Clint Eastwood Retires At 96

Above, my The Enforcer lobby card and autograph of Clint Eastwood. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It was bound to happen. 

Kyle Eastwood has announced that his father, Clint Eastwood, is now retired from acting and directing. This is actually better for him to kick back and just relax and enjoy life instead of being carried off on a stretcher from a movie set.

Yahoo! Entertainment reported:

One of Hollywood's greatest careers is officially over. 

Clint Eastwood, who just turned 96 on Sunday, May 31, has retired after more than seven decades in film. 

According to a newly surfaced interview with France Info, his son Kyle Eastwood, confirmed that his father has stepped away from filmmaking.

“I have many fond memories of working with him. Now he’s retired, he’s 95 years old. But I was very lucky to be able to work with him on quite a few films,” Kyle said in November 2025. “It was a great experience for me.”

To read more, go here. 

Original Curt Swan Art Page

Somewhere around 20 years ago, I purchased a page of original art of Action Comics no. 405. It is the October 1971 issue.

The page was pencilled by Curt Swan and inked by Murphy Anderson (with backgrounds inked by Jack Abel). At the time I bought mine, original comic book art was not too expensive. Mine was $100. I have forgotten who the dealer was that I bought it from.

The page was signed by Swan. 

Today, Swan's original artwork, highly sought after, sells in the thousands of dollars. Key issue art commands more as do covers and splash pages. No, I don't plan on selling my page.

Here is the cover of the issue (by Neal Adams and Dick Giordano):

Here's the page I bought as it appeared in the comic book:

Here's the original artwork as it appears in my home:

Happy 95th Birthday Clint Eastwood

Above, autograph I got from Clint Eastwood in 1980.

 

Happy birthday to Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood! pic.twitter.com/0zvSqdPYIs

— Fox News (@FoxNews) May 31, 2025

 

Biden Autopen Pardons Signed Late At Night

 

A White House staffer from Biden’s administration revealed that most pardons were signed late at night when Biden was asleep, and he was unaware of who was being pardoned.

Should all these pardons be void? pic.twitter.com/ASnj3bb6Pl

— Tulsi Gabbard Intelligence Report (@TulsiGabbardDNI) May 19, 2025

Concerns Raised Over Biden's 'Autopen' Presidency

Many documents requiring the signature of His Fraudulency Joe Biden just may not be legal. Many were found to have been signed by an autopen.

These include "signed" executive orders, legislation and pardons. An investigation by the Justice Department is being called for.

According to Newsmax:

The use of an autopen signature on many official White House documents and executive orders purportedly signed by former President Joe Biden has stoked concerns about his awareness of signing certain things and whether he actually signed them at all, according to an investigation by the Oversight Project, an arm of the Heritage Foundation.

According to the group, "every document we could find" that bore Biden's signature all "used the same autopen signature" except for his announcement about leaving the 2024 presidential race last July.

"Whoever controlled the autopen controlled the presidency," the Oversight Project said in a post to X on Thursday.

The concerns are such that Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey is demanding a Department of Justice investigation as to whether "Biden's cognitive decline allowed unelected staff to push through radical policy without his knowing approval."

In a letter to DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz dated March 4, Bailey wrote that "it appears staffers and officers in the Biden administration may have exploited Biden's incapacity so they could issue orders without an accountable President of sound mind approving them."

To read more, go here. 

Eat At Luigi's

Clint Eastwood/Dirty Harry fans should know that line from 1976's The Enforcer, the third Dirty Harry movie.

That line, "Eat at Luigi's!" was said during the post-mortem examination of a guard killed by the radical villains. I have a framed lobby card of that scene with an autographed Reagan-Bush election day ticket by Eastwood from 1980. 

Here it is:

Well, as things happen, we went to dinner at Sadie's Mexican food in Albuquerque last evening. After we were done eating going back to the car, I spotted Luigi's across the street. With the line in mind, I had Larry Lucier take a photo of the restaurant with my phone as I was driving. 

Here's the photo:

George Lazenby Retiring From Public Life

Above, a photo autographed by George Lazenby.

One-time James Bond (On Her Majesty's Secret Service) actor George Lazenby is retiring from public life and will just concentrate on his family.

