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Showing posts from 2010

December 28th

Happy Birthday! Lew Ayres (1908) Lou Jacobi (1913) At Rest: William Demarest (1983) Clayton Moore (1999) Jerry Orbach (2004)

Merry Christmas!

It is very sad that there are so many people to remember on Christmas Day! Birthdays: Humphrey Bogart (1899) Rod Serling (1924) At Rest: Charlie Chaplin (1977) Joan Blondell (1979) Dean Martin (1995) Denver Pyle (1997) Hurd Hatfield (1998) Richard Paul (1998) Eartha Kitt (2008)

December 22nd

Two birthdays for two talented ladies... Barbara Billingsley (1915) & Ruth Roman (1922)

December 12th

We lost several very talented people on this day - Johnny Lee (1965) Tallulah Bankhead (1968) Anne Baxter (1985) Peter Boyle (2006) Van Johnson (2008) In Memoriam Remembers: 5 talented performers on the anniversary of their passing

December 9th

Happy Birthday! Tim Moore (1887-1958) Emmett Kelly (1898-1979) Margaret Hamilton (1902-1985) Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. (1909-2000) Broderick Crawford (1911-1986) Frances Reid (1914-2010) Redd Foxx (1922-1991) At Rest: Louella Parsons (1972) Vincent Gardenia (1992) Gene Barry (2009)

December 6, 1900

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Please join me in wishing this wonderful actress a happy 110th birthday. Whether it was playing Superman's birth mother Lara or the helpless victim Leona in "Sorry, Wrong Number" on radio, whether it was her appearances in Citizen Kane or Johnny Belinda on the big screen or whether it was her role as Endora, the mystical mother-in-law from hell on television's "Bewitched" - she played every part with grace and elegance. She passed away on April 30, 1974... In Memoriam Remembers: Agnes Moorehead

December 2, 1986

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Born: March 2, 1917 A true television pioneer left us on this day in 1986. He began as a bandleader and singer who found his way to Broadway and eventually Hollywood. In 1940 he met and fell in love with movie star Lucille Ball and that was the beginning of the union that would eventually be the most powerful force in the television industry for more than a decade. With his brain and her talent their show "I Love Lucy" was a smash hit and now almost sixty years later the world still enjoys the show today. It was he that created the three camera system for Lucy and also made the decision to have the show filmed in front of a studio audience. Programs that aired prior to "I Love Lucy" all used these techniques as well but it was this genius that combined them all. And it was Desi that had a part in inventing the rerun. After his divorce from Lucy in 1960 he stayed mostly in semi-retirement but came out occassionally when the right project came along. He produced th

Penny Singleton

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Born: September 15, 1908 The cartoon legend began her career in 1930. She appeared in various films throughout the decade including playing the title role in Blondie. She played Blondie Bumstead in 29 films between 1938 and 1950...Her television credits include "Pulitzer Prize Playhouse", "Death Valley Days", "The Twilight Zone" and "Murder, She Wrote." During the 1962-1963 television season she lent her voice to the now iconic Jane Jetson, matriarch of the Jetson family on "The Jetsons." In 1985 she returned to the role of Jane in "The Jetsons Christmas Carol." She followed up that performance with "The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones" in 1987, "Rockin' with Judy Jetson" in 1988, "The Fantastic World of Hanna-Barbera" in 1990 and "Jetsons: The Movie" also in 1990... At the time of her passing she had 57 acting credits to her name. She passed away on November 12, 2003... In Memoriam R

Leslie Nielsen

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Born: February 11, 1926 This is a memoriam I never thought I would have to write. Believe me it comes with an incredibly heavy heart. The gentleman that will be honored in this post is a legend in the world of comedy. I kid you not when I say that there isn't a day that goes by where he doesn't dip into the cobwebs of my brain... He made his first television appearance in 1950. During that decade he appeared on such shows as "The Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse", "Suspense", "Goodyear Playhouse", "The Untouchables" and "Alfred Hitchcock Presents." From 1961 to 1962 he co-starred on the series "The New Breed." In 1965 he had regular roles on "Peyton Place" and "Dr. Kildare." His other appearances on 1960's television include "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour", "The Fugitive", "Wagon Train", "The Defenders", "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea&quo

November 22, 1963

A historic but very tragic day in American history. As everyone in the world knows President John F. Kennedy was taken from us under horrible circumstances. At a time when he appeared to be a new symbol of hope for a new generation the country was sent into a tailspin after he was gone. All these many years later, the impact and sting is still there for anyone who was alive on that dreadful day almost fifty years ago... In Memoriam Remembers: President John F. Kennedy Other as At Rest: Mae West (1980) Michael Conrad (1983) Scatman Crothers (1986) Sterling Holloway (1992) Parley Baer (2002)

November 19, 1905

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A marvelous performer was born on this day one hundred and five years ago... Throughout her career she became known as one of Hollywood's busiest character actresses... On radio she lent her voice to such programs as "My Favorite Husband" and "Father Knows Best." Television though, was her true medium. The following is a mention of only some of the programs she guest starred on during her long career: "Our Miss Brooks", "The 20th Century-Fox Hour", "Father Knows Best", "How to Marry a Millionaire", "The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show", "I Love Lucy", "The Loretta Young Show", "The Ann Sothern Show", "The Gale Storm Show", "Perry Mason", "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis", "The Twilight Zone", "Pete & Gladys", "The Joey Bishop Show", "The Untouchables", "Peter Gunn", "The Dick Van Dyke Show&qu

Jill Clayburgh

Born: April 30, 1944 A wonderful actress died a week ago. Her death was very sudden to me, I didn't even realize she was ill. She struggled with leukemia for 21 years... She appeared on Broadway in the 1960's and 70's and then again in the 2000's. Her film credits include The Wedding Party, The Thief Who Came to Dinner, Gable and Lombard, Silver Streak, Semi-Tough, An Unmarried Woman, Luna, Starting Over, Where are the Children? and Running with Scissors... On television she appeared on "Search for Tomorrow" from 1969 to 1970, "Maude", "The Rockford Files", "Law & Order", "Frasier", "Ally McBeal", "The Practice" and "Nip/Tuck." Her final television role was as matriarch Letitia Darling on the prime time soap opera "Dirty Sexy Money" from 2007 to 2009... Her final film Love and Other Drugs was released after her passing... At Rest: November 5, 2010 In Memoriam Rememb

