Friday, December 28, 2012

I'm Really in a Stew Over This!

As I mentioned in the very earliest days of this blog, I was raised on a stack of record albums from the film adaptations of Broadway shows. Time and again (and again) I would listen to the LPs of The Music Man (1962), Oklahoma! (1955) and, in particular, The Sound of Music (1965.) South Pacific (1958) was another one. I knew every song from all of these shows without every having actually seen the movies! (One exception being The Sound of Music, which is the first movie I can ever recall seeing in a theater... I made my poor mother sit through it almost all the way through twice!)

Later, I saw these films on TV or, later still, on faded, pan 'n scan VHS. Imagine my stunned reaction to recently catching South Pacific, fully restored, in wide-screen high-def on my 55” TV. It was sumptuously beautiful and positively overflowing with tan, hunky, scantily-clad men! Seeing a movie in a format that is more close to how it was intended to be viewed (even my way pales next to the cinema screen it was intended for) can really reveal details and splendor that just aren't appreciated in a smaller, cramped format.

But we really aren't even going to go into South Pacific today. What caught my eye was the appearance of one of the supporting players. Ken Clark played the towering, blonde sidekick to Ray Walston's Luther Billis, a character called Stewpot. It's not enough that there is a plethora of fit, good-looking sailors sprinkled throughout the movie (or, in some cases, jam-packed into numbers like “Ain't That Too Damn Bad” and “There is Nothin' Like a Dame”), there's also the lean, yummy Clark, trotting around in a cropped t-shirt and revealing demin trousers.

He's barely made his first appearance in the film when he swaggers over to a group of other men and hoists his jeans up by the belt, ensuring that his bulge will stand out!
Then, as he walks towards the camera during a later sequence, his bulge continues to hypnotize, making one look away from even the beautiful Ed Fury, who is also in the scene (and is certainly no slouch in his jeans either!)

With Stewpot stirring me up like this, I began to delve into just who this guy was because I had no real knowledge of him. He was born Kenneth Donovan Clark in Neffs, Ohio on June 4th, 1927, meaning he was about thirty during the time this movie was shot. A tall, lean, furry ferret, he really had to grow into his body before reaching the peak of handsomeness.

He'd gotten started on TV in the mid-'50s after serving in the U.S. Army for a considerable stint. His first gig was a bit role as a uranium prospector on one installment of The Jack Benny Program in 1955. Fortunately, slightly better parts awaited him in movies, such as the 1956 Guy Madison film On the Threshold of Space.

1956, in fact, proved to be a busy year for him. Having won a contract at 20th Century-Fox, he had supporting parts in Robert Ryan's The Proud Ones, Richard Widmark's The Last Wagon, Richard Egan and Elvis Presley's Love Me Tender and the Robert Wagner war film Between Heaven and Hell.

The following year, he had a bit role in The True Story of Jesse James and proceeded to TV roles on The 20th Century-Fox Hour (in a remake of 1951's The Frogmen), Jane Wyman Presents The Fireside Theatre, G.E. Theater and the first of four installments of Alfred Hitchcock Presents. In one, he played one of the police detectives who is fed the murder weapon (a leg of lamb) by a murderess played by Barbara Bel Geddes. In another, he was a police detective who arrests Skip Homeier, another murderer, whose crime had been committed just to see if one could get away with killing someone when there's no motive.

He played a fireman in another episode and then still another (uniformed) policeman in a fourth.  His uniform pants seem to be making an impression here.
It would be a stretch to say that his career was taking off, though. He continued to act in plenty of television, from Death Valley Days to The Thin Man to M Squad, but rarely in a significant way. He's shown here with Gale Storm during a stop on The Gale Storm Show: Oh, Susanna!

Then came South Pacific, released in 1958. Here, he was cast by Joshua Logan (a Broadway and Hollywood director who frequently decorated his projects with prime examples of the male physique) as Stewpot. Standing head and shoulders above many of his costars, his blonde hair showing through his uniquely cut-out sailor cap, he made a strong physical impression.

Clark was given the part of “There is Nothin' Like a Dame” in which the notes get lower and lower and lower until you think it can't go any further (yet it does), though in truth, this was not his own voice. He was dubbed in the film by Thurl Ravenscroft, the man behind Kellogg's Frosted Flakes' Tony the Tiger (“They're greeaat!”) and the vocalist for “You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” in How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Incidentally, as a bass, I always loved that part of the song and could (and, I think, still can) sing it the same way.

South Pacific was a monumental production and was released as a Road Show production, with reserved seating in select, well-heeled theaters. Running 171 minutes, it was a big, visually-interesting, tuneful (and faithful) adaptation of the smash Broadway musical. It cost about $6 million, but made more than six times that back in the year of its release.

