Haberdashery Advice for Would Be Journalists

You wear this hat:


You can get it here (Etsy) for $130, or you can get it at Baron Hats for $560, but the cheaper one is actually closer to the authentic original. 

I know what some of you are thinking, what original, and why should any journalist wear this?

That's because you either never saw, or forgot, the 1970s TV series Kolchak, The Night Stalker, starring Darren McGavin.

In it, the intrepid reporter Carl Kolchak, played by McGavin, pursued all sorts of paranormal phenomenon and creatures, only to be frequently stymied by the powers that be, who did not want this information to get out.

If this sounds a bit like The X-Files, this is because Chris Carter, the creator of that series was inspired by The Night Stalker when he developed his series.

It's more than just an inspiration though.  While the plots are sometimes a bit simplistic and formulaic, the dialogue and characters are exquisitely done, and given that their special effects budget could not have been much more that the cost of a Starbucks Venti, their special effects were remarkably well done.

McGavin's performance to this day seems to be to be the very epitome of what a journalist should be, not Robert Redford hanging out in a parking garage waiting for Mark Felt.

The show is coming on in about 15 minutes on MeTV.

Also, his camera was a Rollei 16s, not a Kodak sub-miniature.