By the time the curtain rang down on CBS’ “The Judy Garland Show” on March 29, 1964, the musical variety show had, in just one season, three producers and three different formats. Despite good reviews from critics and Judy Garland’s devoted fan base, the series wasn’t felled by the mercurial Garland being difficult but by the Cartwrights — Ben, Little Joe, Adam, and Hoss — of NBC’s ratings powerhouse “Bonanza.”
Though “The Judy Garland Show” was cancelled after one season, it certainly has lived on over the past six decades. The show was included in TV Guide’s 2013 list of 60 series that were “Cancelled Too Soon.” It certainly was the series that got away. Not only was the mercurial Garland in top (and emotional) voice, but the show also featured a powerhouse of guest stars from her frequent leading man Mickey Rooney, Ray Bolger from “The Wizard of Oz” and newcomers such as Barbra Streisand.
Though “The Judy Garland Show” was cancelled after one season, it certainly has lived on over the past six decades. The show was included in TV Guide’s 2013 list of 60 series that were “Cancelled Too Soon.” It certainly was the series that got away. Not only was the mercurial Garland in top (and emotional) voice, but the show also featured a powerhouse of guest stars from her frequent leading man Mickey Rooney, Ray Bolger from “The Wizard of Oz” and newcomers such as Barbra Streisand.
- 3/26/2024
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
With the recent death of Norman Lear, we were reminded this year that precious few comedy legends remain with us who were around in the 1960s and ’70s. One of those is George Schlatter, the legendary creator-producer of the iconic 1960s NBC comedy-variety series “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In.” Taking its title from the “love-in” and “sit-in” of the hippie counterculture of the time, “Laugh-In” ran from January 1968 to March 1973 and was a giant hit, introducing the world to regulars Lily Tomlin and Goldie Hawn (among many others).
Schlatter turns 94 today (New Year’s Eve), and he still goes into the office every day, looking to produce the next big thing in TV comedy. And this past week, with the death at 86 of Tom Smothers, Schlatter said, “I loved Tommy. Tommy and I were great friends. Tommy took the rap for a lot of what I did, y’know. See, we...
Schlatter turns 94 today (New Year’s Eve), and he still goes into the office every day, looking to produce the next big thing in TV comedy. And this past week, with the death at 86 of Tom Smothers, Schlatter said, “I loved Tommy. Tommy and I were great friends. Tommy took the rap for a lot of what I did, y’know. See, we...
- 12/31/2023
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
By the late 1970s, "M*A*S*H" wasn't just a hit television series, it was an institution. This was the pre-cable age, when viewers's entertainment choices were mostly limited to whatever was on network television, so something as seemingly innocuous as a sitcom could drive cultural conversations. "I Love Lucy," "The Dick Van Dyke Show" and "All in the Family" achieved such prominence, as did variety shows like "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In" and "Saturday Night Live."
So if you were a celebrity eager to become or remain relevant in the public eye, booking an appearance on one of these series was a capital idea. Failing that, just hanging around the set was a way of feeling like you still had juice. While "M*A*S*H" was one of the highest-rated television shows on the air, it was basically the Studio 54 of soundstages.
Read more: The Oppenheimer Supporting Character Guide: Your Guide To All 'Those...
So if you were a celebrity eager to become or remain relevant in the public eye, booking an appearance on one of these series was a capital idea. Failing that, just hanging around the set was a way of feeling like you still had juice. While "M*A*S*H" was one of the highest-rated television shows on the air, it was basically the Studio 54 of soundstages.
Read more: The Oppenheimer Supporting Character Guide: Your Guide To All 'Those...
- 12/30/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
In late 1968, TV producer George Schlatter, riding high on his hit Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, pitched a new conceptual television show packed full of short clips, rapid movements, and controversial topics.
The show was picked up by ABC for a run of 13 episodes, with additional episodes purchased after advertisers saw the first episode, for a total of 17 shows. Three episodes were shot in their entirety before the initial airing.
The half-hour first episode premiered on February 5th, 1969 at 8:30 Pm on the east coast, where it took the place of the primetime soap opera Peyton Place. Tim Conway was recruited as the first celebrity guest and the writers included Albert Brooks.
The show seemed poised for success. But 10 minutes into the broadcast, between the first and second commercial breaks, a programmer at Wews in Cleveland stated that the remainder of the program would “not be seen this evening….or ever.
The show was picked up by ABC for a run of 13 episodes, with additional episodes purchased after advertisers saw the first episode, for a total of 17 shows. Three episodes were shot in their entirety before the initial airing.
The half-hour first episode premiered on February 5th, 1969 at 8:30 Pm on the east coast, where it took the place of the primetime soap opera Peyton Place. Tim Conway was recruited as the first celebrity guest and the writers included Albert Brooks.
The show seemed poised for success. But 10 minutes into the broadcast, between the first and second commercial breaks, a programmer at Wews in Cleveland stated that the remainder of the program would “not be seen this evening….or ever.
- 10/6/2023
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Joanne Worley, the American actress, comedian, and singer, is nothing if not a credit to the entertainment industry. For the most part, she’s known for her work on the television show Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In. However, she gained popularity for her dynamic and eccentric comedic style. The actress has been in tons of TV shows in her day and even graced the stages of game shows and talk shows. To top that off, she voiced many beloved characters in animated films like Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Emperor’s New Groove. Those are just a few interesting facts about...
- 7/7/2023
- by Ima Whyte
- TVovermind.com
Goldie Hawn has been a star for more than 50 years. She got her start dancing and giggling, often in a bikini, on "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In," a seminal TV comedy series of the late 1960s. She left the show to focus on her film career. At first, her film roles were pretty similar to the free spirit/dumb blonde act she did on "Laugh-In," but her potential as a comedic actor shone through, and by the 1980s, she was leading movies herself. After starring in some classics of the '80s and '90s, she left acting behind in the early 2000s, focusing on her family, writing her autobiography, and running the Hawn Foundation, a nonprofit that helps disadvantaged kids perform better in school.
After a 15-year hiatus from the big screen, Goldie Hawn returned to star with Amy Schumer in the comedy "Snatched." Since then, she's appeared alongside her real-life partner,...
After a 15-year hiatus from the big screen, Goldie Hawn returned to star with Amy Schumer in the comedy "Snatched." Since then, she's appeared alongside her real-life partner,...
- 4/30/2023
- by Elle Collins
- Slash Film
Perry Cross, who served as Johnny Carson’s first producer on The Tonight Show before he exited to run an ABC program hosted by Jerry Lewis that came and went after 13 episodes, has died. He was 95.
Cross died March 9 of kidney cancer at a hospital in Los Angeles, his son, Larry Cross, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Cross started out producing Ernie Kovacs’ CBS weekday morning show in 1952 and also worked on The Red Skelton Hour, Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In, The Dinah Shore Chevy Show, The Soupy Sales Show, Life With Linkletter, The Garry Moore Show and several Jonathan Winters live specials during his career.
Cross had been producing The Tonight Show in the immediate aftermath of host Jack Paar’s departure on March 30, 1962, guiding the NBC program in Hollywood and New York that featured guest hosts for six months until Carson took over.
NBC wanted Cross to be Carson’s producer,...
Cross died March 9 of kidney cancer at a hospital in Los Angeles, his son, Larry Cross, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Cross started out producing Ernie Kovacs’ CBS weekday morning show in 1952 and also worked on The Red Skelton Hour, Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In, The Dinah Shore Chevy Show, The Soupy Sales Show, Life With Linkletter, The Garry Moore Show and several Jonathan Winters live specials during his career.
Cross had been producing The Tonight Show in the immediate aftermath of host Jack Paar’s departure on March 30, 1962, guiding the NBC program in Hollywood and New York that featured guest hosts for six months until Carson took over.
NBC wanted Cross to be Carson’s producer,...
