Saturday, July 23, 2022

Weekend Post

I watched the movie of THE ODD COUPLE recently starring Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon. A lot of it still holds up, but when I first saw it as a kid I was hysterical. I couldn’t imagine any better casting than Matthau & Lemmon.

Seeing it again, after many many years, one thing struck me – I now greatly prefer Jack Klugman and Tony Randall as Oscar and Felix. Sure, part of it is familiarity, but Randall really WAS Felix Unger. Jack Lemmon was a gifted comic actor who played the part very well. And Klugman’s Oscar was the equal to Matthau’s, plus he played better off of Randall as Felix. To me. You may prefer Matthau & Lemmon. Or you may have seen the original Broadway production with Matthau and Art Carney and to you that’s the real Odd Couple.

Or even Morris Fishbine and Larry Crellman, who played them in a local community theatre in your town and to you those are the guys.

Probably the only thing that everyone can agree on is that when there was a revival on Broadway a few years ago and Nathan Lane played Oscar that was absurd.

But for most of us, it’s who you grew up with. Same with James Bonds. It used to be that there was no contest. Sean Connery was James Bond. But to younger generations Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan, and most recently, Daniel Craig is THE real 007.  If you went through the '60s completely drugged out you might think David Niven was the ultimate  James Bond.  But you would be wrong (you'd probably be dead). 

Same with Superman. To baby boomers there’s only one: George Reeves, even though he had a gut and thinning hairline. For most of you however, I imagine Christopher Reeve is the one and only Man of Steel. If your favorite is Brandon Routh seek help.

When my partner and I took our first meeting at MASH, producer Gene Reynolds loaded us down with research and invited us to come back with stories. (We sold one and that was the beginning of our four-year association with MASH). But amongst the reading material was the novel of MASH. The 1969 movie starring Donald Sutherland and Elliot Gould was very faithful to the book. So reading it was very strange. I kept trying to picture Alan Alda and Wayne Rogers in the roles performing the scenes, but in my head was the movie. And the character of Hawkeye is quite different in the Sutherland vs. Alda version. It was very schitzo.  Ultimately, I preferred Alan's Hawkeye, but I have to be honest -- it took about a season of the TV show to change my allegiance. 

So now, as a friendly blog survey, let me ask you, dear reader and pop culture maven..

Who is your favorite Felix & Oscar?

James Bond?

Superman?

Batman? (Michael Keaton? Really?)

Lois Lane?

Sherlock Holmes?

Dr. Who?

Darrin Stephens?

Hawkeye? 

Host of THE PRICE IS RIGHT? 

Thanks in advance for playing the game. I look forward to your feedback.

 

149 comments :

Anonymous said...

The main problem with Jack Lemmon as Felix is that he sort of has to force finicky. It comes naturally to Tony Randall.
Walter Matthau's Oscar has an edge that borders on mean. Jack Klugman has the requisite amount of resignation that one would expect from a person in Oscar's situation.

Anonymous said...

I liked Lemon/Matthau movies as a kid, but I agree with you. I prefer Randall/Klugmann.

I don't know enough about the others on the list to offer an opinion on who's best.

After seeing an episode of THE SIMPSONS with David Hyde Pierce as himself playing Felix in a production of THE ODD COUPLE, I wonder what a FRASIER-cast inspired production would look like with Kelsey Grammar as Oscar.

Pumphouse said...

Noel Neill is Lois Lane.

Griff said...

...favorite Felix & Oscar?

Tony Randall for Felix, Walter Matthau (despite the many things said about him in Harris' Mike Nichols biography) as Oscar. [Jack Klugman was a very fine actor, though.]


James Bond?

Connery. Sean Connery.


Superman?

George Reeves as Superman... but Christopher Reeve as Clark Kent.


Batman?

Christian Bale as Batman... but Adam West as Bruce Wayne.


Lois Lane?

Noel Neill.


Sherlock Holmes?

Basil Rathbone. [Christopher Plummer was a very good Holmes in MURDER BY DECREE.]


Dr. Who?

Tom Baker.


Darrin Stephens?

Dick York.


Hawkeye?

Donald Sutherland.


Host of THE PRICE IS RIGHT?

Bill Cullen.

N. Zakharenko said...

Felix And Oscar: The Oddball Couple - it has Frank Nelson

James Bond: Roger Moore slightly above Connery

Superman: Mighty Mouse ..er... George Reeves

Batman: Robert Lowery and his cool 1948 Batmobile

Lois Lane: I have trouble telling Noel Neill & Phyllis Coates apart

Sherlock Holmes: Basil Rathbone.
Reread all the stories about 10 years ago & he so fitted the part

Dr. Who: Peter Cushing (the only one worth watching)

Darrin Stephens: Dick York absolutely.
Dick Sargent's smirk was best cast in Vega$ where he played a pimp

Hawkeye: Not a fan of Robert Altman's all over the place style

Price Is Right: Drew, go back to the Playboy mansion where you belong

Keith R.A. DeCandido said...

Who is your favorite Felix & Oscar? Randall and Klugman, for many of the same reasons you cite, though I must confess to loving the job Ron Glass and Demond Wilson did on The New Odd Couple in 1982, though the show itself was awful.

James Bond? Daniel Craig, not because I grew up with him (I technically grew up with Moore), but because he's fantastic.

Superman? I grew up with George Reeves, and Christopher Reeve inhabited the part magnificently, and I love what Tyler Hoechlin is currently doing, but I have to go with Bud Collyer on the animated shorts and the radio show. That's Superman to me, and he's still the voice I hear when I read the comics.

Batman? Kevin Conroy. Again, a voice actor, but he is Batman. Period.

Lois Lane? Noel Neill.

Sherlock Holmes? Jeremy Brett. All other answers are wrong.

Dr. Who? A tie between Tom Baker and Christopher Eccleston.

Darrin Stephens? Dick Sargent, just 'cause he's the one I saw more of as a kid.

Hawkeye? Jeremy Renner, obviously.... (I kid, I kid. Alan Alda. Sutherland was excellent in the role, but Alda was an icon.)

Host of THE PRICE IS RIGHT? Bob Barker.

Bob Waldman said...

Tony Randall and Jack Klugman
Sean Connery
George Reeves
Only liked the Batman comic books
Noel Neill
Basil Rathbone
Never watched Dr. Who
Dick York
Alan Alda
Bill Cullen

Unkystan said...

In my reply I forgot Hawkeye. I have to go with Alda. In the movie Sutherland and Gould were virtually interchangeable.

Curt Alliaume said...

Who is your favorite Felix & Oscar?
Randall & Klugman, of course.

James Bond?
Not a huge Bond fan, but I'd say Connery.

Superman?
I'm going with Christopher Reeve.

Batman? (Michael Keaton? Really?)
Adam West. Grew up with him.

Lois Lane?
No vote.

Sherlock Holmes?
Basil Rathbone.

Dr. Who?
Tom Baker.

Darrin Stephens?
Dick Sargent. WNEW showed his reruns first, then got back to the B&W Dick York episodes. The change was jarring.

Hawkeye?
Alan Alda.

Host of THE PRICE IS RIGHT?
Bill Cullen, or maybe Dennis James. Watch the reruns from the Barker era on Pluto TV sometime to see what a sexist jackass Bob Barker was--and imagine what he was like behind the scenes.

Mike Barer said...

When Lemon and Matthau did Grumpy Old Men, I thought that there was a possibility that it could become a TV series with Randall and Klugman.

Leighton said...

Felix & Oscar? Klugman & Randall

James Bond? Sean Connery

Superman? Christopher Reeve

Batman? (Michael Keaton? Really?) Yes, Keaton

Lois Lane? Noel Neill

Sherlock Holmes? Basil Rathbone

Dr. Who? Don't care

Darrin Stephens? Dick York

Hawkeye? Alda

Host of THE PRICE IS RIGHT? Yuck

Jonathan T said...

I saw The Odd Couple on stage in the 90s with Jamie Farr as Oscar and William Christopher as Felix. It was great!

davewillieradio said...

Both Dicks were solid as Darrin. Batman is Adam West. Bond, James Bond is Sean Connery. TPIR host is Bob Barker, but Bill Cullen comes in second. Favorite Felix & Oscar has to be Klugman and Randall.

whynot said...

Who is your favorite Felix & Oscar? Klugman and Randall

James Bond? Sean Connery

Superman? Christopher Reeve

Batman? Val Kilmer

Lois Lane? Margot Kidder

Darrin Stephens? Dick York

Hawkeye? Alan Alda (until he and his ego devoured the entire show)

Host of THE PRICE IS RIGHT? Anyone but the narcissist, racist, misogynistic pig whose name I don't need to mention. And I don't mean Bill Cullen or Drew Carey.

Anonymous said...

"you might think David Niven was the penultimate James Bond"
I believe that you may be misusing the word "penultimate", I doubt that you meant to suggest the David Niven was the second to last actor to play the role.

AJ's Blog said...

Who is your favorite Felix & Oscar? Randal & Klugman

James Bond? - Sean Connery

Superman? - Christopher Reeves

Batman? (Michael Keaton? Really?) - Adam West!

Lois Lane? - Teri Hatcher

Sherlock Holmes? - Benedict Cumberbatch

Dr. Who? - oh, that's a really tough choice - Tennant & Smith (10 and 11)

Darrin Stephens? - Dick York

Hawkeye? Alan Alda

Host of THE PRICE IS RIGHT? Bob Barker

flurb said...

Matthau & Lemmon. They're both fantastic, and our family is still offering up imitations of their line readings. I tired of the tv show, not because of the wonderful stars, but because their continuing adventures don't really make sense: the point of the story is these two people cannot live together.

I've not seen much of the Bond franchise. Connery and Craig, both fine.

Reeve and Kidder, I guess. I stopped watching superhero pictures several years ago. Seeing Keaton's Batman didn't cause that - I just don't care for the problems of the super-rich or the superduper.

I really like Cumberbatch as Holmes, and Jeremy Brett.

Dr. Who is David Tennant.

Dick York was the better human husband, but, in retrospect, neither were really good enough for Montgomery. I really couldn't figure out why she loved those Darrins.

Hawkeye? Alda.

If The Price Is Right is on, I am not in the room.

And the next to last thing I'd ever do is discuss the word "penultimate."

I love the blog, Ken.

Jeff said...

Randall/Klugman (although Thomas Lennon was very good as Felix)
Connery
Reeve (Christopher)
Keaton (really)
Margot Kidder
Jeremy Brett
never watched it
tie
Alan Alda
Michael Richards

AlaskaRay said...

Did you know that during WWII, Tony Randal was a top code breaker in Washington for the army. He even helped decipher Enigma codes?

Anonymous said...

I’ve always thought Lemmon’s performance was too maudlin…

Philly Cinephile said...

Who is your favorite Felix & Oscar? Randall & Klugman

James Bond? George Lazenby, because I am a contrarian and because ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE is my favorite Bond film.

Superman? I like Reeves and Reeve equally, so I'll go with Filmation's animated version.

Batman? (Michael Keaton? Really?) Adam West.

Lois Lane? Margot Kidder, because whenever Margot Kidder is an option, I always pick Margot Kidder. (What's the phone number at the sorority house?)

Sherlock Holmes? The one in the books. I haven't seen enough of the film/TV adaptations to have a favorite, although I really enjoyed THE SEVEN-PER-CENT SOLUTION with Nicol Williamson as Holmes.

Dr. Who? I have never watched any of the incarnations, but I like Tom Baker's scarf, so there you go.

Darrin Stephens? Dick York, because he played Darrin as exasperated in a humorous way that worked will with the fantasy elements of the series. Dick Sargent played Darrin as someone who was always in a bad mood.

Hawkeye? I have watched the film in years, so I'll say Alan Alda because of the cumulative impact he had on the character.

Host of THE PRICE IS RIGHT? Bob Barker, but only after giving a shout out to Bill Cullen, host of the original TPIR, and one of the all-time great game show panelists and hosts.

tavm said...

I'll go with Moore since he was the one Bond I was most familiar with as a kid. (Of the ones after him, I'll go with Craig)

Leighton said...

Unrelated, Anonymous, but "penultimate" has become a favorite word for the babbling TV reviewers on various web sites. They eagerly await the next-to-last episode, so that they can screech "PENULTIMATE EPISODE" with orgasmic glee. It's a "thing" on "recap" sites, such as the now-awful EW. (I was an original subscriber to the magazine - 1989, I think - and it was initially well-respected. Now it's right up there with People. And episode "recappers" will go on for PAGES, describing an episode of "Stranger Things," or whatever.)

iain said...

Many great, actors have portrayed the character , but Jeremy Brett crawled inside the skin of Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. He's not on your list, but David Suchet did the same with Hercule Poirot.

Ben Scripps said...

