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Theatre, Film, and Television Biographies
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Jules Tasca to Sam Trammell
Rip Torn Biography (1931-)
Full name, Elmore Rual Torn, Jr.; born February 6, 1931, in Temple, TX; son of Elmore Rual (an economist) and Thelma (maiden name, Spacek) Torn; married Ann Wedgeworth (an actress), January 15, 1955 (divorced, June 1961); married Geraldine Page (an actress), 1961 (died, 1987); children: (first marriage) Danae; (second marriage) Angelica, Anthony, Jonathan. Addresses: Agent: Gersh Agency, 130 West 42nd St., Suite 1804, New York, NY 10036-7901.; Manager: Pure Arts Entertainment, 1925 Century Park East, Suite 2320, Los Angeles, CA 90067.; Publicist: Guttman Associates PR, 118 S. Beverly Dr., Suite 201, Beverly Hills, CA 90212.
- Nationality
- American
- Gender
- Male
- Occupation
- Actor, director
- Birth Details
- February 6, 1931
- Temple, Texas, United States
Famous Works
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CREDITS
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Film Appearances
- (Uncredited; film debut) Brick, Baby Doll, Warner Bros., 1956
- Lieutenant George Miller, Time Limit!, United Artists, 1957
- (Uncredited) Barry Mills, A Face in the Crowd, Warner Bros., 1957
- Lieutenant Walter Russell, Pork Chop Hill, United Artists, 1959
- Judas, King of Kings, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1961
- Nicholas Gates, Hero's Island (also known as The Land We Love), United Artists, 1962
- Tom Finley, Jr., Sweet Bird of Youth, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1962
- Dion Kapakos, Critic's Choice, Warner Bros., 1963
- William Jefferson Slade, The Cincinnati Kid, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer,1965
- Alexander, One Spy Too Many, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1966
- Sergeant Honeywell, Beach Red, United Artists, 1967
- I. H. Chanticleer, You're a Big Boy Now, Seven Arts, 1967
- Popcorn, Beyond the Law, Grove, 1968
- Dano Villanova, Sol Madrid (also known as The Heroin Gang),Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1968
- Joe Glassman, Coming Apart, 1969
- Raoul Rey O'Houlihan, Maidstone, 1970
- Henry Miller, Tropic of Cancer, Paramount, 1970
- Dominick, Slaughter (also known as Masacre), American International, 1972
- Himself, One P.M. (also known as One A.M./One American Movie and One P.M./One Parallel Movie), 1972
- Maury Dann, Payday, Cinerama, 1973
- Roy, Cotter, 1973
- Richie, Crazy Joe, Columbia, 1974
- Thomas, Birch Interval, Gamma III, 1976
- Nathan Bryce, The Man Who Fell to Earth, Columbia, 1976
- Narrator, On the Line, 1976
- Father Maximilian, Nasty Habits (also known as The Abbess),Brut, 1977
- Dr. George, Coma, United Artists, 1978
- Dwight Webb, The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover, American International Pictures, 1978
- Senator Kittner, The Seduction of Joe Tynan, Universal, 1979
- Voice, The Wobblies, 1979
- JCS Chairman G. E. Dumpston, First Family, Warner Bros., 1980
- Walter Fox, One-Trick Pony, Warner Bros., 1980
- Clyde Stewart, Heartland, 1980
- Harold Benson, Jinxed!, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1982
- Kruger/President Reagan, Airplane II: The Sequel (also known as Flying High II), Paramount, 1982
- Artie Taggart, A Stranger Is Watching, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/UnitedArtists, 1982
- Maax, The Beastmaster, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1982
- Khepera, Scarab (also known as Escarabajos asesinos), 1982
- Marsh Turner, Cross Creek, Universal, 1983
