Thursday, May 12, 2016

RIP, Dr. Franklin Ruehl

Posing with Dr. Franklin Ruehl after our interview in 2010. Photo courtesy of Franklin Ruehl.

After becoming unresponsive to e-mails and suddenly disappearing from view, it has been confirmed that Dr. Franklin Ruehl, host of Mysteries from Beyond the Other Dominion, has passed away. Several of Dr. Ruehl's Facebook friends have been openly wondering what happened to him, as nobody seemed to know his wherabouts since November of last year. One of the friends stated that he spoke with Dr. Ruehl's apartment building property manager and confirmed his passing.

Since my friend Mike Barnum could not find any information about his passing in the indexes and registries he has access to, I decided to call the apartment management myself, based on the information provided in the Facebook message. The individual I spoke with confirmed that Dr. Ruehl passed away in November (to the best of his recollection) and that it was a natural death.

In the fall of 1993, I discovered Mysteries from Beyond the Other Dominion on the Sci-Fi Channel. What the program lacked in production values, it more than made up for in heart and can-do spirit. The topics were sometimes silly, but Dr. Ruehl always gave them their day in court, and that's what made the show so special. Without Dr. Ruehl, it simply would not have stood out.

By about the summer of 1994, Mysteries was no longer a part of the Sci-Fi Channel lineup, and aside from the tapes I made of the show, it became a pleasant memory. Many years later, I reached out to Dr. Ruehl via e-mail, and he turned out to be very welcoming to his fans. In the fall of 2010, I made an appointment to visit him in Los Angeles, and we recorded a brief video interview. We touched on Mysteries from Beyond the Other Dominion as well as his interest in Japanese monster movies. The interview is below. (As Dr. Ruehl would say, "Roll tape!")

After I moved to Japan, Dr. Ruehl and I remained in contact. I always enjoyed getting a like or a comment on Facebook from him on my various activities. He was a genuine person, and I'll miss him.

If and when more information becomes available, I will share it here.

Rest in peace, Dr. Ruehl. The power of the cosmos will always be with you.

26 comments:

  1. Thank you much for finding out, definitively, what happened. So glad I happened to be up and watching Sci-Fi on the weekend mornings. Would hate to have missed out on him. RIP Dr. Ruehl.

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  2. Dr. Franklin Ruehl is not dead. He has been starring in videos actually according to this page soon to be released in 2016. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1432981/

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    1. Unfortunately, Dr. Ruehl's IMDb page doesn't show that he's alive, just that some projects he filmed in the past will be released soon. I confirmed with Dr. Ruehl's landlord that he passed away last year.

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    2. He might be a zombie....neither alive nor dead.

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  3. hi brett. i have some of dr ruehl's personal items. if you are interested i will forward them to you. you can reach me at youbaby99@gmail.com

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    1. I live abroad, so sending me anything would likely be difficult. What do you have?

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  4. Hi,
    I went to high school with Frank and drove him to UCLA during 1962 and 1963. I've been checking up on him for the last few years and am sorry to learn of his passing. He was extremely smart, had a good sense of humor, and I will miss him greatly.

    Clayton (theskeezix at hotmail dot com)

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  5. I used to work at the Apple Store and Dr. Ruehl was one of our regulars. He would come in every day, presumably to do his Twitter and other social media. When he stopped coming in in November, we were concerned that he was ill or worse. Nice man. RIP Dr. Ruehl.

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  6. Very sad to hear about Dr. Ruehl. I was a big fan of his quirky personality and friendly nature. I use his name when I play NHL17. RIP

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  7. I used to work on his public access show in the 80's. he was a trip. I did not know he had passed. Rest in Peace Dr. Ruehl. I wonder who inherited his toy dinosaurs?

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  8. I worked with Dr. Ruehl on Mysteries. I played the roving reporter on the show and had the time of my life. He was a really nice guy, and I was always able to make him laugh.

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  9. I worker with Dr. Ruehl on Mysteries. I played the roving reporter on the show and had the time of my life. He was a really nice guy, and I was always able to make him laugh. Great memories.

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    1. "Take it away, Dennis!" I remember your presence on the show well, and it's very cool to add your comments to my blog. Thank you very much!

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    2. Ha! That was the best job I think I ever had. Four weeks traveling across country, going places I would never normally go. Soooo many stories I could tell. Though I'm not sure who this blonde Dennis is. Though I did play James Blonde in one of the videos I produced for America's Funniest People. :)

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    3. "Another excellent report!" Seriously, I appreciate hearing from you, Dennis. I watched Mysteries from Beyond the Other Dominion when I was in middle school, and I loved every minute of the show. I still vividly remember your reports on voodoo, the Kennedy/Lincoln connections, SAC, etc. Naturally, I hope to hear more of your stories in the future. Thank you again very much!

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    4. I executive produced Mysteries. In one segment on the show Dr. Ruehl listed all the traits to see if you descended from a space alien and Dr. Ruehl exhibited all of them. RIP Dr. Ruehl.

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    5. That's hilarious! If you wouldn't mind, please feel free to contact me. I'd like to ask you some questions about the show: thehumanvapor[at]yahoo[dot]com

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  10. Dr. Ruehl brightened my life in the early days of the Sci-Fi Channel. He used to say "May the power of the universe be with you." Then he said "power of the cosmos be with you." I wonder why he changed that. I think I will go to visit the runes in eastern Oklahoma in his memory. You will be missed Dr. Ruehl.

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  11. Brett any chance of uploading some episodes online?

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    1. I know Dr. Ruehl himself uploaded some clips over the years, but I cannot, unfortunately.

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  12. I used to watch his show on the SciFi channel when I was a kid living in NJ - weird, but memorable. Years later I was living in Glendale Ca (LA suburb) & randomly saw him at the post office - I had to do a double take, but sure enough it was him. Brought back some good memories :)

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  13. I just found out. His show always cheered me up for some reason. God bless Dr. Ruehl.

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  14. Such an entertaining character.. Dr Ruehl will always be remembered! Classic entertainment.
    Thanks for this memorial, Brett.

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  15. I wonder what became of the tapes of all his public access episodes. I'd hate to think they were forever lost to time.

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  16. Dr. Franklin Ruehl was such a great entertainer. He had an amazing sense of humor and a brilliant mind! He was a major inspiration just by being himself. So thank you, Dr. Ruehl, wherever you are! Rest in peace, my friend.

    And May the Power...

    of the Cosmos...

    Always BE with you!

    YES!!!

    YES!!!!!

    YES!!!!!!!

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