A HOLLYWOOD HERO: JOHN C. MCGINLEY

John C. McGinley was known to millions as the fast-talking, sarcastic Dr. Perry Cox on Scrubs. But behind the scenes, his most profound role was not on a soundstage—it was at home, as a father.

When Max was born, John and his then-wife Lauren Lambert were expecting a healthy baby girl. But life had other plans. Max arrived with an extra 21st chromosome, a diagnosis of Down syndrome, and a host of medical challenges including heart issues and sleep apnea. John described the moment as being hit with a “cosmic hammer.” Everything changed.

John stepped back from acting, choosing instead to “circle the wagons” and focus on his son. The early years were tough—doctor visits, therapies, and sleepless nights. But slowly, Max began to thrive. He grew into a “lovely, stubborn, opinionated young man” who adored his sisters, Billie Grace and Kate.

Max’s biggest challenge was language. His sisters, profoundly verbal, became his bridge to the world. John made it a mission to empower all three children, ensuring Max was never a burden but a gift. The siblings embraced him fully, shaping their worldview around compassion and inclusion.

Max loved swings. Not just any swings—he craved the “juice” of vestibular stimulation, that exhilarating arc at the top of a swing’s motion. So John built him giant swings out of 25-foot telephone poles. “Ridiculous,” he laughed, “but they yielded dividends.” It was a metaphor for their life: unconventional, bold, and full of love.

Music became another outlet. Max plays rhythm guitar in a band called Spec Labs, composed of neurodiverse musicians. He once played with his back to the audience, but now he faces the crowd with pride. He also works at Starbucks, contributing to his community with joy and dignity.

 John didn’t stop at home. He became a fierce advocate for the Global Down Syndrome Foundation, helping raise awareness and push for research and policy change. He even influenced Scrubs to include a storyline featuring a patient with Down syndrome, bringing representation to the screen.

Every October, during Down Syndrome Awareness Month, John escorts models with Down syndrome down the runway at the “Be Beautiful, Be Yourself” fashion show. His advocacy is not just public—it’s personal, passionate, and persistent.

John once said, “I never wanted Max to be a burden to his sisters. I wanted them to be the instigators of activities done with their brother.” And they are. Together, they swing high, strum guitars, decorate Christmas trees with unbreakable ornaments, and live a life that defies expectations...

THE PASSING SCENE OF 2025

 Two things that are always guranteed in life are taxes and death. This year is no different as we remember some of the great icons, entertainers, and personalities who are no longer with us...

Robert Redford

Actor, ROBERT REDFORD, died on September 16th at the age of 89. Redford started his career in television, acting in Alfred Hitchcock Presents and The Twilight Zone before making his Broadway debut playing a newlywed husband in Neil Simon's comedic play Barefoot in the Park (1963). Redford made his film debut in War Hunt (1962) before finding leading man stardom acting in Barefoot in the Park (1967), Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), Jeremiah Johnson (1972), The Candidate (1972), and The Sting (1973), the last of which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Redford's stardom continued in films such as The Way We Were (1973), The Great Gatsby (1974), Three Days of the Condor (1975), All the President's Men (1976), The Electric Horseman (1979), Brubaker (1980), The Natural (1984), and Out of Africa (1985). He later acted in Sneakers (1992), All Is Lost (2013), Truth (2015), Our Souls at Night (2017), and The Old Man & the Gun (2018). Redford portrayed Alexander Pierce in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) and Avengers: Endgame (2019); the latter was his last on-screen film appearance.

 

Actress LONI ANDERSON, died on August 3rd at the age of 79. She is best known for playing receptionist Jennifer Marlowe on the CBS sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati (1978–1982), which earned her nominations for three Golden Globe Awards and two Emmy Awards.She was married to Burt Reynolds for awhile and last appeared on screen in 2023.

Entertainer, DAVID JOHANSEN, died on February 28th at the age of 75. Also known as Buster Pointdexter, he was the leader of the punk band, the New York Dolls. He also did some acting, most notably in the Billy Murray comedy Scrooged in 1988. He was diagnosed with cancer in 2020 which forced him to retire.