- Will, Misunderstood (also known as L'ultimo sole d'estate),Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1984
- Dino McLeish, Songwriter, TriStar, 1984
- Sheriff Wells, Flashpoint, TriStar, 1984
- Primo Pitt, City Heat, Warner Bros., 1984
- Scully, Summer Rental, Paramount, 1985
- Buzz Beckerman, Beer (also known as The Selling of America), Orion, 1985
- Sheriff Hank Pearson, Extreme Prejudice, TriStar, 1987
- Buford Pope, Nadine, TriStar, 1987
- Frank Maheu, Blind Curve, 1989
- Dr. Markowitz, Silence Like Glass (also known as Zwei Frauen), 1989
- Vic Luca, Hit List, New Line, 1990
- Walt Whitman, Beautiful Dreamers, Hemdale Releasing, 1990
- Sheriff, Cold Feet, Avenue Pictures, 1990
- Bob Diamond, Defending Your Life, Warner Bros., 1991
- Dub Farley, Death Falls, 1991
- Dr. Karl Resnick, Dolly Dearest, Trimark Pictures, 1992
- Narrator, Fires of Kuwait, 1992
- Merritt W. Morton the CEO, Robocop 3, Orion, 1993
- Deputy Prescott, Beyond the Law (also known as Fixing the Shadow), LIVE Entertainment, 1994
- Noel Lord, Where the Rivers Flow North, Caledonia Pictures, 1994
- Captain Cole, For Better or Worse (also known as Stranger Things), Columbia, 1995
- General Panzer, Canadian Bacon, Gramercy, 1995
- Arthur Cleary, How to Make an American Quilt, Universal, 1995
- Admiral Winslow, Down Periscope, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1996
- Trucker "God," The Mouse, 1996
- Voice of Zeus, Hercules (animated), Buena Vista, 1997
- Benny Gibbs, Trial and Error, New Line Cinema, 1997
- Chief Zed, Men in Black (also known as MIB), Columbia TriStar, 1997
- Randall Tyson, Senseless, Dimension Films, 1998
- Quentin Morewood, Wonder Boys (also known as Die Wonder Boys and Wonderboys--Lauter Wunderknaben), Paramount, 1999
- John Scanlon, The Insider, Buena Vista, 1999
- Agent Zed, Men in Black Alien Attack (also known as Men in Black: The Ride), Paramount, 2000
- Jim Brody, Freddy Got Fingered, Twentieth Century-Fox, 2001
- Narrator, Nine Hundred Nights, 2001
- Zed, Men in Black II (also known as MIB 2 and MIIB),Columbia, 2002
- Oldman, Rolling Kansas, Gold Circle, 2003
- Mr. Novak, Love Object, Lions Gate Films, 2003
- Bert Langdon, Welcome to Mooseport, Fox, 2004
- Patches O'Houlihan, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (also known as Dodgeball), Twentieth Century-Fox, 2004
- Carcajou, Disappearances, Kingdom County, 2004
- Edmund `Grandpa' Colins, Eulogy, Lions Gate Films, 2004
- Alan James, Forty Shades of Blue, High Line, 2004
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Film Director
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The Telephone, New World, 1988
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Television Appearances
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Series
- Arthur, The Larry Sanders Show, HBO, 1992-1999
- Narrator, Ghost Stories, syndicated, 1997-1998
- Voice of Zeus, Disney's Hercules (animated), ABC and syndicated, 1998-1999
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Miniseries
- Glen Tuttle, Attack on Terror: The FBI versus the Ku Klux Klan, CBS, 1975
- Richard M. Nixon, Blind Ambition (also known as The John Dean Story), CBS, 1979
- General Ulysses S. Grant, The Blue and the Gray, CBS, 1982
- Lewis Slaton, The Atlanta Child Murders, CBS, 1985
- Kit Carson, Dream West, CBS, 1986
- Adolphus, John Jakes's Heaven and Hell: North and South, Part III,ABC, 1994
- Spence Vitt, Seasons of Love, CBS, 1999
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Movies
- George Oldenberg, The President's Plane Is Missing, ABC, 1973
- Dr. Hartogs, Betrayal, NBC, 1978
