RIP The Unsinkable Debbie Reynolds


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One day after the tragic death of her daughter Carrie Fisher, the unsinkable Debbie Reynolds has passed at age 84. I’m not going to update my previous IN MEMORIAM  post; Miss Reynolds deserves a post of her own.

Full shot of illustration of Gene Kelly as Don Lockwood, Debbie Reynolds as Kathy Selden, and Donald O'Connor as Cosmo Brown walking together in rain, holding umbrellas during the opening musical number "Singin' In The Rain."

One of the last of the old studio contract players, Debbie got good notices in such musical films as THE DAUGHTER OF ROSIE O’GRADY, THREE LITTLE WORDS, and TWO WEEKS WITH LOVE, but it’s her role as Kathy Seldon in SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN that made her a star. This joyful ode to the transition from silent movies to sound isn’t just my favorite musical, it’s one of my favorite films ever! Debbie shines as the ingénue forced to lip-synch for catty star Lina Lamont (the wonderful Jean Hagen), and more than holds her own in the dancing and clowning departments with Gene Kelly and Donald O’Connor. Like CASABLANCA and CITIZEN KANE, SINGIN’…

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2016 IN MEMORIAM Part 3 (L through R)


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Continuing to pay tribute to those who have departed in 2016:

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Musician Greg Lake of King Crimson and ELP

50’s crooner Julius LaRosa

Cartoonist Mell Lazarus (“Miss Peach”)

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Actress Madeleine LeBeau (“Casablanca”)

Author Harper Lee (“To Kill A Mockingbird”)

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Grindhouse director Herschell Gordon Lewis 

Character actor Richard Libertini (“The In-Laws”, “Fletch”)

Singer/songwriter John D. Loudermilk

Rockabilly guitarist Lonnie Mack

ECW wrestler Balls Mahoney

Actor David Margulies (“Ghostbusters”)

Actor Don Marshall (“Land of the Giants”, “The Thing with Two Heads”)

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Producer/director/writer/actor Garry Marshall

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Beatles record producer Sir George Martin

Soap villain Joseph Mascolo (Stefano on “Days Of Our Lives”)

Singer Gayle McCormick of Smith (“Baby It’s You”)

Comedian Kevin Meaney

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Singer George Michael

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Grindhouse filmmaker Ted V. Mikels (“The Astro-Zombies”, “The Corpse Grinders”)

Film noir actress Kristine Miller (“I Walk Alone”, “Too Late For Tears” )

Actor/singer Mike Minor (“Petticoat Junction”)

smScotty Moore, guitarist for Elvis Presley

Actress Michele Morgan (“Higher and…

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2016 IN MEMORIAM Part 2 (F through K)


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Continuing the roll call of those in arts & entertainment taken from us in 2016. Sadly, another name has been just been added to this list. RIP Carrie Fisher.

Singer Joey Feek

Actor Abel Fernandez (TV’s “The Untouchables”)

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Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez

Actor Frank Finlay (“The Three Musketeers”)

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‘Princess Leia’, actress/author Carrie Fisher

Jazz clarinetist Pete Fountain

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 02: Glenn Frey of The Eagles performs live for fans at Qantas Credit Union Arena on March 2, 2015 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Don Arnold/WireImage)

Glenn Frey of The Eagles

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Iconic nurse Greta Zimmer Friedman

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Character actor Bernard Fox (“Bewitched”, “Hogan’s Heroes”)

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Wrestling’s Mr. Fuji

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Actress/socialite Zsa Zsa Gabor

Actress Rita Gam (“The Thief”, “No Exit”, “Klute” )

Major League catcher/announcer Joe Garagiola

Actress Lisa Gaye (“Rock Around the Clock” )

Actor Ron Glass (“Barney Miller”)

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Astronaut/U.S. Senator/American Hero John Glenn

Wrestler Archie Gouldie, aka The Mongolian Stomper

Singer Gogi Grant (“The Wayward Wind”)

Broadway & Hollywood actress Tammy Grimes

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Country legend Merle Haggard

Actor Dan Haggerty (“Grizzly Adams”)

Director Guy Hamilton (“Goldfinger”)

Writer Earl Hamner…

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2016 IN MEMORIAM (Part 1, A through E)


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This past year, the Grim Reaper took a bumper crop from the worlds of film, television, music, sports, literature, and pop culture. Here at Cracked Rear Viewer, we salute those men and women who in some way touched our lives:

