GHP: Colete Morlock

Margaret Mitchell’s famous novel Gone with the Wind at Tara plantation with Southern belles aplenty was the embodiment of traditional Southern hospitality and lifestyle. The women of that era and beyond in both the North and South were groomed from an early age to become great ladies of genteel demeanor with special attention paid to social protocols. Our most recent Lady of TAOS, Elizabeth Patterson was a Southern product of this environment. Almira Sessions, on the other hand, was a Northern counterpart. Born September 16, 1888 in Washington, D.C. as Almira (Almyra) De Camp Sessions, she was the first daughter of Irone Hancock and a Mr. Sessions. Very little was known of her father except that he and Irone had three children – Almira, her sister, Elizabeth (Bessie), and a third child who died at an early age. Almira had been accustomed to being around military men as her great uncle was General Winfield Scott Hancock, who received top honors from the Union army during the Civil War. He was also once considered as a presidential candidate to oppose James Garfield.

Miss Sessions’ mother married Marine Lt. Colonel, Benjamin Reeves Russell in 1902. His family was very prominent and distinguished in Washington society. This was the man who became the father figure to Almira and Bessie. In 1906, at the age of 18, Almira made her first public appearance:

Mrs. Benjamin Reeves Russell was hostess at a delightful tea yesterday afternoon, when her daughter, Miss Almira DeCamp Sessions, was formally present to society. The drawing rooms were prettily decorated in pink roses, carnations, palms and ferns. ….

As with Elizabeth Patterson, Ms. Sessions disregarded any thought of scandal when she sang comic songs in vaudeville. She traveled to New York in 1909 where she debuted in a comic opera as the wife of The Sultan of Sulu. She appeared on the Mainstage of the National Theater in 1911 for The Girl in the Train. Publicly, the family had accepted her career choice, but privately, her mother was against it. When Bessie, the younger Sessions girl wanted to follow in her sister’s footsteps, she was met with opposition from both mom and stepdad:

Stepdaughter of Lieut Col. Benjamin Reeves Russell, USMC, retired who resides at 1616 Eighteenth St NW” Bessie is 19. “When my other daughter, Almyra went on the stage, it was a different matter. She went with my consent with good reasons, for she has a good voice and it was with the idea of developing her voice that she joined musical comedy. Besides that she was older than Bessie and was able to take care of herself”……”

A follow up article appeared the very next day in which Almira’s mother told the press that this was just a passing phase for her daughter:

“My other daughter, Alymra, who is playing in Columbus with the Valerie Bergerre Company, has also had enough of the state and has decided to give it up. She will finish her contract about the middle of May and then we are going to have one long family love feast”.

For Almira, though, this was anything but a whim or passing fancy. She preferred the accolades of stage performances rather than the reserved politeness of high society. Some of her shows were given for social causes with church sponsorship. Such was the case when she was part of the war risk insurance bureau. Almira sang several solos and joined the chorus in others before a crowd of soldiers and their sweethearts. There is a gap for any information on her whereabouts from 1918 until 1932 when she appeared as Miss Knickerbocker in Chamberlain Brown's Scrap Book. The cast also included Valerie Bergere and Pierre Watkins. She was cast in a local Washington project, “Going Native” in which she was one of the highlights of the show:

and Almira Sessions, their revue’s principal comedienne, has been a strange fixture for years with her angular impersonations of off key prima-donnae. Their individual and joint triumphs are complete and unequivocal.

She appeared in Ethan Frome (1936) with Ruth Gordon and Raymond Massey, White Horse Inn (1937) costarring with Kitty Carlisle and Arlene Francis, Curtain Call (1937) on Broadway, Shadow and Substance (1938) also on Broadway with Cedric Hardwicke, and Yokel Boy (1939-40) with costars Judy Canova, Buddy Ebsen, and Phil Silvers.

By 1940, Almira’s repertoire in the theater was well established. This was to be the year when she ventured into another entertainment venue – that of radio. She had a regular spot on Bob Hope’s radio program as Cobina, one of two highly exaggerated man-hungry spinsters. Ms. Sessions made her film debut in a picture taken from George M. Cohan’s play, Little Nellie Kelly with Judy Garland, George Murphy, Arthur Shields and Pat O’Malley.

From 1940-50, she became one of the busiest actresses in the decade appearing in 74 films. Among them were the notables: Dixie Jamboree (Frances Langford, Lyle Talbot); The Heat’s On (Mae West, Lloyd Bridges); Sun Valley Serenade (Sonja Henie, John Payne, Milton Berle); My Sister Eileen (Rosalind Russell, Janet Blair, Elizabeth Patterson, Kirk Alyn, Ann Doran, Three Stooges, Arnold Stang, Forrest Tucker); The Ox-Bow Incident (Henry Fonda, Anthony Quinn, Dana Andrews and many others); It’s A Wonderful Life (James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore); and The Bishop’s Wife (Loretta Young, David Niven,

Cary Grant). In an MGM film based on the Hatfield/McCoy feud, Almira also appeared in Rosanna McCoy (Farley Granger, Raymond Massey, Richard Basehart) along with child stars, Gigi Perreau, Peter Miles, and William Mauch. While her parts were usually limited to very small bits, or even uncredited efforts, Almira had a few moments to shine onscreen, like her portrayal as an outraged in-law in Charlie Chaplin's Monsieur Verdoux (1947).

From 1950-60 she was still seen in films, although she turned her attention elsewhere. Her movies included Harvey (James Stewart, Jesse White, Fess Parker, Maudie Prickett), Oh, Susanna (Sarah Padden, Ellanora Needles, Carol Forman, Rod Cameron, Chill Wills, Jim Davis); The Blue Gardenia (uncredited); Rebel Without a Cause (James Dean, Sal Mineo, Natalie Wood and many others); and The Affairs of Dobie Gillis (Debbie Reynolds, Bobby Van). One of her last films of this era was The Badlanders (Alan Ladd, Ernest Borgnine, Anthony Caruso, Ann Doran).

Her final films during the 1960-70 years included Firecreek (James Stewart, Henry Fonda, Inger Stevens); Rosemary’s Baby (Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon, Sidney Blackmer); The Boston Strangler (Tony Curtis, Henry Fonda, George Kennedy, Sally Kellerman); The Over-the-Hill Gang (Walter Brennan, Edgar Buchanan, Andy Devine, Pat O’Brien, Jack Elam, Gypsy Rose Lee, Ricky Nelson); and Willard (Bruce Davison, Elsa Lanchester, Ernest Borgnine).

As of 1950, Almira ventured into the new world of the small, boxed entertainment known as television. Her maiden voyage was in two episodes of Ralph Byrd’s Dick Tracy series. She quickly followed up with two episodes of The Lone Ranger. She appeared in many viewer favorites for the next decade which included, The Adventures of Kit Carson, Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok, Gene Autry, The Adventures of Superman, The Cisco Kid, I Married Joan, H

opalong Cassidy, The Public Defender, The Loretta Young Show, Annie Oakley, Tales of the Texas Rangers, Sergeant Preston of the Yukon, Cheyenne, Bachelor Father, Alfred Hitchcock Presents (“Dusty Drawer”),and Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color. It was in the Spring Byington vehicle, December Bride that she had a somewhat recurring role as Elsie, the neighbor. She was also cast in one of her many uncredited roles as Mrs. Mergatroyd in Abbott and Costello’s musical, Jack and the Beanstalk, and featured among the cast, David Stollery (Adventures of Spin and Marty), Mel Blanc, and Arthur Shields.

To say that Ms. Sessions was a workhorse would be an understatement. In the ten years that followed from 1960-70, she continued to guest star in ten more television series which included The Donna Reed Show, The Ann Southern Show, The Munsters, F Troop, Laredo, The Andy Griffith Show, Marcus Welby, M.D., and Night Gallery (“The House”). Her F Troop cameo (“Old Iron Pants”) appeared at the end when she and several elderly mail order brides arrived for the soldiers at Fort Courage. Returning to her vaudeville and theatrical roots, in 1962, she co-starred in "Suzuki Beane", one of the pilot episodes produced for a proposed TV anthology series called "The Victor Borge Comedy Theatre."

Her TAOS appearance in “Night of Terror”, as with so many others in her lifetime, was brief, yet her character has been the subject of many a discussion within the George Reeves community. As Miss Bachrach, Ms. Sessions elevated total fluster to a new level when Clark Kent tried to get the location where Lois was staying. After Clark succeeded he rather forcefully sent poor Miss Bachrach on her way. The manner, stance and posture in her response that he practically threw her out the door of his office is typical Almira Sessions at her best.

She retired from show business in 1971 leaving behind many fleeting, yet memorable characters. Almira, throughout her career, whether it was as the proverbial housekeeper, landlady, schoolmarm, old maid aunt, local busy body, or retirement/nursing home resident, always displayed a rebellious, independent spirit which reflected her own personality.

Few people ever knew that Almira Sessions was fluent in French, Italian and German. Late in her life, she was interviewed and shared her thoughts as a character actress:

I never was the pretty one, but I've got character. A character is somebody who isn't good-looking. And they want old women regularly around here for films, television and ads--commercials, that is. All this gives me a soft cushion under where I sit, a fine car out in front and anything I want to order at the best restaurants in town. What else could a girl want?

Another obscure event in her life, especially to those in the entertainment industry was that Almira had once been married. In fact, the only mention of it was found through genealogical sources in the Washington Post, dated May 10, 1936:

The marriage of Miss Almira De Camp Sessions, daughter of Mrs. Benjamin Russell of Kensington Md to Mr. Albert Allen, took place Tuesday in the Little Church Around the Corner in New York. They will make their home in New York.

Nothing was mentioned about Mr. Allen regarding occupation or family history. There was no indication that this was a May-September romance, however, given her date of birth and the announcement printed in the Washington Post, Almira was about 48 when she married. In fact, when Ms. Sessions was asked about her marriage, she responded:

A very young man. Need I say more? It was off and on for some years, but you can't be a jackass all your life.

In a conversation I had with John Doucette, Jr., he indicated that he used go by her house and yard as a youth. When he managed his store in the Los Angeles area, Ms. Sessions used to come in and ask him to say ‘hello’ to his parents. She died on August 3, 1974, a little over a month before her 86^th birthday in Los Angeles, California and laid to rest in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Hollywood, California.

Washington Post, Dec. 27, 1906, “Miss Almira Sessions Makes her Debut at Tea”

Washington Post, Aug 19, 1933, “Capital Talent Puts On A Hit at Loew’s Fox”, pg 12

Washington Post, May 19, 1936, “Miss Sessions, Mr. Allen Wed Kensington Md”, p S3

Savannah, Tennessee is located on the banks of the Tennessee River. Located in Hardin County, it bears the name of Colonel Joseph Hardin, trailblazer through the woodlands of the state. Savannah’s waters, abundant with prize fish, have earned the city’s nickname “Catfish Capital of the World”. And while Savannah is home to some country western and gospel stars, its cemetery is the final resting place for Alex and Queen Haley, grandparents of author Alex Haley and one Mary Elizabeth Patterson.

Born on November 22, 1874, Ms. Patterson was the daughter of Confederate soldier and later judge, Edmund Dewitt Patterson and Eleanor Mildred McDougal. She was a descendant of Andrew Patterson, an exiled Scottish Covenanter who came to America in 1685 and settled in Stratford, CT. She was "Aunt Mary" to her family, and nicknamed "Patty" to her theatrical friends. Everyone who knew her loved and admired this genteel Southern lady.

Ms. Patterson attended Martin College where she studied music, elocution (diction) and English. Her post-graduate work brought her to colleges in Pulaski and Columbia where she pursued her interest in drama and theater. When Mary Elizabeth proclaimed her intention to become an actress, her parents were less than pleased, as this was not the career path they had envisioned for their daughter. Her announcement brought scandal to her family and the town for “nice” girls, being Southern belles, were not to be found in a profession such as acting.

"Mah mother cried and mah brother said, 'When mah friends at college start talking about actresses, am ah supposed to tell 'em that MAH sister is an actress?'" she later recounted. "Finally granddaddy packed me off to Europe to get these strange ideas out of my head. I went to school in Paris, and for the first time I really saw theatre. The Comedie Francaise! When I came back from Europe, nothing could keep me off the stage!"1

Upon her return, she taught for a year at the Institute in Columbia, Tennessee, before going to Chicago to study drama. She spent the next year in New York at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. This led to a membership with the Chicago Ben Greet Company, where she made her stage debut with Shakespearean roles in 1907. She later toured through Canada with Gilmor Brown, founder of the Pasadena Playhouse, as her leading man. She then toured with a stock company in Indianapolis, where Booth Tarkington saw her. Tarkington personally selected her to appear in a new play he had written, Intimate Strangers, and “Patty” fell in love with Broadway instantly. The gangly actress had mainly Shakespearean roles until reaching middle age, when her focus changed to old maids and spinsters. Now recognized as a proficient actress, good parts found their way to her. Among her favorite plays were "Her Master's Voice" with Roland Young and "Deep South" with Richard Bennett and a young newcomer, Bette Davis. She was blessed with many roles on Broadway, making friends with numerous stars of the stage and screen.

While she loved New York and the stage, Hollywood beckoned to her in 1926. Ironically, she hated the exaggerated, theatrical behavior of silent films. At the age of 55 (1929), she appeared in a “talkie”, It Happened in Paris, with Will Rogers as his wife. Ms. Patterson stated that she lived in Hollywood and worked in movies so she could help support her brothers and sisters. She moved into the Hollywood-Roosevelt Hotel on the day it opened and lived there until she died.

One of her more prominent roles came in So Red the Rose (1935), a King Vidor film of Southern romance between an aristocrat (Margaret Sullavan) and Confederate soldier (Randolph Scott). Another notable film appearance was Remember the Night (1940), in which a woman (Barbara Stanwyck), caught shoplifting during the Christmas season was released to prosecutor Fred MacMurray while awaiting her trial. He took her home to his mother, Beulah Bondi, and Aunt Emma, portrayed by Elizabeth Patterson. In the John Ford film, Tobacco Road (1941), Ms. Patterson gave a touching performance as Ada Lester, wife of a Georgia dirt farmer in danger of losing the farm during the Depression. As she stated, “I loved my part as Ma in 'Tobacco Road’. Her appearance in the 1949 picture, Little Women showed her charm and gentleness. As housekeeper to the March family, she blended perfectly with version starring June Allyson, Elizabeth Taylor, Janet Leigh and Margaret O’Brien. She was also asked by William Faulkner to portray the elderly lead character in the movie version of his book Intruder in the Dust (1949). One of her last film projects was Washington Story (1952) starring Van Johnson and Patricia Neal. Johnson portrayed a congressman while Neal was a reporter assigned to do a story on him. Ms. Patterson stepped a bit out of her normal demeanor. While she remained ever so much a lady, her character was steadfast in her beliefs, and unafraid to call her congressman nephew on the carpet. In her scenes, the two faces of Aunt Emma were present—soft and tender on one hand, with firm justice on the other. Her film credits totaled 104.

Mary Elizabeth also appeared on the NBC radio sitcom, “Halls of Ivy”, which starred Ronald Colman as the president of an Ivy League college and Benita Hume as his wife. Ms. Patterson was the maid for the Colman household. Don Quinn of Fibber McGee and Molly fame, created the show which aired from 1950-1952 in half hour segments.

