K.A.C. 2009 - T - 41, 40 AND 39 ...

Hi-dee Ho, my Holiday Hellions! Hope you had a good weekend ... did you miss us? We've got three days worth of updates to get to and you're gonna need some Visine before this one's done. Ready?


T - 41:


When you were a kid and you daydreamed about Christmas, what was your first thought? TOYS, of course! No, don't lie and say anything else, you and I BOTH KNOW it was toys! In that spirit, and in honor of the Rankin/Bass Island of Misfit Toys, we present the K.A.C. 2009 Worst Toys of the Year Award! Let's hope none of these show up under YOUR tree!


At # 3, we have the Rad Repeatin' Tarzan - words fail me on this bad boy - no, seriously, he's a BAD BOY - see for yourself! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1zRaPOzclI


At # 2, for the young "lady" in your life, the Pole Dancing Doll ... perezhilton.com/?p=67258


And, at # 1, the one, the only Wolverine of the X-Men! WHAT, you say? How could that be worse than these other two disasters? Take a look: www.themovieblog.com/2009/03/very-poor-x-men-origins-wolverine-product-design


T - 40:


From Anchorage, Alaska, comes the report of the one, the ONLY ... SNOWZILLA! He returns every year, BIGGER than before ... in 2007, he was 16 feet tall, then in 2008, he returned, Bigger and badder than ever, weighing in at 25 feet tall, and this year ... who knows? I'm waiting with bated breath for his return, but until then, take a look: www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28378976/?GT1=43001


T - 39:


We end today's post on a rather somber note, involving a court case you may have missed. All I have to say to this is: "STOP THE INSANITY, PEOPLE! REINDEERS HAVE RIGHTS, TOO!" Read it and weep - consider this a public service message. Why? Because (as a wise man/action figure once said) "knowing is half the battle!"


A hearing into the case of Rudolph, a reindeer




PETER SCOWEN


From Wednesday's Globe and Mail


December 23, 2008 at 10:11 PM EST


In December of 2006, this rights commission was asked to investigate claims of discrimination based on physical disability with regards to a reindeer, Rudolph.
Thanks to the use of anatomically correct dolls brought to life in a stop-action dramatic recreation of the incidents under discussion, as well as at least one version of the events delivered in the form of a ridiculously catchy country western song, the commission has established the following facts:
* Rudolph suffers from a facial disfigurement.
* Rudolph is employed by Santa Claus, the owner and sole executive of a toy manufacturing conglomerate known as Santa Claus Holdings Inc. (herewith referred to as SCHI) and located on or near Earth's magnetic north pole (herewith referred to as the North Pole). Rudolph works in the delivery department, propulsion and guidance systems.
* In the North Pole, reindeer can fly. No one thinks this is weird.
* Like the lingerie section at department stores, SCHI delivers its entire annual production of Christmas gifts on a single night – Dec. 24.
* The alleged incidents took place in the winter months leading up to Christmas, 2005.
The commission established the following narrative of events:
Rudolph suffers from an unusual swelling and discoloration of the nose.
Medical doctors who examined him at the commission's request concluded that his disability is not due to any known medical condition.
For one thing, his nose is too shiny. Witnesses testified that some “would even say it glows,” raising the possibility of radiation poisoning. That was ruled out through the use of a Geiger counter. A diagnosis of congenital disfigurement is accepted by the commission.
It's clear that Rudolph's disfigurement was a source of shame for his parents. At one point, the child's father tried to blacken his son's nose with mud, a considerable effort given mud's scarcity in the North Pole. Donner eventually fashioned a prosthetic nose and forced Rudolph to wear it when out in public.
Rudolph's problems were exacerbated at school. The prosthetic nose was crudely made and often fell off, revealing Rudolph's disfigurement. His peers responded by ridiculing him and refusing to let him “join in any reindeer games,” according to one version of events.
Reindeer games are an intrinsic part of reindeer society, and Rudolph's exclusion from them was painful. No action was taken by teachers or the school principal to rectify the situation. The commission notes that the school is owned and operated by North Pole Education Systems Inc., a subsidiary of SCHI.
The cruel taunts and exclusion continued until Dec. 24, 2005, when climatic conditions resulted in the peculiar appearance of a thick blanket of fog in the North Pole, a polar desert where average temperatures on this date are in the minus-45-degree range.
It was at this point that Santa Claus himself approached Rudolph and offered him the chance to fill a newly created position in the delivery department: He asked Rudolph to help pull his gift-laden sleigh in the lead position.
Santa Claus's hope was that Rudolph's brightly lit red nose would serve as a beacon and help him guide his sleigh that night. It apparently worked, as the delivery went off without a hitch.
Rudolph's sudden and unexpected engagement by the region's single all-powerful employer changed his peers' attitudes toward him. “Then all the reindeer loved him,” one witness said. Some predicted that Rudolph would “go down in history.”
CONCLUSIONS
The commission finds this case to be troubling from start to finish. Its members note with sadness that the North Pole is dominated by a judgmental and Manichean character who divides the world into “naughty” and “nice.” Rudolph's systematic exclusion clearly comes from the top in a community that is controlled in all its aspects by a single employer.
There is little in that regard to distinguish the North Pole from any single-company town in apartheid-era South Africa, pre-First World War Ireland or the current New Brunswick.
The commission is also troubled that Santa Claus only intervened on behalf of a victim of repeated discrimination when his company's fortunes were on the line. While lawyers acting for SCHI at the hearings argued that the hiring of Rudolph was a clear indication of the company's policy of inclusion, the commission feels that it was motivated by a venal goal and that the company only played it otherwise after complaints were made to the commission.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The commission therefore finds that:
* SCHI discriminated against Rudolph, and it should pay Rudolph the sum of $18.5-million in damages.
* SCHI must immediately begin tolerance and diversity programs for all of its employees, starting at the top.
* SCHI must open itself to diversity audits on an annual basis and file a report with this commission indicating the progress it has made in finding work for red-nosed reindeers, tall elves and un-jolly humans.






