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What could convince a 90-year-old actress – once a model for Disney animators creating the Tinker Bell character of 1953's "Peter Pan" – to abandon her West Coast home of nine decades and fly off to a new life in Florida, some 2,500 miles away? Perhaps a sprinkle of Disney magical fairy dust was involved when World War II veteran Robert Boeke, now 94, was visiting Amsterdam last summer with friends and stumbled on a store sign for "Tinker Bell Toys." "He told the people in the group he had act...
Reassembling a dozen cast members from a popular 90s TV sitcom could pose a challenge for any network, much less an individual. But it was a task Fran Drescher relished. As the nasal-voiced star of the hit CBS series "The Nanny," Drescher co-created and co-produced the show along with then-husband Peter Marc Jacobson. "Peter came up with the reunion idea for fans stuck at home during isolation and I said right away let's do it if everyone in the cast is available," said Drescher from her home in...
If you don't think Jimmy Stewart put the classic in 'classic movies,' consider these titles in which he starred: "It's a Wonderful Life," "The Philadelphia Story," "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," "Rear Window," "Vertigo," "Harvey," and the list goes on. No wonder Stewart appears near the top of just about every list of all-time most popular classic film actors. With such a resume, it's hard to imagine the man didn't develop an ego the size of the famous Hollywood Sign on Mount Lee in the Santa...
While most of us will be remembering mothers on May 10 this year, entertainers who worked as child actors in television sitcoms may also have special memories of their 'TV mom.' For Paul Petersen, that was Oscar winner Donna Reed, matriarch from "The Donna Reed Show." In 2018 for the anniversary of the show's first broadcast, Petersen (and coauthor Deborah Herman) released "The Donna Reed Show: A Pictorial Memoir" (see www.micropublishingmedia.com ). "It's kind of an archival look back at an...
If you plan on celebrating National Garlic Day on April 19, remember the old New York Yiddish saying, "A nickel will get you on the subway, but garlic will get you a seat." Even a well-known Muslim prophet supposedly once informed his followers: "Whoever has eaten garlic should not approach the mosque." Potent biochemistry Despite its much-maligned odor, garlic is a wonderfully versatile cooking ingredient that has been cultivated for thousands of years. The production of smelly odors is...
France Nuyen remains astonished not only by her successful Hollywood career, but by her very survival. Turning 80 last year, Nuyen is still beloved by Star Trek fans for her role of Elaan, the obnoxious princess Captain Kirk attempts to tame in the third season episode "Elaan of Troyius." But her journey to the 60s classic sci-fi series and Hollywood almost never happened. Born in France, she was abandoned by her father and still remembers the harrowing days growing up in her occupied homeland....
When Universal Pictures assembled the cast of the popular TV series "The Munsters" for the big screen adaption in the 1966 film "Munster, Go Home!" another actress replaced Pat Priest as Marilyn Munster. "I was devastated not to be in the film," said Priest from her home near Boise, Idaho. "We were on the set filming the end of the season and the producers sent one of their guys down to tell me. I was 29 and my contract was up for renewal, so I think they wanted a younger actress and didn't...
Originally airing on NBC from 1962 to 1971 and currently rerunning on several cable networks (INSP and Starz), the enduring popularity of the "The Virginian" doesn't surprise 85-year-old James Drury, who starred throughout the series in the title role (see www.thevirginian.net). "It still holds up," said Drury from his home in Houston. "The old westerns were morality plays that showed the triumph of good over evil and I think that's important for young people to see on screen these days because...
Toasting the New Year by raising a glass of wine on December 31 is a tradition with many families and friends. But unlike most year-end revelers, actress Donna Mills can welcome the New Year with a bottle of wine from her own vineyard. Schlepping up a hillside harvesting grapes probably wasn't an activity soap vixen Abby Ewing might have enjoyed on the old CBS TV series "Knots Landing." But Mills, who portrayed the manipulative character on the popular show for a decade, has no such...
BDuring the seven years Jon Provost starred as little Timmy Martin in the CBS TV series "Lassie" from 1957 to 1964, several end-of-year Christmas episodes aired. Most still stand out in Provost's mind for one reason. "The crazy thing is we would be filming a Christmas episode during summer in Southern California where it was 90 degrees," said Provost from his home north of San Francisco. "We were all bundled up like it was 30 degrees and just dying from the heat. But of course, you kept acting...
The Critters are back and meaner than ever. Fortunately, Dee Wallace has also returned to take aim at the miniature alien monsters in "Critters Attack!" Released straight to Blu-ray, DVD, and digitally over the summer, the film had its television premiere on the Syfy Channel in October. Wallace starred in the original 1986 comedy horror, but skipped the three sequels and only agreed to do the new movie because it was a reboot of the franchise. "Too much time had gone by to go back and reprise...
Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó was a veteran of over 170 stage plays and several silent films in his native Hungary when forced to flee to Germany in 1919 for political reasons. Known under the stage name Arisztid Olt, the 6' 1" actor with piercing blue eyes re-branded himself after his hometown of Lugos and appeared in a dozen German films billed as Bela Lugosi before moving to the United States in 1920. A decade later and approaching 50, Bela Lugosi's name would become forever etched in Ho...
Known for his gentle satire, basset hound eyes, and witty routines, former Chicago accountant-turned-comedian Bob Newhart turns 90 this month (Sept. 5). This year is also the 60th anniversary of Newhart's show business career – he signed with Warner Bros. Records in 1959. In 2008, I interviewed Newhart along with fellow entertainers willing to share some thoughts on the beloved comedian's career. Newhart said he suspected that he lacked the temperament to remain in the accounting profession b...
