The Final Taxi

Blazing Saddles and Burnett Show Comic - Harvey Korman

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 09:39:59 -0400

Harvey Korman, the comic actor who won four Emmys for his work on ``The Carol Burnett Show'' and appeared in the movie ``Blazing Saddles,'' took his Final Taxi at age 81.

Korman won the Emmy awards for his television comedy roles on ``The Carol Burnett Show,'' where he performed from 1967 to 1977 in a cast led by Burnett and including comedian Tim Conway.

His film roles included playing Hedley Lamarr in ``Blazing Saddles,'' a 1974 spoof Western directed by Mel Brooks. He also performed in Brooks's film ``High Anxiety'' in 1977. In 1983 he appeared in ``Curse of the Pink Panther.''

5 Dead Musicians

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 19:24:32 -0400

It's been a bad week for musical artists. The Final Taxi has made 5 trips this week with people with musical talent.

1.Paul Davis- American singer and songwriter who recorded such songs as "Cool Nights," "65 Love Affair," "Sweet Life," and "I Go Crazy."

2. Brian Davidson - Drummer and songwriter for the 60's band The Nice- the forerunner of Emerson Lake and Palmer.

3. Danny Federci - Keyboardist for Bruce Springsteen's E Street band.

4. Jim Gilchrist- Lead guitarist who played with The Doors, Van Morrison, Captain Beefheart, and Frank Zappa.

5. Al Wilson - Classic soul singer who recorded such memorable songs as "The Snake," I've Got a Feeling We'll Be Seeing Each Other Again, " and his Billboard hit "Show and Tell."

Moses With A Gun - Charlton Heston

Sat, 12 Apr 2008 16:34:17 -0400

Charlton Heston, who won an Oscar for his leading role in Ben-Hur, has taken His Final Taxi at 84. On screen, Heston was best known as the star of religious and historic epics—he played Moses in The Ten Commandments and John the Baptist in The Greatest Story Ever Told also Sci-Fi movies like Planet of the Apes and The Omega Man. But off-screen he was an influential political activist, first as a proponent of civil rights in the 1960s, and more recently as an outspoken advocate of gun rights.

Gygax, Dixon and Brunkert- All Final Taxi Riders

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:47:56 -0400

Ola Brunkert was a former drummer for 1970s Swedish pop group ABBA. The group has not performed together since 1982, but continues to sell 3 million records a year.

Ivan Dixon was an African American actor and television director, best known for his series role in the 1960s sitcom Hogan's Heroes.

Gary Gygax was an American writer and game designer, best known for co-creating the pioneering role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons.

All have taken their Final Taxi in the past weeks.

Beauty and a sexy voice- Suzanne Pleshette

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 23:03:06 -0500

Suzanne Pleshette, the dark-haired, smoky-voiced actress who played Bob Newhart's sardonic and sexy wife, Emily Hartley, for six years on the 1970s sitcom "The Bob Newhart Show," has taken her final taxi at 70.

A stage-trained New York actress, she made her movie debut in the 1958 Jerry Lewis comedy "The Geisha Boy." Ms. Pleshette appeared in such films as Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds," "Nevada Smith," "Youngblood Hawke," "A Rage to Live," and "Fate Is the Hunter."

Rock & Soul Hero or Villain? - Ike Turner

Thu, 20 Dec 2007 15:11:38 -0500

Grammy-winning musician/composer and Rock and Roll pioneer Ike Turner took his Final Taxi at age 76. Ike Turner recorded the song "Rocket 88" which is considered by many historians to be the very first Rock and Roll song. Tuner was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991. Ike Turner and his ex-wife Tina Turner were one of the hottest musical acts of the 1960s and 70s. Turner's musical contributions were overshadowed by ex-wife Tina Turner's revelation that he was an extremely abusive husband and a drug addict during their stormy marriage. Actor Laurence Fishburne received a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his dark portrayal of Ike Turner in "What's Love Got to Do With It." Ike Turner steadfastly denied the accusations of abuse. The Ike and Tina Turner Revue put on one of the most energetic stage shows in Rock history.

Phantom Character Actress - Jeanne Bates

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 22:33:05 -0500

Jeanne Bates was best known as Nurse Wills on the 1950s medical series Ben Casey. She appeared on many TV shows over the years, including That 70's Show, Wings, The Young and the Restless, Dallas, Three's Company, Quincy, M.E., Charlie's Angels, The Rockford Files, Cannon, The Saint, Wonder Woman, Hawaii Five-O, The Twilight Zone, and many others. She also appeared in several movies such as Die Hard 2, Grand Canyon, Eraserhead, Silent Night Deadly Night 4, and the 1943 The Phantom serial. She took her Final Taxi at age 89.

Evel Knievel Jumps The River Styx

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 21:39:58 -0500

Alabama is the home of the best in college football and NASCAR’s Talladega Superspeedway, but nestled in the middle of the state is the Barber Motorsports Park and the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum. The 144,000-square foot, four-story museum, which is just a few miles outside of Birmingham, includes the world’s largest collection of vintage and modern day motorcycles and the largest collection of Lotus race cars.

The museum and collection is the brainchild of George Barber, a resident of Birmingham and the former owner of Barber Dairy one of the largest dairies in Alabama. Barber who raced sports cars in the early 1960s, started out collecting cars, but soon turned his attention to motorcycles in 1989. In the intervening years, he has gathered examples of some of the most significant bikes in existence. Barber began to purchase entire collections, housing them in a nondescript old building that had once been used for the maintenance of milk delivery trucks. As the number of motorcycles grew, the exhibit was opened to the general public. Eventually, almost ten thousand visitors a week were coming to see “that dairy farmer’s motorcycle collection.”

Barber built the current museum at The Barber Motorsports Park which opened September 19, 2003 with a collection that now has over 900 vintage and modern motorcycles.

A few years after it opened Barber met someone who is considered a legend in the field of motorsports, Evel Knievel. Knievel is the flamboyant motorcycle stuntman whose thrilling triumphs and spectacular failures enshrined him as America’s consummate daredevil.

