MICHAEL DANTE - Actor, writer best known as Maab from TOS "Friday's Child"

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0:49 Coming the phone now. Coming. He didn't tell me. Well, good evening, Treki's and Trekkers around the globe. It is Thursday night, October third, twenty twenty four. It is episode six hundred and seven of Trek Talking. I'm your most excellent host, Uncle Jim, and we've got a great show planned for you guys tonight. But before we go too far, I like to introduce to you my awesome trek Spurts and we'll start out in Las Vegas with Charles. Hi.

1:30 How you doing tonight, Charles, I'm doing. All right, hanging in there wishing Mother Nature would let fall come back. Well, we're having some great weather here in Vermont, so I'm happy about that, and we also have with us on the line out in Portland, we have our very own toy guy, Paul. How you doing tonight, Paul? Hey, Uncle Jim. I'm doing great, man. But you know one of the reasons I'm doing great, it's October. It is my favorite month of all twelve of them, brother, and so all kinds of good stuff in the air, Halloween, baseball playoffs, and the great Michael Dante is with us here tonight as well, So it's a it's gonna be a great night. Super excited.

2:15 Yeah, I'm trying to keep an eye on my mets there. They blew it yesterday and hopefully they can pull it out today. So I'm trying to keep my eye on the podcast in the game Stimoltanous. You got good luck with that one. Brother, It's gonna be interesting. My wife gonna give me updates as they happen. And also from Portland, we have Eric with us tonight. How you doing tonight? Eric? I am doing really good. I'm excited to be here. It has been it's been kind of like a long week. It's just felt like a long week, but this was something I was looking forward to all week, So I'm very excited about it. It's definitely gonna be some fun. Our phone number here everybody is six four six six six eight two four three three six four six sixty six eight two four three three, So you can let your fingers do the walking and call Trek Talking and I'll get you on the line to talk to the Great Michael Dante. Six four six six six eight two four three three is that number, And make sure you visit us at Trek Talking dot com. You can find all of our old shows and this one as well over there, and you can also find us on Facebook at Trek Talking Podcast except no imitations. So I want to let you know that October tenth is going to be our Prodigy super Show.

3:37 We're going to cover the last four episodes of Prodigy, and we're going to follow that up on October seventeenth with Aaron walk the man behind Star Trek Prodigy. He's going to be here with us to take your questions about Prodigy and will there be a season three? Well, you'll have to call and ask him. And we're gonna follow that up on October twenty fourth talk with John Simpson, who was young Sarah in the Best Star Trek movie ever, Star Trek five, the Final Frontier, and we wrap up October with a special Halloween show where we're going to be talking about the premiere of Star Trek Lower Decks. So we have a pretty busy month plan. Make sure you put us in speed dials so you don't miss any of the fun. And without any further ado, guys, I want to let you know that Michael Dante is with us. And he's best known to Star Trek fans as playing mob in ts IS episode Friday's Child. But he's an award winning actor, he's an award winning author, he's a celebrity radio talk show host, and he has starred in over thirty films and one hundred and fifty television shows. Can you believe that? He was under contract to three major studios, MGM, Warner Brothers and twentieth Century Fox.

4:55 And as if that's not enough, he was also a professional baseball player and winner of numerous prestigious awards. He also has a street named after him in his hometown of Stanford, Connecticut, Michael Dante Way, and he has an autobiography out called Michael Dante From Hollywood to Michael Dante's Way. It was published in twenty fourteen, so go and find it. And without any further ado, I want to introduce you to the man himself, mister Michael Dante. Welcome to the show. Well, thank you, jam In, Paul and Eric's pleasure to be choking with I'm very please do that. I'm speaking with the three gentlemen. The galle kept the show trick wol with so many challenged people and interesting stories. So I'm looking forward julib conversation and all of these things will exchange in the next couple of miles.

6:08 Absolutely, I was talking with your wife earlier and I just wanted to say that I got in touch with you through one of my co hosts, Charles was at the Las Vegas convention and he met you there and said, you know, you got to get this guy on the podcast. So Charles got a business card from you, or maybe it was from your wife. I think he talked to your wife and I reached out and that's how we set this all up. So if you don't mind, why don't we start with Star Trek Las Vegas. What was that convention like for you? Oh it was excellent. You know, thousands of the checkings come from all over and I just admire and love the attitude. There's so patient, so polite. Sometimes they wait. I can recall and I'd like to share with him. The first gathering, the venue I attended was in Casadena at the Pasadena Convention Center and literally the line was from one end of the building outside and the street. That's when Bill Uh and Leonard Lee Boy were you know, very active, and I attended the the venues of the many they have over

7:41 the years, and that was the early days, and that was my first appearance. And when the trekies came through to get autographs and pictures and what have you from uh Shadner and the boy. By the time they got to ourt stable, Uh, it was approximately three hours. And I asked the these wonderful trekkies, are you upset or you know, disturbing anyway? You know how old you know? Really, I know it took you quite some time. How were you waiting in line? Only said three hours? Said wow, and you're not upset about it? No, he said, Well, we meet people other Trekkis from all places for all the world, and we have a dialogue. We exchanged so much about our favorite actors, our shows and episodes, et cetera, et cetera, and weird we UH had psycho a friendship that as my labor when I HA said another little bit they used, and then the long last thing. So

9:12 they look forward to seeing each other. Uh, these wonderful, patient and very polite people. And they said, well, God, is there anything that anything that it is noble? We understand. And I was AGAs to see the the size of each one of their portfolios. Their portfolios were at least I would say two to three inches thick of all photograph pictures of their favorite actors and actresses and so forth.

9:55 And I would say, that's one heck of an event each one of them have in their loyal over the gallery over them and all these these wonderful UH pictures and autograph pictures over the years. It's just incredible. So that was a great experience for me because I really it was indoctrinated and introduced to these very very nice, wonderful people there the greatest checking the greatest fans in the world.

10:43 I couldn't agree more. Michael, when you got involved in Star Trek, did you have any idea at that time that fifty eight years later we would still be talking about it and you would still be talking about it yourself. Some mean, it's just one of those things that I think it's kind of miraculous because mister Roddenberry, uh, you know, didn't think the after the first three years, uh, the show would not last, they would not go any further because the Westerns were getting all the ratings and he didn't feel that compliment that the the sub track this series would would be so popular after that period in which he went up the air. And that was the reason why he went up the air, because he thought the Western genre just overtook the market and it would be the end of the sund Track series. But you're a wonderful story. What mister Rodenberry.

12:04 It was. The easiest job I ever got in the business. I got a phone call in my home in Encino. I was living outside in the valley in Los Angeles at the time and had a home there in the valley. And at oh about ten o'clock in the morning, I got a call from his secretary his office, and the secretary said, mister dunte Uh, mister Roddenberry would like to assume you see a sap in his office and he's just uh tell me what time could you be here?

12:50 Just come straight food. There's no h casting people or anyone who just comes straight. To his office. He would like to see you personally. So I had know someone in his office and I'd worked with him. I had my personal number. So they called me at home and besides to track the agent, and of course I responded, and I said, okay, I'll be there in a couple of hours, and I already left, and two to my word, I was there exactly around noontime a couple of hours later, and I walked in and the second area I should meet right to his desk, busy as he was, and he said, Michael, So she shook hands.

13:46 He said, I saw you want to tell me show a couple of nights ago, and you were terrific, and I have an excellent part for you. And it's a player opposite the guest star in a segment called Friday child Us, the opposite Julie Newmore. And uh, he said, y'all, And he said it's a good script, a good character. I know you can kick the butt off of it. And you know, I just want to share something with you. He said, you know, Michael, all we are doing is a Western in the sky. That's a really first act, second act, third act, good guy, bad guy. You know the story line and you have the conflict and polarity and the second acts and then they are the climax.

