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Update: February 29, 2000 -- Entertainment Tonight ran a story on
February 26 about WKRP, one of those "where are they now?"
stories. Unfortunately, I missed it (yeah, even though one of the show's
staff anonymously emailed me about it). However, from what I've heard
about it from others, Jan's few seconds of airtime were devoted to a fan's web
site and her displeasure about some comments made about her relationship with
James Brolin. The following entry from the guestbook is well-written, and
I wholeheartedly endorse it:
This is going to sound like lecturing, though it isn't intended as such:
While it's good that you've taken down most of the disparaging references to
James Brolin, I think you probably ought to put up some sort of apology for
unwittingly putting out misinformation about Jan Smithers and her marriage.
Obviously you didn't intend any harm, but a lot of people, after reading your
website, took to saying that Brolin had "dumped" Smithers to marry
Streisand--and I think it was clear from her interview on "Entertainment
Tonight" that Smithers was upset, or at any rate displeased, at being
portrayed as a "victim" dumped by a "cad." We often
underestimate the power of the internet, but clearly your site has been
influential in ways you couldn't have foreseen and certainly never intended;
it must have been something of an unpleasant surprise to find, on national
television, that the subject of your fan-worship site not pleased with the
influence your site has had. (They didn't mention you by name, of course, but
clearly you are the "devoted fan" they were referring to.) Again,
this isn't meant as a lecture. But since you put up this website as a tribute
to Jan Smithers, it might be a good idea to apologize for having offended her.
And I would also advise you to take down *all* disparaging references to James
Brolin-- that includes the crack about the "downward move" in
marrying Streisand (it's true, it is a downward move, but it's still nasty and
it detracts from your site) and the line about Brolin not attending the
funeral of Robert Young, and that obviously fake quote from that tabloid about
Brolin's finances. Just make this a Jan Smithers site, and leave Brolin out of
it, except for factually mentioning that he used to be married to her and that
they're now divorced. Perhaps that's what you should have done in the first
place.
Point made, and agreed with. (Very well written, too.) I've taken down
the comments in question, and I apologize for their small-mindedness. And
Jan - please don't let my few lapses detract from the heartfelt affection that
the (literally) thousands of people who have responded to this page have
expressed for your work. I think the rest of this Jan Smithers site of
mine makes it abundantly clear that the "drooling fan" of the title is
meant tongue in cheek.
Update: June 23, 2000 -- I haven't updated in a while. See if
you can help this woman:
Hi, my name is Judith Wahler and I hope you can help me- My husband
Robert Wahler played Burton in this movie- He is seriously ill with a brain
tumor and we are trying to create a media room for him. This is the only
film that is missing from his collection. The film is out of print and
we are looking desperately for it- Please if you have a copy we will pay for
this or if you know someone that does please refer them to me. Our son Ben,
would love to see this movie. If you have a copy we will pay you to copy this-
Please contact me re: this matter- your effort is greatly appreciated- thanks
Judy Wahler
If you have a copy of this movie, let me know and I'll put you in touch with
Judy.
Update (finally): June 29, 2001 -- Yes, it has been a very long
time since the last update (a year and 6 days, to be exact). I have
had horrendous problems with my server provider, and things have been a
little hectic. But I'm back.
The movie in the last update was found and provided. Thanks for
your help.
I continue to get great feedback on this page. Here is an email I
got today:
This should probably go
in your Jan Smithers guestbook but I'll do a filleted version
for that, cos I've got a lot of good things to say.... and thought I
should do it personally.
I'm writing from England
and I'm delighted and amazed. This is one of the best
discoveries I have ever made on the web.
In England, WKRP never
got a regular slot on prime-time terrrestrial or satellite
TV. Ever. Honestly. I think we'd gone cold on US sitcoms in the
kind of slough between MASH (hobbling to its end) and
Cheers (just starting).
We in Britain must have
seen only, oh, 20 or so episodes, tops.
There were a few of us in
my high school who trawled the schedules for good comedy
and in my final year someone told me to watch WKRP in summer 83; 'it's
really good and it's got this amazing girl in it'.
Well, I had to stay up til about midnight,
and just missed the start. Five minutes in, my jaw completely
dropped; oh, my God! Of course next day I realised
these other kids hadn't meant her at all
but Loni... I think it was only the fact that I was just starting
to go with my first girlfriend that I didn't flip completely. The
show then ping-ponged around the schedules and this
may have stopped me getting too mesmerised.
