Ricardo Montalban, silver screen and teevee actor, has passed away at age 88. Frankly, the Fantasy Island fanfare didn’t impress me overly in its heyday. To me, the phrase Fine Corinthian Leather, from the car ads, endeared him forever.

I always have trouble writing these RIP posts; I remember a man with a life, love, and an entertainment career that started 60+ years ago by a single phrase that has stuck with me. In reading the stories about his passing, I read this little snippet, about his thoughts on Fantasy Island:

“What is appealing is the idea of attaining the unattainable and learning from it. Once you obtain a fantasy, it becomes a reality, and that reality is not as exciting as your fantasy. Through the fantasies you learn to appreciate your own realities.”

Lotta’ meaning there.

RIP, Señor Montalban.

-k-