- K. W. Hicks, Steel Cowboy (also known as Fast Lane Fever),NBC, 1978
- Jack Baker, A Shining Season, CBS, 1979
- C. J., Scooby-Doo Goes Hollywood, 1979
- Charles Burt, Rape and Marriage: The Rideout Case, CBS, 1980
- Carlo Ponti, Sophia Loren: Her Own Story, NBC, 1980
- Stuart Blankfort, When She Says No, ABC, 1984
- Wilheim Gehbert, The Execution, NBC, 1985
- Tim Nettleton, Manhunt for Claude Dallas, CBS, 1986
- Lyndon B. Johnson, J. Edgar Hoover (also known as Hoover),Showtime, 1987
- Joe Datilla, Laguna Heat, HBO, 1987
- J. S. Kraft, The King of Love, ABC, 1987
- Corbet St. James IV, Destination: America, ABC, 1987
- Solomon Chandler, "April Morning," Hallmark Hall of Fame, CBS, 1988
- Tom "Boss" Finley, Sweet Bird of Youth (also known as TennesseeWilliams's "Sweet Bird of Youth"), NBC, 1989
- Gideon Hogarth, "None So Blind," Kojak (also known as The ABC Saturday Mystery), ABC, 1990
- Colonel Fargo, By Dawn's Early Light (also known as The Grand Tour), HBO, 1990
- Captain Jack Parsons, Pair of Aces (also known as RIP), CBS, 1990
- Leon Lamarr, "Death Hits the Jackpot," Columbo!, ABC, 1991
- Jack Parsons, Another Pair of Aces: Three of a Kind, CBS, 1991
- Brian Stansbury, My Son Johnny (also known as Bad Seed,
My Son Frankie, and My Brother Frankie), CBS, 1991
- Happy Sam, T Bone N Weasel, TNT, 1992
- Bill Morgan, A Mother's Right: The Elizabeth Morgan Story (also known as With Reason to Suspect and Shattered Silence), ABC, 1992
- Admiral Paul Yost, "Dead Ahead: The Exxon Valdez Disaster" (also known as"Disaster at Valdez" and "Three Days at Valdez"), HBO Showcase, HBO,1992
- Prescott, Beyond the Law (also known as Fixing the Shadow,
The SID, and The Secret Investigation Division), HBO, 1994
- Dr. Leonard Bailey, Heart of a Child, NBC, 1994
- Russell Vanik, Letter to My Killer, USA Network, 1995
- Rear Admiral Jack Snyder, She Stood Alone: The Tailhook Scandal (also known as Tailhook), ABC, 1995
- Harvey T. Potter, Balloon Farm, ABC, 1997
- Father Robert Grant, Passing Glory, TNT, 1999
- Royce, The Almost Perfect Bank Robbery, CBS, 1999
- Detective Manny Garett, A Vision of Murder: The Story of Donielle,CBS, 2000
- George McNab, Maniac Magee, Nickelodeon, 2003
- Oldman, Rolling Kansas, Comedy Central, 2004
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Specials
- Locky McCormick, "Johnny Belinda," Hallmark Hall of Fame, NBC, 1958
- Paul Winter, Twenty-Four Hours in a Woman's Life, CBS, 1961
- Walt Whitman, Song of Myself, CBS, 1976
- Big Daddy Pollitt, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Showtime, 1984
- Presenter, The 45th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, ABC, 1993
- Presenter, The 52nd Annual Golden Globe Awards, TBS, 1995
- Presenter, The 16th Annual CableACE Awards, TNT, 1995
- Narrator, James Dean: A Portrait, The Discovery Channel, 1995
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The Late Show with David Letterman Video Special 2 (also known asThe Late Show with David Letterman Primetime Video Special 2), CBS, 1996
- Presenter, The 2nd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, NBC, 1996
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The 18th Annual CableACE Awards, 1996
- Narrator, The Hindenberg, 1996
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Canned Ham: Trial and Error, Comedy Central, 1997
- Voice of Zeus, Disney's Hercules: From Zero to Hero (animated), ABC, 1997
- Presenter, The 51st Annual Tony Awards, 1997
- Interviewee, Clint Eastwood: Out of the Shadows (documentary; alsoknown as American Masters: Clint Eastwood: Out of the Shadows), PBS and BBC, 2000
- Interviewee, The Freddy Got Fingered Movies Special, MTV, 2001
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Episodic
- "The Murder of a Sand Flea," Kraft Television Theatre, NBC, 1956
- "The Blue Hotel," Omnibus, ABC, 1956
- "Wetback Run," The United States Steel Hour, CBS, 1956
- Kino, "The Big Wave," Alcoa Presents, NBC, 1956
- O'Hara, "So Short a Season," Kaiser Aluminum Hour, NBC, 1957
- Steve Morgan #22, "Number Twenty-Two," Alfred Hitchcock Presents,CBS, 1957
- "The Little Bullfighter," The United States Steel Hour, CBS, 1957
- Pierre, "Hostages to Fortune," Alcoa Hour, NBC, 1957
- "The Killer Instinct," Kraft Theatre, NBC, 1957
- Jody, "Jody," Restless Gun, NBC, 1957
- Will Dare, "The Charmer," The United States Steel Hour, CBS, 1958
- "Eddie," Kraft Television Theatre, NBC, 1958
- Lieutenant Harrison, "Bomber's Moon," Playhouse 90, CBS, 1958
- "Murder and the Android," Sunday Showcase, NBC, 1959
- "Epitaph for a Golden Girl," Pursuit, CBS, 1959
- "Face of a Hero," Playhouse 90, CBS, 1959
- Lieutenant Douty, "The Tunnel," Playhouse 90, CBS, 1959
- Duncan, "The Purple Room," Thriller, NBC, 1960
- Harry Straus, also known as `Pittsburgh Phil,' "The Masterpiece," TheUntouchables, ABC, 1961
- Ernie Walters, "The Kiss-Off," Alfred Hitchcock Presents, NBC, 1961
- Jess Evans, "The Hunter and the Hunted," Frontier Circus, CBS, 1961
- Ansel Beake, "A Case Study of Two Savages," Naked City, ABC, 1962
- Dr. Nicholas Keefe, "The Chemistry of Anger," Dr. Kildare, NBC, 1962
- Joel Coles, "Crazy Sunday," The Dick Powell Show, 1962
- Johnny Mizo, "The Spoiler," The Untouchables, ABC, 1963
- Charley, "Who Will Cheer My Bonnie Bride?," Route 66, CBS, 1963
- Sergeant Karl Kasten, "The Proud and the Angry," The Lieutenant, NBC, 1963
- "A Doll's House with Pompons and Trophies," Channing, ABC, 1963
- Roy Kendall, "Millions of Faces," Breaking Point, ABC, 1963
- Paul Vrolic, "But Who Shall Beat the Drums?," Ben Casey, ABC, 1964
- Eddie Sanderson, "The Secret in the Stone," Eleventh Hour, NBC, 1964
- Lieutenant John C. Freemont, "The Pathfinder," The Great Adventure, CBS, 1964
- Sergeant Avery, "A Gift of Hope," Combat!, ABC, 1964
- John Burroughs, "An Exchange of Gifts," Dr. Kildare, NBC, 1964
- Colonel Royce, "The Lorelei," Twelve O'Clock High, ABC, 1965
- Alexander, "The Alexander the Greater Affair," The Man from U.N.C.L.E., NBC, 1965
- Jacob, "Escort to Doom," Rawhide, CBS, 1965
- "Monserrat," Hollywood Television Theatre, PBS, 1971
- Will Hewett, "Blind Hunch," Bonanza, NBC, 1971
- "A Marriage Proposal," Hollywood Television Theatre, PBS, 1972
- Victor Roarke, "The Open Web," Mannix, CBS, 1972
- Jonathon, "Touch of Madness," Ghost Story, NBC, 1972
- "The Dutchman," Most Wanted, ABC, 1977
- "The Intimate Friends of Jenny Wilde," Eddie Capra Mysteries, NBC,1978
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Actors on Acting, PBS, 1984
- "Heartland," American Playhouse, PBS, 1984
- Gideon Hogarth, "None So Blind," Kojak, 1990
- Art professor, "You Bet Your Life," The John Larroquette Show, NBC, 1994
- Warren Shutt, "Hello Goodbye," Chicago Hope, CBS, 1995
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The Rosie O'Donnell Show, syndicated, 1997
- Lionel Banks, "A.I.: Artificial Insemination: Parts 1 & 2," Will & Grace, NBC, 2002
- Peter Redmond, "Ultimate Power," Soul Food, Showtime, 2002
- Lionel Banks, " ... And the Horse He Rode in On," Will & Grace, NBC, 2002
- Lionel Banks, "Bacon and Eggs," Will & Grace, NBC, 2002
- Senator Harlan M. Turner, "The Other Side of Caution," The Lyon's Den, NBC, 2003
- Also appeared as agent, Santa Barbara.
