw the overalls in Mistress Murphy's chowder?"
Nobody spoke so he shouted all the louder.
It's an Irish trick that's true, but I can lick the Mick that threw
The overalls in Mistress Murphy's chowder.
They dragged the pants from out the soup and laid them on the floor;
Each man swore upon his life, he'd ne'er seen them before.
They were plastered up with mortar and were worn out at the knee,
They had their many ups and downs as we could plainly see.
And when Mrs. Murphy she came-to she 'gan to cry and pout,
She had them in the wash that day and forgot to take them out.
Tim Nolan, he excused himself for what he said that night,
So we put music to the words and sang with all our might.
Repeat chorus
i don't think i have any irish blood in my veins - but having been born in hamburg - a city with sailors visiting from around the world - who knows
:wink:
but i sure do like the irish and the eaygoing irish way !
hbg
Quote:Johnny at the Door
From: Songs of Ireland
words and music by Marc Gunn
Johnny awoke with an ache in his head.
Bad dreams had made him ill.
And he grumbled as he dressed despite his duress
As he made his way to the mill.
Well he never wanted to work that day,
But the foreman had himself clear.
So Johnny dreamed of the eve to come
When he'd drink him beer after beer, singing...
"I'll drink from dusk till dawn
I'll drink a toast to day's end.
Yes, I'll drink from dusk till dawn :wink:
And I'll drink to the health of me friends."
It was a cold morning, went straight to his bones
Oh, he wished that he had him some ale.
Just one fine glass of stout Guiness
Would hold him till the end of the trail.
Oh his mouth watered with the thought of ale
By the time he arrived he'd decide
That not even Death could keep him away
From his friends and their favorite dive. They'd sing...
Johnny worked hard all the day
His mind away drinking alone
And he told his friends of the pledge he'd made
And the fantasy that kept him afloat.
"Come hell or high water I'll drink with you
Nothing could keep me away."
When the day came to end, he left with a friend. Together they walked and they sang...
On the road they came to a bridge of rope
And there they met a man
With a scythe in his hand and an evil grin
Twas Old Death who cut Johnny down.
Johnny's friend crossed himself, swore it'was the truth
As he retold the scene to the bar
And they raised a glass to Johnny's last words,
"I'll drink with ye come hell or high water!" He said...
Well the door swung open, a cold wind blew in
And there stood a man unafraid.
He called for a beer. They realized when near
It was Johnny come back from the grave.
He said, "You could keep me away from work.
For there's nothing I live for me there.
But I told you today of the pledge I made
You can't keep a man from his beer! They sang...
You know, hbg. The idea of our radio is to allow all countries to participate. Your Johnny wants beer, this one wants wine. It's rather eerie, but perhaps you can explain it.
Wilder Wein - vor deinem Schloss
Wilder Wein - ich bin bereit
Man meldet Ankunft - nur für den König
Gott steh mir bei - und öffne deine Tore
Wilder Wein - und ganz langsam
Wilder Wein - so warm und feucht
Wilder Wein - vor deinem Schoss
Wilder Wein - es steht geschrieben
Tief im Wasser - kreuzt man nicht
Doch meine Lust - verlacht die Flügel
Wilder Wein - wie eine Taube
Wilder Wein - so nass und heiß
Wilder Wein - vor diesem Dunkel
Wilder Wein - von Licht geheilt
Es bleibt verborgen -
sonst könnten wir uns wehren
Ich warte auf dich - am Ende der Nacht
Wilder Wein - nur eine Traube
Wilder Wein - und bitter wie Schnee
Ich warte auf dich - am Ende der Nacht
Wild wine - before your castle
Wild wine - I am ready
They announce arrival - only for the king
God stand by me - and open your gates
Wild wine - and quite slowly
Wild wine - so warm and moist
Wild wine - before your lap
Wild wine - it has been written
Deep in the water - one doesn't cross
But my desire - ridicules the wings
Wild wine - like a dove
Wild wine - so wet and hot
Wild wine - before this darkness
Wild wine - healed by the light
It remains hidden -
otherwise we could defend ourselves
I wait for you - at the end of the night
Wild wine - only one grape
Wild wine - and bitter like snow
I wait for you - at the end of the night
i'm sure no translation/interpretation is required :wink:
david lee murphy : it's the best i can do for a cowboy song about wine !
