Actor/Comedian Martin Mull has passed away, age 80. He was hilarious as twin brothers Barth and Garth Gimble on "Mary Hartman Mary Hartman" and "Fernwood Tonight", and a whole bunch of other stuff. RIP.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Bill Mullins,

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Bill Mullins:
Actor/Comedian Martin Mull has passed away, age 80. He was hilarious as twin brothers Barth and Garth Gimble on "Mary Hartman Mary Hartman" and "Fernwood Tonight", and a whole bunch of other stuff. RIP.

He's in one of my fav movies...Clue. I did not realize he was 80, I thought maybe late 60's early 70's

He got a late start as an actor, being already 33 when he debuted on "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman" & "Fernwood 2 Nite". I have his "History of White People In America" specials on VHS that I've been meaning to watch for a long time, because when I originally saw them (on "Showtime" I think it was), I was probably too young to get a lot of the jokes.

Rest in Peace, Martin Mull.

Just an update to Bill's entry for Duane Eddy, a card magazine here in the UK printed a tribute to him featuring a card from Mister Softee's set of Top 20 issued in 1963 and a card from the Diamond Collection of 20 Rock n' Roll issued in 1998.

regards

John

Singer Joe Bonsall of the Oak Ridge boys died today, age 76, from complications of ALS.

Former Oklahoma senator James Inhofe died today, age 89.

I know she was in other films but her performance in the Shining is something you simply can't forget.

Also signed for Pop Century.

Sorry to hear about her passing. At least Duvall got to be 75, she has been having a hard time for many years. Even though she was a talented actress, personal problems overtook her, and I think she became more of a liability than an asset to her peers.

No one is immune from this, and no one knows how they will end up. I hope she has found peace.

Alf star Benji Gregory died on June 13, it was announced yesterday. Apparently he fell asleep in his car in Arizona and died of heatstroke. He was 46.

Can the obits get any more depressing today? I'm sure hardly anyone knew of Gregory's struggles besides his family, yet he was well known as a child actor. Even his service dog died in the car.

Sad news lately.
Here's a fanciful Duvall card, based on her appearance in the classic horror movie, "The Shining".



It probably should've been a 1981 Fleer (or Topps or Donruss) border used instead of this 1985 Fleer design, but still pretty inventive. A 1981 baseball card has the stats for the previous season on the reverse side, which would be 1980, the year the movie was released.

Richard Simmons at 76.
Rest in peace.

And Dr. Ruth Westheimer, giver of sex advice, died on Friday Jul 12. She was 96.

And as mentioned elsewhere, Shanned Doherty passed away yesterday, age 53, of cancer.

This news cycle has been unrelenting. I was shocked to hear of Doherty's passing. As sometimes happens when someone has been ill for several years, we start to think that it's not that bad. It gets to be a normal condition, until it isn't.

So while she has been reporting about her condition for the better part of 10 years, that she has died is unexpected and sad. That she was so young is horrible and that she has been dealing with this all this time is worse. I didn't watch any of her shows, but I feel very sorry today.

All of these young stars from the 1990s passing away. Luke Perry, Matthew Perry and now Shannon.

1934-2024

1929-2024

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee died yesterday, age 74.

I heard about Bob Newhart's passing yesterday. It wasn't on the news. He was a brilliant comedian with his own style. He underplayed with a drier sense of humor that isn't appreciated as much these days. My stepdad remembered him as a stand-up comic in the 60's, and he had his comedy albums.

As a kid, I was a big fan of "The Bob Newhart Show" and watched it every week during the show's original run across much of the 70's and still catch reruns occasionally. It was one of the best sitcoms ever made - well-written and well-cast down to the guest-stars. Over the years, one scene always stayed with me. Bob was in his office with a patient (played by Michael Conrad, who would gain fame as a sargeant on "Hill Street Blues" - "Let's be careful out there"). The patient claimed to have seen a UFO and made a drawing to show Bob. It was a cylindrical object with a red light at one end. Bob asked if that was what the aliens were flying. The patient replied, "No, that's what they were smoking," and the two actors just sat there looking at each other. Today, if two other actors did the same scene, one of them would crack up. I thought it was funnier that Newhart and Conrad were able to keep straight faces.

I liked Newhart's 80's show too, simply titled, "Newhart," in which he played an innkeeper. More good writing and a good cast. The last episode was one of the great TV episodes of all time.

I always wondered it I'd ever get the chance to talk to him - maybe on an airplane. I would've asked him about various scenes and complimented him on his talent. I didn't get that chance to say, "Hi Bob," to him (reference to the drinking game people used to play while watching the 70's show). I'll just say, "Thanks, Bob."