There you have it! I'll be back tomorrow with more jolly-ness, while you try to sandblast Rad Repeatin' Tarzan out of your minds - see you!

K.A.C. 2009 - T - 42 Days ...

     Welcome back, my Shivering Snowmen! We've been waiting for you ... no, seriously, we've ALL been waiting for you ... come over here - just a little closer ...


*ahem* Moving on ... today we feature the Carol of the Robots - a cute little film I stumbled upon (literally) over at Stumbleupon.com - a veritable treasure trove of who-knows-what every time you click on Stumble! Hours of time-wasting fun - try it!


But back to our star of the day - turn up your sound and hum along!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_223974&feature=iv&hd=1&src_vid=6nnpX8Z1GTw&v=CNox3BktfiA




Have a great weekend, and I'll be back on Monday with not ONE, not TWO, but THREE entries (gotta keep that countdown straight!) - Stay Frosty!

Welcome to the Kitschmas Advent Calendar 2009! T-43 Days ... and Counting!!!

Greetings, my garrulous Grinches, and welcome to another spectacular edition of the Kitschmas Advent Calendar! For those of you new to the game, a brief bit of history is in order: The K.A.C. started a few years ago as a computer wallpaper contest between myself and my work-study students, as to who could find the absolute oddest holiday-themed wallpaper. There were some doozies, with my favorite being the "Gary Coleman and Mr. T Christmas" being the winner!


As most of my original students had graduated and gone on to better things, I would hear back from them about the contest, and we would continue to email new oddities as we found them. So last year (2008) I decided to expand it from just wallpaper to daily links to odd stories, photos, traditions, etc. - and opened it up to some of my other friends to share in the goofiness. The starting date coincided with the day that a local radio station (WODS-FM, Oldies 103.3FM - located at
http://www.wods.com) started playing Christmas and Holiday Music around the clock 24/7 (which in 2008 began, believe it or not, on Veteran's Day!) ... from Santa's Grotty Grotto to the simultaneous Best AND Worst Holiday Wallpaper of 2008 (of presents opening children for Christmas!), it (hopefully) lessened the stress of the season and gave everyone a good laugh.


This year, I'm expanding the K.A.C. to GLOBAL proportions! If you're reading this, you're either a veteran of last year's joy, or a Facebook friend - if you like what you see, feel free to pass this link on to friends of yours so THEY can enjoy it, too! I will be updating this on a daily basis, Monday-Friday, all the way down to Christmas, so check back EVERY DAY for the next batch of jaw-dropping wonder!


