One Last Look: 2010 In Review -Part 2 Of 3-In Remembrance... - The Cultute of Pop, DVD, Movie, TV, Pop Culture Review

One Last Look: 2010 In Review -Part 2 Of 3-In Remembrance...

Posted: Wed, 5 Jan 2011 17:36:28 PST

As my 2010 Retrospective continues, I pay tribute to 10 very special performers whose passings gave me pause to reflect on the gifts they gave us. Some of these tributes below will be longer than others, but that in no way makes them any lesser in my eyes...they were all wonderful, creative artists whose legacies will live forevermore.

Ten Toughest Farewells:

Tony Curtis-With his photo ready good looks, distinctive accent and effortless charm, Curtis was a major box office draw in the 1950’s who starred in three of the biggest films of that decade: Sweet Smell of Success, The Defiant Ones and perhaps his greatest performance, Some Like It Hot. Curtis’ star dimmed somewhat into the decades ahead and he became more well known for his multiple marriages­. Sobering up from drug and alcohol addictions, he became a beloved talk show fixture/raconteur and talented painter whose works were much in demand from art collectors.

George Steinbrenner-If the “Boss” of the New York Yankees hadn’t have existed, he would’ve had to have to be created. But I doubt if even the best literary writers could’ve conjured up a finished product as colorful as the real thing. Love or loathe him, there was never a dull moment during Steinbrenner’s two decades plus stint at the “House That Ruth Built.”  Multimillion dollar player salaries (then new at the time), managers in and out of a job and back again faster than a rotating department store front door, legendary feuds with players and skippers, and off-field controversies (illegal campaign contributions to Richard Nixon’s 1972 re-election bid; paying a local gambler to dig up dirt on outfielder Dave Winfield). Despite almost constant tension, the Bronx Bombers won 11 pennants and 7 World Series titles under Steinbrenner’s reign.

Dennis Hopper-An early descendent of New York’s famed Actor’s Studio, Hopper played the Hollywood game of mostly inconsequential guest shots and supporting roles on both TV and film for over a decade…until the rebel in him and friend Peter Fonda became unleashed. Together with equally maverick pals Jack Nicholson and writer Terry Southern, the counterculture film Easy Rider was born. Equally hailed by audiences and critics, Hopper’s future as both an actor and director seemed to limitless. However, decadence in the aftermath of success took its toll.

It would be a decade before Hopper recaptured the spotlight again with his magnificent work in Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now, but demons continue to lurk. Despite good notices in films like Rumble Fish and The Osterman Weekend, his career seemed to be headed in a direction that echoed a key line from Easy Rider: “We blew it”.

Cue off-kilter film director David Lynch who cast Hopper as the unforgettable, wickedly sadistic, Pabst Blue Ribbon loving Frank Booth in “Blue Velvet”. Critical acclaim and numerous awards followed as the actor made the most of this comeback working steadily and chemical free for the duration of his career including memorable roles in Hoosiers, True Romance, Speed and Waterworld. Occasional television forays proved equally successful: Paris Trout, Doublecrossed and a memorable stint as super villain Victor Drazen in the freshman season of “24”.

Ali -Ollie Woodson-He wasn’t a household name like former members David Ruffin or Eddie Kendricks, but Temptations vocalist Ali-Ollie Woodson’s stint in the legendary Motown group deserves praise.

Originally tapped as a short term replacement for then-member Dennis Edwards, the latter’s departure opened up the door for the Town Creek, Alabama native. During two stints with the group, he not only excelled at the old hits in concert, but also contributed terrific new songs that could stand proudly amongst the vintage chestnuts: Lady Soul, Treat Her Like A Lady, Special, and Soul to Soul.

Sadly, Woodson’s career was rattled by three different battles with throat cancer in the latter half of the 1990’s. Still, he continued to tour as the leader of his own group (Emperors of Soul) and even joined forces with Edwards in a Temptations tribute group (Temptations Revue). But by the end of the decade, doctors discovered Woodson had leukemia setting up yet another health crisis..one which would take his life at the age of 58.

Dixie Carter-She was a former beauty queen with echoes of fellow Southerner Patricia Neal, putting that twang to good use as the  sexy, feisty, monologue spewing Julia Sugarbaker on CBS’ late 80’s-early 90’s comedy mainstay Designing Women. But Carter was no overnight sensation..like many fellow actors, she paid her dues on daytime soaps, prime time TV guest shots and co-starring roles in Different Strokes and the woefully under seen Filthy Rich (which paired her with future Designing Women co-star Delta Burke).

After Women’s cancellation, Carter continued to be active with occasional television appearances and on/off Broadway stints, but the weekly series grind beckoned again with a three season stint on Family Law from 1999 to 2002.  Her last high profile role before her death proved to be one of her best: Orson’s alternately frightening and darkly comic mother Gloria on ABC’s Desperate Housewives. In the wake of her time on the show, Carter finally received an Emmy nomination, a fitting coda for one of the industry’s most beloved and respected performers.

