RIP Mike “Touch” Connors

Posted by Sampo, on January 27th, 2017

Tarzana, Calif.–Mike Connors, best known for playing detective Joe Mannix on 1960s and ’70s show “Mannix,” died here Jan. 26. He was 91. He had been diagnosed a week ago with leukemia, according to his son-in-law Mike Condon.
MSTies will recall that, as “Touch” Connors, he played Bob in the movie in episode 503- SWAMP DIAMONDS. He also played Tony Lamont in THE DAY THE WORLD ENDED (riffed by fans in Sci-fi Channel’s “MST3K: The Home Game”).

Variety has the story.

Thanks to Paul for the heads up.

15 Replies to “RIP Mike “Touch” Connors”

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Gary Bowden says:

January 27, 2017 at 8:44 am

Wow…Very sad to hear this.Grew up watching Mannix and seeing him on Carson and Laugh-In as well as the Dean Martin Show,too..My condolences and prayers to his family and loved ones..Please don’t touch,Touch Connors..RIP..

4 likes

Johnny's nonchalance says:

January 27, 2017 at 9:08 am

All the names “Touch” Connors might have taken:
Thrust, Jab, Fudge, Crunch, Blast, Smidge, Shout, Batch, Scrod, Flake, Wink, Sploot, Pinch, Probe, Wing, Snake, Jab, Grunt, Flink, Branch, Snake, Pitch, Pat, Hal, Snake, Snack, Slap

7 likes

Into The Void says:

January 27, 2017 at 9:18 am

Is that Mannix, or “Mannix!!!”(?) ha

RIP Mike

9 likes

Kali says:

January 27, 2017 at 11:15 am

“I saw this on Mannix once!”
–Constantly during “Lost Continent”

RIP, Mike Connors…

5 likes

Torgo"s Pizza-NJ says:

January 27, 2017 at 12:48 pm

Tim Robbins appeared on the Tonight Show years ago and talked about how much he loved “Mannix” as a kid, and even “sang” (“dadedadadedededa…”) the instrumental theme. When he returned to the show a few months later, Mike Connors popped in as a surprise guest and he (Robbins)seemed genuinely excited. (Who wouldn’t be?). RIP :cry:

6 likes

Ang says:

January 27, 2017 at 1:27 pm

Sad to hear this. Swamp Diamonds was my first episode and I caught it while flipping through the channels way back in 1993. There are so many Mannix riffs in the run of MST that a few years ago I picked up the first season on DVD to see what the fuss was all about and loved it. I have the whole run on DVD and it was a really fun show. Beverly Garland and Marie Windor, who were both in Swamp Diamonds, were also in a couple of Mannix episodes (not together) and I wonder if between takes they reminisced about the film. Maybe they just pretended like it never happened – ha!

5 likes

DarkGrandmaofDeath says:

January 27, 2017 at 2:10 pm

That’s very sad. I saw Connors on an episode of Diagnosis Murder today (don’t judge me, I’m old). I wasn’t really paying attention, until I realized that this episode also had Beverly Garland AND Pernell Roberts. It was a very MST-heavy moment, and the only reason I thought to look up Touch on IMDB, where I found he’d died.

9 likes

GregS says:

January 27, 2017 at 5:44 pm

I’ve also just heard the sad news that Barbara Hale has passed away. Loved her in Giant Spider Invasion!

RIP

4 likes

Lee says:

January 27, 2017 at 6:18 pm

Never seen Mannix. I only know Mike Connors from a ’50s rock ‘n’ roll movie.

His real name was Krekor Ohanian. He was born to Armenian immigrants in northern California.

2 likes

SAVE FERRIS says:

January 27, 2017 at 6:48 pm

Yikes !!!

First Mary, now Mike. That’s one hell of a TOUGH one-two punch to try and absorb……. :weep:

1 likes

trickymutha says:

January 27, 2017 at 6:51 pm

He was a bad ass. Played Basketball for John Wooden at UCLA- wow- coached by the same guy who coached Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

2 likes

trickymutha says:

January 27, 2017 at 6:51 pm

I did too!!

DarkGrandmaofDeath:
That’s very sad.I saw Connors on an episode of Diagnosis Murder today (don’t judge me, I’m old).I wasn’t really paying attention, until I realized that this episode also had Beverly Garland AND Pernell Roberts.It was a very MST-heavy moment, and the only reason I thought to look up Touch on IMDB, where I found he’d died.

2 likes