The 84 year old actor posted on X:

(1/3) This hasn’t been an easy decision but it’s time to announce my retirement from work. Therefore, I won’t be doing any more acting or making public appearances, doing any more interviews or signing any more autographs as of today. It’s been a fun ride but getting older is...

(2/3) no fun. I would like to thank my manager and friend, Anders Frejdh, for helping me since 2013 - the best representative I ever had. I can now concentrate on spending more time with my family. My sincere gratitude to everyone out there for your love and support over the...

(3/3) years. It has meant a lot to me. George xx

Lazenby took over the role of James Bond in 1969 from Sean Connery, but he didn't get along with the producers and got bad advice from his management and left the role after the one movie. 

He fell last December that caused a brain injury. Following treatment, he returned home to Los Angeles. 

On Her Majesty's Secret Service is considered by Bond fans to be one of the best movies in the series. It is one of my favorites.

"On Her Majesty's Secret Service" Score Suite

Above, George Lazenby's autographed photo. 

Longtime James Bond fans would instantly notice that some pieces of John Barry's On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) music were used in No Time To Die (2021). 

The soundtrack of On Her Majesty's Secret Service was one of the best (if not THE best) of Barry's James Bond scores. 

The movie itself is considered by many as one of the best Bond movies. Even though the script was written with Sean Connery in mind, the actor decided to depart from the series and was replaced by George Lazenby. 

Lazenby had very little acting experience at the time of his casting. But with that being considered, he did quite well (in my humble opinion). Had he gone on to do more Bonds, he most likely would have grown well into the role. 

But, as this blog post began, it was John Barry's scores that greatly enhanced the movie. 

Here's a YouTube suite of the score:

Happy Birthday, Caroline Munro!

Above, the autographed photo I got at the 2012 Monsterpalooza. From The Spy Who Loved Me.

A major fan favorite and a pretty nice lady, model/actress Caroline Munro turned 74 today. 

She was born on January 16, 1949 in Windsor, United Kingdom.

According to Wikipedia:

Caroline Munro is an English actress, model and singer known for her many appearances in horror, science fiction and action films of the 1970s and 1980s. In 2019, she was inducted into the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards' Monster Kid Hall of Fame.

She played Karl Stromberg's assistant Naomi in the James Bond movie, The Spy Who Loved Me (1977). 

Above, Caroline Munro and yours truly at Monsterpalooza in 2012.

I got to meet her at a Monsterpalooza show in Burbank and got her autograph. She was very personable. 

Happy Birthday, Caroline!

Traci Lords Autograph

Above, Traci Lords autograph.

Back around 1984, Traci Lords caused a bit of a stir when she appeared in Penthouse magazine (the infamous issue that ended the Miss America reign of Vanessa Williams) in a pictorial. The reason for the stir was that she was underage at the time (age 16). Oops!

According to Wikipedia:

Traci Lords (born Nora Louise Kuzma; May 7, 1968) is an American actress and singer. She entered into the adult film industry by using a fake birth certificate to conceal that she was two years under the legal age of eighteen. Lords starred in adult films and was one of the most sought-after actresses in that industry during her career. When the FBI acted on an anonymous tip that Lords was a minor during her time in the industry, and that pornographers were distributing and selling these illegal images and videotapes, the resulting fallout led to prosecution of those responsible for creating and distributing the tapes. In addition, all but the last of her adult films were banned as child pornography.

After leaving the pornography industry two days after turning the legal age of eighteen, Lords enrolled at the Lee Strasberg Theater Institute, where she studied method acting with the intention of becoming a mainstream actress.

She did succeed in becoming a mainstream actress and she appeared in a number of movies and television shows. She's now also a singer with the Radioactive record label.

Above, Traci Lords at the TV Land convention. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I was attending the TV Land convention in Burbank in 2005 with Noel Neill and Lords's table was nearby. We chatted for a bit (we found that we both were residents of the South Bay area of Los Angeles County for a time) and I got her autograph, which I found yesterday while looking for something else.

I found her friendly and easy to chat with.

Fay McKenzie Autograph

Yesterday, while digging through my bedroom closet looking for something, I came across some large mailing envelopes of portrait photos of my parents and daughter along with some celebrity autographed photos.

