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Herbie J Pilato
Frank Sinatra Reunited a Feuding Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis on the Labor Day Telethon of 1976
On Labor Day in 1976, Frank Sinatra reunited two lifelong friends: Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin. Martin and Lewis had been feuding for years. Here's the story. In the 1960s and 1970s, the Labor Day Telethon raised funding for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA).
Frank Sinatra Boosted the Career of Jerry Vale, Who Remained Loyal to His Friend Until the End
It's been 10 years since legendary crooner Jerry Vale passed away in Palm Springs. Best known in the 1950s and 1960s, Vale had a distinctive high-tenor voice and performed romantic ballads. He died at 83 from natural causes and remained loyal to his family and friends including close pal and fellow Italian-American singer Frank Sinatra. It was Sinatra who gave Vale an early boost to his career. This is the story.
The Hollywood Battles of 'Maverick'/'Rockford' Star James Garner: 10 Years After His Tragic Death
It's been ten years since beloved actor James Garner died from natural causes at 86 years old. Garner was best known for his starring roles on two hit TV shows: Maverick (ABC, 1957-1962) and The Rockford Files(NBC, 1974-1980). He also found fame on the big screen with classics like Sayonara (1957), The Americanization of Emily (1964), Victor/Victoria (1982), and The Notebook (2004), and in TV-movies like My Name Is Bill W. (1989) and Barbarians at the Gate (1993). Through out it all, he stood firm on princples, and frequently fought the Hollywood machine, and won. This is his story.
Clash of the TV Icons: 'All in the Family' Star Carroll O'Connor Battled with Creator Norman Lear
When it premiered on CBS in January 1971, All in the Familyset a new precedent for realistic quality programming in the area of weekly television comedies. Co-created by Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin, the show, which originally ran until 1979, addressed controversial issues never before seen on mainstream sitcoms. No topic was off-limits, from racial disparities to abortion to homosexuality; All in the Family covered it all, and more.
Fred MacMurray Felt Betrayed When CBS Canceled 'My Three Sons' in 1972
Fred MacMurray, who died in 1991, was not pleased when his hit CBS TV sitcom, My Three Sonswas canceled by the network at the end of the 12th season. The show had premiered on ABC in 1960, but later switched to CBS by its final season in 1972.
In Memory of Child Star Trent Lehman (TV's 'Nanny and the Professor'): 4 Decades After His Suicide
It's been over four decades since former child star Trent Lehman killed himself in 1982 at just 20 years old. Best known as Butch on the beloved supernatural sitcom, Nanny and the Professor (ABC, 1970), Lehman's body was found hanging from an elementary school fence. This is his tragic story.
The Complex Life of Former Child Star Turned Hollywood Icon Mickey Rooney: 10 Years After His Death
It's been ten years since legendary, multi-talented actor Mickey Rooney died of natural causes at 93 in North Hollywood home. A megastar in his youth, Rooney was Tinseltown gold at the box-office in the late 1930s to early 1940s. Wed eight times with a life and career of ups and downs, somehow he always survived. This is his story.
Actress Mary Grace Canfield Replaced Alice Pearce on TV's 'Bewitched' Before Sandra Gould
It's been ten years since veteran actress Mary Grace Canfield died tragically of lung cancer at 89. The actress was best known for her roles on the classic 1960s TV sitcoms, Green Acres and Bewitched. On the latter she played "Miss" Kravitz (not "Mrs.). This is her story.
In Memory of the real Maria von Trapp ('The Sound of Music'): 10 Years After Her Demise
Actress Julie Andrews played her on screen in the 1965 classic movie musical, The Sound of the Music, but that multiple-Oscar-winning film would not have been made had for not the remarkable human being on whose life it was based. That would be Maria von Trapp, and this is her story.
In Memory of Former Child Star Anne Carter: 10 Years After Her Tragic Death From Cancer
It's been ten years since former child star Ann Carter died of cancer at 77. Best known for supernatural-based movies from the 1940s, Carter had been stricken with polio, and her acting career was derailed. She returned to her beloved craft, but that took some time. This is her story.
