Let's not forget his REAL deals..."Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf '....& many more big cinema toppers..

Larry McMurtry, 84, author of Lonesome Dove and a plethora of western novels.

Beverly Cleary passed away on March 25 at age 104.

SC, XDCX, BAM, Don Marco and Mignon picked her.

R.I.P.


Signor V.

Two deaths worth mentioning (and I know I'm showing my age):

Gloria Henry died on April 3rd at age 98. She was the mother, Alice Mitchell, on the classic Dennis the Menace TV series from 1959-1963.

Also, Frank Jacobs died April 5th at age 91. If the name isn't immediately familiar, Jacobs wrote just about all the wonderful song and poetry parodies for Mad Magazine in their glory days. As a matter of fact, a couple of weeks ago, I regaled Signora V. with a rendition of "Hello Deli" from memory. (Now I'm really dating myself!)

Here it is - from memory (sung to "Hello Dolly")

Hello, deli,
This is Joe, deli,
Would you please send up a nice corned beef on rye?
A box of Ritz, deli,
And some Schlitz, deli,
Some chopped liver and a sliver of your
Apple pie.

Turkey legs, deli,
Hard boiled eggs, deli,
With tomatoes and potatoes
You French fry, oh...

Please don't be late, deli,
'Cause I can't wait, deli,
Deli - without breakfast I will die!

R.I.P.


Signor V.

Signor V.: within the last couple of months, I tracked down two issues of Mad Magazine that contain Jacobs songs that I remember verbatim over 50 years later:

(Sung to "Grand Old Flag")

She's a mean old bag,
She's a nasty old hag,
And forever she's filled us with hate.
But we treat her sweet,
And kiss her feet,
And tell her we think that she's great.

Let her curse at us,
We will not raise a fuss,
When she starts in to scream and nag.
For we all are counting what we'll get,
From the will of that mean old bag.

It's uncanny how they stick with you.

And the scary thing is... I remember that one!

I remember another one Frank Jacobs wrote to the same tune:

It's a grand old smog,
It's a low lying smog,
You can tell by the smell and the pall,
Though it clouds the skies
And it burns our eyes,
It means there's employment for all!

'Cause it comes, you see,
From some great factory,
Where there's never an idle cog,
So, let's preserve our way of life
And give thanks for that grand old smog!


Signor V.

4/11/21:
Actor Joseph Siravo, who played Tony Soprano’s father, dead at 66



4/9/21:
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Rapper DMX

Ponzi schemer Bernie Madoff dies in prison at 82

Former Vice President of Jimmy Carter, Walter Mondale has passed away at the age of 93. Crazy to think that both Jimmy and his wife would outlive him. RIP

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/19/former-vice-president-walter-mondale-has-died-at-93.html

Actor and stuntman Felix Silla died April 16, age 84.

If the name isn't immediately familiar, he was in the original Star Trek series, the Buck Rogers series, played Ewoks and many other roles, often uncredited. He was probably best known for playing "Cousin Itt" in the original 1960's Addams Family TV series.

R.I.P.


Signor V.

Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins dies at 90

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56921562

I think i was the only one who picked him

RIP

Actor Norman Lloyd has passed at age 106.

JG, SC, XDCX, Don Marco, Mignon and I had him on our lists.

R.I.P.


Signor V.

Actor Charles Grodin died today at age 86.



He was in the original The Heartbreak Kid, Midnight Run, Beethoven, The Lonely Guy, and lots of others. He was also a talk show host, author and political commentator.

R.I.P.


Signor V.

Paul Mooney, Pioneering Comic and Actor, Dies 79

In addition to performing his own material, the icon was famously a writer for Richard Pryor.

Clarence Williams III, ‘The Mod Squad’ and ‘Purple Rain’ Star, Dies at 81.

For those that remember him in Mod Squad: "One white; one black; one blonde."

52 pickup, The Generals Daughter, Hoodlum, Deep Cover, Tales from the Hood, The Legend of 1900, are some of the movies I can remember him playing in. He was always one of the best supporting actors out there.

From Clarence Williams III's masterful performance in Purple Rain

Actor Ned Beatty died today at age 83.

He played memorable roles in Deliverance, Network, Nashville, and the Christopher Reeve Superman, among many, many others. Great character actor.

Mikey Sunset was the only one who picked him.

R.I.P.


Signor V.

Jim "Mudcat" Grant, 85, pitcher who won 2 games in the 1965 World Series. One of the classic nicknames.

Legendary movie and TV heavy William Smith passed away July 5 at age 88.



R.I.P.


Signor V.

Charles Robinson, 75, who played Mac on Night Court and was one of the busiest modern character actors:

https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/charlie-robinson-dead-mac-night-court-1235018057/amp/

Australian actress Mary Ward has died at age 106.

The only one who picked her was XDCX.

R.I.P.


Signor V.

Comedian/actor Jackie Mason died today at age 93. I don't think anyone picked him.

Here's a Jackie Mason story told to me by the late Signora V. (I), who witnessed it first-hand: Back in the 1980's, she was sitting in a Manhattan cafe/diner and noticed Jackie Mason sitting in a booth, talking in low tones to an attractive middle-aged woman. She couldn't hear what was being said, but suddenly the woman slapped Mason's face, stood up and loudly proclaimed, "I am not that kind of girl!" before angrily walking out.

R.I.P.


Signor V.

Ron Popeil, 86. He sold me one of these:

Dusty Hill, bassist for iconic rock group ZZ Top, dies at 72

A couple people (SC & DP) picked him. Funny story, SV! My mom loved Jackie Mason, and we all thought he was hilarious. My folks were thrilled a number of years ago running into and chatting with him at a diner/restaurant (that wasn't my mom in your story, though -- this was in Florida )....

PS - I should be caught up on the updates to the main list.... sorry I've been so MIA

Dusty singing

I met Dusty once on Beale Street when visiting Graceland. Nice Guy.

RIP

In news from Down Under:

An Australian politician named Dick Long recently died at age 97.

I shall say nothing further.


Signor V.