Who is Jim Belushi?
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ACTOR Jim Belushi is recognized for his various appearances across television and film.
He is the younger brother of the original Saturday Night Live cast member, the late John Belushi, who passed away in 1982.
1 Jim Belushi starred in dozens of television and movie productions, it runs in the family
Who is Jim Belushi?
Jim Belushi is an American actor from Chicago, Illinois.
He followed in his famous older brother, John’s, footsteps by starring in and writing for Saturday Night Live from 1983 to 1985.
Belushi appeared in a titular series of his own, According to Jim, from 2001 to 2009 on ABC.
The actor’s cinematic roles include The Man With One Red Shoe, Little Shop of Horrors, Jumpin Jack Flash, Gang Related, and many more.
What is Jim Belushi’s net worth?
Jim Belushi has been actively appearing in television and film since the 1970s.
Belushi’s portrayed characters in the movies Trading Places, About Last Night, Curly Sue, Hookwinked, and dozens more.
He’s amassed quite a fortune throughout his Hollywood career.
According to CelebrityNetWorth, Jim Belushi’s net worth is $50 million.
Is Jim Belushi married?
Jim Belushi married his first wife, Sandra Davenport, on May 17, 1980.
Together they have one son, actor Robert Belushi, on October 23 of that year.
Belushi and Davenport divorced in 1988.
He was married to his second wife, About Last Night co-star Marjorie Bransfield, from 1990 to 1992.
On May 2, 1998, Jim Belushi and Jennifer Sloan tied the knot.
However, the couple separated in 2018.
Although they later reconciled, they ultimately divorced in 2021.
Belushi and Sloan have two children, a son and a daughter, together.
It’s hard to talk to a Hollywood star when you don’t realize he was one of your heroes
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It’s hard to talk to a Hollywood star when you don’t realize he was one of your heroes
In this 1969 file photo originally released by CBS, actor James MacArthur is shown in character as Detective Dan Williams in the TV show “Hawaii Five-O.” MacArthur, the son of actress Helen Hayes and playwright Charles MacArthur, died in 2010 at age 72. MacArthur also appeared in 1960’s “Swiss Family Robinson,” favorite of the young Dave Heun. Associated Press File Photo/CBS
Throughout my career, I’ve interviewed or at least spoken to several people who have been in the national spotlight. Marquette basketball coach Al McGuire; former Bulls standouts Michael Jordan, Jerry Sloan, Norm Van Lier and Artis Gilmore; actress Michael Learned of “The Waltons”; presidential candidate Bob Dole; comedian Jim Belushi; rock star and Steppenwolf frontman John Kay; Sun Records owner Sam Phillips (he, of Elvis Presley fame); Cubs stars Randy Hundley and Billy Williams; and White Sox star Tim “Rock” Raines. There are probably others, but the point is, you meet interesting people when you are a journalist.
But imagine talking to a Hollywood star and not realizing he was actually your childhood hero. It’s frustrating to figure that out years later.
And I’ve been frustrated before. After all, I had the opportunity to visit another hero, Larry Fine of The Three Stooges, in 1974 when he was in Cedars-Sinai Medical Center near Hollywood. My friend’s grandmother worked at the hospital and arranged for us to visit.
We got to the hospital parking lot and chickened out, under the excuse of not wanting to see one of our beloved Stooges in bad shape. Larry died in January of 1975 and the Stooges’ Moe Howard wrote in his book that Larry was disappointed fans never came to visit. I regret it to this day.
So, who was the childhood hero I actually spoke to and didn’t make the connection? That would be James MacArthur, who played Fritz Robinson in the Disney adventure yarn “Swiss Family Robinson” in 1960. As a 7-year-old kid, it was easy for me to believe it was the greatest movie ever made.
It turns out MacArthur, whose mother was theater legend Helen Hayes, was a distant relation of the late Skott Zimmerman, a St. Charles golf store operator who sponsored and organized the Midwest Golf Pro-Am event each summer at the Royal Fox Country Club to benefit Special Olympics.
