My mother would not let me watch Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In in the early 70’s. She felt it was too vulgar and that I would not understand the humor that was being used. So like most kids I would sneak over to my best friend’s house and watch it. By today’s standard there was nothing to it to get upset about and many of the jokes were not that great .

It did change the culture and many of the catch phases of the time were invented on Laugh-In. The regulars on the show included Goldie Hawn, Lily Tomlin, Ruth Buzzi, Judy Carne, Larry Hovis, Arte Johnson, Teresa Graves, Jo Anne Worley and Henry Gibson.

It is Laugh-Ins’ Henry Gibson who has taken his Final Taxi at 73.

I remember a few character’s that Gibson did on the show, including a tea-sipping priest, but mostly he read some of his funny poems.

I didn’t think much about Gibson until about 1977 when the local movie theater showed a double feature of movies that were skit comedy bits. The bill included a film called Tunnel Vison and The Kentucky Fried Movie. Gibson appeared as himself in a fund drive for the United Appeal for the Dead. In it Gibson talks about how the dead can still be a productive member of society even after they have stopped breathing.

It was John Landis’ hilarious 1980 film The Blue Brothers that brought Gibson back in the limelight. Many will remember the head of the ‘Illinois Nazis’ who The Blues Brothers ran their parade into a park stream. The rest of the film Gibson and his band keep try to kill the Blues Brothers (John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd) and are met with failure since they are “on a mission from God.” Gibson was listed as one of Cinema’s Most Memorable Neo-Nazis by Empire Magazine.

Henry Gibson was born James Bateman and created his comedy persona after serving in Air Force and joking around with a Southern accent. His character was supposed to be from Fairhope, Alabama. His first film appearance was with Jerry Lewis in 1963’s The Nutty Professor. Gibson won a supporting-actor award from the National Society of Film Critics for his character in 1975’s Nashville. He recently has been seen playing recurring roles on two TV shows, Boston Legal and King of the Hill.

It seems that this is Beatles week.

The new video game “ The Beatles – Rock Band” has come out. It has been called ‘the world’s leading music game meets the greatest band in history.’ Also all the Beatles original albums have been released on digitally remastered CDs. I have heard a few songs from them and they sound awesome.

With all the Beatles blitz one musician who played with the Beatles will not be hearing himself on the new remastered CD. That would be Jack Ellory who for more than 30 years was a leading flautist and session musician. Ellory recently took his Final Taxi at the age of 89.

In October of 1967, Ellory was hired by Beatle’s producer George Martin to play flute on the song “Fool on the Hill.” The song was written and sung by Paul McCartney for their LP Magical Mystery Tour. It took almost a month to record and Ellory’s flute was only added weeks before the album went to press.

Ellory was a graduate from Trinity College in Bristol, UK and the Royal College of Music. The London Philharmonia Orchestra was founded in 1945 and Ellory was was the first hired to play second flute. The orchestra was often called upon to play session work for EMI recording studio. Ellory would soon become a studio musician playing flute for such artists as Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Peter Sellers, and of course, The Beatles.

Jack Ellory can also be heard playing in the soundtrack of many of the early James Bond and Pink Panther films. Other works include the films The Guns of Navarone and Where Eagles Dare.

One of my guilty pleasures while growing up was reading the National Lampoon humor magazine. My mother just thought it was another comic book or magazine like MAD or Cracked. It was more of an adult book with crass and cutting edge humor often parodying other magazines. The book had cartoons as well as articles that were written with bawdy comedy and many of the pieces often featured nudity.

I remember buying my first National Lampoon at a small convenience store. Every month I would sneak in and buy a copy along side a candy bar and a soft drink.

I loved the creators and writers of this humor magazine. Many are a who’s who of humor writers and include P. J. O’Rourke, Michael O’Donoghue, Sean Kelly, Tony Hendra and John Hughes. O’Rourke would become a famous political writer, O’Donoghue would help start and write the Saturday Night Live TV show and John Hughes would go on to become one of American’s best loved film directors and producers.

John Hughes with Alley Sheedy and Emilio Estevez while making 1985's The Breakfast Club.

It is John Hughes who has taken his Final Taxi.

My love of Hughes was still in those early National Lampoon days when he would write stories like “ My Penis” or “ My Vagina.” This would be a fantasy tale of a boy or girl waking up to find they had changed genders in the middle of the night. It was humorous as they went through high school that day hoping no one would notice. The twist of the tale happens once they get to gym class.

Hughes also wrote “Vacation ‘58″ which would become the movie “National Lampoon’s Vacation” starring Chevy Chase. Hughes wrote the screenplay. The film became a big success and helps land him his first directorial role in “Sixteen Candles.”

More blockbusters came in the forms of The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Weird Science and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. These launched a new movie term called “ The Brat Pack.” These were young actors and actresses who often appeared together in teen coming of age movies done by Hughes.

