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Actress Jean
Harlow
 She died tragically at the age of 26, but in a career that lasted
only a little more than 5 years as a headliner, she made some of the
most memorable motion pictures of the Golden Age. She was the
original Blonde Bombshell, and no one, including Marilyn Monroe, has
ever come close to touching her energy and dynamic screen persona.
Who knows what she could have achieved if her life had not been cut
tragically short. If you want to watch jean at her best start
with "Libeled Lady," "Bombshell," "China Seas," "Wife vs.
Secretary," "Dinner
 at Eight" and "Private Property." As a
personal note, I have a lot of autographs from the 1930's, but even
ahead of my Hattie McDaniel and Clark Gable, Jean Harlow is my most
prized.
Not far behind Jean on my list of actresses is Bette Davis.
In truth, Ms. Davis has to be the very best actress to ever grace
the screen. She became whatever roll she took on. My favorite
Davis film is "Dark Victory."
 Actor Humphrey Bogart
He simply made every film he played in better and probably starred
in more classics than any other actor in history. On and off
screen Bogart was one of a kind. His films are as good today
as they were when they were released. Everyone talks about
"The Maltese Falcon" and "Casablanca" when they mention Bogey, but
"The Big Sleep" and "Key Largo" might be ever better. A
special Mention goes to William Powell who defined the
American male during the Art Deco era. Sophisticated but real,
cultured as well as earthy, smart and funny, he was Bond without the
gadgets and Gable without the muscle.
 Acting Teams
Clark Gable and Jean Harlow
They made six films together and if you have never watched them you
have missed some astonishing screen chemistry. Off camera they
were like brother and sister, but on they were simply a dynamite
love paring. Start by catching them early in their film
careers in "Hold Your Man," then move to "China Seas," "Wife vs.
Secretary" and "Saratoga." "Saratoga" was Harlow's last film,
she died just weeks before it was completed and the movie had to be
rewritten before filming could be continued. Still it would
become MGM's most popular movie of 1937. William Powell and
Myrna Loy are great too. Catch them in all six "Thin Man"
movies and try to find "Libeled Lady," one of the best screwball
comedies of all time.
 Movie Comedy
"Libeled Lady"
This classic MGM film starts Jean Harlow, Spencer Tracy, William
Powell and Myrna Loy. It gets better with each viewing.
Harlow and Powell steal scenes every chance they get, the wedding
kiss is a classic as is the fly fishing sequence, but every moment
of this flick is a joy. "Bombshell" is the very first
screwball comedy that Jean Harlow essentially played out her own sad
life for laughs. The way she was abused by the studio and
taken advantage of by her family is all here, brilliantly written
and acted. Some of MGM's finest character actors get to strut
their stuff in this laugh a second fun fest too.
 Drama Film
"The Maltese Falcon" and "The Big Sleep"
Both are Bogart films and display Warner Brother's incredible
ability to tap into the star's rich and deep talent.
 "The Big
Sleep" is a classic detective yarn that might well be better than
the "Falcon," yet the latter has some of the best lines ever penned. By the way, the famous last line, "the stuff that dreams are made
of," was supposedly ad-libbed. "The Big Sleep" has Lauren Bacall in her first roll with her future husband and this film has
recently been restored to its original length with many long cut out
scenes put back into the body of the picture. Don't watch
either of these movies just once, watch them once a year.
 War Film
"Saving Private Ryan" and "Air Force"
I usually favor older movies because I feel that the acting and
writing were superior to today's action driven flicks. "Saving
Private Ryan" is an exception on all counts.
 This is a
brilliant movie that should be must viewing for every American.
This presents the real and undiluted story of war and it is not
pretty. After watching this movie find a W.W.II vet and thank
him for what he did for the world in his youth. "Air Force"
was made right after W.W.II started and was based on a true story.
The acting is sincere, the drama tense and the heroics plentiful.
This movie is a good way to introduce a new generation to the face
of America during the beginning days of World War II.
