2016 Hollywood Obituaries

[Auld Phart]

R.I.P., Hugh O'Brian. The star of "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp" passed today at 91 years old.

 

[waltky]

She'll always be sweet young Liesl in Uncle Ferd's eyes...

Sound of Music 'Liesl' actress Charmian Carr dies
Sun, 18 Sep 2016 - American actress Charmian Carr, who played the eldest von Trapp daughter Liesl in the 1965 film The Sound of Music, dies aged 73.

Carr died in Los Angeles after complications from a rare form of dementia, her representative said. In her role in the 1965 film, she famously performed the song Sixteen Going on Seventeen. After leaving the film industry, Carr ran an interior design firm in California. Her mother had arranged for her to audition for the role, although she had had no singing or acting lessons.

Charmian Carr in 2012​

Rodgers and Hammerstein's The Sound of Music was a massive hit, at the time surpassing Gone with the Wind as the highest-grossing film of all time. Carr later wrote two books on her experience - Forever Liesl and Letters to Liesl - and frequently appeared at events commemorating the movie. Her only other major role was in the Stephen Sondheim television musical Evening Primrose.

Many fans of The Sound of Music took to Twitter to post their memories, clipping up sections of her performance. Kym Karath, who played Gretl in the movie, tweeted: "She has been like a sister throughout my life." The real life Liesl, Agathe von Trapp, the eldest daughter of the Austrian family who inspired the film, died aged 97 in 2010.

Sound of Music 'Liesl' actress Charmian Carr dies - BBC News

 

[waltky]

The 'Man from Uncle' dies...

Robert Vaughn, suave 'Man from U.NCL.E.' star, dies at 83
November 11, 2016 — Robert Vaughn, the debonair, Oscar-nominated actor whose many film roles were eclipsed by his hugely popular turn in television's "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.," has died. He was 83.

Vaughn died Friday morning after a brief battle with acute leukemia, according to his manager, Matthew Sullivan. "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." was an immediate hit, particularly with young people, when it debuted on NBC 1964. It was part of an avalanche of secret agent shows ("I Spy," ''Mission: Impossible," ''Secret Agent"), spoofs ("Get Smart"), books ("The Spy Who Came in From the Cold") and even songs ("Secret Agent Man") inspired by the James Bond films. Vaughn's urbane superspy Napoleon Solo teamed with Scottish actor David McCallum's Illya Kuryakin, a soft-spoken, Russian-born agent.

Robert Vaughn is photographed in Rome, Italy. Vaughn, the debonair crime-fighter of television's "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." in the 1960s, died Friday, Nov. 11, 2016, after a brief battle with acute leukemia. He was 83.​

The pair, who had put aside Cold War differences for a greater good, worked together each week for the mysterious U.N.C.L.E. (United Network Command for Law and Enforcement) in combatting the international crime syndicate THRUSH. "Girls age 9 to 12 liked David McCallum because he was so sweet," Vaughn remarked in a 2005 interview in England. "But the old ladies and the 13- to 16-year-olds liked me because I was so detached." "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." was also a big hit abroad, particularly in McCallum's native Great Britain.

The show aired until early 1968, when sagging ratings brought it to an end. In his "The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Book," Jon Heitland blamed its demise on a shift from straight adventure to more comic plots in the show's third season that turned off many viewers, as well as time slot changes. Vaughn and McCallum reunited in 1983 for a TV movie, "The Return of the Man From U.N.C.L.E." in which the super spies were lured out of retirement to save the world once more. (McCallum has found stardom anew in his 14th season playing Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard on the hit CBS drama "NCIS".)

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[waltky]

Remembering Napoleon Solo...

Robert Vaughn remembered
Fri, 11 Nov 2016 - Debonair actor who was the last survivor of the Magnificent Seven.

With his suave good looks and impeccable dress sense Robert Vaughn was an elegant presence in film and television for more than 50 years. His best-known role, and the one that made him an international name, was as Napoleon Solo in The Man From U.N.C.L.E. The somewhat implausible, but extremely popular NBC series originally ran between 1964 and 1968. He starred in more than 150 films, many of which have been completely forgotten both by audiences and, as he once candidly admitted, by Vaughn himself.

Robert Francis Vaughn was born into a theatrical family in New York City on 22 November 1932. His mother, who was a stage actress, was often out on the road so Vaughn spent much of his childhood with his grandparents in Minneapolis, where he went to school. He started off studying to be a journalist but quit after 12 months and moved with his mother to Los Angeles where he took a Masters degree in Theatre at California State University. Even when his acting career took off he continued to study, gaining a PhD in 1970 with his dissertation on show business blacklisting during the McCarthy era which he eventually published as a book.

