WISH-CRAFT: CASTING JIM ANTHONY

I recently read a fun neo-pulp novel, "Jim Anthony, Super Detective: The Hunters" (by Josh Reynolds and Micah S. Harris), which resurrected an action hero from public domain and then had him interact with other established characters from classic sources in a two-part story that made for a thematic whole.

Jim Anthony was a Nietzschean uber-man in the mold of Doc Savage. (I believe Anthony was created to cash in on the popularity of "the Man of Bronze".) He was half-Irish, half-Comanche, the perfect combination of muscle and brain.

In the first half of the novel, written by Reynolds, Jim Anthony teamed up with Count Zaroff, the mad Russian from the famous short story "The Most Dangerous Game", on a hunt for the Yeti in the skyscraper canyons of 1931 Manhattan. The story also included Jules Verne's Baltimore Gun Club and a character from 1890's horror fiction, the King in Yellow.

Part Two, written by Harris, teams up Anthony and Zaroff again; this time they embark on a trip to hunt dinosaurs (maybe some more... challenging prey) and their paths intersect with the passengers and crew of the Venture who are on their way to Skull Island to film a movie. All of them come into contact with a certain over-sized primate who will become "The Eighth Wonder Of The World".

I'm thinking Jim Anthony would make for a great TV series, one in the style of those action-adventure syndicated shows of the 1990's, like 'Hercules: The Legendary Journeys', 'Jack Of All Trades', and 'The Lost World'. And "Jim Anthony, Super Detective: The Hunters" would be the perfect base for not only launching the series (the book's Part One), but to also provide a two-part season finale (the book's Part Two).

Taking a cue from the authors, some of the characters would have to have their names hidden in aliases as they would still be under some copyright protection (particularly Carl Denham and Ann Darrow, and especially His Nibs, King Kong.) But otherwise, both of the tales would make for rousing book-ends to a syndicated series about this 1930's "super man" (the home-grown variety).

I've even given some thought to casting, but only for the three main characters - the hero, his side-kick, and the special guest star to help sell the series.

First up....

JIM ANTHONY
The "Super Detective" has to be more than just muscular. (He's going to have his shirt ripped off quite frequently.) He'll also need to be deft at light comedy and romantic situations. (Unlike Doc Savage, Anthony delved into amorous adventures, something that probably sold more copies of his stories to the teen boys of that time.)

So here's my choice for the role: Ryan McPartlin. There's a reason McPartlin's role as Devon on NBC's 'Chuck' is nicknamed "Captain Awesome". He just is. He's got the build and the humor which would be needed for Jim Anthony. And in an episode of 'Mad Men', which was set about forty-five years ago, he was at home acting in a period piece. Pushing it all back another thirty years or more doesn't appear to be beyond his ken.

As it is with most TV show pilots, a name guest star is usually brought in to help sell the concept so that it goes to series. That guest star is usually taken out of the equation (or replaced by a cheaper actor) when the show is picked up for production on a weekly basis.

In the case of a show about Jim Anthony, that character would be:

COUNT ZAROFF
The Russian nobleman and fantatical hunstman needs an actor who exudes the strength of will and power of personality to make him more than a match for Anthony. Even though he'd be older, you can tell just by looking into his eyes that Zaroff could give the "super detective" a worthy opponent - once they no longer were allies, that is.

And it seems to be customary/tradition that such a character have a British accent, no matter what country (or planet) they may be from. If I was casting the role of Count Zaroff, there's only one man out there today whom I think can fit the bill: Timothy Dalton. Just look at how Stalinesque he appears in this publicity still from "The Beautician And The Beast". Those piercing eyes offer up the threat and enticement of danger, but he could also be suave and charming to the ladies (although Jim Anthony would probably succeed more often.)

Being the big name guest star, Dalton would only be needed for the pilot episode and then a final, return appearance in the two-part finale that would mostly take place on Skull Island. (A trip to Hawaii to use old 'Lost' locations would be in order. I'm sure Dalton would be amenable to a working vacation in Hawaii.....)

The only other character I'd want to cast at present would be Jim Anthony's side-kick/assistant:

TOM GENTRY
According to "Jim Anthony, Super Detective: The Hunters", Tom is a big, beefy Irishman always there with a gat or a getaway. And this is how he was portrayed in the original stories back in the 30's.

