SHERIFF, THIS IS ROSCOE P. COLETRANE, CLASSIC ACTOR.

If this is your only memory of James Best then you don't know James Best. This actor is truly an american treasure. Think of it this way...how many times have you been recognized for something at work that took very little effort and the boss goes on and on about this one small thing that you equate to teaching a dog how to eat while you want desperately for the boss to know how you finished the project that got the company a million dollar contract!!! Well, James Best is one of the most accomplished actors of our time but most of us can't forget him as the bumbling Roscoe P. Coltrane from The Dukes Of Hazzard.
Now, don't get me wrong. I love Roscoe. But looking back on Mr. Bests career is like walking down the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He has worked with most major stars in the industry and has worked ON some of the most famous shows in TV history.
How about this...he was in 3 Twilight Zone episodes.





















He was in 2 Andy Griffith Episodes as the guitar-man Jim Lindsey.



But here goes the unbelieveable list. Ready?

He was in Hopalong Cassidy, The Gene Autry Show, The Adventures of Kit Carson, The Lone Ranger, Wagon Train, Bat Masterson, Have Gun Will Travel, General Electric Theatre, Aalfred Hitchcock Presents, Surfside 6, Hawaiian Eye, 77 Sunset Strip, The Rifleman, The Fugitive, Rawhide, Daniel Boone, Ben Casey, Flipper, Perry Mason, The Green Hornet, Bonanza, I Spy, Mod Squad, Gunsmoke...and don't forget The Caine Mutiny!!
Are you kidding me!!! OK...i'm alright now.

He has dedicated his life to acting. He formed the first school to teach actors Motion Picture Technique in the 1970s. He taught in Hollywood for 25 years and worked with such prominent stars as Burt Reynolds, Clint Eastwood, Gary Busey, Teri Garr, Lindsay Wagner, Farrah Fawcett, and Quentin Tarantino. In 1987 he moved to Florida and taught at the University of Central Florida.

I can't say enough about the man most of us remember as Roscoe P. Coletrane. Do yourself a favor...research all he has been in and you will find your jaw hanging open. He is a real success story. IMDB says "The sixth of seven children, his mother died when he was 3 and he was taken to an orphanage when his Kentucky-born coal-mining father, an alcoholic, could no longer keep the family together. He was adopted at age 5 by Armen and Essa Best of Indiana".

He has risen from a challenging beginning to being one of the best actors of the past 50 years. Check out www.jamesbest.com to see snippets of his career and even more impressive is his fabulous art!! Go to http://jamesbestart.com to see that.

(If you are reading this from a feed go to www.waitiknowthis.com for more cool trivia!)

YOU KNEW HIM.....BUT YOU DIDN'T KNOW IT

Bob May passed away this past Sunday. It was congestive heart failure that took him from us. Can't you see him flailing his arms about and turning from side to side? Or maybe you remember the countless times we all have seen him following that red-headed kid around. Always the faithful companion. He was such a logical fellow. Never lied. Always made the right decision....and even though his brain far surpassed any of us he still kept that child-like honesty that made you smile.

Still don't remember Bob May? You've seen him many times whether you are aware of it or not. Bob was the guy INSIDE the famous B9 robot from the 1960's TV show "Lost in Space".



Intresting story... June Lockhart, who played Maureen Robinson, said May was working as an actor/stuntman in mid 60's when someone saw him on the studio lot and said he should go to producer Irwin Allen and see about a part for a new sci-fi series he was working on. He did. Irwin Allen said "If you can fit in the robot suit, you've got the part."



No one could've played the role any better than May. I read once that he learned ALL the actors lines so he could react to them at the proper time and manner.



TRIVIA ALERT: He did not provide the voice of the robot. That was done by announcer Dick Tufeld.



The grandson of famed vaudeville comedian Chic Johnson, May was introduced to show business at age 2 when he began appearing in the "Hellzapoppin" comedy revue with Johnson and his partner, Ole Olsen.He went on to appear in numerous films with Jerry Lewis and in such TV shows as "The Time Tunnel," "McHale's Navy and "The Red Skelton Show." He was also a stuntman in such 1950s and '60s TV shows as "Cheyenne," "Surfside 6," "Hawaiian Eye," "The Roaring 20s" and "Stagecoach."



But perhaps the funniest story I have read about him came from June Lockhart. She said that the robot suit was very difficult to get into and out of so Bob would stay in the suit for hours during filming...even during breaks. She said he was an avid smoker and on occassion one could glance over at the B9 robot and see smoke coming from the inside.



May was 69 years old. He was one-of-a-kind. We will miss him.
http://www.robot-b9.com/


(If you're reading this from a feed please check out www.waitiknowthis.com for more)

CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD UNCOVERED

It was a time when the Hollywood studios all but owned the actors they had under contract. A time when the studios choreographed the actors careers AND their love life. They would set up dates between stars ALL FOR PUBLICITY. Marriages? Yes, even marriages were arrainged sometimes. Wow.
Do we have your attention now? You need to listen to our last show featuring the always entertaining Laurie Jacobson! She always amazes me! We could've done a 2-hour show with her on board. She always has MORE material than we have time for...and stuff that even the hardcore trivia buffs walk away saying "I never knew that".
The story she told about Marilyn Monroe and how Frank Sinatra used her almost as a prostitute had our mouths hanging open. I won't say anymore about that since I can't do it justice...you have to hear it yourself.
Laurie has written four books on classic Hollywood.
Dishing Hollywood serves up the real scoop on 43 scandals with a recipe connected to each one: last suppers, first dates, favorite dishes – stories with some real meat to them.

Hollywood Heartbreak relives 75 years of Hollywood history through the lives and deaths of 31 people who helped to build it, how their lives helped to create the city and the industry, how their tragic or mysterious deaths contributed to its mystique.

Haunted Hollywood takes you into the oldest studios and hotels, the most glamorous theaters and nightspots, and beautiful homes from Beverly Hills to Hollywood. Hear about the ghosts of mobsters, lovers and bandits. Learn about the celebrities who have seen ghosts, celebrities who have lived with ghosts and celebrities who are ghosts!

And Timmys In The Well. Laurie is married to Jon Provost (Timmie on Lassie) and the fall, of 2007 marks the 50th anniversary of Jon Provost's debut as Timmy Martin on "Lassie". Just 7, he was already a seasoned professional, having appeared in ten films and TV shows with stars like: Grace Kelly, Bing Crosby, Jane Wyman, Anita Ekberg, William Holden. Both Hollywood and NY critics named him the top kid movie actor of 1958. Yet, while Jon portrays part of an idyllic television family, he and his own family are deeply and irrevocably changing as a result of his skyrocketing fame.

Check out Lurie's personality, knowledge and wit as she takes US through a 30-minute show. When she's on board we should rename the show to Wait, I DIDN'T know jack!!
(Listen to the show at www.waitiknowthis.com)