#J. Pat O’Malley

[elijones94]

🐘 “COMPANY!! SOUND OFF!!!” 🐘

[citizenscreen]

J. Pat O'Malley (March 15, 1904 – February 27, 1985)

[waltcrewlog]

Something I love about old Disney is how you can see a lot of the same talent crossing over in different projects. Whether it be a lot of the original WED/Imagineering guys like Marc Davis, John Hench, and Yale Gracey coming from the animation studio, hearing J. Pat O’Malley in The Wind and the Willows and Alice in Wonderland and then seeing him in live-action with Spin and Marty, etc. The reason I bring this up is because I was watching Zorro a few days ago and was so pleasantly surprised to see Sebastian Cabot featured in an episode! Though it was strange to hear him put on an accent when his natural English one is so iconic!

And even within the same divisions, it’s still cool to see familiar faces and artistic touches and hear familiar voices. Watching The Shaggy Dog was such a fun experience after having watched the Annette serial because of the reteaming of Tim Considine, Annette, and Roberta Shore.

And oh my goodness, Moochie? What an interesting role to have in Disney history! 😂

[antiques-for-geeks]

Kolchak : The Night Stalker at 50 - The Zombie

This week, Carl will mostly be dealing with a zombie.

Eight weeks is all the BBC’s introduction to Kolchak amounted to. Although all 20 episodes were available, a decision had been taken to show them out of US broadcast order in their late night Mystery Train strand. Maybe, you’d assume, the BBC went for episodes more in the overall theme when bundled with that evening’s short and film, but it doesn’t seem to be the case.

Maybe the series curator just liked these episodes best.

Maybe the Director General just threw darts at a board and those were the episode numbers they chose to air. 

When the first Mystery Train appeared at a quarter past eleven on Friday October the 11th 1991, it kicked off eleven with the fifth episode of the Kolchak series, The Werewolf. Confusingly we’d have to wait until October the 25th for the series’ second episode, The Zombie, that US audiences had seen on the 20th of September 1974.

Presenter Richard O’Brien hammed up the episode introductions for the camera on a spookily deserted, low lit tube station where the titular train stood at the platform, shrouded in a generous cloak of smoke to aid the ambiance. Memory plays tricks, however. Watching a clip back today however, the station wasn’t quite deserted. It was full of statues of people doing what people do in stations every day of every week of every month of every year. Going about their business.

A welcoming character, wouldn't you agree?

It strikes you that the Mystery Train might have been conceived to exist in a slice of time behind ours. An empty space between seconds or the beat your heart skipped, A personal fiefdom where O’Brien’s character rules supreme, his subjects frozen in time. Viewers assume they are in on the game, that they are somehow apart from it all, but in reality were just as trapped as the statues littering the platform until the programme concluded.

Or perhaps it was just a TV  show and all this is just imagination running wild. Whichever, The Zombie to made its debut on British television, complete with knowing glance and a suitable quip from O’Brien about the improbability of their being a Haitian Community in Chicago in the 1970s.

Less improbable than the episode, mind.

Plot

There’s a series of brutal murders among those in the Chigaco criminal underworld, which all seem to be linked to the gangland killing of a Haitian man. A Haitian man whose corpse keeps turning up in the Police Department morgue despite being buried following his last visit.

Guests

Darren McGavin and Simon Oakland were joined by :

Charles Aidman - Captain Winwood

Joseph Sirola - Benjamin Sposato

Val Bisoglio - Victor Friese

J. Pat O’Malley - Caretaker

John Fielder - Gordon Spangler

Antonio Faragas - Sweetstick Weldon

Scat Man Corthers (sic) - Uncle Filemon

With

Paulene Myers - Mamalois Edmonds

Earl Faison - The Zombie

Carol Ann Susi - Monique Marmelstein

Ben Frommer - The Monk

Roland Bob Harris - Poppy

The Scoop

Pop : A garbled story about revenge enacted by the victim of a gangland slaying, brought back to life by the power of ...voodoo!

This episode does have some plus points. I enjoyed Carl trying to squirm his way out of a hospital trip when he's discovered snooping about by some Italian mobsters. He’s clearly made many enemies on both sides of the law by this point, and it’s a wonder how he hasn’t ended up encased in a concrete piling on a building site.

There’s also the usual selection of stunt-victims being thrown about - this time with a sound like snapping bread sticks as their spines are crushed.

I also think the zombie makeup itself, at least in the final scenes, is as good as could reasonably be expected for a 70's American TV show. 

And since this is a 70's American TV show and also features several prominent black characters we also get small roles for Scatman Crothers and Antonio Fargas (who plays a flash proto Huggy-Bear gang boss).

Despite this it's clearly a step down from the pilot, and seems a much more rushed affair, both in writing and production value.

It’s also worth mentioning that the presentation of the Haitian community (even if just the criminal community) as chicken sacrificing voodoo practitioners sounds like a rambling, semi-coherent bit of 'word weaving' from a Donald Trump rally.

If the story can't really be coherent, make it pretty.

Tim : This is one of the episodes I didn’t catch when it was broadcast, my only memory of the story being a vague outline from a discussion with Pop the Monday after.

The re-telling wasn’t compelling; "there’s a zombie and Kolchak has to fill its mouth with salt. Oh, and it’s really dark so you can’t make out what is going on."

I felt a sense of urgency to watch it from a completist point of view, but not enough to seek it out at all costs. Years later, I found  myself watching a low quality transfer of it online. And frankly I was confused.

Part of that came down to the crime, not being familiar with the concept of the numbers racket. Obviously, it wasn’t a problem for a late-night US audience in the 1970s.

The other part was that we learned a lot from exposition as opposed to seeing the action. Sure, this can work, but when you notice it’s happening, you know it’s not working. Where we do see action, it’s really empty and a massive step down from The Ripper. The Zombie himself barely appears on screen. Even the scenes he’s in, he feels strangely absent.

And this is where the episode falls down in many respects. If we barely see him, why does he need to be a zombie in particular? Replace him with any strongman and the end result would be the same. The whole voodoo thing feels tacked-on in an attempt  to turn a story without a supernatural slant into a Kolchak episode.

Antonio Fargas and Scatman Crothers, while good to see them, aren't used to the extent of the talents, however the inclusion of John Fiedler as morgue attendant Gordo the Ghoul stands out. Sure he’s corrupt, selling information about the bodies in his charge to reporters, but it’s kind of endearingly so. Fiedler Carol Ann Susi’s character of Monique Marmelstein is also a worthwhile addition, the character is played mainly for comic relief, which is a shame.

Yes, there is some decent world-building going on, which suggests better for the future, But this outing feels underdeveloped or even like the script was just in the wrong series. After the strong start with The Ripper, you can’t help but feel disappointed.

Highlight

Pop : Carl climbing into the back of a hearse in a junkyard at night so he can lay the zombie to rest with some salt and a needle and thread is actually one of the more memorable monster encounters from the series, and pretty well executed. The surprisingly decent zombie makeup and the helpless position Carl finds himself in really add to the tension.

Tim : The scenes with the Chicago mob definitely has the hand of David Chase on their shoulder, but it’s the one where Kolchak has to talk his way out of being killed by crime boss Benjamin Sposato and his trusted acolyte Victor Friese that hits best. The punchy, fast dialogue succeeds in being both amusing and menacing at the same time.

That's supposed to be a zombie under the sheet.

Lowlight

Pop : The Zombie returns to his nocturnal den in the junkyard by bus!

Nobody bats an eyelid, and from Carl's vantage point riding on the back bumper he looks like he could pass for a living person... yet when we next see his skin looks like melted cheese and he is clearly very dead. Inconsistencies like this kill any tension the episode was trying to build.

Tim : The criminal underworld’s characters do feel a little too stereotyped, but it’s not as much a deal breaker as the Zombie itself. While we barely see it, when we do it’s.. mixed. During the morgue scene, it’s represented by a healthy arm and feet painted with blue food colouring under a white linen sheet. The way it looks; it might be one of the Blue Man group under there. If they existed in the 1970s. Which they didn’t.

