In Memoriam

Oh my goodness...I never thought I would be writing a memoriam for Estelle Getty. Why can't some people live forever? This fiesty little bundle of energy appeared in eight films between 1978 and 2000. She guest starred on such shows as "Cagney & Lacey", "Hotel", "Newhart", "City", "Touched by an Angel", "Brotherly Love", "The John Larroquette Show", "The Crew", "The Rosie O'Donnell Show", "The Nanny", "Mad About You" and "Ladies Man." Prior to her film role, she was well known on the Broadway stage. In 1985 she stepped into television history. It was on September 14, 1985 that America got its first glimpse of Sophia Petrillo. Following that date she would play Sophia on not only "The Golden Girls" but also its follow-up series "The Golden Palace" and its spin-off "Empty Nest." She also appeared as Sophia on "Nurs...

Barbara Stanwyck is another perfect example of what a leading lady is and was and should always be. Between 1927 and 1964 she appeared in 93 films including such powerhouses as "Annie Oakley" (with Preston Foster), "Golden Boy" (will William Holden), "Double Indemnity" (with Fred MacMurray), "Sorry, Wrong Number" (with Burt Lancaster) and "Titanic" (with Clifton Webb). On television she guest starred on "The Real McCoys", "The Jack Benny Program", "The Merv Griffin Show", "Letter to Loretta", "The Ford Television Theatre", "Goodyear Theatre", "Zane Grey Theater", "The Joey Bishop Show", "General Electric Theater", "Rawhide", "The Dick Powell Show", "The Untouchables", "Wagon Train" and "Charlie's Angels." In 1960 she starred in "The Barbara Stanwyck Show" which lasted only one seaso...

How do you even begin to put into words the greatness of George and Gracie? From the time of their union the 1920's until her passing in 1964 they entertained the world as a couple and then he carried on many years longer until he left us in the late 1990's. Even now in 2008 the wonderful old catchphrase "Say Good Night Gracie" is still used on a daily basis. Gracie only appeared without George by her side in two productions, the first being "The Gracie Allen Murder Case" in 1939 opposite Warren William as Detective Philo Vance and the second being in 1942 in the detective story "Mr. & Mrs. North" with Gracie as Pamela North and William Post, Jr. as Gerry North. Unfortunately Gracie suffered from severe migraine headaches that would last days at a time. Her illness only affected her performance once when she was forced to miss a 1949 radio show. Her good friend Jane Wyman filled in for her. They appeared in their popular radio program for sev...

Lloyd Bochner was an actor who just grabbed onto to the role of "suave sophisticated villain" and ran with it. He stared on television in 1950 with a guest appearance on "Studio One" and followed that up appearances on "One Man's Family", "On the Spot", "Dr. Kildare", "The Dick Powell Show", "Perry Mason", "Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre", "Honey West", "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea", "The Wild Wild West", "The Green Hornet", "The Girl From U.N.C.L.E.", "Death Valley Days", "Bonanza", "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.", "Hogan's Heroes", "Bewitched", "The F.B.I.", "The Debbie Reynolds Show", "The Virginian", "The Doris Day Show", "Emergency!", "Mission: Impossible", "Ironside", "Mannix", "The New Perry Mason",...

I don't know a whole lot about Marlene Dietrich but she is being remembered on this blog for two very special performances. Between 1919 and 1929 she appeared in 19 German films. In 1930 she appeared in her first American production and would appeared in 33 more up until 1961. The two performances I mentioned above came in 1950's "Stage Fright" Starring Jane Wyman and in 1957's "Witness for the Prosecution" Starring Tyrone Power. In "Stage Fright" Dietrich and Jane Wyman have wonderful chemistry and you can tell there is a great deal of admiration between the two of them off camera. Dietrich was terribly disappointed when she didn't receive an Oscar nomination for her work in "Witness for the Prosecution." She damn well deserved that statue too. I won't spoil it for you...but she does a great job! Her final major film appearance was in "Judgment at Nuremburg" in 1961. She did a lot of stage work following that bu...

Metropolis Police Inspector William J. Henderson... Even though he appeared in 113 films between 1929 and 1976 Robert Shayne will live on forever as Inspector Henderson, the Metropolis police officer who spent more time in Perry White's office than his own. His lengthy film credits include "The Blue Gardenia", "North by Northwest" and "Tora! Tora! Tora!" He also appeared on Broadway along side such legends as Ethel Barrymore. He also was able to reunite on stage years later with his former "Superman" co-star Phyllis Coates. Aside from the "Adventures of Superman" his other television appearances include "Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok", "Racket Squad", "Sky King", "The Unexpected", "Ramar of the Jungle", "Stories of the Century", "The Long Ranger", "The Millionaire", "Sheena: Queen of the Jungle", "Navy Log", "The Gray Gho...

Roscoe Lee Browne is being remembered on this blog for a couple of reasons. For starters he was a wonderful performer. Also he had quite a resume of television guest appearances under his belt at the time of his passing. And finally he is the only African American performer who had a prominent role on "Falcon Crest." It's true that Raymond St. Jacques appeared as Dr. Arthur Hooks for a handful of episodes during the third season in 1983 but it was Browne's performance as the sinister and mysterious "Rosemont" during season seven in 1988 that left a lasting impression with audiences. Browne began in films in 1962 and appeared in 40 different productions before his death. Some of his more notable film appearances were in 1969's "Topaz" directed by the great Alfred Hitchcock and in 1992's "The Mambo Kings." On television he guest starred in just about all of the top shows of the day including "The Flip Wilson Show", ...