Ask Ken Beck

Dear Ken: I just saw the great song and dance man Gene Kelly in the movie “Singin’ in the Rain.” Did he have any children? How many movies did he make?
The Pittsburgh native was married three times and had two daughters and a son. He made about 35 films. Among his best were “The Pirate,” “On the Town,” “An American in Paris,” “Brigadoon” and “Inherit the Wind.” His last musical film was “Xanadu” in 1980. Said Kelly, “I never wanted to be a dancer. It’s true! I wanted to be a shortstop for the Pittsburgh Pirates.” He died in 1996 at age 83 from the complications of two strokes.

Dear Ken: My family and I are big fans of the movie “My Dog Skip.” We were wondering what other good boy-and-his-dog movies are out there.

There are several classic films on this theme, and “My Dog Skip” is near the top of the list. I’m most partial to “Good-bye, My Lady,” a 1956 release starring Walter Brennan, Phil Harris, Sidney Poitier and Brandon de Wilde. De Wilde, who co-starred as the boy in the western “Shane,” portrays an orphan coming of age who lives in a Georgia swamp with his uncle. He finds a strange breed of dog who laughs, a Basenji, that becomes his pride and joy. Just know that when a boy becomes a man, it’s a sad, glad thing. Warner Home Video has recently released “Good-bye, My Lady” on DVD. Other excellent movies about boys and dogs include: “Old Yeller” (1957), “The Biscuit Eater” (1940),  “Lassie Come Home” (1943), “Skippy” (1931), “Where the Red Fern Grows” (1974) and “Dog of Flanders” (1960).

Dear Ken: What has happened to Clint Walker, star of the TV western “Cheyenne”? He was always one of my favorite cowboys.
The Big Guy, 83, lives in California with his wife, Susan, and is doing fine. You would most likely enjoy his web site, www.clintwalker.com, which offers you the opportunity to purchase an autographed photo from him as well as some of his movies that are on DVD, such as “The Dirty Dozen.” In December, Warner Archives released season two of “Cheyenne” on DVD as well as Walker’s 1958 western “Fort Dobbs.” To purchase those DVDs, check out www.wbshop.com. Walker, by the way, was born a twin (with sister Lucille) in Hartford, Ill., and worked on river boats, in the oil fields and as a deputy sheriff before he became an actor. During his prime, Walker stood 6-foot-6, weighed 235 pounds and had chest-waist-hips measurements of 48-32-36.

Dear Ken: Who was Mighty Manfred?
Make that Mighty Manfred the Wonder Dog. This animated hound was the lazy, comical sidekick to Tom Terrific, a boy who lived in a tree house and, via his funnel-shaped thinking cap, could change into anything he wanted. Tom and Manfred’s most famous foe was Crabby Appleton, who was rotten to the core. The cartoon originated on “Captain Kangaroo” in 1957. Each episode ran for five minutes, so they aired one minute per day, Monday-Friday. Manfred had a sweet tooth for peanut butter sandwiches.

Dear Ken: I read where Dandy Don Meredith, the Dallas Cowboys quarterback of the 1960s before Roger Staubach and later a TV sports commentator with Howard Cosell on “Monday Night Football,” died in December. Didn’t he make some TV movies? Can you refresh my memory on a few of those?

Meredith, who was born in Mount Vernon, Texas, was the Cowboys starting quarterback from 1962-1968. He partnered with Cosell and Frank Gifford when “MNF” debuted in 1970 and was the light-hearted partner of the trio. He often sang, “Turn out the lights, the party’s over,” once the outcome of the game was obvious. He had a recurring role as a detective on “Police Story” in the early 1970s. He worked in the TV movies “Terror on the 40th Floor,” “Sky Heist,” “Banjo Hackett: Roamin’ Free,” “Mayday at 40,000 Feet,” “Kate Bliss and the Ticker Tape Kid,” “The Night the City Screamed,” “Terror Among Us” and “Wyatt Earp: Return to Tombstone.” He voiced himself in a 1999 episode of “King of the Hill” and made his final appearance in the 2002 movie “Three Days of Rain.” He also made commercials for Lipton Iced Tea. Meredith died Dec. 5 at 72 after suffering a brain hemorrhage in Santa Fe, N.M. His son, Michael Meredith, 43, is in show biz as a director and writer.   

Dear Ken: I remember a show on Saturday mornings in the 1960s called “The Magic Land of Alakazam.” Who was the magician that starred on the show? Is he still living?
Master magician Mark Wilson, 81, and his wife, Nani Darnell, who served as his assistant, live in Valencia, Calif. They delighted elementary school-age kids from 1960 to 1964 with network TV’s first magic show. It also featured Bev Bergeron as Rebo the Clown and was sponsored by Kellogg’s. Wilson was named by “Magic Magazine” as one of the top-10 American magicians of the 20th century. His book, “Mark Wilson Course in Magic,” has sold more than 850,000 copies. He also taught numerous Hollywood stars how to perform magic tricks, including Cary Grant, Tony Curtis, Peter Falk, Dick Van Dyke, Bill Bixby, Cher, Jackie Gleason, Johnny Carson and Burt Reynolds. Their son, Greg Wilson, is a professional illusionist.