Quote:Creole Williams lived down a dirt road
Made homemade wine like nobody I know
Dropped by one Friday night and said can you help me Creole
Got a little girl waitin' on me and I wanna treat her right
I got what you need son, it's sittin down in the cellar
He reached through the cobwebs as he turned on the light and said
There might be a little dust on the bottle
But don't let it fool ya about what's inside
There might be a little dust on the bottle
It's one of those things that gets sweeter with time
She was sittin in the porch swing as I pulled up the driveway
My ole heart was racing as she climbed inside
She slid over real close and drove down to the lake road
Watched the sun fade in that big red sky
I reached under the front seat and said, now here's something special
It's just been waiting for a night like tonight
There might be a little dust on the bottle
But don't let it fool ya about what's inside
There might be a little dust on the bottle
It's one of those things that gets sweeter with time
You're still with me, and we've made some memories
After all these years theres one thing I've found
Some say good love, well it's like a fine wine
It keeps getting better as the days go by
There might be a little dust on the bottle
But don't let it fool ya about what's inside
There might be a little dust on the bottle
It's one of those things that gets sweeter with time
ah, hbg, that wine reminds me of Sinatra. Just as Diana Krall, Robbie Williams does so many of the old songs, but he has deep seated problems.
Love this song, folks, and this version is by Robbie Williams.
When I was seventeen
It was a very good year
It was a very good year for small town girls
And soft summer nights
We'd hide from the lights
On the village green
When I was seventeen
When I was twenty-one
It was a very good year
It was a very good year for city girls
Who lived up the stair
With all that perfumed hair
And it came undone
When I was twenty-one
When I was thirty-five
It was a very good year
It was a very good year for blue-blooded girls
Of independent means
We'd ride in limousines
Their chauffeurs would drive
When I was thirty-five
But now the days grow short
I'm in the autumn of the year
And now I think of my life as vintage wine
from fine old kegs
from the brim to the dregs
And it poured sweet and clear
It was a very good year
It was a mess of good years
Written by: neil diamond
Red, red wine
Go to my head
Make me forget that i
Still need her so
Red, red wine
Its up to you
All I can do, Ive done
But memories wont go
No, memories wont go
Id have sworn
That with time
Thoughts of you
Would leave my head
I was wrong
And I find
Just one thing
Makes me forget
Red, red wine
Stay close to me
Dont let me be alone
Its tearing apart
My blue, blue heart
Lovely, edgar, and I really like Neil Diamond. Since we are into the wine tonight, how about this one by my two favorite composers.
Music by Henry Mancini and Words by Johnny Mercer
The days of wine and roses laugh and run away like a child at play
Through a meadow land toward a closing door
A door marked "nevermore" that wasn't there before
The lonely night discloses just a passing breeze filled with memories
Of the golden smile that introduced me to
The days of wine and roses and you
The lonely night discloses just a passing breeze filled with memories
Of the golden smile that introduced me to
The days of wine and roses and you
Well, folks, I had to step outside because they did fireworks here. They sorta fizzled, however, because the wind is high and it's raining.
So, I'm having a cup of orange tea and going to bed.
My goodnight song is appropriately by Earth, Wind, and Fire.
Do you remember the 21st night of september?
Love was changing the minds of pretenders
While chasing the clouds away
Our hearts were ringing
In the key that our souls were singing.
As we danced in the night,
Remember how the stars stole the night away
Ba de ya - say do you remember
Ba de ya - dancing in september
Ba de ya - never was a cloudy day
My thoughts are with you
Holding hands with your heart to see you
Only blue talk and love,
Remember how we knew love was here to stay
Now december found the love that we shared in september.
