Biplane! How've you been?
I believe the fertilizer pitchman was James the 1st, according to a few sites that came up. Here's one:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Whitmore

Cheerio, off to play some jazz now..,

Braling II, I have been fine thanks. What a numb skull I am not to realize that it was James Senior. Stuart Whitmore is an actor frommany years ago, I believe. But I am wrong. I just Googled him and he is a photographer.

You have the first one, Phil. The second is a bit less obvious and more difficult.

I have two more guesses:

1. Bradbury says his favourite story is Dickens' A Christmas Carol.

2. Perhaps Montag or someone else is memorising Oliver Twist at the end of Fahrenheit 451.

And didn't James Whitmore play Craig Bennet Stiles in The Toynbee Convector, in the RB Theater episode?

We could all use a good convector right now, it seems!

You're getting close, but No. See. Gar.

Dandy,
As for "degrees of separation", the cast of your musical is one degree from knowing Mr. Bradbury since you're in it!
What role did you land, by the way? Nancy?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Braling II,

dandelion,

I'm clean out of guesses. Let's have a clue, or put me out of my misery!

I agree! There are too many I would say Second Degree connections, e.g.
The eponym Oliver and Oliver Reed (Sykes), (Bradburian relation: Oliver Hardy); and Oliver Reed was in "The Pit And The Pendulum" (Poe, of course, being one of Bradbury's faves) directed by Stuart Gordon, who also directed "The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit" play.
Getting a little muddy here, eh?
I'll resist here rabbiting on about connections between Harry Seacombe (former "Goon") and Leonard Rossiter...
Or Sam Weller (Bradbury's biographer) being alao the name of a great Dickens character ("Pickwick Papers", q.v.)...

Gee, Braling II, thanks for the compliment! I am only an umble percussionist, much aware of my station, and resolved to remain content in it.

All right, but I'm surprised no one got this one. Mark Lester, who played the title role of Oliver, appeared in the film of "Fahrenheit 451" -- http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0504492/ -- uncredited, but very recognizable and memorable. He was the schoolboy turned so against Clarisse after society shunned her, and he was wonderful! It was not his first film role, but a very early one, and no doubt a huge influence in his casting as Oliver.

I would never have guessed. I'll have to watch the DVD again.

(Actually, given that the film was made in England, it's not really surprising that Lester was in there somewhere. There are very few child actors in the system at any given time, and the ones that get work get all of the work.)

Braling II, what Bradbury connections have you worked out for Harry Secombe? (Leonard Rossiter is not such a problem; I seem to recall that he played in some TV episode taken from a Bradbury story.) But Neddie Seagoon?

Phil,
More of a "second degree" connection between Rossiter and Neddie, I suppose; in that Leonard was in a "Pink Panther" film as was Peter Sellers, another Goon, who, as you probably know, shares the same birthday as Sir Harry.
Also, both Ray Bradbury and Spike Milligan stories appear in an interesting anthology called "Knights of Madness"...

Dandy,
Having seen your photo from your previous musical, now I have a mental image of a nun beating on a kettledrum...
I, of course, am now rehearsing for our annual Christmas concert. Mozart, Lauridsen, Pärt, and a host of others. I'm auditioning for some solo spots in Mozart's "Coronation Mass" this evening, which will be a real effort as I'm just getting over a nasty cold and back trouble...

quote:

Originally posted by Braling II:
More of a "second degree" connection between Rossiter and Neddie, I suppose...

I see. I thought maybe there was a serious gap in my Bradbury filmography. (Harry Secombe IS The Illustrated Man, or somesuch.)

quote:

Originally posted by Braling II:
...I'm just getting over a nasty cold and back trouble...

Darn, I thought robots were immune to such human failings. Still, as long as your heart holds out. Ticktickticktick...