Updyke vs. Kolchak

Updyke doesn’t appear in this episode - so it’s still 1-0 to Kolchak on aggregate.

Score on the doors

Pop : It’s a bit half baked, but still has some Night Stalker magic 4/10.

Tim : An episode that was still working out what it wanted to be pretty much to the end. 3/10.

As the old adage goes; if you need a zombie taking care of, you're best off doing it yourself.

[bluehome91]

101 Dalmatians (1961)

Adapted from Dodie Smith’s 1956 novel of the same name, the film was directed by Hamilton Luske, Clyde Geronimi, and Wolfgang Reitherman from a script by Bill Peet. It features the voice talents of Rod Taylor, J. Pat O’Malley, Betty Lou Gerson, Martha Wentworth, Ben Wright, Cate Bauer, Dave Frankham, and Fred Worlock.

[ulkaralakbarova]

Based on the autobiographical novel, the tempestuous 6-year relationship between Liberace and his (much younger) lover, Scott Thorson, is recounted. Credits: TheMovieDb. Film Cast: Liberace: Michael Douglas Scott Thorson: Matt Damon Seymour Heller: Dan Aykroyd Bob Black: Scott Bakula Dr. Jack Startz: Rob Lowe Ray Arnett: Tom Papa Mr. Felder: Paul Reiser Carlucci: Bruce Ramsay Mr. Y: Nicky Katt Billy Leatherwood: Cheyenne Jackson Tracy Schnelker: Mike O’Malley Adoption Attorney: David Koechner Cary James: Boyd Holbrook Frances: Debbie Reynolds Lou: Eric Zuckerman Assistant Director: Eddie Jemison Director: Randy Lowell Stunt Actor: Tom Roach Camera Assistant: Shamus Cooley Sound Mixer: John Smutny Rose Carracappa: Jane Morris Joe Carracappa: Garrett M. Brown George Liberace: Pat Asanti Dora Liberace: Casey Kramer Assistant Stage Manager: James Kulick Make-up Artist: Paul Witten Gladys: Deborah Lacey Sue: Susan Caroll Todd Backstage Flirt: Austin Stowell Backstage Flirt: Francisco San Martin Stagehand: Anthony Crivello Scott’s Half-Brother, Wayne: Kiff VandenHeuvel Dorothy: Nikea Gamby-Turner June: Charlotte Crossley Liberace’s Attorney: Josh Meyers Joel Strote: Harvey J. Alperin Dr. Ronald Daniels: Jerry Clarke Anchorwoman: Lisa Frantz Health Department Spokesman: Shaun T. Benjamin Priest at Funeral: John Philip Kavcak Young American Dancer (uncredited): Kelly Allen Funeral Mourner (uncredited): Gregg Atwill Patron (uncredited): Greg Baine Guy Outside Casino (uncredited): Brian Blu Party Guest (uncredited): Paul Borst Angie Liberace (uncredited): Barbara Brownell Sex Club Patron (uncredited): Lee Christian Kazarian (uncredited): Kass Connors Showgirl (uncredited): Jacquelyn Dowsett Concert Fan (uncredited): Timothy Skyler Dunigan Deposition Reporter (uncredited): Fielding Edlow French Guy #2 (uncredited): Corey Eid Impossible Dream Dancer (uncredited): Krystal Ellsworth Young American Dancer (uncredited): Kelli Erdmann Hair Stylist (uncredited): Amber Lee Ettinger Young American (uncredited): Derek Ferguson Adult Bookstore Patron (uncredited): Joe Filippone Adult Bookstore Worker (uncredited): Aussie Guevara Dancer (uncredited): Brandon Henschel Young American Dancer (uncredited): Kara Hess Stage Manager (uncredited): Lenny Jacobson Mourner (uncredited): Richard Allan Jones Valet (uncredited): Adam J. Kassel Impossible Dream Dancer (uncredited): Dominique Kelley Cameraman (uncredited): David Dustin Kenyon Theatre Stage Hand (uncredited): Kirk Krogstad Billy (uncredited): Kristin Lindquist Showgirl (uncredited): Rachael Markarian Patron (uncredited): Hugo Pierre Martin Sex Club Worker (uncredited): Paul McDade Young American Dancer (uncredited): KC Monnie Bar Patron (uncredited): Max Napolitano Tailor (uncredited): Gregory Niebel Show Boy (uncredited): Cassidy Noblett Dancer (uncredited): Ryan Novak Young American (uncredited): Meredith Ostrowsky Sex Couple #1 (uncredited): Lance Patrick Liberace Showgirl (uncredited): Brittany Perry-Russell Dancer (uncredited): Ferly Prado On-Air News Reporter (uncredited): Mike Jerome Putnam Maitre d’ (uncredited): Thure Riefenstein Second Anchorwoman (uncredited): Stephanie Maura Sanchez News Reporter (uncredited): Jimmy Scanlon French Guy #1 (uncredited): Roby Schinasi Reporter (uncredited): Nellie Sciutto Bookstore Patron (uncredited): Franklin J. Sterns Startz Surgeon (uncredited): C.J. Stussi Showgirl (uncredited): Becca Sweitzer Stagehand (uncredited): Trace Taylor Stagehand (uncredited): Anna Wendt Print Reporter (uncredited): Ryken Zane Nightclub Patron (uncredited): Judy Bruno Bennett Bookstore Guy (uncredited): Cal Rein Reporter (uncredited): Brian Neil Hoff Young American Dancer (uncredited): Nick Lanzisera Mourner (uncredited): Charles Moniz Showgirl (uncredited): Ayesha Orange Young American Dancer (uncredited): Jason Williams Self (archive footage) (uncredited): Johnny Carson Self (archive footage) (uncredited): Peggy King Film Crew: Editor: Steven Soderbergh Screenplay: Richard LaGravenese Book: Scott Thorson Book: Alex Thorleifson Producer: Susan Ekins Fir...

[lastchancevillagegreen]

The Twilight Zone Episode 32: Mr Garrity and The Graves

John Dehner (in plaid sport coat), J Pat O’Malley (in bib overalls), Percy Helton, Norman Leavitt (tall man in black hat and moustache) and Stanley Adams (completely bald)

[oldshowbiz]

A drunken J. Pat O’Malley near the intersection of Cahuenga and Barham Blvd

[papermoonloveslucy]

MY THREE SONS at 60!

September 29, 1960

“My Three Sons” was a situation comedy produced at Desilu Studios. It premiered on ABC TV on September 29, 1960 and finished its first run on April 13, 1972, with 380 episodes making it the second-longest running live-action sitcom in TV history after “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriett” (1952-66). 

Seasons 1 through 5 were aired in black and white on CBS.  In 1965 it moved to CBS when ABC declined to underwrite the costs of airing in color.  The series was initially filmed at Desilu Studios in Hollywood, but at the start of the 1967–68 season, the cast and crew began filming the series at the CBS Studio Center in Studio City, California due to Lucille Ball’s sale of Desilu to Gulf + Western, which owned Paramount Pictures. The sale also affected the filming location of another family sitcom, “Family Affair.”

Incredibly, “My Three Sons” ran concurrently through both “The Lucy Show” and “Here’s Lucy.” Both Steve Douglas and Lucy Carmichael (and later Carter), where single parents raising children. 

September 16, 1965 was a big night for CBS airing the very first episode of “My Three Sons” after moving from ABC titled “The First Marriage”. It was also the first episode of the series broadcast in color, something “The Lucy Show” did three days earlier with “Lucy at Marineland” (TLS S4;E1). The premise of the series is a widowed father (Steven Douglas) raising his three boys with help of his extended family.  Initially, the three sons were Chip, Robbie, and Mike, but in 1967 Mike was written out and replaced by Ernie, whom Steve adopted.  The extended family at first consisted of Bub, Steve’s father-in-law and the boys’ maternal grandfather, but in 1964, that character was replaced by Uncle Charley, Steve’s uncle and Bub’s brother. 