Only blue talk and love,
Remember the true love we share today
Ba de ya - say do you remember
Ba de ya - dancing in september
Ba de ya - never was a cloudy day
Ba de ya - say do you remember
Ba de ya - dancing in september
Ba de ya - golden dreams were shiny days
Goodnight, my friends
From Letty with love
Touch Me In The Morning
Diana Ross
[Written by Ron Miller and Michael Masser)
Touch me in the morning
Then just walk away
We don't have tomorrow
But we had yesterday
Hey, wasn't it me who said
That nothin' good's gonna last forever
And wasn't it me who said
Let's just be glad for the time together
Must've been hard to tell me
That you've given all you had to give
I can understand your feelin' that way
Ev'rybody's got their life to live
Well, I can say goodbye
In the cold morning light
But I can't watch love die
In the warmth of the night
If I've got to be strong
don't you know I need to have tonight
When you're gone, till you go
I need to lie here and
Think about the last time
You'll touch me in the morning
Then just close the door
Leave me as you found me
Empty like before
Hey, wasn't it yesterday
We used to laugh at the wind behind us
Didn't we run away and hope
That time wouldn't try to find us
Didn't we take each other
To a place where no one's ever been
Yeah I realy need you near me tonight
'Cause you'll never take me there again
Let me watch you go with the sun in my eyes
We've seen how love can grow
Now we'll see how it dies
If I've got to be strong
Don't you know I need to have tonight
When you're gone, till you go
I need to hold you until the tie
Your hands reach out and
Touch me in the morning
Then just walk away
We don't have tomorrow
But we had yesterday
We're blue and gold
and we could feel one another living
We walked with a dream to hold
And we could take what the world was giving
There's no tomorrow here
There's only love and the time to chase it
Yesterday's gone my love
There's only now and it's time to face it
Touch Me In The Morning
Diana Ross
[Written by Ron Miller and Michael Masser)
Touch me in the morning
Then just walk away
We don't have tomorrow
But we had yesterday
Hey, wasn't it me who said
That nothin' good's gonna last forever
And wasn't it me who said
Let's just be glad for the time together
Must've been hard to tell me
That you've given all you had to give
I can understand your feelin' that way
Ev'rybody's got their life to live
Well, I can say goodbye
In the cold morning light
But I can't watch love die
In the warmth of the night
If I've got to be strong
don't you know I need to have tonight
When you're gone, till you go
I need to lie here and
Think about the last time
You'll touch me in the morning
Then just close the door
Leave me as you found me
Empty like before
Hey, wasn't it yesterday
We used to laugh at the wind behind us
Didn't we run away and hope
That time wouldn't try to find us
Didn't we take each other
To a place where no one's ever been
Yeah I realy need you near me tonight
'Cause you'll never take me there again
Let me watch you go with the sun in my eyes
We've seen how love can grow
Now we'll see how it dies
If I've got to be strong
Don't you know I need to have tonight
When you're gone, till you go
I need to hold you until the tie
Your hands reach out and
Touch me in the morning
Then just walk away
We don't have tomorrow
But we had yesterday
We're blue and gold
and we could feel one another living
We walked with a dream to hold
And we could take what the world was giving
There's no tomorrow here
There's only love and the time to chase it
Yesterday's gone my love
There's only now and it's time to face it
Touch Me In The Morning
Diana Ross
[Written by Ron Miller and Michael Masser)
Touch me in the morning
Then just walk away
We don't have tomorrow
But we had yesterday
Hey, wasn't it me who said
That nothin' good's gonna last forever
And wasn't it me who said
Let's just be glad for the time together
Must've been hard to tell me
That you've given all you had to give
I can understand your feelin' that way
Ev'rybody's got their life to live
Well, I can say goodbye
In the cold morning light
But I can't watch love die
In the warmth of the night
If I've got to be strong
don't you know I need to have tonight
When you're gone, till you go
I need to lie here and
Think about the last time
You'll touch me in the morning
Then just close the door
Leave me as you found me
Empty like before
Hey, wasn't it yesterday
We used to laugh at the wind behind us
Didn't we run away and hope
That time wouldn't try to find us
Didn't we take each other
To a place where no one's ever been
Yeah I realy need you near me tonight
'Cause you'll never take me there again
Let me watch you go with the sun in my eyes
We've seen how love can grow
Now we'll see how it dies
If I've got to be strong
Don't you know I need to have tonight
When you're gone, till you go
I need to hold you until the tie
Your hands reach out and
Touch me in the morning
Then just walk away
We don't have tomorrow
But we had yesterday
We're blue and gold
and we could feel one another living
We walked with a dream to hold
And we could take what the world was giving
There's no tomorrow here
There's only love and the time to chase it
Yesterday's gone my love
There's only now and it's time to face it
Sid Caesar
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Born September 8, 1922 (1922-09-08) (age 85)
Yonkers, New York City, New York , U.S.A.