He made his first TV appearance in 1955 with a role in the US TV series, Medic and followed this up a year later with an uncredited screen appearance in the biblical epic, The Ten Commandments. His film breakthrough came in 1959 when he was nominated for both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe in the legal drama, The Young Philadelphians, where he appeared alongside Paul Newman. A year later he was cast as the dapper, black-clad gunfighter, Lee, in the John Sturges western, The Magnificent Seven, itself a remake of an earlier Japanese film, The Seven Samurai. Although now seen as a cinema classic, the film had a chaotic start which was not helped by a writers strike in Hollywood.

Tongue in cheek

 

[waltky]

Have dey told Marsha yet?...

Florence Henderson, ‘The Brady Bunch’ Mom, Dies
November 25, 2016 — Florence Henderson, the wholesome actress who went from Broadway star to television icon when she became Carol Brady, the ever-cheerful matriarch of "The Brady Bunch," has died, her manager and her publicist said. She was 82.

Henderson died Thursday night at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, after being hospitalized the day before, said her publicist, David Brokaw. Henderson had suffered heart failure, her manager Kayla Pressman said in a statement. Family and friends had surrounded Henderson's hospital bedside, Pressman said. On the surface, "The Brady Bunch" resembled just another innocuous TV sitcom about a family living in suburban America and getting into a different wacky situation each week.

Florence Henderson arrives at the 2014 amfAR Inspiration Gala at Milk Studios in Los Angeles. Henderson, the wholesome actress who went from Broadway star to television icon when she became Carol Brady, the ever-cheerful mom residing over "The Brady Bunch,"​

But well after it ended its initial run, in 1974, the show resonated with audiences, and it returned to television in various forms again and again, including "The Brady Bunch Hour" in 1977, "The Brady Brides" in 1981 and "The Bradys" in 1990. It was also seen endlessly in reruns. "It represents what people always wanted: a loving family. It's such a gentle, innocent, sweet show, and I guess it proved there's always an audience for that," Henderson said in 1999.

Premiering in 1969, it also was among the first shows to introduce to television the blended family. As its theme song reminded viewers each week, Henderson's Carol was a single mother raising three daughters when she met her TV husband, Robert Reed's Mike Brady, a single father who was raising three boys. The eight of them became "The Brady Bunch," with a quirky housekeeper, played by Ann B. Davis, thrown into the mix.

Florence Henderson arrives at the 2014 amfAR Inspiration Gala at Milk Studios in Los Angeles. Henderson, the wholesome actress who went from Broadway star to television icon when she became Carol Brady, the ever-cheerful mom residing over "The Brady Bunch," has died at age 82. She died surrounded by family and friends, her manager, Kayla Pressman, said in a statement late Thursday​

The blonde, ever-smiling Henderson was already a Broadway star when the show began, having originated the title role in the musical "Fanny." But after "The Brady Bunch," she would always be known to fans as Carol Brady. "We had to have security guards with us. Fans were hanging on our doors. We couldn't go out by ourselves. We were like the Beatles!" she said of the attention the show brought the cast. Like the Beatles, there was even a Saturday morning cartoon version called "Brady Kids," although Henderson was not in that show. She and Reed did return, however, for "The Brady Bunch Hour, "The Brady Brides" and "The Bradys." So did most of the original cast.

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[waltky]

Det. Harris on Barney Miller passes away at 71...

'Barney Miller' star Ron Glass dies at 71
November 26, 2016. — Actor Ron Glass, who broke into theater while a student at the University of Evansville and later starred in the television series Barney Miller and Firefly, has died at age 71.

Glass died Friday of respiratory failure, his agent, Jeffrey Leavett, told The Associated Press on Saturday. “Ron was a private, gentle and caring man,” said Leavett, a longtime friend of the actor. “He was an absolute delight to watch on screen. Words cannot adequately express my sorrow.” Glass was a cast member on Barney Miller during the show’s entire run. On the show, which was set in a New York Police Department station in Greenwich Village, he played Ron Harris, an intellectual, fashionable detective who also dabbled as an author. In 1982, the role earned Glass an Emmy nomination in the Supporting Actor category.

The show aired from 1975-1982, winning two Golden Globes and two Emmy Awards for best comedy series. The ensemble cast included Hal Linden as precinct Capt. Barney Miller, Max Gail as Detective Stan ‘Wojo’ Wojciehowicz, and Abe Vigoda as Detective Phil Fish. On the 2002 science-fiction series Firefly and its sequel movie, Serenity, Glass played Derrial Book, a shepherd and the frequent giver or spiritual advice. Glass had numerous other acting credits, with his most recent appearances coming on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2014) and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2014), according to his IMBD.com profile. He appeared on two episodes of Friends in 1999. Before his breakout Barney Miller role, Glass had guest roles on Sanford & Son, All in the Family and Hawaii Five-O in the early 1970s.