The leading role was played by film star Fred MacMurray, who the series was built around - including his hectic schedule. To suit MacMurray, scenes would be shot out of sequence and even alone on a soundstage and later edited to create a complete episode.  This was not MacMurray’s first time at Desilu. In 1958 he played himself on the “Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour” in “Lucy Hunts Uranium” set in the Nevada desert outside Las Vegas. He was joined by his second wife, actress June Haver. MacMurray (1908-91) appeared in over 100 films in his career but is perhaps best remembered for the film Double Indemnity (1944), which Lucy references in this episode. MacMurray’s name was first mentioned by Ethel in 1953 in “The Black Eye” (ILL S2;E20) when flowers arrive for Lucy mistakenly signed “Eternally yours, Fred.”

Although Lucille Ball was their landlord (and ultimate boss) she never acted on the show, but many of the actors who appeared on Lucille Ball’s sitcoms did appear on “My Three Sons”.

From 1960 to 1965, MacMurray was joined by William Frawley as Bub O’Casey, the family’s live-in maternal grandfather. Of course, Frawley came to fame on “I Love Lucy” as the crusty landlord Fred Mertz. Frawley had worked with MacMurray in the 1935 film, Car 99. When Frawley had to leave  the show due to ill-health (and it was too costly to insure him) he was replaced by another Desilu alumni, William Demarest, as Uncle Charley. Like his previous co-star, Vivian Vance, Frawley was not especially fond of Demarest personally or as an actor. Demarest had, however, done three films with Lucille Ball. Frawley kept watching “My Three Sons” on his TV set bitterly. He never really got over being replaced by Demarest. On March 3, 1966, Frawley died of a heart attack.

For Christmas 1959, Frawley and Demarest both appeared with Lucy and Desi in “The Desilu Revue” (above with “December Bride’s” Spring Byington). At the time, Demarest was working on the Desilu lot appearing in NBC’s “Love and Marriage.”

On “My Three Sons” two of  Steve Douglas’ boys had been seen on “The Lucy Show”: Don Grady (Robbie Douglas) had played Chris Carmichael’s friend Bill and Barry Livingston (Ernie Douglas) had played Mr. Mooney’s son Arnold. Ted Eccles, who assumed the role of Arnold Mooney when Barry Livingston was busy on “My Three Sons,” also did an episode. 

The children of “The Lucy Show,” Ralph Hart (who played Viv Bagley’s son Sherman), Jimmy Garrett (Jerry Carmichael), and Candy Moore (Lucy Carmichael’s daughter Chris) were also on episodes of "My Three Sons.”

Other “Lucy” performers who were on “My Three Sons” include: 

Mary Wickes ~ Jeri Schronk (1964)

Doris Singleton ~ Helen & Margaret, 8 episodes (1964-70)

Shirley Mitchell ~ Sally, 2 episodes (1968) 

Barbara Pepper ~ Mrs. Brand (1966)

Verna Felton ~ Mub (1962)

Kathleen Freeman ~ Lady Checker (1967)

Jerry Hausner ~ Various Characters, 2 episodes (1964 & 1966) 

Reta Shaw ~ Various Characters, 2 episodes (1962 & 1965) 

Elvia Allman ~ Maude Prosser (1967) 

Eleanor Audley ~ Mrs. Vincent, 9 episodes (1969-70)

Burt Mustin ~ Various Characters, 5 episodes (1962-70)

Olan Soule ~ Various Characters, 5 episodes (1963-70)

Alberto Morin ~ Professor Madoro (1967)

Herb Vigran ~ Caretaker (1967)

Maurice Marsac ~ Various Characters, 3 episodes (1964-72)

Tim Mathewson ~ Various Characters, 3 episodes (1962-63)

Bill Quinn ~ Doctors, 4 episodes (1964-66)

Barbara Perry ~ Mrs. Thompson & Mrs. Hoover, 3 episodes (1964-72)

Nancy Kulp ~ Various Characters, 2 episodes (1962)

George N. Neise ~ Various Characters, 2 episodes (1960 & 1967)

Maxine Semon ~ Various Characters, 2 episodes (1964 & 1967) 

Roy Roberts ~Various Characters, 2 episodes (1965 & 1967) 

Lou Krugman ~ Various Characters, 2 episodes (1966 & 1967)

Richard Reeves ~ Various Characters, 2 episodes (1962 & 1965)

Dorothy Konrad ~ Various Characters, 2 episodes (1961 & 1962)

Ed Begley ~ Various Characters, 2 episodes (1962 & 1968)

Gail Bonney ~ Various Characters, 2 episodes (1965 & 1970)

Rolfe Sedan ~ Various Characters, 2 episodes (1968 & 1971) 

Tyler McVey ~ Various Characters, 2 episodes (1962 & 1967)

J. Pat O’Malley ~ Various Characters, 2 episodes (1963 & 1964)

Paul Picerni ~ Various Characters, 2 episodes (1965 & 1967)

Sandra Gould ~ Various Characters, 2 episodes (1963 & 1964)

Richard Deacon ~ Elderly Man (1960) 

Mabel Albertson ~ Mrs. Proctor (1964) 

Joan Blondell ~ Harriet Blanchard (1965) 

Leon Belasco ~ Professor Lombardi (1966) 

Dayton Lummis ~ Dr. Blackwood (1963) 

Lurene Tuttle ~ Natalie Corcoran (1968)

Robert Foulk ~ Pop Action (1962) 

Dick Patterson ~ Bunny Baxter (1963)

Jamie Farr ~ Itchy (1964)

Larry J. Blake ~ Policeman (1968) 

Amzie Strickland ~ Cora Dennis (1968) 

Barbara Morrison ~ Mrs. Murdock (1969) 

Louis Nicoletti ~ Caddy Master (1962)

Frank Gerstle ~ Policeman (1964)

Gil Perkins ~ Painter (1963) 

Tommy Ferrell ~ Mr. Griffith (1964) 

Eve McVeagh ~ Clara (1966)

Remo Pisani ~ Pepe (1970) 

Dub Taylor ~ Judge (1963)

Frank J. Scannell ~ Emcee (1968) 

Ray Kellogg ~ Henshaw (1965) 

Romo Vincent ~ Charley (1964) 

Stafford Repp ~ Sergeant Perkins (1969)

Jay Novello ~ Vincenzo (1966) 

Leoda Richards ~ Restaurant Patron (1966)

CHILD STARS!

Other child stars who appeared on “My Three Sons” included Butch Patrick (“The Munsters”), Jay North (“Dennis the Menace”), Oscar-winner Jodie Foster, Angela Cartwright (“Make Room for Daddy”), Flip Mark (”Lassie”), John Walmsley (”The Waltons”), Tony Dow (“Leave It To Beaver”), Erin Moran (“Happy Days”), Maureen McCormick (”The Brady Bunch”), Ann Jillian (Gypsy), and Heather Menzies (The Sound of Music). 

On November 22, 1977, ABC TV (and Dick Clark Productions) brought together a reunion of two of television's favorite sitcoms "The Partridge Family" and "My Three Sons." Hosted by Shirley Jones and Fred MacMurray this would be the only time that the surviving cast members would get together to celebrate the series which included clips, a song from David Cassidy, and an update of what each cast member was doing in 1977.

Also in 1977, some of the stars of the series reunited on a morning program titled "The Early Show", including Stanley Livingston (Chip Douglas), Barry Livingston (Ernie Douglas), Tina Cole (Katie Miller Douglas), and Don Grady (Robbie Douglas).  

TRIVIA

In “Lucy Helps Danny Thomas” (TLS S4;E7) in 1965, there is a large framed photo of Fred MacMurray in the studio hallway.  He is joined by other Desilu stars like Jim Nabors (of “Gomer Pyle USMC”), Andy Griffith (of “The Andy Griffith Show”) and Danny Thomas (of “The Danny Thomas Show”). 

