On This Date

Ride On The Peace Ship

In 1915, Henry Ford's peace ship, Oscar II (commonly the Peace Ship) sailed for Europe to get the boys out of the trenches by Christmas.' The peace mission was deemed unsuccessful, producing only inconsequential meetings with less-than-official representatives from several European governments. Nevertheless, Ford asserted that the Peace Ship's expedition was successful because it stimulated discussions about peace. And Oscar II.

I Like It Like That 

In 1961, the New York Museum of Modern Art finally hung Henri Matisse's picture, a paper cut from 1953, "Le Bateau" (The Boat), the right side up. Only one person, stockbroker Genevieve Habert, among the 116,000 visitors to the exhibition, "The Last Works of Henri Matisse,"  noticed that one of Matisse's elegant late-career cutouts (his Rorschach test?) was hanging upside down for the last forty-seven days.  

 
Note: Some may have said they preferred it upside down. Maybe sideways.

Synopsis: Thrust Into Television

Many movie character actors found steady work and arguably more exposure with the advent of television. 

DOUGLAS KENNEDY (1915-1973)

The American character actor appeared in more than 190 films from the 1930s in uncredited spots, then in countless supporting roles through the 1960s. The 6' 3" Kennedy often portrayed Western villains, unscrupulous modern-day businessmen, as well as isolated romantic or positive leads in low-budget films. His long list of movie credits is nearly surpassed by his television appearances. Certainly becoming a more familiar face on the small screen. He appeared on many short-lived shows as well as long-running famous Westerns and modern-day crime series. Many of those were multiple appearances. His last credits were for three 1973 episodes of Hawaii Five-O. Kennedy died in Hawaii later that year.

Find out more about Kennedy's career at IMBD.

Parallels

This is more of a parallel to B-movie careers than an exact resemblance. Willard Parker (Worster Van Eps 1912-1996), right, signed with Warner Bros and Columbia, while John Archer (Ralph Bowman 1915-1999) signed with Universal and Republic. Archer had numerous television guest spots, making him, arguably, the more familiar figure; however, Parker's three-year, single-series Tales of the Texas Rangers was popular. 

Both started their careers in the late 1930s, and both died at age 84, three years apart. Alas, I would like to tell you they married the same woman (not at the same time), but that would prevent you from believing any of this.

A Noted Television Theme

 

Beside the intelligent scripts and David Janssen's iconic portrayal of Dr. Richard Kimball, The Fugitive is memorable for its distinctive theme and music cues written by Pete Rugolo. The fast-paced "running" music of the theme perfectly matched the title character. He wrote cues for Barry Morse's character, a contemplative cue for Kimball, as well as numerous cues ranging from sad to exciting chase moments. Being good friends and a Rugolo fan, it was Janssen's hope to have Rugolo work for his first series, Richard Diamond. The series put him at the forefront of television composers. Combined with Maurice Binder's opening graphic sequence, it set the jazzy tone of the series in the beginning. His theme and music cues for Thriller, hosted by Boris Karloff, was his next milepost. Roy Huggins, creator of The Fugitive concept, would twist the idea around for his next series, Run For Your Life. Having a second title character "running for his life" simultaneously was not as successful, however.

Note: Pietro "Pete" Rugolo (1915-2011) was a Sicilian-born jazz composer who settled in the US in 1921. He wrote music for many series in television's early days which were as diverse as Leave It To Beaver or Felony Squad. Maurice Binder would gain international fame for his creative opening titles for the early James Bond films.

Reel Character Series

 

Barbara Pepper (Marion Pepper 1915-1969) was an American stage, television, radio, and film actress, often uncredited as "the blonde" in Thirties and Forties films. She had a lead role opposite Wallace Ford in the 1936 murder mystery, The Rogues' Tavern. During the Sixties, she was again uncredited in the 1963 comedies, It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, and Who's Minding the Store?. The following year she was cast as Dr. Doolittle's dance partner in My Fair Lady. Gaining weight and fame late in her career, she was the television mom, Doris or Ruth, to the multi-talented pig, Arnold Ziffel, on the surreal Green Acres sitcom. A long-time friend of Lucille Ball, Pepper was initially considered for the role of Ethel Mertz on the I Love Lucy series. However, due to her drinking problem, she was not hired. Having both Mertz characters, adding William Frawley, with an off-camera alcohol problem was a concern to the producers. Yet Pepper was cast in several episodes of the series (above). Her final film appearance was in 1969's Hook, Line & Sinker, playing Jerry Lewis's secretary.

Everybody Wanted Moore

 

Garry Moore (Thomas Garrison Morfit 1915-1993) was an American entertainer, comedic personality, humorist and this versatility made him a force to be reckoned with in the 1950s and 1960s. Early in his career, he was recognized distinctly for his bow tie and his crew cut fashion and his on-air transparency. He hosted the hugely popular weekly prime-time panel show, I've Got a Secret, from 1952 until 1964. It was double duty for Moore with his variety series, the hour-long, The Garry Moore Show (1958-64) airing simultaneously. The show was a revival of his earlier 1950 30-minute talk-variety show. He was noted for promoting the careers of other entertainers, most notably, Carol Burnett. Moore later replaced the original host of To Tell the Truth, Bud Collyer, when the show was syndicated from 1969 to 1977. But health trouble resulted in numerous guest hosts during his tenure. After a forty-two-year career, Moore retired in 1977 after announcing on the show about his health. 

Before television, Moore recorded six of his radio monologues for Decca in 1944, including his incredible, triple-time speed reading of Little Ride Riding Hood, his classic “Hugh, the Blue Gnu,” and a calamity-filled version of “In the Good Old Summertime”. They were released as an album of three 78 rpm records titled “Culture Corner”. 

The Cantankerous Housekeeper

Nora Marlowe was born in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1915. The hefty American character actress would often be cast as a maid, a nurse, or in a 19th-century setting. She appeared uncredited in a few notable films such as the gun-toting housekeeper in North by Northwest, I'll Cry Tomorrow and The Thomas Crown Affair. But it is her numerous television credits that are unfathomable, whether in a short scene or recurring roles like Law of the Plainsman, The Governor & J.J. and perhaps most famously as Flossie Brimmer, the boarding house owner on The Waltons from 1973 until her death in 1977. That same year, she played an uncompromising maid, Viola, on The Rockford Files (above). She would rearrange items in his trailer [logically] which he could never find. She became fed up with Rockford's messes after thugs repeatedly "rearranged" the trailer's interior. Jim was not all that disappointed when she gave him notice.