Stanley Ralph Ross | |
|---|---|
 Publicity Photo of Stanley Ralph Ross | |
| Born | Stanley Ralph Rosenberg (1935-07-22)July 22, 1935 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | March 16, 2000(2000-03-16) (aged 64) Los Angeles,California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery |
| Years active | 1952–2000 |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
Stanley Ralph Ross (July 22, 1935 – March 16, 2000) was an American writer and actor. Born Stanley Ralph Rosenberg,[1] he was raised inBrooklyn,New York, working atNathan’s Famous and as a barker at theConey Islandfreak show. His classmate atAbraham Lincoln High School (and later the best man at his wedding) wasLouis Gossett Jr.[1]
After graduating from high school in 1952, Ross sang with a vocal group first called The Three Feathers, and then The Formals, who recorded a single forDawn Records. Their arranger wasDave Lambert. Rather than going to college, Ross performed as a comedy duo withPaul Krassner. He then sold adding machines, and worked as an agent for photographers (includingWeegee) and models. “I didn’t know I was a writer,” Ross later recalled. “I didn’t find that out until many years later.”[1]
Ross moved to Los Angeles in 1956, and met his wife, Neila Hyman, almost immediately. While working in advertising (“where I learned how to write,” Ross recalled later),[1] Ross teamed withBob Arbogast to write and record the 1958 novelty record "Chaos". When it came out onLiberty Records, it sold 10,000 copies in three days and then was banned from radio play when stations realized that it satirizedTop 40 radio. The record became a favorite ofDr Demento, and may have influencedGeorge Carlin’s “Wonderful WINO” radio routine.[2]
Ross made his mark on television as a writer. While working in promotions forABC, he wrote (and directed) the classic opening segment toABC's Wide World of Sports:[3]
Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sport… the thrill of victory… and the agony of defeat… the human drama of athletic competition… this isABC's Wide World of Sports!
Ross wrote for song parodistAllan Sherman, and then co-wrote with Arbogast an album of parody songs titledMy Son, the Copycat (as Stan Ross).[4] After the release of the album, an agent told Ross, “You’re a better writer than you are a singer. We may have some work for you.” Ross was then hired to rewriteBeach Party (1963). This led to television writing credits, although Ross wrote another parody album for singer Christine Nelson, who had partnered with Allan Sherman on his song “Sarah Jackman.” At the live recording of the Christine Nelson album (1966’sDid'ja Come To Play Cards Or To Talk?),[5] Ross was approached by producerHowie Horwitz, who invited him to pitch story ideas for the new TV show,Batman.[1]
Ross wrote 27 episodes of the 1960sBatman series, while doing rewrites on many others. He became particularly identified with the character ofCatwoman, writing almost all of that character’s episodes. “What I put into the character is what I wanted to see in a woman,” Ross recalled later. “Bright, sexually aggressive, and had fun doing what she did.”[1] He had an uncredited cameo in one episode in which he played "Ballpoint Baxter." Ballpoint then became his nickname in real life.[1]
Although most recognized for his work onBatman, Ross also wrote for many other series, includingThe Monkees,Banacek,The Man from U.N.C.L.E.,Columbo,The Electric Company, andG.I. Joe. He was the co-creator withRoger Price of the 1977NBCsituation comedyThe Kallikaks and also wrote for the show. He was nominated for both an Emmy and a WGA Award for writing a 1971 episode ofAll in the Family. Ross was credited on at least one occasion as Sue Donem, a pun on "pseudonym".[6] He also co-wrote the pilot that became the seriesThat’s My Mama.[1]
Ross was involved in multiple efforts to bring the comic book characterWonder Woman to television. Having been asked to write an alternative treatment for theStan Hart andLarry Siegel 1967 proposal, Ross was later approached by producerDouglas S. Cramer in 1973 to write a series pilot. Ross declined, objecting to the series' updated Wonder Woman character (based on the 1960s and 70s comic book) and the casting ofCathy Lee Crosby. When the 1974 Crosby pilot failed, Ross was brought in to develop his own vision which put a high priority on visual fidelity to the look of the classic comics. The resultingWonder Woman aired from 1975 to 1979. Ross was instrumental in the choosing ofLynda Carter andLyle Waggoner as the show's stars.[7]
In 1977, Ross was awarded theInkpot Award.[8]
Ross was known for his distinctive voice, and did much voiceover work, in addition to dramatic roles. He did the voice ofGorilla Grodd onChallenge of the Superfriends andSuper Friends cartoons, as well as taking over asBrainiac inSuper Friends,Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show andThe Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians (following the death ofTed Cassidy),Perry White in the 1988Superman cartoon, Dark Paw inPaw Paws. He provided the voice for the Arab singer in the original version ofThe Flight of the Phoenix and was also the voice of the Doberman and Bull Terrier characters in the movie,Babe: Pig in the City.