Singer, ROBERTA FLACK, died at the age of 88 on February 24th. Her commercial success included the Billboard Hot 100 chart-topping singles "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", "Killing Me Softly with His Song", and "Feel Like Makin' Love". She became the first artist to win the Grammy Award for Record of the Year in consecutive years. Ill health forced her to semi retire in 2018, and she completely retired in 2020.

Actor RICHARD CHAMBERLAIN, died on March 29th at the age of 90. He became a teen idol in the title role of the television show Dr. Kildare (1961–1966). He subsequently earned the title "King of the Mini-Series" for his work in several TV miniseries such as Centennial (1978), Shōgun (1980), and The Thorn Birds (1983). Chamberlain also performed classical stage roles and worked in musical theater. He continued to perform until his retirement in 2019.

Gene Hackman

Actor, GENE HACKMAN, died at the age of 95 on February 17th. Hackman's two Academy Award wins were for Best Actor for his role as Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle in William Friedkin's action thriller The French Connection (1971) and for Best Supporting Actor for his role as a villainous sheriff in Clint Eastwood's Western film Unforgiven (1992). He was also Oscar-nominated for three other roles: that of Buck Barrow in the crime drama Bonnie and Clyde (1967), a college professor in the drama I Never Sang for My Father (1970), and an FBI agent in the historical drama Mississippi Burning (1988). One of my favorte roles was a comedic role as the Senator in 1996's The Birdcage. He retired from acting in 2004.

Actor VAL KILMER, died at the age of 65 of pneumonia on April 1st. Initially a stage actor, he found fame after appearances in comedy films Top Secret! (1984) and Real Genius (1985), and later in the military action film Top Gun (1986) and the fantasy film Willow (1988). Kilmer gained acclaim for his portrayal of Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone's The Doors (1991). He played Batman in 1995's Batman Forever. He was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2015, but he kept working. Kilmer reprised his role as Tom "Iceman" Kazansky for the Top Gun sequel Top Gun: Maverick (2022) whoich would be his last movie.

Actor MALCOLM JAMAL-WARNER, died from drowning on July 20th at the age of 54. He rose to prominence for his role as Theodore Huxtable on the NBC sitcom The Cosby Show (1984–1992), which earned him a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series at the 38th Primetime Emmy Awards. He was also known for his roles as Malcolm McGee on the UPN sitcom Malcolm & Eddie (1996–2000). In 2024, Warner created a podcast dedicated to the lives of African-Americans. 

Professional wrestler HULK HOGAN, died of heart failure at the age of 71 on July 24th. His real name was Terry Gene Bollea, and he started in wrestling in 1977 and became one of the most widely celebrated wrestlers in all history. He appeared in a few films but stuck mostly to wrestling. He retired from the ring in 2012, but he kept on making appearances until the end.

Singer JANE MORGAN, died on August 5th at the age of 101. Morgan initially found success in France and the UK before achieving recognition in the US, receiving six gold records. Her big hit was the song Fascination, which she recorded in 1957. She was a frequent nightclub and Broadway performer, and also appeared numerous times on American television, both as a singer and as a dramatic performer.Jane made her last album in 1971 but continued performing until 2009. She made an appearance at her 100th birthday last year.

Diane Keaton

Actress DIANE KEATON, died at the age of 79 on October 11th. She was a popular actress for five decades and rose prominence with her first major film role as Kay Adams in Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather (1972), a role she reprised in its sequels Part II (1974) and Part III (1990). She frequently collaborated with Allen beginning with the film adaptation of Play It Again, Sam (1972). Her next two films with him, Sleeper (1973) and Love and Death (1975), established her as a comic actress, while her fourth, Annie Hall (1977), won her the Academy Award for Best Actress. She remained a force in movies with a starring role in Father Of The Bride (1991) and The First Wive's Club (1996), and she continued in movies until 2024.

