JOHN COLICOS, KOR, AND BALTAR

In the early 1970's there was a spectacular bookstore on Hollywood Boulevard across from the Scientology Center named B.Dalton-Pickwick Books. As far as bookstores went, it was a gem. Three stories high it was the bookstore every studio and network would purchase research materials from and where celebrities would shop.

Case in point: I had the great pleasure of waiting on Toni Teneille one day. For those of you who have never seen her, she is this gorgeous Amazon of a woman with sparkling, warm, welcoming eyes and a congenial smile unlike few I’d ever encountered. Miss Teneille has a penchant for 1930's and 1940's torch songs and 1930's and 1940's fashions. She was looking for a book that had black-&-white photos from classic motion pictures and the stunning gowns that were designed for stars such as Greta Garbo, Vivien Leigh, Myra Loy and others. While waiting on her I asked “Where’s the Captain?” She smiled and replied “He’s in the car”. “I guess he draws quite a crowd with the hat, huh?”, said I. Got a laugh out of her.

Anyway, I had transferred from the B. Dalton store at the Glendale Galleria, since I was living just down the street from the Hollywood B. Dalton. We

had just reorganized the paperback department when character actor John Colicos came in one day.

Anyone who knows me knows that I have a great affection for those actors referred to as “Character Actors”, so I immediately recognized him. He was wearing what can only be described as a Carnaby Street styled “leisure suit”, only this one was not made from polyester. It was a beige cloth suit with a matching cap and a neck scarf, which in those days had replaced the ascot as a male fashion accessory.

John came in looking for the mystery novels of John D. MacDonald. “The Travis McGee series?” I asked. John was surprised to find someone who knew the author and series, without having to look it up. We immediately established a comradely as we continued to talk books. John was looking into obtaining the rights to the Travis McGee series with the intention of producing either a movie or TV series based on the stories.

This didn’t sit well with the manager of the paperback department, who had also recognized John, and when he tried to dismiss me and take over waiting on John, Colicos; in a very authoritative Shakespearean voice; dismissed the manager, stating he has no reason to deal with anyone else since I was doing such a good job. This did not endear me to the paperback department manager.

After that, whenever John was looking for books, he would call the store and ask for me personally. This grew into a friendship and I started hanging out with him around the time the Original “Battlestar Galactica” was made. We would get together and he would tell me anecdotes from the set. One incident he related was during the shooting of the pilot. John and creator/producer Glen Larson were standing on a hill overlooking the Universal Studios back lot, above the brand new, modern office buildings which were doubling for Caprica.

Below were all the lovely actresses in their clingy CIana outfits and according to John, Glen Larson; who is a Mormon, by the way; turned to John and said “I could call this show Charlie’s Space Bunnies and they’d still buy it”.

He only commented once on Star Trek and his single appearance as the Klingon Commander “Kor” in the classic episode “Errand of Mercy”. According to John, Gene Roddenberry had intended “Kor” become a recurring character, which unfortunately never happened. “Kor” did reappear many years later on “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” along with actors Michael Ansara and William Campbell, portraying “Kang” and “Koloth” respectively; the other two most famous Klingon’s from the original series.

John bought a house in Burbank, just down the street from what is now the Equestrian Center, across from Bette Davis’ old place. He had the interior completely redone. When “Galactica” went on the air John would call me up and announce that his son Edmond; who was a terrific cook, was making dinner and that I should come join them for dinner and watch the show. This became a Sunday ritual.

Just before “Battlestar Galactica” premiered Mad Magazine (that corruptor of children) came out with the issue that had a parody of Superman and one of Galactica as well entitled “Cattlecar Galaxia”. In every frame that depicted John as “Baltar”, it showed him sitting with a Martini in his hand. Now I wasn’t certain how John would react to this, but I gave him the magazine anyway. As he thumbed through the parody, he roared with laughter. “My God! Did they have someone on the set?” he wondered.

We would all be sitting there before the TV, dinner spread out on our TV tables and John would command that “You can’t talk during the show!” and of course he would talk through the whole episode, telling anecdotes. He’d see a scene and shout “That damned Richard Hatch! We had to shoot that half a dozen times ‘cause he wouldn’t wear his contacts and he kept running into the set!”