[travsd]

The Other Pat O'Malley

The Other Pat O’Malley

It seems an injustice to make this Pat O’Malley (1890-1966) an also-ran, for he had once starred in films and has over 400 credits, but by the mid ’30s he was busted down to bit player, hence the the later J. Pat O’Malley, staple of the mid-century Disney-verse is the one more folks are apt to recognize. The first Pat O’Malley was from Forest City, Pennsylvania. He’d worked in railroads in his…

[elijones94]

🐘 Colonel Hathi vs Kaa 🐍

[citizenscreen]

Remembering J Pat O'Malley, #botd in 1904

[dweemeister]

Movie Odyssey Retrospective

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949)

Walt Disney seemed to have been mentally drifting in the 1940s, producing a scattershot of films without the artistic discipline he displayed prior to Bambi (1942). His attention wavered between the package animated features, his forays into live-action features and nature documentaries, and taking mental notes about the new medium of television. As Walt approached his 50s, the strain of the work he had thrust upon his studio and himself was beginning to show.  In his nurse, Hazel George, he found a rare confidant (it was a friendship, nothing more). He noted his personal need to move forward on projects, rather than tolerate any stalling. “I’m going to move on to something else because I’m wasting my time if I mess around with that any longer,” he told George about his projects stuck in development hell. That was the difficult reality facing The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad – directed by Jack Kinney, Clyde Geronimi, and James Algar – as it became the final animated feature of the package era of Disney animation.

Walt was dividing his time between this film, building a personal miniature railroad in his backyard (the genesis of the idea that would become Disneyland), a nostalgic and personal dramedy of rural turn-of-the-century America in So Dear to My Heart (1948), the start of his True-Life Adventures series of nature documentaries with Seal Island (1948), and restarting the studio’s line of non-package animated features. Of all these things, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad probably consumed the least of his attention. A feature-length adaptation of Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows had been in the works at the studio in the months before the United States’ entry into World War II, but was halted due various factors: the war, the Disney animators’ strike, and Walt’s belief that Grahame’s book did not justify a feature-length treatment. Work on an adaptation of Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow began in 1946. But unlike The Wind in the Willows (which also resumed production in 1946), the adaptation of Irving’s story was always envisioned as a segment to a package film – not a standalone feature. Itching to return to animated features and still not convinced in the potential of a feature film surrounding Mr. Toad and friends, Walt announced the merging of the two projects in 1947.

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad uses a live-action library as a framing device. The Wind in the Willows makes up the film’s first half; The Legend of Sleepy Hollow closes it out. Each half has a narrator that, at the time, was at their career’s peak. The opening half is narrated by Basil Rathbone (1938’s The Adventures of Robin Hood and as Sherlock Holmes in fourteen movies from 1939-1946); the concluding half by Bing Crosby (best known for his musical career, but was also an enormous box office draw with the Road to… series among other films). Both Rathbone and Crosby hold up Mr. Toad and Ichabod Crane, respectively, as exemplary characters of their home nation’s literature.

The Wind in the Willows begins in 1908 as J. Thaddeus Toad, Esq. harbors an insatiable appetite for adventure, rather than being shut in his elegant Toad Hall estate all day. His friends Rat, Mole, and Angus MacBadger (also his accountant) mostly tolerate Toad’s newest crazes. When, for the first time, Toad spots a motor car, his eyes widen and he is enamored with this newfangled contraption. Toad’s obsession turns into recklessness – leading him to some fraudulent dealings with weasels and legal trouble.

On the surface on Walt Disney’s concerns with The Wind in the Willows, I disagree that Grahame’s novel could never be a feature film.* As presented, the segment runs a neat and all-too-brief half-hour. In an era of communal moviegoing and when a single movie ticket often bought the purchaser a double feature (a B-picture followed by an A-picture, with film trailers, short films, serials, or newsreels in between), The Wind in the Willows is presented as the film’s B-segment. That should not be taken as a swipe on the segment’s quality, however. The Wind in the Willows is a marvel of narrative compactness and situational madness that tees up Alice in Wonderland (1951). Whenever necessary, the narration and newspaper headline montages accelerate the plot. The pace is breakneck, but that never threatens to make The Wind in the Willows incomprehensible. It is filled with dry English wit, benefitting from wonderful voice acting from Eric Blore (a regular supporting actor in Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers musicals for RKO) as Toad and J. Pat O’Malley (Tweedledum and Tweedledee in Alice in Wonderland, 1954’s Dial M for Murder) as Toad’s horse, Cyril Proudbottom. When both Toad and Cyril are introduced in the short song “Merrily on Our Way (to Nowhere in Particular)” – music by Frank Churchill and Charles Wolcott, lyrics by Larry Morey and Ray Gilbert – it is a perfect overture to the madcap misadventure that is about to occur.

Animator Frank Thomas’ (the dwarfs from 1937’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Captain Hook for 1953’s Peter Pan) character designs for Toad, Rat, and Mole are simple, fluid, without too much definition (think Winnie the Pooh). As such, all three are highly expressive figures easily adaptable to the comic scenarios that stumble onto. So much is related to the audience with a crazed grin from Toad, an exasperated sigh from Rat, and Mole’s concerned face. Similar praise must also be dedicated for a side character – namely, the Crown Prosecutor designed by Ollie Johnston (the three animated principal characters in 1946’s Song of the South, the fairy godmothers of 1959’s Sleeping Beauty). The Crown Prosecutor does not appear in the film for long, but his elastic limbs and body – outside Johnston’s wheelhouse – provide a simultaneously comic and menacing contrast to the anthropomorphized animals he towers over. Like all of Disney’s package film segments before it, The Wind in the Willows has numerous instances where the backgrounds and character animations compare unfavorably to the studio’s Golden Age works. But does the lack of painterly backgrounds or character design definition mean much when the piece in question is aiming purely for laughs? Not really. This is some of the best comic filmmaking made by the Disney studios in its history, even though it seems to have been overshadowed by what happens next.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow takes place in Colonial-era Sleepy Hollow, New York. Ichabod Crane, the town’s new schoolteacher, is a thin dandy (“lean and lanky, skin and bone / with clothes a scarecrow would hate to own”) possessing an enormous appetite. The man looks nothing like a ladies’ man, but he is exactly that – to the annoyance of town rogue and proto-Gaston, Brom Bones. Brom and Ichabod vie for the attention of Katrina van Tassel, the daughter of wealthy farmer Baltus van Tassel. Noting Ichabod’s superstitious ways, one night Brom tells the story of the Headless Horseman – a stratagem that succeeds in spooking the schoolteacher.

Mary Blair’s midcentury modernist design and coloration for Sleepy Hollow reflects the folksiness of the village, Ichabod’s occasional naïveté. Her curved lines for the surrounding countryside – notice how her trees curve in improbable ways – make it an inviting, down-home place to live. Putting the segment’s climax aside, the backgrounds lend an atmosphere similar to early autumn, as the calendar year begins to wither away.

This, of course, is turned on its head when Ichabod encounters the Headless Horseman. Blair’s backgrounds are blanketed in black, blue, and purple – emphasizing Ichabod’s physical isolation in these moments. The trees blend into an abstract tapestry, as if one cannot see only a few feet outside of the road. Outside of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’s uninteresting romantic wooing scenes, the segment is an exemplar of atmosphere and how to successfully change a film’s tone with animation. Wolfgang Reitherman’s (an animator who later became a prominent director with the Walt Disney Studios in the 1960s) smooth character animation specific to the Headless Horseman chase contrasts Ichabod’s flexibility with the sharpness of the Headless Horseman and his horse. Reitherman’s approach to the characters, combined with Blair’s style for the backgrounds, heightens Ichabod’s full-bodied terror against the Horseman’s frightening presence.