Ron Glass received an supporting-actor Emmy nomination for his work as Det. Ron Harris on 'Barney Miller.'​

The Evansville native graduated from the University of Evansville with a double major in drama and literature. He had served as a member of the university’s board of trustees since 2008. Long involved in philanthropy in Evansville, he was chairman of the Evansville African American Museum national capital campaign and was a recipient of a key to the city. Lu Porter, director of the Evansville African American Museum, said Glass took great interest in the museum and stopped by often when he was in town. Several artifacts from his acting career, including a police badge from Barney Miller, are on display there. “Loved him. He was an awesome man,” Porter said. “We had a fun, fun time. I’m going to miss that going forward.”

Glass told the Courier & Press in 2007 that when he started at Evansville, he aspired to be a teacher. But when he took a class in oral interpretation, a teacher named Dudley Thomas encouraged him to try out for a play, and his interest in acting blossomed. After graduation, he made his stage debut at Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis before moving to Los Angeles. Glass was active in community efforts in Los Angeles as well. He was chairman of the board of the Al Wooten, Jr. Heritage Center, a Los Angeles based organization dedicated to empowering the growth of young people in the community in crisis, according to his University of Evansville profile. Information on funeral services and survivors was not immediately available.

'Barney Miller' star Ron Glass dies at 71

 

[waltky]

Couple of modern icons pass on...

Grant Tinker, network boss behind iconic US TV shows, dies
Thursday 1st December, 2016 - Grant Tinker, who brought new polish to the TV world and beloved shows including Hill Street Blues to the audience as both a producer and a network boss, has died.

Mr Tinker, 90, died on Monday at his Los Angeles home, his son, producer Mark Tinker, said. Though he had three tours of duty with NBC, the last as its chairman, Mr Tinker was perhaps best-known as the nurturing hand at MTM Enterprises, the production company he founded in 1970 and ran for a decade. Nothing less than a creative salon, MTM scored with some of TV's most respected and best-loved programmes, including Lou Grant, Rhoda, The Bob Newhart Show - and the series that starred his business partner and then-wife, actress Mary Tyler Moore. "I am deeply saddened to learn that my former husband and professional mentor Grant Tinker has passed away," Moore said in a statement. "Grant was a brilliant, driven executive who uniquely understood that the secret to great TV content was freedom for its creators and performing artists. This was manifest in his 'first be best and then be first' approach."

Mr Tinker summed it up with typical self-effacement in a 1994 interview, saying: "I just had the good luck to be around people who did the kind of work that the audience appreciates. The success just rubbed off on me." In 1981 he flourished with that low-key approach in a last-ditch effort to save NBC, which was scraping bottom with its earnings, ratings, programmes and morale. Five years later, when Mr Tinker left to return to independent production, the network was flush thanks to hits such as The Cosby Show and Hill Street Blues. Mr Tinker, who had come to NBC as a management trainee in 1949 with legendary founder David Sarnoff still in charge, left the company for the last time at the end of an era, as NBC, along with its parent RCA, was about to be swallowed by General Electric.

Grant Tinker holds up his Academy of Television Arts & Sciences' Hall of Fame award alongside ex-wife Mary Tyler Moore in 1997​

In 2005, he won a prestigious Peabody Award honoring his overall career. In receiving his medallion, he called himself "a guy of no distinct or specific skills (who) always needed a lot of help". He also had received the Governors Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. "Grant Tinker was a great man who made an indelible mark on NBC and the history of television that continues to this day," said Steve Burke, CEO of NBCUniversal, sole owner of the network since 2013. "He loved creative people and protected them, while still expertly managing the business. Very few people have been able to achieve such a balance." "His level of class set him apart from everyone else in our business," said Bob Greenblatt, chairman of NBC Entertainment, "and all of us at this company owe him a debt of gratitude. In fact, TV watchers everywhere do."

Bob Newhart said in a statement that MTM created "this magical place where creativity and individuality (were nurtured). I was one of the people who was lucky enough to enjoy that freedom for 14 years on television." He "set the bar high both as a television executive and as a father," said Mark Tinker. "I'm proud to be his son, and especially proud of the legacy he leaves behind in business and as a gentleman."

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Big Mac inventor dies at age 98
1 Dec 2016: The man who invented the quintessential American fast-food burger, the Big Mac, and inadvertently set off a race to create ever more expansive fast-food menus, has died.

Michael "Jim" Delligatti passed away Monday (Nov 28) surrounded by family at his home in a Pittsburgh suburb, according to his family. He was 98 years old. Delligatti laid claim to one of the most indelible inventions in American cuisine since sliced bread -- a double hamburger with two beef patties, lettuce, cheese, pickles and onions, which is covered in a special sauce.

