In Praise Of Barkley Caruthers VI

Barkley Caruthers VI came from a long line of Barkley Caruthers.  He was bright, a quick study and always mature for his age.  Born on May 9, 1952, in Sacramento, CA., he found his way into acting at the age of four by appearing in a series of local television commercials and dubbed the “Milk and Quackers Kid” for Fincher’s Classic Crackers.

At this point in his life, he could speak three languages fluently, was an avid reader of classic literature and had a keen interest in the burgeoning space program; playing a dopey kid who couldn’t pronounce “crackers” correctly didn’t appeal to him.  Before the commercial was to go nationwide, he quit as the spokesman and turned his back on the money and a lifelong supply of Fincher’s Crackers.

At the age of ten (1962), he became the moderator of MEETING OF THE MINDS.  A segment on Channel 13’s morning news program, in which he would interview visiting dignitaries and celebrities that were passing through Sacramento on their way to more desirable cities.  

Caruthers would grill his guests with hard hitting questions that they were not expecting from a child, especially a child dressed in a cute sailor suit.  He even brought Singer Kaye Ballard to tears with a particularly vicious line of questioning.  There are old timers who worked for Channel 13 during this time that still look back and refer to this day as “Black Tuesday”.

But soon he grew tired of the show, hired a Hollywood- by way of Bakersfield- agent, and moved onto feature films.  In his first movie, he landed the meaty roll of a serial killer’s son in the nineteen sixty-five movie MY DADDY ISN’T NICE, aka. ARE YOU MY NEW MOMMY?

Director Graham Davies spoke about Barkley in a 2002 interview with Classic Movies Magazine.

Graham Davies:  Barkley was a natural.  Extremely bright, with a sharp wit and a cutting, often rancorous sense of humor.  During breaks of filming, he would read the New York Times and smoke a Meershatz pipe.  He was well informed on current politics and loved to debate.  He took direction easily and delivered, what I feel, is one of the finest performances by a child actor in movie history . . . At least right up there with the kid from OVER THE TOP (1987).

By 1966, age fourteen, he started to become even more politically motivated.  Becoming a civil rights advocate, joining the student demonstrations against the Sunset Strip curfew law, coming out against the Vietnam war and organizing a march against the Uniform Time Act, which was cancelled when everyone showed up an hour late.

He made one more feature film at this time, 1966’s BOBBY: THE TIME TRAVELING TEEN.  

PLOT:  Bobby, is a typical American Teen, except for one small quirk, he has the ability to time travel with his mentor Dr. Phineas Tiddle-Twaddle.   They travel back in time to participate in the signing of the Declaration of Independence, break bread with the Pilgrims and Indians at the first Thanksgiving and spend some time farting around with some stop motion dinosaurs.  The film was a stinker and a clunker and after small, sad and unprofitable initial release, the Producer, Maverick Macy, took all the existing prints and promotional materials and burned them to cinders with a flame thrower.  So now, if one wanted to see the movie, one would have to be a time traveler like Bobby.

Acting for Caruthers was not a priority anymore and he started to become more militant in his beliefs.  He disavowed the Capitalist system.  He stopped watching television, listening to popular music and he only ate meat when it was available.

In 1971, aged nineteen, he wanted to join the Weather Underground Organization, but through a series of miscommunications he ended up as a meteorologist in North Dakota.

He would return to Los Angeles in 1975 and try to jump start his acting career.  He landed a small role in an independent movie called THE DIAPHRAGM JAM.

But he soon would become despondent and walk away from acting completely.  He developed a drinking problem, which came to a head in August of 1977.  While on vacation in Florida, staying at Walt Disney World, he hit the bottle like the Visigoth's sacking of Rome.  He went to the Hall of President's and beheaded James Knox Polk, made it over to It's a Small World and was reportedly feigning sexual acts with several of the audio-animatronic dolls, before being chased by security to Tomorrowland, where he attempted to commit suicide by jumping in front of the WEDway People Mover.  Luckily, the People Mover only moved people at a 7 MPH clip, so his physical injuries were minor.  His attempt did provide a major shock to an elderly couple from Lapland, who were seated at the front of the people mover. He was detained in a holding area beneath Disney World, where he claimed that he was tortured, by dozens of jolts with a cattle prod while forced to watch Disney’s GUS THE KICKING MULE on a loop for twenty-four hours.  He was then transferred over to the county jail where he was arrested for multiple offences, including public intoxication, trespassing, various sexual assaults on inanimate objects and impersonating a dwarf.  There are old timers who worked for Disney that still look back and refer to this day as “Black Thursday”.

Caruthers basically disappeared from public view at this time.  Rumors started to circulate on his whereabouts or untimely demise.  One tale placed him as one of the suicide victims of cult leader Jim Jones at Guyana, or that he died during the fan crush at the 1979 fatal Who concert in Cincinnati.  Or that he went into a catatonic vegetative state from a fatal head injury incurred while playing Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots.

Where are you Barkley Caruthers VI?  Please contact us!