Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Thu Oct 01, 2009
Max Baer, Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter, producer, and director. He is the son of boxer Max Baer. He was born Maximilian Adalbert Baer, Jr. in Oakland, California, the son of legendary boxing champion Max Baer and Mary Ellen Sullivan. His brother and sister are James Baer (born 1941) and Maude Baer (born 1943). His first acting role was in Goldilocks and the Three Bears at the Blackpool Pavilion in England in 1949. His acting career began in 1960 at Warner Bros., where he appeared on television programs including Maverick, Surfside 6, Hawaiian Eye, Cheyenne and 77 Sunset Strip. In 1962, Baer was cast in the role of the doltish "Jethro Bodine" on the TV sitcom The Beverly Hillbillies. It was a role for which he continues to receive recognition. This would prove to be the high point of his acting career. The Beverly Hillbillies was one of the most successful television series in history. The hit comedy also starred Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, and Donna Douglas. During the nine-year run of the show, he also appeared on Vacation Playhouse, Love, American Style, and in the Western movie A Time for Killing. After The Beverly Hillbillies went off the air in 1971, Baer made several guest appearances on TV, but found himself typecast. His major contribution to the entertainment industry was in the field of feature motion pictures. Baer wrote and produced the drama Macon County Line (1974), in which he also played Deputy Reed Morgan. It was the highest-grossing movie per dollar invested at the time (a record that would later be dwarfed by The Blair Witch Project). Made for US$110,000, it garnered almost US$25,000,000 at the box office. He wrote, produced, and directed the drama The Wild McCullochs (1975), in which he also played Culver Robinson. Baer then conceived the idea of using the title of a popular song to make a movie and acquired the rights to a 1967 Bobbie Gentry hit song. Baer produced the drama Ode to Billy Joe (1976), which turned a big profit. Made for US$1.1 million, it grossed US$27,000,000 at the box office, plus earnings in excess of US$2.65 million in the foreign market, US$4.75 million from television, and US$2.5 million from video. The movie stars Robby Benson and Glynnis O'Connor. Since the success of Ode to Billy Joe, the first movie made at the time based on a popular song, the motion picture industry has capitalized on the trend, producing over 100 song title movies. Baer later decided to pursue the rights to the hit song "Like a Virgin," recorded by the singer Madonna in 1984. When ABC tried to prevent him from making the movie, he sued, and won a judgment of more than US$2,000,000. He directed the comedy Hometown USA (1979), then retired to his home at Lake Tahoe, Nevada, making occasional guest appearances on TV. In 1985, Baer began studying the gambling industry. He noticed that tourists would pay US$5.00 to US$6.00 admission to tour the "Ponderosa Ranch", which was the location for filming some episodes of TV's Bonanza. Once inside, all there was to see was a working ranch, but people enjoyed it because of the Bonanza connection. Baer decided if tourists would pay to see a ranch because of a well-known series, then they would pay to see something dealing with the series The Beverly Hillbillies. He came to terms with his "Jethro Bodine" identity and began to see it as a marketing opportunity toward the gambling and hotel industry. Baer obtained the sublicensing rights, including food and beverage rights, to The Beverly Hillbillies from CBS in 1991.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Thu Sep 24,, 2009
I am pleased to announce that the lovely and talented Donna Mills is Bob's guest on this week's show and the two TV veterans will talk about a wide spectrum of memories. Be sure to catch a great show this Thursday Sep 24 at 4 PM PT on CRN Digital Talk.