14:44 Very simple stories, very very very easy. It'll follow and the heroes, you know, the heroes and the bad guys. So, uh, we're doing We're doing fine. And I really like your due to sayment. Take the script, told read it and if you like it, codive agent and heav your agent called me. The job is yours. It's up to you. So I thanked him, left me offers, went home and read the script that was serfect called my agent. Everything was all set top of the show, guest star billing, and we were often running. But that's the kind of leadership he possessed. He was a great exentive, creative and executive producer who knew his characters, knew the premise of the shows, knew his people, and knew the actors he wanted to guest star in his shows. So he was very personal, very easy to talk to, and highly intelligent.

16:06 And I can't tell you o'dunsel about it. We all know how talented talented and creative. He was. It was a joy and for meeting and just a joy to show there's something very special. Now, Michael, we have we have a caller on the line. We have Mary from Connecticut him. Welcome to the show. Mary, Hi, Hi, Michael, Hi Mary Jane, and just came from the convention. Uh that was back in August, and I was just so impressed and uh impressed by the fans and impressed by you, Michael. A wonderful experience.

16:53 Well, thank you, thank you so much, Chelle. It was it always is, you know, each year or in other venues that feature Star Trek, they each one is different. It has a different or a different personality and a different group. But the Trickies they're all the same. They are just so nice and polite and the uh there are so many of the fans, uh dress up in the characters and when they come to the table. I was just so impressed with the dialogue they would quote for my character. My uh to me, they knew the dialogue in the show that I spoke throughout better than I did. So they were really knowledgeable and very intelligent about what liked and didn't like. And Uh, it did such a joy to meet these diverse people. For home, there was a uh what a couple that came from England and they were waiting quite some time to get through to our table. And by the time they get

18:26 there it was another one of the Passadina convention experiences that they said, well, I said, how more were you do this one here? So I wan a couple of hours and so forth, and they had a British accent. See they were he said, we didn't lie. We enjoyed it there very much. We met some very nice people and then said that oh h uh yeah, where are you from? Oh, we're from and then send us out out of uh London and we come every year and we're so delighted to meet you and get your your books and your autograph fictions for our portfolio. I said, wow, okay, how nice? And uh do you now to travel here?

19:22 They have friends here or relatives here and makes it to you, makes it tip every year. It's quite expensively and uh the time that you stay, are you to have friends and relatives you might be uh spending time with? Said oh no, we were empty year. We saved all our money to come here. Wow, the moon't coming here? Save our money all year. Well, I always fell on the side, how well can you be?

20:04 You know, yeah, very committed. They're committed. Wow, it's incredible. Oh so I wasn't familiar. With just ask one more question. You came out and you were. Dancing, and what song was that? Because you know, it's kind of new to being a fan, so I didn't know if that was part of the music from. The show or the music music from the show. Yeah, well you came out on stage. I thought you na stage. Yeah, that was on stage the the co stars that are still alive and well, I think there was five or six of us that spoke on stage with the very large audience, and it was the panel panel discussion, and the music played. And one of the guests on the show was a dancer and an actress, so she she heard the she came on the dance and I followed up when I did my little it's true.

21:23 So I was very oppressed. Yeah, it was a lot of gom and the Q and A, the questions and answers were all very nice and intelligent. So we had a we had enjoyed it and then had a good time as well, because of course it's very good. Yeah, thank you so much. You're welcome. Mary, take care of God bless. Yes, thank you. All right, and let me see we have a we have another caller on the line. Let me see if I can get it to connect. Here, here we go. Hello, thank you for calling, truck talking. What's your name and where are you calling from? Area code six two three?

22:18 Yeah? Hey, it's it's Allen and I'm calling from Phoenix. Oh my god, Alan, I have I have a question. Yeah, I have a. Question that's outside of Star Trek. And then I have a follow up if I'm permitted. Uh, what was it like working on Perry Mason? My mom saw you the other night. I wanted the episodes. Yes, Perry Mason, I did two of them, and then and Jewett working with a canst. They had an excellent cast in the next Company. They were very efficient, highly professional, and enjoyed the two segments. They were both different for me, and I was very pleased after the first show invited me back into a second show, different character. And it was at that time and Perry Mershon that was a huge successful troll show. They had great, great ratings and most of the actors that would be very happy to guest starting so because they were very popular show with a wonderful cast. Raymond Burr was a highly professional to

23:49 work with him and of course the rest of the cast as well. Great. Now my follow up is that it relays the Star Trek. What was it like working with. Both William Shatner and Leonard Nimoury if you were able to get to see them on the set. Well, both of them are highly successful and then behind the professional they knew, uh, they had a winner, and they their characters were fully developed when I did the show, and so they they exuded confidence in their choices. As air kids us we relate to one another in the communication, and they they were highly professional. I was very, very impressed with both their characters. They knew their characters very what they could do, what they can't do, what could do.

24:55 So my character was something that was supposedly a superior group compellants that were much taller and highly intellect group and Julie do Love and of course we were paired of. But Julius very tall. She was about sixteen tall and she had the best figure in all of Hollywood because she was she started out as a singer dancer. She was a joy to work with. Yeah, very funny, in a very wise sense of humor. If I may elaborate, I will tell you a story and then them to what happened to us when we were working in in Vasquez Rocks. It was one hundred and seventeen degrees and that ball, the bad skin Clocks was in the vine surrounded by bowlers and the temperature was once seventeen on the outside and the deeper you penetrated into the radine, it gets so hot it was tough to breathe practically.

26:24 Julie was having a very difficult time. We had to put your cold towel to one to day as well as Joe Pevy, the director of the episode. And the camera flows up because it was overheated, and they had to put icebacks, believe it or not, on top of the camera to keep the camera functioning during this time of duress. Was it was really really difficult. And I lost seven pounds that day and I didn't have an answer that I lost them. When I went back to the locker room and took off my my wardrobe, it was soaked and my my my boots were well had at least an inch of water and I was pushing around like it just came out out of a swimming pool walking in the beach somewhere, and uh it was.

27:33 It was really tough. But you know, uh, you do a chant to do professiones. UH should know, and I do enjoy sharing this audience and with you. By all means that, uh we do the job. We have a job to do. We do it, uh under all circumstances, no matter what. You do the job to get the job done and then you can complain and and talk about it later. But did you you have to do it and we got it done. But it was it was when we were hearing scary there for a moment because still Pemany was accreating the whole.

28:28 Yeah, min go, I know that you and uh Bill and Leonard Nimoy and Rottenberry all came out of the Western genre. So that was interesting change. No, thank you, Yes, yes, because as I said before, he was so matter of facts and uh laid it out so simply and said, Michael, all we're doing is the worstern in the sky and at that state, Yeah, that set a train of thought in my mind to relate to the simplistics of the show.

29:10 And that's why it was so successful. You knew me and the hero, the antagonists. In our case, we had a story that had action, it had humor, and it had doramin. So anytime you would get free and one Gentlemens and one on the show. You have succeeded in writing a very good screenplay, and we had that screenplay and we enjoyed all three aspects of the first, second, and third active of the piece.

29:56 Well, thank you, Michael, thank you so much, and we appreciate it. Thank you. Bye bye bye bye, good bye, please bye bye bye. All right, and uh, we have another caller on the line that has a question for you. Michael. Welcome to the show, Area CO two O nine. What's your name of where you're calling us from tonight? My name is Michael Griffin. I'm calling out of the San Francisco Bay area. Hi, Michael, welcome to the show. You have a question for Michael.

