Category Archives: ’70s

James Olson of ‘The Andromeda Strain’ Dies @ 91

I was just marveling at the long lives lived of the cast of the telekinesis TV movie The Spell (1977), and now the repressive dad in that, James Olson, has died at 91. The actor in his early years (Image via headshot) Olson died April 17, and his death was just reported. Born October 8,…
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Diana Ross NEVER Won a Competitive Grammy? How?

Every year around Grammys time, a list circulates of top stars who have never managed to win a competitive Grammy — and it is topped by the great Diana Ross, who just turned 78. (Not 96, as some Jeopardy! nerds mistakenly believed.) She deserves Grammys — all over her body of work. (Image via Capitol) Queen…
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50-Year-Old Footage of Prince Discovered

When a Minneapolis news station unearthed footage of a teachers' strike from 50 years ago, there was another gem uncovered at the same time — the only known video footage of future icon Prince at age 11. One of Prince's archivists reacted with glee over the find. (Image via video still) Asked what he thought…
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Barrie Youngfellow of ‘It’s a Living’ Dies @ 75

From L-R: Youngfellow (bottom) with her It's a Living castmates, on Three's Company with John Ritter & in The Scarlett O'Hara Wars (Images via ABC) One of my favorite-ever TV theme songs has to be the one for It's a Living/Making a Living — it's so ebullient, so Broadway. "Life's not the French Riviera!" it shouts,…
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Debbie Reynolds: A 90th Birthday Remembrance

Today, April 1, marks the 90th anniversary of the birth of Debbie Reynolds. Debbie at Cinecon in '12 (Image by Matthew Rettenmund) I first encountered her at her Cafe Carlyle show in NYC in 2009. She was just great! And she guess my partner and I were gay, inviting me to "touch my one good…
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