HAIL & FAREWELL!!

                     
                         RECENT AND NOTEWORTHY PASSINGS

                 

                    KENNETH MARS/  1936- February 12, 2011

Kenneth Mars, actor, comedy, TV, films, at the age of 75.  Best known for the role of the German playwright in the Mel Brooks movie, "The Producers". He played the role of Franz Liebkind, whose play,"Springtime for Hitler", was the basis for the movie.

He also played the Police Inspector with the malfunctioning arm, in Mel Brooks' "Young Frankenstein", in 1974, to hilarious effect.  He had an extensive career in both TV and film, but will always be remembered for the roles in Mel Brooks' immortal works.

                 BETTY GARRETT/ May 23, 1919- February 12, 2011

Betty Garrett, a musical comedy actress, who played the taxi driving pursuer of Frank Sinatra in the great movie musical, "On The Town", left us at the age of 91.  She also played the nemesis neighbor of Archie Bunker in "All in the Family", and the landlady in "Laverne and Shirley".  Her career spanned 6 decades, in theatrical revues, nightclubs, film, TV and Broadway.  Her career slowed down during the McCarthy era, for political reasons, her husband having been questioned by The House Un-American Activities Committee when they were on the Commie witch hunt.  She survived.

         GEORGE SHEARING/ August 13, 1919- February 14, 2011

George Shearing, British born jazz piano virtuoso, the composer of the sublime and everlasting "Lullaby of Broadway", which became a jazz standard, passed away at the age of 91.  He overcame blindness to become a world-wide star with the signature sound of the George Shearing Quintet.

           
               JOANNE SIEGEL/ December 1, 1917- February 12, 2011

Joanne Siegel was the model for Lois Lane, Superman's gal pal, passed away at the age of 93.  As a teenager during the Depression, she worked as a model for an aspiring comic book artist, Joe Shuster, and became the first version of Lois Lane.  She married Shuster's partner, Superman's co-creator, writer Jerry Siegel.  Much of her life was spent trying to reclaim the original copyright that Shuster and Siegel sold to Detective Comics in 1937, for $130.  In 2008 a federal judge restored Siegels co-authorship of the original Superman copyright.  The money is stll being adjudicated.  Still, it's good to look at the beginning of a legend. 

REST IN PEACE, with thanks and gratitude, originals all.


http://www.minblu.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/lunxny