Actress POLLY HOLLIDAY, died at the age of 88 on September 9th. She was best known for her portrayal of sassy waitress Florence Jean "Flo" Castleberry on the 1970s sitcom Alice, a role for which she earned two Golden Globe Awards, and would also later reprise for its short-lived spin-off, Flo. Her character's catchphrase of "Kiss my grits!" remains the most memorable line associated with the series Alice. In 1984, Holliday won the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Mrs. Ruby Deagle in Gremlins. She retired from acting in 2010.

Comedian RUTH BUZZI, died on May 1st at the age of 88. Ruth was was best known for her performances on the comedy-variety show Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In from 1968 to 1973, for which she won a Golden Globe Award and received five Emmy nominations. Buzzi was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2012.In July 2022, it was reported that Buzzi had suffered a series of strokes and was improving. Ruth had pretty much retired from acting in the late 2000s.

Actress SALLY KIRLAND, died of dementia on November 11th at the age of 84. A onetime member of Andy Warhol's The Factory and an active member in 1960s New York avant-garde theater, Kirkland garnered widespread critical acclaim for her eponymous performance as a former popular actress in the independent comedy-drama Anna (1987), which earned her the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress. She also won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film. She continued to make appearences through this year.

Actor GEORGE WENDT, died at the age May 20th at the age of 76.. He is best known for playing Norm Peterson on the NBC sitcom Cheers (1982–1993), which earned him six consecutive nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. After Cheers ended in 1993, he also appeared in the films Airplane II: The Sequel (1982), No Small Affair (1984), Fletch (1985), The Little Rascals (1994), Spice World (1997), Outside Providence (1999), Santa Buddies (2009), and Sandy Wexler (2017). 

June Lockhart

Actress JUNE LOCKHART, died on October 23rd at the age of 100. She began her a film career in the 1930s and 1940s in films such as A Christmas Carol and Meet Me in St. Louis. She appeared primarily in 1950s and 1960s television and with performances on stage and in film. She became most widely known for her work on two television series, Lassie and Lost in Space, in which she played mother roles. Lockhart also portrayed Dr. Janet Craig on the CBS television sitcom Petticoat Junction (1968–70). She was a two-time Emmy Award nominee and a Tony Award winner. She retired from performing in 2021.

Singer CONNIE FRANCIS, died at the age of 87 on July 16th. She was an American pop singer, actress, and one of the top-charting female vocalists of the late 1950s and early 1960s. She was estimated to have sold more than 100 million records worldwide.In 1960, Francis was recognized as the most successful female recording artist in Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, Italy, Australia, and the United States. She retired in 2018 and had been in failing health since earlier this year after having hip surgery.

Singer CLEO LAINE, died on July 24th at the age of 98. Known for her scat singing in her native Britain, Laine's international activities began in 1972, with a successful first tour of Australia, where she released six top-100 albums throughout the 1970s.Shortly afterwards, her career in the United States was launched with a concert at New York's Lincoln Center, followed in 1973 by the first of her many Carnegie Hall appearances.  She kept touring into the 21st century, including in Australia in 2005. She performed live in the UK as late as 2018. She retired in 2019.

Actress LORETTA SWIT, died at the age of 87 on May 30th. She is best known for her role on the television series Mash from 1972 to 1985. Her role as Hot Lips Houlihan won her two emmys. Swit also guest-starred in television shows such as Bonanza; The Love Boat; Win, Lose or Draw; Password; Gunsmoke; Match Game; Pyramid; The Muppet Show; and Hollywood Squares. Loretta's last acting role was in 2019.

Heavy metal singer OZZY OSBOURNE, died on July 22nd at the age of 76. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which period he adopted the nickname "Prince of Darkness". Osbourne became a founding member of Black Sabbath in 1968, providing lead vocals from their eponymous debut studio album in 1970 to Never Say Die! in 1978. Stricken with Parkinson's disease, he made his last public performance on July 5, 2025.

Diane Ladd

Actress DIANE LADD, died at the age of 89 on November 3rd. With a career spanning over 70 years, she appeared in over 200 films and television shows, receiving three Academy Award nominations for her roles in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974), Wild at Heart (1990) and Rambling Rose (1991), the first of which won her a BAFTA Award. She was also nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards and four Golden Globe Awards, winning one for her role in the sitcom Alice (1980–1981). Ladd's other film appearances included Chinatown (1974), National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989), Ghosts of Mississippi (1996), Primary Colors (1998), 28 Days (2000) and Joy (2015). She retired from acting in 2022.

