There is no doubt of course that the Marines wanted to ask questions of all the beautiful women we had on the Shows … but, they also wanted answers from the wonderful guest star men on the Show.  As I watched this process over the seven years, I often wondered about how many times in ones lifetime might a young American male have the opportunity to actually question a Hollywood star.  I felt good knowing we could supply this experience for the scores who asked the stars questions. 

Bill Williams (Kit Carson) and Barbara Hale (Della on Perry Mason) made a number of trips to be on the Shows.  Randy Boone was a regular.  Johnny Grant made it for a number of Shows also. 

Here I share with you a few more of our stars of film, TV, radio and Stage …..

A Navy vet and star of “Battle Cry” and “We’re No Angels”, ALDO RAY was a leading man and one of the “Hollywood Hunks” in the 1950′s.  His forty year career lasted from ’51 to ’91.  ALDO made more than one guesting on the Show.  Next to BILL WILLIAMS on one of the Hollywood Panels was the very-popular-with-the-men Ms ANN B. DAVIS who started acting in Tent Shows and on to co-starring on “The Bob Cummings Show” and the loveable but bossy “Alice” on THE BRADY BUNCH.  CLU GULAGER was a 1st cousin of Will Rogers, a Marine from ’46 to ’48, and was “Billy The Kid” in TV’s THE TALL MAN series with Barry Sullivan.  He was also “Burt” in the 1985 cult classic “The Return Of The Living Dead”.  He brought his actress wife MIRIAM BYRD-NETHERY to the Show with him. They called her “The 1st Lady of Radio” and LURENE TUTTLE was a respected acting coach and teacher for that time for so many Hollywood stars.  She was a character actress who ent from Vaudeville, to radio, to films and TV.  Here she and Jean share a moment with a script backstage.  The wonderful actress, singer, radio personality, VIRGINIA O’BRIEN, known for her comedic roles  was a big hit with the audience.  She and LUCY were close girlfriends for many years and Virginia also picked up the monikers of “Miss Deadpan” and “Miss Frozen Face”.  The two former South Dakotans … JEAN and DAVID SOUL chat backstage before Show.  David started out as a folk singer, the son of the Rev. Dr. Richard Solberg, Prof & Lutheran minister with labors in Chicago and Sioux Falls, SD.  He became a TV star in STARSKY & HUTCH.  His daughter, CHINA SOUL, has followed her Dad into Show Business. WILLIAM LUNDIGAN was a Marine who became a motion picture star and he loved being a part of the Shows.  His films began with “Dodge City” in 1939.  The wonderful “Pinky” in ’49 and “The House On Telegraph Hill” in ’51 with Marilyn Monroe.  His TV series “Men Into Space” was only a one season show and in ’53, he also was one of the stars in “Inferno”.  And I have no idea what BILL LUNDIGAN was trying to show Jean in this photo taken backstage.  I do know the women on the Show thought he was pretty “smooth”.  Ha!  Here is TV’s “Dennis The Menace”, JAY NORTH, in some Marine’s outfit posing for pics for the men with a French actress (whose name I cannot remember at this moment) who wanted to be on the show to honor the military men of America. 

One thing we learned for sure was how wonderful it was over the 7 years to work with the old PROS in Show Biz …. god!  What a pleasure!  Our younger “stars” so appreciated and learned from the oldie’s.  When a person knows what they’re doing, what they’re capable of doing, and feels comfortable in their own skin …. it shows!  It was enjoyable watching how there was such camaraderie between our Show regulars and our guest “Name” stars.  Real people rock!! 

the so-called “old time movie stars” had such a charismatic glamor and had been trained not only in acting, but also dancing, singing, fencing, horseback riding, shooting guns and other Art forms. 

RHONDA FLEMMING was a motion picture star with striking natural beauty; who was at home not only before the camera but also Night Club stages and the Broadway stage.  Over the 7 years of Shows, inclement weather would sometimes make it impossible to be at the San Onofre Outdoor Theater … this happened when RHONDA was our guest and we would then have the Shows in the Base Indoor Theater.  It seated 4,000 and that day it was a rain-splattered full house. 

