“Wyatt Earp, Wyatt Earp, Brave courageous and bold.
Long live his fame and long live his glory
and long may his story be told.”

While completely unrelated to sci fi, I wanted to take a moment to pay tribute to actor Hugh O’Brian who died Sept. 6 at the age of 91.

In Jan. 2015, I had the opportunity to interview Hugh for online radio’s “Dave White Presents” as part of his promotions for his autobiography, Hugh O'Brian, Or What's Left of Him which he co-wrote with his wife, Virginia. Virginia was also part of the interview as Hugh’s hearing was so bad, she had to help him respond to my questions.

As I learned in both the book and interview, the life and legend of Hugh O’Brian went far beyond his years starring in The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp. I opened the discussion making an observation I’d had since I watched the show as a youngster--don't brave, courageous, and bold all mean exactly the same thing?

Nitpicking about theme lyrics aside, there's no question The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp made an impression on those who watched it during its first run from 1955 to 1961. But another line in the same theme song proclaims, "long may his story be told," and that's certainly been the case for the adventures of a heavily fictionalized incarnation of a hero of the Old West.

So fans of that series should be interested in the autobiography of Hugh O'Brian who indeed gives us insider views into the evolution of his character. In his book and our interview together, he described how he chose his own outfit, how he contributed to the dialogue and style of the episodes, and how his gun-slinging ended up costing him much of his hearing.

But no actor's life begins and ends with one role, and O'Brian delivered a fast-paced memoir of his own life and times. He began on a humorous note, telling us that, as a four year old, he started his own business selling used newspapers to earn pennies for candy. He shared his days in the Marines where, at the age of 17, he was the youngest drill instructor in the service and claims he was the one to coin the phrase, "ooh-rah!"

Of course, there are numerous anecdotes about the films and TV appearances he was involved in. He discussed his friendships with Debbie Reynolds and Hugh Hefner, both of whom wrote introductions for the book. He described working on stage and within the studio system of the era. He worked with the likes of Ida Lupino, Lana Turner, John Wayne on the ailing actor's last film, and the proposed comedy team of O'Brian and Buddy Hackett. He met Elvis Presley, The Beatles, and many presidents during his life. Among his many films, he was one of the sperm donors to the Danny DeVito/Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle, Twins.

But his book changed gears when O'Brian describes his meeting in Africa with famed humanitarian Dr. Albert Sweitzer and how that changed his life. In 1958, he founded the Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership, a non-profit development program for high school sophomores. It sponsors 10,000 students annually through its over 70 leadership programs in all 50 states and 20 countries. Justifiably, O'Brian is immeasurably proud of this achievement and its ongoing growth.

In the final pages, O'Brian took to the pulpit with a rather repetitive sermon on what young people need to do to succeed—as in being givers rather than takers—and why older retirees should stay active and contribute to the community by volunteering. Well, if anyone had earned the privilege of lecturing senior citizens, it's O'Brian. After all, after a lifetime of enjoying lovely ladies, he finally got married at the age of 81.

The story of Hugh O'Brian is well worth being told, even if many of his stories are so short as to be virtual good natured snapshots. If you're interested in Wyatt Earp, one man's mostly happy memories of Hollywood, and the impressive Youth Leadership program, O’Brian offered a good read.

To hear my Jan. 28, 2015 interview with Hugh O’Brian, it’s still available as a podcast, mp3 download, from itunes and through TEVO, or on the player at
http://tinyurl.com/lkz93he