2010
Swingin' From The Yard Arm '60s
March 29, 2010 07:32 AM
Dear CDT Reader,
Can you believe you're getting two doses of fossilized, earthworm-enriched CDT goodness in little more than a week? Neither can we, and we write this stuff. It's like Easter came early this year, and you're still going to get another basket of chocolates and marshmallow Peeps when Jesus rises and sees his shadow this weekend.
After feeling like a bear in terminal hibernation for the past three months, last week was the CDT's 2010 coming out party. About time, right? Yet with barely a moment to enjoy the fresh air, we have another CDT to host - only this one isn't a coming-out party. It's a 1960s Theme Party!
That's right, every celeb who decided to take the Everlasting Express to Eternity this time out is an icon of the seductive and sensational '60s. It's kinda groovy, kinda psychedelic, but mostly way out - specifically way out in the cemetery, where these celebs are singing songs of a bygone era ("Got me a ticket for an airplane . . ." "Dave-eee, Dave-eee Crockett, king of the wild frontier" and "Daniel Boone was a man, was a big man").
Now that these songs are firmly planted in your brain, it's time to celebrate our swinging celebs and sock it to 'em with a martini and a mortician.
Herewith, the departed.
• Alex Chilton
Musician. 59. At 16, Chilton enthralled the pop music world with "The Letter." As lead singer of the Box Tops, Chilton delivered the tune with a vocal style that was seasoned beyond his years. The Box Tops had several hits and became the vanguard of the "blue-eyed soul" musical movement just as rock was taking hold. After the Box Tops broke up, Chilton formed Big Star, a band that more people heard about than actually listened to. But his perfectly crafted pop tunes inspired a whole generation of garage and indie bands in the '70s and '80s, and his songs were covered by more artists than we can count. They're all over movie soundtracks, and "In The Street" was the theme to "That 70s Show," for which Chilton was ironically paid $70 each time the show aired. Perhaps the greatest tribute to him was a song by Paul Westerberg of The Replacements, entitled (not coincidentally) "Alex Chilton" with the lyrics, "Children by the million wait for Alex Chilton when he comes round . . ."
• Robert Culp
Actor. 79. Culp played a variety of characters during his career, most of them wise-cracking, suave, know-it-alls. His main claim to fame was "I Spy," the 1960's spy series in which he played a wise-cracking, suave, know-it-all who also happened to be an international spy disguised as a tennis player. Paired with a very young Bill Cosby (still alive, by the way), the two paved the way for black and white buddy pics for the next five decades - thereby providing Eddie Murphy with a post-SNL career. Culp also appeared in several films, notably "Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice," and was a frequent guest on TV programs over the course of 50 years, including "Bonanza," "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." "Everybody Loves Raymond," "The Greatest American Hero," and even "The Cosby Show."
• Fess Parker
Actor. 85. Parker was a distinctive actor, yet most people can't remember if he played Daniel Boone or Davy Crockett. The fact is that he played both. Parker played Crockett in the 1950s series produced by Disney, which was so successful it inspired more than 3,000 different items of branded merchandise, from lunch boxes to fringe jackets to the wildly popular coonskin cap (don't you wonder where they all went?). After the show ran its course, Parker continued to appear in Disney films, notably the tearjerker "Old Yeller," before pulling the Davy Crockett blueprint out for the 1964 TV show "Daniel Boone." That series ran for six years, and then Parker hung up the buckskin jacket and focused his energies on his extremely successful winery and real-estate investments. And yes, Fess was his real name.
RIP, one and all.
* * *
Can you believe you're getting two doses of fossilized, earthworm-enriched CDT goodness in little more than a week? Neither can we, and we write this stuff. It's like Easter came early this year, and you're still going to get another basket of chocolates and marshmallow Peeps when Jesus rises and sees his shadow this weekend.
After feeling like a bear in terminal hibernation for the past three months, last week was the CDT's 2010 coming out party. About time, right? Yet with barely a moment to enjoy the fresh air, we have another CDT to host - only this one isn't a coming-out party. It's a 1960s Theme Party!
That's right, every celeb who decided to take the Everlasting Express to Eternity this time out is an icon of the seductive and sensational '60s. It's kinda groovy, kinda psychedelic, but mostly way out - specifically way out in the cemetery, where these celebs are singing songs of a bygone era ("Got me a ticket for an airplane . . ." "Dave-eee, Dave-eee Crockett, king of the wild frontier" and "Daniel Boone was a man, was a big man").
Now that these songs are firmly planted in your brain, it's time to celebrate our swinging celebs and sock it to 'em with a martini and a mortician.
Herewith, the departed.
• Alex Chilton
Musician. 59. At 16, Chilton enthralled the pop music world with "The Letter." As lead singer of the Box Tops, Chilton delivered the tune with a vocal style that was seasoned beyond his years. The Box Tops had several hits and became the vanguard of the "blue-eyed soul" musical movement just as rock was taking hold. After the Box Tops broke up, Chilton formed Big Star, a band that more people heard about than actually listened to. But his perfectly crafted pop tunes inspired a whole generation of garage and indie bands in the '70s and '80s, and his songs were covered by more artists than we can count. They're all over movie soundtracks, and "In The Street" was the theme to "That 70s Show," for which Chilton was ironically paid $70 each time the show aired. Perhaps the greatest tribute to him was a song by Paul Westerberg of The Replacements, entitled (not coincidentally) "Alex Chilton" with the lyrics, "Children by the million wait for Alex Chilton when he comes round . . ."
• Robert Culp
Actor. 79. Culp played a variety of characters during his career, most of them wise-cracking, suave, know-it-alls. His main claim to fame was "I Spy," the 1960's spy series in which he played a wise-cracking, suave, know-it-all who also happened to be an international spy disguised as a tennis player. Paired with a very young Bill Cosby (still alive, by the way), the two paved the way for black and white buddy pics for the next five decades - thereby providing Eddie Murphy with a post-SNL career. Culp also appeared in several films, notably "Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice," and was a frequent guest on TV programs over the course of 50 years, including "Bonanza," "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." "Everybody Loves Raymond," "The Greatest American Hero," and even "The Cosby Show."
• Fess Parker
Actor. 85. Parker was a distinctive actor, yet most people can't remember if he played Daniel Boone or Davy Crockett. The fact is that he played both. Parker played Crockett in the 1950s series produced by Disney, which was so successful it inspired more than 3,000 different items of branded merchandise, from lunch boxes to fringe jackets to the wildly popular coonskin cap (don't you wonder where they all went?). After the show ran its course, Parker continued to appear in Disney films, notably the tearjerker "Old Yeller," before pulling the Davy Crockett blueprint out for the 1964 TV show "Daniel Boone." That series ran for six years, and then Parker hung up the buckskin jacket and focused his energies on his extremely successful winery and real-estate investments. And yes, Fess was his real name.
RIP, one and all.
* * *
Beyond The Graves
March 17, 2010 02:29 PM
Dear CDT™ Reader,
We know what you're thinking: Where the Hell is the Celebrity Death Trio™? Did it give up the ghost? Did it become a victim of its own success? Is it lying in a morgue somewhere with a toe tag, waiting to be claimed by a distant relative? Did it meet its own Reaper?
Ah, if only the questions were easy to answer. Truth be told, we've been wondering ourselves when we'd get to bring our usual cheer right to your desktop. Plus, we're aware that some people actually set their watch, and social calendars, to the CDT's stellar timekeeping. That's not a responsibility we take lightly.
