07/31 Wink Martindale

Winston Conrad Martindale (born December 4, 1934), known professionally as Wink Martindale, is an American disc jockey and television game show host.
Martindale was born in Jackson, Tennessee, and started his career as a disc jockey at age 17 at WPLI in Jackson, earning $25 a week.

He was hired away by WTJS for double the salary by Jackson's only other station, WDXI. He next hosted mornings at WHBQ in Memphis while a college student at Memphis State University, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1957. While there Martindale became a member of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity.

Martindale's rendition of the spoken-word song "Deck of Cards" went to No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and sold over a million copies in 1959.[2] It also peaked at No. 5 in the UK Singles Chart in April 1963, one of four visits to that chart.[3] It was followed by "Black Land Farmer". In 1959, he became morning man at KHJ in Los Angeles, California, moving a year later to the morning show at KRLA and finally to KFWB in 1962. He also had lengthy stays at KGIL, KKGO/KJQI and Gene Autry's KMPC. In 1967, Martindale narrated a futuristic documentary which predicted Internet commerce.

Martindale's first break into television was at WHBQ-TV in Memphis, as the host of Mars Patrol, a science-fiction themed children's television program. It was at his tenure with WHBQ that Martindale became the host of the TV show Teenage Dance Party where his friend Elvis Presley made an appearance. Following Presley's death in 1977, Martindale aired a nationwide tribute radio special in his honor.

Martindale hosted numerous game shows, including Gambit, High Rollers, Debt, and Tic-Tac-Dough, among others. In addition, Martindale also created the USA Network original game show Bumper Stumpers. Martindale is second in the most number of game shows hosted at 15, behind fellow veteran game show host, Bill Cullen, who hosted 23 shows.

On June 2, 2006, Martindale received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2007, Martindale became a member of the nominating committee of the Hit Parade Hall of Fame. On October 13, 2007, Martindale was one of the first inductees into the American TV Game Show Hall of Fame in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Martindale appeared in various TV commercials and was also the spokesman for Orbitz. Until 2007, Martindale had a daily three-hour show on the syndicated Music Of Your Life format, which is heard on around 200 radio stations. On June 2, 2009, Martindale signed with the syndicated Hit Parade Radio format. The format began operation on February 7, 2010, with Martindale as afternoon drive personality. The syndicator stopped operating on June 6, 2010.
In 2008, Wink appeared on GSN Live, an interstitial program during the afternoon block of classic game show reruns. Several times during 2008, Martindale filled in for Fred Roggin on GSN Live while Roggin was on vacation. Martindale's last show was the GSN show Instant Recall, which premiered on March 4, 2010. Instant Recall would be the first show Martindale has hosted since Debt aired on Lifetime from 1996 to 1998.

07/24 Rich Little

Born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Little was the middle of three sons. His father was a doctor. In his early teens, he formed a partnership with Geoff Scott, another budding impressionist, concentrating on reproducing the voices of Canadian politicians such as then-Prime Minister John Diefenbaker and Ottawa mayor Charlotte Whitton (Geoff went on to become a politician). They were performing professionally in night clubs by age 17.

Rich acted in Ottawa's Little Theatre and became a successful disc jockey, frequently incorporating impersonations into his show. In 1963, he was asked to audition by Mel Tormé, who was producing a new variety show for Judy Garland. The audition won him the job and in 1964, Little made his American television debut on CBS's The Judy Garland Show, where he astounded Garland with his imitations of various male celebrities. His impression of James Mason in A Star Is Born thrilled Garland, and his popularity began to grow.

In 1966 and 1967, Little appeared in ABC-TV's Judy Carne sitcom Love on a Rooftop as the Willises' eccentric neighbor, Stan Parker. Little was a frequent guest on variety and talk shows. He cracked up Johnny Carson by capturing the Tonight Show host's voice and many on-stage mannerisms perfectly (he later played Carson in the HBO TV-movie The Late Shift). One of his best known impressions is of U.S. President Richard Nixon. (In 1991 he reprised the role of Nixon as ideal sperm donors in Gina's fantasies on the soap opera Santa Barbara.) During the 1970s, Little made many television appearances portraying Nixon. He was a regular guest on The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts in the 1970s and was also a semi-regular on the Emmy-winning ABC-TV variety series The Julie Andrews Hour in 1972-1973. This particular series proved to be a wonderful showcase for Little's talents as an impressionist. In fact, because of his uncanny yet brilliant imitation of Jack Benny, the comedian sent Little an 18-carat gold money clip containing this message: "With Bob Hope doing my walk and you doing my voice, I can be a star and do nothing." He was named "Comedy Star of the Year" by the American Guild of Variety Artists in 1974.

His best-known continuing TV series was The Kopycats, hour-long segments of The ABC Comedy Hour, first broadcast in 1972. Taped in England, these comedy-variety shows consisted entirely of celebrity impersonations, with the actors in full costume and makeup for every sketch. The cast included Rich Little, Frank Gorshin, Marilyn Michaels, George Kirby, British comedian Joe Baker, Fred Travalena, Charlie Callas, and Peter Goodwright.

The Rich Little Show (1976) and The New You Asked for It (1981) were attempts to present Little in his own person, away from his gallery of characterizations.