About 85 it completely
disappeared, never to return. But I always remembered Bailey
(although, get this- I forgot the glasses) and wondered if I'd ever
get to see any pix. I've been on the net 3 years and
have never got round to looking for her,
until yesterday when an entry on WKRP in a comedy encyclopedia
caught my eye. "Oh yeah," I thought, "Jan Smithers. Let's
put her name in the browser and..."
I hope this doesn't sound
corny- I'm a writer and author (http://paulstump.virtualave.net) and by
rights I should be the foe of cliche- but
your site knocked my socks off. Have been writing lots and lots
of notes about female smiles, shapes of faces etc.
It looks good, is well
written and most of all, I'd forgotten just what a heartbreaker
Jan was. I've hardly been able to think about anything else since.
And I'd forgotten too how sweet her character was. I remember now
thinking when I watched the show, 'come on, women like
that can't really exist'.
When one reaches one's
thirties, one can very easily distinguish a 'type' one is
attracted to- as you note. For about seven years now I've traced back
through my various relationships a type of my own,
looks and personality-wise... I was never
sure where it began but now I may have a clue.
And here's something
else. For about a year now I've worked in the same office
as a seriously beautiful (and serious) young woman who I've worshipped
from afar (with no genuine intent though- she's 20 and
I'm 35). I've racked my brains trying to
remember who she reminds me of. Now I know- Jan. This is a
real dead ringer we're talking about here- minus the glasses. Pix 1 and
4 on the first page could be her. What's
more she is- you guessed- very shy, quiet,
prim and proper but also very clever and funny. This is a very, very
spooky discovery- but also very amusing.
As I say, great page-
makes me want to find some episodes on video...
God she'll be 52 in a few
days. Now that IS spooky.
Thanks again, I'll
be in touch, and keep up the good work,
Paul
Update - July 10, 2001 - I
got the following note from a guy in the industry. What he says is
true, and I'm passing it along. On the other hand, I've been doing
this page for 3 years now, and I can't think of a single further thing to
say about Jan Smithers. I feel like Shatner telling off the
trekkies, but she is a fairly minor actress from 20 years ago, and
we should all get a life. Of all the stuff on Cloth Monkey, some of
which is pretty cool and some of which I'm rather proud of, what gets the
most hits? Jan.
If I ever get any kind of
message from Jan, I'll be sure to pass it along. Otherwise, hasta la
vists, fellow babies.
Scott,
I won't overstate the obvious. Like thousands, I
found your site, because I was scratching an itch
about Jan Smithers. (I caught a WKRP today, on TNN.)
I noticed the abrupt ending to your page. It seems
quite obvious, (which of course has nothing to do
with the facts...which only you can supply...),
that the wind was let out of your sails, after the unfortunate
events of last years ET Broadcast and interview of Jan Smithers.
Someone, who I must assume is affiliated with her in some way, or
ET, then sent you that letter two days later, about her need for an
apology from you.
First...so to be clear, I was unable to take the
time to read the entire guest book, (which is why
I write you.) I have to ask...what was the general
response from readers about your apology? ...Why
did you end your updates? ...Did you ever hear from anyone
"in the know" if Ms. Smithers ever read your apology? (It
would seem likely)
My two cents:
I've worked in the film & TV business for many
years. I live among the celebrities, and the
wanna-be's. I do not know, or have met, any of the
cast of WKRP, but I know them "in spirit", so to speak.
What I mean is this...Generally speaking, entertainers in
this business appreciate their fans. They need to.
(So do I, or I wouldn't make a living off them.) In some way it massages
the ego. But not all Entertainers have that ego,
and the appreciation is more genuine.
I can't believe that someone like Jan Smithers, as
described by countless others, including yourself,
...would hold a grudge, let alone any hard
feelings. She just doesn't seem like the angry type. You displayed,
and wrote well about, your appreciation of her. You made the proper
corrections to her wishes. And, you apologised. I've met
"groupies", "hanger's-on" & a few stalkers. I
doubt you would fit the profile, and she should
likewise see the same. Even the writer of the rebuking
letter, saw your sincerity.
Bottom line is...unless you have completely
different reasons not obvious, you should give
serious consideration to renewing your updates.
Who gives a rats-ass if she ever recognises you
again, let alone forgives you. These websites are
a growing phenomenon. Good ones need to be
recognised...even if the intended subject doesn't. Ms. Smithers should
be flattered.
