Reader Review
'Filk Music'
Science Fiction Fandom has given
much to the wider culture. Filk
Music started
off as a typo, continued
as an in-joke and then expanded beyond the original
circle. Way back when, a young fan mistyped 'folk' music, and so
the subcategory 'filk' music was born. Or, shall we say, reinvented
and claimed by fans even as the rest of the world blithely continues
the rich tradition of parodies.
Filk music started out, for the most part, as participatory. A
fan would adopt a well-known tune with new lyrics based on a favorite
book or movie. They'd pass around dittoed sheets and everyone would
sing along, the wide range of keys bringing a campground feel to the
event. Sometimes, the performer would do a solo act, but the song
was aimed at their friends and fellow sf fans. Mundanes simply
wouldn't get it; that was the charm. What Allen Sherman did and
Weird Al Yankovic does, fans do to almost anything deemed worthy. The
Green Hills of Earth is a poem from a Heinlein story, and has
been filked to Amazing Grace and The Gilligan's Island
Theme Song. Onward
Sauron's Soldiers is sung to the tune of Onward Christian
Soldiers. That sort of thing.
Nowadays, there are still traditional filkers, but a large array
of people with performing and songwriting talent have joined fandom,
and con music is closer to the folk coffeehouses of old. I'll most
likely review a bunch of musicians known primarily through their
performances at science fiction conventions. Many are fine musicians
and don't like to be called filkers... but we know.
Masquerading As
Human by the Duras Sisters is
the closest thing to traditional filk in this review. The group is
named after the power-hungry Klingons in Star Trek: The Next Generation,
and the a cappella trio does a lot of songs based on the tv show,
indeed some of the songs are based on individual episodes. My
favorite songs aren't from the show, however. I really love the
title cut, Masquerading As Human, about an alien on Earth, and
Bella Chow, a parody of a Russian troika that every cat lover
will appreciate.
The personnel in Dandelion Wine keeps
changing, anchored by Decadent Dave Clement, but they make some of
the best music in or out of fandom. Based in Winnipeg, their music
is in the tradition of Canadian balladeers like Stan Rogers. Circles
in the Grain is a great album. I prefer the 'filk' side to the
'folk' side (it was originally released on cassette), but your tastes
may vary. Drink Up the River ("you've got to drink up the
river before you drown") is an amazingly upbeat song about aiming
toward the future. Discovery is about explorations, from
Columbus to the stars. Captain Jack and the Mermaid is a
terrific tale well told. This Island Earth is another
optimistic song.("calling all dreamers and optimistic fools").
Cheap Hooch is good too, with a nice version of Dixie
Chicken. (You can get both Dandelion Wine CDs here here, it
claims, as well as other filk that I'll be reviewing later.)
Nate Bucklin
has been a mainstay of the LA/Minneapolis fan music scene for a long
time, with forays into professional gigs, and has been a friend of
mine for over two decades (with a short stint as housemate).He writes
heart-wrenching autobiographical songs and plays them spectacularly
well. Someday, a recording will live up to hearing him live in a
filk circle but in the meantime we have his three tapes and Rainbow's
Edge on CD. My favorite Nate work is The Chart Song,
about trying to live down a sexual encounter at a science fiction
convention, full of faannish references (a Langdon Chart is a diagram
of such liaisons, so you can find out how many links you are from...)
and delicious rhymes. You enter into his life with Convention
Report, You Don't Know About Me, Afraid of the
Desperate, I Pop Pills (heard on Dr. Demento), and others.
Some Dumb Duke is silly and fun. I never know how seriously
to take When I Stop Reading SF ("Will you still love me
when..."), since Nate still reads (and occasionally writes) the stuff.
Dave Romm is a conceptual artist with a radio show and a web site and a very weird CD collection. He reviews things at random for obscure web sites. You can read all his music recommendations from Bartcop-E here.
Thanks, Dave!
