A face and a voice you will remember!
Allan Melvin was an American character actor whose warm voice and affable screen presence made him a familiar face on television from the 1950s through the 1980s. He was born on February 18, 1923, in Kansas City, Missouri, but grew up in New York City. His early interest in the performing arts led him to Columbia University, where he majored in journalism and played on the football team.
He rose to prominence in 1962 with his chilling performance as Edwin Flagg in What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
Victor Charles Buono was born on February 3, 1938, in San Diego, California, to Myrtle and Victor F. Buono, the latter a former police officer who was later convicted of conspiracy and murder in 1959. Buono attended St. Augustine High School and became involved with San Diego’s Globe Theater Players, where he gained experience in Shakespearean drama. Though sometimes reported to have attended military school or Northwestern University,
Character actor known for his versatile career in film, television, stage, and radio over several decades.
Herbert Rudley was an American character actor known for his versatile career in film, television, stage, and radio over several decades. He was born on March 22, 1910, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Rudley’s early interest in the arts led him to study at Temple University before continuing his dramatic education at the Eva Le Gallienne Civic Repertory Theatre in New York City.
Best remembered for his long-running role as the original Maytag repairman.
Jesse White was an American character actor best remembered for his long-running role as the original Maytag repairman in a series of widely popular television commercials. He was born Jesse Marc Weidenfeld on January 3, 1917, in Buffalo, New York, but grew up in Akron, Ohio. As a young man, he showed an early interest in performance, participating in amateur stage productions and vaudeville before eventually moving to Los Angeles to pursue a professional career in show business.
Early summer of 2025 has taken 4 more rememberable people that I’ll take a look at here.
These guys were televangelist, gospel singer, and author; played Deputy Cletus Hogg on The Dukes of Hazzard; composed the music for movies like Cool Hand Luke and The Amityville Horror, and TV like Hawaii 5-0; and wrote songs and played guitar for Mott the Hoople and Bad Company.
Great Balls of Fire (1989) – Dennis Quaid (Jerry Lee Lewis) and Alec Baldwin (Jimmy Swaggart) in Great Balls of Fire (1989)
Continue reading “Jimmy Swaggart, Rick Hurst, Lalo Schifrin, and Mick Ralphs Dies”He played a lot of grumpy old men.
Will Wright was a prolific American character actor, known for his distinctive appearance and nasal voice, which he used to great effect in a wide array of supporting roles in film, radio, and television throughout the mid-20th century. Born William Henry Wright on March 26, 1894, in San Francisco, California, he began his career not in acting, but in journalism. Before he turned to performance, Wright worked as a newspaper reporter and editor, a profession that helped hone his understanding of storytelling and dialogue—skills
Known for his appearances in over a hundred television shows and nearly fifty films.
John McGiver was an American character actor known for his distinctive, eloquent delivery and often pompous demeanor in film and television, born on November 5, 1913, in Manhattan, New York City. He was one of ten children in an Irish-American family and was educated at the Jesuit-run Regis High School in New York. He later earned a bachelor’s degree from Fordham University and a master’s in English from Columbia University.
His easily recognizable voice and demeanor made him a frequent guest star.
Percy Helton was a distinctive American character actor known for his high-pitched, raspy voice and appearances in numerous films and television shows from the silent era through the 1970s. He was born on January 31, 1894, in Manhattan, New York City. His father, Alfred Helton, was a stage actor, and Percy was introduced to the world of performance at a very young age.
The man best known as Sam Drucker!
Frank Cady was a beloved American character actor, best remembered for his portrayal of the affable storekeeper Sam Drucker on the television sitcoms Petticoat Junction, Green Acres, and The Beverly Hillbillies. Born Frank Randolph Cady on September 8, 1915, in Susanville, California, he spent much of his early life in the small-town atmosphere that later informed his on-screen persona. His parents, Leon and Clara Cady, operated a general store in Susanville,
Acted in hundreds of TV shows and Movies, but best known as Uncle Jesse Duke in The Dukes of Hazzard and Briscoe Darling on The Andy Griffith Show.
Denver Pyle was an American film and television actor best known for his roles as Uncle Jesse Duke in The Dukes of Hazzard and Briscoe Darling on The Andy Griffith Show. Born on May 11, 1920, in Bethune, Colorado, to farmers Ben H. Pyle and Maude Pyle, he grew up during the Great Depression and briefly attended Colorado State University before dropping out. He later moved to Los Angeles, where he pursued a career in entertainment after various jobs,
