Guest Who: "Lucy" Has a Clint in Her Eye!

During my recent post commemorating the 1,000th entry here, there was one glaring omission from the collection of favorite things that I focused on. I left this out on purpose, knowing that a post would soon be in the chute regarding the subject at hand. That subject is, of course, my dream man Mr. Clint Walker. Today, we'll take a gander at Walker's turn at bat on The Lucy Show in November of 1965. The pairing was so dynamic that he returned in March the following year!

In case you've been living under a rock and don't know, Clint Walker was a towering, gentle giant who starred in the much-beloved western series Cheyenne. By 1965, he had also starred in a number of movies and was also trying to branch out from his die-cast image as a cowboy.

This magazine clipping from some years prior demonstrates how popular these two TV stars were. She'd been voted Favorite TV Comedienne in a poll and his show had been selected (from countless others in competition then) as readers' Favorite TV Western Program.

I've never been able to get my fill of CW in his prime.

Season 4, Episode 9 opens with Walker going over the details of a new office building with Mr. Mooney (Lucy's boss and major-league foil, played by Gale Gordon.)

Ball comes stumbling onto the site and soon enough is down, but not out. She's saved by the handsome Walker (who clearly has her attention already!)

I just love his jaunty little construction helmet. The arms... well, that goes without saying.

Thanks to the danger around, he issues her a helmet, too, which somehow is able to overcome her bouffant hairdo.

They eventually find themselves sharing lunch together waaaayyy up on the girders of what will become a 39-story skyscraper! (Incidentally, I couldn't love his li'l shoes any more if I tried. They're more clearly visible in the cover photo, albeit in black & white, and would still be acceptable style-wise today, I think!)

I'm not sure I could do such a thing myself, even for Clint, but Lucy was always putting herself in ludicrous situations for one reason or another.

He ultimately cajoles her into standing upright (and, natch, this was filmed in a studio in which they were barely off the ground!) Before its over, she's donned the wacky, flower-decorated helmet shown at the top of the post with her name painted on it.

The two have a dinner date for which they get all gussied up. (The studio audience went ape for Walker in a tuxedo, being so used to him in buckskin and canvas.)

Unfortunately, Walker has been up for 48 straight hours! He's ready to doze off at a moment's notice, regardless of his interest in Ball. Furthermore, he informs her that, once-asleep, he shouldn't be suddenly awakened because he tends to burst forth with karate immediately after being wrestled from slumber!

See what I mean? This contrived, gimmicky story line is really never believable for a moment, but it affords Ball a chance to (over)react and find herself in more personal comic peril.

After he takes out one of the columns in her home (!), she suggests he sit on the couch a moment.

But soon enough he's out again, has her pinned down, and she's afraid to rouse him!

It's rough, but what a way to go...

As I say, the looming Mr. Walker was enough of a hit that he was back again in Season 4, Episode 24. This time, he's working on another project financed by Mr. Mooney.

And, once again, Ball pratfalls her way into the site and into Walker's arms. (I'm not going to chide her for this as I've actually done similar things myself multiple times. In fact, one time as I shimmied down a row of stadium seats and "tripped" into the lap of a man I had a crush on, his girlfriend looked at me as said, "Yeah... I've seen your act before." Ha ha ha!!! Let it be known that she and I became fast, long-term friends after that. I thought it was hysterical. And she knew I was getting nowhere anyway. They're now married!)

Take a look at the differential between the looming Walker and the stout Gordon.

As is to be expected, Ball is agog over Walker once again. She finds out that his birthday is fast approaching and, since Gordon won't advance her any money for a present (he oversees a trust of hers), she decides she'll knit Walker a sweater!

While he rattles off figures regarding the construction site, she keeps trying to measure various parts of his build.

The two are often intertwined or otherwise physically engaged.

During one measurement attempt gone wrong, she winds up on top of the man! (She never does get that tape measure where I would be checking. Ha ha!)

Before it's all said and done, she's slammed him into a freshly-plastered wall.

Something clearly didn't go as planned, for when she's done with the sweater, it's massive, even considering that she's trying it out on Gordon...!

On his birthday, which happens to coincide with the bank's summer picnic, invitee Walker is coerced into playing the harmonica for a few of the revelers.

It was fun to see, among the small group of admirers, one Kathryn Janssen, a prolific TV and movie extra who is well-known among fans of The Poseidon Adventure (1972) as "Bun Lady."

Having worked on the sweater and all prepared to give it to him, Ball is mortified to discover that her gentle giant cannot stand the color red...! She tries to ditch the box in the lake and underground, but it keeps making its way back to her.

Finally, she hands over the distressed gift box to Walker only to find that the darn thing has SHRUNK!

Fortunately, he misunderstands and thinks that the sweater was meant for his beloved dog, Lightning!

So all is well in the end. And that, my friends, bring us to...

The End!