Update -- September 10, 2001 -- I had to add the
following entry from the guestbook, if only for the way this guy was sort
of a mirror image of me. He moved from Northern Virginia to San
Francisco in 1966; I moved from SF to NV in 1969. I've always felt
it was a good thing that I got out of SF in the eighth grade - if I'd
stayed longer, God know what I would have ended up doing (instead of the
thrill-a-minute Government job I've been half-performing for 25 years).
Dear Scott,
Great web page on Jan Smithers! After reading it, it struck me
again how small the world is. I thought I was the only closet Jan
Smithers fan who couldn't admit in male presence that I would have
turned down a date with Loni Anderson to go out with Jan. It also sort
of cross-referenced a few events in my life that I didn't even know
where related!
In the spring of 1966 I was a senior at Wakefield High School in
Arlington VA. Back then Arlington was a middle class bedroom community
with a large national cemetery. I was one of about 100 neighborhood kids
who started elementary school together and had been in the same class
right up to high school graduation. We were a close bunch, about to be
broken up by graduation and college. All swore to keep in touch and get
together during college breaks. Except for me. That winter, my Dad was
moved by his employer to San Francisco. My mother and I were following
him to California as soon as I graduated. I was deeply despondent over
the upcoming move and loss of my friends. Then came that March 1966
Newsweek cover. A blue eyed, sun bleached blond teenager in tight jeans
on the back of a motorcycle was way sexier than what was then deemed
appropriate attire and behavior on the East Coast. I had know idea who
she was (didn't read the article), but suddenly moving to California was
to be envied, not dreaded.
Talk about cultural shock! Moving from the joe collegian
atmosphere of Arlington to the flower child/hippie era of San Francisco
in 1966 was the most traumatic thing I've done in my life. But some
tutoring from fellow junior college classmates soon had me joining
Students for a Democratic Society and listening to KMPX-FM at night
(back then FM had no commercials). I seem to recall that KMPX had
another DJ by the name of Sly Stone (later, of Sly and the Family Stone
fame).
By the mid 1970s I ended up living in Kettering Ohio. Cincinnati
was the best kept secret in America when it came to adult entertainment.
The Playboy Club was directly across the street form Riverfront Stadium
and the Reds and Bengals were perennial conference contenders. Then
along came WKRP in the late 1970s, which starred Kettering's own Gary Sandy.
The production was so much in tune to the city's personality and events
that it was easy to forget it was made in Hollywood and not Cincinnati.
I also watched WKRP to see Jan Smithers. I had no clue who she was
or that she was that girl on Newsweek. But 15 years later she had the
same effect on me that she did in 1966. She had the striking looks that
men dream about. Visiting your website 20 years later was truly déjà
vu all over again. Keep up the good work. If not for her, then just of
us guys who felt she epitomizes beauty.
Richard Almassy, Long Beach Californa Richard.almassy@boeing.com
I wish I had a better copy of that Newsweek cover. A nice color
scan from one of you Smithers freaks out there would be greatly
appreciated.
Update: December 27, 2001 -- I got the following email:
I went to Taft High School with Jan from 1964-1966.
We both hung out with the same crowd...surfers. She was the most
un-pretentious sweetheart of a girl you will ever
meet. She was like "one of the guys." However, her beauty was so
overwhelming, you just knew she was headed for big things and when I saw
her photo on the cover of Newsweek, I thought..."she's
on her way.
I bumped into her at a hippie place back in 1967
called the "Middle Earth." They sold all
kinds of stuff, like..."You put you weeeeed in there." She was
with her sister Mary, who was another total fox. I heard
that she died a while back, but don't quote me on
that.
Back then, Taft High in Woodland Hills was a really
special place. It was like "surf city."
Everybody had a bitchen car and during the summer, you could
walk through the parking lot and hear the Beach Boys blaring from every
radio.
I spoke to Jan about a month ago. She's still the
same sweet girl I went to school with. I thought you
might find this interesting. (Name withheld)
Also, the ever-resourceful "Jed" has been
passing along photos of Jan at a fairly regular clip, and I promised I'd
post them. God knows where he gets these things from.
 
 
Update - June 23, 2002 -- Some kind soul finally scanned the
color pictures from the March 1966 Newsweek. Here they are.
I especially like the eye makeup in the ice cream cone picture - it's like
watching Gidget on TVLand!
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