As owner of a McDonald's restaurant in western Pennsylvania nearly half a century ago, Delligatti convinced the company to venture away from its brief menu of simple burgers, fries and drinks, according to a 1993 profile of the Big Mac in the Los Angeles Times. He got permission to try his new burger in 1967 and sales jumped 12 percent, the Times said. Within a few years, McDonald's was advertising the Big Mac nationwide. "This wasn't like discovering the light bulb," he said. "The bulb was already there. All I did was screw it in the socket." He said the idea came from rival burger restaurants in the mid-1960s.

After the Big Mac's invention, the company expanded its menu further, creating an age of new menu items such as the Egg McMuffin and Filet-o-Fish. But, it was the Big Mac that became a cultural icon. In a statement, McDonald's said Delligatti was a "legendary franchisee" who made a "lasting impression" on the company. "We will remember Jim as an insightful franchisee, a knowledgeable businessman," the company said.

McDonald's says it sells hundreds of millions of the oversized burgers globally, although sales have slowed in recent years as millennials reportedly show less interest in super-sized fast food. According to Delligatti's family he went on to own 48 McDonald's restaurants. He is survived by his wife Ellie, two children, and a number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Big Mac inventor dies at age 98

 

[waltky]

Alan Thicke, ‘Growing Pains’ Dad dies...

Alan Thicke, ‘Growing Pains’ Dad, Dies at 69
13 Dec.`16 - Alan Thicke, the “Growing Pains” star who played one of the quintessential television fathers of the 1980s, died Tuesday. He was 69. Thicke’s manager confirmed the actor’s death.

According to the website TMZ, Thicke suffered a heart attack while playing hockey with his son. He was then taken to Providence St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Burbank, where he died. Thicke remained a consistent presence on TV in recent years with guest appearances on NBC’s “This Is Us” and Netflix’s “Fuller House.” He also starred on the Pop reality series “Unusually Thicke,” which focused on his personal life. As an actor, he was best known for “Growing Pains,” the multi-camera family comedy that aired on ABC from 1985 to 1992.

Thicke played Jason Seaver, a psychiatrist and patriarch of a Long Island family. Working out of the family’s home after his wife went back to work as a reporter, Seaver balanced his professional duties with his role caring for the couple’s three children. Thicke starred alongside Joanna Kerns, Kirk Cameron, Tracey Gold, Jeremy Miller, and later a young Leonardo DiCaprio. Thicke came to U.S. television after having risen to prominence as a host and frequent talk-show guest in his native Canada. Prior to “Growing Pains,” he hosted a short-lived syndicated late-night talk show, “Thicke of the Night,” that was one of the first efforts at challenging the dominance of NBC’s “The Tonight Show.” He was also an accomplished songwriter, having composed the themes to “Diff’rent Strokes” and “The Facts of Life,” as well as several game shows.

Born in Kirkland Lake, Ontario in 1947, Thicke attended the University of Western Ontario after graduating from secondary school. He hosted a game show, “First Impressions,” in Canada, as well as a talk show, “The Alan Thicke Show.” He also worked with Normal Lear as producer and head writer on “Fernwood 2 Night,” a spinoff of Lear’s “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman” and a parody talk show whose fictional host was played by actor Martin Mull.

Thicke married his first wife, “Days of Our Lives” actress Gloria Loring in 1970. The coupled had two children, Brennan and Robin Thicke — the latter a successful pop singer best known for the song “Blurred Lines.” Loring and Thicke divorced in 1984. In 1994, Thicke married former Miss World Gina Tolleson, who gave birth to Thicke’s third son, Carter. The couple divorced in 1999. Thicke married model Tanya Callau in 2005. He is survived by Callau and his three children.

Alan Thicke, ‘Growing Pains’ Dad, Dies at 69

 

[yiostheoy]

Just heard this on the news.

 

[waltky]

Green Acres gonna be a lil' lonelier w/o her...

Actress Zsa Zsa Gabor dies at age 99
Sun Dec 18, 2016 | Actress Zsa Zsa Gabor, who parlayed beauty, diamond-studded glamor and nine marriages into a long celebrity career, died on Sunday. She was 99.

Edward Lozzi, who was a longtime publicist for Gabor, said the Hungarian-born actress passed away at her Los Angeles home after years of decline and illness. She would have turned 100 in February. Gabor, by most accounts, had a personality that generally outshone her acting skills. Her bubbly demeanor and looks helped land her a string of wealthy husbands. She had a penchant for calling everyone "dah-ling" in her thick Hungarian accent. Along with her two sisters, Eva and Magda, she became a fixture on Hollywood's social circuit in her prime.

She was once branded "the most expensive courtesan since Madame de Pompadour," but Gabor insisted that only her marriage to husband No. 2, hotel mogul Conrad Hilton, was financially motivated. In fact, marriage could have been the Gabor family business and Zsa Zsa, the company's CEO. Her nine marriages topped the five by Eva, who starred in the 1960s sitcom "Green Acres," and the six of Magda, whose Hollywood career was mostly based on being the third Gabor sister. While her acting skills were rarely lauded, Zsa Zsa Gabor carved out a career in her early days in Hollywood. Her finest film roles came with "Moulin Rouge," where she earned good reviews, in 1952 and "Lili" in 1953.