Blonde, buoyant Donna Mills began acting in local amateur and professional productions in her home town of Chicago. Donna made her Broadway bow as a harem girl in Woody Allen's Don't Drink the Water, then played recurring roles on the Manhattan-based TV soap operas The Secret Storm and Love is a Many Splendored Thing. After playing Clint Eastwood's imperiled girlfriend in the theatrical feature Play Misty for Me (1971), Mills spent an unsatisfying few years typecast as a damsel in distress: all too typical was the title of her 1972 TV movie Bait. Donna Mills forever altered her on-screen image from trembling helplessness to calculating truculence in the role of Abby Cunningham Ewing, the second wife of Dallas "black sheep" Gary Ewing (Ted Shackleford), in the nighttime serial Knot's Landing (1980-89); coincidentally, Mills had co-starred with J. R. Ewing himself (aka Larry Hagman) on the now-forgotten 1971 sitcom The Good Life.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Thu Sep 17, 2009
ON TODAY'S SHOW CRNTALK.com
Glen Campbell - Singer/Entertainer/Actor
Becoming a bonafide living legend isn't as easy as Glen Campbell makes it look. First, you have to have a solid foundation of talent on which to build — like being one of the hottest guitar players in the world. Then you have to record songs that will stand the test of time — standards such as "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" and "Wichita Lineman." And of course, to be a "living" legend, you need to survive the harsh reality of a celebrity lifestyle. Check, check, and check.It certainly doesn't hurt to have a witty, bantering stage style that draws fans like college students to Daytona Beach, or a hit television show viewed by 50 million people every week for three years.When you put it all together, the result is a career that spans forty-five years and fans that cross generational and international lines. In other words: Glen Campbell. Not only do Glen's special appearances as co-headliner at the Andy Williams Moon River Theatre in Branson draw sold-out crowds, but he's still a hot draw on television as well. In 2000, PBS aired a Glen Campbell Special taped in Sioux Falls, SD, and he's been profiled recently on A&E's Biography, VH-1 Behind The Scenes, and CMT's Inside Fame.Although Glen was already hitting the top of both the country and pop charts by 1969, the Goodtime Hour gave his career "legs." The popular CBS musical variety series was simulcast on the BBC from England to Singapore to Australia and paved the way for five BBC specials. The exposure gave Glen a global presence he enjoys to this day, 37 years later. He has toured the UK 15 times, Europe, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand."It's awesome when you think about the power of TV and movies," Glen comments. "If I hadn't had hit records, I wouldn't have gotten TV and movies, but the Goodtime Hour made my career explode all over the world."Besides having one of the most successful variety shows in television history, Glen will be remembered as one of the best guitarists of his generation. His musicianship has inspired many of today's most renowned pickers, including Alan Jackson, Steve Wariner and Keith Urban and lives on in the tracks of the most legendary collections of the 20th century. His enormous success as a crossover artist also paved the way for hitmakers such as Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton to break genre barriers. In addition, Glen was one of the first country artists to forge a path into Hollywood's studio back lots. His portrayal of John Wayne's young sidekick in the classic True Grit will be viewed by generations to come.Glen's tremendous impact on the artistic scene was an unlikely outcome for a sharecropper's son, one of 12 children raised in rural Billstown, Arkansas. But Glen's father recognized his talent early and bought his youngster a five-dollar Sears & Roebuck guitar. The child prodigy had conquered the instrument by the time he was 10. At 16, Glen left school to pursue music full time. He started in a three-piece combo with his uncle, Dick Bills, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, but was soon touring the Southwest fronting his own band. In 1961, the 24-year-old musician hit the Los Angeles studio scene like a blast of fresh air. Glen quickly became a sought-after studio picker, his talents enriching records by such artists as Frank Sinatra, the Beach Boys, Nat King Cole, Dean Martin, Merle Haggard, Elvis Presley, Jan & Dean and the Righteous Brothers. In addition, Phil Spector and Jimmy Bowen used him for most of their projects, and the Beach Boys invited him to join their group in the mid-sixties. He toured with that legendary band for 18 months in 1964 and ‘65, until his own solo career took off. Glen had released a single, "Turn Around Look At