PCA Announcements: Help PCA Find Missing Pop Culture Icons!

Hey there friends and readers!

Pop culture addict at work. Sam Tweedle interviews controversial cult movie director Ruggero Deodato (Cannibal Holocoust) in 2007 as part of his continual collection of the oral history of pop culture

There is no secret that a big part of PCA’s ongoing success is our collection of interviews that we have done with some of pop culture’s most famous stars, and some of the not so famous people who stand on the fringes of the pop culture community.  Over the last five years I have had the great pleasure of talking to some of my favorite icons.  I have watched George  “James Bond” Lazenby hit on women, seen Davy Jones in his underwear, sang Bobby Sherman songs with Robbie “Cousin Oliver” Rist, drank beer with David “Bud Bundy” Faustino, fought with Peter “Herman” Noone, was found when lost by Tony DeFranco and looked into Light’s big brown eyes and fell in love.  From Monkees to Bradys, Osmonds to Bond Girls, Fonzie to Boba Fett, PCA has been proud to present the personal stories of beloved actors, music legends, directors, child stars, artists, comic book icons, sock monkeys, pop stars, teen idols, grindhouse legend, one hit wonders, horror icons and many more just as they were told to us.  We’ve spoken to legends and oddities, has-been and never-beens in a conversational atmosphere and have offered smart and thoughtful material so that we can offer something fresh for both the individuals we interview, and our public that reads our site.  Personally, the PCA interviews are my life work, and possibly the greatest stories I have had the honor to help tell.

"Friday Night Lights" supporting actress Angela Rayna is coming to PCA August 2010

As many long time readers know, when we changed PCA’s format earlier this year a great deal of our archive was taken off-line and has slowly been being reformatted and represented.  It is proving to be a long process that will not be finished until early 2011.  However, I am proud to announce that our entire interview archive is now completely restored and back on-line.  All forty two of PCA’s interviews are now available for you to read.  Check them out at http://popcultureaddict.com/close.  Of course, as always, our stable of conversations continues to grow.  In August we will be presenting our interview with The Turtles’ Mark “Flo” Volman and Friday Night Lights’ supporting actress Angela Rawna.  We are also working out details for four major interviews for the fall.  I won’t announce who they are until the interviews are in the can, but I can tell you that three of the stars are Emmy Award television actors.  Start your guessing now!

Since 2005 PCA has been finding the lost members of the pop culture community, including "Billy Jack" co-star Darid Roya, Herman's Hermits drummer Barry Whitwam and most of the members of Filmation's Hardy Boys, pictured here

But, through my research, there are a number of personal favorites who have disappeared into the mist of the pop culture journey.  This happens to thousands of individuals who have their five minutes of fame, but for some reason never seem to find their foothold in the imaginations of the mass public.  Over the years I have proudly found a handful of these people and have allowed them to take the spotlight once again and tell their tales.  In 2009 I tracked down Billy Jack villain David Roya who played the evil Bernard Posner.  After decades of living in obscurity, has been working as a teacher, marital arts instructor and yoga master in New York City and gave PCA a very intense interview full of regrets and self reflection.  In 2008 I gave Herman’s Hermits drummer Barry Whitwam his first North American interview, opening a major can of worms that created a backlash amongst divided factions of the legendary British Invasion pop group.  I have also tracked down the majority of the members of the ultra obscure, but beloved, Hardy Boys pop band from the Filmation animated series and gave them the opportunity to tell their stories for the first time, including their drummer Bob Crowder who was believed to be dead by the rest of his band mates!  I even found a few people who really didn’t want to be found, and in respect to their privacy didn’t, and still wont, report who they were and where they are.

There are still a number of obscure, and not so obscure, pop culture icons that I am looking for and, for one reason or another, have not been able to trace by my regular means nor detective work.  Some of them are out there but seem to be barely beyond my reach.  Others have disappeared from the face of the Earth and their whereabouts are unknown, if they are even alive at all.  However the internet is a funny thing that brings people together.  That is why I am putting out a plea to you, the reader, for any information on some of the missing members of the pop culture community that PCA would like to find and give the opportunity to tell their story.  Any information, new or old, would be highly appreciated and we will keep the confidential in order that these individuals can maintain their privacy.

These are some of the more obscure members of the pop culture community that we would like to locate and speak with:

