The Silver Screen Oasis

Marilyn Monroe sandwiched between Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier
(how lucky can you get)

mongoII wrote:MARCH 1st. BIRTHDAYS


ROBERT CONRAD is 81 today

Hard to believe that Robert Conrad is 81. When I was a kid, he came to my hometown on a promotional tour. They parked a trailer next to the Montgomery Ward where a crush of little boys clamored to get his autograph. I was one of those kids. He quickly signed his photo and jammed it in my hand as the bubble-gum chewing crowd pushed me out the rear door. My heart was racing as I lifted the picture and saw his inscription, "Cordially, James West". James West! Does he think we don't know he's an actor? Ah, the first of life's disappointments...

Interesting recollection, Moraldo. I would imagine that Conrad assumed the boys were more interested in the James West character on the TV show.

At least he didn't write: I dare you to knock this off. Cordially, The Eveready Guy

MARCH 2nd. BIRTHDAYS


JON FINCH is 69 today


BARBARA LUNA is 71 today


ZIVA RODANN is 75 today


JENNIFER JONES (1919 - 2009)


DESI ARNAZ (1917 - 1986)


MARJORIE WEAVER (1913 - 1994)

mongoII wrote:MARCH 2nd. BIRTHDAYS



DESI ARNAZ (1917 - 1986)

¡VIVA DESI!

Moraldo Rubini wrote:

mongoII wrote: My heart was racing as I lifted the picture and saw his inscription, "Cordially, James West". James West! Does he think we don't know he's an actor? Ah, the first of life's disappointments...

MR, you're probably lucky he didn't screw-up & sign himself off as Tom Lopaka!
I've always been a fan of his comic-strip-style adventurers, but I've always also been just a little perplexed at how deeply Mr. Conrad R. Falkowski could submerge his admittedly giant ego into the personna of whatever tight-breeched matinee hero he was currently portraying.

klondike wrote:

Moraldo Rubini wrote:

mongoII wrote: My heart was racing as I lifted the picture and saw his inscription, "Cordially, James West". James West! Does he think we don't know he's an actor? Ah, the first of life's disappointments...

MR, you're probably lucky he didn't screw-up & sign himself off as Tom Lopaka!
I've always been a fan of his comic-strip-style adventurers, but I've always also been just a little perplexed at how deeply Mr. Conrad R. Falkowski could submerge his admittedly giant ego into the personna of whatever tight-breeched matinee hero he was currently portraying.

That giant ego must have been tightly packed into his very small frame. I remember him being about my height (at my 11-year old size) and wearing high heels. No wonder he lost to Gabe Kaplan on Battle of the Network Stars.

Moraldo Rubini wrote:That giant ego must have been tightly packed into his very small frame. I remember him being about my height (at my 11-year old size) and wearing high heels. No wonder he lost to Gabe Kaplan on Battle of the Network Stars.

He lost to Gabe freakin' Kaplan?! Maybe you should have knocked the battery off his shoulder when you were 11, Moraldo. I still have a hard time picturing Robert Conrad as an 81 year old. Do you think he'd be mellow or cranky as a senior?

I can't claim any inside-track info of the last decade, but I seem to recall that on his final weekly adventure series, "High Mountain Rangers", on which he co-starred with his two teenaged sons, he seemed to be mellowing down to a wise-old-scarred-warrior mentality.

moirafinnie wrote:

Moraldo Rubini wrote:That giant ego must have been tightly packed into his very small frame. I remember him being about my height (at my 11-year old size) and wearing high heels. No wonder he lost to Gabe Kaplan on Battle of the Network Stars.

He lost to Gabe freakin' Kaplan?! Maybe you should have knocked the battery off his shoulder when you were 11, Moraldo. I still have a hard time picturing Robert Conrad as an 81 year old. Do you think he'd be mellow or cranky as a senior?

Well, I hate to bring up scandalous behavior, but wasn't he arrested a year or two ago for DUI. He think he was under house arrest. What did Bette Davis say? "Growing old ain't pretty"?

You'd think those kids of his would drive Dad to the liquor store.

Nope, she said "Old age ain't for sissies".

moirafinnie wrote:You'd think those kids of his would drive Dad to the liquor store.

Not to tattle on the Departed or nothin', but when my Mum was 12 - 14 years old (in the late 1920's), it was not uncommon for her Father to ring her up some evenings from the speak-easy downtown and tell her to drive down & pick her up in the family's other car, 'cause he was too trousered to drive or walk home. Seems her elder brothers were always out on their own mischief, and her mother had never learnt to drive.
I just often wish I could peek back through time & watch my beloved Mom grindin' those gears at twelve years old, and packin' her happy pappy home.
And they thought the hippies would wreck the world.
Gotta love it.

I hate to say this, but my driver's ed teacher used to have us drive to the package store (liquor store for those who aren't New Englanders) so he could go in and buy his booze. We would sit and wait for him until he came out with his paper bag. Many times he was tanked at school during the book part of the session, though I can't remember if he was ever boozed up in the car with us. As a parent, when I think of this now it makes my blood boil......