This particular Show not only had inclement weather outdoors, but that weather also left us without a Band.  OMG!  And now an actual movie star who would have to sing a cappella!!!   For RHONDA, it was not a problem. 

I had met her in 1965 when my then-wife and I attended a meeting of the Hollywood Christian Group.  This Group was started a decade ago by JANE RUSSELL, CONNIE HAINES, BERYL DAVIS and RHONDA FLEMMING (who had taken Jane’s sisters place in the quarter).  I also met that night JOY EILERS, who became a regular for the 7 years of the Shows and she is still a strong friend of Rhonda to this day. 

So anyway … since I was the Director of the Show, I had to make some quick decisions and contacted Colonel McCain to get some help from the Lighting Booth Director of the Theater.  I decided, since we were in the indoor theater where the audience was in the dark, that we would go with a bit of Hollywood drama for effect with Rhonda’s appearance.  We had the stage lights go dark and Rhonda hit her mark on center stage … waiting for her to be introduced.  A ceiling pin spot would slowly reveal her … high-lighting her golden red hair … and she began singing … a cappella, as a body spot slowly revealed her in her glittering gown.  She was the movie star the audience had come to see!  The Base always had snacks for our entertainers.  Here Rhonda and Jean are catching a bite to eat before they get into their costumes.  Rhonda with JOY EILERS backstage …. Rhonda with BOB TIEDEMANN,  the “original Mr. Animation”, back stage. It was the 6th Anniversary of the Show and our Talent Coordinator, Mike Lansing, helped Jean make the first cut to share with all our cast of entertainers.

Backstage at any of the shows was always kinda interesting and here we see Kathryn Minner and Sara James – show regulars – kicking back with our guest, actor JODY McCREA … one of the Beach Party actors and the son of the legendary JOEL McCREA & FRANCES DEE. 

Folks used to say it must be easy to book stars for the Show; which was the task for Mike Lansing and myself.  Oh sure!  Just give a call to say – Paul Lynde on the Hollywood Squares, and he would definitely want to help entertain our Military men fighting in Nam.  Guess again!  He was afraid to do the Show.  I knew what he was afraid of, but never told him.  And there were a number of stars who had fears of being before an all-male audience of maybe around 10,000 Marines (that turned out to be the average # per Show over the years). 

It took us a couple years to convince YVONNE DE CARLO to convince her that “those young men won’t know who I am”  …  I knew they would remember – well, maybe not her motion picture starring roles, but I knew they’d know her from her TV and when I introduced her to the audience as LILY MUNSTER, they went wild and she got a standing ovation which bowled her over seeing thousands of Marines going wild for her.  She was on our Hollywood Panel for that Show with (l.to r.) BARBARA HALE, BILL WILLIAMS, ANN B. DAVIS and TONI KELMAN – the great Children’s Agent who got young actors like JODIE FOSTER their early acting roles.

YVONNE answering the Marines questions as BARBARA HALE looks on.  YVONNE posed for this pic with JEAN and Hollywood’s one and only “Mayor”, JOHNNY GRANT. 

And then, there was TROY WALKER!  The #1 Night Club entertainer in L.A. year after year during that era.  He was like a combo of Cher, Liberace & Jerry Lee Lewis … Today, Gaga would have loved him!!  He knew how to turn on an audience for sure … but he was a little leery about performing before 1,000′s of Marines.  Flamboyant may be an understatement.  There was no doubt in my mind the audience would go nuts for his singing performance.  I told him to take his time making his entrance on stage, and since there was a 25′ distance to the mic, if he ambled on, the men would have a chance to whistle, laugh or boo.  He was costumed in a bright, multicolored floral jersey jump suit with flared leg bottoms.  A big feather boa and a wide-brimmed hat with a plume … AND … a foot-long Auntie Mame cigarette holder with an unlit cigarette.  QUITE A SIGHT! 

As he sauntered to the mic, the crowd went heckle wild, like they had just seen their first Drag Queen homo on the planet.  He stood silently at the mic, posing, waiting for the crowd to control themselves.  THEN, in his incredible basso profundo voice, he said: “What the fuck do you expect from Hollywood!?”  They loved it and he had them in the palm of his hand and sang them into standing ovation. 

