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.

Nice to know I still have friends

About to have breakfast with J.D. Lees and Robert Scott Field at G-FEST XVII in Chicago.

The holidays are a time of reflection, and given that today is Christmas, and I can think of no better time to think about my friends. Of course, those with poor judgment may count "the enemy of my enemy" as their friends, but those who do always find out in the end just how meaningful such relationships are.

With Akira Takarada at G-FEST. I spent nearly a week with this legendary actor and will never forget the experience.

With Damon Foster. Although he and I live hours apart, I got to see Damon several times this year. He's a great friend with a great sense of humor. Love our phone conversations!

With Luciana Paluzzi and Nika Solomon. I've seen Luciana twice this year (including my December 14 trip to L.A.) but only saw Nika once. I always look forward to seeing these great ladies when I'm in the area.

With Dore Kraus, as we attempt Ultraman's Specium Ray pose. I met Dore for the first time in October at a dinner he hosted, and he was just as nice as in our various correspondences.

With Dr. Franklin Ruehl. Dr. Ruehl's Mysteries from Beyond the Other Dominion was a favorite of mine on the Sci-Fi Channel in the early '90s. Getting to speak with him at length in October was truly a wonderful experience.

With Ib Melchior. Words cannot do this man justice, but I'm compelled to say a few. No one has shown me more hospitality this year than Mr. Melchior. Whenever I travel to L.A., I always have a place to stay at Ib's. I stay there so often that his house has basically become my home away from home! I sincerely appreciate the generosity he has shown me.

With Ryan Phillips. Ryan is a high school friend I haven't seen for nearly ten years. He was in the area on business and invited me to have lunch with him. It was my pleasure to reconnect with him and swap stories.

With Justin Dunleavy. I got to spend more time with my cousin this year than I have in a long time. Before getting involved in Godzilla fandom, Justin and I would spend hours talking about the various Toho sci-fi films in the 1990s (and the '80s before that!).

With Paulette Rubinstein and her daughter Liane Curtis. Although I have known Paulette for nearly five years (!), I never got the chance to meet her until very recently. She and her daughter Liane were extremely kind to me, and I was overwhelmed by their hospitality.

With George Chakiris. Although most people would think of Oscar-winning actors as having large egos, I couldn't think of a less appropriate description for George Chakiris. Last week, I met the West Side Story star again in L.A. for a chat, and we mostly chatted about our favorite films this year and of any year. We plan to meet again the next time I'm in town.

This doesn't begin to cover everybody, and I apologize to my friends I haven't included. I could go on all day with examples. But you have to cut it off somewhere!

I wish all my friends a happy and successful 2011!

Dr. Ruehl: Man of Mystery

That's a wrap! Dr. Franklin Ruehl and Brett shake hands after completing their interview. Photo courtesy of Dr. Ruehl.

Dr. Franklin Ruehl is a man of many talents, but I've always known him as the host of the late, lamented Mysteries from Beyond the Other Dominion, one of the Sci-Fi Channel's original programs. (This, of course, was well before the era of "SyFy.")

While Dr. Ruehl's Mysteries has been off the national airwaves for several years, fans can follow the good doctor on his YouTube channel. With a little luck, perhaps Dr. Ruehl can entice a cable channel to put him back on the air. (It would sure beat watching whatever the heck the Jersey Shore is up to this week.)

I was fortunate to meet Dr. Ruehl on October 8. He agreed to sit down for an interview, which is presented below.

Here's a gag longtime Mysteries fans would get:



May the power of the cosmos be with you!