Actor/director ROB REINER was murdered by his son on December 14th. He was 78. As an actor he played Mike "Meathead" Stivic on All In The Family from 1971 to 1979, and he moved on to directing in the 1980s. Reiner made his directorial film debut with the heavy metal mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap (1984). He earned acclaim directing the romantic comedy The Sure Thing (1985), the coming-of-age drama Stand by Me (1986), the fantasy adventure The Princess Bride (1987), the romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally... (1989), the psychological horror-thriller Misery (1990), the military courtroom drama A Few Good Men (1992). He was the son of famed comedy legend Carl Reiner.

Actress MAY BRITT died at the age of 91 on December 11th. She was a Swedish actress who had a brief career in the 1950s in Italy and later in the United States. She was married to American entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. from 1960 to 1968. She quit Hollywood when she married Davis, but returned to acting, and her final role was in 1988 before she retired to a quiet life with her 3rd husband.

Actress BRIDGETTE BARDOT died on December 28th at the age of 91. She was a French actress, singer, model, and animal rights activist. Famous for portraying characters with hedonistic lives, she was one of the best-known symbols of the sexual revolution. Although she withdrew from the entertainment industry in 1973, she remained a major pop culture icon.

Another year of remembering those we have sadly lost...

BORN ON THIS DAY: RICHARD WIDMARK

Born on this day in 1914 was the great character actor Richard Widmark. Widmark was born , in Sunrise Township, Minnesota, the son of Ethel Mae (née Barr) and Carl Henry Widmark. His father was of Swedish descent, and his mother was of English and Scottish ancestry. Widmark grew up in Princeton, Illinois, and lived in Henry, Illinois for a short time, moving frequently because of his father's work as a traveling salesman. He attended Lake Forest College, where he studied acting and taught acting after he was graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in speech in 1936. The Army turned him down during World War II because of a perforated ear drum.

Widmark made his debut as a radio actor in 1938 on Aunt Jenny's Real Life Stories. In 1941 and 1942, he was heard daily on the Mutual Broadcasting System in the title role of the daytime serial Front Page Farrell, introduced each afternoon as "the exciting, unforgettable radio drama... the story of a crack newspaperman and his wife, the story of David and Sally Farrell." Farrell was a top reporter for the Brooklyn Eagle. When the series moved to NBC, Widmark turned the role to Carleton G. Young and Staats Cotsworth.

Widmark's first movie appearance was in the 1947 film noir Kiss of Death, as the giggling, sociopathic villain Tommy Udo. In his most notorious scene, Udo pushed a woman in a wheelchair (played by Mildred Dunnock) down a flight of stairs to her death.Widmark was almost not cast. He said, "The director, Henry Hathaway, didn't want me. I have a high forehead; he thought I looked too intellectual." Hathaway was overruled by studio boss Darryl F. Zanuck. "Hathaway gave me kind of a bad time," recalled Widmark. Kiss of Death was a commercial and critical success: Widmark won the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year - Actor, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance. 

Over forty years of movie appearances followed through 1992. He retired from acting and lived a happy life until his death in 2088 at the age of 93. Richard Widmark might not have been the most recognizable actor, but every movie he was in highlighted his talen to the fullest...

BING CROSBY: THE HOLLYWOOD YEARS - PART 10

THE WORST CHRISTMAS SONG EVER

Not all Chrsitmas songs are as great as anything sung by Bing Crosby or Mariah Carey, and in my humble opinion "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas" is the worst! It is a Christmas novelty song written by John Rox (1902–1957) and performed by 10-year-old Gayla Peevey in 1953. The song peaked at number 24 on Billboard magazine's pop chart in December 1953.