The segment’s pedestrian character animation is unfortunate and is the film’s most visible example of cost-cutting. Yet Ichabod and Brom’s designs – by Ollie Johnston and Milt Kahl (Prince Philip in 1959’s Sleeping Beauty, Tigger in the Winnie the Pooh short films) respectively – are excellent. Ichabod’s outwardly-angled, high-footed gait proclaims immediately his peculiarity in behavior and temperament. His impossibly thin body is bendable to achieve tremendous comic effect while still resembling something like a human. When providing three village women singing lessons, Ichabod (voiced, like Brom, by Bing Crosby), assumes many of Bing Crosby’s affectations while singing himself – those raised eyebrows, that jowl movement. This scene is much funnier if one is familiar with Bing Crosby’s film (and to a lesser extent, television) appearances. For Brom, his muscular frame is a first for a Disney animated feature, providing a somewhat threatening feel for the song, “The Headless Horseman” (which introduces the idea of the segment’s villain). On paper, Brom should be the segment’s antagonist, but things are not clear cut – especially because Ichabod himself has questionable motives in his pursuit for Katrina. Decades later, Kahl’s character design for Brom heavily influenced Andreas Deja’s design for Gaston in Beauty and the Beast (1991). Deja would take some of Brom’s features, add more details and exaggerations, and provide his antagonist a more sneering disposition for Gaston.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow also has the benefit of songs sung by Bing Crosby and composed by Don Raye (known for various Andrews Sisters songs) and Gene de Paul (1954’s Seven Brides for Seven Brothers). The first, “Ichabod”, is the one number I always find stuck in my head and singing to myself throughout a given day (I also notice, while singing, I’m trying to imitate Crosby’s suave delivery, to little avail). It also serves as an ideal introduction to the character – outlining his personality in less than two minutes. Midway through the segment is “Katrina”, which is as musically uninteresting as the character herself. “The Headless Horseman”, also an earworm, plays on Ichabod’s fears and is a wonderful transition into this film’s most famous sequence.

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad is the best animated feature from the Disney package era. Its two halves – so distinct in style and narrative approach – are incongruent, some may say an unnatural pairing. But moviegoing audiences in 1949 so used to the B- and A-picture format of film exhibition were also accustomed to feature film pairings with little rhyme or reason. A flighty musical comedy might lead into a war movie; a romantic melodrama before a fast-paced swashbuckler; a seedy film noir giving way to a grand historical epic. Many decades removed from the moviegoing attitudes of this era, the pairing of The Wind in the Willows with The Legend of Sleepy Hollow pays off due to the stylistic distinctions between these two segments. Compared to its package era predecessors, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad has taken the time to shape its characters. For Toad, his motor car mania is a mostly innocent obsession that has endured; Ichabod Crane is forever associated with a harrowing chase through a gnarled wood. Their characterizations come through despite the limitations put upon the studio’s animation staff.

A modest success for Walt Disney, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad is now mostly described as a transitional film. The film sees the Disney animators flex their artistry before the resumption of the studio’s traditionally-structure animated features. Sometime during the final stages of this film’s development, Walt and his brother Roy E. Disney fought over the former’s desire to return to features, to recapture the thrill that he felt when he produced Snow White. Under protest, Roy relented and approved a budget for Cinderella (1950) – the first film of Walt Disney Productions’ “Silver Age” films. While Ichabod and Mr. Toad wound down, more resources were being pooled into Cinderella.

This was the effective end to a creatively restrictive period in the studio’s history, but also to some of the most unique offerings in the Disney filmography. Audiences have seldom seen the concise characterizations, Warner Bros.-influenced outlandish humor, romanticized American folk storytelling and propaganda, and experimental animation in a Disney animated feature to the present day. Each of these aspects could be found throughout Disney’s package films – which, for any serious fan of animated film, cannot be dismissed offhand. In a decade of war and global reconstruction, the studio stood mostly alone in the realm of feature animation. But not for much longer. In Europe, animation studio Soyuzmultfilm was beginning to distribute its films beyond the Soviet Union’s borders. And with Walt Disney’s attention straying from his animated films, his animation studio’s record of sterling creativity – already hobbled by the animators’ strike and wartime budget cuts – would be further challenged.

My rating: 7.5/10

^ Based on my personal imdb rating. Half-points are always rounded down. My interpretation of that ratings system can be found in the “Ratings system” page on my blog (as of July 1, 2020, tumblr is not permitting certain posts with links to appear on tag pages, so I cannot provide the URL).

For more of my reviews tagged “My Movie Odyssey”, check out the tag of the same name on my blog.

This is the eighteenth Movie Odyssey Retrospective. Movie Odyssey Retrospectives are reviews on films I had seen in their entirety before this blog’s creation or films I failed to give a full-length write-up to following the blog’s creation. Previous Retrospectives include Dracula (1931), Godzilla (1954, Japan), and Oliver! (1968).

* A “feature film” – as defined by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), the American Film Institute (AFI), and the British Film Institute (BFI) – is a film lasting forty minutes or longer.

[haveamagicalday]

Dead men tell no tales, Harrr, heh-heh-heh! Look there upon these pirates bold, take heed whilst I tell ye the gruesome details o; their slight misfortune... and the treacherous act what did them in. Unsuspectin' rogues, unmindful... Dead men tell no tales!

Deleted dialogue from Pirates of the Caribbean, voiced by J. Pat O’Malley

[britesparc]

Weekend Top Ten #436

Top Ten Henchmen and Secondary Villains from Disney Movies

So I’m returning to the Disney well once again. After looking at villains and sidekicks (and once, long ago, Disney Princesses), I’m turning my steely gaze in the direction of henchmen. Or henchwomen. Or henchbirds. You know what I mean.

Every good baddie needs a henchman; a stooge, a second, a patsy. Partly for reasons of exposition; like a John Watson or an Amy Pond, it’s good to have someone else on screen that the clever person can do the talking to, especially when soliloquising their evil plans, especially if it’s in song. Secondly they can bring a note of comedy to an otherwise straight-down-the-middle bad guy; if there’s an evil dude or dudette waxing lyrical about killing Our Hero and stealing their throne, or whatever, it’s good to have a jester beside them to crack jokes and generally stop the tots in the audience from getting traumatised by Jeremy Irons.

So with no further ado (because I’m late again this week) here are my favourite Disney henchpeople.

Iago (Gilbert Gottfried, Aladdin, 1992): in many ways the perfect hench-bird; he’s funny, for a start, deeply, darkly sarcastic, and he’s, well, a talking bird. He’s also of one mind with Jafar, being cruel and conniving (until his face-turn in the sequels). Lightens Jafar’s melodramatic wickedness but gets stuck in with the meaty villainy, and, well, he’s Gilbert Gottfried.  

Sir Hiss (Terry-Thomas, Robin Hood, 1973): just as funny as Iago but without the misanthropic darkness, instead being a camp put-upon servant who does King John’s bidding whilst secretly despising his lot in life. A joyous performance from Thomas, who brings his on-screen foppishness to animated life.

LeFou (Jesse Corti, Beauty and the Beast, 1991): the sycophantic Richard Hammond to Gaston’s preening, pompous, chauvinistic Jeremy Clarkson, LeFou still falls more closely into the Hiss-a-like “bumbling sidekick” mould rather than feeling like a secondary villain or genuine threat. He does have, however, the greatest henchman song of all time, which counts for a lot.

Smee (Bill Thompson, Peter Pan, 1953): essentially a proto-LeFou, he’s just as bumbling, although one senses he’s in it more for the loot and the booze rather than being a fully-fledged follower of Hook’s fanaticism. The performance of Thompson, all jowly fluster, adds tons to the character, even if – whisper it – the definitive screen Smee remains Bob Hoskins.

Shenzi, Banzai, & Ed (Whoopi Goldberg, Cheech Marin, & Jim Cummings, The Lion King, 1994): much has been made of The Lion King being a loose adaptation of King Lear, but the three hyena demi-villains almost make for a trio of Macbethian witches; there’s no denying their bad guy credentials, diligently assisting Scar and also trying to eat our heroes more than once. But they’re also bumbling fools, comic relief idiots who giggle maniacally and cock up constantly. One of them is literally too dumb for words. And then at the end, about face, they turn genuinely threatening again and rip the real villain to pieces.  

Flotsam & Jetsam (Paddi Edwards, The Little Mermaid, 1989): it’s not uncommon for henchmen to come in pairs or groups – see above – and in one way Flotsam and Jetsam are akin to the nameless Goons from Sleeping Beauty or the “Friends on the Other Side” from the later Princess and the Frog. But they have more independent character, operating as a keen pair and revelling in their wickedness. With their mismatched shining eyes they’re seriously creepy, voiceless in a sea of talking fish, murderous eels up to no good.

