Hammers and Mash



Birthdays today are for just a few

But some are veterans of the news

Including Mike Hammer (Stacy Keach)

Whose show went on hiatus, as he breached ...



England's drug import laws, a few years back

And then had to serve some time, losing track

Never-the-less, after doing his penance

The show came back, with a vengeance



But the momentum it had right when it began

Had been curtailed, so it became an also-ran

Which just goes to show there are no real winners

When you deal with drugs, for they'll have you for dinner



Also sharing today's birthday cake ...

Are one or two others, for whom shakes

Were, and are - the things that make them tick (tock)

Including The Rolling Stone's drummer - Charlie Watts



And Sally Kellerman - Hot Lips in the original M*A*S*H

Who showed her all, when Hawkeye made a mad dash

Stripping the tarpaulin covering the ladies' shower

Revealing a tall lanky natural blonde in all her power

 

Who now does voice-overs for New York investment firms

Clearly shaking a stick at the unjust way she was confirmed 

But, having made thirty-some-odd films in the interim ...   

Since that zany film made her show all of her skin ...



And another hammer also shares the limelight

Composer Marvin Hamlisch - who's quite bright

And has been known to compose music off-the-cuff

Just based on a televison studio audience's "stuff"



Then - on the "mash"ed side - there's Dana Carvey

Whose impromptu comedy style has been hearty

Giving us characters which have remained in our minds

Parodies of so many clear stereotypes of humankind



And actors Charles Haid and also - Jerry Mathers

... Who began television life as "the Beave" in practice

And Joanna Gleason and also Gary Grimes

Who loved Jennifer O'Neill in other times



The two of them together making Summer of '42

One of nineteen seventy-one's most memorable do's

And another veteran actor who also composes

Max Showalter (who'll top this list, one supposes)



And William Guest - one of the Pips with Gladys Kight

Merril Bainbridge - who makes everything sound right

And Nikki Cox - a young soap-opera actress

Rounding out a few of the birthday-blessed ...



- Tristram



© Christopher W. Thomas

2:55pm Wed. June 2nd, 1999



Birthdays:



The Hammers:

Stacy Keach (Mike Hammer) - 58

Charlie Watts (Stones drummer) - 58

Marvin Hamlisch (on piano hammers) - 55



The Mash:

Sally Kellerman's 62nd



Also:

Max Showalter's 82nd

William Guest's 58th

Charles Haid's 56th

Jerry Mathers' 51st

Joanna Gleason's 49th

Dana Carvey's 44th

Gary Grimes' 44th

Merril Bainbridge's 31st

Nikki Cox's 21st