Fresno Bee (California)
April 26, 2004, Monday FINAL EDITION

‘Mannix’ star makes appearance, but barely

by Rick Bentley, The Fresno Bee

It’s a mystery only “Mannix” could unravel.

Carol Channing was to perform two benefit shows Sunday at the Tower
Theatre to raise money for the Armenian Home for the Aged. Fresno’s
Mike Connors, the actor who played television detective Mannix from
1967-1975, had been announced as a special guest at both shows.

Connors only made a brief appearance at the second performance.

“I want everyone to know what happened,” Connors says.

The actor explains he had been contacted in late 2003 as to being
part of the fund-raising event. He was asked to sing a number with
Channing.

“I agreed to do it. Then I didn’t hear anything for months. Finally I
heard they were selling tickets saying I was going to be part of the
show. When I was in Visalia recently, people kept telling me they
were excited I was going to do the show,” Connors says.

With the date rapidly approaching, Connors called Channing’s husband,
Harry Kullijian, who happens to be Channing’s manager. Connors wanted
to know which song he would be performing.

“He [Kullijian] told me that he and Carol were on the road with the
one-woman show and too busy to help me,” Connors says.

That’s when Connors decided that he would only show up to make a
token appearance for the evening show. He wasn’t even aware there was
a matinee planned until it was too late for him to make a change in
his schedule to travel to Fresno from his home in Encino.

Connors was worried that fans who purchased tickets because he was
involved would think he had backed out of the local show.