November 12, 1990

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Born: April 30, 1908 She died on this day twenty years ago. Her career began in the 1930's with the film Stage Door which put her along side other great actresses such as Katharine Hepburn, Lucille Ball and Ann Miller. Some other films include At the Circus (with the Marx Brothers), Mildred Pierce, Anatomy of a Murder, Grease and Grease 2. In the 1950's she became a household name as high school English teacher Connie Brooks on the radio series "Our Miss Brooks." In 1952 the program moved to television and lasted four seasons. In 1956 a motion picture version featuring the entire cast was released. The actress is one of the few to have played the same character on radio, television and film. After "Our Miss Brooks" ended "The Eve Arden Show" began but sadly only lasted the 1957-1958 television season. Her next attempt at a regular television series came in 1967 with "The Mothers-in-Law" in which she co-starred with Kaye Ballard. The s

November 10, 1925

Happy 85th Birthday to a wonderful actor with a sharp sense of humor... On screen he appeared in such films as Cleopatra, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Anne of the Thousand Days.......just to name a few, he list of credits was very long. He appeared on television shows such as "Dinah!" and he and his then-wife Elizabeth Taylor made a highly memorable appearance on "Here's Lucy" in September of 1970... He passed away on August 5, 1984... In Memoriam Remembers: Richard Burton

November 10, 1992

On this day almost twenty years ago a wonderful actor died... Born: April 10, 1921 While his main forum was television he did appear in a few films a more notable one being Geronimo in 1962... On television he starred in the television series "The Rifleman" from 1958 to 1963, "Arrest and Trial" from 1963 to 1964 and "Werewolf" from 1987 to 1988... He made guest appearances on such shows as "The Loretta Young Show", "Schlitz Playhouse", "Adventures of Superman", "Four Star Playhouse", "Jane Wyman Presents the Fireside Theatre", "Gunsmoke", "The DuPont Show with June Allyson", "Police Story", "Fantasy Island", "The Love Boat" and "Murder, She Wrote." His final film role was in Three Days to Kill in 1992, the same year of his passing. In Memoriam Remembers: Chuck Connors

November 8th

This talented actress would've turned 90 years old today... Between TV and movies she appeared on some of the best productions ever produced. Her film credits include Driving Miss Daisy, House of Cards, My Fellow Americans, How to Make an American Quilt, Rosewood and Down in the Delta... In 1972 she began playing the sharp tongued housekeeper Florida Evans on the sitcom "Maude" starring Beatrice Arthur. After two years as the sassy servant she spun off into her own series "Good Times" which began in February 1974. She left the series after a dispute with the producers in 1977 but returned the following year and remained until the series ended in 1979... Other television credits include "One Life to Live", "The Merv Griffin Show", "The Incredible Hulk", "Flamingo Road", "The New Odd Couple", "Fantasy Island", "Murder, She Wrote", "Singer & Sons" and "Touched by an Angel.&q

November 7th

Born: April 13, 1919 He lent his singing talents to such films as Anne Get Your Gun, Show Boat and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers... On television he guest starred on such show as "The Love Boat" and "Murder, She Wrote" and played the role of oil baron Clayton Farlow on the prime time soap opera "Dallas" from 1981 until 1991... He passed away on this day in 2004... In Memoriam Remembers: Howard Keel

November 5th

Happy Birthday! Natalie Schafer (1900) -Best known as Mrs. Howell on "Gilligan's Island" (1964-1967) -Also well remembered as Phoebe Emerson in the "I Love Lucy" episode "The Charm School" At Rest: Stafford Repp (1974) -Character actor, played Chief O'Hara on "Batman" (1966-1968) Fred MacMurray (1991) -Everyone knows who he is!

November 4th

Happy Birthday! Walter Cronkite (1916) Art Carney (1918) Martin Balsam (1919) At Rest: Sheree North (2005)

Chao-Li Chi

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Born: April 5, 1927 At the time of his passing he had 51 acting credits to his name... For me he will always be Chao-Li, the faithful majordomo and best friend of Jane Wyman's Angela Channing on "Falcon Crest" during the show's entire run from 1981 to 1990 on CBS. The ruthless matriarch always had the loyal Chao-Li to count on. In 1987, his character was so popular he was even given his own storyline - Chao-Li battled cancer and won much to the delight of his employer...after six seasons of being billed as a "guest star" he was added to the show's opening credits and remained there until the series concluded. Some of his other television credits include "S.W.A.T.", "Quincy M.E.", "The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries", "Fantasy Island", "Hello, Larry", "Trapper John, M.D.", "CHiPs", "Barney Miller", "M*A*S*H", "Batman: The Animated Series" and "Part

Herbert "Herb" Edelman

Born: November 5, 1933 This wonderful and very familiar character actor began appearing in films and on television in the 1960's. He more notable films were Barefoot in the Park and The Odd Couple... The 1980's and 90's saw him make recurring appearances on some of the most popular programs of the day. The role that he will forever be remembered for is as Stanley Zbornak, the toupee wearing ex-husband of Dorothy Zbornak (Bea Arthur) on "The Golden Girls." He made appearances on a recurring basis during the entire run of the series (1985-1992). He also made one lone guest appearance on the show's sequel "The Golden Palace" in 1993... From 1984 to 1988 he made recurring appearances on "St. Elsewhere" and from 1984 to 1995 he made recurring appearances on "Murder, She Wrote" most of the time playing the role of Lieutenant Artie Gelber... From 1968 to 1970 he appeared on "The Good Guys", from 1980 to 1981 he appeared

Happy Birthday!

