Virginia Cherrill really didn’t want to be an actress. She even turned down an invitation to join the elite Ziegfeld Follies — an offer that came for Florenz Ziegfeld himself. But, Virginia’s friend Sue Carol, an actress-turned-agent was very persuasive. Virginia was cast as an extra in Howard Hawkes 1928 film The Air Circus, the …
“Home is the nicest word there is.” — Laura Ingalls Wilder. She should know. She had the nicest one on the prairie.
Writer-director-comedian Buck Henry was a guest on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Johnny asked Buck how he wanted to die. Buck replied “I want to be unbelievably old. I want to be withered beyond belief. I want people to be saying, ‘I thought he died years ago.’ and to be amazed I’d lasted to …
Rebellious Ruth Weston ran away from home at 17, opting to sing in nightclubs rather than church. She married trumpeter Jimmie Brown along the way. Blanche Calloway, sister of noted band leader Cab Calloway, arranged for Ruth to sing at a Washington DC nightclub. Popular radio DJ Willis Conover saw her act and recommended her …
Heather Angel is one of those actors that I discovered late in their career. I knew Heather from her recurring role in the 1960s sitcom Family Affair. She played the very proper “Miss Faversham,” a nanny who cares for the children of one of Bill Davis’ (Brian Keith) neighbors in the high-rise Manhattan apartment building. …
“If you understood everything I said, you’d be me” ― Miles Davis
Phil Linz passed away this week at the age of 81. He was mostly used as a utility fielder during the seven seasons he spent in the Major Leagues playing for three different teams. Phil had a pretty unremarkable career, racking up only 11 home runs and an unimpressive lifetime batting average of .235. But …
David L. Lander teamed up with his college pal Michael McKean to form the irreverent comedy troupe The Credibility Gap. The ensemble also included LA radio personality Richard Beebe and comedian Harry Shearer. David and Harry Shearer performed an updated twist on the classic Abbott & Costello “Who’s on First?” bit substituting rock band names …
* * * * * * * * My annual Christmas music compilation is available as a FREE DOWNLOAD at ge.tt for a limited time. This year, it’s a whopping 91 minutes of pure Christmas cacophony sure to ruin your holiday before your relatives do. Why not take the risk? After all, it’s free, so what have you got to lose? Hey, …
James Harris was born into hard times in 1950s Mississippi. His father was shot to death during a back alley craps game. Young James became a sharecropper to help support his family. Soon, he turned to petty burglary. Local police told him to leave town before big trouble came his way. James understood that when …
