Not that I need any reminders of the passage of time, but several recent deaths have triggered Proustian-like memories of days gone by. Louis Zamperini, the hero of "Unbroken" death was reported on July 4th (a most fitting day to remember such an extraordinary human being).
His life will be remembered through that marvelous book by Laura Hillenbrand, and the upcoming movie of his life, directed by Angelina Jolie. And just two days ago, at a Yankee game with three of my fraternity brothers, we learned that another of our brothers had just passed away, the second in a week. But today, my thoughts are with others, one famous; the other all but obscure.
While both Lou Klotz and James Garner had photo-accompanied articles in the New York Times's obituary section, I don't imagine too many people were even aware of who Lou Klotz was, and why his name resonated with me (and, perhaps you as well). For those people old enough to remember the Harlem Globetrotters of the early-mid 1950's, you may recall that the NBA then was almost entirely lily-white. When I first started following professional basketball, Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton of the New York Knicks (a former Trotter) was the only black player in the entire league. Those were the days of the underhand foul shot (now "free throw") and the two-handed set-shot (now nonexistent).
Lou Klotz (a mere 5'7") had been a professional basketball player with the pre-NBA Baltimore Bullets, and was a master of the two-handed set shot (as was, among others, Carl Braun of the Knicks). Back in those days, the Globetrotters had two types of opponents. One was the college All-Stars, recent graduates, with whom they toured, who were soon to fill the ranks of the NBA. Against them, the Trotters didn't have much of an opportunity to clown around. That said, the Trotters won most of the time, but the games were tight. As the NBA integrated, the need for the Globetrotters to test their mettle against the best of the mostly-white collegians waned. It became, ironically, more difficult for the Globetrotters to obtain the best of the new crop of black ballplayers, as they were (happily for all of
us) lured away to the NBA. One interesting exception, for a short period of time, was the great Wilt "The Stilt" Chamberlain.
For people to see the Globetrotters at their most entertaining, of course, you needed an unwritten understanding that their opponents wouldn't interfere with the fun and games. Enter the Washington Generals and their player-manager, Lou "Red" Klotz. I first saw them in about 1953, when one of my late father's law clients, Dick Miles, was the reigning U.S. Table Tennis champion, and who would put on an exhibition match during halftime at the Globetrotters games. It was because of Dick Miles that I first got to see the Trotters, and their long-suffering "opponents," the Washington Generals." As the Times's obit reported, they went by several names (e.g. "The Boston Shamrocks," The New Jersey Generals," etc.). I remember them mostly as representing our nation's capitol about as successfully as did the old Washington Senators. Lou and the Generals played earnestly, never missing shots on purpose, but never really trying to steal the ball or otherwise mess with the routines people had come to see. I read that the Generals won only one game against the Trotters, who blew what would have been the game-winning shot, only to fall prey to a two-handed set shot (natch!) from Lou. It was touching to read that Lou's #3 Jersey is one of only a handful retired by the Trotters, along with such legendary stars as Goose Tatum, Marques Haynes, and, yes, Wilt Chamberlain.
The other death was of the much better known James Garner, best known for his TV roles in the eponymous "Maverick" and "Rockford Files." Although, as the Times reported, Maverick was a gambler and Rockford a private eye, Garner considered them essentially the same character. Bret Maverick was a dapper gambler, who rarely drew a gun, relying on his a wit and sense of self-preservation to stay alive. Also appearing as a regular on the show was Jack Kelly (as Bret's younger brother, Bart) and, in five guest appearances, the recently departed Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. (as his cousin "Dandy" Jim Buckley). Roger Moore, later to be James Bond, played cousin Beauregard Maverick. (Amazingly, Jack Kelly appeared more times on the show than its star, James Garner--83 to 60. I guess Jim was phasing out in the last season or so.) For the trivia buffs among you, several actors who went on to great fame appeared in Maverick episodes; among them, Clint Eastwood. Robert Redford and--as Billy the Kid--Cabaret emcee, Joel Grey. (My late parents were close friends with character actor Hans Conried, who was frequently a guest in our Manhattan apartment. When Hans appeared on "Maverick," in the forgettable role of Homer Eakin, his star quality achieved new lustre in my early teen-age eyes.)
Filled with aphorisms and bon-mots, Bret Maverick would frequently invoke his late father's wisdom (e.g. "As my old Daddy used to say, never draw to an inside straight") or his own sense of irony when confronted with a swindling financier ("If you can't trust your banker, who can you trust?) I loved watching "Maverick," and did so religiously along with the group of five guys with whom I hung around. To this day, I can remember the words and tune of its theme song and its sponsor, "Marlboro" cigarettes, which cited its three "f's" of distinction--"filter, flavor, flip--top box." ( I suppose they could have gone four-F by adding "fatal' to the mix, but those were different times.) My friends and I were not only loyal "Maverick" fans, but puffed away on Marlboros during our weekly poker games (2 cents to ante, 4 on a pair, and 6 on the final card).
James Garner, of course, was more than a TV actor, although that is his most lasting legacy. He was a masterful light comedian. If you want to see him at his best, check out "The Americanization of Emily," in which he played an Admiral's aide dedicated to doing anything to avoid exposure to the D-Day invasion. The slightly demented Admiral (Melvyn Douglas) wants the first fatality on D-Day to be a sailor, and guess who he has in mind for the role? Julie Andrews is marvelous as a patriotic, stiff upper-lipped Brit, who wishes that her boyfriend, Garner, was just a little bit braver and less cynical.
When James Garner died at 86, I saw that he was born the same year as my late brother-in-law, Richard Neimeth. Dick would have turned 86 yesterday. I remember him taking me to see some of those Globetrotter games when I was thirteen or fourteen, and us joking about just who this Red Klotz guy was. Now they're all gone, and I miss them all; especially Dick.