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Happy 88th Birthday to a wonderful actress... Although she appeared in such classic films as Vertigo and I Remember Mama and appeared in one of the most memorable episodes of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" she will forever be remember as Eleanor "Miss Ellie" Southworth Ewing Farlow on the hit 1980's prime time drama "Dallas." She played the role from 1978 to 1984 and then again from 1985 to 1990... She passed away on August 8, 2005... In Memoriam Remembers: Barbara Bel Geddes

At Rest: October 29th

Born: July 29, 1924 A marvelous character actor died on this day five years ago. He appeared on some of the most popular television shows on the air during his forty plus year career. At the time of his passing he had 195 credits to his name... In 1962 he appeared in one of the most popular episodes of "The Twilight Zone." The episode, "To Serve Man" is best remembered for the actor's famous line "It's a cook book! It's a cook book!" His other most notable role was as the sinister Cecil Baldwin Colby during the first three seasons of "Dynasty." Cecil was the arch rival of Blake Carrington (John Forsythe) and the second husband of the devious Alexis Carrington (Joan Collins). Other television guest roles include "The United States Steel Hour", "Perry Mason", "Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre", "Honey West", "The Big Valley", "Ironside", "Gunsmoke", &q

October 24th

A wonderful man was born on this day in 1915. As a cartoonist during the 1930's he created the one and only Dark Knight Detective himself - Batman. The year was 1938 and the hero was first seen in Detective Comics issue 27. And now, 72 years later he is one of the great icons this country has ever seen. He died on November 3, 1998 - the same year his creation turned 60... On what would've been his 95th birthday... In Memoriam Remembers: Bob Kane

Tom Bosley

Born: October 1, 1927 Like most performers of his generation he appeared on Broadway even winning a Tony award in 1961... In the earliest days of television he appeared on the "Hallmark Hall of Fame" twice, their production of Alice in Wonderland in 1955 and Arsenic & Old Lace in 1962. He appeared in a few films the most notable being Yours, Mine and Ours in 1968. From 1969 to 1970 he was a regular cast member on "The Debbie Reynolds Show" and in 1972 he was a regular cast member on "The Sandy Duncan Show." Also in 1972 he provided the voice in the animated series "Wait Until Your Father Gets Home" which lasted until 1974. From 1974 to 1984 he played one of television's most beloved father on the hit sitcom "Happy Days." As Howard Cunningham he became the father of not just Richie (Ron Howard) and Joanie (Erin Moran) but also the entire cast. In 1984 he began a recurring role as Sheriff Amos Tupper on the mystery drama

Barbara Billingsley

Born: December 22, 1915 She was the best example of the perfect mom that 1950's television had to offer. Sadly the woman who became known for doing housework while wearing her pearls died today at the age 94... She began in films in 1945 and most of her roles were uncredited. In 1951 she appeared in the original version of Angels in the Outfield starring Paul Douglas. She also made an appearance in the film Three Guys Named Mike starring Jane Wyman. Her most notable film was The Careless Years... In 1980 she returned to silver screen in the comedy spoof Airplane! She became well known to an entirely new generation of fans as the Jive Lady. Her final film appearance was in the 1997 film version of Leave it to Beaver in which she played Aunt Martha... From 1957 to 1963 she played her most famous role on the sitcom "Leave it to Beaver." Her role as June Cleaver forever earned her a place in television history. Hugh Beaumont played her husband Ward Cleaver and Jerry Mathe

October 15th

Birthdays: Jane Darwell (1879) & Robert Rockwell (1920) At Rest: John Hamilton (1958) Cole Porter (1964) Edie Adams (2008)

At Rest: October 13th

Clifton Webb - 1966 Bea Benaderet - 1968 Ed Sullivan - 1974 Dennis Patrick - 2002 Keene Curtis - 2002

October 8, 1910

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Happy 100th Birthday to the screen's first flesh and blood Superman. He first played the Man of Steel in the 1948 movie serial Superman and followed it up in 1950's Atom Man Vs. Superman... He passed away on March 14, 1999.. In Memoriam Remembers: Kirk Alyn

October 5th

Today marks the 105th birthday of a very talented character actress... She worked in Broadway productions starting in the 1920's and going straight up through the 1950's. Television was right around the corner and she soon found herself appearing on such shows as "Pulitzer Prize Playhouse", "Robert Montgomery Presents", "Golden Windows", "Armstrong Circle Theatre", "The Ray Milland Show: Meet Mr. McNulty", "General Electric Theater", "The Ann Sothern Show", "Hennesey", "The Donna Reed Show", "Peter Loves Mary", "Hazel", "My Three Sons", "Route 66", "Dr. Kildare", "Ben Casey", "Kraft Suspense Theatre", "Dragnet 1967", "That Girl", "Bewitched", "The Mod Squad", "Love, American Style" and "The Doris Day Show." Her most famous and memorable role was as Mrs. Margar

At Rest: October 3rd

Three very talented, well known and beloved entertainers left us on this day - Roddy McDowall in 1998, Florence Stanley in 2003 and Janet Leigh in 2004... In Memoriam Remembers: Three Great Performers

October 1, 1920

Happy 90th Birthday to a wonderful actor with an incredible talent... When he began his career he appeared on some of television's earliest programs. Starting with the "Lux Video Theatre" he went on to appear on "Mister Peepers", "Suspense", "The Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse", "Robert Montgomery Presents", "Goodyear Playhouse", "The United States Steel Hour", "Climax!", "Route 66", "Alfred Hitchcock Presents", "Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre", "The DuPont Show of the Week" and "Dr. Kildare." He appeared on Broadway in 1955 in Guys and Dolls but sadly it closed after only sixteen performances. In 1965 he appeared opposite Art Carney in The Odd Couple... In the last 1960's he began appearing in films and never stopped. Among his classic films are A Guide for the Married Man, The Odd Couple, Hello, Dolly!, Cactus Flower, The Sunsh

A Few Birthdays and Anniversaries

Born on this day: Ed Sullivan (1901) Arnold Stang (1918) At Rest: Harpo Marx (1964) Mabel Albertson (1982) Whitney Blake (2002)

Gloria Stuart

Born: July 4, 1910 Died: September 26, 2010 An actress who appeared on stage, film and and television recently left at the remarkable age of 100... She began in films in 1932 and had a steady run until 1939. She made more appearances in 1944 and 1946 and then retired. She returned to acting in 1975 by appearing in the TV movie "The Legend of Lizzie Borden" which starred Elizabeth Montgomery... Other television credits include "The Waltons", "Murder, She Wrote", "The Invisible Man", Touched by an Angel" and "General Hospital." In 1997, at the age of 87, she found brand new fame by appearing as the 100 year old survivor of the Titanic in the film of the same name...thanks to her work in the movie she became the oldest woman in cinema history to ever be nominated for an Oscar... In 2001 she returned to world of mystery when she played a woman old enough to remember the seeing slaves escape on the underground railroad in the TV