But I think I'd want to go a different route in the visualization of Tom Gentry for any proposed TV series. You get another big muscular guy onscreen working with Jim Anthony, then you dilute the image of strength that should be Anthony's showcase.

I think Tom should be of a slighter build; he shouldn't be as brainy as Anthony either - more smart-aleck than smart, always ready with a quip. I see Tom as the guy who serves as Anthony's driver, the go-to guy to check out potential clues, and the tech wizard who builds the gizmos and gadgets that Jim Anthony dreams up.

Tom is supposed to be Irish, but I think we could ease back on this as well. If even the slightest hint of an accent, his ancestry should be more a suggestion. (Fiona is supposed to be Irish on 'Burn Notice', but would you have wanted to hear that accent she was sporting in the pilot through the run of the series?)
Here's how I envision the basic character of Tom Gentry. (A big Toobworld thanks to my friend Ray Amell for this picture of him at this summer's 1920's jazz lawn party in NYC.)

I'm thinking Kyle Howard, pictured below (most recently seen in 'My Boys'), has the look needed for this version of Tom Gentry. Seeing him next to Ryan McPartlin as Jim Anthony would make for an interesting contrast with this dynamic duo. I just wish I had a picture of the two of them next to each other to illustrate how great I think they would be together as Jim Anthony and Tom Gentry. (They both worked in episodes of "What I Like About You", but not together. McPartlin and Dalton both worked with Fran Drescher, but again, not on the same project.)

Those would be my big three for the casting on any proposed series based on "Jim Anthony, Super Detective". (I just wish the character had a more distinctive last name, but it's worked for the last eighty years so......) As for the casting of the other guest stars - from the King in Yellow to Ann Darrow - I'd leave that with the casting agents hired for the production. Whether the show was filmed in the States, or Vancouver, or New Zealand, (or even Cardiff - they know how to make their facilities look like anywhere in the world... and beyond!), I know they'd find the best talent available out there.......

BCnU!

[This was the 5600th post for Inner Toob!]

SPLAIN AWAY, RENEE

First off, you should head over to the "Thrilling Days Of Yesteryear" and check out my blog-brother Ivan's latest installment of "Mayberry Mondays." Every Monday (sometimes on Tuesday instead), he offers up a detailed account of a 'Mayberry RFD' episode with his own twisted perspective. (We have similar sensibilities in that regard, but he makes it funnier.)

So read the latest synopsis (for the episode "Millie's Girlfriend".)

I'll be here when you finish......

Okay, welcome back!

So Millie's girlfriend Renee was a fashion model in New York City; she and Millie used to work together in Raleigh. (This may have been while Millie was briefly married to a man named Swanson. Remember, her maiden name was Hutchins in 'The Andy Griffith Show'.)

So anyway, Renee...... The only reason she came back to the Mayberry area was because she was having boyfriend troubles back in Manhattan. And the name of the cad who done her wrong? Roger.

"She was leading such a happy life until Roger wrecked it."
Millie Swanson
'Mayberry RFD'

"Millie's Girlfriend" took place around the same time it was broadcast (which, according to Ivan, was on March 17, 1969. This could splain away why Howard Sprague wasn't in town for this episode. He may have been up in Raleigh marching in their St. Patrick's Day Parade.)

So we need to look around that general time period to find a suitable character named Roger.
And I imagine many of my fellow teleficionados have figured out where I'm going with this.....

Roger Sterling of 'Mad Men'

But here's the thing: we have to put this pozz'ble splainin on a layaway plan. As I said, the episode took place around St. Patrick's Day in 1969. With the recent conclusion of the fourth season, 'Mad Men' has worked its way through 1965. So we don't even know if Roger Sterling will survive long enough to have an affair with Renee in 1969.

The man has had two heart attacks; he falls into depressive moods; and Dr. Greg Harris may be over in Viet Nam at this point in the timeline, but eventually he might come home (if he survives.) Greg has a temper and he might seek revenge should he find out that Roger is the real father of Joan's baby.

So I'm going to hedge my bets on the identity of the Roger in 'Mayberry RFD' being the Roger of 'Mad Men'. We'll wait and view how the Toobworld timeline plays out.

