Ep721: The Michael Dante Way

Ian talks with actor, athlete, author, and radio personality Michael Dante!

When an injury cut short a promising Major League Baseball career in the mid-1950s, young Ralph Vitti took up drama at the University of Miami Florida. A chance encounter with bandleader Tommy Dorsey led to an MGM screen test, and a decades-spanning career in motion pictures and television.

At the insistence of legendary studio head Jack Warner, Vitti changed his name and went on to star as Michael Dante in movies with the likes of Elvis Presley, Joan Collins, Randolph Scott, Rod Steiger, and countless others. Along the way, Mr. Dante built a life of charitable giving, celebrity mingling (John Wayne, Sidney Poitier, and Tony Curtis were friends), and constantly exploring new outlets for his creativity.

In this super-sized interview, Mr. Dante shares some fantastic behind-the-scenes stories (including filming an episode of Star Trek in 120-degree desert heat); describes the writing of his latest book about the 12 years he spent interviewing movie stars and athletes on his Palm Springs radio show; and what the future holds for this lively jack of all trades.

Plus: Ian asks about his star turn in the 1975 Western, Winterhawk; how he recalls stories at age 90 better than most people in their mid-twenties; and the craziest "singles table" in Hollywood history!

Show Links

Watch the Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956) trailer.

Watch the Seven Thieves (1960) trailer.

Watch the Winterhawk (1975) trailer.

Listen to a sampling of Michael Dante's classic radio interviews at his website.

You can purchase signed copies of Michael Dante's books (including My Classic Radio Interviews with The Stars, Volume One) at his website.

Also, be sure to check out my interview with J.R. Jordan about his book, Robert Wise: The Motion Pictures (which planted the seeds for this episode).

And you can order Robert Wise: The Motion Pictures at Amazon!

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