So there you have it ... I have another great batch of December Lunacy to spring upon you all, from Robot Carols to the Yule Pooping Log, from Krampus (the Anti-Santa) to the Very First Appearance of St. Nick on Film ... and it all begins just as soon as Oldies 103.3 starts their ... why, wait - what's this I hear??? DO MY EARS DECEIVE ME??? NO, THEY DON'T!!! :):):)


Go to the link above, click on Holiday Music, and enjoy it with me! Oh, did I forget to mention that I play the Holiday Music ALL DAY LONG AT WORK, EVERY DAY, FROM NOW TO CHRISTMAS??? Don't you wish you worked here? ;) Of course you do!


*****************************************************************************


Well, then, let's get this party started! We begin with a link to 8 Truly Strange Christmas Customs, with the aforementioned Krampus, the Anti-Santa, and the Yule Pooping Log, among others ... this will give you an idea what you're in for!


http://www.en8848.com.cn/Article/Culture/Religion/60442.html


Fasten your seat belts, take that Egg Nog straight, no chaser, and report back here tomorrow, Santa Soldier! That's an order! See you then!

INTERMISSION

Hey, there! Just a quick note that Conjure Cinema is taking a short break ... we're moving! No, not the blog ... my family and I are LITERALLY moving into our very own home! As a result, I'll be offline for the next couple of weeks, but will be back with the next entry in the continuing saga of Conjure Cinema the first week of November. Have a safe and Happy Halloween! See you in November, when we start up the 2009 K.A.C. - what's that you ask??? Just wait and see!

RITUAL OF EVIL (1970, TVM) (shown June, 1992)

With the success of FEAR NO EVIL (see my previous entry), Universal ordered a second pilot film for BEDEVILED, bringing back Louis Jourdan's Dr. David Sorrell character, a psychiatrist who deals in cases of the occult, and Wilfrid Hyde-White as his mentor and teacher Harry Snowden. The case this time involves a former patient of Sorrell's, Aline Wiley (Carla Borelli), an heiress who has committed suicide, and who was involved with a cult of devil worshippers. Her mother (Anne Baxter) (pictured) insists she's being haunted by Aline, her new husband (John McMartin) (also pictured) thinks it's all nonsense, and younger sister Loey (Belinda Montgomery) may be the next victim.

Before I go any further, let me say a word or two about Belinda ... she was one half of a one-two punch to the gut of the WORST child actors Hollywood has ever crapped out. The ONLY child actor worse than her was her younger brother of 11 years, Lee Montgomery, who would sometimes be billed as Lee H. Montgomery or Lee Harcourt Montgomery. The two of them were the "go-to kids" for many horror films and TV shows, and stank up a LOT of celluloid. Lee's biggest hit was the ratfest BEN (the sequel to WILLARD), while Belinda was in this and had the title role in another TVM from 1973, THE DEVIL'S DAUGHTER. She almost single-handedly sinks this film with her cloying performance as Loey.

To be fair, she's not completely to blame. Anne Baxter gives such an eccentric, over-the-top performance in this, at times you think she channeling Gloria Swanson in SUNSET BOULVEVARD-LITE. From the opening frames where she's wandering the grounds calling for Aline, to the whole ludicrous "did we kill a German Shepherd or did we kill a wandering hippie who Saw Too Much?" subplot, there's more than enough bad acting to go around. McMartin is not much better, as the boozehound stepfather in denial over any shady goings-on, and trying to get "friendly" with Loey --- the whole character is creepy. I can understand his trying to send her FedEx to Satan ASAP, just to get that annoying whining voice out of his head if nothing else, but still ...

Nature (thankfully) abhors a vacuum, though, and just as there are bad performers in this film, there are also two excellent performances. Georg Stanford Brown co-stars as Larry Richmond, a Vietnam vet and musician who has partied with Aline and has (perhaps) learned too much, and must be silenced by the cult. Far and above everyone else in the film (except Jourdan, of course) is Diana Hyland's character of Leila Barton, a love interest for Sorrell and also the main manipulator of the film.

With her Satanic powers, a leering statue of Pan (subbing in for the Infernal One) whose eyes glow when she makes her Death Spell, some black candles and a picture of the victim, she goes to town, killing off cast members one by one in various picturesque ways. Larry gets his out by the seaside in his rented house, as well as others, until finally Loey is in line as the next sacrifice.

