Buccaneer
04-08-2008, 06:55 PM
From Roger Friedman:
In descending order comes award winner Karl Malden, 96; opera star/actress Rise Stevens, 94; “Days of our Lives” matriarch Frances Reid, 94; Song and dance man Tony Martin, who’s still performing at 94; and a bunch more 94 year olds — Kevin McCarthy (whose sister was the late legendary writer Mary McCarthy); playwright Budd Schulberg; “Professor” Irwin Corey; “St. Elsewhere” star Norman Lloyd; and “Dragnet” and “MASH” good guy Harry Morgan.
Here in New York, guitar great Les Paul is still gigging at 92. Also 92: the great Eli Wallach (his wife, actress Anne Jackson, is a decade younger); and “Leave It to Beaver” mom Barbara Billingsley.
Some true Hollywood stars are 91 right now. Van Johnson lives in New York but has refused to give interviews for about 20 years. Friends say he’s very deaf. “Baby” June Havoc, who with her mother and sister inspired the musical hit “Gypsy” is also 91. (The musical’s director, Arthur Laurents, is only 90.) Olivia de Havilland is 91 and her sister Joan Fontaine, is a year younger.
Kirk Douglas, Ernest Borgnine, Phyllis Diller and Zsa Zsa Gabor are all 91.
There’s a big group that’s just rounded 90: Lena Horne, George Gaynes (of "Punky Brewster" and "Police Academy" fame), Mel Ferrer, John Forsythe, Allan Arbus (the shrink from "MASH" and ex-husband of famed photographer Diane Arbus), and two great singers: Patty Andrews of the Andrews Sisters, and the wonderful Jo Stafford, whose “You Belong to Me” (“see the pyramids along the Nile”) is a classic.
In the 89-year-old category, two soap opera stars: Helen Wagner (“As the World Turns”) and Larry Haines (“Search for Tomorrow”). Danny Thomas' TV wife Marjorie Lord, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Betty Garrett, Louis Jourdan, “Happy Days” and “Odd Couple” star Al Molinaro, producer Dino De Laurentiis, and dashing Gene Barry, who had a cameo at the end of “War of the Worlds,” as an ode to his original role.
Who’s 88? “Mister Ed” buddy Wilbur, Alan Young; “All My Children” star James Mitchell; and one of my favorite character actors, Sid Melton, who played Danny Thomas’ press agent on “Make Room for Daddy.”
In the 87 group, some of Hollywood’s greats: Mickey Rooney, Maureen O’Hara, Nanette Fabray, Jayne Meadows, Rose Marie (Sally, the first TV career woman, from “Dick Van Dyke”), Ricardo Montalban, perennially joked about Abe Vigoda, Carol Channing, Noel Neill (Lois Lane, to you), Irene Dailey (of the late soap “Another World”), and Mr. Longevity himself, Hugh Downs.
And then there are the youngsters: 86 years young includes Barbara Hale of “Perry Mason” fame, Jane Russell, Esther Williams, Monty Hall, Cyd Charisse (still married to the aforementioned Tony Martin), James Whitmore, Phyllis Thaxter, Deana Durbin, Betty White, Dick Martin, Kathryn Grayson, Steven Hill (the original “Law & Order” DA), Carl Reiner, Gale Storm (“My Little Margie) and Patrick MacNee (of “The Avengers”).
Finally, celebrating their 85th birthdays: Jack Klugman, Bea Arthur, her TV husband Bill Macy, director Blake Edwards, Norman Lear, comedy pioneer Sid Caesar, Patty Duke’s dad William Schallert, Jackie Cooper, comic Carl Ballantine, Jean Stapleton, Fyvush Finkel, Ed McMahon, and, unbelievably, our pal Liz Smith.
In descending order comes award winner Karl Malden, 96; opera star/actress Rise Stevens, 94; “Days of our Lives” matriarch Frances Reid, 94; Song and dance man Tony Martin, who’s still performing at 94; and a bunch more 94 year olds — Kevin McCarthy (whose sister was the late legendary writer Mary McCarthy); playwright Budd Schulberg; “Professor” Irwin Corey; “St. Elsewhere” star Norman Lloyd; and “Dragnet” and “MASH” good guy Harry Morgan.
Here in New York, guitar great Les Paul is still gigging at 92. Also 92: the great Eli Wallach (his wife, actress Anne Jackson, is a decade younger); and “Leave It to Beaver” mom Barbara Billingsley.
Some true Hollywood stars are 91 right now. Van Johnson lives in New York but has refused to give interviews for about 20 years. Friends say he’s very deaf. “Baby” June Havoc, who with her mother and sister inspired the musical hit “Gypsy” is also 91. (The musical’s director, Arthur Laurents, is only 90.) Olivia de Havilland is 91 and her sister Joan Fontaine, is a year younger.
Kirk Douglas, Ernest Borgnine, Phyllis Diller and Zsa Zsa Gabor are all 91.
There’s a big group that’s just rounded 90: Lena Horne, George Gaynes (of "Punky Brewster" and "Police Academy" fame), Mel Ferrer, John Forsythe, Allan Arbus (the shrink from "MASH" and ex-husband of famed photographer Diane Arbus), and two great singers: Patty Andrews of the Andrews Sisters, and the wonderful Jo Stafford, whose “You Belong to Me” (“see the pyramids along the Nile”) is a classic.
In the 89-year-old category, two soap opera stars: Helen Wagner (“As the World Turns”) and Larry Haines (“Search for Tomorrow”). Danny Thomas' TV wife Marjorie Lord, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Betty Garrett, Louis Jourdan, “Happy Days” and “Odd Couple” star Al Molinaro, producer Dino De Laurentiis, and dashing Gene Barry, who had a cameo at the end of “War of the Worlds,” as an ode to his original role.
Who’s 88? “Mister Ed” buddy Wilbur, Alan Young; “All My Children” star James Mitchell; and one of my favorite character actors, Sid Melton, who played Danny Thomas’ press agent on “Make Room for Daddy.”
In the 87 group, some of Hollywood’s greats: Mickey Rooney, Maureen O’Hara, Nanette Fabray, Jayne Meadows, Rose Marie (Sally, the first TV career woman, from “Dick Van Dyke”), Ricardo Montalban, perennially joked about Abe Vigoda, Carol Channing, Noel Neill (Lois Lane, to you), Irene Dailey (of the late soap “Another World”), and Mr. Longevity himself, Hugh Downs.
And then there are the youngsters: 86 years young includes Barbara Hale of “Perry Mason” fame, Jane Russell, Esther Williams, Monty Hall, Cyd Charisse (still married to the aforementioned Tony Martin), James Whitmore, Phyllis Thaxter, Deana Durbin, Betty White, Dick Martin, Kathryn Grayson, Steven Hill (the original “Law & Order” DA), Carl Reiner, Gale Storm (“My Little Margie) and Patrick MacNee (of “The Avengers”).
Finally, celebrating their 85th birthdays: Jack Klugman, Bea Arthur, her TV husband Bill Macy, director Blake Edwards, Norman Lear, comedy pioneer Sid Caesar, Patty Duke’s dad William Schallert, Jackie Cooper, comic Carl Ballantine, Jean Stapleton, Fyvush Finkel, Ed McMahon, and, unbelievably, our pal Liz Smith.