By Paul Rudoff on Oct. 20, 2009 at 8:12 PM , Categories: Miscellaneous, Cast & Crew

Wrestling personality and pop culture icon Captain Lou Albano passed away this past Wednesday at age 76. If you grew up in the 1980s, you probably remember him from his trademark Hawaiian shirts, wiry goatee and rubber bands hung like piercings from his cheek. He was all over the pop culture landscape during that decade, appearing on World Wrestling Federation television programs, several Cyndi Lauper music videos (most notable as her scruffy, overbearing father in "Girls Just Want To Have Fun"), episodes of the TV series "Miami Vice" and "227", the 1986 movies "Body Slam" and "Wise Guys", and even an issue of Triad's "The Honeymooners" comic book.

He is also well-known for portraying, in voice and live-action, the video game icon Mario in "The Super Mario Bros. Super Show" from 1989 to 1991. One live-action segment of that series featured a Ghostbusting appearance by Ernie Hudson. In the segment entitled "Slime Busters", which aired on September 8, 1989, the Mario brothers suspect that a ghost is haunting their home. So who do they call? Ernie Hudson, that's who.

The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! - Slime Busters (September 8, 1989)

View on YouTube

This isn't the Captain's only pop culture connection to Ghostbusters. The animated series "Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling" (where his character/persona was voiced by George DiCenzo, but he played himself in some live-action segments) contains an episode entitled "Ghost Wrestlers" in which Hulk Hogan and his crew use Ghostbusters-style equipment to help an old wrestler rid his boarding house of ghosts. (The back of the SP-speed VHS incorrectly says it's a retirement home.) What's rather surprising is that the actual Ray Parker Jr. song is used, but only eight seconds from the instrumental intro portion of it (at 2:30 in Part 2 below). Even though his vocals aren't used, Ray is listed in the end credits: "Ghostbusters, performed by Ray Parker, Jr., Courtesy of Arista Records". The series was produced by DiC, who also produced The Real Ghostbusters. The episode is available by itself on SP-speed VHS and is included with "Superfly Express" on WWF's EP-speed "Vol. 4" VHS release.

MORE CAPTAIN LOU ALBANO LINKS
• IMDB
• Kevin Eck's Remembrance

2 comments

Comment from: Lanny D. Crepit [aka "Ectofiend"] [Visitor]

I used to watch that show as a kid, and I was pretty savvy in spotting GB references as a child, so I don’t know how I missed that episode of “HH R and R"…

Oct. 22, 2009 @ 15:55

Comment from: [Member]

Well, you missed two of them, actually. In the episode “A Lession In Scouting” (on the “Round 1: Champs Win Again” tape), at 10:25 into the tape, Wendi Richter says “I’ve Been Slimed". I’ll eventually add that one to the site.

Anyway, here’s something interesting that I just found out earlier this year.

Wrestler/actor Captain Lou Albano is featured in “The Honeymooners” comic book, issue #7 (from Triad Publications in April 1988).

In the middle of the book is an interview with Lou, in which he discusses his roles in Wise Guys and Body Slam. He adds, “I’ve also done Scrooge now, which will be out next year, a cameo as Frankie the hot dog man with Bill Murray.”

He meant Scrooged, of course, but this is the first time I’ve ever read of him being in the film. Obviously he’s not in the final film (unless I forgot about a hot dog man being in the film), so if Lou was telling the truth, he must be in a deleted scene. Too bad the Scrooged DVD doesn’t have any deleted scenes on it.

Oct. 23, 2009 @ 16:59

Captain Lou Albano Remembered

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