In the 1970s on the UK, there was a veritable "invasion" of American cop shows, and we went mad for them - Columbo, Cannon, Police Woman, The Streets of San Francisco, McCloud, Hawaii Five-O, Starsky & Hutch (as well as Charlie's Angels, Banacek, Barnaby Jones, Petrocelli, The Rockford Files and McMillan and Wife, although those weren't strictly speaking "cops")...
...and Kojak!
Yesterday marked the centenary of its eponymous star Mr Telly Savalas, who became another [cf. Barry White, Demis Roussos] unlikely sex symbol on the back of the show's success - and (remarkably) had a massive #1 hit in our charts over here in 1975 [it flopped Stateside], with this bizarre cover, which he was even invited to sing for HM The Queen!
His popularity back home even led him getting his own TV special there in 1976, and so to complete this tribute to the great man - how about the camper-than-camp opening number to that show, based upon his Kojak catchphrase? [Dig those Kraft recipes!]
And to finish? How about "Savalas-does-Zorba"?
Facts:
- Telly Savalas was born in New York State to Greek parents; his mother's family were from Sparta.
- He began his career in television news and sports broadcasting, then TV drama series and supporting roles in numerous films, before getting his first (co-)lead role in The Dirty Dozen.
- His portrayal of "Ernst Stavro Blofeld" was only the second (on-screen) incarnation of the Bond villain, superseding Donald Pleasance and preceding Charles Gray in the role.
- He had a degree in psychology - and was also a world-class poker player who competed in the 1992 World Series of Poker.
- In the late 1970s Savalas narrated three UK travelogues: Telly Savalas Looks at Portsmouth, Telly Savalas Looks at Aberdeen, and Telly Savalas Looks at Birmingham. Embarrasingly, these are still available via YouTube.
- Mr Savalas was Jennifer Aniston's godfather.
- He lived at the Sheraton Hotel in Universal City, California, for 20 years, becoming such a fixture at the hotel bar that it was renamed "Telly's".
Ένας φανταστικός άνθρωπος!
Aristotelis "Telly" Savalas (21st January 1922 – 22nd January 1994)
Never one of my faves but I enjoyed the Greek dancing and am intrigued by 'Telly Savalas Looks at Portsmouth'. I wonder if it's on YouTube.
ReplyDeleteHe became quite the cult figure when I was a kid - I don't think we were allowed to stay up and watch the show, though, as it was too violent. Loved the dancing, too! Jx
DeletePS I have seen his travelogues on YouTube, but not sure if they're the full versions or just clips.
Oh! My mum adored him! We never missed an episode of Kojak, which I think was a cut above the other US cop drama of its time. I was allowed to watch it. And The Sweeney.
ReplyDeleteDid the Bay City Rollers knock Telly off the top spot? I seem to remember both being on my 'taped off the radio' tape at the same time.
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It was indeed Bye Bye Baby that knocked him off the #1 slot - and they kept Fox Only You Can from hitting the top, too, which I never forgave them for! Jx
DeleteI liked the Fox tune too! Yep, also on my tape!!
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Most of those American cop shows are still showing in reruns and have been translated into other languages.
ReplyDeleteCan you even imagine Starsky & Hutch in Polish? Jx
DeleteI wish he had recorded an album of him reading nothing but gay porn scripts. Sigh. That voice. I would have done anything for him. So sexy. Thanks for unearthing all this.
ReplyDeleteHe did have a sexy voice, I'll admit.
Delete"Ya like that don'tcha?! Ugh!"
It would work. Jx
I always Loved Telly and thought him to be a very likely Sex Symbol, he had such Charisma and I thought he was a very Handsome Man. I guess I always thought a good looking Bald Man was not easily pulled off back when it wasn't such a fashion statement/option that was accepted... my all time Crush, even as a Child was Yul Brynner.
ReplyDeleteHe certainly had charisma in spades! He set a precedent for "bald-yet-commanding" characters that was unfortunately lost on the likes of Burt Reynolds, Tony Curtis and William Shatner, but would be rejuvenated decades later with Patrick Stewart's 'Captain Picard'. Jx
DeleteWell, I appear to be in the minority, but I never thought he was anything but drab, and there aren't very many men that I don't find attractive in some way or the other.
ReplyDeleteI was far too young when Mr Savalas was "the big thing" to even have had stirrings about him. A few years later, David Soul arrived - and he was definitely something little-baby-gay-me latched onto! Jx
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