The wonderful entertainers we had on the Shows over the years proved to be the biggest and the littlest stars in Hollywood at that Time.  And I know I’ve said this on our Lundon Calling Talk shows, but I’ll put it down in black and white here now: I LOVE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY FOLKS!   They are some of the most compassionate and caring people I’ve met in life.  Of course, there are some bitches and bastards, but that seems to be par for any course.  We had the goodies who cared and wanted our Military men to know they were not forgotten and they were appreciated for their service to our Country … even though the cries of the Anti-War protestors were really loud during those years! 

CLINT WALKER was the star of the hit TV Western series “CHEYENNE” and little VICTORIA MEYERINK was the daughter of actress, JEANNE BAIRD, and was a co-star playing DANNY KAYE’S sidekick on his DANNY KAYE SHOW.   Here they are getting off our troop bus being greeted by Jean. Jean always wore her camouflage bikini which she had made for herself from a jacket given her by a Marine when she was on one of her trips to Viet Nam.  She called for Clint to come front and center and he joked with her abut a real finale.  Next to Clint, I felt like a very small 6′ man … he was 6’7″ which truly fit his role as “Cheyenne Brodie” on the TV Show.  The audiences absolutely loved little VICTORIA MEYERINK and she said “If Jean can be the Marine’s Everything Girl, I want to be the Marine’s Little Sister” … and she was!  She delighted in pulling tricks on me on the Shows.  She and her Mother were regulars on all seven years of the Show.  And in case you may wonder about my costume … Jean crocheted those 1960′s era pants for me!  It was an honor to have one of the original KEYSTONE KOPS to entertain the men.  EDDIE LeVEQUE was a ball of hilarity on the Show and the men loved it.  A wild man on the Hollywood scene during that time was the alternative lifestyle Yoga and health food fitness pioneer, GYPSY BOOTS.  Making predictions for the men and the Show was the AMAZING CRISWELL who had a hit TV Show at that time.  Here is poses with MISS FONTANA who made a few Show appearances over the year of her reign. 

I mentioned in a previous blog that Jean personally answered every letter she received from the Marines.  She also did something special at home which made me very proud of her: she used cork boards to pin photos of the men which sent them with their letters.  It helped her to remember all of the men in her prayers for their safety.  Over the seven years of Shows and thousands of letters, these men were respectful in their appreciation of their “Everything Girl” and the Shows.  In seven years there was only ONE “off color” … it contained a man’s pubic hair he had shaved off for her.  She thanked him for taking time to write. 

One of the things, as the Show Director, I wanted to see for the Marines, was how they might be able to see movie/TV stars in person AND I also wanted the Marines to have a chance to ask the stars personal questions and questions about careers after they got back home.

We did this in a variety of ways, but one idea was our HOLLYWOOD PANEL when we had a number of stars and/or Entertainment Industry VIP’s together on a Show.  Just as our musical artists came from all genre; ditto our VIP’s/STARS.  We had Producers, Directors, Agents, Personal Managers, Journalists, Authors, Radio artists, Choreographers, Public Relations Directors, Acting Coaches and Pro Photographers.  Our regular cast members would go into the audience aisles to get questions directly from the Marines. We had a bunch of STARS for one of the Anniversary Shows.  Pictured L to R after I had introduced them on stage are Yvonne DeCarlo, Barbara Hale, Bill Williams, Ann B. Davis and children’s Agent: Toni Kelman. (She helped put Jodie Foster on the map.)  Here is the wonderful BARBARA HALE, aka “Della Street” from the Perry Mason Show, answering audience questions and kibitzing with Jean and myself.  Barbara and her husband made a number of Shows over the years.  Show regular, ELLA EDWARDS brought JOHNNY GRANT with her into the aisles to get questions from the Marines.  Johnny made a number of appearances over the years and was so loved by the Marines because he also was one of the most traveled in bringing Shows overseas to the Military.  He was also the honorary Mayor of Hollywood who created the Hollywood Walk of Fame on the Boulevard.  He passed away early in 2008 and will be irreplaceable in Tinseltown.   Here are JEAN and ELLA getting questions from Marines for our Hollywood Panel members.  JAY NORTH … no longer the little “Dennis The Menace” … answering Marine’s questions.  JAY made a number of Shows and also traveled with Jean when she took entertainers to Naval Bases and Ships … in addition to our Camp Pendleton Shows.  DORIS NIEH answered questions about the world of Photography for the Marines.  She was the first female photographer to be allowed in the Sports World mens locker rooms and … following the ending of our Shows in early 1973, Doris did a Jackson Family photo session at their family home. 

