One of Hollywood's most celebrated actors, Charlton Heston, passed away on Saturday, April 5. He was 84 years old. Heston is most remembered for his roles in "The Ten Commandments," "Ben Hur," "The Omega Man" and an endless list of others.
Classic Television Blog would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Heston for his contributions to the film industry.
We apologize for missing this breaking news, but we were out of the office on Monday! Classic television and screen actor Suzanne Pleshette died Monday, January 21, of respiratory failure. She had been battling lung cancer for nearly a decade.
Pleshette is well-known for her part as Annie Hayworth in Alfred Hitchcock's 1963 thriller "The Birds," and for her costarring role in the 1970s sitcom "The Bob Newhart Show." During her life, she has been a guest star on numerous talk shows, including 18 appearances on "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson."
All of us here at Classic Television Blog would like to thank Suzanne Pleshette's contributions to the entertainment industry. She will be greatly missed.
Today we're interrupting our "Munster's vs. Addams Family" feature that we promised to celebrate the life and career of one of Hollywood's classiest women, Deborah Kerr. The Scottish-born actress passed away on Tuesday at the age of 86 in Suffolk, eastern England. She was suffering from Parkinson's disease.
Kerr's career began in theater, entertaining troops during World War II. She broke into screen acting with her first major screen role as Jenny Hill in "Major Barbara" in 1941 and starred in many classic movies, including "The King and I" and "An Affair to Remember." In 1967, she became one of the famous Bond girls, playing the role of Agent Mimi in "Casino Royale." But it was her passionate smooch with Burt Lancaster near high tide in 1953's "From Here to Eternity" that made Kerr a Hollywood icon.
She was appointed many honors for her work during her career. She has a star on the Hollywood walk of fame and was awarded an honorary Oscar at the 1993 Academy Awards to recognize the "pefection, discipline and elegance" of her work. However, greatest of all, Kerr was named a Commander of the British Empire in 1998 to recognize her excellence as a public icon.
October 10 marks the 22nd anniversary of the death of famous director Orson Welles. We would like to take this opportunity to recognize and celebrate his fantastic career.
Considered one of the most important and influential directors of the 20th century, Welles kicked-off his fame with his radio adaptation of H.G. Wells' "The War of the Worlds." He co-wrote and directed "Citizen Kane," which is considered, by some, to be the greatest movie every made. Another of the more notable films he directed was the film noire "Touch of Evil," starring Charlton Heston and Janet Leigh.
On October 10, 1985, Welles died of a heart attack in his home in Hollywood. He was 70 years old. Prior to his death, he had several projects underway: a film adaptation of "King Lear," "The Orson Welles Magic Show" and "The Dreamers." His final produced work was a voice-over that he did for the "Transformers" animated movie that was released a year after his death.
It's another one of those weeks, folks. Another celebrity and classic television star passed away this week; George Grizzard, famous for his long Broadway career, died Monday of lung cancer at the age of 79.
His career was not confined to a stage. He appeared in many classic movies through the years, including "Advise and Consent," "Comes a Horseman," and Woody Allen's 2000 flick, "Small Time Crooks." He even won an Emmy for his role in "The Oldest Living Graduate" and had regular appearances on the "Law and Order" series.
Lois Maxwell, the actress who played Miss Moneypenny in the James Bond saga, passed away in Western Australia this past Saturday at the age of 80. She suffered from cancer.
She started her stint as secret service chief 'M's secretary with "Dr. No," the very first Bond flick, alongside Sean Connery. Her sexually charged screen presence in each of the 14 Bond films became one of the anthology's defining characteristics.
She appeared in more films as Miss Moneypenny than Sean Connery or Roger Moore did as James Bond. The only actor that appeared in more Bond films than she was Desmond Llewelyn, who played 'Q,' the man responsible for 007's gadgets.
Maxwell gave her approval on the newest Bond, Daniel Craig. She admits that he looked dangerous and had a good voice, just like her late husband, Peter Churchill Marriot. She almost landed her own role in the same flick with Craig, being considered to play the part of 'M.' Instead, Judi Dench was chosen.
A moment of silence for the man who made silence popular, Marcel Marceau. The famous French mime passed away this Saturday at the age of 84 in Paris. He may have spoke French, but his art form traversed language barriers.
He had a very interesting life, to say the least. He was born in Strasbourg, France to a Jewish family that was forced to flee from home during World War II. He and his brother joined Charles de Gaulle's Free French Forces, then Marcel, who ironically spoke English perfectly, was an interpreter for General Patton's army.
After the war Marcel was drawn into acting watching Charlie Chaplin. While studying acting, he landed the role of Alrequin in Jean-Louis Barrault's "Baptiste," a role that required him to pantomime. His performance earned him much praise and launched his career as a mime.
The famous 1970s game show "Match Game" lost another of its most well known panelists; actress Brett Somers passed away this past Saturday, just months after the death of co-panelist Charles Nelson Reilly.
Somers sat on the top row, center chair, just to the left of Reilly. The two played off each other; Reilly would unleash his naughty banter to incite Somers, who—peering through her crowning big, round glasses would bring him back down to earth.
The Game Show Network will remember Somers, and Reilly, for that matter, in an all-day Match Game marathon this coming Saturday, the cable network said Monday.
At the grand old age of 90, classic film and television actress Jane Wyman passed away on Monday in her home in Rancho Mirage, California.
Famous for her Oscar-winning part as a deaf rape victim in the 1948 film "Johnny Belinda" and her marriage to the former President Ronald Reagan, it was commonplace to see her in the news. Her role on the classic soap opera "Falcon Crest," as a domineering vintner in Northern California, won her a Golden Globe for Best TV Actress in 1983.
We realize that we've already filled our quota for celebrity deaths this week by reporting the passing of Merv Griffin, and we do apologize for not keeping it cheery, but today is a hallowed day that must be remembered. Thirty years ago today, the world lost the King of Rock 'n' Roll, Elvis Presley.
His music was, and still is, universal; entertaining people from all corners of the world and staying popular with generations that weren't even conceived until 10 years after his death. But an aspect of his career that is under-appreciated by these younger generations was Elvis' stint in Hollywood.
As an actor, he made 31 films, including classics such as "Jailhouse Rock," "King Creole" and "Viva Las Vegas," among many others. The films featured his music and surprised audiences over and over again when they realized that the King of Rock 'n' Roll can act too. He broke into Hollywood at a young age, but took his final bow early. His final films, "Trouble with Girls" and "Change of Habit," were made in 1969 when he was only 34 years old.
From all of us here at Classic Television Blog, thank you Elvis for opening our ears to a new kind of music.
Of course we're not going to leave you guys empty handed. Here's one of Elvis' most memorable moments on the screen; the video to his song "Jailhouse Rock." Watch the clip below.
Merv Griffin, July 6, 1925 — August 12, 2007
Singer, talk-show host, philanthropist, composer and creator of hit game shows "Jeopardy!" and "Wheel of Fortune," Merv Griffin passed away on Sunday at the age of 82. He had been battling prostate cancer for the second time since the 1990s.
Merv has played such a big hand in so many ventures, both on screen and off, and has made a difference in the lives of so many people. His innovative spirit and kindheartedness will most definitely be missed.
