Flash back

In 2011, I posted interviews with cast members of the 1979 TV specials Legends of the Superheroes, including Rod Haase, who was the first person to portray the Flash in live-action. Foreflasher of John Wesley Shipp and Grant Gustin!

This year, he attended Pop Con in Milwaukee where he met fans, signed autographs…and donned the red again. The man who organized it, Troy Kinunen, president of MEARS Auctions, reported that the crowd loved him. Troy kindly sent me this photo:

Great to see that Rod is still in the fast lane.

Super ‘70s and ‘80s: “Legends of the Superheroes”—Howard Murphy (Green Lantern)

In 2011, I posted the first-ever interviews with the men who portrayed the Flash (easy to find), Hawkman (hard to find), and Captain Marvel (batpoop-crazy hard to find) in the 1979 live-action, two-episode TV special Legends of the Superheroes.

In that same series, I asked the citizens of the Internet to help me find the people who played Green Lantern and Black Canary. Sources suggest that BC may be off the radar for good—by design, not by death—but I have bright news about GL: I found him. Rather, he found me. (If only I had known his name is not really Howard Murphy...)

“In brightest day, in blackest night, no actor shall escape my sight!”

So, unexpectedly, four years later, here is his interview…

How old were you when you appeared in LOTS?

I was 29.

What was your background before appearing in LOTS?

I had a bachelor’s and was going for my master’s in theater at University of Southern California.

How did you hear about the audition?

It was all over town—Variety, Hollywood Reporter.

Hollywood Reporter 8/8/78

What was the audition like?

The audition was held at Hanna-Barbera, in their parking lot. It was a cattle call. Back then cattle calls were a waste of time. So I passed on it. Finally my new manager called and said she set up a private audition for me with them. I didn’t realize at the time that my best friend’s sister was the assistant casting director.

So I went in and read and it was very interesting how they had us read. The sides [pieces of paper with dialogue on them] I was given to read were from The Carol Burnett Show. But it was helpful to me because I knew what they were looking for—very over the top. They called me back and said I got the role. I said “What role?” They said they’d let me know—they just wanted to see how we handled comedy. This was very early on in my career. Then they said “You’re going to be the Green Lantern.”

What was your reaction?

I went to comic book stores and bought every Green Lantern comic I could find. I’d read them as a child but didn’t remember. When we did the shoots, I was actually mimicking the comic book pages. When he shoots the ring, I’d arch my back and aim forwards.

How did you feel dressing like a superhero?

It was fun. It was like an adult going out on Halloween.

Were you already a fan of Green Lantern?

I always liked the Green Lantern but I was a fan of all of them. I had a comic book collection that filled two drawers in my bedroom. I wish I had them now. When I went to college, my mother threw them in the trash.

What was the filming like?

The thing was shot in about two weeks. It was intense. [But overall] it was a very easy shoot, a wonderful experience for everyone. Oh boy, did we have girls [meaning attractive actresses, not groupies] on that show! (laughs)

We had a meeting beforehand where [producer Bill] Carruthers and [producer Chris] Darling called us all in so the guys playing the heroes could meet the standup comics playing the villains. It was fun. We all got along. Sometimes you get egos—not so on this show. This show was a dream.

The costumes were very uncomfortable—not so much the leotards but the dance belts (worn so we didn’t show any sexuality, like putting a flattener on a woman—which they didn’t do in this thing). Under the masks none of the guys had to do makeup.

Any funny stories from the shoot?

We used the Batcave from [the ‘60s TV show] Batman, which was in Griffith Park. One night I was coming home late from Palm Springs and realized I couldn’t go home because I wouldn’t make it back [to the shoot on time] the next day. I think they wanted us there at six in the morning. So I just parked my car outside the area where the cave was and slept in my car so I would make it to the shoot the next morning. I called the production company and said “Go look for my car. I’m in the back seat.” And they did.

[The Green Lantern oath starts] “brightest day, blackest night.” [But the script had it as] “darkest night” and no one caught it. I said it only because the script said it and later realized it was wrong. [Only one] person on the Internet caught that.

We were all miked on stage during “The Challenge.” (If you look closely at the footage, you’ll see the battery pack over the top of my butt.) [Riddler Frank] Gorshin was back behind the drop with Giganta [A’leshia Brevard] and all of a sudden, someone put this over the loudspeaker. You hear Gorshin saying to her, “You’re a big girl. I like big girls.” This happened very fast before they caught it and switched it off. (laughs)

Did any onlookers call out to/interact with you in costume while shooting on location?

Not when we were on location. But “The Roast” did have a small live audience.

So that was filmed like a play, with no retakes?

I don’t recall any retakes. We just had to sit there and laugh. Not much of it was rehearsed. We just did it naturally. I think one of the reasons they hired all of us was we just did it. I think the only time we rehearsed was with Charlie Callas when he was Sinestro in drag [in the first of the two shows].

Were any of your stunts hard?

Most of the hard stuff we created for ourselves. In one scene, they said I was going to be in a rowboat on the water. I said that’s boring and suggested I stand [in the boat] like George Washington and they said do that.

The only one who had a problem was the Flash—I think he was in a kayak and it tipped over. We had no backup costume. But they got the shot.

What did you think of the storylines of the shows?

It was very corny. I think that’s probably why it still has a charm to it. We finished doing the shoot and it aired on NBC. I watched it. I called my manager and said “This thing really stinks.” I said I’ll never work again. That wasn’t the case but my manager changed my name from Howard Murphy to Howard Huston. That’s probably why you had such a hard time finding me.

[Incidentally,] I started out in this business under my real name, Reese Larson. My managers were the Hurkos, Peter and Stephanie—Peter was the foremost psychic of the era, worked on the Boston Strangler case. His wife was the manager but he ran the business. He said “Reese Larson, the name is not memorable.” I thought it was! (laughs) He said he saw two Hs. He said “Howard Murphy!” I said that’s not two Hs. So we changed it to Howard Huston. Should’ve kept Howard Murphy.

They never reran it. The only people who saw it were kids.

Were you starstruck by any of your fellow performers?

Not really. The one person I really liked was Adam West. Shortly after I did LOTS, I did a film called Young Lady Chatterley II and Adam was on the shoot. I don’t know if he had anything to do with it, but the minute I walked on the set, he said “Greenie, how you doing?”

What do you remember about your fellow performers?