I can’t imagine a life on earth without it.  MUSIC makes the world go round!  I think of music as the method THE Creator chose to allow earthlings the ability to trip out on the vibrations which music plays in our brains. 

Music was a MUST on all of the Shows we did for the Military … and we were lucky and thankful to have had around a dozen+ Bands over the 7 years of Shows; I believed music would help the Marines take their minds off the War, if only for a few moments.  I honestly don’t remember the Names of all the Bands now and you can bet they had as crazy names back then as they do nowadays!   Around half a dozen Bands made the trip for the Shows many more than just one Show … and, three Bands were there month after month, only missing a few Shows.  Those three Bands were: SAGE, RON & THE ENTERTAINERS, and REUBEN RODRIGUEZ AND THE GUADALAJARA KINGS. 

By the way, when I’m thinking about this: I do know how to reach Ron and Reuben and their Bands are still entertaining … so, if you ever want a great Band to play for your Organization events, wedding receptions, or whatever … just give me a whistle and I’ll put you in touch. 

The Show music always had vocalists and the Bands always backed them.  The music was from all genre: Rock’N'Roll, Country, Pop, Latin, Black Gospel, Comedy, Broadway – - – the spectrum of America.  A rainbow of colors and sounds! 

In addition to Randy Boone, we always could count on JO MORTON, our little Country Music artist who did all seven years of the Shows.  She didn’t have a Band, but she did have her son, DALE with his accordion and in Country – that’s a Band!   The above photo was when our photographer, Joyce Widoff, would take our artists behind the amphitheater into the field behind and get them to pose.

Some of the Bands arrived with great looking female vocalists/dancers who would also get Marines on stage with them.  SAGE was the very first Band to join the Show, followed closely by RON & THE ENTERTAINERS and REUBEN & HIS GUADALAJARA KINGS.  Enjoy these photos of the Bands when they were youngsters … who are now in their definitely middle years.  LOL 

You probably have heard that being a cast member in a Stage or TV series Show is like becoming a part of an extended family … where lifelong friendships develop.  This is a truism!  This was also a fact in my mind when it came to the great cast of Show regulars we had for the Jean London Show.  And even now, 38 years later, when I may have even forgotten some names, I still FEEL that family attachment as a Grandfather might. 

It was the task of Mike Lansing and myself to secure the cast for all shows and we lucked out with entertainers from all areas of Show Biz.  They were actually all so multi-talented and I used to love the way the regulars would create little skits, where Marines would also participate, they did this on their own volition and would bring silly wigs and outfits.  Mike’s background as a former Keystone Kop allowed him to be nutty and he even participated with Jean, Sherry or Ella in ugly drag. 

Yes, our cast of regulars certainly did feel like a family clan!  And, as the Mormon Faith believes that families are eternal; I am wont to believe that I shall have eternal fun with our great cast of the Jean London Show entertainers …. many of whom have already crossed over. 

Wanted you to see what the San Onofre outdoor theater looked like.  A great backstage area gave our entertainers plenty of room for clothing changes, a snacks table, and two stage entries onto the 50/60 foot wide by 20/25 foot deep stage & apron.  We needed this space for sure when we ended up with some Shows having TWO bands ,,, and our “curtain calls” would sometimes stretch across the whole stage.  The thought just crossed my mind now that all of the young Marines who saw the Shows are now in their sixties.  Whoa! 

Mike and Ella Edwards would always love to select “shy” Marines from the audience to help them in their skits … and I believe the Marines loved to see their fellow men getting snookered by these two crazy fun lovers! 

