RIP Mr. Montalban

Strange thing happened this morning. I put on the TV and came across the film "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes." I'm a big fan of the first two films in the Apes series, but never cared much for the final three. (The plot never made much sense to me beginning with the third film. How in the world could three apes have found Col. Taylor's spaceship, which crashed and sank in a lake, gotten all the water out of it, and were able to launch it, sail through the solar system back in time and arrive back on Earth in 1972? If it was that easy, why didn't Taylor and his fellow astronauts do it and avoid all that terror from the apes? Of course, you wouldn't have a movie then. But like I said, it never made any sense to me.)

Anyway, I came across the scene when the paranoid governor and his henchmen have Ricardo Montalban's character in custody and suspect he has a talking ape. He eventually dies at their hands. I didn't watch long and then I got up and got the papers.

And what do I come across? The passing of Mr. Montalban, yesterday at the age of 88. A really weird coincidence.

Ricardo Montalban was one of those smooth, elegant actors who'll always be remembered for his character, Mr. Roarke, on "Fantasy Island." And of course, I'll never be able to hear the words "Corninthian leather" and not think of him.

Rest in peace, Mr. Montalban.