Charlie Callas (Sinestro) was an okay sort of guy but we were playing nemeses so there was a friction between us. After the fortune-telling scene, he took off his dress and mooned me. I didn’t know how to take that, but he was cool. Gabe Dell (Mordru) was a very nice guy. Rod Haase, we became friends for a few years afterward. I liked Garrett [Craig, Captain Marvel]—really cool. Hawkman [Bill Nuckols] was a lovely fellow. He had a very good physique. Sometimes we were all in the changing room changing into our tights and I thought “Why am I cast in this thing?” The girls were fabulous. Barbara Joyce [Huntress] didn’t talk much. Danuta [Black Canary] was cool.

I couldn’t find Danuta.

I don’t think that’s her real name.

Do you remember any other name she used?

We all referred to each other by the stage name.

Was there any romance among actors that you know of?

No. [After shooting,] we all just wanted to go home.

What did you get paid for appearing in LOTS?

Not much more than $1,000 a week. I’m sure Adam and the others got more.

Did you think the concept would get picked up as a series?

That’s what they wanted. Charlie Callas said if this is picked up, they’re going to have to pay him a salary. I didn’t think it was going to be. It was expensive to do that show at the time. It might not look it. Only one studio in town had the green screen. That’s where they did Captain Marvel flying, which I think was the most elaborate sequence of the whole thing. I think the glow around me was done later, in the lab.

What did you do professionally after the shows?

I worked on Dallas; Dynasty; Murder, She Wrote. In that period there wasn’t a major show that I wasn’t on. They tried to use you twice a year, you were passed around—like the studio system used to do. We’d audition once and they’d have you do four or five shows. I actually made good money back then. Nowadays, I feel so sorry for the kids doing it.

I didn’t think I was going to be a big movie star. I did a lot of stage. I did commercials like crazy. I was singing in a Burger King commercial that aired during LOTS! I probably made more off the commercial! You could make about $10,000 a year off a good commercial.

Was it in that post-LOTS period when you being credited as Howard Huston?

I don’t know. I’d have to look at IMDB. They don’t have all my credits. If they could merge Howard Murphy and Howard Huston, that would be nice. Most of my residuals from the period, I never got.

Have you looked into that?

It’s rather difficult to get an answer from the union. They did put out a residual for the DVD, but I didn’t get it.

When did you stop acting?

I always had a day job. My USC degree was in lighting and set design and costume design. That pays as much as being an actor. I worked on Melrose Avenue for antique stores. I have a photographic memory and could remember an entire inventory. They’d call me up when there was a robbery and ask if I remembered what was in a certain cabinet. This was all in the eighties and partially into the nineties.

[Then I became unwell.] That’s why I’m no longer in the business.

Did you stay in touch with any of the other stars after the show?

Not besides Rod. [For a while after the show,] Rod would come over to talk.

What memorabilia, if any, did you save from LOTS?

I’ve got a whole file full of stuff. I’d like you to have the script.

I’d be thrilled! Have you ever heard from writers (before me) about the shows?

No. First of all they’d have to find me.

What was your reaction when you heard I had found you and wanted to interview you?

Someone sent me one of your blogs that said you’re looking for me. But my computer wasn’t working so I couldn’t email. So for a while I said this isn’t going to work. Then I talked to my brother. He said let my wife and I try. They found you.

Reese in June 2015

Did you know what a cult following the show has today?

I had no idea.

Where do you live now?

Los Angeles.

Do you have a family—wife, children?

All that’s left is my mother, my brother and his wife. [I believe this means he has no wife and kids, not that he did but they’ve passed away. You got that.]

If a comic book/pop culture convention paid your way, would you attend and sign autographs for fans?

That’s difficult. [Due to my health,] I’d need to hire an attendant to get me on the plane and pay for his room. It’d probably not be possible.

What if it’s in LA?

Let’s take that one step at a time. I have an open mind about it.

How do you look back at your experience on this show?

It was a highlight. I loved it.

Do you have a favorite memory about the LOTS shows?

Lots of the stuff we did, we were just left to ad-lib. I mean action—we all stuck to the script. I think the only one who didn’t always stick to the script was Adam, but that was okay because he’s very quick, very good.

Anything else you’d like to add?

At that point, at the age I was at, it was a standard shooting job. I did enjoy doing that corny comedy. You could do over-the-top double takes. I think my best double take was with Howard Morris [Dr. Sivana]. He worked with Sid Caesar for years so he was used to it.

11/21/18 addendum: Reese Larson passed away today.

Captain Marvel meets his fans

On 9/22/12, the Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills and the Warner Archive Collection hosted a screening of the 1979 TV special Legends of the Superheroes as part of the two-day Retro Action-Adventure-Thon.

LOTS is one of the cult classics I covered in my extensive “Super ‘70s and ‘80s” series.

A star of that show—and my series—was Garrett Craig, AKA Captain Marvel.

I was more than thrilled that Garrett was invited to participate in this rare public screening. He’d been out of the spotlight for decades and when I found him in early 2011, he did not know how fondly people remembered the show. He had never met any of his fans. (This is the third time I know of that someone interviewed for my series has then been asked to appear at a real-world event.)

Garrett kindly allowed me to interview him again, this time about his Paley experience.

How did you find out about the event?

Nobody knows better than you, Marc, I am the Loch Ness Marvel of superheroes! You’re good…and it took you a year to find me. The Warner Archive team told me in the backstage green room that they had strategized getting me for the event, but who knew where Waldo was? Then my phone rang and it’s Richard F. Lee, my friend and Hollywood insider, asking if I knew about the premiere.

I tried calling anybody and everybody at Paley Media…and got [no] answer. Then, Marc, you email me. When you called the guys at Warner Archive for me—they said with only hours to go—they were shocked I was still alive!

If it weren’t for you and Richard…

Was this held in an auditorium?

It was in the John H. Mitchel Theater, inside the Paley Center. (That weekend they [also] had appearances by Patrick Duffy from Man from Atlantis, Ron Ely from Tarzan, and Michael Gray from Shazam.) The theater held about 100 people, all very enthusiastic fans!

Lightning struck one or two more times during the evening. By a perfect blessing, Patrick Duffy showed the episode that I had the privilege of working with him as the heavy. You knew I was a bad guy by the size of my mustache.

