Saturday, March 26, 2011

Patrick's blog

www.powsley.blogspot.com


NIRVANA'S HORMOANING is being reissued


FRANKSVILLE JUNCTION

photo by Mark Braun
One of my earliest memories...

HANNA-BARBERA'S THE FLINTSTONES


from Ron Murphy

THE STARVING ARTISTS early days


the early days..

www.myspace.com/rgoldschmidt


c. 1965 RANKIN/BASS PRODUCTIONS/RICK GOLDSCHMIDT ARCHIVES

THE BEATLES at Comiskey Park

THE BEATLES at Comiskey Park (Chicago) 1965

THE POLICE at Comiskey Park


THE POLICE at Comiskey Park Summer 1983..1st show of SYNCHRONICITY tour (I was there :))
by Patrick Owsley

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

RANKIN/BASS' THE LAST DINOSAUR


BILLIE MAE RICHARDS


BILLIE MAE RICHARDS

†Born Billy Mae Dinsmore, Billie Mae Richards began preparing for an entertainment career from the very outset of her life in 1921, making her first appearances on hometown Toronto, Ontario stages within a few years of learning how to walk. "I took dancing lessons from the time I was two," she is quoted as saying, "I was Toronto's version of Shirley Temple.”
In addition to singing and dancing, Billie played accordion and piano. With the commencement of WWII, Billie decided to separate herself from her unchosen acting profession by enrolling in the military. But her respite was brief; upon joining the Navy, she was immediately asked to audition for their show!

The ensuing show, called Meet The Navy, was a huge production which played throughout Canada during the war years. After serving as a petty officer in the Navy, Billie studied at the Academy Of Radio Arts in Toronto.

She soon established her trademark role, that of a little boy. In her words, "They heard my voice, and [that was] it. I never did any girl characters from then on. I don't think I was given the name Billie for nothing. My father had wanted a boy."

Once this type of character was established as her specialty, the CBC began to bill her as Billy Richards, with no further publicity for who she was, to hide her gender. Her performances were so believable that no one caught on. For many years, Billie played a variety of children on the radio, often doing several shows a day. Her most famous role was “the Kid” from “Jake and the Kid.” Combining the personality of a child with the perspective of an adult, Billie became one of the foremost actors of children.

The range of her radio characterizations widened over the years (in such shows as This Was My Father, What Makes Sammy Run, Colored Buttons, My Friend Ned, and† Echo Of No Return) but all of them remained within the boundaries of childhood. Billie is best known to American audiences for voicing Rudolph in the Rankin-Bass special, Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer. Richards' other performances in Rankin-Bass productions included Willie McBean and his Magic Machine, The King Kong Show, The Smokey Bear Show and The Daydreamer. She also appeared in the original Spider-Man television series, and for a change, voiced all the FEMALE characters in The Undersea Adventures of Captain Nemo.
Billie was married to musician Bill Richards, and their daughter Judi Richards is a successful pop singer and songwriter.

Billie’s credits include hundreds of radio performances, dozens of animated voiceovers and countless stage performances, supplemented with TV appearances, commercials, and movies. Her career spanned from 20s vaudeville through 90s horror, including on-camera roles in Maniac Mansion, My Secret Identity, War of the Worlds and The Hidden Room. She appeared in Pennies from Heaven and had a bit part in the 1998 horror film Bram Stoker's Shadow Builder, in which her character was attacked with an axe by Paul Soles (who had played Hermey the elf in the original Rudolph special), and the 2001 short Bluehair.

On September 10, 2010, Billie Mae Richards died in her sleep, at age 88. According to her daughter, Cyndi Richards Jamieson, Billie Mae passed away peacefully, in her home.
Her gifts will continue to brighten the lives of generations to come, as long as Rudolph lives on. For if the greatest fame comes from creating characters so believable that the actor vanishes behind them, and the greatest fortune is an audience that grows with the generations, then Billie Mae Richards led the sleigh. In a career that has been anything but dull, that may be the most glowing tribute of all.
c. 1965 RANKIN/BASS PRODUCTIONS/RICK GOLDSCHMIDT ARCHIVES

Monday, March 21, 2011

An early picture of Arthur Rankin and Jules Bass


RANKIN/BASS' THE BUSHIDO BLADE








Adventure Aquarium 1 Riverside Drive Camden, NJ 08103
November 26, 2010 - January 2, 2011

You and your family will be transported into the 1964 special, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer™ and meet Rudolph face to face in his Christmas forest of white glowing trees. You'll even hear him as he sends his holiday wishes to you and your family. Just imagine how adorable a photo with Rudolph and family will be as the backdrop of your next Christmas card!

See Bumble light the Christmas Tree during his Humble Bumble Christmas show, as kids are invited to become a part of the Humble Bumble experience! Best of all, Bumble will make it snow….INSIDE Adventure Aquarium!


RANKIN/BASS' BALLAD OF SMOKEY THE BEAR (1966)

c. 1966 RANKIN/BASS PRODUCTIONS/RICK GOLDSCHMIDT ARCHIVES

Willy McBean & His Magic Machine (1965)


c. 1965 RANKIN/BASS PRODUCTIONS/RICK GOLDSCHMIDT ARCHIVES




Sunday, March 20, 2011


Corey and Josh skate FOUNDATION!

CHRISTMAS WISHES from my pal Tim Hollis!

Holiday memories explode from this festive book!
NO....RANKIN/BASS did not animate the NORELCO Shaver commercials...many have asked. It was done in a similar stop-motion style that we all loved because it reminded us of RANKIN/BASS ANIMAGIC!

Here is the Author in 1971, getting the very same gifts my brother Chris (Oscar the grouch) and I (Cookie Monster) for Christmas that year. I recall cutting the cookies out from Cookie's box and sliding them down his throat :)


I Loved when SEARS was associated with POOH!
I spoke with Arthur Rankin a few nights ago....always willing to help a friend. He is back from Tokyo and trying to convince Masaki Iizuka to come to the states for a while with his family. They threw a lovefest party with about 20 of the RANKIN/BASS animators and Arthur enjoyed it until the quake hit.
Dennis is coming a week from Tuesday! All uncut episodes!