Route 66: Lizard’s Leg and Owlet’s Wing

If only it had Basil Rathbone too. Still, anything that boasts the last on-camera appearances of Boris Karloff in his Frankenstein Monster makeup and Lon Chaney Jr. in his Wolf-Man makeup should definitely be of interest for horror fans. Plus, they also had Peter Lorre along for the ride. However, he gets offended that people find him scary without makeup in one of the extended gags running throughout the “Lizard’s Leg and Owlet’s Wing” episode of Route 66, which airs today as part of Decade TV’s weekend binge.

For the time being, our two suspicious drifters, Tod Stiles and Buz Murdock have accepted convention coordinator positions at a Chicago airport hotel. However, there is tension between them, because Murdock refuses to share his access to the convention of administrative assistants he was assigned to. Since this is 1962, there are all pretty single women.

Instead, Stiles finds himself facilitating a business meeting for three strange looking gentlemen in the film industry. They look like Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre, and Lon Chaney, Jr., because they are, but they are traveling incognito. The three horror legends hope to form a new production company, but Karloff think they must adapt to the times, whereas Lorre and Chaney believe the old monsters will still work.

Since Stiles is starting to appreciate Lorre’s weird charm, he agrees to help him and Chaney scare the wits out of the “secretaries” to prove their point to Karloff and get back at Murdock. Chaos ensues, but there is one heartbroken woman they just can’t scare. Fortunately, Karloff is there to give her grandfatherly solace.

Admittedly, the secretarial convention storyline is painfully dated, but that’s on Route 66, not Karloff, Lorre, or Chaney. On the other hand, the episode will delight horror fans, because of the way it capitalizes on the iconic actors’ personas. Karloff is kindly and genteel, evoking the spirit of his legendary cartoon voiceovers. Lorre is sophisticated, continental, and eccentric, whereas Chaney is a likable lug, who is devoted to his grandson Ron (who also appeared as himself).

Route 66: Goodnight Sweet Blues

Hip listeners never forgot Ethel Waters as a jazz, blues, Broadway, and gospel vocalist. Yet, she also made history on television, several times over. Way back in 1939, she became the first African American to host their own self-titled show, a fifteen-minute one-off variety program, when NBC was still trying to figure out what they could do with the medium. She was also the first African American star of a network sitcom, the super-awkward in retrospect Beulah. However, she was again the first African American to be nominated for a dramatic Emmy, for a guest turn on Route 66—and that episode holds up quite well. In fact, it holds further significance for jazz fans due to the appearances of legendary musicians Coleman Hawkins, Roy Eldridge, and Jo Jones. Fittingly, the “Goodnight Sweet Blues” episode airs tomorrow night during Decade’s weekend binge of Route 66.

The ailing Jennie Henderson nearly swerves into rambling Tod Stiles and Buz Murdock (whose names look unfinished). Although initially angry, the compassionate young men look after her, seeing her to her comfortable Pittsburgh home. She knows she is dying, so she recruits her new friends to reunite her old band from the 1930s, the Memphis Naturals.

It turns out Henderson is one of the few performers of the era who managed to secure a stable financial situation for herself, because she is able to dispatch Stiles and Murdock across the country. Most of the band members immediately agree to return with them, including taciturn tenor-player Snooze Mobley, played by the great Hawkins (he was the recognized link between swing and bop, always sounding contemporary until the day he died). Drummer A.C. Green played by trumpeter Roy Eldridge (considered a mentor by Dizzy Gillespie) also quickly agrees, as does trumpeter Lover Brown, played by drummer Jo Jones. However, it will take a little fast-talking to get the latter furloughed from the State Penn.

Alas, Henderson’s banjo player Hank Plummer is long since dead, but he was a terrible person anyway, according his son, who agrees to sub for him. Hank Jr. (portrayed by Bill Nunn of Ganja & Hess fame) considers Henderson his surrogate mother, so their reunion is especially emotional. The tricky part will be getting trombonist King Loomis, who still feels deep shame over his scuffling and past alcoholism.

There really is a lot of real deal jazz in “Goodnight,” including Hawkins blowing a solo, Marni Nixon ghosting the young recorded Henderson on a Dixieland rendition of “I’m Coming Virginia,” and Waters and Jo Jones doing a poignant duet on Will Lorin & Leonard Freeman’s original “Goodnight Sweet Blues.” Plus, there is Nelson Riddle’s popular series theme to close it out.