#Jerry Maren

[papermoonloveslucy]

LUCY & THE CRIMINALS

Lucy’s Encounters with the Criminal Underworld ~ Part 3

Lucycoms introduced crime stories to keep plotlines exciting and contemporary. Here’s a look at the thieves, burglars, robbers, murderers, prowlers, second-story men, mobsters, forgers, counterfeitters, and con artists in the Lucyverse!

“Lucy’s Impossible Mission” (1968) ~ In this parody of “Mission: Impossible” (a Desilu / Paramount production), Lucy Carter fights international espionage in the persons of Mulhill Omar (Tim Herbert) and  Ambassador Korlik of the Slobtoni Embassy (Joseph Ruskin). 

“Guess Who Owes Lucy $23.50?” (1968) ~ It’s Van Johnson!  Or is it?  Lucy loans the film star money to fix his car – but the man turns out to be a con-man posing as Johnson. 

“Lucy and the Ex-Con” (1969) ~ The Unique Employment Agency sends Rocky (Wally Cox), a reformed safe cracker, on an assignment as a janitor. When the place is robbed, Rocky is the number one suspect. Disguised as old ladies, Lucy and Rocky go undercover to catch the real crook...     

...Doc Morgan (Bruce Gordon). Morgan is nicknamed Doc because he uses a stethoscope when safe cracking. Bruce Gordon had played mobster Frank Nitti on Desilu’s “The Untouchables” (1959-63). 

“Lucy and the Great Airport Chase” (1969) ~ Filmed on location at Los Angeles International Airport, Lucy and Harry elude dangerous spies Enemy Agent Yang (Larry Duran) and Enemy Agent Kurt (Sid Haig). 

“A Date for Lucy” (1969) ~ Caesar Romero plays jewel thief Tony Rivera, Lucy’s date for a soiree at which he plans to steal the gems of a wealthy dowager. After Rivera is knocked out cold, Lady Warren (Barbara Morrison) discovers she’s been robbed. When Lucy tells her who it was, she can’t believe it. 

“He’s so charming! He’s so handsome!  He looks just like Cesar Romero!”

“Lucy Gets Her Man” (1969) ~ Harry’s old Army buddy is working in Counter-Intelligence and needs a stenographer to help get the goods on suspected spy Arthur Vermillion (Victor Buono). Naturally, Lucy gets the assignment. Isabel (Mary Wickes) calls Harry Jack the Ripper, comparing him to the famous London serial killer.

Lucille Ball and Victor Buono were both featured in “Like Hep!”, a Dinah Shore special that aired a few months after this episode. In it, Ball did a variety of sketches, including one set in a speakeasy with Buono as a mob boss. On television, Buono is probably best remembered for playing King Tut, one of the arch villains on “Batman” (1966-68). 

“Lucy’s Burglar Alarm” (1969) ~ When Lucy and the kids are robbed and Harry refuses to fund a $500 burglar alarm, Craig comes up with an elaborate home alarm system. Guy Marks plays the well-dressed crook. 

“Lucy and Viv Visit Tijuana” (1970) ~ On a sightseeing trip to Mexico, Harry is convinced by shopkeeper / smuggler Pedro (Don Diamond) to transport a stuffed animal over the border, claiming it is for his 3 year-old niece living in Los Angeles. Stopped at the border, they discover it actually contains contraband. 

“Lucy and Wally Cox” (1970) ~ Lucy and Wally are assigned to be security guards at a warehouse, where they encounter armed robbers Lefty Logan (X Brands) and Baby Face Johnson (Gil Perkins). 

“Lucy and Ma Parker” (1970) ~ When a woman and two children mysteriously move in next door, Lucy discovers that they're a band of criminals led by Ma Parker (Carole Cook). Her cohorts are little people dressed as archetypal children: Herman Golub (Billy Curtis) is dressed as Buster Brown, and Milton / Mildred (Jerry Maren) is dressed as Shirley Temple. 

Lucy is recruited to impersonate Ma Parker and help nab dangerous Chicago mobsters Muggsy (Boyd ‘Red’ Morgan) and Joe Grapefruit (Marc Lawrence).     

The title character is a parody of Kate 'Ma' Barker (inset), the mother of several criminals who ran the Barker gang in the 1930s. She traveled with her sons during their criminal careers.  

“Lucy and Harry’s Italian Bombshell” (1971) ~ When Lucy and Kim sleep at the office, they encounter a burglar (Herbie Faye). Instead of robbing them, the he actually gives Kim and Lucy five dollars!  

