Tribute 2010

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Patricia Neal

Gary Coleman

Rue McClanahan

John Forsythe

Robert Culp

Fess Parker

Kathryn Grayson

Pernell Roberts

Jean Simmons

 

Patricia Neal 
1926-2010

An Oscar, Tony and Golden Globe winner, a champion for those with strokes, which she herself suffered and plus was the wife of British children's book writer Roald Dahl. Patricia appeared with stars such as John Wayne in "Operation Pacific" and "In Harm's Way," Gary Cooper in "The Fountainhead," her Oscar-winning performance with Paul Newman in "Hud," and in the science fiction classic "The Day the Earth Stood Still." She also appeared on Broadway in 1959 as Helen Keller's mother in "The Miracle Worker." 1n 1962 she appeared with Audrey Hepburn in "Breakfast at Tiffany's." Her last landmark role was the titular "Cookie" in the Robert Altman film "Cookie's Fortune" in 1999.

 

Gary Coleman

Rue McClanahan

Patricia Neal

Dennis Hopper

Lynn Redgrave

John Forsythe

Robert Culp

Fess Parker

Kathryn Grayson

Pernell Roberts

Jean Simmons

 


Gary Coleman
1968-2010

Best known for his role as the wisecracking kid from "Diff'rent Strokes."  Although his movie and TV and film career was sporadic, he managed to land some notable roles, including that of the Devil in one episode  of "Unhappily Ever After" and Cupid in "The Jamie Foxx Show."

 


Rue McClanahan
1934-2010

Best known for her role as the saucy, sharp southern belle, Blanche Devereaux in "The Golden Girls" and "The Golden Palace." She was already a veteran of the Broadway stage and TV scene during the 1960s before she started working on Norman Lear's sitcoms, "All in the Family," and "Maude". She also was cast in "Mama's Family."

She did later stints in film as well with the Jack Lemmon-Walter Matthau comedy "Out to Sea," and as a biology teacher in "Starship Troopers." She returned to Broadway in 2003 as Madam Morrible in "Wicked."

Dennis Hopper

Lynn Redgrave

Patricia Neal

Gary Coleman

Rue McClanahan

John Forsythe

Robert Culp

Fess Parker

Kathryn Grayson

Pernell Roberts

Jean Simmons

 


Dennis Hopper 
1936-2010

Best known for his acting role as "Billy" and his direction in the low-budget counter-culture classic Easy Rider. Dennis' roller coaster career included many landmark and outstanding turns in both television work and cinema. Among his best roles include the alcoholic assistant coach in Hoosiers, and another as the pot-smoking photographer in the landmark film Apocalypse Now, a tour-de-force as King Pelias in Jason and the Argonauts, the Prophet in Hang'em High, as legendary Rat Packer Frank Sinatra in The Night We Called it a Day, a superb performance as Balkan gangster Viktor Drazen in 24, as Col. Eli McNulty in the Pentagon drama E-Ring. He also did some voice work for video games including the classic Grand Theft Auto: Vice City as the sleazebag film director Steve Scott, as well as King Koopa in Super Mario Brothers. He was also cast in the classic Rebel Without a Cause and Giant with James Dean with which he became close friends.  He also did some commercial spots for a financial planning company appealing to the retiring Baby Boomers.


Lynn Redgrave
1943-2010

A scion of the Redgrave acting family along with her sister Vanessa.  Lynn made her own marks on the theatrical and cinema scene in the UK and the US .  Her first real splash was made with “Georgy Girl” In 1966, which proved a hit on both sides of the pond.  She also made a controversial splash in the role of Xaviera Hollander in the film “The Happy Hooker.”  Other notable roles include her major TV role as the secretary Ann Anderson in the TV sitcom “House Calls,” as Charlotte Buckland Seccombe in the James Michener epic “Centennial,” and a terrific turn in “Law and Order; Criminal Intent”  

However, her writing talents have also come the fore in her play “The Mandrake Root” which played at the San Repertory Theatre in 2001 in which she also played the lead role.

 

 

John Forsythe

Robert Culp

Patricia Neal

Gary Coleman

Rue McClanahan

Dennis Hopper

Lynn Redgrave

Fess Parker

Kathryn Grayson

Pernell Roberts

Jean Simmons

 

 


John Forsythe
1918-2010

Best known for his roles as Blake Carrington in “Dynasty, “Dynasty: The Colbys” and as the voice of “Charlie” in both the TV and movie series of “Charlie’s Angels.”    He also had the role of Captian Fisby in both the original Broadway cast and the Hallmark Hall of Fame TV presentation of “Teahouse of the August Moon.”  

