Today is mid-term election day from coast-to-coast! Be sure to cast your vote in the mid-term election!
*Already voted in early voting for the mid-term election in my home area of Frederick County, Maryland on Oct. 28, 2018! Kudos to all fellow Svengoolie SvenPals, fellow MSTies of MST3K and fellow classic/cult film and TV aficionados who already voted in early voting, or through absentee voting and to all fellow SvenPals/fellow MSTies/classic/cult film aficionados who are voting today! -C.H.
Fellow fans of Svengoolie, Universal Studios’ horror films and the iconic TV series “The Munsters” will be in for a treat this Sat. on Me-TV.
“Svengoolie” Presents: “Munster, Go Home!” (1966)
1966 Universal Studios poster art/ad for “Munster, Go Home!“
Sven will be presenting the 1966 film “Munster, Go Home!” this Sat., April 29 at 10 p.m. Eastern/9 p.m. Central on Me-TV.
This isn’t the first time that the legendary Chicago-based horror host has shown “Munster, Go Home!” on Me-TV (from coast-to-coast). Sven had previously shown the cult feature-length Munsters film in Feb. 2012 (before Me-TV came into the Washington, D.C./Frederick, Maryland television market in early 2013), July 2013, May 2014 and Nov. 2015.
According to IMDB, Universal released the film to theaters on June 15, 1966. “The Munsters” TV series concluded on May 12, 1966 after two seasons on CBS (the final episode was “A Visit from the Teacher,” according to IMDB’s episode listings).
“Munster, Go Home!” was directed by Earl Bellamy. Bellamy had directed seven episodes of “The Munsters” TV series.
The writer of “Silver Screen Reflections” remembers actress Mary Tyler Moore, who died on Wed., Jan. 25 at the age of 80.
According to a Turner Classic Movies online biography on Moore, she was born on Dec. 29, 1936 in Brooklyn, New York. She moved with her family to Los Angeles at the age of eight and wanted to pursue a career in ballet.
Her earliest role: “Happy Hotpoint”
One of Moore’s earliest roles on television came in 1956, when she played a dancing elf, named “Happy Hotpoint.” According to Lisa Respers France’s retrospective article on Moore for CNN, she played the “Happy Hotpoint” character in a series of advertisements for Hotpoint appliances, which aired during “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.”
“The Dick Van Dyke Show” (1961-66)
Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore (in a publicity photo for “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” 1962).
After playing bit parts in various television shows (including an episode of “77 Sunset Strip” and an episode of Boris Karloff’s “Thriller” series), Moore was cast as Laura Petrie on “The Dick Van Dyke Show” (Van Dyke played comedy writer Rob Petrie on the series).
According to Mike Barnes’ retrospective on Moore in The Hollywood Reporter, Moore had originally auditioned for the role of Danny Thomas’ older daughter in “The Danny Thomas Show” (also known as “Make Room for Daddy”). In 1961, he suggested to Carl Reiner (who created “The Dick Van Dyke Show” and played TV host Alan Brady on the series) that Moore should play the role of Laura.
With an ensemble cast including Rose Marie (as Sally Rogers), Morey Amsterdam (as Buddy Sorrell), Larry Matthews (as Ritchie Petrie) and Richard Deacon (as Mel Cooley), “The Dick Van Dyke Show” was a smash success for five seasons on CBS. Moore won two Emmy awards for her role of Laura Petrie in 1964 and 1966 (according to IMDB).
Ad for Blazer Radio’s “Yours Truly, Chris Hamby” (Sept. 2016).
Greetings, Everyone (fellow friends of the matinee and pilots of the college radio airwaves)!
As I am taking a brief break from final assignments for my last set of courses at Hood College, this Friday will mark the season finale of “Yours Truly, Chris Hamby” on Hood College’s exclusive online radio station, Blazer Radio.
The fun starts this Fri., Dec. 9 at Noon Eastern/11 a.m. Central/9 a.m. Pacific on blazerradio.org and on the TuneIn app!
The season finale of Blazer Radio’s “Yours Truly, Chris Hamby” will have shout-outs to fellow friends of the matinee/pilots of the airwaves and some interesting tunes (including several that have been played before on previous episodes of this program), a couple of holiday/seasonal tunes and more!