90 Years...

Happy 90th Birthday to an actress that appeared briefly on Broadway, film and prime time television before becoming an icon in daytime soaps. In the 1940's she appeared on Broadway and went onto appear in a few films shortly after. She guest starred on such television shows as "Kraft Television Theatre", "The United States Steel Hour", "The Patty Duke Show" and "The Defenders." On January 5, 1970 she began playing the role of Mona Kane (later Tyler) on the daytime soap opera "All My Children." Her character was the mother of the now infamous Erica Kane (Susan Lucci). She often sparred with the wealthy and snobbish Phoebe Tyler (Ruth Warrick), wife of her employer and later lover Dr. Charles Tyler (Hugh Franklin). Phoebe made several attempts to stop the relationship but in the end Charles divorced her and married Mona. Phoebe vs. Mona was on the next twenty years... She played the role until her death from cancer on June 1, 1994.

Just a Few Birthdays to Recognize

Eddie "Rochester" Anderson (1905) Greta Garbo (1905) Leon Askin (1907) Jack Warden (1920) Phyllis Kirk (1927) Happy Birthday! In Memoriam Remembers you all on what would've been your special day!

350

This is the 350th post - I am so thrilled, In Memoriam involves a lot of hard work but every bit of it is my pleasure and a lot of fun... On this day in history.... Happy Birthday! Roddy McDowall (1928-1998) Anne Bancroft (1931-2005) At Rest: Red Skelton (1913-1997) In Memoriam Remembers: Roddy McDowall Anne Bancroft Red Skelton

Harold Gould

Born: December 10, 1923 A wonderful actor has left us...on the same day as another wonderful actor. September 11, 2010 took both this man and Kevin McCarthy from us... At the time of his passing he had 191 credits to his name... One of his earliest television appearance was on "The Donna Reed Show." From there on he built up an incredible resume as a television character actor. He become a household name when he began playing Rhoda Morganstern's (Valerie Harper) father in a few episodes of "Mary Tyler Moore." In 1974 "Rhoda" made it's debut and the actor was present as Mr. Morganstern on a recurring basis until the show ended in 1978... On the big screen he appeared in such films as The Sting, Patch Adams, Freaky Friday, The Master of Disguise, Stuart Little, My Giant, The One and Only and The Big Bus... In 1972, he played the original Howard Cunningham in a sketch on "Love, American Style." The sketch of course would lead to th

Kevin McCarthy

Born: February 15, 1914 I write this with a great deal of saddness. This wonderful character actor left us this past Saturday at the age of 96...he had 204 acting credits to his name. He appeared on film, Broadway and television as well as lending his voice to radio... His most memorable film of course was 1956's Invasion of the Body Snatchers. He became a hero to all sci-fi fans. The 1978 remake of film appropriately included a cameo by the actor who made the film part of the cinema history...some other film credits include the screen version of Death of a Salesman and The Twilight Zone: The Movie. His very first film was 1944's Winged Victory, however the actor did not receive screen credit... On the stage he became well known for his twenty year run as President Harry Truman in the one man show "Give 'Em Hell Harry." He first appeared on television on "The Ford Theatre Hour" in 1949. He appeared in the screen version of The Man Who Came to

September 11, 2001

On this day 9 years ago America changed forever... In Memoriam Remembers: All Victims of September 11, 2001

September 10, 2007

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It has been three years since a legend entered into her final rest. She was born on January 5, 1917 and went on to be one of Hollywood's most respected and talented actresses. Her impressive film credits include Magnificent Obsession, The Yearling, The Blue Veil and How to Committ Marriage. In 1948 she appeared in the film Johnny Belinda and earned an Academy Award for her work. In the 1950's she hosted "Jane Wyman Presents the Fireside Theatre" and finally became known to a new generation of fans as Angela Channing on the CBS prime time soap opera "Falcon Crest." Angela was the ruthless matriarch who ruled over the fictional Tuscany Valley with an iron fist. "Falcon Crest" ran from 1981 to 1990, 9 seasons and produced 227 episodes. The actress retired in 1993 after a sixty-one-year career... On the 3rd anniversary of her passing... In Memoriam Remembers: Jane Wyman

September 9th

Born today.... Neil Hamilton -Commissioner Gordon on "Batman" (1966-1968) was born in 1899 Jane Greer -Film star in the 1940's and 1950's also did television in the 1980's was born in 1924 Died on this date.... Burgess Meredith -Credits include "Batman", "The Twilight Zone" and several films including Rocky died in 1997 Ruth Roman -Movie and television character actress for 50 years...died in 1999

September 8th

Happy 85th Birthday to the late Mr. Peter Sellers! He entertained us in such films as The Pink Panther, Being There and Dr. Stranglelove. He passed away on July 24, 1980...much too young. 41-years-ago we lost the man who was the first to give a voice to the iconic Man of Steel...Born on June 18, 1908 he would go on to voice the Superman/Clark Kent character in more than 2,000 broadcasts on radio's "The Adventures of Superman." He also appeared on television in the game shows "To Tell the Truth" and "Beat the Clock." He returned to voice Superman shortly before his passing in the late 1960's in the Superman animated cartoons... In Memoriam Remembers: Peter Sellers & Bud Collyer

J. Pat O'Malley

Born: March 15, 1904 He was a fine character actor that only added a great deal to everything he took part in. Born in London he began performing in British muscial halls. He arrived in America just as WWII broke out, making his first film appearance in 1943's Lassie Come Home... In the 1940's and 1950's and he made several appearances on Broadway... It was television though where he found his true home making over one hundred guest appearances... My particular favorites are his appearances on "The Andy Griffith Show" and "Maude." On "The Andy Griffith Show" he portrayed a smooth talking con man who attempted to swiddle Barney's landlady Mrs. Mandelbright (Enid Markey) out of her life savings...of course Sheriff Andy (Andy Griffith) and Deputy Barney (Don Knotts) save the day... On "Maude" he played Bert Beasley...at first he was introduced as a graveyard nightwatchmen who knew Dr. Arthur Harmon (Conrad Bain). Later he was in