For general release, 14 minutes were trimmed from it, leaving some of the less integral, but character-building, scenes out. One of the casualties of this editing was Clark. Not so much his character (which was never fleshed out much in any case), but his body! There is a scene taking place at rehearsals for the big variety show that has Clark wearing nothing but a red Speedo. In the rendition of the film that most of us are familiar with, he is seen only in the background and mostly in profile.

In the Road Show version of the film (some bits of which are depicted here and are of a lesser quality than the rest of the restored movie), we see that he is shown closer and with more detail. Having had the words “Stew Pot” drawn on his t-shirt throughout the film, he hilariously has them written on his bare chest here! (As if anyone could mistake who he is!)


His contribution to the variety show is to be a strong man act wherein he will lift a brace across his shoulders with a nurse dangling from either side. He seems to have gotten some attention out of his fellow actor to the left as well!
His show costume consists of merely a skimpy brief with some grapes tacked on here and there! This, too, was cut out of the general release print, but, detective that I am, I have located a photo of it!
He still appears in the big finale of the variety show, sporting that delicious little grape number and some tan lines, to boot!
What kind of maniac cuts a movie and edits out the parts with a red Speedo-clad sailor and the same man in next to nothing but a few plastic grapes?! A heterosexual one, I presume.
Despite the considerable success of South Pacific, Clark found himself back on TV in shows like Highway Patrol, Lock Up and Sugarfoot (though there was an episode of Adventure Showcase called “Brock Callahan” meant to serve as a TV pilot for him. It wasn't picked up.) He also landed the lead role in a low-budget American-International movie called Attack of the Giant Leeches.


The bargain basement, 62-minute movie was shot in only eight days and was produced by the Gene Corman and his (eventually to be more well-known) brother Roger. It's become a staple of bad movie websites and was chosen for (mis)treatment by Mystery Science Theater 3000. Still, it affords some welcome glimpses of its male lead's hairy chest.

Bits of TV work and the occasional movie (such as a brief appearance in 1960's Heller in Pink Tights with Anthony Quinn and Sophia Loren) came his way until he won top-billing in the low-budget Columbia Pictures sci-fi flick 12 to the Moon. This one later wound up getting the MST3K razzing as well.

The progressive (for its time) movie concerned a dozen top scientists (ten men and two women) being sent to the moon. I say progressive because the cast was multi-racial as a result of the international selection of “brains” on board. So that we don't dwell too much on the science of the matter, we are treated to a shot of Clark on his way to an air shower, clad only in a low-slung towel!
Not only that, but look at the space suit Mr. Clark was given to fill out! Um... can we make that “13 to the Moon?” I wanna come!
With the virtual collapse of the Hollywood studio system and the lack of decent work for so many previously employed actors, many strapping, good-looking men discovered that they could head to Europe and forge all-new, successful careers there. Lex Barker, eager to shed his Tarzan image, had done so in Germany and body-building marvel Steve Reeves found great success in Italy as Hercules.


Figure-model-turned-actor Richard Harrison (shown at right), who'd played a navy pilot in South Pacific, was one of a horde of handsome, well-built men who jumped the pond to star in films made in Spain and Italy. Following this lead, Clark headed there himself and found considerable success. Amazingly, though he starred in a dozen-and-a-half or more movies in his new home base of Rome, Italy, few Americans (other than cult film buffs) probably had any idea of this!

He starred in swordplay flicks like The Defeat of the Barbarians (1962) and Biblical movies like Jacob and Esau (1963), even playing the son of Genghis Khan in a dark wig in Hercules Against the Mongols (1963)!

With age, he began to thicken out a tad in the face and physique. I think he looks even better than before! Apart from the strong man spectacles such as Hercules the Invincible and Hercules Against the Barbarians (both 1964), he also began to star in spy films. The success of Dr. No in 1962 had spurred a mountainous wave of imitators, many of which were made in Italy and surrounding countries.
There was None But the Lonely Spy and FX 18 (both 1964), followed by a three-film series in which he played a spy called Dick Malloy.
From the Orient with Fury (clearly aping From Russia With Love!) and Mission Bloody Mary were released in 1965 and 1966 brought Special Mission Lady Chaplin. He was even identified in some of these as “Agent 077!”