- 4/4/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Lily Tomlin is one of the most beloved and respected comedic actors of all time. However, she recently revealed that fellow comedian Lucille Ball was not exactly a fan. What’s worse, Ball’s harsh words almost had Tomlin in tears.
Lily Tomlin has conquered TV and movies in her lengthy career Lily Tomlin attends the premiere of “80 For Brady” I Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Tomlin began acting in college. After graduation, she also started doing stand-up comedy, which led to her television appearances. Tomlin appeared on variety shows like Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In and The Carol Burnett Show, which led to movie roles in Nashville, 9 to 5, and Orange County.
She has continued acting on TV as well, most notably voicing Ms. Frizzle in The Magic School Bus and starring alongside longtime friend Jane Fonda in Netflix’s Grace and Frankie. She also voiced Aunt May in the 2018 blockbuster Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
Lily Tomlin has conquered TV and movies in her lengthy career Lily Tomlin attends the premiere of “80 For Brady” I Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Tomlin began acting in college. After graduation, she also started doing stand-up comedy, which led to her television appearances. Tomlin appeared on variety shows like Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In and The Carol Burnett Show, which led to movie roles in Nashville, 9 to 5, and Orange County.
She has continued acting on TV as well, most notably voicing Ms. Frizzle in The Magic School Bus and starring alongside longtime friend Jane Fonda in Netflix’s Grace and Frankie. She also voiced Aunt May in the 2018 blockbuster Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
- 2/22/2023
- by India McCarty
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Raquel Welch, the American actress known for her role in One Million Years B.C. that made her a 1960s pin-up icon and later made a memorable guest appearance on Seinfeld, has died at 82.
Welch’s son Damon Welch confirmed his mother’s death (via The New York Times), although no cause was given.
Welch was born Jo Raquel Tejada on September 5th, 1940 in Chicago, and expressed interest in entertainment and performing at an early age. She studied ballet and won numerous beauty pageants in her youth, enrolling in a theater program at San Diego State College after graduating high school.
Following a series of one-off television appearances, Welch made her first leading feature film appearance in 1966 starring in Richard Fleischer’s sci-fi film Fantastic Voyage, which was a commercial success and quickly secured her star status. The following year, she appeared in Don Chaffey’s One Million Years B.C.; her...
Welch’s son Damon Welch confirmed his mother’s death (via The New York Times), although no cause was given.
Welch was born Jo Raquel Tejada on September 5th, 1940 in Chicago, and expressed interest in entertainment and performing at an early age. She studied ballet and won numerous beauty pageants in her youth, enrolling in a theater program at San Diego State College after graduating high school.
Following a series of one-off television appearances, Welch made her first leading feature film appearance in 1966 starring in Richard Fleischer’s sci-fi film Fantastic Voyage, which was a commercial success and quickly secured her star status. The following year, she appeared in Don Chaffey’s One Million Years B.C.; her...
- 2/15/2023
- by Abby Jones
- Consequence - Film News
Tom Brady might have retired (again) at age 45, but the cast of the new movie 80 for Brady is still going strong. Rita Moreno, Sally Field, Jane Fonda, and Lily Tomlin star in the film about a quartet of friends who are determined to see the legendary quarterback play in the 2017 Super Bowl. The movie is inspired by a real-life “Over 80 for Brady” fan club, but how old are the actors who play the main characters? All but one has hit her 80th birthday.
‘80 for Brady’ cast member Rita Moreno is 91 Rita Moreno | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Puerto Rican actor and Egot winner Rita Moreno has been working in Hollywood since the 1950s. She’s had roles in movie musicals such as Singin’ In the Rain, The King and I, and both the 1961 and 2021 versions of West Side Story. She won an Oscar for playing Anita in the 1961 West Side Story, a...
‘80 for Brady’ cast member Rita Moreno is 91 Rita Moreno | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Puerto Rican actor and Egot winner Rita Moreno has been working in Hollywood since the 1950s. She’s had roles in movie musicals such as Singin’ In the Rain, The King and I, and both the 1961 and 2021 versions of West Side Story. She won an Oscar for playing Anita in the 1961 West Side Story, a...
- 2/4/2023
- by Megan Elliott
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Schlemiel! Schlimazel! Hasenpfeffer Incorporated!
Everyone of a certain age remembers the kickoff of the Laverne & Shirley theme song, and today, we imagine Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams singing from the heavenly skies once again.
Cindy Williams died today at 75 after a brief illness.
Williams is best known for her work on Laverne & Shirley, but she had over 80 movie and TV roles during her career.
Her first credit was in 1970, but it was her role as Laurie in American Graffiti in 1973 that got people talking.
She starred opposite Ron Howard and would later be cast as Shirley Feeney on Happy Days, in which he had the starring role, which led to the spinoff Laverne & Shirley.
While she did have other movie roles, such as in The Conversation with Gene Hackman, Williams was a TV personality.
Before being cast in Laverne & Shirley, Williams walked through television history on shows like Room 222,...
Everyone of a certain age remembers the kickoff of the Laverne & Shirley theme song, and today, we imagine Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams singing from the heavenly skies once again.
Cindy Williams died today at 75 after a brief illness.
Williams is best known for her work on Laverne & Shirley, but she had over 80 movie and TV roles during her career.
Her first credit was in 1970, but it was her role as Laurie in American Graffiti in 1973 that got people talking.
She starred opposite Ron Howard and would later be cast as Shirley Feeney on Happy Days, in which he had the starring role, which led to the spinoff Laverne & Shirley.
While she did have other movie roles, such as in The Conversation with Gene Hackman, Williams was a TV personality.
Before being cast in Laverne & Shirley, Williams walked through television history on shows like Room 222,...
- 1/31/2023
- by Carissa Pavlica
- TVfanatic
Gene Perret, a three-time Emmy-winning writer on “The Carol Burnett Show” and “Three’s Company” producer, died on Nov. 15 at the age of 85 in his Westlake Village, California, home.
Perret died of liver failure, his daughter Linda said, per The Hollywood Reporter. In a separate Facebook post on Nov. 15, she wrote, “This is a post I wished I never had to write. There are so many words to describe Gene Perret — kind, talented, gracious, giving, loving, fun and not to be forgotten, funny. To many of you he was a mentor, a job he took very seriously and was very proud of, but to me he was the best Dad a girl could ask for. Today, we said good-bye to him and I’m heartbroken. I’m going to miss him but will love him forever and ever. Rip, Dad, you deserve it!”
Also Read:
Wilko Johnson, English Rock Icon and ‘Game of Thrones’ Actor,...
Perret died of liver failure, his daughter Linda said, per The Hollywood Reporter. In a separate Facebook post on Nov. 15, she wrote, “This is a post I wished I never had to write. There are so many words to describe Gene Perret — kind, talented, gracious, giving, loving, fun and not to be forgotten, funny. To many of you he was a mentor, a job he took very seriously and was very proud of, but to me he was the best Dad a girl could ask for. Today, we said good-bye to him and I’m heartbroken. I’m going to miss him but will love him forever and ever. Rip, Dad, you deserve it!”
Also Read:
Wilko Johnson, English Rock Icon and ‘Game of Thrones’ Actor,...
- 11/23/2022
- by Natalie Oganesyan
- The Wrap
Gene Perret, who began a decades-long comedy writing career contributing jokes to stand-ups Slappy White and Phyllis Diller before joining the Emmy-winning writing staff of The Carol Burnett Show, launching a 28-year tenure with Bob Hope and serving as a producer on Three’s Company and Welcome Back, Kotter, died Nov. 15 of liver failure at his home in Westlake Village, CA. He was 85.
According to family, Perret began writing comedy as a hobby while working as an electrical engineer for General Electric in Philadelphia during the mid-1950s. After contributing some one-liners to local comic White, he was introduced by a friend to Diller, who hired him for her 1968 sitcom The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show and encouraged Perret to pursue comedy writing full time. In 1969 he moved his family to California and within a year was writing for variety show The Jim Nabors Hour.
In 1971 and ’72, Perret wrote for Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In before contributing to episodes of The New Bill Cosby Show, The Helen Reddy Show, Love, American Style, All in the Family and What’s Happening.
He joined the popular CBS variety series The Carol Burnett Show in 1973, remaining until the end of the show’s run in 1978. Nominated for six Emmy Awards during his Burnett run, he won in 1974, 1975 and 1978.
After Burnett, he wrote and produced multiple episodes for hit sitcoms Welcome Back, Kotter and Three’s Company, and in 1980 reunited with Burnett’s Tim Conway on the short-lived The Tim Conway Show.
Perret’s longest-lasting professional collaboration was with Hope, serving on the comedian’s writing staff for 28 years and working on dozens of Hope’s TV specials beginning with 1984’s Bob Hope’s Uso Christmas in Beirut.
In addition to his television work, Perret wrote numerous magazine articles and more than 40 books, including Comedy Writing Step by Step and The Comedy Writing Workbook.
Perret is survived by his wife of 64 years, Joanne, four children, six grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
According to family, Perret began writing comedy as a hobby while working as an electrical engineer for General Electric in Philadelphia during the mid-1950s. After contributing some one-liners to local comic White, he was introduced by a friend to Diller, who hired him for her 1968 sitcom The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show and encouraged Perret to pursue comedy writing full time. In 1969 he moved his family to California and within a year was writing for variety show The Jim Nabors Hour.
In 1971 and ’72, Perret wrote for Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In before contributing to episodes of The New Bill Cosby Show, The Helen Reddy Show, Love, American Style, All in the Family and What’s Happening.
He joined the popular CBS variety series The Carol Burnett Show in 1973, remaining until the end of the show’s run in 1978. Nominated for six Emmy Awards during his Burnett run, he won in 1974, 1975 and 1978.
After Burnett, he wrote and produced multiple episodes for hit sitcoms Welcome Back, Kotter and Three’s Company, and in 1980 reunited with Burnett’s Tim Conway on the short-lived The Tim Conway Show.
Perret’s longest-lasting professional collaboration was with Hope, serving on the comedian’s writing staff for 28 years and working on dozens of Hope’s TV specials beginning with 1984’s Bob Hope’s Uso Christmas in Beirut.
In addition to his television work, Perret wrote numerous magazine articles and more than 40 books, including Comedy Writing Step by Step and The Comedy Writing Workbook.
Perret is survived by his wife of 64 years, Joanne, four children, six grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
- 11/23/2022
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Gene Perret, the masterful comedy writer and producer who collected three Emmy Awards for his work on The Carol Burnett Show and penned jokes for Bob Hope for nearly three decades, has died. He was 85.
Perret died Nov. 15 of liver failure at his home in Westlake Village, his daughter Linda Perret told The Hollywood Reporter.
During his 50-year career, the South Philadelphia native also wrote for two Tim Conway-starring shows as well as for Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, All in the Family, Welcome Back, Kotter, Three’s Company, Cpo Sharkey, Gimme a Break!, Love, American Style and What’s Happening!!
An analytical expert when it came to comedy, Perret joined Burnett in 1973 and served as a staff writer on her legendary CBS variety program for its final five seasons. He received his Emmys in 1974, ’75 and ’78 and was nominated three other times.
Perret collaborated with Hope for 28 years,...
Perret died Nov. 15 of liver failure at his home in Westlake Village, his daughter Linda Perret told The Hollywood Reporter.
During his 50-year career, the South Philadelphia native also wrote for two Tim Conway-starring shows as well as for Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, All in the Family, Welcome Back, Kotter, Three’s Company, Cpo Sharkey, Gimme a Break!, Love, American Style and What’s Happening!!
An analytical expert when it came to comedy, Perret joined Burnett in 1973 and served as a staff writer on her legendary CBS variety program for its final five seasons. He received his Emmys in 1974, ’75 and ’78 and was nominated three other times.
Perret collaborated with Hope for 28 years,...
- 11/23/2022
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The new animated anthology miniseries "Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi" is now streaming on Disney+, and brings us a new perspective on Count Dooku: a view of him in his earlier years before the corruption of the Sith took him and twisted him into Darth Tyranus.
The man behind Count Dooku's voice, Corey Burton, has been a voice actor for decades, providing voices you hear almost every day. From the tram operator at Disneyland and "Star Wars" characters like Count Dooku and Cad Bane, all the way to Captain Hook, Spike Witwicky and Shockwave from "Transformers," and even James Bond, Jr., Burton has shaped the audio landscape of Saturday morning cartoons and theme parks for decades. We were able to have a wide-ranging conversation with him about the beginnings of his career, his work as Count Dooku, and the legacy of "Star Wars."
'Who Is That?'
I'm a...
The man behind Count Dooku's voice, Corey Burton, has been a voice actor for decades, providing voices you hear almost every day. From the tram operator at Disneyland and "Star Wars" characters like Count Dooku and Cad Bane, all the way to Captain Hook, Spike Witwicky and Shockwave from "Transformers," and even James Bond, Jr., Burton has shaped the audio landscape of Saturday morning cartoons and theme parks for decades. We were able to have a wide-ranging conversation with him about the beginnings of his career, his work as Count Dooku, and the legacy of "Star Wars."
'Who Is That?'
I'm a...
- 10/29/2022
- by Bryan Young
- Slash Film
Though Kate Hudson is the Goldie Hawn’s daughter, the actress is not trying to “emulate” her mother’s career by any means.
“Contrary to how I guess it seems from the outside in, for me, our family is much more focused on emulating who we are as people,” Hudson, 43, told E! News. “Emulating the good and maybe not necessarily wanting to carry on some of the challenges, like any child growing up in the world.”
“There’s no emulating mama’s career,” the actress added. “She’s an original. She’s an icon. It’s a different generation.”
Read More: Goldie Hawn Reveals Why She Refuses To Get Involved In Politics: ‘I Stay In My Lane’
Hawn, 76, has been a star in Hollywood for over five decades since finding fame on the sketch comedy series “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In”, which premiered in 1967. Since then, Hawn has gone on to...
“Contrary to how I guess it seems from the outside in, for me, our family is much more focused on emulating who we are as people,” Hudson, 43, told E! News. “Emulating the good and maybe not necessarily wanting to carry on some of the challenges, like any child growing up in the world.”
“There’s no emulating mama’s career,” the actress added. “She’s an original. She’s an icon. It’s a different generation.”
Read More: Goldie Hawn Reveals Why She Refuses To Get Involved In Politics: ‘I Stay In My Lane’
Hawn, 76, has been a star in Hollywood for over five decades since finding fame on the sketch comedy series “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In”, which premiered in 1967. Since then, Hawn has gone on to...
- 10/1/2022
- by Melissa Romualdi
- ET Canada
Can you imagine anything more delightful than Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin co-starring in a movie with Richard Roundtree and Malcolm McDowell … in 1972? That was the year Fonda won an Oscar for “Klute” and daffy “Laugh-In” star Tomlin released her first comedy album. The two men were riding high with “Shaft” and “A Clockwork Orange,” respectively. Just think what an ensemble film that played to each of their strengths might have yielded 50 years ago.
That’s wishful thinking, of course. You can’t go back, and you can’t do things over, but it’s never too late to move on. At least, that’s the message writer-director Paul Weitz is peddling in “Moving On,” a sassy feature-length sitcom with a #MeToo twist in which two estranged friends reunite to settle a decades-old score.
Weitz started his career with “American Pie” — which introduced the word “Milf” to the English language...
That’s wishful thinking, of course. You can’t go back, and you can’t do things over, but it’s never too late to move on. At least, that’s the message writer-director Paul Weitz is peddling in “Moving On,” a sassy feature-length sitcom with a #MeToo twist in which two estranged friends reunite to settle a decades-old score.
Weitz started his career with “American Pie” — which introduced the word “Milf” to the English language...
- 9/14/2022
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Larry Storch, the comedic character actor who also did voiceover work and impressions and was best known for his role as Corporal Randolph Agarn on “F Troop,” has died. He was 99.
His family released a statement on his Facebook page, saying, “It is with the heaviest of hearts that we share with you the news our beloved Larry passed away in his sleep overnight. We are shocked and at a loss for words at the moment. Please remember he loved each and every one of you and wouldn’t want you to cry over his passing. He is reunited with his wife Norma and his beloved F Troop cast and so many friends and family.”
Storch was a familiar face on TV shows throughout the 1960s and ’70s — he starred in the 1970s children’s show “The Ghost Busters” and appeared on “The Love Boat” and “Car 54, Where Are You?” On “Married…...
His family released a statement on his Facebook page, saying, “It is with the heaviest of hearts that we share with you the news our beloved Larry passed away in his sleep overnight. We are shocked and at a loss for words at the moment. Please remember he loved each and every one of you and wouldn’t want you to cry over his passing. He is reunited with his wife Norma and his beloved F Troop cast and so many friends and family.”
Storch was a familiar face on TV shows throughout the 1960s and ’70s — he starred in the 1970s children’s show “The Ghost Busters” and appeared on “The Love Boat” and “Car 54, Where Are You?” On “Married…...
- 7/8/2022
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety Film + TV
In Gaslit, Starz’s new retelling of the Watergate conspiracy, it’s no surprise that G. Gordon Liddy is the first to grab the mic. “History isn’t written by the feeble masses — the pissants, the commies, the queers and the women,” the political zealot tells us. “It is written and rewritten by soldiers carrying the banner of kings.” As he lectures, he’s scorching his hand over an open flame and embracing the pain.
Thus is our introduction to this fresh spin on Nixon’s re-election campaign and the scandal that followed, only this time, the story revolves around...
Thus is our introduction to this fresh spin on Nixon’s re-election campaign and the scandal that followed, only this time, the story revolves around...
- 4/25/2022
- by Nick Caruso
- TVLine.com
To Lily Tomlin, getting her hand and footprints embedded outside the Tcl Chinese Theatre is a joke — literally. Her 1982 television special “Lily for President?” kicked off with Tomlin in a limousine en route to sidewalk immortalization before a car accident re-routes her to instead run for higher office. In real life, Tomlin will receive the honor on April 22, as part of the Turner Classic Movies (TCM) Film Festival, taking place this year April 21-24.
As for that TV special, spoiler alert: Tomlin wins the White House. In fact, it’s hard to think of an instance in which Tomlin hasn’t triumphed. Her first TV show, “Laugh-In,” made her a star. Her first album, “This Is a Recording,” won her a Grammy. Her first film, “Nashville,” landed her an Oscar nomination for supporting actress. Even when Tomlin was stuck serving clam rolls at a diner in Times Square, she awarded herself Waitress of the Week,...
As for that TV special, spoiler alert: Tomlin wins the White House. In fact, it’s hard to think of an instance in which Tomlin hasn’t triumphed. Her first TV show, “Laugh-In,” made her a star. Her first album, “This Is a Recording,” won her a Grammy. Her first film, “Nashville,” landed her an Oscar nomination for supporting actress. Even when Tomlin was stuck serving clam rolls at a diner in Times Square, she awarded herself Waitress of the Week,...
- 4/22/2022
- by Amy Nicholson
- Variety Film + TV
Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast was named Best Picture at the 20th anniversary AARP Movies for Grownups Awards, which were handed out in a virtual ceremony hosted by Alan Cumming tonight. Will Smith and Aunjanue Ellis took Best Actor and Supporting Actress for their respective roles in King Richard, making it the only movie or TV show to win multiple awards.
See the full winners list below and check out a highlights reel above.
Nicole Kidman took home the Best Actress trophy for Being the Ricardos, and The Power of the Dog’s Jane Campion continued her awards-season hot streak with a win for Best Director. Tony Kushner danced off with the Best Screenwriter prize for West Side Story, and Jared Leto was fitted for the Supporting Actor award for House of Gucci.
Summer of Soul took Best Documentary, and other film winners included Best Picture Oscar nominees Nightmare Alley (Ensemble...
See the full winners list below and check out a highlights reel above.
Nicole Kidman took home the Best Actress trophy for Being the Ricardos, and The Power of the Dog’s Jane Campion continued her awards-season hot streak with a win for Best Director. Tony Kushner danced off with the Best Screenwriter prize for West Side Story, and Jared Leto was fitted for the Supporting Actor award for House of Gucci.
Summer of Soul took Best Documentary, and other film winners included Best Picture Oscar nominees Nightmare Alley (Ensemble...
- 3/19/2022
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Johnny Brown, the actor, comedian and singer best known for his role as superintendent Nathan Bookman on the popular 70s sitcom “Good Times,” died Wednesday. He was 84 years old.
Brown’s death was confirmed by his daughter, Broadway actress Sharon Catherine Brown, through a post shared on her Instagram. No further details on Brown’s death are available at this time.
“He was literally snatched out of our lives. It’s not real for us yet,” Sharon Catherine Brown wrote. “So there will be more to say but not now. Dad was the absolute best. We love him so very much.”
Prior to his sitcom stardom, Brown was a seasoned entertainment veteran, regularly performing in nightclub acts with his future wife, June Russell. Early in his career he dabbled in recording music, releasing the single “Walkin’, Talkin’, Kissin’ Doll” for Columbia Records in 1961 and “You’re Too Much in Love...
Brown’s death was confirmed by his daughter, Broadway actress Sharon Catherine Brown, through a post shared on her Instagram. No further details on Brown’s death are available at this time.
“He was literally snatched out of our lives. It’s not real for us yet,” Sharon Catherine Brown wrote. “So there will be more to say but not now. Dad was the absolute best. We love him so very much.”
Prior to his sitcom stardom, Brown was a seasoned entertainment veteran, regularly performing in nightclub acts with his future wife, June Russell. Early in his career he dabbled in recording music, releasing the single “Walkin’, Talkin’, Kissin’ Doll” for Columbia Records in 1961 and “You’re Too Much in Love...
- 3/5/2022
- by Wilson Chapman
- Variety Film + TV
Good Times star Johnny Brown, who played housing project superintendent Nathan Bookman on the hit ’70s series, has died. He was 84.
The actor’s death was confirmed by his family on Instagram. “Our family is devastated,” his daughter Sharon Catherine wrote. “We respectfully ask for privacy at this time because we need a minute to process the unthinkable. To articulate the depths of profound sadness… It’s too terrible. It will never not be. It’s a shock. He was literally snatched out of our lives. It’s not real for us yet… Dad was the absolute best. We love him so very much.
The actor’s death was confirmed by his family on Instagram. “Our family is devastated,” his daughter Sharon Catherine wrote. “We respectfully ask for privacy at this time because we need a minute to process the unthinkable. To articulate the depths of profound sadness… It’s too terrible. It will never not be. It’s a shock. He was literally snatched out of our lives. It’s not real for us yet… Dad was the absolute best. We love him so very much.
- 3/5/2022
- by Nick Caruso
- TVLine.com
Johnny Brown, the comedian and actor who broke out on “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In” in the early 1970s and then played apartment-building superintendent Nathan Bookman on the sitcom “Good Times,” died Wednesday at age 84.
Brown’s daughter Sharon Catherine Brown shared the news Friday via Instagram. “Our family is devastated. Devastated. Devastated. Beyond heartbroken. Barely able to breathe. We respectfully ask for privacy at this time because we need a minute to process the unthinkable,” she wrote. No further details about his death were available.
Brown got his start as a singer in the late 1950s, touring with saxophonist Sam “The Man” Taylor and releasing singles such as “Walkin’ Talkin’, Kissin’ Doll” in 1961 through Columbia Records.
In the 1960s, he appeared in two Broadway shows — “Golden Boy” and “Carry Me Back to Morningside Heights” — and picked up guest spots on TV shows such as “The Leslie Uggams Show,” “Julia” and...
Brown’s daughter Sharon Catherine Brown shared the news Friday via Instagram. “Our family is devastated. Devastated. Devastated. Beyond heartbroken. Barely able to breathe. We respectfully ask for privacy at this time because we need a minute to process the unthinkable,” she wrote. No further details about his death were available.
Brown got his start as a singer in the late 1950s, touring with saxophonist Sam “The Man” Taylor and releasing singles such as “Walkin’ Talkin’, Kissin’ Doll” in 1961 through Columbia Records.
In the 1960s, he appeared in two Broadway shows — “Golden Boy” and “Carry Me Back to Morningside Heights” — and picked up guest spots on TV shows such as “The Leslie Uggams Show,” “Julia” and...
- 3/5/2022
- by Thom Geier
- The Wrap
Johnny Brown, best known for his role as the housing project superintendent Nathan Bookman on the TV show Good Times and a Laugh-In regular, has died at 84. No cause of death was given by his family, who announced his March 2 death on Instagram.
Daughter and actress Sharon Catherine Brown wrote on Instagram. “Our family is devastated. Devastated. Devastated. Beyond heartbroken. Barely able to breathe.”
Brown had a multi-facted career. He recorded songs and played in a band, appeared on Broadway, and was a television regular, including three seasons as part of the ensemble on the hit show Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In. That appearance was a double-edged sword, as his contractual commitments to the show prevented him from taking the role of Red Foxx’s son on Sanford and Son.
Former Laugh-In writer-turned-producer Allan Manings brought Brown to Good Times in 1975, midway through its second season.
Born on June 11, 1937, in St.
Daughter and actress Sharon Catherine Brown wrote on Instagram. “Our family is devastated. Devastated. Devastated. Beyond heartbroken. Barely able to breathe.”
Brown had a multi-facted career. He recorded songs and played in a band, appeared on Broadway, and was a television regular, including three seasons as part of the ensemble on the hit show Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In. That appearance was a double-edged sword, as his contractual commitments to the show prevented him from taking the role of Red Foxx’s son on Sanford and Son.
Former Laugh-In writer-turned-producer Allan Manings brought Brown to Good Times in 1975, midway through its second season.
Born on June 11, 1937, in St.
- 3/5/2022
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
AARP The Magazine announced on Wednesday that Lily Tomlin will receive this year’s Movies for Grownups Career Achievement Award. Tomlin will be honored at the 20th anniversary special of the annual Movies for Grownups Awards, which will broadcast on March 18 at 9 p.m. Et by Great Performances on PBS.
“I am honored to receive this award from AARP. There are so few grownups in the world. I am happy to be one. I feel I am not only a grownup, but I am mature for my age and that’s the truthhhhh!” the “Grace and Frankie” star said in a written statement.
AARP’s Movies for Grownups program has advocated for the 50-plus audience for two decades, supporting movies for grownups and by grownups while encouraging the film and TV industry to produce content that will resonate with older viewers.
Previous Career Achievement Award honorees include George Clooney, Morgan Freeman,...
“I am honored to receive this award from AARP. There are so few grownups in the world. I am happy to be one. I feel I am not only a grownup, but I am mature for my age and that’s the truthhhhh!” the “Grace and Frankie” star said in a written statement.
AARP’s Movies for Grownups program has advocated for the 50-plus audience for two decades, supporting movies for grownups and by grownups while encouraging the film and TV industry to produce content that will resonate with older viewers.
Previous Career Achievement Award honorees include George Clooney, Morgan Freeman,...
- 1/19/2022
- by Wyatte Grantham-Philips
- Variety Film + TV
Arlene Dahl, who starred in the 1959 sci-fi classic Journey to the Center of the Earth and many other films along with TV roles and also was an influential beauty and astrology writer, has died. She was 96.
Her son, actor Lorenzo Lamas, posted the news on social media but did not provide details.
“Mom passed away this morning in New York,” Lamas wrote. “She was the most positive influence on my life.” See his full post below.
Dahl was born on August 11, 1925, in Minneapolis. By the time Dahl landed her signature role as Professor Carla Göteborg in Henry Levin’s Journey to the Center of the Earth, she already had appeared in more than 20 features — from 1947’s My Wild Irish Rose to 1957’s She Played with Fire. Her credits from the era also include The Bride Goes Wild — her first film under an MGM contract — The Outriders, The Diamond Queen, Inside Straight,...
Her son, actor Lorenzo Lamas, posted the news on social media but did not provide details.
“Mom passed away this morning in New York,” Lamas wrote. “She was the most positive influence on my life.” See his full post below.
Dahl was born on August 11, 1925, in Minneapolis. By the time Dahl landed her signature role as Professor Carla Göteborg in Henry Levin’s Journey to the Center of the Earth, she already had appeared in more than 20 features — from 1947’s My Wild Irish Rose to 1957’s She Played with Fire. Her credits from the era also include The Bride Goes Wild — her first film under an MGM contract — The Outriders, The Diamond Queen, Inside Straight,...
- 11/29/2021
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Mort Sahl, the acerbic comic whose pioneering style paved the way for such boundary-breaking comedians as Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor and George Carlin, died Tuesday at his home in Mill Valley, CA. He was 94.
A friend confirmed his death to The New York Times.
Showbiz & Media Figures We’ve Lost In 2021 – Photo Gallery
Known for his topical social commentary, he boldly skewered politicians and others in a harsh but clean stand-up act. He hosted the first Grammy Awards in 1959, co-hosted the 1959 Academy Awards and a year later became the first comedian featured to be featured on the cover of Time magazine. He also guest-hosted The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson multiple times during the 1960s.
Born on May 11, 1927, in Montreal, Sahl’s family moved to Los Angeles when he was a child. After a stint in the Air Force, he graduated from USC in 1950. By the mid-’50s he was doing stand-up,...
A friend confirmed his death to The New York Times.
Showbiz & Media Figures We’ve Lost In 2021 – Photo Gallery
Known for his topical social commentary, he boldly skewered politicians and others in a harsh but clean stand-up act. He hosted the first Grammy Awards in 1959, co-hosted the 1959 Academy Awards and a year later became the first comedian featured to be featured on the cover of Time magazine. He also guest-hosted The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson multiple times during the 1960s.
Born on May 11, 1927, in Montreal, Sahl’s family moved to Los Angeles when he was a child. After a stint in the Air Force, he graduated from USC in 1950. By the mid-’50s he was doing stand-up,...
- 10/26/2021
- by Erik Pedersen and Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
Herbert Schlosser, the NBC executive who championed the groundbreaking sketch show “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In” and oversaw the launch of “Saturday Night Live,” died Friday in Manhattan. He was 95.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Herb Schlosser,” NBC said in a statement. “His ingenuity, creativity and integrity as president and CEO of NBC during the ’70s made an indelible mark on the network and its legacy, including bringing Johnny Carson to ‘The Tonight Show’ and helping to shape what ultimately became ‘Saturday Night Live.’”
As president of NBC in 1974, Schlosser was looking for programming that could replace reruns of “The Tonight Show” on weekends. His concept became “Saturday Night Live” — a show that would tape the same day and have a different host each week while it would “seek to develop new television personalities” — a concept that has stayed remarkably similar 46 years after its launch.
“Saturday Night Live...
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Herb Schlosser,” NBC said in a statement. “His ingenuity, creativity and integrity as president and CEO of NBC during the ’70s made an indelible mark on the network and its legacy, including bringing Johnny Carson to ‘The Tonight Show’ and helping to shape what ultimately became ‘Saturday Night Live.’”
As president of NBC in 1974, Schlosser was looking for programming that could replace reruns of “The Tonight Show” on weekends. His concept became “Saturday Night Live” — a show that would tape the same day and have a different host each week while it would “seek to develop new television personalities” — a concept that has stayed remarkably similar 46 years after its launch.
“Saturday Night Live...
- 8/6/2021
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety Film + TV
The year of 1969 saw the moon landing of the Apollo 11’s Eagle module, Richard Nixon sworn in as the 37th president of the United States, the Stonewall Riots in Greenwich Village ushering in the gay rights movement, the Tate-La Bianca murders by the Manson Family, the landmark Woodstock Music and Arts Fair which attracts 400,000, the tragic and violent Rolling Stones concert at the Altamont Speedway and even Tiny Tim marrying Miss Vicki on NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.”
But one major event was basically ignored by the mainstream media: the Harlem Cultural Arts Festival which took place June 29-August 24 at the Mount Morris Park. Founded by Tony Lawrence, the festival celebrating Black pride, music and culture features such landmark performers as Sly and the Family Stone, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Stevie Wonder, The Fifth Dimension and Mahalia Jackson. And when the NYPD refused to supply security,...
But one major event was basically ignored by the mainstream media: the Harlem Cultural Arts Festival which took place June 29-August 24 at the Mount Morris Park. Founded by Tony Lawrence, the festival celebrating Black pride, music and culture features such landmark performers as Sly and the Family Stone, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Stevie Wonder, The Fifth Dimension and Mahalia Jackson. And when the NYPD refused to supply security,...
- 7/17/2021
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Kate Winslet’s tough but tender small-town police detective Mare Sheehan of HBO’s acclaimed crime thriller “Mare of Easttown” is the latest in a long line of female TV detectives including S. Epatha Merkerson (“Law & Order”); Helen Mirren (“Prime Suspect”); Kyra Sedgwick (“The Closer); Mariska Hargitay (“Law & Order: Svu”) and Regina King (“Watchmen”).
Unfortunately, it took an inordinate amount of time for actresses to get a fair shake in police procedurals. Early TV crime dramas were inundated with the likes of taciturn toughies Lee Marvin (“M Squad”), Robert Taylor (“The Detectives”), Jack Webb (“Dragnet”) and Broderick Crawford (“Highway Patrol”). Way too much testosterone.
But slowly the dynamics began to change especially with the rise of the Women’s Movement. Here’s a look at five trailblazing female cop shows who paved the way.
Beverly Garland (“Decoy”)
After macho actor after macho actor as police detectives and cops,...
Unfortunately, it took an inordinate amount of time for actresses to get a fair shake in police procedurals. Early TV crime dramas were inundated with the likes of taciturn toughies Lee Marvin (“M Squad”), Robert Taylor (“The Detectives”), Jack Webb (“Dragnet”) and Broderick Crawford (“Highway Patrol”). Way too much testosterone.
But slowly the dynamics began to change especially with the rise of the Women’s Movement. Here’s a look at five trailblazing female cop shows who paved the way.
Beverly Garland (“Decoy”)
After macho actor after macho actor as police detectives and cops,...
- 6/22/2021
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Chicago – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on Wbgr-fm on May 20th, 2021, reviewing the new film “Tiny Tim: King for a Day,” which is available through Video-On-Demand beginning May 21st.
Rating: 4.5/5.0
Herbert “Tiny Tim” Khaury was a determined singer and performer, despite having hundreds of doors slammed into his face in 1950s and ‘60s New York City. After a breakthrough in the Greenwich Village folk scene of the mid 1960s, his album “God Bless Tiny Tim” improbably rose on the music charts. An appearance on TV’s “Laugh-In” and a live marriage on “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson” followed, but as his star ascended, there was an inevitable decline to follow.
“Tiny Tim: King for a Day” is available through Video-On-Demand (click on TinyTimFilm.com), and locally through Virtual Cinema at MusicBoxTheatre.com. Written by Martin Daniel. Directed by Johan von Sydow.
Rating: 4.5/5.0
Herbert “Tiny Tim” Khaury was a determined singer and performer, despite having hundreds of doors slammed into his face in 1950s and ‘60s New York City. After a breakthrough in the Greenwich Village folk scene of the mid 1960s, his album “God Bless Tiny Tim” improbably rose on the music charts. An appearance on TV’s “Laugh-In” and a live marriage on “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson” followed, but as his star ascended, there was an inevitable decline to follow.
“Tiny Tim: King for a Day” is available through Video-On-Demand (click on TinyTimFilm.com), and locally through Virtual Cinema at MusicBoxTheatre.com. Written by Martin Daniel. Directed by Johan von Sydow.
- 5/23/2021
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Even in the late 1960s, when it seemed like the world was turning upside down, no one had ever seen anything quite like Tiny Tim. Standing onstage in an oversize plaid jacket, a mop of curls draped over his face, strumming his ukulele as he sang “Tiptoe Through the Tulips” in a trilling falsetto quaver so high it sounded like he was being tickled and tortured at the same time, he was like a troll and a little girl in one body — a flower child who was also a come-hither vampire. He presented himself as an “angelic” creature, not quite of this earth, and maybe that’s what he was. Yet there was something else going on in those bedroom eyes, which he would bat like a silent-movie ingenue. Was he for real? Or was he the original Andy Kaufman and Pee-wee Herman, a kind of postmodern put-on sprite?
The...
The...
- 4/24/2021
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Before “All in the Family” debuted, there was a profound gap between real life and what was being depicted on TV series.
In his autobiography “Even This I Get to Experience,” Norman Lear wrote, “Until ‘All in the Family’ came along, TV comedy was telling us there was no hunger in America, we had no racial discrimination, there was no unemployment or inflation, no war, no drugs, and the citizenry was happy with whomever happened to be in the White House.”
When Lear and Bud Yorkin pitched “All in the Family” to CBS, that network’s executives were looking for something different — but maybe not That different.
A week before the un-publicized sitcom debuted on Jan. 12, 1971, Variety’s Les Brown summed up the first four months of the new season for the three networks. Brown wrote that CBS had a lock on “the rural middle-American viewership” with its “rustic sitcoms,...
In his autobiography “Even This I Get to Experience,” Norman Lear wrote, “Until ‘All in the Family’ came along, TV comedy was telling us there was no hunger in America, we had no racial discrimination, there was no unemployment or inflation, no war, no drugs, and the citizenry was happy with whomever happened to be in the White House.”
When Lear and Bud Yorkin pitched “All in the Family” to CBS, that network’s executives were looking for something different — but maybe not That different.
A week before the un-publicized sitcom debuted on Jan. 12, 1971, Variety’s Les Brown summed up the first four months of the new season for the three networks. Brown wrote that CBS had a lock on “the rural middle-American viewership” with its “rustic sitcoms,...
- 1/12/2021
- by Tim Gray
- Variety Film + TV
In 1968, Dan Rowan, one of the hosts of the variety series Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, introduced a guest by describing him as “an act you’re just not gonna believe.” “This guy plays the bugle, plays the guitar, and sings — all at the same time. … This is a unique act, he’s the only one of his kind, and we’re lucky.” His co-host, Dick Martin, retorted, “I guess we are lucky … There could have been two.” Rowan brought Martin over to the guest, the Legendary Stardust Cowboy, who dressed in yellow pants,...
- 10/6/2020
- by Kory Grow
- Rollingstone.com
Dime Davis, director of HBO’s A Black Lady Sketch Show, has become the first Black woman to secure an Emmy nod for directing a variety series.
Debbie Allen was nominated in 1989 for directing ABC’s The Debbie Allen Special when the category was known as Outstanding Directing for a Variety or Music Program, but Davis becomes the first Black Woman for series directing. She is also only the second Black director to score a nomination in the category and the first in nearly 50 years since Mark Warren won for NBC’s Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In in 1971.
