In the cover photo for this article, you’ll recognize Marie Osmond and Barbara Eden, but you may be wondering who is accompanying them. The third party in this picture is my newest interview subject, Gail Ryan. Ms. Ryan is an accomplished hairstylist with credits going back to the 1960s. She’s worked with talents ranging from Dean Martin and Bob Hope to Demi Moore and Jim Carrey to Benicio Del Toro and many of the professionals on Dancing With The Stars.
“Lessons in Chemistry” is a top national best novel by Bonnie Garmus because it sold millions of copies. It is now a limited series original for Apple TV Plus.
The Boston Strangler, a notorious serial killer, instilled fear on the streets of Boston during the 1960s. He preyed on women who lived alone in their apartments, gaining entry and ultimately leading to their demise. The victims met their tragic fate in various ways, including strangulation with various objects such as stockings, bathrobes, and belts. Despite the similarities in these murders, the police initially believed they were unrelated.
I was an early crowdfunder for the documentary Valerie, a film about Oscar-nominated actress Valerie Perrine that was directed by her good friend, Stacey Souther. The film is a touching piece about Valerie’s journey from Vegas showgirl to acclaimed actress, as well as her current health issues. I recently reached out to Mr. Souther about the possibility of having him and Valerie answer some questions about the documentary, and through e-mail, the both of them did. Before you purchase Valerie, here are some stories from both Mr. Souther and Ms. Perrine about what went into the documentary, as well as memorable stories from the both of them.
Last year, I interviewed Tiffany Helm about her life and career. The interview went well, and I’ve kept in touch with Tiffany since then. One day, I asked if she could put in a good word for me with her mother. Who is Tiffany’s mother? She’s actress Brooke Bundy, who 80s horror fans will remember from her role as Elaine Parker in A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors and A Nightmare On Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, but who also has a career going back to the 1960s. Tiffany connected us, and earlier this month, I had the pleasure of interviewing Brooke about her long and diverse career. I hope you all enjoy getting to know her.
Caroline Munro is an accomplished actress with credits going back to the 1960s. You may know her from classic Hammer Horror films like Dracula A.D. 1972 or Captain Kronos – Vampire Hunter. Perhaps you saw her as Naomi the helicopter pilot henchwoman in the James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me, or squaring off against the late, great Joe Spinnell in the trio of Starcrash, Maniac and The Last Horror Film. You might have heard her singing in Don’t Open Till Christmas or frolicking with Adam Ant in the music video for Goody Two Shoes. Perhaps you might have met Caroline at a convention, as I did at Chiller Theatre in October of 2018, making her the second guest of that Chiller that I’ve interviewed after Loretta Swit.
My first exposure to the work of choreographer Anita Mann, my newest interview subject, came when I rented The Great Muppet Caper as a child. Before I even knew her name, I saw the Muppets and Anita’s dancers creating footwork fireworks with numbers like “Hey, A Movie!” and “The First Time It Happens”. As I grew older, I would come to see Anita Mann’s choreography and dancing in projects ranging from Foxy Brown to the classic 80s music series Solid Gold.
My first exposure to my newest interview subject, Brie Howard, came when I heard her background vocals and instrumental work on Robbie Nevil’s song C’est La Vie, which I first came across on an 80s compilation CD I purchased in the late 90s. As I grew older, I would come to discover more about Brie’s work not only as a drummer and a singer, but also as an actress and a baker. I met Brie at the Chiller Theatre convention last October, as shown in the cover photo, and was honored to meet her.
I go back a long way with my next interview subject’s work. I first saw Joanna Cassidy in Who Framed Roger Rabbit, which I saw at the age of 5 with my family at a drive-in double feature with Big Top Pee-wee. Ms. Cassidy’s work in Who Framed Roger Rabbit as Dolores really made an impact on me. As I grew older and my 80s fandom blossomed, I would see her work in movies as diverse as Blade Runner, Under Fire and Club Paradise, and find her to be a unique and outstanding presence in each film. I met Ms. Cassidy at the Chiller Theatre convention in April of 2018, as shown in the cover photo, and it was great to meet her. I’d always hoped to interview Joanna, and last month she took some time to speak to me about her long and wide-ranging career. I hope you all enjoy reading this interview.
When I was five years old, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour was revived for CBS. I was a little too young to understand the humor, but I can recall watching the reunion special that served as the pilot. That was my first introduction to my newest interview subject, Leigh French. Leigh was, of course, an essential part of the first Comedy Hour from the 60s, most memorably playing the character of Goldie O’Keefe, host of the Share A Little Tea With Goldie segments.
My newest interview subject, Elizabeth Shepherd, was introduced to me by my friend Matt Beckoff, who books talents for conventions and recently collaborated with Ms. Shepherd on a CD with her performance of Edgar Allan Poe’s story Ligeia, a story which provided the basis for the 1964 Vincent Price movie The Tomb Of Ligeia, which costarred Ms. Shepherd. Elizabeth has worked in a diverse array of projects over the course of these past few decades, and on Wednesday, September 4th, I interviewed her about them. I hope you all enjoy getting to know her.
My newest interview subject, Larry Hankin, has been in the entertainment business since the 1960s. My first exposure to him came when I saw the movie Home Alone, where he played the role of Officer Balzak. As I grew older, I would become more familiar with Larry via films like Annie and Running Scared. Larry has done a lot of amazing work over the years, and when I met him at the Chiller Theatre convention in April of 2019, I knew he would make for a fascinating interview subject. We spoke on August 15th, 2019, and I hope you all enjoy getting to know him and his work.