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It's just after noon on the third Friday of the month, and 89-year-old Betty Lynn is preparing to take her seat behind a small brown table in the main room of the Andy Griffith Museum in Mount Airy, NC. Visitors are already beginning to flood into the 2,500-square-feet building to meet the actress best known to 60s TV fans as Barney Fife's girlfriend, Thelma Lou, from "The Andy Griffith Show," set in the fictional town of Mayberry. "Over 500 people come through," says Betty of a typical day...
Richard Anderson appeared in over 200 films and TV shows throughout his career. But it's not just his well-known role as security chief Oscar Goldman in "The Six Million Dollar Man" that elicits fan questions on the classic film/television convention circuit. "They always ask about 'Curse of the Faceless Man,' which we made in 1958 and was my first lead film role," said Anderson from Los Angeles. "It was a low-budget remake of 'The Mummy' two decades earlier, featuring a stone monster rather...
Come November, Henry Darrow's thoughts typically turn to turkeys ... and burros. Darrow, who turned 82 in September, played Manolito in the popular 60s western television series "High Chaparral." He recalls the memorable Thanksgiving episode, "For What We Are About to Receive," first broadcast on NBC on November 29, 1968. "We spent that episode looking for a lost turkey that I'd won in a shooting contest," said Darrow, from his home in North Carolina. "The bird falls off my wagon and in one scen...
From "I Love Lucy" and "All in the Family" to "Married with Children" and "Seinfeld," structuring a sitcom around four lead characters often proved a successful formula. "It was the perfect format for 'The Honeymooners,'" said Joyce Randolph, who starred as Trixie in the popular 1950s series based on two tenement-dwelling couples – the Kramdens and the Nortons. As the sole surviving member of the original series cast – which included Jackie Gleason, Art Carney and Audrey Meadows – Rando...
Laughter is often cited as a key ingredient for a successful marriage. Shirley Jones and Marty Ingels would agree. In 1974, Shirley was leaving an art exhibit at Michael Landon's home when Marty bumped into her. Literally. "I was getting into my car and as Marty was arriving, he knocked me over onto a chaise lounge," laughed Jones from the couple's home in Encino, Calif. "That's how we met." Marty, however, didn't hit and run. The two actors became friends and were married 3 years later. "That...
Generally regarded as one of the classic beauties to grace the big screen throughout the '40s and '50s, Arlene Dahl's career extended beyond the reach of the camera. "I've had many different careers," said Ms. Dahl, who turns 87 in August, from her home in New York. "I was a writer for twenty years with a beauty column in the Chicago Tribune, which was syndicated in 180 newspapers around the world." As an author, Dahl has penned 14 books and is currently working on more, including an...
This summer, Julie Newmar turns 82; but it only seems like yesterday she was prowling across our TV screens as the original Catwoman supervillainess in the '60s TV series "Batman." In addition to her acting career, Julie has long taken an interest in gardening, beauty and health. "If something bothers me, I try to live on top of it," the Hollywood beauty icon said from her home in Los Angeles. "Just let the joy in you come out and stay in love with life. That's the secret to aging well." Julie a...
Her father commanded a spaceship in a popular 60s television series. Two decades later, in 1988, Melanie Shatner was featured alongside her dad in an Oldsmobile TV commercial revealing her own desire to zoom around in something "space age." But it wouldn't be the last time father and daughter acted together. The pair shared some on-screen time the following year when "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier," was released. Directed by her father, William Shatner aka Star Trek's Captain Kirk, Melanie...
Only a handful of actresses danced in feature films with both Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire. One was Leslie Caron. Although her last feature film was a decade ago, she hasn't been exactly idle since. "I won an Emmy in 2007 for a guest role on 'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,' which was a grand moment for me," said Ms. Caron from London, where she moved in 2013 from her native France to be near family. Her autobiography, "Thank Heaven," was published in 2010, and in 2013 she appeared in an...
Produced from 1990-1995, the British sitcom "Keeping Up Appearances" quickly crossed the Atlantic, bringing smiles to viewers of American Public Television where the show was widely broadcast. The success of the series, still seen on limited PBS stations today, was mainly due to the formidable acting skills of Patricia Routledge, who created the ludicrously snobbish and comical character Hyacinth Bucket (pronounced 'bouquet,' of course). "The basic premise of Hyacinth is pretension and that's...
If you have watched television since the 1950s, there's no avoiding William Schallert. His distinctive, mellow voice and comfortingly familiar face have appeared on series ranging from "Father Knows Best" to "Desperate Housewives" and everything in between (see www.william-schallert.com). "I've never added up the total, but I did work a lot," said Schallert, from his home in Pacific Palisades, Calif. The tally of his television appearances is close to 300, with another 100 feature films – the fi...
At 76, veteran comedian and impressionist Rich Little is still zigzagging the country doing one-man shows. Impressions have been Little's stock and trade since his school days in Ottawa, Canada. "I would answer teachers' questions in their own voices," said Little, from his home in Las Vegas. "Pretty soon, they stopped asking me questions!" That was over 60 years ago. Today, crowds still flock to see the man who claims a repertoire of over 200 voices. Unlike ordinary comedians, Little says...
For many, the title "King of Rock and Roll" is reserved for one man: Elvis Presley. Had he lived, the King would have celebrated his 80th birthday on Jan. 8, 2015. Unlike most departed singers who are remembered largely for their music, Elvis lives on through a phenomenal number of appearances in scripted motion pictures – 31 in all – beginning with "Love Me Tender" in 1956 and ending 13 years later with "Change of Habit" in 1969. His movies provide a unique glimpse into another dimension of one...