The dawn of television created a new forum of fans for Ms. Patterson. Although approaching her 80’s she went on to appear in 26 different television series totaling 46 episodes in some of the major dramas and comedies of 1950’s. Her two appearances on The Adventures of Superman from the color years exemplified the roles that made her famous on stage and film. “Olsen’s Millions” revealed Miss Peabody (Patterson) as an eccentric, wealthy woman dressed in a full length dress of another century and white lace shawl draped over her shoulders. Jimmy was assigned to do a feature story on why she would devote $5 million to the “care and feeding of alley cats”. Her answer clearly stated her reasoning in that “An alley is no place for a cat”. Since she herself never married, it appeared that Patterson really identified with her character as “You know, I started this home for cats about 50 years ago, when I inherited all this money. And ever since then, I’ve cared for them as if they were my own children.” When Topsy was accidentally locked in the safe, Miss Peabody frantically tried to find the combination. Superman was called, and saved at least one of her nine lives. Miss Peabody then rewarded Jimmy with a million dollars in appreciation for Topsy’s life being spared. This marked the end of her appearance in the episode and the start of Jimmy’s humorous escapades on how to spend a million dollars without really trying.

Her second TAOS appearance, “The Unlucky Number”, took place outside Vic’s Lunch Room where Clark and Lois paused because of a contest being sponsored there. Patterson was the demure, little Mrs. Clara Exbrook in this episode. As she gazed at the jar of jelly beans in the window, she remarked to Clark and Lois, “Oh my! What a lovely house! Just the kind I’ve always dreamed about. But I never could guess all those jelly beans”. Clark, filled with compassion, gave her the money to enter the contest while Lois looked on, and wondered what he was up to. Even when the elderly lady told him “I’d miss it by a country mile”, he told her to guess 2,845 using his x-ray vision for the exact amount. When revealed that she won the house, she was filled with gratitude and stated it was the happiest day of her life. She left the diner and thanked Clark while he remained behind to uncover the scam behind the contest. Ironically, one of the men connected with the scam, Dexter, happened to rent a room at Clara’s, where she lived with her grandson, Bobby. A drive-by shooter tried to kill Dexter, suspecting he double-crossed the rest of the crooks. When the bullets fell out of Dexter’s hands, Bobby incorrectly assumed that he was Superman. When the real Superman came to visit Bobby, he was conned into demonstrating his super powers for the young man. One of the more important messages in this installment was Superman telling Bobby that no one could do the things Superman did, especially flying.

Perhaps the most famous television role Ms. Patterson had was that of Mrs. Matilda Trumball, neighbor to the Ricardos and part-time baby sitter to Little Ricky in the I Love Lucy series. She was featured in many of the television theatres of the decade like Ford, Kraft, General Electric, Studio One, and Four Star Playhouse. She also had appearances on Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Barbara Stanwyck Show, and 77 Sunset Strip. When asked about how she felt doing live television, she responded, "Live television is the hardest work I ever did and I was a nervous wreck. You really have no time for learning and rehearsals. Swallowing the play whole, hanging on and just hoping that you will come on in the right place and say the right thing."

Elizabeth Patterson enjoyed a full and rich life doing what she loved. She was a beloved treasure of the South. She died in 1966 from complications of pneumonia at the age of 90 in Los Angeles.

A Historical Study of Gilmor Brown's Fairoaks Playbox: 1924-1927, by Roger Altenberg

Born Ann Lee Doran on July 28, 1911 in Amarillo, Texas, her career began at the age of 4 in silent films. Many of her acting jobs were done under assumed names to prevent her father’s family from finding out about them. Her father was Lt. John Doran, US Army and mom, Carrie, was an actress whose stage name was Rose Allen. With the family’s move to Los Angeles in 1920, Carrie appeared in many silent movies. Another move took them to San Bernardino, where Ann graduated from high school in 1929. She attended both USC and UCLA and afterwards had teen roles at Educational Studios.

At the age of 11 (1922), Miss Doran was a page to the king in Robin Hood with Douglas Fairbanks. There is a gap between this and her next role as she focused on educational pursuits. She had an uncredited role as a maid in the 1934 film Servants’ Entrance, in which Walt Disney did a cartoon sequence of the main character being attacked by pots and pans. Although not impressive to the critics, in her first major feature film, Ring around the Moon she played a love interest from the poor side of the tracks.

It’s been said that no job was too small for Ann Doran. Working as a stand-in, bit player or supporting actress, she did it all. As of 1938 she was under contract to Columbia pictures, where these actors were used as often as possible. That’s probably why we see her in serials like “The Spider’s Web” and “Flying G-Men”. She was seen in short subjects with the likes of The Three Stooges, Andy Clyde, Harry Langdon, and Charley Chase. Her “B” movies included Blondie, Five Little Peppers and the Ellery Queen series, along with major feature films. She was well liked by Frank Capra, and used in all of his films except Lost Horizon. She just kept on working, but always fell short of the role that would skyrocket her to stardom. In all, she appeared in over 500 films.

Because she was not the glamorous or sexy type, she was ideal for portraying supporting roles as tough-minded workingwomen: reporters, executive secretaries, and scientists. Among the best-remembered films in which she appeared: A Sum

mer Place (1959), It! The Terror From Beyond Space (1958), Them! (1954), The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946), Mr. Skeffington (1944), Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942), Meet John Doe (1941), Penny Serenade (1941), Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) and Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936). She has a rare leading role in 1938's Rio Grande. She appeared in two George Reeves’ movies – Blue, White and Perfect (1942) and So Proudly We Hail (1943). In the 1947 movie, Fear In The Night, she portrayed the wife of Paul Kelly, who happens to be a police detective. Her brother is none other than DeForest Kelley (Bones in “Star Trek”) in his first major film appearance. Ann Doran was very good at portraying maternal types, which is why she landed the role of James Dean’s mother in Rebel without a Cause. Ms. Doran became friends with Dean and he confided in her often about personal matters.

TAOS APPEARANCE – NIGHT OF TERROR

Ben Peter Freeman who wrote “The Monkey Mystery”, which aired the week before, also wrote this one. His credits also included some of the most memorable from the Lee Sholem/Robert Maxwell era: “The Deserted Village”, “The Stolen Costume”, “Mystery In Wax”, “The Evil Three”, “The Riddle of the Chinese Jade”, and “Crime Wave”.

The opening scenes find Lois on vacation and stopping at the Restwell Cabins for the night. Upon entering the office, she hears the radio, sees a burning cigarette, but no person until she steps around to the side of the desk. That’s when she notices the feet and body of a woman (Ann Doran) lying face down on the floor. As she turns the woman over, she discovers that she is bleeding. As Lois tries to get up, she is confronted by the sinister thug, Solly (Frank Richards). Solly has a very nasty scar running down on one side of his face. She tries to escape, but Solly not only prevents that, he punches her in the face to knock Lois out. This is the episode where Phyllis Coates did indeed connect with Richards’ fist.

Locked inside one of the cabins, Mrs. King (Doran) is distraught and sobbing as she lies on the bed. Lois tries to console her and is then told what caused all this. Mrs. King states that the motel is but 20 miles from the Canadian border. The thugs had been using the motel as a haven for criminals before sneaking them across. When he caught on to this, the thugs murdered her husband as he tried to contact the police.

Realizing it is only a matter of time before they too will be killed, Lois tries to get help. She sneaks out through a back window, gets to the phone booth, and manages to get hold of Jimmy Olsen. She gives him her location and tells him to get hold of Clark to bring help. Before she can give him anything further, she is grabbed and we hear a classic Phyllis Coates’ scream. When she is returned to the cabin, Ann Doran states that she feared Lois was being killed when she heard the screaming. Both women are now gagged and tied back-to-back on the floor. During this sequence, we see Miss Doran’s head slumped down on her chest as though she is unconscious.

Jimmy, unable to catch Clark with Inspector Henderson, leaves a note for Clark and takes off to rescue Lois himself. He arrives at the motel where he is mistaken for the assassin Baby Face Stevens (Richard Benedict). He is sent into the cabin with a gun containing only two bullets.

He frees the women only to have the real Baby Face show up. Jimmy is forced to fire both shots and now all three are at the mercy of these criminals. Superman comes through the roof, overcomes all of them, and saves the three captives.

TELEVISION APPEARANCES

Ann Doran racked up roles in over 1000 television shows. She is probably best remembered for another maternal role, Martha Brown, mother to Velvet in the “National Velvet” series (1961-62). Her husband was another TAOS alum, Arthur Space. Her other recurring role was that of James Franciscus’ housekeeper, Mrs. Kingston in the “Longstreet” series (1971-72). Among her other credits are “Highway To Heaven”, “Eight Is Enough”, “MASH”, “Little House on the Prairie”, “The Streets of San Francisco”, “Bewitched”, “The Virginian”, “Perry Mason”, “Leave It To Beaver”, and “Wagon Train” to name just a few.

OFF SCREEN

Ann Doran was recording secretary for the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) from 1960-65. She was also on the SAG Pension and Health Board of Trustees for 30 years. In 1973, she helped establish a fund to provide financial aid to college students, the John L. Dales Scholarship Fund. SAG honored her work by giving her the Hollywood Branch Ralph Morgan Award (1990). In addition, she served on the boards for Actors Fund, Theater Authority, Permanent Charities, and the Motion Picture and Television Fund.

Ann Doran’s career spanned eight decades; not too many actresses can make that claim. Her final years were spent in a senior citizen complex in Carmichael, California. She died September 19, 2000 following a series of strokes. Upon her death, she had bequeathed $400,000 to the Motion Picture Country House, retirement home for the industry.

“Very simply, I was a working actress all my life.” “I love the atmosphere of the set. I love the long hours. I love my feet hurtin’ because I stand up so much.” “I love coming home exhausted so that I can’t eat and all I can do is flop into bed.” “I’m happy in the leak light, whatever leaked over the side, that’s what I got.”

Everyone, at one time or another has a movie with special meaning. I’m not talking epic proportions or Academy Award material. Such is the case for me with a light-hearted romantic comedy, The Sainted Sisters. It was summer, 1961 – two years after George Reeves’ tragic death. It was the summer Rudolph Nureyev defected from the Russian Ballet. Kuwait became an independent nation. The Berlin Wall was constructed. Gus Grissom became the second man to enter space in a suborbital mission. At Fenway Park, the All-Star game ended in a tie when rain stopped the game in the 9^th inning. In June, the Chicago Tribune carried an article about this being the second anniversary of the death of TV’s Superman. I celebrated my 13^th birthday, TAOS was in reruns, and this was the first time I saw Phyllis Coates as Lois Lane. It was also the first time I saw George Reeves in anything other than TAOS or Kellogg commercials.

In those days, my parents went out on Friday or Saturday nights, leaving me to baby-sit for my younger sister and brother. This was always a treat, because I could stay up and watch the Late Show. I watched many “B” movies and the film noirs on those nights. One particular occasion, I heard the introduction for the Late Show theme music. Back then there was no Robert Osborne to introduce movies; they just rolled the film. Also, in those days, many of the films had the credits at the movie’s end, so you didn’t know who was in it. Such was the case with The Sainted Sisters. I was pleased to see Veronica Lake as I was a great fan of hers, but she didn’t sport that trademark peek-a-boo hairdo. As Letty Stanton, her hair was atop her head. Joan Caulfield portrayed Jane, her sister. Ironically, I had just seen Joan in Blue Skies with Bing Crosby (and by the way, Blue Skies was directed by Mark Sandrich—the same person who had promised to make another "Clark Gable" of George). Barry Fitzgerald, William Demorest, Chill Wills, and Beulah Bondi costarred.

The story begins at turn of the century New York, where Letty and Jane, confidence women, relieved a millionaire of $25,000 for “charity”—theirs. Attempting to flee to Canada via Maine, a storm forces the sisters to seek shelter in a dilapidated house. What they don’t know is that it is not abandoned, but the residence of Robbie McCleary (Barry Fitzgerald). Shocked to find intruders in his home, the girls try to charm him into letting them stay the night. Robbie recants, but he suspects that the girls’ wealth is a result of questionable circumstances. He’d seen them hanging paper money on a make shift clothesline in their room to dry it out. As the girls attempt to hightail it out of town the next day, Robbie follows them. To find transportation, the girls are directed to the shop of Samuel Stoak’s Tinker. This is George’s first appearance in the film, as fairly young with very wavy hair.

When he said, “I know all about you and what you want,” it was the same authoritative tone that we would hear in Superman and the Mole Men. When he faces the girls and is obviously impressed by their appearance, his demeanor is less biting. Sam won’t stop the project he is working on—on a wagon wheel for a crippled boy, Davey. He does volunteer to drive the girls himself. As the girls are leaving the shop, Jane (Caulfield) admires the model of a proposed power plant. George’s left hand rests on the roof and the famous pinky ring is seen. Sam tells them this will help modernize his town, and all they need is the funding.

Robbie hides a ‘Wanted’ poster of the girls, who are “persuaded” to use their finances to better the lives of the Groves Falls townspeople. The alternative is to risk the sheriff (Demorest) being made aware of their true identities. While the behavior of the Stanton girls is anything but saintly, it is Fitzgerald’s character, Robbie, who brings out the best in them. He sees that, with a bit of prodding, the good qualities in each sister can be nurtured. The sisters’ metamorphosis from greedy con artists to philanthropists is amusing and heartwarming. While courting both of them, Sam proposes marriage to Letty (Lake). The girls, realizing they need to repent, return to New York to face their punishment. The final scenes are of Christmas in Grove Falls, with an electric sign. The girls return, having served their time, Letty embraces Sam, and Jane gets the banker.

The Sainted Sisters was made in 1948, the year I was born. Looking back on it now, I can’t believe that this film was made five years after George Reeves had done So Proudly We Hail with Claudette Colbert. In some ways, George has a younger appearance in Sisters. Ironically, this was George’s second pairing with Veronica Lake. In a review of So Proudly We Hail, George stated that Lake was a bit of a brat. I now wonder if his opinion of her had changed over the course of those five years. She certainly had that crusty edge in this movie. Admittedly, the quality of the film used in The Sainted Sisters is inferior to what we have seen in So Proudly We Hail. The former was definitely a lower budget film. Nevertheless, there are endearing qualities to this film. The avid George Reeves’ fan will appreciate his tone of voice. The more stoic lines as seen with Superman are found in his first scenes. The romantic tenderness found in So Proudly We Hail, is evident when he courts both sisters. When he puts his mother’s ring on Veronica Lake’s finger, it is similar to a wedding ceremony from five years earlier with Colbert. Delivering the speech at the town hall meeting conveys great urgency. This is indeed one of George’s finest moments in the movie. Reeves’ mannerisms and hand motions are so indicative of what we would see from 1953 on in TAOS.

Another strange twist of fate is that Sterling Hayden was originally cast to portray Sam. Hayden’s career suffered because of the war. Having been gone for five years, he wasn’t being asked to do films. He had appeared in one film in 1947, that one with Veronica Lake. Reeves, on the other hand, was hard at work. In the same year as The Sainted Sisters, George managed to appear in Jungle Goddess, Thunder in the Pines, and Jungle Jim.

Most surprising is that following the movie, on the same videotape was the remainder of an episode of Extreme Home Makeover. This was especially touching, as the story was that of a family with an AIDS child. In addition to redoing the house so that it would allergen free for the child’s compromised immune system, the crew had a simultaneous project—to build Camp Heartland in Albany, New York for children with AIDS as other summer camps won’t allow these children to attend. The unintentional pairing of The Sainted Sisters and Makeover does have a common thread. In the movie we see how the sisters have their money used to better the lives of those people in Groves Falls. Extreme Makeover always assists in giving families better living conditions because they can’t do it themselves. I’m sure that if George were still around, he’d say that the sisters and the Makeover team are all pretty super.