Evel Knievel survived at least 38 broken bones, multiple concussions and countless abrasions acquired in daring jumps that ended in unplanned crashes, but he did not escape the Final Taxi at 69.

He was born Robert Craig Knievel in Butte, Montana, on Oct. 17, 1938. He was always getting into trouble and once after one particular police chase in 1956 in which he crashed his motorcycle, Knievel was taken to jail on a charge of reckless driving. When the night jailer came around to check the roll, he noted Robert Knievel in one cell and William Knofel in the other. Knofel was well known as “Awful Knofel” (”Awful” rhyming with “Knofel”) so Knievel began to be referred to as Evel Knievel. He chose this misspelling both because of his last name and because he didn’t want to be considered “evil”.

Knievel opened a Honda motorcycle dealership in Moses Lake, Wash., in 1965, hyping sales by offering a $100 discount to anyone who could beat him at arm wrestling. That same year, he started Evel Knievel’s Motorcycle Daredevils. They toured the Western states as a latter-day mechanized rodeo. However, one by one the riders dropped out, unwilling to keep up with someone whose idea of crowd-pleasing was being strapped to a parachute and then towed behind a drag-racer at 200 miles per hour.

Knievel made his name in America with a single jump in Las Vegas in 1968. Accelerating up a ramp, he soared his motorcycle upwards 141 feet over the ornamental fountains outside the Caesar’s Palace hotel. On landing, he pulverized his spine and pelvis and had to walk with crutches for the next year. His gained popularity led Knievel to tell people he would one day jump the Grand Canyon.

In February 1971, still not fully recovered, he broke his own distance record by jumping 150 feet to clear 19 cars placed side-to-side. On the flight back to Butte, he was told the US government would not allow a Grand Canyon jump. Knievel looked out the window and saw Snake River Canyon and decided to jump it instead. Knievel then hired former NASA engineer Robert Truax to design and build the X-2 Skycycle. During two test jumps, the rocket failed to make it all the way across the canyon. Knievel said that there would be no more tests and that he would go ahead with the scheduled jump on September 8, 1974.

The event was only available through pay-per-view. During the jump the parachute accidentally deployed when the three 1/4 inch bolts holding the cover for the chute sheared off with the force of the skycycle blast. The wind began to cause it to drift back as the skycycle turned on its side and started to descend into the canyon. Knievel survived the failed jump with only minor injuries.

Knievel decided to retire after a jump in the winter of 1976 in which he was again seriously injured. He suffered a concussion and broke both arms in an attempt to jump a tank full of live sharks in the Chicago Amphitheater. By 1981, Knievel’s son Robbie had taken over the daredevil act.

Knievel made somewhat of a marketing comeback in the 1990s, representing Maxim Casino, Little Caesar’s and Harley-Davidson among other companies. In 1999, Knievel was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame.

While on tour with the Evel Knievel rolling museum he came to Alabama and visited George Barber’s Vintage Motorsports Museum. Knievel and Barber hit it off immediately.
I talked with Lee Woehle, librarian of Barber’s Vintage Motorsports Museum, who is a self professed Evel Knievel fan. She remembers that day when he toured the museum. She said “It was like meeting an icon. I was surprised by the how fragile he looked at the time. He looked all of his age when he came to meet with us. You could see all the crashes and breaks had taken a toll on him.”

Woehle said she believes that Knievel helped to get motorsports a name and helped get it noticed on ABC’s Wide World of Sports and other programs.

Others visitors at the museum when I visited agreed with her. Kent Landerdale from Opelika said he not only helped the sport, but Harley Davidson. “I don’t think that company would have survived if Evel Knievel not used them. He had that big number 1 on the side. Most people didn’t know the abuse they could take or the extra springs that they had.”

Ty Bragg from Jemison brought his boys out for the day to Barber’s. When I asked the youngsters if they knew who Evel Knievel was they could not tell me, but Ty knew. “I remember being their age and watching the Snake River jump. My friends and I would take our bikes and do jumps to try and be like him. He was a hero and we wanted to be like him. I had toys and action figures and I wish I still had them today.”

Everyone agreed on one thing, Knievel showed the true American spirit. Lee Woehle said “The crashes we saw were pretty bad, but what was cool is that he came back every time. He was a survivor. We all received an inspiration from Evel Knievel.”

Life Squeezed From Mr. Whipple - Dick Wilson

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 23:19:19 -0500

The man who made the phrase “Please don’t squeeze the Charmin” famous, Dick Wilson, has taken his Final Taxi at 91.

For more than 20 years Wilson appeared as Mr. Whipple in the television ads for Charmin. As a grocery store manager he would monitor the aisles and ask customers to refrain from picking up the paper product and squeezing it.

Wilson also appeared on several episodes of “Hogan’s Heroes” and “Bewitched.”

Axe Murderer Advent Calender

Thu, 08 Nov 2007 12:12:33 -0500

It has been a week since Halloween and my podcasts of ‘ true stories of horror ‘ went over well this year it seems. (Thanks Wildvoice!) I couldn’t help but laugh a bit when I read a news story this morning. It would fit in my true horror tales and also the death history stories I tell.

It seems the German city of Hanover is getting slammed for featuring an axe wielding serial killer on a children’s Christmas advent calendar. Tourism officials have defended the move by saying mass murderer Fritz Haarmann was part of the German city of Hanover’s history.

Haarmann killed 24 young men, chopped up their corpses and dumped their remains in the local river Leine. He appears on the Advent calendar hiding behind a tree on the river bank.

Haarmann stalked Hanover more than 80 years ago and his victims were aged between 13 and 20. Rumors had it that he would then peddle meat from the bodies of his victims as black market pork. His accomplice, Hans Grans, sold the clothing of his victims. Haarmann was sentenced to death and beheaded in 1925.

The calendar is already on sale at tourism offices and shows children singing Xmas carols and laughing as Santa hands out Xmas gifts - and the Star of Bethlehem twinkles over the rooftops.