Lucifer (June Foray, Cinderella, 1950): he doesn’t speak in blackly sarcastic soundbites, but Lucifer is a precursor to Iago: the animal companion of an unrepentant villain, who revels in his wickedness whilst also offering moments of humour. Lucifer is basically just a git; he tries to eat the mice, screws with Cinderella, and sucks up to Lady Tremaine. He’s called Lucifer, FFS.

Trigger and Nutsy (George Lindsey & Ken Curtis, Robin Hood, 1973): the film so good it’s got a main villain – with henchman – and then a secondary villain with his own henchmen. Whilst Sir Hiss is all upper-class obsequiousness, Trigger and Nutsy are working class stooges, village idiots given a badge and a licence to wreak havoc. Arguably a comment on the willingness of ordinary folk to turn fascist if given power, or the abuse of the apparatus of the state, or even police brutality, in reality they’re both just dumb goons whose comic schtick is appealing.

Jaspar & Horace (J. Pat O’Malley & Frederick Worlock, One Hundred and One Dalmatians, 1961): another pair of bumbling working-class twats, there’s not much going on here except for Disney doing their own take on the stock British comical crim. However, a bit like Mr Smee, you could argue the live-action versions (Hugh Laurie and Mark Williams) outstrip their animated predecessors.

Fidget (Candy Candido, Basil the Great Mouse Detective, 1986): full disclosure here, I’ve not seen Basil for a couple of decades, and whilst I utterly adored it as a nipper, a good many of its specificities are lost to me. But Fidget I remember because he was terrifying; a gangly demon, a master of disguise, and an absolute brutish horror.

Incidentally in researching this list (yes, I do do some research – often I don’t remember what a character is called, or I need to know the year a film came out, or whatever) I saw a lot of people praising the character of Helga from Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001). That is a film that I’ve seen precisely once and basically do not remember. Sounds like I need to give it another whirl. But anyway, Helga fans, if you’re wondering why she’s not on the list, that’s why.

[the-record-obituaries]

March 4, 2020

Cora Ann Neikirk, 87

Cora Ann Neikirk, age 87, of North Wilkesboro, passed away Friday, February 28, 2020 at Wilkes Senior Village.

She was born October 10, 1932 in Wilkes County to Gordon Russell and Maggie Gray Godbee. Cora was retired from Tyson Foods. She loved to do crafts. Ms. Neikirk was preceded in death by her parents.

Surviving are her children, Al Davis and spouse Annie of Texas, Linda Norris and spouse Lee of Wilkesboro, Tony Davis and spouse Joyce of Moravian Falls, Debbie Smith and spouse Shep of Taylors, South Carolina; thirteen grandchildren; a number of great grandchildren; and a number of great great grandchildren.

Memorial service will be held 2:00 p.m. Thursday, March 5, 2020 at Miller Funeral Chapel with Eulogy by the family. Memorials may be made to the Dementia Society of America, PO Box 600, Doylestown, Pennsylvania 18901. Miller Funeral Service is in charge of the arrangements. Online condolences may be made to www.millerfuneralservice.com

 Mr. William Francis Dargin

Mr. William Francis Dargin, age 79 of Wilkesboro passed away Friday, February 28, 2020 at his home.

Memorial services with Military Honors by the Veterans of Foreign War Post # 1142 will be held 10:30 AM Saturday, July 4, 2020 at Reins-Sturdivant Chapel with Rev. Matt Miller officiating.  

Mr. Dargin was born February 21, 1941 in Newark, NJ to William J. and Margaret M. McClain Dargin.  He served as a Captain in the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War.   He was a Mensa member, Friends of the Wilkes County Library and  he had a lifelong love of boats and sailing.  He was an avid gardener and mentor to many teens and young adults.  He had a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida in Gainesville.  

He was preceded in death by his parents.

He is survived by his wife of 34 years; Laurie Volsdal Frachey-Dargin of the home, three daughters; Heather Bartram and husband Brian of Connecticut, Liv Perry and husband Ross of Vermont, Kimberly Crabb of Wilkesboro, two sons; Jared Dargin and Tammie Brown of Millers Creek and David Frachey and wife Deidre’ of Connecticut, four grandchildren; Jim and John Bartram of Connecticut, Eli Perry of Vermont, Nathaniel and Theodor Frachey of Connecticut, one sister; Margo O’Malley and husband Tim of Tennessee, dear friends; Shasta Phillips, Shelia Owens, Collee Riddle, companion canine; Macy, several nieces, nephews and several great nieces and nephews around the globe.

In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the Humane Society of Wilkes, PO  Box 306, North Wilkesboro, NC 28659 or Friends of the Wilkes County Library, 215 10th Street, North Wilkesboro, NC 28659.

Online condolences may be made at www.reinssturdivant.com

 Marvin Franklin Wagoner, 66

Marvin Franklin Wagoner, age 66, of North Wilkesboro, passed away Saturday, February 29, 2020 at his home. Mr. Wagoner was born November 12, 1953 in Wilkes County to Raymond Hobert and Bessie Viola Royal Wagoner. He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Rufus Wagoner; and sisters, Margie Wagoner and Geneva Wagoner.

Surviving are his wife, Brenda Brown Wagoner; sons, Joe Wagoner and spouse Retha, Mickey Wagoner and spouse Amanda all of North Wilkesboro; grandchildren, Jeremiah Wagoner and spouse Kayla, Joe Joe Wagoner and spouse Megan, Tommy Wagoner, Sophia Wagoner, Dakota Wagoner, Gina Wagoner, Mickey Wagoner, Jr.; great grandchildren, Jazmine Wagoner, Abigail Wagoner, Aria Wagoner, Joseph Keith Wagoner; and brother, Spencer Wagoner and spouse Verna of North Wilkesboro.

Funeral service were be held 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, March 3, 2020 at Miller Funeral Chapel with Brother Billy Wagoner and Brother Michael Brown officiating. Burial followed in Mountlawn Memorial Park. The family received friends at Miller Funeral Service from 6:00 until 8:00 Monday night. Donations may be made to Mountain Valley Hospice, 688 North Bridge Street, Elkin, NC 28621. Miller Funeral Service is in charge of the arrangements. Online condolences may be made to www.millerfuneralservice.com

 Gladys Wyatt Roberts, 70

Gladys Wyatt Roberts, age 70, of Millers Creek, passed away Friday, February 28, 2020 at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston Salem. Mrs. Roberts was born July 13, 1949 in Wilkes County to Rev. Archie and Julie Cleary Wyatt. Gladys was a member of New Light Baptist Church #2. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Bud Roberts; great grandchild, Gauge Bumgarner; and sister, Clara Hart.

Surviving are her son, Allen Roberts and spouse Becky, Millers Creek; daughter, Pat Roberts and fiancé James Hart of Millers Creek; grandchildren, Julia Medford and spouse Michael of North Wilkesboro, Jason Bumgarner and spouse Celeita, Halie Smith all of Millers Creek; great grandchildren, Jayden Bumgarner and Kason Bumgarner both of Millers Creek; several aunts, cousins, nieces and nephews.

 Funeral service were held 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, March 3, 2020 at New Light Baptist Church #2 with Pastor Jim Belcher and Rev. Mike Church officiating. Burial followed in the Ambrose Roberts Cemetery on Mertie Road. The family received friends at New Light Baptist Church #2 from 1:00 until 2:00 on Tuesday, prior to the service. Miller Funeral Service is in charge of the arrangements. Online condolences may be made to www.millerfuneralservice.com

  Mikey James Lovette, 37

Mikey James Lovette, age 37, of Wilkesboro, passed away Wednesday, February 25, 2020 at his home. Mikey was born August 14, 1982 in Wilkes County to Janet Vivian Johnson Lovette. He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Cecil and Marie Lovette and Lawrence Johnson.