“The Original Mr. Animation”, Robert “Bob” Tiedemann, was the “mechanical man” who used to scare folks at the Wax Museum on Hollywood Blvd. as folks thought he was one of the wax figures and he would make moves to play with their minds.  He did this on our Shows also and would make his entry from a coffin.  He would also bring Marines on stage to see just how good they might be as mechanical men who would be statues… unmoving and not even blinking their eyes when a pretty girl would try to disturb them.   Jean and other cast members would even come on stage and give them a kiss to see if they would move! 

Sherry would work with other young actress/vocalists in skits who might interrupt her when she was trying to sing.  I think the young starlet here is Melinda Moore, but I’m not sure.  I’ll hear from her if it isn’t.  Ha!  Melinda was a regular whom the Marines loved; she was the daughter of two Show Biz luminaries of the time: her Mom was the gorgeous vocalist/actress Beryl Davis, who passed away at age 87 in October 2011.  Melinda’s Dad was the great radio/TV disc jockey/showman, Peter Potter, who had the successful “Juke Box Jury” on TV.  Although I don’t remember all their names at this moment, we did have some great young entertainers such as Melinda Moore.  Here are pics of our regular Hula Dancer and the beautiful “Miss Fontana” beauty queen. 

And regular entertainer and stage/TV star, KATHRYN MINNER, “the little old lady from Pasadena” and a DODGE commercial favorite, always had fun letting the young starlets know that she could be sexy too.  Our dear Kathryn passed away in 1969 and tried to never miss a Show up until that time. 

The one thing which allowed me to NOT FEEL STRESSED, when it dawned on me we would be doing a lot more than just the first six Shows, was the fact that we were lucky to have assembled a cast of “regulars” who were committed to continue; we would always be able to produce a fun Show for the Marines.  And, because our regulars were all working artists who may have to skip a show or two. we would end up with a variety of sizes in our cast.  One time, when most everyone was able to attend, we ended up with a Show cast of 83 entertainers! 

It was also learned early on that I was not a capable enough Director to control an unrehearsed cast from a backstage seat.  I could better Direct from the ONSTAGE EmCee position.  This did not rattle me however because my life over the years had been ON stage.  I had always felt more at home there than anywhere else; so, I disguised the Director in EmCee clothing/costumes.  My task was also made easy when you are working with PRO’S and those who are working entertainers & stars.  I believe I was also fortunate in the fact that I was able to look at EVERY entertainer as a STAR in my eyes and thoughts.  I honestly love sharing with you in these blogs, the great folks who helped make the Show a seven-year-run where we entertained over 750,000 of our Military heroes. 

Truly a star in our regulars cast of stars was the wonderful SARA JAMES & THE JAMES SISTERS; everyone loved Sara who would greet the audience with her iconic “Mercy!” and her “V” for victory signal.  Their performance on stage would bring the best of Black Gospel and she would bring the men into the music and dance.  Sara and the girls did this in their Night Club act also.  She has such great compassion for our Military serving in Nam and her group committed to complete all seven years of the Jean London Show. 

No matter what Band we had for a Show, they loved backing Sara.  Here we see RON & THE ENTERTAINERS who were regulars and the Marines “really dug” their music.  In the pic below, she is backed by SAGE, another regular Band for the Show.

Colonel Jinx McCain, Base Special Services Officer, loved to come on stage and kibitz with Sara.

Sara loved to go into the audience always and get the men dancing with her to the music.  Here you can also see the Base Special Services BUS which brought our entertainers from Hollywood to the San Onofre outdoor theater. 

Sara was a performer with such passion that she would literally pass out following performances.

Have to get this off my chest, which I call “sunken treasure” at this point in my life.  It’s odd how one thought leads to another, isn’t it!  As a result of looking over all the photos from the Shows we did for the Military, I was struck by the THIS thought:  in addition to the over-5,000 killed in that “War”, there has proven to be thousands more who returned home alive … BUT, facing an unprepared United States for HOW to care for our WOUNDED warriors … and, not only those with physical wounds where tons of dollars would be needed in Medical care; but the emotionally/psychologically wounded … and I can’t remember if PTSD was even a name back then! … and the socially wounded – because of the political climate then. 

