Gone With or Without fanfare

[RedRiver]

Rowan and Martin are both gone? Is that what I'm hearing?

[Western Guy]

Dick Martin passed away in 2008. The Laugh-In troupe is also beginning to fade into history, with the passings of Henry Gibson and, most recently, Alan Sues and Richard Dawson.

[moirafinnie]

Moira, speaking of NIGHTMARE IN BADHAM COUNTY, was there any TV movie of that era that did not feature Robert Reed?

Could be...I figure he'd do anything to get away from those kids on The Brady Bunch, (just my opinion, folks, though I'm sure those urchins were all lovely). The other guy who might have been legally contracted to be in every freakin' made-for-tv movie back then was Michael Brandon and his perfectly coifed hair.

[Western Guy]

Good one, Moira! We do know that Reed as a classically trained actor never wanted to do the series and apparently made life hell for Sherwood Schwartz. Interesting to speculate how things would have worked out had Gene Hackman taken the role of Mike Brady. Man, cannot picture that!

I remember Michael Brandon (was he not briefly married to Lindsay Wagner?) What ever happened to him???

[JackFavell]

Joanne Worley has made a nice career for herself on Disney channel, which my daughter watches sometimes. Worley turns up every now and then as a crazy neighbor or a wacky grandma, as does Shirley Jones. Nice to see these ladies still out there working, I think Disney has the right idea of using these iconic women above a certain age. Same kudos to Nickolodeon, Marion Ross consistently gets in some good laughs as Spongebob's grandma.

[knitwit45]

Marion Ross is currently in Kansas City, appearing at a Dinner Theater here. Still lovely looking, and from what I hear, packing in the crowds!

[JackFavell]

Awesome! I'd love to see more of these older working actresses in movies.

[MissGoddess]

how funny marion ross comes up...i just saw her in the tail end of an episode of "hawaii five-o" and i couldn't remember at first who it was, she looked so familiar. then i saw her name in the credits. it was an unusual role for her (very dramatic) and i really want to see the whole thing now. she played a nurse and i got the impression she was falling in love with macgarrett (jack lord).

[JackFavell]

That happened to me a month or so ago, I saw her but just could not place who she was! I think we all expect her to have the Happy Days updo, we forget her career was extensive and that she can change like a chameleon, depending on what her role is. She's so very good, we don't really realize it.

[MissGoddess]

She was (is) terrific, as were sooooooooooooooooooooo many from that era of TV.

Can't believe Major Nelson is gone. That role is my favorite, too. I thought he had that rarest of gifts, a great physical and verbal comedic actor as well as being able to do drama. I mean, the comedy part is the hardest, really. You can't fake it, you either have the timing and agility (if you do lots of physical slap-stick like he did) or you don't. For my mom, he'll always be "J.R." (she just adores that series).

[Western Guy]

Wendy, what you say about Marion Ross and how people expect to see her in a reprise of Mrs. Cunningham also holds true for Jean Stapleton. I still get a bit of a shock whenever I see Jean as herself and not hear her speak in the Edith Bunker voice.

[JackFavell]

Isn't that the truth, western guy? And both are SUCh accomplished dramatic actresses.

Miss G, I think you nailed it as far as Larry Hagman is concerned. He could really do it all. The comic timing is something you just can't learn, it's a gift. Plus there is something almost elegant about him, don't you think? He could be suave if he chose to be, but I think it was so out of fashion that he never really had the chance.

It's quite a shock to watch Hagman in The Group, where he literally beats a woman up in a drunken rage. He must have relished those scenes as an actor but it's o hard to watch. You really hate him in this movie.

[Rita Hayworth]

Marion Ross is currently in Kansas City, appearing at a Dinner Theater here. Still lovely looking, and from what I hear, packing in the crowds!

I miss her on television ... she always be one of my favorite television actresses ... sighs!

[MissGoddess]

I've never been able to watch The Group, it's too much for me. I prefer Mr. Carlin and Mr. Peterson's "group", ha. What little I saw of Larry he was dreadful. And you are right, he has a keen awareness of his body, like all good comedians. I read somewhere that all the great comedians had elegance. Dick Van Dyke is very similar with that.

[RedRiver]

comic timing is something you just can't learn, it's a gift

That's my feeling as well. You can take acting lessons all your life. But you have to be born funny!