The RIP 2023 Thread

[SpeedFlex27]

Michael Zenon who played Joe two Rivers on Forest Rangers died earlier this year at age 89. The date of his death unknown. Zenon, who was born in the Ukraine & came to Canada in 1948 with his family.

Before he became an actor, he had many interesting jobs. He worked as an oil worker, bulldozer operator, driller, miner, trucker, depth sounder & dynamiter during the construction of the St. lawrence Seaway. In order to play Two Rivers, he wore a black wig to hide his blonde hair.

Zenon was not only an actor but he also later became involved behind the camera as an Assistant Director for which he continued until his death.

In his younger days, he liked to race Porsches & belonged to a few race clubs in Southern Ontario.

 

 

Zenon as an Assistant Director on the set of the Movie Body Parts. 

Edited March 6, 2023 by SpeedFlex27

[Fatty Liver]

9 hours ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Michael Zenon who played Joe two Rivers on Forest Rangers died earlier this year at age 89. The date of his death unknown. Zenon, who was born in the Ukraine & came to Canada in 1948 with his family.

Before he became an actor, he had many interesting jobs. He worked as an oil worker, bulldozer operator, driller, miner, trucker, depth sounder & dynamiter during the construction of the St. lawrence Seaway. In order to play Two Rivers, he wore a black wig to hide his blonde hair.

Zenon was not only an actor but he also later became involved behind the camera as an Assistant Director for which he continued until his death.

In his younger days, he liked to race Porsches & belonged to a few race clubs in Southern Ontario.

 

 

Zenon as an Assistant Director on the set of the Movie Body Parts. 

So despite their intention to show Natives in a positive light, the CBC were hypocrites by not finding a real native to fill this role.

[Brandon]

4 hours ago, Fatty Liver said:

So despite their intention to show Natives in a positive light, the CBC were hypocrites by not finding a real native to fill this role.

Are you not familiar with movies/tv from the old days?

 

[FrostyWinnipeg]

39 minutes ago, Brandon said:

Are you not familiar with movies/tv from the old days?

 

 

[SpeedFlex27]

5 hours ago, Fatty Liver said:

So despite their intention to show Natives in a positive light, the CBC were hypocrites by not finding a real native to fill this role.

It was 1963, not 2023 don't forget. I'm not defending the CBC as I'm no fan of the newtwork anymore but the time & the circumstances were different from today. Why would a writer, producer or director in 1963 be concerned about what you thought 60 years later? The series wasn't filmed for you. 

[Noeller]

Yes, it was perfectly acceptable to wildly racist 60 years ago...... what a disgusting time in our history. ******* embarrassing. 

[Brandon]

Just now, Noeller said:

Yes, it was perfectly acceptable to wildly racist 60 years ago...... what a disgusting time in our history. ******* embarrassing. 

I may be wrong here,  but was that CBC show wildly racist?      

The Micky Rooney picture above that I posted was wildly racist because it was him really acting out terrible stereotypes,  the John Wayne Genghis Khan I don't think did the same (I saw it like 25 years ago so I barely remember).  It was just a bad casting choice.   Just because someone of a different race is playing another person in a movie doesn't necessarily mean it's wildly racist.  

 

[Noeller]

Just now, Brandon said:

I may be wrong here,  but was that CBC show wildly racist?      

The Micky Rooney picture above that I posted was wildly racist because it was him really acting out terrible stereotypes,  the John Wayne Genghis Khan I don't think did the same (I saw it like 25 years ago so I barely remember).  It was just a bad casting choice.   Just because someone of a different race is playing another person in a movie doesn't necessarily mean it's wildly racist.  

 

Yeah the Rooney thing was the worst of it, for sure, but any time you had white actors portraying anything other than a white character....man that's so ****** up and hard to believe that was ever acceptable. And not just in terms of race, but other things, like characters with a physical handicap being portrayed by actors who were fully physically able, even when there were perfectly good actors with that handicap who could play that role. All of that **** just disgusts me now, to think about it. 

But, again, the Rooney thing.... that makes me sick to my stomach.

[FrostyWinnipeg]

7 minutes ago, Brandon said:

I may be wrong here,  but was that CBC show wildly racist?      

The Micky Rooney picture above that I posted was wildly racist because it was him really acting out terrible stereotypes,  the John Wayne Genghis Khan I don't think did the same (I saw it like 25 years ago so I barely remember).  It was just a bad casting choice.   Just because someone of a different race is playing another person in a movie doesn't necessarily mean it's wildly racist.  

 

The biggest problem with Genghis Khan was not the casting.

[SpeedFlex27]

35 minutes ago, Noeller said:

Yes, it was perfectly acceptable to wildly racist 60 years ago...... what a disgusting time in our history. ******* embarrassing. 

Oh, can the histrionics. You weren't even alive back then. Why would you be embarrassed? You had nothing to do with it. Worry about today's world where you can effect change from your position as a broadcaster. Not about a world that is long gone & you can do nothing about. We need to learn from the mistakes from the past & move on. 

