San
Luis Obispo Tribune
May 21, 2017
Michael Messinger In 1932, Mike was born in Los
Angeles and passed on May 13, 2017, in Morro Bay.
Believe it or not, Mike did not think he would be delivered into the arms of
any "heavenly father," since he will not exist in any form for
eternity. Since Mike did not exist in any form before his birth, his logic
dictated that he will not exist in any form after his death. He was a third
generation Californian and lived 84 years. Way back when, discouraged by his
less-than- enviable job prospects for a non-college-bound graduate of Hamilton High School
in Los Angeles,
Mike enlisted in the U.S. Army in March of 1950. Subsequently, the conflict in Korea began.
After serving for a year and a half with a signal battalion attached to Eight
Army Headquarters in Korea,
Mike enjoyed the unusual distinction of typing up his own discharge papers at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma.
March 5, 1953, his separation date, was also a historical marker, since it
denoted both Mike's famous discharge date plus the death of the evil dictator,
Josef Stalin (Stalin, as most people know, was a notorious tyrannical Georgian
who, like still many of our American southern Georgians, was diligently
oppressive toward segments of the population.). After military service, Mike
was discouraged after many uninspired dead-end jobs. However, his future
brightened with a gig in the mail room at Republic Studios in the San Fernando
Valley of Los Angeles.
Then he became inspired. After requisite butt-kissing, groveling and all-around
obsequiousness, Mike wormed his way into an Assistant Director internship and
became a member of the Screen Directors Guild (later the Directors Guild of
America). Mike worked in the motion picture/film television industry as an
"AD" for 25 years on hundreds of local and location productions,
every- thing from the early "Spin and Marty" serials at Disney to
extended-form television for Screen Gems/Columbia's "Beaulahland" in
Mississippi. A partial-disabling accident and downturn in the U.S. economy
changed careers for Mike. After many temp jobs he landed a plum at an E&O
insurance carrier that indemnified lawyers against malpractice claims. In Burbank he worked as a
claims clerk, an assistant legal secretary, and finally as an administrative
assistant in the Loss Prevention Division of Lawyers' Mutual Insurance Company.
Mike retired in 1994 and relocated to Morro Bay.
With many varied interests, Mike was a compulsive reader of history and true
crime cases. He was an advocate of Democratic progressive governance and
moderate marijuana consumption. Mike enjoyed classic jazz and big band swing
music, four-star movies, pro football, boxing and cage fighting. He was an
inveterate walker and a so-so prolific writer for his own entertainment. Mike
leaves behind his beloved son Eric, also of Morro
Bay, and another son Scott of Studio
City in Los Angeles.
There were no services and cremation followed. Sign his guestbook at
sanluisobispo.com/obituaries
MESSENGER, Michael
Born: 11/11/1932,
Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.
Died: 5/13/2017, Morro Bay, California,
U.S.A.
Michael Messenger’s
westerns – assistant director:
The Adventures of Spin and Marty - 1955
Zane
Grey Theater
(TV) – 1958
The Alamo - 1960
The Virginian (TV) – 1964-1966
Laredo
(TV) – 1965
Shane (TV) – 1966
Dundee and the Culhane (TV)
- 1967
Junior Bonner – 1972
Santee - 1973
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