Matt Patterson and Daniel Ferranti of Team Warner introduced me to Michael Gray, [who played] Billy Batson on Shazam. A sincerely nice guy who very much values entertainment that holds to good family ideals and [features] role models for children.

@WarnerArchive

How were you introduced [to the audience]?

Mr. Rene, the very courteous liaison assigned to me, said my entrance was bland [even] by Ozzy Osbourne standards. Matt and Daniel are rockin’ the iPhones with their considerable talents, doing a streaming highlighting my Marvel history. Fans asking for autographs and pictures. Heads do a double take and the murmurs and pointing from fans with lightning bolts on their shirts become stronger.

“Tonight we have a special guest,” Matt said smiling, like he had been rehearsing all day and not for just the last four minutes! Matt hit LOTS history, secrets, and humor with rapid-fire precision. When he said, “Ladies and gentleman…Garrett Craig…your Captain Marvel,” I don’t think he knew that my intro would have the same kind of irreverent style and tempo. 

It was a surprise for the fans, right?

Actually, because you had called, Marc, they had announced the night before to the faithful that I would be there. Matt had read your interview with me, so he knew the circus was coming to town. [Marc smiles.]

The fans could not have been a more perfect audience. They knew all the characters so everyone was in on the jokes! When I told my first secret about Adam West, every iPhone [was] flaring [and] tweeting the secret nugget. Later, Matt and Daniel told me that they had been to over six of these LOTS premieres, and, in their opinion, the audience at this screening had the most fun because of the tone set. And they are hoping we can do it again…maybe with 10 minutes to prepare!             

Did you meet and greet with fans after your stage appearance, or after the screening, or both?

Before, after, and during! These fans were absolutely amazing! When I entered the lobby, people slowly (so not to freak me!) started surrounding me. I just got off the elevator from 30 years ago and somehow they knew me? They had brought TV Guides, pictures from the net, pictures their kids had drawn. They wanted pictures, hugs, stories! It was my great pleasure to meet and learn a little bit about each of them and share stories from a more innocent time. Thank you, my friends, for all your kindness!

Had any, by chance, seen my interview with you?

Very definitely! It provided a lot of conversation openers about my questionable sanity and the LOTS actors/inmates I shared a prolonged recess with on set. When they asked how well I knew you, I of course, referred them to the X-rays and therapy notes I keep of your sessions with me.

In the green room (what’s done in the green room, stays in the green room!) the Paley Media personnel and Warner Archive team lit up like a Jumbotron when I mentioned your name. You understand, these people believe TMZ is written on stone tablets, the MGM library is the Tabernacle, and Dorothy’s shoes are the Holy Grail! They are all within six degrees of any media. They not only knew of you, they knew of your work. They knew Boys of Steel, offering, “Oh yeah! Front page, USA Today.” And the hot topic, Bill the Boy Wonder. A big bombshell, as you would imagine, at Warner Studios.

I thank you wholeheartedly, Marc, for finding me in the darkened celluloid of Hollywood history. I know you [want to find] the truth…for not just entertaining but also creating a message that inspires us to reach higher and treasure the uniqueness that is in each of us.

- end of interview -

That is most humbling, Garrett. I thank you again for being gracious enough to help me preserve something that clearly means more to more people than any of us may have realized.

Super ‘70s and ‘80s: Thank you to all who participated

Introduction to series “Super ‘70s and ‘80s.”

Between 12/09 and 7/11, I compiled this series; what started as a few unconnected interviews ended up being an expansive, cohesive feature that, when pasted into Word, fills more pages than I would be sane to reveal.

Along the way, I was fortunate to meet seven of the people I interviewed, most of whom I’d been curious about since childhood. As it happens, those seven people represented five of the ten subseries in this series without repeats.

Thank you again to you seven...

with Jody Spence and Reyna Blasko, Sea World skiers
April 2010, Las Vegas

with Bo Rucker, the pimp from Superman: The Movie
May 2010, New York

with Liberty Williams and Michael Bell, the Wonder Twins from Super Friends
July 2011, Los Angeles

with Garrett Craig, Captain Marvel from Legends of the Superheroes
July 2011, Los Angeles

with Mick Smiley, "Magic" singer/songwriter
July 2011, Los Angeles

...and, of course, the other 93.

Super ‘70s and ‘80s: “Legends of the Superheroes”—Barbara Joyce (Huntress)

Introduction to series “Super ‘70s and ‘80s.”

Introduction to subseries “Legends of the Superheroes” (including list of interviewees).

I began looking for Barbara Joyce in January 2010 and found her in January 2011.

But she had passed away in March 2010.

It’s a shame the first woman to portray the Huntress died without knowing anyone was trying to hunt her down (and without knowing she had fans).

I was disappointed in general and even more so because she had been alive when I started to look for her. However, I did have the fortune to find her family.

After I discovered via an online obituary that Barbara had died, I searched for her in public records databases. One listed her with a man whose name I did not know. Barbara was born in 1941 and this man in 1920; I assumed he was her father. I soon learned that he was, in fact, her ex-husband. I was then pleasantly surprised to learn that he was alive and well and most kind.

He didn’t know about LOTS. To verify we were talking about the same Barbara Joyce, he asked if mine is “big-busted”; I said according to the photos I’ve seen, it seems so.

He then told me the following:

• Barbara Joyce was her theatrical name.
• They separated around 1978 (just before LOTS).
• She had no children.
• Her parents are dead.
• She never remarried.
• A niece of Barbara’s had called to tell Stan that Barbara had died but he didn’t get her name, it went so fast.
• Her brother was a dentist in Florida.

Barbara and her brother, somewhat recently.

Luckily, Barbara’s brother had an unusual last name through which I was able to connect with her family. Glimpses I learned from her nephew:

• He also didn’t know about LOTS.
• Barbara smoked “forever” and died of lung cancer.
• She had appeared on TV with Sonny and Cher (presumably on their eponymous show).
• She would never tell you how old she was.
• She was funny.

The last person to see Barbara was her niece (and this nephew’s sister) Courtney; she was the closest with Barbara. Barbara left all she had to Courtney’s young daughter.

What else Courtney shared (along with all the photos shown here):

• Barbara would read Abbott and Costello scripts to Courtney over the phone.
• After acting, Barbara did odd jobs, including a little modeling.
• She moved to Florida and became a receptionist.
• She moved to Washington State, where she helped run a bed and breakfast and where she was living when she died.
• Courtney flew up to see her just before she died.

