Monday, May 13, 2013

Another Route 66 mystery guest



Television viewers of a certain age have most likely seen this actor many times. In his Route 66 guest turn, he plays a West Coast trumpeter who bears a strong resemblance to Chet Baker. This trumpeter plays (as did Baker) in a pianoless quartet. In low light he even looks something like Baker in his later years, especially in the first of these images. Do you recognize the actor?

The episode in which this actor appears is full of music and talk about music. Dig the dialogue between Buz (George Maharis) and Not Buz (Martin Milner) as the two discuss a nightclub singer. Not Buz (aka Tod) has foolishly averred that the singer is his type. Buz, self-proclaimed “music buff,” begs to differ, and he explains how he plans to approach the woman:

“With a chick like this, you gotta play it glissando.”

Tod, ever the square, asks, “Translation?”

And Buz:

“Cool. Like I say to her, ‘Baby, I don’t dig the fuzzy stuff, but the hard bop really knocks me out.’ Now she tags for me the progressive type. How are you gonna gas her if you don't know the difference between the flatted fifth and raised seventh? That’s the style, fellow. You’ll find something else, I’m sure.”
Real glissando. Like crazy.

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8:08 a.m.: As Elaine just learned, today marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of Chet Baker’s death.

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12:43 p.m.: The answer is now in the comments.

Related reading
Other Route 66 posts (Pinboard)

comments: 5

Sean said...

The first frame is Robert Culp, the second frame is Bob Crane, and the third frame is a stand-in many people now believe was Howard Hughes.

Can't you make these things a little harder?

(I have no idea who it is). :)

Michael Leddy said...

Culp is a good guess, but it’s not him, or Crane, or Hughes.

Adair said...

Jack Lord. Same remarkable bone structure as Chet Baker.

Marzek said...

Jack Lord?

Michael Leddy said...

A virtual tie. Yes, it’s Jack Lord as trumpeter Gabe Johnson, in “Play It Glissando,” January 20, 1961.