 Ohio
born actor Kenny Miller has been
making movies for 50 years and
has earned a solid place in the
annals of Hollywood. To horror
fans he is known for his
performance as Vic the bongo
player (who also sings Eeny,
Meeny, Miny Mo\rquote ) in the
classic 'I Was a Teenage
Werewolf' (1958) starring the
late Michael Landon. The
following year Kenny made a big
impression as one of the tiny
terrorized teens in the Bert I.
Gordon classic 'Attack of the
Puppet People' with John Agar.
Rounding out his horror resume is
a starring role in Robert W.
Morgan's Florida lensed chiller
'Bloodstalkers' (1978) as a well
as a part in the horror-star
studded 'It Came From Trafalgar'
(2005) which features an amazing
cast -- Linnea Quigley, Brinke
Stevens, Gunnar Hansen, Butch
Patrick, Rudy Ray Moore, Edwin
Neal, Jim O\rquote Rear, Hank
Williams III, and Conrad Brooks!
Kenny
Miller's non-horror resume is
equally as impressive and
diverse. He had a role in Orson
Welles' 1958 classic 'A Touch of
Evil' , grabbed his suntan lotion
and Bermuda shorts and joined the
beach party shenanigans in 'Surf
Party' (1964) with Bobby Vinton
and Jackie DeShannon. He also had
parts in such other features as
'The Rebel Breed' (1960), 'Little
Laura and Big John' (1973), 'East
of Eden' with James Dean (1955),
'The Gallant One' (1964), and the
all-star swashbuckler 'The
Buccaneer' (1958). He was Ray
Hill in 'Rockabilly Baby' (1957)
and had a role in 'Dino' with Sal
Mineo the same year. Talk about
stories to tell! This guy has
'em! That would explain why he
recently released his updated
autobiography from Bear Manor
Media called 'Hollywood Inside
and Out: The Kenny Miller Story'.
In addition Kenny has also had a
successful recording career and
is a frequent guest at autograph
conventions. Recently he was also
kind enough to take some time for
this exclusive www.racksandrazors.com
interview.
Kenny,
can you start the racks and
razors readers off with a visual
and describe the room where you
are answering these questions?
I'm
in my apartment on the 11th floor
overlooking downtown West Palm
Beach at night. The lights look
as if someone had thrown a
treasure chest of jewels out of
the heavens. I'm in my big easy
chair surrounded by very
comfortable furniture, some of my
favorite paintings, & framed
photos & sculptures. It's a
very lived-in and comfortable
living room where I spend most of
my evenings as my big TV is here
plus my WebTV--printer--stereos
& dvd, etc. I sometimes fall
asleep in this room on my big
comfortable couch & never get
up to go to my bedroom.
Kenny
- you have such a breadth of
experience in show biz and movies
and such. What made it the right
time to write your autobiography Kenny
Miller: Surviving Teenage
Werewolves, Puppet
People, and Hollywood?
A
close friend of mine & a
brilliant writer, Susan Kennedy,
approached me about doing my
autobiography. I was so impressed
that she wanted to do it that I
agreed. We worked on it for over
two months--& Susan became
ill. Two & half weeks later
she died. I decided then I would
never continue writing the book!
About 6 months later I was asked
by MacFarland Publishing about
doing my book & I said
"No". As fate would
have it, another good friend of
mine, Donald Vaughan, was in
town. He had interviewed me on
several other occasions & I
loved his writing. We discussed
the book. About a year later
--after much coaxing on Don's
part--I agreed to do the book
with him for MacFarland. It took
about two and a half years (he
lived in N. Carolina & me in
Florida). That book is out of
print now. We have an extended
& more detailed book out now
published by Bear Manor Media,
called 'Hollywood Inside' and
Out---The Kenny Miller Story --
(with over 120 photos of stars,
stills, & me) Boy, am I
ready! Ho! Ho!
What
revelation in the book has
brought the biggest response from
your fans?
I
guess being good friends with so
many really famous international-
type people, and living so many
different places in the\line
world. It even amazes me when I
think about it. I've really been
so lucky. I thank God for it!
Okay
let's start with 'I Was A
Teenage Werewolf' (1957)
in which you play Vic, the life
of the party. What is the main
thing you recall from shooting
this now horror classic?
It
was an exciting movie to do as we
all worked our butts off as it
had a very low budget (around
$125,000!) & we were always
on call. Gene Fowler, Jr. was a
wonderful actor's director, &
Michael was so dedicated in the
role as this was his first film.
