Each year the list seems to get longer and more painful to watch. I’m talking about the list of celebrities that died during the year. The Turner Classic Movie channel amongst others runs a tape of snapshots of the actors, actresses, directors, producers and more who passed away each year, showing it several times a day between now and New Year’s.
This year’s list contains so many of the stars I grew up watching on the big screen and the little screen. Do you know the game/question “What movies would you watch no matter when it came on and regardless of whether it was half over or not”? Everybody has a couple, many have ten films they watch over and over again.
This year two stars died who had roles in two of my “must watch” movies. Lawrence of Arabia is one of my favorite movies and Peter O’Toole’s death has hit me hard. A Mad, Mad, Mad World is a classic comedy for me. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen it and I laugh out loud every time. As far as I’m concerned, Jonathan Winters was a genius. His ability to improvise and his character portrayal has yet to be matched. So sad to lose this marvelous source of joy and laughter.
I grew up watching Esther Williams swimming her way through movies, listened to Eydie Gorme and Patti Page sing on various TV shows like the Ed Sullivan Show, the Steve Allen Show and the Milton Berle Show, and wished I would grow up looking like Annette Funicello as I sat fixated on The Mickey Mouse Club. This year we lost Michael Ansara, the star of Broken Arrow.
In my twenties and thirties, I watched Bonnie Franklin on One Day At A Time, Jean Stapleton as the country’s favorite dingbat on All In The Family. At night I avidly watched David Frost.
Dennis Farina and James Gandolfini have left us bereft of their enormous talents; I just loved Dennis Farina in Midnight Run.
WHAT ARE YOUR “MUST-WATCH” MOVIES??
I feel as you do. My first viewing of L of A was in Japan with their amazing movie theaters and sound systems. I felt every moment of the desert crossing. Johnathan Winters is my favorite comic ever, his facial expressions cannot be matched. He was great artist, also. Hugs. Lynne