In them, he was a rugged, virile, seductive, manly presence, taking on bad guys and curvy ladies in equal measure.
He also worked in westerns, including 1964's The Road to Fort Alamo, directed by the famed Mario Bava, though it is not considered one of Bava's better efforts. More enthusiastically received was 1966's Gunman Called Nebraska, which was also primarily directed by Bava despite his not being credited for it.
Are ya getting the fur carpet on this guy's chest? I know that hairy chests aren't everyone's cup of tea, but if they happen to be yours, you're going to want to look this man's films up!

In 1967, he costarred with Irina Demick in the comedic spy-romance Tiffany Memorandum, ironic since she was the girlfriend of his long-ago boss at 20th Century-Fox, Darryl F. Zanuck! His role in this was Dick Hallam.

That same year, in Desert Commandos, he played a tall, blonde Nazi commando on a punishing mission in the Sahara. They're on their way to Casablanca with orders to kill Roosevelt, Stalin and Churchill, who are meeting there in alleged secrecy!

In 1968, he made Fuller Report, that had him portraying a race car driver caught up in an espionage plot. His character's name was Dick Worth, making it the third different Dick in five films that he'd played since moving to Italy!
His final starring role in a movie came with 1969's Tarzana, the Wild Girl, a female take on the timeless and often retold Edgar Rice Burroughs story. The movie's primary draw was the scantily-clad, even nude figure of the girl playing Tarzana. Like many such epics, she was fortunate to have eyeliner and lipstick out there in the jungle...

In 1970, James Garner starred in the spaghetti western A Man Called Sledge and Clark was among the cast members to be found in it. This marked the end of his film career for over a decade. He made a return in 1981 as a Commando involved with clumsy terrorists in the comedic Teste di quoio.

During a temporary return to the U.S., he filmed a bit role as a flower man in Gene Hackman and Ann-Margret's Twice in a Lifetime (1985.) He also popped up in the Italian-made sci-fi flick Arena in 1989.

Remaining in Rome until his death of a heart attack in 2009 at the age of eighty-one, Ken Clark carried on a career that most of the people in his homeland weren't even aware of. His chiseled, manly looks were put to great use in movies that only saw scarce, if any, distribution in America. Did I mention that in between the Army service and his film career he worked as a figure model? You know I try to save the best for last. Get a load of those feet!  Now, I'll be off work and out of town for four days, so it will be well into the new year before I post again.  Best wishes to ALL for a very happy new year!!

23 comments:

joel65913 said...

Love these reviews of the more obscure actors and I have to confess this is someone of whom I've never heard.

Although not really the type that appeals to me he was an attractive man and you're right about his feet!

I did think at first that the post was going to be about South Pacific but was glad to see it wasn't. While I enjoy the performers in other places I've never been able to stand this film version. Not entirely sure why because I love the songs but as with the film of Guys and Dolls, which is one of my favorites when I see it on stage, I find it dull and lifeless and a torture to watch.

NotFelixUnger said...

Just checking in to see what I missed in the past week. I'm glad I was greeted by Ken Clark! I never knew his name but remember that chest and, yes, that is my cup o' tea. I think this gentleman just inched up [if you will excuse the expression] into my favorite hunk right behind Clint Walker.

Off again tomorrow and will check back in next week. Just as soon as I get back I'm going to buy as many of his movies as I can!

Happy New Year!

Poseidon3 said...

Joel, I have played Sky Masterson in "Guys and Dolls" and loved doing that SO MUCH. I also met the friend I'm with right now (who played Nicely-Nicely Johnson) and it was such a great experience, yet I have the special edition DVD of the movie and have never bothered to watch it... I agree. It's just very blah... Maybe someday. (I've seen it before on TV years ago.)

NotFelix, I knew you'd like Ken! I do hope you went back a post and looked at the Boxing Day photos, too. I suspect you would like some of those as well.

I'm a little woozy from my tour of the Maker's Mark Distillery! Fun experience...

Thanks!

joel65913 said...

I've tried and tried with Guys and Dolls, usually every few years after I've seen a stage production again, but even with Jean Simmons, one of my very favorite actresses, in the cast it annoys me too much to make it through.

I don't think it's as simple as the complete wrongness of Brando or that Sinatra irks me but Mankiewicz doesn't seem to have a proper grasp of the material and that's a fatal flaw. I think even if Betty Grable had been cast as Miss Adelaide as was the original plan the film still would be a turgid bore.

NotFelixUnger said...

:-) Here's some insight into Felix's mind: As a child of about 7 or so, I saw an ABC special of upcoming Saturday morning cartoons. One of the "special guest stars" was Lee Majors. During the intro to some cartoon or other, there was a special clip of LM from his then still "new for the fall season" show, The Six Million Dollar Man. He was shown in slow motion performing various feats of strength and speed. During the speed clip his open to the waist plush velour running suit kept showing his chest. Boys, let me tell you, I fell in love that day. In my case, it has to be muscle and hair as a combo. I will settle for nothing less. Ken Clark fits the bill to a "T" or is that "G?"