“Lucy and Mannix are Held Hostage” (1971) ~ Mannix (Mike Connors) and Lucy are taken hostage by Vernon (John Doucette) and Ruby (Marc Lawrence). 

“Lucy and the Candid Camera” (1971) ~ Allen Funt, host of TV’s “Candid Camera”, plays himself and his con-man doppelganger. 

As the con-man, he convinces the Carters to rob a fur salon, then a bank - all under the impression they are pranks for the TV show. 

“Lucy and the Little Old Lady” (1971) ~ When Mrs. Brady, a kindly widow from out of town (Helen Hayes), comes to the Unique Employment Agency looking for a part-time job, Kim becomes suspicious that she may be running a con game so they plan to hold a fake séance to expose her. The character Hayes plays here capitalizes on her Oscar-winning role of Ada Quonsett in Airport (1970), a sweet little old lady who cons the airlines and stows away to get free air travel. On “Here’s Lucy” the plot relies on the premise that Mrs. Brady could be a con artist.  

“Lucy and the Reckless Wheelchair Driver” (1972) ~ Hickey, a show business agent (Jesse White), tries to sue Lucy for hitting his client with her wheelchair. Lucy and Harry think the young man is faking and that the agent is a con artist.  

“Dirty Gertie” (1972) ~ In this story based on A Pocketful of Miracles, Lucy is mistaken for an apple peddler who just happens to be the good luck charm of Rocky (Bruce Gordon), a mob boss. The police recruit Lucy to help capture the mobster in his own nightclub. Johnny Silver plays Benny, one of Rocky’s mob. 

Other mobsters include ‘Moose’ Murdock (John Harmon) and ‘Numbers’ Smith (Ed Hall). 

“My Fair Buzzi” (1972) ~ Kim’s shy and awkward friend Annie Whipple (Ruth Buzzi) comes out of her shell in order to audition for a 1920s revue in which Harry plays a mobster named ‘Big Jake’. 

“Lucy Goes To Prison” (1973) ~ Lucy goes undercover as a convict to get information out of bank robber Mumsie Westcott (Elsa Lanchester).

“Lucy Plays Cops and Robbers” (1973) ~ Lucy forms a neighborhood watch group and starts seeing criminals where there are none. After several false alarms to the local police, a real burglar (Gino Conforti) actually shows up!  

“Lucy the Sheriff” (1974) ~ Lucy finds out that her grandmother was the first woman sheriff of a Montana town that is celebrating its centennial. She is asked to play her grandmother at the celebrations, which include the recreation of a bank robbery. Lucy is enjoying playing lawmaker until Jake (Cliff Osmond) and Rusty (John Craig), a couple of genuine robbers, interrupt the celebration and take her hostage!  

[onefootin1941]

Harry Earles, Jerry Maren, and Jackie Gerlich, who became the Lollipop Guild kids in Munchkinland in "The Wizard of Oz" (1939)

[kwebtv]

From the Golden Age of Television

Season and Episode Unknown

Andy's Gang - Tiger Shark - NBC - 1955

Childrens

Running Time: 30 minutes

Written by Frank Perrin and Michael Gerbosi

Produced by Frank Ferrin

Directed by Frank Ferrin

Hosted by Andy Devine

Stars:

Nino Marcel as Gunga Ram

Vito Scotti as Rama

Lou Krugman

Charlie Lung

Jerry Maren as Buster Brown

Froggy the Gremlin

Billy Gilbert

[docrotten]

HOUSE (1982) – Episode 256 – Decades Of Horror 1980s

“Damn! Come out of the grave and run out of ammunition!” Resurrection without ordinance? Such a disappointment. Join your faithful Grue Crew – Crystal Cleveland, Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, and Jeff Mohr – as they discuss House (1986), a comedy horror picture with its acting roots in Eighties television.

Decades of Horror 1980s Episode 256 – House (1986)

Join the Crew on the Gruesome Magazine YouTube channel! Subscribe today! Click the alert to get notified of new content! https://youtube.com/gruesomemagazine

Gruesome Magazine is partnering with the WICKED HORROR TV CHANNEL (https://wickedhorrortv.com/) which now includes video episodes of Decades of Horror 1980s and is available on Roku, AppleTV, Amazon FireTV, AndroidTV, and its online website across all OTT platforms, as well as mobile, tablet, and desktop.

A Vietnam vet/horror novelist’s son disappears while visiting his aunt’s house. His search for his son destroys his marriage and his writing career. When the troubled writer moves into the haunted house after inheriting it from his aunt, the evil ghosts in the house force him to endure a harrowing journey into his past.

