Farewell to two different entetainers.

[Borderstone]

On Sept. 21st comedic actress Alice Ghostly (Esmerelda on Bewtiched/Bernice on Designing Women and high school secretary in "Grease")passed away at age 81,after a long illness. Her departure leaves but 1 well known actor from Bewitched (who were adults then). Bernard Fox who played Dr. Bombay is still with us and is 80.

Also,brilliant French mime Marcel Marceau passed away last night at age 84. I remember him so well when he guested on Mister Rogers Neighborhood and did a routine called "Biff Chases Butterfly" for the "neighborhood of make-believe.
After that I saw him on TV when I heard he's be on. he was so great at it ,it makes one wonder why people make fun of this art form. he shall surely be missed.

May they both rest in peace.

[Dream Street Rose]

Wow Borderstone,

I remember them both very well. Alice Ghostly was a wonderful actress. She was good on Bewithched and a hoot as Bernice on Designing Women. Do you have any idea what Dr. Bombay did after Bewitched?

[Auburn Annie]

Can I add to the list Brett Somers? For you youngsters, she used to appear on game shows (The Match Game has been running "the best of Brett" shows this past week on the Game Show Network). She was 83 (!) but in my mind always somewhere in her 40s. She was married to actor Jack Klugman TV's Oscar Madison on The Odd Couple) for many years. Trivia: she played "Oscar's" ex-wife on the show. She was one very witty lady.

[brink-]

They were still married when she died. The split in the 70's but never divorced. I always like him too, he was on the Match Game for a week once with her. That was funny.

[charlene]

Brett Somers:
Personal life
Born as Audrey Johnston in New Brunswick, Canada, she grew up near Portland, Maine. She ran away from home at age 17 and moved to New York City to pursue a career in acting.There she settled in Greenwich Village. She changed her first name to "Brett" after the lead female character in Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises, and the surname "Somers" was her mother's maiden name. She became a U.S. citizen late in life.

[Borderstone]

Hey ladies,let me also add that both Alice & brett were Tony Award winners as well. :)

As for Rose's Q. about Bernard fox (Dr. Bombay) he turned 80 thi past May and most recently made a TV guest spot on Dharma & Greg in 2001. He has a fair list of Tv 7 movie credits before Bewtiched,most notably the origianl Titanic film of the 1950s,playing a shipmate. Then he was also in the 1997 Titanic as a rich millionare.

During Bewitched he was also nit-witted British Col. Crittendon on Hogan's Heroes for a few shows. In the 70s to this deacde he mostly made guest apperances on TV dramas and comedies. Most notable in the 70s on MASH and also playing Dr. Bombay on the short lived "Tabitha" in 1977 (the Stephens daughter who was born in 1964-65 is grown up already! :rolleyes; H also played Bombay on the lame-o soap opera Passions.

For the rest of his work,go to IMDB and for Alice's and Bett's also.

[Dream Street Rose]

Thank you Borderstone for the added information. All though, it's really making me feel very old!

[jj]

the adorable 'Esmerelda' character could have been a double for my late maternal grandma

for Marceau, I understand he was honoured with a very suitable moment of silence

[Borderstone]

You're welcome Rose. :) I know how you feel though. I never felt old at all until john Ritter suddenly passed away in 2003. Not to mention everyone else that did as well. :(

I was watching ION last night and the played an episode of Designing Women where Bernice interviews the Sugarbakers and Charlene & Mary Jo and mixes up her two topics for the day,asking Julia questions about being a madame and running a bordello! :biggrin: LOL!

Afterwards,ION put on screen,"In memory of Alice Ghostly 1926-20o7" on the screen,right after the credits.