30:36 Hi. Thank you, Yes, Hi Michael, Mary Jane. How are you do you? Guys? Sound like you're having fun so far? Thank you. Awesome? Well I have. I mean, obviously I'm a big fan and I get to, you know, chat with you in your face group group from time to time. But I wanted to know you. You know, you've had an amazing acting career, been in a number of of of uh you know, shows and movies and genres, crossing everything. You're also a writer. So as an actor, what do you what. Is the thing that you took like the strongest I guess that you took as being an actor when you take it into your writing.

31:26 Well, Michael, what I did and I discovered it as I matured as an accident, Uh in my youth I spent in Hollywood. I realized is that my life and work. I treated my life and worked as an art form and okay, and so it opened up, Yeah, other areas of of my talent, talent that I didn't know that I could exceed and accomplish in that transition from an actor to the host of my own radio show for twelve years doing over two hundred radio shows, and I finished uh six six books. I've I just finished my sixth book and I'm working on my seventh book. So yes, I'm I'm amazed at that myself. But what what uh to uh digress to the art form and to invent

32:58 and create and stay within the confines of that that creative Uh pathway led me to other areas whereby I said, well, you know, I think I can. I think I can to host the radio show after I learned all the technical things about commercials and timing and and so for that's a wonderful challenge. I love the challenge as well, Michael. And yeah, and the same thing with Friday. I had written along the way, and even in my early days in Alliwood, the early days of my career, I wrote over a synopsis, uh, several synapses along the way, and I said, you know, someday, all right, I like to write a screenplay or maybe a book or a novella.

34:05 I developed a nice style of writing novellas. My novellas read like the screenplay and a book. So yeah, yeah, I can. I condensed the in set of You know, a filmmaker has to read it, say it of for instance, I'll give you a for instance. He reads a book at three four on the pages. He likes the book, and he wants to adapt a screenplay from a book. He has to go through three to four other pages to adapt, well, twelve or fifteen or twenty major scenes from that book to write a screenplay. Well done? Is that I have already adapted well fifteen twenty scenes major scenes that I created in my imagination and in my story storyline and place storms, let's say, twenty scenes in a nobella, and then I carried on.

35:37 Of the scene. Yeah, a combination of the narrative and a screenplay in an oblla. And my novella is already run from ninety to one hundred pages in seat of four hundred pages. Mm hmm, fluff out, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, Okay. All the major scenes, uh uh will be in that nobella. I have already adapted the major scenes in my bed by to make up a first act second and conserve that to a screenplay.

36:20 Okay, that's awesome, That is awesome. A follow up question since you mentioned the radio show, you know, and and we're talking about the writing and the acting as an artist, you know, it's it is all different and it hits in different fields. But is there a particular heart that you enjoyed more? Like, were you, you know, did you really enjoy the acting more, did you really enjoy the radio like where would you feel you were happiest? And if you could go back and do any of that again, where would you go back to in that point in time, like. Michael, that's that's an over good question because they be morning the emotional attachment and satisfaction to it, like for example, the Rats Show came later and I wish, uh, I would I had the opportunity to do a radio show earlier in my career. And for this reason that most people think a radio show a radio show post is about talking, it's not. It's about look me. It's about listening.

37:39 And the greatest, the greatest contribution an actual can have as a talent to to to contribute to his acting. Career and ability is the ability to listen, to concentrate, to listen. So they do you react, not act? You react and that act. And then like an improv point in there too, right, because you're you've got to react to what you're saying. You've got to react to what they're saying, and that gives a great interview. You know.

38:20 Sometimes you get those ones that that that question or something they say just triggers the right question and the conversation just you know, leads from there. So there is a bit of an improv aspect of it. Yeah, yeah, and then my general uh there might uh uh, you might have a subject matter and and have an anecdote, we have another idea, uh, and you can go in another direction, whether an interesting addition to his question or a question and uh then because become uh, you know, a three sixty for you. It's so interesting, so well rounded and unrehearsed, So you got a conscious stream of consciousness that uh compliments the question with some additional answers on their anecdotes to go along with it, to make it so spontaneous and so natural.

39:32 Yeah, it absolutely is. And you know that the same thing as we're doing right here, right now, same way, you know, just having a conversation. And I always love having a conversation you. You are amazing trek fam. If you haven't had a chance to catch Michael and Mary Jane at the conventions, you got to go see him. They are so amazing. I love these. Guys, just love you guys. So I don't want to take up too much of your time. I want other people to get a chance to to say hi and share their love for you. But I did want to stop in and ask that question. So enjoy the rest of you. You're very well, and enjoy the rest of your podcast. Godless ks recalling Michael.

40:14 Thank you, Thank you. All right, guys, we have we have another caller on the line. Uh, we're talking to area code five two zero. Thank you forcalling. What's your name of where your calling was from? Hi, my name's Lorraine and I'm calling from Maricopa, Arizona, Tyler Rain, Welcome to the Love By I'm Michael. I was wondering please if you could tell me how fabulous it was in the cast of Seven Thieves with Edward g. Robinson, Rod Steiger, John Collins, Eli Wallach. The cast is amazing that you got to work with because I have a feeling that Eli Wallack was a funny guy.

41:01 Oh wow, And you're talking about truly one of the uh perfect casts in the film that there will ever be. It was a joy who worked of course with the great editing Gieve Robinson now outsider, and most of my seems were with Routziger and we had a wonderful work rapport. And uh, he was he was. He was a guest to work with him. And of course Joe Collins Eli Wallert had a great character actor Alex Kobe uh Barry Koger.

41:44 These were wonderful character actors and yeah, great, great reach, wonderful story. I'll share one who put him with Eddie J. Robinson. Eddie was such a I always loved it, loved his work, and it's truly one of the great character leading men, character actors that ever lived. He was women and very bright, the wonderful man. And he invited me to lunch one day to his home. He lived at Beverly Hill. Sister. I brought a block two blocks away from the Beverly Hills Hotel. And when we sat there, I sat in the breakfast note. But prior to that, and he had a butler that uh loved baseball and was a big character, be a fan of mine, and he wanted to meet me, and of course his lovely wife and uh what prior to that, I had a crooks too of his home.

42:54 He was a reflector. He uh and his French wife were a big collectors, and of course a man who remarried America. They was still collecting from all the masters he had because you named them. He had a painting of them and so forth. As tall I went through the whole house upstairs and downstairs, and we sat through and have lunch. And uh, he was sitting opposite of the maiden. And then I got looking over the shoulder and I could stop looking over his shoulder behind us, his shoulder behind them was the most magnificent still life I have ever seen in my life. It was food on the table, watermelon, bananas, plums, cherries, peachas beautifully red rich colors huge, It was at least six seven beat across them. The background there, and I just couldn't keep my eyes off of it. And it didn't have an uh an artist. There was no water rapple of it.

44:15 There was no signature. I looked for it and there was no signatae the artists work. So now we're having loves who will saying it's just finishing lunch and having some coffee. And his wife came in and said, Michael said, I know you. You appreciated Lobot so forth, the tour and uh of all the of all the paintings, of all the artworks and sketches, the oils and so watercolors and so forth, of all the masters, which painting did you like most of all? Well, I said, this is Rappleton's.

44:57 You're not going to be believe me. I'm not an aficionado, but I am appreciate the guy who loves art and the painting behind Uh, mister Robinson doesn't have a signature that behind me moves me so much. It is so real. I want to I want to boot out and grab the food off the off the canvas. And she said, see Eddie Michael is the second one who said that Eddie G. Robinson had painted that he did it. He was a brilliant painter. He was so good and he you know he had He said, no, no, no, no, no no. I said, I I can't tell you a whole emotional appreciated of the beautiful work. And he was so humble. And that was Eddie G. Robinson, he says.

