World War Two veteran John Payne appeared in everything from Film Noir to westerns to Miracle on 34th Street. In between he showed up in these swashbuckler movies.
RAIDERS OF THE SEVEN SEAS (1953) – John Payne plays the real-life 1500s pirate Barbarossa (Redbeard) in this fictional version of his exploits. While working as a corsair for the Sultans of the Middle East, the daring and accomplished seadog spends a little too much time with a Sultan’s harem and is sentenced to death.
Barbarossa escapes to sea just ahead of the executioner’s axe, takes over a Spanish slave ship and liberates the slaves. Reaching the Caribbean Islands Barbarossa accepts a French Letter of Marque so he can prey on more Spanish ships as a privateer.
Eventually, during a raid of Tortuga, our hero seizes the incumbent Spanish governor Alida – played by Donna Reed in uncharacteristic spitfire mode – and holds her for ransom. Barbarossa and his crew take on Spanish galleons and Alida’s treacherous betrothed Captain Salcedo (1950s smug jackass Gerald Mohr).
Alida escapes on her own but soon realizes Salcedo’s true nature and helps Barbarossa bring him down to begin a romance of their own. Also starring were Lon Chaney Jr, Anthony Caruso, Claire DuBrey and Frank De Kova of F-Troop. 88 minutes. Continue reading
THE WATCHER (1995) – It seems redundant to refer to a UPN series as forgotten. Or short-lived. Nearly every show that UPN launched in January of 1995 was on and off the air pretty quickly. At 13 episodes, The Watcher was to the new UPN Network what long-lived shows like Gunsmoke were to the established networks. 
The Watcher was an anthology series starring rapper Sir Mix-A-Lot as the title character. The Watcher was a mysterious, quasi-supernatural figure in Las Vegas who had hidden cameras throughout the city, thus allowing him to observe and narrate the grim fates of each episode’s main characters. He hosted from his plush room at the Riviera.
ASTOLPHO IN THE VALLEY OF LOST THINGS – When we left Emperor Charlemagne’s Paladin Astolpho, he had flown his hippogriff to the peak of the Mountain of the Furies where he was greeted by the one and only St. John the Apostle. 
ROBERT REDFORD, R.I.P. TEN NEGLECTED FILMS OF REDFORD – With this superstar’s passing I reviewed several of his often overlooked movies, including War Hunt, The Chase, Downhill Racer and more. Click
FORGOTTEN TELEVISION – City of Angels (1976) Wayne Rogers as 1930s private detective Jake Axminster solves assorted mysteries for his clients, who ultimately go as high as the president himself. Click 
DEADBEAT AT DAWN (1988) – The ultra-violent cult film from independent maverick Jim Van Bebber. Crime, gangs and extreme gore in the envelope-pushing film that launched Van Bebber’s career. Click 
QUISP VS QUAKE (1965-1973) – The two cartoon mascots for breakfast cereals competed in clever commercials for years 
Balladeer’s Blog continues its examination of the many facets of Fool Killer lore.
PART SEVEN: The seventh surviving Fool Killer Letter. (See Part One for an explanation.) 
GANGSTER GOVERNMENT – Written by Columbia School of Journalism graduate David Freddoso. 
THE WORST PRESIDENT IN HISTORY: THE LEGACY OF BARACK OBAMA – Written by Matt Margolis and Mark Noonan, this thoroughly documented and highly detailed work of investigative journalism has been called “the definitive takedown of the Obama Presidency.” 
COMMANDER-IN-FAILURE: AN AFRICAN AMERICAN REFLECTS ON AMERICA’S FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT AND HOW HE FAILED US ALL – Martin Luther King Person of Courage Kiara Ashanti penned this masterful deconstruction of the weak, inept and crooked little man named Barack Obama. 
NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics)
Independent College Football Teams
ALL STAR COMICS Vol 1 #8 (Dec 1941) 
The island is inhabited by THE Amazons from Greco-Roman myths and they are still ruled over by Queen Hippolyta. The Queen’s daughter Princess Diana nurses Trevor back to health and falls in love with him but while he was recovering, Hippolyta used magic to probe Steve’s mind. 
Balladeer's Blog 