A Look Back at the Tragic Death of Oscar-winning Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman: 10 Years Later
It's been a little over ten years since Oscar-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, then just 46 years old, was found dead on the bathroom floor of his New York apartment. A syringe was in his left arm, and he succumbed to acute mixed drug intoxication, including heroin, cocaine, benzodiazepines, and amphetamine. The horrific death, which occurred on February 2, 2014, was ruled an accident.
In Memory of Distinguished Actor Roscoe Lee Browne: 17 Years After His Tragic Death From Cancer
It's been 17 years since Emmy and Tony award-winning actor Roscoe Lee Browne died of cancer in 2007 at 81 years old. Browne was also a talented musical director, as well as a writer of short stories, and plays. This is his story.
In Memory of Milburn Stone ('Doc' from TV's 'Gunsmoke'): 44 Years After His Fatal Heart Attack
It's been over four decades since the demise of beloved actor Milburn Stone, best known as Dr. Galen "Doc" Adams on TV's Gunsmoke (CBS, 1955-1975). The Emmy-winning Stone died of a heart attack in La Jolla, CA on June 12, 1980. This is his life story.
In Memory of Former Child Superstar Shirley Temple: 10 Years After Her Tragic Death
It's been ten years since the demise of beloved former and first and major child superstar turned U.S. Ambassador Shirley Temple. She died from pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease on February 10, 2014. But she lived a remarkable and compelling life of both victory and loss. This is her story.
The Tragic Life and Times of 'Grizzly Adams' Actor Dan Haggerty: 8 Years After His Death From Cancer
It's been eight years since actor Dan Haggerty, best known as the star of the Grizzly Adams feature film and television franchise, died from cancer at only 74. This is his story.
In Memory of TV Star Meshach Taylor ('Designing Women'): 10 Years After His Tragic Death From Cancer
It's been ten years since the tragic loss of beloved actor Meshach Taylor. He was only 67 years old when he died of cancer in Los Angeles on June 28, 2014. Best known as beloved ex-con Anthony Bouvier on TV's classic sitcom Designing Women (CBS, 1986-1993), Taylor was Emmy nominated for his standout performance. But the actor also appeared in other TV shows and movies. This is his story.
The Troubled Life of 'Murphy Brown' Actor Robert Pastorelli: 20 Years After His Tragic Death
It's been twenty years since Murphy Brown TV sitcom actor Robert Pastorelli was found dead in his Hollywood Hills home from what was ruled an accidental drug overdose. He was only 49 years old, and this is his tragic story.
In Memory of Actor Jack Dodson ('Andy Griffith'/'Mayberry R.F.D.'): 30 Years After His Tragic Death
It's been thirty years since actor Jack Dodson died of heart failure in 1994. Best known as Howard Sprague on The Andy Griffith Show (CBS, 1960-1968) and its sequel, Mayberry R.F.D. (CBS, 1968-1971), Dodson was hired as Howard after Griffith saw him on Broadway in Hughie. He was only 63 years old, and this is his story.
In Memory of James Avery (Uncle Phil on 'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'): 9 Years After His Tragic Death
It's been nine years since beloved actor James Avery died due to complications from open-heart surgery in a Glendale, CA hospital. Best known as Judge Philip "Uncle Phil" Banks on Will Smith's hit 1990s sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (NBC, 1990-1996), Avery was only 68 years old. This is his tragic story.
In Memory of Former Child Star Dickie Moore ('Little Rascals'): A Look Back at His Life and Career
It's been nine years since Our Gang/Little Rascals actor Dickie Moore died in 2015 at 89 after a long, productive career and happy life; an anomaly in the history of former child stars. This is his story.
Herbie J Pilato
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Herbie J Pilato is the author of several books about pop culture including the newly-published CONNERY, SEAN CONNERY biography, the revised BIONIC BOOK, RETRO ACTIVE TELEVISION, THE 12 BEST SECRETS OF CHRISTMAS, MARY: THE MARY TYLER MOORE STORY, TWITCH UPON A STAR, and more. He's also a TV writer/producer, and has worked for Reelz, Bravo, E!, TLC, and hosted THEN AGAIN WITH HERBIE J PILATO, the hit classic TV talk show (which premiered on Amazon Prime in 2019).
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