Actress Zsa Zsa Gabor reads a statement at her home in Beverly Hills, California, U.S. in this November 13, 1992 file photo.​

She appeared in more than 30 movies and by the 1970s she began to reject smaller roles, saying: "I may be a character but I do not want to be a character actress." Gabor eventually ended up in low-budget films with such titles as "Queen of Outer Space" and "Picture Mommy Dead." Greater success came with nightclub and TV appearances where she disclosed she called everyone "dah-ling" because she could not remember names well, and she relied on self-parodying jokes based on her marriages, haughty demeanor and taste for opulence. "I am a marvelous housekeeper. Every time I leave a man, I keep his house," she was quoted as saying.

In the final episode of the 1960s television series "Batman," Gabor played the guest villainess, Minerva, who used hair dryers to steal information from men's brains. Gabor, one of the last stars of Hollywood's golden age, was not seen in public in her final years as she struggled with her health, including broken bones and cuts from a car accident. She also suffered a stroke and a broken hip, enduring complications from hip replacement surgery. She had much of her right leg amputated in 2011 because of an infection. Gabor's most recent stint at the hospital came just days after her 99th birthday last February for breathing difficulties.

GABORS GO HOLLYWOOD

 

[Auld Phart]

Green Acres gonna be a lil' lonelier w/o her...

Actress Zsa Zsa Gabor dies at age 99
Sun Dec 18, 2016 | Actress Zsa Zsa Gabor, who parlayed beauty, diamond-studded glamor and nine marriages into a long celebrity career, died on Sunday. She was 99.

Edward Lozzi, who was a longtime publicist for Gabor, said the Hungarian-born actress passed away at her Los Angeles home after years of decline and illness. She would have turned 100 in February. Gabor, by most accounts, had a personality that generally outshone her acting skills. Her bubbly demeanor and looks helped land her a string of wealthy husbands. She had a penchant for calling everyone "dah-ling" in her thick Hungarian accent. Along with her two sisters, Eva and Magda, she became a fixture on Hollywood's social circuit in her prime.

She was once branded "the most expensive courtesan since Madame de Pompadour," but Gabor insisted that only her marriage to husband No. 2, hotel mogul Conrad Hilton, was financially motivated. In fact, marriage could have been the Gabor family business and Zsa Zsa, the company's CEO. Her nine marriages topped the five by Eva, who starred in the 1960s sitcom "Green Acres," and the six of Magda, whose Hollywood career was mostly based on being the third Gabor sister. While her acting skills were rarely lauded, Zsa Zsa Gabor carved out a career in her early days in Hollywood. Her finest film roles came with "Moulin Rouge," where she earned good reviews, in 1952 and "Lili" in 1953.

Actress Zsa Zsa Gabor reads a statement at her home in Beverly Hills, California, U.S. in this November 13, 1992 file photo.​

She appeared in more than 30 movies and by the 1970s she began to reject smaller roles, saying: "I may be a character but I do not want to be a character actress." Gabor eventually ended up in low-budget films with such titles as "Queen of Outer Space" and "Picture Mommy Dead." Greater success came with nightclub and TV appearances where she disclosed she called everyone "dah-ling" because she could not remember names well, and she relied on self-parodying jokes based on her marriages, haughty demeanor and taste for opulence. "I am a marvelous housekeeper. Every time I leave a man, I keep his house," she was quoted as saying.

In the final episode of the 1960s television series "Batman," Gabor played the guest villainess, Minerva, who used hair dryers to steal information from men's brains. Gabor, one of the last stars of Hollywood's golden age, was not seen in public in her final years as she struggled with her health, including broken bones and cuts from a car accident. She also suffered a stroke and a broken hip, enduring complications from hip replacement surgery. She had much of her right leg amputated in 2011 because of an infection. Gabor's most recent stint at the hospital came just days after her 99th birthday last February for breathing difficulties.

GABORS GO HOLLYWOOD

Eva, her sister, was on Green Acres

 

[Harry Dresden]

Green Acres gonna be a lil' lonelier w/o her...

Actress Zsa Zsa Gabor dies at age 99
Sun Dec 18, 2016 | Actress Zsa Zsa Gabor, who parlayed beauty, diamond-studded glamor and nine marriages into a long celebrity career, died on Sunday. She was 99.

Edward Lozzi, who was a longtime publicist for Gabor, said the Hungarian-born actress passed away at her Los Angeles home after years of decline and illness. She would have turned 100 in February. Gabor, by most accounts, had a personality that generally outshone her acting skills. Her bubbly demeanor and looks helped land her a string of wealthy husbands. She had a penchant for calling everyone "dah-ling" in her thick Hungarian accent. Along with her two sisters, Eva and Magda, she became a fixture on Hollywood's social circuit in her prime.