Will this mean the end of “Yours Truly, Chris Hamby?”
No, this will not mark the end of “Yours Truly, Chris Hamby.” Since I got the chance to do my own radio program on Blazer Radio back in mid-September, I love doing this show every week- sharing good, groovy tunes with all listeners from coast-to-coast and around the globe (along with fun facts on classic/cult film and television programs)!
Though I will be graduating from Hood College at the end of this semester (along with several fellow friends of the matinee/ “pilots of the airwaves” from Blazer Radio)*, I am hoping to continue “Yours Truly, Chris Hamby” in one form or another- on Blazer Radio or on another online platform. Stay tuned to this blog for more details!
Thanks to all for listening to this season of “Yours Truly, Chris Hamby” on Blazer Radio! Hopefully, this show will make a comeback next year- more developments will follow!
And if anyone has a special song request, or if you would like to have an instant on-air shout-out during tomorrow’s show, feel free to let me know!
“Yours Truly, Chris Hamby:” Season Finale (For Now)
Fri., Dec. 9 at Noon Eastern/11 a.m. Central/9 a.m. Pacific on Blazer Radio (blazerradio.org) and on the TuneIn app!
Fellow Hood students: Meet Chris Hamby at the on-campus Pop-Up art/photography exhibition at Hood’s Tatem Art Gallery (Thu., Nov. 8 from 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.)!
And to all fellow friends of the matinee/pilots of the airwaves- we’re all in this together.
*Congrats to all fellow Hood students (including several friends of the matinee/“pilots of the airwaves” from Hood College and Blazer Radio) who will be graduating at the end of this semester!
Questions/Comments? Drop a line at the comments section!
Concerned filmmakers, classic film fans and architectural preservationists are working to save an iconic Hollywood landmark from the wrecking ball.
The RKO Globe: Paramount is planning to demolish the iconic mark as part of a studio-wide renovation project
Former RKO Radio Pictures facade on Stage 21 of the Paramount Pictures lot in Hollywood (Credit: Tim Hull/Save RKO Globe).
According to the Los Angeles Visionaries Association, Paramount Pictures proposed a master plan to remodel their large studio complex in Hollywood. When the plan was revealed in Oct. 2015, the studio is planning to tear down eight stages, along with several other buildings on the lot.
One of the buildings that are planned for demolition is stage 21. On the exterior of that building, it features the old RKO globe facade. The building (with the globe) faces the corner of Gower Street and Melrose Avenue.
The globe on the building originally contained a radio tower sculpture with “RKO” in neon lettering, in the spirit of the opening logo for RKO Radio Pictures, which featured a model radio tower atop the globe beaming out a Morse code signal with the phrase, “An RKO Radio Picture” (or in the studio’s earliest releases, “A Radio Picture”).
A brief history of the RKO lot (and Paramount’s involvement)
Several years before RKO Radio Pictures (or Radio-Keith-Orpheum) was formed in 1928, the lot was originally part of Joseph P. Kennedy’s Film Booking Offices of America, which was located next to rival studio Paramount. According to the 1987 BBC documentary “The RKO Story,” Kennedy’s film organization would merge with the Keith-Albee-Orpheum theater chain, along with David Sarnoff’s Radio Corporation of America (RCA), which held in interest in the newly-formed company (to showcase the growing technological firm’s entry into sound motion pictures).
1948: Industrialist Howard Hughes would acquire RKO (and the studio properties). From that point on, Hughes’ ownership would plague the company.
1955: Hughes sold RKO to General Tire’s broadcasting subsidiary, General Teleradio (which would be renamed RKO General). General Tire was interested in purchasing RKO for its backlog of vintage films to show on the company’s TV stations.
1957: Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball purchased the RKO lot (and additional RKO studio facilities) from General Tire. The couple’s production company, Desilu wanted to expand the company’s production facilities (the former RKO lot would complement Desilu’s other production facility on Cahuenga Boulevard, now home to RED DIGITAL Studios). Before hitting it big with “I Love Lucy” and Desilu Productions in 1951, both Arnaz and Ball were RKO contract players in the 1940s (where the two met together).
