We are saddened to report on the passing of Hall of Fame football player and television actor, Merlin Olsen. A defensive tackle for the Los Angeles Rams for fifteen years, and a regular on shows such as Little House on the Prairie and Father Murphy, he lost his battle with cancer on March 11, 2010. Olsen was 69.
Olsen got his football start with Utah State University before turning pro, and enjoyed a career that included being a six-time All-Pro, playing in 14 Pro Bowls (a record he shares with Bruce Matthews), and being inducted into the Football Hall of Fame in 1982.
Retro fans will fondly remember his portrayal of Jonathon Garvey on Little House on the Prairie for five seasons, starting in 1977. Michael Landon also cast Olsen in the lead role of Father Murphy, an NBC series that ran from 1981 to 1983 and featured Olsen as a 1870’s frontiersman who pretended to be a priest in order to help a group of orphan children. Let’s take a look:
And here is Merlin on Little House on the Prairie:
Share your memories of Merlin Olsen with all of us as we celebrate his life and diverse career here at Retroland.
Throughout the 80s, they were an inseparable team – a pair of heartthrobs sharing the same first name, top billing in a number of teen-oriented films, and a friendship that endured to the end. Yesterday, with the tragic passing of Corey Haim, his friend and colleague Corey Feldman issued the following statement:
“I am so sorry for Corey, his mother Judy, his family, my family, all of our fans, and of course my son who I will have to find a way to explain this to when he gets home from school. This is a tragic loss of a wonderful, beautiful, tormented soul, who will always be my brother, family, and best friend.”
Their profession screen debut came in 1987, as teen vampire hunters in the hit film The Lost Boys. The following year, the two heartthrobs appeared together in License to Drive, a lighthearted comedy that also did well at the box office. And, in 1989, they finished up their 80s screen time with a teen romance flick, Dream a Little Dream.
Here’s a great clip of these two friends discussing the filming of The Lost Boys:
As we continue to mourn the loss of Corey Haim, we invite our readers to share their memories of these two young actors whose friendship and screen chemistry delighted millions of teenage filmgoers in the 80s, and whose pictures graced an immeasurable amount of magazine covers, school lockers, and bedroom walls. Rest in peace, Corey, and thanks for the memories.
It’s with great regret and sadness that the Retroland community says farewell to one of the original “brat pack” actors from the 1980s, “Lucas” and “The Lost Boys” star Corey Haim.
Haim was found in the early morning of Wednesday, March 10, 2010 in the apartment he shared with his mother. The cause of death is being preliminarily reported by the Los Angeles police department as an accidental overdose. Haim had been suffering flu-like symptoms. As of this writing, the official cause of death is pending an autopsy.
Haim was largely known as a child star who was often paired on-screen with his best friend, the actor Corey Feldman. Recently, Haim and Feldman could be seen on the reality show “The Two Coreys.” Haim was still very active in Hollywood at the time of his death as an actor, director and producer with nine films in pre-production, two completed and ready for release, and one, “The Dead Sea,” still being filmed.
Every once in a while, a shiny gem shows up in the ol’ email inbox – one that makes you immediately think, “Oh, I’ve really got to share this!” That’s what happened yesterday when, courtesy of my dad, I received a very cool link to The Cars We Drove In The 50s & 60s. Filled to the brim with outstanding imagery and featuring a rousing, era-specific soundtrack, you’ll be cruising down memory lane in no time. Click the picture to take a look.
If you would like to discuss any of the classic cars shown in the video, we can think of no better place than in the Wheels in Motion forum in our Retrotalk community. Take a look at some of the existing topics, such as this one by our very own Retromaniac, which has a few great pics of its own contained within. Of course, we hope you’ll contribute to these threads, or, if you don’t find what you are looking for, feel free start your own classic car discussion! Also, don’t forget to leave your comments on this Retroblog and share your thoughts about today’s nostalgic video.
For most of us growing up on this continent, we have a pretty good handle as to what resides on the typical McDonald’s menu. Sure, the McRib comes and goes, and other specialty items pop up from time to time, but much of the menu remains the same as it has for decades. Inspired by this wonderful blog post over at www.ireallylikefood.com, however, we thought it might be fun to see a few of the fun items that can be found on various McDonald’s menus around the globe.
We’ll start in Japan, with the Shrimp Fillet sandwich. Much like its American Fillet-o-Fish counterpart, this baby contains a fried shrimp patty, complete with lettuce and special sauce.
Hopping over to China, we have the McRice sandwich, where the buns have been replaced by two rice patties encasing a chicken fillet.
A trip to India wouldn’t be complete without ordering a McCurry Pan, now would it?
Perhaps, an El Maco sounds like it would hit the spot. Luckily, one needn’t travel south of the border for this delicacy. Sweden or Finland will be happy to serve you this burger, which is topped with salsa and sour cream.
This is really only the tip of the iceburg. Head on over to the afformentioned blog, or perhaps here for another assortment of unique menu items, or you can see what Wikipedia has on the subject. And what we are interesting in learning is whether or not you have tasted any of these international delicacies unavailable to us in the states. What did you think of them? Also, are there any of these items that you feel are long-overdue in the states? Share the memories of your McDonald’s travels with all of us at Retroland.
Ever since Variety magazine reported on Tuesday that Gilligan’s Island is headed to the big screen, numerous groups have been pondering who will be cast in each of the seven familiar roles. And we’re sure that you have some ideas of your own.
Let’s start by taking a glance back at the original cast. And to be fair, we decided to include both the “and the rest…” original version (actually, a rare colorized version of the original) and the later version, which finally credits the previously neglected Professor and Mary Ann.
