Was Demond Wilson on drugs by the last season of Sanford and Son?

[staytuned]

Originally Posted by GoldenTV

Don't know about being a prostitute or drug dealer, but in her early days she used to work at night clubs as an erotic club dancer dubbed The Bronze Goddess of Fire.

Fred would've really had a heart attack, if he had saw this.

[CosmicCharlie]

Well PRAISE THE LORD Fred Sanford !

[cloggedmind]

Originally Posted by GoldenTV

I have seen many of his videos giving interviews over the years and as you can see from Youtube video, he have a very "in your face" and defensive attitude. And he even belittle the person that is interviewing him-saying to interviewer that he got a suite in the closet that is older than him. Even a reviewer on Amazon after reading his book Second Banana said and I quote:
"There’s also a sense that Wilson wants the reader to believe that he always has held a “holier than thou” persona."

So with personality like that, anything he said about Redd Foxx, cast or the show I would take with a grain of salt. Like saying Esther was the show drug runner might be a good example

Very valid observation. His assertiveness and alpha tendencies come off as abrasive bravado at times. He could be prickly, but plenty of long-time "Hollywood" veterans exhibit the same brash, world-weary demeanor. And, I think his own persona was changed by being a Vietnam veteran-- something he wasn't, well, exactly proud of, kinda? But still, he came back a reluctant "hero" and apparently faced some backlash from people who weren't so pleased about the war by principle. '

Wilson lamented that many people shunned survivors who came back as tainted, vicious killers and some considered them heroes. I think that confused and confounded him; hence the combative, in-your-face attitude that he brought to the table. Not suffering fools gladly in the Shakespearean sense.

I also get the sense from his book that he really felt betrayed by Redd, who had a habit of jumping ship for the Next Best Thing in His Favor. Wilson looked up to Foxx and it truly broke their friendship when Redd cut off all communication and made arrangements to leave NBC and break up what was, for all intents and purposes, a very finely tuned, lucrative and, yes, groundbreaking comedy team.

[cloggedmind]

Originally Posted by staytuned

Fred would've really had a heart attack, if he had saw this.

Heheheheheh!!!

If Esther knew that picture was being circulated, she would have had her very first Big One!

[staytuned]

So, I'm assuming Mr. Wilson had an ego.

[cloggedmind]

Originally Posted by staytuned

So, I'm assuming Mr. Wilson had an ego.

It would seem that he was unabashedly egotistical and highly opinionated by his own words, actions, body language and, ultimately, life choices involving the church.

He could be prickly, but never seemed to go off the rails like some other Hollywood types who would sabotage and end interviews because they didn't like the host's "tone".

[staytuned]

I wonder if his ego was brought to his other failed sitcoms Baby ... I'm Back! (1978) and The New Odd Couple {opposite Ron Glass} (1982) and had some differences with the show or his cast members behind-the-scenes.

[CosmicCharlie]

Being a Black Man in general, going to Viet nam and dealing with the rejection upon return, then dealing with Hollyweird shenanigans surely influenced his later adult behavior.

I'm actually amazed how stabil and though righteous he was

“The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side.” ― Hunter S. Thompson

[GoldenTV]

Originally Posted by staytuned

I wonder if his ego was brought to his other failed sitcoms Baby ... I'm Back! (1978) and The New Odd Couple {opposite Ron Glass} (1982) and had some differences with the show or his cast members behind-the-scenes.

I think you might also add Wilson being type casted (as Lamont) as one of the reasons those shows failed. JJ from Goodtimes also had the same fate as Wilson where after their successful shows, they kind of disappeared or had failed shows. A very good actor or actress probably could have broken typecasting glass ceiling, but sorry to say that Wilson or JJ didn't have it in them.

[GoldenTV]

Originally Posted by CosmicCharlie

Being a Black Man in general, going to Viet nam and dealing with the rejection upon return, then dealing with Hollyweird shenanigans surely influenced his later adult behavior.

I'm actually amazed how stabil and though righteous he was.

I don't think Redd Fox treated Wilson fairly on the set and you can see from some of episodes in 6th season that there is a slight animosity between them. He treat Lamont as a cast member rather than a comical buddy team where Fred get all the laughs and Lamont was just there to set up the jokes and being called Dummy once in a while. And Fred quitting the show without telling Lamont probably drove more wedges between them.

