Who loves ya, Johnny
TV Francis tells how Kojak star Telly Savalas looked after his sick brother
On the way to stadium Jim, Cormac and Ross Hore Young supporters Hotel at the time and took his holidays to join us.
“When we got to LA he was not feeling well and broke out in spots.
“We were sharing a room. We had to get a doctor and it turned out he had chicken pox.
“John was very bad. He was in his mid-20s. “We ended up staying in the Central Plaza Hotel and the staff were wonderful to him and he was there for eight or nine days. “They John and Francis Brennan
Tias Comber, James Savage and Harry Martin brought him his breakfast every day and left it outside the door and knocked. They didn’t even touch him.
“Anyway, Telly Savalas, i.e. Mr Lollipop, was living in the hotel and heard there was an Irish fella in distress.
“He went down every day and talked away to him and couldn’t care less about the chicken pox. He was really, really nice.
“He was not worried one bit, I will always remember him for that.”
Savalas, who starred in numerous films such as The Dirty Dozen, and was Louis, Josh and Evan O’neill nominated for a best supporting actor Oscar for the 1962 movie Birdman Of Alcatraz, died from cancer in 1994 aged 72. He became a household name around the world for his part as the tough but big-hearted New York cop in Kojak which ran from 1973 to 1978. Francis told his story to RTE’S Today With Maura And Daithi while promoting his new book, A Gentleman Abroad: Francis Brennan’s Travel Tales. The presenter of TV series At Your Service and Francis Brennan’s Grand Tour said it got his family’s seal of approval. He added: “My mum said of all the books I’ve written this is the best. And she knows.” Telly Savalas
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