 Sci-Fi Flick
"Them!"
There are so many good choices here, "The Day The Earth Stood
Still," being one of the best, but my favorite remains the classic
"Them!" Take my word for it, this is a really good movie.
James Arness stars and the supporting cast, including the 12 foot
long ants, are great. Look for Fess Parker in a bit role.
Primetime TV Show
Boston Legal
A series that has humor and writing. A great cast that uses laughs
to make us examine the problems facing our society in this new
century.
 Male Entertainer
Elvis Presley
He defined show business during his life and continues to do so even
today. He influenced more acts in rock, country and gospel
than any other performer. If he didn't invent youth music, he
was the one who brought it to the world. His music remains
fresh and alive almost three decades after his death. You can
read a sample chapter of my book on the stories behind his #1 songs
by going to the home page.
 Female Entertainer
Louise Mandrell
She is the most dynamic stage performer who works full time.
Often overlooked due to the popularity of her older sister Barbara,
Louise sings, dances and plays a dozen instruments. Her energy
level exceeds that of acts twenty years younger and her talent level
is really untouched. No one does as many different things as
well as she does. Best of all, she is a better person than she
is a performer, which gives you some idea as to how classy this lady
really is. She is retired from performing at her theater in
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, but something very special is coming in the
near future.
 Daytime
TV All
My Children
I admit it, I am hooked on a soap and thanks to SoapNet I can
actually keep up with it. As all soaps do, AMC
exaggerates real life, but with Susan Lucci, Julia Barr, Rebecca
Budig, and a host of the talented actors, it is a usually a lot of
fun. Don't take it too seriously, then you can have a blast
with the characters.
 Classic TV The
Donna Reed Show and Lassie
Did you know that since 1954 only two series have aired on the CBS
TV network at 7:00 PM ET on Sunday night? The first is
Lassie and the other is Sixty Minutes. Lassie
is probably the most universal program ever on any network. Almost
everyone loved this show and this dog. The first three years
with the late Tom Rettig remain simply wonderful. Even today
kids still love these programs. The next seven, with Jon
Provost as Timmy, are equally entertaining. Discovery For Kids
still runs Lassie. In my mind Donna Reed
represents the best in 1950s family drama. Maybe the shows
were to "milk and cookies" for many folks, but the program did
represent a life that we all wanted. Paul Petersen and Shelly
Fabares were as good as any young actors on TV.
 This is a show
that should be playing somewhere on TV right now, but isn't. Can't wait for a cable network to pick it up again. Until then
I do have a copy of the "Johnny Angel" episode on tape.
Burke's
Law is was an early Aaron Spelling hit that was originally
created by Hollywood legend Dick Powell. Clever, fun, filled
with great co-stars and witty sayings like, "Where there's a will
there's always a relative," this show is as much fun today as it was
in 1965. Click
HERE for a link to sayings used on the show.
 Cable Channel
TCM
No commercials, great classic films and super monthly salutes.
All the actors of the Golden Age live here and so do the best films
and most entertaining "B" pics too. This is the Smithsonian
Institute of movie history and always gives viewers something good
to watch even when all the other networks are running nothing.
TCM also shows shorts and original previews and this is the only
place you can find either of those wonderful bits of Americana.
 News Channel
CNN
It was the first and I think still the best and most objective.
I have appeared on all the cable news networks, each has treated me
well, but when something important breaks, I always go to CNN.
 Morning Show
Good Morning America
I loved my time spent on book tours on The Early Show
and Today, and I watch both them time to time, but GMA
is where I spend most mornings. I like its warmth and humor.
It feels the same on the set when you are a guest too!
Drink Coca
Cola
I have always gone for the real thing, we even have a nickel Coke
machine in our kitchen.
Food My Wife's
Fried Chicken
Kathy learned how to cook it from my mother, but no one does it as
well as Kathy. Everyone who has ever eaten it has declared
that is their favorite. Baylor basketball player Jessika
Stratton brings all the new players over each year to try Aunt
Kathy's Chicken.
