List of people you thought had died or didn't know were that old
 

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.

Funny, I thought Ernest Borgnine, Phyllis Diller, Ricardo Montalban, and Monty Hall were dead, not alive. I'd rather see Monty Hall on Deal or No Deal than Howie Mandel.

I think the one that surprised me was Allan Arbus (Dr. Sid from MASH) being 90. Didn't realize he was that old.

Hell.. I'm surprised Mickey Rooney is only 87...

Jane Russell - may you never die!

I never knew Sid Caesar was still alive - meaning, I've assumed he's dead ever since I first heard of him maybe 25 years ago.

Almost there Bucc!

No kidding, I remember him on Ed Sullivan.

I saw today that William Shatner is 77.

I had no idea that Betty White was 86.

Harry Morgan is the one that shocks me. Glad he's still around. Wife and I are addicted to MASH reruns.

I knew Rose Marie from the old Hollywood Squares before I knew she was on The Dick Van Dyke Show (which is fantastic, BTW).

Out of all those people, I thought the following were dead: Karl Malden, Harry Morgan, Eli Wallach, Al Molinaro, Alan Young, Jayne Meadows, Barbara Hale, Esther Williams, Dick Martin, and Fyvush Finkel.

I was certain that Ernest Borgnine was dead, but I think I was confusing him with Burgess Meredith. Burgess Meredith is dead. I think.

Hell, Ernest Borgnine is still doing voice work on "Spongebob Squarepants"!

Never would have guessed that Kirk Douglas and Ernest Borgnine are older than Mickey Rooney.

Buc's still alive????

That was lame, easy, and unfunny, you stupid fucking jackass.

ed burnz!

Jiminy jillikers. Jiminy jillikers. Jiminy jillikers! :D

And a whole new generation of kids has "discovered" him from his role in "Night at the Museum". My son and his friend do impersonations of his character, along with Austin Powers, Dr. Evil and The Terminator. It makes for some very interesting conversations :)

I am among those who thought Mickey Rooney was actually older.

If I'm seeing them in their prime I have no problem but in their golden years I had a mental block that confused Kirk Douglass and Lloyd Bridges so I assumed both were dead. I'm stunned that Zsa Zsa Gabor, Phyllis Diller and Barbara Billingsley are in their 90s.

Definitely thought Sid Caesar and Jackie Cooper were gone. And I think Letterman and Conan had finally convinced me that Abe Vigoda was dead.

Word is they contacted Hall about the gig, but he forgot to call them back.

I imagine George Gaynes looks exactly the same...

Has anyone seen the old Let's Make a Deal reruns on Game Show Network? Funnier than hell.

I've mentioned this before, but James Lipton is 81 or 82, I never would have guessed he was that old.

I love his tea.

Abe Vigoda?? Damn , I thought he was 87 back when Barney was on the tube....

The average age of the Detroit Red Wings roster is 83. I wouldn't have put them older than 78.

marauders

I heard Monty Hall on NPR a few weeks ago. He was talking about his time as "mayor of Hollywood" so try as they might, they couldn't get him to say "two-thirds."

Isn't Monty Hall on a national AT&T commercial? I don't watch much tv, but think I have seen that ad twenty plus times!

What voice does Ernest Borgnine do on Spongebob?

Mermaid Man. And Tim Conway does Barnacle Boy.

(Charles Nelson Reilly was the Dirty Bubble, and John Rhys-Davies, Man Ray.)

Dola - love those episodes...they play The Mob from the NFL Films collection...one of my favorite songs from them.