In Memoriam

Hello, This is just a small note to keep you updated. Last month I was blogging regularly until September 15th. At that point I promised to blog once a week and I didn't keep that promise. I know I have brought you 13 tributes this month and I plan on having a few done in the days to come but I can't make any guarantees. November 7th will be five years since Howard Keel passed away and I will certainly recognize that. I also want to post a tribute to Eddie Bracken but the plain truth is that I haven't been able to concentrate. 177 posts really take a lot out of a person...and at this point I am simply burned out. I'm sorry to say that but it is the truth. Nothing gives me greater pleasure than to pay tribute to these late great performers but I can not do it right now at least not on a daily or weekly basis. I hope you'll continue to visit this blog and revisit some of the greatest entertainers this world has ever known. Most Sincerely, -Z

Another in a long line of dedicated character actors..... She made her first television guest appearance on "Two Girls Named Smith" in 1951. From 1956 to 1957 she played Liz Murray on "Hey, Jeannie!" starring Jeannie Carson. She also had recurring roles on "McHale's Navy", "Get Smart", "Medical Center" and "Gimme a Break!" Her final performance was in 1992 on an episode of "The Golden Girls." Her other television credits include: "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" "The Phil Silvers Show" "Pete and Gladys" "The Ann Sothern Show" "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis" "Leave it to Beaver" "The Andy Griffith Show" "Dr. Kildare" "The Joey Bishop Show" "The Red Skelton Show" "Ben Casey" "The Farmer's Daughter" "The Jack Benny Program" "The Dick Van Dyke Show" "The Man from U.N....

She began in New York on Broadway and then started appearing on radio. Some of her radio credits include "Henry Aldrich" and "Mr. & Mrs. North." When she became a widow in 1953 she relocated to California where she began appearing on film and on television. Her first film was Meet Me at the Fair. She also appeared in The Perils of Pauline in 1967. She is best remembered as Mrs. Cornelia Rayburn, Beaver's Principal on "Leave it to Beaver." She also had a recurring role on "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis." Her final film appearance was in Shampoo in 1975... Other Television Credits: "The Great Gildersleeve" "Jane Wyman Presents the Fireside Theatre" "The Bob Cummings Show" "The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show" "I Love Lucy" "Lux Video Theatre" "The Jack Benny Program" "The Thin Man" "Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse" "Maverick" ...

This frail silver haired character actress made a career for herself as an acid tongued "old" lady. She appeared on Broadway in the 1920's and made her first film appearance in 1947. Some of her major film credits include The Miracle Worker, The Trouble with Angels, Valley of the Dolls, Sweet Charity and Superdad. She made four appearances on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" between 1970 and 1971. Other television appearances include "Studio One", "The Phil Silvers Show", "Car 54, Where Are You?", "The Patty Duke Show", "The Jackie Gleason Show", "Dark Shadows", "Maude" and "Kojak." Her most memorable role was as Sally "Mother" Dexter on the sitcom "Phyllis" starring Cloris Leachman. Sally was the best when it came to putting Phyllis down. While she only appeared in 17 episodes it felt like she was in all of them. Her final filmed episode origina...

She began as a supporting player on Broadway in the 1960's. In 1963 she began her career as a very successful character actress on television. In 1973 she appeared in the film Breezy. Between 1973 and 1975 she made occasional appearances on the "Mary Tyler Moore" show as Lou Grant's wife (and later ex-wife) Edie. In 1980 she played Hollywood gossip columnist Louella Parsons in the TV movie "Marilyn: The Untold Story." Her final television role was in an episode of "Coach" in 1992. Her other television credits include: "The Outer Limits" "The Nurses" "The F.B.I." "The Wild Wild West" "Mannix" "Room 222" "Barnaby Jones" "Kolchak: The Night Stalker" "Cannon" "Maude" "All in the Family" "Three's Company" "The Jeffersons" "The Love Boat" "Mork & Mindy" "One Day at a Time" "Br...

How can simple words describle this man? "Uncle Miltie" & "Mr. Television" A career that began in 1914 and lasted until 2000...he spent 86 of his 93 years entertaining us... He was truly a legend... In Memoriam Remembers: Milton Berle

It would take an entire blog of its own to pay tribute to this man's accomplishments... In a career that began in 1927 and lasted until his death in 2003 he entertainted the universe... His marriage to singer Dolores Reade is one of the longest lasting marriages in Hollywood history, they were together for 69 years... Dolores herself celebrated her 100th birthday in May 2009... Comedy's Good Will Ambassador... In Memoriam Remembers: Bob Hope

The woman was the living embodiment of the hard working character actress. She began on Broadway and eventually began playing the role of Janet Archer on the radio series "Meet Corliss Archer" from 1943 until 1952. She reprised the role on television in 1951. On television she could be seen everywhere from "The Bob Cummings Show" to "Dragnet" to "Dennis the Menace" to "Peyton Place" to "Three's Company" to "The Facts of Life." Her final acting role was as Grandma Virginia Pierson in the 1989 made for television movie "A Deadly Silence." Other Television Credits: "The Ruggles" "The Johnny Carson Show" "Letter to Loretta" "The Red Skelton Show" "General Electric Theater" "Four Star Playhouse" "Playhouse 90" "December Bride" "Leave it to Beaver" "Rawhide" "Maverick" "Wagon Train" ...

