Bill Saluga, the comedian best known for his cigar-smoking, zoot-suit-wearing character Raymond J. Johnson Jr. and his famous catchphrase “You can call me Ray…,” has died. He was 85. The comedy legend passed away on March 28 in hospice care in Los Angeles after spending eight months in the hospital, his friend Bill Minkin told The Hollywood Reporter. His death was said to be caused by complications of heart failure and arthritis. Born on September 16, 1937, in Youngstown, Ohio, Saluga started out as a doorman at The Bitter End nightclub in New York before taking to the stage as part of the improv comedy group Ace Trucking Company. The group, which featured George Memmoli, Michael Mislove, Patti Deutsch, and Fred Willard, found success in the 1960s and 70s, even appearing on Tom Jones‘ 1971 ABC variety special. Saluga’s most popular character was Raymond J. Johnson Jr., who began his sketches with his trademark line,...
- 5/8/2023
- TV Insider
Bill Saluga, a comedian best known for his trademark phrase, “You can call me Ray,” has died. He was 85.
Saluga spent eight months in the hospital and died March 28 in hospice care in Los Angeles, his friend Bill Minkin told The Hollywood Reporter.
Born Sept. 16, 1937, in Youngstown, Ohio, Saluga worked as a doorman at The Bitter End in New York, then took the stage at the famed nightclub as a member of the Ace Trucking Company.
The improvisational comedy group, with other founding members including George Memmoli, Michael Mislove, Patti Deutsch and Fred Willard, found success in the 1960s and ’70s. They opened for Tom Jones in Las Vegas and performed on the singer’s 1971 ABC variety show, which was filmed in London.
Saluga’s Raymond J. Johnson Jr. was his most notable character. He would begin comedy sketches with “You can call me Ray, or you can call me Jay,...
Saluga spent eight months in the hospital and died March 28 in hospice care in Los Angeles, his friend Bill Minkin told The Hollywood Reporter.
Born Sept. 16, 1937, in Youngstown, Ohio, Saluga worked as a doorman at The Bitter End in New York, then took the stage at the famed nightclub as a member of the Ace Trucking Company.
The improvisational comedy group, with other founding members including George Memmoli, Michael Mislove, Patti Deutsch and Fred Willard, found success in the 1960s and ’70s. They opened for Tom Jones in Las Vegas and performed on the singer’s 1971 ABC variety show, which was filmed in London.
Saluga’s Raymond J. Johnson Jr. was his most notable character. He would begin comedy sketches with “You can call me Ray, or you can call me Jay,...
- 5/7/2023
- by Mike Barnes and Carly Thomas
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Bill Saluga, whose trademark lines that began with “You can call me Ray” cracked up a generation of comedy fans, has died, according to his friend, Eric Brenner. He was 85.
Saluga’s March 28 death in Los Angeles was attributed to complications of heart failure and arthritis, according to his friend, Bill Minkin, who joined with him, Fred Willard, Patti Deutsch, Michael Mislove and George Memmoli in the improv troupe Ace Trucking Company.
Related: Fred Willard Dies: Actor On ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ And ‘Fernwood 2Night’ Was 86
“He was an icon,” said Minkin, who characterized his friend as quiet and polite when he wasn’t on stage, a stark contrast to the brash characters he portrayed.
Saluga was best known for his cigar-smoking, zoot suited character Raymond J. Johnson Jr.
A frequent talk-show guest, Saluga would be triggered by someone calling him “Mr. Johnson.” Feigning outrage, he then would launch into a soliloquy for his catchphrase,...
Saluga’s March 28 death in Los Angeles was attributed to complications of heart failure and arthritis, according to his friend, Bill Minkin, who joined with him, Fred Willard, Patti Deutsch, Michael Mislove and George Memmoli in the improv troupe Ace Trucking Company.
Related: Fred Willard Dies: Actor On ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ And ‘Fernwood 2Night’ Was 86
“He was an icon,” said Minkin, who characterized his friend as quiet and polite when he wasn’t on stage, a stark contrast to the brash characters he portrayed.