Edited March 6, 2023 by SpeedFlex27

[SpeedFlex27]

Ever wonder why the studios used well known white actors to play racial roles? Money, pure & simple. They felt even if John Wayne or Mickey Rooney were miscast in a role, especially aracial one that the name Wayne or Rooney alone would bring in audiences to watch. Was that racist? Maybe. Probably. But the studio heads were there not only to make profitable movies. They were there to make money for their shareholders. They didn't care how wrong it was, How bad it looked or how embarrasingly disgusting it may have been. They were driven by greed. 

How many actresses had to sleep their way to the top in Holllywod back in the 40's, 50's & 60's? 

[SpeedFlex27]

25 minutes ago, FrostyWinnipeg said:

The biggest problem with Genghis Khan was not the casting.

I watched that movie. It's just a piece of crap all round. 

[SpeedFlex27]

34 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Ever wonder why the studios used well known white actors to play racial roles? Money, pure & simple. They felt even if John Wayne or Mickey Rooney were miscast in a role, especially aracial one that the name Wayne or Rooney alone would bring in audiences to watch. Was that racist? Maybe. Probably. But the studio heads were there not only to make profitable movies. They were there to make money for their shareholders. They didn't care how wrong it was, How bad it looked or how embarrasingly disgusting it may have been. They were driven by greed. 

Look at how Charlton Heston portryed famous Jewish characters from the Old Testament. Moses & Ben Hur. He wasn't Jewish but in 1955 & 56 he was among the top box office draws in the motion picture industry. So, he was chosen for both coveted roles. Surely there were Jewish actor s who could have done just as well but the studio heads didn't want to risk spending millions on a potential box office flop. That's why decisions were made.

I'm not defending the way things were. It was what it was. 

 

 

Edited March 7, 2023 by SpeedFlex27

[FrostyWinnipeg]

2 hours ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

I watched that movie. It's just a piece of crap all round. 

Worse then that.

[Mark H.]

I mean...if you can have Kevin Costner play Robin Hood...

[Wideleft]

15 hours ago, Noeller said:

Yes, it was perfectly acceptable to wildly racist 60 years ago...... what a disgusting time in our history. ******* embarrassing. 

It was perfectly acceptable for some people.  Let's not forget the heroes who have been fighting the fight for social justice for much longer than that.  Remember that people were fighting slavery long before emancipation.  I know you know this, but that's why we need to continue using our voices to remind people that these attitudes are not acceptable now and never were "just the way things were".

[Noeller]

2 hours ago, Wideleft said:

 we need to continue using our voices to remind people that these attitudes are not acceptable now and never were "just the way things were".

all of this, but especially the bolded. And I think it's doubly important for those of us whose lives have been relatively unencumbered to speak the loudest in fighting the good fight.  

[iHeart]

https://deadline.com/2023/03/robert-blake-dead-actor-in-baretta-in-cold-blood-was-89-beat-real-life-murder-rap-1235284339/

[kelownabomberfan]

https://www.kpcc.org/2023-03-09/actor-topol-who-appeared-in-fiddler-on-the-roof-hundreds-of-times-has-died

5 hours ago, iHeart said:

https://deadline.com/2023/03/robert-blake-dead-actor-in-baretta-in-cold-blood-was-89-beat-real-life-murder-rap-1235284339/

Last person to die who was in Treasure of the Sierra Madre. Great movie.

[iHeart]

5 hours ago, kelownabomberfan said:

https://www.kpcc.org/2023-03-09/actor-topol-who-appeared-in-fiddler-on-the-roof-hundreds-of-times-has-died

Last person to die who was in Treasure of the Sierra Madre. Great movie.

and now there's one little rascal remaining

[Fatty Liver]

David Perry Lindley (March 21, 1944 – March 3, 2023) was an American musician who founded the rock band El Rayo-X and worked with many other performers including Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, Ry Cooder, Bonnie Raitt, Warren Zevon, Curtis Mayfield and Dolly Parton. He mastered such a wide variety of instruments that Acoustic Guitar magazine referred to him not as a multi-instrumentalist but instead as a "maxi-instrumentalist."^[1] On stage, Lindley was known for wearing garishly colored polyester shirts with clashing pants, gaining the nickname the Prince of Polyester.^[2]

[Wideleft]

26 minutes ago, Fatty Liver said:

David Perry Lindley (March 21, 1944 – March 3, 2023) was an American musician who founded the rock band El Rayo-X and worked with many other performers including Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, Ry Cooder, Bonnie Raitt, Warren Zevon, Curtis Mayfield and Dolly Parton. He mastered such a wide variety of instruments that Acoustic Guitar magazine referred to him not as a multi-instrumentalist but instead as a "maxi-instrumentalist."^[1] On stage, Lindley was known for wearing garishly colored polyester shirts with clashing pants, gaining the nickname the Prince of Polyester.^[2]

Such a great guitar player.

[Noeller]

I still get a lot of requests for DL on our classic rock station.... his version of Mercury Blues is particularly popular....

[Tracker]

3 hours ago, Noeller said:

I still get a lot of requests for DL on our classic rock station.... his version of Mercury Blues is particularly popular....

Is it about a discontinued automobile marque?

[Tracker]

We lost Bud Grant today.