A delightful character actor...he made his Broadway debut at the age of 5! He began in films in 1947 and some of his more notable ones include Sorry, Wrong Number, The Great Gatsby, 12 Angry Men, Hang 'Em High, The Dunwich Horror and Road to Salina. He made his rounds on radio as well appearing on such programs as "Lux Radio Theatre" and "Our Miss Brooks." One of his appearances on the "Lux Radio Theatre" included a reprisal of his role in Sorry, Wrong Number opposite Barbara Stanwyck and Burt Lancaster. On television he guest starred on several television programs including "Toast of the Town", "Pantomime Quiz", "I've Got a Secret", "Lights Out", "Danger", "The Philip Morris Playhouse", "The Motorola Television Hour", "Robert Montgomery Presents", "Kraft Television Theatre", "Goodyear Television Playhouse", "Climax!", "Westingh...

A short frumpy character actress that knew how to make everyone laugh. She used her talents to emerge as one of the very first women on television to make everyone laugh - behind Lucille Ball and Gracie Allen of course. In the 1930's she made many appearances on Broadway and eventually made her way into the movies in 1937. In 1950 she became a regular performer on Sid Caesar's "Your Show of Shows." The series ran from 1950 until 1954. In 1954 she was given her own self titled show in which she played a character named Betty Crane. It was canceled in 1955. Her television guest appearance credits include "The Colgate Comedy Hour", "Person to Person", "The Steve Allen Show", "Pantomime Quiz", "The Dean Martin Show", "What's My Line?", "The Hollywood Squares", "The Jackie Gleason Show", "The Carol Burnett Show", "Toast of the Town", "The Merv Griffin Show...

She was born on this date in 1879… Before her death on August 13, 1967 at the age of 87 she appeared in over 200 films and a handful of television shows…she also spent time on Broadway. Her career spanned from 1909 until 1964. Some of the more memorable films include Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, Roman Scandals, Gone With the Wind, The Grapes of Wrath, All Through the Night, The Great Gildersleeve, Gildersleeve’s Bad Day, Captain Tugboat Annie, The Lemon Drop Kid and Mary Poppins… She played mother to some of Hollywood’s greatest leading men including Henry Fonda and Humphrey Bogart. On television she appeared on such shows as “Fireside Theatre”, “Four Star Playhouse”, “The Ford Television Theatre”, “Climax!”, “Studio 57”, “Playhouse 90”, “Studio One”, “Maverick”, “Wagon Train”, “Lassie”, “Burke’s Law” and “The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.” Even now, 42 years after her passing…on the occasion of what would’ve been her 130th birthday… In Memoriam Remembers: Jane Darwell

From 1976 to 2008 she was Myrtle Fargate on the ABC daytime hit soap opera "All My Children." In addition to AMC she also brought Myrtle to "Loving" in 1993 and "One Life to Live" in 2000. The character of Myrtle started out as a con artist but eventually warmed up to audiences by becoming a loving friend to everyone and by opening a boarding house for Pine Valley's lost souls. She became a surrogate mother to Susan Lucci's Erica Kane and even managed to bury the hatchett with her long time rival Phoebe Tyler Wallingford (Ruth Warrick). The 10,000 episode of AMC aired on November 12, 2008 and it was dedicated to her memory. The character of Myrtle Fargate passed away peacefully in her sleep, that was addressed in an episode that aired on December 19, 2008. In Memoriam Remembers: Eileen Herlie

Born April 5, 1908...she was a living legend for sixty of her 81 years! She left us 20 years ago today after a decade of debilitating illnesses... A marvelous actress who set the standards... In Memoriam Remembers: Bette Davis

It has been five years since the original scream queen left us. She was born on July 6, 1927…before long she would find herself appearing in such films as My Sister Eileen, Little Women, The Manchurian Candidate, Bye Bye Birdie, The Fog and Halloween H20: 20 Years Later… On television she entertained audiences for over half a century. A few of the shows she appeared on include “The Colgate Comedy Hour”, “Toast of the Town”, “What’s My Line?”, “I’ve Got a Secret”, “Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre”, “Murder, She Wrote” and “Touched by an Angel.” The role that made her a legend was Marion Crane in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 thriller Psycho starring Anthony Perkins as the deranged mama’s boy Norman Bates. The infamous shower scene in which Marion is brutally stabbed to death by the disturbed Norman has haunted audiences for almost fifty years now… Her final role on television was in a 2001 episode of the drama “Family Law.” On the 5th anniversary of her passing… With great, p...