He retired from directing in 1991 but still continued to write. He wrote all the “Home Alone” movies and his latest comedy was 2008’s “Drillbit Taylor.” John Hughes was 59.

Update: I recently found a blog from someone who was John Hughes’ penpal. It is a sad and wonderful read: http://tinyurl.com/ngg2tn

A few John Hughes trailers:

One of trademarks of Nickelodeon, the children television network, is green slime. Does anyone remember why?

It all started with a little show called “You Can’t Do That on Television.” The program started in 1979 for a Canadian television station but was picked up by Nickelodeon in 1981. It ran on the network till 1994. Whenever anyone during the show said the words “I don’t know” a bucket of green goo would pour over their head. It soon became a popular skit and was a staple on the children’s program. So slime was born.

The Many Faces of Les Lye

I enjoyed watching the show not for the slime but for the sense of humor that was in all the skits. “You Can’t Do That on Television” reminded me of a kid’s version of Monty Python at times.

It was not just the comedy writing but the actors who were in the cast of regulars on the show. One of the adult cast members was Les Lye who played everything from a tyrannical schoolteacher to a bumbling football coach. It is Les Lye who has taken his Final Taxi.

Many may remember Lye’s most popular character Ross, the studio director, who gave bad advice to the child actors. He had a trademark clipboard and studio headset and was featured on the show’s opening credits. Another character was the dirty and disgusting burger chef named Barth whose catch phrase was “I heard that!”

Lye started working in television in 1958 and moved to children’s programming in 1961. His show “Uncle Willy and Floyd” lasted for 22 years on Canadian TV. It was there that he met a young actress and singer who he would bring back later on “You Can’t Do That on Television”, Alanis Morissette.

In 2003, he received a lifetime achievement award from the Alliance of Canadian Cinema. Les Lye was 84.

Back in the mid-1970’s I was tried of the music being played on the radio. There was too much disco or top 40 fare for my taste. I decided to go retro with my music and looked at more music from the 60’s. With help from Gary Bourgeois at Charlemagne Records, I was introduced to Bob Dylan, The Band, Janis Joplin, and the Grateful Dead. I was not really a ” dead-head” but like a few of their tunes. Gary also turned me on to a country off shoot of the Dead called New Riders of the Purple Sage.

New Rider band members included John Dawson, David Nelson, Mickey Hart, Phil Lesh and Grateful Dead regular, Jerry Garcia. I bought their album “The Adventures of Panama Red,” which was from 1973. Songs that stuck out for me were “Friend of the Devil,” and “Panama Red”. Both of these songs were written and sung by John Dawson, considered by many as the leader of this band. It is John Dawson who has taken his Final Taxi.

The band came together in the late 60’s when Jerry Garcia wanted to learn the pedal-steel guitar. He started jamming with John Dawson onstage at small clubs playing Bob Dylan covers, country standards and some traditional bluegrass. Dawson started adding his own original songs in the mix and the duo planned on forming a band. Garcia suggested Mickey Hart and Phil Lesh, since they had play together in the Dead. David Nelson was also added. Dawson came up with the name for the band from an old Zane Grey paperback titled “Riders of the Purple Sage.”

New Riders of the Purple Sage has disbanded and reforming in various stages throughout the years and John Dawson has been a part of all of them until the 2005 tour when he was too sick to play due to stomach cancer. Dawson was 64.

The first Taco Bell restaurant I went to in the late 1970’s was in Roebuck Alabama. It was small and a little bit on the expensive side for the prices they charge now. I remember the food was good and I loved the fact that I could order an individual taco or burrito and not have to buy a huge meal.

I started becoming more aware of Taco Bell for two reasons. One was the lower prices. The second was a little mascot that made the whole world stand up and take notice.
A small Chihuahua with a voice like Cheech Marin spoke to American audiences and declared in Spanish “Yo quiero Taco Bell.”

The public adored the cute little dog whose name was Gidget. Her image was placed on everything from t-shirts to Frisbees. Taco Bell made many commercials with the pup including my favorite where Gidget is hunting Godzilla in a movie tie-in and calling out ” Here lizard, lizard, lizard.”

It was announced that Gidget took her Final Taxi after suffered a massive stroke on Tuesday at her owner’s home. The famous Chihuahua was 15.

Gidget had kept busy acting even after the Taco Bell commercials. She worked along side the animated lizard in a 2002 GEICO insurance commercial and played the mother of Reese Witherspoon’s dog in “Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde” in 2003.

