June_14

June 14

1909 -- Burle Icle Ivanhoe Ives is born in Hunt, Illinois.
Originally planning to be a football coach, Burl dropped
out of Eastern Illinois State Teacher's College in 1930
and hit the road, working odd jobs and performing as a
street singer. His show business career began taking
flight during World War II as he joined the cast of Irving
Berlin's 'This Is the Army,' and following his discharge in
1943, the burly country boy hit New York City and landed
a popular CBS radio series, 'Wayfaring Stranger,' which
was also the title of his 1948 autobiography. The '50s
saw Burl expand into both Broadway and film in a big
way; on the boards, his appearances included 'The Man
Who Came to Dinner,' 'Paint Your Wagon,' 'Show Boat'
and, of course, 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.' If you knew Burl
reprised the role of Big Daddy in the 1958 film version of
'Cat' and also knew he won an Academy Award in 1958,
you'd they were connected, right? Not quite. Besides
'Cat' he appeared in two other major releases: 'Desire
Under the Elms' and 'Big Country.' It was his role of
Rufus Hannessey in 'Big Country' that garnered him the
Oscar (and Golden Globe) for Best Supporting Actor.
In the 1960s and '70s he concentrated more on television
and music. He starred in two series: the short-lived
sitcom 'O.K. Crackerby' and the more successful
'Lawyers' portion of the four-pronged drama 'The Bold
Ones.' His voiceover work in perennial holiday classics
'Frosty the Snowman' and 'Rudolph, the Red-Nosed
Reindeer' continue his legacy, at least in the wintry
months.
Burl died of mouth cancer on April 14, 1995. He was 85
years old.

1922 -- Silver-haired President Warren G. Harding's
voice is heard on Baltimore radio station WEAR as he
delivered the dedication of the Francis Scott Key
Memorial. This marks the first time a U.S. president is
heard on radio.

1939 -- 'The Ethel Waters Show,' a variety special on
NBC, is the first time an African-American performs on
television.

1952 -- Yo, Carmine! Talented song and dance man
Edward Rudolph ('Mekka') Mekjian is born in Worcester,
Massachusettes. Eddie is best known as Carmine 'The
Big Ragoo' Ragussa on the long-running sitcom 'Laverne
and Shirley.' In 1975, the year before the series began,
the diminutive Mekka, who's 5'3," was nominated for a
Tony Award as Best Actor (Musical) for his work in
Broadway's 'The Lieutenant.'

In 1953, Elvis Presley graduated from L-C Humes High
School in Memphis. His first post-graduation jobs were
with the Precision Tool Company and then driving a truck
for Crown Electric.

1967 -- 'The Steve Allen Comedy Hour, Steve's second
prime time series, premieres on CBS. For an excellent
treatise on how Steve helped to invent 'late night,' check
out Inventing Late Night: Steve Allen and the Original
Tonight Show by Ben Alba,

1970 -- Blood, Sweat & Tears become the first Western
rock band to play Soviet bloc countries, opening a tour
of Yugoslavia, Romania and Poland.

1977 -- two deaths today and Ralph Kramden is the
common link. Alan Reed, whose voice brought life to
bellicose Fred Flintstone in 'The Flintstones' (and which
was drawn, so to speak, on 'The Honeymooners'), dies
at the age of 69, and character actor Robert Middleton,
who played Ralph Kramden's boss on said
Honeymooners, dies at 66. The question, of course, is
where exactly was Ralph Kramden on June 14, 1977.
Time to call in Columbo . . .

1982 -- jowly character actress Marjorie Bennett, who's
best remembered as Mrs. Kenney on 'The Many Loves
of Dobie Gillis,' dies of cancer. In film, she's memorable
for her slightly risque' one-scene role in '68's 'Coogan's
Bluff' of addled Mrs. Fowler, who's certain that every
man she's ever met -- Clint Eastwood, Lee J. Cobb, it
doesn't matter -- has accosted her. An exasperated
Cobb finally declares Mrs. Fowler should see a
psychiatrist. 'I did see one,' Marjorie replies. 'He
(accosted) me too!' The Australian-born Bennett was 87
at the time of her death.

1986 -- distinguished but amiable zoologist Marlin
Perkins, who made nature entertaining and educational
on his syndicated 'Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom,'
dies of cancer at age 81.

1987 -- a plan comes together for the final time for B.A.,
Mad Dog, Face and cigar-chomping Hannibal Smith as
'The A-Team' airs for the final time after a four-year run
on NBC. The introduction to the show ('If you need . . . )
was voiced by producer and one-time teen actor John
Ashley ('High School Ceasar').

1989 -- Zsa Zsa Gabor is arrested for slapping a Beverly
Hills patrolman. Sister Eva Gabor, undoubtedly, is glad
she said 'Goodbye' to city life.

1995 -- Audience estimates of more than 25 percent of
all Americans tune in to ABC's 'Prime Time Live' as
Diane Sawyer interviews newlyweds Michael Jackson
and Lisa Marie Presley. The couple divorced the
following year.