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David Janssen: Our Conversations - The Early Years
"What impresses me is the flavor and cadence of the writing. They were all David. It was a joy to read and brought back so many memories of my own." - Les Lannom, actor
"I didn't feel like I was reading a book; instead, it felt like I was listening to actual conversations taking place. It was an honor to see the friendship between Phelps and Janssen grow throughout the years." - author, Norma Budden
Michael Phelps crossed paths with David Janssen, star of The Fugitive TV series, when working security detail at a party Janssen was attending in Los Angeles.
Little did either anticipate that one conversation would be the beginning of a friendship which would span 15 years – up to the time of Janssen's unexpected passing.
Michael Phelps, co-author of David Janssen – My Fugitive, written with Ellie Janssen (David Janssen's first wife) was encouraged to write about his friendship with the star.
After giving it some thought, Phelps decided to make an attempt at providing Janssen's fans with a glimpse into the heart and soul of David Janssen, the man he was when not in front of the camera's eye.
Phelps re-visited hundreds of conversations he and Janssen shared about various subjects including his marriage to, and divorce from, Ellie Janssen; his relationship with Rosemary Forsyth; his thoughts about the people he held close to his heart; his alleged womanizing and drinking habits; his impressions of the various people he met in the acting business, from producers, directors and writers to the actors themselves; his courtship, marriage to (and planned divorce from) Dani Greco; his thoughts about certain roles and characters he played and a host of other subjects.
Alas! David Janssen – Our Conversations was born, an undertaking which would take in excess of four years to complete, a memoir in which Phelps shares many of the conversations he and David shared with the world but, especially, David Janssen's fans.
This story is told in two volumes because of its length. Be sure to check out the second part of the story, David Janssen – Our The Final Years.
"I didn't feel like I was reading a book; instead, it felt like I was listening to actual conversations taking place. It was an honor to see the friendship between Phelps and Janssen grow throughout the years." - author, Norma Budden
Michael Phelps crossed paths with David Janssen, star of The Fugitive TV series, when working security detail at a party Janssen was attending in Los Angeles.
Little did either anticipate that one conversation would be the beginning of a friendship which would span 15 years – up to the time of Janssen's unexpected passing.
Michael Phelps, co-author of David Janssen – My Fugitive, written with Ellie Janssen (David Janssen's first wife) was encouraged to write about his friendship with the star.
After giving it some thought, Phelps decided to make an attempt at providing Janssen's fans with a glimpse into the heart and soul of David Janssen, the man he was when not in front of the camera's eye.
Phelps re-visited hundreds of conversations he and Janssen shared about various subjects including his marriage to, and divorce from, Ellie Janssen; his relationship with Rosemary Forsyth; his thoughts about the people he held close to his heart; his alleged womanizing and drinking habits; his impressions of the various people he met in the acting business, from producers, directors and writers to the actors themselves; his courtship, marriage to (and planned divorce from) Dani Greco; his thoughts about certain roles and characters he played and a host of other subjects.
Alas! David Janssen – Our Conversations was born, an undertaking which would take in excess of four years to complete, a memoir in which Phelps shares many of the conversations he and David shared with the world but, especially, David Janssen's fans.
This story is told in two volumes because of its length. Be sure to check out the second part of the story, David Janssen – Our The Final Years.
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First published September 27, 2014
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About the author
Michael Phelps
4 books41 followersMy name is Michael Phelps. NO (sorry to disappoint), I am NOT the young, good-looking, talented, Olympic Champion. I am the (NOT so) young, (NOT at all) good-looking, (YES) talented, (NOT) an Olympic Champion. I am an Author.
While engaged as Chief Investigator for a prominent Miami (FL) Law firm which specialized in criminal defense I Co-authored "DAVID JANSSEN-MY FUGITIVE" with the iconic actor's first wife, Ellie Janssen. Published in December, 1994 in Hardcover, with Paperback Editions following in 1995, 1996 & 1997 the book sold in excess of 1.2 Million copies world-wide. Upon retiring from the law firm, I chose to embark on the challenging career of becoming an Author. I promised myself never to co-author a book with anyone, especially the ex-wife of a celebrity. I chose to write about something I know well; Police & Detective novels and Court room trials, murder and mayhem.