He also had other series, as well, “Bachelor Father” and “The John Forsythe Show”.

Included in his career are landmark film roles in “And Justice For All,” “In Cold Blood”

 


Robert Culp
1930-2010

Best known for his role as tennis-playing secret agent Kelly Robinson in the 60's TV series "I Spy" with Bill Cosby, and for his tour-de-force as FBI agent Bill Maxwell in "The Greatest American Hero."  He became a TV staple throughout the 60's to the 90's, including stints on both Bill Cosby vehicles, "The Cosby Show" and "Cosby."  He also held landmark roles in "Roots, The Next Generations"  as the U.S. President in "The Pelican Brief," as General Erwin Rommel in "The Key to Rebecca," as Ens. George 'Barney' Ross in "P.T. 109" and as Joshua in "Greatest Heroes of the Bible."   

 

Fess Parker

Kathryn Grayson

Patricia Neal

Gary Coleman

Rue McClanahan

Dennis Hopper

Lynn Redgrave

John Forsythe

Robert Culp

Pernell Roberts

Jean Simmons

 

 


Fess Parker
1924-2010

 

Best know for his roles as Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone. Fess also played roles in other Disney movies such as "Old Yeller".  His first movie role was an uncredited voice-over as the chauffeur in "Harvey"    He later acquired roles in "Springfield Rifle" and "Untamed Frontier," but after his appearance in the Sci-fi movie "Them," Walt Disney himself cast Fess in the first of his best known roles for "Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier"  He also appeared in the Disney classic "Old Yeller".  In 1962 he tried his hand at the James Stewart role of Eugene Smith in "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington ," albeit unsuccessfully.  During this time, he appeared in both "Playhouse 90" and "General Electric Theatre" productions.  Other  notable credits include "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," " Death Valley Days," and "Dragnet."  

 


Kathryn Grayson
1922-2010  

Best known for her role as Lilli Vanessi/Katarina in the 1953 film "Kiss Me Kate," opposite Howard Keel.   She also appeared in "Show Boat" in 1951  where she played Magnolia.   

Initially discovered by MGM talent scouts as a singer, Kathryn started in film in 1941 opposite Mickey Rooney in "Andy Hardy's Private Secretary"  She shortly started being cast in films with some of MGM's top-tier stars such as Gene Kelly and Mario Lanza.   After leaving MGM, she made one final role in "The Vagabond King."

 

 

Pernell Roberts

Jean Simmons

Patricia Neal

Gary Coleman

Rue McClanahan

Dennis Hopper

Lynn Redgrave

John Forsythe

Robert Culp

Fess Parker

Kathryn Grayson


Pernell Roberts
1928-2010
 

Best remembered on television as Adam Cartwright in "Bonanza"  and the title role "Trapper John, M.D." and on stage as a memorable Petruchio on Broadway of "The Taming of the Shrew"

Pernell spent a couple of years performing the classics with the renowned Arena Stage Company in Washington , DC . in such productions as "The Taming of the Shrew" (as Petruchio), "The Playboy of the Western Word," "The Glass Menagerie," "The Importance of Being Earnest," and "Twelfth Night." He made his Broadway debut in 1955 with "Tonight in Samarkind" and the following year copped  the "Best Actor" Drama Desk Award for his performance in "Macbeth.". A memorable return to Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew" which was actually mentioned in the forward of a print edition of  "Taming of the Shrew," published sometime during the early 1960's. 
 
He starred as Rhett Butler to Lesley Ann Warren's Scarlett O'Hara in an ill-fated musical version of "Gone with the Wind," and also appeared in another musical bomb, "Mata Hari."   


Jean Simmons
1929-2010
 

Best know for her roles in "The Robe,"  "Spartacus," as Sister Sharon opposite Burt Lancaster in "Elmer Gantry" and as the missionary Sergeant Sarah Brown from "Guys and Dolls" in which she used her own singing voice that copped her first Golden Globe Award.  

She burst on the British movie scene with such classics as "Caesar and Cleopatra", as the spoiled, selfish Estella in  "Great Expectations,"  as a sultry native beauty  in "Black Narcissus" , and as Ophelia opposite Laurence Olivier in "Hamlet."  Thereby earning a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination.  

During the 1980s she mainly appeared in TV mini-series, which included "The Thorn Birds" in 1983 and both "North and South" series  in 1985 and 1987 and appeared in the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode, "The Drumhead" as retired Admiral Nora Satie, which is considered one of her top television roles.  She also voiced-over a "Final Fantasy" game episode "The Spirits Within"

 

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