Alex's Entertainment Report
(AKA - ALL THE NEWS THAT'S FIT TO HACK?)
Alex
Reader Comment
Der Spiegel
Larry
Thanks, Larry. But, used that picture a week ago, today... BartCop E, Friday, 22 February. But, since I
really like it....(love the necklace on Dim Son). ; )
Reader Comment
'Jerry Fartwell'
As much as I hate to give morons like Falwell attention, I feel compelled to comment on his recent remarks.
Much like the extremists that attacked our country, right wing "Christian" fundamentalists are opposed to anyone or any thing that doesn't adhere to or fall in line with their belief system. I consider Jerry Falwell to be one of these extremists.
After all, isn't one of the basic tenants of the Bible supposed to be tolerance?
To be more specific, Feminism is, I believe, one of the primary things that make us different from the extremist groups that attacked us. They subjugate women, refuse to educate them, and allow them no voice whatsoever in their society.
We also have a male dominated society, but thanks to the freedom afforded us by our country, every man and woman is given a voice. Thus, giving balance to the testosterone laden nature of a male dominated culture by tempering it with a compassionate, nurturing side instilled in us by our mothers, wives, and daughters.
I don't consider myself a feminist. Nor does anyone I know consider me to be one. Quite frankly, this statement would surprise many who know me. But facts are facts.
Perhaps the "reverend" Falwell should spend some time reflecting on the similarities between his extreme right wing religious organization and the extremists who call themselves Muslim. In my thinking, this man is as much a representative of Christianity as the hijackers are an adequate depiction of the Muslim faith.
~ David S.
Thanks, Dave!
From 'TBH Politoons'
Great Site!
Thanks, again, Tim!
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Started the night on NBC and stuck it out for the 2 hours of sitcoms. 'Friends' found another shark to jump (who'da
thunk it?), and the debut of 'Leap Of Faith' wasn't as bad as anticipated, but, Julia Louis-Dreyfus' show Tuesday night,
'Watching Ellie' was better constructed. Loved seeing Suzanne Pleshette on 'Will & Grace', playing Karen's mom.
Remember her as the heroic school marm in Hitchcock's ''The Birds''? Another couple of years & she'll be giving Barry White
a run for the deepest voice since William Warfield.
'Dave' was in rare form, still playing his John Ashcroft 'Soar Like An Eagle' clip. Also liked that Dave acknowledged
Paul's Grammy - along with Steve Martin (and a whole lot more), who were part of Earl Scrugg's 'Foggy Mountain Breakdown'.
Tonight, Friday, CBS is fresh with 'First Monday' and 'Miss USA 2002', from Gary, Indiana.
NBC has a 2 hour 'Dateline', followed by a fresh 'Law & Order: Special Victim Unit'.
ABC has 2 hours of 'Funniest Bloopers' and 'Funniest Commercials', followed by '20/20'.
The WB is all reruns - 'Sabrina', 'Raising Dad', 'Reba', and 'Maybe It's Me'.
Faux finally airs the 'NAACP Image Awards', taped 2/22. No one wanted to see the Condi Rice picture....any takers today?
The UPN has a movie, 'Batman Forever', with Val Kilmer.
PBS has 'NOW With Bill Moyers', which is worth watching.
TCM has one of my favorite movies,
'To Kill A Mockingbird'. Gregory Peck is 'Atticus Finch'.
Brock Peters was so overlooked in this movie. Bonus question...who played Boo Radley *?
(* Scroll way down for hint)
Another overlooked actor is Alice Ghostley who played Stephanie Crawford in 'To Kill A Mockingbird'.
She was also Esmeralda on 'Bewitched' and Mrs. Murdock in 'Grease'...from 'Car 54, Where Are You' to
'Passions'. That's a career!
Anyone have any opinions?
Or reviews?
(See below for addresses)
MNF Says 'AMF, Dennis'
Madden Replacing Miller
Colorful NFL commentator John Madden will be joining play-by-play veteran Al Michaels for ABC Sports' weekly "Monday Night Football" telecast
next season, ending comedian Dennis Miller's two-year stint in the announcer's booth, the network said Thursday.