Just going to mention a couple of them:

My favorite Bond was Roger Moore. Mostly because when I was a kid, we had "For Your Eyes Only" on VHS and I watched it approximately 4,000 times. Once I was old enough to actually appreciate the movies beyond just one good guy shooting lots of bad guys, I came around to much preferring Sean Connery over Moore. Moore's a strong second in my book, but Connery was perfect.

(BTW, David Niven was Ian Fleming's first choice to play Bond. And "Casino Royale" may be the most wonderfully awful mess of a movie I've ever seen.)

Batman? Does someone have a scorecard I could consult? I can't remember all 19 different actors who played the role.

And "Price is Right"? Drew Carey is meh. Dennis James, Tom Kennedy and Doug Davidson were poor fits for the show. And the less said about Bob "Reach Into My $100 Pocket" Barker the better. But Bill Cullen was so damn much fun; funny, clever, just a genuinely great guy. The Buzzr channel still airs old episodes of his version on Saturday mornings, and they're just a helluva lot of fun to watch.

Mitch said...

For several years I couldn't tell the Darrins apart.

As for the others, Reeves was terrific in the role, and I had a college prof who looked just like him. He was a super prof. As for Lois Lane, I thought whoever did the voice for the Fleischer animated versions in the 1940s sounded most like a journalist. After her, the second TV Lois, Noel Neill, did a good job.

Both the TV and movie Odd Couple players worked for me.

Connery.

Alda was the most familiar to me, but I think that the characters portrayed in the movie version were of a different temperament and probably more realistic to the times.

I rarely watched The Price Is Right.

PolyWogg said...

Fantastic commentary Ken, and not one I had thought much about before. Often I find that people's views depend heavily on who they saw FIRST and if they LIKED them. If you watched Superman and didn't like the Superman character much in that version, you probably didn't like the actor either. If you did like the portrayal, it probably locks it in for you.

Do you remember Stephen King writing the "Pop of King" articles for EW a number of years ago? I enjoyed his take on pop culture, and one week he was writing about music, what he listened to in his truck when his wife's sensibilities weren't at play, and he wrote about the song "Black Betty". Short version? He liked the original Ram Jam version, but had heard the new Spiderbait version, and thought it was better. I was like, "No way is that possible. He has clearly lost it." So I went to Napster, downloaded it, hit play, and dang it, he was RIGHT. The new version was awesome. I don't know if it was "better" like there's an objective scale, but it was great. I like it better in some ways, but I'll listen to both.

I don't have strong views about the Odd Couple, but once you see the one you like best, can you watch the others still? Or does it start to grate when say Nathan Lane isn't grumpy enough?

I like all the Bonds, but I view it more like 007 is a code name, and anyone can be assigned that designation. Often I see portrayals like that -- well, he's NOT Superman, but if you treat it as playing a superhero with Superman-like powers, it's watchable. Sort of like Dr. Who...the doctor can be any character, and it's built into the definition more I suppose.

I do have views about Superman and Lois Lane, mild ones about Batman, diverse ones on Holmes, and none on Darren, Hawkeye, Dr. Who, or the Odd Couple. or the Price is Right (Bob is the only acceptable answer). But even where I do have views, I feel they are more this is what *I* like about THAT version of Holmes more than I hate the others. I think I tend to like the character first, and the actor second. So even a bad Holmes can be (often) better than no Holmes at all? I love Young Sherlock Holmes, for example, the movie I mean. ANd it is clearly neither Holmes nor Watson, but a fun ride nevertheless.

Thanks for a great read today...now I'm off to muse on my own blog about characters I like that have multiple incarnations. Oh, wait, I need to end on controversy. Erica Durance for Lois Lane. Chew on that blog followers! :)

P.

Anonymous said...

Don’t ask Favorite “Jeopardy” host.

Lemuel said...

Tavm: "No one wore a safari suit with more panache."

Craig Gustafson said...

Here's a blog by Drew Friedman called "The Odder Couples," with program covers and pictures from all sorts of Felix/Oscar combinations. Jesse White and Ray Walston. Milt Kamen and Stubby Kaye (filling in for Arnold Stang. I'm not kidding.) Oscars ranging from Frank Sutton to Robert Vaughn. It's also interesting to see who played the supporting parts - people like Peter Boyle and Martin Sheen.
There's one production starring Shelley Berman & E.G. Marshall, with Loretta Swit and Huntz Hall.

The one I would have killed to see played fairly close to where I live - before I was old enough to drive. Art Carney switching to Oscar, with Don Knotts as Felix.
https://drewfriedman.blogspot.com/2016/03/the-odder-couples.html

Who is your favorite Felix & Oscar? The ones I directed - John Corona and Rene Ruelas.

The rest of the choices on my list are pretty much "1960s Get Off My Lawn."

James Bond? Sean Connery

Superman? George Reeves

Batman? Adam West

Lois Lane? Noel Neill

Sherlock Holmes? Basil Rathbone - who pulled off the greatest "Holy Shit - That Was HIM?" Holmes-in-disguise sequence in "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes."

Dr. Who? Tom Baker

Darrin Stephens? Dick York

Hawkeye? Alan Alda

Host of THE PRICE IS RIGHT? The what?

estiv said...

Just have to add, since I haven't seen it mentioned, the most recent TV revival of Odd Couple:

Thomas Lennon was a very good Felix. Matthew Perry, who was my favorite on Friends, was totally miscast as Oscar. He seemed to be barking from a different universe.

Adam Hauck said...

Who is your favorite Felix & Oscar?
Tony Randall and Jack Klugman - I became familiar with the series through Nick at Nite in the mid-to-late '90s and fell in love with this show.

James Bond?
I've never watched a Bond film.

Superman?
I guess Christopher Reeve, but I'm not a huge Superman fan to begin with. I love the '50s George Reeves series though.

Batman? (Michael Keaton? Really?)
Yes, of course, Michael Keaton. Speaking live action only, I also like Robert Pattinson, Ben Affleck and Adam West. But Keaton is tops for me.

Lois Lane?
Phyllis Coates from the first season of "The Adventures of Superman".

Sherlock Holmes?
I guess Robert Downey, Jr.

Dr. Who?
I've never seen an episode.

Darrin Stephens?
Dick York, of course. He's actually my favorite character on the show when he's played by York. When he's played by Sargent... I just don't care for him or those later seasons episodes.

Hawkeye?
Pierce.

Host of THE PRICE IS RIGHT?
I'm good with anyone. Bob Barker is my childhood for when I'd stay home sick from school but I think Drew Carey does a good job.

Jeff Boice said...

Felix & Oscar: Randall & Klugman.

James Bond: Sean Connery.

Superman: Christopher Reeve.

Batman: Michael Keaton.

Lois Lane: This one's tough. I'll say Margot Kidder.

Sherlock Holmes: Basil Rathbone. I like the Jeremy Brett episodes- because they
removed the comedy relief dunce cap from Dr. Watson's head and made him
an intelligent person who actually helped Holmes on the case.

Dr. Who: I'm going to say Patrick Troughton- I understand most of his episodes
are missing, but I liked the ones I was able to see.

Darrin Stephens: Dick York. In Dick Sargent's defense, York did say Darrin would have had
to calmed down eventually. Plus York he has the advantage of playing
played the character in the early seasons, which were by far the best.

Hawkeye: Another tough choice, but I'll go with Sutherland.

Host of Price is Right: Bob Barker by default. Bill Cullen was a great game show host,
but I never saw his Price is Right. I suspect if I had seen his
shows, I would choose him.


Joseph Scarbrough said...

Felix and Oscar: Definitely goes to Tony Randall and Jack Klugman. I contend that Walter Matthau was great as Oscar in the movie, if mainly because Matthau was well-suited for those kind of curmudgeonly type of roles (THE BAD NEWS BEARS, DENNIS THE MENACE) much in the same way that arrogant and snobbish roles fit David Ogden Stiers like a glove. Thomas Lemmon I found made Felix a little too obnoxious and much more of a killjoy, like he was in the first single-cam season of the show; once the show went multi-cam in front of an audience, suddenly Felix becomes a whole new character, and Tony Randall very much became that character - the rapport he and Klugman established between each other was absolute gold, which made them the perfect Felix and Oscar.

As far as Hawkeye is concerned, Alan Alda is Hawkeye, though as I understand it, Dr. Richard Hooker (or Hornberger, which was his real name) hated Alda'a portrayal of Hawkeye because Alda had made the character so liberal and anti-authoritarian - not that Hawkeye was ever intended to be a saint, mind you, but Hawkeye was a bit more conservative in the book and the movie . . . not to the extent of Frank Burns, obviously, but significantly unlike Alan Alda's Hawkeye.

And while I'm definitely in the Dick York camp when it comes to Darrin, I still think of that unusual guest appearance Dick Sargent made on I DREAM OF JEANNIE exactly one year before, in which he played a crooked country lawyer who tried to cheat his way out of Tony Nelson's defense while he was on trial for a hit-and-run incident. Curiously enough, I actually first started looking into M*A*S*H in the first place because of Dick Sargent - it's true. I was channel surfing one night (this was back when cable still dominated), and came across the scene from M*A*S*H in which Hawkeye is yelling at Radar for his decision to stay in camp and not go home . . . I have no idea why, but having never seen or heard of Alan Alda before, I somehow mistook him for Dick Sargent, and continued to watch for a little bit to see him in a role other than "Darrin #2."

Gary said...

I'm surprised there's been no love for Phyllis Coates, who played Lois Lane in the first TV season of Superman, which was VERY dark and violent at times. Coates was a terrific actress and a worthy adversary to Clark Kent. She's the only surviving cast member.

Roy DeRousse said...

How about Spock? I presume that Nimoy would be the choice for 100% of adults. I must admit that the other actors have done a credible job though. I suppose it's possible that some younger people might prefer Zachary Quinto if that is who they were first exposed to.

Greg Ehrbar said...

Who is your favorite Felix & Oscar?
Randall and Klugman were born to play them, especially Randall. He acted like Felix on "Mister Peepers."

James Bond?
Patrick Macnee as John Steed

Superman?
Reeves on TV and Reeve in the first movie.

Batman? (Michael Keaton? Really?)
Olan Soulé

Lois Lane?
Noel Neill. However, Phyllis Coates is dynamite in the Joe McDoakes films.

Sherlock Holmes?
Rathbone ("Canada, Watson! Canada!")

Dr. Who?
David Tennant, Matt Smith is close second. Peter Capaldi was just too grouchy so we stopped watching. And we had even gone to the 3-D movie.

Darrin Stephens?
Dick York, though Dick Sargent was great in The Ghost and Mr. Chicken

Hawkeye?
Alan Alda, who was also a fine What's My Line panelist

Host of THE PRICE IS RIGHT?
Bill Cullen. Bob Barker was more in his element on Truth or Consequences,expressing more of his dark side. ("Yehhhhhhssss!")

Sue T. said...

Yes, Phyllis Coates in season 1 of THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN. Her Lois Lane was gorgeous and smart as a whip, with a chip on her shoulder and a healthy disrespect for Superman and any person who treated her as a damsel in distress. Plus, she had her own Nash Rambler convertible at a time when "woman driver" was still considered an insult.

Nathan Arizona said...

Felix & Oscar?
Randall/Klugman

James Bond?
Daniel Craig

Superman?
Christopher Reeve

Batman?
Pass

Lois Lane?
Margot Kidder

Sherlock Holmes?
Hugh Laurie as House

Dr. Who?
David Tennant

Darrin Stephens?
Dick Sargent, the only one I remember watching

Hawkeye?
Alan Alda

Host of THE PRICE IS RIGHT?
Pass

Greg Ehrbar said...

@Mitch
Joan Alexander was the voice of Lois Lane for the Superman radio show, the Fleischer cartoon, and the 1966 Filmation Saturday morning cartoon (along with Bud Collyer, who also hosted To Tell the Truth)

Gary Crant said...

Who is your favorite Felix & Oscar?

Tony Randall and Jack Klugman, hands down.

James Bond?

Sean Connery

Superman?

No opinion

Batman? (Michael Keaton? Really?)

Michael Keaton. Really.

Lois Lane?

No opinion.

Sherlock Holmes?

Michael Caine in WITHOUT A CLUE.

Dr. Who?

No Opinion.

Darrin Stephens?

Dick York.

Hawkeye?

Alan Alda, duh.

Host of THE PRICE IS RIGHT?

Does it even need to be said? Bob motherfucking Barker.

D. McEwan said...

James Bond?
When Dr. No came out, after seeing it and being knocked out by it the day after my 13th birthday. (It was a SECOND feature! It totally upstaged the main feature: Day of the Triffids), I went out and bought the novel the next day. By the time From Russia With Love came out I had read all the Bond novels then in print. (The last two weren't out yet.) All my movie Bonds I hold against Fleming's character in the novels. So anyway, yes, Connery, followed by Daniel Craig. In order of preference after: Timothy Dalton, then George Lazenby. I couldn't stand Roger Moore's Bonds then or now. It's been literally 30 years since I last sat through a Moore Bond film, and as for Brosnan, I never saw any of his 4 pathetic Bond movies a second time.