One of my favorite things in life has always been listening to records. As a child my mother would reward me for doing my chores by taking me the big Sears and Roebuck store in downtown Birmingham. Once in the record section I would cruise through the vinyl till I got to the children’s corner. There I would buy a 45 RPM of Alvin and the Chipmunks, Yogi Bear, or the long forgotten Super Dupers. About 90% of what I had was from Disneyland Records. The person that I heard on those Disneyland Records was a man called Dallas McKennon. The final taxi has taken another great voice actor.

Dallas McKennon 89 is voice that you may have heard during a trip to your favorite Disney location. Just before you get on the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad ride, you would hear “Hold on to your hats and glasses! This here’s the wildest ride in the wilderness!” That recorded voice was that of McKennon.

McKennon will be heard in several Disney films including Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Mary Poppins, Winnie the Pooh, Lady & the Tramp, and 101 Dalmatians.

When CBS decided to make an animated series out of the popular Archie comic book, they chose McKennon to voice the main character of Archie. The show debuted in September 1968 and aired, in various forms, until 1978.

In the 50’s McKennon hosted a children’s TV show and was asked to voice a new stop action animated short about a green clay humanoid figure and his many adventures. The show was called Gumby and it ran a total of 233-episodes. I still love watching these and hearing McKennon’s one of a kind voice.

If you still do not know who Dallas McKennon is you may remember him from his live action roles. Fans of Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds will recall the cook who yells, “Don’t throw that match!” in the gas station scene where the birds attacked people outside the restaurant . On the Daniel Boone TV series with Fess Parker, he had a recurring role as Cinncinatus, the old storekeeper. He was also in the Elvis Presley move Clambake.

One of the staples in my household is on Saturday nights turning the TV to the local PBS station to watch British comedies from the BBC- also known as Britcoms. Here I have watched the shows “Keeping Up Appearances ” “The Victor of Dibley,” “BlackAdder,” “Red Dwarf,” Waiting For God,” and of course “Are You Being Served.”

“Are You Being Served?”was a long-running British sitcom broadcast from 1972 to 1985. The show centered on a fictional store in London called Grace Brothers and the workers of it’s men’s and women’s department. The show made great fun of the British class system and included recurring characters such as the effeminate Mr. Humphries; Captain Peacock, the haughty floorwalker who fought in World War: the boisterous Mrs. Slocombe with her ever-changing hair color and whose jokes about her cat help make the show; and the lovely Miss Shirley Brahms, a sales representative with a heavy Cockney accent.

Miss Brahms was played by Wendy Richard who has taken her Final Taxi. Richard played that role through the entire run of the series and also appeared in the Are You Being Served? sequel Grace & Favour in 1992 and 1993. (This was repacked in the US as Are You Being Served Again?)

Richard was first seen on BBC TV in a 1960 soap opera, The Newcomers. She has also appeared in Dad’s and in two of the British comedy films series Carry On (Carry On Matron and Carry On Girls) What really surprised me recently is that I purchased the newly digitally reworked version of The Beatles movie Help! (1965) and in the special features DVD was a scene that was not in the original movie that starred our own Wendy Richard. It was a treat being a fan of The Beatles and of Richard.

Richard breathes a life of her own into the Miss Brahms character. She was one of the few members of the cast who was sexy and attention grabbing which means she was always getting advances and flirted with. This was not only by members for the staff but customers as well. Many of the innuendos thrown at her went over her head as she had a “dumb blonde” nature. It is what made the character so well loved.

After the gaiety of Are You Being Served? Wendy Richard joined the cast of the BBC soap opera EastEnders playing the role of played the long-suffering matriarch Pauline Fowler. She played this role from the first episode in 1985 until the character’s death at Christmas of 2006. It was a part she played for over 22 years.

In 2007, Richard was awarded a British Soap Award for ‘Lifetime Achievement’ for her role in Eastenders. In October 2008 it was reported that she was suffering with an aggressive cancer. She died at a clinic in London with her husband John Burns by her side. She was 65.

I watched the Academy Awards last night and waited for the segment that I enjoy watching every year. This is when the Oscars salute the people who have taken the Final Taxi in the last year. They usually have film clips that we can see on our TV screens and play music in the background but this year they did something different by have Queen Latifah sing the song “I’ll Be Seeing You.” She did a wonderful job but the attention was more on her than on those who died during the year. We did not see many of the names due to this.

