Bill Bixby, Brandon Cruz
Brandon Cruz is angry over what he views as Hollywood’s slight of his former TV dad, the late Bill Bixby. The former child star, who walked away from acting at age 18, is now out promoting the four-disc DVD release of his vintage “The Courtship of Eddie’s Father,” Season 1, from Warner Archive.
”When I found out they were putting this out, I thought, ‘It’s about time.’ Bill Bixby had an amazing body of work, not only ‘Courtship of Eddie’s Father,’ but ‘My Favorite Martian,’ ‘The Magician,’ ‘The Incredible Hulk’ and so many other things, as an actor, as a director — and he never got an Emmy. He’s never been recognized posthumously by the Academy. And he doesn’t have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. That is criminal,” blasts Cruz. “There are people who have stars that, not to be blunt, but I wouldn’t bother spitting on their stars. Bill’s talent would take a couple of blocks of stars compared to them. It really demeans the whole thing that Bill is not included.
“Pretty much my whole intention in being part of this publicity is ringing this to people’s attention,” he adds.
Cruz has carved an awfully interesting life for himself as an adult. He’s been a punk rocker — even fronted The Dead Kennedys for a while. He’s a surfer who’s been to numerous exotic lands. He’s a family man, and, with 15 years of sobriety, he’s a highly-regarded drug and alcohol counselor for the Walking Miracles Foundation.
But he still has fond memories of the three and a half years he spent playing Bixby’s son: “Bill was such a big part of those formative years for me.”
The two stayed friends until Bixby’s death, of cancer, in 1993. Bixby had been given six months to live, and “about a year later, he called me and said, ‘Still here, Kid.’ Then awhile later he called. ‘Guess what? I’m still here,’” recalls Cruz with a laugh. “One day I saw him for lunch and we had a great talk. I told him I’d met this amazing woman — my wife — and he said, ‘I hope I get to meet her.’ But he died, just before Thanksgiving, just after I’d met with him.
“On the set of ‘Blossom,’ he taught a lot of people how to live while he was dying. He kept working, directing, right up to the end….There are guys around Hollywoodwho are so well-liked, you couldn’t pay people to say bad things about them. Bill was one of those guys.”
October 21st, 2011 at 12:21 am
I am so thrilled that you have taken the task of recognizing Bill Bixby. So many times the memories of your show “The Courtship of Eddie’s Father” has brought smiles to my face and I have wondered why they don’t show reruns of that. Personally I preferred the 2 of you to the movie, though I was a huge Glenn Ford fan. But Bill Bixby deserves a star a lot more than many who did get it. Hope it happens………..God bless……….
October 23rd, 2011 at 4:57 am
Hi Brandon! It’s about time “Courtship of Eddie’s Father” was released on DVD and I’m so glad you’re doing everything you can to get the late Bill Bixby the recognition that’s long overdue him.
I already have the show on DVD, thanks to purchasing it on Ebay almost 2 years ago, but ithe episodes were edited and recorded from Vision TV. I’ll definitely buy the Warner Archives version of it.
I also recently listened to you plugging the DVD release online. I’m glad you were chosen for the role of Eddie Corbett and you’ve acomplished a lot since then.
If Bill Bixby were still alive, he’d be thrilled to know you named your son after him.
All the best from one of your biggest fans for the past 42 years,
Liz Crasten
October 23rd, 2011 at 7:26 pm
I, to this very day, still think of Bill Bixby and remember him fondly. I am still upset that he died of something so highly curable, if only he’d gone to a physician sooner!
November 5th, 2011 at 10:03 pm
I haven’t forgotten Bill Bixby. He was part of my childhood. When I was five years old our next door neighbor was a young woman who’s husband was in Vietnam. She had a color TV – we only had black and white. On Friday nights she would babysit me while my parents and older brother went to the movies. Every Friday night we watched Flipper (in color) and My Favorite Martian together. I remember that she gave me a My Favorite Martian paint by numbers kit. I didn’t get many presents in my childhood for no reason. That was a big deal for me.
. Good memories. My mom died young and my dad raised me. I wish he was one tenth as cool as Eddies dad was. Now my father is dying of cancer. In his entire lifetime he’s not been as real a father as Eddie had in those three and a half years. It makes me sad.
Of course I went on to watch The Courtship of Eddies Father and could sing the theme song for you if you asked
December 1st, 2011 at 10:16 am
A littlel late…but I just found this site. A star for Bill Bixby has my vote.
He was always ‘in the moment’ as an actor. Lack of recognition for the gentleman is inexcusable.
April 22nd, 2012 at 11:06 am
Bill Bixby was a wonderful actor. I would like to have had the opportunity to know Bill personally. He was a blessed person.
God bless. Marcia from Brasil.
May 9th, 2012 at 12:03 pm
I will never forget Bill Bixby. A great man with a nice smile and a great human being too. “My favorite martian” , The courtship of Eddie father” and “The Incredible Hulk”. Unforgettable!
I miss him. Marcia from Brasil
May 13th, 2012 at 1:45 pm
Bill Bixby will always live on in my heart. Wonderful actor. Forever!
God bless. Marcia from Rio de Janeiro ( Brasil ).
May 28th, 2012 at 9:20 am
I love Bill Bixby truly and forever.
Marcia from Rio de Janeiro
June 13th, 2012 at 4:27 am
Bill Bixby was a talented actor. “My Favorite Martian”, “The incredible Hulk”, “The courtship of Eddie’s Father” and “The Magician”. Unforgettable!!
I’m in love with him. God bless.
Marcia from Rio de Janeiro.
July 2nd, 2012 at 10:23 am
Bill is my hero. I love him! God bless Bill.
Marcia from Rio de Janeiro.
July 5th, 2012 at 10:33 am
just googled bill bixby after seeing him
guest star on the loveboat reruns. have
been a big fan for years and miss seeing
his face on tv. thank goodness for
reruns. i have seen all of his tv shows
and most movies. glad that he is not
forgotten.
March 1st, 2013 at 6:14 am
I will always remember him. I grew up watching him.
I love Bill Bixby!
Bill was great!
Marcia from Rio de Janeiro