Celebrity Deaths

augusta · Post by **augusta** » Sun Jan 31, 2010 12:55 pm

Thanks so much, Twinsrwe. I never knew that at all.

twinsrwe · Post by **twinsrwe** » Sun Jan 31, 2010 2:29 pm

You're welcome, Augusta.

Constantine · Post by **Constantine** » Thu Feb 11, 2010 11:20 pm

British actor Ian Carmichael died on February 5th at the age of 89.

He played Stanley Windrush in I'm All Right, Jack, Bertie Wooster in a television series based on P.G. Wodehouse's Jeeves stories and Lord Peter Wimsey in a series based on Dorothy Sayers' mysteries.

augusta · Post by **augusta** » Fri Feb 12, 2010 7:55 am

I guess Brittany Murphy's death was due to a diabetic coma

DJ · Post by DJ » Tue Feb 23, 2010 1:18 pm

Kathryn Grayson died this past weekend, just turned 88. She was one of the last, and certainly one of the most beautiful, stars from the heyday of the MGM musicals. Jane Powell and Debbie Reynolds are the only ones I can think of who remain, mainly because they were 16 when they broke in, playing teenaged roles.

When I think of Magnolia Hawks Ravenel in "Show Boat" (1952), it will always be of Kathryn Grayson, not Irene Dunne, who did the earlier version. KG also played Magnolia in a miniversion of "Show Boat" in the Jerome Kern biopic "Till the Clouds Roll By" (1946), with Lena Horne as Julie Laverne.

Saw an excellent Broadway revival of "Show Boat" during the mid 1990s, but Magnolia was portrayed by a blonde, Rebecca Luker. No, no, no-- I thought: Magnolia is a brunette!

Kathryn Grayson also did a fine job in "Kiss Me Kate." Apparently, she had an unrequited "thing" for her frequent costar, Howard Keel.

augusta · Post by **augusta** » Wed Mar 10, 2010 10:03 am

Corey Haim died, I just learned, from an 'apparent drug overdose'. He was 38. He was in several pre-teen/teen movies. He and Corey Feldman did a reality series not long ago called "The Two Coreys". How tragic to go so young, and to go rather unnecessarily like that.

DJ, I hadn't heard Kathryn Grayson died. Yeah, she was so beautiful. It's sad there's hardly anyone left anymore. But at least she lived a long life.

The only male star I can think of that's still alive, from the old 'star system' is Mickey Rooney. Surely there's more than just him.

DJ · Post by DJ » Wed Mar 10, 2010 1:38 pm

Yes, Augusta, Mickey Rooney will turn 90 this year.
Esther Willisms is in her late eighties.
Elizabeth Taylor is of course still living, although in poor health.
Doris Day is still living.
Lauren Bacall, too.
The most long-lived star from pre-WWII Hollywood is one most people have never heard of, as she left pictures before the war. However, she won back-to-back Oscars for Best Actress, in 1936 (for "The Great Ziegfeld") and in 1937 (for "The Good Earth")-- Luise Rainer. She's in her 90s, still looks good, and is still making public appearances. I think one of the reasons she left MGM was that the studio was throwing her in just anything and everything, even after her Oscar triumphs (something that no other actress has managed, to my knowledge, although Spencer Tracy did and Tom Hanks has). She didn't have the clout that Garbo and Norma Shearer did, so she broke her contract, much to the fury of Louis B. Mayer.
*I just looked up Luise Rainer. She turned 100 on January 12th!!!

DJ · Post by DJ » Thu Mar 11, 2010 12:59 pm

Forgot sisters Olivia de Havilland and Joan Fontaine, both of whom won Best Actress Oscars, and both of whom made "big" pix during the 1930s, particularly Olivia, of course, in "Robin Hood" and "GWTW." Olivia turns 94 this year; Joan, 93.

Also, Katharine Hepburn also won back-to-back Best Actress Oscars for "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?" (1967) and "The Lion in Winter" (1968). Barbra Streisand also won, in a tie, in 1968, for "Funny Girl."

Olivia de Havilland and Ann Rutherford are the only surviving major cast members of "GWTW."