Sorrell figures it out, and confronts Leila - in a refreshing touch, she not only admits her guilt, but tells him blatantly there's no way he can stop her, using her seductive wiles to try and make him her lover and consort, instead. He leaves to try and save Loey, just as Leila pulls out the statue, the candles ... and a picture of Sorrell. As he's driving on the busy freeway, he becomes disoriented - Leila is using her powers to make his death look like an accident. Sorrell is made of stronger stuff, however, and manages to overcome her spell and save Loey, exposing the cult at the same time.

Rushing back to Leila's apartment for one final confrontation and to put a stop to her killings, Sorrell finds it completely empty - the sorceress has gotten away completely, with her words ringing in his ears of how they could have been great together ... "another time, my love" ... setting up her character's possible return if the show had gotten the greenlight to go to series.

The music (again by Billy Goldenberg) is highly reminiscent of the themes used in FEAR NO EVIL, heavily borrowing the sonic tone and mood of the first film. Sadly, editor Byron Chudnow did not return for the sequel, as it could have used his master touch. The film commits the gravest sin (no pun intended) for a horror film, feature or TV-wise: it's just plain not scary. It tries (BOY, does it try), but it never achieves more than an unsettling mood in places, and that's just not enough. This was borne out by the low ratings it received upon its initial airing, and was the final nail in BEDEVILED's coffin (sorry!) for it to be picked up as a series. As it stands now, it's an interesting occult footnote.

Next Time: A lovely witch, her snarky brother and the slinky Pyewacket put a spell on James Stewart in the all-star BELL, BOOK AND CANDLE!

I MARRIED A WITCH (1942) (shown May, 1992)

Thorne Smith (1892-1934) was a wonderfully humorous fantasy author whose majority of work consisted of some poor nebbish running afoul of the supernatural, with hilarious (as well as erotic and alcoholic) results. His best known work and claim to fame was TOPPER, made into both a film and television series. He was also the author of such works as TURNABOUT, SKIN AND BONES, NIGHT LIFE OF THE GODS (my personal favorite of his works) and THE PASSIONATE WITCH (which he was working on when he died - the book was completed by Norman H. Matson).

THE PASSIONATE WITCH, when optioned and made into a film, had its name changed to I MARRIED A WITCH (a more audience-friendly title). Directed by Rene' Clair, it starred the lovely Veronica Lake (pictured above), she of the famous peek-a-boo haircut, and Fredric March, who has the distinction of being the only actor to win the Academy Award for a "monster" role (in 1931's DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE).

The basic plot concerns the Wooley family - 1672: New England Puritan Jonathan Wooley (March) has two witches, Jennifer (Lake) and her father Daniel (Cecil Kellaway) burned at the stake, but not before she places a curse on him and all his descendants that they will all marry the 'wrong woman', thus making their lives a living Hell. One quick montage of marital grief later, and we come upon our current protagonist, Wallace Wooley (also March).

1942: Wallace Wooley is campaigning for Governor of the state; as such, he can't afford even the hint of scandal. After a fund-raising speaking engagement at a downtown hotel, the spirits (in smoke form) of Jennifer and Daniel arrive, to continue the torment of the latest Wooley scion. Setting the hotel ablaze, they force its evacuation, but not before Wallace catches a glimpse of a woman left behind. Gallant to the last, he rushes back in to save the woman, which turns out to be a completely nude Jennifer. He stumbles back outside, vivacious blonde wrapped in his coat, to the accompaniment of photographer's flashbulbs, front-page headlines and many a comment about "manly" Wallace (nudge, nudge, wink, wink!).

All of this does NOT sit well with Wallace's fiancee' Estelle Masterson (Susan Hayward), a shrewish woman whose marriage is one more of political convenience than love ... that would be curse enough for any man, but Jennifer wants her revenge on the latest Wooley, and is enjoying her new-found body after 300 years of being a spirit. She decides to slip him a love potion, so he'll go crazy with desire for her on the eve of his wedding and be miserable the rest of his life. As it happens, however, Jennifer drinks the potion by mistake, falling head over heels in love with Wallace, and determined to make him hers.

