| June 4 |
| 1924 -- William Dennis Weaver is born in Joplin, Missouri. This dedicated actor, environmentalist and family man got his first break as Chester on 'Gunsmoke,' a role he played for nine years. According to imdb.com, he gave deputy Chester his famous limp because the 6'2" Weaver felt he otherwise wouldn't stand out in scenes with 6'6" James Arness. Although his role of Sam McCloud (based loosely on the film 'Coogan's Bluff') kept him in the good-guy vein, he showed his darker side in Orson Welles's 'Touch of Evil' as the creepy motel attendant, and in the man against machine classic telefilm 'Duel,' directed by then first-time director Steven Spielberg. There were other lesser-known series scattered throughout his career, including his last one, 'Wildfire,' less than a year before his death. At the time of his passing from cancer on February 24, 2006, the vegetarian Weaver and his beloved wife Gerry had been married for more than 61 years. 1949 -- 'Cavalcade of Stars' debuted on the now long-defunct DuMont Network. 1952 -- future 'Hardy Boy' and 'Baywatcher' Parker Stevenson is born in Philadelphia, PA. 1955 -- 'The Mickey Rooney Show,' in which the 35-year-old actor played teenage (yes, teenage) network page Mickey Mulligan keeps looking for a break into show biz, airs for the last time. The show lasted 39 episodes. 1967 -- At the Emmys, 'The Monkees' wins for best comedy, 'Mission Impossible' for top drama. Individual winners included Don Adams, Barbara Bain, Bill Cosby and Lucille Ball. Frances Bavier (Aunt Bea) and Don Knotts (Barney) of 'The Andy Griffith Show both won Supporting Actor awards. 1981 -- Jim-Bob, John-Boy and the rest of 'The Waltons' get their final goodnights as the final episode of the series ends. Six telefilms aired over the course of the next 15 years. If you want to have a fun trip to the Virginia mountains, visit the inspiration for the series, the home stomping grounds of series creator Earl Hamner. (You'll only be about an hour from us; be sure and stop by and say 'Hey!'). By the way, Kami Cotler, who played youngest daughter Elizabeth, became so enchanted with the area that she's now a school teacher in nearby Charlottesville, VA. 1997 -- the jail doors slam shut for the final time as 'Married With Children' airs its last. |