He gave his all & it shows.
He made it the great success that
it became. Otherwise, I think it
would have been just another
horror film. All the cast worked
so hard to make it something
better than average. And it
worked! Yvonne, Whit, Cindy,
Dawn, & Tony & every one
of the cast & crew including
producer, Herman Cohen, became
like a big family. It was a
wonderful feeling that I will
never forget-- or never want to.
In
that movie you sing and dance to
"Eeny, Meeny, Miney,
Mo" -- as a singer were you
fairly comfortable doing that on
film?
I
loved the song --"Eeeny,
Meeny, Miney, Mo'--but in my mind
turned out to be a
"disaster"! Normally
when you sing in a film you
pre-record it, and then when you
are shooting the scene in which
you sing you do it to a
'playback". Since we had no
budget to pre-record it--I had to
sing the song "live"
without any music!! (Plus the
dance with darlin' Cindy)! Then
when they scored the music into
the film --they would also score
e the background music for the
song. They had a premiere of the
film in Hollywood & we all
went plus the Fox Theatre was
packed. When my song came on I
wanted to crawl under the
seat--the music was 2 measures
out of sync with my vocal!! The
kids in the audience loved it
& went wild. They didn't even
notice, but I was really
embarrassed. Plus a lot of my
acting pals --who were
professional singers-- were in
the audience! Nevertheless,
Herman Cohen promised me he would
correct it in the original score.
It would have cost so little.
Guess what? To this
day--"Eeny Meeny, Miney,
Mo" is OUT of SYNC! He never
corrected it. But I still love
the song, but always leave the
theater or convention hall when
the song comes on!
And
you still are making music today
-- how do you see your music as
having changed from that ditty
down to today?
Yes,
every chance I get. I have a new
CD out that a very talented young
man, Solomon Mortamur, did for me
of all the original soundtracks
of songs I've done in Films, TV,
& recording. It just thrills
me to have over 13 songs on one
CD. I do perform at various
functions & charity events
throughout the country. I sing
alot more ballads-- contemporary
music--country & standards. I
recorded in London for
EMI-Stateside. My most successful
recording there was
"Restless", which by
the way, is my favorite recording
of all.
Going
back to the movie -- do you have
a favorite Michael Landon memory?
Michael
was really into his part. In one
scene at the party I come up
behind him & blow a horn in
his ear--he turns & hauls off
& knocks me over the couch.
We had a stunt man to choreograph
the stunt--anyway, some how I
didn't hit my mark or Mike didn't
hit his, and he really hit me in
the jaw & knocked me ass over
elbow. It was a perfect take,
except Mike blurted
out--"Kenny, I'm sorry"
& ran to me--of course, that
ruined the take & we had to
do it over many times. It just
shows you what a really caring
guy Michael was.
That
following year you made several
films but I must hear about what
it was like to be directed by one
of the cinematic Gods - Orson
Welles' in 'A Touch of
Evil'.
Working
with the great Orson Welles was
one of my greatest experiences in
film. I was signed to be the head
of the mostly Latino gang. I was
signed 2 weeks prior as he wanted
me to have curly hair. I spent
days with Bud Westmore getting a
permanent & getting it right.
He also wanted me to have a DA -
"duck's ass". I became
goods friend with Orson & he
was wonderful to work with. Yes
he was temperamental at times,
but genius is allowed that. I
went with him & our Assistant
Director, Chico Day, one day down
to East LA in a limo to find real
life gang members for the film.
That was a wild
experience--&, thankfully,
Chico spoke Spanish. When the
"gang" worked, they had
to have extra security on the
set! One thing that would really
make him furious was an actor not
knowing his or her lines or not
doing "your homework"
as he called it. You can bet your
ass that I always knew mine!!
Also
that year you made a big
impression as Stan, one of the
tiny tiny teenagers in the
horror/sci fi movie 'Attack
of the Puppet People' (1958).
Was working all day alongside all
the giant objects - phone,
doorknob, etc. fun?