  Directed by: Steve Miner

Writing Credits: Ethan Wiley (screenplay); Fred Dekker (story)

Produced by: Sean S. Cunningham (producer)

Music by: Harry Manfredini

Cinematography by: Mac Ahlberg (director of photography)

Production Design by: Gregg Fonseca

Special Paintings by: William Stout (as Bill Stout), Richard Hescox

Special Effects by:

James Cummins (creature design/creature effects designer: Backwood Films)

Kirk R. Thatcher (creature designer: Backwood Films) (as Kirk Thatcher)

Visual Effects by:

Mark Sullivan (stop-motion animation)

William Reilly (motion control technician)

Stunt Coordinator: Kane Hodder

Selected Cast:

William Katt as Roger Cobb

George Wendt as Harold Gorton

Richard Moll as Big Ben

Kay Lenz as Sandy Sinclair

Mary Stavin as Tanya

Michael Ensign as Chet Parker

Erik Silver as Jimmy

Mark Silver as Jimmy

Susan French as Aunt Elizabeth

Alan Autry as Cop #3

Steven Williams as Cop #4

James Calvert as Grocery Boy (as Jim Calvert)

Mindy Sterling as Woman in Bookstore

Jayson Kane as Cheesy Stud

Billy Beck as Priest

Bill McLean as Mr. Jones

Steve Susskind as Frank McGraw

John William Young as Would-be Writer (as John Young)

Dwier Brown as Lieutenant

Joey Green as Fitzsimmons

Stephen Nichols as Scott

Donald Willis as Soldier

Ronn Carroll as Policeman

Robert Joseph as Robert

Curt Wilmot as Skeleton Big Ben

Peter Pitofsky as Witch

Elizabeth Barrington as Little Critter

Jerry Maren as Little Critter

Felix Silla as Little Critter

The rallying cry from the Grue Crew is, “Chad is back!” For his return episode, the crew picks an 80s movie that surely everyone has seen. Well, everyone but Jeff. The film is HOUSE, released in 1985… or is it 1986? Covered seven years ago by Doc Rotten, Christopher G. Moore, and Thomas Mariani in episode 105, the current crew decided to revisit this comedy-horror feature. Starring some 80s TV icons – William Katt (The Greatest American Hero, 1981-1983), George Wendt (Cheers, 1982-1993), Richard Moll (Night Court, 1984-1992) – the cast, crew, and effects give them plenty to talk about and there’s plenty of taglines for Chad’s return. Welcome back, brother!

At the time of this writing, House is available to stream from Tubi, PlutoTV, and Amazon Prime, as well as multiple PPV sources, and on physical media as a Blu-ray from Arrow Video.

Every two weeks, Gruesome Magazine’s Decades of Horror 1980s podcast will cover another horror film from the 1980s. The next episode’s film chosen by Chad, will be Spookies (1985), a film whose making-of story might be more interesting than the movie itself.

Check out this episode!

[catgirl-kaiju]

no, there's more

subgenre of country music that's just about a city in Texas:

[fourorfivemovements]

Films Watched in 2022:

43. At the Circus (1939) - Dir. Edward Buzzell

[cladriteradio]

Here are 10 things you should know about Jerry Maren, born 102 years ago today. A career that began in a song-and-dance act led to films, commercials and television appearances.

[oldshowbiz]

Jerry Maren and Billy Barty, Hollywood’s two most recognizable Little People, were hired by an MGM casting director to urinate on Jimmy Stewart.

[misspr0blematic]

last song: famous last words by ethel cain (literally mother)

three ships: maren and lee (bones and all) after the ending of the movie it was like 2 am and i genuinely just sat in front of my tv in silence crying in the dark. they deserved to live normal lives😩i could honestly go on about this for hourssss james and alyssa (the end of the fucking world) and this one is a bit controversial buttt ziggy and nick (fear street trilogy) i will NEVER get over her reaction to finding out ab nick (i’m not gonna say what bc i don’t want to spoil)

currently reading: the girls by emma cline. it’s about a girl who joins a cult and the chapters alternate between her as an adult and when she was with the cult when she was younger. i read it last year and i’m just starting to re-read it and it’s soooo good.

last movie: heathers (for the billionth time bc i only watch the same few things over and over again)

craving: a night where i binge watch new girl and eat a whole thing of ben and jerry’s milk and cookies ice cream yep 🙏

i don’t have anyone i could rlly tag, but tysm @mommytauriel for the tag🫶!!

rules: tag 9 some people you want to know better and/or catch up with, then answer the questions below! — thank you for the tag @browneyeslouis <3