MacArthur came to St. Charles a few times for this event that I was fortunate enough to play in. I never played with MacArthur, but I talked to him in 1998 at the post-event dinner.
I knew him only as a famous actor in “Hawaii Five-O” in the role of Danny “Danno” Williams, with the famous line of “Book ’em, Danno” closing many of the shows after a criminal was caught.
He was a nice fellow. We shook hands and talked about golf, because I didn’t know what else to talk about. I didn’t watch “Hawaii Five-O.”
James MacArthur, right, goes over his script with actor Edward Arnold in preparation for MacArthur’s first professional acting job on a national television program (“Climax,” CBS) in Los Angeles, California, on Aug. 25, 1955. - Associated Press Photo/Ellis R. Bosworth
In just the past month, I came across an old VHS tape of “Swiss Family Robinson” in a box at home – and there it was. James MacArthur had a huge role, along with other Disney child stars – Tommy Kirk, who passed away late last year, and Kevin “Moochie” Corcoran, who died in 2015. And it all came back to me that MacArthur was my favorite character, kind of an Errol Flynn swashbuckler type, fighting giant snakes and pirates and eventually winning the love interest in the film.
I dug out the printed program for that 1998 golf event (yes, journalists don’t throw things out) and read the entry about MacArthur, and it did not mention the movie.
It’s hard to believe I missed the chance to talk to him about what it was like to make that cool movie. It would be similar to someone talking to actor Tom Hanks when he was in downtown Geneva in 2001 filming “Road to Perdition,” but not realizing he was the star of “Big,” one of your favorite movies when you were a kid in 1988.
I didn’t make that mistake when I met Jerry “The Beaver” Mathers and Tony “Wally” Dow at an autograph signing event at DuPage County Fairgrounds two years ago. I knew what I wanted to ask them beforehand, being familiar with most every episode of “Leave it to Beaver.”
As it turned out, I never saw James MacArthur again – and he passed away at age 72 in Jacksonville, Florida, in 2010.
Getting a chance to talk to a famous person isn’t a rarity in the Tri-Cities area. We’ve had our fair share of Hollywood, music or sports royalty turn up; Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys lived in St. Charles for several years, and Donnie Wahlberg and Jenny McCarthy call St. Charles their home now.
The Arcada Theater has so many music icons perform here, you could run into one at any time – like seeing Graham Nash at a nearby car show before his gig or, prior to his passing, seeing Davey Jones of The Monkees walking around town.
I’m not certain what the moral of this story is. But don’t pass up the opportunity to talk to a movie, sports or music star if you ever get the chance. At the very least, make sure you remember if that big star was one of your heroes.
Let’s ‘Gather’ at bakery
Like most teachers, Sandra Ranney of St. Charles enjoys seeing her former students do well. In the case of one of her former third-grade students at Fox Ridge Elementary, Deanna (Pieniazek) Keilty, it also carries the benefit of trying delicious bakery goods Deanna and her husband, Eric, prepare for various marketplaces.
Eric and Deanna lived in Chandler, Arizona, where they began an in-home bakery called “GingerBrick,” selling goodies at various markets throughout Phoenix.
Because her family is still in this area and her mother, Donna, a former substitute teacher in St. Charles, was quite ill, Deanna and Eric moved back and ended up in Rockford.
After Donna’s passing, they changed the name of the bakery to “Gather” in reference to gathering again with family and friends – and they started selling in local markets.
Gather Bakery has a booth on Fridays at the Baker Community Church indoor market in St. Charles, and on Saturdays at the Batavia downtown indoor farmers market.
When visiting friends in Arizona, Ranney said she would sample some of the couple’s bakery goods – Jalapeño cheddar bread, Danish, bagels, focaccia, scones, croissants and fudge.
“My friends here would beg Ken and Donna to bring up some treats when they would return for visits,” Ranney said.