The simplest explanation for our brief time away is the catchall reason that everyone else is using: the economy and jobs. Like everyone else, those celebrities who are employed want to keep the jobs they have. They don't want to be unemployed. Well, you wouldn't believe how being dead negatively affects a celebrity's job prospects. Death is a career killer. Being dead means the end of the celebrity, although paradoxically, it doesn't mean the end to a celebrity's actual celebrity (which is why Michael Jackson is making more now that he's dead than he did in the last years he was alive). So celebrities have been clinging to life like John Edwards clings to stories of how much he loves his cancer-stricken wife.
For this issue of the Celebrity Death Trio, the three celebs who died in a single seven-day period all came from the world of film and TV. Hollywood is not an industry known for its selflessness, but these three did what it took to get the CDT up and running in 2010. They took the long walk off of life's short pier, they shuffled off this mortal coil, they turned up their toes, and they are now jockeying for position in the eternal dirt derby. In short, they're worthy of a toast. Here's to the inaugural 2010 CDT. It's been a long time a'coming.
Herewith the departed.
• Peter Graves
Actor. 83. Born Peter Arness, Graves changed his name so as not to be confused with his older brother, James Arness, who had huge success as Marshall Dillon on the TV series "Gunsmoke." After appearing on TV in the equine series "Fury" and in movies like "Stalag 17" and "It Conquered The World," Graves became best known as the intrepid Jim Phelps, the man who chose to accept every tape-recorded mission on "Mission Impossible" from 1967 to 1973. The silver-haired Graves eventually became even more beloved for his role in the movie "Airplane!" as Clarence Oveur, the dashing pilot who had a borderline illegal fascination with healthy young boys ("Joey, have you ever been in a Turkish prison?"). He almost didn't take the role, thinking it would ruin his career. However, he relented and the rest is comedy history. Later, he did voiceovers for A&E's Biography show, and starred in a Geico commercial. Way to go, Peter . . . mission accomplished.
• Merlin Olsen
Actor. 69. Referred to as a gentle giant, Olsen was part of the "Fearsome Foursome" football lineup of the LA Rams in the 1960s. A 14-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle and NFL Hall Of Famer who never missed a game in 15 seasons, Olsen never made it to the Super Bowl. He is widely regarded as the best defensive tackle in the history of the sport, as well as one of the nicest guys to ever put on pads. Olsen gained fame after his NFL career as Father Murphy on "Little House On The Prairie," and as a commercial spokesman for FTD florists. Unlike many of his football compadres who seem to be dying of battered brains or gunshot wounds, Olsen died of rare mesothelioma cancer, often caused by industrial toxins like asbestos. He was in the process of suing NBC for exposing him to such toxins on the set, and may have had a case: "Little House" costars Michael Landon (CDT Class of 1991) and Victor French both died of cancer as well.
• Cory Haim
Actor. 38. One half of Hollywood's "the Coreys" - the other being Corey Feldman - Haim epitomized the downward spiral that appears to be hardwired into the DNA of every child actor in history. He first made a name for himself in a series of films including "Lucas," "Firstborn," and "Silver Bullet." He finally got serious recognition in "The Lost Boys," the 1987 teen vampire flick that also launched the careers of Kiefer Sutherland and Jason Patric-not to mention Corey Feldman. Haim and Feldman were then paired together in a host of movies, including "License To Drive" and "Dream A Little Dream." But ageing took its toll on the Coreys, especially on Haim, whose adult persona didn't resemble the cute kid that audiences had loved. For the last two decades his movie roles weren't even straight-to-video; they were straight-to-landfill. He and Feldman worked together in a 2007 reality show that followed their current lives, brilliantly titled "The Two Coreys," but it got cancelled when Haim decided that drugs were more important than his career. And more important than staying alive.
RIP, one and all.
We know what you're thinking: Where the Hell is the Celebrity Death Trio™? Did it give up the ghost? Did it become a victim of its own success? Is it lying in a morgue somewhere with a toe tag, waiting to be claimed by a distant relative? Did it meet its own Reaper?
Ah, if only the questions were easy to answer. Truth be told, we've been wondering ourselves when we'd get to bring our usual cheer right to your desktop. Plus, we're aware that some people actually set their watch, and social calendars, to the CDT's stellar timekeeping. That's not a responsibility we take lightly.
