Telly Savalas

While Telly Savalas was a veteran actor from the late 1950s, in feature movies and many tv shows, I first became familiar with his acting, as the title character "Kojak", the bald-headed NYC police detective, in the 1970s tv 'cop show'.

In 1980, I sent a photo to Mr. Savalas, to his home in Los Angeles, and within a month, he returned it, signed with his famous 'Kojak' catchphrase "Who Loves Ya, Baby!".

When I lived in the Los Angeles area in the mid-1970s, late one Saturday afternoon in the spring of 1975, I was driving south on the Hollywood Freeway. I was a rather fast driver then (as many young people tend to be), and easily got impatient with slower drivers. I used the left lane to pass a car in the center lane, being driven considerably under the speed limit (in my opinion). As I passed, I glanced at the driver and saw it was Telly Savalas! He was talking to his passenger, and gesturing with his left hand which held a cigarette ( his right hand was noticeably on the steering wheel). Perhaps he was remarking to his friend about the crazy speeder on his left?

I've recently been watching some of the "Kojak" shows on dvd. I liked it when the show was in its prime and was curious to see if they'd hold up. I'm pleased to say, the few I've seen so far, have done so quite well.