Movie Legend Lauren Bacall Dies at 89

Image from source, CBS News

It's actually hard to believe that actress Lauren Bacall was only 89 years old, when you consider the era in whih she became famous. But for the longest time, I took an odd comfort in the fact that she was still around. I don't know why, I guess it was because she was among the last of her generation of movie stars, and it hasn't been all that long since she last worked. In fact, I remember checking the IMDb credits for an episode of Family Guy, and indeed, it was her!

Beyond her classic movies, she was also a voice artist, voicing countless commercials over the years. Small wonder, with that trademark husky voice of hers. And she was in more than a few "modern" (compared to her classics) films, from Stephen King's Misery to the comedy My Fellow Americans to the Barbra Streisand flick, The Mirror Has Two Faces. But oddly enough, I'll always remember her first and foremost for The Fan, a cheesy 80s horror flick! RIP, Lauren. You were a class act all the way.

[Excerpt]

Legendary actress Lauren Bacall dies at age 89

Known for her husky voice and sultry looks, Lauren Bacall, the model-turned-actress who starred with husband Humphrey Bogart in classic movies such as "Key Largo" and "To Have and Have Not," has died at age 89. Her son told CBS News that she died Tuesday morning in New York City. The Humphrey Bogart estate also confirmed the death. . .

Read more at: CBS News

 

Mickey Rooney Dead at 93

Image from source, Variety

I liked Mickey Rooney in most everything I saw him in. But I'll be honest, I wasn't sure I knew he was still alive. He's got to be one of the last of his generation to pass, at least for a star of his caliber. It's nice that he got such a long life. And maybe got the last laugh on a lot of his critics. RIP, Mickey!

[Excerpt]

Mickey Rooney, Legendary Actor, Dies at 93

Mickey Rooney, the pint-sized actor who was one of MGM’s giant box office attractions in the late ’30s and early ’40s, died on Sunday. He was 93.

As adept at comedy as drama and an excellent singer and dancer, Rooney was regarded as the consummate entertainer. During a prolific career on stage and screen that spanned eight decades (“I’ve been working all my life, but it seems longer,” he once said), he was nominated for four Academy Awards and received two special Oscars, the Juvenile Award in 1939 (shared with Deanna Durbin) and one in 1983 for his body of work. . .

Read more at: Variety

Phyllis Diller, Dead at 95

You can't call it untimely, but you can call it sad. Phyllis Diller was a trailblazer, a pioneer of comedy. She was all over television when I was a kid, managing to seem "dirty" while still being beloved by everybody. She led the way for every female comic that followed her, not to mention drag queens. And I'm quite sure that people too young to remember her couldn't possibly "get" her. You had to be there! RIP, Phyllis!

And PS, Kids, she was the ant queen in A Bug's Life.