[staytuned]

Originally Posted by GoldenTV

I think you might also add Wilson being type casted (as Lamont) as one of the reasons those shows failed. JJ from Goodtimes also had the same fate as Wilson where after their successful shows, they kind of disappeared or had failed shows. A very good actor or actress probably could have broken typecasting glass ceiling, but sorry to say that Wilson or JJ didn't have it in them.

At least Wilson (as Lamont) avoided appearing in the spinoffs Grady, Sanford Arms and Sanford.

[cloggedmind]

Originally Posted by staytuned

At least Wilson (as Lamont) avoided appearing in the spinoffs Grady, Sanford Arms and Sanford.

The suits were determined to morph Sanford & Son into Sanford Arms with Lamont as the lead character by hell or high water. Redd was against it and had already made other plans without Wilson, thus destroying their "partnership", such as it was, and betraying Wilson's trust.

While trying to figure out how to keep S&S going (Wilson had often stated, in hindsight of course, that the show could have successfully coasted for maybe 3 more years all said and done) and how to convice TPTB to leave things alone, Foxx simply turned his back on Wilson. When trying to pick Foxx's brain about what his plans were, he told Demond (as is paraphrased slightly differently but quoted with the voice and all many times over), "Look.. I've told you all I know. Now, just leave me alone. Get outta my (dressing) room and lemme get some rest!"

That was during the 6th and final season of S&S with Redd already having planned his departure and leaving Demond to wrestle with the so-called "demands" of the network, to which he would respond with his own demands which were considered unreasonable and not met.

NBC ended up with all of the set dressing of S&S with Sanford Arms and none of the chemistry that made the original show work. Wilson got his own short-lived series on another network. Redd got a variety show on another network not at all unlike its prime-time predecessors except a bit naughtier-- Flip Wilson, Jackie Gleason, Red Skelton and, to a lesser extent, Carol Burnett whose success derived, arguably, from an ensemble and evolving cast of regulars including Harvey Korman and the ever-reliable and unmatched comic timing of Tim Conway.

By the time Foxx realized his variety show was a mistake it was too late. It got canned and left Redd with an itch to revive the original S&S which, according to Wilson (who would have nothing to do with Redd at that time, understandably), was "stillborn". The reboot started with a shaky premise, heavy promotion and was originally well-received. Audiences dwindled after a scant few episodes and by the time the re-"junked" and re-tooled Sanford hit its second and last season it was already over. NBC scrapped the show mid-way, burning off the last episodes during the Summer of '81 (I think. I ain't researching this. Lulz!!). I think one or two episodes never made it to air in some markets and only got a "premiere" on BET a decade later.

Still, Demond Wilson could never, and I don't think he really did, just play The Victim knowing Redd's volatile temperament and his half-hearted attention span for any one, particular project. But he did understand why Foxx had his hackles up any time he felt like he was being marginalized or cheated-- he made scads of comedy records and barely saw a dime due to (DooTo pun unintended, sorta. That was the name of the record company that put out Redd's party record series. The sour record deal subject was brought up on The Tonight Show at least once) bad deals and bootlegging.

By the time Demond has his last meeting with Redd in the early 80's, Post-Sanford, to basically warn him about a dubious "reunion" special for which the pair would both be screwed by financially, he had forgiven Redd. Thing is, they would never speak, again.

Of that end, I think neither had any regrets. Even if Redd had survived and The Royal Family took off, I don't think their paths would have crossed again. They had both moved on.

[staytuned]

If I'm not mistaken, Redd was also never know to "balance his checkbook" sorta speak.

[CosmicCharlie]

Redd Foxx, despite his immense success and high earnings (reportedly up to \(\$4\) million in a single year), faced severe, long-term financial and tax issues that resulted in his death in 1991 without substantial assets.

Massive Debt: By 1989, Foxx owed the IRS roughly \(\$996,630\)

On November 28, 1989, IRS agents raided his Las Vegas home, seizing the property and over 300 items, including seven vehicles (a 1927 Model T, a 1975 Panther J72, a 1983 Zimmer, and a Vespa).

Foxx filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 1983, claiming he owed over \(\$1.6\) million to the IRS and other creditors, with proceedings continuing through at least 1989

[staytuned]

Who was the worst spender of all time: Redd Foxx or MC Hammer?