As a lifelong resident of St. Charles, Ranney has it in her blood to support local businesses. After all, her father was George Worthley of the Klick and Worthley Drug Store, which is now the site of the ZaZa Trattoria restaurant.
Her grandfather was Carl Soderquist, whose construction company built the original Illinois Street Bridge, among other area sites.
“It’s a reason why I like to support local business and give a shout out when someone like Deanna and Eric have brought their future to our area,” Ranney said.
A tile takeover
In case anyone is wondering what is going on when they see work crews at the former Binny’s Beverage Depot site in St. Charles, you may soon see builders and handymen alike visiting the place.
The city doesn’t have a lot to share on it yet, but preliminary information indicates the former Binny’s at 1950 Lincoln Hwy. is being cleared to make way for a tile store.
Binny’s moved to the Geneva Commons nearly a year ago.
The city didn’t have a name to share yet on who is potentially taking over the St. Charles location, but Floor & Décor comes to mind as a guess, because it’s a rather large tile store.
It’s almost movie time
I’m not really in a moviegoing mindset yet, but it has been difficult to see the Randall 15 complex in Batavia empty since last March.
Michigan-based Emagine Entertainment is about to take over the complex and include Emax, a 94-foot-wide screen. Anyone itching to go to the show at this Randall Road site has a reason to be hopeful about doing so sometime in 2022.
Emagine also is seeking a liquor license for the theater complex.
Oh boy, another place for me to imbibe a bit and fall asleep while watching a movie.
Meat Loaf, rock legend and ‘Bat Out of Hell’ singer, dead at 74
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Legendary rock singer Meat Loaf has died, according to an announcement posted on his official Facebook page. He was 74.
“Our hearts are broken to announce that the incomparable Meat Loaf passed away tonight with his wife Deborah by his side,” the post said. “Daughters Pearl and Amanda and close friends have been with him throughout the last 24 hours.”
Meat Loaf was reportedly “seriously ill” with COVID-19 just days before his death.
Born Marvin Lee Aday in Dallas, Texas, in 1947, Meat Loaf began acting and singing in school productions. He moved to Los Angeles after his mother’s death in 1965.
In Los Angeles, Meat Loaf spent his time pursuing careers in both acting and music. He had a brief stint recording for Motown, and opened for touring bands including the Who and the Grateful Dead.
Meat Loaf in 2010. In an interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette published last August, he labelled face masks a “nuisance” and told the outlet: “I’m sorry, I understood stopping life for a little while, but they cannot continue to stop life because of politics.” EPA
In 1971, Meat Loaf was cast in the Los Angeles production of the musical “Hair.” He later joined the original LA Roxy cast of “The Rocky Horror Show” in 1973, playing the parts of Eddie and Dr. Everett Scott. After the success of the musical, Meat Loaf was asked to reprise his role as Eddie in the 1975 film adaptation, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” which became one of the most beloved cult films of all time.
In 1973, Meat Loaf also served as an understudy for his friend John Belushi in “Lemmings,” a National Lampoon stage production on Broadway.
Meat Loaf’s big break in music came with the release of his debut album, “Bat Out of Hell,” in 1977. The album has sold over 43 million copies worldwide and was certified 14 times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.
Last year also saw the death of Jim Steinman, his longtime collaborator and songwriter. Steinman wrote all the songs on “Bat Out of Hell.”
“Bat Out of Hell” featured many of Meat Loaf’s most recognizable songs, including “You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth” and “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad.” In “Paradise By the Dashboard Light,” Meat Loaf sang a duet with Ellen Foley about going all the way, and featured mock play-by-play analysis by legendary Yankees broadcaster Phil Rizzuto.
Meat Loaf died “with his wife Deborah by his side,” according to a heartbreaking Facebook post. WireImage
Meat Loaf and his frequent collaborator Jim Steinman in the late 1970s. Photofest
Meat Loaf would go on to record 11 more albums in his long career as a recording artist, including two sequels to “Bat Out of Hell.” In total, he sold more than 80 million albums over the course of his career.
