Now Casting: Black Actresses; Dodger Out for Emergency Surgery

July 25, 1969: Virginia Capers says that although roles once went to African American actresses who were "especially light and cute," "Now you've got to be black. Real black." In "There Was a Crooked Man," Capers plays "a 1969 militant dressed in an 1861 mammy costume." (Hm. Imdb doesn't list her in the credits). Did we really need to explain what "Right on, brother" means? I guess we did.

The Dodgers lost their steadiest player, Wes Parker, who had an appendectomy while the team was in Chicago. Parker was having his best season, hitting .296. He complained of stomach pains after arriving with the team in Chicago. The Dodgers called up Tommy Hutton to replace him. "Parker was the one guy that believed from the start we would win," Manager Walt Alston said. Hutton was a highly touted prospect who had his best seasons after leaving the Dodgers. He played for the Phillies, Blue Jays and Expos. In 1969, he filled in for Parker and hoped to stay in the majors: "I would hate the thought of not playing in Los Angeles but I want to play, period. That's the important thing." --Keith Thursby