46:13 And rob and I had very a lot of fun. We we had a uh celebrity softball team and yeah, and I Rob uh was a good athlete, played tennis. We played tennis together and Uh, I told him about it. We were towards the end of the filming seven teams and he said, I told me when I would celebrity get together. He said, can I come out and play? I said sure, yeah, So he came out and UH we were having We had one of the wonderful time and he he was, you know, rope on heavy set and run like that. I was so surprised at speed in the outfield he went and grabbed it a couple of fly balls and really looking look like he really knew what he was doing and love coming out and that we Uh, we had a wonderful time when all those seeds out on the cliff. When away, I had to go from one room to another and we were two hundred feet above the ocean. And I had played a character that was afraid of heights and had a phobia.

47:44 Uh uh enclosure of phobia was a phobia to be complied in a in a elevator and also uh phobias pipes. I I surprised Rob when I was we were supposed to I guess I got it now it's clussphobia and yeah, so it's a character and uh so I had that responsibility uh as a character to perform that going out on the ledge. So I play road well before coming out.

48:33 Uh the door set Uh she locked, Uh Joe Collins had locked. We had to go schood. So he went stood first and he went and got on the ledge and disappeared a couple of steps. But I stayed back. I didn't do it. I wanted him to come and get me. But that was an important that was a creative boon. Well, Ron, it was such a good actor and it was so creative. I couldn't put wood by it. He came back and grabbed me. But if you see the movie again, you know somewhere and posed me out on the ledge and you got it done. Afterwards, he said, Michael, that was so great, he said, I love you. He said, I enjoyed the moment, so.

49:32 I'm sorry. Go ahead, good Michael. The other question I wanted to ask you is when you were doing Westbound with Randall Scott and you had to keep your arm hidden. I've watched that movie several times and I don't know was your arm at your side, behind. You, in front of you? Where was your arm that was supposed to have been amputated in the Civil War. Well, I took my left arm first of all. I got a very large extra hard shirt at the time, so it would be to be an ample room and would kind of troop down, and you hide it as much as the cook. And I took my hand and arm, put it back at my buttocks and let the sleep drop down, you know. And I did that for oh three four days and walked around.

50:26 That's hard on this, that's hard on this. I'm going to have your arm way down there. I had a high practice in my home and so forth. But uh an attendive to that story. Uh that our direction, great butt Betteger was another John Ford, the one wonderful, wonderful director. He did so many of the one That's got movies and and of course dude did two mules for Sister Sarah with uh Clint Eastwood. But I had an idea, I said, Bud, I would like to take their Winchester rifle home, of their lever action home with me over the weekend. Would you okay, Pops that I could take it with me? And I want to I want to rehearse. Uh h, I want to do something with it, he said, by all means, he said, I'll call down there right now. I'll this on a Friday, and the weekend was coming, and I had the weekend a couple of things I had in minds of uh to bring in Monday. So he said, bomb, I want to the pop department. They okayed everything to the director.

51:50 I brought it home and I began cranking. This is before the rifle man ever did crank. Yeah right, I shot and I speak hand, so I was able to control and crank it and grab it in one motion. So I would crank it, got crank it, grab it and I would. But the weekend I was an expert at it and I could do it with one hand, one perfectly. So yeah, Monday, and I said, book, look what I developed. It wasn't written. That was my creative constribution to the counter. So I brought it and I showed them who cash and they said, wow, wonderful. So Booth said, okay, I we got it. And it happened to me the first scene that we had to do that that of the first scene of the movie that day was with the rifle and the one where I cranked one hand. Now, story wise, I didn't have the confidence the character, and he thought he was half a man.

53:15 So to convince me I could do a lot with one hand, Randy was to teach me in the story. See in the screen, Yeah, he thinks me. So I got to teach him off screen, but on screen he has to teach me follow me. Yes, Now Randy is not his coordinator, and God love him. He wasn't his coordinatorsion professional laught, so he was bleeding. He was cut down the taping. It took a third six tapes. Oh oh, and it was. They came down from the from the production open said, but what are you doing? You know the day is almost started and you haven't even got the one take yet. He said, We're gonna get this no matter what well we did, and how important there was to the script and the story. Yes, that is my created contribution, uh, to the physical, physical, creative constitution to the story of the movie.

54:40 I have my last one. My last question is, Michael, why did you get an oscar for Winter Hawk? When no, I say the longest that you should have. You should have been awarded an oscar for the movie Winter Hawk. That's that's what. John Wayne said that too to me, and I was thanking torn when I did. John Wayne through his charities and in his hometown of Newport Beach, which was Child Abuse, the wonderful charity that we raised a lot of money, his son Patrick Wade and he that's Patrick and I were the auctioneers and raised each year for three years over fifty thousand dollars with no publicity and he said, got an editor for Winter. Yeah. When he saw Winner all he said, Michael, you should have been nominated for the War for the simple tour. But anyway, thank you Wayne, and I am that was my It's my favorite movie for more than one reason. First, maybe one a half of one percent of the actors have the good fortune and the opportunity to play a title role. I was

56:10 given that opportunity, and I had the good fortune of of playing that character that I loved and made a marriage with that character that was not written. He was not written that he was a spiritual man. I brought a spiritual essence to the character. Meaning didn't know that the decision I made I related to the stars, the boon, the wind, the wild road, and before I made the decision, so that every decision I made was based on a greater lessons than ego, because ego killed more people than cheesecake. You, Michael, thank you, very wonderful questions. God God bless you.

57:16 All right, and uh we're gonna We're gonna pass the mic over to Paul. Paul you have some questions for Michael. I I'd love to my friend. Thank you. I'm like riveted listening to these stories, though, Michael, thank you so much for being our guest on here tonight. It's a it's a treat. It's a pleasure. Uh well, I tell you might enjoy the various anecdotes. Two stories of Adjason. The thedendum to the question makes for a nice color and an education. A lot of people go behind and scene don't know what goes on and what happens, and they look at it on the school and say, oh, geez, was great, But the work that goes behind it sometimes is a lot of hard work to make it work.

58:09 Well, it's just great. And I've been looking over all the you know, all of your credits and everything that you've done, and I'm like a child of the sixties and seventies, right, so I grew up watching a ton of the things that you were in, especially during like the heyday of you know, sixties television, you know, right before and right. After Star Trek. But a huge Star Trek fan, and I think amongst fans of the original series, Friday's Child really stands out right. It's a great episode and it's one of the ones that people remember because it's when they were still going out and shooting on location like you were describing, right. I mean, some of the later episodes were all on a set, but you guys are out there on location, which just made it feel really real and and exciting.

58:55 It was very compelling, and it's it's like a The story kind of reminds me a little bit of Dune almost, because you have these tribal uh folks and they're trying to sort things out and there's this influence with the Klingons and whatnot. And I remember, I don't know, I was probably like, you know, in my teenage years, and I'm watching this episode for one of the first times, and I'm like, what is the deal with this Klingon? He looked really familiar to me? And then I'm like, wait a minute, this is the police captain from the mod Squads. Yeah, It's like is it tij andrews Am I saying his name right? Yeah? Yeah, Tigers? Uh. He played the Klings and he was the antagonist, and Uh, Tiger's a very nice, grand good actor. We've known. We knew each other for a long time and we were neighbors uh in Encino, Uh where he lived. He would live about old maybe a half a mile from my home. But uh, there was so interesting things like like the weapon that I had a clinging, you know, the cligan well sometimes yeah, yeah, that was such a unique addition to the character and his expertise and uh and the man the man who ws to how to throw it, uh, to be effective

1:00:26 and to be accurate and so forth. So and they said up some many off stage and uh, when we had a little encounter, uh to flip the throw it. It looked like a professional. It worked really really nice, but it took some manys the time and wh it was from. We had good actors to work with, and a wardrobe wardrobe was fabulous. But by god, I'll tell you a little story. I was doing a venue and a uh uh Trechy came to the table and said, Michael, He said, do you I have that outfit you wore in when you were doing Friday's Child? I said, no, I wish I did it because the wardrobe guy it was it was so too wet and everything and and uh, the character dies. So they weren't going to use the character the wardrobe anymore because I could get zapped in it.