Joan Fontaine is the only surviving major cast member of "The Women" (1939).

doug65oh · Post by **doug65oh** » Thu Mar 11, 2010 2:22 pm

Merlin Olsen, one of football's Fearsome Foursome and also a noted television actor following his retirement in 1977, passed away this morning at age 69. He was being treated for mesothelioma apparently.

kssunflower · Post by **kssunflower** » Thu Mar 11, 2010 7:01 pm

He was one of my favorite characters on Little House on the Prairie.

twinsrwe · Post by **twinsrwe** » Sat Mar 13, 2010 5:47 pm

kssunflower @ Thu Mar 11, 2010 6:01 pm wrote:

He was one of my favorite characters on Little House on the Prairie.

Ditto. May he rest in peace.

Angel · Post by **Angel** » Mon Mar 15, 2010 8:39 am

Peter Graves passed away this weekend.

Yooper · Post by **Yooper** » Mon Mar 15, 2010 10:55 am

I remember Peter Graves from the television series "Fury" many years ago. He played the owner of the Broken Wheel ranch. I think he was the brother of James Arness from the "Gunsmoke" series, I remember their voices were very similar.

DJ · Post by DJ » Mon Mar 15, 2010 1:55 pm

Peter Graves also did a lot of voice-over work, including many episodes of "Biography."

Constantine · Post by **Constantine** » Mon Mar 15, 2010 4:07 pm

He was indeed the brother of James Arness. (Their real name was "Aurness.")

Constantine · Post by **Constantine** » Mon Mar 15, 2010 8:31 pm

Actually, according to Wikipedia, the name was originally "Aursnes," but Graves' paternal grandfather changed it to "Aurness" when he immigrated from Norway.

twinsrwe · Post by **twinsrwe** » Tue Mar 16, 2010 5:20 pm

He Pingping, world's shortest man, dies at age 21

http://www.freep.com/article/20100316/BLOG36/100316017

augusta · Post by **augusta** » Thu Mar 18, 2010 4:37 pm

Fess Parker died today of natural causes at the age of 85.

I hadn't heard Peter Graves died! Was he in "Mission Impossible"? I was only a kid when it was on tv and only watched the beginning for the theme song.

I am so surprised at Luis Rainer turning 100! I don't know her from 'The Great Ziegfield' but know her from 'The Good Earth'. That's good news.

I know the name 'Merlin Olsen' but can't remember who he played in "Little House on the Prairie".

Ping Ping died?!

I think we were posting about him a while back. Twenty-one years old? That's awful. Thanks for the link, twinsrwe.

The "survivor" list is real interesting, DJ. I'm glad you posted the names. (The 1939 version of "The Women" was so good. You probably know they remade it. I have no interest in watching it. It's been playing on cable lately, and I notice they gave it just one star for a rating. In the original, I loved Joan Crawford as Crystal. Seems like there was a color sequence in the middle of the film during a fashion show?

twinsrwe · Post by **twinsrwe** » Thu Mar 18, 2010 9:33 pm

augusta @ Thu Mar 18, 2010 3:37 pm wrote:Fess Parker died today of natural causes at the age of 85.

I just now read about his death. Apparently, he died on his wife’s 84th birthday; they had been married for 50 years. How sad is that? My heart goes out to her. May he rest in peace.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... t=1&f=1001

Check out the video in this link:
http://tv.msn.com/tv/article.aspx?news=488788&gt1=28103

twinsrwe · Post by **twinsrwe** » Thu Mar 18, 2010 9:34 pm

augusta @ Thu Mar 18, 2010 3:37 pm wrote:I know the name 'Merlin Olsen' but can't remember who he played in "Little House on the Prairie".

Merlin Olsen played Michael Landon's sidekick, Jonathan Garvey.

http://littlehouse.wikia.com/wiki/Jonathan_Garvey

twinsrwe · Post by **twinsrwe** » Thu Mar 18, 2010 9:34 pm

augusta @ Thu Mar 18, 2010 3:37 pm wrote:Ping Ping died?! I think we were posting about him a while back. Twenty-one years old? That's awful. Thanks for the link, twinsrwe.

You’re welcome, Augusta.

DJ · Post by DJ » Fri Mar 19, 2010 2:20 pm

"Daniel Boone was a man, was a big man..."