 Surviving are his mother, Janet Johnson Gregory of North Wilkesboro; sister, Malisa Lovette and fiancé, Oliver Bentley of Wilkesboro; aunt, Sandra McCrary and spouse Randy, Smithfield, Virginia; nephews, Tyler Carter, Trace Bentley, Bradley Vorsteg, Elijah Bentley,  and niece, Jaycee Carter.

 A Celebration of Life was held 2:00 p.m. Sunday, March 1,, 2020 at Miller Funeral Service. Miller Funeral Service is in charge of the arrangements. Online condolences may be made to www.millerfuneralservice.com

  Carlie Elvin Cleary, age 87

Carlie Elvin Cleary, age 87, of North Wilkesboro, passed away Tuesday, February 25, 2020 at his home.

Carlie was born December 7, 1932 in Wilkes County to Raymond and Mozelle Ballard Cleary. He was a member of Second Baptist Church, a US Navy Veteran; was a Mason and a Shriner. Mr. Cleary was preceded in death by his parents; sons, Scott Bryan Cleary, Mark Elvin Cleary; sister, Bernice Cleary; brother, Arbury Cleary; and a step-daughter, Paula Sebastian.

 He is survived by his wife, Betty Porter Cleary; step son, David M. Wyatt and spouse Sandy of Millers Creek; step daughters, Tamara Wyatt of Wilkesboro, Nikole McGuire and spouse Chris of North Wilkesboro; brother, Larry Cleary of North Wilkesboro; sister, Barbara Jean Cooney and spouse Dan of Knoxville, Tennessee; eight step grandchildren; seven step great grandchildren; several nieces and nephews; special little friends, Katie Owens and Bubba Prevette.

Graveside service with military honors by Veterans of Foreign Wars Honor Guard Post 1142 and Masonic Rites were held 1:00 p.m. Thursday, February 27, 2020 at Mountlawn Memorial Park with Rev. Danny Dillard officiating. Memorials may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, Tennessee 38105 or to a charity of the donor’s choice. Miller Funeral Service was in charge of the arrangements.

 Donald Ray Ferguson, 73

Mr. Donald Ray Ferguson, age 73 of Millers Creek passed away Sunday, March 1, 2020 at Wilkes Health and Rehabilitation.

Graveside service were held 2:00 PM Tuesday, March 3, 2020 at Shady Grove Baptist Church Cemetery in Wilkesboro with Rev Gwyn Anderson officiating.  The family received friends from 12:30 until 1:30 PM prior to the service at Reins-Sturdivant Funeral Home.

Mr. Ferguson was born May 18,1946 in Wilkes County to Everette and Ruby Nichols Ferguson.

He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers, Fred and Robert Ferguson.

He is survived by a sister, Betty Jean Ferguson Price and husband, Sydney of North Wilkesboro, a brother, Bill Ferguson of North Wilkesboro, a sister in-law, Helen Ferguson, of Millers Creek, and special friends, Wanda and Danny Byers of Millers Creek.

Online condolences may be made at www.reinssturdivant.com

 Mr. Gary Dale Colbert

Mr. Gary Dale Colbert age 55, of North Wilkesboro passed away February 25, 2020 at Forsyth Medical Center.

Funeral services were held at Reins Sturdivant Chapel Sunday, March 1, 2020 at 2:00 PM with Reverend Danny Bauguess officiating.  The family received friends from 12:00 until 1:45 prior to the service.  Burial was in Mountlawn Memorial Park.

Mr. Colbert was born January 1, 1965 to Fred Ray Colbert and Blanche Durham Colbert. He was self-employed as a Little Debbie Distributor.

Mr. Colbert was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Bruce Colbert.

He is survived by a son, Cory Garrett Colbert of the home, Gary’s fiancé, Samantha Hamby of the home, a sister, Cindy Colbert of Elkin, a brother Bobby Colbert and wife Kathy of Traphill. Beloved father figure to nieces Jenna Lyons, Gracie Colbert, nephew Traeson Colbert and Sammi Jo Walker, and also survived by niece, Kathy Jo McGee and nephew, Matthew Colbert.

Flowers will be accepted or memorials may be made to Leukemia Society of America 5950 Fairview Road, Suite 250 Charlotte, NC  28210.

Online condolences may be made at www.reinssturdivant.com

 Wilhelmenia Wilby Greene Harris, 90

Mrs. Wilhelmenia Wilby Greene Harris, 90, of Millers Creek, passed away on Friday, February 28, 2020 at Maple Leaf Health Care in Statesville.  

Wilhelmenia was born on June 25, 1929 in Watauga County to Willie Lawrence Greene and Flora Belle Greene.

Wilhelmenia was a homemaker and life long member of Stony Fork Baptist Church.

Wilhelmenia is preceded in death by her parents; husband, Samuel LeRoy Harris; daughter, Cathy “Vicky” Harris; brothers, Claude Greene, Cecil Greene; sisters, Wilma Latham, Lorena Greene, Linda Kay Watson.  

Wilhelmenia is survived by her sons, Robert Alan Harris (Kelly Church) of Wilkesboro, Barry Harris (Rebecca) of Statesville; sister, Louella Copley of Charlotte; two grandchildren, Madison Harris of Statesville, McKenzie Harris of Millers Creek; two great grandchildren, Tanner and Shania of Statesville and many nieces and nephews.

Visitation was held Sunday, March 1, 2020 from 2:00-2:45 at Stony Fork Baptist Church. The funeral service was held on Sunday, March 1, 2020 at 3 p.m. at Stony Fork Baptist Church.   Burial followed in the church cemetery.

 Rev. Sherrill Welborn and Rev. Phillip Woodring  officiated.

Memorial donations may be given to Stony Fork Baptist Church Cemetery Fund P.O. Box 128 Deep Gap, NC 28618.

Condolences may be sent to: www.adamsfunerals.com

Adams Funeral Home of Wilkes has the honor of serving the Harris Family.

 Arvie Lou Hayes Hamby, 89

Mrs. Arvie Lou Hayes Hamby, age 89 of North Wilkesboro, passed away Thursday, February 27, 2020 at Wake Forest Baptist Health-Wilkes Medical Center.

Funeral services were held 2:00 PM, Saturday, February 29, 2020 at Reins Sturdivant Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Sherrill Wellborn and Rev. Dr. Susan Pillsbury officiating. Burial was in Arbor Grove United Methodist Church Cemetery. The family received friends from 12:00 until 1:30 prior to the service at Reins Sturdivant Funeral Home.

Mrs. Hamby was born February 22, 1931 in Wilkes County to Washington Mumford Hayes and Essie Viola Holcomb Hayes. She was a member of Arbor Grove United Methodist Church. She was a former President of the Handicap Organization of Wilkes.

Mrs. Hamby was preceded in death by her parents, her husband; Max Aldean Hamby, a sister; Marybelle Hayes Johnson, a brother; William Jasper Hayes and two brother in laws; Walter George and Lester Johnson.

She is survived by four sons; Niki A Hamby and wife Kim of North Wilkesboro, Kimi M. Hamby and wife Kathy of Boomer, W. Kipi Hamby and wife Melissa of North Wilkesboro and Kini H. Hamby and wife Kimberly of North Wilkesboro, four grandchildren; Trevor Hamby, Kailee Davis and husband Tim, Jordan Cheek and husband Thomas and Ethan Hamby and Brenna, two great grandchildren; Sidney Cheek and Emersyn Davis, two sisters; Dicie Hayes George of Sparta, Dorothy “Dot” Hayes Foster and husband Curtis Foster of Purlear and special friends of the family; Perry and Claudia Parks.

Memorials may be made to Arbor Grove United Methodist Church Cemetery c/o Esther Eller 480 Shepherd River Road, Millers Creek, NC 28651 or Mtn. Valley Hospice 401 Technology Lane Suiter 200 Mt. Airy, NC 27030.

Online condolences may be made at www.reinssturdivant.com

 Virginia Fay Handy Watson, 65

Mrs. Virginia Fay Handy Watson, age 65 of Sparta passed away Monday, February 24, 2020 at Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital, Elkin NC.

