France Gall won the 1965 Eurovision Song Contest with “Poupée de cire, poupée de son,” penned by French songwriter Serge Gainsbourg. It was the first non-ballad song to win the competition. The song, a sort of double meaning of the phrase “rag doll,” implied a Svengali-like power Gainsbourg possessed over his young protege, as well …
Despite a surprisingly successful career, Jerry Van Dyke spent most of it in the shadow of his older brother Dick. His talents were often compared to Dick’s successes. Granted, Jerry made some questionable career choices, but he was an in-demand, working actor for the better part of six decades. A budding stand-up comedian in his …
In the one-year span, between November 1989 and November 1990, Aileen Wuornos, a prostitute, murdered seven men by shooting them at point-blank range with a .22 caliber handgun. She claimed that each killing was performed in self-defense. She was captured and brought to trial, subsequently sentenced to death. In her final interview before her execution, …
Just out of her teens, aspiring actress Carolyn Craig landed small roles in a variety of TV shows, including a few Westerns and popular anthology series. Moving to the big screen, she was cast as “Lacey Lynnton,” Elizabeth Taylor‘s sister, in 1956’s Giant, James Dean‘s final film. She followed that role with the female lead …
Rose Marie did it all. One of the few survivors from vaudeville, she began her career delighting audiences as a three-year-old songstress. Rose Marie made her mark in film, radio, records, theater, night clubs and television, over a career that spanned nine decades. Nine! Enjoying a career in short films, where she appeared alongside W. C. …
I should stay away but what can I do? I hear your name and I’m aflame Aflame with such a burning desire That only your kiss can put out the fire
Joseph and Fanny Feinberg owned a jewelry and watch repair shop in Philadelphia. One day, their young son, Larry, reached for a bottle of acid that was used to test the gold content of jewelry. Larry mistook the liquid for a drink and raised the bottle to his mouth. Joseph panicked and knocked the bottle …
I have been a frequent attendee at memorabilia and autograph shows for over twenty-five years. Among the special celebrity guests, seated at long tables stacked with a modest selection of eight-by-ten glossy photos depicting their most notable roles, I always spotted this spry little man at a table overflowing with photos, scripts, booklets, DVDs and …
“The love of family and the admiration of friends is much more important than wealth and privilege.” — Charles Kuralt Charles Kuralt, the avuncular newsman and original host of TV magazine CBS Sunday Morning, exuded family values and a warm, comforting wholesomeness as American as apple pie, baseball and fireworks on the Fourth of July. …
When Suzanne Crough passed away in 2015, I was sad and I was moved to write this piece on my other blog, It’s Been a Slice. Suzanne was only 52 when she died. After her very brief time in the spotlight, she led a fairly normal life. Suzanne’s TV “big brother,” David Cassidy passed away at …