But over the first door of the calendar, a trilby wearing man peeks out from behind a tree with a meat cleaver in his left hand.

Head of the Hanover tourism board, Hans-Christian Nolte, has defended the calendar, saying: “He is part of our city’s history. Even on guided tours the serial killer’s story is told.”

( Read daily blog at : http://finaltaxi.wordpress.com )

Torturer, Killer, Vampire - Gilles de Rays

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 08:26:34 -0400

One of history's most bizarre, twisted and blood thirsty murderers, Gilles de Rays tortured, raped and killed almost 600 people, mostly children. He was a war hero, an adventurer, an aristocrat and a vampire, drinking the blood of his victims.
His true story ends this years week of true horror on the Final Taxi.

Happy Halloween!!

* Halloween Theme by the band Leatherstrip
www.myspace.com/leaetherstrip

Vampire Of Croglin Grange

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 11:22:28 -0400

A vampire visited the small village of Croglin Grange, according to the accounts documented by researcher and writer Augustus Hare. This is the story of the bloodsucker preying upon one victim and how it was found out.

Curse of the Green Eye

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 10:15:31 -0400

Follow the curse of a mysterious gem that came from outer space and killed anyone who came in contact with it. This stone looked like an eye with a green iris.

The Red Gnome of Detroit

Sun, 28 Oct 2007 01:42:07 -0400

The Red Gnome is a creature that haunts Detroit — its appearance is said to presage terrible events for the city. The Gnome appears as a small child-like creature with red or black fur. It is also said to have blazing red eyes and rotten teeth.

** Special note: After recording this show- I found where the Red Gnome was seen in 1996 after a major car robbery.

Immortal or Time Traveler: Count of St. Germain

Sat, 27 Oct 2007 02:31:59 -0400

The Count of St. Germain claims to have been around during the time of Jesus. He was active in the 1700's and was last seen in 1962. This true Halloween story comes for history books.

True Vampires from the Phantom World

Fri, 26 Oct 2007 07:40:46 -0400

Welcome to the 2nd Annual True Stories of Horror. I will podcast a true tale daily until Halloween.

Today's story comes from the book "The Phantom World" by Augustine Calmet. ( I found it for sale on ebay for 500.00 ) This book has real accounts and reports of vampires. Listen to just one I pulled from it.

2nd Annual True Horror Stories-Daily- Oct 26 -31

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 22:58:37 -0400

Join The Final Taxi for the 2nd Annual True Stories of Horror - Podcast daily from Oct 26 till Oct 31. Just in time to get you in the Halloween spirit.

Subscribe to the feed or check the website daily on Wildvoice.com

Gone From Here To Eternity - Deborah Kerr

Sun, 21 Oct 2007 11:17:55 -0400

Deborah Kerr, six time Oscar nominee and star of From Here To Eternity, has taken her Final Taxi at the age of 86.

Born Deborah Jane Kerr-Trimmer in Scotland, she was signed by MGM in 1947 and went on to be a major star counting Robert Mitchum, David Niven, Stewart Granger and Spencer Tracy among her leading men.

Her first Oscar nomination was for the 1949 film Edward, My Son. There followed nominations for From Here To Eternity (1953), The King And I (1956), Heaven Knows, Mr Allison (1957), Separate Tables (1958) and The Sundowners (1960). She holds the record for the most best actress nominations without a win.

A Teenage Witch, Pussy Cats and A Guy Named Archie: Richard Goldwater's World

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 12:03:29 -0400

Archie Comics president and co-publisher Richard Goldwater, 71, who, with his father John, created "Josie and the Pussycats," has taken his Final Taxi.
He assisted co-publisher Michael Silberkleit with efforts to expand Archie's core characters into other mediums – including countless Archie, Sabrina and Josie animated TV series, a long-running live-action Sabrina series that has been seen in 34 different countries, a Josie and the Pussycats theatrical motion picture, and "The Archies," a musical group that had tremendous success in the 1960s and 1970s.

Related link:
Animated Sex Kitten - Pussycat Patrice Holloway

My Odeo Channel (odeo/989daaacb84da9c3)

Goodnight, Miss Moneypenny!

Fri, 05 Oct 2007 14:11:50 -0400

Lois Maxwell - the Canadian-born actress who most notably portrayed the quick-witted secretary to Bond's boss M, has taken her Final Taxi. From "Dr. No" (1962) to "A View to a Kill" (1985), Lois Maxwell played Miss Moneypenny in the first 14 James Bond films.
Maxwell won the Golden Globe Award as Best Newcomer for her role in the 1947 Shirley Temple comedy That Hagen Girl.She also posed for a photoshoot with another up-and-coming actress named Marilyn Monroe.

Maxwell appeared in Bedtime For Bonzo with Ronald Reagan and was also featured in many other TV series, and made guest appearances in episodes of The Saint and The Persuaders!, both of which starred Roger Moore.

According to rumors she was up for the female role as M before Judi Dench took over.

Alice Ghostley: Not A Regular Face In The Crowd

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 16:42:22 -0400

Tony Award-winning actress Alice Ghostley, well-known to TV viewers for playing confused sidekicks on Bewitched and Designing Women took her Final Taxi at 81.

From 1966 through 1972, she made regular appearances on the sitcom Bewitched as shy, bumbling witch Esmeralda From 1986 through 1993, Ghostley portrayed oddball neighbor Bernice Clifton on the hit series Designing Women. She earned an Emmy nomination for the role in 1992.

Over a six-decade career, she made more than 90 TV appearances in such shows as Evening Shade, Love, American Style and Mayberry R.F.D.
Ghostley appeared in 30 films, including To Kill a Mockingbird , The Graduate, Gator and Two on a Bench.

Read the daily blog at http://www.FinalTaxi.com

Match Game's Brett Somers has blanked.