Ross also had numerous smaller parts (voice and acting) on television, movies, and over 1000 commercials. One of his most notable on-screen TV roles was Mr. Goodbury onThe Munsters Today.[6]
His radio vignettes were heard on KFI, Los Angeles during 1973.
In addition to his other work Ross also recorded audio books. Some of his recordings are A Book of the Five Rings based onthe book of the same name byMusashi Miyamoto,Believe and Achieve based on the writings ofNapoleon Hill andAwakening Your Mind Power,Channeling Your Higher Self, Explore Your Past Lives,Meditation andSelf Hypnosis all based on the writings ofEdgar Cayce.[9][10]
Ross was also a songwriter, composing over 200 pieces, collaborating with such talent asHenry Mancini. He wrote "Beat the System," the theme song forThe Kallikaks, whichRoy Clark performed for the opening credits of the show in 1977. He also made several forays into musical theater, co-writing and co-composing the musicalLove Is Spoken Here with Jacquelyn Reinach.
In theatre, Ross wrote and produced “A Play With Fire” in Dundee, Scotland.[11]
Ross wrote book, music, and lyrics for a stage musical calledChaplin with starAnthony Newley, who played the title role ofCharlie Chaplin. The show was scheduled to come toBroadway in 1983, but fell apart after a tryout in Los Angeles.[12]
He also taught at theUniversity of Southern California film school.[13]
In collaboration withJay Robert Nash, Ross authoredThe Motion Picture Guide, a comprehensive multi-volume set of encyclopedias written from the 1970s to the early 1980s, containing detailed descriptions of possibly every motion picture made up to that time, with a two-volume index, and a separate volume entirely dedicated to silent films, and yet another listing every actor (and other major creative credit) with that person's complete list of films. The regular encyclopedia editions alphabetized every sound feature from 1927 until 1983, the last volume having a separate section in the back for 1984 movies (and the deaths of that year) that were compiled too close to press time to include alphabetically among the other listings; and starting in 1985 until the early 1990s, an individual volume was released annually, with an obituary section for that year also included. It used a five-star rating system, and was perhaps the most complete single project to catalog every movie until the creation ofThe Internet Movie Database (IMDb).[13]
With Bob Arbogast, Ross wrote a 1975 book calledSpeak When You Hear the Beep.[14]He later co-wrote the 1995 bookBoy Wonder: My Life in Tights withBurt Ward, who starred asRobin on the 1960sBatman series.[15] An ordained minister, Ross married Ward to his third wife; and marriedMilton Berle to his fourth wife.[1]
Ross died of lung cancer on March 16, 2000, leaving behind his wife Neila, three children, and a granddaughter.[13] He was buried inHillside Memorial Park Cemetery. His grave reads: Larger Than Life Beloved Son, Husband, Father, Grandfather STANLEY RALPH ROSS July 22, 1935 * March 16, 2000 "Thanks, I Had A Wonderful Time!"[16]
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