NOTE: A very special “thanks” to Green Ink Girl whose generosity enabled me to reflect on this movie. Also—photos generously contributed by Jan Alan Henderson and Steve Randisi from Behind the Crimson Cape. And...special thanks to Mr X for the bottom movie poster.

Born on July 24, 1901 in Lynn, Massachusetts, Mabel Albertson was not the only one in show business, as her younger brother is Jack Albertson, of the Chico and the Man television series. Her parents were Russian immigrants – father, Leopold Albertson, a shoemaker, and mother, Flora Kraft Albertson, a dressmaker and stock actress. Mabel grew up in poverty. Her parents’ divorce necessitated mom to work in a shoe factory. At nineteen, Mabel worked as a saleslady in New York, where she lived with a Canadian family. She studied acting at the New England School of Speech and Expression. Mabel was briefly married to Harold Austin Ripley and had two children – a girl, Patricia and a son, George. Now 28 and divorced, Mabel and her two children lived with brother Jack in Manhattan. Jack was a theatre actor; Mabel was a stage actress. As of 1937, Mabel remarried Ken Englund, a writer for both film and radio. He adopted Mabel’s son, George. George Englund continued the family business as a writer, producer, and director. The show biz connections continued. George married Cloris Leachman, and one of their children, George Englund, Jr. married Sharon Stone. As you can see, the vein runs deep in this family for the entertainment industry!

FILM CAREER

Her film career began in 1928 with her appearance in the Prologue for Gang War, a crime drama. Her next film, Mutiny on the Blackhawk (1939), dealt with the slave running between Hawaii and California in 1840. Mabel portrayed a widow, featured with Noah Beery, Andy Devine, and Paul Fix. She also functioned as a supporting actor on a radio series, “The Phil Baker Show” in the 1930’s. She was absent from films until the 1950’s where she made up for lost time. During this decade, she appeared with many TAOS alumni. In 1953, Mabel appeared in a musical, She’s Back On Broadway. Our very own Phyllis Coates was part of the cast. Also that year came So This Is Love, the story of Grace Moore, opera singer turned silver screen star. Ms. Albertson was paired up with a kaleidoscope of TAOS stars: John Hamilton, Tris Coffin, Herb Vigran, Frank Ferguson, and Arthur Space. Two films followed in 1954 and then came Ma and Pa Kettle in Waikiki, directed by Lee Sholem in 1955. Myron Healy, Ben Weldon and Richard Reeves co-starred with her. In The Cobweb, directed by Vincent Minelli, Mabel worked with the likes of Bacall, Boyer, Tommy Rettig (Lassie), Fay Wray, and our favorite lady in black, Virginia Christine. During 1956-59, Ms. Albertson appeared in ten films with TAOS regulars Billy Nelson, Dale Van Sickel, Maurice Marsac, Almira Sessions, and Claude Akins.

Among them were Forever Darling, a Lucy/Desi movie; The Hangman, a western directed by Michael Curtiz with Fess Parker and Robert Taylor; and Don’t Give Up the Ship, considered one of Jerry Lewis’ finest comedies. The 1960’s decade certainly belonged to Mabel for both film and TV! Her five films paired her with some of Hollywood’s best: Robert Wagner, Natalie Wood, Shirley MacLaine, Cliff Robertson, Dean Martin, John Astin, Sean Connery, Joanne Woodward, Colleen Dewhurst, Redford and Jane Fonda (Barefoot in the Park). Her last two films were in 1970, On A Clear Day You Can See Forever, with Streisand, and 1972’s What’s Up Doc? with Streisand again, and Ryan O’Neal.

SMALL SCREEN

Ms. Albertson’s television 1952 debut was in Mr. and Mrs. North. The following year was her TAOS episode, “Drums of Death”. For the rest of the decade, Mabel appeared in 14 different series. Some of them were Four Star Playhouse, Jane Wyman Presents the Fireside Theatre, Make Room For Daddy, December Bride, The Millionaire, Bachelor Father, Have Gun Will Travel, and six episodes of Loretta Young Show. During the 1960’s, Ms. Albertson appeared in 32 different TV series! She began this era with Rawhide, Roaring 20’s, Ben Casey, Perry Mason, Burke’s Law, Mr. Novak, The Munsters, The Lucy Show, Bonanza, The Wild, Wild, West, Daniel Boone, Dragnet 1967, The Ghost & Mrs. Muir, The Virginian, and our marine, Gomer Pyle. Those are just the single episodes! She had a recurring role in The Andy Griffith Show (Mrs. Sprague), and That Girl (Donald’s mother), along with various characters on 4 episodes of Gunsmoke. It is in the 1970’s, however that Mabel came into her two signature roles – Phyllis Stevens in Bewitched, and Mrs. Preston, Dick’s mother in The New Dick Van Dyke Show.

TAOS EPISODE

As the oldest in my family, I recall being jealous of friends who had an older brother. I kept thinking how neat it was to have someone to protect me, help with homework, and be a great buddy. But can you imagine having Perry White as your older brother? How you would get along with this man who whose growls rivaled that of a grizzly bear, yet could be as tame as a kitten? Having him as a boss would be scary enough, but as a disciplinarian, this older sibling might have given new meaning to the term “dictator”.

In “Drums of Death”, it appears that the White siblings have inherited some of the same characteristics – headstrong, independent, yet possessing a fierce care and concern for each other. In the opening scenes, as Clark and Perry view a home movie that Perry’s sister, Kate had sent him from Haiti, his concern is genuine. He hadn’t heard from her in ten days and nothing from Jim Olson, her companion, in over a week. Here’s where we get our first glimpse of Kate’s personality, “That sister of mine’s crazy enough!” Perry regrets having sent Jimmy along with her. He refers to both of them as “two irresponsible nuts”. We’re now seeing that trouble seems to find Kate just like the Daily Planet reporters!

When Mr. Barbarier questions the validity of a voodoo doctor from a photo made from Kate’s last newsreel, Perry fiercely defends his younger sibling: “Not my sister. When she takes a picture of a voodoo doctor, you can be sure it’s a McCoy – the real thing”. Another quality Perry reveals about Kate – integrity in her work. When Clark catches anthropologist Leland Masters, (portrayed by Leonard Mudie) out on the terrace, Masters recognizes Perry as Kate’s relative immediately with the “strong family resemblance, cranial structure very similar”.

When Kate and Jimmy are reunited with Perry in the wine press, we see Perry’s frantic attempt to communicate despite her hypnotic spell, ‘Kate! Kate! It’s me, Perry. Don’t you recognize me?” After Superman rescues all of them, Perry takes his rage out on Johnson, aka, Legbo. Mabel says it all with a tone of voice, “Perry, don’t lose your temper.” We are treated to classic John Hamilton in Perry White mode in response to her. It’s too bad there wasn’t more exchange of dialogue between these two as I’m certain we would have had a real treat. At the end of this episode, when we are once again at the hotel, pay attention to Mabel Albertson’s lines. Listen to her vocal intonation and remember this as you read on.

BEWITCHED/DRAGNET APPEARANCES

As Phyllis Stevens, Darrin’s mom, Mabel is at her best.

She shows us style/class just as she exhibited back in the hotel room in TAOS while pouring tea. In this episode she meets her new daughter-in-law, Samantha and Aunt Clara. With typical maternal flare she tells her husband, “I can’t wait to see him (Darrin). I hope she hasn’t let him lose weight. He can’t afford to lose weight.” Throughout this very amusing half hour, Mabel brings Phyllis Stevens to life. It’s all in a look, or a tone of voice. Her meanings are unmistakably clear. At the end, we discover that Phyllis has been feeling she is no longer needed. What mother whose son has married hasn’t felt that way at one time? When Samantha tells her that she can’t cook, and Aunt Clara made the dinner, we see relief on Phyllis Stevens’ face, reconciliation, and the start of a great relationship.

In Dragnet, we see a different side of Ms. Albertson. She is seen with the same shorter coif as in Bewitched, but here she is seen with dark brown-rimmed glasses and practically no makeup. The stand out of this story is at the end, when Mrs. Jessie Gayman (Mabel) is confronted over the murder of her daughter’s estranged husband. The same, almost hypnotic stoicism that we saw in “Drums of Death” is here. Mabel’s demure is calm and quiet while telling Friday and Gannon that she shot her son-in-law after he shot a hole in her bible and says, “I’ve never been so angry”.

Mabel Albertson died on September 28, 1982 in Santa Monica, California of Alzheimer’s disease. This lady added charm, wit, dignity, and grace to the small screen in all of the characters she portrayed. She, like many others certainly left her mark in certain roles that we fondly remember.

I have been in touch with the archivist at the Pasadena Playhouse for information pertaining to the review on ‘TAC’ on The Deserter. What has amazed me is how the Playhouse has served as a central hub for many of the stars we know. It was the proving ground for actors such as George Reeves, Gig Young, Maudie Prickett, and Dabbs Greer.

As I mentioned in the Maudie’s tribute, her husband Charles had been head of the Playhouse. Actually, several generations of the Prickett family, starting with Charles and Maudie has been involved extensively with the Pasadena Playhouse. Charles Prickett’s brother Ollie (Oliver Blake) joined the company back in 1916. At that time, they were operating out of a former burlesque house called the Savoy Theatre. The Shakespeare Club changed its name from “Savoy Stock Company” to “Pasadena Community Players.” Younger brother Charles ran the box office, swept the front entry, and was an apprentice to the Financial Manager until he was 18. His boss quit, placing Charles in charge. Charles Prickett ran the business side of the Playhouse operations for the rest of his life, saving it from financial disaster. In fact, when the Playhouse did run into financial problems in 1969 and had to close, it was because of Mr. Prickett’s death earlier.

Maudie Doyle Prickett became a Playhouse regular and contributed many hats to the costume collection (one of the largest in the world at that time). Charles and Maudie’s descendents are among the more prominent Pasadena families, who still attend shows there.

Another note is what has been describes as “an interesting and sporadically-documented case of a ‘feud’ between Charles Prickett and Gilmor Brown.” Charles was the money side of the organization, while Gilmor was the artistic side. Their conflicts revolved around Brown wanting to do grandiose productions that the Playhouse just could not afford. Both parties “would occasionally go through periods of not speaking to one another.” They’d even play practical jokes on the other! Both of them wanted control over the organization. Despite all of this, both Prickett and Brown did seem to complement each other. The Playhouse needed both of them. As of 1969, with both Prickett and Brown now deceased, the Playhouse declared bankruptcy. It reopened in 1986, largely in part to Oliver Blake, who lived until 1992.

Maudie Prickett could be crowned with one or both of the following titles: either the Most Famous Plain Jane or the Most Uncredited Actress. In many of her roles, her strikingly harsh features give her that pioneer spirit that you might expect with Sarah Padden or with Marjorie Main as Ma Kettles. Yet, as seen in this photo of her in later years, we see a different side of Mrs. Prickett without the hair pulled back ever so tightly in a bun and with a little “face paint.”

She was born in 1914—the same year as George Reeves—on October 25 in Portland, Oregon. Little is known of her early years except for the fact that she was a member of the University of Wyoming Alpha chapter of Pi Beta Phi. The significance of this: it was the very first national secret women’s sorority modeled after the Greek men’s fraternities. At a time when women admitted to colleges and universities were scarce, this organization united these pioneering women. The sorority was philanthropic in nature and dedicated to service to the community and the world.

Another Reeves connection is that Maudie married Charles Prickett II, who would become the Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Pasadena Playhouse. Going back a few years to the mid-1920’s, when Charles Prickett was a mere managing director there, his brother, Oliver was a regular at the Pasadena Playhouse. Oliver Prickett was also known as Oliver Blake, for those who care to visit him at the IMDb. It was also during this time that Maudie was considered a “resident character actress.” She and Oliver must have had a great deal of influence at the Playhouse for it was because of their efforts that Jerome Robinson became the official Playhouse photographer from 1943 to 1958. He is known for his photographic stills in The Green Years and The Yearling. Another interesting tidbit—George Reeves, Nati Vacio and Robert Preston attended the first Annual Pasadena Playhouse Alumni Brunch where they performed Spanish songs. The officer elections were held during this meeting where Maudie Prickett was elected president. [www.jimnolt.com]

As previously mentioned, Maudie Prickett could have been Queen of the Uncredited Performances. In fact, she had 41 of them in movies and 2 in television! Her film career began in ‘Gold Mine in the Sky” (1938) with Gene Autry, Smiley Burnett and George Montgomery. From 1945 – 49 she appeared in seventeen movies. Many of her appearances were in westerns like the Durango Kid series. In The Lone Hand Texan, one of her co-stars was Jim Diehl, who went on the following year to appear with George Reeves in The Adventures of Sir Galahad. In Lust for Gold (1949), her co-stars included TAOS villain John Doucette, Billy Gray (Shot in the Dark), Arthur Space (Star of Fate, The Seven Souvenirs), and Jay Silverheels (The Lone Ranger). Another western (uncredited role, of course) was The Cowboy and the Indians (1949). Of interest in this one is that Gene Autry and Jay Silverheels had starring roles, while Clayton Moore is lower down on the credits as one of the “bad guys.” Also in 1949 was Abandoned with TAOS alumni Sid Tomack (The Defeat of Superman, Clark Kent, Outlaw, Blackmail, Three in One,) and a controversial plot involving a baby adoption racket.

From 1950-59, Maudie Prickett racked up 32 films, beginning with Montana and starring Errol Flynn, Alexis Smith, and Almira Sessions (our very own Miss Bachrach). A bit of a tearjerker is No Sad Songs for Me. Among the cast were Ann Doran (Night of Terror) and Myron Healey (The Bully of Dry Gulch, Dagger Island, The Jolly Roger). Between Midnight and Dawn has numerous familiar faces, even if Maudie is still uncredited—Tito Vuolo (My Friend Superman), Billy Gray, Myron Healey, Peter Mamakos (The Defeat of Superman, King for a Day, Peril in Paris), and Philip Van Zandt (Crime Wave, Superman in Exile, The Seven Souvenirs, King for a Day). You know you are moving up in the world when you appear in films with big name stars, even if you are uncredited. Such is Monkey Business (1952), directed by Howard Hawks, with Cary Grant, Ginger Rogers, Charles Coburn, Marilyn Monroe, Roger Moore, and our very own George Eldredge (Clark Kent, Outlaw, All That Glitters) and Dabbs Greer (Superman on Earth, Five Minutes to Doom, The Superman Silver Mine). Not all of Mrs. Prickett’s TAOS connections were with the actors. Man in the Dark (1953) was directed by Lew Landers (Three in One, Superman’s Wife). Raoul Walsh (Fighter Squadron with Jack Larson) directed Gun Fury (1953). Maudie has too many films in her resume to list here, however, other familiar faces include Jonathon Hale (The Evil Three, Panic in the Sky), Claude Akins (Peril by Sea), Chuck Connors (Flight to the North), Virginia Christine (Lady in Black), Herb Vigran, Judy Nugent (Around the World With Superman), Frank Ferguson (Lady in Black), Lane Bradford (Jet Ace, Test of a Warrior), and Sid Melton (The Deadly Rock), Leon Askin and Milton Frome. Hitchcock’s North by Northwest, nominated for three Oscars was surely a hallmark for uncredited Maudie. Working with Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, and Leo G. Carroll was enough, but Robert Shayne, John Beradino (The Unlucky Number), and Dale Van Sickel (Five Minutes to Doom, Money to Burn) were on hand as well.