1:01:44 And so he said you wanted and so forth, And I said, well, no, what do I know what. I didn't have any use for it. I didn't realize at the time. So the the Turkey said to me, he said, oh god, he said, if you had more of that wardrobe, he said, I'm going to give you twenty five thousand dollars for wah wow. So I said, well, okay, I wasn't I wasn't made to be a rich man. If only had gone to the dry cleaners after shooting that day, it would be. But I'm telling you the fans and the commercial aspect of all these products and wardrobe and uh the like the clinic clicking and the weapons they use and h you know, the commerciality in the immediate of dollars and the actors that and of course uh let it eve away and uh Shadow and the interruptors made so much more money than they ever made while they were shooting and working on during the three years.

1:03:01 Of the. Of the of the show, they made millions of dollars work. He got, uh the autographs at one time I know at what time, Shadow was getting one hundred dollars of autograph words. And they had a favorite Nations cause with Leonard Boy, so he got as much as Shadow did you know, so they got news between fifteen one hundred dollars of an autograph. If they were ordered on the piece of newspaper, they got one hundred dollars wow, or fifty dollars or whatever the going rate at the top was.

1:03:43 So he had the kamber a home. Uh, you know, prolific and very financial, successful industry. It's just uh and it's still going strong. And thanks yeah, thanks to both of you, Jim, Eric and you Charlie, the two the Star Trek name a lot well and the interesting people stories that your fans I'm sure will find interesting to listen to. Great job, guys.

1:04:23 We we just love good stories and we love good actors, man. That's that's that's what unites us. And we get a lot of that from Star Trek, from you know, year in for year out, and we just you know, we get hooked and we're young and we never give up. So that's a lot of what happens. I have. I just have to mention because I was looking over your credits on here, I'm just so delighted to see because it's one of my favorite genres. Is so many great westerns that are on here, both in TV and in screen and I have a hunch I know what you're going to say to this, because you were talking very affectionately about Winter Hawk earlier. Would you say that's your favorite Western as far as the ones that you're past the others that you are.

1:05:06 Reason I mentioned that playing the title was very rare by our business, and then being able to make a marriage with the character, to make him a spiritual man and write that beautiful Appaloosa, Uh, he was so special, uh, to give another dimension to the character as you who you remember the wonderful sceneson and a wonderful stunt man beheaded that this uh, buddy, that's such a great uh a job as a stuntman. And then those wonderful scenes throughout were really high caliber lighting. Because he was seventeen, Charlie, he was seventeen hands tied. He was a Arabian and then a Thoroughbred, so he had the power of an Arabian and the speed of a Sabred. They had the rangements every morning, had to uh uh, it's just my talk with Charlie or Paul Paul right now, Paul, I'm sorry, Paul, Paul. Uh.

1:06:34 The branglers had to run him, exercise him for two hours every morning to wear him down so that when he when I got on it went worked with him. He was not as as so feisty, you know, so energetic he was. He was so noble. He was just wonderful. And I got him the plants and the picture a wonderful people work coming into the the encampment. I got him to dance and the nice things. He was. He was sis and he didn't have the reflectors that were used in those days were the enemy of most most horses, and reflecting uh from the sun to give light, the light of the scene. If they had hid it in the eye, they would spook this horse never. But it didn't bother him alone. And from this this uh wonderful piece that I I enjoyed though for so many reasons.

1:07:52 And the casts one of the greatest casts of all time. And I'm show you. I'm sorry to say, my heart, my heart aches to know that other than the young boy Cotton, I'm the only one of one, they're all deceased. He sold Yeah, yeah, Baricon, yeah cook right, he won't to Jove's. Yeah, they're all they're all going. It's it's it's so sad. The Charlie sother is still a lot.

1:08:32 I don't know. I haven't heard from from him and and the family for a long time, so I hope he's well. And of course Dawn, Dawn is gone, jes as lady Lady. Do Wells right, don Well? No one news, so I don't. Don Wells is gone and Dennis simple, Dennis pass away and they're all God except and it's just a same So sorry to say that. But they were beautiful to work with. We had just the greatest array of character people and the best weather.

1:09:19 We had an Indian summer so to speak. We had good weather right up until December when we finished the picture, so we were very fortunate. Well, we didn't have snow. We didn't have any snow, and this is an interesting story. So we had to go and tandem the whole company from Kaalismell, Montana to Durango and Pulgatory. Now Purgatory was twenty miles south of Durango, and there was no snow for two weeks. We were ready to go to Alasta because there was no snow in a new country. And finally they got snow and and uh in the Durango and a permontory and we went and chambed them our trailers and cars and so forth, and went all day and night. Finally got there. We got there. It was a blizzard. It was two feet of snow. This is a leading I'm leading up the wonderful story. They're going to kick out of this two feet of snow. And we had to carry no assistance whatsoever. Each one of us were on our own. They get and we were

1:10:52 directed where all cottages were. We each had a cottage, and we went and I took my luggage and went the trade to two seaters though to my cottage. Got there through the bags on and Foard fell on the on the bed and fell out, passed out. Now, we didn't have a call. That was on a Saturday, so we were off Sunday and Monday we were going to work, so we had day off to recoup. And Monday we had an early call six o'clock, breakfast seven o'clock and makeup.

1:11:33 So woo he sold uh life ericson and myself we had the early call. So the three of us, I went to the commissary UH to have breakfast, and we had had more tables, tables and benches and had wonderful food there and so forth for all of us and the US Ski team happened to be there because there was no no snow anywhere the fusing except there in purgatory. So we're sitting there in full I'm in full with gaddet Win. Our walk is all dressed and and as wonderful uh outfit, and of course the two mountain men in their outfits and so forth. We're sitting there very quietly, not much speaking because we're still still thinking about what we're what had transpired the last day, a couple of days, and the door opens. We were sitting close to the doors and we could hear the thumping as the door opens.

1:12:50 Doo doo, doo doom. These skiers were thumping all the snow off their boots and coming in to have breakfast. Who was the US Speak team? They walked in. They walked in and saw them three of us and you can move now you want to. I want to tell you they looked at us and you can read their lips. Whim is this oo regarded two mountain men and when you are something, work with them or go blind? Became in introductions wor an order. I told you to the coach, I invited him to the set. Uh said, well, center limousine after those who would like to come and see how we work and so forth. So he said, you know what, in the afternoon, they could use a couple miles off. He said, it's a good idea. So we said, we said for a whole bunch of them limousines. They came and said, really had a good time and had experienced something all of them then, Uh never had a

1:14:20 chance to before in their livestock. So these just some of the things that hapit alone the way. It's incredible, man, You're an incredible repository of Hollywood history and stories. Michael. We're just I think we could we can sit down and talk with you for hours, my friend. But the phone, the bank that we have of our phone calls is lit up like a Christmas tree. So I'm going to try to not be selfish with our time, and we'll bring some of our other callers on here. I think Jim's going to patch them through now. But Michael, what a pleasure there. Great to get the chance to speak with you, and just wishing all the best. God bless brother, thank you, thank you so much.