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Pilots
- Senator Harlan M. Turner, The Lyon's Den, NBC, 2003
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Stage Appearances
- (Broadway debut) Brick, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Morosco Theatre, 1956
- Val, Orpheus Descending, Coconut Grove Playhouse, Miami, FL, 1958
- Bubba John, Chaparral, Sheridan Square Playhouse, New York City, 1958
- Tom Junior (later Chance Wayne), Sweet Bird of Youth, Martin BeckTheatre, New York City, 1959-1960
- Carlo, Daughter of Silence, Music Box Theatre, New York City, 1961
- Title role, Macbeth, University of Texas, Austin, 1962
- Eban Cabot, Desire under the Elms, Circle in the Square, New YorkCity, 1963
- Edmund Darrell, Strange Interlude, Hudson Guild Theatre, New YorkCity, 1963
- Lyle, Blues for Mr. Charlie, American National Theatre and AcademyTheatre, New York City, 1964
- Peter, The Kitchen, 81st Street Theatre, New York City, 1966
- Bernie Dodd, The Country Girl, City Center, New York City, 1966
- Marion Faye, The Deer Park, Theatre de Lys, New York City, 1967
- Roberto, The Cuban Thing, Henry Miller's Theatre, New York City, 1968
- Edward Morris, Dream of a Blacklisted Actor, Theatre de Lys, 1969
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The Honest-to-God Schnozzola, 1969
- Tandy, Steambath, Truck and Warehouse Theatre, New York City, 1970
- Edgar, The Dance of Death, Arena Stage, Washington, DC, 1970, thenRitz Theatre, New York City, 1971
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The Marriage Proposal, Playhouse in the Park, Philadelphia, PA, 1971
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The Boor, Playhouse in the Park, 1971
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Marriage and Money, 1971
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Look Away, Playhouse Theatre, New York City, 1972-1973
- William McLeod, Barbary Shore, New York Shakespeare Festival, Anspacher Theatre, New York City, 1974
- Richard Nixon, Expletive Deleted, Theatre of the Riverside Church,New York City, 1974
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The Little Foxes, Academy Festival Theatre, Lake Forest, IL, thenWalnut Street Theatre, Philadelphia, 1974
- Captain, The Father, Yale Repertory Theatre, New Haven, CT, 1975
- Tom, The Glass Menagerie, Circle in the Square, 1975
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Fever for Life, 1975
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A Streetcar Named Desire, Academy Festival Theatre, 1976
- Gustav, Creditors, Hudson Guild Theatre, 1977
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Night Shift, 1977
- Henry Hackmore, Seduced, American Place Theatre, New York City, 1979
- Don, Mixed Couples, Brooks Atkinson Theatre, New York City, 1980
- The man in English, The Man and the Fly, Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre, New York City, 1982
- Chris Christopherson, Anna Christie, Criterion Theatre Center Stage Right, then Roundabout Theatre, both New York City, 1993
- Will Kidder, The Young Man From Atlanta, Longacre Theatre, New York City, 1996-1997
- Jacques Casanova, Camino Real, Hartford Stage Co., New York City,1999
- Also appeared in Terrible Jim Fitch; and Village Wooing.
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Major Tours
- Chance Wayne, Sweet Bird of Youth, U.S. cities, 1960
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Marriage and Money, U.S. cities, 1971
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Stage Director
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The Beard, Evergreen Theatre, New York City, 1967, then Royal Court Theatre, London, 1968
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The Honest-to-God Schnozzola, Gramercy Arts Theatre, New York City, 1969
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Look Away, Playhouse Theatre, New York City, 1973
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Creditors, Hudson Guild Theatre, 1977
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RECORDINGS
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Video Games
- Voice of Zeus, Hercules, 1997
Further Reference
OTHER SOURCES
Periodicals
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Adweek (Eastern Edition), December 21, 1998, p. 16
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Mediaweek, January 13, 1997, p. 41
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People Weekly, September 12, 1994, p. 81
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Playboy, July, 1993, pp. 114-115, 140-142
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Texas Monthly, August, 1994, p. 94
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TV Guide, June 25, 1994, p. 30
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