Years active 1950s-2000s
Spouse(s) Florence Levy (17 July 1943-present) 3 children
Sid Caesar (born September 8, 1922) is an Emmy-winning American comic actor and writer, best known as the leading man on the 1950s television series Your Show of Shows, and to younger generations as Coach Calhoun in Grease and Grease 2.
Biography
Early life
Isaac Sidney Caesar was born in Yonkers, New York where his father, Max, and mother, Ida, ran a twenty-four-hour luncheonette. Sid would help his parents by waiting on tables and it was during this time that Sid learned to mimic many of the accents he would use throughout his long career.
After graduating high school, Sid planned on a career in music playing the saxophone and was good enough to attend the famed Juilliard School of Music. At the age of 17 Sid joined the United States Coast Guard. He maintained his love of music by playing the saxophone in military revues and shows. His knack for wisecracks, however, got bigger applause than the musical numbers, and the show's producer asked him to do stand-up between his numbers. After leaving the Coast Guard, Sid soon earned a reputation as a talented musician and stand-up comedian and began playing in the Borscht Belt in the Catskills. While there Sid performed with the orchestras of Benny Goodman, Shep Fields, and Claude Thornhill.
Career
Soon after arriving in Los Angeles, Sid got a part in two films, Tars and Spars, based on a wartime comedy routine he had done while in the Coast Guard, and The Guilt of Janet Ames. In 1948, Sid began his television career when he made an appearance on Milton Berle's Texaco Star Theater. In 1949, Sid hosted his first series Admiral Broadway Revue with Imogene Coca. The show was an immediate success but its sponsor, Admiral Corporation, an appliance company, could not keep up with the demand of its new television sets, so the show was cancelled. In 1951, Sid began hosting Your Show of Shows with Imogene Coca. The show launched Sid into instant stardom and was a mix of scripted and improvised comedy, movie and television satires, Caesar's inimitable double-talk monologues and top musical guests. It was also responsible for bringing together some of the greatest comic talent of its day, including Nanette Fabray, Carl Reiner, and Howard Morris. Many prominent writers also got their start writing its skits, including Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Woody Allen, Mel Tolkin, and Larry Gelbart. After the show ended in 1954, Caesar began hosting Caesar's Hour, a one-hour sketch show with Morris, Reiner, and a young Bea Arthur. Caesar's Hour was followed by Sid Caesar Invites You and The Sid Caesar Show. In 1958, The Sid Caesar Show was cancelled and in his autobiography, Caesar's Hour, Sid confesses that he turned to alcohol and drugs to overcome the insecurity of having a successful career unravel.
Later years
After his successful television career, Sid was cast in several noteworthy films including the 1963 mega-comedy It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World, Silent Movie, History of the World, Part I and as "Coach Calhoun" in 1978's Grease and its sequel, Grease 2, in 1982. In 1997, he made a guest appearance in National Lampoon's Vegas Vacation and in 1998 in The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit, based on a Ray Bradbury novel.
Trivia
Sid has been married to Florence Levy since July 17, 1943. Sid and Florence are the parents of three children.
In 2004, Caesar's autobiography, Caesar's Hours, was published.
In 1963, Sid was nominated a Tony Award as Best Actor for "Little Me."
In 1951 and 1952, Sid was voted the United States' Best Comedian by Motion Picture Daily's TV poll.
Caesar appears to speak several foreign languages, but in reality he can only speak English and Yiddish. When he was very young he developed the ability to sound as if he spoke other languages because he had an ear for the sounds he heard while working in his parent's restaurant. He would entertain diners by pretending to talk to them. It's a talent he calls "double-speak". He reprised this famous skit in an episode of Whose Line Is It Anyway? in 2001.
Peter Sellers
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Birth name Richard Henry Sellers
Born 8 September 1925(1925-09-08)
Portsmouth, Hampshire, England
Died July 24, 1980 (aged 54)
London, England
Years active 1948 - 1980
Spouse(s) Lynne Frederick (1977-1980)
Miranda Quarry (1970-1974)
Britt Ekland (1964-1968)
Anne Howe (1951-1961)
[show]Awards
BAFTA Awards
Best Actor
1959 I'm All Right Jack
Golden Globe Awards
Best Actor - Musical/Comedy
1980 Being There
Peter Sellers, CBE (8 September 1925 - 24 July 1980) was a British comedian and actor best known for his three roles in Dr. Strangelove and as Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther films.