1:15:05 All right, Michael, we have a caller from area code four eight zero. What's your name and where are your calling us from tonight? My name is Ray and I'm calling from Phoenix, Arizona. Hi, Ray, Welcome to the show. Do you have a question for Michael? Michael? How are you? Sir? You sound great. I've been listening, and uh, while you know you're right host, you could be on with Michael for seven or eight hours and never even scratch the surface. My goodness, I've got a quick question when you are on Star Trek for that that wonderful famous episode. And of course, Julie Newmar one of my favorite actresses, a dancer like you were talking about. Uh, she played played Stupefying Jones on Lil Abner. But I wanted to ask you, was was William Shatner as Goofy then as he was in later life in all of his acting roles. I know he's a kind of a genius like you are. I think you two guys are about the same age. But was he as Goofy then as he has been over the years?

1:16:26 Yeah, you know what, You're absolutely right, he's exactly the same age as men and uh Veriet Chelton. William is a very good businessman, uh terutric actor and a great personality hit it, a great sense of you. He would go in and when we were all gathered uh and smile uh assem who hevy panel discussion And he would come in and uh uh uh first of all uh everyone would be seated, and then they would introduce him last of course, and he would come in and the place be packed. To me, a couple of thousands dollars seats.

1:17:14 They're not a not an empty seed though in the maps. And he walked in. There's the kind of humor we have. And the more he did it, the more they love him. And then he he uh uh. He did this over the years and then he just became a part of it. The more he did what I'm about to say, the more they loved him, and they embraced him. Immediately. He would walk in and look out there, he said, what kind I have in the world doing here? And so he loosened them up and then no matter what he said, they were on his side. Right. He knew how to work an audience because he came from he was a radio did a lot radio in uh Canada. He's Canadian and did a lot of radio and just Uh, I don't round performer. I had a lot of respect for him and he knew exactly what he was doing or the total of a little bit the situation of himself and was they expected him the audiences and uh all to work for the audience and work with the Leonard Nimoy because usually they worked just the two of them.

1:18:39 Uh uh would be center stage and uh they worked extremely well together, so he would be basically a straight man would be uh kne Moy and of course uh Bill with the uh the the humor had a great sense of you. Gap very yeah, Michael, if I'm permitted a follow up quick question. You've probably been asked this before, and it might be the most difficult question anybody could. Ask you. With your storied career, the talent, the producing, the writing. I know Winter Hawk is maybe one of your greatest roles, but with all the movies I've seen you in and the television shows over the years, and all of the stars that you've acted with, is there one actor or actress that stands out in your mind where either the role that you played together or the person that they were and you together hit it off and it really stands out in your mind, who is your If you're going to do another role with somebody, who would you want to do it with?

1:19:58 Well, that's very interesting. That's a sub question because as only the actors I work with the most part, I really thoroughly enjoyed and respected their their their contributions to whatever we were doing, you know, from Robinson Randall, Scott, Virginia Mayo, uh a, Rod Steiger, Joe Collins and one of uh god, I'm doing too with Audie Murphy who uh working with audio. They were all they all had uh different attributes the things that they brought uh to work on the screen and exchange with me and so forth and working and uh. But two actors that I work with for for different reasons, right, these are different reasons.

1:21:00 And they all worked talented. I never never worked with an actor that wasn't and wasn't talented, wasn't gifted, and didn't have a great deal over us. But two actors that I've worked with were the most unselfish actors I've ever worked with was Rory Calhoun and Robert Taylor. Wow when I did that, Yeah, when I did I did? They call him smoking? Smoking? Rony Calhoun were very under radio active, very good active, a very nice man and the likes of Barbara Taylor, the talent and what do you do behind the camera in front of the camera, very few actors that he was so intelligent and so aware of every aspect of filmmaking, and a very handsome man, both very godsome man and very modest, very modest. And when we were doing The Killer Instinct, which was like a Desert ut playhouse where I played a fighter, I played a Mexican fighter and spoke Spanish and so forth and did all the fight work for Rory Calhoun and myself, and of course I don't want to leave. That reminded me of Elvis Presley and working with Kid Galahad was

1:22:31 another kind of experience. But when Rory and I were doing The Killer Instinct were Janis Rule. The three of us were sorry and the Desilute Playhouse it was a very popular show at that time and owned by H. Lucian Desi Lucian owned the show, and we were and I was I was working very hard in particular sequence and uh director said, okay, uh Michael, Uh, I want to get a two shotow of you and and uh Rory here, I want to walk, we're here and stuff here and I'll cut it up and so forth and so on. Well smoke, he said no, uh, said to our photographer and director. He said no. He said, look, Michael Sue is such a great job. He's just stay with them, stay with him with the whole, the whole master shot and so forth, and then we would go in on the closer, but stay with him. He's just he's just doing such a woeful job. Now. That was so unselfish of him, and so and the director said okay, and they stay with me now. The same thing when

1:24:04 I did Death Valley Days, I did two shows with Robert Taylor, Death Valley Days, which he hosted at the Startling and I did The Detective which he produced and started. We were going to interesting story. In those days, you have to fly from l A Airport to US Vegas and then when you got to Las Vegas. Robert Stabler was the producer, executive producer and producer of Death valid Davis at that time, and he was a pilot. He had a twin engip pointing so that when we got a look played from from Los Angeles to Vegas, we uh uh. Robert Taylor, I as I go on Robert Taylor's twin ins of plane the flyouf uh to canab Utah.

1:25:07 Well we got oh three quarters there, and it was we're coming into a mesa where the land in about you know, about ten fifteen minutes. And Bob Taylor said to uh, Bob Taylor, Bob Stabler, He said, well you moment by uh take the wheel. He said, no, no, no, no no. He knew that Robert Taylor was a pilot unduring World War two, and I think he was an inception as well. So he took the He took the the wheel and he guided the plane. Now that Mesa because I've gone I've flew in there the three four times, and Mesa was always windy and flying here and we had they had a rough time beginning and be very bumpy going in. And he set that plane down, Bob Sailor set that kind of like a baby.

1:26:15 Got it. We landed so forth and so on, and Bob stables by. He said, Bob, I've done this in overloaded times. That's the best landing I had in this turbulence with that we had in a long time. Thank you very much. So now when we we were working uh uh said, So Bob said, uh, when we finished, it was before that there are four part he said, let's have dinner together. Uh at the lunch there the famous launch there in canab And I said, And we got there. We met at six o'clock, were ordering, and Bob was a chain smoker.

1:27:10 It eventually took his life. He and Roy Calhoun were both chained smokers. And they called Rory smoking because he smoked all the time and Bob Tilt was never lit cigarette, whether he was eating, whether he was finished whatever. Anyway, when we got there and they beat the greatest armadine, a trout armundine at the lodge I had previously a couple of times before, and I said, Bob, they made the best trout armondine, the fresh armadin fresh trout they get in every day. So he said, great, all that what you were? So we sat down with the trout.

1:27:55 Came beautiful trout armondine, and he had coffee drink black coffee, and cigarettes and how there he is moving now the food shape. Literally he had about three morsels four morsels of food. They said, Michael, I'm gonna preside get work on the script, and you'll excuse me. He said you're like this, I'll see you tomorrow. Okay, okay, naked the night and he had said to the waitress, bring me a He had a thermos, another one more ons for one person. The oman's huge mustn't been a gallon. I said, it's black coffee. He said, just black coffee, and she before he left, he took that that firmas of black coffee and go okay Bissau. The next morning, we're working, he called the work good morning director. Everything is going going all well, and we're doing the scene. Of course he should we very well smoking smoking so forth, and the director and I would get his cigarettes. He will put it on. We're working by a fireplace, so he put his cigarette a manly piece. So we would go over and take a cigarette and throw it him the

1:29:26 fireplace and he would go over and look and it wasn't there. He didn't say a word. He would just reach in his pocket, slide up and the other cigarette. So now we're doing the scene, and it was again one of those two shots coming down to walking into the fort, and he said to the center, to the director, he said, Michael, so doing a held job. He says, stay with Michael h I M, I don't know filmed with my life job because I know where it's going to be. Five in the enemy he said, stay with Michael, he said, okay, unselfishly they kept the camera, meaning most of the time. That's the kind of that's the kind of actors. They were showing. Solf a joy to work with and before them and Uh, he and the Rory were friends in the table they were going on the Uh, we're going to hunting in in the fall, he said, Michael, if you're a hunting and like to go dear, he said, Uh, Rory and and Clark and I. He said, you're welcome to join us. I'll be in touch with him. So what happened months later? A couple of months later, I

1:30:57 heard from his beautiful wife. Uh said that he's got some some health problems. But we'll be about to be back to you the the honey trip is called off and Uh, I'll get back to you in a short while. I keep you up to day. Well about six months a year later, he died of cancer. The cigarettes and Roy is the same thing. Roy's died of cigarettes smoking, and UH, it's just so sad. And those start things.

1:31:39 It killed, it killed a lot of wonderful lax. John Wayne was smoking. Yeah, and uh, it's just uh, it's so sad. He was so solid. Yeah. And he was only you, I believe, only sixty years old. Sixty years old years of age. Yeah, so was Card Gable. The Gable was only sixty. It was a big, big smoker and all. And so God bless them, they will enjoy the work with. I work with the best people of Joan Fontaine, Oh, wonderful lifelesses, Karen Steele, wonderful, good soul professional.

1:32:24 I was very fortunate throughout my life to work with so many good actresses and actors in the various types of roles. Versatility was my salvation. And that's what I chose for myself. I chose my ability leading man who had the ability to go with the character, and I turned out several series to be a star. I chose to be an artist. I chose my life to go in the direction lead as an art art fool. My life and work I tuigently adhere to an artful I accomplish that, and that's my cradle, that's my crazo that I chose. Well, my soul, Well, what a blessing Michael.

1:33:25 Thank you so much for letting me talk to you and your host and of course I wish you all the best and many blessings. You're still working. I understand you're still writing, and you're. I'm on my seven grade, Michael, Michael. I want to be like you and I grow up. All right, Thank everybody very much, and and thank you so much for taking my call. Yeah, thank you, thank you so much, thank you, thank you, thank you for calling. All right, Bud pleasure. All right, I think I'm going to pass the mic over to my one of my other co hosts. Uh, Charles, who met you down in Las Vegas? Charles Michael is all yours?

1:34:18 They are Las Vegas. Did you have to return Joe de Joy? Oh? Yes, Well, what a question I want to ask you, Joe, compared to the other I know, the years are going on and every year they was so successful, compared this past year, the success and what they had to hop for that this uh venue, this year, the saw track events compared to last year in the other years, did you find it different or more enjoyable.

1:35:05 Or I thought it mostly evil, mostly equal? Uh? Last year? I think last year was an interesting invention because it was trying to strike and it was interesting what actors could and couldn't talk about, and so that made a very interesting convention. Yes, yes, I was there for both of them. I kind of agree with I agree with you in that area that it was because they were also different. And yes, sometimes you know the reason why sometimes you don't. And I wanted to hear that from you. Thank you, I appreciate you.

1:35:55 Oh, you're very welcome. One of the things I would love to hear of story about is the last role you ever did and your second time of getting to work with some Star Trek actors and how did you get unbelievable? How you get unbelievable? Yes, that's it. It was a great experience. It was a both the board screenplayer. You know, they had so many gainst dogs in the in the in the story, in the film, and I enjoyed my character, but my character had quite a bit the same compared to a lot of the other UH actors that came and went in the in the story. So in particular in the last the last scene of the picture, really when UH Ceo codes for his UH Little Guy's services. Because he always wanted to be an actor, so he's got it.

1:37:15 He got his nish and I was the recipient of the cole the contact from the agent between between the little Puppet and the agency. So there, I thought it was a nice moment. Could see that I enjoyed. I enjoyed doing it. Hollywood. I'm glad you were able to make it to that movie and that we We actually had a couple of the stars come in and in that promote the movie on our podcast, so. To make sure we saw Yeah, I.

1:38:00 Understand you. I understand that it's been resistribted. Is he's out again with a snoop dog you know? Uh uh yeah? Being so popular today, Yeah, he's a every time I turn on the commercial org events of any time he's in. So he's in the film. So Iventure they would take advantage of his popularity. I hope they do. One more question. As I was looking through all of your stock, you've done. You hit a good one with me with a couple of times you got to work with Lee Majors, especially a six million dollar man.

1:38:54 Yeah. Yeah, Lee was a incredible tattoo. Yeah here the really good uh uh great, great uh athletic, But he was a good athlete. He played football, and it was I'm not sure it was oklahom work somewhere where he he was a running back and so he he could do a lot of things, uh physically he did a lot of his own stunts and everything, and he ended uh a great memory. He would do scenes in one take.

1:39:37 He was uh mortal, yeah, and not report his photographic memory. He could he could do a monologue and so forth and then not for not forget a word. He was Albert professional and likable personality. Had had an interesting character that was I learned still school. I had a lot of stumps and a lot of things to do besides acting. So I thought he was uh did a great job and I enjoyed a couple of segments that I have to do with him. They were different roads of different characters, and we had a lot of fun fun working again.

1:40:23 He was easy, very easy going and easy to work with. Found wonderful. Well, I'm going to pass you over to Eric and see what Eric's questions are. And thank you, thank you, Hi Michael, thanks for sitting here with us. I mean, this is what I've been an epic podcast. Here where we're deep into it and it's just been such a joy to listen to all your stories and everything and wondering. You know, we've been talking a lot about your career, all the various things that you've done over time.

1:41:05 What about other hobbies do you do? You ever not work? And if you don't work, what do you do when you're not working? Well? And now now I know my hobby and my mom is fighting. But I don't play a golf anymore. My knees a bad, had some surgery. Both these so I don't play a golf anymore. I don't play tennis in the moment, but years ago I played a lot of tennis and a lot of the celebrity tournaments, raising funds for various shadow of an organizations, and a lot of golf. I had my own golf tournament in the Palm Springs area for eight years. I raised thousands of dollars for a lot of easy called needy causes and enjoyed all the cameraun with the celebrities and that I had invited to play support me and the charities. That was a lot of fun. Of course, go to ball games when I lived in Los Angeles. I was at Dodger ball games in sixteen seventies and evens, I went and said with Cal Campanis and new Timmy Timmy Lasorda very well, a lot of the ball players having been the next professional ball player. Myself, I never stopped loving baseball, and to this day I watched baseball. My wife and

1:42:38 I love baseball. My wife's father was the announcer for the Hollywood Stars baseball team in the Pacific Coast League. So she loved baseball and she grew up listening and watching baseball with her dad, so that that keeps so thanks, uh busy. And her dad was the original creator, one of the creators of the original Home Run Derby. Oh, I don't know if you remember that. Yeah, her dad was the original announcer for that. Uh So, he was the host of that show, the original Home Run Derby.

1:43:31 So baseball and of course sports. We watched football, and we watched tennis, and we go to the tennis matches here every year. We're invited to on set and meet our dear friend Charlie passer Out and the wonderful hosts that invited us every year to the the events uh here in the tournaments of the in the tennis cars in uh uh Indian Wells, which matches are wonderful. They're just great to watch. So we watch a lot of tennis, a lot of baseball, a lot of football, and our home and and of course in between, my hobby is cooking.

1:44:19 I like to cook tangent food, and so we we have a pretty good diet here that Mary Kay is a good cook. She did he cooks and some of the other uh good uh hamburgers, and we have we like sushi, and we have the chicken dinners, and I make the pastas and the sauces and uh eight plants and and goodies. So we have a very food rounded life that includes a lot of entertainment and we love we live sports. We still both. I've brought my wife married a woman that loves sports as voice as I do, so we don't have a conflict or problems. So we're watching all the sports. And I know that I know a lot of the players in the tennis world and golf and and uh baseball, Uh I see them some of them from time to time. So we were waking for Judge and we have a lot of entertainment that Richard's our lives. But I still keep writing. I'm writing my seventh book. I just finished my sixth books a matter of fact. Uh, Eric, you go on my website.

1:45:50 You can see everything. Michael Dante Way dot com. That's very simple. Michael Dante Way dot com. You'rediens can pick up on that. And my radio show I have. My radio show website is Team Dante Radio Shows Prove Team Dante Radio Shows dot com. Uh, and Spotify. It's not Spotify, so it's uh, everything is there, but you can go my website. It's so simple. You can see everything that I have to and I accomplished and awards and uh.

1:46:35 You can join my fan group on my website Michael Dante Way dot com. That's very simple. Them I C H d A and T Way d A worry dot com all one word. Yeah, So yeah, that's fantastic. John my fane to see what I what I do over whatbside, keep it formed of what's going on and what I'm doing and and we'll be doing and so fortant and so on. So it's been it's been a great ride, a great one. We've been so busy and keep it busy, creative with it two, Uh, invent and create in my life and to continue to do that to uh the time I leave this, we're over and go far and down to the great one. So we're happy and love what we do and have a wonderful team teamwork. We're a great team. We work well together.

1:47:59 So well, Uh, come and join the friend group my friend group on my website, Ben, you could keep up with all the things that we do. Oh, are doing well. Michael Dante Way dot com is a fantastic website. I admit that I have spent kind of an unreasonable amount of time on it over the last week, just preparing for this podcast and making sure I understood, uh, just the myriad things that you've done. But I think if we were to close out our questioning for you, not questioning that sounds like you're on the stand, But we just there's one thing in particular that I think is very special about you as a guest on this podcast that is maybe maybe unique or certainly rare, that we'd like to ask you about as a group, and that is you seem to have an absolutely impeccable memory, remembering details, remembering timing of things, remembering people's names. Is this just the way your brain has always worked? Do you have any secrets for those people out there who want amazing memories when they're ninety three years old.

1:49:10 I both turned ninety three September. Second, I'm so happy you mentioned that, because I did want to mention that I do have a memory, of terrific memory, and in my mind, I keep active, creatively active. Every day I read, I'm on the computer, and I disciplined and actually made myself to writing and creating and inventing characters and situations. And sorry that SU have en reached my life that I can incorporate in my stories.

1:49:56 That I. Enjoy. I should say love sharing with my fans and people that don't know me, I will get to know me if they purchased my books. Here my books of her sale, and they only could buy my books. You could go on Amazon and buy the books, but they're not ornergas. You know, you have to counsel me to buy an autograph book. So my autobiography is Eric. It took me two solid years to write day and night, and I remembered everything. I remembered all the names, all the places, all the dates, and in it is. It's got some wonderful stories, about a hundred pictures. It's three hundred and six pages it's one of those wonderful books for uh, what do you call it? Coffee table that's the word I was looking for. Coffee table book. A nice, good size full of color, wonderful anecdotes, and about one hundred pictures of it. And it's three hundred and six pages.

1:51:19 And my recipes are in there about the food out that I evented, when I cook and how I cook him, and all the all the recipes and all of the stars of all the shows that are recorded on my celebrity classic radio show are all there. Listen, it's a it's a beautiful book. Now, all they have to do is emailed me that Michael Dante Way at alel dot com. If you're like that one of my books or an autograph book. You can only get an order to get books from me, not through Amazon. And by the way, the holidays are coming up, and they make great gifts and birthday gifts. They make great I have a lot of fans. I have two fans every year that buy my books, but twenty one books every year, every one of my books and the twenty one books, uh to twenty one of their friends for Christmas books every year.

1:52:32 So it's that kind of camaraderie and UH fan support we have and all the other dudes. Any of my autobiography are really my other five books. Just email the Michael Dante Way at aol dot com. It's just that easy. There to Michael Dante Way dot com. Michael Dante, thank you so much for coming on our podcast. I'm going to close out my portion there and handed back to Jim for the close of the show. But I just really appreciate the time that you've spent with us and the fun stories that you've shared. You're a wonderful person.

1:53:18 You have a wonderful personality. It's been great getting to know you. And your memory stuns me. This really stuns me, so thank you so much for sharing your time with us. Well, thank you so much, Michael, And please make sure you tell your wife how awesome she is, because I had so much fun talking with her this afternoon. In fact, I might invite her to a podcast to share some of her stories. So she's a very special lady and I really appreciate it talking with her. And thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to share some of your stories and talk about Star Trek with us. We really really appreciate it, and every one of you.

1:54:06 Thank you so much. Jam's Eric and of course Paul and Uncle Jim, Uncle Jim. I never called your uncle Jim. I sort of mentioned Uncle Jim, and sort of James and Charles. So thank you James, Paul, Uncle Jim, and Eric. It was such a pleasure. I enjoined it and brought back a lot of nice memories for me. So I'm really good about what the questions you've asked me and I have really really uh appreciate at the time, and for me to express myself and share these one of the stories that I have. I have a sort of way in my sixty proceeds as an actor writer radio talk shows in Hollywood over those sixty plus years.

1:55:13 Thank you so much, Michael. We really appreciate it, and I wish I could thank each and every one of the callers tonight. I can't remember all of your names or where you called from, but thank you Mary, Mary, Mary so much. What an experience. This con clues with this clinger. Thank you, bye bye, Thank you, d will say will be good was American.

1:55:57 Thank you, Michael, Michael, thank you good night, Michael. And of course I got to end out the show by saying so much thank you to Eric for hanging out and talking with us. Thank you so much. Eric. Oh absolutely, man, that was one of those shows that goes down as one of the special ones. I think great guys that was. That was just such a I don't want to hang up. Yeah, I feel like we've been It's like we've been hanging out at the brown Derby or something. You know. I keep waiting for like Charlton Heston to walk. In, you know, just like this guy was everybody wait, hold on man. I mean, it's amazing man. And she's just like, I hope I have half his memory.

1:56:42 When I am his aide, he just goes. Man, He's just so enthusiastic and he just got all these details and everything. It's just like, what a what a great. As soon as I'm done eating dinner, I'm gonna go pop Friday's Child in and watch it again because I'm like, I gotta I can't resist it. Man. It's so And I gotta tell you one thanks for calling. His wife is just as exciting. She was talking about Charlton Heston this morning. Awesome. Uh. Anyways, I want to say thank you so much to Charles as well for hanging out with us tonight in tech talking. Thank you, Charles, thank you.

1:57:24 I'm glad I was able to get the information to you so you can get him on the show. Great, super good, good snack Charles. He was awesome, Yeah, he was. I was absolutely great. He was fun. And unfortunately it looks like my Mets aren't gonna make it this year, so maybe next year. But it was fun. It was a fun ride anyways, and we did beat the Atlanta Braves in one of the most thrilling games I've ever watched in my life. Through congratulations to the New York Mets. And I know next zer will turn out better. So and I already told you guys the schedule for the next couple of shows, so don't forget to put us on speed dial and check out next week. It's a lot of fun and as always, Star Treks fans are the best fans. You better believe it. Failing frequencies are closed.

1:58:20 Good night, everybody can I noil. Let's see what's on that engage? Hello, you have reached the Q continuum. We are unable to get to the phone right now because we are busy living in a plane of existence your feeble mortal minds cannot possibly comprehend. Furthermore, it's pointless to leave a messag because we, of course already knew that you would call, and we simply do not care.

1:59:05 Half a nice day, h