August 30, 1905

Today would've been the 105th birthday of a wonderful character actress that worked along side some of film and television's best. Her first film role was as a voice actor in the 1941 Disney film Dumbo. Her other film credits include The Curse of the Cat People, A Double Life, Prison Warden, Beyond the Forest, Stopover Tokyo and The Great Race... On television she is best remembered as Jim Anderson's (Robert Young) secretary Miss Thomas on "Father Knows Best" and as boarding house owner Ma Smalley on "Gunsmoke." Her other guest credits include "The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show", "The Ford Television Theatre", "Four Star Playhouse", "I Love Lucy", "Fireside Theatre", "Dragnet", "Studio 57", "My Favorite Husband", "The Hardy Boys", "Cavalcade of America", "Jane Wyman Presents the Fireside Theatre", "The Gale Storm Show", "Wa

August 27, 1964

Born: July 26, 1895 In the earliest days of Vaudeville, radio and television she was front and center as one of half of the most popular comedy duos in the world. After years of suffering with heart issues she passed away 46 years ago today at the age of 69. In Memoriam Remembers: Gracie Allen

August 26, 1986

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On this day 24 years ago the portrayer of the broadcaster Ted Baxter and cartoonist Henry Rush passed away after a brave battle with cancer...born on December 7, 1923, he became known as Ted Baxter in the 1970's but before that he appeared in several films and television shows. He was heavily involved in animation and provided the voice of several characters in many Batman, Superman and Super Friend cartoons. He lended his voice to such legendary characters as The Joker, The Penguin, Perry White and many more. From 1980 until his passing he starred as Henry Rush on the sitcom "Too Close for Comfort." 24 years after his passing... In Memoriam Remembers: Ted Knight

August 26, 1909

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A true "Dallas" legend was born on this day in 1909. After a life long career in dozens of B movies (most of them Westerns) and early television dramas he became known to a whole new generation of fans as John Ross "Jock" Ewing, Sr. on the red hot prime time drama that began in 1978. As Jock Ewing he was the husband of Miss Ellie (Barbara Bel Geddes) and the father of J.R. (Larry Hagman), Bobby (Patrick Duffy) and Gary (David Ackroyd then Ted Shackelford). Early in season 4 it was discovered that Jock's ranch foreman Ray Krebbs (Steve Kanaly) was also his illegitimate son. The actor became ill in the middle of season 4 and ended up appearing in only 75 episodes of the entire series. He passed away on April 26, 1981... In Memoriam Remembers: Jim Davis

August 25, 2000

10 years ago today a Disney legend passed away... Born on March 27, 1901, he was an America studio illustrator and comic book creator most famous for creating the fictional city of DuckBurg....and it's citizens. The legendary Scrooge McDuck was created in 1947...Gladstone Gander in 1948, The Beagle Boys in 1951, Gyro Gearloose in 1952, Flintheart Glomgold in 1956 and Magica De Spell in 1961. These beloved characters were present in animated shorts and comic books for many years. In 1987 Disney brought the characters to television in the animated series "DuckTales." Scrooge McDuck was the star of the show, his nephew Donald was an occasional guest star which meant Scrooge was in charge of his grand-nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie. Glandstone, The Beagle Boys, Gyro, Glomgold and Magica were also frequent guest stars... He was a huge contributor to the Disney legacy and both he and his work will never be forgotten...certainly not as long as I'm alive. Ten years after

August 24, 1999

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A year ago I recognized the 10th anniversary of the passing of a very special lady. Now another year has passed and we must remember her again. Seen in the picture to the left with her constant co-star Lucille Ball the actress was a very successful radio and television character actress. On Radio she worked on "Our Miss Brookes", "My Favorite Husband" and the "Lux Radio Theatre" just to name a few. On television she appeared on such shows as "Our Miss Brooks", "The People's Choice" and "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet." Her work with Lucille Ball included "I Love Lucy", "The Lucy Show" and "Here's Lucy." She concluded her career in 1977 after an appearance on the Lucille Ball special "Lucy Calls the President." 11 years after you left us... In Memoriam Remembers: Mary Jane Croft

August 22, 1910

Today would've been the 100th birthday of a very busy soap opera character actress... From 1949 to 1951 she had a regular role on the radio version of "The Guiding Light." Her soap opeara credits include: "Young Dr. Malone" (regular cast member 1959-1963) "The Secret Storm" & "The Edge of Night (same character - Evelyn Dark) "A Flame in the Wind" "Search for Tomorrow" "General Hospital" "Return to Peyton Place" "Days of Our Lives" "All My Children" "Dallas" (one episode 1980 - Jock Ewing's long lost first wife) "Knots Landing" "Falcon Crest" (recurring 1982-1987 - Mrs. Alma Miller, Chase's housekeeper) Her other television credits include "Robert Montgomery Presents", "Bonanza", "Police Woman", "The Rockford Files", "Bret Maverick", "The A-Team", "Scarecrow and Mrs. King", &q

Audrey Christie

Born: June 27, 1912 A character actress who spent more time on television than anywhere else... On Broadway she appeared in The Voice of the Turtle playing the same role that was played by Eve Arden in the film version. She also appeared in Without Love playing the same role that was played by Lucille Ball in the film version. In 1968 she appeared as Vera Charles in Mame. In 1974 she appeared in the film version of Mame this time playing Mrs. Upson. At one point she played Vera Charles, a role that was originated by Bea Arthur...and then in 1975 she played the mother of Bea's character Maude Findlay in an episode of "Maude." Her first film was Keeper of the Flame in 1942. On television she appeared on such shows as "Suspense", "Inner Sanctum", "Kraft Theatre", "Robert Montgomery Presents", "The Motorola Television Hour", "The United States Steel Hour", "Goodyear Playhouse", "Summer Playhouse&quo