Sellers first rose to fame on the BBC Home Service radio series The Goon Show. His exceptional ability to speak in a wide variety of different accents (e.g., French, Indian, American, British, German), along with his talent to portray a highly diverse range of characters, contributed to his immense success both as radio personality and screen actor and earned him many national and international nominations and awards. Many of his depictions of various characters and cultural stereotypes have become ingrained in the public's perception of his work. Sellers' private life, however, was characterised by frequent turmoils and crises, brought on by mental problems and substance abuse. Sellers was married four times (his second wife was the Swedish actress Britt Ekland); he had three children from two marriages.
Biography
Early life
Sellers was born Richard Henry Sellers in Southsea, Portsmouth, England to a family of entertainers. His parents nicknamed him "Peter" at an early age, after his elder stillborn brother.[1] He attended a Roman Catholic school, St. Aloysius College, although he was Jewish (from his mother's side). He was a descendant of Portuguese-Jewish prizefighter Daniel Mendoza.[1]Sellers is also a cousin of talksport radio presenter Mike Mendoza[2]
Accompanying his family on the variety show circuit[1], Sellers learned this popular but difficult stagecraft, which proved especially valuable in his later career. He performed at age five at the Windmill Theatre in a drama called Splash Me!, which also featured his mother.[citation needed] He was a versatile artist, excelling in dancing, drumming well enough to tour with several jazz bands (his drumming is showcased in a clip of the Steve Allen show in 1964), and playing the ukulele and banjo. In an episode of Parkinson, Sellers claimed that his father had taught George Formby to play the ukulele. Sellers played ukulele-banjo on the "New York Girls" track for Steeleye Span's 1975 album, Commoner's Crown.
World War II
During World War II, Sellers was an airman in the Royal Air Force, rising to corporal by the war's end, though he had been relegated to ground staff duties due to poor eyesight.[1] His tour of duty included India and Burma, although the exact duration of his stay in Asia is unknown, and he may have exaggerated its length. He also served in Germany and France after the war.[1]
As a distraction from the monotonous life of a non-commissioned RAF officer, Sellers joined the Entertainments National Service Association (ENSA), allowing him to hone his drumming and comedic skills. During leisure periods, he performed occasional impersonations of his superiors[1], and his portrayal of RAF officer Lionel Mandrake in the film Dr. Strangelove may have been modelled on these impersonations. He also would bluff his way into the Officers Club using his talent for mimicry and the occasional false moustache, although as he told Michael Parkinson in the famous 1972 interview, occasionally the older officers would suspect him. The voice of Goon Show character Major Denis Bloodnok also came from this period in his life.
The Goon Show
After his military discharge and return to war-ravaged England in 1948, Sellers supported himself with stand-up routines in sordid variety theatres whose impresarios needed to legitimise their business.[1] By dint of talent and ambition, Sellers telephoned BBC radio producer Roy Speer pretending to be Kenneth Horne, a castmember of the radio show, Much Binding in the Marsh, in order to get Speer to speak to him. Sellers was eventually cast as a Goon on the hit radio programme The Goon Show with fellow comedians Spike Milligan, Harry Secombe and Michael Bentine. Sellers followed this with television work.
Film career
Sellers' film success arrived with a series of British comedies, including The Ladykillers (1955), I'm All Right Jack (1959) and The Mouse That Roared (1959). He began receiving international attention for his portrayal of an Indian doctor in The Road to Hong Kong (1962), the seventh and last in the "Road" series, starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour.
Sellers found further international acclaim with the The Millionairess with costar Sophia Loren (1960). The film inspired the George Martin radio and television production Goodness Gracious Me, as well as two popular novelty song recordings Goodness Gracious Me and a follow-up Bangers and Mash, both featuring Sellers and Loren. He starred in Stanley Kubrick's Lolita (1962) as Clare Quilty, opposite James Mason as Humbert Humbert. In portraying Quilty, Sellers proved to be a scene stealer, a trait he was to repeat in other films.
A major artistic breakthrough for Sellers came with Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) in which he portrayed three highly diverse characters: U.S. President Merkin Muffley, Dr. Strangelove and Group Captain Lionel Mandrake of the RAF. (The characters Muffley and Strangelove appeared in the same room throughout the film.) Sellers originally was also cast in the role of Major T. J. 'King' Kong.[1] Initially, Sellers struggled with the character's Southern accent, but a crewmember made a recording of a Texan accent,[1] which Sellers apparently mastered after repeated listenings and practice. However, during a scene filmed in a plane specially designed for the set, Sellers fell 15 feet and broke his leg, preventing him from doing additional cockpit scenes and forcing Kubrick to replace Sellers with Slim Pickens in the role of Major Kong.