The gregarious Madden, a gridiron icon for his years as a National Football League coach and on-air NFL analyst, struck a four-year deal with
ABC after Fox Sports agreed to release him from the final year remaining on his contract there, ABC Sports president Howard Katz said.
Financial terms were not disclosed. But Madden was reported to have been offered $5 million a year to join ABC Sports, about $3 million less
than he was making during his eight years at Fox, which recently took a $387 million charge on the cost of its NFL contract.
Miller, who received mixed reviews for his offbeat "wild card" commentary and annoyed many hard-core NFL fans, will be dropped from the marquee
pro football attraction, as will co-commentator and Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Fouts.
Madden's move to ABC Sports signals a shift back to a more meat-and-potatoes approach to "Monday Night Football" after an attempt to spice
up a broadcast that was widely seen has having grown stale. Some critics have complained that the three-way team of Michaels, Miller and
Fouts strayed too far from gridiron basics at times.
Madden Replacing Miller
Schadenfreude ist sehr schoen.
Context Is Everything?
Jay Leno
Days after toasting the ratings success of its Winter Olympics coverage, NBC sought on Thursday to quiet a controversy sparked by comedian Jay
Leno with a joke about South Korea's disqualified short-track skater.
The network issued a statement Thursday defending the "irreverent comedy" of its late-night TV host while insisting no offense was intended by
Leno when he joked last week that skater Kim Dong-sung "was so mad he went home and kicked the dog, and then ate him."
Ridicule of the Korean practice of eating dog meat has long been a national sore point with citizens and politicians of the Asian nation.
Karen Narasaki, who chairs the Multi-Ethnic Media Coalition and the Asian Pacific American Media Coalition, said Korean Americans also
took offense at Leno's remarks, and she found NBC's statement "very weak."
But she said Leno himself was "very gracious" during a 30-minute telephone conversation with her and the head of the Korean-American
Coalition, Charles Kim. But she said the comedian at first professed surprise that his joke was so hurtful because "from his
perspective it was based in fact."
Narasaki said she explained that context was everything and that such humor amounts to ethnic stereotyping.
"We said for example that while it's true that some African Americans eat fried chicken and watermelon, you wouldn't make a joke about it."
In the end, she said, Leno "...didn't say, 'I apologize.' But he said he didn't intend to offend anybody or hurt anybody, and if
he had known then what we were telling him, he wouldn't have told the joke. And that's really what we were looking for."
Jay Leno
James Carville & Paul Begala Added
CNN's ''Crossfire''
To add a little more fuel to CNN's "Crossfire," the political talk show has signed up Democratic strategists James Carville and Paul Begala,
the network announced Wednesday.
Their predecessor, Bill Press, will move aside to become a contributor at Cable News Network.
From the left, Carville will appear one week out of four. Begala will assume the rest of the duties. Bob Novak and Tucker Carlson will continue on the right.
The switch is a proactive move for CNN, which has been handily leading MSNBC rival "Hardball" in the ratings during their time slot.
Over the past year, "Crossfire's" ratings have climbed 17 percent. But in general, CNN has been upstaged by Fox News Channel in prime
time. In February, CNN averaged 815,000 prime-time viewers, while Fox News garnered 1.21 million, according to Nielsen Media Research.
CNN's ''Crossfire''
New US Tour Starts 1 April In Oakland
Paul McCartney
Former Beatle Paul McCartney will kick off his first North American concert tour in nine years in Oakland, Calif. on April 1,
his publicist said on Thursday.
McCartney, 59, will play 20 shows in 19 cities, including a two-night stand at Las Vegas' MGM Grand Hotel where the top ticket price
will be $350, according to tour promoters. Tickets for the other cities on the eight-week trek of indoor arenas will be priced
between $55 and $250, they said.
