Events Calendar
In This Section
Cleveland R&B vocalist to make Akron debut
Actor Bernsen enjoying ride of derby movie project
End of an era: Oprah ending show after 25 years
Ohio native takes second place on 'Project Runway'
'New Moon' casts spell on fans
'The Blind Side' scores as feel-good crowd-pleaser
'Planet 51' is sci-fi animation lite
Barrymore's 1945 film co-stars Garson, Peck
Most Read Stories
Police accuse bank robbery suspect of gobbling up note (with dashcam video)
Man found dead in North Akron home is identified
Dad accused of forcing son into field, killing him
NFL star Chris Spielman's wife loses cancer battle
Coventry man killed in crash at I-77 ramp
College student mistaken for deer, shot to death
Man allegedly paid teens to spit in his face
Retired firefighter who broke color barrier among those being honored
Angel Food Ministries helps stretch grocery dollars
Blogs:
Pets:
Cat-loving chihuahua suckles seven abandoned kittens
The Heldenfiles:
Friday Night Notebook
Patrick McManamon:
For your Saturday entertainment …
Akron Zips:
Two blowouts, one night
Tribe Matters:
Seven players added to Tribe’s 40-man roster
Cleveland Browns:
Holmgren expresses interest in Browns position
Kent State Sports:
Singletary update
Cleveland Cavaliers:
Gameblog: Cavs at Indiana Pacers – Here’s to LBJ and Free Throws
Buckeye Blogging:
OSU – Michigan college football rivals meet in Baghdad
Varsity Letters:
Bowling season starts today
All Da King's Men:
Headed For Disaster
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Will Health Care Reform Pass?
Akron Law Café:
Federal Judge Declares DOMA Unconstitutional
See Jane Style:
Vintage Chic
Car Chase:
TIME TO GET YOUR COLLECTOR CARS WINTERIZED
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Silverdome Potentially SOLD!
Ohio Travels with Betty:
George is looking for a Thanksgiving buffet in Akron.
Sound Check:
Steely Dan Plays "The Royal Scam" at E.J. Thomas Hall
HRLite House:
Colloquium at University of Akron
Akron Gamer:
Nintendo's Mario endures even as games come and go
By Rich Heldenfels
Beacon Journal popular culture writer
Published on Thursday, Sep 18, 2008
If it's Thursday, this must be the mailbag . . .
Q: I have missed seeing Maya Rudolph on ''Saturday Night Live'' and would like to know if she will be back. I have always felt that she is the most talented of the female ensemble performers. I hope she is just on maternity leave or something like that.
A: The very funny Rudolph departed the show late in 2007, reportedly because she was having a tough time working on a New York-based show while living on the West Coast with director Paul Thomas Anderson and their daughter. (Anderson, by the way, is the son of local broadcasting legend Ernie ''Ghoulardi'' Anderson.) Still, just as Tina Fey has returned to SNL (including for a hilarious recent turn as Sarah Palin), Rudolph might yet be back, at least on an occasional basis. Producer Lorne Michaels has said that he would like her to play Michelle Obama on the show.
Q: I hope you can find some information for me on an English actor, Nathaniel Parker, who stars in the Inspector Lynley mysteries on PBS.
A: You can find a great deal about him on his official home page, http://www.nathanielparker.com. But here is some info: He was born in London in 1962 and is a graduate of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. He is also a former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company. His movie and TV credits include The Bodyguard, Beverly Hills Ninja, Haunted Mansion, Stardust and Flawless. On TV, he has been in Bleak House, Trust, Vanity Fair and The Private Life of Samuel Pepys, which was directed by his older brother, Oliver. He has also worked in radio in Great Britain and given voice to several audio books. He is married to actress Anna Patrick. They have two daughters.
Q: Some years ago, maybe 20 or 25, there was a lady in Jacksonville, Fla., named Rosemary Furman. I don't know if she was a lawyer, but she would help people with their legal problems when they couldn't afford an attorney. Warner Bros. obtained movie rights to her story for TV, and Jean Stapleton was chosen to play her. Was the movie ever made? Is Ms. Furman still with us?
A: Rosemary Furman, who died in 1999, was a legal secretary who offered low-cost assistance with simple legal matters (such as filling out forms) to people who could not afford lawyers. The Florida Bar Association went after her, and she was convicted of practicing law without a license. Still, she was credited with helping to change some legal rules.
There were reports in 1989 that she would be the subject of a TV-movie starring Jean Stapleton. But I cannot find a record of the movie actually being made. There is a short documentary about her called Rosemary Furman — And Justice for All.
Q: My father, who is 90, has spoken of a TV show (late 50s early 60s) that came on once a week. It was about a charter boat fishing captain. Don't know where it took place or who the actors were but I believe it was called ''Crunch and Des.'' Could you please find any information on this?
A: According to the reference Total Television, Crunch and Des was a 1955 syndicated series set in the Bahamas and based on stories by Philip Wylie. Forrest Tucker starred as Crunch Adams, owner of a charter boat service, while Sandy Kenyon was his partner, Des (or ''Desperate'') Smith. I do not know of an authorized release on video, but you can find print copies of Wylie's stories.
Do you have a question or comment about movies, TV and other popular culture? Write to rheldenfels@thebeaconjournal.com or the Akron Beacon Journal, 44 E. Exchange St., Akron, OH 44309. Please mark the note for Mailbag and do not phone in questions.
Letters may be edited. Individual replies cannot be guaranteed.
Rich Heldenfels writes about popular culture for the Beacon Journal and in the HeldenFiles Online blog at http://www.ohio.com. He can be reached at 330-996-3582 and rheldenfels@thebeaconjournal.com.
If it's Thursday, this must be the mailbag . . .
Get the full article here.
Comments
Click here to post your comments