Superman?
Having grown up with him, George Reeves was the template, but there were problems even as a kid: namely the fact that he played Clark and Supes the exact same way, so only low-grade morons could fail to realize they were the same person. And, of course, the cotton muscles. So yes, Christopher Reeve. I had the joy of meeting him in 1980, and he was a lovely warm man. There's a framed photo of Reeve and myself, with the caption "My Superman" printed right on it, on my living room wall. And a word for Kirk Alyn, who played Supes in the serials: sweet charming man. We were neighbors for a couple years, so I have a fondness for him.

Batman?
I do not have a favorite Batman. I'm a Superman guy.

Lois Lane?
Well, since I worked with Noel Neill, and knew her over decades, always finding her charming and a delight to be around, it has to be her. (A large photo of her and Reeves, signed by both of them, is also framed in my living room.)

Sherlock Holmes?
GIANT can of worms here. I started reading Doyle's Holmes stories when I was 10. I've made pilgrimages to Baker Street and to Dartmoor. A photo of me in a deerstalker I bought on Baker Street, standing by druidic standing stones on Dartmoor is - say it with me - framed in my living room. Basil Rathbone is an easy answer; he was perfect. But only the first two of his 14 Holmes movies were any good. The definitive Holmes for me was Jeremy Brett, and have his entire run on DVD. (And I saw Brett play Dracula live onstage from the front row.) I also love Benedict Cumberbatch's Holmes, and have his entire run on disc also. I HATED Robert Downey Jr.'s Holmes!

A better question is who is your favorite Watson? I love Nigel Bruce as a comic actor, but his Watson was a buffoon. It's impossible to believe he ever passed medical school. Give me Edward Hardwicke. He was the Watson in the books.

Dr. Who?
Tom Baker was my Doctor, but photos of me with Jon Pertwee and Sylvester McCoy are framed you know where. I deeply disliked Colin Baker's Doctor and the recent female one actually was so bad (Not just her, what Chibnall did to the show) that it got me to stop watching a show I'd loved since 1983. I hope Russell T. Davies returning to the reins will rescue and restore its greatness.

Darrin Stephens?
Well, Dick Sergeant, but that's because I knew him and he was a delightful man, who came and watched me perform. Frankly, I never watched Bewitched after the first season, so I've never even seen Dick's Darrin (I've never even seen a color episode), but I loved him personally, and he sure liked me.

Hawkeye?
I have no horse in this race.

Host of THE PRICE IS RIGHT?
Well, the last PIR host I ever saw was Bill Cullin. I never, never watch this orgy of consumerism worship. I didn't even see the episode where my sister won an upright player-piano.

D. McEwan said...

Reading the recent biography of Mike Nichols really turned me off to Walter Matthau. I had no idea of what a raving asshole he was, let alone how horrible he was to Art Carney.

I could never choose between Jack Lemmon and Tony Randall; I love both of them too much. Both were guests on Whittington's radio show while I was producing, and I found both men charming and warm and fun to talk with. And we all know how great they were.

Another character I'd put on the "Who's Your Favorite?" list would be Count Dracula. I have 8 different adaptations of Dracula on disc (And I reread the novel for the tenth or eleventh time just 6 months ago), so the list of Draculas is a long one, but my favorite is definitely Sir Christopher Lee. Lugosi doesn't even come in second. I bet you can guess where to find a framed photo of Chris Lee and I, right above the one with Sylvester McCoy. (They're grouped together on the wall because they were Saruman and Radagast, two of Tolkien's wizards.)

Bob Sassone said...

Felix and Oscar: That's easy: Randall and Klugman. Not even close.

Bond: Oh, it's Connery. (And as a side note, can I say that Lazenby is massively underrated?)

Superman: Christopher Reeve.

Batman: My first word was Batman, so it's Adam West.

Lois Lane: both Neill and Coates.

Sherlock Holmes: Cumberbatch. I never thought I'd choose someone other than Rathbone but Cumberbatch really brought something new to the role while keeping Holmes Holmes.

Dr. Who: Never watched it.

Darrin Stephens: I'll pick Dick York, especially since he was the first Darrin, when the show was still fresh, but the anti-Dick Sargent mob is silly. He was perfectly fine (and he was Darrin when they filmed an episode in my hometown!).

Hawkeye: Alda

Price is Right Host: Bill Cullen

Mike Bloodworth said...

You didn't ask this, but it is BATMAN related. Favorite Catwoman: Julie Newmar. Eartha Kitt was also good. She did that purr/growl that was very feline. And Lee Meriwether was hot.

M.B

D. McEwan said...

"N. Zakharenko said...
Lois Lane: I have trouble telling Noel Neill & Phyllis Coates apart.


Really? They are VERY different. They look nothing alike. Coates was a more believable reporter, and she had a scream that was incredible, so she got to scream a lot. Neill was more charming, and never screamed, and in the color episodes, became a redhead. Noel's Lois wasn't always very bright. Along with her utter inability to recognize a man she knew quite well whenever he took off his glasses, she also had a habit of going up to gangsters and announcing, "You're a crook! I'm going to write a story in The Daily Planet exposing your racket! Why are you pointing that gun at me?"

Also Neill's Lois was clearly hot for Supes. Coates was not. I've had the joy of meeting both of them.

"Anonymous Anonymous said...
After seeing an episode of THE SIMPSONS with David Hyde Pierce as himself playing Felix in a production of THE ODD COUPLE, I wonder what a FRASIER-cast inspired production would look like with Kelsey Grammar as Oscar."


I am certain Pierce would be a superb Felix. I can not conceive of Kelsey Grammar as Oscar. Really. Grammar play a slob? On what planet?

Dr. Who: Peter Cushing (the only one worth watching)

No! No, no, no, no, no!

Look, I LOVE Peter Cushing, and his photos are up in my home, but first off, the character he played, "Dr. Who," is not the character on the TV show. He played a HUMAN scientist actually named "Doctor Who." The character on the TV show is an alien who is thousands of years old, and whose name is a mystery. The show's title is a question: "Doctor Who?", indicating that no one knows his actual name. He is simply called "The Doctor." So Cushing has never played the role.

Secondly, Cushing's two Dr. Who movies are godawful childish embarrassments. And his performance, in "Doddery Absent-Minded Old Man" mode, is just bloody terrible. By no stretch of the imagination is Cushing's performance in those two dreadful movies superior to Jon Pertwee's Doctor, or Troughton's Doctor (Jeff Boice, I share your admiration for Troughton's Doctor), or Tom Baker's, or David Tennant's, or Matt Smith's. And the scripts in the revival series from 2004 on are vastly superior to the wretched children's crap Cushing had to play.

"Anonymous said...
I doubt that you meant to suggest the David Niven was the second to last actor to play the role."


Really. He wasn't even the second-to-last actor to play the role in that one movie, where every third person, even Woody Allen, was a "James Bond." (But Woody should win some sort of prize as the unlikeliest Bond villain ever. Hey, there's one: Favorite Bond Villain, or even just favorite Blofeld. My favorite Blofeld was Charles Grey, even though his movie, Diamonds Are Forever, sucked as badly as a Roger Moore Bond film. Grey was also a wonderful Mycroft Holmes.)

Clio said...

Who is your favorite Felix & Oscar? Tony Randall and Jack Klugman. That's the primary association I have with them. Matthau is the coach from Bad News Bears, and Lemmon is Some Like It Hot/The Apartment.

James Bond? that's a tough one. I think the one who was most singularly Bond, different from any other kind of action movie out there at the time, was Roger Moore. Pierce Brosnan always felt like a Moore knockoff, and the Daniel Craig movies were Jason Bourne wannabes.

Superman? Christopher Reeve.

Batman? (Michael Keaton? Really?)eh, probably Bale.

Lois Lane? duh, Margot Kidder.

Sherlock Holmes? William Gillette! It was so amazing to see him in the restored 1915 Holmes film, a few years back!

Dr. Who? Christopher Eccelston. He had the responsibility of bringing the franchise back to appeal to younger/more international audiences, and to sell them on Russell T Davies' different takes on the world/character. Plus, he just was having such fun - he had the joy that comes from knowing he was out of there after a year!

Darrin Stephens? Original all the way.

Hawkeye? Daniel Day Lewis

Host of THE PRICE IS RIGHT? I cannot be friends with anyone who doesn't pick Bob Barker

DwWashburn said...

Who is your favorite Felix & Oscar? Klugman and Randall
James Bond? Hate the series. I don't like war pictures and that's what Bond is
Superman? Christopher Reeve
Batman? Adam West
Lois Lane? Margot Kidder
Sherlock Holmes? Never seen any movie
Dr. Who? Never seen any movie
Darrin Stephens? Dick York
Hawkeye? Alan Alda
Host of THE PRICE IS RIGHT? No question BILL CULLEN

Jean said...

Felix and Oscar — Randall and Klugman.

James Bond — Pierce Brosnan

Batman — Adam West

Lois Lane – Phyllis Coates

Sherlock Holmes — Jeremy Brett with a nod to Basil Rathbone. He was great in that role but they updated it to World War II and that didn’t work for me

Doctor Who — old series Peter Davison, new series David Tennant

Darren Stevens — Dick Sargent.

Hawkeye Pierce — Alan Alda

Host of the price is right – Drew Carey.

Tim W. said...

I was never an Odd Couple fan, so have no favourite

When I was growing up, Roger Moore was James Bond to me, but now he seems so campy and wrong for the part. Now, it’s either Sean a Connery or Daniel Craig and no one else even comes close.

Similar to Bond, Christopher Reeve was my Superman for mOst of my life, but I actually think I like Henry Cavill better (although definitely NOT his Superman movies).

There’s only one Batman in my mind and that’s Christian Bale. No one else comes close. Definitely not Adam West, who was the only Batman I knew as a kid, and probably why I was never a big Batman fan.

Lois Lane? I never really liked Margot Kidder as Lois Lane, but no one else really encapsulated the role, either.

Never a big Sherlock Holmes fan, but Benedict Cumberbatch seemed like the best version to me

I only watched a bit of Dr Who, but while I’m not sure he’s my favourite, the only one that comes to mind for me is Tom Baker

Darrin Stephens? I think I liked the first one

Alan Alda will always be Hawkeye to me

I’ve seen maybe two episodes of The Price is Right and not for 40 years, so I didn’t even know there were different hosts

VHS Village (Formerly The Beta Barn) said...

I'm going to include who I think was the worst one too.

Felix & Oscar?
Never watched any version.

James Bond?
Timothy Dalton. Licence to Kill is still my favourite Bond movie.

Daniel Craig is the worst. He's a great actor in whatever else he does, but his Bond is unlikeable and unconvincing. It's not entirely his fault. With the exception of Casino Royale, he was saddled with shitty scripts.

Superman?
Christopher Reeve.

Worst Superman is Dean Cain. Awful actor, and awful human being in real life.

Batman? (Michael Keaton? Really?)
Yes, absolutely Michael Keaton.

Clooney and Bale tie for worst. Clooney at least had a terrible script and direction to blame. Bale's Batman has absolutely no mystery about him and he just roars and grunts his lines like a teenager with ADHD.

Lois Lane?
Margot Kidder.

Kate Bosworth was the worst ever. No matter who plays the character in the future, Bosworth will forever be the worst Lois Lane.

Sherlock Holmes?
Jeremy Brett.

Robert Downey Jr played a fun action hero, he just wasn't Sherlock Holmes.

Dr. Who?
Sylvester McCoy.

Everyone who's played it this century has been terrible.

Darrin Stephens?
Didn't watch it enough to care.

Hawkeye?
Never watched MASH.

Host of THE PRICE IS RIGHT?
Never watched.

Tim G said...

Catwoman. Julie Newmar. That voice, among other attributes.
Oh, and Thomas Lennon was a very good Felix.

Matt said...

I read all the Ian Fleming James Bond books. And while Daniel Craig is way too good looking to be Bond (as every other actor was, he was described as Hogy Carmichael) the stories are much closer to the original stories, Daniel Craig is the best Bond, but I give credit to the writers.

Mike McCann said...

Who is your favorite Felix & Oscar?
Randall and Klugman

James Bond?
Connery

Superman?
Reeves

Batman? (Michael Keaton? Really?)
Adam West

Lois Lane?
Margot Kidder

Darrin Stephens?
Dick York

Hawkeye?
Alan Alda

Host of THE PRICE IS RIGHT?
Bill Cullen

Pizzagod said...

I'll go with you on Felix and Oscar.