In case you missed seeing who was in the tribute last night here is the list:

Cyd Charisse
Bernie Mac
Bud Stone (executive)
Ollie Johnston (animator)
Van Johnson
J. Paul Huntsman (sound)
Michael Crichton
Nina Foch
Pat Hingle
Harold Pinter
Charles H. Joffe (producer)
Kon Ichikawa (director)
Charles H. Schneer (producer)
Abby Mann (screenwriter)
Roy Scheider
David Watkin (director of photography)
Robert Mulligan (director)
Evelyn Keyes
Richard Widmark
Claude Berri (director)
Maila Nurmi (Known onscreen as Vampira)
Isaac Hayes
Leonard Rosenman (composer)
Ricardo Montalban
Manny Farber (film critic)
Robert DoQui
Jules Dassin (director)
Paul Scofield
John Michael Hayes (screenwriter)
Warren Cowan (publicist)
Joseph M. Caracciolo (producer)
Stan Winston (special effects)
Ned Tanen (producer, executive)
James Whitmore
Charlton Heston
Anthony Minghella (director, producer)
Sydney Pollack
Paul Newman

At first I was a little taken back not seeing Heath Ledger’s name on that list. He had just won Best –Supporting Actor for The Dark Knight an hour earlier. Then I remembered that he was on the 2007 list from last year.

There were several others that should have been on that list last night.

First for me was the ‘voice’ of Hollywood- Don LaFontaine. Time was that you could not go to a movie and not hear a preview without hearing his voice. He provided the narration to thousands of movie trailers over the past three decades.

Mel Ferrer, an actor, director, producer in over 100 productions, was also left off the list. Missing as well was John Phillip Law who will be most known as the blind angel in “Barbarella” but I enjoyed his roles in “Jason and the Argonauts” & “The Golden Voyage of Sinbad.”

I can never think about Hammer horror films without thinking of Hazel Court so she was missed and also the sexy Eartha Kitt was not listed.

I think the Academy has something about comedians as they forget about them every year. We did not get to see the films that George Carlin was in or those of Harvey Korman, I can see Korman in his scene from Blazing Saddles where he is talking to the band of villains he has hired to destroy Rock Ridge. “Men, you are about to embark on a great crusade to stamp out runaway decency in the west. Now you men will only be risking your lives, whilst I will be risking an almost certain Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor….”
It’s a shame Harvey was not remembered on this night.

Also missing was Patrick McGoohan who most people know from TV’s The Prisoner. He stared in over 30 feature films including as King Edward in Mel Gibson’s “Braveheart”, the warden in Clint Eastwood’s “Escape From Alcatraz” and the villain Roger Devereau in “Silver Streak.”

The slap in the face to me was forgetting Anita Page, the last surviving silent film star. This would have be a time to reflect on the early days of the Academy. She starred with Hollywood legends such as Lon Chaney Sr., Robert Montgomery, Ramon Novarro, Joan Crawford, Buster Keaton and Clark Gable. She was also the last living attendee of the very first Academy Awards ceremony in 1929.

I wish one year someone at the Academy Awards would pay tribute to these people who helped pave the way for the actors who received the Oscar last night.

I have been thinking about this for sometime now and it looks like someone beat me to it.:
Original Article: http://tinyurl.com/8pcv84

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Schoedinger Funeral and Cremation Service has taken the business of grief high-tech: It’s one of a growing number of funeral service providers to embrace the Web.

Schoedinger in central Ohio is offering live Web streaming and archived online video for use by military personnel overseas and others who can’t be present for a loved one’s funeral.

It’s a way for mourners to take part in the experience without the time and expense of a long-distance trip, especially one arranged on short notice.

“This just allows people to share in the grief and share in the grief experience with everyone,” said company President Michael Schoedinger.

The family organizing the funeral controls who has access to the private Web site used for broadcasting. The company offers the service for free but eventually may charge a fee to cover its costs, Schoedinger said.

Funeral directors say better technology and cheaper equipment have prompted more funeral homes to offer webcasting and videotaping services nationwide.

It’s also been more appealing as the Internet has become part of everyday life for many Americans domestically and abroad, said Ellery Bowker, the president of North Carolina-based Director’s Advantage, which specializes in technological products for the funeral industry and debuted its webcasting service last year.

The service allowed one soldier in Iraq to watch his grandmother’s funeral in North Carolina, Bowker said. In another case, comrades of a soldier who died overseas were able to view his memorial in the U.S.

The use of funeral webcasting is an emerging trend but hasn’t been tracked statistically, though some companies have offered those services for years, said Jessica Koth, a spokeswoman for the National Funeral Director’s Association.

Webcasting companies are also jumping in, offering packages to funeral homes that include tripods, cameras with microphones, and cables and cords, either for lease or purchase outright. Some ceremonies can even be webcast to iPods.

The Jenkins-Soffe Funeral Chapels and Cremation Center in suburban Salt Lake City began offering funeral webcasts about a decade ago as a way to include overseas missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in their relatives’ funerals, owner Kurt Soffe said.

The center’s funeral packages, which include webcasting, video and audio recording, typically cost about $300 more than other packages. About one in every 50 funerals at the center opts for the multimedia, he said.

“I think that it will become much more popular in the years ahead – much more popular in the sense that more funeral homes will offer it,” Soffe said. “Whether more families will select it and choose it, I don’t know, because there is really no substitute for coming together as a family.”