Ray Bradbury, RIP

When it comes to favorite authors, I can really only name three. Robert E. Howard, H. G. Wells, and Ray Bradbury. Of course, H. G. Wells and Robert E. Howard have long since passed away.

And now Ray Bradbury has passed away. This link is where I learned the sad news: http://xfinity.comcast.net/articles/entertainment/20120606/US.Obit.Bradbury/

Robert Culp, RIP

I've said before that this blog is no obituary, nor is it supposed to be a harbinger of bad news, but yet another one of my childhood favorite actors has passed away. Just yesterday at age 79, Robert Culp passed away. I remember him most from the TV show, I Spy, in which he costarred with Bill Cosby. But he also played the main character in the best Outer Limits episode of them all. Yeah, I know he was in two of them, but I'm talking about the one called, Demon with a Glass Hand, written by Harlan Ellison. In that one, he played a pivotal character on whom the survival of the human race depended after earth was conquered by invaders from outer space. It was a terrific episode, and it has a connection to my first book, KILLER OF KILLERS.

I didn't plan on revealing this until much later, but given the unfortunate circumstances, I will spill it. I named my book's main character, Trent Smith, after the role played by Robert Culp in that episode. Culp played an amnesiac from the future who wakes up in contemporary America, and all he can remember is his name. Trent. And in case you haven't seen that episode, I will not say what happens because I don't want to be a spoiler here.

But when I began writing my book, I proceeded with the idea that my main character would begin his path of Justice with an assumed name. Never do I reveal just what his real name is. But in molding the character, I figured to give him a name that he might have thought up on the spot. Thus, the last name of Smith. But I wanted something a little different than James or John, Luke, or Henry. It's when I remembered Robert Culp in The Outer Limits, and the character, Trent. So I figured, yeah...Trent Smith. I liked the sound of that. Thus in honor of Robert Culp and that episode, I went with Trent.


Here he is as the "Demon with a Glass Hand."

Robert Culp, RIP.

Anne Francis, RIP

Another sad day yesterday for the passing of Anne Francis. She played opposite Leslie Nielsen in FORBIDDEN PLANET, a movie I’ve talked about more than once on this blog. She was a very beautiful actress, and, I might add, would have been great for the part of Samantha Jones, in my novel, KILLER OF KILLERS, if it would have been made into a movie back when she was in her prime. (But, of course, I hadn’t written it yet.)








Here she is when she broke into Hollywood.










Here's Anne in her prime.













And here she is in a more recent photo.

Don Meredith, RIP

This blog is not supposed to be a harbinger of bad news, nor an obituary of any sort, but Don Meredith was someone who I thought was a person with natural talent. He was part of the original Monday Night Football team of announcers that also featured Howard Cosell. Teamed with Frank Gifford as the play by play announcer, both Don Meredith and Howard Cosell provided color commentary. Meredith, being a former NFL quarterback, also provided meaningful analysis.


Here they are as they appeared on Monday Night Football.

And the three of them really made Monday Night Football successful, not just on the field, but in the booth. If anyone ever listened to them, and knew football, then you know what I mean. The thing is, when Howard wrote his autobiography, he admitted to never liking Gifford, but confessed a genuine appreciation for Meredith. I have to believe it's because Meredith was real. I mean a real personality, like Howard, who had that natural flair, that natural charisma, the kind of person who people like, just because he was a naturally likeable person. And that's why he was successful in the booth.

Don Meredith, RIP.

Leslie Nielsen, RIP

Leslie Niesen passed away yesterday, and since I talked about him before on this blog, I thought I'd give him props.

His best role, imo, was in the movie I talked about recently, Forbidden Planet. Most young people probably never heard of it, but it really is one of the best SciFi movies ever made. If you've never seen it, go ahead and rent it. It's worth seeing. In many ways it's better than most of the Star Wars movies. Well, it is better than the Star Wars movies. Actually, it's better than the Star Trek movies, too, which I couldn't stand, and I'm a guy who loved the original Star Trek TV show!



Here's Leslie as he appeared in the movie. That's a youthful Anne Francis next to him. She was, of course, the female lead in the movie. Actually, I think she was the only female in the movie. That's alright. If she looks as good as Anne Francis, then it's OK to only have one female in the movie. (You hear that Star Wars? Nothing against Carrie Fisher, but she was no Anne Francis!)



Here's the movie poster that features the robot, Robby holding what is supposed to be Anne Francis.


Leslie Nielsen, RIP.