Did you think you’d ever see the prom photo of the
woman who played the first live-action Huntress?

This is a sweet expression.

Barbara Joyce 1941-2010

Next: Batman and Robin Meet Dr. Danger.

Super ‘70s and ‘80s: “Legends of the Superheroes”—the actors, part 2 of 2

Introduction to series “Super ‘70s and ‘80s.”

Introduction to subseries “Legends of the Superheroes” (including list of interviewees).

Legends of the Superheroes actors, part 1 of 2.

[NOTE: The actors included here are Garrett Craig (Captain Marvel), Rod Haase (Flash), and Bill Nuckols (Hawkman). I did not interview them at the same time; I combined their answers since they were part of the same production.]

What, if any, mistakes or accidents happened during the shoots?

Garrett Craig: Did you ever own anything that looked really, really awesome but didn’t work well? These yellow boots made me the Man of Steel from the knees down and yet everybody wanted Action Boy. Like the day Regis Philbin came to do an interview with someone from the LOTS cast…

I did sometimes ad-lib on set. So you can imagine how wet-finger-in-the-socket shocked I was when they told me to go with Regis for the interview. At the time, I think Regis was working A.M. Los Angeles. When I swung open the padded door, in my Santa red skinny jeans, the rafters immediately rattled with Regis’s electric Bronx [accent], “Hey Captain Marvel—fly over here.”

I’d seen the show and I knew he was quick to riff with. Regis [said], “Why don’t you jump off a ladder into the interview, like you’re flying in?” I told him that normally I loved being wicked ape, but that I’m not really wearing Superboots. [They were more] like solid yellow sewer plates. I [said I] can’t do it—I’d land harder than an anvil on Wile E. Coyote.

When Regis has an idea, he seems to move faster than the speed of sound because he didn’t hear me! Since he thought it was a union job, he kept looking for some Teamster to move the ladder he found for me to jump off of. We waited and waited. Finally, I just grabbed the ladder, climbed to the second step, and jumped off. Regis stared at me like he had just seen Mary Poppins in a thong. Regis laughed so hard, he ended up, I think out of pity, asking me to [a] party [he was having].

What were your expectations for the shows?

Garrett Craig: If you have any idea of what is going to succeed in Hollywood, you probably already work for Pixar. As long as I can remember, critics have said this genre or that is as dead as Robert Downey, Jr.’s career. In defense of critics, picking a winning flick is a lot like guessing what mistakes from your past the woman in your life will be using in your next argument.

We all worked and hoped to make it a creative, funny take on superheroes. There were so many talented people, production, acting…[but still] the lightning could have gone into the bottle from any direction.
Bill Nuckols: I hoped it would do well.

Did you think the concept would get picked up as a series? Did you want it to?

Garrett Craig: We didn’t get to see dailies and we were shooting in so many different locations [that] I don’t know if it [would have been] possible to know how the parade would end. And even if we could see what the producers were seeing, what would you base the success on? New Family in Town fails [to be picked up], [is retooled as Happy Days], [and] ends up running forever. There is such a magical combination of everyone involved in a series, you have to understand that, in most cases, talent won’t get you there…but it will keep you there.
Bill Nuckols: That would have been nice, but I don’t know what the producers had in mind.
Rod Haase: I didn’t think there was any chance of LOTS being picked up as a series—there were too many superhero characters. As I recall, Batman and Robin were in LOTS and they had already had a TV series. The other thing about this production was that it was so cheesy, with really inane dialogue—not much imagination in the way of plot or story arc.

Was there a wrap party or did any of the cast get together to celebrate in any way?

Garrett Craig: I’m not even sure if actors getting together qualifies as a celebration. If a huge number of people with varying degrees of multiple personality problems get together, that’s [either] rehab or Congress. Besides, at that time, we weren’t sure what we had to celebrate. If there was a cast party, much like my prom, I didn’t know about it.

How long did you keep the shows on your resume? What other jobs, if any, did they help you get?

Garrett Craig: My agent pointed out that most actors work five to ten years to be “discovered from nowhere.”
Bill Nuckols: Always kept them on. Was in movie Sunset Cover and TV series Supertrain.

What did you do professionally after the shows?

Garrett Craig: I wanted to stay near show business so I tried to think outside the forum. I started [by] becoming the after-game “crowd coordinator” for the L.A. Lakers. It just seemed to me [that] most real Lakers fans were so unprepared for that level of civil disobedience.
Bill Nuckols: I slowly drifted out of acting.

Did you stay in touch with any of the other stars after the show?

Garrett Craig: I tried to [ask] Burt Ward to help me with the marketing [for my Lakers job], but apparently he wants some kind of fee to call you back.
Bill Nuckols: I did not.

Did you bump into any of the other stars at any point afterward?

Garrett Craig: During the LOTS shoot of “The Roast,” Ed McMahon had been the very positive, vocal, sell-the-product kind of gent that you heard he was. He always had an uplifting attitude and made no excuses; he wanted to see LOTS become a success. All the conversations we had were both very humorous and very driven to find ways to make the show better.

Back [then], there was a club called Dino’s Lodge where a lot of people would go to have breakfast waaay after hours. It was a place where you could kind of hide after the other clubs or studios were closed. [One] evening as I glanced up over my favorite, [a] mountain of Eggs Benedict, I saw McMahon’s 6’4” expansive self fighting his way through the jungle of people. With a smile like a warm beacon through the darkened room, [he said], “Hey Captain, where’s the cape?” [When Ed was] almost to my table, I could see [he] had two very attractive blond friends under each arm. “How bad was the accident?” I said. Ed was waving at other friends but turned back to see what I was on about. “What?” he [said as he] stopped at my table. “The accident…so bad you have to have crutches?” Without [missing] a beat, McMahon said ([accompanied by] that booming laugh), “No, no…these ladies are security. If I fall, one cushions the blow and the other gives me mouth to mouth.” The girls laughed even harder. Too many years with Carson for anybody to corner the big man on the chessboard that easily.

Did anyone on the street ever recognize you from the shows?