My debut novel, "THE EXECUTION OF JUSTICE" is based on the murder of a close friend and one time mentor of mine, Detective Sergeant Jack Orhberg, Robbery & Homicide Unit of the Indianapolis Police Department. Jack was brutally murdered on December 11, 1980. Published in Hardcover by Blue Line Publishing House, Inc. on January 30, 2009 and E-book format in July of 2010. In this novel I created the "Mike Walsh Detective Novels" series. In July of 2012 I released "THE JOCKEY'S JUSTICE", the second in the "Mike Walsh Detective Novels" series. It is based on the murder of a winning horse racing Jockey, a case I worked on for the law firm.
I have just completed a long journey into the past with my friend DAVID JANSSEN. My Memoir, "DAVID JANSSEN-Our Conversations, VOLUME ONE-The Early Years (1965-1972) and VOLUME TWO, The Final Years (1973-1980) are now available exclusively on Amazon Kindle. Softcover Editions are in the print process now. A Hardcover Edition is available by Special Order.
Please visit my website to examine all my works.
Thank you for your time and interest.
While engaged as Chief Investigator for a prominent Miami (FL) Law firm which specialized in criminal defense I Co-authored "DAVID JANSSEN-MY FUGITIVE" with the iconic actor's first wife, Ellie Janssen. Published in December, 1994 in Hardcover, with Paperback Editions following in 1995, 1996 & 1997 the book sold in excess of 1.2 Million copies world-wide. Upon retiring from the law firm, I chose to embark on the challenging career of becoming an Author. I promised myself never to co-author a book with anyone, especially the ex-wife of a celebrity. I chose to write about something I know well; Police & Detective novels and Court room trials, murder and mayhem.
My debut novel, "THE EXECUTION OF JUSTICE" is based on the murder of a close friend and one time mentor of mine, Detective Sergeant Jack Orhberg, Robbery & Homicide Unit of the Indianapolis Police Department. Jack was brutally murdered on December 11, 1980. Published in Hardcover by Blue Line Publishing House, Inc. on January 30, 2009 and E-book format in July of 2010. In this novel I created the "Mike Walsh Detective Novels" series. In July of 2012 I released "THE JOCKEY'S JUSTICE", the second in the "Mike Walsh Detective Novels" series. It is based on the murder of a winning horse racing Jockey, a case I worked on for the law firm.
I have just completed a long journey into the past with my friend DAVID JANSSEN. My Memoir, "DAVID JANSSEN-Our Conversations, VOLUME ONE-The Early Years (1965-1972) and VOLUME TWO, The Final Years (1973-1980) are now available exclusively on Amazon Kindle. Softcover Editions are in the print process now. A Hardcover Edition is available by Special Order.
Please visit my website to examine all my works.
Thank you for your time and interest.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 25, 2014
David Janssen wasn’t just a Star. He was human like the rest of us. He had the same problems but at times magnified and with different circumstances but the exact same problems. It’s just that his problems were free game for the world to see. Just think, you frown in a picture next to your wife or girlfriend and the next thing you know the world hears there is trouble in paradise.
In David Janssen-Our Conversations Volume One-The Early Years: 1965-1972 we discover just how human David Janssen was. But we also discover how super human he was. His long time non-Hollywood friend Michael Phelps gives us an inside look at just how David Janssen handled some of the toughest moments of his life, including his divorce from his first wife, Ellie Janssen.
David Janssen’s success with The Fugitive series and his problems following its success are discussed along with relationship problems with Ellie Janssen, Rosemary Forsyth and the true love of his life from this volume, as well as his love for the children that entered his life.
I like that we see David’s side of things, even these many years after Ellie Janssen’s biography David Janssen-My Fugitive told a decidedly different story about her time with David.
As a historian I enjoyed the factual way the conversations were presented with small snippets of Michael Phelps’ own life interlaced. This wasn’t just about a man sitting around waiting for his famous friend to call. Mike had his own life and David was interested in that life. The long distance friendship Janssen and Phelps shared proved to me what kind of man Janssen was more than the information revealed. And Mike’s concern for David throughout is obvious. That’s Mike.
I enjoyed discovering David Janssen’s opinions about John Wayne, which I could see as being true. The discussions between Phelps and Janssen about Jack Webb of Dragnet fame who was the creator and executive producer of O’Hara: U.S. Treasury, a one season Janssen series. The people David found to be true friends were at times surprising. As you read through the conversations David also reveals more about himself than I think Michael Phelps realizes. In a way I think Mike was living a life that David Janssen wanted, but never realized it was what he wanted. He never actually recognized that was part of the thing that made his friendship with Michael Phelps work.