He initially planned to play 12 shows in North America, but a statement said the itinerary was extended because of strong demand.
Plans to play a series of European dates in May have been put on the backburner.
The tour will begin at Oakland Arena, and continue to San Jose, Las Vegas, Chicago, Toronto, Philadelphia, Rutherford, NJ, Boston,
Washington, New York, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Anaheim, Denver, Dallas, Atlanta, Tampa and Ft. Lauderdale on May 18. Tickets
will start going on sale next week.
Paul McCartney Tour
Correcting The Record?
Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson is trying to dispel a rumor he started about himself.
When he was about 25 he says he blurted out in an interview that his father moved the whole family to Australia so that his sons wouldn't
be drafted into the Vietnam War. Unfortunately, it stuck and he has been trying to clear it up ever since.
The truth of the matter is that his father had been injured at work and they had family in Australia.
"Even if you moved to Australia you could still be drafted," Gibson said. Fortunately, Vietnam finished by the time he was 16.
Mel Gibson
He's A Kiwi
Russell Crowe
Australians no longer claim Russell Crowe. In light of his loutish behavior, Crowe, who recently became an Aussie citizen, is
now referred to Down Under as "the New Zealand-born actor." At Tuesday's Sydney premiere of "A Beautiful Mind," Crowe defended
his confrontation with the director who cut short his BAFTA speech. "Inside Edition" aired footage of Crowe saying, "I don't feel
that I need to apologize to him. I believe in everything I said and I'll stand by it."
Russell Crowe
More Faux Family Programming (Where Else?)
''Celebrity Boxing''
Tonya and Amy are getting ready to rumble.
The pugilistic divas will face off on "Celebrity Boxing," a Fox special scheduled to air March 13. The network is billing the
bout as "the battle of the bad girls."
Also on the special, former "Brady Bunch" star Barry Williams will be pitted against Danny Bonaduce, once part of TV's "Partridge Family."
The network said the fights will be real, each lasting three rounds.
A third celebrity-boxing pairing has yet to be announced, Fox said.
''Celebrity Boxing''
Comparing Faux & CNN
Greta Van Susteren
There are still hard feelings between CNN and its former employee, Greta Van Susteren. When Van Susteren, now a Fox News Channel
anchor, went on Laura Ingraham's Westwood One radio show Tuesday evening, she talked about the "big differences" between the two
warring cable networks. "At Fox I'm on the same team, at CNN it was a constant battle with the new management," Van Susteren said.
"When AOL came in, it felt like a giant elephant stepping on every single one of us all the time, we had no idea what was going on.
They came and they started axing people. It felt like we were floating on the Titanic."
Greta Van Susteren
Wrongful Death Lawsuits Filed
Virgin Records
Virgin Records was negligent in chartering a small plane in which singer-actress Aaliyah and eight other people died last year, according to wrongful
death lawsuits filed Wednesday on behalf of two victims' families.
The survivors of Aaliyah, who was among Wednesday night's Grammy Award nominees and the star of last weekend's top-grossing film, "Queen of the Damned,"
were not among the plaintiffs.
Family members of Los Angeles-based hair stylists Eric Forman, 29, and Anthony Dodd, 34, filed their respective lawsuits in Los Angeles Superior Court
against Virgin Records America, affiliated music and video production units, the plane's owner and the charter air company hired for the Aug. 25 flight.
Brian J. Panish, the families' attorney, said Virgin "took profits over the safety of transporting people" by using what he called a "fly-by-night"
charter aircraft company. The families seek unspecified monetary damages and "answers to why this tragedy occurred," Panish said.
In addition to Virgin Records America, the defendants listed were music video director Harold "Hype" Williams, Instinct Productions Inc., Big
Dog House Films, Blackground Records LLC, Skystream, Inc. and Blackhawk International Airways.
A report by Bahamian aviation officials said the estimated weight of the plane, luggage and fuel was about 5,495 pounds, not including
the weight of the nine occupants. Maximum takeoff weight for the plane is 6,300 pounds, which would leave only 805 pounds for the pilot and passengers.
Virgin Records
'Big Brother' Fan?
Howard Stern
Howard Stern says all CBS has to do is ask - and he'll bunk in the "Big Brother" house with nemesis Kathie Lee Gifford just so he can "torture her."
Stern says he'll be in a celebrity version if he can get at Gifford - one of his favorite punching bags for years.
"I would torture her . . . and that would be the highest-rated show in the history of television," Stern told listeners yesterday.
Stern claimed CBS offered him $5,000 to make a surprise appearance at the end of each of the first two "Big Brother" shows to pump up the ratings.
"For $5,000, short of killing them, I couldn't see wasting my time with them," he said.
Howard Stern
''Star Wars: Episode II The Attack of the Clones''
Charity Premieres
Anakin Skywalker is doing his bit for charity.
"Star Wars: Episode II The Attack of the Clones" will premiere May 12 in 11 cities to raise money for children's programs. At each premiere,
some theater seats will be reserved for disadvantaged children.
Cities where charity premieres will be held are Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto and Washington.
The movie, introducing Hayden Christensen as the young adult Skywalker, opens commercially May 16.
''Star Wars: Episode II The Attack of the Clones''
Auction News
Lucille Ball's Childhood Home
If you really love Lucy you can buy her childhood home on the Ebay Website.
The house, a three-bedroom, 11/2-bath frame house in Celoron, N.Y. where "I Love Lucy" star Lucille Ball spent her formative years
before moving to Manhattan is selling for $98,500 on the real-estate section of the popular auction Web site.
One drawback though - Lucy fans are known to drop by at odd hours and ask for tours of the house.
The house, at 59 Lucy Lane - it used to be Eighth St - is about 70 miles from Buffalo and once belonged to Ball's maternal grandparents,
Fred and Florabelle Hunt.
The house is said to still have a rod on the first floor that held a curtain for Ball's impromptu performances when she'd bring
friends home from high school and entertain them.
Lucille Ball's Childhood Home
Reissuing ''God Save The Queen'
Sex Pistols
British punk legends the Sex Pistols are to reissue their anarchic song "God Save the Queen" to mark Queen Elizabeth's 50 years
on the throne, their record company said Thursday.
"(The record) is to be reissued around the Golden Jubilee celebrations on May 27," Virgin Records said in a statement. "It will feature the original artwork."
The single's anti-royal lyrics and cover image of the queen with a safety pin through her nose caused outrage on its first release in 1977.
Sex Pistols
Special Guest March 16th (Saturday Night) - Greg Palast
Erin Hart
Liberal radio - what a concept!
Saturday, March 16th at 10pm PST, Greg Palast visits with 710 KIRO-Seattle talk show host Erin Hart,
and discusses his new book on globalization, ''The Best Democracy Money Can Buy''.
Listener calls at 1-877-710-KIRO
Live streaming audio available at
www.710kiro.com or www.kiro710.com.
And there's a chatroom, too!
For more details, visit Erin's fan page (courtesy of 14Dem), http://www.erinistas.com/, or to join her mailing list, drop a
note to erinistas@aol.com.
Or drop me a note at one of the addy's below....after all, I am Erin's 'LA Producer'. ; )
From The Milan Fashion Show
Underwear
Per Wolford tutta la nuova collezione intimo per l'inverno 2002-03 sta in una parola: Rodeo Drive.
Tuesday Night Pre-Grammy Party
Clive Davis
With a party like Clive Davis had here Tuesday night, who needed the Grammys?
How about Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, Destiny's Child, Patti LaBelle, Justin Timberlake and others jamming on Wonder's "Superstition," "Do
I Do" and "I Wish," and on Keys' "Fallin'" for wholesome party fun?
Or Pamela Anderson, winning musical chairs her way by sitting on boyfriend Kid Rock's lap the whole night?