Last song: Shallows, Daughter

Three ships: alfred x uhtred (the last kingdom) always a pleasure annoying people with my number 1 obsession; klaus x caroline (the vampire diaries and the originals) everyone has made the mistake of watching at least one CW show and they have been my guilty pleasure for AGES, I don't talk about them anymore thankfully, but they will always hold a special place in my heart; aldred x edgar (the evening and the morning), unrequited love and they are so underrated that there's literally NOTHING about them, anyway it is a book ship and I have read that they are making an adaptation so I apologise in advance for the person I'll become the moment I will see them on screen

Currently Reading: The Pillars Of The Earth by Ken Follett, yeah I am into 1000+ pages books

Last Movie: Tick, Tick... Boom! I KNOW I WAS SO LATE TO THIS, but I loved it a lot and cried my eyes out because of it, highly recommended

Craving: water right about now

no pressure tags @aelflaeds @aethelflaedel @lllostgirlll @prince-aemond-targaryen @errruvande @ulfrsmal @demythesimp @solinarimoon @bisarcastic 💜

[papermoonloveslucy]

RIP MARTY KROFFT 

1937-2023

Marty Krofft was born on April 9, 1937 in Montréal, Québec, Canada. With his brother Sid, Krofft created some of television's most fantastic and magical programs, mostly centered around puppetry. Lucille Ball's interaction with the Krofft was brief, but memorable.

The Krofft puppets first gained attention at the 1962 Seattle Worlds Fair where they presented a show called "Les Poupees de Paris" that included marionettes impersonating popular celebrities. In 1964-1965, they presented the (updated) show at the Worlds Fair in New York. In 1967, Ball's recorded voice, along with Jackie Gleason, Liberace, and Mae West and many other stars, was heard in “Six Flags presents Sid and Marty Krofft’s Circus”.

On September 30, 1977, Donny and Marie welcomed Lucille Ball, who plays the Tin Lady in a Krofft-style spoof of “The Wizard of Oz” starring Ray Bolger. The first three seasons of "The Donny & Marie Show" were produced by the Kroffts, who also created the variety series. Ball appeared on the 2nd episode of the show's 3rd season, and the Osmonds (after a long legal battle) had finally won creative control from the Kroffts feeling they had outgrown the child-like atmosphere created by them. They moved the show to Utah and took over as producers just two months after this episode aired. In this episode, however, the Krofft vibe is still palpably present.

A few Lucille Ball / Desilu performers were seen on Krofft's many television shows.

Johnny Silver played Ludicrous Lion on TV's "H.R. Pufnstuf" (1969) and appeared as Dr. Blinky in the 1970 feature film.

Charles Nelson Reilly and Jerry Maren (both seen on "Here's Lucy") were part of "Lidsville" (1971).

1972's telefilm "Fol-De-Rol" (a film of their 1968 fairy tale puppet show) included Lucy guest stars Ann Sothern, Mickey Rooney, and Totie Fields.

"Sigmund and the Sea Monsters" (1972) starred Ball's good friend Mary Wickes as Aunt Zelda, and also featured Sidney Miller as the voice of Sweet Mama Ooze.

"The Lost Saucer" (1975) included Lucy friends Ruth Buzzi, Jim Nabors, and Vito Scotti.

"Far Out Space Nuts" (1975) featured Hal Smith and John Carradine, both of whom had appeared on "The Lucy Show."

Also seen on "Donny & Marie" during the Krofft years were Desi Arnaz, Jack Albertson, Bob Hope, Milton Berle, Ruth Buzzi, Buddy Hackett, Edgar Bergen, Andy Griffith, Rich Little, Iron Eyes Cody, Arthur Godfrey, and Vincent Price.

[letterboxd-loggd]

Johnny Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1944) Joe May

May 15th 2021

[abs0luteb4stard]

WATCHING

[retropunch]

No Soap, Radio (1982) - intro

The third-generation owner of a seedy hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey copes with various problems, including the regular residents.

[oldhollywoodfilms]

The Lollipop Guild in The Wizard of Oz. They are, from left, Jackie Gerlich, Jerry Maren, and Harry Earles.

[cultfaction]

Cult Faction Podcast Ep. 74: House (1986)

Cult Faction Podcast Ep. 74: House (1986)

Steve Miner’s House goes under the spotlight this week. The horror classic stars William Katt, George Wendt, Richard Moll, Kay Lenz, Mary Stävin, Michael Ensign, Susan French, Felix Silla, Jerry Maren, Dino Andrade, Mindy Sterling, Alan Autry, and Steven Williams… https://cultfaction.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Episode-74.mp3    

[talesofdrunkennessandcruelty]

Wizard of Oz's Last Surviving Munchkin Jerry Maren Dies at 98