Bond? Like the Honeymooners being great in their era, I love Sean Connery, but... Daniel Craig-I really could see him as a cold hearted so and so, a weapon to be aimed.

Superman....I actually kind of like Brandon Routh in everything he did, great bad guy in Chuck. That being said, I'm a George Reeves man.

Batman. Let's agree to disagree. Voice? Kevin Conroy, followed by Diedrich Bader. Live action I really liked Keaton although I was livid when he was announced. So I was wrong.

Lois Lane. I liked Amy Adams.

Sherlock Holmes-Benedict Cumberbatch.

Dr. Who. Never have watched it.

Darrin. Dick York of course.

Hawkeye. Jeremy Renner.

Host of Price is Right-My God, I was a Bob Barker fan going back to Truth or Consequences!

Mike Chimeri said...

My favorite Felix & Oscar
Tony Randall & Jack Klugman

Favorite James Bond
Roger Moore

Favorite Superman
Danny Dark (I'm in the process watching all of the Hanna-Barbera Super Friends series on HBO Max)

Batman
Kevin Conroy (from previously watching Batman: The Animated Series)

Darrin Stephens
Dick York

Hawkeye
Alan Alda

Host of The Price is Right
Bob Barker!

I was just thinking of asking you a Friday Question about The Price is Right, and then you asked for our favorite host! I took a break from watching shows like Super Friends to get through a personal backlog of all the videos on Fremantle's Barker era YouTube channel where a contestant wins. I started on Sunday and might finish some time next week. The videos have been exclusive to between 1982 and '84. At the same time, I reacquainted myself my audio file collection of music cues from the Barker era, which I filled out last weekend thanks to Soundcloud playlists like this. Listening to them takes me back to my childhood and early adulthood. The showcase cue "Splendido" sometimes made me cry and it had that effect again last Thursday. It's sad and happy all at once thanks to bell-like synthesizer melody and swelling brass harmony. I'm Facebook friends with TPIR producer Roger Dobkowitz and I told him what happened. I finished my post to his timeline by saying, "Maybe it makes me cry now because I'm not a kid anymore. I turned 40 last November. TPIR was part of my youth and some of my 20s, but not so much since. The show helped shape who I am today. Bob, [original announcer] Johnny [Olson] (in reruns), and [subsequent announcer] Rod [Roddy] were big influences." Roger left a heartfelt reply on Monday: "Bob and I are very proud that many, like you, consider us a big part of their lives when they were growing up." I responded: "I'm proud that you and Bob are proud. Thank you both very much. (heart emoji)"

As for Drew Carey, I was a loyal viewer for his first three seasons. Then, executive meddler Mike Richards fired Rich Fields and the rest of the Barker era holdovers. I eventually grew to tolerate George Gray as announcer, but I have not watched game shows much in the last few years, and even less of Price (another shorthand for the show). It seems to be a requirement that all contestants outside of Jeopardy! be overly enthusiastic. I'm willing to watch an episode here and there, especially after consulting the all-time episode guide, but I have enough on my viewing plate already, not to mention work, errands, and a social life.

Now, I'm going to cook my dinner and watch some more mid '80s Price is Right.

Keith R.A. DeCandido said...

Quoth Ben Scripps: "Batman? Does someone have a scorecard I could consult? I can't remember all 19 different actors who played the role."

Ask and ye shall receive:

Lewis Wilson (the 1943 Batman movie serial)
Robert Lowery (the 1949 Batman and Robin movie serial)
Adam West (the 1966 Batman TV series and movie and the Legends of the Superheroes TV special)
Michael Keaton (the 1989 Batman movie, Batman Returns, and the upcoming The Flash)
Val Kilmer (Batman Forever)
George Clooney (Batman and Robin)
Christian Bale (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises)
David Mazouz (Gotham, technically only played Bruce Wayne as a boy; Mikhail Mudrik played him as an adult in the Bat-suit in the finale)
Ben Affleck (Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League)
Ian Glen (Titans)
Kevin Conroy (the definitive Bat-voice on Batman: The Animated Series and also on Batwoman)
Warren Christie (Batwoman)
Robert Pattinson (The Batman)

There are also tons of people who've done the voice of Batman, besides Conroy -- who, I maintain, is the definitive Batman -- including West and Olan Soule in various animated series in the 1970s and 1980s, Jason O'Mara in most of the recent direct-to-DVD animated films, Rino Romano in The Batman, Diedrich Bader in Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Will Arnett in the various LEGO movies, and Anthony Ruivivar in Beware the Batman.

E. Yarber said...

Small World Department: The first actor to play Batman, Lewis Wilson, is the father of Michael G. Wilson, who has been one of the executive producers of the James Bond series since the late 70s.

JS said...

Batman = Adam West - I like Camp.

Odd Couple - Klugman and Randall.

Price is Right - Barker - he is pretty funny in re-runs - very sarcastic. Carey looks like he is sedated, although I respect the fact he has to know about 20 games.

Glenn said...

Felix & Oscar: Matthau & Lemon (Ken, to be fair, I saw Nathan Lane as Oscar and he at least had energy and nailed every joke. The real disappointment with that show was Mattthew Broderick. As Felix, he was more wooden than Pinocchio.)

James Bond: Daniel Craig

Superman: Christopher Reeve

Batman: Christian Bale (but Michael Keaton was pretty good, Ken)

Lois Lane: Margot Kidder (a chain-smoking Lois all the way)

Sherlock Holmes: Benedict Cumberbatch

Hawkeye: Alan Alda

Host of THE PRICE IS RIGHT: Bob Barker (sorry to all the dogs of the world)

kent said...

All of the standard baby boomer answers except for Holmes, Benedict Cumberbatch.

Covarr said...

James Bond?
I haven't seen enough Bond movies to make a fair judgment, but I really liked Pierce Brosnan. I didn't particularly like the films he was in, but that was a writing problem, not an acting problem; he was great.

Superman?
Nobody else would pick this him for this, but Patrick Warburton. He was great in The Adventures of Seinfeld and Superman, two shorts which were basically just glorified credit card ads but were nonetheless entertaining. That said... he's my FAVORITE, but I don't think he was the BEST. For that, I'd go with George Newbern, who took the role in the animated Justice League when Tim Daly didn't reprise it from Superman: The Animated Series.

Superman Returns was an utter trainwreck of a movie, but I don't blame Brandom Routh for it. All things considered I think Brandon Routh did as well as anyone could have in that one.

Batman?
Kevin Conroy. Easily. I'd wager just about anyone who has watched Batman: The Animated Series would likely say the same. If we're talking live action, though? I have not forgiven Tim Burton/Sam Hamm/Warren Skaaren for making the Joker into a generic thug mobster, but strictly by acting I far preferred Michael Keaton's performance to others. Put Keaton in Christopher Nolan's films and I'll be the happiest camper there is.

But seriously, none of them hold a candle to Conroy.

Lois Lane?
It's a toss-up for me between Margot Kidder and Dana Delaney (another animated portrayal). They both had very different writing to work with, but they each did excellently with the type of Lois they were respectively going for.

And yeah, I know, that's a lot of '90s cartoons. The funny part is, I didn't even watch them until the 2010s, a solid 20 years after they aired. This ain't childhood nostalgia, even though on paper I'm the right age for it. But these cartoons all had one person in common: Andrea Romano. Everything she has cast or directed has had some of the best voice acting I've ever heard. Her track record is unmatched by basically anyone, and in my opinion, she was absolutely vital to the quality and success of '90s/early '00s DC cartoons.

Sherlock Holmes?
This is gonna sound weird, but when I was a freshman in high school, a local community theatre did a performance at my school of a Sherlock Holmes play. I don't remember the name of the actor, but I do know I've yet to see a Holmes on screen or stage surpass his performance.

Darrin Stephens?
Dick York, easily. Dick Sargent's Darrin seemed perpetually angry, and he played the character with such vitriol as to make him entirely unlikable. York's Darrin could be a jerk at times, but not once did I ever question "What could possibly see in him?"

Hawkeye?
It's hard to compare the movie and the show because they were so different, but I think I'd have to go with Alan Alda. I don't think he would've worked in the movie, but for the material he had he was basically perfect; I can't imagine anyone (including Donald Sutherland) doing half as well in the show.

Host of THE PRICE IS RIGHT?
Well, I've only seen Barker and Carey. I think Barker did better in general, but he also made me uncomfortable at times. Carey does okay, but not half as well as he did on Whose Line, which was clearly a better fit for him. (As an aside, when Aisha Tyler began hosting Whose Line, I thought she did an awful job, with a lot of forced jokes that didn't really land, but as she's become more comfortable with it she's improved SUBSTANTIALLY. She's doing really well at it now.)

D. McEwan said...

"Clio said...
Sherlock Holmes? William Gillette! It was so amazing to see him in the restored 1915 Holmes film, a few years back!"


Amazing it was, and massively disappointing. Gillette's movie was terrible, and Gillette plays Holmes as a very old man. How can that be ANYONE'S favorite Holmes? Maybe he was good onstage 20 or 30 years earlier (Though even onstage he was saddled with his own terrible script for his Holmes play; it's a lousy play), but he was bad in what is a dreadful movie. Gillette isn't even the best silent Sherlock Holmes. That would be John Barrymore. I'm not nuts about Barrymore's Holmes movie itself, but he's a pretty damn good Sherlock. It made me wish he'd made a Holmes talkie. (Also, the Gillette movie gives onscreen titles to the "Chapters" in the movie. The final chapter is titled "The Triumph of Sherlock Holmes." Way to preserve the suspense!)

"Dr. Who? Christopher Eccelston... Plus, he just was having such fun - he had the joy that comes from knowing he was out of there after a year!

Eccleston made a good Doctor, but he was NOT having any "fun." It was not the plan to have him regenerate at the end of one season. He was supposed to do at least three seasons. But once he got shooting it, Eccleston found that he HATED doing the show, which turned out to be a LOT more work than he had anticipated. So he QUIT! Russell T. Davies tells in his book on doing the show how shocked and angry he was when Eccleston demanded to be let out of his contract, and they basically had to recast and start all over again. Fortunately, David Tennant, who is whom they'd wanted in the first place, but who had not been available when they were first casting the revival, had become available. And good as Eccleston was, Tennant was definitely better, and turned it from being merely a successful revival into a world-wide hit in 90 countries.

They could have held Eccleston to his contract and made him do three seasons, but Davies knew that having a Doctor who HATED being there would drain the joy out of the show for everyone, even the audience, so they let him out of his contract. Well, that cheered him up.

benson said...

I pretty much agree with everyone's choice...so some side comments...

Bud Collyer and Olan Soule were two of the most physically unimposing people, but put them behind a microphone and they were The Man Of Steel.

I know I'm the only one on here who thinks this, but I prefer season one of the Odd Couple. Yes, there were classic episodes in season two and three but as a body of work, I liked season 1 best. Seasons four and five relied too much on stunt casting. Howard Cosell, Dick Clark, Monte Hall, Leonard Barr.

Favorite Jeopardy host...yes, Trebek, but....Art Fleming was pretty damn good, as was Dan Patrick on Sports Jeopardy. (And I believe, at one point was offered Trebek's gig after he would step down.)

kent said...

As for Sutherland and Alda, each was right for their medium. Alda's Hawkeye was too light and playful for the movie and Sutherland to dark for a weekly sitcom.

Sogn said...

Who is your favorite Felix & Oscar?
Randall & Klugman.

James Bond?
I've only seen Connery and Moore; prefer Connery.

Superman?
George Reeves - sentimental choice, VERY narrowly over Christopher Reeve, who obviously looks the part more than George.

Batman? (Michael Keaton? Really?)
Michael Keaton.. There, I said it.

Lois Lane?
Phyllis Coates.

Sherlock Holmes?
no opinion - I've only seen Benedict Cumberbatch.

Dr. Who?
I've only seen, I think, four; I'll go with Eccleston.

Darrin Stephens?
Dick York, although his voice is sometimes insufferable.

Hawkeye?
Alan Alda.

Host of THE PRICE IS RIGHT?
no opinion - I've only seen Barker.

John in NW Ohio said...

Bob Bailey is my favorite Johnny Dollar.

Barry Traylor said...

Sherlock Holmes? Basil Rathbone

Chris said...

Felix & Oscar?
Randall & Klugman

James Bond?
Daniel Craig

Superman?
Christopher Reeve

Batman? (Michael Keaton? Really?)
Christian Bale

Lois Lane?
Noel Neill

Sherlock Holmes?
Data on Star Trek: The Next Generation, when he's in the holodeck.

Dr. Who?
Never watched it.

Darrin Stephens?
Dick York of course!

Hawkeye?
Alan Alda.

Host of THE PRICE IS RIGHT?
The one and only Bob Barker!

Anonymous said...