His life will be remembered through that marvelous book by Laura Hillenbrand, and the upcoming movie of his life, directed by Angelina Jolie. And just two days ago, at a Yankee game with three of my fraternity brothers, we learned that another of our brothers had just passed away, the second in a week. But today, my thoughts are with others, one famous; the other all but obscure.
While both Lou Klotz and James Garner had photo-accompanied articles in the New York Times's obituary section, I don't imagine too many people were even aware of who Lou Klotz was, and why his name resonated with me (and, perhaps you as well). For those people old enough to remember the Harlem Globetrotters of the early-mid 1950's, you may recall that the NBA then was almost entirely lily-white. When I first started following professional basketball, Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton of the New York Knicks (a former Trotter) was the only black player in the entire league. Those were the days of the underhand foul shot (now "free throw") and the two-handed set-shot (now nonexistent).
Lou Klotz (a mere 5'7") had been a professional basketball player with the pre-NBA Baltimore Bullets, and was a master of the two-handed set shot (as was, among others, Carl Braun of the Knicks). Back in those days, the Globetrotters had two types of opponents. One was the college All-Stars, recent graduates, with whom they toured, who were soon to fill the ranks of the NBA. Against them, the Trotters didn't have much of an opportunity to clown around. That said, the Trotters won most of the time, but the games were tight. As the NBA integrated, the need for the Globetrotters to test their mettle against the best of the mostly-white collegians waned. It became, ironically, more difficult for the Globetrotters to obtain the best of the new crop of black ballplayers, as they were (happily for all of
us) lured away to the NBA. One interesting exception, for a short period of time, was the great Wilt "The Stilt" Chamberlain.
For people to see the Globetrotters at their most entertaining, of course, you needed an unwritten understanding that their opponents wouldn't interfere with the fun and games. Enter the Washington Generals and their player-manager, Lou "Red" Klotz. I first saw them in about 1953, when one of my late father's law clients, Dick Miles, was the reigning U.S. Table Tennis champion, and who would put on an exhibition match during halftime at the Globetrotters games. It was because of Dick Miles that I first got to see the Trotters, and their long-suffering "opponents," the Washington Generals." As the Times's obit reported, they went by several names (e.g. "The Boston Shamrocks," The New Jersey Generals," etc.). I remember them mostly as representing our nation's capitol about as successfully as did the old Washington Senators. Lou and the Generals played earnestly, never missing shots on purpose, but never really trying to steal the ball or otherwise mess with the routines people had come to see. I read that the Generals won only one game against the Trotters, who blew what would have been the game-winning shot, only to fall prey to a two-handed set shot (natch!) from Lou. It was touching to read that Lou's #3 Jersey is one of only a handful retired by the Trotters, along with such legendary stars as Goose Tatum, Marques Haynes, and, yes, Wilt Chamberlain.
The other death was of the much better known James Garner, best known for his TV roles in the eponymous "Maverick" and "Rockford Files." Although, as the Times reported, Maverick was a gambler and Rockford a private eye, Garner considered them essentially the same character. Bret Maverick was a dapper gambler, who rarely drew a gun, relying on his a wit and sense of self-preservation to stay alive. Also appearing as a regular on the show was Jack Kelly (as Bret's younger brother, Bart) and, in five guest appearances, the recently departed Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. (as his cousin "Dandy" Jim Buckley). Roger Moore, later to be James Bond, played cousin Beauregard Maverick. (Amazingly, Jack Kelly appeared more times on the show than its star, James Garner--83 to 60. I guess Jim was phasing out in the last season or so.) For the trivia buffs among you, several actors who went on to great fame appeared in Maverick episodes; among them, Clint Eastwood. Robert Redford and--as Billy the Kid--Cabaret emcee, Joel Grey. (My late parents were close friends with character actor Hans Conried, who was frequently a guest in our Manhattan apartment. When Hans appeared on "Maverick," in the forgettable role of Homer Eakin, his star quality achieved new lustre in my early teen-age eyes.)
Filled with aphorisms and bon-mots, Bret Maverick would frequently invoke his late father's wisdom (e.g. "As my old Daddy used to say, never draw to an inside straight") or his own sense of irony when confronted with a swindling financier ("If you can't trust your banker, who can you trust?) I loved watching "Maverick," and did so religiously along with the group of five guys with whom I hung around. To this day, I can remember the words and tune of its theme song and its sponsor, "Marlboro" cigarettes, which cited its three "f's" of distinction--"filter, flavor, flip--top box." ( I suppose they could have gone four-F by adding "fatal' to the mix, but those were different times.) My friends and I were not only loyal "Maverick" fans, but puffed away on Marlboros during our weekly poker games (2 cents to ante, 4 on a pair, and 6 on the final card).
James Garner, of course, was more than a TV actor, although that is his most lasting legacy. He was a masterful light comedian. If you want to see him at his best, check out "The Americanization of Emily," in which he played an Admiral's aide dedicated to doing anything to avoid exposure to the D-Day invasion. The slightly demented Admiral (Melvyn Douglas) wants the first fatality on D-Day to be a sailor, and guess who he has in mind for the role? Julie Andrews is marvelous as a patriotic, stiff upper-lipped Brit, who wishes that her boyfriend, Garner, was just a little bit braver and less cynical.
When James Garner died at 86, I saw that he was born the same year as my late brother-in-law, Richard Neimeth. Dick would have turned 86 yesterday. I remember him taking me to see some of those Globetrotter games when I was thirteen or fourteen, and us joking about just who this Red Klotz guy was. Now they're all gone, and I miss them all; especially Dick.
