Retroality's "Reimagine That!" podcast, episode 18! ............................................................ Chris Mann's special guest, Morgan Brittany (part 2 of 2), spills on her "Dallas" co-stars (and the TNT reboot), surviving Hollywood as a child actor and reinventing herself yet again as a Politichick; also: Chris's '90s Madonna-toxic cautionary dream!

Click here to listen to the podcast!

In the conclusion of her two-part exclusiveRetroality.TVinterview, child star-turned-Dallasdiva Morgan Brittany tells "Reimagine That!" host Chris Mann how her hardships as a child actress and her family's breadwinner shaped her as a woman who not only would survive Hollywood (including Dallas' ill-fated dream season) but also hold her own as a conservative political columnist andhost. And she's juggled multiple careers while raising two children with longtime husband and stuntman Jack Gill. Their son, Cody, is a musician and their daughter, Katie, is an actress (most recently seen playing Christie Brinkley's daughter in NBC's Parks and Recreation).

After landing her first TV role in 1959 in an episode of The Twilight Zone, the blue-eyed brunette Morgan -- under her birth name, Suzanne Cupito -- soon was cast as a guest star in several primetime series , including Sea Hunt, Gunsmoke, Rawhide, The Outer Limits, My Three Sons, The Andy Griffith Show and two additional episodes of The Twilight Zone. On the silver screen, her child star launched simultaneously thanks to her role as "Baby" June alongside Rosalind Russell and Natalie Wood in Gypsy. This role led to casting in Hitchcock's The Birds and the Lucille Ball-Henry Fonda film Yours, Mine and Ours.

But her young life was anything but an easy-breezy dream. "I was basically just a doll that was trotted out to make money and then put away at night," Morgan recalls, stressing that she did not have a support system growing up. "I don't want my kids to feel that way. I want them to know that no matter what happens, I'm there. I had to learn to make it on my own. I knew that if I fell, nobody would be there to help me up."

After reinventing herself as Morgan Brittany, the actress enjoyed a career resurgence as ABC's Charlie's Angels ushered in a new era of big-haired glamour girls. Soon, she parlayed her resemblance to Gone with the Wind star Vivien Leigh into newfound fame by playing the iconic actress in the 1976 film Gable and Lombard and again in the 1980 telefilm The Scarlett O'Hara War. Shortly following the made-for-TV portrayal -- and the cult fave movie-of-the-week The Initiation of Sarah with "the other Morgan," Ms. Fairchild -- the dark-haired vixen landed the role of Dallas' original Queen of Mean, Katherine Wentworth.

In this segment of her interview, she shares her remembrances of the late Larry Hagman, Joan Collins (with whom she worked on the ABC telefilm The Wild Women of Chastity Gulch), Victoria Principal, Linda Gray and killing off Patrick Duffy's character in the series' controversial "dream season." And she shares her thoughts about how TNT's revival of the CBS series should keep moving forward as the show sets up a cliffhanger leading into a yet-to-be-greenlit third season. (Editor's note: *Cough cough* Bring back Katherine Wentworth! *cough cough*).

In the meantime, Morgan (@MorganBrittany4 on Twitter) tells us how she stays busy working as a conservative columnist and an on-camera commentator/host for Politichicks.TV. And she reveals that she's even been approached to run for office!

Finally, in our "Reawakenings" segment, "Reimagine That!" dream analyst Yvonne Ryba interprets Chris's freaky, circa 1993 dream about being injected with "instant death!" (!) by the queen of reinvention and a master of the fame game, Madonna -- envisioned here as a villainess in the back of a limo on his college campus -- as he embarked on his own odyssey to Hollywood after wrapping his journalism studies at The University of Tulsa. (Hey, we guess it beats being mowed down by a blonde-wig-clad Katherine Wentworth!)

Host: Chris Mann

Announcer: Linda Kay

Created by: Chris Mann

Producers: Linda Kay, Chris Mann

Copyright 2013 by Chris Mann/Retroality.TV (http://Retroality.TV)

Waxing Nostalgic ... Reminiscing about writing my new Old Hollywood book "The Day the Stars Stood Still: A Memoir about Logan Fleming, Top Wax Artist for Movieland Wax Museum" (BearManor)

The author and her memoir. For more about Suzanne,
check out her blog Ferry Tales.

Guest column

By Suzanne 

Sumner Ferry

Author, Blogger, 

Old Hollywood expert

It was an amazing revelation to learn that Mae West really COULD undulate her bosom (the subject of my memoir, Movieland's premiere wax artist and creative director Mr. Logan Fleming, saw it in person in her own bedroom!), that the wax figures of the Clampett Clan (aka The Beverly Hillbillies) actually went jet-setting across the country and that Sammy Davis Jr. knew he could smile only so much before his glass eye squinted. 

The celebs of yesteryear knew themselves very well, practiced their most unique talents and carried themselves with the utmost class (well… I guess undulating one’s breasts is an exception). 

