In Memoriam

 February 20, 1906 - June 30, 1995 He was a marvelous actor with incredible talent and an amazing resume which spanned more than fifty years and several performances.  On radio he could be heard on "My Favorite Husband", "Our Miss Brooks", "The Fibber McGee and Molly Show", "The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show" and "The Great Gildersleeve."  His television credits include: "The Ed Sullivan Show" (guest) "I Love Lucy" (guest) "Our Miss Brooks" "The Brothers" "Sally" "The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour" (guest) "Make Room for Daddy" (guest) "Pete and Gladys" "The Donna Reed Show" (guest) "Dennis the Menace" "The Lucy Show" "Here's Lucy" "Life with Lucy" One of his final acting roles was a reprisal of his "Lucy Show" character Mr. Mooney on an episode of "Hi Hone...

June 29, 1916 - January 15, 2005 Today would've been the 97th birthday of a marvelous actress.  One note before I begin, some sources give her year of birth as 1915---in a 1999 interview with the Archive of American Television the actress herself said her DOB was 6/29/16 so I will go with that for the purpose of this blog. I'll just mention some selected works from her long list of projects... Films (limited): Citizen Kane (1st film) China Sky Song of the South Television (limited): "Guiding Light" (1953-1954) also did the radio show for a while "As the World Turns" (1956-1960) "Father of the Bride" (1961-1962) "Peyton Place" (1965-1969) also appeared in "The Next Generation" in 1985 "All My Children" (1970-2005) her defining role as Phoebe Tyler Wallingford Stage (limited): Irene Take Me Along Television Guest Appearances (limited): "Fireside Theatre" "Gu...

December 25, 1924 - June 28, 1975 38 years after his passing... In Memoriam Remembers: Rod Serling 

Happy Birthday! Moroni Olsen (1889) John McIntire (1907) Bill Kennedy (1908) Audrey Christie (1912) At Rest: Jack Lemmon (2001) Gale Storm (2009) 

September 28, 1919 - June 26, 2012 It has been one year since we lost a marvelous actress...during her extremely long and full career she appeared on such programs as "I Love Lucy", "The Lucy Show", "Here's Lucy", "The Dick Van Dyke Show", "My Three Sons", "Gunsmoke", "Dynasty", "Phyllis", "Adventures of Superman" and "Make Room for Granddaddy" just to name a few... In Memoriam Remembers: Doris Singleton 

Happy Birthday! Anne Revere (1903) Reed Hadley (1911) George Murdock (1930) At Rest: John Fiedler (2005) Farrah Fawcett (2009) 

At Rest: Jackie Gleason (1987) Brian Keith (1997) Paul Winchell (2005) 

Happy Birthday! Mary Livingstone (1905) Joseph Mell (1916) At Rest: Aaron Spelling (2006) Ed McMahon (2009) Peter Falk (2011) 

 Happy Birthday! Richard Eastham (1916) Paul Frees (1920) At Rest: Judy Garland (1969) Fred Astaire (1987) Dennis Day (1988) Dody Goodman (2008) George Carlin (2008)

Happy Birthday! Jane Russell (1921) Maureen Stapleton (1925) At Rest: Carroll O'Connor (2001) 

Because of my tribute on Father's Day I neglected to recognize that June 16, 2013 marked the 54th anniversary of the passing of the great George Reeves, who of course played Clark Kent/Superman on the "Adventures of Superman" from 1952 until 1958 and also appeared in the 1951 feature film Superman and the Mole Men.  So sad that after more than half of a century the details behind the 45-year-old actors death are still shrouded in mystery. Also, June 6, 2013 marked this blog's 5th anniversary.  It is hard to believe that it has been 5 years already...870 posts and more than 1,000 tributes to our lost entertainers and beloved stars.  

September 18, 1961 - June 19, 2013 In Memoriam Remembers: James Gandolfini 

Happy Birthday! Moe Howard (1897) George Voskovec (1905) Pat Buttram (1915) Nancy Marchand (1928) 

Happy Birthday! Keye Luke (1904) Bud Collyer (1908) Nedra Volz (1908) E.G. Marshall (1914) 

I found out just today that a long time character actor died on May 10, 2013 at the age of 90.  He was born in 1922...some of his credits include: "Dennis the Menace" "The Donna Reed Show" "I Spy" "Hazel" "My Three Sons" "The Flying Nun" "Sanford and Son" "Lou Grant" "Knots Landing" "Dallas" "Barnaby Jones" "Trapper Jones, M.D." "Murder, She Wrote" And many many more.... In Memoriam Remembers: Laurence Haddon

On this day, we remember 25 classic TV dads...! Vern Albright Played by: Charles Farrell (1900-1990) Series: “My Little Margie” Years: 1952-1955 Child: Margie Jim Anderson Played by: Robert Young (1907-1998) Series: “Father Knows Best” Years: 1954-1960 Children: Bud, Kathy and Betty Archie Bunker Played by: Carroll O’Connor (1924-2001) Series: “All in the Family” Years: 1971-1979 Child: Gloria Ozzie Nelson Played by: Ozzie Nelson (1906-1975) Series: “The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet” Years: 1952-1966 Children: David & Ricky Ward Cleaver Played by: Hugh Beaumont (1909-1982) Series: “Leave It to Beaver” Years: 1957-1963 Children: Theodore & Wally Paul Martin Played by: Hugh Reilly (1915-1998) Series “Lassie” Years: 1958-1964 Child: Timmy Bentley Gregg Played by: John Forsythe (1918-2010) Series: “Bachelor Father” Years: 1957-1962 Child: Kelly. Kelly was actually his niece, the daughter of his late brother that he was raising H...