The men who saw our Shows are now in their sixties and THEY have had to live with how their Country was not prepared for POST War; not prepared for how to really care for their medical needs; their emotional and mental needs; their social need of how to integrate back into Society, jobs and their family clans. 

The “Political climate” I mentioned was the very strong Anti War Movement of the Time.  This produced the fact that soldiers returning from this War were NOT even welcomed home by crowds cheering for our Military heroes … as we see today with those returning home from Iraq, Afghanistan, and wherever else we may have Bases stationed. 

The photos you see in this blog series are of some very special people who dared go against that Movement and do Shows, not because they were for or against War, but because they supported our men!  I feel a strong pride for each of the nearly 400 entertainers/stars who performed and produced the seven years of Shows. 

If you know any of the veterans from Viet Nam, let them know you appreciated their service and today we must give our support to the Wounded Warrior Project.  Also, I would recommend to all who have a film library … look into getting a copy of A WARM WIND as it is an excellent film which brings the plight of just one wounded warrior to the forefront. 

RANDY BOONE became a Show regular right from the beginning Shows.  RANDY was an actor and Country vocalist, Club artist, and one of the stars of “The Virginian” TV series.  He is still an active entertainer and I believe he lives on the East Coast these days. 

Here you see (sorry for the blurry pic) RANDY BOONE and ELLA EDWARDS signing autographs and chatting with the men after a Show.  The men would literally swamp the entertainers following the Shows, thanking them for coming and entertaining. 

JOHNNY THUNDER and his wife, Collette, signed in as regulars early on also.  JOHNNY was a leading instructor of Hollywood actors in the arts of knife throwing, whip and gun action.  He trained such as Chuck Connors of “The Rifleman” TV series and so many other stars.  He would see if he could get a Marine from the audience who would let Johnny throw knives at him, whip crack a cigarette from his mouth and try to out-draw him.  Collette was a beautiful distraction to keep the Marine “unafraid”. 

Jean had been one of his students and she wanted him to come to the Show so “her Marines” could see how a persons handwriting can tell life stories and had Marines join her on stage to meet this great man.  PAUL DE SAINT COLOMBE was the leading authority in the U.S. and around the world in GRAPHO ANALYSIS. 

Wow!  This blogging crap is actually therapeutic for me!  I’m learning as I look over the old photos that I now have that senility thing where I can’t remember the names of so many who are pictured … and these were very important people.  So anyway, if you see a pic where someone isn’t identified, you will know I’m having a brain fart … which may be par for the course of an old fart.  LOL 

Back now to the BEAUTIES who were SHOW REGULARS.  Our beauties also had brains and they worked hard to create skits where they would involve Marines from the audience.  They were also the Hostesses in the aisles to get questions from the Marines for the stars in our Hollywood Panels.  They would get men from the audience to dance with them and signed autographs for thousands over the seven years.  They made sure we were never without beautiful gals for EVERY Show.  

ELLA EDWARDS was a seasoned actress in film and TV; a single mother raising a son, and she took her task of creating skits very seriously.  She loved to find bashful Marines and pull them into her skits to watch them blush in front of thousands of their buddies. 

 LEE DAWN was a model and vocalist who captured the hearts of the Marines! 

LINDA MEIKLEJOHN was also an actress of note in movies and TV and loved to do “Dance Offs” with the Marines … even did a contest where a Company got to have her with them in the audience as “their girl”.

Stage and TV actress, KATHRYN MINNER, “the little old lady from Pasadena” and the Dodge commercial star who roared up in a Charger, slammed on the brakes and yelled out the window: “Put a Dodge in your garage, Honey!” was also one of our BEAUTIES … only she said she was the girl for the Generals.  LOL

Little VICTORIA MEYERINK, who was a star on the Danny Kaye Show, became the Marine’s adopted “Little Sister” and would get her kicks from teasing me in front of all the men. 

And we were lucky to also have semi-regular groups of girls like the Can Can Dancers ….