Phyllis Coates as Lois Lane with Erica Durance as close second. They both showed the spunk (I like spunk) that Noel Neill didn’t have. And they both have sex appeal, despite the outfits they had Phyllis Coates wear.

Hank Gillette said...

Superman: Has to be Christopher Reeve. He actually made me see how people could not recognize Clark Kent and Superman as the same person. I actually like Brandon Routh as Superman, but his one movie did not do him any favors, making Superman into a peeping Tom. Both of them have the open, friendly look that Superman needs to have. I’ll never warm up to Henry Cavill. He just looks to mean to be Superman.

Batman: Kevin Conroy. Live action Batman: Ben Affleck, although I don’t think any of the actors truly capture the character. Michael Keaton was horrible, in my opinion.

Lois Lane: Dana Delany. She would have been great as a live action Lois as well and is eight years younger than Margo Kidder.

Craig M said...

Not among the questions, but can we all agree there is only one Trapper John? Pernell Roberts. (Um, perhaps not.)

Leighton said...

May I interrupt the voting? Has anyone here had a TV show pretty much ruined by the performance of a supporting character? Just curious. I am currently watching an Apple+ series - it's entertaining. But the vocal performance by one actor is making it excruciating to watch. It's not the character - more than anything else, it is the WAY this actor is performing. Using a "precious," "sing-song," lilting voice. It's weird. It's unnatural. It distracts. Listen, I am able to tolerate "Karen Walker" on "Will & Grace" without a problem, but her voice makes sense. (Watch the original pilot, when Megan Mullally uses her actual voice - not as effective.)

Regardless, I just don't get this actor's choice. People don't talk like that, unless they're reading stories to children in kindergarten. Yeah, I've actually cursed while watching it. I am not alone. My roommate walked into the room the other day - I was on the phone, but with the show in the background. After two minutes, he asked, "WHY is that guy talking like he's on Sesame Street?"

(And this has nothing to do with gender, or sexual identification.)

Anonymous said...

Michael Keaton is the highlight of this Flashpoint movie that they will eventually put in theaters, the only reason anyone will watch the movie.

Best Watson Ben Kingsley.

Necco said...

"Superman" (1978) is the only film that I've sat through twice, in the theater. I had the soundtrack album. I was enthralled, and I'd never really paid attention to "super heroes" prior to that.

And to think, the producers wanted Robert Redford. And also, what if Spielberg had directed, as could have happened...

Mike said...

Felix and Oscar: Randall/Klugman. Lemmon and Matthau are perfectly good, but Randall is really special in the role. Wouldn’t Kelsey Grammer make a good Felix, too?

James Bond: I have a soft spot for Brosnan. I wish he had had better scripts (though Goldeneye was very good).

Batman: Michael Keaton. His Batman had some nuance - something that the recent characterizations don’t have.

Lois Lane: Margot Kidder. I could listen to that raspy voice all day.

Darrin Stephens: Dick York. Dick Sargent’s Darrin was mean and sarcastic and had no romantic chemistry with Samantha.

Host of Price is Right: Bob Barker, during his first decade, before he got cranky. The host of TPIR should have panache, which Drew Carey does NOT have. Hire Wayne Brady - he’d be very good. Tom Kennedy, btw, was perfectly fine as host. Dennis James seemed too much like a used car salesman.

Roger Owen Green said...

Who is your favorite Felix & Oscar? Randall/Klugman

James Bond? Connery

Superman? Chris Reeve, who btw, would have been 70 this September

Batman? (Michael Keaton? Really?) Yes, really

Lois Lane? Noel Neill

Sherlock Holmes? Jonny Lee Miller

Dr. Who? Baker

Darrin Stephens? York

Hawkeye? Alda, though they really are not comparable

Host of THE PRICE IS RIGHT? Bob Barker

N. Zakharenko said...

D.McEwan

I had a similar experience to you.

I saw Day Of The Triffids (1963) on Saturday night TV - Monday morning recess I borrowed the book from the school library.

My most memorable scene in the movie is the man with the tin of paint (which is also in the book)

You saw a great double bill.

Oscar Solis said...

Felix & Oscar -Jack Lemmon & Walter Matthau

James Bond – Not enough of a fan

Superman - Christopher Reeve, followed by George Reeves and Brandon Routh (that airplane rescue scene is fantastic)

Batman - Michael Keaton, but Adam West is closing in fast (maybe I'm tired of all that darkness)

Lois Lane - Margot Kidder.

Sherlock Holmes - Jeremy Brett.

Dr. Who – Only seen bits and pieces

Darrin Stephens –Dick York

Hawkeye - Alan Alda

Host of THE PRICE IS RIGHT - Never cared for the show

And, since D. McEwan brought up Dracula, – Frank Langella. Nothing like the book but he makes a good Count and the movie is creepy as hell. The DVD always gets a spin around Hallowe’en.

Todd Everett said...

James Bond?
It'll always be Sean Connery, but Timothy Dalton is probably the most Bond-like. I'm talking about the actors, not considering the increasingly ludicrous scripts

Superman?
Christopher Reeve

Batman?
Adam West

Lois Lane?
Margot Kidder

Sherlock Holmes?
Basil Rathbone

Dr. Who?
Tom Baker

Unknown said...

Who is your favorite Felix & Oscar? Tony Randall and Walter Matheau. However, could you imagine Felix played by Joe Bresser and Oscar played by William Frawley. I would like to hear other readers weird acting combos in famous movies.

James Bond? I have lost interest in all the 007 movies and the actors who played James Bond. Let's say Woody Allen as Jimmy Bond.

Superman? Henry Cavill... yes ... without a doubt.

Batman? (Michael Keaton? Really?) Ben Affleck. I thought he knocked it out of the park.

Lois Lane? Noel Neill.

Sherlock Holmes? Good ol' Rasil Bathbone

Dr. Who? Tom Baker... who else.

Darrin Stephens? Dick York.. Who else could portray the nightmare in hell of being Endora's in-law. Wasn't the final episode where Darrin burned Endora at the stake?

Hawkeye? Donald Sutherland

Host of THE PRICE IS RIGHT? Bob Barker

Extra added bonus... favorite TV President Tie - David Palmer of 24 & Jed Bartlet of The West Wing,

tavm said...

Let me answer some of the other questions:

Superman? Christopher Reeve though I've yet to watch Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (Heard it was cheezy)

Batman? Michael Keaton though I've yet to watch Batman Returns

Lois Lane? Margot Kidder (It's a shame how she was demoted in screentime in Superman III)

Felix and Oscar? I'll give it to Matthau and Lemmon even though I also love Randall and Klugman. I'm mainly basing it on the fact that the movie Odd Couple are doing Neil Simon's script and the first TV duo are doing Garry Marshall and Jerry Belson's adaptations

Hawkeye? I'll give it to Donald Sutherland as he's doing the version based on the novel (which I've yet to read)

Sherlock Holmes? I'll give it to the recent TV version that took place in present time and aired on CBS with Lucy Liu as Watson

Doctor Who? Never watched an ep

Darren Stevens? Dick York (too bad his long-ago injury eventually caused him to leave the show) Dick Sargent did not seem a good replacement in the role, mainly because he didn't have the comic talent of being befuddled to the point of hilarious madness.

Host of "The Price is Right"? Bob Barker before he closed his show by saying "Protect the pet population, have your pet spayed and neutered". Can't believe Drew Carey now ends the show that way!

Spike de Beauvoir said...

FQ:

What are three of your favorite classic Looney Tunes cartoons?

And bonus question, what are your three favorite gags from Looney Tunes?

D, McEwan said...

"Roger Owen Green said...
Dr. Who? Baker"


Which "Baker"? Tom Baker (The best) or Colin Baker (the worst)?

"N. Zakharenko said...
D.McEwan
I saw Day Of The Triffids (1963) on Saturday night TV - Monday morning recess I borrowed the book from the school library.

You saw a great double bill.
"

It was a lop-sided double bill, with one movie vastly better than the other one, but yes, I got my 35 cents worth of entertainment. I was and remain massively disappointed by the 1963 movie of Day of the Triffids. I'd been waiting for months to see it, whereas I'd never heard of James Bond or Dr. No before seeing the movie. I had read the novel Day of the Triffids well in advance of the film's release. It is, as you know, a terrific book. I went on to read all of John Wyndham's other novels. These days, I most of Wyndham's novels and short stories on my shelves, with the jewel in the collection being my hardcover first edition of Day of the Triffids.

The 1963 movie is just awful, though I do love its triffids. Terrible script. They really did not trust the novel, and just threw it out. And the movie's ending is just plain stupid. Howard Keel looks embarrassed throughout. In the 1980s, it was remade as a British TV mini-series that actually follows the book quite closely, and is very good. Much more recently, it was remade again as a mini-series with, I kid you not, Eddie Izzard and Vanessa Redgrave. That version strayed from the book, but not nearly as far as the Howard Keel movie, and is actually pretty good.

BTW, there is a sequel to the novel, written by another novelist, predictably called Night of the Triffids. It's actually quite good. Takes place 20 years after the original novel, with the protagonist being the now-grown son of the novel's main characters. In the book he travels to New York City, which is being run (I'm serious) by the triffids, which are, as they are in the first novel, intelligent and sentient. It introduces a race of uber-Triffids, who are much larger and more intelligent than run-of-the-mill triffids. I know it sounds insane, but the book actually works very well. If you loved the original novel, you should like the sequel.

" Unknown said...
Could you imagine Felix played by Joe Besser"


Just the thought of Joe Besser as Felix is making me laugh.

Joyce Melton said...

Felix and Oscar - Klugman and Randall - I read somewhere that Matthau wanted to play Felix onstage, since it was his opinion he could phone in the part of Oscar. Hmm. Carney would have been terrific as Oscar.

James Bond - well, the first Bond movie I saw was On Her Majestie... so, George Lazenby. But everyone else did a good job. Even Roger Moore who played the Bond they gave him, not his fault the character was a simp.

Superman - Christopher Reeve, he just was Superman and Clark Kent too.

Lois Lane - Noel Neill, partly because I met her several times and she was a delight, but she did a great job of playing Lois in a sitcom. Phyllis Coates made probably the best incarnation of Lois from the Superman comics. Neill was more Lois from her own comic.

Batman - Michael Keaton nailed it. Others have done well but you asked for favorite, not best.

Hawkeye - Alan Alda

Sherlock Holmes - Benedict Cumberbatch

Doctor Who - David Tennant

Darren Stevens - Dick York - Sargent gave it a good try but he never managed to be more than a placeholder

Calvin Rydbom said...




Randall and Klugman

Connery

Believe it or not, I enjoy Dean Cain

Michael Keaton, who gets points being a great Bruce Wayne

Noel Neill

Basil Rathbone

Tom Baker

Dick York

Alan Alda

Host of THE PRICE IS RIGHT? No Opinion Really

Anonymous said...

Sean Connery
George Reeves
Noel Neill
Basil Rathbone (but Jonny Lee Miller a close 2nd)
Bob Barker

Adn you didn't ask, but:

Clayton Moore
Guy Williams
Errol Flynn
Gordon Scott
Peter Sellers

-30-

Andrew said...

"After seeing an episode of THE SIMPSONS with David Hyde Pierce as himself playing Felix in a production of THE ODD COUPLE, I wonder what a FRASIER-cast inspired production would look like with Kelsey Grammar as Oscar."

It never really occurred to me until now, but Frasier really did have an Odd Couple component. Martin wasn't really unclean, but he was unsophisticated, blue collar, and down to earth. Frasier, of course, was a cultured and arrogant snob. Martin's chair alone was a constant Odd Couple routine.

One of my favorite stories about the cast is that John Mahoney was the true opera lover, and he helped Kelsey and David understand that world. (That's what I remember hearing anyway.)

-bee said...

>Felix & Oscar?
They are all good in their own way. You are right about Randall being Felix and Lemmon playing Felix but I appreciate all the detail in Lemmon's performance and I believe him as the character.

>James Bond?
I see someone else said the same thing - I have never seen an entire Bond film in my life. I have a feeling I would like Daniel Craig best but that's just a guess.

>Superman?
I have not seem a Superman film since the Chris Reeve era and he was just wonderful

>Batman? (Michael Keaton? Really?)
I have not seen a Batman film since the Michael Keaton one. Well he's better than George Reeve in my opinion.

>Lois Lane?
No opinion

>Sherlock Holmes?
I have liked most actors I've seen in this part and they're all good in a different way: Basil Rathbone, Benedict Cumberbatch (sp?), Robert Downey, Robert Stephens. I could never get into the Jeremy Brett series but that had nothing to do with him.