Saluga was best known for his cigar-smoking, zoot suited character Raymond J. Johnson Jr.
A frequent talk-show guest, Saluga would be triggered by someone calling him “Mr. Johnson.” Feigning outrage, he then would launch into a soliloquy for his catchphrase,...
- 5/7/2023
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Patti Deutsch, the witty comedian and voiceover artist with the nasally delivery who was a regular on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In and on game shows like Match Game and Tattletales, has died. She was 73.
Deutsch died Wednesday after a long battle with cancer, her family announced.
Deutsch came to fame as a member of the 1960s-'70s improvisational comedy group Ace Trucking Company, which also featured Fred Willard, Bill "You Can Call Me Ray" Saluga, Michael Mislove and George Memmoli.
She and the troupe appeared dozens of times on The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson, on other talk...
Deutsch died Wednesday after a long battle with cancer, her family announced.
Deutsch came to fame as a member of the 1960s-'70s improvisational comedy group Ace Trucking Company, which also featured Fred Willard, Bill "You Can Call Me Ray" Saluga, Michael Mislove and George Memmoli.
She and the troupe appeared dozens of times on The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson, on other talk...
- 7/28/2017
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Join us for some old-school 16mm Movie Madness! – It’s our monthly 16Mm Double Feature Night at The Way Out Club (2525 Jefferson Avenue in St. Louis)! Join Tom Stockman and Roger from “Roger’s Reels’ for a double feature of two complete films projected on 16mm film. The show is Tuesday August 2nd and starts at 8pm. Admission is Free though we will be setting out a jar to take donations for the National Children’s Cancer Society.
First up is King Kong Vs Godzilla (1962)
Lets get ready to rumble!!!!!!!!!! In the far corner of Tokyo, weighing in at 127 tons. 407 feet tall. Wearing a rubber lizard suit. He represents the island nation of Japan. He is the slayer of the shipping lanes! The smasher of cities! The self-proclaimed King of All Monsters! The one and only………Godzilla!!!!!! *Applause*. In the other corner wearing the world’s largest ape suit…..he represents the United States.
First up is King Kong Vs Godzilla (1962)
Lets get ready to rumble!!!!!!!!!! In the far corner of Tokyo, weighing in at 127 tons. 407 feet tall. Wearing a rubber lizard suit. He represents the island nation of Japan. He is the slayer of the shipping lanes! The smasher of cities! The self-proclaimed King of All Monsters! The one and only………Godzilla!!!!!! *Applause*. In the other corner wearing the world’s largest ape suit…..he represents the United States.
- 7/25/2016
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
"You talkin' to me?"
It's the 40th anniversary of "Taxi Driver" (released on February 8, 1976), the movie that gave Robert De Niro his most famous line, put Martin Scorsese on the map, proved that the pre-teen Jodie Foster was an Oscar-worthy thespian, and (most notoriously) was cited by John Hinckley as an inspiration for his assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan.
In honor of the film's anniversary, here are 25 things you need to know about how Travis Bickle came to be.
1. The script, by Paul Schrader (pictured, left), was semi-autobiographical. After a divorce and a break-up with a girlfriend, he wrote the movie while living in his car, feeling suicidal, obsessing about guns and pornography, and having spoken to no one for weeks. As he recalled in 2013, "Taxi Driver" was "an exorcism through art," and it worked.
2. Martin Scorsese saw the script as early as 1972, but didn't yet have the clout to make it,...
It's the 40th anniversary of "Taxi Driver" (released on February 8, 1976), the movie that gave Robert De Niro his most famous line, put Martin Scorsese on the map, proved that the pre-teen Jodie Foster was an Oscar-worthy thespian, and (most notoriously) was cited by John Hinckley as an inspiration for his assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan.
In honor of the film's anniversary, here are 25 things you need to know about how Travis Bickle came to be.