There
are so many exciting memories
about working with Bert Gordon
& that wonderful gentle man,
John Agar, in "Puppet
People" None of us were
allowed to see the set until it
was completely finished. What a
mind-blower it was when we
finally did! Bert is a total
perfectionist & every set
& prop was built to exact
scale for us when we were 12
inches high. Not only is Bert a
great director, but also
technically he is brilliant. The
props & sets still work
today--& remember back then
everything was real--no
animation. It was done from
scratch. Unfortunately, I didn't
get to work with John Hoyt,
although I got to know him &
truly respect him as the great
actor he was, but all the scenes
he did with us when we were the
little puppet people, he did in
front of a black screen. Climbing
the thick rubber "string
" to the keyhole was sheer
torture as I had to climb over 30
feet to the top of the sound
stage--I couldn't use my arms the
next day--same thing happened to
John when he had to climb up the
phone cord from the floor to the
top of the 'desk". The only
funny thing about climbing up to
the keyhole was that\line my
pants were so tight that half way
up they started to split!! We
weren't using sound & since
my rear was too the camera--I
kept yelling to Bert--"My
pants are splitting! My damn
pants are splitting! He said,
"Keep going--it looks great!
Have you got on under shorts??
When I assured him that I did--he
yelled, Keep going!" And
like a fool--I did!!!
Do
you have another predominant
memory of shooting that film?
As
I said--- so many fun & funny
memories from doing that film. My
girlfriend in the film, Marlene
Willis, was a darling & a
great singer--originally we both
were going to sing in the film,
but we all agreed that would slow
down the action of the film.
Anyhow, Bert decided that Marlene
would sing a song to me. When I
heard it I couldn't believe
it--the song was called something
like 'You're my Living Doll &
Marlene was going to sing it to
me! I asked Bert to let me out of
it. I was too embarrassed to have
her singing those words to me. He
said--No way. We did have fun
with it, but I have never been so
embarrassed on camera in my life.
Just the thought of her calling
me a "living doll" was
somehow more than I could bear.
Ugh!
And
of course I have to hear about
your favorite memory as Milo
Talbot in the bikinis and bongos
beach flick 'Surf Party'
(1964).
I
loved doing one of the lead roles
in "Surf Party". It was
also another chance to work with
one of my favorite
Producer/Directors, Maury Dexter.
I also was able to convince 20th
to use one of my favorite gals
& a fantastic singer, Jackie
De Shannon, as my girl in the
film. We really had a ball making
it. We also used some of the
greatest pro surfers as stunt
doubles in the actual surfing.
Mine was a real look-alike, Sammy
Fain, son of the famous
songwriter, Sammy Fain. Along
with our co-star, Bobby Vinton,
Jackie & I got to sing. My
song, "Pearly Shells",
was on the sound track album,
& did so well that 20th
Century Fox released it as a
single. Jackie's song was really
fun for her too, "Glory
Wave"! Epic Records wouldn't
release Bobby to do the original
soundtrack album, so I got to
sing the song he sings in the
film, "If I Were An
Artist." As rumor had it--I
did NOT actually break my
shoulder while filming surfing
scenes at Malibu Pier! (Only in
the script.)
Anyway,
back to the dark side. Your next
foray into horror was 20 years
coming. Tell me about your
leading role as Daniel in 'Blood
Stalkers' in 1978. How
did that role come about?
"The
Night Daniel Died' was written
for me by Robert W. Morgan, &
was shot in the Florida
Everglades where we all were
almost devoured by mosquitoes
& deer flies. It was a
location made in hell, plus over
one hundred degrees scorching
heat! When it was sold to TV they
decided to change the name to
"Bloodstalkers" as they
the felt it would appeal more to
the horror fans (?) for VHS &
DVD. Bob Morgan also ended up
directing it. We took it to the
Cannes Film Festival where it was
sold in many international
markets, plus I had a ball going
on tour to many capital cities
where the film was sold for
promotion. Celea Ann Cole played
my darlin' wife & Toni
Crabtree &Jerry Albert played
the other couple whose folks had
left him an old resort in the
Everglades which we find out
later is haunted--- or at least,
they make us believe it is! As
from the original title-- you
know that my character is going
to Die... And boy, do I ever!! My
best friend, my miniature
schnauzer, Krissy, also stars in
the film as Jerry & Toni's
dog, & was more of a ham than
the rest of us! She even gets
screen credit as Kristina von
Mueller--- plus she dies a
horrible death too!!!
So
you've dealt with several psychos
-- an evil hypnotherapist in 'I
Was a Teenage Werewolf',
an evil puppet master in 'Attack
of the Puppet People',
and with 'Blood Stalkers'
an evil band of
backwoods predators, and God
knows what in 'Surf
Party'. Is there
anything in real life that puts
you over the edge and makes you
go crazy/psycho?
