Michael Blodgett (September 26, 1939 – November 14, 2007) was an American actor, novelist, and screenwriter. Of his many film and television appearances he is best known for his performance as gigolo Lance Rocke in Russ Meyer's 1970 cult classic Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. He retired from acting in the late 1970s and began a writing career.

Michael Blodgett
Publicity Photo of Blodgett
Born(1939-09-26)September 26, 1939
DiedNovember 14, 2007(2007-11-14) (aged 68)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupations
Years active1963–1988
Spouses
Linn Hammerlund
(m. 1957; div. 1960)
Sandra Kirchner
(m. 1961; div. 1977)
Lanetta Wahlgren
(m. 1984; div. 1995)
(m. 1995; div. 2000)
Children3

Early life and career

edit

Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Blodgett attended the University of Minnesota before moving to Los Angeles to act. Once in Los Angeles, he earned a degree in political science from Cal State Los Angeles and attended Loyola Law School for one year before turning his attention to acting.[1] In the summer of 1967, Blodgett served as emcee of The Groovy Show, a beach-party dance show for teens on Los Angeles's KHJ-TV.[2] In 1968, Blodgett moved to KTTV, where he hosted a 90-minute Saturday night talk show, The Michael Blodgett Show.[1]

After his role in Beyond the Valley of the Dolls in 1970, Blodgett appeared in the Western There Was a Crooked Man..., opposite Kirk Douglas and Henry Fonda, and then The Velvet Vampire (1971). Throughout the 1970s, Blodgett appeared in films and guest starring roles in television series including Barnaby Jones and The Secrets of Isis. Having become dissatisfied with the type of roles he was being offered, Blodgett made his last film appearance in 1978's Disco Fever and then shifted his focus to writing novels and screenplays. He would make a cameo appearance in the 1988 adaptation of his novel Hero and the Terror, and he also contributed to interview segments in the documentary Above, Beneath and Beyond the Valley, which was featured on the 2006 DVD release of Beyond the Valley of the Dolls.

In 1982, Blodgett released his first novel, Captain Blood, followed by his second novel Hero and the Terror, that same year. His third novel, The White Raven, was released in 1986 and was later adapted into a 1998 film starring Ron Silver. With his writing partner Dennis Shryack, Blodgett penned the screenplays for Rent-A-Cop (1987) starring Burt Reynolds, Turner & Hooch (1989) starring Tom Hanks, and Run (1991) starring Patrick Dempsey.

Personal life and death

edit

Blodgett was married four times and had three daughters. His daughter Lucette is married to actor Miles Fisher.[3]

Blodgett died at his home in Los Angeles of an apparent heart attack.[1]

Filmography

edit
Film
Year Film Role Notes
1965 A Swingin' Summer Beach bum Credited as Mike Blodgett
1967 40 Guns to Apache Pass Mike Malone
The Trip Lover
Catalina Caper Bob Draper Credited as Mike Blodgett
1970 Beyond the Valley of the Dolls Lance Rocke
There Was a Crooked Man... Coy Cavendish
1971 The Velvet Vampire Lee Ritter
1972 The Carey Treatment Roger Hudson
1974 The Ultimate Thrill Tom Alternative title: The Ultimate Chase
1978 Disco Fever Tommy Aspen
1987 Rent-a-Cop
Co-screenwriter
1988 Hero and the Terror
Co-screenwriter
1989 Turner & Hooch
Co-screenwriter
1991 Run
Co-screenwriter
1998 The White Raven
Screenwriter
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1961 Macbeth Malcolm Television movie
1964 McHale's Navy Boy on the park bench 1 episode
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour Dancer - Apollo 1 episode
1965 Never Too Young Tad Unknown episodes
1966 The Munsters Jim 1 episode
Man in the Square Suit Gary Young Television movie
Meet Me in St. Louis John Truitt Television movie
1967 Daniel Boone Sam Linn 2 episodes
Bonanza Billy Slater Episode: "False Witness"
1970 Family Affair Mike West 2 episodes
To Rome with Love Hank Martin 1 episode
Night Gallery John Michael Fearing 1 episode
1971 Ironside Matthew Roberts 1 episode
Marcus Welby, M.D. Vince Kolski 1 episode
1973 Barnaby Jones Kirk 1 episode
1975 Barbary Coast Whiting 1 episode
1976 Electra Woman and Dyna Girl King Alex X of Tourembourg 2 episodes
The Secret of Isis Rick Mason's Double 2 episodes
1992 Revenge on the Highway
Television movie
Writer, co-producer

Novels

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c Nol, Claire (2007-11-27). "Michael Blodgett, 68; actor went on to write books and screenplays". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2008-10-04.
  2. ^ Austen, Jake (2005). TV-a-Go-Go: Rock on TV from American Bandstand to American Idol. Chicago Review Press. p. 44. ISBN 1-55652-572-9.
  3. ^ "Lucette Blodgett, Miles Fisher". The New York Times. 29 June 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
edit