Garrett Craig: There was this one time and I did get very excited! I was walking through Westwood and this girl went into hysteria shouting, “I know you…you’re that guy on TV!” I was thrilled and said, “Well, yeah.” She [said], “You wear that red suit.” I was trying to keep shy and cool “Yeah, I do.” Now she was jumping up and down saying, “I knew it! I watch Teletubbies all the time with my little sister!”
Rod Haase: Not as I recall.
Bill Nuckols: No. My face was covered in the show.

What memorabilia, if any, did you save from LOTS (TV Guide ad, your costume, press kit, call sheets, your contract, props, etc.)?

Garrett Craig: I did save some of the TV Guides, complete with Doritos stains.

Have you ever heard from fans about the shows (letters, phone calls, e-mails)?

Garrett Craig: Actually…no. The only fans I have use crayons.
Rod Haase: Two or three comic book fans in 30 years.
Bill Nuckols: I got some fan mail shortly after the shows.

Have you ever heard from writers (before me) about the shows? If so, do you know how they found you?

Garrett Craig: Are you kidding, Marc? Who else would take a year to find this long gone LOTS cast? You’re the only one I know with such dynamics and perseverance that you make the Energizer Bunny look like Eeyore getting a ransom note from Winnie-the-Pooh, written on his broken honey jar.
Bill Nuckols: You are the first.

What was your reaction when you heard I had found you and wanted to interview you?

Garrett Craig: I felt like anybody else [these days] who gets a message from someone [he doesn’t] know…panic!
Rod Haase: Hmmm.
Bill Nuckols: I was surprised.

Did you know what a cult following the show has today?

Garrett Craig: I don’t know how many fans we have. It would be great if it were true. And on the side of stranger things have happened, I suppose if the E*TRADE talking baby, Cats & Dogs 2, Vampires Suck, and karaoke can have fans, then I suppose LOTS could, [too]?

And if you’re out there LOTS fans, HOLLA! Wazup? RESPECT! You walkin’ to yer own rhythm.
Rod Haase: No.
Bill Nuckols: No, I didn’t.

Where do you live now?

Garrett Craig: California.
Rod Haase: California.
Bill Nuckols: Baltimore/DC area.

What do you do for a living?

Garrett Craig: Elementary school substitute teacher.
Rod Haase: Mortgage broker. I did a number of other TV shows, movies of the week, features, and commercials, but by 1985, I was pretty much out of the business. I didn’t go into mortgage brokering until 2001.
Bill Nuckols: In between work right now.

Do you have children?

Garrett Craig: I have one daughter named Cindy, who to date has kept this immaculately organized life in her home and the children’s ministry she oversees. She has been able to lead a sure balance in her family life. It has been a perfect picture until now! Now, however, the picture contains new royalty, Princess Aubree, three years old. The Queen is not dead but has met with her majestic match.

There is also a son. I think we call him Jim or at least that’s the name we keep on the refrigerator to remind us of him when he comes home. He is very funny.

And finally there is our party girl, Donna. She makes every birthday, Christmas, holiday like a Disney theme park. She truly puts so much love into everything she plans, which is why we had so much hope for her newborn son. But it’s not quite the way she planned it. Let’s just say if Mattel made a “Toy Son” that ran through walls, bounced off stairs, leaped from the tops of trees, and never slept, our daughter’s newborn son, Josiah, would have broken Mattel’s Toy Son within ten minutes.
Rod Haase: None.
Bill Nuckols: No.

What do your kids think of your time as a superhero?

Garrett Craig: If you look online, you can see some good reports and some people just talkin’ smack about LOTS. For my time on this planet, I find the goal is as important as the people and the experiences during and on the way to Oz. Guaranteed there will be flying monkeys, but you learn to see the good hearts and wisdom of people who become great friends. I try, do not always succeed, to be as worthy a service as I can to the mission I am given. I sincerely felt like everyone did their best to bring laughter to LOTS.

Of the six billion people on this planet, we got to try and create something very special. Is it special if only 30 million people see it? Or is it enough that [only] the mother bird sees her baby fly? For a few minutes, we flew! So was I honored? Was it too cool to have been chosen to run rampant through a comic book fantasy? You bet! It was the best of times to pretend, with a lot of other great pretenders. So I do gratefully thank everyone involved in this super providence…especially Mr. Marc Nobleman for the opportunity to say it out loud.

If a comic book/pop culture convention paid your way, would you attend and sign autographs for fans?

Garrett Craig: Yes, I would go to sign autographs for our fans. But wouldn’t it be easier just to go out for a hamburger with both of them?
Rod Haase: Probably not.
Bill Nuckols: Perhaps.

How do you look back at your experience on this show?

Garrett Craig: I look back on it a lot like I look back on kindergarten. It would have been nice to have known more, to have done more but…it brings back awesome memories.
Bill Nuckols: It was fun. Maybe I should have stayed out there, tried for other parts.

Do you have a favorite memory about the LOTS shows?

Garrett Craig: My last scene was with the incredibly versatile Frank Gorshin. I had seen him do his stand-up impressions. When Frank came along, impressions were kind of cheesy and corny. He [recast] it into whole new 3-D experience. Frank was like Rich Little [crossed with] Jim Carrey. I assumed he was too big to rehearse with a newbie and we would just go live on set. That’s when I felt the tap on my shoulder. I turned around and Gorshin, as Jimmy Cagney, asked me, “You wouldn’t be Marvel, would you?” I hung my head, swayed my shoulder, peered up as John Wayne, and said, “Well, Pilgrim…that would be me.” Later, when we got to know each other, we would argue who had the best “Duke.” In my act, I did some of Frank’s characters: Cary Grant, Eddie G. Robinson, Jimmy Stewart, Karloff, Brando, and Bogie. But none of my characters came with the speed and expressions of Gorshin’s; he was a master. Without hesitating, he asked, “You know your lines? I said ‘I [do]…and I know yours, too!” He waved me towards his Cadillac and said, “Good, ‘cause I don’t know any of mine yet. Let’s rehearse.”

For the next few hours, I was treated to a position I had not begun to earn but I was beyond blessed to be part of. I got access to years of training and experience that you could not begin to pay for. There were stories about actors, engagements, trials and errors, hard work ethic, and a whole lotta’ laughter. Frank told me that in his act, he had a bit where he sang a popular commercial of the day: “I wish I were an Oscar Mayer wiener.” He said the people at Oscar Mayer [then] sent him a year’s supply of hot dogs. “Now in my act,” [he continued], “I sing, ‘I wish I were a Lincoln Con-ti-nen-tal.’”