Prickett’s television performances, unlike her film work are where the star for this actress really shines. She had done single episodes with Hopalong Cassidy to Kit Karson, from Captain Midnight to Bob Cummings’ show, from Make Room For Daddy to Leave It to Beaver. Let’s not forget 26 Men, The Millionaire, Donna Reed, Lawman, The Untouchables, a menace named Dennis, a doctor named Ben Casey, Wagon Train, Mister Ed, My Three Sons, Petticoat Junction, My Mother the Car, Adam 12, Mod Squad, Get Smart and Daniel Boone. Those are just the single episodes! Maudie did three appearances with a marine named Gomer Pyle, two on Bonanza, and nine on Jack Benny’s show. She did three appearances on Gunsmoke, five on Bewitched, and seven as the feisty Mrs. Larch on Andy Griffith’s show. Perhaps one of her more memorable characters was the recurring Rosie, who was the friend to Hazel. It has been said that, while Prickett worked with many of Hollywood’s best and well-known actors, she was more like the bridesmaid, but never the bride. Maudie’s second experience with a superhero occurred in 1967 when she appeared as Diana Prince’s mother in the pilot for Wonder Woman. This was not the Lynda Carter series, but a movie with Ellie Wood Walker. Aside from an occasional movie musical, from 1965-74, Maudie was cast in weekly installments of the Wonderful World of Disney.

Admittedly, her TAOS appearance is a favorite episode of mine. The episode begins with Lois opening up an edible present of a good-sized gingerbread man—a yearly birthday gift from her former nurse. Attempting to thank her, Lois is concerned when she does not get an answer from anyone in the town of Clifton. She and Clark decide to take a drive to Lois’ hometown to investigate. As Matilda Tazey in The Deserted Village, Prickett sports “specs” and typical housedress with apron. Not only is her hair pulled back, but also we see her with a braided hairpiece to boot! Her appearance, performance, and even vocal intonations are part of her trademark from the many movies she had done. She would continue this persona on The Andy Griffith Show and Hazel.

Maudie died on April 14, 1976 of uremic poisoning, but she left us with many memorable performances. So the next time you see the Plain Jane herself, think about all the connections this woman had with so many from not only our beloved The Adventures of Superman, but many great Hollywood stars of both the silver screen and small screen.

After attending this event last year and loving it, I found that I’ve been bitten once again with the Convention bug. This year, our Comic Con focused on many of the Star Trek folk ranging from the movies of the original crew to TNG (The Next Generation) to Voyager and Enterprise. Now, as much of a trekkie as I can be, this wasn’t what brought me here.

I actually met one of our Board people, Brian Herzog. For those of you who don’t know him, Brian is a very enthusiastic fan of George Reeves, who is doing what he can to honor his memory in a positive way. He was proudly wearing a tee shirt with the Superman insignia (TAOS version of course!) with the name George Reeves prominently displayed on it. Brian’s charming daughter and able assistant, Abby was there with him.

Among the celebrities there was Lou Ferrigno. I apologized to him for not coming over to his table in Chicago last year. I had been so thrilled to meet our First Lady of TAOS that I only spoke to him while inside Noel’s stand. Because of his popularity, I didn’t get a chance to get back to him. He told me that he comes to Detroit every couple of years, so I will definitely seek him out on his next visit to our fair city. Peter Mayhew, aka Chewbacca, proved to be a jovial gentle giant. He and his assistant were impressed with Brian’s tee shirt as well.

I also had a chance to chat a bit with Bruce Weitz. In case you don’t remember, Bruce portrayed Mick Belker in Hill Street Blues. He had been my favorite on the show in that ensemble cast. I told him how much I loved the morning report and that famous line by the sergeant, “You be careful out there”. Bruce told me that he sees the cast members often. Those who are still alive meet over lunch and talk about old times. He’s been to Detroit several times, but this was the first time he’s done a convention. Mr. Weitz is now retired from show business. He and his wife have a fourteen-year-old boy. As Bruce told me, he missed enough of his son’s early years and doesn’t want to miss the rest of his growing up.

I roamed around some more and came upon Brian engaged in conversation with The Ghoul. For those of us here in the Detroit area, Ghoul used to host our creature features on Saturday afternoons from 1971-1979. He also used to have specials that would be telecast from here as well. As he put it, “Jerry Springer has nothing on the trash that we perpetrate each and every show.” Come to find out, he is another George Reeves fan! Having his email address, I told him I’d introduce him to our friendly sights for George and TAOS (GHP and TAC of course!). Our favorite Ghoul happened to mention that he had read other books besides Hollywood Kryptonite that provided a better balance of George’s life.

Another highlight for me was the significance of May 19. This was Armed Forces Day and, although my Tshirt for the Military Moms hasn’t arrived as yet, I was decked out in red, white and blue. This was also my son’s 24^th birthday and I’ve not heard anything from him for a while—mothers never stop worrying. With all this in mind, I had to meet Lou Gossett, Jr. I enjoy all of his performances, but his role in An Officer and A Gentleman reminded me of what my son has had to endure as the Ex O. I also loved him in Flying Eagles for the same reason. But the first one that he had in Roots, as Fiddler is what has endeared me to this man and how versatile an actor he is.

I also stopped by the table of Felix Silla. For those of you who are clueless as to who he is, Felix portrayed “Cousin Itt” in The Addams Family. I told him that when I used to sport my waist length mane, I had been nicknamed “Cousin Itt” because my hair was so thick. He told me that his original costume was made of real hair—and had a picture to prove it. This costume was so heavy and hot such that he couldn’t spend much time in it. It was also discovered that it was very flammable. For that reason, the producers of the show came up with a synthetic version, which was much lighter.

Celebrities are people too, but we appreciate them even more when they stop to speak to us. I was very impressed by Jonathon Frakes, aka Jean Luc Picard’s ‘Number One’. He had just come back from taking a lunch break, but stopped to talk a bit with one of the staff at the gate. Robert Picardo, the holographic doctor from Voyager left his booth and went to get food with no escort. He was chatting with people in the line. By the way, he looked quite sporty with his tan beret.

And, of course, knowing me, I had to get a couple shots of the cars. I loved Herbie, who has been kept in mint condition, I might add. From the series, Knight Rider, I had always loved the car, "K.I.T.T.". Who would have thought that William Daniels would have gone from being chief of surgery at St. Elsewhere to the voice of customized Pontiac Firebird.

My main goal was to meet and conduct an interview with Eddie Deezen of Grease and Polar Express fame. Eddie was so gracious and, come to find out--he is an avid George Reeves fan!

C: Eddie, I know that you were in Grease 1 and Grease 2. Do you have a favorite part from either one of those?

E: Right. Well, my best part was throwing a pie and then getting hit in the face with a pie. I’d throw a pie at Sid Caesar and then I’d get hit in the face with a pie. That was my big moment. Great acting. It was great acting.

E: John Travolta was the nicest guy I ever met. The nicest actor I’ve ever met. To this day, I think Tom Hanks and John Travolta are two of the nicest guys I’ve ever worked with. You would always find him saying “Hi, Buddy” and shake my hand every day and make sure I was okay. Super nice guy. Olivia I only met once. Once we were on the Paramount set and we hijacked a car. We hijacked a convertible and Olivia was in the front seat. She turned to me and said, “You’re funny”. I said, “Thank you”. That was the only time I talked to her. She seemed like a real nice girl. John and I would talk more often.

C: On the Polar Express, I’m just curious. To create that character did they use those electrodes on you?

E: Yes, they put dots. When we’d go into makeup, they’d put 152 dots on our face. They’d mark your head with 152 dots. Then they were gluing dots to your face, 152 dots every day. We’d get into a scuba suit and they’d glue a bathing cap to our heads. We did this every day. It takes like two hours. That was our makeup.

E: And if you’d lose a dot, the makeup guy would say, “Eddie lost dot 132. And then they’d go, “There it is!” Then they’d put it in. That’s how they did it. Every dot had to be right in place.

C: Now, when it comes to George Reeves, and I assume you’ve watched The Adventures of Superman like the rest of us.

E: Oh! I talked to Tom Hanks about it. You know what he said? He goes, “He flew funny. He had a funny way of flying.” Most Supermen go like that. [Eddie demonstrated with arms were outstretched being level with his shoulders]. George Reeves would go like that. [Eddie demonstrated that George’s arms were outstretched but were down lower]. That’s what I remember. He flew in a funny way. But I remember that he did do that. He was my supreme hero. I loved George Reeves. Greatest actor ever.

E: When I was a kid, I liked the dog, Corky. You know, Corky the dog, I loved that. Looking back, the early first year the film noir ones when the little Martians come. The first one? He was awesome! [Eddie assumes the typical Superman pose with hands on the hips]. They go back to their world. (You invaded their world) Like Nazi storm troopers. He’s a great actor. That really affected me. But the first years were awesome. Then they kinda got more comical. But the first year I love. Yeah.

C: She’s a wonderful lady. Did you have a favorite episode from the second season? That’s where they seem to take it a step back from the violence but they still had really good plots. Like “Superman in Exile” or “The Perils of Superman”.

E: Right. I’m trying to think which one I liked. When Jimmy Olsen acted over the top. I liked that one.

E: Yeah, that was funny. Yeah, and like I said the dog episode affected me the most. When Lois says, “Clark what happened? You look like you lost your best friend.” And he says, “Maybe I have, Lois, maybe I have.” He always did that with his glasses. I know he’s probably over somewhere else. That was like his little sign to us in the audience. You know I’m Clark Kent. And he’s such a cool guy. He was the coolest guy ever.

E: No I didn’t. I mean, you can tell when a guy’s on screen, you could tell he was a kind man. He was a nice Superman, but I would believe it about George Reeves. He was a nice man. I wish I’d met him.

C: Yes, me too. I almost met him. George used to do spot visits where the media weren’t involved.

E: By the way, you bring up a memory where he takes a beautiful little girl and flies her around the world. Remember that? He says, “have this dance, my lady” [Eddie makes the motions with his arms that George did in that scene]. That was such a beautiful moment. Made me cry. He was the most underrated great actor. That was a beautiful little scene. “May I have this dance?” And then they dance up in the air.

C: Jack Larson has done many an episode where he has been able to stretch beyond that whole bow tie Jimmy Olsen cub reporter.

E: He gets bound and gagged. Every week that guy gets tied up. Tied up and gagged every week.

C: One of my favorites was “Semi Private Eye” where he was with Elisha Cook.

E: That’s what I mean! Where he says, “I’m going to count to three. One. Two. Three.” [NOTE: Eddie does a pretty good imitation of Jack saying those lines]. Then there’s the trap door. Yeah, he was always a funny comedian. That was very funny.

C: You’re right. When he played the dual role in “Jimmy the Kid”, that was an awesome episode.

C: In “The Wedding of Superman”, Noel dreams as Lois that she’s marrying…

E: Maybe. You could see she definitely liked Clark Kent. Yeah, but he couldn’t go out with her. He’s Superman. I like the superhero thing. He’s like a brooding hero, you know? Yeah. I didn’t like that about Spiderman where he marries Mary Jane. Superheroes are in love with a girl and they say, “You know I have to be true to the world. I can’t marry anyone.” When Spiderman marries Mary Jane.He can’t marry her at the end of the first film and then he does in the second film. I didn’t like that.

C: If you could project or write another episode that George Reeves would be in, what would it be?

E: Boy, that’s a great one. Let me think. I don’t know..maybe Superman comes into present time, our era and sees how corrupt the world is. Maybe fights some terrorists or something. These terrorists get on a plane. Clark Kent is on the plane. He goes into a room and fights them off. Something like that, yeah.

C: That would be cool. Maybe we could get Randy Garrett to do some artwork for that.

E: We could use Superman so bad in the world right now. We need him so bad. The world is so much worse than it was in the 50’s.

C: Besides The Adventures of Superman, have you seen any other of George’s movies?

E: Well, of course, the I Love Lucy is a classic. And I watched his big movie; I saw that, “So Proudly We Hail”. Of course everyone has seen “Gone With the Wind”. When I was a kid we went to see “Gone With the Wind” and everyone said, “There’s Superman!” All the kids in the theater. Nobody cares about GWTW, it’s Superman! Just like “From Here to Eternity”, every kid in the world knows that’s Superman, you know?

E: Oh, all of them. I want to read everything about George. It’s great. He’s fascinating.

C: Now in the Superman legacy, we’ve had more than one Superman. We’ve had Kirk Alyn in the Superman Serials…

E: There’s only one Superman! We all know that. Like Sean Connery’s the only James Bond, Johnny Weismuller is the only Tarzan. George Reeves is so far and away the only Superman.

E: You know, that’s a great question. I think he had this integrity; there was something there that caught on as a friend of the people. Tom Hanks has it too, the same thing. I go, “You have this decency about you; this inner decency that people see.” George Reeves had that. John Travolta has that. There’s this human decency that everybody’s important. You know, a little handicapped person and the President of the United States—I think George Reeves treated everyone the same. He was just a very honest, decent man. That’s how I perceive him. There was something strong about him. He was like a real man. There’s no real men anymore. He was like a John Wayne guy, you know? We’re all so whipped with political correctness. I think George Reeves would not be politically correct. He was a real guy.

E: That time meant so much to me. He was the coolest guy in the world. He’ll always be a hero to me.

E: Oh yeah. He wanted to be a movie star. I don’t think he realized how good he was. He didn’t like the role but he didn’t know what a genius he was. And some artists are like that. But that was one of the greatest performances ever.

C: I think that if we have a legacy that will endure forever, it is that George always wanted to have one adult fan. And now he has an entire generation of adult fans who are keeping his memory alive.

E: Oh, yeah! You know what’s funny? I heard Hirohito liked him. Hirohito of Japan loves Superman! Here he is...World War II but he puts on, he has to watch Superman.

C: George was our kind of guy. He was definitely someone who brought his personality into that entire character.

E: Not really much, Colete, just voiceover stuff on your radio spots. Polar Express was my last really big project. Hopefully something will come up.

C: If you could write your own script for a movie or TV special that you would do, what would it be?

E: Me in it, you mean? Oh, that’s a great question! Boy, I don’t know. The Jerry Lewis Story I’d like to do or the Peewee Herman story.

C: If George Reeves were alive today, and you were able to be in anything with him, what would it be?

E: Oh, I’d love to work with him. A comedy maybe. He could be my Dean Martin maybe. He’s such a wonderful guy. It would be a privilege to work with him.

C: That’s great. It’s been a great time for me. I really do appreciate the time that you’ve taken with me.

E: Oh, please, it’s so my pleasure. I’ve loved George Reeves since I was a kid. He brought me so much happiness. When my dad came home from work, you know, I would run up and jump like Superman into my dad’s arms. I was about 4 years old, and I would jump just like George Reeves. I did that every night.

C: I think every single one of us probably has done that and had a towel at home to prove it.

Up to now, all of the ladies that Thom and I have presented to you have had one-time guest appearances on The Adventures of Superman. The spotlight is currently on a lady who was the closest thing to a regular on the series of the female guests.

Allene Roberts was born on September 1, 1928 in Birmingham, Alabama. Unlike other women we have profiled, there is very little information on Ms. Roberts’ early life. What we do know is that she was a busy actress, racking up nine movies plus two guest appearances on TV shows that ranged from1947 through 1951.