Television director Norman Abbott

julius-adamsNew England Patriots great Julius Adams

Voice actor Joe Alaskey

Playwright Edward Albee (“Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”)

ali1‘The Greatest’, Muhammed Ali

Folk/Blues/Jazz star Mose Allison

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   Catholic TV host Mother Angelica

Actor Arthur Anderson (voice of the Lucky Charms Leprechaun)

Producer/voice actress Sylvia Anderson (“Thunderbirds”)

Actor Eddie Applegate (“The Patty Duke Show”)

r2d2Actor Kenny Baker (Star Wars’ R2D2  )

Lennie Baker of Sha-Na-Na

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Film & TV Car Customizer George Barris

Actress Patricia Barry

Actor Brian Bedford

Last of the Vaudevillians, Irving Benson

Actress Maggie Blye

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The incredible David Bowie

Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher Ralph Branca

30’s child star Bobby Breen

Animation producer Al Brodax (The Beatles’…

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Merry Christmas from Vincent Price (A CHRISTMAS CAROL 1949)


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What’s Christmas without Dickens’ classic A CHRISTMAS CAROL, and who better to narrate than jolly old Vincent Price! Enjoy this TV treat from 1949 before you eat your Christmas goose, and “God bless us, every one!”.

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My Christmas Present to You: THE GREAT RUPERT Complete Movie (Eagle-Lion 1950)


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THE GREAT RUPERT is one those movies I used to catch frequently on my local public access channel; it seems like it’s been in public domain forever. Producer George Pal uses his Puppetoon magic to animate Rupert, a plucky dancing squirrel who’s “almost human” forced to forage for himself when his trainer is evicted for not paying his rent. A homeless, penniless family of circus performers, the Amendolas, move in by fast-talking landlord Dingle’s son Pete, who falls head-over-heels for daughter Rosalinda.

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The miserly Mr. Dingle keeps his cash stashed in a hole in the wall, which is where Rupert stashes his nuts. When Mrs. Amendola starts praying for a miracle, Rupert starts tossing the worthless (to him) moolah out of his hidey-hole, and she believes it’s “money from heaven”. Soon the town begins to gossip about where the Amendolas are getting all this loot, and the local cops, IRS, and FBI…

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Holiday Scenes That I Love: Christmas in Mayberry


Every classic sitcom had a holiday-themed episode, and THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW was no exception. Andy and Ellie (Elinor Donahue) sing “Away in a Manger” and Aunt Bee serves up some home cookin’ for a family in trouble, while crotchety old Ben Weaver (the great character actor Will Wright) is on the outside looking in. It’s a perfect example of what made this show so great, and includes a guest appearance by Santa Claus… sort of!

Naughty Or Nice: SUSAN SLEPT HERE (RKO 1954)


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Looking for something a little offbeat in a Christmas movie? Try SUSAN SLEPT HERE, a film that could never get made today, as it concerns the romance between a 17 year old girl and a 35 year old man. I know some of you out there are already screaming “EEEEWWW!!!”, but indulge me while I describe the madcap moments leading to said romance.

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For starters, the movie is narrated by Oscar. Not Oscar Levant, but THE Oscar, the fabled Academy Awards statuette. This particular Oscar was won by Mark Christopher, screenwriter of fluffy Hollywood comedies yearning to pen a dramatic yarn and prove his mettle as a writer. Into his life comes teenage Susan Landis, a juvenile delinquent dumped on his doorstep by two cops who don’t want to lock her up til after the holidays. They figure Mark can watch her and get a good story idea in the process before she…

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Christmas Surprise: IT HAPPENED ON 5TH AVENUE (Allied Artists 1947)


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I’d never heard of IT HAPPENED ON 5TH AVENUE until it’s recent broadcast on TCM. This unsung little holiday gem was a TV staple for decades before being pulled from viewing in 1990, only resurfacing in 2009 when a small but dedicated band of classic film fans put the pressure on to see it aired once again. And I’m glad they did, for this charming, unpretensious comedy boasts a marvelous cast, an Oscar-nominated screenplay, and a Frank Capra-esque feel without a lot of the Capra-corn.

Capra himself was scheduled to direct it back in 1945, but instead he chose to make another Christmas film you may have heard of, IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE. Veteran Roy Del Ruth obtained the rights, and IT HAPPENED ON 5TH AVENUE became the first release of Allied Artists, the larger budgeted, more prestigious arm of Monogram Pictures (and you know how much I love Monogram movies!)…

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