Opening last summer in Jamestown, New York, the National Comedy Center will launch an exhibition honoring comedian Ernie Kovacs beginning with a Festival on August 7-11 (see www.comedycenter.org). "It's the centennial of Ernie's birth this year, so a great time to recognize this influential comedian," said Laura LaPlaca, the Center's Director of Archives. "The Kovacs' exhibit will remain until summer 2020." Though he died tragically in a single car accident at just 42, Kovacs would leave his mar...
Since her first film role in 1940, Terry Moore has appeared on the big screen in each of the subsequent eight decades. Recently celebrating her 90th birthday, the actress plays a lead role in the Vladislav Kozlov-directed period drama about silent film superstar Rudolph Valentino – Hollywood's first male sex symbol. "The film's called 'Silent Life' and I had 90 pages of dialog to learn," said Ms. Moore from her home in Santa Monica. "I feel it's one of the best roles I've ever had." Following V...
As one of the most popular television shows in the late 70s to early 80s, "Happy Days" helped propel many cast regulars into the production side of show business. Ron Howard, Henry Winkler, Don Most and Anson Williams all achieved recognition behind the camera as producers, directors and/or writers. Williams played Potsie – the naïve, well-meaning friend to Ron Howard's Richie Cunningham character – and says the show was almost shelved when the pilot didn't sell and then aired by ABC for an e...
A staple on the old TV westerns, Don Collier got his first break as a lead actor in the short-lived series "Outlaws" in the early 1960s. "I interviewed for the role in December 1959 and they called me back for three weeks the following January/February when we shot the pilot," recalled Collier. "NBC wanted a prime time slot for Ralph Edwards ('This is Your Life') and they had to move either us or Bonanza. Bonanza was in color and we were black and white (for the first season) so we lost out. But...
It's not uncommon for actors to find a second career away from the camera after spending years in front of it. In Michael Dante's case, that new vocation has been writing, beginning with his 2014 award-winning autobiography, "From Hollywood to Michael Dante Way" (see www.michaeldanteway.com). "I received the Ella Dickey Literacy Award for it last April in Marshfield, Missouri, at their Cherry Blossom Festival," said Dante. "My second book, 'Winterhawk's Land,' is the sequel to the film I...
Turning 97 in March, Carl Reiner shows no sign of slowing down. "I wake up with ideas!" the veteran actor, writer, director and producer said from Los Angeles. One of those ideas was to colorize episodes of his crown television jewel, "The Dick Van Dyke Show." Two color episodes were produced in 2017 and last year Reiner selected a couple more favorites, with plots loosely based on his family's experience, which aired on CBS over the holiday season. "I've done a lot in my life but have to say th...
India Adams and Annette Warren have a lot in common. Both now in their nineties, their career paths merged in the 50s when the pair were hired by studios to dub the singing voices of actresses as so-called 'ghost singers.' Adams sang for Joan Crawford and Cyd Charisse in films such as "The Band Wagon," "Torch Song," and "Johnny Guitar," while it's Warren's voice heard for Ava Gardner in MGM's musical "Show Boat" as well as Lucille Ball in several movies. "I was appearing at a club and someone...
The Christmas season may be over, but last December held special significance for Joan Dangerfield, who married comedian Rodney Dangerfield 25 years ago on Dec. 26. The pair had dated for 10 years following a chance meeting in 1983 when Rodney strolled passed Joan's Santa Monica flower shop. "Being a die-hard fan, I recognized Rodney immediately," Joan recalled from her West Hollywood home. "I was 16 when I first saw him on 'The Tonight Show' and suddenly there he was, 14 years later, walking...
Adorable Margaret O'Brien began her big-screen career at the age of three with a one-minute spot in 1941's "Babes on Broadway." Her career took off the following year as the star of MGM's "Journey for Margaret." Throughout the 1940s she continued to endear herself to millions seeking Hollywood diversions as World War II came and went. Ms. O'Brien, now 81, is back this holiday season starring in "This is Our Christmas," a sequel to the popular 2015 TV movie "Beverly Hills Christmas," and follows...
As the TV matriarch of the Cunningham clan in the sitcom "Happy Days," Marion Ross appeared in over 250 episodes during the hit series' 11-season run from 1974 to 1984. But one episode has special significance for the actress this time of year. In 'The First Thanksgiving,' broadcast two days before the November holiday 40 years ago this year, Ross's character (also named Marion) leads the cast in a departure from the show's usual Milwaukee-based setting. She narrates a flashback story set in...
Disguised as little goblins, ghosts or ghouls, kids will soon be prowling the streets in their annual Halloween quest to extort candy from benevolent neighbors. But for some family members, the spooky festivities can turn downright dangerous. Whereas a candy overdose may induce the occasional bellyache in kids, sweet treats can lead to more serious problems for pets. The greatest danger comes from chocolate, which contains theobromine, a chemical especially toxic to dogs. Despite the name,...
A supporting actor for much of his film career, Richard Herd has worked with actors such as Jack Lemmon, Rod Steiger, Robert Redford, Sylvester Stallone and Robert Duvall. He has also been a frequent guest star on TV series since the early 1970s and is probably best recognized as a cast member on several TV shows such as "T.J. Hooker," "Seaquest DSV," "Star Trek: Voyager," and "Seinfeld" – for his reoccurring role of 'Mr. Wilhelm.' "'Seinfeld' was one of the best jobs I ever had," said Herd from...