Food, family and fun are usually part of Christmas Day celebrations for many families. The festivity may also include watching old Christmas movies, with the 1947 version of "Miracle on 34th Street" being a traditional favorite. In addition to its Christmas message, the film is remembered for its cast including Edmund Gwenn who won the Oscar for his role as Kris Kringle, adorable 9-year-old Natalie Wood as Susan, and feisty Maureen O'Hara, who played her mother. Although she starred in other...
While today's television landscape is littered with so-called reality programming, westerns dominated the airways in the 1960s. One of the most popular was "The Virginian," which ran for nine seasons on NBC from 1962 to 1971, and starred James Drury as the unnamed, mystery foreman of the Shiloh ranch, set in Medicine Bow, Wy. Drury celebrated his 80th birthday in April and, far from retiring, continues to travel the country greeting fans at western festivals (see www.thevirginian.net). He is...
What should have been "a three-hour tour" turned into a 50-year journey for Dawn Wells, who played castaway Mary Ann in the zany sitcom "Gilligan's Island" that debuted on CBS in September, 1964. "I'm still talking and writing about the show and it continues to gain new fans," said Dawn, from her home in Los Angeles. "If you're a 10 year old kid watching the show today, there's not much to date it – a desert island is a desert island." To celebrate the show's 50th anniversary, Dawn draws on h...
Since retiring from acting over a decade ago, versatile character actor Nehemiah Persoff has become a successful artist, painting from his seaside home in Cambria, Calif. (see www.nehemiahpersoffpaintings.com). The Cambria Center for the Arts hosted a birthday celebration on August 4 for Persoff, who turned 95 a few days earlier. This included screening a selection of his films, and the artist even auctioned some of his works, donating the proceeds to the center. But in 1989 Persoff experienced...
Released in the summer of 1964, "Marnie" wasn't a typical Alfred Hitchcock thriller. While a moderate success at the box office, the eponymous psychological mystery was panned by some critics at the time. "People didn't understand the film when it first came out," said Tippi Hedren, who starred as Marnie, a disturbed woman, compulsive liar and thief, with a resolute disdain for men. "Something really bad happened in Marnie's childhood. Critics look at 'Marnie' entirely differently today, now...
Eighty years ago, 16-year-old Marsha Hunt began her professional career with a prominent New York City modeling agency. But her real love since the age of four was acting. So, the following year, in May 1935, she headed to Hollywood. Within weeks of arriving on the West Coast her dream was realized with a Paramount contract. "It wasn't about becoming a famous star," said Ms. Hunt from her home in Los Angeles. "I just wanted the joy of pretending to be interesting characters and convincing audien...
Norman Lloyd admits he's taking things a bit easy these days. This year, he currently has only one film waiting for release and he now plays just two tennis matches a week. Still, that's not bad, considering the veteran actor, producer, and director turns 100 later this year. "People are always asking me for the secret of long life," said Mr. Lloyd from his home in Los Angeles. "Well, I have no secret and I suspect it's partly luck. But I do know one thing. You've got to stay active as you get...
Multitalented actress Jane Powell celebrated her 85th birthday in April. She and husband Dick Moore purchased a home in Wilton, Conn., about 30 years ago, dividing their time between Connecticut and New York. "We found this perfect house which was built in 1875 and didn't have to do much remodeling," said Ms. Powell from Wilton. "I love to cook, so we added a new kitchen, built an office in the back and put a gazebo in the garden." And at 85, she could be considered a role model for seniors heal...
Despite a leg infection that sidelined him earlier in the year, Don Rickles is as feisty as ever. In March, the 87-year-old comedian began a spring tour of theaters and casinos across the country with stops in California, Nevada, Michigan, Connecticut and Wisconsin.\ But be warned! If you're in the audience and sporting a bad hairpiece, have an unusually curved nose, or are a little on the chubby side, Rickles could be waiting for you. That's because just about everyone "annoys" Don in his act,...
As Star Trek's Mr. Spock, Leonard Nimoy created one of the most iconic characters in television history. But for the past two decades, Nimoy has transported his career to the other side of the camera and is now regarded as a leading contemporary American photographer. Early in his acting career, he recognized photography could be more than just snapshots on location. "I carried a camera with me wherever I went and began to realize I was missing the place I was in because my eye was behind the...
How much mileage could a studio expect from a 1950s film starring a biologist with a fascination for a secluded fishpond? Quite a bit, when the scientist is beautiful Julie Adams wrapped in a skin-tight white latex bathing suit and the fish turns out to be an angry piscine amphibious humanoid – aka "Creature from the Black Lagoon." Premiering 60 years ago this month, the success of the now cult film continues to astound Julie who, at age 87, remains a popular guest at fan conventions and film fe...
"Here's to you, Mrs. Robinson." When NASA honored June Lockhart last October, it would have been quite fitting to borrow the above lyrics from a popular Simon and Garfunkel song to salute the 88 year old actress. Best remembered by sci-fi fans for her role of TV space mom Maureen Robinson in the 60s series "Lost in Space," June told me recently that the NASA recognition was a highlight of her long career, which includes a Tony Award, an Emmy nomination and a couple of stars on the Hollywood...
