Deanna Lund’s fan organisation Friends of Deanna Lund has just updated her 1992 novel Valerie in Giantland: Valerie Ames Scott’s Diary as part of the 50th Anniversary Celebration of Land of the Giants. The revised book features a new colour cover and an epilogue chapter. Copies are available through Friends of Deanna Lund, at signings and through Amazon.
A very, very sad start to the new year with the passing on Tuesday 23rd January 2018 of one of the most popular stars of Irwin Allen’s television productions, Robert Dowdell, who was best known for his role of Lt. Commander Chip Morton in Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. Much loved around the globe, Chip was often the straight guy to several other comedic characters in the show, and he played the role superbly. Irwin Allen also featured Robert in two of his made for television movies, City Beneath the Sea (1971) and Outrage (1986). He will be sorely missed by his legion of fans and will live on through his work and the love that engendered. Our thoughts at this time are with all of his family, friends, and fans.
A rare Land of the Giants promotional lighter manufactured by Zippo is up for auction on eBay.com (eBay reference 182853932004). These lighters were given to cast and crew during early production of the series. The base is stamped with the official Zippo logo, and features the vertical line 4/3 date code stamp which corresponds with 1967, the first year of the show’s production.
On a happier note, a visit to the 2017 Ideal Home Show at London Olympia proved that both giants and little people are catered for when it comes to furniture manufacturers.
We have learned the very sad news that Emmy award winning and Oscar nominated Art Director and Production Designer Rodger E. Maus, who worked for many of Irwin Allen’s productions, passed away last month (16th March 2017) at the age of 84. You only have to browse around our site to see the results of his work, be it the design of the Lost in Space Space Pod or the sub-orbital spaceship, the Spindrift, from Land of the Giants.
We were honoured to meet with Rodger Maus in 1992 in Los Angeles and he was a charming gentleman. Below is a photograph of Rodger reading our Land of the Giants 25th Anniversary Special.
British author Jon Abbott has produced the first of a new print-on-demand zine called Naked Pulp and the first issue includes a feature on Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. The zine is available through the UK Amazon.
Jon Abbott will also have articles in future issues of the returning sci-fi magazine Infinity including a feature on Land of the Giants in the second issue, due out in June.
A memorial to celebrate the life of actress Francine York (who passed away in January) is being held on Sunday 23rd April 2017 at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood LA. If you would like to attend, please click the image below for a PDF flyer containing details of the event.
Click here or on image above for PDF of Francine’s Memorial Flyer
Lawrence Montaigne, a guest in several Irwin Allen TV episodes, passed away on 17th March 2017 at the age of 86. Irwin Allen fans will know him from The Time Tunnel episodes Massacre (as Yellow Elk, 1966) and Idol of Death (as Captain Alvarado, 1967) as well as Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea episode Man-Beast (as Dr. Braddock, 1968) . He also appeared as Dr. Aquila in the City Beneath the Sea presentation reel in 1969. We understand that he has recently been working on revising his autobiography for Jacobs Brown Press based upon his book “A Vulcan Odyssey.”
We learned today via Celeste Yarnall of the very sad news that actor Don Marshall passed away on Sunday evening at Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. Don had been due to attend a Land of the Giants reunion at Campbell Con over the weekend, but had to pull out due to a serious health issue, and this sudden news has been very shocking for fans around the world. We will pay tribute in the coming hours and days on the IANN Giants page and Giants Log site.
Land of the Giants, The Time Tunnel, Lost in Space, and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea are all now being broadcast on US television after midnight on Sunday mornings on the MeTV network. Enjoy the MeTV trailer above.