Sellers is most famous for his performance as the bumbling Inspector Clouseau in the Pink Panther movies, a role that Peter Ustinov had declined. This character gave Sellers a worldwide audience, beginning with The Pink Panther (1963) and its sequel, A Shot in the Dark (1964), in which he was featured more prominently. He returned to the character for three more sequels from 1975 to 1978. The Trail of the Pink Panther was released after his death in 1982, containing previously unused footage of Sellers. His widow, Lynne Frederick, successfully sued the film's producers for having made unauthorized use of the footage. Sellers had prepared to star as Chief Inspector Clouseau in another Pink Panther film; however, he died before the start of this project, Romance of the Pink Panther.
Sellers was a remarkably versatile actor, switching easily from broad comedy, as in The Party (1968), to more intense performances as in Lolita.
Sellers faced a career downturn by the early 1970s and was dubbed "box office poison".[2] But after the commercially successful return of his Clouseau role in new Pink Panther movies, he was able to produce and star in a film project, Being There (1979).[1] Based on the Jerzy Kosinski novel he cherished, Being There earned Sellers his best critical reviews since the 1960s, a second Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe award. Sellers never did win an Oscar, but won the BAFTA for I'm All Right Jack.
Sellers appeared on the Muppet Show television series in 1977. He chose not to appear as himself, instead appearing in a variety of costumes and accents throughout the show. When Kermit the Frog told Sellers that he could relax and be "himself", Sellers (while wearing a Viking helmet, girdle and one boxing glove--he thought he was dressed as Queen Victoria) replied, "There is no 'real me'. I no longer exist. I had it surgically removed."
Personal and professional struggles
Sellers' artistic genius did come with a cost, which was manifested in a troubled personal life. While he won accolades for his artistic contributions, his off-screen persona often clashed with fellow actors and directors, as illustrated by his strained relationship with friend and director Blake Edwards, with whom he worked on the Pink Panther series, among other films. His relationship with Edwards was tested by Sellers' eccentric behaviour, to a point where the two sometimes ceased speaking to each other during filming.[1] Their personal and professional relationship was frequently disrupted by Sellers' difficult demeanour, highlighted in the semi-biographical HBO/BBC film The Life and Death of Peter Sellers.
Sellers' personality was often described as difficult and demanding by many others who interacted with him. His unreasonable behaviour caused physical and emotional hurt to many people in his life, most notably his first three wives.[1] As portrayed in The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, he told his eight-year-old son that the boy's mother (Sellers' wife at the time) was having an affair. Sellers is known to have physically assaulted Britt Ekland[1], often prompted by fits of (unsubstantiated) jealousy.
His work with fellow actor Orson Welles on Casino Royale deteriorated as Sellers became jealous of Welles' casual relationship with Princess Margaret. The relationship between the two actors created enormous logistic problems during filming, as Sellers refused to share the set with Welles, who himself was no stranger to strident behaviour.[1] Sellers could also be cruel and disrespectful, as demonstrated in his treatment of actress Jo Van Fleet on the set of I Love You, Alice B. Toklas (1968). On one occasion, Van Fleet had declined an invitation to his house, soon followed by a misunderstanding between the two actors during filming. This prompted Sellers to launch into a verbal tirade against Van Fleet in front of actors and crew on the set.[1]
Nonetheless, Sellers could woo audiences and colleagues alike. He was once invited to appear on Michael Parkinson's eponymous chat show in 1974. However, as he was notoriously reticent about discussing his private life, Sellers needed some persuasion. Eventually he agreed under the condition that he could appear as a different character. When introduced onto the show, Sellers appeared dressed as member of the German Gestapo, impersonating Kenneth Mars' role in The Producers. After performing a few lines in keeping with his assumed character, he stepped out of the role and settled down for what is considered one of Parkinson's most memorable interviews.[3][4]
It has been suggested[1] that Sellers suffered from depression spurred by deep-seated anxieties of artistic and personal failure. Some of his behaviour may have been exacerbated by substance abuse, for Sellers was known to regularly smoke cannabis, drink large amounts of alcohol, and use other recreational drugs.[1] It is now believed that his drug use (especially of amyl nitrites[1]) contributed to a series of heart attacks he suffered in 1964 (see below). Sellers became aware that his frail psyche affected his career and personal life. However, rather than seeking professional counselling, he opted for periodic consultations with astrologer Maurice Woodruff, who seemed to have had considerable sway over his later career.[1]
Relationships with other celebrities
Sellers had casual friendships with two of the Beatles, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.[1] Harrison told occasional Sellers stories in interviews, and Starr appeared with him in the anarchic movie The Magic Christian (1970), whose theme song was Badfinger's "Come and Get It", written by Paul McCartney. Starr also gave Sellers a rough mix of songs from the Beatles' White Album; the tape was auctioned and bootlegged after his death. Sellers also recorded a cover version of A Hard Day's Night (1965), in the style of Laurence Olivier's interpretation of Richard III.