Her very first film was The Red House back in 1947, a mystery thriller starring Edward G. Robinson, Rory Calhoun, Julie London and TAOS alum, Arthur Space. In 1948, she did two movies, The Sign of the Ram, directed by John Sturges and featuring Peggy Ann Garner, Phyllis Thaxter and Ross Ford. In Michael O’Halloran Allene appeared with TAOS alumni, Tommy Cook and Jonathon Hale. Bomba on Panther Island paired her up with Johnny Sheffield and Lita Baron, who appeared with George Reeves in Champagne for Two. Also that year, Allene was seen in Knock On Any Door, with Humphrey Bogart, John Derek, and TAOS alumni George Chandler, Myron Healy, Sid Melton, Sid Tomack, and Pierre Watkin. This was also the year of her first pre-TAOS television appearances, “The Sire de Maletroit's Door” on Your Show Time. Two more movies followed in 1950 – Union Station and A Wonderful Life, directed by William Beaudine and co-starring our very own Jack Larson and John Hamilton. “The First Hundred Years” from The Silver Theater also came that year. Allene did a western, Santa Fe with Randolph Scott and Jock Mahoney. She also starred in The Hoodlum in 1951. Her two movies in 1952, marks the end of her movie career. Kid Monk Baroni paired her with Leonard Nimoy and our TAOS alumni Jack Larson and Maurice Cass. In Thunderbirds, she is reunited with John Derek, John Drew Barrymore, Gene Evans, Ward Bond, and TAOS alum, Richard Reeves. It is also 1952 that ushers in her first two appearances on The Adventures of Superman, which will be highlighted later on in this review.

Ms. Roberts might not have had any more movies, but she certainly wasn’t idle! Her TV credits include: Dragnet (6 episodes), Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (3), Four Star Playhouse (2), and one episode each of The Christophers, Omnibus, The Public Defender, and City Detective.

Allene is the only female who was cast in three episodes of TAOS. In his introduction of the Third Annual Superman Festival in 1990, Jack Larson refers to “my good friend, Allene Roberts.” Allene’s first appearance is in

“The Monkey Mystery” as the daughter of scientist, Jan Maleska. We see her barefoot, dirty-faced, and speaking with an accent. One thing about Allene is how expressive her eyes are! She shows us the torment of having to leave her beloved father as “The fruit of my life’s work is in your hands.” And with that, she gives her father the last kiss. We see her somber face against the backdrop of a train that is bound for Washington, D.C., following her flight from Eastern Europe. . Of course, she is apprehended, and with her skull fractured, one can only imagine the torture she must have endured. Superman arrives in time to reach both Lois and Ms. Maleska and get them medical attention. That’s the last we see of Allene in this episode, however, she received top billing of the guest stars.

In “The Haunted Lighthouse”, you’d think that Allene might have had mime lessons. Playing the deaf mute, Alice, she is able to convey her range of emotions without uttering a single sound throughout the episode! Whether it is the look of distress, or the urgency in trying to get Jimmy to follow her, there is no doubt what Allene is trying to tell us.

“The Whistling Bird” is the most interesting of her three appearances as Allene has a great deal of dialogue in this one. Portraying Nancy Quinn, niece of professor Oscar Quinn (Sterling Holloway), the most obvious difference is that her hair is now shoulder length.

. This is also the first time we really see her smiling. Throughout the episode, her glances are given directly to Clark, Jimmy, or her uncle. We do see some of the same concerned eyes that we saw in her two previous episodes, but her presence is much more integral to the episode. Allene also shares a Jack Larson fate in this episode as the sprinkling system does a great job on her as well!

Her 1955 appearance on the series The Christophers is interesting because this was an award-winning series. There were many guest stars over the years, including the Maryknoll priest who founded The Christophers. It showcased people who made a difference in areas from entertainment to social justice and community affairs. After that appearance, we find no other reference to her as an actress. There are references that indicate she currently resides in Huntsville, Alabama, but as of this writing, we have been unable to validate that. Allene will certainly be remembered for her TAOS appearances, but should you see her in one of her movies, look carefully at her eyes. It is there that you will be drawn into the scene with her.

Admittedly, I had not heeded Carl’s warning about the first edition of Speeding Bullet being around for a limited time. Sure enough, no more copies were available and I resigned myself to never being able to read the book. However, it was as though Fate determined I should not be deprived. Mandy Owens came to my rescue and loaned me her copy of this fan’s delight from Jan Alan Henderson. He gave us more of an insider’s view of the George Reeves that I had admired, and knew only by my own meager research. The first book introduced us to some of the people who had known George personally. Through them, I became more familiar with this George Keefer Brewer Bessolo Reeves.

With a second edition in the works, and with Christmas coming, I knew exactly what I wanted Santa to bring me. Many people have already commented on Jan Alan Henderson’s second edition of this wonderful book. As with the first edition, I found it impossible to put down. This is indeed the book from which you wish a movie had been made! This is the project that George Reeves’ fans from all over the globe had hoped to see on film—not the end result of Hollywoodland. If only Kit Parker had come sooner. If only Jan’s book, a bit of Bruce Dettman/Ralph Schiller documentary, the heart and soul of Carl Glass and Jim Nolt, along with The Face and the Voice, could have been put together, we would have been all set.

Within the pages of the second edition, Mr. Henderson seems to delve more deeply into the various clues and opinions about whether or not George Reeves’ death was a result of suicide, murder, or possibly accidental. I read this version with a Sherlock Holmes attitude, looking for more clues or evidence to enhance my own opinion. If I have any criticism of Jan’s book, and that would be a feat in itself, it is that I am left with more questions than ever. Admittedly, with so many people citing how upbeat George had been, how he was so optimistic about future projects including another season of TAOS, I am inclined to discount the suicide theory. One of the most interesting comments in the book appears in the Epilogue 2007 Walking Into the Light: “It’s astonishing that people are still at odds over this man, quite literally since the day he died” (p.159). Why would this be the case if, in fact, we are to believe that Mr. Reeves was a man with mediocre talent at best on the screen and TV? It is my firm belief that, George was anything but mediocre. Here was truly a man who, while not perfect by any means, was a giving man who loved life, good times, and enjoyed his friends. The impression I’m left with after reading about George Reeves was that he was well connected in Tinseltown, and loved by those on the screen and off. These are the sides of Reeves that Jan presents to us along with the popular doomsday speculations.

The Photo Gallery is a Reeves’ fan’s delight! Keith Thibodeaux (Little Ricky) has a typical Superman stance with the hands on the hips (p.169). I can just hear Keith telling George “This is the way it’s supposed to be done!” George’s smile for him is priceless! The additional photos of the First Lady of TAOS were such a treat. Many thanks go to Jan for including them. The one of George and Lenore in a restaurant is troubling (p.195). As Mr. Henderson states, this is truly “A telling photograph.” I see a very enamored George Reeves with Lenore Lemmon. This would be expected—after all, he was engaged to her. If “Every picture tells a story”, then Lenore tells another tale in this one. This does not appear to be the face of a woman who is in love. She seems totally devoid of emotion, or disgusted over what she is being told. I’ve seen my share of couples in love. I’ve been there myself. With that in mind, I see in this photo a side of Ms. Lemmon that potentially was cruel, having a very short fuse (her temper was well documented throughout the book), and only there for a good time. I may be editorializing, but this photo gives credence to Lenore using George and his popularity so that she would be able to maintain the lifestyle she had become so accustomed to having. Who would have guessed that six weeks from the time that picture was taken that George would be dead.

Once more, Jan Alan Henderson gives us more to ponder about George Reeves. We see the sides of him that we knew were always there. Through the efforts of many to bring George’s film work back to us, we see this man’s potential as an actor. We’ve heard of his humanitarian work and charity appearances. We are aware that he would show up at schools and hospitals without the media and fanfare only for the love of those children. For an entire generation, he was our hero, role model, and even father figure to some. Jan’s book shows us all this and also that “even heroes often fail” even if they are Superman.

Gloria Talbott was born on February 7, 1931 in Glendale, California. Her great, great grandfather was one of the founders of that city. Her father owned a dry cleaning business while her mother was a

Christian Science practitioner. Her older sister, Mary Louise became actress Lori Talbott. Gloria’s career began by winning a high school acting trophy. She was also “Miss Glendale” of 1947, showing she had that pinup girl quality. She participated in school plays and landed small parts in films such as "Maytime" (1937), "Sweet and Lowdown" (1943) and "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" (1945). After leaving school, she started her own dramatic group and played "arena"-style shows at various clubs.

She appeared in her first film at the ripe old age of 13 in Sweet and Low-Down (1944). A year later, she was in A Tree Grows In Brooklyn (1945). Pegged as one of the glamour girls of the silver screen, this debutante’s first professional stage performance was in an L.A. production of One Fine Day, starring Charles Ruggles and Mary Boland. From the stage she graduated to United Artists westerns: Desert Pursuit with Virginia Grey in 1952; Northern Patrol

with Kirby Grant in 1953; and Border City Rustlers with Guy Madison in 1953. Moving into comedy and drama, she starred in All That Heaven Allows with Jane Wyman and Rock Hudson in 1955. Also that year, she did We’re No Angels, portraying Leo G. Carroll’s daughter and also starring Humphrey Bogart, Aldo Ray, and Basil Rathbone. In 1957, she was in The Kettles on Old MacDonald’s Farm, part of the Ma and Pa Kettles series. She co-starred with Marjorie Main, Parker Fennelly, and John Smith, her love interest in the film. That same year she was opposite Joel McCrea in The Oklahoman. She seemed to find her element in the B horror films of The Cyclops (1957), The Daughter of Dr. Jekyll (1957), I Married a Monster From Outer Space (1957), and The Leech Woman (1960). Gloria did reunite with other horror film stars in 1985 for a very tongue-in-cheek thriller Attack of the B-Movie Monsters.

In 1948 she fell in love with an aspiring actor (Parrish) and married him before she turned 18. On April 1, 1950, her son, Mark Charles was born in Los Angeles. After five years of marriage, She divorced Parrish, returning to films. During the 1950’s, Gloria said she kept having problems with Darryl F. Zanuck chasing her around his desk! In August 1956, Gloria, then 25, was involved with Grover “Sandy” Sanders in Las Vegas – enter husband #2. He was 37. In 1960, she was supposed to do a guest appearance on Lloyd Bridges’ Seahunt, but turned it down because her part required diving gear. Gloria had a fear of small, enclosed spaces; she felt that in a prior life she had been buried alive. She and Grover separated in 1963 and were divorced in 1964. Husband #3 was Steve Joseph Capobianco, a physician. Their daughter, Maria was born on April 15, 1967. This marriage ended three years later. In 1977, she was married for the fourth and final time to Patrick Mullally, a dentist, until her death in September 2000.

As of 1961, Ms. Talbott all but retired from making films in order to raise her children, but continued to work on the small screen until 1966 when she was a full time stay-at-home mom. Gloria’s classic patrician features and demeanor suited her well in her many roles. She appeared in the popular Zane Grey Theatre. In the series You Are There, she was Lady Jane Grey in “The Last Day of an English Queen”. She appeared in single episodes of: The Untouchables, Roaring 20’s, Annie Oakley, Death Valley Days, Dr. Kildare, Hopalong Cassidy, Laramie, Mike Hammer, Mr. And Mrs. North, Surfside 6, The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickock, The Gene Autry Show, and The Rebel. She was in 2 episodes of: West Point Story, based on actual people and events, The Millionaire, The Cisco Kid, Riverboat, General Electric Theater, Fireside Theater and Bat Masterson. She racked up 3 episodes in: Wanted: Dead or Alive as well as Restless Gun, Rawhide and Gunsmoke. And Gloria had 4 Perry Mason’s to add to her collection. Also, in the 1950’s, she had a recurring role as Abbie Crandall in Wyatt Earp and Moneta Esperon on the Zorro TV series. In short, Gloria Talbott was in just about every major series of the 1950’s and some prominent ones of the early 1960’s. Her last television appearance was on a police drama series entitled 87^th Precinct with Robert Lansing, Norman Fell and Gina Rowlands in March of 1962.

Those very glamorous qualities that seemed to set her apart, served Gloria well in this episode. To say she added a touch of class to the set would be more fair. Mara Van Cleaver is the perfect embodiment of the “poor little rich girl” and Gloria portrays this role so well. Her rude, demeaning comments to the Planet employee when placing the ad to hire Superman exemplify this. When Clark tells her that Superman is not for hire, she immediately makes the assumption “He sounds terribly stuffy.” This writer feels that, for such a wealthy heiress, she certainly wasn’t a fashion plate in that scene at the Daily Planet! But I have to say that, at the private party, as Mara, Gloria makes a stunning appearance with her bare shoulders, long arms, and elongated frame. Her black sequined gown certainly fits her like a glove! Here is where Gloria Talbott was truly a fashion diva!

Mara’s request for a “spectacular entrance” is no disappointment as Superman crashes through the picture window. Gloria plays up the fact that Mara Van Cleaver is one spoiled brat. Her disdain for poor Lois is so evident: “A woman reporter – how novel”. When Lois mentions that some people might think that other things are important besides money, Gloria is impeccable with her vocal intonations as she says, “Oh, I do believe we’re having sarcasm”.

Proving that diamonds are a girl’s best friend, she is less than pleased when the Man of Steel pops the diamond from her brooch and then crushes it in his bare hand, leaving it in dusty fragments. It’s a good thing that Superman put it back together again – as Mara’s reaction would dictate. She seems to be in awe of this Superman, unlike Lois and Jimmy, who take the demonstration of his powers in stride. When Jimmy takes a picture of Superman with the ladies, John Eldredge and Maurice Marsac, it is Gloria, as Mara who, with both hands, has attached herself to Superman’s arm.

While she definitely could be considered incorrigible, there is a vulnerability and naiveté to Mara Van Cleaver. She is totally oblivious that her gems are imitations. She is in sheer disbelief when guardian, Jonas, the incomparable John Eldredge, informs her that she is broke. Mara has spent money as if her back yard contained an entire orchard of money trees. It’s never occurred to her that the well might ever run dry. She threatens to have Jonas thrown in jail for embezzling her fortune, but guess again, Mara! Jonas reminds her that she is up to her pretty neck in this plot for “after all, I’m not the one who hired Superman.” We are given a premonition of what is to become of poor Mara when Jonas paints a picture of her as a penniless, working girl. The reality of her plight now sinking in, she ponders how she ever got into this situation. It is more overwhelming when Lois and Jimmy return to the mansion and she tries to buy their silence. For perhaps the first time, she learns an invaluable lesson – that money can’t buy everything, especially where one’s integrity is concerned.

Her conscience taking over, she tries to alert Clark to Lois and Jimmy’s whereabouts, but only ends up in the same fate as they have. Of course, Clark manages to get them out of trouble. What you do see is a genuine concern on Mara’s part for Clark: “We heard a terrible noise. Are you all right?” Once everything returns to normal, we now see Mara working at the Daily Planet as a copy girl. This episode is a great morality play, as Mara now understands and embraces the principle of the work ethic. She insists that the money she used to hire our favorite hero be given to charity as was originally intended.

Gloria and her husband, Patrick were involved in a motorcycle accident in 1993. Gloria’s right elbow was seriously injured, resulting in nerve damage affecting her back and legs. For years afterwards, she received photos in the mail for autographing, but couldn't sign them due to her injury. However, she kept them all in hopes that she would be able to sign and return them someday. In her last years, she began to have more difficulty walking, and was bedridden in the months prior to her death. She developed pneumonia, and was admitted to a hospital, where she became critical. She died very peacefully. According to her husband, having two grandchildren kept her going the last couple years, despite the pain she endured.