No Post Today...Ran Out of Time 

June 14, 2013 - the latest film in the Superman universe opens today...right now we are going to take a look back at the men who have brought Superman into our lives over the years. Clayton "Bud" Collyer (1908-1969) provided the voice of Superman/Clark Kent on the radio series "The Adventures of Superman" from 1940 to 1950.  He also provided the voice in 16 animated shorts for the Fleischer studios between 1941 and 1943...his final run as the hero was from 1966 to 1969 when returned to provide the voice on the animated series "The New Adventures of Superman." Michael Fitzmaurice (1908-1967) replaced Collyer for the final season of the radio series (1950-1951) On July 3, 1940 actor Ray Middleton (1907-1984) made an appearance in the Superman costume at the 1939 NY World's Fair. Kirk Alyn (1910-1999) played Superman/Clark Kent in two movie serials - Superman (1948) and Atom Man vs. Superman (1950).  In 1978 he made a brief cameo as Lois ...

Happy Birthday! Basil Rathbone (1892) Larry Keating (1896) Mary Wickes (1910) Percy Rodrigues (1918) Paul Lynde (1926) At Rest: Danny Dark (2004) Lane Smith (2005) 

April 1, 1920 An actor during the 1940's and 1950's he appeared in bit parts in films that were followed up by appearances in such films as The Last Ride, Winged Victory, Her Kind of Man, Key Largo and The Ten Commandments.  On television he appeared on several programs including "The Silver Theatre", "Adventures of Superman", "Mr. & Mrs. North", "The Lone Wolf", "The Whistler", "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" and "The Six Million Dollar Man."  In 1981 he appeared in the mini-series "East of Eden" and made his final screen appearance in a 1985 episode of "Fame." In October of 1950 he and his wife Marilyn opened the sirst of what would become several Hamburger Hamlet restaurants in Hollywood.  By the time they sold the chain in 1997 it was worth over $30 million dollars.   He passed away on June 9, 2013... In Memoriam Remembers: Harry Lewis   

April 1, 1920 - June 9, 2013 In Memoriam Remembers: Harry Lewis 

Happy Birthday! Gerald Mohr (1914) At Rest: John Wayne (1979) Herbert Anderson (1994) DeForest Kelley (1999) 

Happy Birthday! Hattie McDaniel (1892 or 1895) Robert Cummings (1910) Barry Morse (1918) Judy Garland (1922) June Haver (1926) At Rest: Spencer Tracy (1967) Michael Rennie (1971) 

June 8, 1921 - June 9, 1993 20 years after her passing... In Memoriam Remembers: (once again) Alexis Smith 

June 8, 1918 - March 21, 1987 In Memoriam Remembers: Robert Preston June 8, 1921 - June 9, 1993 In Memoriam Remembers: Alexis Smith 

Happy Birthday! Hope Summers (1896) Jessica Tandy (1909) Dean Martin (1917) 

Happy Birthday! Richard Paul (1940) David Dukes (1945) At Rest: Jack Haley (1979) Anne Bancroft (2005) Dana Elcar (2005) 

Daytime television will never be the same...the passing of Jeanne Cooper on May 8th got me to thinking about all the seasoned actors that appeared on soaps during their early days.  Sadly they have all left us now...here is a look back at these wonderful performers. From "As The World Turns" they were the couple that started it all... Don MacLaughlin (1906-1986) as Chris Hughes who appeared from the show's beginning in 1956 until his passing in 1986. Helen Wagner (1918-2010) as Nancy Hughes who also appeared from the beginning in 1956 and remained until her passing in 2010.  From "Days of Our Lives" Macdonald Carey (1913-1994) as Dr. Tom Horton from the show's beginning in 1965 until his passing in 1994.  Frances Reid (1914-2010) as Alice Horton from the show's beginning in 1965 until 2007. From "All My Children" Ruth Warrick (1916-2005) as Phoebe Tyler Wallingford from the show's beginning until her passing...

Born: January 19, 1923 This lady was a true treasure...she was extremely talented and kind and when she referred to herself as a performer instead of a celebrity she was so right....she tackled many projects... On stage: -Damn Yankees -Funny Girl -Bells Are Ringing -The Corn is Green -Arsenic & Old Lace -Eleanor Roosevelt Star on television: -Edith Bunker on "All in the Family" (1971-1979) -Edith Bunker on "Archie Bunker's Place (5 episodes 1979) -Jasmine Zweibel on "Bagdad Cafe" (1990-1991) -Eleanor Roosevelt in "Eleanor First Lady of the World (TV Movie - 1982) -Irene Silverman in "Like Mother Like Son: The Strange Story of Sante and Kenny Kimes" (2001) - final screen appearance Guest Star on television: -"Starlight Theatre" -"Lux Video Theatre" -"Robert Montgomery Presents" -"The Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse" -"Dr. Kildare" -"Dennis the Menace"...

Happy Birthday! Maurice Evans (1901) Ellen Corby (1911) Roy Glenn (1914) Colleen Dewhurst (1924) Edward Winter (1937) At Rest: Anthony Quinn (2001) Leon Askin (2005) Rue McClanahan (2010) James Arness (2011) 

Happy Birthday! Walter Tetley (1915) Milo O'Shea (1926) At Rest: Jim Hutton (1979) Imogene Coca (2001) Mel Ferrer (2008) Richard Dawson (2012) 

January 19, 1923 - May 31, 2013 In Memoriam Remembers: Jean Stapleton 

Happy Birthday! Frank Morgan (1890) John Randolph (1915) Joan Caulfield (1922) Andy Griffith (1926) Marilyn Monroe (1926) Pat Corley (1930) Cleavon Little (1939)