Oh, but wait! Yes, this is the end, but I simply had no choice but to re-excavate this HYSTERICAL YouTube comment that I found several years ago. It made such an impression on me then that I did a screenshot of it, which I've never discarded. I posted it here once many moons ago, but it's so outrageous that it bears seeing again. In fact, I have read this probably a minimum of 15 or 20 times since the day I found it and it has never, ever, including right now, allowed me to get all the way through it without wheezing hysterically and having tears well up in my eyes. The Internet is teeming with crazy, but this one gets the blue ribbon from me. Ha ha ha ha!!!!! Be good, my friends.

Poseidon Quickies: Got Wood?

Only strangers to Poseidon's Underworld could fail to know about my never-ending obsession with Mr. Clint Walker. I've written and provided many photos of my "draw your perfect man" come to life over the last dozen years. Today, we'll take a brief gander at one of his 1960s movies - The Night of the Grizzly (1966), an example of the type of family-oriented film he was drawn to during the later part of his career. While he did indeed film The Dirty Dozen (1967) a year later, he was not at all keen on "bad" language, explicit sexuality or excessive violence on screen. (He even gave up a key scene in Dozen rather than be shown dropping a grenade into a bunker in which women were present!) If the opening card of Grizzly were removed which reads "A Paramount Picture," one would think it was a Disney family film, though it does contain far more lusty (and bloody) brawling that you would generally see come out of the "Mouse House."

Walker plays an ex-lawman who chucks everything to run a ranch inherited from his late uncle. His niece (far left), wife and two children arrive to find out that there is a lien on the property, which costs them virtually every cent they have.

Still, they press on, with only one friend to help as a ranch hand. Western veteran Walker really did drive the horse-drawn wagon across the prairie. 

They arrive to find the place a ramshackle mess in virtual shambles. Notice how the towering Walker seems to dwarf everything around him.

Leading ladies (in this case Martha Hyer) typically love tall leading men as it allows them to look up, extending their neckline.

Brawny Walker had many attributes, but in this post I cannot share one of his more endearing ones -- his soft, deep, velvety voice. I could listen to him speak all day.

There is a strong supporting cast in Grizzly, from Keenan Wynn to Jack Elam to Leo Gordon and even a young Ron Ely. At left above is none other than Nancy Kulp!

There is camp humor in the presence of two TV icons playing disparate types. Ellen Corby (later of The Waltons) is a tough pioneer woman while Kulp (of The Beverly Hillbillies) is a frilly, fussy shopkeeper.

Their house is beautifully fixed up as seen here. But also beautiful is the hulking Walker. Note that he's on the step half a foot below Hyer and is still taller!

A movie like this isn't going to thrill every viewer (though it does contain a fair amount of action.) The pleasure chiefly comes from getting to see and hear the leading man. His greatest days were spent on his popular series Cheyenne, but that was completely filmed in black & white.

He was born to portray Kal-El/Superman, but apparently no one ever thought about it.

On the subject of wood (see title of this post), many critics and viewers seemed to delight in referring to Walker's acting as wooden. I have never thought that. He was natural and actually quite expressive when it was called for and you can always see him listening to his fellow performers. His laconic style sure holds up a lot better than many over-actors of the 1950s & '60s as far as I'm concerned. Anyway, he looked so good in repose I don't really seek any strenuous acting!

Like I say. Nice scenery throughout!

I haven't even bothered to mention the primary plot line of the film...! Just as Walker is finally getting his family situated and his ranch built up with stock, a vicious grizzly bear is hell bent on destroying everything.

Needless to say, this causes considerable concern and upset for the family. Hey, this little girl has a great idea, though... Let's get that shirt off! That's why we're truly here after all. LOL

The unquestioned highlight of the film, the climax as far as I'm concerned, is when Clint and his ranch hand are fixing up the place and Walker begins whacking away...

...away at some huge logs with an axe! Oh. My. God.

This, kids, is what we call a "chest o'death!" Ha ha!

We've scarcely had time to collect ourselves from the wood-chopping scene when he's back in action soon enough with a shovel, digging post holes! Sadly, a visitor comes during this bit of drudgery and Walker reaches for a nearby shirt.

We don't get to see him undo his belt and tuck the shirt in, which is likely the only reason this movie didn't become the top-grosser of 1966! Even with it on, he looks damned good.

I have no reason to give you as to why, but I happen to LOVE this particular shirt. Maybe because somehow it magically transcends its intended time period and looks very contemporary to my eyes. I mean, I'd wear it. (Especially after he'd had it on! Ha ha!)

It's incredible the way he seems to dwarf not only his costars, but also the trees even! He was one hunky, handsome man.

Even though the negative is reversed for this lobby card, someone at Paramount knew what aspects of the movie to promote!

Step right up!

I don't know if they build them like this any more... If they do, they likely don't have the rich voice and gentle manner of Mr. Walker. Thank goodness some folks in the movie colony back then felt the need to showcase his chest over and over again in movies and on TV. Night of the Grizzly may be seen in a great print here.

The Living End!