The simplest explanation for our brief time away is the catchall reason that everyone else is using: the economy and jobs. Like everyone else, those celebrities who are employed want to keep the jobs they have. They don't want to be unemployed. Well, you wouldn't believe how being dead negatively affects a celebrity's job prospects. Death is a career killer. Being dead means the end of the celebrity, although paradoxically, it doesn't mean the end to a celebrity's actual celebrity (which is why Michael Jackson is making more now that he's dead than he did in the last years he was alive). So celebrities have been clinging to life like John Edwards clings to stories of how much he loves his cancer-stricken wife.
For this issue of the Celebrity Death Trio, the three celebs who died in a single seven-day period all came from the world of film and TV. Hollywood is not an industry known for its selflessness, but these three did what it took to get the CDT up and running in 2010. They took the long walk off of life's short pier, they shuffled off this mortal coil, they turned up their toes, and they are now jockeying for position in the eternal dirt derby. In short, they're worthy of a toast. Here's to the inaugural 2010 CDT. It's been a long time a'coming.
Herewith the departed.
• Peter Graves
Actor. 83. Born Peter Arness, Graves changed his name so as not to be confused with his older brother, James Arness, who had huge success as Marshall Dillon on the TV series "Gunsmoke." After appearing on TV in the equine series "Fury" and in movies like "Stalag 17" and "It Conquered The World," Graves became best known as the intrepid Jim Phelps, the man who chose to accept every tape-recorded mission on "Mission Impossible" from 1967 to 1973. The silver-haired Graves eventually became even more beloved for his role in the movie "Airplane!" as Clarence Oveur, the dashing pilot who had a borderline illegal fascination with healthy young boys ("Joey, have you ever been in a Turkish prison?"). He almost didn't take the role, thinking it would ruin his career. However, he relented and the rest is comedy history. Later, he did voiceovers for A&E's Biography show, and starred in a Geico commercial. Way to go, Peter . . . mission accomplished.
• Merlin Olsen
Actor. 69. Referred to as a gentle giant, Olsen was part of the "Fearsome Foursome" football lineup of the LA Rams in the 1960s. A 14-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle and NFL Hall Of Famer who never missed a game in 15 seasons, Olsen never made it to the Super Bowl. He is widely regarded as the best defensive tackle in the history of the sport, as well as one of the nicest guys to ever put on pads. Olsen gained fame after his NFL career as Father Murphy on "Little House On The Prairie," and as a commercial spokesman for FTD florists. Unlike many of his football compadres who seem to be dying of battered brains or gunshot wounds, Olsen died of rare mesothelioma cancer, often caused by industrial toxins like asbestos. He was in the process of suing NBC for exposing him to such toxins on the set, and may have had a case: "Little House" costars Michael Landon (CDT Class of 1991) and Victor French both died of cancer as well.
• Cory Haim
Actor. 38. One half of Hollywood's "the Coreys" - the other being Corey Feldman - Haim epitomized the downward spiral that appears to be hardwired into the DNA of every child actor in history. He first made a name for himself in a series of films including "Lucas," "Firstborn," and "Silver Bullet." He finally got serious recognition in "The Lost Boys," the 1987 teen vampire flick that also launched the careers of Kiefer Sutherland and Jason Patric-not to mention Corey Feldman. Haim and Feldman were then paired together in a host of movies, including "License To Drive" and "Dream A Little Dream." But ageing took its toll on the Coreys, especially on Haim, whose adult persona didn't resemble the cute kid that audiences had loved. For the last two decades his movie roles weren't even straight-to-video; they were straight-to-landfill. He and Feldman worked together in a 2007 reality show that followed their current lives, brilliantly titled "The Two Coreys," but it got cancelled when Haim decided that drugs were more important than his career. And more important than staying alive.
RIP, one and all.