[jj]

the adorable 'Esmerelda' character could have been a double for my late maternal grandma

for Marceau, I understand he was honoured with a very suitable moment of silence


BTW, I feel we should honour the former by atleast correctly spelling her name, Alice 'Ghostley'

speaking of blips, well, I'd been thinking her character was the fumbling Aunt Clara...but, I should have guessed that SHE died about 40 years ago! ....so anyhow, hope you've been resting in peace, Aunt Clara;)


*Fascinating but Useless Internet Celebrity Trivia:

Marion Lorne (Aunt Clara) made a brief appearance in the movie The Graduate where she can be spotted at the wedding reception with Alice Ghostley (Esmerelda)

[Kathy Number Four]

I was watching ION last night and the played an episode of Designing Women where Bernice interviews the Sugarbakers and Charlene & Mary Jo and mixes up her two topics for the day,asking Julia questions about being a madame and running a bordello! :biggrin: LOL!


My favorite "Bernice" moment was when she showed up at the Sugarbakers' Christmas party WEARING the Christmas tree skirt they had given her!! :biggrin:

[Borderstone]

I love all the "Bernice" episodes! :biggrin:

[Auburn Annie]

My favorite "Bernice" moment was when she showed up at the Sugarbakers' Christmas party WEARING the Christmas tree skirt they had given her!! :biggrin:

Yes! I think that was a two-parter when Charlene went into labor (with her "angel" Dolly Parton on hand and Beah Richards as the elderly dying woman.) Bernice bullied the ambulance drivers into giving her a lift to the hospital, lol. It was New Year's Eve and she was rooting for Charlene's baby to be the first born in the new year. Anthony's girlfriend Vanessa was whooping around to a boombox or something. A classic episode.

[timetraveler]

I'm sorry to hear of Ghostley's passing. For me, her most memorable part was as the befuddled Berniece on Designing Women. My favourite episodes involved a really hilarious one that had them trapped in the house during a tornadoe with all sorts of chaos running amok. The other was a tearjerker where she stood strong & clearheaded against a Southern Baptist preacher while debating the issue of women being preachers. Anothwer good one involved the issue of her niece trying to have her declared mentally unfit to take care of her own affairs. There were many other excellent ones with her in them, but those were the ones that stood out the most for me. As for Marceau, that was a big loss there. I can remember seeing him on television ever so often as a kid & could never figure out why he never said a thing, yet still seemed to be able to get a message across. I started learning back then to figure out what a person was really trying to say by watching their body language, so for me he was more of a teacher than an entertainer. Also, as for Bernard Fox & some of the things he's been in, don't forget The Mummy or the episode of MASH that he was in as well.

[Kathy Number Four]

... Also, as for Bernard Fox & some of the things he's been in, don't forget The Mummy or the episode of MASH that he was in as well.

I also remember Bernard Fox from his appearances on "The Andy Griffith Show", as Malcolm Merriweather, an Englishman who came to take of Andy & Opie when Aunt Bee was out of town.

[timetraveler]

I had totally forgotten about that! It was especially hilarious when he had to deal with Ernest T. Bass in one episode.

[Kathy Number Four]

I had totally forgotten about that! It was especially hilarious when he had to deal with Ernest T. Bass in one episode.

Wasn't Ernest T. Bass one of the BEST characters ever??? (Howard Morris) I especially liked the episode where they were trying to give him a "crash" education.

[timetraveler]

Yeah, he was. The character was a grown man who acted like a child sometimes, but you couldn't help but like him, as frustrating as he could be to the sheriff. One of the priceless episodes there dealt with how Ernest was in love with a girl who was some sort of local heiress, only to find that she was related to a man who had made his money in charcoal. The funny part was that the man had to burn the town of Mayberry to do it!LOL:):):) Basically, the girl came from a family that was just as fruity as Ernest! Anyway, it all showed that Howard Morris was one hell of an actor to be able to carry off such a part & to make him one of the most memorable on television. Sad to say, he will be missed.

[timetraveler]

I almost forgot another entertainer who just recently passed, Lois Maxwell, the lady who played the original Moneypenny in numerous James Bond films. May she rest in peace also.