July 15, 2022

Around the dial




It's often been said that to grab people's attention you need a good hook, and, at least around here, you're not going to get a better hook than the one David has at Comfort TV: "Terrible Shows I Like." In this case the show in question is The Governor and J.J. with Dan Dailey and Julie Sommars, and while I didn't love it, I do remember it being enjoyable, and as David points out, it's very hard not to like Dan Dailey in anything.

At bare-bones e-zine, Jack's Hitchcock Project continues with the works of Victor Wolfson, and this week we've got the second-season episode Toby, with the very recognizable character actor Robert H. Harris and Jessica Tandy in a strange little tale that is unsettling but effective. 

In honor of the late Larry Storch, Hal has a special edition of "F Troop Fridays" at The Horn Section. "The Ballot of Corporal Agarn" gives us Storch's Agarn, who holds the critical absentee ballot that will determine the next mayor of his hometown of Passaic, New Jersey. The candidates come to woo him, but they'll have to deal with Sgt. O'Rourke. 

Larry Storch is also the subject of this obituary from Terence at A Shroud of Thoughts, who reminds us that Storch was also the voice of Phineas J. Whoopee on Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales, and no matter how many times I watch it, I can still never quite hear him in that role, which is, of course, a compliment to him, since so many of today's voiceovers are too obviously linked with the actor playing them. Terence also has a nice tribute to the great character actor L.Q. Jones, who died this week as well. There's 193 years between those two actors; not bad at all.

Wednesday was Dave Garroway's birthday, and also the fifth anniversary of Garroway at Large, Jodie's great website devoted to the Master Communicator. Some great pictures, and also an update on the status of Jodie's bio on Dave.

It's Fake Mediums Week at Cult TV Blog, and John kicks things off with a look at "But What a Sweet Little Room," a murder-strewn episode of Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased). After you've finished this, you'll want to continue on to the rest of the week's entries.

At Shadow & Substance, Paul has a poll on Charles Beaumont's best Twilight Zone script, and even though we all know what a terrific writer Beaumont was, and what good work he did for TZ, it's still a little overwhelming to read the list of the great episodes he wrote. That kind of talent—it just doesn't come along that often, does it? TV  

2 comments:

  1. Thanks, Mitchell! I did not know that Mr. Whoopee was Larry Storch!

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  2. In Shroud Of Thoughts, Terence points out that Larry Storch got started as a mimic on radio shows; he was so good at doing Frank Morgan (THE Wizard Of Oz) that if Morgan missed a show, Storch could substitute for him, and nobody listening at home was the wiser.
    It comes up here because years later, Larry Storch used his Frank Morgan voice for Mr. Whoopee on Tennessee Tuxedo (compare the voices sometime and see for yourself).
    Storch did a lot of talk shows back in the day, where he'd regale the other guests with his repertoire of old movie voices - many of which found their way into his cartoon sessions.

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