Little has starred in various HBO specials including the 1978 one-man show, Rich Little's Christmas Carol. He has also appeared in several movies and released nine albums. When David Niven proved too ill for his voice to be used in his appearances in Trail of the Pink Panther (1982) and Curse of the Pink Panther (1983), Little provided the overdub. (Ironically, Little provided the voice for the Pink Panther cartoon character in an experimental 1965 episode.) He rendered similar assistance for the 1991 TV special Christmas at the Movies by providing an uncredited dub for the aging actor/dancer Gene Kelly. As a native Canadian, he also lent his voice to the narration of two specials which were the forerunners for the animated series The Raccoons: The Christmas Raccoons and The Raccoons on Ice.

Little was the host for the 2007 White House Correspondents' Association dinner. Although President George W. Bush was reported to have enjoyed Little's performance, it was panned by some reviewers for "his ancient jokes and impressions of dead people (Johnny Carson, Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan)."

Little voices as a guest star in Futurama such as Futurama: Bender's Game, playing his own celebrity head: "Rich Little here, as Howard Cosell." Many times he plays a sports commentator.

Will Link is your weekly "Link to the Movies" on "The PM Show with Larry Manetti." He is a screenwriter who has received accolades from various film festivals most recently the Shriekfest Horror Festival. Will is also a regular contributor to the film blog "You Won Cannes." You can hear his thoughts on the world of popular culture as co-host of "Will Sean Podcast?" downloadable at the iTunes store. Follow him on twitter @TheRealWillLink


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07/17 Tim Kazurinsky, SNL

Timothy J. Kazurinsky (born March 3, 1950) is an American actor, comedian and writer best known as a cast member on Saturday Night Live and for his role as Carl Sweetchuck in the Police Academy films. He is known for playing mousy, sheepish characters.

Kazurinsky was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, but spent most of his childhood in Australia, where he lived until the age of 16.[1] At age 11, Kazurinsky attended the Huntley Evans School of Performing Arts, where he studied the creative arts for six months before quitting due to intense hazing.

Kazurinsky worked in St. Louis, Missouri, as an advertising executive and copywriter for a department store chain. He moved to Chicago to start a comedy career and joined the Second City mainstage in 1978. He was discovered by Saturday Night Live and joined SNL as a writer and cast member in 1981. A producer at SNL, who was also a friend of Kazurinsky's, bumped Paul Reubens (later known for his character Pee-wee Herman), from the line-up and put Kazurinsky in his place.

On Saturday Night Live, Kazurinsky played various characters and was known for his celebrity impersonations. There were reports that he often clashed with then-executive producer Dick Ebersol regarding the show's creative direction. In 1984, he decided to leave SNL due to creative differences with the producers.

Kazurinsky was cast in the 1980 film Somewhere in Time as the photographer who takes the portrait that woos Christopher Reeve's character back in time. He had a role in the 1981 Belushi/Aykroyd comedy Neighbors, and played the role of Carl Sweetchuck in three of the Police Academy films. In the 2000s, Kazurinsky guest-starred on popular comedy series such as Curb Your Enthusiasm and According to Jim.

Kazurinsky has written screenplays and television episodes. Shortly after departing SNL, he co-wrote About Last Night.... He also penned the 2001 film My Beautiful Son, starring Paul Reiser, Julie Walters, and Olympia Dukakis.

In 2011, Kazurinsky played a supporting role in Zombie Army Productions "The Moleman of Belmont Avenue", which also featured Robert Englund.

07/10 Ernest, Borgnine, Robert Wagner, Dennis Farina, Elia Petridis, Tim Conway

Veteran actor and CRN Digital Talk Radio host Larry Manetti will pay tribute to the late award-winning actor Ernest Borgnine with a special show today!

“The P.M. Show with Larry Manetti” will recall the life and many facets of the famed actor who passed away on July 8 at age 95.

“We were close friends who shared a lot over the years so I’m happy to join with our other good friends and listeners in a tribute to Ernie’s life and work,” Manetti said.

Borgnine and Manetti worked together last year in the upcoming film “The Man Who Shook the Hand of Vicente Fernandez,” which became Borgnine’s final performance on film.

Among those joining the special tribute program will be actor Robert Wagner, known for the television series “Hart to Hart,” “It Takes a Thief,” and scores of films and television shows, as well as actor Dennis Farina, star of “Law & Order” “Luck,” “Get Shorty” and many other TV shows and films.

Also appearing will be film director Elia Petridis who directed Borgnine in his final film.

The late actor is known for winning the Academy Award for the title role in the film “Marty,” in 1955, but also for his work as the wacky navy officer Quinton McHale in the famed television comedy “McHale’s Navy,” which ran from 1962-1966. His work included scores of television shows and films in a career that spanned over 60 years.

07/03 Dr. Carl Patrasso, Dream Expert

Dr. Carl is the author of the book ‘Dreaming for Success’; the ground-breaking dream interpretation book that shows you how your dream - often forgotten or misunderstood - is a resource that helps you. The purpose of your dream is to improve your life.

Dr. Carl dream expert and clinical psychologist, has been in practice in Scottsdale, Arizona for the last twenty-five years. He has interpreted dreams for people from every walk of life and with every kind of question. No matter how mysterious your dream, no matter how out of character or unusual the dream is Dr. Carl tells you the meaning of your dream and how the meaning of your dream improves your life and actualizes your potential.

DrCarlDreamInterpreter.com