Remembering Joe Conley

Joe Conley spent 50 years on TV playing different characters but he will be best known or his role on The Waltons as Mr. Godsey. As the gentle shopkeeper on Walton's Mountain he brought humor and sympathy to a non-starring role.

Conley was a great character actor during a time where if you started on TV you stayed there. He had dementia during the last ten years and passed away in a elder care home. For those too young to have seen his work a quick Waltonsmarathon may help you appreciate what a good actor can do with a small role.

Remembering James Gandolfini

James Gandolfini, American actor. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In Italy James Gandolfini died of an apparent heart attack. The great actor leaves behind a young family. It always makes me upset when I hear these stories not only because the guy was so young but he died in Europe.

European countries tend to treat first and then take the victim to the hospital. In America they take you to the hospital first then treat the patient. In cases of heart attacks or strokes or internal damage it means almost certain death in Europe.

I must have seen Gandolfini in a dozen small time roles before the world discovered him in The Sopranos. He was a great character actor and that is not a knock. Character actors are so difficult to do well and Gandolfini often stole the scene.

After Sopranos he became leading man material and while he never reached the same heights each role was better and more believable.At this moment I hope everyone remembers him and his family quietly like James would have wanted.

Like It Was

Gil Noble was the host of Like It Is a community based talk show that was created in response to the 1960s racial turmoil. Today Mr. Noble died at the age of 80.

Everyone in New York City growing up would run to their TV on Saturday or Sunday morning looking for cartoons instead got this talk show. It was not until I was older that I really got to appreciate this unique show. Noble would talk to those who did great things and got little recognition on the nightly news shows.

One of the best episodes was a tribute to Paul Robeson that showed how one intelligent man went through so much for recognition and yet many people still got his motives wrong.

Gil Noble will be greatly missed and sadly many people will never get the chance to see a man who tried to show the complete history of America.