Yeah - he has so much charm that it would be easy to like him
Of course, actors are actors. Leonard Nimoy played a real POS as a killer, as did Ross Martin. I enjoy both actors so much in other roles that its a real whammy seeing them drip malice
Be fun to match this 'regenerating Columbos' with stars of the day. Judd Hirsch and Howard Hessemen would have neat Columbos in a Peter Davidson mold at around that time.
Warren Beatty and Dustin Hoffman would have been good villains
I love Donald Pleasance and a few other sympathetic killers like Johnny Cash and Ruth Gordon.
Steve Martin might be good like that. Judi Dench or Helen Mirren?
Peter Dinklage could be the affable killer who really is a ruthless bastard.
Jason Momoa could be a Kevin Sorbo type killer.
Thats a good one.
Disney and Warner are giants. Walter Lantz had a far longer career than obvious, but so formulaic.
Obviously HB has deep roots with MGM and Tom & Jerry, but mostly its a new ballgame when they strike it out for tv with Ruff & Reddy. Every 5-10 years was something new.
Columbo villains are one-shots, and thats the joy. We see people, elites, aken down by hubris.
What actors can give off that vibe? Leo Dicaprio? George Clooney? Stanley Tucci? Scarlet Johannsen?
Now Watching Motnra vs Godzilla (1964)
An Earth day special in the Showa era Toho-verse, with Mothra getting top billing over the Big-G. Criterion collection streaming over HBO Max.
Can a movie about a giant velvery moth vs a walking scaly atomic nightmare possibly be any good? Well ....
Tonight! From the Lexington Hotel in Chicago, we are going to open this long-lost strongbox discovered during renovations in a hidden vault.
It may have once been owned by Chester Gould, creator of Dick Tracy!*
*Don't tune in. Its just the 40th anniversary of Geraldo and Capone's vault and I jest
To finish out the ABC Weekend Specials, there were three more: The Puppy's Great Adventure, The Puppy's Amazing Rescue and the Puppy Saves the Circus. A 20 year old Nancy McKeon (Facts of Life) voices a girl in one.
All written by Sheldon Stark, a veteran writer who overcame 1950s blacklisting.
If you like to play 7 Degrees of Separation, the special The Puppy who wanted a Boy was adapted by Barbera Avedon & Barbara Corday.
They would go, as a team, to create the procedural Cagney & Lacey in 1982.
The animated film (just 30 minutes) aired in May, but it is a Chriatmas story. A dog, Petey, wants a boy for Christmas. Petey was voiced by 12 year old Todd Turquand, one of the New Mouseketeers.
The special spawned 3 more specials, and later an RS/HB Saturday morning cartoon in 1982.
Jane Thayer (Catherine Woolley) was an extremely prolific childrens book author (the pen name was in part to disguise that). She lived to be 100, passing in 2005. Never married, and never used a computer - sticking tobher trusty Remington typewriter (like Murder She Wrote opening)
Daily Hanna Barbera
In 1978, the new Ruby Spears was trying to compete with Hanna Barbera. One early project was a 1978 installment of ABC Weekend Special - the Puppy who wanted a Boy. It was nominated for an emmy.
Based on the 1958 book by Catherine Woolley (writing as Jane Thayer).
Vaal for President 2028
Sure, there is no sex, no love, no children, we just celebrate and worship Vaal. Thats it. Thats all you do, because it is Vaal who causes the rain to fall, Vaal who puts fruit on the trees. Why does Vaal do this? Because Vaal cares.
Vote Vaal 2028
Because Vaal cares.
Angry Cave Wife, tonight 8pm
Fleischer's amazing technique for giving animation depth involved shooting the cel about 6 feet from a diorama - itself on a turntable. It was a special effect, a regular cartoon might have a single scene like this.
A Moon, a Bat, a Romance!
Yeah. Its odd, but also kinda fun.
In his 1st appearance, he still seems like Don Knotts, but playing Homer Pipsqueak, P.I. and master of disguise.
When the rabbit hunts the man - that's news. When the man is President Carter - that's a legend.
OTD in 1979, a swamp rabbit menaced President Carter, alone in a johnboat in a Georgia swamp.
The Carter administration never released the photo (cartoonists did their thing). Reagan released it.
@djconvoy.bsky.social pointed out the great character design for Don Knotts.
If ever there was a guy made to be an animated character!
Now I'm wishing for an animated Three's Company
It really is! And Knotts was a great guest star. The Gjost and Mr Chicken was essentially the same as a Scooby Doo movie
You watch for Knotts. There are only 2 suspects even with the hour long format. There is no explanation for the 'Spooky Fog', or much of anything.
You get the standard costumed villain with a lair complete with hidden doors and hi-tech stuff.
Would've been nice to have 3 suspects at least.
One neat facet is that Knotts is once again playing a coward - so he is a natural with either Scoob and Shaggy, or better yet - a rare chance for Scoob and Shaggy to split up. There are at least times when Knotts is with just Shaggy.
That lets someone like Daphne be with Scooby
Daily Hanna Barbera
Don Knotts makes his 2nd guest appearance in the New Scooby-Doo Movies in 1972 in The Spooky Fog of Juneberry.
Juneberry? Mayberry, get it? Here Knotts is clear he is Don Knotts when he meets the gang, but he is playing a Deputy Fife character.
Theae are fun, colorful and sometimes sexy stickers.
It is like someone read the color guide wrong. Of course, did no one look at a proof before the print run?
It is all part of the fun of HB merch
Frank Herbert things that are not Dune
Apparently this movie isn't well liked.
People! This movie is like mixing The Mysterious Island with a James Bond villain like Dr No, and then Captain Nemo turns out to be Godzilla.
Plus it is very colorful.
My favorite Transformer!
Ebirah, Horror of the Deep has this odd cameo (and death kf) a totally outmatched giant condor
Why? Would it have made more sense in the earlier King Kong movie? Did someone see The Birds? Were California Condors in tne news? Was Rodan holding out for more money?