Rarified Heir Podcast

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Rarified Heir Podcast Episode #90: Brad James (Dennis James) Aug 09, 2022

Show notes

Today on the Rarified Heir Podcast we are talking to Brad James, son of legendary television personality Dennis James. We talk to Brad about his dad's career that began in New Jersey radio in the 1940s (where he became friends with a young Frank Sinatra) and moved to television in New York shortly after. A man of firsts, Dennis James (aka The Dean of Game Show Hosts) was the first person to: appear in a television commercial, host a wrestling event on television, emcee a variety show, appear on video tape, appear in an infomercial and on and on and on. The man started in television when there were likely only 300 in the entire New York area. He went on to have a 6 decade career as a host of the United Cerebral Palsy telethon which raised a billion dollars over the years, hosted a variety of game shows like Name That Tune and The New Price Is Right as well as play himself in films like Rocky IIIand The One and Only. Somehow we get through all of this and find time to discuss meeting Elvis Presley, believing comedian Foster Brooks was Santa Claus, parking cars at The Playboy Mansion, befriending local LA legend Mad Man Muntz over a thoroughly inappropriate videotape and much more. If you love game shows, stories about the birth of television, watching Jeopardy with Bob Hope and golfing with Kevin Costner, take a listen to this episode of the Rarified Heir Podcast.

Rarified Heir Podcast Episode #89: Victoria Riskin (Fay Wray, Robert Riskin) Aug 02, 2022

Show notes

Today on the Rarified Heir Podcast we are talking to Victoria Riskin about growing up the daughter of Hollywood royalty. We first became of Victoria via her 2019 book, Fay Wray and Robert Riskin : A Hollywood Memoir and were intrigued not only about her actor mom and screenwriter father but in how she wrote it, which we discuss on this episode. We talk about her father's Oscar winning career writing for Frank Capra and others as well as her mom's six decade career in movies. From silent films, talkies, pre code, horror movies, comedies and later in AIP exploitation films and television, it's a distinguished career that involves much more than giant apes named King Kong. Victoria's mother's iconic name is kept alive today as its synonymous in current pop culture in comic strips, punk bands and the lyrics from the Rocky Horror Picture Show.

We also talk to Victoria about her own career as both a psychologist and later as a producer along with her Emmy-winning writer/husband David Rintels. Their television work including The Last Best Year w/ Mary Tyler Moore and Bernadette Peters, World War II: When Lions Roared w/ John Lithgow, Bob Hoskins and Michael Caine as well as an adaptation of Willa Cather's My Antonia among others. Along the way we talk about the gone but not forgotten CC Brown's ice cream parlor in Hollywood, the first years of Palisades High School and if the term "scream queen" is still valid. It's all up next, on the Rarified Heir Podcast.

Rarified Heir Podcast Episode #88: Julie Nimoy & David Knight (Leonard Nimoy) Jul 26, 2022

Show notes

Today on the Rarified Heir Podcast, we talk to Julie Nimoy and husband David Knight about Julie's dad, actor and raconteur Leonard Nimoy. It was great to connect with Julie about her father and what it was like being the daughter of a pop culture icon. The thing is, Leonard Nimoy was so much more than just Mr. Spock. He was a photographer, a poet, a singer, a director, a voice over artist, a pitchman and more. Did you know he directed the top grossing movie of 1987 which was NOT a Star Trek film? Did you know he was such a fan of Vincent Van Gogh that he wrote a one man show, starred in it and had it taped for PBS? Nimoy was also the host of In Search of….where he showed off his amazing collection of houndstooth jackets and turtleneck shirts. He replaced Peter Graves in Mission Impossible. He stared inNight Gallery, Deathwatch, an independent film directed by pal Vic Morrow, a TV movie A Woman Called Golda which got him an Emmy nomination, The Outer Limits and much more.

Nimoy was also interested in the paranormal, science (and cars) which led him to Baffled!which is synonymous for our host Josh Mills with Afrin and fever dreams, he recorded albums for Dot Records such as The Touch of Leonard Nimoy, did summer stock, owned a single engine plane he flew, a boat at Lake Mead…it's like they based the film The Adventures of Buckaroo Bonzai Across The 8th Dimension on Leonard Nimoy the man. So it was great talk to Julie and David about their PBS documentary Remembering LeonardNimoy about his battle with COPD as well as their upcoming documentary Wilder! on comedian Gene Wilder & his battle with Alzheimer's. Did you know who directed Wilder in the film Funny About Love? You guessed it. And yes, we talk more about University High School, LA restaurants, the Century City Mall and much more on the next episode of the Rarified Heir Podcast. Take a Listen.