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 21:50:26 -0400

During the '70s, there was a cohort of actresses who were, at the time, best known as game show panelists. There was Kitty Carlisle Hart on To Tell the Truth, Jaye P. Morgan on The Gong Show, Patty Deutsch on Tattletales and my favorite, Brett Somers on The Match Game. As a child of the 70's I thought she was awesome.

Unfortunately, Brett Somers has taken her Final Taxi. During Match Game's run in the 70's it featured regulars like Somers, Betty White,Richard Dawson and Charles Nelson Reilly.
She played in movies and television shows like"The Love Boat,’ ‘Barney Miller,’ and ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show.’ She also acted in Broadway along side Alice Ghostley.
She was 83.

Be sure to check out Ron's daily Blog at htttp://www.Finaltaxi.com

The sound of Jaws

Thu, 13 Sep 2007 23:52:55 -0400

Percy Rodriguez did several voice overs, including the one for the trailer to Jaws. He was seen in TV in the 60's, 70's and 80's and will be well known by Star Trek fans.

Charlotte Zucker was the mom of directors Jerry and David Zucker but was an actress herself, appearing in several of their films including "The Naked Gun" and in "Airplane" as the lipstick lady.

Freeze! It's Batman & a Beach Blanket

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 22:18:31 -0400

This week the Final Taxi talks about Max Hodge who took an unknown comic villain and turn him into on of Batman's most remembered rouges, Mr. Freeze.

Also we follow the life of Tony Caras who after working in horror films with Rodger Corman and made film history in the 60s with 'beach party' movies.

A 'Pink Panther' Animator & 'Charles In Charge' Grandpa

Thu, 09 Aug 2007 11:39:31 -0400

Warren Batchelder, animator of well over 200 Warner Bros. and Pink Panther cartoons. Though uncredited, he was an animator for the main titles of the 1963 feature film The Pink Panther -- which led to doing the cartoons. He was an animator for such TV series as Super President (1967), Here Comes the Grump (1969) and much more. For Marvel he was a sequence director for Transformers (1984) and G.I. Joe (1985).

James T. "Jimmy" Callahan, was an actor best known for playing the cranky grandfather on television's "Charles in Charge,"Between 1959 and 2007, he appeared in more than 120 films and TV shows. He was featured in several episodes of "Dr. Kildare" on NBC in the early 1960s and played a press secretary on "The Governor & J.J.," which aired on CBS from 1969 to 1972.

The Face Is Familar - Charles Lane

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 08:23:44 -0400

Charles Lane, the prolific character actor whose name was little known but whose crotchety persona and roles in hundreds of films made him recognizable to generations of moviegoers took his Final Taxi at 102.

Lane, whose career spanned more than 60 years, appeared in such film classics as "It‘s a Wonderful Life," "Arsenic and Old Lace" and "Primrose Path." He also had a recurring role as the scheming railroad man Homer Bedloe on the 1960s TV sitcom "Petticoat Junction" and appeared often on "I Love Lucy."

Mr. Lane's voice was heard in Disney's 1970 animated feature "The AristoCats." He was an admiral in "The Winds of War" TV miniseries and appeared in the movie "Murphy's Romance" with Sally Field in 1986.

He also acted in TV episodes of "Soap,""The Flying Nun," "Bewitched" and "The Beverly Hillbillies" and showed up on "L.A. Law," "St. Elsewhere" and "Lou Grant."

Mr. Lane had small parts in "The Music Man," "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" and "The Carpetbaggers," among his many films. His acting résumé included roles as a judge, gambler, priest, bank examiner, military officer, customs and immigration official and Western lawman.

The Last Voyage of Sinbad's Kerwin Mathews

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 22:09:29 -0400

Kerwin Mathews, who earned a niche in film history as the handsome hero who battled a Cyclops, a dragon and a sword-wielding skeleton in the 1958 fantasy classic "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad," has taken his Final Taxi. He was 81.

Toot, Whistle, Plunk & Boom - Stevens & McCorkle

Sun, 01 Jul 2007 20:03:02 -0400

George McCorkle was a founding member of the Marshall Tucker Band and
author of Southern rock anthem "Fire on the Mountain."

Art Stevens was a Disney animator who worked on the 1940 classic "Fantasia" and later co-directed "The Fox and the Hound" and "The Rescuers."
Among Stevens' credits as an animator are "Peter Pan," "101 Dalmatians," "Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day," "Robin Hood," "Mary Poppins" and the underwater sequence in "Bedknobs and Broomsticks."

For more Final Taxi- http://www.FinalTaxi.com

Real Magic- Mr Wizard was around long before Harry Potter

Mon, 18 Jun 2007 21:58:14 -0400

Long before there was a Bill Nye – Science Guy or a Beakman teaching us about science there was Mr. Wizard. No we are not talking Harry Potter.

Mr. Wizard was Don Herbert, who unlocked the wonders of science for youngsters of the 1950s and ’60s on television and then in the 80's on Nickelodeon . Mr. Wizard took his Final Taxi at the age of 89.

Read my blog at: http://www.FinalTaxi.com

The Rocky Horror Pod Show - Final Taxi Crossover

Tue, 05 Jun 2007 22:32:11 -0400

I'm out of town this week so I'm playing a podcast I did for the Rocky Horror Pod Show - http://rockyhorrorpodshow.libsyn.com

Charles Nelson Reilly has BLANKED

Mon, 28 May 2007 23:05:04 -0400

Charles Nelson Reilly has taken his Final Taxi at age 76.

He was famous for his oversized glasses and colourful suits during numerous TV appearances.

Reilly directed five Broadway plays, appeared in the original productions of Bye Bye Birdie, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and Hello, Dolly!, earned three Tony nominations, including one for directing the 1997 production of The Gin Game, and won one, for his supporting work in How to Succeed.

In 2002, Reilly won a Drama Desk Award for his one-man show of an autobiography, Save It for the Stage: The Life of Reilly.

Reilly guested on sitcoms (The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, Nanny and the Professor, The Patty Duke Show, Car 54 Where Are You?, Here’s Lucy, Family Matters, etc.), sat down on Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show couch 95 times, per one popularly cited count, and, of course, did game shows.