Peevey was a child star who was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Her family moved to Ponca City, Oklahoma, when she was five.When released nationally by Columbia Records the song shot to the top of the charts, and the Oklahoma City Zoo acquired a baby hippo named Matilda.

In October 1953, Peevey performed the song on The Ed Sullivan Show in an episode that would air on November 15, 1953.

A popular legend holds that this 1953 hit had been recorded as a fundraiser to bring the city zoo a hippo, but in a 2007 radio interview with Detroit-based WNIC radio station, Peevey clarified that the song was not originally recorded as a fundraiser. Instead, the Oklahoma City Zoo and a local newspaper, picking up on the popularity of the song and Peevey's local roots, launched the Gayla Peevey hippo fund so Peevey could be presented with an actual hippopotamus on Christmas.

The campaign succeeded, and she was presented with an actual hippopotamus, which – as had been planned all along – she donated to the city zoo. The hippopotamus lived for nearly 50 years. In 2017, Peevey, then 73 years old, was again present when the Oklahoma City Zoo acquired a rare pygmy hippopotamus from the San Diego Zoo.

In a 2010 interview, Peevey said that she had never received any royalties from the song. By 2016, however, she had discovered that there was an account under her name with Sony Music from which she could claim royalties and she was also getting revenue for the song through iTunes...

SANTA AND THE MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET

According to Natalie Wood's biographer, during the shoot for "Miracle on 34th Street" (1947), she was convinced that Edmund Gwenn was actually Santa Claus (by all accounts, he was a very good natured man on the set). It wasn't until she saw him out of costume at the wrap party that she realized he wasn't Santa.

The cast and crew were unanimous in their opinion of Gwenn: they loved him. Alvin Greenman who played Alfred called him "a dear, dear man," and Robert Hyatt, who played Tommy Mara, Jr., said in a 2001 interview, "He was a really nice guy, always happy, always smiling. He had this little twinkle in his eye." Added Maureen O'Hara, "By the time we were halfway through the shoot, we all believed Edmund really was Santa Claus. I've never seen an actor more naturally suited for a role."

Unbeknownst to most parade watchers, Gwenn played Santa Claus in the actual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade held on November 28, 1946. He fulfilled the duties of most parade Santas, including addressing the crowd from Macy's marquee after it was over. He was introduced to the crowd by Philip Tonge, who played Mr. Shellhammer, and later unveiled the mechanical Christmas display windows to the accompaniment of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker Suite." This gesture symbolized the opening of the Christmas season there.

Both Macy's and Gimbel's were approached by the producers for permission to have them depicted in the film. Both wanted to see the finished film first before they gave approval. If either had refused, the film would have had to been extensively edited and re-shot to eliminate the references. Fortunately at the test viewing, both were pleased with the film and gave their permission.

When Gwenn accepted his Best Supporting Actor Oscar for the role, he said, "Now I know there's a Santa Claus."

FLASHBACK: BORIS KARLOFF - 1966

59 years ago today, December 18, 1966, Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! premiered!

  
The 26-minute short was originally telecast in the United States on CBS on December 18, 1966. CBS repeated it annually during the Christmas season until their last airing in 1986. Beginning in 1987, TNT began exclusively running the special. Unlike the years it aired on CBS, The Grinch now ran several times during the Christmas season. In 1990, TBS also began running the special. From 1996 until 2005, The WB Television Network also began airing the special at least once per season. Then in 2006, The Grinch returned to one of the big three networks, this being ABC, which began broadcasting it several times annually during the Christmas season until 2014. On August 13, 2015, it was announced that the special will move to NBC, which will air it twice during the Christmas season under a three-year licensing deal with Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution. It is currently aired during the Christmas season additionally on various cable channels owned by Turner Broadcasting System. including TNT, TBS, Cartoon Network, and Boomerang but with some scenes trimmed to fit more commercial time.

Boris Karloff, in one of his final roles, narrates the film and also provides the speaking voice of The Grinch. (The opening credits state, "The sounds of the Grinch are by Boris Karloff...And read by Boris Karloff too!") The special was originally produced by The Cat in the Hat Productions in association with the television and animation divisions of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios.