Following a few small, uncredited film roles, John Candy came into prominence with his comic talents in Canada’s SCTV, a skit-based version of the respected Second City comedy group. Portraying such memorable (and hysterical) characters as horror host “Dr. Tongue,” sleazy “Johnny LaRue,” folksy fishin’ musician “Gil Fisher” and talk-show sidekick “William B. Williams,” John was …
Miguel Ferrer passed away yesterday at the young age of 61. When I posted the announcement of his death on Facebook, I noted his well-known acting roles: NCIS Assistant Director “Owen Granger” in NCIS: Los Angeles, “Vice President Rodriguez” in Iron Man 3, and FBI forensic pathologist “Albert Rosenfield” in David Lynch’s Twin Peaks. He even voiced several …
Once again, I waited until the end of the year to use up my accumulated vacation days. So, what better way to spend a Thursday morning than to traipse through an historic cemetery in the small, quaint college town of Princeton, New Jersey. Following the on-point directions from the reliable Waze® app on my phone, …
Debbie Stone’s celebrity status is of an unfortunate nature. The 18 year-old Santa Ana High School graduate holds the distinction of being the first Disneyland cast member killed while working in the theme park. At the end of the summer of 1973, The Carousel of Progress, Disney’s innovative and entertaining chronology of technological advancement was packed up …
Maureen O’Hara was a true movie star. From her debut in 1938 until the early 1970s, she made over fifty films. She starred opposite such big names as Charles Laughton, Tyrone Power and, of course, John Wayne. Maureen and Wayne appeared in five films and became lifelong friends. Wayne once remarked, “She’s a great guy. I’ve had …
Kevin Connors dreamed of becoming a professional baseball player, one day playing for his beloved Brooklyn Dodgers. At an imposing six-foot-five, the athletic Connors was a natural at first base, often yelling “Chuck it to me! Chuck it to me!” to his teammates on the neighborhood ball clubs, thus earning him the nickname “Chuck.” Equally …
In 2009, April Winchell, the versatile and multi-talented actress, launched the website Regretsy.com. It was a raucous and bitingly satirical take on the popular etsy.com website, a so-called marketplace for all things handmade. But, April (under the guise of “Helen Killer”) regularly scanned the many listings on etsy in search of items that were weird, …
My family went on an adventure to Walt Disney World last week. On the day we chose to visit EPCOT, we queued up for Universe of Energy, a fun and educational presentation featuring Ellen DeGeneres, Alex Trebek, Jamie Lee Curtis, Bill Nye the Science Guy and a cast of assorted dinosaurs. Guests are treated to …
Twelve-year old Patsy Kelly made her show business debut as a vaudeville dancer. She eventually moved on to Broadway as a teenager until she landed a contract with producer Hal Roach. Young Patsy appeared in a series of popular shorts with Thelma Todd. Here, she honed her character of the wise-cracking sidekick. Patsy and Thelma …
A one-time pharmacology student, James Baskett headed to New York City to become an actor. He joined Bill “Bojanges” Robinson and Louis Armstrong on Broadway in the all-black revue Hot Chocolates in 1929. When the musical Hummin’ Sam failed to open, James turned to motion pictures, with bit parts in comedies and horror films. He …