Me," on a regional label in 1961 that cracked the charts and got the attention of Capitol Records. His first album for Capitol, Big Bluegrass Special, was recorded under the name The Green River Boys Featuring Glen Campbell. The debut collection yielded one Top 20 hit, "Kentucky Means Paradise," and Glen continued to record for the label. Then, in 1967, "Gentle On My Mind" broke the world open like an oyster for Glen Campbell.The single initially only made it to #30 in Billboard. More than a year later, however — after Glen had become a crossover sensation with "By The Time I Get To Phoenix," "I Wanna Live" and "The Dreams Of The Everyday Housewife" — "Gentle On My Mind" made an incredible second chart climb. His success continued with the late 1968 release of "Wichita Lineman," which hit #1 country and #3 on the pop charts. "Galveston" revisited that crossover success in early 1969. In 1968, Tommy Smothers caught Glen's guest-star appearance on The Joey Bishop Show. Tommy and Dickie Smothers were so impressed by his presence and talent that they asked Glen to host their summer replacement series, The Summer Brothers Smothers Show. Glen's musical proficiency and natural wit sent the ratings through the roof. CBS executives were so delighted by Glen's unexpected popularity that they offered the fledgling star his own series. The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour took to the airwaves in January 1969, and immediately soared to number one. And the variety show's talented host became a household word across America and around the world.The success of the Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour was due to Glen's triple-decker talent as a musician, singer and humorist and the guests he brought on the show. Glen gave viewers what they wanted: the best talent in a variety of entertainment and musical genres — Buck Owens and Lucille Ball; Eric Clapton with Cream and Kenny Rogers with The First Edition; Anne Murray and Ray Charles; Merle Haggard and Stevie Wonder; Neil Diamond, Johnny Cash and Ella Fitzgerald. In the process, Glen gave a tremendous boost to the careers of many fledgling artists."We had a lot of country, but we did every kind of music," Glen explains. "The Monkees were on, and so was Johnny Cash."In 1969, Glen had a hit with "True Grit," recorded for the soundtrack of the movie in which he starred with John Wayne. His star continued to shine through the next decade as well. Two of his singles landed at #1 on both country and pop charts: "Rhinestone Cowboy" in 1975 and "Southern Nights" in 1977. In fact, Glen's chart history is one of the most formidable in country music. In 1987, "Still Within The Sound Of My Voice" became one of the year's most played records. That same year, one of the young stars who cite Glen's influence as the main reason they chose a musical path — Steve Wariner — joined his hero on the hit duet, "The Hand That Rocks The Cradle."Glen's accolades as a musician and singer are as impressive as his talent. He made history by winning a Grammy in both country and pop categories in 1967: "Gentle On My Mind" snatched the country honors, and "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" won in pop. He owns trophies for Male Vocalist of the Year from both the CMA and the ACM, and took the CMA's top honor as Entertainer of the Year. In 2005 Glen was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame by the Country Music Association of America. In 1999 he won the coveted AMC Pioneer Award for "outstanding and unprecedented achievements in the field of country music."During his 45 years in show business, Glen has released more than 70 albums. He has sold 45 million records and racked up 12 RIAA Gold albums, 4 Platinum albums and 1 Double-Platinum album. Of his 75 trips up the charts, 27 landed in the Top 10.In the 1990s, Glen released a series of gospel albums, which opened up new vistas for the star and garnered a prestigious Dove Award. His tell-all autobiography, Rhinestone Cowboy, shot to the best-seller list when it was released in 1994. He released The Glen Campbell Collection (1962-1989) in 1997 and a new Christmas album in 1999.Living in Malibu with his wife, Kim, and their three children, Glen is reaping the rewards of 47 years of hard work. He is in the enviable — and well-earned — position of being able to pick and choose his tour dates and appearances, and he gets to spend quality time with his family. Even on the road, Glen has family at hand. His eldest daughter from his first marriage, Debby, joined his stage show in 1987 and has toured with him ever since. Of course, there's one other activity that Glen attends to with the concentration of a pro athlete. Whether he's at home in Malibu, performing on the road, or guesting at Andy Williams' theatre in Branson, Glen is constantly perfecting his golf game!