I used to "build forts" with the neighborhood kids and play "Dan'l Boone."
Fess Parker was truly an icon, and, though, I missed out on the "Davy Crockett" craze, coonskin caps were still quite the thing when I was way-young, and I recall having one, because "Dan'l" wore one, too: "From the coonskin cap on the top of ol' Dan to the heel of his rawhide shoe, the rippinest, roarinest, fightenest man, the frontier ever knew."

Yes, Augusta, there was a Technicolor fashion show in the midst of the original "The Women," gowns by Gilbert Adrian. Joan Crawford stole the pic, along with Rosalind Russell and the actress who played the Countess. Mary Boland? "L'amour, l'amour... toujours l'amour!" A great film with an incredible cast, based on a successful B'way show.

Haven't seen the most recent remake. There was one in 1956, a sort-of musical, but with men, too. No men in the original. Leslie Nielsen, Jim Backus, June Allyson, Ann Sheridan, Joan Blondell, Carolyn Jones, Agnes Moorehead as the Countess, Charlotte Greenwood, Ann Miller, and a 23-year-old Joan Collins in the Crawford role. Worth seeing because of the cast, and not bad, tho' certainly not up to the original. Called "The Opposite Sex."

Don't forget Merlin in "Father Murphy." My grandmother loved that show.

Constantine · Post by **Constantine** » Fri Mar 19, 2010 9:34 pm

The Women was also redone on television some time in the mid '50's. Shelley Winters played the Joan Crawford role. (A photograph of her bathtub scene appeared on the cover of Life magazine.)

Re: Fess Parker. An interesting bit of trivia:

He was billed as "Fier Parker" in France (pronounced "fyair" and meaning "proud") because in French, the word "fesse" means "buttock." (Similarly, Charlton Heston was billed as "Charlton Easton" in Greece because his last name sounds like a rather crude Greek expression.)

DJ · Post by DJ » Sat Mar 20, 2010 2:40 pm

Hadda look that up, C! Thanks for the info!
The TV production was pared down to 90 minutes, with commercials, and also featured Paulette Goddard, who was in the 1939 film, but who took the larger role of Sylvia Fowler in the TV production, which also featured Mary Astor and Ruth Hussey.
Mary Boland returned to play the Countess DeLave in the TV production, by which time she was 75! She would have been 59 when the original film was released.
She made her Broadway debut in 1907 and was probably seen on stage by Our Miss Lizzie at some juncture. Anyway, LAB would have certainly been aware of Miss Boland.
There are some incredible set accoutrements in the 1939 version, including a pair of Art Nouveau statues that go with Mary Haines (Norma Shearer) as she moves out on Stephen. (They're in the background in both her domiciles.) Norma Shearer wears a most incredible rock. Watch when she's giving the luncheon, near the beginning. She bites into a muffin, and half of it falls on the table. There's a quick cutaway, but I'm surprised the scene wasn't re-shot. The movie was directed by George Cukor, who was probably trying to move the expensive production along. Who knew it would be dissected 70-plus years later?

twinsrwe · Post by **twinsrwe** » Wed Mar 24, 2010 6:50 pm

'I SPY' STAR ROBERT CULP, 79, DIES AFTER FALL

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/163465 ... ndex.jhtml

http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/Movies/ ... bert.culp/

twinsrwe · Post by **twinsrwe** » Thu Mar 25, 2010 4:48 pm

Singer Johnny Maestro, has died at the age of 70.

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?secti ... id=7350720

Constantine · Post by **Constantine** » Mon Mar 29, 2010 6:28 pm

Actress June Havoc has died at 97. She was the sister of Gypsy Rose Lee.

Actually, it turns out she could have been born in 1912, 1913 or 1916, so she could have been 97, 96 or only 93. (She was apparently born on November 8.) Her mother is said to have had five birth certificates for her to satisfy the child labor laws of every state.

DJ · Post by DJ » Tue Mar 30, 2010 1:15 pm

Wow-- I didn't know June Havoc was still alive. Thanks for the notice, C.
She was immortalized, whether she liked it or not, in "Gypsy." I doubt anyone much would remember her today, if not for that.

Constantine · Post by **Constantine** » Fri Apr 02, 2010 7:00 pm

Actor John Forsythe has died at 92.