>Dr. Who?
Who? Never seen it ("I don't know's on third")

>Darrin Stephens?
Disliked them both. I liked Bewitched a lot as a kid but even then in the 60's I found his domineering attitude towards his wonderful wife galling. If memory serves, Elizabeth Montgomory's husband was the producer of the show and I think he intentionally picked male leads that would have no chemistry with his wife. Maybe a more charming, charismatic actor could have sold the part better.

>Hawkeye?
Alda all the way. I didn't see the movie till many years after the TV series was off the air. This is my favorite TV series of all time yet I HATED the movie. So mean spirited and nasty. I have liked a lot of Robert Altman movies but not that one.

>Host of THE PRICE IS RIGHT? Game shows are not my thing

D. McEwan said...

"Anonymous said...
Adn [sic] you didn't ask, but:
...
Peter Sellers"


Peter Sellers as who? Clouseau? James Bond? Fu Manchu? President Mervin Muffley? Claire Quilty? The White Rabbit? Half the population of Grand Fenwick? Who? Please be a tad more specific, as my mind-reading abilities are fading with age.

Tim W. said...

I find it interesting how many simply picked the actor they grew up with. I think it says a lot about the person. I’ve never been a “good ol’ days” person who thinks everything was better when they were young. I don’t listen to much older music, either. Most of the music I listen to was made within the last 10 years. Guess I’m not big on nostalgia.

D. McEwan said...

-bee said...
>Batman? (Michael Keaton? Really?)
I have not seen a Batman film since the Michael Keaton one. Well he's better than George Reeve[s] in my opinion."


George ReeveS never played Batman, ever, so yes, Keaton was better in the part, since you can always be better than someone who hasn't played it. Oh, and there are two Keaton Batman films, not just one.

"I could never get into the Jeremy Brett series but that had nothing to do with him."

Why not? It was the most faithful-to-the-original-stories treatment of Holmes ever, before or since. It was the Holmes adaptation I'd dreamed of ever since I first read the stories back when I was 10 and 11. (I've read Doyle's entire Holmes output, 4 novels and 56 short stories, multiple times over the whole of my life.) They really did the tales as Doyle wrote them, at least until late in the series, when they started inflating short stories into two-hour semi-original movies, and then Brett's eventually-fatal illness made them write Holmes out of some of his own adventures, and have Mycroft sleuthing instead. But the first three-quarters of the Brett Holmes series were the best Sherlock Holmes adaptations ever done.

D. McEwan said...

Answers I bet no one gives:

Favorite Bilko: Steve Martin.
Favorite Clouseau: Steve Martin.

I mean, what was Martin thinking? He was a GREAT original comic back in his prime, so why did he start trying to play other comics' classic characters? There was simply no way he could be good in them, nor compete with our infinitely-renewable memories of Phil Silvers and Peter Sellers. After he did those two movies, the joke I began using was that his next role would be the Little Tramp in a remake of City Lights.

And he played Clouseau BEFORE Clouseau became an inspector, an origin story, in other words, as YOUNGER than Peter Sellers was in the first, ORIGINAL, The Pink Panther. Martin was just hitting 60 years old when he made that movie. Again, what was he thinking? Did he think that facelift that has left him looking Chinese for rather a long time now would actually enable him to pass for 25 at 59? He could play Fu Manchu now, without racial make-up.

RichRocker said...

I am probably late to the party but here are my answers:

Who is your favorite Felix & Oscar?
Tony Randall & Jack Klugman
(probably because I knew the series before I ever saw the movie)

James Bond?
Sean Connery (he set the standard)
Daniel Craig is a close second.

Superman?
Christopher Reeve
(though I still have a fondness for George Reeves)

Batman? (Michael Keaton? Really?)
No contest: Adam West hands down (with Burt Ward by his side).

Lois Lane?
Also no contest: Margot Kidder. "Can you read my mind?" Wow. Just wow.

Sherlock Holmes?
Another no contest: Basil Rathbone (with Nigel Bruce)

Dr. Who?
Who? Have never really watched the show.

Darrin Stephens?
I liked both Dick York & Dick Sargent in the role even though they played it differently. If you make me choose then I would go with Sargent. York was a little too over the top for me.

Hawkeye?
Alan Alda. I disliked the movie. Tried to like it several times through multiple viewings but could not.

Host of THE PRICE IS RIGHT?
I could say Bill Cullen but most people would say "Who?" so I will go with Bob Barker.

RichRocker said...

D. McEwan,

I agree with you but do you want to know something sadder? Most of the audience who saw those Steve Martin movies 1) were not aware there had been earlier versions of The Pink Panther, and 2) had never heard of Peter Sellers.

VincentS said...

Felix and Oscar - Randall and Klugman
James Bond - Sean Connery
Superman - Christopher Reeve
Batman - Christopher Nolan
Lois Lane - Phyllis Coates (a sexier women never lived)
Sherlock Holmes - Jeremy Brett
Dr. Who - None (never watched it)
Darrin Stevens - None. They were both good.
Hawkeye - Doald Southerland
Host of THE PRICE IS RIGHT - Bob Barker (come on!)

Matt Maerten said...

Felix & Oscar - Randall & Klugman
James Bond - Sean Connery
Superman - Christopher Reeve
Batman - Kevin Conroy
Lois Lane - Dana Delany
Sherlock Holmes - Jeremy Brett
Dr. Who - David Tennant
Darrin Stevens - Dick York
Hawkeye - Alan Alda
The Price is Right - Bill Cullen

Michael Dorsey said...

Sadly, if you ask most people under 40 for their favorite Hawkeye, most people will say Jeremy Renner.

DBenson said...

Who is your favorite Felix & Oscar?
-- Randall and Klugman, for the familiarity.

James Bond?
-- Connery. I remember seeing some of his in theaters as a mere tad, and I took the movies as a preview of a cool adult world with really swell toys. Moore was fun, but couldn't pull off the cold-blooded stuff. It was either unbelievable or mean-spirited, while Connery sold it as something scary that he had to deal with.

Superman?
-- Christopher Reeve in a dead heat with Dean Cain, counting the first three movies and the first two seasons. George Reeves (like both his Lois Lanes) came across as a benign, always-right adult authority figure, a favorite grade school teacher who never got mad. I think exactly once Lois had a date, and Clark brushed off Perry White's optimistic assumption of jealousy.

Batman?
-- Kevin Conroy. "Batman the Animated Series" and its follow-ups through "Justice League Unlimited" are the definitive DC universe for me, with everything the cartoons of my boomer childhood never delivered. You will believe superheroes have sex lives off camera.

Lois Lane?
-- Margot Kidder, brilliantly playing off Christopher Reeve's decent Clark Kent.

Sherlock Holmes?
-- Basil Rathbone for classic; Jeremy Brett for literary. Honorable mentions to Benedict Cumberbatch, Peter Cushing (the Hound movie), Robert Stephens, and Nicol Williamson. Some kind of award to Michael Caine for his hilarious mock-Holmes in "Without a Clue".

Dr. Who?
-- Tom Baker, the only one I've seen more than a clip of. I did like Peter Cushing in the gloriously silly "Doctor Who and the Dalaks", but that's not a real Doctor Who.

Darrin Stephens?
-- Dick York. He looked decidedly odd for a romcom leading man, which gave me hope.

Hawkeye?
-- Alda, for familiarity. Also, he and the rest of the TV cast had years to develop the characters.

Host of THE PRICE IS RIGHT?
-- Never watched it. Writing in Stubby Kaye for "Shenanigans".

Spike de Beauvoir said...

Who is your favorite Felix & Oscar?

Walter Matthau and Jack Lemon, though both characters are sometimes so extreme they're not that humorous, and Lemmon's Felix moaning about his wife is kind of a drip. But there are some great scenes and the poker guys add a lot to the comedy. I think the best Matthau/Lemmon movie is their first one, The Fortune Cookie.

I've tried watching some of the Klugman/Randall Odd Couple. I like the New York setting and story ideas but the episodes seemed too drawn out and not that crisply written. Nice to see Albert Brooks in a few. I loved Tony Randall in all three Doris Day/Rock Hudson movies and in Will Success Spoil Rock Have enter?

James Bond?
I've only seen the ones with Sean Connery and I like him.

Superman?
George Reeves. He seemed like a great sport in Lucy and Superman and supposedly was a good role model for kids

Batman? (Michael Keaton? Really?)
Adam West

Lois Lane?
Joan Alexander, voice of Lois Lane in the Fleischer series.

Sherlock Holmes?
Daffy Duck as Dorlock Homes in Deduce, You Say! Runner up is the MAD magazine parody, I think it was drawn by Bill Elder. But I also like Basil Rathbone in the movies.

Dr. Who?
Never watched it

Darrin Stephens?
Dick York was a great comic actor and a good foil for Endora without being too mean about it (Endora was a force especially in the early seasons and Darrin respected that). He was also good in the subplots with Larry Tate and his wife and worked well in the ensemble shows. And he was nice to Aunt Clara!

Hawkeye?
Alan Alda

Host of THE PRICE IS RIGHT?

Haven't watched since I was a kid, though Drew Carey was a great comic on his own show and not sure why he'd to a game show. Anyway I'm a Password fan, loved Allan Lunt.

-bee said...

You were right to call me out, D. McEwan I blame sleep deprivation.

Yes, I was confusing Batman and Superman. I did grow up with Adam West's Batman which I watched like all the other kids I knew at the time. I also totally forgot I saw The Dark Knight and so saw Christian Bale as Batman. Still prefer Michael Keaton, mostly because I liked Batman Returns quite a bit and a serious/humorous approach to the character.

As for the Sherlock Holmes series with Jeremy Brett, its a long time ago, I don't remember why it didn't click with me. But as someone who never got into the books, whether the movie/tv shows are faithful to them really doesn't matter to me but I absolutely appreciate why it matters to those who love them.

VHS Village (Formerly The Beta Barn) said...

VincentS

You mean Christian Bale. Christopher Nolan was the director.

Mike Doran said...

The late Marvin Kaye (1938-2021), who had a claim on being one of the most expert Holmesians in the USA, once wrote about Jeremy Brett's portrayal of Sherlock Holmes:
" ... an outrage and an abomination ..."
I can't find anything more definite that he might have written on the subject (anybody who can fill it in, please feel free to do so).
On the other hand, the late William DeAndrea (1952-1996) once wrote that he didn't get Brett's Holmes portrayl until he realized that Brett :
" ... was playing Holmes as a coke-head ..."
I have no idea if these views are connected, directly or indirectly, but I thought it was interesting ...

Rich Shealer said...

Who is your favorite Felix & Oscar?
Jack Klugman & Tony Randall

James Bond?
Sean Connery

Superman?
Christopher Reeve

Batman? (Michael Keaton? Really?)
No preference

Lois Lane?
Phyllis Coates

Sherlock Holmes?
Basil Rathbone

Dr. Who?
Jon Pertwee / David Tennant (I really like all the Doctors in their own way)

Darrin Stephens?
Dick York

Hawkeye?
Alan Alda

Host of THE PRICE IS RIGHT?
Bob Barker

John said...

Who is your favorite Felix & Oscar?
Tony Randall and Walter Matthau

James Bond?
Timothy Dalton doesn't get much love but I thought he was just right for Bond. His movies weren't among the best, but he was terrific. Daniel Craig was excellent and his movies were fabulous. Connery was iconic.

Superman?
Christopher Reeve. This baby boomer was only 21 when Superman: The Movie opened. Reeve was perfect for the part.

Batman? (Michael Keaton? Really?)
Christian Bale

Lois Lane?
No one has gotten Lois Lane right yet. (Phyllis Coates's Lois, what a witch.)

Darrin Stephens?
Dick Sargent played it too cranky. Dick York was better, but he was a mismatch with the goddess Elizabeth Montgomery. Whatever Samantha saw in Darrin, it was not observable with the naked eye.

Hawkeye?
Tie.

Sean R. said...

In order: For the record, I am 45.
Matthau and Lemon
Connery
Christopher Reaves
Pattinson (I am just as surprised as you are.)
Meh. I grew up with Margot Kidder, and really despise Amy Adam's version
Cumberbatch
4th Doctor Tom Baker
Dick. I honestly don't have an opinion here.
Alda
And is this a real question? Bob Barker.

Roger Owen Green said...

Dr. Who - TOM Baker (I watched it infrequently enough that I didn't know there WAS another Baker)

And someone mentioned PASSWORD. The host was not Allan Lunt, but Allan Ludden, the great love of Betty White's life. Allen Funt hosted CANDID CAMERA.

CarolMR said...

I agree with Benson - I also prefer the first season of The Odd Couple. Jeremy Brett for the best Sherlock Holmes.

Spike de Beauvoir said...

I did mean Allan Ludden, thanks for correcting. 90s here and no a/c, I'm a bit addled from heat. And Lou Grant said, "Allan Ludden KNOWS."

Kirk said...

