RIP: Peter Graves (1926-2010)

Peter Graves, who died today, was always there after school when I was a kid.

Originally he was the head of the Broken Wheel ranch as Jim Newton in Fury. Fury was a horse, an equine Skippy who always managed to save the day. His young friend was Joey Newton, the equivalent of Sonny Hammond. And just as in Skippy, no women in the household.

That was followed by a wonderful Australian series, Whiplash. Filmed from 1961 in French’s Forest, it reached 34 episodes (two of them written by Gene Roddenberyy, the creator of Star Trek). With westerns such as Gunsmoke, The Rifleman and Rawhide dominating the ratings, Britain’s Independent Television Company (makers of Robin Hood and William Tell) decided to branch out into a western. Not having any Western scenery in Britain, they decided to film in Oz and make the film an Aussie Western. The series featured Peter Graves as Christopher Cobb, the American who developed the Cobb & Co stage line in Australia.

See the opening and a few minutes at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWyrUa65nRc

I loved that show. That’s Frank Ifield, another great Aussie of the time, singing the theme song.

Some years later Peter Graves reappeared as Jim Phelps, head of the Impossible Missions Force.

And who will ever forget Captain Clarence  Oveur from Flying High...

Operator: [Captain Oveur is on the phone with the Mayo Clinic] "Excuse me, Captain Oveur, but I have an emergency call on line 5 from a Mr. Hamm."

Captain Oveur: "Rght, give me Hamm on 5 and hold the Mayo."

Peter Graves died of a heart attack, aged 84.

RIP: Bon Scott (1946-1980)

Ian, an Acca Dacca fan from way back, sent a message that February 19 will be the anniversary of the death of former lead singer Bon Scott and that a Bytes should be considered for that date. It is impressive, almost rivalling Rock Brain of the Universe Glenn A Baker, that someone not only recalls Bon Scott and his death but that they also know the exact date of death from memory. Such a depth of knowledge shows that he is either a dedicated AC/DC fan or that he needs to get out more. I mean, it’s not like knowing that the day the music died was 3 February 1959, or that the candle in the wind went out on 5 August 1962.

Before looking at the life and death of Bon Scott, take the time to view Bon Scott and AC/DC members Malcolm Young and Angus Young, and watch Scott turn the bagpipes into a rock n roll instrument long before Steve Earle and Johnny Farnham did so. The video is from 1976 and shows the AC/DC crew on the back of a truck driving around Swanston Street, Melbourne, singing a rock classic, the original video for It’s a Long way to the Top, made for the Oz TV show Countdown…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1iR2Wi3u5o

Quote: Jack the Ripper

“One day men will look back and say I gave birth to the twentieth century.”

- Jack the Ripper (murders committed 1888).