Glen Campbell - Singer/Entertainer/Actor
Becoming a bonafide living legend isn't as easy as Glen Campbell makes it look. First, you have to have a solid foundation of talent on which to build — like being one of the hottest guitar players in the world. Then you have to record songs that will stand the test of time — standards such as "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" and "Wichita Lineman." And of course, to be a "living" legend, you need to survive the harsh reality of a celebrity lifestyle. Check, check, and check.It certainly doesn't hurt to have a witty, bantering stage style that draws fans like college students to Daytona Beach, or a hit television show viewed by 50 million people every week for three years.When you put it all together, the result is a career that spans forty-five years and fans that cross generational and international lines. In other words: Glen Campbell. Not only do Glen's special appearances as co-headliner at the Andy Williams Moon River Theatre in Branson draw sold-out crowds, but he's still a hot draw on television as well. In 2000, PBS aired a Glen Campbell Special taped in Sioux Falls, SD, and he's been profiled recently on A&E's Biography, VH-1 Behind The Scenes, and CMT's Inside Fame.Although Glen was already hitting the top of both the country and pop charts by 1969, the Goodtime Hour gave his career "legs." The popular CBS musical variety series was simulcast on the BBC from England to Singapore to Australia and paved the way for five BBC specials. The exposure gave Glen a global presence he enjoys to this day, 37 years later. He has toured the UK 15 times, Europe, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand."It's awesome when you think about the power of TV and movies," Glen comments. "If I hadn't had hit records, I wouldn't have gotten TV and movies, but the Goodtime Hour made my career explode all over the world."Besides having one of the most successful variety shows in television history, Glen will be remembered as one of the best guitarists of his generation. His musicianship has inspired many of today's most renowned pickers, including Alan Jackson, Steve Wariner and Keith Urban and lives on in the tracks of the most legendary collections of the 20th century. His enormous success as a crossover artist also paved the way for hitmakers such as Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton to break genre barriers. In addition, Glen was one of the first country artists to forge a path into Hollywood's studio back lots. His portrayal of John Wayne's young sidekick in the classic True Grit will be viewed by generations to come.Glen's tremendous impact on the artistic scene was an unlikely outcome for a sharecropper's son, one of 12 children raised in rural Billstown, Arkansas. But Glen's father recognized his talent early and bought his youngster a five-dollar Sears & Roebuck guitar. The child prodigy had conquered the instrument by the time he was 10. At 16, Glen left school to pursue music full time. He started in a three-piece combo with his uncle, Dick Bills, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, but was soon touring the Southwest fronting his own band. In 1961, the 24-year-old musician hit the Los Angeles studio scene like a blast of fresh air. Glen quickly became a sought-after studio picker, his talents enriching records by such artists as Frank Sinatra, the Beach Boys, Nat King Cole, Dean Martin, Merle Haggard, Elvis Presley, Jan & Dean and the Righteous Brothers. In addition, Phil Spector and Jimmy Bowen used him for most of their projects, and the Beach Boys invited him to join their group in the mid-sixties. He toured with that legendary band for 18 months in 1964 and ‘65, until his own solo career took off. Glen had released a single, "Turn Around Look At Me," on a regional label in 1961 that cracked the charts and got the attention of Capitol Records. His first album for Capitol, Big Bluegrass Special, was recorded under the name The Green River Boys Featuring Glen Campbell. The debut collection yielded one Top 20 hit, "Kentucky Means Paradise," and Glen continued to record for the label. Then, in 1967, "Gentle On My Mind" broke the world open like an oyster for Glen Campbell.The single initially only made it to #30 in Billboard. More than a year later, however — after Glen had become a crossover sensation with "By The Time I Get To Phoenix," "I Wanna Live" and "The Dreams Of The Everyday Housewife" — "Gentle On My Mind" made an incredible second chart climb. His success continued with the late 1968 release of "Wichita Lineman," which hit #1 country and #3 on the pop charts. "Galveston" revisited that crossover success in early 1969. In 1968, Tommy Smothers caught Glen's guest-star appearance on The Joey Bishop Show. Tommy and Dickie Smothers were so impressed by his presence and talent that they asked Glen to host their summer replacement series, The Summer Brothers Smothers Show. Glen's musical proficiency and natural wit sent the ratings through the roof. CBS executives were so delighted by Glen's unexpected popularity that they offered the fledgling star his own series. The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour took to the airwaves in January 1969, and immediately soared to number one. And the variety show's talented host became a household word across America and around the world.The success of the Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour was due to Glen's triple-decker talent as a musician, singer and humorist and the guests he brought on the show. Glen gave viewers what they wanted: the best talent in a variety of entertainment and musical genres — Buck Owens and Lucille Ball; Eric Clapton with Cream and Kenny Rogers with The First Edition; Anne Murray and Ray Charles; Merle Haggard and Stevie Wonder; Neil Diamond, Johnny Cash and Ella Fitzgerald. In the process, Glen gave a tremendous boost to the careers of many fledgling artists."We had a lot of country, but we did every kind of music," Glen explains. "The Monkees were on, and so was Johnny Cash."In 1969, Glen had a hit with "True Grit," recorded for the soundtrack of the movie in which he starred with John Wayne. His star continued to shine through the next decade as well. Two of his singles landed at #1 on both country and pop charts: "Rhinestone Cowboy" in 1975 and "Southern Nights" in 1977. In fact, Glen's chart history is one of the most formidable in country music. In 1987, "Still Within The Sound Of My Voice" became one of the year's most played records. That same year, one of the young stars who cite Glen's influence as the main reason they chose a musical path — Steve Wariner — joined his hero on the hit duet, "The Hand That Rocks The Cradle."Glen's accolades as a musician and singer are as impressive as his talent. He made history by winning a Grammy in both country and pop categories in 1967: "Gentle On My Mind" snatched the country honors, and "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" won in pop. He owns trophies for Male Vocalist of the Year from both the CMA and the ACM, and took the CMA's top honor as Entertainer of the Year. In 2005 Glen was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame by the Country Music Association of America. In 1999 he won the coveted AMC Pioneer Award for "outstanding and unprecedented achievements in the field of country music."During his 45 years in show business, Glen has released more than 70 albums. He has sold 45 million records and racked up 12 RIAA Gold albums, 4 Platinum albums and 1 Double-Platinum album. Of his 75 trips up the charts, 27 landed in the Top 10.In the 1990s, Glen released a series of gospel albums, which opened up new vistas for the star and garnered a prestigious Dove Award. His tell-all autobiography, Rhinestone Cowboy, shot to the best-seller list when it was released in 1994. He released The Glen Campbell Collection (1962-1989) in 1997 and a new Christmas album in 1999.Living in Malibu with his wife, Kim, and their three children, Glen is reaping the rewards of 47 years of hard work. He is in the enviable — and well-earned — position of being able to pick and choose his tour dates and appearances, and he gets to spend quality time with his family. Even on the road, Glen has family at hand. His eldest daughter from his first marriage, Debby, joined his stage show in 1987 and has toured with him ever since. Of course, there's one other activity that Glen attends to with the concentration of a pro athlete. Whether he's at home in Malibu, performing on the road, or guesting at Andy Williams' theatre in Branson, Glen is constantly perfecting his golf game!
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Sep 10,, 2009
CRNTALK.com
Edward Lauter (born October 30, 1940) is an American actor. He has appeared in numerous movies and was a stand up comic before getting into acting. Lauter was born in Long Beach, Long Island, New York. His films include The Last American Hero (1973), The Midnight Man (1974), The Longest Yard (1974), Breakheart Pass (1975), Magic (1978), Death Hunt (1981), Cujo (1983), Real Genius (1985), Girls Just Want To Have Fun (1985), Death Wish 3 (1985), Youngblood (1986), Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise (1987), Raw Deal (1987), The Rocketeer (film) (1991), True Romance (1993), Not Another Teen Movie (2001), Purple Heart (2005), Camille (2007) and A Modern Twain Story: The Prince and the Pauper(2007).
Lauter's TV guest appearances include performances on The X-Files, The A-Team, Booker, Charmed, Highlander: The Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation (as Lt. Cmdr. Albert in the season 5 episode "The First Duty"), and ER (with a recurring role as Fire Captain Dannaker).
Edward Lauter (born October 30, 1940) is an American actor. He has appeared in numerous movies and was a stand up comic before getting into acting. Lauter was born in Long Beach, Long Island, New York. His films include The Last American Hero (1973), The Midnight Man (1974), The Longest Yard (1974), Breakheart Pass (1975), Magic (1978), Death Hunt (1981), Cujo (1983), Real Genius (1985), Girls Just Want To Have Fun (1985), Death Wish 3 (1985), Youngblood (1986), Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise (1987), Raw Deal (1987), The Rocketeer (film) (1991), True Romance (1993), Not Another Teen Movie (2001), Purple Heart (2005), Camille (2007) and A Modern Twain Story: The Prince and the Pauper(2007).
Lauter's TV guest appearances include performances on The X-Files, The A-Team, Booker, Charmed, Highlander: The Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation (as Lt. Cmdr. Albert in the season 5 episode "The First Duty"), and ER (with a recurring role as Fire Captain Dannaker).
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