This comes as the Robin Thede-created sketch comedy was nominated for three awards this morning including for Outstanding Variety Sketch Series and for Angela Bassettt for Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series.
A Black Lady Sketch Show is strangely up against only Saturday Night Live and Drunk History in the...
Debbie Allen was nominated in 1989 for directing ABC’s The Debbie Allen Special when the category was known as Outstanding Directing for a Variety or Music Program, but Davis becomes the first Black Woman for series directing. She is also only the second Black director to score a nomination in the category and the first in nearly 50 years since Mark Warren won for NBC’s Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In in 1971.
This comes as the Robin Thede-created sketch comedy was nominated for three awards this morning including for Outstanding Variety Sketch Series and for Angela Bassettt for Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series.
A Black Lady Sketch Show is strangely up against only Saturday Night Live and Drunk History in the...
- 7/28/2020
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Comedy legend and TV pioneer Carl Reiner died at 98, according to Variety. His assistant, Judy Nagy, said he was with his family when he died of natural causes at his home in Beverly Hills on Monday night.
Reiner was one of the true greats. He helped shape comedy on television from the early golden era. Filmed comedy would not be the same without him. Even standup comedy owes him a great debt. There are sandwiches named after him in kosher delis around the world. Reiner was always beloved, and forever acting. He was instantly popular from the moment he appeared on Sid Caesar’s Your Show of Shows in 1950. He and Mel Brooks brought a party gag to national prominence they created the “2,000 Year Old Man” routine. He was veteran conman Saul Bloom in Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s Eleven movie franchise, played Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer’s stepfather on Two and a Half Men.
Reiner was one of the true greats. He helped shape comedy on television from the early golden era. Filmed comedy would not be the same without him. Even standup comedy owes him a great debt. There are sandwiches named after him in kosher delis around the world. Reiner was always beloved, and forever acting. He was instantly popular from the moment he appeared on Sid Caesar’s Your Show of Shows in 1950. He and Mel Brooks brought a party gag to national prominence they created the “2,000 Year Old Man” routine. He was veteran conman Saul Bloom in Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s Eleven movie franchise, played Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer’s stepfather on Two and a Half Men.
- 6/30/2020
- by Kayti Burt
- Den of Geek
Carl Reiner, a comedian, actor, and director best known for his roles on the Dick Van Dyke Show and the Ocean's movies, has died.
He was 98.
Variety first reported the news.
According to reports, Reiner passed away at his home in Beverly Hills Monday night, and was surrounded by his family.
He died of natural causes, according to his assistant, who shared the news wit Variety.
Reiner's manager George Shapiro took to Twitter earlier this week to share a photo of Reiner, his daughter, and Mel Brooks.
Reiner has been a part of some of the biggest TV shows and movies around, with an IMDb page that boasts more than 400 credits to his name.
In addition to starring in The Dick Van Dyke Show, he also created it. The popular series aired from 1961 to 66 and earned Reiner several Emmy wins.
Throughout his multi-decade career, he scored nine Primetime Emmy wins.
He was 98.
Variety first reported the news.
According to reports, Reiner passed away at his home in Beverly Hills Monday night, and was surrounded by his family.
He died of natural causes, according to his assistant, who shared the news wit Variety.
Reiner's manager George Shapiro took to Twitter earlier this week to share a photo of Reiner, his daughter, and Mel Brooks.
Reiner has been a part of some of the biggest TV shows and movies around, with an IMDb page that boasts more than 400 credits to his name.
In addition to starring in The Dick Van Dyke Show, he also created it. The popular series aired from 1961 to 66 and earned Reiner several Emmy wins.
Throughout his multi-decade career, he scored nine Primetime Emmy wins.
- 6/30/2020
- by Paul Dailly
- TVfanatic
Comedy legend Carl Reiner, whose multi-decade showbiz career included nine Primetime Emmy wins, died Monday of natural causes. He was 98.
“Last night my dad passed away. As I write this my heart is hurting,” Reiner’s son Rob, also an actor and filmmaker, wrote in a tweet on Tuesday. “He was my guiding light.”
More from TVLineTVLine Items: Hamilton Documentary, Carl Reiner Tribute and MoreDrag Race All Stars Sneak Peek: The Queens Make Top 3 Predictions as Snatch Game Finally ArrivesStar Trek Animated Spinoff Lower Decks Gets Premiere Date at CBS All Access
A prolific actor, director and producer, Reiner was...
“Last night my dad passed away. As I write this my heart is hurting,” Reiner’s son Rob, also an actor and filmmaker, wrote in a tweet on Tuesday. “He was my guiding light.”
More from TVLineTVLine Items: Hamilton Documentary, Carl Reiner Tribute and MoreDrag Race All Stars Sneak Peek: The Queens Make Top 3 Predictions as Snatch Game Finally ArrivesStar Trek Animated Spinoff Lower Decks Gets Premiere Date at CBS All Access
A prolific actor, director and producer, Reiner was...
- 6/30/2020
- by Rebecca Iannucci
- TVLine.com
In March 1968, the fans, cast, and creators of the NBC-TV series Star Trek were celebrating an unprecedented victory: a massive mail campaign by fans of the show, which directed more than 100,000 letters (if not more) to NBC executives, had resulted in the network deciding not to cancel the sci-fi program after two seasons but to instead extend it for a third year.
That Which Survives Cancellation
NBC’s public decision to renew the show — it even announced the news on the air at the end of the March 1 episode, “The Omega Glory,” with a brief voiceover statement — was unheard of in an era when fandom did not have social media to rant, rave, and otherwise kvetch about every little thing regarding their favorite franchises. This was a physical mobilization of Trekkers, led by superfans like Bjo and John Trimble, and tacitly encouraged (and perhaps even subsidized a little) by series creator Gene Roddenberry.
That Which Survives Cancellation
NBC’s public decision to renew the show — it even announced the news on the air at the end of the March 1 episode, “The Omega Glory,” with a brief voiceover statement — was unheard of in an era when fandom did not have social media to rant, rave, and otherwise kvetch about every little thing regarding their favorite franchises. This was a physical mobilization of Trekkers, led by superfans like Bjo and John Trimble, and tacitly encouraged (and perhaps even subsidized a little) by series creator Gene Roddenberry.
- 6/3/2020
- by Don Kaye
- Den of Geek
Arte Johnson, the comic best known for the hilarious characters he created for the 1960s NBC smash hit Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, has died. He was 90.
The 5-foot-4 Johnson, a master of ad libs, double-talk and dialects who was content to be a "second banana," died Wednesday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles of heart failure following a three-year battle with bladder and prostate cancer, his family announced.
Johnson cracked up Laugh-In audiences with his portrayal of Wolfgang, a former German storm trooper who muttered "Verry interesting" to the most cracked proposals (or, "Verry ...
The 5-foot-4 Johnson, a master of ad libs, double-talk and dialects who was content to be a "second banana," died Wednesday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles of heart failure following a three-year battle with bladder and prostate cancer, his family announced.
Johnson cracked up Laugh-In audiences with his portrayal of Wolfgang, a former German storm trooper who muttered "Verry interesting" to the most cracked proposals (or, "Verry ...
Arte Johnson, the comic best known for the hilarious characters he created for the 1960s NBC smash hit Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, has died. He was 90.
The 5-foot-4 Johnson, a master of ad libs, double-talk and dialects who was content to be a "second banana," died Wednesday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles of heart failure following a three-year battle with bladder and prostate cancer, his family announced.
Johnson cracked up Laugh-In audiences with his portrayal of Wolfgang, a former German storm trooper who muttered "Verry interesting" to the most cracked proposals (or, "Verry ...
The 5-foot-4 Johnson, a master of ad libs, double-talk and dialects who was content to be a "second banana," died Wednesday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles of heart failure following a three-year battle with bladder and prostate cancer, his family announced.
Johnson cracked up Laugh-In audiences with his portrayal of Wolfgang, a former German storm trooper who muttered "Verry interesting" to the most cracked proposals (or, "Verry ...
A middling entry in the genre of blow-it-up big action spectacles, Paul Wendkos’ Spain-filmed western gives us all the excitement promised by the poster, but with some cardboard characters and lumpy storytelling. George Peppard is on the job, however, and once again proves he can carry a big picture, flaws and all.
Cannon for Cordoba
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1970 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 104 min. / Street Date October 31, 2017 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: George Peppard, Raf Vallone, Giovanna Ralli, Don Gordon, Pete Duel, Nico Minardos, John Russell, John Larch, Gabriele Tinti, Francine York, Lionel Murton, Hans Meyer, Aldo Sambrell, Luis Barboo.
Cinematography: Antonio Macasoli
Film Editor: Walter A. Hannemann
Special effects: Emilio Ruiz del Río
Original Music: Elmer Bernstein
Written by Stephen Kandel
Produced by Vincent M. Fennelly
Directed by Paul Wendkos
While providing backing for independent writer-producers like Billy Wilder, Walter Mirisch also shepherded various less ambitious war movies and westerns,...
Cannon for Cordoba
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1970 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 104 min. / Street Date October 31, 2017 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: George Peppard, Raf Vallone, Giovanna Ralli, Don Gordon, Pete Duel, Nico Minardos, John Russell, John Larch, Gabriele Tinti, Francine York, Lionel Murton, Hans Meyer, Aldo Sambrell, Luis Barboo.
Cinematography: Antonio Macasoli
Film Editor: Walter A. Hannemann
Special effects: Emilio Ruiz del Río
Original Music: Elmer Bernstein
Written by Stephen Kandel
Produced by Vincent M. Fennelly
Directed by Paul Wendkos
While providing backing for independent writer-producers like Billy Wilder, Walter Mirisch also shepherded various less ambitious war movies and westerns,...
- 11/7/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Patti Deutsch, a comic who was a regular on the last season of Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, appeared often on the 1970s Match Game and went on to a successful voice-over career, has died. She was 73. Her family said she died Wednesday at her Los Angeles home after a long battle with cancer. Born in Pittsburgh on December 16, 1943, Deutsch worked alongside Fred Willard in the improv troupe Ace Trucking Company in the 1960s and early ’70s. The group, which made multiple…...
- 7/29/2017
- Deadline TV
Patti Deutsch, a comic who was a regular on the last season of Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, appeared often on the 1970s Match Game and went on to a successful voice-over career, has died. She was 73. Her family said she died Wednesday at her Los Angeles home after a long battle with cancer. Born in Pittsburgh on December 16, 1943, Deutsch worked alongside Fred Willard in the improv troupe Ace Trucking Company in the 1960s and early ’70s. The group, which made multiple…...
- 7/29/2017
- Deadline
Patti Deutsch, the witty comedian and voiceover artist with the nasally delivery who was a regular on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In and on game shows like Match Game and Tattletales, has died. She was 73.
Deutsch died Wednesday after a long battle with cancer, her family announced.
Deutsch came to fame as a member of the 1960s-'70s improvisational comedy group Ace Trucking Company, which also featured Fred Willard, Bill "You Can Call Me Ray" Saluga, Michael Mislove and George Memmoli.
She and the troupe appeared dozens of times on The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson, on other talk...
Deutsch died Wednesday after a long battle with cancer, her family announced.
Deutsch came to fame as a member of the 1960s-'70s improvisational comedy group Ace Trucking Company, which also featured Fred Willard, Bill "You Can Call Me Ray" Saluga, Michael Mislove and George Memmoli.
She and the troupe appeared dozens of times on The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson, on other talk...
- 7/28/2017
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Kate Hudson showed fans how to lose your hair in 10 seconds on Tuesday, when she was spotted sporting a new buzz cut on the Los Angeles set of her new movie, Sister.
The 38-year-old actress shaved off her famous long blonde locks for the flick, which comes from Australian singer/songwriter Sia — who also wrote and is directing the project.
It’s the most drastic haircut Hudson has had since she found breakout success in 2000’s Almost Famous.
It also makes the Fabletics mogul look even more like her mother Goldie Hawn, who rocked a longer pixie cut in the...
The 38-year-old actress shaved off her famous long blonde locks for the flick, which comes from Australian singer/songwriter Sia — who also wrote and is directing the project.
It’s the most drastic haircut Hudson has had since she found breakout success in 2000’s Almost Famous.
It also makes the Fabletics mogul look even more like her mother Goldie Hawn, who rocked a longer pixie cut in the...
- 7/26/2017
- by Dave Quinn
- PEOPLE.com
Goldie Hawn has a history of rocking the hell out of a swimsuit - just queue up Overboard or Butterflies Are Free on Netflix, or scour YouTube for some old episodes of Laugh-In. But even after decades of showing off her dancer's figure on screen, 71-year-old Goldie still isn't shy about slipping into a bathing suit for a day on the beach. It doesn't matter if she's rocking a teeny bikini and body paint in the '60s or sunbathing in a one-piece while vacationing with Kurt Russell - Goldie's got it. RelatedAge Is Just a Number! See Hot Stars Over 40 in Bikinis...
- 7/19/2017
- by Brittney Stephens
- Popsugar.com
Goldie Hawn returned to the big screen after 15 years in this month's mother-daughter comedy Snatched alongside Amy Schumer. The 71-year-old has been hitting the press rounds hard, and continued her streak of giving insightful, hilarious interviews in the June issue of Harper's Bazaar, out May 23. In addition to looking stunning on the cover, Goldie also showed off a few moves for the inside shot, which calls back to her days as a young go-go dancer and star of the '60s sketch comedy Laugh-In. RelatedGoldie Hawn's Hollywood Evolution Proves Her Life Has Always Been, Well, Golden In her interview, Goldie recalls being approached by the editor of a women's magazine during her time on the show, when she was just 22 years old. "[She] came up to me and said, 'Don't you feel terrible that you're playing a dumb blonde?'" Goldie was stunned, but not deterred. "I said, 'I don't understand...
- 5/17/2017
- by Brittney Stephens
- Popsugar.com
Goldie Hawn is getting candid about her thoughts on aging in show business.
The 71-year-old actress opens up in Harper's Bazaar's June/July issue about her long career, and explains why she isn't angry about ageism when it comes to roles for older actresses.
"You think you're going to fight the system?" she asks. "You think you're going to prove to Hollywood when you hit 45 that you’re still a sexy, viable object? No. There's a certain reality."
Watch: Goldie Hawn Reveals Kurt Russell Has Taken Nude Photos of Her While Playing 'Never Have I Ever' on 'Ellen'
"Does it make me angry? No. I’m not an angry person," she adds. "I’m not a militant person. Anger doesn’t get you anywhere. It’s not productive."
As for criticism that she's faced in the types of roles she chooses, such as her ditzy bombshell character in the '60s series Laugh-In, Hawn is similarly...
The 71-year-old actress opens up in Harper's Bazaar's June/July issue about her long career, and explains why she isn't angry about ageism when it comes to roles for older actresses.
"You think you're going to fight the system?" she asks. "You think you're going to prove to Hollywood when you hit 45 that you’re still a sexy, viable object? No. There's a certain reality."
Watch: Goldie Hawn Reveals Kurt Russell Has Taken Nude Photos of Her While Playing 'Never Have I Ever' on 'Ellen'
"Does it make me angry? No. I’m not an angry person," she adds. "I’m not a militant person. Anger doesn’t get you anywhere. It’s not productive."
As for criticism that she's faced in the types of roles she chooses, such as her ditzy bombshell character in the '60s series Laugh-In, Hawn is similarly...
- 5/17/2017
- Entertainment Tonight
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