And should the pozz'bility pay off, we don't have to see Roger actually having that affair with Renee on 'Mad Men'. It could play out off-screen, as do so many key moments during the course of that show.

Besides, it was probably just a fling for Roger, which would understandably be the reason why Renee was so upset in the first place..... [A big thanks to Ivan of "Thrilling Days Of Yesteryear" for not only writing about "Millie's Girlfriend" in the first place, but also for the screen captures he posted, which I then purloined.....]

BCnU!

THE MISSILES OF OCTOBER: JOHN SCALI

For the last "As Seen On TV" showcase remembering the thirteen days in October, 1961, during which the Cuban Missile Crisis took place, the spotlight is on one of the two men involved in the most interesting turn of events during that crisis....

JOHN SCALI

AS SEEN IN:
"The Missiles Of October"

AS PLAYED BY:
Paul Lambert

From Wikipedia:
John Alfred Scali (April 27, 1918 – October 9, 1995) was the United States Ambassador to the United Nations from 1973 to 1975.

Scali was an ABC News reporter who became an intermediary in the Cuban Missile Crisis and later a part of the Nixon Administration. Scali gained fame after it became known in 1964 that in October 1962, a year after he joined ABC News, he had carried a critical message from KGB Colonel Aleksandr Fomin to U.S. officials. He left ABC in 1971 to serve as a foreign affairs adviser to President Nixon, becoming U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations in 1973. Scali re-joined ABC in 1975 where he worked until retiring in 1993.

Scali was contacted by Soviet embassy official (and KGB Station Chief) Fomin about a proposed settlement to the crisis, and subsequently he acted as a contact between Fomin and the Executive Committee. However, it was without government direction that Scali responded to new Soviet conditions with a warning that a U.S. invasion was only hours away, prompting the Soviets to settle the crisis quickly.

[Scali is seen here trying to get information out of a senator (unnamed)
and meeting with Aleksandr Fomin.]

BCnU!

SUPER SIX LIST: RECYCLED TV NAMES

I've long had a fascination for names. I think it goes back to my introduction to "The Hobbit" which served as a gateway to a lifetime love of Fantasy. Even now I'm always on the lookout for the interesting names that leap up to my notice during the course of my job - Christian Beers, Cricket Hunter, Cliff Walker.....

Television is a world of Fantasy; that's always been the basis for the Toobworld Dynamic. And there have been names over the decades that sometimes sound as though they originated in some alternate realm: "Horatio Caine", "Bret Maverick", "Theo Kojak", "Beaver Cleaver", "Fox Mulder", "Simka Gravas", "Endora".....

But for the most part, the names in the registry of Toobworld are plain and simple, much like those to be found in a small town phone book in the Midwest of the real world. People with names like Richards, Taylor, Williams, Rockford, Campbell.

Even so, a common name will summon great TV memories which later writers might want to invoke by using that name again in a different show. So here's a Super Six List of "Recycled TV Character Names"....

1] SHERIFF ANDY TAYLOR
('The Andy Griffith Show' > 'The X-Files' - "Home") The name just wasn't enough; Andy Taylor had the same occupation as the original in Mayberry, North Carolina. He even had a deputy named Barney, although his last name was Paster. (But when Agent Mulder was introduced to the deputy, he jumped in with "Fife" as his guess for Barney's last name.)

That Sheriff Andy Taylor and Deputy Barney Fife might be known in another TV show isn't a Zonk. Whenever it happens, it's never a reference to 'The Andy Griffith Show', but to the movie that was made in Mayberry back in 1961, which brought fame to all of the townfolk.

2] LARRY TATE
('Bewitched' > 'thirtySOMETHING' - "Closing The Circle") If I remember this correctly, the second Larry Tate himself pointed out how strange was it that he should be in advertising with a name like "Larry Tate". I'm hoping the show "Bewitched" wasn't mentioned, so that instead we can make the claim that everybody in the advertising game knew the legend from McMann & Tate......

3] ROBERT McCALLISTER
('Jack & Bobby' > 'Brothers & Sisters') In this case, one or even both of these TV series belong in an alternate TV dimension. While it was set in the present day, 'Jack & Bobby' could exist in the main Toobworld. But eventually there was a rift which sent its timeline off on its own.