Gloria Talbott remains a cult favorite for her portrayals in westerns as well as her sci-fi films. She was one of those stars who provided a touch of class to both the big and little screens.

Virginia Christine was not the only Swedish miss to work on TAOS. Veda Ann Borg was born in Boston, Massachussetts, on January 11, 1915. Her father, Gottfried Borg, a Swedish immigrant, was a painter and decorator. Her mother, Minna Noble Borg had been a secretary before marrying Gottfried. Veda had hopes of becoming a cartoonist, but she established herself as a model in New York in the early 1930s.

Despite having no prior acting experience, Veda was given a secret screen test by Paramount in 1936 and signed on the spot. Her contract was short-lived with only one film, Three Cheers for Love (1936), starring Bob Cummings and William Frawley. Warner Brothers was a better fit. In Kid Galahad (1937), she co-starred with Edward G. Robinson, Bette Davis, Humphrey Bogart, and Wayne Morris. She had the knack of making even the smallest bit parts memorable as evidenced in this performance. The Case of the Stuttering Bishop was a Perry Mason venture. In The Singing Marine with Dick Powell, Veda got billing over Jane Wyman. In Public Wedding, the tables are turned; Jane Wyman gets top billing along with William Hopper. San Quentin (1937) teamed Veda with Pat O’Brien, Humphrey Bogart, and Ann Sheridan.

The movie is a commentary on the Depression era and how inmates of the prison are affected by it. In Confession with Kay Francis, Ian Hunter, Basil Rathbone, and Donald Crisp, Veda plays one of Rathbone’s conquests. Kay Francis is on trial for her life, while her defense attorney is none other than a very young, moustached and full head of hair—Ben Welden. While Veda’s part isn’t a large one, the movie is good. In It’s Love I’m After, a comedy, Veda plays a maid. Co-stars included the great talents of Bette Davis, Olivia deHavilland, Spring Byington, and Bonita Granville. Veda’s only movie in 1938, Over the Wall, paired her with two future TAOS alumni, John Hamilton and Jonathon Hale. Her two films of 1939 were The Law Comes to Texas and Miracle on Main Street.

A life-threatening automobile accident in 1939 interrupted Veda’s career. Her face had to be completely reconstructed by plastic surgery. Upon gaining her first major role after the surgery, she said “I felt I had come back from the grave.” Veda emerged from this with a harder, more distinctive countenance than before—it’s no wonder she was so adept being the brassy chorus girl, gun moll and "kept women" that she would portray over the next twenty years. Resuming film work, Veda worked on 10 films in 1940. The first was the serial cliffhanger, The Shadow with Victor Jory and Roger Moore (not 007, but Robert Young’s older brother). During the 1940’s she freelanced at what is referred to as “poverty studios” like Monogram. She was pegged as a “wisecrackin', fast-talking, tough cookie...not the quiet ingénue that was typical of the films of the period.”

In Revenge of the Zombies (sci-fi) she plays John Carradine’s deceased wife, Lila. Also featured was Gale Storm, as part of a series for Monogram pictures (1943). Veda had a part in the Oscar winning film, Mildred Pierce (1945), starring Joan Crawford, Ann Blyth, and Eve Arden. Despite considerable talent, her leading roles usually occurred in B

pictures like What a Blonde (1945). Another of her serials, Jungle Raiders, (1945) was a Sam Katzman production. The Corsican Brothers (1941) paired Veda with Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., J. Carol Naish, and a future TAOS alumna,

Sarah Padden. In 1949, Forbidden Women told the tale of three women hanging out in a bar, trying to gain the sympathy of the bartender as they tell of their marital woes. Veda’s husband in this one was Bill Kennedy, future announcer of the TAOS introduction, Robert Shayne, and one Noel Neill.

She began picking up some impressive "A" credits in the 1950s, notably as Vivian Blaine's showgirl pal in the mammoth musical Guys and Dolls (1955). Veda’a first movie with John Wayne was Big Jim McClain (1952), also with Hans Conreid and James Arness. John Wayne, as an investigator for the House on Un-American Activities gives viewers an inkling of what that era was like in American history. Her last movie appearance was in the John Wayne-directed film, The Alamo (1960). For eleven years, Veda Ann Borg was the wife of director Andrew V. McLaglen. Veda Ann Borg's career lasted approximately 25 years, from the mid 1930s through about 1960. She did roughly 80 films of various types, including a dozen westerns.

Veda’s TAOS Appearance

One of the most memorable episodes of the entire series, The Stolen Costume begs the question of how would CK/Superman react to someone actually discovering his secret identity. This is one of the episodes written by Ben Peter Freeman. (Please note: he wrote 7 of the episodes, including The Evil Three, Mystery in Wax, and The Deserted Village). Mr. Freeman’s treatment of female characters as strong-willed women is evident. The Stolen Costume shows us Connie, a woman who really knows how to use her brain. Connie overshadows Ace. It is Connie who knows the value of what T-Ball has brought them. Connie perseveres in her interrogation until told what she want to know. Veda’s brilliant portrayal of Connie shines. Veda’s vocal intonation in the dialogue impacts perfectly. It’s the emphasis on “The bullets bounced right off him!” as Ace shoots Clark. It’s the panic in her voice when she asks, “Is he dead?” after Clark knocks Candy out. It’s the smug attitude she adopts with “Yeah, and that’ll put the whammy on your Superman racket but good!” And you can hear her fright in “You’re not going to leave us here!” when Superman brings them to the cabin on the mountaintop. Veda runs the gamut of emotion.

TAOS only began Veda’s TV career. In 1953, she appeared in The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok as a redheaded sheriff. She had a recurring role as Honeybee Willis in The Life of Riley. She was in The Public Defender (1954), and two episodes of the General Electric Theater (1954). Veda was also in an episode of Stories of the Century (1955). She appeared in three episodes of a WW II series entitled Navy Log (1955-57). There was an Alfred Hitchcock episode (1956), and another recurring role as Polly in the Disney mini-series, Corky and White Shadow series (1956). She appeared in The Thin Man (1957), the State Trooper (1957), Loretta Young Theatre (1958), Sugarfoot (1958), 3 episodes of The Restless Gun, (1958), and Bonanza (1961).

When I (Thom) first saw John Wayne's version of The Alamo (1960), I had no idea who Veda was; I didn’t know she had been in TAOS. John Wayne handpicked all the cast members for this production; among them was Veda Van Borg who portrayed Nell. Despite her dress in homespun cloth, a frayed straw hat and sun-damaged hair, she makes a striking appearance. Most impressive are her eyes. The makeup department put lenses on Veda eyes to portray her blindness with an almost glass-like appearance. Her final scenes, Veda gives one of her most powerful performances. It is worth watching again and again. Also, the recreation of the Alamo still stands today in Brownsville, Texas.

On a personal note, Veda’s first husband was Paul Herrick, whom she married in 1942. She met her second husband, Andrew V. McLaglen in 1945 while appearing with his father Victor McLaglen in Love, Honor and Goodbye (1945).

Veda had three children: Mary McLaglen, Josh McLaglen, and Victor McLaglen II. All three children would end up working on the production end of the movie business. Mary: unit production manager or assistant director for such films as The Client, One Fine Day, Practical Magic, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, and Miss Congenialty 2 (to name a few). Josh: first or second assistant director of such films as Alien 3, Dolores Claiborne, Titanic, The X-Files, The Haunting, Reign of Fire, The Polar Express, Constantine and The Lake House. Victor (Andy McLaglen): directed films such as McClintock, Cahill-US Marshall, and episodes of Gunsmoke,and Have Gun Will Travel, among others.

Veda Ann Borg died of cancer on August 16, 1973 at the age of 58, leaving behind her many unforgettable roles as the woman who didn’t fit into high society, the zany blonde, or one who was flawed. For the TAOS fan, Connie will always be one of the most memorable women in the series.

Once upon a time, on March 20, 1920, about six years after the birth of George Reeves, there was a Swedish American miss who made her entrance in Stanton, Iowa. Are we beginning to see a pattern here of all the Iowa natives who have been involved with

Superman? Her name was Virginia Ricketts, later as Virginia Kraft, when her mother remarried. She became known as Virginia Christine. Her early years were spent in Scandinavian communities in both Iowa and Minnesota. She attended kindergarten and early elementary classes at the Elmwood Elementary School near Drake University in Des Moines. As a student at Mediapolis High School (class of 1937), Virginia dreamed of becoming a concert pianist. During her high school years, she won state honors in both vocal and instrumental music, as well as a National Forensic League Award contest. This brought her to Chicago to work for a radio station. Her family relocated to Los Angeles and it is here that Virginia sought radio work while attending college at UCLA. While there, Warner Bros. studio reps saw her in a play. They signed her up and renamed her. A starlet was born—Virginia Christine. They cast her in "Edge of Darkness".

She was trained for a theatrical career by the actor/director, Fritz Feld, who later would become her husband. They had two sons. In 1942, her Warner Brothers contract brought her bit parts in Edge of Darkness (1943), playing a Norwegian peasant girl named “Miss Olson”. Dealing with the Nazi occupation of Norway, the film starred Errol Flynn, Ann Sheridan and Walter Huston. Mission to Moscow (1944) is based on the real Ambassador to Russia, Joseph H. Davies. It features the talents of Walter Huston, Gene Lockhart, Eleanor Parker, Virginia in an uncredited role, and one Robert Shayne.

While functioning as a freelance actress, Virginia played the female lead in The Mummy’s Curse (1945). Teamed with Lon Chaney Jr, she portrayed Princess Ananka. Later, she would come to consider this picture “ghastly” in her own words, and definitely not one of her highlights. There was the low budget western serial, The Scarlet Horseman (1946) in which she had a recurring role as Carla Marquette. That same year, she teamed up with Hugh Beaumont in Murder Is My Business in the Michael Shayne series. And in 1949, she appeared with George Reeves in Special Agent.

One high note was the cult film Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956), while one of her worst ventures was Billy the Kid Meets Dracula (1978).

As Mrs. Simpson, she appeared in High Noon (1952) with Gary Cooper, Grace Kelly, and Lloyd Bridges to name a few. She was in the 1952 version of Cyrano de Bergerac with Jose Ferrer. Also that year, Ms. Christine was in Never Wave at a WAC, a war comedy in which Rosalind Russell and Jane Seymour starred with her. Virginia even had a Disney movie in her resume, Johnny Tremain (1957). The notables from this film were Sebastian Cabot and Annette Funicello. In 1963, she appeared in 4 for Texas starring the Rat Pack and Ursula Andress and Anita Ekberg. In 1964, she was cast for a role in The Killers, based on a Hemingway short story. It was originally intended for television; however, it was rejected by the censors because of the violence.

She matured into a character actress who was quite in demand when she appeared in Stanley Kramer films: The Men (1950), Not as a Stranger (1955), Judgment at Nuremberg (1961) and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967). Her last film was Woman of the Year, (1976), a remake of the old Tracy-Hepburn movie.

Although she appeared in many films, here is one actress whose impact was most definitely felt on the small screen rather than the large one. It would seem that Virginia Christine was one of the most sought after actresses to appear in many popular series in the 1950’s and 1960’s. In fact, the busy, 5-foot-4 Iowan racked up more than 150 movies and 300 television shows in her career.

Her TV credits are far too numerous to mention. Some of the highlights include multiple episodic appearances in Dragnet, The Ford Television Theatre, Science Fiction Theatre, State Trooper, Trackdown, The Rifleman, The Untouchables, Perry Mason, Bonanza, The Fugitive, Wagon Train, The Virginian, The F.B.I., and Daniel Boone. And those are just the multiples! She had numerous one-time appearances in many of our favorites from the 1950’s and 1960’s. She was also considered a voice artist, and did voice work in Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo.

Another memorable actress, we see her in only one episode, as the famous Lady in Black.

Because she was so proficient in doing foreign accents, it’s no wonder that Virginia was chosen to appear in this episode! I found it most interesting that the character of lady in black would be the central part of this episode, and yet, we only see her in the beginning and at the end. We are given a glimpse of the lady in black’s secret identity, Mrs. Frank, in a few brief scenes in the middle of the episode. We see Jim Olson on the phone with Clark, telling him that he is apartment sitting, as his mother and her friend are visiting relatives in Michigan. As Jim leaves the building, he has an encounter with a man with the scar on his face—none other than John Doucette. At the bus stop, Jim has his first meeting with the lady in black. “I do not think it will rain today, do you?” she says with her thick foreign accent. Her next line of “He said the clouds are very near” make one wonders what sort of secret message this is. Indeed, poor Jim looks rather baffled himself.

As with a typical spy thriller, the lady in black takes Jim into an alley and persuades him to take a brown paper package from her for safekeeping. He attempts to go after the mysterious lady, but she seemed to have vanished into thin air. He then heads toward the back entrance of the apartment building. Standing at the door, a dagger is thrown, landing in the door molding. Jim hurries inside with a package full of money, dropping it outside in the hallway, and calls Clark, telling him a story that seems unbelievable. Still, being the hero that he is, Superman makes a trip over to make sure everything is all right.

With Superman on the scene, Jim’s story seems to be a tall tale. To make matters worse, Mrs. Frank is first seen in the episode. Virginia, as Mrs. Frank brings in a bag of groceries, and is asked if she found a knife at the back door. She produces a rubber dagger and nonchalantly makes a comment about how the kids are always leaving them there. Once Superman takes off, she remarks “He sure flies pretty” and then goes about her business. Virginia is then discussing with her husband how they are switching expensive paintings with imitations. I must admit I chuckled over her comment on modern art, and then the way she said, “Eyes, eyes, eyes!”

Now toward the end of the episode, the Lady in Black drops in on Jim. She tries to persuade him to hide her, while Superman appears a moment later. With her thick accent, she tries to excuse herself and leave the apartment but Superman will not allow this. Fearful that Superman will take action, she moves backward and says, “You would not touch a lady,” Of course, our superhero, always the gentleman responds with “of course not” but then uses his super breath to strip her of the hat and heavy veil, revealing Mrs. Frank. At this point, Virginia pours on the tears and is led from the apartment by Superman. And that is the last time we see her in the episode.

Despite all of her incredible film and television work, Virginia will most likely be remembered as Mrs. Olson, the friendly, Swedish neighbor of the Folger’s coffee commercials. In each one, she would provide comfort to a young married couple by showing the new wife how to make the perfect cup of coffee. Virginia began filming these commercials in 1965. She became so identified with the Mrs. Olson character, that her hometown erected a water tower shaped like a coffee pot named after her.

Virginia Christine retained her warm feelings for Iowa through the years, and returned there for school reunions. She died July 24, 1996 but left behind a long-standing film and television legacy.

Tribute to Sarah Padden

We have been blessed to have marvelous male character actors from the TAOS series that have left an indelible mark on those episodes. Names so familiar to us such as Herb Vigran, Ben Welden, and John Doucette were indeed unforgettable. As I watched the series during syndication, I kept asking why the women in the series never had any recurring appearances like the men did. That’s why I decided, with Carl’s blessing of course, to call attention to those women, who may have only had one or two appearances, but whom also stand out in their own right.