Fargo · Post by **Fargo** » Sat Apr 03, 2010 8:01 am

I remember watching Dynasty when it first came out. I knew Forsythe's voice was familiar but it took me a little while to realize where it was that I heard it before, Charlie's Angel's of course.

Constantine · Post by **Constantine** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 11:09 pm

Speaking of Dynasty, British actor Christopher Cazenove, who played Ben Carrington, has died at the age of only 65 of septicemia. (He also played Charlie Tyrrell in the British series, The Duchess of Duke Street.)

Fargo · Post by **Fargo** » Thu Apr 08, 2010 5:33 am

On Dynasty was Ben Carington the son who was abducted when he was a child?

Constantine · Post by **Constantine** » Thu Apr 08, 2010 4:07 pm

To be honest, I don't know. I seldom watched the show. I don't even know whether he used his own accent or put on an American one. I'd only seen him in The Duchess of Duke Street (as far as I can remember). I only found out about his being on Dynasty when I learned of his death.

Constantine · Post by **Constantine** » Thu Apr 08, 2010 6:10 pm

Just did a little research on Wikipedia. It seems that Cazenove's character was the brother of John Forsythe's. He had been living in Australia, so he probably used his own accent or a reasonable facsimile.

twinsrwe · Post by **twinsrwe** » Sat Apr 10, 2010 3:11 am

Meinhardt Raabe, who played the Munchkin coroner in ‘The Wizard Of Oz’, has passed away at the age of 94.

The course of Meinhardt Raabe’s life, for seven decades, was shaped by 13 seconds spent on screen singing:

“As coroner, I must aver.
I thoroughly examined her.
And she’s not only merely dead,
she’s really most sincerely dead.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/10/movies/10raabe.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MIwzPOW ... re=related

http://www.seattlepi.com/movies/1402ap_ ... actor.html

Fargo · Post by **Fargo** » Sat Apr 10, 2010 3:19 pm

Adam Carrington is the character I Ben mixed up with.

DJ · Post by DJ » Sun Apr 11, 2010 3:44 pm

Am in shock-- was checking email and saw an AP flash that Dixie Carter has died, about six weeks shy of her 71st birthday. No details on the cause--

At its peak, with Delta Burke still onboard, "Designing Women" was the funniest program on TV.

The last time I saw DC on TV was when her husband, Hal Holbrook, was nominated for an Oscar and SAG award, a year ago.

A few years ago, she was brilliant as Kyle McLachlan's demonic mother on "Desperate Housewives." I recall thinking that she looked painfully thin and underweight then, as if she could snap in a strong wind ....

1bigsteve · Post by **1bigsteve** » Mon Apr 12, 2010 10:50 pm

They seem to be dropping like flies.

-1bigsteve (o:

doug65oh · Post by **doug65oh** » Tue Apr 13, 2010 11:27 pm

Endometrial cancer was the COD on Dixie Carter. Attribution is Hal Holbrook, Obituaries, New York Times.

1bigsteve · Post by **1bigsteve** » Wed Apr 14, 2010 12:32 am

doug65oh @ Tue Apr 13, 2010 8:27 pm wrote:Endometrial cancer was the COD on Dixie Carter. Attribution is Hal Holbrook, Obituaries, New York Times.

I had to look that cancer up. Never heard of it before. I vaugley remember seeing her on TV years ago. I hope she didn't suffer too much.

-1bigsteve (o:

augusta · Post by **augusta** » Tue Apr 20, 2010 7:04 am

Oh, that's too bad about Robert Forsyth. I remember him from waaaay back, when I was a little kid. I always liked him, even then. Maybe it's because he always played the good guy. (I don't know about 'Dynasty' - I never watched it.)

Fargo, thanks for the Munchkin coroner's verse. I can never remember that delightful 'proclamation'. I wonder how old he was when he passed away?

Thanks for the cause of Dixie Carter's death, Doug. That used to be a disease that was very painful, even without the cancer, but maybe not so much today.

DJ · Post by DJ » Tue Apr 20, 2010 3:17 pm

Augusta, Meinhaardt Raabe (the Munchkin Coroner) was 94.

If Judy Garland were still living, she would be 88 this June. She was 16 when "Oz" was filmed, from November 1938 to March 1939; she was 17 when it was released in August 1939.

