The Silver Screen Oasis

I was so sorry to hear of her death. I adored her television show, and found much inspiration for my life's work from The Miracle Worker.

Rest In Peace, Patty Duke.

Britain's great comedian Ronnie Corbett has died today, at age 85. Some decades ago I used to watch his hit television series The Two Ronnies with partner Ronnie Barker, and loved it.

http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio ... es-aged-85

So it's good night from him.

Argentine jazz great Gato Barbieri died yesterday in New York, aged 83:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/03/arts/ ... at-83.html

Mr. Barbieri, considered a pioneer of latin jazz, composed the original music for the film Last Tango in Paris, for which he received a Grammy award.

I was stunned by the death of Leonard Nimoy and he was a brilliant actor bar none.

He was proud to be an Okie from Muskogee. No one could raise him right, but Mama Tried.

Country music died this week, with the passing of lonesome wailer, Merle Haggard. Haggard and his peers of the 1960s and 70s were the last to collectively offer the moaning, back porch style of "pure" country and western, a label that seems to have faded along with its providers. Once their tunes lost fashion, and long before the artists died, the genre began to take steps toward a more pop-rock, up tempo approach. Haggard contemporaries, Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette are still alive. But even their hits, you could dance too. They were country, and they were good. But when Tammy stood by her man, you could see the change coming.

The crass (and probably satirical) Okie song may be Merle's signature, but it's far from his best work. His famed crying sound is better heard in such wistful numbers as "If We make it Through December", "That's All in the Movies", and the lovely, "Today I started Loving You Again." Haggard, who, unlike Johnny Cash, really did serve time in prison, would draw from that experience throughout his long career. He met other musicians behind bars, and played in the prison band.

What we now call country music is just a variation of rock and roll. What we used to call country music is Merle Haggard. (1937-2016)

Madeleine LeBeau has passed away. Per Variety, she was the last surviving cast member of Casablanca.

http://variety.com/2016/film/news/madel ... 201774893/

HI,

I just heard Alan Young died at 96...

"Mister Ed" and "Androcoles and the Lion"......

Larry

"He's got all the time in the world."

Also Uncle Scrooge McDuck on DuckTales for us young'uns.

Playwright Edward Albee passed away yesterday at his home in Montauk, Long Island, aged 88:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/18/theat ... of-us.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/theatre/play ... at-age-88/

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/e ... olf-743721

Some of his plays adapted for the silver screen have included A Delicate Balance and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Zsa Zsa Gabor has passed away at 99.
http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-38360302

Carrie Fisher has died, at age 60. As many of us know, she suffered a heart attack during a flight from London to Los Angeles on Friday 12/23. This morning she passed away in hospital.

http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-38446753

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38422973

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/27/movie ... -leia.html

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/mo ... story.html

Rest in peace, Carrie. I feel so bad for Debbie Reynolds.

Crushing.

Damn it. I was afraid of this, but didn't expect it the next day:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/d ... ain-724101

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/28/movie ... -dead.html

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la ... story.html

Rest in peace, dear Debbie.

Awful time for the family. I can't even imagine how they must be feeling. Carrie Fisher was one of my all time favorites, who I've literally grown up "knowing". From first crush on a movie star as a youngling to appreciating her wit and candidness as I grew up and learned more of her. I've been on the verge of tears. Seldom if ever is this the case with celebrity deaths, but it is for her. And her poor mother. Not altogether surprising, given her age and the closeness of their bond, but still so very sad. She often said she could not die before Carrie (she was an anchor for her during hard times). RIP.