Don Porter

Born: September 24, 1912 A dapper looking character he appeared in dozens of films and television shows during his fifty year career... He appeared in his first film, Mystery of the White Room, in 1939. Some of his other films include Night Monster, Keeping Fit and Who Done It? - he also appeared in the motion picture version of Our Miss Brooks starring Eve Arden, Gale Gordon and Robert Rockwell and also the motion picture version of the musical Mame starring Lucille Ball, Beatrice Arthur, Robert Preston and Jane Connell... In 1953 he began appearing on the sitcom "Private Secretary" which starred Ann Sothern. He remained with the show until it concluded in 1957. In 1959 he returned to co-star with Sothern once again on her new program appropriately entitled "The Ann Sothern Show." The program wrapped after two seasons in 1961. In 1963 he appeared in the film Gidget Goes to Rome and then from 1965 to 1966 he played the same role on the television version of &quo

August 18, 1920

Born on this day 90 years ago this great actress appeared in several classic films and television shows during her fifty-five year career... In addition to Broadway, talk shows and game shows she appeared in such films as A Place in the Sun, The Night of the Hunter, Lolita, A Double Life, The Diary of Anne Frank, The Poseidon Adventure, The Great Gatsby, Bloody Mary and The Delta Force... On television her guest credits include but are not limited to "Wagon Train", "Climax!", "Here's Lucy", "The Ford Television Theatre", "The United States Steel Hour", "Ben Casey", "Batman" and "Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre." Her final television appearance was in 1996 on the sitcom "Roseanne" and her final film role was in 1999's La bomba... She passed away on January 14, 2006... On her 90th birthday... In Memoriam Remembers: Shelley Winters

August 17, 1979

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Four weeks ago her name appeared on here in order to recognize her birthday. Now I am here to acknowledge the 31st anniversary of her passing. The legendary star of stage, screen and television (seen on the right with long time co-star and best friend Lucille Ball) died on this day at the age of 70... In Memoriam Remembers: Vivian Vance

August 16, 1915

Happy Birthday to a wonderful character actress! -She appeared in numerous films in the 1930's -She provided the voice of Daisy Duck in many Disney animation shorts between 1945-1950 -She guest starred on programs such as "I Love Lucy" and "Jane Wyman Presents the Fireside Theatre" -She had a recurring role as Honeybee Gillis on "The Life of Riley" from 1953 to 1958 -Her final acting role was on the animated series "Calvin and the Colonel" from 1961 to 1962... On her 95th birthday... In Memoriam Remembers: Gloria Blondell

August 12, 1910

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A very special 100th birthday post in honor of Miss Jane Wyatt. Even though she will always be remembered as Margaret Anderson on the sitcom "Father Knows Best" (1954-1960) it shouldn't be forgotten that this lady had a career on stage, screen and television that spanned seven decades! She made several appearances on Broadway in the 1930's, 1940's and finally ended her run in 1951. On television she made guest appearances on such shows as "What's My Line?", "The Dinah Shore Chevy Show", "Password All-Stars", "The United States Steel Hour", "Wagon Train", "Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre", "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour", "The Love Boat", "Happy Days" and "Hotel." In 1967 she became beloved by all "Star Trek" fans when she appeared as Amanda Grayson, the Earth mother of Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy). She reprised the role in the 1986 motion picture Star

August 12th

Birthdays today ------ Marion Lorne (1883) Joe Besser (1907) Marjorie Reynolds (1916) People that left us on this day---------- Henry Fonda (1982) Loretta Young (2000) Merv Griffin (2007)

August 8th - Bad Luck

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These performers left us on August 8th... Richard Deacon (born May 14, 1921 died in 1984) Louise Brooks (born November 14, 1906 died in 1985) Alan Napier (born January 7, 1903 died in 1988) Edna Skinner (born May 23, 1921 died in 2003) Fay Wray (born September 15, 1907 died in 2004) Barbara Bel Geddes (born October 31, 1922 died in 2005)

A Good Witch, A Sitcom Wife, A Comedian and a Movie Star

Happy Birthday to: Billie Burke (8/7/1884-5/14/1970) -Best known as Glinda the Good Witch in The Wizard of Oz (1939) Ernestine Wade (8/7/1906-4/15/1983) -Best known as Sapphire Stevens, wife of George "Kingfish" Stevens (on radio Freeman Gosden, on television Tim Moore) on the long running radio and television program "Amos 'N' Andy" We Lost the Following on this day: Oliver Hardy (1/18/1892-8/7/1957) -One half of the comedy duo Laurel and Hardy, who were the pioneers in physical comedy. Brion James (2/20/1945-8/7/1999) -Appeared in such movies as Blade Runner and also provided the voice of the villianous Parasite on "Superman: The Animated Series" in 1996 and 1997.

August 6, 1911

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99 years ago a legend was born. The comedy queen of the TV screen started her life in Jamestown, NY and worked her way all the way to Hollywood... Between 1933 and 1951 she appeared in more than 70 motion pictures...and she worked with the best in the business: Katharine Hepburn Ginger Rogers Eve Arden Eddie Albert Bob Hope Red Skelton Ann Miller and many more! It was a quiet domestic radio sitcom that paved the way on her road to becoming a legend...in 1948 she began work on the series "My Favorite Husband" and by 1951 CBS thought so much of her talent that they offered her a chance to bring the show to the small screen.... History has already told us what she had to go through to get her series on the air... "I Love Lucy" began on October 15, 1951 featuring the actress with her real life husband Desi Arnaz (married in 1940) as Lucy and Ricky Ricardo along with William Frawley and Vivian Vance as neighbors Fred and Ethel Mertz.......179 half hour shows, 1 lost

August 3, 1995

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15 years after passing she is still one of the most beloved screen legends ever... Born on February 4, 1918 she began in the 1930's as a film actress and appeared in 1939's Adventures of Sherlock Holmes which starred Basil Rathbone as the popular sleuth... As the film roles began to become less and less she turned to directing and became one of the first women directors in Hollywood... Television guest appearances weren't far away...she appeared on such programs as "Alfred Hitchcock Presents", "The Twilight Zone", "The Donna Reed Show", "Bewitched", "Batman" and "Charlie's Angels" just to name a few. In her "Twilight Zone" appearance she co-starred with Martin Balsam in a story about an aging actress who insisted in living on the past and refused to acknowledge that she had age i.e. the basis for the film Sunset Blvd... She headed up her own sitcom with then husband Howard Duff in 1957 called &qu

