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tfennelly
Reviews
Rootie Kazootie (1952)
Characters on Rootie Kazootie
I watched Rootie at 6 PM on NBC, right after the much-superior Howdy Doody Show. Rootie had a Dalmation pup named Gala-Poochie. The pup spoke like "Rrr Rrr Rrr Rrr." And Rootie was the only one who could translate him. Poochie had a friend, "El Squeako" the mouse, who spoke in squeaks and Poochie was the only one who could translate *him*. The dog and the mouse had a common nemesis in the cat. I don't remember ever seeing the cat. Rootie's girl-friend, Polka Dottie, wore braids and a polka dot dress. The mustachioed villain, Poison Zumac, had his name changed to Poison Zanzaboo in time. Maybe they were afraid kids would touch real poison sumac, thinking they were getting involved with the character. Poison Zumac was always trying to con Rootie by disguising himself and asking for help. Trying to trick Rootie out of his magic Kazootie. Rootie would ask the audience "Is this really really a poor old car?" "No!", the kids in the audience would holler, and Rootie would beat the villain off the puppet stage. "Take that! And that! And that!" In one episode Zumac stole the white line from the center of the road so people would lose their way. "Who is the boy who is full of zip and joy. He's Rootie Kazootie. Who is the lad who will make you feel so glad. He's Rootie Kazootie. I'm the leader of the Rootie Kazootie Club. And with me there is (woof-woof) Gala Poochie, the pup. So let's all hear, a Rootin Kazootin cheer for Rootie Kazootie." Rootie would make his entrance tearing open a paper with the show's logo and begin every show singing a popular song. I remember "It's a Barnum Bailey world" and "I've got the world on a string." He also sang "Polka Dottie" to the tune "Pretty Baby". "Big Todd Russell" was the human who stood in front of the puppet stage and kept the action going. The only other human was "Mr. Deedle Doodle" a policeman dressed like an old-fashioned London Bobbie and just came in, blowing his whistle, and ran out again. Naomi Lewis was the actress credited as the voice of Rootie and Dottie. But I could only find one other credit for her on IMDb, a one-time appearance on an early-fifties radio program. If Ms. Lewis ever did another broadcast or appeared in a film or on Broadway, she did it under another name. Some old Rootie footage is available on You Tube! Tony Fennelly
Ransom Money (1970)
How to make a bad movie
This seems to be the producer's only effort at anything. He also played the kidnapper. A vanity project. First giveaway to a cheaply-made movie is the sound is bad. Like the voices were recorded in a studio, not at the locations. The lead actress was awful. Her make-up was great, though. Broderick Crawford and Gordon Jump were the only professionals in the whole shebang. Crawford must have become disgusted and bailed early, so they killed his character off- screen. I suspect that was stock footage of Las Vegas. How about all those indoor shots in crummy motels? A device they might have learned from porn movies. This would be a good demonstration for film students of what not to do.
Full Circle (1960)
Sexy drifter comes to town a la "Picnic"
Robert Fortier as the macho drifter, Gary Donovan, and Jean Byron, as the small town physician starred in this soap. Dyan Cannon played Lisa Crowder, the spoiled, sexy, Bardot-type, young wife of the town's leading citizen, the handsome, gray-haired millionaire, Loyal Crowder. Loyal and Lisa became separated during the series. He lost all his money and moved into a motel he owned while Lisa set up a dress shop in her house. Meanwhile Gary Donovan and "Doctor Kit" fell in love. She was reluctant to marry him because she couldn't have children. After the series was canceled, Jean Byron got to play Patty Duke's mother on "The Patty Duke Show". Amzie Strickland, who played a mature townswoman named Beth became a regular on the Bob Newhart Show. Robert Fortier did not go onto the high-profile career I thought he deserved. And what ever happened to Dyan Cannon? Some dude named Cary Grant saw her on "Full Circle" and arranged to meet her.