Many will never remember her real name. Indeed, for TAOS fans, regardless of what other film or television work she has done, she will always be known as Mrs. Carmady in The Haunted Lighthouse episode. The actress, who pretended to be Jimmy Olson’s Aunt Louisa, is really Sarah Padden. She was born on October 16, 1881 in England. I’m not sure at what point she came to the USA, but she spent the majority of her life and career on this side of the Atlantic. Sarah had appeared in more than 169 movies and television episodes during her career.

Sarah Padden’s film and television career spanned the years of 1926-1961. During that time, she had some major, many minor, and some uncredited roles. Like our beloved George Reeves, Sarah had her share of appearances with major movie stars. Sarah appeared in three films in 1931 – Mata Hari, Yellow Ticket, and Bad Girl. Some of her co-stars included Greta Garbo, Lionel Barrymore, Lawrence Olivier, and Boris Karloff. Bad Girl received an Academy Award for Best Director and the film was nominated as best picture. Other films featured Sarah with the likes of Spencer Tracy, Ralph Bellamy, Helen Hayes and Clark Gable. One of her early films, Tomorrow’s Children (1934) dealt with the controversial subject of sterilization of people with physical and mental defects. In this film, Sarah, whose daughter is to be married is to be sterilized so a genetic defect cannot be passed along. One venture, in 1939, cast a young Sarah Padden opposite Mickey Rooney in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

One of Sarah’s films in 1943, Hangmen Also Die, tells the story of a Nazi hangman and how he himself loses his life. While reading up on this movie, I was surprised to see that the summary was written by Jim Beaver. The 1940’s ushered in roles for Sarah in 34 westerns. It is here that I for one have seen her in the majority of her films. This is also where some of her best character acting is seen. Usually seen as the rugged mother figure, head of a ranch, or even as the evil matriarch on the wrong side of the law, Sarah seemed to shine in these roles. She like George Reeves also appeared in a Hoppy movie entitled In Old Colorado 1941), featuring William Boyd and Andy Clyde. Sarah was in Gene Autry’s Heart of the Rio Grande (1942). In “Marshal of Laredo” (1945), Sarah Padden had a young costar named Robert Blake, later to be known as Baretta.

Due to her versatility for character roles, Miss Padden was also featured in comedies. Reg’lar Fellers (1941) finds an old and mean Sarah about to be robbed when, the group of kids she finds bothersome helps prevent the robbery. She eventually recants her attitude toward children as a result. One of the kids in the group is Carl “Alfalfa” Switzer of the Little Rascals/Our Gang fame. Another comedy from this decade was So This Is Washington, an installment of a seven-part series featuring Abner and Lum, two backwoods grocery proprietors who think they’ve invented a synthetic rubber. Sarah was featured as Aunt Charity Speers in this part. One of her major roles came from comedy. She was Mom Palooka in the 1940’s Joe Palooka prizefighter series featuring Jimmy Durrante and Stu Irwin. The Baby Boomers might not remember this, but their parents might, as this was a very popular series.

In the early 1950’s Sarah appeared in several noteworthy films. In 1950, Sarah starred in a movie entitled The Missourians which happened to be directed by George Blair. He, of course would go on to direct some of the TAOS episodes. Sarah portrays a mother once more, while John Hamilton is the mayor and Lane Bradford (Jet Ace) portrays a character named Stash. Also in 1950, Sarah, in another western, entitled Gunslingers, portrayed Rawhide Rose Rawlins. Two of her co-stars were Andy Clyde and Bill Kennedy (TAOS announcer and race announcer in Joey). House By The River (1951) was a murder mystery. Sarah appears with Jane Wyatt and Peter Brocco (The Secret of Superman). In 1952, it was Big Jim McLain with John Wayne, James Arness, Hans Conried and Veda Ann Borg (The Stolen Costume).

In addition to those already mentioned, Sarah Padden had appeared with other actors who would later become TAOS alumni: Arthur Space (The Seven Souvenirs), Sterling Holloway (The Machine That Could Plot Crimes, Whistling Bird, Through the Time Barrier), Jonathon Hale (The Evil Three, Panic in the Sky), Maurice Marsac (The Birthday Letter, The Girl Who Hired Superman), and Virginia Christine (Lady in Black).

Once television had become an accepted form of entertainment, Sarah was seen in many series in the 1950’s. She appeared in the very first episode of the first season of Mr. And Mrs. North, entitled Weekend Murder. George Blair was also one of the directors for this episode. Sarah appeared in two Cisco Kid episodes with Jonathon Hale. In addition, she was in Dragnet, Lone Ranger, and Roy Rogers episodes, and The Loretta Young Show.

If anyone could be typecast, it would have been Sarah. She always played the madcap, eccentric heiress, a sympathetic mother of a very misguided son or daughter, or a ruthless matriarch. Admittedly, she was very convincing in these roles. In some films, Sarah was the one who made you chuckle from some of her zany antics. In others, she was the virtual maternal figure. In some, however, she was a fearsome character with cold as steel eyes that would make anyone queasy. Indeed, in many of her roles she portrayed someone you’d love to hate. For most of her film work, Sarah’s hair was pulled back into that tiny bun that seemed to be a signature trait for her.

Here’s a little known fact about Sarah Padden. Did you know that Sarah was one of four actresses being considered for the role of Auntie Em in The Wizard of Oz? Just think of how her career might have gone had she been immortalized in that classic. Although she didn’t land the part, that didn’t stop Sarah from working and her resume proves that.

Her TAOS appearance in The Haunted Lighthouse is one of my favorite episodes. First, I love lighthouses. I used to marvel at how large and small craft would be steered away from dangerous rocks on a shoreline. As a child, I recall my grandmother was into the soaps. One of her favorites was The Guiding Light, which featured a lighthouse. The first time I saw The Haunted Lighthouse, I wondered why the lighthouse was haunted. Clark’s introduction about Aunt Louisa being pleasant enough but still having an underlying tension sets the tone. Sarah Padden’s acting ability is seen first in the warm smile and expressive eyes as she introduces Jim Olson to Alice. When her son, Chris balks at having a visitor, he gets the response in typical Sarah Padden harshness, “You’re lucky I remembered he was coming at all!”

Sarah turns on the charm when Jim Olson has a run in with cousin Chris. Sarah sweetly tells Jimmy that she wants him to forget all the unpleasantness with his cousin Chris and have a real vacation. Then she kisses him and tells him to be a good boy. She sounded so convincing. Another side of Sarah’s Aunt Louisa comes forth as she catches Jim and Alice sneaking out of the house. Her “Where do you two think you’re going?” tone of voice is authoritative, but panicked. After Jim explains they were going to look for her, Sarah the ever charming, sends Jim off to bed with a smile and “Good Night”. Immediately after he is out of sight, Sarah’s smile disappears and her eyes form daggers.

With Superman and the Coast Guard en route to Moose Island, Chris tells his mother to be prepared to blow up the lighthouse to conceal any evidence of the ongoing smuggling. Sarah now shows us worry and concern with her voice and expressive eyes, “Chris! Alice is up there with her!” His total disregard for Alice’s safety is such a counterpoint to Sarah, seated at the kitchen table. Her body language conveys sadness, worry, regret, and resignation. When Alice is tying her up, it’s the look in Sarah Padden’s eyes that makes you feel sympathetic toward her.

Sarah’s last two performances were in a 1957 episode of Crossroads where she played the grandmother of a prison inmate, and in 1958 she was a ranch owner in Girl With an Itch. Sarah Padden died on December 4, 1967. She may be gone but she certainly is not forgotten.

[Many thanks to Thom Hamilton for his assistance with research and photos]

WOODWARD DREAM CRUISE

For those of you unfamiliar with Detroit, here’s a bit of history. The French built Detroit as a fort on the River bearing the same name as the city. Through the years, the city built a network of roads that resembled half of a wagon wheel. Each spoke was a different road or avenue. The main spoke in that half wheel is what we now call Woodward Avenue. Woodward bears the name of a Detroit Judge, Augustus B. Woodward, who could be very sarcastic or one who liked to joke. Woodward Avenue has remained the “main drag” of Detroit—all 27 miles of it. Before Detroit became a city back in 1815, Native Americans used Woodward as one of their main routes. At that time, it was known as the Saginaw Trail. When the path became a wood-planked passage, it was nicknamed the “corduroy road” and wagons used to roll over it. The 1820’s brought tollbooths, and the road was made of gravel, mud, and cedar blocks. In 1909, Woodward had the distinction of having the first mile ever of concrete in the world—between Six Mile and Seven Mile roads. Finally, in 1916, the entire 27-mile length of highway all the way from downtown Detroit to Pontiac was paved. It also had the nation’s first three-color traffic light on it.

Needless to say, Henry Ford, Detroit, and cars go together like Kellogg’s, Battle Creek, and cereal. Woodward was an integral part of automotive production. Henry Ford’s first car was built at his home, which was four blocks west of Woodward. Chrysler was founded three blocks east of Woodward. GM introduced its Pontiac line as well as GMC truck and coach lines in Pontiac in 1926. In each case, these plants rose up right off the Woodward corridor.

Now, having come from a city like Chicago, with an excellent mass transit system, it was hard to envision why Detroit didn’t have one. Since Detroit is the birthplace and main hub of the automotive industry, one would think that people would have no trouble getting around this city. But to the natives here, the automobile is representative of many things. First and foremost, it is the primary industry that drives the economy of this city. Second, it fosters one’s independence to go from one place to another. Hence, the old Dinah Shore jingle of “See the USA in your Chevrolet” was the theme for many. Why take a bus when you can go to your very own destination, eliminate everyone else’s, and get there faster? Third, certain car models represented an affluent social position, such as the Cadillac, Lincoln, or Chrysler. Many of the old time wealthy had more than one of these cars housed on their estates.

But when all is said and done, it was the marriage of cars and teenagers together on Friday night at the drive-ins, or peeling rubber to impress the girls in the car next to you on the highway that would shape the evolution of the car. Indeed, being a part of that tradition, Woodward embodied Steppenwolf’s now famous stanza of “Get your motor running; head out on the highway, Looking for adventure in whatever comes our way”.

This year marked the 12^th annual Dream Cruise. The event has been billed as the “world’s largest one-day celebration of car culture.” It started out as a one-time event to raise funds for a children’s soccer field. Since that first Cruise back in 1995, it has been transformed into a cultural event that celebrates, not only the classic cars, but the fashions and music of the past as well. The city limits of Detroit end at Eight Mile Road. That’s where the city suburb of Ferndale begins. The cars inhabit Woodward from there to Pontiac for a total of 16 miles of Woodward Avenue. The media coverage of this event includes nationally known car magazines and periodicals, to several local newspapers, and our very own WOMC, the classic oldies radio station, and WXYZ-TV, our ABC affiliate.

This year, I decided to focus on cars from the earlier years than TAOS. Two real beauties are Ford’s 1930 Model A Coupe and a 1931 Model A Victoria Coupe. My dad was a great lover of Buick. But this 1938 Buick Special 4-door sedan has distinctive chrome and bears the Buick symbol on the front. The interior was plush velour.

For the baby boomers born in 1948, including myself,

I found the prettiest Chevrolet Fleetmaster convertible in a creamy yellow color.

Its interior, brown leather, was most luxurious.

From the first season of TAOS, The Deserted Village, Clark and Lois drive down to Clifton in a 1951 Chrysler New Yorker convertible. This picture of a 1951 Plymouth Cambridge gives you an idea of the styling. Cars were still a bit boxy, but even back then the emphasis was on what was under the hood.

When you compare GM’s blue 1951 Olds Rocket 88 convertible, with what Clark was driving, you see very similar styles in the body length, headlights and chrome detail.

Although I didn’t see too much of TAOS cars, I did manage to find a 1958 police squad car. The 1958 version differed from Lois’ 1957 in the taillights. Instead of having the full length of the fin having the taillights, the 1958 switched to the round ball at the base.

One of my favorites was the 1962 Cadillac, shown here in the Series 62 convertible.

Cadillac developed a longer car, and note the tiny fins that would become larger in successive years. I also have fond memories of the 1965 and 1966 Mustang. I had to get one photo of a red car and how appropriate that it was the ’66 Mustang.

As I recall, one of the most desirable cars for drag racing was the 1970 Dodge Challenger. Most of them came with a full vinyl top in their sportier versions.

Their distinctive taillight section was a dead giveaway.

What I would describe as “Cruise Fever” starts out on Monday of that week, even though the Cruise doesn’t officially occur until Saturday. During that time, you’ll start to see cars rolling in to park in the Northwood Shopping Center at the corner of Woodward and Thirteen Mile Roads. Serious cruise participants come equipped with their lawn chairs and literally camp out all day long in said parking lot. By Wednesday, you’ll see areas being roped off and a good portion of that parking lot with the cars in them. I know, as I have to pass that stretch coming home from work every day. By Friday, it’s hard for local traffic to get from one side of town to the other. All up and down the Woodward corridor in the 9 cities that participate, you’ll see events to display some of these beautifully restored vehicles. One neat thing about Michigan—they have historic license plates for these vehicles, which have the year of the car being licensed.

With the songs of the Beach Boys, Jan & Dean, and countless others from that era, you can almost picture the kids going to Susie-Q restaurant, a traditional stop at Maverick’s where you had drive up orders brought to your car while listening to the radio playing on the menu speaker, or meeting in Ted’s parking lot. Annual attendance at our Dream Cruise is usually between 1.5 million and 1.7 million. This year, we had rain on the day of the Cruise, so we had a little less than 1 million visitors. Still, that is impressive for a one-day event.

Just in case any of you would like more information on the Dream Cruise, the link is http://www.woodwarddreamcruise.com. If you enjoy classic cars, you won’t be disappointed. Meanwhile, happy cruisin’ to all!

September 2006

(The photo of the T-bird at the top was specifically for Carl--thanks Colete!)

Meeting the

First Lady of TAOS

(Wizard World – Chicago, Illinois - August 5, 2006)

This past weekend I happened to be in Chicago for a reunion-related project. That being done, my classmate and I took her kids to the Wizard World Convention. Upon arrival, we went our separate ways for a while, and so I set out on my own quest…strange, that this one took me back to the place of my birth. It was in Chicago that I first discovered the wonderful world of a Superman, along with a man named George Reeves, and his friends, Noel Neill, Jack Larson, John Hamilton, Robert Shayne, and all those famous character actors. Now, I had come back home to complete the pilgrimage and would seek out our original Lois Lane.

I realize that for those like Carl and Leslie, this is more of a common occurrence. But to those of us who have only dreamt of meeting our dear First Lady of TAOS, having the quest become a reality is almost next to impossible to imagine. Yet, here I stood, amidst all the hustle, bustle, and congestion—seeking the one person who has kept our TAOS memories alive all these years, along with Jack Larson.

From the moment I entered that convention center, my mind went into overdrive with questions. I wondered how I would react to The Lady. Would I be able to ask her questions, or would I stand there like a bungling idiot? I realized that it didn’t matter—this was about the mission to find Ms Neill and when I would find her, I prayed that I would be able to speak to her with some level of coherence. Like other conventions I’ve attended over the years, this one was wild, crazy and fun. There were so many displays of comic books, action figures, posters of Brandon Routh and people dressed in costumes. Lou Ferrigno of The Incredible Hulk was there. Dirk Benedict was signing Battlestar Galactica autographs, although I remember him more as “Face” from The A-Team. Then there is Scott L Schwartz, wrestler/actor, who also has a TAOS connection via Gene LeBell (thank you, Larry for letting me in on that one). When I told Scott that I hailed from the Detroit area, he told me that he used to wrestle in Detroit at Cobo Hall. It was like meeting an old friend. But even with all of the other celebrities there, none of them could deter me. I just had to see the one person whom I’ve longed to meet for so many years.