August 2, 1905

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Happy Birthday to the silver screen's most dazzling set of eyes! Born on this day 105 years ago she started in films in 1925 and spanned seven decades before ending in 1980. She appeared in such films as The Jazz Singer, Double Wedding and Cheaper By the Dozen... Above she is featured with actor William Powell...she and Powell appeared in 14 films together but it was six very important detective stories that made them one of Hollywood's favorite screen couples. The films were: The Thin Man After the Thin Man Another Thin Man Shadow of the Thin Man The Thin Man Goes Home Song of the Thin Man which were made between 1934 and 1947. She made her final acting appearance in 1981 and her final public appearance in any medium was as the 63rd Annual Academy Awards in 1991. She was presented with an Academy Honorary Award but illness prevented her from attending. Her thank you speech was shown on video tape... She died on December 14, 1993... Happy 105th Birthday! In Memoriam R

July 26, 1895 & July 26, 1909

One of the first funny ladies in history was born on this day 115 years ago. Born in 1895 she came from a group of entertainers and broke into Vaudeville in the 1920's. By the end of the decade she was working with her husband, George Burns. They went on to be giants on radio and later television...known for her child like innocence and amazing delivery she will be beloved forever. She passed away on August 27, 1964 after a long battle with heart disease... The woman who helped to perfect the role of TV sidekick was born on this day in 1909. She played Ethel Mertz on "I Love Lucy" and Vivian Bagley on "The Lucy Show" but also appeared along side other legends such as Bob Hope, Merv Griffin, Charles Laughton, Jane Wyman, Mike Douglas, Joan Rivers, Red Skelton and Dinah Shore....her career spanned from the 1920's to the 1970's....she died on August 17, 1979... On their birthdays In Memoriam Remembers: Gracie Allen & Vivian Vance

Birthdays!

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Happy Birthday! Born July 25, 1923 she entertained us as the fiesty Sophia Petrillo for a combined ten years on five different sitcoms: "The Golden Girls" - 1985-1992 "The Golden Palace" - 1992-1993 "Empty Nest" - 1988, 1993-1995 "Blossom" - 1991 (Guest Appearance) "Nurses" - 1993 (Guest Appearance) She passed away just two years ago on July 22, 2008 after a long battle with Lewy-body Dementia... On her special days - In Memoriam Remembers: Estelle Getty Other Birthdays: Walter Brennan (1894) Jack Gilford (1908) Harold Peary (1908) Jerry Paris (1925)

Hermione Baddeley

A little lady who was often larger than life...! She was born on November 13, 1906... Her talent brought her from Broadway to the silver screen and then the small screen... In 1927 she appeared in her first film - A Daugher in Revolt. In 1951 she played Mrs. Cratchit in A Christmas Carol. Some of her other films include No Room at the Inn, Midnight Lace, Mary Poppins, Marriage on the Rocks, Do Not Disturb, The Happiest Millionaire and The AristoCats. In 1959 she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress following her work in the film Room at the Top. While she didn't win, she does hold a record. She is only featured on screen for less than THREE minutes making that the shortest timed role ever to be nominated. Her television career made her known to many...among her credits she was a regular on "The Good Life" from 1971 to 1972 and on "South Riding" in 1974. Some other television credits include "The Merv Griffin Show"

July 17, 2005...

It has been five years since the passing of a wonderful actress... Born on November 24, 1913 she appeared in wonderful films and television shows during a fifty year career... Five years after her passing... In Memoriam Remembers: Geraldine Fitzgerald

95 years...

Today marks the 95th birthday of a wonderful character actor... His resume includes Broadway, television and film...some of his films include The Young Doctors, Hamlet, Midnight Cowboy, Cold Turkey, Sisters, Oh, God!, TRON, Where are the Children?, The Lost Boys, Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, The Fantasticks and The Odd Couple II... On television he was a regular cast member of the daytime soap opera "The Guiding Light" from 1961 to 1966. He also appeared on the daytime soap "As the World Turns" from 1969 to 1970. From 1975 to 1976 he appeared as the title character on the program "Doc" and from 1981 to 1982 he was a cast member on "Mr. Merlin", from 1986 to 1989 he was a cast member on "The Cavanaughs" and from 1990 to 1994 he was a recurring cast member on "Blossom." On "Blossom" he played Grandpa Buzz whose love interest was played by Phyllis Diller... His other television guest appearances include "

90 Years...

A great character actor was born on July 12, 1920... In the 1940's and 1950's he appeared on Broadway and by 1960 he was co-starring along side Lucille Ball in Wildcat. Previous project include The Chocolate Solider... Some of his films include The Farmer's Daughter, A Life at Stake, Blackbeard, the Pirate and Tora! Tora! Tora! On television he guest starred on such programs as "Celebrity Playhouse", "The Ford Television Theatre", "The Loretta Young Show", "Playhouse 90", "Jane Wyman Presents the Fireside Theatre", "The Gale Storm Show", "77 Sunset Strip", "Perry Mason", "Death Valley Days", "Birdman", "The Andy Griffith Show", "Star Trek", "I Spy", "Petticoat Junction", "The Bold Ones: The New Doctors", "Gunsmoke" and "Cannon." In 1963 he appeared on the short lived sitcom "Glynis" which sta

July 8, 1990

Twenty years ago today the world lost a wonderful actor and man... Whether you knew him as Sam Spade on radio from 1946 to 1951 or in the films Shakedown, Spy Hunt or Private Hell 36 one thing can't be denied----he completely embraced every role he played. Born on November 24, 1913 he also lent his voice to such radio programs as "Suspense", "Cavalcade of America" and "Hollywood Star Playhouse." He appeared in the film Woman in Hiding with actress Ida Lupino would later become his wife... Later on he got a second chance at film by appearing A Wedding and Kramer vs. Kramer... From 1957 to 1958 he starred in the television series "Mr. Adams and Eve", from 1960 to 1961 he appeared on "Dante" and from 1966 to 1969 he appeared on "Felony Squad." Television guest appearances were not something that were foreign to the great actor he appeared on "Climax!", "The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour", "Bonanza"

June 30, 1995

His career will always be defined by his association of Lucille Ball but before he became her blustery co-star in the 1960's he was one of American radios most beloved actors... Radio credits include "Fibber McGee and Molly", "The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show", "My Favorite Husband", "The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show", "The Great Gildersleeve" and "Our Miss Brooks" just to name a few. Some other television credits include "The Brothers", "Climax!", "Playhouse 90", "Pete and Gladys" and "The Donna Reed Show." In addition to working with Lucille Ball on radio he also appeared on all five of her weekly television shows...he guest starred on "I Love Lucy" and "The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour" and had regular roles on "The Lucy Show", "Here's Lucy" and "Life with Lucy." He was also present for her television specials in 1

More Birthdays & Anniversaries!