My journey writing The Day the Stars Stood Still: A Memoir about Logan Fleming, Top Wax Artist for Movieland Wax Museum (2012, BearManor Media) was luckily filled with hidden facts, secrets, stories and fantastic quips from many of Old Hollywood’s most beloved stars who became immortalized as wax likenesses by the talented hands of the late Logan Fleming. If I had to become similarly immortalized, I would want no one except Logan and his hands to do this. It’s also amazing that creating eternal wax likenesses helped create an entire new subculture of Hollywood entertainment. 

We love Old Hollywood. And with the current craze of countless reality television shows, recalling and celebrating Tinseltown's golden age is a refreshing diversion. Back in the day, actors were STARS and it was an honor to be asked by Movieland to have your figure created. There were set dedications where the stars themselves showed up to dedicate their own wax figure and set in the museum. There were crazy guests who frequented the museum, only to be caught doing something naughty to the wax figures (I will leave these nuggets for the book!), and once in a while a deceased star’s wax figure would become somewhat of a shrine where family and friends would go to mourn the loss of their loved one. 

At a wax, modern interpretation of The Crucifixion--accompanied by priceless art re-creation at the Stars Hall of Fame, adjacent to Movieland and under the same ownership--guests would kneel, pray and at times weep before the wax image of Christ. I’m not trying to get a tear out of your glass or real eyes; I’m trying to give you some insight into how fascinating this book is. Many never-before told stories and photographs grace its pages, so if you are a huge fan of pop culture and all things Old Hollywood, it will be worth the read. (Editor's note: This book is a retro TV-and-film treasure trove and a must-have!)

It was sad to hear that when Movieland closed, the wax figures--which were worth big bucks--were auctioned off and sold to many folks, domestic and overseas. I hear Tim Burton has the wax figure of Sammy Davis,Jr. in his London living room. There are some folks in the OC who collected the Star Trek crew and Enterprise bridge set, a piece that may be touring across the country soon. 

If Capt. Kirk and company do "hit the road," you bet you can find me at many of their events doing signings for this book! To find out more, contact me at suzanne.ferry@verizon.net or check out this amazingly entertaining blog: http://retroalitytv.blogspot.com/. (Editor' note: Suzanne also has her own supercool blog, "Ferry Tales": http://suzanneferry.blogspot.com/)

One day I needed to locate the wax likeness of Diana, Princess of Wales, so I went to Logan Fleming’s house and was directed to his garage. I found it, but one of the wax hands had gone missing; it was nowhere to be found. Well, at least we got a good shot of her sans hands!

The Day the Stars Stood Still is available online; check on Amazon.com, please give it a great review on Amazon, ask your local bookstore to carry it and order a copy to find all kinds of amazing facts and inside scoop on some of Old Hollywoodland’s most beloved stars, er, celebs.

Suzanne Sumner Ferry has written a juvenile fiction book titled Corinna the Christmas Elf. She is also lining up two more memoirs, both set in the Old Hollywood era. Her books can be purchased via amazon.com, tatepublishing.com, bearmanormedia.com, or contact her directly for a signed copy at suzanne.ferry@verizon.net

Retroality's "Reimagine That!" podcast, episode 17! ............................................................ Chris Mann's special guest, Morgan Brittany, opens up on a possible return to "Dallas," remembering Larry Hagman. Also: TV Guide editor William Keck on J.R.'s funeral, Victoria Principal's decision not to revive Pam Ewing; & a Texas-size dream dissected

Click here to listen to the podcast!

Episode 17, "Reviving TV Villainy" ... In the first of her two-part exclusive Retroality.TV interview, child star-turned-Dallas diva Morgan Brittany tells "Reimagine That!" host Chris Mann about the possibility of returning to Southfork -- in TNT's hot revival of the legendary soap -- as primetime's original queen of mean, Katherine Wentworth.

The blue-eyed enchantress and fan favorite also fondly remembers the late Larry Hagman, whose recent death as J.R. Ewing leaves a historically-rich villainous void on the TNT drama. "I have this fantasy," Morgan spills with an infectious laugh, "that they ask me to come back and my entrance into the show is literally (me) sitting in a chair. And you don't see anything except the back of the chair. The chair turns around and there's a big hat, and all of a sudden I look up, and it's Katherine."

And she responds publicly for the first time to her former TV half-sister Victoria Principal's recent press revelation that she will never return as Pam Ewing. "I think Victoria closed the door on Pam when she left the show," Morgan says. "And I think she moved on and does not want to revisit it for whatever reason ... I respect her for that. Maybe she does feel that she wants people to remember her as she was and as Pam was, and keep that image -- which I think is great. Now for me, I don't care if people see me as a 60-year-old Katherine. Doesn't bother me a bit!"



Morgan discusses various ways she could re-enter the Dallas scene, and reveals how she developed the wicked Wentworth during her original stint on the CBS hit. After a successful run as a child actor in the 1950s and 60s -- she worked with the likes of Henry Fonda, Lucille Ball, Natalie Wood, a young Ron Howard and Alfred Hitchcock -- the former Suzanne Cupito shares what drove her to abandon that name and identity in favor of reinventing herself in the 1970s as Morgan Brittany.

