I plan to feature a new character from James Michener's "Centennial" each
day during August in the ASOTV showcase. I started yesterday with Lame Beaver,
one of the first characters we meet (at least in the Toobworld timeline), but I
don't plan on continuing in chronological order; that would be boring to both of us. I'll jump around to whomever
strikes my fancy that particular day. But at least for the first three Fridays
of August, the accent will be on some Hat Squad tributes.....
SAM PURCHAS
CREATED BY:
James Michener
PORTRAYED BY:
Donald Pleasance
AS SEEN IN:
"Centennial"
TV DIMENSION:
Earth Prime-Time
From Wikipedia:
Making their way to St. Louis overland and by steamboat, Levi Zendt and
Elly Zahm join a wagon train heading over the Oregon trail for the Pacific
guided by the unsavory mountain man Sam Purchas.
After stopping at a frontier fort and meeting McKeag the Zendts continue
into the Rocky Mountains. When the guide Sam Purchas tries to rape Elly they
decide to turn back. They return to the fort defeated.
English writer Oliver Seccombe introduced the mountain man to Levi and
Elly, and to Major Maxwell Mercy. Purchas forced the Zendts to trade in their
team of gray horses, whom Levi loved, for oxen, which would endure the brutal
conditions of the cross-country trek.
From C. Trent:
"Before portraying Sam Purchas in this episode, Donald Pleasence had
portrayed a mountain man in the 1965 comedy, "THE HALLELUJAH TRAIL". In
"CENTENNIAL", he ended up portraying a very unpleasant frontiersman, namely the
venal Sam Purchas. Although Pleasence’s Purchas was not what I would call a
complex character, I must admit that he was memorable and the British actor
portrayed him with a great deal of relish."
The parents of Sam Purchas may have named him after Samuel Purchas: "Samuel Purchas (1577? – 1626), was an English cleric who published several volumes of reports by travelers to foreign countries."
BCnU!
No comments:
Post a Comment