Birthdays: She was a great woman of comedy who left us much too early... He was a character actor that found great fame in the 1980's in The Karate Kid films Death Anniversaries: For six seasons he put up with the antics of Jim Nabors' Gomer Pyle He created one of the greatest science fiction programs of all time and left us much too early as well... In Memoriam Remembers: Gilda Radner (1946-1989) Pat Morita (1932-2005) Frank Sutton (1923-1974) Rod Serling (1924-1975)

The Heart and Soul of a Family

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When "Days of Our Lives" began on November 8, 1965 America was introduced to the kindly Alice Grayson Horton (Frances Reid). As the decades passed Mrs. Horton became known as the heart and soul of the Horton family. When the show began Reid was 51 and she left the show 42 years later at the age of 93. Even though she remained on contract until her passing in February 2010 Reid made her final appearance on camera on December 26, 2007.....in the mid-2000's as her health began to slow her down she required the use of a cane. In February 2005 she was present front and center however to host the 10,000th episode of "Days of Our Lives." Frances Reid passed away on February 3, 2010 at the age of 95. Alice's fate wasn't revealed until months later... On June 9, 2010 the characters began to discuss Alice's declining health....as all the members of her family gathered to say good bye there were many flashback clips. Finally at the conclusion of the June 24

Remembering Two Special but Very Different People :)

A funny character actor who was Mr. Peterson on "The Bob Newhart Show" and the voice of Piglet in the "Winnie the Pooh" cartoons was born in 1925 and left us five years ago today... On this day in 2009 we lost one of the greatest beauties to ever grace the screen...born in 1947 she lost her battle with cancer at a very young age...as one of Charlie's original angels she earned a permanent place in television history and thanks to a famous 1970's pin up poster she became the fantasy of every teenage boy in America...but beauty on the inside is what matters and she had plenty of that... In Memoriam Remembers: John Fiedler & Farrah Fawcett

June 23, 1905

105 years ago Sadie Marks was born...she would later become known to the world as Mrs. Jack Benny... As the wife of comedy legend Jack Benny she worked with him in Vaudeville and later on his radio program. Originally a character called "Mary Livingstone" was to be played by another actress but the actress did not show up for the broadcast. Jack Benny asked his wife to play the "Mary Livingstone" character, who in the script, was Jack's biggest fan. Eventually Sadie Marks became Mary Livingstone...and remained for the entire run of the radio program... In addition to the radio program she also joined "The Jack Benny Program" when it began on television in 1950... Later in life the actress began to develop stage fright and her appearances on the show became less frequent. Some times her daughter would stand in for her during radio broadcasts and other times her performance would be pre-recorded and dubbed in later. She finally ended her career i

Character Actors and Hosts - Remembered

A few birthdays today - Keye Luke (1904-1991) Kay Kyser (1905-1985) Bud Collyer (1908-1969) Nedra Volz (1908-2003) E.G. Marshall (1914-1998) ------------------- Actress Nancy Marchand passed away on this day in 2000....ten years ago today she died one day before her 72nd birthday... In Memoriam Remembers: Six Marvelous Performers

For More than Half a Century....

On June 16, 1959....Americans awoke to read a shocking headline... TV's Superman had killed himself... And now more than fifty years later the death of actor George Reeves still remains one of Hollywood's most talked about mysteries... He was born on January 5, 1914 and appeared in several films before putting on the blue tights and red cape...films including So Proudly We Hail, The Blue Gardenia and of course in 1939 Gone With the Wind... As television's first Man of Steel he became an icon to generation after generation of children and fans who needed a reminder that it does us all some good to look up in the sky every once and a while... Fifty one years ago the actor was dead from a gunshot wound at the age of 45...but today he is immortal on DVD as all 104 episodes of his Superman television series have been released and as his surviving co-stars continue to appear at fan shows and autographs signing his legacy will never be forgotten... In Memoriam Remembers: Ge

June 13, 1910

She was always there! This lady who would've turned 100 years old today was an actress you would see and say "I know her...she's been in other - movies, plays, television shows." Her stage credits include more than 200 productions, 27 of them being on Broadway. "The Man Who Came to Dinner" (She played the role of Nurse Preen in 5 different productions) The stage version (1930's) The film (1930's 0r 1940's) 1949 - "The Ford Theatre Hour" 1972 - "Hallmark Hall of Fame" 1972 - Made for television movie Her television credits include (incomplete): "The Peter Lind Hayes Show" "Studio One" "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" "Playhouse 90" "Make Room for Daddy" "The Thin Man" "The Dinah Shore Chevy Show" "Dennis the Menace" (recurring role as Miss Esther Cathcart) "The Donna Reed Show" "M*A*S*H" "Sanford and Son" "Tabitha&

A Few Birthdays and Anniversaries

Some birthdays today - Barry Morse (Born in 1918) Judy Garland (Born in 1922) June Haver (Born in 1926) Some passings on this day... Spencer Tracy in 1967 & Michael Rennie in 1971... In Memoriam Remembers: 5 Wonderful Performers!

Three "Golden Girls" Remembered

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Three members of a marvelous foursome have left us...but they will never be forgotten...NEVER! The gifts they gave us will be a part of everyone's lives forever... "The Golden Girls" provided the world with the perfect example of what is truly important in life...ultimate friendship. Blood does not always make you family and that message came through loud and clear... May God look over and protect Betty White as she continues to spread the laughter and cheer that "The Golden Girls" represented... In Memoriam Remembers: Estelle Getty (1923-2008) Beatrice Arthur (1922-2009) Rue McClanahan (1934-2010)