Sellers' other friendships included fellow actor and director Roman Polanski, who shared his passion for fast cars.[1] Sellers was a close friend of Princess Margaret, and had a close relationship with Sophia Loren, for whom he seemed to have felt a strong but apparently unrequited romantic attraction.[1] Sellers was the first man to appear on the cover of Playboy ?- he appeared on the April (1964) cover with Karen Lynn.
Obsession with automobiles
Sellers had a lifelong obsession with cars, which was briefly parodied in a fleeting cameo in the short film Simon Simon, directed by friend Graham Stark. His love for cars was also referenced in the The Goon Show episode "The Space Age", where Harry Secombe introduces Sellers by saying, "Good heavens, it's Peter Sellers, who has just broken his own record of keeping a car for more than a month." In the special episode "The Last Goon Show of All", announcer Andrew Timothy cued him with the words "Mr. Sellers will now sell a gross of his cars and take up a dramatic voice".
Marriages
Sellers was married four times:
Actress Anne Howe (1951-1961). They had two children, Michael and Sarah.
Swedish actress Britt Ekland (1964-1968). They had a daughter, Victoria Sellers. The couple appeared in two films together: After the Fox (1966) and The Bobo (1967).
Australian model Miranda Quarry (now the Countess of Stockton) (1970-1974).
English actress Lynne Frederick (1977-1980), who later married Sir David Frost.
Again, Spike Milligan wrote this into his scripts, referring in one 1972 radio show to "The Peter Sellers Discarded Wives Memorial". At the time, Sellers was married to his third wife, Miranda Quarry.
Death
In 1964 at age 38, Sellers had suffered a near-fatal heart attack, which permanently damaged his heart. Sellers' heart condition deteriorated over the following years when he deferred proper medical treatment, instead opting for "treatment" from psychic healers.[5] He also wore a pacemaker, which caused him considerable problems.[1]
A reunion dinner was scheduled in London with his Goon Show partners, Spike Milligan and Harry Secombe, in the latter part of July 1980. But the reunion never took place: on 22 July Sellers collapsed from a massive heart attack in his Dorchester Hotel room, and fell into a coma. He died in a London hospital just after midnight on 24 July 1980, aged 54. He was survived by his fourth wife, Lynne Frederick, and three children: Michael, Sarah and Victoria. At the time of his death he was scheduled to undergo heart surgery in Los Angeles within the month.[citation needed].
Sellers' fourth wife inherited the bulk of his estate, and his children received £800 each.[1] Sellers' only son, Michael, died of a heart attack at age 52 during surgery on 24 July 2006. It was 26 years to the day after his father died of the same condition. Michael was survived by his second wife, Alison, whom he married in 1986, and their two children.
Legacy
In his will, Sellers requested that the Glenn Miller song "In the Mood" be played at his funeral. The request is considered his last touch of humour, as his friends knew he hated the song.[citation needed] His body was cremated, and he was interred at Golders Green Crematorium in London.
The film Trail of the Pink Panther, made by Blake Edwards using unused footage of Sellers from The Pink Panther Strikes Again, and dedicated the film to Peter Sellers' memory. Specifically, the title read "To Peter... The one and only Inspector Clouseau."
In a 2005 poll to find The Comedian's Comedian, Sellers was voted among the top 20 all-time greatest comedy acts by fellow comedians and comedy insiders.[citation needed]