Paramount acquired the adjacent lot from Lucille Ball in 1967, as part of Gulf+Western Industries’ purchase of Desilu Productions (G+W absorbed the ailing Paramount studios one year earlier, so that the conglomerate’s motion picture subsidiary could enter network television production in addition to expanded feature film productions on the combined lot).
The studio would exit network television production and syndication in early 2006, as part of Paramount’s parent (Viacom) being split into two companies. The former Paramount/Viacom broadcast television holdings reside with CBS. While the studio still owns the old RKO/Desilu side of the lot, the company recently went back into television production.
1941 RKO Radio Pictures publicity ad (Credit: RKO Pictures/Turner Entertainment/Warner Bros. Entertainment/Lantern Media History Archive)
Change.org Petition: Save the RKO Globe from Destruction
Recently, a petition was created on Change.org, titled “Save the RKO Globe.” Launched by independent filmmaker Tim Hull, over 2,064 people have signed the petition to let Paramount studios know that they should not destroy Hollywood history.
According to updates on the companion Facebook site, Hull has contacted officials from The Hollywood Bowl to relocate/restore the old RKO globe (if Paramount dismantles it from stage 21).
Sidebar: To all fellow readers
If you’re a fan of vintage/cult film and television (whether it was produced by RKO, Desilu, Paramount or other production companies)- the author of this site highly encourages everyone to sign the petition to save the RKO globe from destruction.
After being in the motion picture business for 104 years, one would think that Paramount and its affiliated companies would know better by preserving Hollywood film and television history. The iconic RKO globe on the Paramount lot should not be lost- it should be preserved for all generations.
Abe Vigoda as Detective Phil Fish on “Barney Miller.”
The writer of “Silver Screen Reflections” and “At The Matinee” remembers actor Abe Vigoda, who died at the age of 94 on Tuesday.
Born Abraham Charles Vigoda in Brooklyn, New York on Feb. 24, 1921, he was interested in acting at an early age according to The New York Times. In 1949, Vigoda got his start by appearing on the CBS television series “Suspense,” which was adapted from the CBS radio network thriller series of the same name.
After appearing in various roles on Broadway, film and television, Vigoda got his big break in 1972, by playing the role of underworld figure Salvatore “Sal” Tessio in Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather,” adapted from Mario Puzo’s novel. Coppola’s film would be a smash success, and Vigoda would become a household name.
He would go onto greater success in 1975, when he was cast as veteran detective Phil Fish on the police sitcom, “Barney Miller,” alongside Hal Linden (who played the title role).
At the peak of his career, Vigoda left the hit series in 1977. That same year, he would soon return in the role that he played on “Barney Miller” in a short-lived spin-off series, “Fish.” Vigoda returned to “Barney Miller” in a 1981 cameo appearance (in the episode “Lady and the Bomb”). After Vigoda’s cameo, the series ended its network run the following year.
After an article was published in People Magazine on the end of “Barney Miller” in 1982, he was declared “the late” Abe Vigoda (after not attending a wrap party for the end of the series). The true story was that Vigoda was unavailable to attend, due to performing in a play in Alberta, Canada. He would take this misconception lightly throughout the rest of his life.
Throughout the latter part of his career, he would make various guest appearances on shows, including David Letterman and Conan O’Brien’s late night shows.
In 2010, Vigoda made a surprise appearance in a Super Bowl commercial for Snickers, featuring Betty White.
Silver Screen Reflections remembers Abe Vigoda (1921-2016).
In honor of Abe Vigoda, Tribune’s Antenna TV Network will showcase 12 episodes of “Barney Miller” (centered on his “Fish” character), beginning this Saturday at 4 p.m. Eastern. In the Frederick, Maryland/Washington, D.C. area, Antenna TV can be seen on WDCW-TV 50.2/Comcast 201.
Also available on DVD from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (Seasons 1, 2 and 3) and Shout! Factory (Season 4 and the complete box set)
 | Chris Hamby on “Svengoolie” to pr… |
 | Mr. C on “Svengoolie” to pr… |
| Chris Hamby on Svengoolie’s twinset of… |
 | Dave Fuentes on Svengoolie’s twinset of… |
| Chris Hamby on “Svengoolie” prese… |
Silver Screen Reflections 