Lots of game shows.

What’s My Line?, Baffle, Super Password and Hollywood Squares were among Reilly’s credits. Match Game was by far the biggest.
As for Match Game, it was less of a quiz show, and more of an excuse for Reilly, Brett Somers and Gene Rayburn (and sometimes Richard Dawson and Fannie Flagg) to bicker, try to make each other laugh, and unleash some barely doubled entendres.

Post-Match Game, Reilly frequently worked with Burt Reynolds, from Cannonball Run II to the star’s 1990s sitcom, Evening Shade. He also found success with Chris Carter, appearing on a 1996 episode of Carter’s The X-Files, and a 1997 episode of the lesser-known series, Millennium. Reilly played the same character, a writer named Jose Chung, in both Carter shows; he netted the second of his three career Emmy

Reilly also voiced the Dirty Bubble, one of Mermaid Man’s enemies on Spongebob Squarepants and as Frank Frankenstone, Fred’s monstrous neighbor on The Flintstone Comedy Show.

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Don't miss the daily Final Taxi blog over at wordpress: http://finaltaxi.wordpress.com

You're Blacklisted - Bernard Gordon, Nicholas Worth, Dabbs Greer

Fri, 18 May 2007 10:43:23 -0400

Taking their Final Taxi this week is the 'Hollywood Blacklisted" screenwriter, Bernard Gordon, also favorite B-movie actor Nicholas Worth and film and TV veteran Dabbs Greer.

Read the daily Final Taxi at http://finaltaxi.wordpress.com

Tarzan's Loincloth: Gordon Scott, Tom Poston, Jimmy Kimble, Bobby "Boris" Pickett

Fri, 11 May 2007 17:18:32 -0400

Several rides on the Final Taxi this week,
Gordon Scott- one of the men who played Tarzan,
Bobby "Boris" Pickett - The man who made the song "Monster Mash"
Jimmy Kimble- drummer for many bands including Iggy Pop, and
TV and movie actor/ comedian Tom Poston

We're Gonna Turn It On... Jim Thurman

Tue, 01 May 2007 23:37:42 -0400

Jim Thurman was an Emmy-award winning children’s television writer. He was one of a team of writers for Children’s Television Workshop and help create and write for “Sesame Street,” “The Electric Company,” & “321 Contact.” He also wrote the cartoon series "Roger Ramjet"

Losing a Kitty and a Ho

Sun, 22 Apr 2007 22:39:06 -0400

Kitty Carlisle Hart, the supremely elegant actress, singer, arts advocate and TV personality is remembered for her role as the romantic musical heroine of the 1935 Marx Brothers film "A Night at the Opera" and she sang in the 1948 U.S. premiere of Benjamin Britten's opera "The Rape of Lucretia." Her long run as a panelist on the game show "To Tell the Truth" made her a regular presence in the country's living rooms from the 1950s through the 1970s.

Don Ho was an iconic Hawaiian entertainer whose signature song, Tiny Bubbles, made him a major tourist attraction on the island and his name has always been synonymous with hula dancing and luaus.

.....and so it goes...........

Sun, 15 Apr 2007 20:11:39 -0400

In the book Slaughter House 5, "So it goes" is a phrase used every time a passage deals with death, dying or mortality.
I felt it appropriate to use it this week as we have had so many to take that Final Taxi....
Kurt Vonnegut famed author,
Johnny Hart, creator of the comic strip "BC" and "Wizard of Id"
Marshall Rogers, comic book artist who help bring Batman from his 'camp' era,
Roscoe Lee Brown, famous character actor and voice talent,
Barry Nelson, actor who played many roles including the Hotel manager in "The Shining",
and Stan Daniels writer and producer of TV's Mary Tyler Moore and Taxi.

This is just a handful as there was so many this week.... and so it goes........

I Triple Dog Dare Ya-- Bob Clark

Fri, 06 Apr 2007 19:25:45 -0400

"You'll Shoot Your Eye Out," "I Triple Dog Dare Ya!" "Fra- Jee- Lee; Must be from Italy." All these are phases we know and love because of Bob Clark.
Bob Clark, the director of film classics 'Porky's and 'A Christmas Story', has taken his Final Taxi, alongside his 22-year old son Ariel.

Clark, who was 67, specialised in horror films and thrillers. His other titles include the likes of 'Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things', 'Murder by Decree', 'Breaking Point' and 'Black Christmas'.

But he was most famous for 'Porky's', which is often cited as one of the first "gross-out" comedies, while 'A Christmas Story' has become something of a seasonal tradition in the US.

Goodbye to Johnny Depp- R.I.P

Sun, 01 Apr 2007 01:36:45 -0400

One of Hollywood newest film icons has taken his Final Taxi. Johnny Depp will be remembered as Captain Jack Sparrow, a role that give him a Academy Award nomination. After his plane went down outside London I had to rush to put up this Final Taxi podcast. (since it is April 1st)

Larry Bud, Doom Patrol and Podcamp

Fri, 23 Mar 2007 10:17:40 -0400

Calvert DeForest, the white-haired, bespectacled nebbish who gained cult status as the oddball Larry (Bud) Melman on David Letterman's late night television shows has taken his Final Taxi.

Also famous comic book writer Arnold Drake who wrote comics for Star Trek, Twilight Zone, Batman and X-men and created the Doom Patrol and Deadman has also died.

contact: FinalTaxi@gmail.com

Is Boston Being Served? - Delp & Inman

Tue, 13 Mar 2007 11:41:05 -0400

Bradley Delp was an American musician best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Boston.

Actor JOHN INMAN, best known for his role as camp shop assistant Mr Humphries in the long-running BBC comedy Are You Being Served? took his Final Taxi. He was 71.
Inman was one of the sitcom's most memorable cast members and his catchphrase "I'm free" became part of UK's popular culture.

contact: FinalTaxi@gmail.com

I Got It! I Got It! - Ron Carey

Mon, 19 Feb 2007 23:59:11 -0500

Ron Carey had a recurring role on "Barney Miller" from 1976 to 1982 as Officer Carl Levitt, who yearned for a promotion to detective in the New York squad room run by Capt. Barney Miller (Hal Linden).

