Sad news.
Word has come down that author Brian Garfield, 79, died Saturday at his home from Parkinson's Disease. Garfield, a former president of the Western Writers of America as well as The Mystery Writers of America, published over 70 books, including Death Wish which was made into a noted film starring Charles Bronson. Some of his books were published under the pen names Bennett Garland, Alex Hawk, John Ives, Drew Mallory, Frank O'Brian, Jonas Ward, Brian Wynne, and Frank Wynne. His novel Hopscotch won an Edgar Award in 1970 for Best Mystery Novel.
Small House of Everything
Thursday, January 3, 2019
OLD-TIME RADIO: CHALLENGE OF THE YUKON -- MURDER ON THE MOUNTAIN
Challenge of the Yukon is now better known as Sergeant Preston of the Yukon, its later radio and (ultimately) television title. It began as a fifteen-minute show on Detroit's WXYZ radio station (now WXYT) on February 3, 1938.
Following the success of the station's The Lone Ranger and The Green Hornet programs, station owner George Trendle thought the time was ripe for an adventure show featuring a dog -- not your wimpy Lassie-type dog, mind you, but a hard-working dog. A couple of items then came into play. First, Renfrew of the Royal Mounted, a radio show based on the character created by Laurie York Erskine for a series of popular novels aired beginning in 1936, paving the way for "Northwesterns" and, second, Zane Grey's 1915 novel The Lone Star Ranger eventually influenced the creation of The Lone Ranger by Trendle and Fran Striker. Then in 1935, a man named Stephen Slesinger created the comic strip Zane Gray's King of the Royal Mounted about a Canadian Mountie named Dave King. The time was right for another show about a Mountie who always gets his man. It should be noted that Renfrew (in the movies, at least) had a canine companion. So there was room in the new series Trendle proposed for a hard-working dog. Writer Tom Dougall, influenced by the poems of Robert Service, decided to make the dog a husky and wanted to name him "Mogo" but Trendle changed the name to King in a sort of homage to Zane Gray.
So we had the location (Canada, specifically the Yukon Territory), and for plot purposes a time (the 1890's -- the gold rush would provide plenty of fodder for plots), and we had a dog (a husky named King, full name Yukon King), and we had a Mountie protagonist (who was eventually named Sergeant Frank Preston). (Preston's horse, Rex, always played second fiddle to Yukon King.)
Frank Preston was originally played by Jay Michael (the original Butch Cavendish of Lone Ranger nemesis fame), followed by Paul Sutton, then Bruce Beemer, and then Paul Sutton again. Yukon King was voiced by sound effects man Dewey Cole; actor Ted Johnson took over voicing after Cole's death. The show itself ran through 1947 when it moved to television from 1947 to 1949. The radio show was resurrected in 1949 and ran until 1955, when it again appeared on television. The role of Preston on television was played by Richard Simmons and the character's first name was evidently changed from Frank to William.
"Murder on the Mountain" aired on February 19, 1953.
Enjoy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0q5ZO2URd4k
And I have to end this post by saying, "Well, King, this case is closed."
Following the success of the station's The Lone Ranger and The Green Hornet programs, station owner George Trendle thought the time was ripe for an adventure show featuring a dog -- not your wimpy Lassie-type dog, mind you, but a hard-working dog. A couple of items then came into play. First, Renfrew of the Royal Mounted, a radio show based on the character created by Laurie York Erskine for a series of popular novels aired beginning in 1936, paving the way for "Northwesterns" and, second, Zane Grey's 1915 novel The Lone Star Ranger eventually influenced the creation of The Lone Ranger by Trendle and Fran Striker. Then in 1935, a man named Stephen Slesinger created the comic strip Zane Gray's King of the Royal Mounted about a Canadian Mountie named Dave King. The time was right for another show about a Mountie who always gets his man. It should be noted that Renfrew (in the movies, at least) had a canine companion. So there was room in the new series Trendle proposed for a hard-working dog. Writer Tom Dougall, influenced by the poems of Robert Service, decided to make the dog a husky and wanted to name him "Mogo" but Trendle changed the name to King in a sort of homage to Zane Gray.
So we had the location (Canada, specifically the Yukon Territory), and for plot purposes a time (the 1890's -- the gold rush would provide plenty of fodder for plots), and we had a dog (a husky named King, full name Yukon King), and we had a Mountie protagonist (who was eventually named Sergeant Frank Preston). (Preston's horse, Rex, always played second fiddle to Yukon King.)
Frank Preston was originally played by Jay Michael (the original Butch Cavendish of Lone Ranger nemesis fame), followed by Paul Sutton, then Bruce Beemer, and then Paul Sutton again. Yukon King was voiced by sound effects man Dewey Cole; actor Ted Johnson took over voicing after Cole's death. The show itself ran through 1947 when it moved to television from 1947 to 1949. The radio show was resurrected in 1949 and ran until 1955, when it again appeared on television. The role of Preston on television was played by Richard Simmons and the character's first name was evidently changed from Frank to William.
"Murder on the Mountain" aired on February 19, 1953.
Enjoy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0q5ZO2URd4k
And I have to end this post by saying, "Well, King, this case is closed."
Wednesday, January 2, 2019
MUSIC FROM THE PAST: GONNA GET ALONG WITHOUT YOU NOW
Viola Wills.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JALXA3NgsU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JALXA3NgsU
BAD JOKE WEDNESDAY
With the new year I've decided I need some exercise and have been looking for a new sport to try. My brother suggested birling. Evidently it's as easy as falling off a log.
Tuesday, January 1, 2019
OVERLOOKED FILM: THE TICKET OF LEAVE MAN (1937)
Pudgy Tod Slaughter made a career of playing the villain in a number of British melodramas, often in the most ham-handed way. In The Ticket of Leave Man, Slaughter is "The Tiger," a thief who gleefully kills his victims. Marjorie Taylor is the pretty May Edwards, who catches The Tiger's eye. Her innocent bank clerk boyfriend Robert Brierly (played by John Warwick) is framed with counterfeit bank notes and suspected of murders actually committed by The Tiger. Robert Adair is Hawkshaw the Detective.
Based on the 1863 play by Tom Taylor (which introduced the character of Hawkshaw the Detective -- played by Robert Adair in the film), The Ticket of Leave Man was adapted by H. F. Maltby with an assist from A. R. Rawlinson. The film was directed by George King who helmed a number of "Quickie Quotas" in his early career. (British law required a certain percentage of films shown in British movies theaters be made in England; these were often quickly made on low budgets, thus the "Quicky Quota.")
Some consider this film terrible, some consider it to be quite good, some consider it to be anti-Semitic, and some just get a joy out of watching Tod Slaughter ham it up.
BTW, 1) a "ticket of leave" is a paper given to a prisoner after he serves his time; and 2) the odds of actress Marjorie Tayllor being related to the 19th century playwright Tom Taylor are slim to none.
Enjoy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCOz5Jk3CBw
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