Jerry Maren, one of the "Lollipop Guild" trio, is still living, as are a very few others who played Munchkins. Maren is Garland's age.

There are also some "Emerald City" extras who are still alive, and whose names and birthdates crop up occasionally. However, the film will celebrate its 71st anniversary this August; hence, any survivors would likely be in their nineties.

***********************************************************
Remember John Forsythe in the late 1960s TV series "To Rome With Love"? I used to watch that because it was "family oriented," with children. Come to think of it, it was sort of like "Family Affair."

Stefani · Post by **Stefani** » Mon May 03, 2010 10:33 am

Actress Lynn Redgrave has died, her children have announced. Just got the breaking news on my phone.

DJ · Post by DJ » Mon May 03, 2010 1:35 pm

So much sadness in that family recently, with the accidental death of Natasha Richardson.

The first song I ever remember playing on the radio was "Georgy Girl," from the Lynn Redgrave film. It was a big hit, and I drive Oldies Station DJs nuts requesting it. One DJ even started playing the "flip" side instead-- "I Know I'll Never Find Another You" by The Seekers-- which is lovely.

Cheers to Lynn!

augusta · Post by **augusta** » Mon May 03, 2010 6:05 pm

I am so sad to hear of Lynn Redgrave's death. She is one star I really loved. The theme song from "Georgy Girl" was played often in our house when I was little. I had the piano music and used to play it a lot too. Gee, she was too young to go.

DJ · Post by DJ » Mon May 10, 2010 11:18 am

Lena Horne has died, age 92.

Too bad MGM didn't have the guts to cast her as Julie Laverne in "Show Boat," and beyond specialty numbers that could be deleted when musicals showed in the South.

"And they took this Light Egyptian [makeup] and they put it all over Ava Gardner."

twinsrwe · Post by **twinsrwe** » Thu May 13, 2010 1:16 pm

Tyler Lambert, son of late 'Diff'rent Strokes' star Dana Plato, committed suicide just two days before the 11th anniversary of his mother's suicide.

http://social.entertainment.msn.com/tv/ ... =1,1754623

http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2010/ ... ears_.html

Constantine · Post by **Constantine** » Fri May 14, 2010 9:58 pm

I don't suppose the name Rosa Rio will mean much to many of you, but this lady, who played the organ on many old radio shows, died Thursday May 13th, just weeks short of her 108th birthday!

augusta · Post by **augusta** » Sat May 15, 2010 6:46 pm

I saw in a recent tabloid that Dorothy Provine died and that she was like 72. It didn't say when - maybe it happened a long time ago.

The munchkin coroner was in his 90's???

I had no idea little people lived that long.

Dana Plato's son committing suicide was so sad. I remember when she'd do talk shows, trying to re-start her career and saying she was all done with drugs, she'd talk about him a lot. What a tragedy at that age especially.

I thought I had heard that Jerry Maren had died like last year, but I might be wrong.

Wow - Judy Garland would be 88? She is another star I just adored. Years ago I bought a cassette of her singing and I had it in my walkman when I went to the dentist. The hygienist asked me, "Oh! Who are you listening to?" I felt a little "uncool" to say, but I told her, "Judy Garland." I was pretty young. I said, "I love her voice. She's about my favorite." And she still is. Her and Karen Carpenter.

I was reading that Judy Garland could lip synch on film so good - that she made her throat vibrate. I've watched "A Star is Born" since I read that, and yeah, she looked just like she was singing. I don't know if anybody else does that like she could.

Ernie Harwell died a week or two ago. He was The Voice of the Detroit Tigers. Oh, I've heard his voice announce games since I was a little girl. He had this unusual voice - one that was great for baseball games. I thought it was great that they had his body at Tiger Stadium (well, now that's torn down and the new stadium is named after a BANK (grrrrrrr...), and they said that no one will be turned away to see him.

(BTW, I was travelling thru Ohio recently and saw a stadium - another one named after a bank. I think it's cents-less. They coulda named Detroit's "Comerica Park" "Tiger Stadium". I don't think anyone would have complained.)

doug65oh · Post by **doug65oh** » Mon May 17, 2010 1:06 am

Well I'll be dipped - Dorothy Provine did pass away, just within the last few weeks from the looks of things. http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/ ... e-obituary