Carey also appeared in several Mel Brooks movies, including Silent Movie," "High Anxiety" and "History of the World Part I."

Check his last role at IFilm.com -- Food for Thought

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...To Boldly Go.... Andrews & Bergere

Tue, 06 Feb 2007 23:07:14 -0500

Tige Andrews and Lee Bergere were two actors who were in dozens of TV shows, but shared one show that they both were in. - Star Trek.
Tige Andrews later went on to be in charge of The Mod Squad, while Lee Bergere went off to be the head of the house in Dynasty.

contact: FinalTaxi@gmail.com

Bong Soo Han has our gratitude!

Mon, 29 Jan 2007 12:56:54 -0500

Korean martial arts master Bong Soo Han, who helped revolutionize Hollywood's understanding of martial arts by creating fight sequences for modern American films. He helped create the "Kung Fu" craze of the 1970s.
Han, who held a 9th-degree black belt and the title of grand master in Hapkido, was discovered by Hollywood in 1969. Actor Tom Laughlin saw him perform and asked for help with his action film "Billy Jack." Han choreographed fight scenes for the film, now a cult classic, and served as a stunt man, demonstrating a level of martial arts skill
rarely seen before.

California Grievin' - Denny Doherty

Wed, 24 Jan 2007 21:25:56 -0500

Denny Doherty was a singer with the Mamas and Papas whose laid-back style exemplified the 1960s Californian dream.
As the sweet tenor voice in the Mamas and the Papas, Doherty was an exemplar of the ambience of the 1960s in America, with a string of hits that included California Dreamin', Monday Monday and Dedicated to the One I Love.

Vacancy at 1313 Mockingbird LN- Yvonne De Carlo

Fri, 12 Jan 2007 23:00:05 -0500

Hollywood actress Yvonne De Carlo, most famous for her role as Lily in the 1960s TV sitcom, The Munsters, has passed away at the age of 84.
Her long career saw Yvonne in nearly 100 films, including The Ten Commandments, as well as acting on Broadway and making guest appearances on other TV shows.

Picture: Yvonne De Carlo as a sexy slave girl

A Lost Western Star - Lois Hall

Sun, 07 Jan 2007 22:30:36 -0500

Lois Hall 's first western role was in Jimmy Wakely's 1949 film Roaring Westward. This led to roles in films starring Charles Starrett, Whip Wilson and Johnny Mack Brown as well as television roles on "The Lone Ranger," "The Cisco Kid," "Range Rider," and others. She was recently in FlightPlan with Jodie Foster.

A Lois Hall early press photo and a recent interview she did.

James Brown is Dead!

Tue, 26 Dec 2006 16:04:23 -0500

The godfather of soul, James Brown, died on Christmas in Atlanta. On the Friday before, the hardest working man in showbusiness participated in a Christmas toy giveaway; was hospitalized Saturday, the next day. He canceled a few midweek gigs, but by Sunday he was pushing his doctor to approve a Saturday night show in New Jersey and a New Year's Eve gig at B.B. King's club in New York City.

James Brown won't make the gig this time. The "Minister of Super Heavy Funk" has taken that Final Taxi.
Brown was long acknowledged as the leading influence on a subsequent generation of pop and soul superstars, notably Michael Jackson, MC Hammer, Bobby Brown, Prince and many more.

The King of Cartoons Exits - Stage Left!

Thu, 21 Dec 2006 20:53:46 -0500

Viva the King of Cartoons!
Joseph Barbera, one half of the famous duo, Hanna-Barbera, who filled the hearts of young and old alike with joy by their cartoon creations, has taken his Final Taxi. He was 95 years old.

Barbera and his partner William Hanna, created cartoon characters such as The Flintstones, Yogi Bear, Scooby-Doo, The Jetsons, Space Ghost,Josie and the Pussycats, and Huckleberry Hound. However their most famous creation was the cat and mouse duo, Tom and Jerry.

Contact: FinalTaxi@gmail.com

Everybody Loves Peter !!

Fri, 15 Dec 2006 09:37:22 -0500

Actor Peter Boyle, who played the Monster in Mel Brooks' hilarious Young Frankenstein and most recently was Ray Romano's TV dad on Everybody Loves Raymond, has taken that Final Taxi at the age 71.

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Contact: FinalTaxi@gmail.com

Blue and Green - Veres & Nodell

Tue, 12 Dec 2006 00:32:56 -0500

Taking this weeks Final Taxi is Mariska Veres, lead singer for the band Shocking Blue and Martin Nodell, creator of the original Green Lantern and also the Pillsbury Doughboy.

Baby Huey - Sid Raymond

Tue, 05 Dec 2006 12:54:58 -0500

Sid Raymond, noted character actor and comedian for over 70 years has taken his Final Taxi. He appeared on stage, in films and on television, most recently on the TV program "The OC" .
Sid created the cartoon characters, 'Baby Huey' and "Katnip."
For years he was the face and spokesperson for Schlitz Beer as the comical bartender.

A picture of Sid Raymond as the Schlitz Beer bartender.

Baby Huey and Katnip cartoons can be seen and downloaded FREE from http://www.archive.org

Contact: FinalTaxi@gmail.com

X-Mens David Cockrum

Fri, 01 Dec 2006 20:34:33 -0500

Comic book illustrator Dave Cockrum, who in the 1970s overhauled the X-Men and helped popularize the relatively obscure Marvel Comics title into a publishing sensation and eventually a major film franchise, took that Final Taxi this week.

contact: FinalTaxi@gmail.com

Miss Rhythm & Mr. MASH

Fri, 24 Nov 2006 11:43:12 -0500

Legendary R&B singer Ruth Brown and maverick film director Robert Altman have died and taken that Final Taxi.

