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Bill Bixby stars in series about stage magician who also fights crime
By Rich Heldenfels
Beacon Journal popular culture writer
Published on Thursday, Oct 15, 2009
If it's Thursday, this must be the mailbag . . .
Q: There was a song at the beginning of the CBS show ''Numb3rs'' in the episode titled ''Friendly Fire'' and it had lyrics with ''we got a time bomb ticking.'' Can you assist in finding out the title and artist of the song?
A: That was Timebomb, by Beck.
Q: I have watched every episode of ''Sons of Anarchy.'' However, I still do not understand where the name ''Sam Crow'' came from. What did I miss? Why do they refer to themselves as Sam Crow?
A: Sam Crow is another way of saying SAMCRO. It's a shortened version of the Sons of Anarchy's full name: Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original. The TV series was at first called Forever Sam Crow but, according to creator Kurt Sutter, changed the name to avoid conflict with a real-life motorcycle club that claimed the first title was a copyright infringement.
Q: I believe there was a series in the mid '70s about a magician who was also a crime fighter, with Bill Bixby (I think) playing a leading role. I also think he drove a Corvette and flew from city to city in a 747. Can you tell me the name of the series and if it is available on DVD?
A: Bill Bixby starred in The Magician on NBC in 1973-74. He played Anthony Blake, who was a successful stage magician who also fought crime. According to The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable Television Shows, Blake flew in a private airliner called The Spirit. I do not know of an authorized release on home video.
Q: I am trying to find a song by Conway Twitty. The song is ''The Pawnbroker.'' No one seems to know this song. Can you help me?
A: The song you are seeking is Saturday Night Special, about a man at a pawn shop to buy a gun. The broker, the song says, will ''pay you for your misery or he'll sell you someone's pain/And that twinkle in his greedy eye says your loss will be his gain.''
Q: Where's Belle? When will ''Secret Diary of a Call Girl'' return?
A: The series, so far consisting of two seasons airing on Showtime, will be back for a third season in 2010.
Q: While traveling on an international flight a couple of years ago, I watched a movie starring Russell Crowe as a British financier who inherits a house in France. While not a major hit, the movie was entertaining and humorous. At one point during the film, a colleague asks Crowe for advice and he replies ''Never pet a burning dog.'' What is that movie and was it released in the U.S.?
A: You are most likely thinking of A Good Year, a comedy starring Crowe and directed by Ridley Scott. Crowe plays a businessman who inherits a French vineyard. It was released in U.S. theaters but was not a hit. It is available on DVD.
Q: In the '80s there was a movie that I believe starred Richard Gere as a power broker. I believe the name was ''Power.'' As Gere traveled, he always played a particular classical or big band song on his Walkman. What was that song?
A: The 1986 film Power, with Richard Gere, had him listening to the Benny Goodman recording of the big-band classic Sing, Sing, Sing.
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, in the HeldenFiles Online blog at http://heldenfels.ohio.com, on Facebook and on Twitter.
If it's Thursday, this must be the mailbag . . .
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