One of them was a mailing envelope from actress Fay McKenzie. I didn't immediately remember how or why she sent it to me. The date of the mailing envelope was from 2010. Then it came to me. Her son Tom Waldman was one of my co-workers in Malibu and he arranged for her to send the autograph. Tom is an actor as well.

She starred in 1940s westerns with the likes of Gene Autry. She was in The Party (1968) with Peter Sellers, one of the funniest movies ever made.

According to Wikipedia:

Eunice Fay McKenzie was an American actress and singer. She starred in silent films as a child, and then sound films as an adult, but perhaps she is best known for her leading roles opposite Gene Autry in the early 1940s in five horse opera features.   She was also known for her collaborations with director Blake Edwards on five occasions. 

She also appeared on Broadway, radio, and television, having appeared on screen at ten weeks old in 1918. She was still appearing on screen at the time of her death, with her latest project opposite her son Tom Waldman Jr. in the comedy Kill a Better Mousetrap, based on a play by Scott K. Ratner, filmed in the summer of 2018 and not yet released at the time of her death. She was briefly billed as Fay Shannon.

She passed away on April 16, 2019. She was 101.

Jerry Maren Autograph

Yesterday, while digging around my bedroom closet looking for something else, I found some large envelopes and folders containing portrait photos of my parents and daughter.

Also, I found several autographed photos from different celebrities. Included was one of actor Jerry Maren, who was one of the Munchkins from the Wizard of Oz (1939) and a Mole Man from Superman and The Mole Men (1951).

Looking at the date of the autographed item, it was from 2005. Maren passed away on May 24, 2018 at age 98. He is buried at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills.

Red On the Wall

I just finished hanging the framed photo and autograph of legendary comedian Red Skelton on my den's wall.

 

Red Skelton's Autograph

Above, the Red Skelton photo and autograph. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Today was Larry Lucier's physical therapy day in Gallup. 

After driving him into town and dropping him off at his therapist, I went and got myself a haircut and once that was done, I headed over to the picture framer to pick up my Red Skelton autographed card and photo. 

I got Skelton's autograph in 1972 in the lobby of the Century Plaza Hotel where he just arrived to attend a campaign dinner for President Nixon. So, it was about time I had it framed. Hard to believe this took place 50 years ago.

I haven't yet decided where in the den I am going to hang it. I'll do so tomorrow.

I like how it came out with the white frame and the black matte. The photo is of Skelton as "Freddy the Freeloader".

Red Skelton Autograph Project

Above, the card Red Skelton signed in 1972. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Last evening, I was perusing the Red Skelton Museum of American Comedy website.

While there, I remembered I have an autographed card that Red Skelton signed for me at the Century Plaza Hotel in 1972. 

I ran into him in the hotel lobby and asked him to sign the card, which he graciously did. We had a short conversation about his show's cancelation by CBS. He expressed his displeasure over that action by the network, despite his show still having good ratings. 

The Museum's website has a store link and I started checking it for photographs to accompany the autographed card. I didn't find any.

I then checked around via Google and found many. I settled on one that is an 8 x 10" black & white photo of Red as Freddie the Freeloader, my favorite Red Skelton character. I ordered it and it should arrive sometime next week. Once it does, I will take it to Frame 'n Art in Gallup to have it framed and matted with the autographed card. 

When finished, I will hang it in the den, probably near one from Clint Eastwood. 

Something Strange

Above, the Akira Takarada-signed poster after the glass was replaced. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The news of the passing of actor Akira Takarada came today, apparently it was prematurely leaked as the family was not ready to have it announced.

According to the public statement issued by the Takarada family, he passed away in Japan on Monday, March 14 at 12:31 a.m. due to pneumonia. 

This was unknown to me on Monday when something happened: A framed Godzilla poster that was signed by Akira Takarada fell from my den's wall. The nail holding it gave way and it fell, cracking the protective glass. Takarada signed it for me at the 2013 Son of Monsterpalooza in Burbank. 

Above, Akira Takarada and yours truly at the 2013 Son of Monsterpalooza with the signed poster.

It took it in to the frame shop in Gallup on Tuesday to have the glass replaced. I picked it up yesterday (Wednesday) when I was in town to take a friend to his physical therapy session. 