Animated Sex Kitten - Pussycat Patrice Holloway

Fri, 17 Nov 2006 17:52:16 -0500

Patrice Holloway was best-known as the singing voice of Valerie in the 1970 Hanna-Barbera cartoon series "Josie and the Pussycats." In providing Valerie's singing voice, the L.A. native became the first African-American cartoon character to star as a TV series regular.

- contact me: FinalTaxi@gmail.com

I Crap Bigger Than You - Jack Palance

Mon, 13 Nov 2006 23:23:47 -0500

One of Hollywood's greats, Jack Palance played memorable tough guys in films such as "Shane" and "Sudden Fear," but it wasn't until he was in his 70s that he won an Oscar for his comedic self-parody in "City Slickers." He hosted TV's Ripley's Believe Or Not for over 5 years.

podcast

Sex Education Films - Sid Davis

Fri, 10 Nov 2006 10:51:58 -0500

Sid Davis was in the 'Our Gang' comedies as a child and was a stand in for John Wayne as an adult. He produced more than 180 educational films warning youngsters of the dangers of drugs, drinking and running with scissors. He was 90 when he took his Final Taxi ride a week ago.

Contact: FinalTaxi@gmail.com

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These films can be found over at: http://www.archive.org

From Superman to Andromeda - Christensen and Hill

Thu, 02 Nov 2006 23:11:04 -0400

Donald Christensen was artist or art director on animation from The Brady Kids to Star Trek and from Superboy to Mickey Mouse.

Arthur Hill was a quiet actor who was in movies like The Andromeda Strain and TV shows like Owen Marshall Counselor at Law.

Contact: FinalTaxi@gmail.com

Dracula Was A Woman - Elizabeth Bathory

Tue, 31 Oct 2006 19:03:29 -0400

One of the biggest cover ups in ‘horror history’ is that Bram Stoker’s Dracula was based on a woman. The sexist society of the time hid the story of Elizabeth Bathory, a Countess of Hungary, and thought a man (Vlad the Impaler) would be more frightening.

Listen to this podcast and see if you too think that this woman, who tortured and murdered numerous young women for their blood, should be listed in our list of infamous Halloween monsters.

Contact: FinalTaxi@gmail.com

7 - The Missing Vampire - Peter Plogojowitz

Mon, 30 Oct 2006 23:56:54 -0400

The Medvegia Vampires were destroyed, but the government didn't think about a traveler from a nearby town a being a victim. Peter Plogojowitz would soon terrorize his own small village.

Don't miss tonight's big Halloween podcast. It details the cover up of one of the most famous of Halloween images.

contact: FinalTaxi@gmail.com

6 - True Vampire - Arnold Paole

Sun, 29 Oct 2006 23:31:24 -0400

Arnold Paul (or Paole) is one of the most documented and famous of the 18th century vampires. After he and other vampires in his village were destroyed a report was given to the Austrian Emperor. This report was printed many years later and was researched and proven by two Roman Catholic scholars.

contact:FinalTaxi@gmail.com

5 - Sloss Furnace Ghost

Sat, 28 Oct 2006 23:52:42 -0400

One of the most known haunted places in Birmingham, Alabama is Sloss Furnace. This was where pig-iron steel was made starting in the 19th century until the end of the 20th. Of all the many deaths that have happened there only one of the workers came back as a ghost....

Have you ever seen a "ghost?" Please tell me your story.

4 - Highgate Vampire

Sat, 28 Oct 2006 02:31:57 -0400

The Highgate Vampire first appeared in 1967 and terrorized the London neighborhood surrounding the cemetery for years. Was this the same creature that police captured and killed on Coventry Street 45 years earlier?

Contact: FinalTaxi@gmail.com

3 - Coventry Street Vampire

Thu, 26 Oct 2006 23:47:34 -0400

What was the terrorizing creature that descended upon innocent victims in London on Coventry Street in 1922?

Contact: FinalTaxi@gmail.com

2 - Hell House

Wed, 25 Oct 2006 23:42:39 -0400

This is the story of the true HELL HOUSE - forget all those silly 'haunted houses' that pop up on Halloween. This one was started in 1899 after it owner, Oliver Milton, sold his soul to a gentleman in black..

Contact: FinalTaxi@gmail.com

1- The Bride of Dracula- Sarah Ellen Roberts

Wed, 25 Oct 2006 08:11:59 -0400

Sarah Ellen Roberts, an English woman, reputedly buried with a stake in her heart in 1913 in a small town in Peru has become known in South America as the “bride of Dracula”. Find out how she vowed to come back from the dead and what happened in 1993. Its a true story of horror.

Contact: FinalTaxi@gmail.com

House Of Wax, Wyatt and West.

Mon, 23 Oct 2006 23:29:59 -0400

How bizarre is it that 3 deaths have occurred that are touched by the 1953 horror film HOUSE OF WAX?
Also taking that Final Taxi ride this week- actress Jane Wyatt and drummer Sandy West.

DON'T MISS THE FINAL TAXI SHOWS OF TRUE HORROR- Oct 25 - Oct 31.

Halloween Shows Daily: Oct 25 - Oct 31

Wed, 18 Oct 2006 23:25:51 -0400

Starting Wednesday October 25th till Tuesday October 31st The Final Taxi will be podcasting daily for a Halloween treat. The Final Taxi usually brings you stories of recently dead celebrities but during those days look for stories of the UNDEAD. True horror stories of vampires, haunted houses, ghosts and other creatures of the night.

In this podcast I give you a personal story told to me by a Catholic priest who once worked for an exorcist in the UK. The exorcist met someone possessed by a vampire evil.

Freddy Fender

Sun, 15 Oct 2006 22:00:32 -0400

Singer Freddy Fender, best known for his country hit Before The Next Teardrop Falls, has died at the age of 69.