She was once branded "the most expensive courtesan since Madame de Pompadour," but Gabor insisted that only her marriage to husband No. 2, hotel mogul Conrad Hilton, was financially motivated. In fact, marriage could have been the Gabor family business and Zsa Zsa, the company's CEO. Her nine marriages topped the five by Eva, who starred in the 1960s sitcom "Green Acres," and the six of Magda, whose Hollywood career was mostly based on being the third Gabor sister. While her acting skills were rarely lauded, Zsa Zsa Gabor carved out a career in her early days in Hollywood. Her finest film roles came with "Moulin Rouge," where she earned good reviews, in 1952 and "Lili" in 1953.

Actress Zsa Zsa Gabor reads a statement at her home in Beverly Hills, California, U.S. in this November 13, 1992 file photo.​

She appeared in more than 30 movies and by the 1970s she began to reject smaller roles, saying: "I may be a character but I do not want to be a character actress." Gabor eventually ended up in low-budget films with such titles as "Queen of Outer Space" and "Picture Mommy Dead." Greater success came with nightclub and TV appearances where she disclosed she called everyone "dah-ling" because she could not remember names well, and she relied on self-parodying jokes based on her marriages, haughty demeanor and taste for opulence. "I am a marvelous housekeeper. Every time I leave a man, I keep his house," she was quoted as saying.

In the final episode of the 1960s television series "Batman," Gabor played the guest villainess, Minerva, who used hair dryers to steal information from men's brains. Gabor, one of the last stars of Hollywood's golden age, was not seen in public in her final years as she struggled with her health, including broken bones and cuts from a car accident. She also suffered a stroke and a broken hip, enduring complications from hip replacement surgery. She had much of her right leg amputated in 2011 because of an infection. Gabor's most recent stint at the hospital came just days after her 99th birthday last February for breathing difficulties.

GABORS GO HOLLYWOOD

Eva, her sister, was on Green Acres

green acres is a pretty vacant place now anyways....who is still alive from the show?...

 

[Auld Phart]

Green Acres gonna be a lil' lonelier w/o her...

Actress Zsa Zsa Gabor dies at age 99
Sun Dec 18, 2016 | Actress Zsa Zsa Gabor, who parlayed beauty, diamond-studded glamor and nine marriages into a long celebrity career, died on Sunday. She was 99.

Edward Lozzi, who was a longtime publicist for Gabor, said the Hungarian-born actress passed away at her Los Angeles home after years of decline and illness. She would have turned 100 in February. Gabor, by most accounts, had a personality that generally outshone her acting skills. Her bubbly demeanor and looks helped land her a string of wealthy husbands. She had a penchant for calling everyone "dah-ling" in her thick Hungarian accent. Along with her two sisters, Eva and Magda, she became a fixture on Hollywood's social circuit in her prime.

She was once branded "the most expensive courtesan since Madame de Pompadour," but Gabor insisted that only her marriage to husband No. 2, hotel mogul Conrad Hilton, was financially motivated. In fact, marriage could have been the Gabor family business and Zsa Zsa, the company's CEO. Her nine marriages topped the five by Eva, who starred in the 1960s sitcom "Green Acres," and the six of Magda, whose Hollywood career was mostly based on being the third Gabor sister. While her acting skills were rarely lauded, Zsa Zsa Gabor carved out a career in her early days in Hollywood. Her finest film roles came with "Moulin Rouge," where she earned good reviews, in 1952 and "Lili" in 1953.

Actress Zsa Zsa Gabor reads a statement at her home in Beverly Hills, California, U.S. in this November 13, 1992 file photo.​

She appeared in more than 30 movies and by the 1970s she began to reject smaller roles, saying: "I may be a character but I do not want to be a character actress." Gabor eventually ended up in low-budget films with such titles as "Queen of Outer Space" and "Picture Mommy Dead." Greater success came with nightclub and TV appearances where she disclosed she called everyone "dah-ling" because she could not remember names well, and she relied on self-parodying jokes based on her marriages, haughty demeanor and taste for opulence. "I am a marvelous housekeeper. Every time I leave a man, I keep his house," she was quoted as saying.

In the final episode of the 1960s television series "Batman," Gabor played the guest villainess, Minerva, who used hair dryers to steal information from men's brains. Gabor, one of the last stars of Hollywood's golden age, was not seen in public in her final years as she struggled with her health, including broken bones and cuts from a car accident. She also suffered a stroke and a broken hip, enduring complications from hip replacement surgery. She had much of her right leg amputated in 2011 because of an infection. Gabor's most recent stint at the hospital came just days after her 99th birthday last February for breathing difficulties.