It is odd that I never had any problems with it until it fell on the day he passed away. Strange things do sometimes happen.

Daniel Craig Well Hung

A little while ago, I returned home from Gallup where I picked up the autographed Daniel Craig photo I had framed and matted at Frame 'N Art.

After getting home, I hung it in my den/guest room with some rearranging of some items already on the wall.

I chose the green matte as there are two green light shades in the photo in the background. I think it complements the photo.

Above, the photo after framing. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

 

Above, the den/guestroom wall after hanging the Daniel Craig photo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Chapman College and the Super Museum

Above, the Kirk Alyn autograph I obtained at Chapman College in the 1980s. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Before Jim Hambrick opened the Super Museum in Metropolis, Illinois, in 1993, he had a "traveling Superman exhibit" where he would display some items in his vast Superman collection at different venues. According to Roadside America, Hambrick started collecting Superman memorabilia in 1959. 

By chance, I saw a blurb in a newspaper (this was around 1984, give or take, and before the Internet) that said a collection of Superman memorabilia would be shown at Chapman College (now Chapman University) in Orange County, California.

Above, the Super Museum in Metropolis, Illinois in 2016. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Since I had nothing going on at the time, I headed down to Chapman College to check it out. As reported, Hambrick had some interesting Superman memorabilia, including a moth-eaten (in some spots) wool Superman color costume worn by George Reeves.

At the exhibit, the first screen Superman, Kirk Alyn was there to meet fans and sign autographs. Alyn had a cameo appearance (with the first screen Lois Lane, Noel Neill) in the first Christopher Reeve Superman movie. I obtained a photo of him as Superman and had him autograph it for me. 

Above, a George Reeves color Superman costume on
display at the Super Museum Photo by Armand Vaquer.

In 2016, I went to Metropolis, Illinois, touted as the "Hometown of Superman" to attend the memorial service for Noel Neill. I stayed at Fort Massac State Park campground, which is on the outskirts of town on the Ohio River. 

While in Metropolis, I toured the Super Museum Hambrick opened at Superman Square, which features a giant statue of the Man of Steel. It is an impressive museum and one that is worth a trek to. It has just about every Superman relic and collectible one could image along with Supergirl and others. 

Above, yours truly with the Superman statue in Superman Square in Metropolis, Illinois.

If anyone is even remotely interested in Superman or of television, movie or comic book history, the Super Museum is a great place to visit. It also has a gift shop.

The official website for the Super Museum is accessible by going here.

Bondage For The Den

Some weeks ago, I obtained an autographed photo of Eon Productions' James Bond no. 2, George Lazenby. It is now on my wall in the den/guest room.

On the way home from Albuquerque, I stopped at the Flying J to pick up my mail. Among the items, was an autographed photo of James Bond no. 6, Daniel Craig. 

Once the snows cease here in Jamestown, Craig will be joining Lazenby on my den's wall when I get it framed by Frame 'N Art in Gallup.

It's interesting that I have these two since Craig's No Time To Die pays a big nod to Lazenby's On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) musically.

Autograph Hangings

At long last, I've finally had a lobby card from The Enforcer (1976) with an autographed ticket signed by Clint Eastwood framed and matted.

Above, the Clint Eastwood lobby card and autographed ticket. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I've had the ticket to the 1980 Election Night Victory Party of Reagan-Bush since that night. As a chairman of my congressional district Reagan-Bush campaign, I was admitted to a private party at the Century Plaza Hotel. There, actor Clint Eastwood, with then-girlfriend Sondra Locke in tow, mingled with the guests and I had him sign my ticket.

I bought the lobby card in the late-1990s at a comic book shop in Woodland Hills.

Now, they are both matted and framed together and hanging in my den.

Above, the George Lazenby and Roy Rogers/Dale
Evans autographed photos. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

While I was having the Eastwood items framed and matted, I also had framed the Roy Rogers-Dale Evans autographed (by both) photo I recently bought in an auction and the George Lazenby autographed photo I got though his website. Both are also now hanging in my den.

When I find a suitable photo of Red Skelton, I will have it and an autographed card by him framed and matted like the Eastwood one.