February 22 Birthday Wishes

Beatriz Michelena [1890 - 1942]

Majel Coleman [1903 - 1980]

Sheldon Leonard [1907 - 1997]

James Hong [1929 - ]

Ethan Wayne [1962 - ]

Beatriz Michelena made a few old silent westerns from around the late teens to the early twenties or so about four miles from where I live. They had an old western town called "Poverty Flats" outside of Boulder Creek, California, where those films were shot. Of course none of the old town remains...think it was around where a golf course is nowadays.
Sheldon Leonard is probab;y better known as a gangster in films and as a producer of TV shows in the 50's (mostly comedies), but he did appear in a few westerns, even playing the Magua type character in George Montgomery's "The Iriquois Trail." I will always also remember him for his role in "It's a Wonderful Life."

I first heard the name Sheldon Leonard in an article in a magazine called Scarlet Street, which was devoted to mystery and horror movies, back in the mid 1990s. At the time, I didn't know, until a few years later, that he was a producer of many successful TV shows: The Joey Bishop Show, The Danny Thomas Show, The Andy Griffith Show, Gomer Pyle USMC, and I Spy among them. He continued acting, guest starring on TV shows up into the Early 1990s.

James Hong has been around a long time, been in a lot of movies and TV shows. I was surprised to learn he was never in an episode of MASH! One of my favorite scenes with James Hong is in Wayne's World 2, where he plays Tia Carrera's father, and he has a Kung Fu showdown with Wayne (Mike Myers), complete with dubbing and sound effects, to determine if Wayne is worthy of marrying his daughter. Hilarious!

Howdy Pards!!

I don't remember Sheldon Leonard as an actor, so much as I do a producer and director. Every time you watched the Andy Griffith show, Gomer Pyle or Danny Thomas, there his name would pop up as the producer or director.

James Hong has played every type of Asian villain you can name. Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese. Hollywood used him to portray every low down, cunning, back stabbing Asian role they could think of. The one I remember him most for, is as the ghostly sorcerer in Big Trouble In Little China with Kurt Russell.

Ethan Wayne is the youngest son of the Duke and step brother to Patrick Wayne. The only role I can remember him playing, is as the grandson of the Duke in Big Jake, which Richard Boone kidnapped.

Ed