We actually [developed] a far funnier routine [with] Marvel actually going crazy and off into impersonation wonderland with Gorshin. But Carruthers would not allow one word to be changed…

It was getting late. Carruthers [said], “I’m sorry, Frank, we don’t have enough sunlight to shoot the scene. Frank [said], “What d’ya mean, there’s plenty of light!” Carruthers shook his head no [and said], “Only to do the master; the sun will be over the hill by the time we get to the pick-ups.” Frank: “Okay, no sweat! Marvel and I will do it in one take.”

Note: A four minute scene in theater…no sweat. A four minute scene on tape, shot/reverse shot, close-up, wide, all of which the camera people have to choreograph in what is known as a R-E-H-E-A-R-S-A-L…forgetaboutit!

Carruthers: “Frank, I’m sorry. We just don’t have enough time. I think it’s already too dark.” Frank motioned to the lead camera [and said], “You got enough time if we do it in one take?” Not wanting to cross Carruthers, he looked down [but said], “I think so.” Carruthers shot me a hard glance [and said], “Marvel, don’t screw up!”

Usually there are a few nerves before a scene, but Frank and I had shredded this script like a CIA secret. [If this were] vaudeville, I [would’ve been] what was called the “second banana”; I had to do the straight lines and give Frank something to bounce off of. He was slipping in and out of personalities like Madonna through an all-men’s college. My character was supposed to be very confused…so I could not show how much wicked crazy fun I was having doing comedy with one of the best in town. When Carruthers yelled cut, Frank looked over at me sweating big time from all his antics; [he gave a] thumb up and mouth[ed] the words, “One take!” The entire cast and crew erupted in a standing ovation, which you can’t quite understand unless you’ve tried to be in the business.

Anything else you’d like to add?

Garrett Craig: I thank and appreciate everyone who believed in all of us enough to give us a chance to become [superheroes]. I thank you for recognizing we tried our best. I hope in the true spirit of all superheroes that you are inspired to try, to enjoy, to never give up becoming. To persevere until you find your gift. It is my true wish that you become the superhero you were made to be.

Next: Barbara Joyce (Huntress).

Super ‘70s and ‘80s: “Legends of the Superheroes”—the actors, part 1 of 2

Introduction to series “Super ‘70s and ‘80s.”

Introduction to subseries “Legends of the Superheroes” (including list of interviewees).

[NOTE: I did not interview them at the same time; I combined their answers since they were part of the same production.]

Garrett Craig as Captain Marvel

Rod Haase as Flash

Bill Nuckols as Hawkman

How old were you when you appeared in LOTS?

Bill Nuckols: 26.

What was your background before appearing in LOTS?

Garrett Craig: I came to LA to do comedy. I did stand-up at the Ice House, Troubadour, and Comedy Store starting when Sammy Shore first gave comics a shot at open mike night. But I quickly found an even easier way to make money. On a good night, comics love to say they “killed.” When they would come offstage, I would show them that I could mimic their rhythm, characters, and personality. I came with one-liners to fill the dead air. It didn’t get me that sweet crib in Malibu but I did get to meet people like Johnny Carson, Redd Foxx, and George Carlin.

Back in the day, you could pick up the price of a dinner by standing in a police lineup. This particular evening was a three-card Monte of flasher…flasher…who can find the flasher? Everybody in the lineup had to open his trench coat, one at a time. To my confidence-shattering surprise, when I opened my coat, the lady screamed, “That’s him, that’s the guy!” The detective leaned forward and squinted in my direction and said, “I don’t see anything.” The frantic woman: “I know…and I know what I didn’t see…and that’s him!”
Rod Haase: I don’t recall when LOTS came up in my illustrious film career; however, I played a number of superheroes around this time. One was in a film called Hero at Large with John Ritter. I don’t recall the character’s name [NOTE: Captain Avenger], but at one point the film was the title of the superhero and later changed. I portrayed Flash Gordon as part of a “say no to drugs” campaign that was part of the Reagan administration’s drug policy; it featured Nancy Reagan. I had also done seven or eight commercials for an amusement park in Los Angeles called Magic Mountain. My character was another superhero named Speed King who claimed to have built the park more or less single-handedly. Magic Mountain was later acquired by Six Flags Over Texas. Among the rides [my character] was credited with having built was the first rollercoaster that did a full 360-degree revolution and another mammoth rollercoaster named Colossus.
Bill Nuckols: Bodybuilder.

How did you hear about the audition?

Garrett Craig: Networking. Connections. Rumors about jobs are like flies…never a shortage of them but try catching one! [When] I heard about LOTS, I was doing comedy punch-up (rewriting and adding jokes) for a producer friend of mine. He was also a friend of Bill Carruthers, director of LOTS (with Chris Darley). My friend had a script of LOTS and thought I might get some work there. “Why don’t you rework this?” He said if I did, he would try to get me a meeting with Mr. Carruthers. He tossed the script to me [and said], “I think you can see more humor in it.” It seemed like a really hot idea at the time. From the distance it even looked like the spark of a firing success…but as I got closer it was more like a blindfold and firing squad.
Bill Nuckols: I had an agent.

What do you remember about the audition?

Garrett Craig: I didn’t know how close to production they were and that they had not cast Captain Marvel. I had been up all night pumping up the one-liners but not changing the plot, hoping to sell some joke copy. When I met with Mr. Carruthers, he asked, “What have you got for me?” But [he was] looking at me like he was a T. rex and I was wearing a meat hat. Usually with a pitch, you’ve got about three sentences before the floor slides out from under you.

So all the time I’m doing my best vocal Cirque du Soleil of all the superhero parts in LOTS, Carruthers is nodding as if he’s interested in my rewrites, but he’s slithering me around backstage through booms and props like a witch doctor getting the tribal virgin to the edge of the volcano for sacrifice. Carruthers never looked but he never ran into anything, either. Suddenly, he threw open the casting door to Lee Schaff Guardino. “You think that cape would fit him?” Carruthers said.

Carruthers told me the writing on the script was locked because they were going to start shooting in two days, but if I wanted I could play Captain Marvel. I spun toward Ms. Guardino to see if I was being punk’d and said, “So you want a Marvel that does one-liners and dresses like an overcooked Caped-Potater?” Guardino, who always seemed to get me, nodded and said, “We even have some boots that look like the yellow cheese to go with that Potater.” The yellow boots would turn out to be the least funny thing about the Marvel outfit!
Bill Nuckols: Seemed to get it on the first try.