GABORS GO HOLLYWOOD

Eva, her sister, was on Green Acres

green acres is a pretty vacant place now anyways....who is still alive from the show?...

Eb (Tom Lester) is still around.

he's 78 now, I beleive

 

[Harry Dresden]

Green Acres gonna be a lil' lonelier w/o her...

Actress Zsa Zsa Gabor dies at age 99
Sun Dec 18, 2016 | Actress Zsa Zsa Gabor, who parlayed beauty, diamond-studded glamor and nine marriages into a long celebrity career, died on Sunday. She was 99.

Edward Lozzi, who was a longtime publicist for Gabor, said the Hungarian-born actress passed away at her Los Angeles home after years of decline and illness. She would have turned 100 in February. Gabor, by most accounts, had a personality that generally outshone her acting skills. Her bubbly demeanor and looks helped land her a string of wealthy husbands. She had a penchant for calling everyone "dah-ling" in her thick Hungarian accent. Along with her two sisters, Eva and Magda, she became a fixture on Hollywood's social circuit in her prime.

She was once branded "the most expensive courtesan since Madame de Pompadour," but Gabor insisted that only her marriage to husband No. 2, hotel mogul Conrad Hilton, was financially motivated. In fact, marriage could have been the Gabor family business and Zsa Zsa, the company's CEO. Her nine marriages topped the five by Eva, who starred in the 1960s sitcom "Green Acres," and the six of Magda, whose Hollywood career was mostly based on being the third Gabor sister. While her acting skills were rarely lauded, Zsa Zsa Gabor carved out a career in her early days in Hollywood. Her finest film roles came with "Moulin Rouge," where she earned good reviews, in 1952 and "Lili" in 1953.

Actress Zsa Zsa Gabor reads a statement at her home in Beverly Hills, California, U.S. in this November 13, 1992 file photo.​

She appeared in more than 30 movies and by the 1970s she began to reject smaller roles, saying: "I may be a character but I do not want to be a character actress." Gabor eventually ended up in low-budget films with such titles as "Queen of Outer Space" and "Picture Mommy Dead." Greater success came with nightclub and TV appearances where she disclosed she called everyone "dah-ling" because she could not remember names well, and she relied on self-parodying jokes based on her marriages, haughty demeanor and taste for opulence. "I am a marvelous housekeeper. Every time I leave a man, I keep his house," she was quoted as saying.

In the final episode of the 1960s television series "Batman," Gabor played the guest villainess, Minerva, who used hair dryers to steal information from men's brains. Gabor, one of the last stars of Hollywood's golden age, was not seen in public in her final years as she struggled with her health, including broken bones and cuts from a car accident. She also suffered a stroke and a broken hip, enduring complications from hip replacement surgery. She had much of her right leg amputated in 2011 because of an infection. Gabor's most recent stint at the hospital came just days after her 99th birthday last February for breathing difficulties.

GABORS GO HOLLYWOOD

Eva, her sister, was on Green Acres

green acres is a pretty vacant place now anyways....who is still alive from the show?...

Eb (Tom Lester) is still around.

he's 78 now, I beleive

he was great.....drove Eddie Albert nuts....lol...

 

[waltky]

No more Princess Leah...

Carrie Fisher, Star Wars actress, dies aged 60
Tue, 27 Dec 2016 - Star Wars actress Carrie Fisher dies aged 60, days after suffering a cardiac arrest on a flight.

She was taken ill on a flight from London to Los Angeles on Friday and was taken to hospital when the plane landed. A family statement announced she had died on Tuesday morning. Tributes have been pouring in, with Star Wars co-star Mark Hamill simply tweeting: "No words #devastated". In a statement released on behalf of Fisher's daughter Billie Lourd, spokesman Simon Halls said: "It is with a very deep sadness that Billie Lourd confirms that her beloved mother Carrie Fisher passed away at 8.55 (16:55 GMT) this morning. "She was loved by the world and she will be missed profoundly. Our entire family thanks you for your thoughts and prayers."

Star Wars co-star Harrison Ford described Fisher as "one-of-a-kind" who lived her life "bravely". He added: "My thoughts are with her daughter Billie, her mother Debbie, her brother Todd and her many friends. We will all miss her." Fisher had been on tour promoting her latest book, The Princess Diarist, when she was taken ill in the later stages of the flight to Los Angeles. A medic who was travelling on the plane administered first aid before it landed. The daughter of singer Eddie Fisher and actress Debbie Reynolds, Carrie Fisher made her film debut opposite Warren Beatty in 1975's Shampoo.