You move through the book at a good pace waiting for that next communication with David Janssen to find out what was going on in all facets of his life. The conversations at times were just like any other friendship in the world in that things were repeated just like you would to your own friend. You find yourself saying the same things with the nuggets of information mixed in. That was part of the editing agreement Michael Phelps had, don’t touch the conversations.
If you are wanting a book to learn about the behind the scenes world of Hollywood, how actors had to play the game, how they had to worry about things we never need to and learn about a TV Icon Legend, then this is the book for you. Gift it.
In David Janssen-Our Conversations Volume One-The Early Years: 1965-1972 we discover just how human David Janssen was. But we also discover how super human he was. His long time non-Hollywood friend Michael Phelps gives us an inside look at just how David Janssen handled some of the toughest moments of his life, including his divorce from his first wife, Ellie Janssen.
David Janssen’s success with The Fugitive series and his problems following its success are discussed along with relationship problems with Ellie Janssen, Rosemary Forsyth and the true love of his life from this volume, as well as his love for the children that entered his life.
I like that we see David’s side of things, even these many years after Ellie Janssen’s biography David Janssen-My Fugitive told a decidedly different story about her time with David.
As a historian I enjoyed the factual way the conversations were presented with small snippets of Michael Phelps’ own life interlaced. This wasn’t just about a man sitting around waiting for his famous friend to call. Mike had his own life and David was interested in that life. The long distance friendship Janssen and Phelps shared proved to me what kind of man Janssen was more than the information revealed. And Mike’s concern for David throughout is obvious. That’s Mike.
I enjoyed discovering David Janssen’s opinions about John Wayne, which I could see as being true. The discussions between Phelps and Janssen about Jack Webb of Dragnet fame who was the creator and executive producer of O’Hara: U.S. Treasury, a one season Janssen series. The people David found to be true friends were at times surprising. As you read through the conversations David also reveals more about himself than I think Michael Phelps realizes. In a way I think Mike was living a life that David Janssen wanted, but never realized it was what he wanted. He never actually recognized that was part of the thing that made his friendship with Michael Phelps work.
You move through the book at a good pace waiting for that next communication with David Janssen to find out what was going on in all facets of his life. The conversations at times were just like any other friendship in the world in that things were repeated just like you would to your own friend. You find yourself saying the same things with the nuggets of information mixed in. That was part of the editing agreement Michael Phelps had, don’t touch the conversations.
If you are wanting a book to learn about the behind the scenes world of Hollywood, how actors had to play the game, how they had to worry about things we never need to and learn about a TV Icon Legend, then this is the book for you. Gift it.
August 14, 2021
An easy read
I enjoyed this book to see how David Janssen was, but how on earth could anyone remember so many conversations from 40 years ago?! Unless he wrote them down each time, intending to publish at a future date, maybe? Theres a lot of repetition in the phone calls too and a lot of 'samey' conversations.
I enjoyed this book to see how David Janssen was, but how on earth could anyone remember so many conversations from 40 years ago?! Unless he wrote them down each time, intending to publish at a future date, maybe? Theres a lot of repetition in the phone calls too and a lot of 'samey' conversations.
February 18, 2015
DAVID JANSSEN: OUR CONVERSATIONS, VOLUME ONE chronicles the relationship between the famed actor and his friend Michael Phelps from 1965 to 1972. Through these documented conversations, the reader gains insight into the personal life of Janssen including his tumultuous marriage and divorce with first wife Ellie, the ups and downs of his acting career as Janssen evolved from THE FUGITIVE’s Dr. Richard Kimble to become the king of made-for-TV movies during this era, and the actor’s increasing dependence on alcohol as a means of releasing stress.
Janssen was one of the most talented actors of his time with a devoted fan base that still idolizes him to this day. I know, I am one of them. Kudos to Michael Phelps as he shows, through his recollections, that Janssen was truly “a sensitive, passionate man”. I look forward to reading VOLUME TWO.
Janssen was one of the most talented actors of his time with a devoted fan base that still idolizes him to this day. I know, I am one of them. Kudos to Michael Phelps as he shows, through his recollections, that Janssen was truly “a sensitive, passionate man”. I look forward to reading VOLUME TWO.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews