Roger Roger

So, which camp are you in?

When you hear the word "Roger" repeated twice, do you think of Lewis Alcindor, or of JarJar Binks? Or do you think of James Bond and Harcourt Fenton Mudd? (Um, that's Roger Moore and Roger C. Carmel for those of you who didn't immediately associate the actor with the role. And OK, I'll grant you that the only "real" James Bond is Sean Connery...but you have to take some clues from the context, people. C'mon!)

Anyway, the only reason I bring up the great "Roger Roger" controversy is that it originated in a movie that plays prominently in our latest trivia challenge. It's from this scene in "Airplane", and it still makes me laugh.



So, do we have clearance, Clarence? Why yes, I believe we do.

The first frame is actor Frank Bank in his role as Clarence "Lumpy" Rutherford on "Leave it to Beaver". To the best of my knowledge, they never explained why he was Lumpy, and to the best of my knowledge he never wore green jeans. And come to think of it, I never knew exactly why Theodore was called "Beaver", either. I always assumed it was because Jerry Mathers had prominent teeth when the show premiered, but a couple of websites claim that it was supposedly how Wally mispronounced "Theodore" when he was a baby. Why no one called him "Ted" remains a mystery. (And if any Ted looked like a beaver, it would be this guy.)

(Readers who are paying attention will notice that Lumpy's dad, Fred Rutherford, appeared in a video clip posted in this blog back on March 7.)

Our second panel contains Peter Graves in his role as Clarence Oveur, aiplane pilot and enthusiastic proponent of gladiator movies. The youth of today know him more as the documentary narrator from MIB II, but he had a long and successful acting career, including a starring role in Mission Impossible. (Hmm, come to think of it, the guy who played the same role in the movies probably likes gladiator movies, too. Hmm.) His brother James (also an actor) was known primarily for playing the giant carrot monster in "The Thing", but also had the lead in "Gunsmoke", TV's longest running series prior to The Simpsons.

The bespectacled baddie in panel 3 is Kurtwood Smith, playing Clarence Boddicker in "Robocop". Kurtwood (which is a great name itself, by the way) gained larger exposure playing the lovable dad (aka, "the Howard Cunningham role") on "That 70s Show", but I am sure that he is most proud of his role as President of the United Federation of Planets in "Star Trek IV, The Voyage Home" (aka "Kirk Saves the Whales".)

And finally we have Clarence Gilyard, Jr., who played karateman James Trivette on "Walker, Texas Ranger", and helped Chuck Norris whup on any Oklahomans who tried to sneak into the Lone Star State. Before that, he spent several years helping Matlock solve any crimes that Buddy Ebsen didn't have time for. He was also in "Die Hard", and had a recurring role on "CHiPs". But unlike Kurtwood, he never quite made it into the Star Trek universe -- he was a finalist for the role of Geordi LaForge, but lost to LeVar Burton.

As always, thanks for playing. I know that this puzzle was probably too easy, so I'll see if I can come up with a tougher challenge for the next one. In the meantime, I regret to say that I have one small bit of bad news to pass on: Waterton Canyon is closed again. This completely disrupts my run training plans (at least until April 23rd), and I'm bummed. If anyone has any suggestions for similar training locations, please let me know. For now, I'll be taking it slow as I ease back into the sport after my swim meet taper.

Oh well, at least it appears that snowstorms are not a restricting factor. Wind, wildfires, and my own reluctance to lace up the sneakers remain as powerful obstacles I need to overcome, but with your support, I'm sure the spring training season will be a great success. If you see me acting like a slacker, though, please give me a nudge...and have a great day!