| July 29 |
| 1924 -- Lloyd Wolfe Bochner is born in Toronto. Incredibly, Lloyd began doing voice-over work and radio when he was only 11 years old, which he continued through into years. . At age 11 he started in radio doing voice-over work and radio dramas in Vancouver. His work in radio continued throughout his schooling and into his adult years. While Lloyd's film career was nearly non-existent, his television career was extensive from the 1960s until shortly before his death -- a span of nearly 40 years. Usually playing debonair characters or men of intrigue, Lloyd is best-known perhaps for his role in 'The Twilight Zone' episode 'To Serve Man,' in which he decodes an alien 'diplomatic' manual as being a cookbook. Although Lloyd died of cancer in October, 2005, at the age of 81, his presence in show business is still felt through his son Hart Bochner, whose film career started with the 1977 release 'Islands in the Stream' opposite George C. Scott 1936 -- There weren't many televisions around, but RCA shows the first real TV program. 1940 -- The pilot for the radio comedy 'Duffy's Tavern' airs on CBS. Starring Ed Gardner as bartender Archie ('Duffy's Tavern, Duffy ain't here . . .') The show lasted until 1952. 1957 -- Temperamental but talented Jack Paar begins a successful five-year run as host of the Tonight show, changing the name to 'The Tonight Show Starring Jack Paar.' Alexander King, Robert Merrill and Buddy Hackett are the first guests. 1965 -- Queen Elizabeth II attends the premiere of The Beatles' motion picture 'Help!' Exactly why she did so has been lost to history . . . 1974 -- Jim Hartz is named to join Barbara Walters as co-hosts of 'The Today Show.' 1983 -- Two legendary actors die today, Toronto-born Raymond Massey of pneumonia at 86 and London-born David Niven of Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS) at 73. David was nearly always dapper, even in 'The Guns of Navarrone,' and had excellent comic timing. He won the Oscar for Best Actor for his 1958 film 'Separate Tables.' Raymond Massey portrayed President Abraham Lincoln in four different projects. That, coupled with performances in 'Arsenic and Old Lace,' 'The Prisoner of Zenda' and 'East of Eden' should have solidified his legacy as a film actor but he was, in a sense, upstaged by himself when he accepted the role Dr. Gillespie, mentor to Richard Chamberlain in the classic TV series 'Dr. Kildare.' His last performance was in the 1973 telefilm 'My Darling Daughters Anniversary.' The brother of Governor General Vincent Massey, Raymond was best remembered for his TV role as Dr. Gillespie on the Richard Chamberlain series Dr. Kildare. Massey was also very active in quality radio, cast in various productions for the esteemed Norman Corwin & Arch Oboler, and repeatedly guesting on the eerie Inner Sanctum Mysteries. Also in 1983, suave English actor David Niven (below), who guested all over early US TV drama, who hosted David Niven's World, and acted in the series The Rogues, died in Switzerland at age 73. Still in 1983, "Friday Night Videos" premiered on NBC TV. 2000, actor Brad Pitt married actress Jennifer Aniston (Friends) in Malibu. They separated after four and a half years of marriage. Comedian 'Professor' Irwin Corey (Jackie Gleason Show, Edgar Bergen Radio Show) is 94. Actor Robert Horton (Wagon Train) is 84. Actor Robert Fuller (Laramie, Wagon Train, Emergency) is 74. |
| 'Hans, boobie, I'm your White KNIGHT.' Such were the (nearly) last words of Harry Ellis, as portrayed by Hart Bochner, would-be negotiator to Alan Rickman in 1988's 'Die Hard.' (NOTE: Negotiations did not end well.) |
| Although there were many treasured episodes during Jack's run, perhaps the best was on June 16, 1960, when Presidential candidate 'Jack' Kennedy came by to visit. |
| 1981 -- Although only 2,500 guests were in actual attendance, more than 750 million people worldwide watched Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer marry at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. Reportedly, two good-luck symbols were sewn into Diana's wedding dress: one was a small blue bow, sewn into the waistband, and the other was a small 18-karat-gold horseshoe sewn into the dress. |
| Two years after winning the Academy Award, David Niven co-starred in 'Please Don't the Daisies (1960). The project became an NBC sitcom in 1965. |