Funeral services were held at 1:00 PM Friday, February 28, 2020 at Traphill Baptist Church with Pastor Mike Caldwell officiating. The family received friends from 6:00 until 8:00 PM on Thursday, February 27, 2020 at Reins Sturdivant Funeral Home.  Burial was in White Rock UMC Cemetery on Haystack Rd.

Mrs. Watson was born December 2, 1954 in Wilkes County to Mack Charlie Handy and Merle Blevins Handy. She started at Chatham’s in 1994 and worked there until 2016.  She retired after 22 years. She loved her grandchildren, was an avid church goer, made a mean gravy and biscuit, liked canning, cooking, and planning family get togethers.

In addition her parents, he was preceded in death by her husband; Tony Clinard Watson; one sister Ester Mae Handy and three brothers Charlie, Billy, and Bobby Handy.

She is survived by her daughter; Lisa McCann of Ronda and boyfriend Gary Perdue, and two sons, Tony Dale Watson and girlfriend Jessica Venable of Ennice, NC; Larry Watson and wife Jessica Watson of State Road; four sisters, Patsy Lail, Rita Anderson.Tina Lambert, and Angie Holder; two brothers, James Handy and Chris Mcharque  Thirteen grandchildren and six great grandchildren, and a special friend, Jimmy Billings.

Flowers will be accepted, or memorials may be made to the Donor’s choice.

Online condolences may be made at www.reinssturdivant.com

  James Jackson “Jack” Brown, Jr., 63

James Jackson “Jack” Brown, Jr., age 63, of Hays, passed away Sunday, February 23, 2020 at his home. Jack was born January 30, 1957 in Wilkes County to James Jackson “Jim” Brown, Sr. and Sally Brewer Brown.  He was preceded in death by his parents.

He is survived by his daughter, Carrie Beasey of Hays; grandson, Tyler Beasey of Hays; sister, Jennifer Fuller and spouse Ralph of Hays; nephew, Clinton Fuller and spouse Brandy of Hays; niece, Christina Call of Wilkesboro; two great nieces; great nephew, Nathan Call of Wilkesboro.

Memorial service was held 10:00 a.m. Saturday, February 29, 2020 at Miller Funeral Chapel. Miller Funeral Service is in charge of the arrangements. Online condolences may be made to www.millerfuneralservice.com

  Dare Foster Moore, age 89

Dare Foster Moore, age 89, of Wilkesboro, passed away Monday, February 24, 2020 at Wake Forest Baptist Health-Wilkes Regional. She was born September 3, 1930 in Wilkes County to Alonzo and Nora Riggs McNeil. Mrs. Moore was a member of Mount Pleasant Baptist Church. She loved cooking, music, dancing, fashion and decorating. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Bobby Ray Moore; son, Michael Foster; daughter, Susan Faye Foster; four brothers; and four sisters.

Mrs. Moore is survived by her children, Cathryn Aldridge of Columbia, South Carolina, Debbie Foster, Tim Foster and spouse Melanie all of Wilkesboro, Jodi Foster of Asheville, Sandi Foster of Wilkesboro; six grandchildren; six great grandchildren; several nieces and nephews.

Funeral service was held 2:00 p.m. Saturday, February 29, 2020 at Mount Pleasant Baptist Church with Pastor Kevin Brown officiating. Burial followed in the Church Cemetery. The family received friends at Mount  Pleasant Baptist Church from 1:00 until 2:00 on Saturday, prior to the service. Memorials may be made to Mountain Valley Hospice, 688 North Bridge Street, Elkin, NC 28621. Miller Funeral Service is in charge of the arrangements. Online condolences may be made to www.millerfuneralservice.com

  Bina Louise Myers, 82

Bina Louise Myers, age 82, of Hays, went home to be with Jesus, Tuesday, February 25, 2020 at her home. Mrs. Myers was born March 12, 1937 in Watauga County to Edward and Lona Belle Tedder Brewer. She was a member of Rose of Sharon Baptist Church and was a prayer warrior. Bina loved gardening. She was preceded in death by her parents; brothers, James Brewer, Dean Brewer, sisters, Ella Mae Huggins and Jean Ring; son-in-law, Craig Gambill.

Surviving are her husband, Bill Myers of the home; daughter, Pat Gambill of Hays; sons, Billy Myers and spouse Susan of Millers Creek, Charles Myers and spouse Rachel of Hays; grandchildren, Jamie Gambill of Hays, Anthony Myers and spouse Ashley of Winston Salem, Will Myers of Millers Creek, Acacia Myers of Thomasville, Steven Myers of Hays; great granddaughter, Grace Gambill of Hays.

 Funeral service were held 12:00 p.m. Friday, February 28, 2020 at Rose of Sharon Baptist Church with Rev. Steven Shumate and Rev. Travis Brown officiating. Burial followed in the church cemetery. The family received friends at Rose of Sharon Baptist Church from 11:00 until 12:00 on Friday, prior to the service. Flowers will be accepted or memorials may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, Tennessee 38105. Miller Funeral Service is in charge of the arrangements. Online condolences may be made to www.millerfuneralservice.com

Pallbearers will be Anthony Myers, Will Myers, Steven Myers, Allen Holbrook, Jim Wood and Bill Gryder.

 Clyde Grady Nickelson, age 83

Clyde Grady Nickelson, age 83, of Millers Creek, passed away Monday, February 24, 2020 at his home. Clyde was born July 12, 1936 in Ashe County to Robnit and Grace Barker Nickelson. He was a member of Chestnut Grove Baptist Church. He loved to garden, loved his plants and trees, and being outdoors. Clyde worked for Lowe’s Co. as a truck driver and 33 years for Skyline Marina as manager. Mr. Nickelson was preceded in death by his parents; and brother, Jim Stone.

Surviving are his wife, Dorothy Johnson Nickelson; sons, Clyde Nickelson, Jr. of Ronda, Michael Shane Nickelson of Purlear; daughters, Phyllis Keen of Layton, Utah, Roberta Hadley of Las Vegas, Nevada, Sheree Smith of Victory, Texas; brother, Duane Stone of Millers Creek; nine grandchildren; seven great grandchildren; several nieces and nephews.

Funeral service were held 1:00 p.m. Wednesday, February 26, 2020 at Miller Funeral Chapel with Rev. Sherrill Wellborn and Randy Gambill officiating. Burial followed in Mountlawn Memorial Park. The family received friends at Miller Funeral Service from 12:00 until 1:00 on Wednesday, prior to the service. Flowers will be accepted or memorials may be made to Ebenezer Christian Children’s Home, PO Box 2777, North Wilkesboro, NC 28659. Miller Funeral Service is in charge of the arrangements. Online condolences may be made to www.millerfuneralservice.com

 Kaye C. Reid, age 81

Kaye C. Reid, age 81, of Purlear, went home to be with her Lord, Sunday, February 23, 2020 at her home. Kaye was born May 18, 1938 in Wilkes County to E.M. and Iola Church Campbell.  Mrs. Reid was a member of Rock Creek Church of Christ. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Billy Wayne Reid; brother, Bobby Campbell; and sister, Virgie Campbell.

Kaye is survived by her son, Guy Wayne Reid and spouse Lonnitta of Millers Creek; grandson, David Wayne Reid and spouse Jamie of Cary; granddaughter, Ricquell Cooper of Charlotte; great grandson, Gavin Wayne Reid of Cary; brother, James Campbell and spouse Judy of Wilkesboro; sister, Jane Bouchelle and spouse Jim of North Wilkesboro; a number of nieces and nephews.

Funeral service were held 2:00 p.m. Thursday, February 27, 2020 at Rock Creek Church of Christ with Pastor Michael Howard officiating. Private burial was in the church cemetery. Memorials may be made to Rock Creek Church of Christ Church, c/o Chuck Wallis, 748 Campbell Road, North Wilkesboro, NC 28659 or to Samaritan Kitchen of Wilkes, PO Box 1072 Wilkesboro, NC 28697. Miller Funeral Service is in charge of the arrangements. Online condolences may be made to www.millerfuneralservice.com