There
are very few things that make me
"psycho". One is when
people don't tell me the
truth--not "little white
lies', but something that is
important. I also really resent
when someone treats me like a
"second hand citizen."
I go ballistic when someone
thinks they are right & I
know I'm right! (Ha!) Only
kidding.
In
2005 you made 'It Came
From Traflagar' with a
whole slew of horror/sci-fi folk
-Butch Patrick, Brinke Stevens,
Linnea Quigley, Gunnar Hansen,
Jim O'Rear, Edwin Neal, etc. With
a cast like that I gotta ask --
was that movie born at a horror
convention? How did your
involvement in the project come
about?
You're
right on, Owen. I met the
writer/director of "It Came
From Trafalgar" at a horror
convention in Ft. Lauderdale. He
asked if I would do a 'cameo' in
his film. I said if only it were
cleared thru Screen Actors
Guild--he eventually got
permission & I went to
Indiana for the shoot. I'll do
anything to help out any up &
coming talented people in the
business -- as long as it doesn't
jeopardize me with my union. The
director Solomon Mortamur is a
very talented and dedicated young
man, & it was great fun
working with him--even though it
was colder than a witches' tit in
the cornfields we shot my scene!!
I worked with a darling, talented
young lady in the scene, Brooke
Gross. This is her first film. I
didn't work with any of the other
cast members in the film,
although I know or have met most
of them at conventions. I never
saw any of the script except for
my part--so haven't a clue what
it's about -- except that it's a
psycho, suspense, horror. sci-fi,
thriller, etc. Solomon also took
the original sound tracks,
recordings, tapes, albums &
remixed the songs I have sang in
my films & TV shows &
remixed them into a very exciting
CD that I am very proud of--(we
re-recorded "Eeney, Meeny,
Miney, Mo" from "I Was
A Teenage Werewolf"--&,
at least, it is in sync!!
Hooray!) In regards to the film,
Solomon did say he wished he had
met me earlier before the main
part of the film had been
shot--as he would have used me in
a lead role--(If I had chosen to
do so, of course!)
Speaking
of - you are also a big
horror/sci-fi/autograph
conventioneer --- what is that
experience like from "the
other side of the table"?
Most
of the time I really love it!
It's a great high for me to meet
friends & talk with them.
Plus I'm so thrilled that they're
so interested in the work I've
done or am still doing.
What
is the most common question you
are asked and in your long career
has there been a most unusual
request you would care to share?
What
was it like to work with James
Dean? What was Michael Landon
really like? Was Orson Welles a
nice guy? What about John Agar?
Burt Reynolds? Anthony Quinn? The
most common question is usually
about the super stars I have
worked with & what they were
really like. I think the most
unusual request is about my
co-workers sexual preference--as
if I would tell them anyway. I
don't feel that is any of their
business--even if I know the
answer!! (And, boy, do I!!)
I
want to hear all about your new
movie 'Blue' -
can you give me a quick
description and how you fit into
the scheme of things?
"Blue"
is a script sent to me from
Heaven. It is truly one of the
best scripts I've read & is
written by J.Brian King, & to
think I'm starring in it as
Johnny Lee Walker just blows my
mind. We've had some problems.
Hurricane Wilma destroyed our set
in the Florida Everglades--so
we're on 'temporary hold"
till next month. It's being
produced by Sun King Studios of
Miami, Fl. (For more info please
go to my website http://celebrities-home.com/kennymiller.htm
& click up the
"Blue" poster of me and
it will link you to the details
of the script, etc.)
Are
there any other projects pending
or in the offing that you would
care to mention or plug for www.racksandrazors.com readers?
Yes,
yes--my new book out by Bear
Manor Media-- Hollywood Inside
& Out--The Kenny Miller
Story: my new CD for sale at
conventions or both on my
website: my upcoming conventions
& autograph shows listed on
my website; and of course, going
to see "Blue' when it's
finally released in theaters.
(Again check out http://celebrities-home.com/kennymiller.htm )
What
scares you in real life?
I
love good horror movies, &
have so many favorites--one that
immediately comes to mind is
"Black Sabbath". I love
a lot of the old Hammer films. In
real life--mostly I'm scared of
total darkness! My eyes aren't
that good to begin with. I panic
when I can't see what is near me
or feel something is coming
toward me that I can't make out!
I've had a recurring dream that
I'm on the high diving board
above a pool and dive off the
board & there is no water in
the pool!!
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