Wednesday, December 13, 2017

TABONGA'S TV-MOVIE CREDITS (1986 - 1988)

Tonight I've got a most special Whacked-Out Wednesday X-Mas present for you!!
In the 1980's Tabonga moved to L.A. and tried his damnedest to carve out a career in the movies!
He was the guy known as 'The Extra!'

 In 1986 the movie "Stand By Me" came out, so to get in on the whole MTV video type scene, they brought out the original singer of "Stand By Me" Ben E. King to make a video that included some of the kids from the movie! 

Tabonga got a gig as an extra in the crowd, the guy up in the top left corner! It's almost like Tabonga was the precursor to the whole photobomb movement, and who else was cool enough to have shades on? Nobody in this scene! Tabonga's roles in both this video and movie dominate the screen, and have left viewers gasping for more! And here's what I'm talking about:

This shot is even better, you can see how he demanded to be center, and to further prove his talent, if you watch the video, you'll see that he's the only one swaying in the right direction, everyone else is going the other way! 

I don't know how the Director could put up with that many people out of synch! Check it out for yourself right
HERE!

 In 1987, Tabonga, on the right, had the almost co-star, but not quite credited hillbilly-in-long-johns role in "Timestalkers!"
 
Then in the 1988 James Woods' movie "Cop," they needed somebody with strong character to stand in the background with his pregnant wife answering cop questions while the main action was a conversation between the two detectives!

 Tabonga killed it in this performance! It was so easy for him, he even got to smoke a cigarette!
 
 And not to be content with that, Tabonga was one of the Storm Troopers in the 1988 Michael Jackson project, "Moonwalker" He's the one circled on the poster, and yeah, I know anyone could make that claim, but this time, it's actually true!!
The man was an icon of the late 80's, despite the fact that nobody knew it!

And finally, here he is on the left, in the yellow bumpcap as Race, on the legendary L.A. public access TV show "Offbeat" as one of the Offbeatniks, and to his left, or my right, is me! The other characters are the Brain on the bass, and Andy and Reverend Tom in the background! It wasn't weird at all, it just looks that way!

5 comments:

KD said...

I saw that STAND BY ME music video back in the day! Congrats! And...cool shades, dude! ;)

TABONGA! said...

Wow Eegah!!! What a fun X-Mas present, it really cracked me up good, just what I needed, thanks pal... Brought back some memories for sure, and, I think I was the one going the wrong way in the video, you know, I don't like people telling me what to do! Two article 15's in the Army for talking back to officers!

Two things I definitely remember, I was chosen to be Richard Chamberlain's double but was 2" too short!

The other thing is, I don't really believe it myself, but, Mary Tyler Moore made a pass at me when we were on the set at Griffith Park! It was during her 'boy-toy' days... Nothing happened of course.

Anonymous said...

Hubba-hubba, an almost Close Encounter of the MTM Kind at Griffith Park!? All I ever got was an invite home with an old gal radio show psychic, and a pass from a Denny's waitress with 5 kids (maybe she wanted help getting a 6th).

Mickey Bitsko said...

Great stuff! Happy holidays.

Mickey Bitsko said...

I always figured you for an A-list celebrity. Happy holidays!

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