Meat Loaf would also go on to have a successful career as an actor, appearing in movies such as “Spice World,” “Fight Club” and “Wayne’s World.”
Although his official cause of death has yet to be confirmed, he famously labeled face masks a “nuisance” in an interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette published last August.
“I’m sorry, I understood stopping life for a little while, but they cannot continue to stop life because of politics,” he told the outlet. “And right now they’re stopping because of politics. And on CNN last night, it finally came out that the masks we’re all wearing are useless — but I’ve known that for six months.
As for masks, he argued: “They don’t do anything. They don’t stop you from getting Covid. They’re just a nuisance and make your nose itch and make it so you can’t breathe. After the interviewer said: “We’re being controlled by everybody”, he replied: “Yeah, I know. But not me. If I die, I die, but I’m not going to be controlled.”
Meanwhile, celebrities took to social media Friday to pay their respects to the star, including former collaborator Cher and fellow musician Boy George.
With Post wires
Meat Loaf embraces friend and collaborator Ted Nugent backstage at a concert in 1979. Getty Images
Meat Loaf poses with Blondie lead singer Debbie Harry at the party for the premiere of the movie “Roadie,” June 12, 1980, in New York. AP
RIP Louie Anderson and Meat Loaf
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Shortly after penning my dual review of The Lost Daughter and The Tragedy of Macbeth and highlighting both the difficulty of raising children during the pandemic and the difficulties thrown into our path by fate, both of my kids wound up home from school. Fate, it seems, is not without a sense of irony.
As a result, this is going to be a mildly truncated, link-heavy iteration of Screen Time. Let’s be honest, you’ll probably learn more reading these folks than you would reading me anyway. Please enjoy, and with any luck we’ll be back to full strength next week.
On to the links!
If you found that compendium of links useful, please share it with the movie-lover in your life!
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Assigned Viewing: The Warriors (Hulu)
This week I realized something fairly striking: Only one of the films directed by Walter Hill, Red Heat, is available on 4K Blu-ray. No 48 Hours, no The Warriors, no Streets of Fire. Just … Red Heat.
And look, Red Heat is fun! I like the pairing of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jim Belushi. Good movie. But The Warriors is calling out for a pristine 4K release. Just imagine watching all those gangs prowl New York City in glorious 4K! The kids have to learn about Hill’s modern reimagining of Xenophon’s Anabasis some time, don’t they? One of these days Arrow or Criterion or someone needs to put out a proper 4K collection with Extreme Prejudice, Hard Times, Southern Comfort, Johnny Handsome, and The Driver.
The Xbox Series S is 7 percent off at Woot
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If you’ve been trying to buy a next-gen console, you’re no doubt aware that it’s been quite a challenge due to component shortages. However, Microsoft has done a great job making the Xbox Series S model available over the past few months, and now we’re starting to see our first real discounts. It’s on sale for today only at Woot for $280, which is $20 or 7 percent off the regular $300 price. That’s not a lot, but given that they haven’t been available at all until recently, any discount is appreciated.
Buy Xbox Series S at Woot - $280
We said that the Xbox Series S was a “formidable next-gen console wrapped up in an adorable package” in our Engadget review, while also noting that it was an “incredible value.” That’s thanks to the compact design (looking at you, Sony PS5), improved game performance and the huge backward-compatible library.
More specifically, the console can handle games at up to 1440p and hit variable refresh rates up to 120fps, though not many games can do both at the same time. It can’t handle 4K like the Xbox Series X or PS5, but refresh rate is a more important issue for most gamers. You also get dramatically faster load times thanks to Microsoft’s new Xbox Velocity architecture and custom 512GB SSD, though the relatively paltry storage might be an issue for some users.
Lack of storage aside, the Xbox Series S is already one of the best console deals out there, and even more so at the discounted $280 price. You’d better act quickly if you want one, however, as the deal will disappear within 24 hours or when stock sells out, whichever comes first.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.