The Hardy Boys' Deven English in her "Playboy Magazine" appearance

Deven English – One of my personal projects over the past five years has been finding the members of The Hardy Boys pop group.  I have successfully located and interviewed four out of five members of the group, but the only one that remains the most elusive is token girl Deven English who portrayed Wanda Kay.  I have a lot of information on her, but unfortunately she has disappeared off of the face of the Earth and even her former band mates don’t know what has become of her.  Originally from Boulder, Colorado, her real name was Mary Anne Rowland, or some variation on that, but changed her name and relocated to Chicago in search of a show business career.  Finding work at Chicago’s Playboy Club as a bunny, Deven became a popular singer and pianist at the club and was known to keep company with Vic Damone.  She even appeared in a Playboy Magazine special on the bunnies but did not take her clothes off for the photo shoot .  During her time with The Hardy Boys she entered a relationship with lead singer Jeff Taylor, and after the group split the pair moved to Colorado for a while, but after their relationship ended she relocated to Los Angeles.  The last known sighting of Deven was in 1972 when Hardy Boy band mate Reed Kailing ran into her on Sunset Boulevard.  At that time Deven was working at a Scientology storefront.   It is believed that Deven eventually married. Many people who met or knew Deven have contacted us, but all of their stories remain to be from before 1972.  It is most likely that Deven now goes by a married name, or has possibly gone back to the name Mary Anne Rowland.  If anybody has any information or clues on the whereabouts of Deven English, please let us know.  If you know Deven, please let her know there is a world of fans that want to know how she is.  Please contact us.

Reclusive actress Donna Wilkes, best remembered for her role in the cult film "Angel" (1984)

Donna Wilkes – At one time the elusive Donna Wilkes was one of the most popular keyword searches at PCA and, once again, we have gotten many e-mails inquiring about her current whereabouts.  What we do know is that Donna Wilkes is out there somewhere, but she doesn’t necessarily want to be found.  Former child star Donna Wilkes will probably always be remembered for starring as the title character in the 1984 cult film Angel where she played a “honor student by day, Hollywood hooker by night.”  First appearing in episodic television in the mid 1970’s, Donna made her first breakthrough when she was cast as oldest daughter Diane Adler in the comedy travesty Hello Larry.  However, due to problems with drugs and alcohol, the already troubled teen star was fired from the series after one season and replaced by another actress in a Darren Stevens type switcharoo.  Donna appeared in a number of films throughout the 1980s including Schizoid with Klaus Kinski, Jaws 2 and Grotesque with Linda Blair.  However, by 1989 Donna Wilkes career was over.  Missing for years, a cult following began to surround the troubled actress when Angel was rediscovered in the 1990s and became a cult hit.  In 2006 Donna Wilkes resurfaced when she contacted the webmasters of Donna Wilkes On-line.  Flattered over the site, she revealed that she has successfully kicked her drug and alcohol problems and is clean, living a quite life somewhere in the US where she works at an office and is raising a daughter.  She also stated that she wants to eventually return to acting when the time is right.  However, for the time being she wants to remain low profile.  Our message to Donna is that we respect your privacy and your desire to keep your whereabouts unknown, but there is a huge following of fans that want to hear from you.  We promise to keep your whereabouts confidential, but we would love to tell your story.  If anybody who knows how to reach Donna, please contact us.  We are good at keeping secrets, and we have a lot of them.

"Beyond the Valley of the Dolls" co-star David Gurian

David Gurian – Possibly one of my all time favorite films, Russ Meyer’s Beyond the Valley of the Dolls promised one of the most exciting casts of Hollywood newcomers ever assembled.  For the most part, none of the actors went on to have major careers, but the majority of them managed to stay in the fringes of the pop culture community as cult super stars.  The only exception was doe eyed boy David Gurian who played Harris Albright, the heartbroken and jilted manager of The Carrie Nations.  Despite his boyish good looks and charisma, this potential future heat throb became the most obscure of the Beyond the Valley of the Dolls cast.  After Beyond the Valley of the Dolls David Gurian disappeared and has not a single acting credit beyond this classic film.  When 20^th Century Fox reunited the cast for the special edition DVD in, Gurian was the only cast member that was not present.  It is possible that 20^th Century Fox doesn’t even know where Gurian is today, if he is even alive.  If anybody has any information at all on David Gurian please contact us.

John LaZar as Ronnie "Z-Man" Bazell in "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls." John LaZar is promoting his new film "Alice Jabobs is Dead." PCA would love to help promote it.

John LaZar –  Another of the Beyond the Valley of the Dolls alumnists, John LaZar played one of my all time favorite movie characters, the ultra bizarre Ronnie “Z-Man” Barzell.  Inspired by Phil Spector, LaZar camped it up with a unique sense of style and language and said such classic lines as “This is my happening and it freaks me out” and “You will drink the black sperm of my vengeance.”  However, the role of Z-Man proved to be damaging to LaZar’s career and he was only able to get minor roles in later years.  Currently living in the Los Angeles area, LaZar has become a notable Shakespearean actor and in his appearance in the Beyond the Valley of the Dolls DVD he proved to be a well spoken and intelligent individual with a ton of information and stories that seemed to have gotten lost.  Currently promoting his award winning independent film Alice Jacobs is Dead, John LaZar is alive and well and seems to stay just beyond our reach but remains to be the lost celebrity we have the most hope of interviewing.  If John, or any of his people are out there, we would love to talk to you about the new film and his career and cult status. John LaZar is a personal favorite of mine and it’d be a thrill to speak to him.  If anybody knows how to contact John please let us know.

