Tom Nardini was the golden globe nominee from Cat Ballou for 'Most Promising Newcomer' as a native American character. Can't say I recall him in the movie, been so long since I've seen it, but by chance I caught Nardini's appearance on Bewitched, again as a native American, and sporting one remarkably obvious paint job to darken his skin.
Having the episodes of Land of the Giants on DVD, I looked up Nardini and decided to see where his career took him.
This episode centers on Chipper being injured by a trained movie dog worth $100,000 (we're given the amount) when the dog barks or sneezes (descriptions differ as to what happened) There are two young men working in the veterinarian's office. One is the responsible Ben and the other is slacker Nardini.
After a while, Nardini began to bear an incredible resemblance to disgraced Chicago governero Rod Blagoyevich (Blagojevich?) or Blago. Not just the head full of black hair on Nardini's head, but his features, even in closeup as well as sounding like him.
This then made moments when Nardini terrorized Valerie with a Great Dane on a leash and then was outsmarted by a chimpanzee more enjoyable.
Also worth noting is Robert Shayne as the next door store clerk. Shayne of course is best known as Inspector Henderson from the old Superman show in the fifties.
My guess with Nardini is he felt he was promoting an offensive stereotype of blackface by becoming best known for portraying a native American when he wasn't anything of the kind and with the societal discord of the late sixties as well, this caused him to veer into a more pleasurable lifestyle of drugs.
Acting wise, he wasn't impressive, but there was no way he could imagine a Blago resemblance forty years later.
Having the episodes of Land of the Giants on DVD, I looked up Nardini and decided to see where his career took him.
This episode centers on Chipper being injured by a trained movie dog worth $100,000 (we're given the amount) when the dog barks or sneezes (descriptions differ as to what happened) There are two young men working in the veterinarian's office. One is the responsible Ben and the other is slacker Nardini.
After a while, Nardini began to bear an incredible resemblance to disgraced Chicago governero Rod Blagoyevich (Blagojevich?) or Blago. Not just the head full of black hair on Nardini's head, but his features, even in closeup as well as sounding like him.
This then made moments when Nardini terrorized Valerie with a Great Dane on a leash and then was outsmarted by a chimpanzee more enjoyable.
Also worth noting is Robert Shayne as the next door store clerk. Shayne of course is best known as Inspector Henderson from the old Superman show in the fifties.
My guess with Nardini is he felt he was promoting an offensive stereotype of blackface by becoming best known for portraying a native American when he wasn't anything of the kind and with the societal discord of the late sixties as well, this caused him to veer into a more pleasurable lifestyle of drugs.
Acting wise, he wasn't impressive, but there was no way he could imagine a Blago resemblance forty years later.