Happy 89th Birthday to Jim Noble

Governor Eugene Xavier Gatling

Happy 89th Birthday (5th March) to the actor James Noble who is best known for his portrayal of the slightly daffy Governor Eugene Gatling on the 1980s sitcom Benson. The son of a Dallas wholesale coal dealer, Noble spent much of his youth attending pool halls and movie houses. He retained his expertise with a pool cue throughout his life, while his stronger interest in acting (fueled by movies) manifested itself in local stage productions and drama studies at Southern Methodist University. Following Navy service in World War II, Noble went to New York to study at the Actors Studio, then went on to a stage revival of Pygmalion wherein he met his future wife, actress Carolyn Coates. The actor appeared on such TV soap operas as "As the World Turns" (1956), "A World Apart" (1969) and such Broadway productions as 1776 (a role he took to the movie 1776 (1972)), spending much of his spare time in psychotherapy to handle his ongoing feelings of self-doubt. In films from the mid '70s, Noble principally played small roles as authority figures and politicians (Being There (1979), The Nude Bomb (1980)), with occasional larger roles such as Bo Derek's father in 10 (1979).



In 1979 Noble was cast as the genially absent-minded Governor Gene Gatling on the sitcom "Benson" (1979), a role in which he remained until the series' 1986 cancellation. He is the father of a good buddy who is a remarkable person in her own right. However Jim is in a class of his own and as the video shows even at his advanced years is not craving respectability nor has he lost his subversive sense of humour.

SUBURBAN LEGENDS Ep 15 - "DEAR OLD DAD"

Benson the Great Carp

Benson, the Great Carp

Benson, the Great Carp who died in a gravel pit in Cambridge has been described on Newsnight as "The People’s Fish" probably because, like Diana, she had been hooked by many! More surprising than this according to the BBC Benson was a girl (how do they tell, did she have better scales?) So here goes my euphonium "She was the People's fish and truly the people loved her ........" - Better stop now before there is a carping ofishal complaint!!

Anglers are mourning the death of what is believed to be Britain's biggest common carp. Nicknamed Benson, the carp swam in the Bluebell Lakes at Oundle, near Peterborough, but was found floating on the surface poisoned by uncooked nuts. He was introduced into the lakes in 1995, and at the time of his death weighed 64lb (29kg), was aged between 20 and 25 and had been caught 63 times. Now, and it is a chilling thought, Benson is lying in a deep freeze waiting to be put on display.

Tony Bridgefoot, owner of Bluebell Lakes on the Cambridgeshire/Northamptonshire border, told BBC News that he thought the fact anglers did not have to join an expensive fishing syndicate but could fish on a day ticket meant the carp was accessible to everyone, making Benson "the people's fish".

"They sort of adopted it and took it to their hearts, and if you were lucky enough to catch the fish or even see the fish it was perfectly clear what a beautiful creature it was. Some people would catch it within two or three days of fishing here and I've had some people who've spent five, six, seven years just to try and catch that one fish." Mr Bridgefoot believes Benson was poisoned by uncooked nuts, which are toxic to fish. "Our suspicions arose when we found some uncooked nuts in the margins and we found some uncooked nuts in the skips that we use. Consequently we're very suspicious that some uncooked bait may have gone in the water. Benson may have picked them up and in that case they would swell up inside the fish. The outcome is catastrophic."

One final question?

Is it me or are all anglers’ nuts?


Benson the Butler

Here is the link to another Benson;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benson_(TV_series)