(Portsmouth Athenaeum photo)
Chuck Norris, Jon Voight, Donny Osmond, Scott Baio, Kid Rock, and Clint Eastwood support Team Romney, according to an NBC news report. George Clooney, J. J. Abrams, Mariah Carey, Steven Spielberg, Ricky Martin, and Aretha Franklin support Barack Obama, according to CNN. Celebrity endorsements are nothing new in the presidential race. And here’s proof.
According to Portsmouth Athenaeum records, this photo was taken in 1964 as television/movie stars stumped in Portsmouth for candidate Barry Goldwater. Both veteran actors have Portsmouth film connections.
On the left is Walter Brennan (1894-1974), best known for his lead role in the comedy TV series “The Real McCoys.” Brennan also starred with Spencer Tracy in the 1940 film Northwest Passage, adapted from the historical novel by Kenneth Roberts. The opening scene of the film was shot on a Hollywood set recreating Portsmouth in 1760. On the right is Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. (b 1918), star of the popular shows “77 Sunset Strip” and “The FBI.” He also appeared in the 1979 made-for-TV movie The Gathering, Part II which was filmed in Portsmouth. In the center is Portsmouth attorney Jeremy Waldron. (Courtesy Portsmouth Athenaeum)
Copyright J. Dennis Robinson, all rights reserved.
NH Published the First Illustrated Newspaper in 1839