Talk:David Janssen

Place of death

I was in Santa Monica in Jan-Feb 1980 and remembered reading of Janssen's death in the Santa Monica hospital while I was there.(193.250.60.53 (talk) 16:31, 4 August 2008 (UTC))

His father's heritage

Janssen's father, Harold Edward Meyer, was the son of William Meyer and Myra Angela Wert, neither of whom were Jewish. His father's genealogy is documented here and also here. Harold Edward Meyer was of German (Lutheran), Irish, and English descent. If Michael Phelps states that Janssen's father was Jewish, he is mistaken. I don't see the point of repeating this error and creating circular references to it around the net. All Hallow's Wraith (talk) 21:24, 19 May 2013 (UTC)

BTW, the same website also has a notation about neither of his birth parents being Jewish. All Hallow's Wraith (talk) 21:28, 19 May 2013 (UTC) th

Noticed this talk after my last edit requesting it. I'll check out links. --Wikiwatcher1 (talk) 22:11, 19 May 2013 (UTC)

The website as a source was removed as it lacked verifiability by whoever wrote it, and the site is essentially a fan site by someone who never met him, and giving their opinion: But David, who'd continue to say he was “half-Jewish” through his lifetime, probably at the time of this questionaire sensed that being Jewish in the film business was the cool thing to be.

I don't think anyone can simply state the fan is wrong, but a published biographer who states he was a "good friend" and is citing Janssen's wife, is at least verifiable: Ellie Janssen, David's wife of ten years, was Jewish. According to her, David was indeed, "Half-Jewish", his father Harold Meyer was Jewish. His mother, Berniece Graf was Lutheran, and that is the faith in which David was raised. David did not belong to any Church in his adult life. --Wikiwatcher1 (talk) 22:27, 19 May 2013 (UTC)

Oh, come on. His father's genealogy is easily available, and his father was not of Jewish ancestry. If you don't want to include anything on his background, I am fine with that (i.e. remove the Lutheran part). But his father wasn't Jewish, and it shouldn't be in the article. Word-of-mouth is not a better source than genealogy. And a lot of authors can get themselves published, that doesn't make them reliable or definitive. All Hallow's Wraith (talk) 22:30, 19 May 2013 (UTC)

Janssen himself said it through his lifetime and his wife of 10 years said the same. His biographer who said he was a good friend affirms it. Why call that "word of mouth"? --Wikiwatcher1 (talk) 22:39, 19 May 2013 (UTC)

People claim various backgrounds for themselves that are not accurate - it happens quite often. davidjanssen.net has such detailed genealogy, and other information, on Janssen, that I don't see how it can simply be ignored. Like I said, I have no problem with simply removing all mention of his ethnicity/religion from the article. All Hallow's Wraith (talk) 22:43, 19 May 2013 (UTC)

A "fan site" has to be ignored. And overriding well sourced details about someone's early life because some unknown fan disputes facts would be improper. Maybe you can contact the author from his website and get more info. --Wikiwatcher1 (talk) 22:52, 19 May 2013 (UTC)

It doesn't have to be ignored. We don't have to report everything just because it has been published somewhere. One single book reference is not definitive or particularly note-worthy. Why is the book's author a reliable source, or a more reliable source than the fan site's author? All Hallow's Wraith (talk) 22:58, 19 May 2013 (UTC)

Well, it should be ignored in the case of an unidentifiable fan, and obviously over Janssen, his wife, and his friend. It's interesting that this is one of the few cases where a Hollywood actor of the (partially) Jewish faith, proclaims his Jewishness, whereas it's often been the opposite, ie. Kirk Douglas, Lauren Bacall, etc. changing their names. --Wikiwatcher1 (talk) 23:19, 19 May 2013 (UTC)

Proclaims his Jewishness? I can't find any evidence of that, outside of this book. The book (which I haven't looked at) is the only source that states this. There are multiple references to the family histories of Douglas and Bacall, and they have often spoken and written about them, themselves. Again, since William Meyer and Myra Angela Wert were not Jewish, that means Janssen's father wasn't either. What is the point of stating this and turning this into another circular internet claim? Like I said, just remove all mentions of his background, including the Lutheran thing. All Hallow's Wraith (talk) 23:26, 19 May 2013 (UTC)

According to even the fan site you linked above, David, who'd continue to say he was “half-Jewish” through his lifetime . . ., came from somewhere. What was his source? In any case, it's not for WP editors to decide. --Wikiwatcher1 (talk) 23:47, 19 May 2013 (UTC)

About your last edit, you may be setting a new precedence in a number of ways: 1) A proclaimed fansite made by a precocious and anonymous 11-year-old, bored after their bedtime, is obviously not a valid source. Guidelines state that those kinds of sources should be avoided, yet you are relying on it; 2) Another primary guideline, on verifiability, is being totally ignored, with many of your conclusions above simply personal opinions. The guideline states, When reliable sources disagree, present what the various sources say, give each side its due weight, and maintain a neutral point of view. However, you have not given any reliable sources yet, but are nonetheless deleting others which disagree with your personal opinions, and with reasons that contradict those guidelines: One single book reference is not definitive or particularly note-worthy. Why is the book's author a reliable source, or a more reliable source than the fan site's author? --Light show (talk) 17:44, 15 April 2016 (UTC)

You both are wrong and right. David Janssen was NOT Jewish in blood. But his step father Eugene Janssen was Jewish. David lived with him since he was 9 years old. That is why when asked about his religion, he said he was half Jewish. Don;t forget he has two half sisters Jill and Teri, who are the daughters of Eugene Janssen and Berneice Graf and both half sisters are half Jewish because of their father. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 100.37.53.236 (talk) 01:55, 8 February 2018 (UTC)

Well, if there is ever a Wikipedia entry written about either of his half sisters, you are welcome to note that they are "Half Jewish." David Janssen was not Jewish "in blood" and not Jewish by any definition at all. Simply put: he was NOT Jewish. What is not being understood here? Wikipedia is predicated on facts. Because his stepfather was Jewish means nothing at all in this context. 47.51.82.162 (talk) 14:54, 2 April 2022 (UTC)

Yes, a fan site should be discounted, but so should the whole "but, his wife said he was" rationale. She knew him for a relatively short time and she can't speak of anything authoritatively regarding Janssen's ancestry. Even if that's what he told her, that doesn't mean it's true. (Sellpink (talk) 22:43, 23 February 2018 (UTC))

His ears

Watching the Fugitive, david has very unusual ears, I've heard boxers have "cauliflower" ears, but have never seen a picture of that.

was he ever a boxer? military branches have boxing matches, and other possible reason? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.9.22.214 (talk) 22:30, 22 November 2017 (UTC)

This isn't a fan forum for absurd questions. This is a page to discuss his Wikipedia biography. (Sellpink (talk) 22:47, 23 February 2018 (UTC))

Quote

Jerry Orbach on imdb said: "Back in the early 60s my pal David Janssen was doing The Fugitive (1963). He used to come home eight, nine o'clock at night, having gotten up at five in the morning, have one drink and boom! He'd fall asleep on the couch and we'd carry him to bed. I told myself, 'I will never do an hour drama. It's just too hard.' But then, as you get older..." (185.181.236.222 (talk) 11:11, 25 June 2018 (UTC))

"Pack" vs. "packet"

I have reverted an edit that changed "four-pack-a-day smoker" to "four-packet-a-day smoker". The original source has "pack", and I think "pack" (rather than "packet") is the standard word used to refer to a quantity of cigarettes. Eddie Blick (talk) 02:10, 10 August 2018 (UTC)