Sunday, July 28, 2019

R.I.P. David Hedison!


This one really hurts!


David Hedison, actor of many roles with many "fan-constituencies" ("The Fly" with Vincent Price, two James Bond films as "Felix Leiter", and three soap operas: 2-afternoon, and 1-prime time) left us on July 18, 2019, at the age of 92.

He was best known for his "four-year-mission" as Captain Lee Crane of the Submarine Seaview on VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA (1964-1968)...


...That "four-years" actually playing out as TEN in the series unusual timeline, taking place between 1972 and 1982!

As Captain Crane, David Hedison adventured around the world both above and below the waves, and as far out as the planet Venus and the unknown reaches of "The Fourth Dimension"!


The Seaview itself never went to those last two places, but it's mighty weaponry DID almost crush the American Revolution in the service of the traitorous Benedict Arnold!


David Hedison shared star billing on VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA with the incomparable Richard Basehart, as Admiral Harriman Nelson.


Together as Nelson and Crane, they were a sort of prototypical "Jean-Luc Picard and William Riker" of Star Trek TNG fame.

Simultaneously, fellow diplomats and warriors - as well as surrogate "father and son"'!  

For a show that was unquestionably more "plot driven" than "character driven", Hedison and Basehart still always "brought their all" to their roles (that most often took a back seat to special effects), making them one of sci-fi television's more popular (certainly enduring, at any rate) duos for five-and-a-half-decades... and still counting!


For some idea of what David Hedison, Captain Lee Crane, and VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA meant to this humble Blogger, please see the post I put together for VOYAGE's fiftieth anniversary - HERE!


Beyond that, David Hedison, as Crane, was a constant presence throughout my life!


I watched the premiere episode of VOYAGE in 1964 as an enthusiastic young lad - and "stayed-tuned" until its end in 1968!


Then, there were syndicated reruns (of which I made audio cassette tape recordings in the '70s, so I could continue to relive the adventures), home-recorded VHS tapes in the '80s, professionally recorded bootleg VHS tapes in the '90s... culminating with the entire series being released on DVD in the 2000s!


(Click to enlarge!)

I had the great pleasure of meeting David Hedison at a New York convention in 1999.

He was warm and friendly, very willing to converse with fans, and gave everyone a fair amount of time.  Oh, and unlike some other celebrities, while he *did* sell photos from his several signature roles (at a very modest price, I might add), he did not charge for an autograph on anything else you brought to him for signing!

So, while there was this...



There was also this, which I brought along...


...And this...



...And this!



 Yes, the second issue was a reprint of the first!  It was Gold Key!  That's what they did!  

When David Hedison saw the comics he was a bit surprised...

"I never knew they made anything like this!", he said.

"So, that means you never had one?", I asked in return.  "I'll be right back!"

I went directly to a comic dealer I knew, and picked-out the best specimen I could find - in particular one with Hedison's image inset next to the title logo (they would alternate him and Richard Basehart)  - and one with a photo back cover! 


I inscribed it with a thank-you note, my name, and the date, and got back on the "David Hedison Line"!

When I reached him again with another comic, he asked me if I wanted this one autographed too. 

"No!" I said.  "This is for YOU!"


He was taken aback at the gesture! He opened it, read my inscription, leafed through it, and said (I'm paraphrasing here...)  "At all of these shows, no one has ever given me anything like this before!"

He was moved, and I was much more so - for having done a small kindness for someone who's been such a huge part of my life!. 

I can still remember him looking at the back cover and saying "Awww... There's me with my good friend Richard!" 


In response, he whipped-up and handed me another autographed photo!  It was a great day! 


Rest In Peace, Mr. David Hedison, and thank you for just being there for me to look up to as a kid, being a central figure of my days in Sci-Fi TV and Film Fandom, for a still-memorable day in 1999, and beyond!



I'm glad to have been along for some of the... VOYAGE!  

HERE are David Hedison's many credits at IMDB! 

HERE is his New York Times obit!

6 comments:

Marc Whinston said...

Buying him that comic was a wonderful gesture. 'M sure he remembered it for a long time.

TC said...

He also appeared in a 1964 episode of The Saint, with his friend Roger Moore. In the opening scene, instead of recognizing the title character as Simon Templar (the usual punch line to the pre-credits scene), a woman mistakes Templar for James Bond. Maybe she was psychic.

Nine years later, Hedison had a supporting part as CIA agent Felix Lieter in Live and Let Die, the first time Moore played Bond in the official movie series.

Lieter was an on-again/off-again character in the Bond series, not one of the permanent cast, and the part was played by different actors in different films. When Hedison played Lieter in 1989's Licence To Kill, he became the first actor to play the character more than once. He quipped that it would probably become a trivia question among Bond fans.

I remember The Fly, Son of Robin Hood, the 1960 version of The Lost World, and The Enemy Below. He even played one of the Apostles in The Greatest Story Ever Told.

But, to me, he will always be Commander Lee Crane, stalwart captain of the SSRN Seaview.

Joe Torcivia said...

Marc:

For me, the key to the story was, that when I came back with the other comic, he automatically (and perhaps naturally), assumed that I had yet another item for him to sign! And he was ready and willing to do so – as he probably had done all day long.

It was the look on his face when I “turned the tables” on him, and the sincere feeling he expressed, that I will always remember!

Joe Torcivia said...

TC:

As you might have gleaned, this was a difficult one for me to write. And, in doing so, I gave less space to the many and varied roles that David Hedison was noted for – thus, the many different “fan constituencies” I referred to.

He had photos from VOYAGE, “The Fly”, as Felix Leiter, and even his soap opera years – and there were different folks lining-up for mementos of the different aspects of his long and varied career. Though, not surprisingly at such a convention for comics and celebrity signings, VOYAGE proved the most popular.

Fearing that I might make the post too long and wordy (…imagine that), I elected to say less about those “…different aspects of his long and varied career” and, instead tell the story of my convention meeting – which NO other obit or tribute to Mr. Hedison could possibly offer!

All this is just a “long and wordy” way of saying that I’m very glad to see you pick up that particular slack, and present a greater overview of the many memorable things that David Hedison was a part of!

Finally, I can’t help but wonder that the reason that Felix Leiter never appeared as the same person more than once (except when played by David Hedison – and even then, he was “younger and older”) was that Leiter was SUCH A GREAT MASTER OF DISGUISE!

It wouldn’t surprise me to find that “Felix” even disguised himself as “a wonderful, wonderful CAT” (with an optional “Magic Bag”) to infiltrate the lairs of the bad guys!

…Talk about a “Man of Many Faces”! …Sorry, couldn’t resist!

Elaine said...

Ah, Captain Crane, my first crush! (I had good taste, didn't I?) So glad to hear that he was in real life a really nice guy. And happy to hear you got to surprise him by giving him that carefully chosen gift. Other people in that line may have gotten their autographs that day, but I'll bet you came away with the best memory!

Joe Torcivia said...

I did indeed, Elaine!

…And yes, you certainly did (and do) have good taste!