Also, TV Guide senior editor and TV scoop-savvy columnist William Keck offers insights into J.R. Ewing's funeral in the TNT episode airing on March 11. Having extensively covered this revival for multiple TV Guide cover stories -- and via multiple trips to Southfork -- Keck is the ultimate Dallas insider. He fondly recalls Larry Hagman and "the gift" he gave viewers during the final year and a half of his life, salutes Brenda Strong's portrayal as Patrick Duffy's new TV wife, and discloses that Linda Gray has struggled with a storyline suggesting that long-recovering alcoholic Sue Ellen falls off the wagon following the death of the love of her life.

Also for the first time, he responds to Principal's press statement shooting down speculation -- and the hopes of fans -- that she would make a triumphant return as Pam Ewing. Principal labeled a rumored return to this iconic role "a desperate reappearance." Says Keck, "Unfortunately, Victoria set the record straight that fans who'd been dying for a Bobby-Pam reunion are gonna be eternally disappointed. And that's Victoria's decision. That's her gift to fans."

Keck will likely pose and/or field all of these questions -- and many more -- while moderating a panel discussion of the current Dallas cast and executive producers at the PaleyFest television festival in Beverly Hills this Sunday at 1 p.m. PT. Check out a live stream of this event here.

Finally, our dream weaver Yvonne Ryba analyzes a Texas-sized dream she had in 1980 -- the year J.R. was shot (for the first time) -- revealing the stinging and smooth sides that reside in all of us.

For more great info about Dallas, check out UltimateDallas.com, DallasFanzine.com and DallasDivasDerby.com and Dallasfan.net


Host: Chris Mann

Announcer: Linda Kay

Created by: Chris Mann

Producers: Linda Kay, Chris Mann

Copyright 2013 by Chris Mann/Retroality.TV (http://Retroality.TV)

Retroality's "Reimagine That!" podcast, episode 16! ............................................................ Chris Mann's special guest, Lara Jill Miller, opens up about "Gimme a Break!," loving Nell Carter and giving life to various animated kids and creatures; also: Normand Authier's reimagined reality and Yvonne Ryba's crystal-clear dream interpretation

Click here to listen to the podcast!

Season 2 premiere, episode 16, "Re-envisioning Your Voice" ... In the Eighties, after a stint on Broadway with Dick Van Dyke in "The Music Man,' Lara Jill Miller grew up before our eyes as Nell Carter's sweet-faced "little girl" Samantha Kinisky on the hit NBC sitcom "Gimme a Break!" In the Nineties she went back to the East Coast, earned a law degree and became a practicing New York attorney ... but her passion for showbiz brought her back to Hollywood once more. In the last decade, Lara Jill has become one of the industry's most in-demand voice artists, with starring roles in several animated series, films, video games and more. In aspecial Valentine-themed episode of the hit Disney Jr. series "Doc McStuffins"--premiering at 10 a.m. today on the Disney Channel and 4 p.m. on Disney Junior--the former child star again takes the spotlight, this time as Doc's lovable pal Lambie. (Check out her Facebook page here and her Twitter page here.)

In this exclusive, in-depth interview about her amazing journey, Lara Jill opens up about her close relationship with the late Carter, revealing how being the "Ain't Misbehavin'" star's "baby" kept Sam in the "Gimme a Break!" fold after the show was extensively retooled (and much of the original cast let go) during its final season. Lara Jill recalls some of the long-running sitcom's landmark episodes (Joey in blackface?! Katie has an IUD?!) and discloses that, had the show been renewed for a seventh season, the focus would have shifted to Nell's misadventures with Sam in college. (NBC, instead giving us "A Different World," missed the boat on this one, folks.)



And after a special clip of Lara Jill singing the Charlie Chaplin-penned tune "Smile," Retroality.TV founder and host Chris Mann chats with singer-songwriter Normand Authier in the first installment of this podcast's new "Reality Reimagined" segment. Norm explains how a recent weight-loss transformation helped reawaken his long-shelved dream to write and perform music -- and, to quote is first recorded single, "To Live Again." And he tells how Annie Lennox and the Eurythmics inspired his artistry.

In connection with "Smile," Chris pays homage to Nell Carter (who died Jan. 23, 2003) and three other TV greats we've lost more recently: "Dallas" icon Larry Hagman, "Three's Company" Regal Beagle bartender (and stage star!) Paul Ainsley and "Maude" and "Diff'rent Strokes" star Conrad Bain.

Finally, our resident dream weaver Yvonne Ryba deconstructs a client's crystal-clear sleeping dream and relates this vision to her client's waking ambitions.

Host: Chris Mann

Announcer: Linda Kay

Created by: Chris Mann

Producers: Linda Kay, Chris Mann

Copyright 2013 by Chris Mann/Retroality.TV

Exclusive sneak peak: My interview with "Dallas" star Linda Gray in the Feburary issue of WellBella

My exclusive interview with the lovely Linda Gray, who's kicking butts and taking names as the stronger, wiser Sue Ellen in TNT's revival of Dallas. The magazine is available nationally at GNC stores on February 1 and at Wellbella.com