Legends (?) of the West! ...And Coming DVD Review!

Our popular culture overflows with “Legends of the West”…

 

 

John Wayne. ('Nuff said!)

 

Marshall Matt Dillon (Gunsmoke).

 

 

Paladin (Have Gun Will Travel).

 

Ben Cartwright (Bonanza). 

 

Bat Masterson. 

 

 

Wagon Train.

 

 

 

Maverick.  (His theme song even DESCRIBES him as a "Legend of the West")! 

 

 

Even Quick Draw McGraw…

 

But, come back on Thursday, June 26, 2014, for the spectacle of two “New York Tough Guys”, James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart, taking their talents to the Oklahoma Territory, in a film plucked from “Hollywood’s Greatest Year”, 1939! 

We don’t do enough “Looong DVD Reviews” these days, so be here when we examine “The Oklahoma Kid”, with Cagney and Bogart... Yes, really! 

UPDATE:  You can go there RIGHT NOW!

It’s enough to make you actually accept Dean Martin as a “Legend of the West”!  

"When the MOON hits YOUR EYE, like a big PIZZA-PIE... That's a WES-TERN!"

 

And all of you animation enthusiasts, please join us too, because there will be one or two references to classic Looney Tunes contained therein, as well!

 

 

R.I.P. Carla Laemmle (at 104)!

Carla Laemmle was born on October 20, 1909, and left us on June 12, 2014, at the age of 104! 

Ms. Laemmle was an actress who appeared in the ultra-classic 1931 Bela Lugosi version of "Dracula"...

...as well as "The Phantom of the Opera" and other such roles of the era, as her IMDB entry shows. 

Here she is, in her "Dracula" role as "Coach Passenger", which is how IMDB describes her part.  ...And having a bumpy ride of it!
 

She was also the niece of Universal Pictures founder Carl Laemmle. 

It's utterly amazing that someone that appeared in "Dracula" was alive -- and apparently STILL WORKING -- until a few days ago. 

Mark Evanier tells us more, at THIS LINK. 

Rest In Peace. Ms. Carla Laemmle.

R.I.P. Casey Kasem

With so much talk, here at TIAH Blog, about both the 1968 Filmation Animated Batman and Scooby-Doo, it is particularly sad to report the death of animation voice actor and iconic disc jockey Casey Kasem, on June 15, 2014, at the age of 82.

To many, Casey Kasem was best known as the voice of radio's "American Top 40", from 1970 until 2009. 

His sign-off still echoes on:  "And don't forget, keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars!" 

But, before that, to us animation enthusiasts, he personified two roles -- one already iconic, Robin the Boy Wonder of Filmation's BATMAN (1968-1969) and other animated DC Comics series of the era...

...and one HE made iconic, Shaggy of SCOOBY-DOO WHERE ARE YOU and more subsequent Scooby-series than I'm willing to count.  

Indeed, Casey Kasem was the voice of Shaggy from the character's origination in 1969, thru an appearance in 2009 (!), giving him a 40-year association with the character! 

"Like, that CAVEMAN'S been around more than 40 YEARS!"

"ZOINKS!"  Ya didn't think I would leave out "ZOINKS!", did ya?

After that, he moved on to playing Shaggy's Father! 

He even portrayed Shaggy AND Robin in the same show twice, in team-ups like this! 

And, speaking of "team-ups", I'd be remiss if I didn't cite this wonderful reference to Casey Kasem having voiced both Shaggy and Robin in the comic book SCOOBY-DOO TEAM-UP # 4! 

 

Farewell, Casey Kasem.  If I may be bold enough to borrow from a former mystery-solver and boy wonder:

...Both in the same panel here!

"...Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars!" 

...On the GROUND, Shaggy!

That Perfect Saturday Afternoon with Batman ’66 Continues!

I'll resist the temptation to say: "Same Bat-Saturday"... even though it was!  


Okay, it was "Perfect", but let's not get carried away!

In our LAST POST, we discussed that "Perfect Saturday Afternoon" (...Stop laughing, up there, Bat-buddies!), spent out on the back patio with a copy of BATMAN '66 MEETS THE GREEN HORNET # 1. 

But, along with that Bat-tastic comic, I also purchased this one -- and had the same great time with it, back-to-back.

Here are a few random thoughts:

Funny thing... I can honestly say that I get far more enjoyment out of "two-or-three-wisely-chosen-new-comics", than in the days when I'd come home with 15 or more of them! 

And, look at the GOOD TIME they're all having on that cover... even if the laughs on the part of our Caped Crimefighters are involuntarily induced! 

I guess those are SOUND WAVES, and not SPIKES, otherwise no one would be smiling (...except, maybe The Joker), and Catwoman would be in serious danger too! 

And, check out the PAINTED COVER!  You don't see nearly enough of those on comics today! 

Not like when Gold Key used to do them regularly -- and, I might add, impressively!   

They even did it with Yogi Bear! 

And, so unique was this particular painted style, that Bongo Comics tributed it for RADIOACTIVE MAN!

Enough "Gold Key Nostalgia", now let's move on to (pardon) "the issue at hand"...

There's a therapeutic talent show taking place at Arkham Asylum (...which did not exist in 1966, but we can forgive that, because it's become such a Bat-fixture in the intervening years), with Bruce (Batman) Wayne, Dick (Robin the Boy Wonder) Grayson, Commissioner Gordon, Chief O'Hara, and Barbara (Batgirl) Gordon among the attendees. 

The various acts are a wonderful "Who's-Who" of Bat-TV villains: Chandel, The Siren, King Tut, Bookworm, and False Face (...who appears as both Bruce Wayne and Egghead, giving representation to the Vincent Price-portrayed villain).

As always, you may click on the comic images to enlarge.

Just because we like him so much, here at TIAH Blog, here's King Tut attempting some excruciatingly bad and boring poetry!  

The talent show results in the escape of The Joker and Catwoman... marking the first time 1966 TV's Joker has teamed with the Julie Newmar version of the Feline Felon!   All attendees receive, not a Goodie Bag, but involuntary Joker-induced fits of paralyzing laughter, for showing up!

As part of The Joker's stand-up comedy act, he takes the following shot at King Tut and, by extension, Tut-actor Victor Buono's trademark physical girth:

"Tut [is] SO FAT, he broke TEN LAWS just by SITTING DOWN!" 

"Fun's fun, loyal subjects, but this may be too much!"  Awww... Who am I kidding, I'm FAT, and I know it!  Ha-ha-haaaa!"

I've said it in the Comments Section of THIS POST, and I'll say it again here.  Series writer Jeff Parker does an almost perfect job in capturing what BATMAN '66 should be.  I say this as someone who watched the premiere episode live, and has been a fan ever since.  

However, in both issue # 3 and now # 11, Parker appears bent on imbuing The Joker with the "deep, dark, all-consuming madness" that is the trademark of the MODERN version of the character, but was NOT the way Caesar Romero played him. 

"Well, at least it LOOKS like me!"

That madness becomes a key story point later on. 

Parker also incorporates a very popular '90s element into the world of BATMAN '66!  I won't spoil what that is, for anyone yet to read the issue, but it is done well enough -- and could open up enough interesting future story possibilities -- that I'll get on-board with this! 

Besides, this comic manages to do a great overall job of "looking and feeling sixties", that you'll get few complaints from this sixties aficionado. 

Just check out this amazing sixties-looking Joker-vehicle! 

I continue to enjoy this series immensely.  If you haven't tried it yet (and have any interest at all in the BATMAN 1966 TV SERIES), do so at your earliest Bat-convenience! 

...And, for maximum effect, "take as directed" on a leisurely Saturday afternoon! 

In fact, take 'em BOTH, as I did, for even "faster relief"!