Lost In Space Actor Bob May R.I.P.

Actor Bob May, who portrayed the robot mascot in the 1960’s television series “Lost In Space” has just passed. May was 69.
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Playboy’s Theme

I recently had the pleasure of meeting Hugh Hefner, who was generous enough to autograph my original sheet music for Playboy’s Theme (written by Cy Coleman for the Playboy After Dark television series).
Listen To Henry Mancini’s Version Of Playboy’s Theme Here

Ventriloquism For Dummies

The '30s, '40s, '50s and part of the '60s … those were the days when being entertained by a ventriloquist and his dummy sidekick was as close at hand as the end of your fingertips. When simply walking into your living room and turning a dial could magically make them appear just for your entertainment. At first it was the dial of the family radio and the voices of Edgar Bergen and his wooden sidekick Charlie McCarthy drifting from those grand speakers to fill the room for the whole family to enjoy. Later it was the television set and the voices and moving images of Jimmy Nelson and Danny O’Day and Farfel … or … Señor Wences and Pedro and Johnny … or … Paul Winchell and Jerry Mahoney and Knucklehead Smiff … or … Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop and Charlie Horse and Hush Puppy. Yes the days when ventriloquism was as near as flipping a switch or turning a dial. Those were the Days … those were the "Dummy Days."
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The Original Batmobile

1955. The Lincoln Futura was built in Italy for Ford by a body-building company called Ghia. Total cost for designing and building this one vehicle was a cool quarter of a million dollars.
Years later it was sold to George Barris who transformed it into the Batmobile for the television series. I prefer the original car, although the Batmobile ain't too shabby either.
Click Here For Full Futura Article.
Click Here For The Making Of The Batmobile.

Johnny Staccato-Private Eye

Johnny Staccato is a private detective series which ran on NBC from 1959 to 1960 for 27 episodes. Johnny Staccato, played by John Cassavetes, is a jazz pianist/private detective. The setting for many episodes is a jazz club belonging to his friend Waldo (played by Eduardo Ciannelli), in New York City's Greenwich Village. The show featured many musicians, such as Barney Kessel, Shelly Manne, Red Mitchell, Red Norvo, and Johnny Williams. The theme was composed by Elmer Bernstein.