The late Robert McCallister of 'Brothers & Sisters' in its contemporary timeline was far older than the boy in 'Jack & Bobby', but he had aspirations for the White House as well. Not that it mattered - not only did his character die between these last two seasons, but a female governor in California when most shows in Earth Prime-Time acknowledge Schwarzenegger as holding that office sends 'Brothers & Sisters' off to an alternate timeline - at least until cancellation when we can invoke the 'Primeval' reboot.

4] WILTON PARMENTER
('F Troop' > 'The New Gidget') It might have been nice to claim that the Wilton Parmenter played by Richard Paul was descended from "The Scourge Of The West" (and of course, from his eventual wife, Jane Angelica Thrift). But because it's the original 'Gidget' series that belongs in Earth Prime-Time, 'The New Gidget' resides in the TV dimension for TV remakes. That theory of relateeveety could still be valid, however - why shouldn't that TV dimension have its own 'F Troop'?

5] TOM CORBETT
('Tom Corbett, Space Cadet' > 'The Courtship Of Eddie's Father') Technically, the listing of these two shows should be reversed, if looked at from the perspective of the Toobworld timeline. 'The Courtship Of Eddie's Father" was contemporary to its broadcast - the 1960's - while 'Tom Corbett, Space Cadet' took place at some point in the far future (but probably before the classic 'Star Trek' series took place, but after 'Enterprise'.)

It's a Toobworld Central theory of relateeveety that magazine publisher Tom Corbett's son Eddie was the progenitor of the family tree that led to his father's namesake at the Space Academy.

There was another Tom Corbett in an episode of the Australian soap opera 'Neighbours', by the way.....

6] NUMBER SIX
('The Prisoner' > 'Battlestar Galactica') There's no connection between these two. 'Battlestar Galactica' belongs in the remake universe, or even - because it took place so long before the true development of humankind on Earth - even in some alternate TV dimension like those that house 'The West Wing', or '24', or maybe even the new 'Sherlock'.

As for 'The Prisoner', that was his designation within "The Village". Toobworld Central will always argue that his real name was John Drake (of 'Danger Man').

But what better choice to fill the Number 6 spot on the list?

Still, we have just one more that we couldn't resist sharing.....

LASSIE
('Lassie' > 'Psych') "Lassie" is the nickname foisted upon Santa Barbara police detective Carlton Lassiter by "psychic" consultant Shawn Spencer. Yes, I think it's meant to be a reference to the famous dog, but it's not a Zonk. Instead, it's a reference to the classic movie of the 1940's.

Do you know of any other TV character names that have been recycled? If so, send them along my way!

BCnU!

THE MISSILES OF OCTOBER: GENERAL MAXWELL TAYLOR

GENERAL MAXWELL TAYLOR

AS SEEN IN:
"The Missiles Of October"

AS PLAYED BY:
Andrew Duggan

From Wikipedia:
General Maxwell Davenport "Max" Taylor (August 26, 1901 – April 19, 1987) was an United States Army general and diplomat of the mid-20th century.

Taylor was born in Keytesville, Missouri and graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1922.

Both President Kennedy and his brother, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, had immense regard for Taylor, whom they saw as a man of unquestionable integrity, sincerity, intelligence, and diplomacy. After the April 1961 failure of the Bay of Pigs Invasion, Kennedy, who felt the Joint Chiefs of Staff had failed to provide him with satisfactory military advice, appointed Taylor to head a task force to investigate the failure of the invasion.

The Cuba Study Group met for six weeks from April to May 1961 to perform an "autopsy" on the disastrous events surrounding the Bay of Pigs Invasion. In the course of their work together, Taylor developed a deep regard and a personal affection for Robert F. Kennedy, a friendship that was wholly mutual and which remained firm until Kennedy's assassination in 1968.

Shortly after the investigation concluded, the Kennedys' warm feelings for Taylor and the President's lack of confidence in the Joint Chiefs of Staff led John Kennedy to recall Taylor to active duty and install him in the newly created post of military representative to the president. His close personal relationship with the President and White House access effectively made Taylor the President's primary military adviser, cutting out the Joint Chiefs. On October 1, 1962, Kennedy ended this uncomfortable arrangement by appointing Taylor as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a position in which he served until 1964.