It's not Billy Wilder's most well-known movie, but did anyone see 1970's The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes? I thought Robert Stephens made an excellent Holmes (if someone already mentioned it, I apologize for not noticing it as I scrolled down.)

YEKIMI said...

Who is your favorite Felix & Oscar? Tony Randall. My favorite Oscar is a toss up between Klugman and the one on Sesame Street in the trash can.


James Bond? Ugh..I like Brosnan & Moore equally.

Superman? Although I remember George Reeves pretty well but he came across as my Grandpa wearing old flannel long johns. So I'd have to go with Christopher Reeve.

Batman? (Michael Keaton? Really?) Campy as it was, Adam West.

Lois Lane? Noel Neill. But Teri Hatcher did......something.....for me.

Sherlock Holmes? Benedict Cumberbund

Darrin Stephens? Dick Sargant. Will Ferrell.....I have a feeling that if Endora had snapped her fingers and made him disappear or turn into toad barf, Samantha would have given her a hi-five.

Hawkeye? Alan Alda Or Jeremy Renner if we're talking about the Marvel character.

Host of THE PRICE IS RIGHT? Dennis James AND Bob Barker

D. McEwan said...

"Mike Doran said...
The late Marvin Kaye (1938-2021), who had a claim on being one of the most expert Holmesians in the USA, once wrote about Jeremy Brett's portrayal of Sherlock Holmes:
" ... an outrage and an abomination ..."
I can't find anything more definite that he might have written on the subject (anybody who can fill it in, please feel free to do so).
On the other hand, the late William DeAndrea (1952-1996) once wrote that he didn't get Brett's Holmes portrayl until he realized that Brett :
" ... was playing Holmes as a coke-head ..."


Speaking as a lifelong Holmesian myself, the late Marvin Kaye is wrong, and something of a dick.

As for William DeAndrea, he got it wrong, and Brett was not playing Holmes as a cokehead. BTW, in the stories, Holmes was a cokehead, so it would be a proper choice. It was acknowledged, but it was not a major aspect of Brett's performance. Maybe men who lack panache themselves don't get Brett's abundance of panache. When Frank Langella played him, he shot up cocaine mid-act I, and then his performance began accelerating and accelerating, until by the act one curtain, he was RACING through the dialogue and the action. It was a very witty performance.

Now Nicole Williamson played Holmes as a cokehead, as did Jonny Lee Miller. (Though frankly, I do not consider the character Miller played on Elementary to be "Sherlock Holmes." I enjoyed the series, but it was not Sherlock Holmes to me.)

"Kirk said...
It's not Billy Wilder's most well-known movie, but did anyone see 1970's The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes? I thought Robert Stephens made an excellent Holmes."


I saw it in its original release, and have it now on DVD. I'm very fond of it. It's beautifully mounted. It has an excellent Watson. Stephens was good. He didn't have a "Sherlock" face, but his performance was excellent, and the movie is a lot of fun. And it allowed Sir Christopher Lee to complete the unique achievement of having played Sherlock Holmes, Mycroft Holmes and Sir Henry Baskervilles.

"YEKIMI said...
Lois Lane? Noel Neill. But Teri Hatcher did......something.....for me."


Wow. Talk about "brave." You've said something nice about Teri Hatcher on Ken Levine's page! Ken is notorious for his deep dislike of all things "Teri Hatcher."

D. McEwan said...

"DBenson said...
Sherlock Holmes?
-- Basil Rathbone for classic; Jeremy Brett for literary. Honorable mentions to Benedict Cumberbatch, Peter Cushing (the Hound movie), Robert Stephens, and Nicol Williamson. Some kind of award to Michael Caine for his hilarious mock-Holmes in "Without a Clue"."


I LOVE Hammer's film of Hound! It strays quite far from the novel. It changes Stapleton's innocent wife into his nasty daughter, who turns out to be the biggest villain of all. (And though she's explicitly half-Spanish for no observable reason, she has an Italian accent so thick, that she's unintelligible half the time.) And the Hound itself was so friendly and loved the cast so much, that they had a very hard time making him appear ferocious. In the shot where the dog attacks and kills Stapleton, you can clearly see Stapleton grab the doggie and pull the dog onto himself, and then pretend he's being savaged by a dog that just wants to lick his face. He's "The Big Friendly Pooch of the Baskervilles."

But the whole movie has drive and pace and wit. Except for Cushing not being quite tall enough, his performance is terrific, and is a major pleasure. Lee has a rare sympathetic, romantic role, and breaks character on camera (He admits it in his memoirs) when Miles Malleson breaks him up with an ad-lib. Andre Morell makes a fine, non-idiot Watson. And the photography is gorgeous. The whole movie looks great. I love the film, and have it on a Blu-Ray where it is so great-looking that it almost shimmers.

Cushing later played Holmes again, on TV, and did Hound of the Baskervilles a second time in that series. The TV Hound is longer than the Hammer film, is as faithful to the book as the Brett version, and actually shot its exteriors on the real Dartmoor, yet the Hammer film is more fun.

Oh, and I LOVE Without a Clue, the best Holmes comedy ever!

"Host of THE PRICE IS RIGHT?
-- Never watched it. Writing in Stubby Kaye for 'Shenanigans'"


Hey! My late brother Zack was a contestant on Shenanigans, which was basically Video Village For Kids. He won an archery set he never once used. I was in the studio audience for the taping, so I saw Stubby Kaye host it live in person. Not many people remember that show nowadays.

"YEKIMI said...
Superman? Although I remember George Reeves pretty well but he came across as my Grandpa wearing old flannel long johns."


You must have had a very young-looking grandpa. Noel Neill told me that George Reeves did, in fact, refer to his Superman suit as his "Long Johns."

Every three to four months I have reason to drive over Benedict Canyon, and I never pass the house in which George Reeves was murdered without ogling it from the car yet again. I will never forget how gently my dad broke the news to me back in 1959 that George was dead, afraid, rightly, that I'd be very upset. I was 9 and I loved him. Of course, everyone thought he'd killed himself back then. Dad had trouble keeping the disgust out of his voice as he said,"He did it because he hated being typecast as Superman," which was what everyone thought then. But he was murdered, and it had nothing to do with typecasting. It was because of a woman.

JT Dunphy said...

Jack and Walter. Pierce Brosnan , even though I grew up in the 60s-70s I like him best. He seems more dangerous than the others. Christopher Reeve. Adam West. Margot Kidder(sigh). Jeremy Brett though a close 2nd is Peter Cushing. Tom Baker. Dick York. Alan Alda. Bill Cullen.

Paul Blake said...

Who is your favorite Felix & Oscar? Klugman and Randall, chemistry beyond great!

James Bond? Connery

Superman? The one and only, George; nobody every hurled themselves out of a window like old George, he really made it look like he was taking off. And, his Clark Kent was jut terrific.

Batman? (Michael Keaton? Really?) Keaton was fine; not really a fan of the movies. Adam West for pure fun and games.

Lois Lane? Phyllis Coates, hands down. One of the great screamers in all of film, and she went toe to toe with Clark and Perry.

Sherlock Holmes? I'm old; Basil Rathbone

Dr. Who? No opinion, not a watcher of the good Dr.

Darrin Stephens? Dick York.

Hawkeye? Tough call, taken on their own, both Alan and Donald were really good. But as you said, can't imagine Alan in the movie, nor Donald in the show. For reasons of familiarity, Alan.

Host of THE PRICE IS RIGHT? Ummm...no. Never watched, so wouldn't be fair to comment.

Rashad Khan said...

Felix & Oscar? It's definitely a toss-up between Matthau/Lemmon and Klugman/Randall. (I wish I had been alive to see Matthau and Carney, though.)

James Bond? Believe it or not? Timothy Dalton. I think he best personified the rough-and-tumble aspects of the character. (I just wish he had had better scripts to work with.)

Superman? No favorites.

Batman? No favorites.

Lois Lane? No favorites.

Sherlock Holmes? No favorites.

Dr. Who? No favorites.

Darrin Stephens? No favorites. (I, for one, think the character was a thankless one that did neither Dick any favors.)

Hawkeye? Alan Alda.

Host of THE PRICE IS RIGHT? Bob Barker (even if he turned out to be a total bastard behind-the-scenes).

KATenhor said...

Who is your favorite Felix & Oscar? Randall and Klugman

James Bond? Sean Connery

Superman? Christory Reeves

Batman? (Michael Keaton? Really?). No one comes close to Adam West!

Lois Lane? Don’t have a favorite

Sherlock Holmes? Jeremy Brett

Dr. Who? I can’t decide – whoever I’m watching at the time is my favorite.

Darrin Stephens? Dick York

Hawkeye? Alan Alda

Host of THE PRICE IS RIGHT? Bob Parker

Craig Gustafson said...

D. McEwan said...
"Clio said...

"Dr. Who? Christopher Eccelston... Plus, he just was having such fun - he had the joy that comes from knowing he was out of there after a year!

Eccleston made a good Doctor, but he was NOT having any "fun."



Clio was obviously speaking about the joy of performance, not the behind the scenes reality.

Joseph Aubele said...

Definitely late to this but here is my list (from someone in their 60s):

Who is your favorite Felix & Oscar? Randall and Klugman

James Bond? Daniel Craig (though barely

Superman? Christopher Reeves

Batman? Christian Bale

Lois Lane? Teri Hatcher

Sherlock Holmes? Jeremy Brett

Dr. Who? David Tennant (a close second to Peter Capaldi)

Darrin Stephens? Dick York

Hawkeye? Alan Alda

Host of THE PRICE IS RIGHT? Bob Barker (nobody else is even close)

Anonymous said...

Who is your favorite Felix & Oscar? Klugman & Randall

James Bond? Connery

Superman? Christopher Reeve

Batman? (Michael Keaton? Really?) Christian Bale

Lois Lane? Margot Kidder

Sherlock Holmes? Jeremy Brett

Dr. Who? David Tennant

Darrin Stephens? The first guy

Hawkeye? Alan Alda

Host of THE PRICE IS RIGHT? Bob Barker

Gary said...

It's so interesting how different everyone's opinions can be. It's amazing to me that anyone can prefer the first season of The Odd Couple. Those episodes were not done before a live audience, and each one comes across like an extended segment of Love American Style. They can barely raise a smile, whereas seasons 2-5, done before a live audience, are consistently hilarious. But, to each his own I guess.

Chuck (MostAmuzed) said...

Felix and Oscar - Randall and Klugman

James Bond - Dalton and Brosnan tie.

Superman - George Reeves, but Christopher Reeve was great, too.

Losis Lane - Noel Neill

Batman - Adam West

Sherlock Holmes - Tom Baker (yes, the Doctor Who star played the part in one film.)

Doctor Who - Tom Baker, though David Tennant is a very close 2nd. Jon Pertwee and Peter Capaldi are right up there, too.

Darren Stephens - Dick Sargeant who I saw first. I watched the entire series last year and I have to say, Dick York's version is much angrier and much nastier. Sargeant's version can certainly be angry, but his is much nicer to Samantha.

Hawkeye - Alan Alda

Price Is Right - Bob Barker

D. McEwan said...

"Craig Gustafson said...
Clio was obviously speaking about the joy of performance, not the behind the scenes reality."


And his "Joy of performance" was feigned and very fake. What he was feeling off screen did affect him onscreen. He was professional, but not joyful. Nor would joyful have been appropriate. He was playing the morose, guilt-ridden Doctor, fresh from committing genocide in the Time War, wiping out (He thought) the Daleks and his own race to end the war. His whole arc that season was about Rose bringing life and hope back to this broken man. Now for Joy of Performance, David Tennant had it in spades.

Mitch said...

Well, the TV show had years for the 2 to perfect their characters. You would watch it weekly which would create familiarity. While the original was just a work off a play that has fine tuned for that performance. You wouldn't watch it weekly.

Just looking over alllllll the lists posted, it is just a snap shot of the era people were raised. First is usually the best (if it was good). 20ish people would say Daniel Craig because they've seen him 5 times as 007 (well, one wasn't he wasn't 007...spoiler alert). But that character was really different from Connery. It was rare to see blood on Connery, didn't want to hurt his pretty face.

fun questions.

.

Tony_ref said...

James Bond - Sean Connery, even though I grew up in the Roger Moore era

Superman - Christopher Reeve

Lois Lane - Noel Neill

Batman - Adam West

Sherlock Holmes - Basil Rathbone

Doctor Who - Tom Baker Old Who, David Tennent New Who

Darren Stephens - Dick Sargent (I understand he was the original choice, but couldn't do it at the time.)

Hawkeye - Alan Alda

Price Is Right - Bob Barker(though the whole "Reach in My Pocket" thing was very problematic, even in the 70s.

Tom Asher said...

Hope you enjoyed South Jersey!

