The Final Countdown

(Bite me, Cracker – it works)
James Farentino, whose boots were made for stalking, has died at the age of 73. Farentino, who spent most of his career explaining that he was not Tony Franciosa or James Franciscus, is best known for his role in The Final Countdown, the fact-based account of a modern era aircraft carrier lost in a time vortex that arrives near Hawaii on Dec 6, 1941 and has to decide whether to disrupt the flow of history by stopping the Japanese attack. (Spoiler alert – the treasonous bastards let Hawaii have it.) Other gigs included being a lawyer alongside talking snowman Burl Ives and Mannix’s boss Joseph Campanella on The Bold Ones. He had recurring roles on Dynasty and Melrose Place, he replaced Roy Scheider on the TV version of Blue Thunder to spare Captain Brody having to deal with JAFO Dana Carvey and he played George Clooney’s estranged father on ER. As his career wound down, he explored other avenues for his creative outlet, getting 6 months probation for stalking ex-girlfriend Tina Sinatra.