Desert My
Mom's Cheesecake
She doesn't make it often enough and I am hoping this posting will
encourage her to start whipping it up again. It is very light
and seems to melt in my mouth.
Authors Clive
Cussler and Mark Twain
Twain still makes me laugh and think. That is an
accomplishment for a writer who lived for than a century before I
was born. Cussler is my favorite fiction writer in the world.
He tells clean, wonderful action adventures in a manner that would
not embarrass my grandmother or anyone at my church. Why can't
more writers turn out good stories without profanity and a long
parade of sex?
  Cars 1934
Auburn, 37 Lincoln Zephyr and 36 Cord 810
The 1936 Cord 810 is my favorite car of all time. It was truly
ahead of its time. The 1937 Lincoln Zephyr has a v-12 engine
and lots of room, but what makes it special is its design. It
was one of the first streamlined cars and is an Art Deco
masterpiece. The 1934 Auburn is a nice driving Art-Deco
classic. I own all three of these cars.
Sports College
Basketball and High School Six-Man Football
 I love all sports, especially at the high school and college level,
but college basketball and high school six-man football are my
favorites. I think I now love the women's college game even
more than the men's because the ladies still play beneath the rim
and depend upon fundamentals and coaching more than athleticism.
Six-man football, played in more than twenty states by small
schools, is fast, unpredictable and exciting. there is not a
better way to spend a fall evening than watching two good six-man
programs slugging it out. It is fast, hard-hitting and high
scoring!
Superhero
Spiderman
I loved the comic book as a kid and still have many of the first
ones in my office. I liked Spiderman because he was a kid with
real problems, not a person with all the answers.
Bible
Verse 1 Corinthians 13
Read it and you will know a great deal about my philosophy of
living. Click on this text to read it.
Comic Strip
Mother Goose and Grim
 Mike Peters, the writer is brilliant (an award winning editorial
cartoonist as well) because he sees real life situations through the
eyes of a very misguided dog. Like the Warner Brothers'
cartoons of the 40s and 50s, this is a work of art that can be read
on many different levels. Check it out at Grimmy.com.
Music 1940s
Big Band, Southern Gospel and Classic Rock & Roll
Music is a matter of taste and I love the joy and enthusiasm in
Southern Gospel, check out Integrity and Legacy Five to find out
what I mean. I also groove on the Big Band sounds, even though
it was before my time. The simple strains of old Rock and Roll
still makes me smile. In country music nothing can make me
feel as good as an old Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys' tune.
Favorite Charity
WME
World Missionary Evangelism has more than 100 orphans' homes around
the world, while also drilling water wells, running health clinics,
feeding centers, school and disaster relief. They are making a
difference in a way that few organizations of any kind are. If
you are looking for a Christian organization that practices the
action that Christ preach, this is the one.
Favorite University
Ouachita Baptist University
 My
son is a sophomore at Ouachita and in his time there I have found
this to be one of the most outstanding liberal arts schools in the
nation. The campus looks like an Ozark Mountain postcard
and that scene is alive with dynamic instructors, motivated and
creative students and state of the art programs and facilities.
Maybe that is why U.S. News and World Report recognized OBU as "#1
Baccalaureate College in the South." And this private school
is affordable too. OBU really does offer a Bloomingdale's
value in education at a Wal-Mart price. Check it out.
It's located in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.
Favorite Learning Center
Center For Learning & Development
 The
Center for Learning & Development has brought reading and math
recovery programs to school districts all over Texas. Through
programs like Grand Central Station kids have had their entire
educational experience turned around. I have seen it work.
personally know once failing kids who were saved by this program to
not only do well in high school, but to go onto college. If your
school has children at risk and wants to reclaims their minds, have
them reach their potential and fall in love with learning, then you
need to check this place out. |