Now begins the comedy of errors that Thorne Smith was best known for: Daniel, Jennifer's father, is dead set against her marrying a mortal and is doing everything he can to sabotage it; Jennifer is throwing herself at Wallace, literally and figuratively; Estelle is trying to get out of the marriage any way she can, but is being forced into going through with it; and Wallace is getting more and more crazed trying to keep everything under control before his political ship hits the reefs and founders.

The scene at the wedding is one of the comedy highlights of the film, as Jennifer is determined to stop Wallace's marriage at any cost: from high winds inside the church that sends candles sputtering and people flying, to the many and varied ways of stopping the church singer from starting her song "I Love You Truly" to get the bride down the aisle. It's one of those great moments in film that get funnier and funnier the more times it goes wrong; you'll never hear that song without laughing after this.

More witchy hijinks ensue and the wedding is called off. Wallace is a ruined man, and Jennifer truly DOES fall in love with him - she and Daniel then turn their magic to getting him elected (in another silly montage, with even his political opponents endorsing Wooley for candidacy), and Jennifer and Wallace are married. The film ends with a nice bit, looking in on the Wooleys and their family: while Jennifer is behaving, her daughter comes galloping in on a broomstick, a chip off the old block ... and you just KNOW life is going to be anything but quiet for Governor Wooley.

A big hit at the time of its release, I MARRIED A WITCH had more than its share of problems behind the cameras, mainly (according to the various reports of the time) due to the diva-like antics of Veronica Lake. She disliked Fredric March so much, she would pull malicious tricks on him, like eating garlic before their kissing scenes, or wearing a 40-pound weight under her nightgown for the repeated takes of March carrrying her (see lobby card above). He became so disgusted with her he nicknamed the film "I Married A Bitch".

Like or dislike her, Lake does carry the movie - her malicious witch having her tables turned on her and her lovelorn pining are quite cute, and Lake is an accomplished comic actress. The film has always been considered the basis for the television series BEWITCHED - although the TV producers denied it, by comparing the two, it's pretty obvious that is the case. It is also the precursor to 1958's BELL, BOOK AND CANDLE, which we'll cover in a later edition of this blog. As of this writing, I MARRIED A WITCH is not available on DVD, but it does show up on Turner Classic Movies quite often, so keep your eyes peeled for it - it's worth a look!

Next Time: "Occult investigator" David Sorell returns in the sequel to the TVM FEAR NO EVIL to battle a witch on a killing streak and a very naughty statue of Pan in RITUAL OF EVIL!

SPECTRE (1977, TVM) (shown April, 1992)

It's a good thing Gene Roddenberry is known as "the father of STAR TREK", for he could just as easily been tagged with "the father of the most failed TV pilots ever made". Consider: during Gene's post-STAR TREK career, he tried to recapture lightning in a bottle with such fare as GENESIS II (1973), THE QUESTOR TAPES (1974), PLANET EARTH (1974), and, when the sci-fi well had dried up, he gave the supernatural a go with SPECTRE.

Of the four, I believe SPECTRE had the best chance to continue as a series, had any of the networks bitten. The pilot's plot concerns occult criminologist William Sebastian (excellently portrayed by Robert Culp) and his long-suffering, reluctant partner in crime, Dr. Ham Hamilton (Gig Young), who gets dragged back in one more time to a case that Sebastian is investigating. Think Holmes and Watson, via Monk and Ham from the DOC SAVAGE pulps (I always wonder if that's where Gene got the name for Gig Young's character). The two have a nice, easy bickering rapport back and forth, and Ham is also Sebastian's physician, watching over him and his worsening heart condition (a hole in his heart that refuses to close or heal) that occurred during an unspecified occult battle in the past.

When the film opens, Sebastian and Ham have been called in to investigate the sordid goings-on at London's Cyon House by the Lady of the House, Anitra Cyon (Ann Bell). She is convinced her older brother, Sir Geoffrey (James Villiers), has gotten in too far with his occult dabbling and is in trouble. Anitra shows up at Sebastian's house, calling off the investigation and offering to pay for their time. Sebastian takes her into the library, and after a few quiet tests, pulls out the Apocraphyl Book of Tobit. Slamming it into her chest, she screams and disintegrates ... and Sebastian's supposition that it was a succubus posing as Anitra is both borne out and a rousing opening to the film.