And human piρata Courtney Love still in grunge and keeping her 7-year-old, Frances Bean, out until nearly midnight talking during all the
performances to Universal Records exec Zack Horowitz, whom she's suing to get out of her contract?
Davis' annual party at the Beverly Hills Hotel is to the Grammys what Graydon Carter's Vanity Fair party is to the Oscars everybody was
there, from every label, from Britney Spears to Tony Bennett, from Angie Stone to Carlos Santana. For Davis, nearly 70, it was a vindication.
"Everybody put the old man out to pasture," said Dick Clark, referring to Davis' ouster from Arista Records. "In one year, he's become successful all over again."
"He's probably the last true music man left," Clark said.
Clive Davis
London Stage Debut
Madonna
Pop icon Madonna is set to star in a new play opening in London's West End theaterland in May, a spokeswoman for the original
material girl said on Thursday.
Art world satire "Up for Grabs" centers around an ambitious art dealer who risks everything to get ahead. It will premiere in
Britain at London's Wyndham's Theater on May 23 with previews from May 9.
"Up for Grabs" was written by leading Australian playwright David Williamson and broke all records when it opened in Sydney in February 2001.
Madonna
Writers Guild Honoree
Blake Edwards
"Pink Panther" creator Blake Edwards hits a high point of his moviemaking career on Saturday, but he believes the industry that
put him there is reaching new lows.
Edwards, 79, and wife Julie Andrews are A-listers of the Hollywood set, and this weekend, the Writers Guild of America will give
him a Screen Laurel Award for lifetime achievement.
His family's showbiz careers date back to silent films, and he is the creative vision behind films from 1959's "Operation Petticoat"
to the beloved "Panther" series of the 1960s and 1970s and gender-bending 1982 hit "Victor/Victoria," starring Andrews.
But Edwards isn't so happy with the industry right now. He says star salaries -- which can reach upwards of $20 million a movie -- are
bloated, and money-minded businessmen have usurped the power of creative writers and directors.
"People who control the business don't have the creative right to control the business," he said. "How many $20 million movies does
(an actor) have to make to say, 'I'm complete with my life' ... Big financial interests seem to preclude that which was, for me, the
best time in the world."
Blake Edwards
Still Pitching A Hissy
Russell Crowe
Russell Crowe's tirade at a BBC executive at London's BAFTA Awards continued into a sulkfest Sunday night. The "Beautiful Mind" actor
was a no-show at the midnight party Harvey Weinstein threw at Ian Schrager's ultrachic Sanderson Hotel after the awards. Word is Crowe
is under the impression that Weinstein head of Miramax is running some sort of anti-"Beautiful Mind" campaign in the Oscar race.
"He's p----d off at Harvey," a knowledgeable source tells us. Crowe missed Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton, pal Nicole Kidman, Dustin Hoffman,
Kevin Spacey, Don Cheadle, Warren Beatty, Renee Zellweger, Judi Dench, Robert Altman and Sissy Spacek.
Meanwhile, the combative Crowe does not think he should apologize for having slammed the awards show's director, Malcolm Gerrie, into a wall.
"I don't feel that I need to apologize. You know, I believe in everything I said and I'll stand by it," said Crowe. "We're talking about
over a minute of a speech.
We're talking about a thank-you to John and Alicia Nash, who this movie is based on, being cut out."
Russell Crowe
'Massacre of the Innocents'
Lost Rubens?
A painting attributed to another artist for more than two centuries is actually a work by the Flemish Old Master Peter Paul Rubens worth
millions, the British auction house Sotheby's said on Thursday.
The painting, "Massacre of the Innocents," had been wrongly attributed to the Rubens' follower Jan van den Hoecke since 1780 and was only
reevaluated and reassigned recently by Sotheby's expert George Gordon.
The auction house, hailing it as the most significant art find of the past two decades, said the painting was worth up to $8.5 million.