1. The script, by Paul Schrader (pictured, left), was semi-autobiographical. After a divorce and a break-up with a girlfriend, he wrote the movie while living in his car, feeling suicidal, obsessing about guns and pornography, and having spoken to no one for weeks. As he recalled in 2013, "Taxi Driver" was "an exorcism through art," and it worked.
2. Martin Scorsese saw the script as early as 1972, but didn't yet have the clout to make it,...
- 2/5/2016
- by Gary Susman
- Moviefone
Stars: Paul Williams, William Finley, Jessica Harper, Gerrit Graham, George Memmoli, Archie Hahn, Jeffrey Comanor, Peter Elbling | Written and Directed by Brian De Palma
If I was to confess that I’d not seen Phantom of the Paradise before I was sent the Arrow Video Blu-ray release for review I’m sure there are many out there who haven’t seen it too. For somebody like me though who has an obsession with films I’ve not seen yet (they tend to pray on my mind), I jump at the chance to see films like Phantom of the Paradise – and with this release I’m very glad I did.
Phantom of the Paradise is a rock opera that takes a little dash of Faust, a little Phantom of the Opera and some The Picture of Dorian Gray and creates something pretty spectacular. It tells the tale of Winslow Leach (William Finley...
If I was to confess that I’d not seen Phantom of the Paradise before I was sent the Arrow Video Blu-ray release for review I’m sure there are many out there who haven’t seen it too. For somebody like me though who has an obsession with films I’ve not seen yet (they tend to pray on my mind), I jump at the chance to see films like Phantom of the Paradise – and with this release I’m very glad I did.
Phantom of the Paradise is a rock opera that takes a little dash of Faust, a little Phantom of the Opera and some The Picture of Dorian Gray and creates something pretty spectacular. It tells the tale of Winslow Leach (William Finley...
- 2/23/2014
- by Paul Metcalf
- Nerdly
It’s Brian De Palma’s 1974 musical take on The Phantom Of The Opera, and it’s quite odd. But as Jeff explains, Phantom Of The Paradise is also rather good…
From Rod Serling’s moody opening monologue, right to the end credit sequence repackaging the entire film into a music video, it’s clear there’s a passionate vision behind Brian De Palma’s Phantom Of The Paradise. Here’s an example of a creative team able to squeeze the muscle of the studio system to make something idiosyncratic, groovy, and just plain weird. It was the 1970s, after all. Now pushing 40, is Phantom merely an interesting relic of an era, or does it stand the test of time?
This 1974 film takes the plot from Phantom Of The Opera and the Faust legend and churns them together into a unique brew. Failed singer-songwriter Winslow Leach (William Finley) signs a...
From Rod Serling’s moody opening monologue, right to the end credit sequence repackaging the entire film into a music video, it’s clear there’s a passionate vision behind Brian De Palma’s Phantom Of The Paradise. Here’s an example of a creative team able to squeeze the muscle of the studio system to make something idiosyncratic, groovy, and just plain weird. It was the 1970s, after all. Now pushing 40, is Phantom merely an interesting relic of an era, or does it stand the test of time?
This 1974 film takes the plot from Phantom Of The Opera and the Faust legend and churns them together into a unique brew. Failed singer-songwriter Winslow Leach (William Finley) signs a...
- 11/21/2011
- Den of Geek
Many movies unavailable on DVD are difficult to find, but if you beat the bushes with hard work and patience (online traders, DVD-Rs at collectibles shows, long out-of-print VHS tapes), most “rare” movies can eventually be tracked down. Then there are movies like The Farmer. I saw the violent revenge thriller The Farmer at the I-44 Drive-In movie theatre in Valley Park, Missouri in 1977 on a double-bill with John Flynn’s The Outfit. It’s a vivid memory and I recall my friends and I loving it and talking about it for months after. I began collecting movies in the early 80’s and just assumed The Farmer would one day find it’s way into my collection. But I’ve searched far and wide and here it is 2009 and, after years of it topping my want list, a return visit to The Farmer has eluded me. When I mention the title to fellow movie collectors,...
- 9/2/2009
- by Tom
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
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