More diabolical happenings occur on their way to London as the Cyon private jet, piloted by Mitri (Dimitri) Cyon (John Hurt), develops engine trouble over the ocean and goes into a dive. While Ham is frantic, Sebastian takes it all in stride, knowing the demon in charge is playing with them. Upon arriving in London, they drive to see a fellow occultist, Dr. Qualus, who is also investigating the Cyon case, only to arrive slightly after his murder by a demon. While investigating his death in his burning house, Sebastian comes upon Qualus' notes, just as the demon returns. They are protected by standing in the center of Qualus' pentacle, frustrating the demon until the fire department arrives.

Sebastian and Ham proceed to Cyon House, where they meet Sir Geoffrey, a libertine who openly indulges his sexual (and other) appetites. His sister Anitra is a pale, repressed shadow of the earlier succubus, and she begs Sebastian to save both her brothers and break the evil surrounding Cyon House. Upon reading Qualus' notes, Sebastian finds that the trouble began three years before when the Druid's Fire Pit on the Cyon property was excavated. The notes go on to explain that the Pit had originally held in place the demon Asmodeus, who is now free and (supposedly) inhabiting the body of Sir Geoffrey.

As they explore the pit and find one half of the Sacred Seal that held Asmodeus in place for twenty-five centuries, Sebastian puts together a plan for their final showdown. Sending Ham into London to get the elements to forge a golden bullet from a melted-down piece of the Sacred Seal, as well as holy water, they return to the Pit. The bullet is dropped and rolls behind one half of the Pit's door. As they pry it open, they find not only the bullet, but also the mummified body of Mitri, holding the other half of the Sacred Seal. It turns out HE was the one who broke the Seal, and the force of the door exploding outward crushed him to death, leaving Asmodeus free to roam the Earth again, in Mitri's body.

Retrieving the bullet, Sebastian and Ham hide behind pillars just as Asmodeus' coven arrives, carrying the bound Anitra as sacrifice - she is laid upon an altar as Asmodeus/Mitri calls forth Sir Geoffrey to defile her, then kill her. Sir Geoffrey regains his humanity and refuses to perform this final indignity, whereupon Asmodeus calls Sebastian forth, knowing he was there the entire time (he IS a powerful demon, after all!). Sebastian and Ham step forth, while Asmodeus offers Sebastian "a gift - of life", bringing forth the pinned voodoo doll that has debilitated Sebastian for so long. Asmodeus removes the pin, Sebastian's chest wound instantly heals, and Asmodeus asks for one thing in return: that Sebastian complete the sacrifice Lord Geoffrey was not able to do.

Sebastian stands over the sobbing Anitra, then at the last moment, hurls forth the holy water, sending the coven into a frenzy and disrupting the ceremony. He then faces off against Asmodeus, using the two halves of the Sacred Seal to send him back to Hell. Asmodeus fights back until Sebastian fires the golden bullet into him, which changes him into his full, reptilian demon form and, raging and bringing down the entire Pit with him, goes back to the Depths, dragging his coveners (and the reformed Sir Geoffrey) with him.

The coda finds the team back at Sebastian's house, when Anitra arrives to thank them. She has a rare and valuable painting for Sebastian, and something a bit more ... personal ... for Ham. As they step off to the library for privacy, Sebastian reminds Ham where to find the Apocraphyl Book of Tobit, should he need it. As he and his housekeeper Lilith (Majel Barrett) are looking over the painting, the fireplace flares, a howling wind comes from nowhere, and Sebastian sees the glowing "A" of Asmodeus as the signature on the painting! To be continued ...

Sadly, SPECTRE was NOT continued - Roddenberry tried his damnedest (if you'll pardon the pun) to get the pilot to series mode, actively recruiting his Trek fans to spread the word, but all for naught. Just as well, for in a short two years, he would be back in a familiar space (ahem), helming STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE.

While SPECTRE has yet to have an 'official' release on DVD, it does show quite often on the Fox Movie Channel. You should catch it and record it the next time it plays. Why? Because it is an alternate version of the film, that was released theatrically in Europe, and included female topless nudity during the final coven orgy. Oddly enough, THIS is the version Fox Movie Channel shows!

UPDATE: Word has just come in today (March 24th, 2010) that Robert Culp has passed away, age 79. R.I.P.

Next Time: Our first Thorne Smith fantasy is unspooled, with the feature that inspired television's BEWITCHED, I MARRIED A WITCH!