There was one week end where we found directions to Forrest J. Ackerman’s

“Ackermansion” in the Hollywood Hills. This was long before the Internet so it took some hunting to find the address. Now for those of you who don’t know Forrest J. Ackerman was the Editor of Famous Monsters of Filmland Magazine, which, next to Mad Magazine and comic books, sent waves of fear through the mothers of my generation. These types of publications were corrupting our youth and verboten.

Anyway, in those days Forry, as he is affectionately called, had two houses in the Hollywood Hills. One he lived in the other which was a two story house with a basement (very rare in Los Angeles) that housed his unbelievable collection of Horror, Sci-Fi, and Fantasy movie memorabilia.

Original paintings by Kelly Freas, Frank Frazetta and others whose works

that became covers to popular and classic Sci-Fi and Fantasy paperbacks like the Conan, The Barbarian series, Tazan and other Edgar Rice Burroughs novels and the works of Issac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, Arthur C. Clarke and the like. He had the last know miniature of the Martian War Machine from the 1954 classic film version of “War of the Worlds”. Someone had given him a life sized replica of the Robotrix from “Metropolis” as well as a life sized original Cylon
robot from the original “Battlestar Galactica” series.

His collection also boasted one of the Dracula rings Bela Lugosi wore in the Dracula movies, as well as one of his capes and the Scarab Beetle ring Boris Karloff wore in the 1932 version of “the Mummy”. Forry met us at the door to the Ackermansion and gave John and I the V.I.P. tour. It was like a dream come true. And John enjoyed himself immensely.

John got invited to a Sci-Fi Convention which was being held at the Hyatt Airport Inn. At first he was reluctant to go but his other son Nick and I convinced him to accept, telling him we would act as his “security” and push people out of the way. He laughed at this idea, eventually accepting the invitation.

Upon arriving at the Hyatt, John, Nick and I entered and almost immediately fans started swarming our way. Nick and I stepped in front of John telling people to “please move back. Stand back, please.” Etc. This brought a great smile to John’s face. The organizers of the convention opened the dealer’s room an hour early just for John, who was an avid pulp magazine collector (he had an impressive collection of original Shadow pulps).

Also on the panel from “Galactica” were Herb Jefferson, Jr. (the original “Boomer”) and Anne Lockhart (“Sheba”). We all went into the ballroom, which was packed to capacity. The first fifteen minutes of the Q-&-A, all the questions were directed at John. There was also only one microphone. He put a stop to all the “Baltar” ; and a few “Kor”; questions and passed the microphone. Some of the questions can only be described as “geek” questions, asking questions about the most obscure minutia about the characters and the show.  I think I remember John responding to one such question with “I have no idea, you’d have to ask the writers.”

After the Q-&-A came the autograph table. John, Anne, and Herb were seated behind the tables and people were lining up to meet, greet, get a photo and an autograph  (long before conventions charged for such things). The line for John’s autograph was three times as long as the others. One fan, while waiting in line, drew a caricature of John as “Kor” and presented it to him. (Somewhere I think I still have the photo). Needless to say, John had the time of his life.

It was around this time that John asked me to house sit for him. I was honored. First

he went off to Canada in 1979 to shoot the supernatural thriller “The Changeling” starring George C. Scott. Based on a true story the film was directed by Peter Medak. Evidently there was a man on the set who was the technical advisor. The set of the attack was so realistic, it disturbed the technical advisor, who turned out to be the man George C. Scott was portraying. The recreation of the house and the attack was so accurate, the man couldn’t set foot on the set.

Shortly after, in 1980, John appeared in the remake of “The Postman Always Rings Twice” (with Jack Nicholson and Jessica Lange). He did such a remarkable performance as “Nick Papdakis” (originally portrayed by Cecil Kellaway). When MGM Executives screen the film, they started talking about John Possibly getting Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination out of it. Evidently Jack Nicolson and director Bob Rafelson had final cut on the film and trimmed John’s well received performance considerably (the same thing supposedly happened to Cecil Kellaway).

Eventually John  went into semi-retirement, returning to his home in Toronto and worked on and off for another twenty years. He passed away on March 6, 2000 at the age of seventy-two.