Original Gangstas.

Alan Hale, Jr.
Mar. 8, 1921 - Jan. 2, 1990
Alan Hale, Jr. was a good character actor with one character: the Skipper. He was playing the Skipper for years before the part was created for Gilligan's Island, sometimes in westerns. He continued playing the part all the way until his death at age 70. The last time I saw him in 1989 or so was in commercials for TBS (with Bob Denver as Gilligan). They were both dressed as their old characters, still stranded on that island (which they escaped in a TV movie, by the way). He was obviously sick and very thin, but there he was. If you've ever watched Mystery Science Theater 3000, you'll know that he appeared in more bad movies than just about any other actor. These included The Crawling Hand, Angel's Revenge, and Giant Spider Invasion. Also appeared on The Love Boat twice and Fantasy Island three times.


Biggie Smalls
May 21, 1972 - Mar. 9, 1997
Let's make one thing clear right now: I'm generally indifferent to rap and hip-hop music. The law of averages on music, as it is on all things, also applies here. 90% of everything, be it music, movies, or what have you, is bad. That's just the way it works out. But there's nothing like being dead that can suddenly make that mediocre recording artist seem like a martyr and a genius. Odds are most of us would never have heard of Biggie Smalls (or, the Notorious B.I.G.) had he not been shot and killed so young. And we damn sure wouldn't have heard that awful Puff Daddy tribute to him and Tupac ("Missing You") that sampled The Police's "Every Breath You Take". But now, like Selena, he's a fallen hero. I ride the bus most of the time here in Vegas, and I am confronted on almost a daily basis with young hip-hoppers and their oversized Biggie and Tupac tribute shirts. It boggles the mind. Simply put, rap and hip-hop music is disposable music. Very hot and popular, then gone and forgotten. Or there would be hip-hop oldies stations...and there are not. I'm just sayin'.