| June 8 |
| 1918 -- Robert Preston (Meservey) is born in Newton, Massachusetts. Best remembered as kindly conniving Professor Harold Hill in 'The Music Man' on Broadway and film. While he guested on many of the dramatic television anthologies during the '50s, he starred in only one series, the 1980 wester 'The Chisholms.' On why he didn't do more television in his career, Robert is quoted as saying, he reportedly answered stingingly "I've done my best to avoid B pictures. Why should I go into them now and call it television?" He died of lung cancer March 21, 1987, at age 68. 1921 -- stately Alexis Smith is born Gladys Smith in Penticton, British Columbia. While more widely known for her beauty and extensive film career, she won a Tony for Best Actress in a Musical in 1972 for 'Follies' and in 1990 was nominated for an Emmy for her portrayal of Rebecca's favorite college professor who ends up in a tryst with Sam on 'Cheers.' Married to Craig Stevens ('Peter Gunn') for nearly 49 years, she died of brain cancer on June 9, 1993, one day after her 72nd birthday. 1923 -- singer/comedian/impressionist George Kirby is born in Chicago. With his talent and non-confrontational style, he became one of the first African-American comedians to appeal to white and black audiences alike during the Civil Rights era. He was a favorite on variety shows, particularly 'The Ed Sullivan Show.' In 1972 he joined with Frank Gorshin, Rich Little and other impressionists in the noteable 'Kopykats' on ABC. Sadly, when his career began to wane, he was arrested in 1977 for selling drugs to an undercover policeman and subsequently served 42 months in a federal prison. While still much beloved among his peers, George's career was never the same. He died of Parkinson's Disease on September 30, 1995, at the age of 72. 1928 -- WGY-TV in Schenectady, NY revamps its program schedule. While continuing to broadcast three days a week, there were two times each day that viewers could watch television: 1:30 to 2:00 p.m. and 11:30 to Midnight. 1936 -- Moondoggie is here! James William Ercolani is born in Philadelphia, but as he takes to show business he changes his surname to that of a car -- the Kaiser Darrin (note the difference in spelling), who's convertible was pretty sharp (check it out here.) Handsome James Darren, whose father died in the attack on Pearl Harbor, became a singing star after recording his first song to prove to Columbia executives he could play the role of Moondoggie, who was scheduled to sing two songs in 1959's 'Gidget.' Fame begat fame in both venues; as a singer, his top hit was 1961's #3 tune 'Goodbye Cruel World' and as an actor, James played Moondoggie to three Gidgets: Sandra Dee, Deborah Walley and Cindy Carol. He continued to stay in the public eye over the decades in such roles as Officer Jim Corrigan in 'T.J. Hooker' and the holographic Vic Fontaine in 'Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.' Happy Birthday, Moondoggie! Everybody try to hang ten to celebrate! 1942 -- Bing Crosby records 'Adeste Fideles' and 'Silent Night.' We mention that just because we love those songs . . . 1947 -- 'Lassie' debuts on ABC radio as a 15-minute broadcast, with Earl Keen providing appropriate collie noises. In 1954 the beloved pooch began an even longer love affair with television. While the sardonic phrase 'What's that, Lassie? Timmy fell down the well?' has become so associated with the show that actor Jon Provost, who played Timmy from 1957 - 64 entitled his autobiography Timmy's in the Well, the fact is, Timmy never fell into a well. Lassie, on the other hand . . . 1948 -- 'Mr. Television,' the burgeoning medium's first superstar, is born. It was the beginning of the TV era, and actor, comedian and vaudevillian Milton Berle breaks out of the initial 'rotating host' arrangement to become the permanent host and absolutely dominates Tuesday nights. 1969 -- Robert Taylor, who hosts 'Death Valley Days' after replacing his good friend Ronald Reagan (who stepped aside to focus on politics) dies of lung cancer. Dubbed 'The Man With the Perfect Profile,' Robert at one time is prolific on the big screen, starring in 'Magnificent Obsession' and 'Quo Vadis.' Moving to television, he stars in 'The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor' from 1959 - 1962. Incredibly, the suave, handsome Taylor's birth name was Spangler Arlington Brugh. Perhaps even more incredibly, he was born in Filley, Nebraska. At the time of his death, Robert was just 57 years old. 1979 -- the Saga of the Sweathogs comes to an end as ABC airs the final episode of 'Welcome Back, Kotter.' John Sebastian, formerly of the Lovin' Spoonful, sang the popular theme. 1979 -- that night on NBC's "Midnight Special," disco queen Gloria Gaynor welcomes Paul McCartney and Wings, Rod Stewart and Bad Company. |