| July 3 |
| 1906 -- debonair actor George Sanders is born to English parents in St. Petersburg, Russia. In 1951 he won an Oscar as Best Supporting Actor on his first -- and only -- nomination for 'All About Eve.' His career on television includes episodes of 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.,' 'Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea' and as the first of (three) Mr. Freezes on 'Batman.' And while Roger Moore played 'The Saint' on television, it was Sanders who first doffed the halo in movies. Married to two Gabor sisters (Zsa Zsa and Magda), George died at his own hand on April 25, 1972. He was 65 years old. 1913 -- gossip columnist and 'What's My Line?' panelist Dorothy Kilgallen is born in Chicago. While her death of a heart attack on November 8, 1965, was ruled a heart attack likely triggered by excessive alcohol and Seconal, rumors at the time (and that still occasionally re-surface) are that she was part of a long list people who died because of what they knew and/or saw of the John F. Kennedy Assassination two years earlier. Dorothy was 52 at her death. 1940 -- legendary comedy team of Abbott and Costello debut their network radio show. The duo replaced Fred Allen for the summer months. Twelve years later, Bud and Lou take their comedy to television. While successful at the time, the boys were on the outs with each other, Lou's health was increasingly on the decline and they just didn't have the energy or desire to put into their routines. Looking back, their legacy is better served by their radio show and (most of) their films. 1949 -- for young adolescents in the '60s the question was 'Ginger or Mary Ann?' As those adolescents turned into teens (especially if they were interested in a career in radio) the question was upgraded to 'Bailey or Jennifer?' Karin Jan Smithers, willowy, brainy Bailey Quarters on 'WKRP in Cincinnati,' is born this date in North Hollywood, California. A chance interview as part of an article about 'today's teens' leads to a cover shot of a very wholesome Jan on the March 21, 1966, issue of Newsweek. Five years after 'WKRP' went off the air, Jan married actor James Brolin ('Marcus Welby, M.D.'). They divorced in 1995 and have one son. Happy Birthday, Bailey! (I picked you!) 1957 -- actress Judy Tyler, Indian Princess Summerfall Winterspring on 'Howdy Doody' and Elvis's love interest in 'Jailhouse Rock,' dies in a car crash with her second husband in a car crash near Billy the Kid, Wyoming. Driving from Los Angeles to New York just three days after finishing 'Jailhouse Rock,' Gregory LaFayette, who was driving, swerves to avoid one truck only to crash into another. Judy was just 23 when she died; she and Gregory had been married less than three months. 1958 -- 'The Andy Williams Show premieres on ABC. Andy is the one who first gave the Osmond Brothers their national launching point. 1965 -- Roy Rogers's famous Golden Palomino, Trigger, died this date at the age of 33. Roy purchased Trigger from his original owner, Roy Blount, for $2,500.00 in 1937 and changed his name from Golden Cloud. Interestingly, Trigger, Bullett (Roy's German Shepherd) and Buttermilk (Dale's horse) were not stuffed but were instead mounted like animals on display at the Smithsonian. For a lot more terrific information, check out happytrailshighway.com for a terrific look at all things Roy. 1978 -- Silver-haired actor James Daly, two years removed from his seven-year run on the hit medical drama 'Medical Center' with Chad Everett, dies of a heart attack in Nyack, New York. While his own career stands in its own right, his children have reached even greater heights: actress Tyne ('Cagney and Lacey,' 'Judging Amy') and son Tim ('Wings' and the 2000-2001 remake of 'The Fugitive'). James was just 59 at his death. 1981 -- one of our favorite television actors, Ross Martin, who skillfully held his own with Robert Conrad in the mid-'60s on 'The Wild, Wild West,' dies. Born Martin Rosenblatt in Gdank, Poland, the erudite Martin already had a law degree in tow when he chose a career in the entertainment industry. First gaining attention as Adamo in 'Mr. Lucky,' it was as Secret Service agent and master of disguise Artemus Gordon that he is best remembered. Ross suffered a massive heart attack towards the end of the series run and it was indeed a coronary suffered while playing tennis that claimed his life. Ross was 61 at his death.. 1985 -- CBS held off a hostile takeover by Ted Turner by announcing a major buy-back of outstanding shares. The Eye, you could say, didn't blink . . . |
March 21, 1966, cover of Newsweek features Jan Smithers, then 17, riding on the back of a friend's bike |