The Pop Top

Thu, 12 Oct 2006 21:42:28 -0400

Ever wonder what life would be like if we didn't have bottles or cans for our drinks? I think there is one invention that demands us taking note- the pop top. Wouldn't you hate to have to bring a can opener everywhere when you want a can of beer?

Cleopatra Jones' Tamara Dobson

Thu, 05 Oct 2006 21:35:06 -0400

Tamara Dobson was one of the most influential black actresses of the 1970s, and beyond. Her cool, but no less lethal approach to injustice in 1973's Cleopatra Jones and its 1975 sequel, Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold earned her respect in helping bring black female lead actresses to the forefront in the movie industry.

James Bond Actors & Bad Company

Thu, 28 Sep 2006 23:03:00 -0400

This week on the Final Taxi we talk about the recent deaths of actors from
James Bond films,
Edward Albert and
the singer and bassist from the Bad Company, Boz Burrell.

Listen in and find out why you should care.

(Send private comments to: FinalTaxi@gmail.com)

Actors, Artists, and Writers, OH MY!

Fri, 22 Sep 2006 08:59:22 -0400

Gone from us this week are:
Art Baer,
Mickey Hargitay,
Robert Earl Jones,
Gerard Brach,
Hilary Mason,
Pat Corley,
S. John Launer

Listen in and find out why you should care.

A Sweet Lady Passes

Sun, 10 Sep 2006 17:27:12 -0400

Dorothy Harmsen hand fills candy boxes. Dorothy died this week at the age of 91.

Glenn Ford & Ed Benedict

Sun, 03 Sep 2006 17:59:16 -0400

Glenn Ford, a rugged but amiable leading man who appeared in nearly 100 movies died at the age of 90.
Three of Mr. Ford's best films were "Gilda" (1946), "The Big Heat" (1953) and "Blackboard Jungle" (1955). In them, he was a gambler, a police detective and a schoolteacher.

Ed Benedict passed away last week at age 94.
Considered one of animation's Golden greats he helped design The Flintstones, Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, Droopy and many more.

The Knack & the Lampoon

Sat, 26 Aug 2006 22:05:28 -0400

Bruce Gary, drummer for the band THE KNACK, and session drummer for Sheryl Crow, George Harrison, Bob Dylan and Stephen Stills and more. Also producer for the Jimi Hendrix archives

The cover of the first NATIONAL LAMPOON I ever bought. Thanks to Robert K. Hoffman , founder.

Tony Jay: Losing Another Voice

Wed, 23 Aug 2006 22:24:08 -0400

Veteran Royal Shakespeare Actor and voice artist Tony Jay has passed away following complications during a long recovery from surgery to remove a benign tumor from his lungs. Among his acting credits, it is likely his distinguished and unique voice that will be most remembered for bringing to life songs and characters like Shere Khan from Tale Spin and Virgil from Mighty Max. Most notably, in 1996 he put the hellfire in the voice of Judge Frollo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, often praised by critics as among Disney's greatest villains of all time. ....

Goodbye Bruno Kirby!

Wed, 16 Aug 2006 19:35:35 -0400

BRUNO KIRBY-
veteran character actor known for playing the best friend in
two of Billy Crystal's biggest comedies "When Harry Met Sally" and "City Slickers," has died. He was 57.

RIP; Douglas, Dixon, Thave, Hartly

Sat, 12 Aug 2006 23:09:47 -0400

People who have taken the Final Taxi :

RUFUS HARLEY

MIKE DOUGLAS

FLOYD DIXON

BOB THAVES, creator of Frank & Ernest

Memoirs of Mako

Sun, 23 Jul 2006 20:23:02 -0400

Mako, a distinguished stage and screen actor who was widely regarded as having blazed the trail for Asian-Americans in films, on television and in the theater had died.
Mako, who used only one name professionally, was born in Japan and came to the United States as a teenager.

He earned an Oscar nomination for "The Sand Pebbles" (1966), in which he played opposite Steve McQueen. Among his other films are "Conan the Barbarian" (1982), "Conan the Destroyer" (1984), "Seven Years in Tibet" (1997), "Pearl Harbor" (2001) and "Memoirs of a Geisha," released last year.

Jack Warden has died

Sat, 22 Jul 2006 13:04:30 -0400

Jack Warden, an Emmy-winning and Academy Award-nominated actor who played gruff cops, coaches and soldiers in a career that spanned five decades, has died. He was 85.

Warden was nominated twice for supporting-actor Oscars in two Warren Beatty movies. He was nominated for his role as a businessman in 1975's Shampoo and the good-hearted football trainer in 1978's Heaven Can Wait.

He won a supporting actor Emmy for his role as Chicago Bears coach George Halas in the 1971 made-for-TV movie Brian's Song and was twice nominated in the 1980s as leading actor in a comedy for his show Crazy Like a Fox.

RIP - Nye, Spillane, Cunningham, Mayo-Chandler, Myers

Wed, 19 Jul 2006 10:49:32 -0400

Confirmed 7-25-06 :

Karen Mayo-Chandler died of breast cancer July 12 in Long Beach, Calif.
She was 47.
Born in London, England, she started her career modeling in Europe and then came to Hollywood. She appeared on TV shows including "The Young and the Restless" and "Colombo" and in films including "Beverly Hills Cop," "Hamburger -- The Motion Picture" and "Prince Valiant."

RIP- Red Buttons & Chris Drake

Thu, 13 Jul 2006 22:08:02 -0400

Several deaths this week: Barrett, Roger, Nelson, Williams, Allison

Wed, 12 Jul 2006 23:38:14 -0400

Voice of HR Puffnstuf, Secret Squirrel, and Commissioner Gordon silenced

Sun, 02 Jul 2006 18:04:20 -0400

Lennie Weinrib, a character actor and prolific voice-over artist who supplied the voice for "H.R. Pufnstuf," has died. He was 71. He died Wednesday at a hospital in Santiago, Chile, after suffering a stroke.

I loved his vocals on the old 70’s Batman show where he played the voices of Commissioner Gordon, The Joker, The Penguin ,Mr. Freeze and several other.