Archive for May 1st, 2017

Obit watch: May 1, 2017.

Monday, May 1st, 2017

Dick Contino, noted accordion player and sometime actor.

In the late 1940’s, Mr. Contino was pulling down “up to $4,000 a week”. Then, in 1951, he got drafted into the Army. He didn’t take well to this:

…after reporting to Fort Ord, near Monterey, Calif., bolted before his induction, overwhelmed by persistent neuroses including claustrophobia.

He ended up serving 4 1/2 months in federal prison and paying a $10,000 fine for “refusing to submit to induction”. He was later pardoned, but his career never completely recovered.

He did go on to do a couple of B-movies, including “Daddy-O” (which some of you may remember as a Joel episode of MST3K). And even later on, he was the inspiration for James Ellroy’s “Dick Contino’s Blues”.