Taylor was portrayed by Paul Maxwell in "A Bridge Too Far", Andrew Duggan in "The Missiles of October" and by Bill Smitrovich in "Thirteen Days".

BCnU!

WNU-TOOB: BULLDOG DRUMMOND

I've already passed this info on to Win Scott Eckert, the curator of the Wold Newton Universe website. Whether or not he chooses to use it will be up to him, he knows best what works and what could be a conflict over there. But Toobworld Central doesn't see any Zonk in using this....

In 1920, Supervisor Elliott of the Internal Revenue Service came to Atlantic City to check on the progress of Agent Nelson Van Alden and his team in stemming the supply of liquor to the area. But when he found out that Van Alden was more obsessed with the widow of Hans Schroeder, he complained, "You're a Federal Agent, Nelson, not Bulldog Drummond!"

This occurred in the latest episode of 'Boardwalk Empire', "Family Limitations".

There was no reference to the legendary Hugh "Bulldog" Drummond as a fictional character. So we can read Elliott's statement as treating Drummond as a "real" figure within Toobworld. At least in this specific fictional universe, there isn't much room for a Zonk. Bulldog Drummond made only one appearance on television - in an episode of the anthology series 'Rheingold Theatre', which was also known as 'Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. Presents'. The broadcast of "Bulldog Drummond And The Ludlow Affair" was probably contemporary to when it actually took place, so it was about thirty-five years after the events of the first season of 'Boardwalk Empire'.

Drummond would have been in his twenties, but his reputation was apparently already established.

All pretty reasonable to this televisiologist.

[Robert Beatty played Bulldog Drummond in that TV episode, but the picture of him above is from a movie released about a decade earlier.]

BCnU!

SING ALONG WITH DICK

Dick Van Dyke was on an NPR radio show and he sang the lyrics to 'The Dick Van Dyke Show' which were written by Morey Amsterdam:

So you think that you've got trouble,
well trouble's
a bubble,
so tell old Mr. Trouble to get lost.
Why not hold your head up high,
stop crying,
start trying,
and don't forget to keep your fingers crossed.
When you find the joy of living
is loving and giving,
you'll be there when the winning dice are tossed.
A smile
is just a frown
that's turned upside down,
so smile and that frown
will defrost.
And don't forget to keep your fingers crossed.

Why not sing along as you watch the opening credits?

Here they are, with the ottoman trip:

And here they are without the ottoman trip:

BCnU!

MISSILES OF OCTOBER: SENATOR WILLIAM FULBRIGHT

SENATOR WILLIAM FULBRIGHT

AS SEEN IN:
"The Missiles Of October"

AS PLAYED BY:
Byron Morrow

From Wikipedia:
James William Fulbright (April 9, 1905 – February 9, 1995) was a United States Senator representing Arkansas from 1945 to 1975.

Fulbright was a Southern Democrat and a staunch multilateralist, supported the creation of the United Nations, signed the Southern Manifesto and opposed the House Un-American Activities Committee. He is remembered for his segregationism, opposition to US involvement in the war in Vietnam, and efforts to establish an international exchange program, which thereafter bore his name, the Fulbright Fellowships. Fulbright was the longest serving chairman in the history of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. President Bill Clinton cited him as a mentor.

Twice in three weeks, we've had an historical character played by Byron Morrow.....

Since this is "Two For Tuesday", we have another portrayal of Senator Fulbright:

SENATOR WILLIAM FULBRIGHT

Unfortunately, I don't remember from which TV production I got this picture, nor do I remember who the actor is who played him. It might be George R. Robertson, better known for the "Police Academy" movies, but it's hard for me to tell.....

Any help on his identity would be appreciated.

BCnU!

BY ANY OTHER NAME: DOUBLE INDOMNITY

Once upon a time, there was a fifth wheel to a group of friends from Queens. But that was before two of the guys in the group (brothers by the name of Chase) became actors in Hollywood.

That fifth wheel was named Dom and he ended up doing time just as the rest of the gang headed out to fame, if not fortune, in Hollywood.