So, what are the casting ideas that have been floated around? Original producer, Sherwood Schwartz seem to prefer Michael Cera as Gilligan, and Beyonce as Ginger. Fox411 would like to see William Shatner, skippering the doomed voyage (and let’s face it, could The Minnow be in hands more competent than that of James T. Kirk?). This article from USA Today offers plenty of suggestions, but we want to hear your casting thoughts. Share your ideas with us at Retroland, as we all prepare for yet another three hour tour.
It is often said that nothing in this world is free, but if one wanted to set out to disprove such a notion, he or she would need to look no further than Popular Science. This informative publication, which has been serving those interested in science for well over 100 years, announced on March 5, 2010 that they will be making every single issue of the magazine available online – for free!
Founded by Edward L. Youmans in 1873, the stated goal of Popular Science was to “disseminate scientific knowledge to the educated laymen,” and that’s precisely what they have continued to do since their inception. Today, the magazine barely resembles the early years of publication, which was altered dramatically in 1914 to appeal more to the mainstream. But they have always remained true to their mission statement – by putting complex information into terms that even the average joe could understand. For the past year, the publication has also maintained a television presence on (where else?) the Science Channel, with the show, Popular Science’s Future Of…
The magazine has inspired and educated numerous people over the years, such as this guy, who used one of their magazine covers in a pretty unique way:
So, before you head over to check out the hundred of issues of Popular Science now available, we thought we would ask you to share your memories of this beloved publication with all of us at Retroland, as we applaud their willingness to share so much information at absolutely no charge. Meanwhile, We can think of a few more magazines that we wish would follow suit. Mad magazine, anyone?
Over the last 29 years, millions of television viewers have tuned in on Oscar night, not only to watch the ceremonies, but also to watch Barbara Walters interview some of the biggest names in Hollywood. Always interesting, often provocative, there are few in the business with the ability to conduct an interview with the finesse and charm that Walters has always displayed in her distinguished career.
Well, tomorrow night sadly marks the end of an era. A few weeks ago, Walters (who, you may be surprised to learn, turned 80 in September) announced on The View that this will be her final year of providing these memorable Oscar interviews.
Let’s take a look at a classic example of one of these interviews, conducted with Cher in 1988.
Did you faithfully tune in to these specials each Oscar night? Do have a particular favorite out of the many interviews she has conducted over the last three decades? Share your thoughts on this end of an era with all of us at Retroland as we give a grateful tip of the hat to Barbara Walters.
Tonight is the big night for the premiere of Tim Burton’s remake of Alice in Wonderland. We shared some info on Lewis Carroll and Walt Disney’s 1951 animated feature a couple of days ago, and yet, we still seem to have a little “Alice” on the brain. Today, we thought we would take a trip to one of our favorite places, Disneyland, and visit the rides from this classic film.
Upon heading into Fantasyland, it’s hard to miss the twirling teacups, and the colorful supply of caterpillars ready to give eager visitors a ride into Wonderland. In fact, Alice in Wonderland is one of the only films to ever be honored with two separate attractions at Disneyland. Having said that – while one can take a spin on the teacups in all of the Disney theme parks around the globe, one must travel to Anaheim, California’s Disneyland to experience the Alice in Wonderland attraction.
Since a video is worth a thousand words (or something like that), let’s see the rides in action. Here’s a classic clip of the Mad Tea Party:
And now, let’s hop in our own caterpillar and take a tour through the looking glass:
So, have you ridden the Alice in Wonderland dark ride at Disneyland? Have you taken a dizzying spin in the teacups at any of the Disney parks, gleefully knocking your equilibrium out of whack? Or perhaps you just want to voice your opinion about tonight’s premiere of the anticipated Tim Burton film. Share your thoughts on all things Alice, old and new, with all of us at Retroland. Meanwhile, we’ll keep our fingers crossed that nobody at Disney decides to insert an audio-animatronic version of Johnny Depp in either of these rides. Pirates of the Caribbean was quite enough, we think.
Former Saturday Night Live alumni, Spinal Tap bassist and The Simpsons voice over mastermind, Harry Shearer, has just released a new album. Titled Greed and Fear, Shearer combines his own brand of satire with a wonderful jazz score in this artistic commentary on the US banking system.
Meanwhile, we thought we would share some classic Harry Shearer with all of you at Retroland. Here’s a fun clip, with Harry performing a handful of his many Simpsons voices, such as Mr. Burns, Ned Flanders and Principal Skinner.
This is from the “Unwigged and Unplugged” tour, featuring Shearer with musical cohorts, Michael McKeon and Christopher Guest, performing acoustical versions of a few of their songs from both This is Spinal Tap and A Mighty Wind:
Are you a fan of Mr. Shearer’s work? Share your thoughts on his various endeavors and let us know what your particular favorites are, as we wish Harry much success with his newest album release.
We are saddened to report on the passing of Hall of Fame football player and television actor, Merlin Olsen. A defensive tackle for the Los Angeles Rams for fifteen years, and a regular on shows such as Little House on the Prairie and Father Murphy, he lost his battle with cancer on March 11, 2010. Olsen was 69. 
We’ll start in Japan, with the Shrimp Fillet sandwich. Much like its American Fillet-o-Fish counterpart, this baby contains a fried shrimp patty, complete with lettuce and special sauce. 
Hopping over to China, we have the McRice sandwich, where the buns have been replaced by two rice patties encasing a chicken fillet. 
Perhaps, an El Maco sounds like it would hit the spot. Luckily, one needn’t travel south of the border for this delicacy. Sweden or Finland will be happy to serve you this burger, which is topped with salsa and sour cream. 