Did you need to try on a costume?

Bill Nuckols: No.

Did you try out for any other characters besides the one you ended up portraying?

Garrett Craig: That would be a negative, Houston. Although I would liked to have read for the Weather Wizard—absolutely nothing against Jeff Altman’s portrayal. I say that because one, it was great, and two because Jeff scares me! When I watched Jeff working, I would always imagine a lion with its tail on fire in a herd of zebras. [No], I wished I could’ve tried the Wiz because I really wanted to run lines with Adam West. We spent a lot of time on set together and he was a very funny, stand-up dude. And I was sure that if he was allowed to get crazy—away from the Batman cadence of comedy delivery, people would see an even more mad-dog, funnier side to him.

Had you heard of your character before portraying him?

Garrett Craig: Like most boys, I had heard of the Justice League. I wanted to be like Plastic Man so I could reach the top shelf where my mom stashed the cookies. Like Batman so I could have the cool ride. [I was too young to know about insurance and gas mileage.] Did you know that Adam West’s Batmobile got up to only about 20 miles per hour and Adam in most scenes had to hold the driver side door closed with his left arm? It’s the reason he never won Miss Congeniality in any parade…he couldn’t wave! Last and most importantly, I wanted to be like Superman, strong enough to leap tall buildings in a single bound and faster than a speeding bullet so I could please just once finish eating my mom’s meatloaf surprise. My stomach was never strong enough to eat it, and I wasn’t fast enough to hide it.
Rod Haase: Yes.
Bill Nuckols: Yes, I had read comic books.

Do you remember getting the job? What was your reaction?

Garrett Craig: Do you remember going trick-or-treating? It was all just too good to believe when you got home! It became like my first kiss—I had no idea what I was doing or how I got there but I wanted everybody to know I did it.
Bill Nuckols: Don’t really remember, but I must have been happy.

How did you feel dressing like a superhero?

Garrett Craig: Once we started shooting, it became every kid’s towel wrapped around your neck, hands extended in flight, running screaming through the backyard…full-out fun Fantasyland.
Rod Haase: I didn’t feel anything particularly special about dressing as a superhero—it was just another costume to get in and out of. One thing I do recall is that I made a suggestion to the costumers at MGM that they fashion the boots around running shoes. They ignored my suggestion and I found it virtually impossible, as did the stunt men, to exhibit a catlike grace while running across rooftops in boots.
Bill Nuckols: I thought my costume was cool.

How long were the shoots (both hours in a day and number of days)?

Bill Nuckols: Maybe six hours day for 7-10 days.

Did any onlookers call out to/interact with you in costume while shooting on location?

Garrett Craig: After makeup at 6 a.m., before I went across the street for the shoot, I thought I’d see if anybody would stop for a superhero. Some college girls wanted to know if I had the boots in size 6. And a [guy who almost hit me] hissed, “Get out of the street…and for God’s sake, learn how to accessorize!” The prize for the morning, though, went to some very vogue woman in a Corvette who rolled down her window and said, “Sweetheart, I could have told you…computer dating sucks!”
Bill Nuckols: No, pretty much closed sets.

What was the hardest stunt in the shows (whether or not you were the one doing it)?

Garrett Craig: The production team stopped at a park in the Hollywood Hills. Carruthers ordered, “Camera here! Monitor here! Ladder there! Marvel, jump off the ladder! Look like you’re flying into the scene.” This time, there was a Teamster to plant the ladder. Carruthers said, “Third step, Marvel. Make it look real.” I stood on the edge of the step, knowing there was no way to soft land. The jump felt forever. When I hit, absolutely nothing gave except my spine, which made a sound like a monster truck running over forty cases of Corn Flakes! The crew, actors, and audience all took a professional two-second beat so not to ruin the take, then collectively let out an anguished “Oooooouuu!”

Carruthers shouted, “Land like you’re weightless, not like [you’re] Stonehenge! And higher. The sixth step.” Up to the top step on the ladder. [And then] suddenly, I was in horrifying freefall.

My boots bashed into the defiant dirt. I rolled up, then bounced into the air, my arms and legs shot out. I flopped to the ground like a deboned halibut into a cloud of flour.

After I slammed down, I can only report to you like the Apostle Paul, “Whether I was in the body or out, only God knows.”
Bill Nuckols: When they were driving around the Batmobile.

What did you think of the storylines of the shows?

Garrett Craig: LOTS was supposed to be satire in satin shorts. Good comedy doesn’t need to have a great plot. Only Shakespeare and people who have passed on need to have a plot. If you can cash in on the comedy of the characters and situations, the audience will forget about the mortgage on the plot.

I read some of the critiques: “Oooh, I say, what a frightful lack of story development. Like a carnival spinning out of control!” These guys are the same brain trust that nominate the Marx Brothers, W.C. Fields, and Laurel & Hardy as their standard of comic genius year after year. Which they are totally right about! Except they seem to have forgotten those plotlines made less sense than Yoko Ono videos.

You have to decide if you’re making a picture about sense or nonsense! I even heard Chris Darley, one of the directors of LOTS, saying he forgets, it was so long ago, but LOTS was supposed to be a cartoon that morphed into a TV series that did a half gainer into a comedy. He didn’t know what happened, but nobody was to blame. But isn’t the director supposed to bring the compass?
Bill Nuckols: I thought they were pretty cool.

Were you starstruck by any of your fellow performers, and if so, which ones?

Garrett Craig: There were a lot of stars that I was thrilled to meet and work with: Ed McMahon, William Schallert, Burt Ward, Howard Morris, Frank Gorshin, Ruth Buzzi, Jeff Altman, and, of course, Adam West. From the producers to directors to cast, everyone, deservedly so, respected Adam. He was the best at what he did.

We sat next to each other as superheroes on “The Roast.” Adam acted like we had been fishing buddies forever. During breaks, we talked about things we both enjoyed—fishing, movies, golf. I think sometimes when you are so successful in a role like Batman, people forget to see the real guy, the genuinely nice, humorous, and talented sides to your personality. He had a lot more in his utility belt than people let him show.
Rod Haase: No.
Bill Nuckols: I guess by Adam West and Burt Ward.

What do you remember about any of your fellow performers?