After Dom got out of prison he tried to find a place for himself back in his former circle of friends. But in the five years that had passed, Vincent Chase and his entourage had grown beyond the experiences they once shared. Although all but Vince, who owed Dom a huge debt for taking the heat on a pot possession charge, had problems with Dom's interference in their group dynamic, it was Eric Murphy who was openly suspicious and hostile to his presence among them.

Eventually Dom got in trouble again with the law when he violated the terms of his parole. In the end, it was likely Dom understood the detrimental effect he had on his old friends. But that probably had little effect on the anger he must have felt towards Eric. Dom must have escaped from prison and headed back East. But instead of hanging out in his old haunts around Queens Boulevard, where the authorities would have been looking for him, Dom established a new base of operations in Brooklyn. There he fully embraced a life of crime as he had nothing left to lose - not only was he on the outs with his childhood friends, but his girlfriend had taken the baby and left him because he got in trouble with the law again.

Dom worked with someone else he knew from the old days named Jim. (It could even be that Jim was his brother; they do share something of a similarity in appearance.) They worked as the muscle for a dominatrix club which they were hoping to rip off (by stealing confidential information on the clients for potential blackmail purposes). And for that information, Dom was even willing to commit murder when a private eye named Jonathan Ames got to the disk of files first.

Dom knew better than to advertise his presence back in the criminal underground by using his own name. So he must have figured: what better alias than to let Eric take the blame for his crime spree...... This splainin doesn't take into account other characters played by Domenick Lombardozzi, like Detective Hauk on 'The Wire', or Officer Joey Kilmer in an episode of 'The Beat'. (Hauk could have been an identical cousin down in Baltimore, while Kilmer, who lived in the NYC area like Dom, might have been a half brother.)

SHOWS CITED:
'Entourage' - "Dominated", "Guys And Doll" & "Redomption"
'Bored To Death' - "The Gowanus Canal Has Gonnorhea"

BCnU!

BY ANY OTHER NAME: THEY WENT HATHAWAY

When Martha Bronson decided to take a trip from her home in Riverside to Indian Caverns, she had her friend Mrs. Hathaway as her traveling companion. Along the way, they stopped in Mayfield to visit with Martha's niece June Cleaver and her family. (They were misdirected, but they eventually found their way to 485 Mapleton Drive.)

Mrs. Hathaway was the widow of a general who had been quite involved in governmental affairs, and she kept his memory alive by invoking his name constantly.

We met Mrs. Hathaway in 'Leave It To Beaver' episode "The Visiting Aunts". And although it wasn't stated in the episode, it is the opinion of all of the voices in my head that Mrs. Hathaway's first name was Margaret.

The reasoning for that is pure conjecture, but that's never stopped me before.....

While on her visit to Indian Caverns, Margaret Hathaway must have met a man with whom she fell in love, despite her devotion to the late General. His surname was Gettys, and he was visiting from Minnesota.

With the shared philosophical outlook that they weren't getting any younger, the two of them quickly married and Margaret Hathaway Gettys moved with her new husband from Riverside back to the "Twin Cities" area of Minnesota.

Even though she had a new man in her life, Margaret Gettys was still devoted to the memory of her first husband, General Hathaway. But she must have realized that talking about him in a state where he was not a known figure would serve little good. Instead, she decided to put into practice the principles espoused by her late husband.

Margaret Gettys decided to become politically active.

It probably began on the local level. ("All politics is local," said "Cheers" patron Tip O'Neill.) But she became more involved until eventually she ran for her district's seat in the United States Congress.

By the 1970's, Congresswoman Gettys was still in office... and being invited to disastrous parties at Mary Richards' apartments.

Finally, just a few theories of relateeveety: General Hathaway either had a younger sister or cousin named Jane Hathaway who lived in Beverly Hills, California. And Margaret had a twin sister who married a scientist named Dr. William Loren, a genius who created several androids.

SHOWS CITED:
'Leave It To Beaver' - "The Visiting Aunts"
'The Mary Tyler Moore Show' - "The Dinner Party" & "Mary's Big Party"
'The Beverly Hillbillies'
'The Twilight Zone' - "The Lateness Of The Hour"

BCnU!