Michael Blodgett (September 26, 1939 – November 14, 2007) was an American actor, novelist, and screenwriter. Of his many film and television appearances he is best known for his performance as gigolo Lance Rocke in Russ Meyer's 1970 cult classic Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. He retired from acting in the late 1970s and began a writing career.
Michael Blodgett | |
|---|---|
 Publicity Photo of Blodgett | |
| Born | September 26, 1939 Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Died | November 14, 2007 (aged 68) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupations | |
| Years active | 1963–1988 |
| Spouses | Linn Hammerlund
(m. 1957; div. 1960)Sandra Kirchner
(m. 1961; div. 1977)Lanetta Wahlgren
(m. 1984; div. 1995) |
| Children | 3 |
Early life and career
editBorn in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Blodgett attended the University of Minnesota before moving to Los Angeles to act. Once in Los Angeles, he earned a degree in political science from Cal State Los Angeles and attended Loyola Law School for one year before turning his attention to acting.[1] In the summer of 1967, Blodgett served as emcee of The Groovy Show, a beach-party dance show for teens on Los Angeles's KHJ-TV.[2] In 1968, Blodgett moved to KTTV, where he hosted a 90-minute Saturday night talk show, The Michael Blodgett Show.[1]
After his role in Beyond the Valley of the Dolls in 1970, Blodgett appeared in the Western There Was a Crooked Man..., opposite Kirk Douglas and Henry Fonda, and then The Velvet Vampire (1971). Throughout the 1970s, Blodgett appeared in films and guest starring roles in television series including Barnaby Jones and The Secrets of Isis. Having become dissatisfied with the type of roles he was being offered, Blodgett made his last film appearance in 1978's Disco Fever and then shifted his focus to writing novels and screenplays. He would make a cameo appearance in the 1988 adaptation of his novel Hero and the Terror, and he also contributed to interview segments in the documentary Above, Beneath and Beyond the Valley, which was featured on the 2006 DVD release of Beyond the Valley of the Dolls.
In 1982, Blodgett released his first novel, Captain Blood, followed by his second novel Hero and the Terror, that same year. His third novel, The White Raven, was released in 1986 and was later adapted into a 1998 film starring Ron Silver. With his writing partner Dennis Shryack, Blodgett penned the screenplays for Rent-A-Cop (1987) starring Burt Reynolds, Turner & Hooch (1989) starring Tom Hanks, and Run (1991) starring Patrick Dempsey.
Personal life and death
editBlodgett was married four times and had three daughters. His daughter Lucette is married to actor Miles Fisher.[3]
Blodgett died at his home in Los Angeles of an apparent heart attack.[1]
Filmography
edit| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1965 | A Swingin' Summer | Beach bum | Credited as Mike Blodgett |
| 1967 | 40 Guns to Apache Pass | Mike Malone | |
| The Trip | Lover | ||
| Catalina Caper | Bob Draper | Credited as Mike Blodgett | |
| 1970 | Beyond the Valley of the Dolls | Lance Rocke | |
| There Was a Crooked Man... | Coy Cavendish | ||
| 1971 | The Velvet Vampire | Lee Ritter | |
| 1972 | The Carey Treatment | Roger Hudson | |
| 1974 | The Ultimate Thrill | Tom | Alternative title: The Ultimate Chase |
| 1978 | Disco Fever | Tommy Aspen | |
| 1987 | Rent-a-Cop | –
|
Co-screenwriter |
| 1988 | Hero and the Terror | –
|
Co-screenwriter |
| 1989 | Turner & Hooch | –
|
Co-screenwriter |
| 1991 | Run | –
|
Co-screenwriter |
| 1998 | The White Raven | –
|
Screenwriter |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1961 | Macbeth | Malcolm | Television movie |
| 1964 | McHale's Navy | Boy on the park bench | 1 episode |
| The Alfred Hitchcock Hour | Dancer - Apollo | 1 episode | |
| 1965 | Never Too Young | Tad | Unknown episodes |
| 1966 | The Munsters | Jim | 1 episode |
| Man in the Square Suit | Gary Young | Television movie | |
| Meet Me in St. Louis | John Truitt | Television movie | |
| 1967 | Daniel Boone | Sam Linn | 2 episodes |
| Bonanza | Billy Slater | Episode: "False Witness" | |
| 1970 | Family Affair | Mike West | 2 episodes |
| To Rome with Love | Hank Martin | 1 episode | |
| Night Gallery | John Michael Fearing | 1 episode | |
| 1971 | Ironside | Matthew Roberts | 1 episode |
| Marcus Welby, M.D. | Vince Kolski | 1 episode | |
| 1973 | Barnaby Jones | Kirk | 1 episode |
| 1975 | Barbary Coast | Whiting | 1 episode |
| 1976 | Electra Woman and Dyna Girl | King Alex X of Tourembourg | 2 episodes |
| The Secret of Isis | Rick Mason's Double | 2 episodes | |
| 1992 | Revenge on the Highway | –
|
Television movie Writer, co-producer |
Novels
edit- Captain Blood (1982)
- Hero and the Terror (1982)
- The White Raven (1986)
References
edit- ^ a b c Nol, Claire (2007-11-27). "Michael Blodgett, 68; actor went on to write books and screenplays". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2008-10-04.
- ^ Austen, Jake (2005). TV-a-Go-Go: Rock on TV from American Bandstand to American Idol. Chicago Review Press. p. 44. ISBN 1-55652-572-9.
- ^ "Lucette Blodgett, Miles Fisher". The New York Times. 29 June 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2014.