Garrett Craig: Burt Ward was daily amassing an empire. He was way ahead of his time. When he rolled onto the studio, his Lincoln actually became the first Transformer: “Optimus Retail Time.” His trunk was like the Home Shopping Network—8x10s, shirts, memorabilia. He was good; before Adam West could finish his lunch, [Burt had] the sandwich wrapper, still warm, autographed and for sale in an 8x10” frame.

I painfully recall that Howard Murphy was much smarter than me. One day on the shoot, the AD walked up to Howard and me and asked if either of us could row a boat. Howard just blinked and stared blankly as if the AD had asked in Swahili, “Do you know how to make an Oompa-Loompa float?”

I, of course, saw my chance to flip Green Lantern like a turtle in the sun, and in a way-too-confident voice, said yes. I thought, this is too cool—I get camera time! I am going to score while Howard stands on the shore. Fifteen minutes later, I’m set to row Howard in a Super Race across the lake for the next thirty takes. (Howard was laughing loudly.)

In the meantime, I have told Howard to go to the bow of the boat so it will make it easier to row. What I didn’t say was, easier to row backward and flip him into the water. Problem was, Howard the Lantern may [have used] light to transport himself but Howard the Person was not light to transport. The back rowing move failed and Howard said if I tried it again he would throw me overboard and watch laughing as the yellow voodoo boots took me to the bottom of the lake. In fact, I liked Howard, and if you’re reading this “Lantern Boy,” I hope you didn’t get too tired standing in the boat while I rowed all day in the blazing sun!
 Saying Charlie Callas (Sinestro) was a little Crazy is like saying a hurricane is a little distracting. Charlie had a face like Play-Doh in a Cuisinart. Faster than the Flash to 7-Eleven and back, Charlie would be doing these molten manic monologues complete with an outlandish library of his own sound effects.

Rod Haase was more careful. He wanted to make sure it got off at the right time. Rod was easy to hang with. He was very professional, liked everyone, and worked very well with the cast. We both wore red suits but Rod was really tall. Most of the time we never stood too close together in the red suits because the grips said we looked like King Kong’s hemorrhoids. We joked a lot with each other and shot a lot of smack about who would get the most mail if this show flew. I didn’t want to slam his ego too bad, but I had to remind him that if the ladies had a choice between two lightning bolts and one was named the Flash and the other was named Marvel, who do you think was going to get the date? Seriously, Rod was a very together guy; I knew he would do well with whatever he tried. And if he didn’t, he could do it over again faster than anyone could see.

I think with the addition of [each additional] cast member to a production, like adding more people to a lifeboat, tends to lean more toward sinking than floating. Take William Schallert (Retired Man/Scarlet Cyclone). Individually, a true actor, but with so many other actors, we never got to see all the colors of his character. He had a lot of physical shtick to go with his addled comic delivery, but there was not enough time to develop the gags.

I have been on the sets of Laugh-In, Happy Days, Mork & Mindy, Barney Miller, and Moonlighting, and by and large with these very successful series it seemed to me their policy on ad-libs was “if it’s funny, keep it…if it ain’t, sweep it!”

One break, Adam was talking to Burt while the crew was setting up for a big explosion by Mordru. The assistant director came by with ear plugs, and not wanting to disturb Adam and Burt, he handed them all to me. I waited, and when Adam looked back to me, I held out the ear plugs. Adam [had a look like] “And what do you want me to do with those?” Keeping a sincere scientific tone, I said, “They’re Ben Wa balls for our ears!” Adam generously thought I might have a chance in town if Carruthers didn’t end up using me as a tent peg for the catering
canopy.

By the end of the day, we were exhausted and more than a little chafed from running around in suits that were tighter and more cramped than Donald Trump’s money clip. I went over and crashed in a chair next to Adam. Panting, I asked, “How are you not experiencing spontaneous combustion?” Adam looked around like a black ops agent and whispered, “Silk. Silk lining in the Batsuit. No chafing. You should have wardrobe do it for you.”

The next day in makeup, I slinked by Adam and said, “Good news, bad news.” As usual, Adam squinted at me like a colorless Rubik’s Cube. “Silk,” I said. “Last night wardrobe cut out enough silk to line my suit. That’s the good news. The bad news…they cut the silk from the parachute I’m supposed to use today for my jump.” Adam smirked, “Don’t worry. Even if the chute worked, the voodoo boots would have killed you. Besides, I’ll get you a huge discount on the coffin now that you’ve already got the silk.” You know what’s better than being a superhero? Being a super nice guy. Thank you, Mr. West, for the memories.
Bill Nuckols: They all seemed professional, like they had worked in film before.

Was there any romance among actors that you know of?

Garrett Craig: I’ve never told this story, but I kissed Ruth Buzzi! Ruth had come in for a cameo as Aunt Minerva for “The Roast” and there was a scene where she was supposed to take control of me with a kiss. McMahon, Buzzi, and I are spiking lines back and forth to keep the comedy ball in play. To save himself, McMahon throws me under the bus and Buzzi is supposed to mack me and melt my face.

“Cut,” Carruthers shouted. Through the laughter jumps Buzzi up under my chin, still with the gat in her hand, and says, “Do you not know how to kiss? Don’t French kiss me!” Snap… I was so focused on the scene, I did not even know I had not done a stage kiss.

“I’m sorry”, I just got too into the part,” I said. “Yes, yes, I know, I was there! You! Too into the part! No more parts! Don’t make me remove the parts!” The gun wagged under my nose. Now I was way embarrassed, and so flushed, with the supersuit, I looked like a bright red glow stick.
Bill Nuckols: Not aware of any.

What did you get paid for appearing in LOTS?

Garrett Craig: The first day I found out everybody else was getting paid I went to Mr. Carruthers and asked him when I could get paid. Carruthers said, “Are you a good actor?” I said, “Yeah, I’m good.” “Then act like you’re getting paid!” And he finally laughed!

I went to my crack agent or my agent on crack—I can’t remember how he introduced himself—and asked [when I’d get paid]. My agent said, “First they have to pick up the pilot. Then the series has to run three years successfully. Finally, if it goes into syndication, there will be more money than you can shake a stick at.”
Rod Haase: I don’t recall, but it wasn’t much.
Bill Nuckols: $10,000.

Next: Legends of the Superheroes actors, part 2 of 2.