Kathryn Grayson-Another loss from the Golden Age of Hollywood, the North Carolina bred Grayson was MGM’s musical angel in the 1940’s and early 1950’s whose lilting soprano graced some of its finest films in the genre. After a successful test run in the studio’s Andy Hardy series (which also launched the careers of fellow MGM alumnai Lana Turner and Esther Williams), her career blossomed quickly with key roles in Thousands Cheer, Anchors Away and Two Sisters From Boston.

But it was the remake of Showboat that gave Grayson her best ever showcase as Magnolia, a part that teamed her with Howard Keel, a chemistry laden partnership that should have been more fruitful.  Despite the film’s enormous success, Grayson’s contract wasn’t renewed­ several months later. A series of films for multiple studios didn’t match her earlier triumphs, but turned into a positive as she abandoned Hollywood for the footlights of the stage appearing in both comedic and musical roles with occasional dramas (The Merry Widow, Madame Butterfly, La Boheme, Noises Off, Something’s Afoot and Love Letters).

Grayson’s career (along with the rest of her MGM musical family) was granted a renaissance of sorts in the mid-1970’s via the release of the That’s Entertainment compilation films which ushered in a new era of admirers who flocked to her stage and concert appearances. In Grayson’s twilight years, she appeared sporadically in documentaries and alongside Metro alumnus Angela Lansbury as a recurring character on television’s Murder She Wrote.

Blake Edwards-Like many an actor starting off in the business, all Blake Edwards really wanted to do was direct. Unlike many of his contemporaries who tried, failed and cried uncle,­ the L.A. reared performer found his true calling behind the lens.  After two relatively successful television series (Peter Gunn; Richard Diamond: Private Eye which he directed and wrote respectively), Edwards made the big screen his permanent creative palette proving himself to be adept at comedy (Breakfast At Tiffany’s), drama (Days Of Wine and Roses) and thrillers (Experiment In Terror).

Despite the versatility, it was laughs that paid the director his biggest dividends, particularly when teamed with British comedic wunderkind Peter Sellers, a partnership that gave birth to the much beloved, hilarity filled Pink Panther series along with one non-Inspector Clouseau role: 1968’s The Party which has grown into cult classic status over the years as well as being a case study in comedic direction and timing that lovingly echoed Edward’s love of silent comedies from his childhood.

Although the Panther films have aged well continuing to win new converts,  they’ve tended to overshadow other great movies in Edwards’s oeuvre, including The Great Race, What Did You Do In The War, Daddy?, Wild Rovers, 10, Blind Date and yes, even the critically acclaimed Victor/Victoria. Add in hidden gems like Micki and Maude, Skin Deep and Switch when combined with all the masterworks mentioned above leave quite a legacy of amazing work that will be appreciated by audiences for generations to come

 

Doug Fieger-For a while in the late 1970’s/early 1980’s, it looked like the Los Angeles power pop band The Knack were going to be my generation’s Beatles. From the Fab-ish poses on both the front and back covers of their debut Get The Knack to the welcome return of the mid-1960’s Capitol label on the vinyl, not to mention the hook filled, not a bad song to be heard music contained within, the cumulative effort was nothing short of orgasmic.

It certainly didn’t hurt that my raging teenage hormones were perfectly in sync with the risqué subject matter that permeated most of the album…and guitarist/lead vocalist Doug Fieger was the ringleader behind it all.

With the album spending nearly two months atop the top of the charts with its companion debut single that defined the summer of 1979 in the form of My  Sharona being equally huge, no one could have been blamed for thinking greater triumphs lay ahead. Instead, the end result in times ahead played out like the band’s fame hadn’t existed in the first place.

In other words, the band’s sophomore album …but the little girls understand paled in terms of record sales, petering out at a disappointing 14^th place on the album charts. Granted, most bands would yearn for top 20 status…but when a musical act experiences such an initial, unprecedented rush like The Knack did out of the gate, it was the equivalent of tanking. Not talking to the press before and after their initial heyday didn’t help.

Despite their third, more musically diverse album Round Trip winning over critics unkind to their first two efforts, the dwindling faithful barely pushed it into the top 100. Combined with internal difficulties and non-stop touring, The Knack bid adieu on the rather ironic date of December 31^st, 1981.

 But thanks to a benefit for a mutual friend of the band, Fieger reunited with his band mates in 1986, chemistry intact…though without a recording contract, the quartet continued to gig around the L.A. area for the rest of the decade…and as the 1990’s began, Charisma Records offered the band a deal with the long overdue 4^th effort Serious Fun arriving thereafter marking their best album since their debut with the lead off single Rocket Of Love hitting the top 10 on the rock radio charts. Alas, the death of the label’s founder derailed the band’s comeback leading to another break-up.

Yet, there was one more resurrection to be had thanks to a very unlikely source: Actor/director Ben Stiller chose My Sharona to play in the background of a pivotal scene in the film Reality Bites. Thanks to the companion soundtrack and promotional video clip, Doug and his band had their highest profile in nearly 20 years. Reuniting once more, the group went on many well received tours, recorded two new studio albums and released two concert DVD’s.

 Then, another case of bad luck affected the band when Fieger developed two brain tumors along with lung cancer. Battling these setbacks with the same intensity of his art, he recovered sufficiently enough to continue performing until the latter half of the 2000’s when the ravages of the diseases proved too much to bear. Fieger passed away peacefully on February 14^th…and in the aftermath, not only was his music celebrated, but untold tales of how he helped other musicians overcome substance abuse problems, a wonderful achievement just as important as the musical legacy Fieger left behind.

   

Johnny Maestro-In the musical genre known as doo-wop, it was a rarity when one member of a group specializing in the form departed to go successfully solo. Like Dion of the Belmonts, Johnny Maestro was one of the lucky ones. Finding initial prominence with The Crests (one of the first interracial vocal groups) and their top five smash Sixteen Candles, he remained with the group long enough to chalk up several additional chart smashes (The Angels Listened In, Step By Step, Trouble In Paradise) before embarking on his own.

It took a while, but the wait proved more than worth it as Maestro’s second group The Brooklyn Bridge emerged with one of the most powerful heartbreak ballads of the 1960’s: The Worst That Could Happen. Like Sixteen Candles, it just missed hitting number one…yet it has endured over the years and remains highly requested on many an oldies station thanks to Maestro’s emotionally resonant vocal which he brought to other chart records for the group (Blessed Be The Rain, a powerful cover of You’ll Never Walk Alone, Your Husband, My Wife). Though chart placings dried up in the 1970’s, the group continued to be a powerful draw on the concert circuit for nearly three decades with Maestro becoming somewhat of a musical ambassador for doo wop.

One of the band’s career high points came via PBS’s Doo Wop 50, a 1999 television special bringing together practically every great vocal group from The Flamingos to The Cadillacs . One of the network’s most successful pledge drive programs ev er, over 20 million dollars in viewer donations was garnered in addition to a best selling home video release…and a new generation of fans for the Bridge and Maestro joined the die-hards as a result.

Only cancer prevented Maestro from entering a seventh decade of performing, succumbing to the disease last spring at the age of 70.

Tom Bosley-Thanks to a combination of a gruff yet warm voice and a huggable frame, Tom Bosley won our hearts from the get go at the Cunningham family’s dinner table on 1970’s comedy perennial Happy Days. But before becoming “Mr. C”, the Chicago native gained notoriety on Broadway eventually winning a Tony Award for his work in Fiorello! 

Character acting on the big screen followed with Bosley supporting the likes of Natalie Wood, Peter Sellers, Lucille Ball and Dick Van Dyke. Choosing the small screen in the early 1970’s, he  put his distinctive voice to good use in the role of Harry, an Archie Bunker-eque head of the family in the animated cult classic “Wait Till Your Father Gets Home”, which ran for three seasons in syndication.

Next stop, Milwaukee…fictionally, that is.

Over the course of a decade, Bosley became one of the most beloved TV dads in history, especially from season 3 onward when Happy Days began filming in front of a studio audience, a move by producer Gary Marshall that played to the actor’s stage background. Enduring aggravations created by Fonzie, aiding Richie in teenage matters, grimacing at Potsie. dealing with a mischievous daughter, wife Marion’s shenanigans, there was never a lack of challenges in the Cunningham’s household. As a result more often than not, Bosely stole every scene he was in.

Off camera, he became a mentor and father figure to virtually every member of the cast offering advice ranging from profession related matters to real estate. Such off camera camaraderie only made the Happy Days troupe’s performance so much more believable, so genuine…and much, if not all the credit should go to Bosley.

Unlike many long running series where unemployed actors get typecast, Bosely wasn’t hurting for work after Happy Days faded into history. Thanks to his versatility, he worked almost constantly for the rest of his career including a recurring role on Murder She Wrote, co-starring in Father Dowling Mysteries, a return to Broadway in Beauty and the Beast, animation voiceovers and numerous commercials/infomercials.

After a short battle with lung cancer, Bosely passed away due to heart failure in October.

Other sad losses: Hall and Oates bassist T.Bone Wolk, soul singing giant ­Solomon Burke, legendary rock photographer Jim Marshall, groundbreaking vocalist Lena Horne, dramatic actor turned comedy god Leslie Nielsen, record producer/ film director L.A. Johnson (Neil Young), steel guitar master Ben Keith (Neil Young, The Band, Emmylou Harris), Isley Brothers co-founder/bassist Marvin Isley, doo-wop pioneer Harvey Fuqua, Little Feat drummer Richie Hayward, former child star Gary Coleman, Leave It To Beaver’s Barbara Billingsley, writer Elizabeth Edwards, actress Jill Clayburgh, Hollywood legend Patricia Neal,Recording Engineeer Bill Porter (Elvis, Roy Orbison, many 1960's Nashville sessions), Oscar nominated actress/Weight Watchers spokeswoman Lynn Redgrave, John Forsythe (Bachelor Father, Charlie’s Angels), All My Children mainstay James Mitchell (Palmer Courtland), veteran NBC newsman Edwin Newman and film editor Sally Menke (Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown)

I'll conclude my thoughts on the year 2010 by paying tribute to people and things that made you (hopefully) and me smile...