Damn You, Charles Manson, You Ruined My Career

I know it's hard to believe, but yesterday during my lunch hour I was watching TV.

I was sitting there, chewing a hot pickle and minding my own, when I caught a commercial for one of those press 'n seal wax paper products. It's the one where we're on a plane and there's about to be turbulence, so the rolls of press 'n seal pop down and we start securing our food.

There's a woman in the commercial, without a speaking part, she's just in a seat, and when they showed her I thought, "Well shit-fire, that looks like the girl that played Leslie Van Houten in 'Helter Skelter.'"

Now, we're talking the original" Helter Skelter" TV-movie, the one circa 1976. I have a very, very special place in my heart for that movie for some reason, and anytime it shows up late at night as filler on some local channel, I still watch till the bitter end. I think this is because of my then utter fascination (and even to an extent now) with the Manson family. When I was about 13 or so I read a book called "The Family" about the killings. Then when "Helter Skelter" came out a bit later, I read that too. So when the TV-movie appeared (when I was in high school) I was all atwitter.

(As an aside here, I have no real explanation for my fascination with the Mansons. Just like I have no explanation for my fascination with Nazis. I guess it's all wrapped around the sheer incredulosity of how they were able to do what they did. Of course, there's also that "car wreck" aspect of the whole thing. Both are so vile and disgustingly evil, and yet, you just have to watch.)

And so there I was looking at a woman who looked like the woman who played Leslie Van Houten. And it doesn't matter whether or not it actually was her, and in fact, I'm sure it couldn't have been. But it got me to thinking about all the actors who were in "Helter Skelter" lo those many years ago.

They basically divide into two categories. One category has such character-actor standbys as George DiCenzo, Alan Oppenheimer, David Clennon, Bart Braverman, Paul Mantee, and Linden Chiles. People we still see on any number of TV or movie things, whether we recognize them by name or by "Hey, I know him." (Or in Paul Mantee's case, from that cinematic gem "Robinson Crusoe On Mars.") George, Alan, et al all play prosecutors, policemen, judges, and reporters.

The other category contains, well, it contains such young up and comers as Steve Railsback, Christina Hart, Nancy Wolfe, Cathy Paine, Marilyn Burns, Bill Durkin, and Steve Gries. Now, let's get Steve Railsback out of this equation right now. He was playing Charles Manson, one of the big icons of the 60s, and did so with total abandon. To let things go back to my above comparison, playing Manson is not unlike playing Hitler. Scenery chewing is a given.

So, without Steve, we've got - well, what have we got. We've got a bunch of out of work actors is what we've got. A bunch of people who, after playing Manson family members, found themselves on the short end of the acting stick. Some haven't worked since the early 80s. Some have had sporadic employment, playing such diverse and meaningful parts as "Cashier," "Young Woman," and the ever-exciting "Unknown." Then there are some, the unfortunates Bill Durkin and Steve Gries, who haven't worked. Before or since. "Helter Skelter" was their 15 minutes of fame, and then it was a cloud of dust. Manson made and killed their careers.

There are 2 exceptions to the Manson Ruined My Career rule. One is Railsback, who we've already mentioned and who, while not pulling down primo starring roles, seems to be steadily working.

The second exception is Rudy Ramos. Rudy Ramos has been around forever, and I can remember him as an actor when I was just a little thing. He was dark-skinned and played a lot of Indians. Anyway, Rudy Ramos was in "Helter Skelter" playing Danny DeCarlo, a former Hell's Angel who hangs out with the Mansons for the drugs and the groovy chicks. (This is a different breed of groovy chick from the groovy chicks Greg Brady chases around, btw.)

Rudy's imdb casting page is chockfull of parts, and he's been working fairly recently too, judging by the fact that he was in an episode of "The George Lopez Show." Playing, oddly enough, "Old Man." Anyway, I'm sure there's a reason that this Hell's Angel, this taker of drugs and canoodler with women, still got to keep working after "Helter Skelter."

His character was a snitch.

I guess if you stuck with Manson to the end, your career was doomed. Thus endeth today's lesson.

Betland's Olympic Update:
* My taxes are done. Federals, anyway. Hoo-pee and Whoopteedoo.
* I'm on the horns of a dilemma. After tonight's episode, I'm seriously afraid I'm going to have to give up "The Amazing Race." I just cannot watch Rob and Amber. Watching them at all is nauseating, but watching them do so well is just about more than I can take.