Rarified Heir Podcast Episode #87: Matt Asner (Ed Asner) Jul 19, 2022

Show notes

Today on the Rarified Heir Podcast, we talk to Matt Asner, son of seven-time Emmy winner, actor Ed Asner. Of course, most of us know Ed Asner as Lou Grant from The Mary Tyler Moore Show as well as the dramatic series Lou Grant that followed. But as Matt told us on this episode, Ed Asner was generational. To some, it was his seventies and eighties television work that made an impact. To others, it might be his work (and his voice) from a host of animated series in the 90s from Batman or Superman or Spider Man. Some know him as Santa in the Christmas classic Elf. Others know him as Carl Fredricksen in Pixar's Up. Still others know him as the bad guy from the sixties film They Call Me Mr.Tibbs and even others from mini-series like Roots and Rich Man, Poor Man.

Regardless of how you know the gruff but lovable actor, Ed Asner was known as a consummate professional, head of the Screen Actors Guild, tireless activist for a variety of causes, and Matt tells us all about them on the latest episode. We also get to hear about Gavin MacLeod's bubble gum obsession, "Uncle" Ted Knight, The Compass Players who Ed was a member of that birthed Second City, Paul Newman & Fort Apache The Bronx, death threats as well as family LA haunts like Art's Deli, Madam Wong's West and The Ed Asner Family Center. The Center promotes self-confidence, balance and wellness in differently-abled individuals and their families. And it's all next on the Rarified Heir Podcast. Take a listen. Oh Mr. Grant!

Rarified Heir Podcast Episode # 86: Michael Weintraub Encore (Jerry Weintraub, Jane Morgan) Jul 12, 2022

Show notes

Today on the Rarified Heir Podcast encore edition, we talk to Michael Weintraub, son of legendary producer/agent/manager/promoter Jerry Weintraub. We talk about the legendary career Jerry made as a film producer, talent agent, concert promoter and even as an actor. It's a truly amazing career working with everyone from Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra, to Bob Dylan and John Denver, George Clooney to The Carpenters.

Along the way, we hear about Michael's step-mother Jane Morgan, an entertainer who, like host Josh Mills' mother Edie Adams, recorded albums, performed on stage, screen and cabaret acts. We hear some great stories including hearing John Denver on the radio for the first time, dealing with Colonel Tom Parker in booking Elvis Presley, evenings with Ed Sullivan, Bob Dylan's fingernails, dinner with half of the Beatles and much more. It's a fist hand account of what it was like to work on projects like Oceans 11, managing The Moody Blues, booking Led Zeppelin and a whole lot more. It's all next on the Rarified Heir Podcast. Take a listen!

Rarified Heir Podcast Episode #85: Richard Duggan (Andrew Duggan) Jul 05, 2022

Show notes

Today on the Rarified Heir Podcast we bring you Richard Duggan, son of the late and great character actor Andrew Duggan. There were so many jumping off points actor who had almost 200 acting credits to his name on Broadway, television and film, we simply chose to jump right in. Andrew Duggan was known for a variety of roles in war films, Westerns, horror movies. For film buffs, he starred in films like Seven Days in May with Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglass. and In Like Flint with James Coburn. For TV fans, Duggan starred in everything from Alfred Hitchcock Presents to Lancer which plays a major role in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. He was the voice of Bud Light for years as well as the Clio winning "Friend of the Family (Rust in Peace." He starred on stage in The Rose Tattoo and Fragile Fox. He even starred in TV movies like The Deadliest Season with Meryl Streep in her first role and Rich Man, Poor Man. And that doesn't even begin to tell the story of his roles in The Incredible Mr. Limpet, Doctor Detroit or F-Troop.

We talk about Richard's years growing up in Westwood where we find out he and our host went to the same high school as well as Richard's years acting and doing improv which led to roles in Troma's Toxic Avenger, Sam Arkoff's Q: The Winged Serpent, and Larry Cohen's It's Alive!. Most importantly, this might be the only podcast where you learn that Robin Williams studied Improv at the Pitzer colleges, Richard's alma mater. It's all next, when we talk to Rick Dalton, I mean Richard Duggan, on the Rarified Heir Podcast. Everyone has a story.

Rarified Heir Podcast Episode #84 : Dr. Tara Candoli Encore (Pete Candoli & Vicky Lane) Jun 28, 2022

Show notes

Today on the Rarified Heir Podcast Encore Edition we are talking to Dr. Tara Candoli whose father/Musician Pete Candoli who also happened to be our host Josh Mills' step-father. Which also means, that Josh's mum was Tara's step-mother. Tara's mother, actress Vicky Lane is famous for her portrayal of The Ape Woman in the film, The Jungle Captive & who also had a recording career.

