European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 16, 1969, Darmstadt, Hesse Fly Scon up staff writer r Dali Agazine Dan Blocker. The lovable lout of television s l Bonanza Portra Shoss Cartwright with such authority Fife ultimately is confused with the big Dumbo seen on the tube in Tad Blocker is an immense Man of Many dimensions physically he is an imposing 6-feet-4and weighs 280 pounds. Intellectually he is a giant among actors. He has science and master of arts degree. He is vitally interested and Active in politics. A Man of Strong convictions he supports civil fights and becomes almost apoplectic at the thought of bigotry. On the other hand he is prone to Strong language As hard and earthy As the Texas land from which he is at once Tough and gentle belligerent and soft a Complex Man of Many attitudes and moods who Seldom has been captured in word or print. As a boy in the dust bowl that was Texas Blocker was fortunate if he could find an in patched pair of overalls. Hews Given a new pair of shoes every two years. We were poorer than poor the Bigman boomed pulling at a noontime drink in Hollywood. When my father s far failed and he cleared that 80 acres Over a period of six years with his Bare handstand an a he became a Blacksmith in deep East Texas. Later he moved us to o Donnell Tex. He had lived alone there in a dugout for awhile because of the dust and my sister died of pneumonia. It was a time and place where Only the Strong survived. Dad was called Shack Blocker be cause he once lived in a Shack and thanks to his Thrift and toughness an the help of Franklin Roosevelt we were saved. We ran a general store arid Joe fore he died my father prospered in o Donnell a town of 1,100 people and14,000 Hose hard years in Texas made Blocker a progressive Liberal he does t like to identify himself As a Democrat or Republican and rarely identifies himself As a texan. He has his reasons. I get angry when i hear people be Little Texas he said. They re talking about the loud Mouth braggart with air planes and Oil Wells. Those Guys Are professional texans and Amateur human beings. Tin damned sick and tired of the stereotyped texan being represented As typical. There Are roughly million texans and Only one per cent of then fit the also is aware that he in t a handsome leading Man and never willbe. That suits him. I m so Happy i think it s a Frame up he said laughing. I say 90 per cent of the people Inthis world Aren t Beautiful physically. Most of the men Are ugly and the women homely. Well pm one of them. In recent years there s been a great revolution Winall the arts from romanticism to real want someone to identify with. It began with Wally Beery an Marjorie main and Anna Magnani helped it it weren t for my size i never would have played Boss. So my bulk has Given me entree to innumerable Ca reer opportunities. But there Are hundreds thousands of outsize Guys. So 1 had to capitalize on my Talent too. My facet i look like Porky pig. And who can hate him a i nth two months ago Blocker live Din i 137,00 tract Bouse in the san Fer Nando Valley. Now he has moved into Ane Ormom Shi eight bedroom mansion in a fashionable but decaying part of Losangeles he has had he 43-year-old Home re wired and fitted with new plumbing. Around the House Dan is mistaken for Workman. His favorite outfit is Blue Denim overalls a Polo shirt and 7 wears the outfit because it s comfortable not to create an image. Thursday january 16, 1969 i have a baby face and some women have called me Dan Blocker s Blocker does t need an image. He earns approximately $15,000 per episode of the � wac to sees with 1w per in reality $30,000 a week. 3 Ain t keep dose tabs on what learn. 1 leave that up to my business manager Blocker is married to his childhood Sweet heart Delphia Lee Parker. They arc parents of twin daughters Debra and Danna 15 David 14, and Dirk 11.papa Blocker is devoted to his off Spring participating in their activities and filling the generation Gap in his own family with his time and have a baby face and some women have called me cuddly Blocker , i m built for Comfort not Speed. Maybe that s Why i try to build racing cars to make up for my Lack of Blocker is president of Vina Groon motor racing inc. The company builds grand prix cars for Road racing. The Cost from $20,000 to $75,000. So far it has been a losing proposition but Dan enjoys nothing More than tinkering with am one of the 10 Best experts on the internal combustion engine he during races i m in the pits work ing on the cars. I can t drive them be cause i m too big to get in former school teacher Dan taught government history drama eng Lish and biology and coached football at schools in Texas new Mexico and Cali fornia before becoming an actor. At Little sul Ross College in alpine.Tex., he was a football Star but did t like it. He was always afraid of seriously injuring the smaller men who played opposite liked boxing better because it was a fairer contest Blocker says today. Had 63 Amateur fights and lost Only one the last one by a split Blocker who some people mis take for an ignorant Galoost said some thing else. I hate a bully worse than m a big Man. I Don t like fights. But if i see a 180-Pound Guy beating on a 130-Pound Guy you can Damn betcha i la take care of the big Guy in a big men Are bullies because they Are insensitive to the Power of their strength. I never forget it. But there is All kinds of there is weakness. Speed is mine. My Vina Groon outfit is going into the boat building business for offshore Ocean racing. It was my idea to get in on som of the fun. I can t race my ears but i can race my boats. I can get into i la bet you we have a Winner within a couple of d Blocker puts a Bear hug on cat bolder during Bonanza episode. The stars and strikes an has mixed feelings about to is fond of his casters. Lome Greene and Mike Landon. He also knows the scripts Are repetitive after 11 years. But he is proud that it has been High in the Nielsen ratings for More than a decade. He knows the show is responsible forsaking color television a reality and helping to sell millions of is not deluded by the artistic merits or Lack of them on Haven t read a Complete Bonanza script for eight he sighed. Just learn my lines and do my the actor recently completed Ladin Cement playing a villain opposite Frank Sinatra. Three or four other movies Are in the offing for the big Bonanza runs its course Blocker is a Good bet to go on to a Long an successful career in motion pictures playing leading Rous As Well As charac Ter parts. He is a millionaire. He is attuned this times. He has Feu Preu nouns. My Success has bet a All he said without a sign of false modesty. There Are a million a Guys who could doa better Job in the series than i m doing if they had the Chance. I just happened be in the i lit place at the right although Hoss carib right in t very right Dan Blocker Hus imbued him with some of his own personality an character. And that perhaps is Why almost everybody harbours a for big old lovable Hoss. Page a