Joel, I feel the same way! Brando or that Sinatra have never been in my favorites. Other than Stanley K. in a SCND and in On the Waterfront, I was always disapointed by Brando. Sinatra, blah, though I loved many of his songs.

Off to France tomorrow boys! xxxooo Happy New Year!!

Scooter said...

au naturale..so much better than waxed and plucked!

discodevil said...

Wow he was a man.
That photo from Attack of the Giant Leeches is something peeking out from those swim trunks? I hope.

Scooter said...

Afterthought...he reminds me of Robert Gant (or maybe it's the other way around!)?

Poseidon3 said...

I'm glad to see some of my Underworld friends giving Ken Clark a thumbs up! It's so nice to know that his career didn't just dry up after "South Pacific" and he was able to make his mark elsewhere (where his gifts were better appreciated?) Thanks!

PBSholley said...

I've always been a huge Ken Clark fan. Can someone help me find a scene? In one of his eurospy pictures he has a fight in a spa stem room with, as I recall, a group of baddies, all wrapped in towels that magically never come undone. Anyone know which film this is?

RalphD said...

The steam room fight scene with the bad guys is in the movie "The Fuller Report" from 1968. Ken shaved his dense chest hair for this particular film. Here is the YouTube link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyeIaZE8UBw&list=PLByUV3UVvpwgbyyKBr0N_zjQ5vCnL2mn8

Poseidon3 said...

Thanks, Ralph. I enjoyed the link, though I didn't really see a "fight" between bad guys and Ken with towels staying in place, etc... Did love the spa scene, though, and Ken in a towel, then robe. Most aggravating was a 30 second-to a minute sequence that was CENSORED just as he was changing and entering the pool area!! Also, those scenes must have been shot last because his chest hair miraculously reappeared for a later bedroom scene with the leading lady... amazing!

2 Sticks of Butter said...

He never... married?

Poseidon3 said...

I... know! ;-)

Unknown said...

I just discovered the mouthwatering talents of Mr. Clark. If that police officer (from Alfred Hitchcock Presents "The Dangerous People" season 2, episode 39) came toward me I'd fall to my knees and take every inch of his nightstick.

ArtMoreOrgan said...

Have loved Kenneth since beach dance on South Pacific. Could swallow that Stew daily 'From Here to Eternity.' Arrrfff!!

Ralph L said...

You didn't mention the writing on the privacy screen of the communal shower at the beginning of South Pacific: "Look But Don't Touch"

I'm hungry for some stew now.

Unknown said...

Wow...what a hunky beauty this guy was....thank you for this amazing collection of photos of him...he certainly deserved this extended post all to himself. Such a beautiful guy...

Ptolemy1 said...

Yet another man who I just can't believe didn't realize what was going on below his belt on camera. "Leaches" has several instances as you point out, getting out of the truck and walking down the slope, THEN there's a scene when he's with his gal talking to a man in a living room (shows you how much I followed the plot, lol). At one point he stands and sort of...poses and he's snaking like a mofo. It's amazing. But, THE most amazing is his turn in the Hitchcock episode when he come strutting through the door. Probably the biggest bulge I've ever seen in these retro shows. Just mind boggling. I could write a thesis about how I'm convinced these hall of fame bulge men KNEW what was going on. They had to! But who would point that out in those days? It's the elephant in the room nobody talks about, it would have been just too shocking for a man OR a woman to mention it. He was so beautiful. He's very different looking in "Pacific", they intentionally make him rather neanderthalish. Big hands big feet and huge buddy. As usual with these kinds of things, it's all on Youtube. Strangely enough just the section when he walks into the bus station in the Hitchcock is on Youtube...hmmm wonder why? heheh Once again grateful for turning me on to this amazing man.

Poseidon3 said...

Ken Clark has a legion of fans. Remarkable for someone who is not exactly a household name. I see there's a YouTube tribute video to him, but I didn't take the time this morning to watch it. Glad you liked this, and got a nice dose of his attributes along the way. :-)

Dreamweaver said...

I'm engaged to his grandson

David Kenilworth said...


South Pacific major bulge alert at 15:14 - 15:20 (yellow swimsuit).

David Kenilworth said...


Correction:

bulge alert (yellow swimwuit) at 13:57, 14:25, and 19:22ff. (15:14 was on YouTube; 13:57, 14:25, and 19:22ff are on the 2014 DVD.)