Felix & Oscar? Randall / Klugman

James Bond? my Mother in Law would have wanted me to say Connery, so... Connery

Superman? Reeve

Batman? Adam West

Lois Lane? no preference

Sherlock Holmes? no preference

Dr. Who? no preference

Darrin Stephens? Sargent

Hawkeye? AA

Host of THE PRICE IS RIGHT? Tom Kennedy (I liked that night show)

Guffman said...

In my opinion Matthau had an innate sense of humor in every expression and line reading; Klugman didn't. Randall was Felix in so many roles he played. Would have loved to had seen what Art Carney did with it. Some of you may remember Frank Ferrante and Eddy Carroll. Ferrante built most of his career around impersonating Groucho Marx; Carroll did the same with Jack Benny. In 1996 our local dinner theater did "The Odd Couple" with the two of them in character. It's still hard to forget that production, no matter how hard I try.

Guffman said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Dave Widel said...

Felix & Oscar? Randall / Klugman

James Bond? Moore

Superman? Reeve

Batman? Adam West

Sherlock Holmes? jeremy brett

Dr. Who? David Tenant, but Tom Baker is a close second.

Jahn Ghalt said...


This one sure pushed buttons - 125 comments!

Felix & Oscar, Hawkeye
- the TV GUYS

James Bond?
- Connery was the coolest, but as an adult I find those films nearly unwatchable.
I avoided Bond movies after GOLDEN GUN (mid-70s) - using trailers as "fair warning".
Much later, something in the promotions caused me to watch the first Roger Craig Bond - and I found it to be worthy of two hours in the movie house.

Batman
- Of all the comicbook movies, the Batman ones are marginally interesting to me.

Lois Lane?
I think back to how narrow my concept of feminine beauty was as a teen. Amazing to me (now) that Margot Kidder did not turn my head in the Chris Reeve Superman.

Host of THE PRICE IS RIGHT
- Barker - he was unfailingly kind to the most inept contestants.
This show really contributed to my teenaged loss-of-innocence. I never IMAGINED that so many folks could NOT figure out this show.

Brian said...


Who is your favorite Felix & Oscar?

RANDALL & KLUGMAN. RANDALL, AS YOU SAY, IS THE DEFINITIVE FELIX. AND THOUGH I LOVE MATTHAU, HIS OSCAR WAS TOO SHOUTY.

James Bond?

CONNERY. IT COULD HAVE BEEN CRAIG EXCEPT THEY TOOK ALL THE FUN OUT OF THE CHARACTER BY MAKING HIM PERPETUALLY TRAUMATIZED AND HAUNTED.

Superman?

GEORGE REEVES, ALTHOUGH CHRISTOPHER REEVE WAS CHARMING.

Batman? (Michael Keaton? Really?)

ADAM WEST. (SERIOUSLY. BECAUSE THE SHOW CAME OUT WHEN I WAS TEN, EVEN THOUGH I DIDN'T LIKE THE SHOW AT ALL. BECAUSE I WAS TEN, I WAS TOO SAVVY TO VIEW IT AS A SATISFYING ACTION SHOW BUT TOO NAIVE TO UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT OF "CAMP.")

Lois Lane?

NOEL NEILL, BY A MILE.

Sherlock Holmes?

BASIL RATHBONE. CUMBERBATCH COULD HAVE BEEN GREAT BUT MOFFAT COULDN'T LEAVE WELL ENOUGH ALONE AND HAD TO KEEP FLIRTING WITH THE IDEA OF HOLMES AS A "SOCIOPATH," WHICH RUINED THE TV SERIES FOR ME. JEREMY BRETT IN MY VIEW WAS OVERRATED. HIS HOLMES ALWAYS HAD ONE EYE IN THE MIRROR. RATHBONE WAS THE TRUE HOLMES, UNDISTRACTEDLY FOCUSED ON THE CASE.

Dr. Who?

TIE BETWEEN TENNANT AND SMITH. TENNANT BY A NOSE, I GUESS, IF I HAD TO CHOOSE.

Darrin Stephens?

EVEN TO ASK THE QUESTION IS BLASPHEMY! IT'S DICK YORK, OBVIOUSLY.

Hawkeye?

ALDA.

Host of THE PRICE IS RIGHT?

LUDDEN. WHO WERE THE OTHERS?

BuzzLite2 said...

Who is your favorite Felix & Oscar? The TV guys, yet love the movie stars, especially the less-seen gem and first pairing of Matthau & Lemmon, The Fortune Cookie
James Bond? Sean Connery
Superman? Christopher Reeve
Batman? (Michael Keaton? Really?) Yes, Michael Keaton (I was 12 in 1989 and this movie was huge). Interesting the billing is, "Nicholson - Keaton" which more films should use as the villain matters more.
Lois Lane? Teri Hatcher
Sherlock Holmes? Benedict Cumberbatch
Dr. Who? It's "Doctor Who" and Matt Smith
Darrin Stephens? The first Darrin
Hawkeye? Alan Alda
Host of the Price Is Right? Bob Barker, reminds me of being home sick from school and summertime TV

CarolMR said...

D. McEwan - George Reeves was murdered? I thought it was suicide.

Saburo said...

JAMES BOND: Roger Moore. He had the role when I was getting into movies in grade school.

SUPERMAN: Christopher Reeve. His work with the role remains underrated.

LOIS LANE: Margot Kidder. Can't break up the team!

BATMAN: Christian Bale. OTOH my favorite Bruce Wayne remains Adam West, who just looked like he just stepped out of the comics.

HAWKEYE PIERCE: It's Alan Alda's forever. It's weird hearing him say "finest kind," though...

D. McEwan said...

"Brian said...
Host of THE PRICE IS RIGHT?

LUDDEN. WHO WERE THE OTHERS?"


Allen Ludden never hosted The Price is Right.

Anonymous said...

Who is your favorite Felix & Oscar?

Randall & Klugman

James Bond?

Sean Connery

Superman?

Christopher Reeve

Batman?

Christian Bale

Lois Lane?

Erica Durance

Sherlock Holmes?

Benedict Cumberbatch

Dr. Who?

No opinion

Darrin Stephens?

Dick York

Hawkeye?

Alan Alda (Never saw the movie), though I prefer Jeremy Renner the Avenger

Host of the Price Is Right?

Bob Barker

tavm said...

Final tabulation (Up to now) on favorite James Bond-

Connery-38

Moore-7 (including my vote)

Lazenby-2

Dalton-4

Brosnan-6

Craig-9

D. McEwan said...

"CarolMR said...
D. McEwan - George Reeves was murdered? I thought it was suicide."


That's what the public thought at the time, because that was what the person behind the murder wanted everyone to think. George was about to get married. He was about to start filming a new season of The Adventures of Superman, which they'd gotten him to return to by writing into his contract that he would be directing many, if not most, of the episodes (He directed two episodes of what was the final season), as he was planning to transition out of acting into directing, where typecasting would be a non-factor. He had no reason to kill himself. He was HAPPY! When the police wouldn't even call it a murder (The fix was in; more on that below), his mother hired a private detective to investigate.

There are two books on the George Reeves murder: Hollywood Kryptonite: The Bulldog, the Lady, and the Death of Superman
by Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger, and Speeding Bullet: The Life and Bizarre Death of George Reeves by Jan Alan Henderson. I've read both. They pin the final responsibility on different people, but there's not really any mystery to it any more. There's also a movie about it, Hollywoodland, with Ben Affleck as George Reeves (Ben has appeared onscreen dressed as Superman as well as Batman), which cuts back and forth between flashbacks of Affleck living George's life, on a collision course with murder, and flash-forwards to Adrian Brody as the detective George's mother hired, investigating the murder.)

George for years had been - ah - let's say "dating" the wife of a mafia mobbed-up studio executive at MGM. George then dumped her and began seeing another woman to whom he shortly became engaged. Hell hath no fury like that dumped woman had. The reference in one of the book titles to a bulldog refers to George's dog, whom the dumped woman stole and killed for revenge.

George was killed by an unknown professional hit man. The unanswered question is whether he was sent by the spurned woman or by her mobbed-up husband. (The husband had known, and was OK, with the affair. He was not OK with her broken heart.) The mobbed-up husband saw to it that the cops miss-classified it as a suicide and dropped the investigation. Controlling the cops and the press was the mobbed-up husband's job at MGM. Ending the investigation was easy for him.

This crime has fascinated me ever since that day Dad first broke the news to me, buying the suicide lie. It figures centrally in my novel My Gruesome Life (Literally the dead center of the book, occurring exactly halfway through the book), but in my book, he's killed by my central fictional character, who is a serial killer, and the motive is quite different from the real one, involving as it does several fictional characters, along with the real persons involved. (I freely mix my fictional characters with real people and events in all my novels. In that book, that same character is also responsible for intentionally setting the infamous 1962 Bel-Air Fire, among her many crimes throughout the book.)

CarolMR said...

D. McEwan, thank you for all the interesting information. I knew about Reeves' affair with Toni Mannix but never thought she, or her husband, would have had him killed.

D. McEwan said...

"CarolMR said...
D. McEwan, thank you for all the interesting information. I knew about Reeves' affair with Toni Mannix but never thought she, or her husband, would have had him killed."


You're welcome. Toni Mannix was a vicious, vindictive woman, and as I said, her husband was mobbed-up. They were not people to enrage, unless you actually are Superman.

When the bad guys would shoot George's Superman, he stood there and let the bullets bounce off his fake chest, but then, when the bad guys ran out of bullets and threw their guns at him, he always dodged them. Noel Neill told me this was because, "He knew he wasn't Superman."

Bill O said...

Billy Wilder's Sherlock movie was to have Peters O'Toole and Sellers. When the former dropped out, so did the latter.

Gary said...

Superman ducked when a crook threw his gun exactly one time, out of 104 episodes. A comedian said that as a joke sometine in the 1970's, and somehow it grew into an urban myth.

D. McEwan said...

"Gary said...
Superman ducked when a crook threw his gun exactly one time, out of 104 episodes"


I'll get a spirit medium to conjure up Noel's ghost and to tell her "Gary" says she's a liar.

So you took notes on all 104 episodes and know this for a fact? Or do you have some other "source" for your "information"? Don't make me play back my DVDs of all 104 episodes to prove you wrong, as it would take me weeks. I'll take Noel's word over yours. She was there.

Gary said...

To D. McEwan: I've seen all 104 episodes of Superman at least 104 times each, dating back to the 1960's. I've also read many, many books about George Reeves and every aspect of the TV series. As Jack Larson and Noel Neill aged, I noticed that when interviewed, their memories of the past (began to get a little fuzzy. Feel free to watch all the episodes again; you will enjoy them. George only ducked a gun once (and even that was a stuntman)!

Mark said...

Mark said,

Back in the late 90’s, my wife and I actually went to see The Odd Couple with Christopher Lloyd and Jamie Farr as Felix and Oscar. That’s right, Father Mulcahy and Klinger
As Felix and Oscar. And it held up fairly well.

D. McEwan said...

"Gary said...
To D. McEwan: As Jack Larson and Noel Neill aged, I noticed that when interviewed, their memories of the past (began to get a little fuzzy."


Nice try at invalidating the testimony of people who were there. Noel told me this in 1972 (I knew her a long time), and she hadn't "aged" all that much then, it being only 14 years then after the series ended. I'll still take her word over yours.

Sami said...

Klugman and Randall, Dick York, Adam West, Christopher Reeve, Alda (never saw the movie), Bob Barker, 007--anybody but Craig

Unknown said...

Who is your favorite
Superman?

I'm going to step out of the usual answers. For me, the answer is one of the comic book incarnations. As a youngster, I read a lot of comic books (and continued reading for decades). So, any movie or TV version of Superman is still, to me, just some weird alternate universe version and could never be the "real" Superman.

Now, keep in mind that there have been several versions of Superman in the comics. There was the original from 1938 who slowly evolved into the "Silver Age" version of Superman, who was distinct from the original (the two of them would eventually meet each other). Then, Superman was rebooted in 1987, creating a third incarnation of Superman. Then, the next reboot (unless you count a couple of soft reboots along the way) happened in 2012, though this reboot was so terrible that they had to un-reboot him, bringing back the prior version.

So, of all of those versions of Superman, the "real" version of Superman to me will always be the "Silver Age" Superman who existed from about the mid 1950s and continued on into the "Bronze Age" of comics, before rebooted in the 1980s. He may have been goofy and silly at times, but he was also the one really super Superman. Yeah, he can juggle planets. He can travel through time under his power because he's just that fast. Why settle for less?

5w30 said...

Superman - Reeve, singular.
Batman - Adam West.
Bond - Connery. Saying …”Poooooooosy”
Odd Couple - tough choice. Have to go with Randall/Klugman.
TPIR: Bill Cullen live and in living color on The NBC Television Network from New York’s Colonial Theater. Thank you, Don Pardo!