The work, probably painted in Antwerp in 1610 shortly after Rubens' return from eight significantly formative years' traveling and painting in
Italy for the Duke of Mantua, will be put up for auction in London on July 11.
The "Massacre" appears in several inventories up to 1873 but mysteriously changes attribution to van den Hoecke in 1780 -- a mistake
that followed it until its recent reattribution.
'Massacre of the Innocents'
Last Hurrah Before Demolition
Tiffany Theater
Slated for demolition, Sunset Boulevard's Tiffany Theater in West Hollywood will close its doors with Alan Bennett's "Talking Heads."
Headliners of the seven solo pieces include Annette Bening, Tyne Daly and Swoosie Kurtz. The limited engagement will run March 12-30, with
opening weekend set for March 16-17. Michael Engler of "Sex and the City" directs.
Three "Talking Heads" plays will be performed each night: "Bed Among the Lentils," with Kathleen Chalfant; "A Chip in the Sugar," Daniel
Davis; "The Hand of God," Brenda Wehle; "Her Big Chance," Valerie Mahaffey; "A Lady of Letters," Kurtz; "Miss Fozzard Finds Her Feet,"
Daly; and "The Outside Dog," Bening.
Tiffany Theater
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In Memory
Lawrence Tierney
Veteran actor and B-movie leading man Lawrence Tierney, whose tough-guy characters during the 1940s and '50s often mirrored his troubled real life, has died. He was 82.
Tierney died in his sleep Tuesday at a Los Angeles nursing home.
Throughout his 80-film career, the actor perfected many gangster roles. But he is probably best known for the title role in the 1945 B-movie
classic "Dillinger" and the leader of a group of killers in Quentin Tarantino's 1992 crime drama "Reservoir Dogs."
Tierney's acting roles often mimicked his troubled off-screen life during the 1950s. The actor was arrested numerous times on charges stemming
from participating in drunken brawls at bars and Hollywood parties.
"The people who knew Larry knew that wasn't all there was to Larry," said Tierney's nephew, Michael Tierney, told the Los Angeles Times.
"He was a wacky, kind of quirky, comical guy, and a very nice man to a lot of people."
Tierney was born in Brooklyn in 1919. As a star member of his high school track team, he earned a scholarship to Manhattan College but he
dropped out after two years and ended up traveling around the country while working numerous odd jobs.
In 1943, RKO studios signed Tierney to a contract when a talent scout spotted him among members of the American-Irish Theater.
He soon landed supporting roles in films such as "The Ghost Ship" and "The Falcon Out West." Stardom for Tierney came in 1945, when he
played the vicious gangster John Dillinger in "Dillinger."
That role led him to play other tough guy characters both good and bad in such movies such as "San Quentin," "The Devil Thumbs a Ride,"
"Born to Kill," and "Kill or Be Killed."
He also played the bad guy who caused the train wreck in Cecil B. DeMille's 1952 best-picture Oscar-winner, "The Greatest Show on Earth."
But Tierney's run-ins with the law in real life took a toll on his career. Throughout the 1960s and '70s, he was only able to get small
parts in movies as his troubles followed his moves to Europe and back to the United States.
He returned to Hollywood in late 1983 and tried to rekindle his acting career by guest-starring on television shows such as "Star Trek:
The Next Generation," "Remington Steele," "Fame" and "Hunter." He also had a recurring role on "Hill Street Blues."
Tierney is survived by a daughter, Elizabeth Tierney, of Park City, Utah.
Lawrence Tierney
* Hint
17 years later, the actor who played Boo Radley, was the original Frank Burns in the movie 'M*A*S*H',
Tom Hagen in 'The Godfather', and then learned to love smelling napalm in the morning....oh, and there was that 'Twilight
Zone', 'The Doll House' along the way...
The Answer
BETTY BOWERS Cooks!
In The Kitchen With BartCop & Friends
'Bob Woodward vs. John Belushi and Me'
Michael Dare - 'The Life and Death of Captain Preemo'
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