The last for the night…yeah, right! The same year Jon guested on MCMILLAN & WIFE he also did an episode of the spy series MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE in the part of Art Stafford a rich member of a drug syndicate set in Southeast Asia. Jon’s main raison d’être is to be a general rat, a condition he plays to maximum effect.
Another addition for today. Jon guested on an episode of the series MCMILLAN & WIFE as a jewel thief who targets the eponymous Sally McMillan played by Susan Saint James. Jon’s a little fishy here in terms of how slippery he plays his character of John Thomas Clark, a mural designer who gains access to the homes of his victims via his work.
WALKING TO THE WATERLINE is an excellent small film about all the missed opportunities we’ve all had in our lives. The film was written, produced, directed by and starring Jon’s MAJOR DAD co-star Matt Mulhern who played Lt. Eugene “Gene” Halowachuck. Jon plays the part of Fred Blumquist the neighbour of Matt’s deceased father. And this is the thing I found very interesting, the part was written for Jon and his character is one half of a gay couple! I’m so proud of Jon for his bravery to play such a character. Yes, I know that’s what acting is, however, there’s a stigma that attaches itself to any actor who plays gay. But Jon did it and did it well. This film is a little gem. It hits at all the things we wish we’d done and didn’t. All those things that as so-called “responsible” adults, we either forget or fail to remember as we get older. There’s another MAJOR DAD connection in the part of the real estate agent hired by Matt’s character to sell his father’s house. And who played her? None other than Gunnery Sergent Alva Bricker’s alter ego Beverly Archer. The other funny thing about this film is that Matt’s character is an out-of-work actor who once starred in a show called Anchor’s Away a sitcom about the Navy. One can’t help but notice the similarities between that show and the premise of MAJOR DAD only without Gerald McRaney. The film also stars Alan Ruck, Matthew Broderick, Hallie Foote, Hal Holbrook, Jim Fyfe and Michael Boatman. Personally I loved this film. What a refreshing piece of original filmmaking. Thanks Matt for creating such a film and for thinking of Jon. My apologies at the condition of the screencaps, but I had to rip from the disc to my harddrive, then convert the file for capping.
I have to say I really loved Jon in this film. Jon plays the part of Brian, the advertising agent for a fictional football team in which the lead character of Morgan played by Marjoe Gortner plays. FOOD OF THE GODS is from a novella by H. G. Welles. Though it isn’t a direct adaptation of the book, it does entertain certain elements from the book in terms of the ‘superfood’ and its effect on nature and what it might do to the animals who consume it. Makes one wonder about the whole GMO battle today. What is that stuff really going to do to us? I really thought Jon did a very good job with what he was given. His duties was largely to play side-kick to Gortner who got to be the hero in the piece. Now this is where I have to take umbrage. Why did they have to kill off Brian? Why couldn’t he have gone on to help the rest to escape the rat onslaught? The young couple got to live. Their baby got to live. The intended love interest in Pamela Franklin got to live, so why not Jon as Brian? I always hate the part where he gets mauled by the gigantic rats. Just hate that part. Ah well, Jon looked handsome as always and he got to go down the hero of the piece…in my eyes. The film also stars Ida Lupino, Ralph Meeker and Belinda Balaski.
I’m trying hard to get some of Jon’s more known works up in the gallery, but after a week I’ve finally been able to get his work as Duncan, Man-At-Arms in the comic book film MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE done. I loved Jon in his film. He brought such a dignity and grace to the part that would otherwise be a static or your regular comic book fare. Jon reminded me of actor Chris Evans as his alter ego Steve Rogers/Captain America. I think in another time Jon could have played Rogers/Cap. Duncan and Cap share a lot of the same nobility in their need to do good. But I’m so glad to finally be adding this to the gallery. By the way, there is a wonderful article on Jon up at WWW.MOTUMOVIE.COM on the cover page I think you’d be interested in reading. It’s from October of last year, but it’s a really nice chat with Jon about making the film and about working with his various co-stars including Dolph Lungren (He-Man), Chelsea Field (Tela) and Billy Barty (Gwildor). The clickable image I’m going to use is from my favourite scene in the film. The one where Tela and Duncan find Gwildor enjoying some Earthbound delicacies. The scene is where Duncan is munching down on a rib bone. Enjoy.
I’ve finally come to some of Jon’s films. First up is VALDEZ IS COMING where Jon played the part of Frank Tanner, a wealthy rancher who wrongs the titular character of Valdez, here played by the late Burt Lancaster. This was also Jon’s big screen debut. He plays his part to the hilt, but sexy. Jon sports a pretty awesome mustache and sideburns with his usual nape length blonde hair looking particularly sexy in the wind shots. This film contains to my knowledge the one and only nude scene Jon has ever done. May I say the Cypher posterior is pretty awesome. I should do a gif on it. I love his scene with co-star Susan Clark who plays Erin Gay, though it’s pretty hard to see why she turns on him in the end. So what, Valdez does the noble thing. Who cares? Tanner is sexy….and rich. The full film is available on Youtube for a cost of $3.99 American.
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