My eyes glanced along the wall, as I knew that’s where SHE would be. Then I saw it…that familiar poster of our favorite hero, George as Superman, with our favorite heroine. I meandered through the crowds and somehow found myself standing behind a group of people. They were huddled around a table so I could not see her. As they began to thin out, I approached with some trepidation. Then I spotted a familiar face from Carl’s web page. “Larry?” I shyly asked. He turned to me, so I said, “I’m Colete…from the Boards. It’s so nice to finally meet you!” I added how much I’ve enjoyed his latest book on Noel, particularly the early years. Larry was very warm and friendly to me. He brought me over to the table and then introduced me to “The Lady” herself. She flashed one of her famous smiles, and extended her hand to me. I held it with both of mine and told her what a great honor it was to meet her. To say I was a bit shaky would be a masterpiece of understatement. I kept thinking I should pinch myself—Can this really be happening? If it’s a dream, don’t let me wake up! I didn’t know what to call her—Ms Neill? Noel? She told me to call her “Lois”. I just stood there in total awe of her. Our “Lois” may be very petite, but she has the heart of a lion. She has such a presence and aura, and stands tall on her own.

I told her that I had brought her a little present and she seemed very surprised at that. I opened my purse and handed it to her. Her reaction was priceless! She reminded me of someone who had just opened her first Christmas present and discovered it was exactly what she wanted. Her face had a look that told me she was pleased. She thanked me and flashed another of her famous smiles. This was definitely one for the memory books, Folks!

Sensing this was a Kodak moment, Larry asked me if I brought my camera. I immediately handed it to him. He snapped two pictures of “Ms Lois” and me. I wanted to reciprocate so I’d have a picture of the two of them, but he told me that he “isn’t photogenic” (that’s usually my line). Not to worry, determined as I was, I did manage to get one of Larry as well.

With the camera put away, I turned to our First Lady of TAOS and told her that one picture in her book had very special meaning for me. I described it to her and felt myself getting a bit choked up. I took her hand and told her that my mother, who would be 82 if she were alive, had a similar one taken when she was 21. I told her how she reminded me so much of my mom in that one. She was touched by that and gave me a little hug.

What could be more of an honor and privilege than spending some special time with Ms Lois? I was so thrilled just to be in her presence. I am exceptionally proud and pleased to report that she is just as amiable and wonderful as Carl has told us she is. Our Lois puts one at ease immediately and I found myself hanging on her every word. I enjoyed the “girl talk” that we had, but we also spoke a bit about TAOS. I told Ms Lois that The Wedding of Superman was one of my favorite episodes because she finally got the man. At that, she flashed one of her legendary smiles and gave a nod. Although there are probably many things I could have asked her, my mind was a blank. It was wonderful just watching her interact with people. To coin a phrase from George as Superman, “I’m not very good with words”, but just being in her presence was extraordinary!

All good things must come to an end, and my time with the First Lady of TAOS ended all too quickly. She remains a splendid ambassador for TAOS and that entire ensemble cast. She tirelessly greets the fans with great exuberance. She signs their photos and memorabilia, and has her picture taken with them. I spent a few moments with her, but came away feeling I’d known her my entire life. I was deeply touched by her genuine concern for others, and how much she enjoys being close to the fans. I experienced the First Lady of TAOS, and that is one I will cherish and remember always.

I’ve stated before, that even though George never had any children of his own, he has an entire generation of children. And yes, George, we are the adults who do appreciate you. By the same token, our First Lady of TAOS has been like a mother to all the fans who watched her then, and continue to watch her faithfully. For an entire generation of girls such as myself, The Original Lois Lane blazed a trail and showed us how to remain competitive in a man’s world, while still retaining our femininity. The little lady from Minneapolis continues to be an inspiration to all of us. Stay well, “Lois”, for we love you dearly!

August 2006

Motor City Comic Con

I haven’t been to one of these in years. In fact, in years past, I usually would have been out at the soccer field for the weekend. But I happened to be on the west side for a meeting and dropped in at the Motor City Comic Con Saturday afternoon.

I was the "lady in black" to borrow a phrase from our beloved TAOS. Another figure, Darth Vader kept waving at me and trying to get me to come to him. But with several Imperial Storm Troopers circling me, I decided to meander.

I went down one aisle, and saw Jon Provost. I totally agree with Carl. Jon is very down to earth and very personable. We talked a bit about how Lassie’s appearance has changed throughout the years. He even told me a bit about the last series he was in and that Bob Weatherwax was quite concerned about the ratings. That’s when they had Tommy Rettig (Jeff) and June Lockhart doing guest spots. But then I saw this picture of Jon with a Beagle, and that's all I needed. This was Jon’s dog in real life and we started talking about beagles. I related how I became a foster mother to a beagle named Tucker. This was Jon’s first visit to Detroit and I told him I hoped he would return. The last thing I told him was not to mention the Cavs in this town. We had Piston fever—and as of Sunday, our home team did us proud!

Nearby, was Tony Dow. Every time I wanted to speak to him, someone kept asking me to take their picture. Finally, I went up to him and told him how I'd seen a picture of him on the web with Jim Nolt’s daughter, Lisa. His wife asked me where the picture was taken; I said it was at Noel's birthday party. His wife said she remembered the party, and they had a great time. We talked a bit about Hugh Beaumont—as a role model. I related The Big Squeeze episode and told him that he portrayed the same fatherly figure in that one, as he would play on Leave it to Beaver.

By the time I could see John Wesley Shipp, it was toward the end of the day when they were packing up. I told him how I felt he was really good as The Flash. I asked him about Robert Shayne. John had nothing but kind words for him—called him a true legend, and a gifted actor. I asked him if they talked about on the set. That's when he told me that they were always rushing them through scenes so they were lucky to see each other. Sounds a good deal like TAOS, doesn’t it? He gave total credit to his stunt double for all of the daring things that his had to perform, but he tried to do whatever he could.

Another aisle and I found John Saxon. I asked him if he really did the karate moves in Enter the Dragon with Bruce Lee. He responded that he did—except for he backward flips. He was quick to add that not even Bruce did those backward flips.

One of the highlights was speaking to Karen Allen. With her hair in braids, she didn't look any different from when she was in Raiders of the Lost Ark. She had just undone the braids and we talked about hair—one of the things women are prone to discuss. She is all but retired from show business and has her own line of custom made shirts and sweaters in New York. She went to college for fashion design and mentioned F.I.T. where my daughter's best friend attends currently. She did say that if a project came along, and it was too good to pass up, that she'd fit it in with her schedule. But she's content with her business and raising her 15-year-old son.

As I was making my way down one of the aisles, a whistling and strange, familiar sounds startled me. I turned round to find R2D2 all lit up as I was walking by. So I had to tell him that I could not forget about him and asked him to give my regards to C3PO.

I really wanted to see Brent Spiner, but he was constantly busy, busy, busy. I lucked out as he was taking a break. In passing, I told him that, although he will forever be Data for me, I liked his mad scientist from Independence Day. There were others—Lee Meriwether, who still looks the same. People constantly surrounded Adam West.

Knowing my love for cars, I was content with the Batmobile. I knew it was a Pontiac, but didn't know if it was a custom GTO or another model. Sure enough, it was a 1966 customized Pontiac Catalina. I saw the Herbie Volkswagen and fondly remembered my friend, Cindy, whose mint green one we once tried to fit in 17 people! Starsky and Hutch's Ford Torino was also there, along with the A-team’s GMC van and Dukes of Hazard Dodge squad car.

And, of course, what comic con would be complete without the comic books! Of course, I zeroed in on those Superman and Lois Lane. But when you see them, and knowing that George is my one true Superman, I kept saying, “Randy Garrett, where are you?” We really need to commission him to do one for us!

May 2006

Cars From TAOS in the Mid 1950s

Whenever I would go with my dad for a drive, we used to play a game. He’d point to a car and ask me what model and year it was. I used to know the slightest differences in model years – from headlights to taillights, fins or no fins. This isn’t unusual as a hobby, except that, as a girl, I knew more about these cars than some of the boys!

In The Adventures of Superman, the 1955-56 season marks the beginning of Chrysler vehicles as the cars of choice. Both Lois and Clark used Plymouth models. This was the era of two-toned coordinated colors on the Belvedere body and interiors, and lots of chrome on bumpers. Lois had the convertible version, while Clark drove the station wagon. The 1955 models premiered a sleeker look than the ’54 model year. The next time you watch Joey, Peril by Sea, The Big Freeze, or Wedding of Superman, pay attention to the cars.

The 1955 taillight shape was common not only for Plymouth, but for GM cars, like the Chevy. It isn’t until 1956 that the beloved fins start appearing on all makes of cars.

My dad had a 1956 Plymouth Savoy. Although the front of the ’55 and ’56 are similar, you can see the difference in the rear of the car. In 1956, they got fins!

As of 1957, the auto industry was into big, bold and long. Lois’ model had dual headlamps. When you watch The Atomic Captive, where Lois and Jimmy have taken the poor radioactive Dr. Latislav further into the desert, I think it is a orange or rust two-toned Plymouth Fury or Belvedere that Jimmy is driving.

Also appearing in this episode is the 1958 black Chrysler Imperial. This baby was sleek and very stylish. Their model was the 4-door sedan and was probably from the Southampton series. You can also see the Imperial in Superman’s Wife and The Big Forget.

The 50’s and early 60’s were truly a golden age for car styling. Majestic, stylish, and sleek, these classic beauties made their owners feel like kings and queens of the road. You could see the USA in more than a Chevrolet.

Since Lois Lane seemed to have a keen eye for cars, I wonder what she would have thought of the first car I ever owned, a 1967 Plymouth Barracuda. Mine was in tan with black interior, bucket seats and a console. According to our neighbor, who worked at the GM Technical Center, my car had the best acceleration of any car he’d driven at GM. Not bad for a 19 year old girl. What do you think?

April 2006

Grandpa Bob and His Love of Trains

(Written to his Grandchildren, Mat, Sara, Ellen)

In order to understand your Grandfather’s connection to trains, you’d have to know about some of the other Morlock men. Your great, great grandfather, William Morlock came from Germany and was a boilermaker by trade. Upon arrival in this country, he and his wife settled in Terre Haute, Indiana. William worked as a fireman during the days when horses would pull along the “fire engine”. Your great grandfather, Fred also worked as a boilermaker, but for the railroad in Indiana. I’ve heard that he originally worked for the Pennsylvania Railroad in Terre Haute. But at some point, he relocated to Chicago, where he worked on the Belt Company Railroad of Chicago, known by most as the Chicago Belt. Trains at that time were steam powered, water being heated by wood and then coal being loaded into the furnace. That’s what enabled the engines to move. Here’s a picture of one of their engines.

Your Grandpa Bob grew up with trains all around him. The south side of Chicago used to have the stockyards. Here, cattle, sheep, and other livestock were shipped to the stockyards and then killed and processed for shipments to the various meatpacking plants across the nation. An engine would then couple all the cars and transport them to waiting trains so that meat would be delivered across the country. Years later, the stockyards would be closed down and would later be relocated in St. Louis. With the stockyards gone, Chicago had already developed such a network of railroad track that it became the railway hub of the Midwest and the entire country.

After WW II ended, the soldiers returned home from the war and the U.S. Government paid for them to go back to school. Grandpa Bob went to Machinist School to receive his tradesman degree. He then went to work on the Chicago Belt. I’m not positive, but it was most likely because he wanted to advance himself, that your Grandpa Bob left the Belt and went to work for the Grand Trunk Western Railway. The GTW--as we lovingly refer to it--was a “tenant” of the Belt. That meant that, for a rental fee, they were allowed to use the Belt’s track system in order to go from one destination to another.

The GTW was owned by the Canadian National Railway. This would become an important factor later on when Grandpa would seek a promotion as a Locomotive Foreman, a managerial position. This would eventually take all of us from Chicago to Detroit.

All during the time I was growing up, Grandpa and I would look at TV programs, like The Adventures of Superman, which showed a locomotive in the introduction. Grandpa Bob used to know the model numbers of all the various steam engines and would rattle them off to me. He always said that steam was a more efficient way of running an engine and required less maintenance. Of course, I couldn’t understand a good deal of what he was saying to me. He just liked to share his love of trains and I loved them as well. During the mid to late 1950’s, the train engines were now diesel powered. The USA looked to the train as the main transportation of freight. The diesel trains were faster and more powerful and connected the Midwest with the west coast and the eastern seaboard.

When all the major railroads converted to diesel engines, there were some that really stood out. Santa Fe line had either big silver or red engines. The Santa Fe line was the ultimate line for passenger trains, although they handled freight as well. Their engines were sleeker in design than their rounded steam predecessors. Their powerful engines were designed to cut down on the number of stops made since they no longer had to fill up a boiler with water. The Santa Fe used the southern route going through Iowa, Missouri, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico and finally ending up in Los Angeles, California. The Northern Pacific used another route, through the northern states and ended up in Seattle. The diesels, like their steam predecessors had a bell and whistle. But the whistle was a two or three toned sort of whining sound. On summer nights, I can sometimes hear the train whistles as they drive through a road crossing. It’s like having an old friend waving in the distance to me.

Grandpa used to tell me there were two types of engines--road and yard. The road engines are those that actually transport people or freight from one city to another. If you think of horses, then the road engines are like the stagecoach horses. The yard engines are the workhorses, similar to plow horses on a farm. The yard engines work at uncoupling cars from one train and putting them on another.

Bicentennial Engine - 1976

All the engines have a “garage”, or space in the

Roundhouse, which is rounded but is usually a

semi-circle. Outside the roundhouse is a track

leading up to the turntable. An engine would

come out from the roundhouse, drive onto the

turntable, and then would be turned to a

connecting track in the rail yard for work or

connection to the cars it would pull.

Back in the roundhouse, as each engine drives over its track, there is an area like a basement right beneath it. This is called “The Pit” and that’s where Grandpa and the machinists would work on the engines for routine maintenance. Grandpa Bob used to tell me that, in the early 60’s, the engines of the GTW were squared off--looking more rectangular--and they had a small walkway around the sides and front with a mini-rail. Grandpa would remove the panel from the side where he would work on the pistons for the engine.

I actually drove a train once! I was surprised because an engine is different from the inside of a car. There are dozens of switches on a panel in front of the engineer that operate the different parts of the engine. A lever, called the throttle powers the engine into movement. I asked the engineer how much should I turn it so we didn’t jump off the track. I rang the bell and blew the horn through the train yard. It was exciting and a bit scary--all at the same time.

I’ll never forget the Christmas Uncle Rob got his first Lionel train. I was so jealous; I liked dolls and typical girl things, but I’ve always loved the trains. When Mat got his miniature train set, I thought of how proud Grandpa Bob would be, and how he would have loved to share his train stories with each of you.

Your Grandfather’s claim to fame was that he promoted the first minority to a trade union on his line. Grandpa was extremely proud of this accomplishment. I only knew him as Robby--a tall, roly-poly looking man--but gentle as they come. Grandpa was a great mentor, and he helped Robby study for the machinist exam. Robby paved the way for other minorities to become tradesmen. Grandpa’s work ethic was such that, if you did your job and did it well, then everything was fine. He seemed to bring out the best in his men. And if he felt they were not working up to their potential, he had no problem telling them so!

March 2006