As if this wasn't confusing enough, Tara's other step-mother was actress/singer Betty Hutton. Not enough of a showbiz connection? We talk about her grandfather Kemp Niver who won a special Oscar for the preservation of the earliest silent films, actor Tom Neal whose explosive temperament led to scandal & even murder and that's just the beginning. We talk about Tara's professional career as a trauma therapist, making mud pies with Rock Hudson as a toddler, hitting recording and taping sessions with her dad, her wild days as a teenager in seventies LA, iconic makeup men who worked on her mom's films and much more. It's all right here, right now, on the Rarified Heir Podcast. Everyone has a story.

Rarified Heir Podcast Episode #83 : Jenny Brill Encore (Mitzi McCall & Charlie Brill) Jun 21, 2022

Show notes

Today on this encore edition of the Rarified Heir Podcast, we are talking to Jenny Brill, daughter of the comedy team Charlie Brill & Mitzi McCall. Our host Josh Mills and Jenny grew up together in the San Fernando valley and went to elementary school together. Not only that, her parents starred on an episode of Josh's mom's variety show in the mid-sixties Here's Edie aka The Edie Adams Show, with Sammy Davis Jr. We discussed quite a lot with Jenny including her journey to become one of the top yoga instructors in Los Angeles, her parents appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show on February 9th, 1964 when a new band called The Beatles,made their American television debut, their numerous game show appearances in the 1970s, their comedy LP From Our Point of View, Mitzi's early work with Jerry Lewis, their appearances on the night time series Silk Stalkings, Mitzi's numerous cartoon voice credits and much more. So get ready listeners, like it or not, we talk about elementary school at Oakwood, celebrity and much more. It's all right here, coming up next on the Rarified Heir Podcast. Everyone has a story.

Rarified Heir Podcast #82 : Ike Eisenmann (Albert Eisenmann) Jun 14, 2022

Show notes

Today on the Rarified Heir Podcast we are talking to Ike Eisenmann who you will likely remember from television, commercials and film. From Double Mint Gum ads to Escape from Witch Mountain to Fantastic Journey, Ike was about as in demand a child and young adult actor was in the 1970s and 1980s. What you may not know about Ike however, if you didn't grow up in Houston, Texas is that Ike's dad Albert was the creator and host of a massively popular local children's show, Cadet Don which ran for close to a decade from 1959 to 1968.

We talk to Ike about quite a few topics including his Pop Culture Retro Podcast, local programming on television that simply doesn't exist anymore, the influence the Cadet Donshow had on children (including two celebrity brothers) as well as the role NASA played in the show. We also hear from Ike about what it was like about becoming a child actor and the salvation it presented for him. You've heard of Stage Mothers? We hear about his Stage Father, who was somewhat difficult and overly aggressive guardian who often shared his own head shots with casting directors while Ike auditioned for a role. Ike was incredibly generous to talk about the dark times as well as the folly.

What folly you ask? Disco dancing with Brooke Shields and Lisa Whelchel at Disneyland? Or how about working with ex quarterback playboy 'Dandy' Don Meredith on a pilot that never went to series? Regardless, Ike was most insightful and open about growing up the child of a celebrity as well as his own celebrity and you can listen to that now, on the Rarified Heir Podcast. Everyone has a story.

Rarified Heir Podcast #81: Keaton Talmadge (Buster Keaton/Natalie Talmadge) Jun 07, 2022

Show notes

Today on the Rarified Heir Podcast, we bring you yet another first on this episode. We are talking to our first great-grandchild of a celebrity. We are talking today with Keaton Talmadge who is a the great-grandchild of comedy genius Buster Keaton as well as silent film star Natalie Talmadge. Whoa. We talk to Keaton about growing up in an era where most had no idea what Buster Keaton looked like – you will hear an example of that on the episode, as incomprehensible as it might sound. We also talk about the Brooklyn-born Talmadge sisters, of which her mother was one, who were incredibly famous in the silent film era. Sisters Constance and Norma were at one time named the top female film stars of 1921. We're talking big! So what did we talk about with Keaton? We talk about the century old legacy of Buster and how, still today, there are dedications and events in his name, all the time.

We also talk to Keaton about her own career as a voice over actor, who has voiced roles in television, commercials, podcasts, video games and more for everyonre from Apple to Netflix to Nintendo and more. In fact, Keaton schools our host Josh Mills on everything from Looping to E-learning. We also talk about Keaton's time at Cal Arts, studying to become an actress, her years auditioning, how she started a Hula-Hoop company (you know, for kids) and how she landed at the perfect spot in her acting career, right now.

It's all next on the Rarified Heir Podcast. Everyone has a story.

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