She also appeared in The Blues Brothers, When Harry Met Sally and Hannah and Her Sisters, and provided the voice of Peter Griffin's boss Angela in the adult animated sitcom Family Guy. But her enduring fame is through her role as Princess Leia in the original Star Wars trilogy, a part she reprised in last year's reboot The Force Awakens. On the part, she told the Daily Mail in 2011 that when she got the role in a "little science-fiction film", she just thought of it as a bit of fun. "It exploded across the firmament of pop culture, taking all of us along with it. It tricked me into becoming a star all on my own."

She was also a successful writer, publishing several novels and memoirs, and working on the scripts for films like the Wedding Singer and Sister Act. Her latest memoir, The Princess Diarist, contained revelations of an affair with Harrison Ford while the pair were shooting the first Star Wars film in 1976. Fisher endured a difficult private life, and discussed her years of mental illness and drug addiction in interviews and writing. An early memoir was called Wishful Drinking. The entertainment world has been quick to mourn and celebrate her life.

Carrie Fisher, Star Wars actress, dies aged 60 - BBC News

 

[waltky]

OMG!...

US actress Debbie Reynolds dies
Thu, 29 Dec 2016 - Hollywood legend Debbie Reynolds dies, a day after the death of her film star daughter Carrie Fisher

US media said the 84-year-old had a stroke. She was taken to a Los Angeles hospital earlier in the day. The Hollywood legend is best known for her role in the 1952 musical Singin' in the Rain, opposite Gene Kelly.

Debbie Reynolds with her daughter and fellow actress Carrie Fisher in 2003​

Fisher - renowned for her role as Princess Leia in the Star Wars series - died on Tuesday following a cardiac arrest on a plane. "She wanted to be with Carrie," Reynolds' son, Todd Fisher. was quoted as telling Variety magazine.

US actress Debbie Reynolds dies, a day after daughter Carrie Fisher - BBC News

See also:

Canadian actor Gordie Tapp, a regular on "Hee Haw" has died
December 28, 2016 — Canadian entertainer Gordie Tapp, who exercised his comedic chops as a regular on the popular American television variety series "Hee Haw," died earlier this month at age 94, the Canadian Broadcast Corp. announced. It said he died Dec. 18 from complications of pneumonia.

Born in London, Ontario, Tapp kicked off his career as a founding member of "Main Street Jamboree," a radio and TV show broadcast from Hamilton, Ontario, during the 1950s. He went on to host the CBC music-variety program "Country Hoedown" from 1956 to 1965. Tapp eventually took his act to Nashville to appear on "Hee Haw" as the goofy Cousin Clem.

This 1972 photo shows Gordie Tapp. Canada's public TV broadcaster has announced the death of entertainer Tapp, who exercised his comedic chops as a regular on the popular American television variety series "Hee Haw." Canadian Broadcast Corp. says Tapp died Dec. 18, 2016, from complications of pneumonia at age 94​

Fellow comedian Colin Mochrie once paid tribute to Tapp by saying his career was influenced in part by "Hee Haw." "For me, it was the first show where I realized that Canadians could make it big in America. It was sort of an inspiration," said Mochrie, who appeared on the U.S. version of the television improvisation show "Whose Line Is it Anyway?" In more recent years, Tapp was known for appearing in TV commercials and was a committed philanthropist, raising funds for the Muscular Dystrophy Association and the Easter Seals Society.

Despite his successes with "Hee Haw," Tapp was resolute about staying in Canada, said his daughter, Kate Tapp Mock. "We were all up here and Dad didn't really think of himself as American. He was very proudly Canadian and he had enough work here," she said. The Canadian government honored Tapp with its highest award, a member of the Order of Canada. Tapp is survived by his wife and three children.

Canadian actor Gordie Tapp, a regular on "Hee Haw" has died

 

[Auld Phart]

William Christopher Dies: Father Mulcahy Actor On ‘M.A.S.H.’ Was 84

"William Christopher, the actor best known as Father Mulcahy on the classic sitcom M.A.S.H., died today following a battle with lung cancer."

Oddly enough, he passed a year to the day after his co-star Wayne Rogers died, 12-31-15

 

[waltky]

Father Mulcahy of TV's MASH passes away...

'MASH' Star William Christopher Dead at 84
12/31/2016 | "MASH" star William Christopher -- who played Father John Mulcahy on the iconic show -- is the latest celebrity to die in 2016.

Christopher was part of one of the most spectacular ensembles ever on TV ... a cast which included Alan Alda, Jamie Farr, Mike Farrell, Loretta Swit and Harry Morgan.

Christopher, who played a Catholic priest but was actually Methodist in real life, auditioned for the role but went off script with a rambling ad lib. Producers loved it and hired him on one condition ... that he stay on script for the series.

He also had roles on "Gomer Pyle," "The Andy Griffith Show" and "Hogan's Heroes." Christopher died at his Pasadena home from non-lung, small cell carcinoma. He leaves behind a wife and 2 kids. He was 84. RIP. 2016 ... almost over.

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