Sunday, March 02, 2008

Housewife Prostitution

Soon I'm going to have to compile a salute to Ernie Anderson, one of the all-time great voiceover artists who, I think, had a lot to do with ABC becoming the #1 network in the late 1970s and early 1980s. YouTube has a bunch of trailers and promos with Anderson narration, including this one for a made-for-TV movie called MONEY ON THE SIDE. It stars perennial TV cutie-pie Karen Valentine and star-to-be Jamie Lee Curtis, then known for her many horror movies, but soon to appear opposite Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy in the smash TRADING PLACES.

Also in this spot is a promo for TALES OF THE GOLD MONKEY, which was a very good period adventure created by Donald Bellisario and obviously influenced by RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK. Bellisario had just been producing MAGNUM, P.I., and the MAGNUM influence is also present in GOLD MONKEY: handsome hero (Stephen Collins) in cool vehicle (Grumman Goose) based in an exotic location (South Seas, reproduced on the Universal backlot) who hangs out at his friend's bar (Monkey Bar). It was a fun, lighthearted adventure that sadly lasted just the one season. I have some not-good-quality bootleg episodes, but I understand Universal may soon be releasing the entire series on DVD in a few months. I'll be upgrading and I'll be back here urging you to do the same, particularly if you love RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK or MAGNUM, P.I.

In any case...Mr. Ernie Anderson:

Admit it. Even though MONEY ON THE SIDE has to be hilariously awful, Anderson almost makes you want to tune in Wednesday for housewife prostitutes.

2 comments:

Hal said...

Hell, the late Mr. Anderson made THE LOOOVE BOAT sound watchable every week!

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