Judy Strangis (with Diedre Hall) as Dyna Girl

Judy Strangis – Another celebrity that is out there and making occasional appearances at autograph shows, but remains to be just beyond our reach is pretty 70’s girl next door Judy Strangis.  Daughter of television producer Sam Strangis, Judy started her career by appearing in various classic television shows such as The Tiwlight Zone, The Untouchables, Batman, Bewitched, The Mod Squad and Love American Style, and found her breakout role portraying Helen Loomis on Aaron Spelling’s classic Room 222.  However, she gained mass cult appeal by playing sidekick Dyna Girl oppostie Diedre Hall on the Krofft Brother’s ultra cheesy classic Saturday morning live action program Electra Woman and Dyna Girl.  Unfortunatly, due to a stalking scare, Judy gave up acting in front of camera and spent most of the 80’s doing voice over work.  Her career has been dormant  since 1991 but she does make occasional personal appearances and is out there somewhere.  IF you have any information on contacting Judy Stragis please contact us.

Bruno Polius in the early 70's during his days with Les Poppys

Bruno Polius – With an intense stage presence like a young Mick Jagger, Bruno Polius never found fame in North America, but at one time, as head singer of the French boys choir Les Poppys, Polius and the kids were out selling The Beatles in a number of European countries.  Originally a boy choir formed in 1946 from Asneieres. France, Les Poppys gained promince in the early 70’s under the radical new direction of Francois Bernheim when he hand picked seventeen young boys from the village and gave them pop songs protesting the Viet Nam war and praising the virtues of peace.  The change of material paid off and Les Poppys had the Christmas hit of that year with Noel 70.  The following year the group followed with Isabelle, Je T’aime and their biggest hit Non, Non, Rien N’a Changé, which knocked The Beatles’ Let it Be off the charts in France, Germany and the Netherlands, and outsold some of the biggest rock bands of the era.  Although a number of boys sang lead vocals on various Les Poppys recordings, Bruno Polius was the quintensential voice of the group, lending his powerful vocals on their best remembered recordings.  With a stage presence that seemed quiet and aloof, Polius had a certain intensity well beyond his years.  Unfortunatly Les Poppys was much like the Munedo of their time and when a boy got to a certain age they were booted out of the group.  One of the oldest boys when the group gained prominense in 1970, Bruno Polius was the first to be let go, ending the classic era of Les Poppys.

Bruno Polius today

Les Poppys still exists in some form, but after Bruno left the group lost its appeal and no more singles hit the charts.  Bruno released a number of solo projects as a teenager but never managed to create the same success that he had with Les Poppys.  Bruno Polius is currently active in the Paris music scene and is credited on a number of projects.  In 2009 a book on Les Poppys was released in France and Polius, along with a number of other former members, made themselves assessable to promote the book.  However, due to a number of factors, including no personal contacts in Europe as well as a language barrier, we have not been able to even begin to figure out how to contact Bruno Polius to share his story to the English speaking world.  Classic french pop music is beginning to finally gain a cult following in North America and PCA would like to be one of the first to offer Bruno Polius’ story.  If needed we can provide our own translator.  If you have any information on how we can contact Bruno please contact us!

Elizabeth James in "The Born Losers"

Elizabeth James – In her white bikini and go go boots, beautiful starlet Elizabeth James struck a chord with cult film fans when she appeared as the spunky co-star in Tom Laughlin’s original Billy Jack film The Born Losers.  Sporting a pixie hair cut, Elizabeth James had the beauty and grace of Audrey Hepburn, but for the exploitation film set.  Strangely, after 1967 Elizabeth James dissapeared, only to reappear once more in a minor role in Peter Fonda and Susan George’s 1974 film Dirty Mary Crazy Larry.  Elizabeth James would never be heard from again.  However, due to the immense popularity of the Billy Jack films, as well as multiple rereleases of The Born Losers over the last decade, Elizabeth James’ cult following has grown considerably and she is now hailed as one of the sexiest vixens of cult cinema.  If anybody has any information on the whereabouts of Elizabeth James please contact us.  Furthermore, with Billy Jack being my all time favorite film, I would like to hear from any of the dozens of kids who made up Tom Laughlin’s players in the various Billy Jack films as students of the Freedom School including Julie Webb (Barbara), Debbie Schock (Kit), Lynn Baker (Sarah), Stan Rice (Martin), Susan Foster (Cindy), Susan Sosa (Sunshine) and especiially Tom Laughlin and Delores Taylor’s daughter Teresa Laughlin (Carol).  I would personally love to put together a oral history of the Billy Jack experience and each and every one of these actors would prove to have a personal and unique story to tell.  If anybody knows of any of these individuals whereabouts please contact us.

So the word is out.  PCA guarantees to keep all information confidential.  If anybody can help locate these individuals please contact me at popcultureaddict@gmail.com.   To look at who we’ve interviewed and what we do visit http://popcultureaddict.com/close.  We promise that you/they will be keeping good company. I am depending on the information from our readers to help keep these stories alive, and to contact these missing members of our community.

As always, stay tuned because there is much more to come.

Sam Tweedle

Pop Culture Addict