MUSIC BREAK: BUDDY CLARK & THE ANDREWS SISTERS - BABY FACE

45 YEARS AGO - THE LAST APPEARANCE OF JOAN CRAWFORD

September 23rd, 1974, is a very important date on Joan’s chronology of events. Today marks the 39th anniversary since Joan made her last public appearance, at the Rainbow Room in New York.

During the first half of 1974, Joan kept herself out of the public eye. She was reluctant to make public appearances, and Joan started to see herself as an “ex movie star”. While she was inactive from the cameras, she was tied down with many appointments and illnesses. Joan was suffering from Periodontal Disease and Bacterial Infections in the jaw, which caused her to undergo several painful operations.

In May, Joan was complaining of sore gums and didn’t know what was wrong until she was diagnosed with periodontal disease on May 24th. This caused Joan to rest up at home with the occasional company of a few close friends.

On July 17th, Joan was hospitalized to undergo serious dental surgery. After a few days in hospital, Joan was discharged. Recovering at home, Joan preferred to be left alone for awhile. She had a few visitors check in on her to see how she was. She complained about the painful dental work and would rather avoid the subject. When the Writer, Adele Whitely Fletcher, whom Joan had known for fifty years called & wanted to see her, Joan explained that she was having painful dental work done, “Which I would rather you not mention. I don’t want everybody clucking that I’m really having a facelift. When I do, I’ll say so myself.”

By September, Joan was fully recovered & ready to welcome friends for dinner. On September 16th, Joan found out that she is to serve as hostess at a party honoring her good friend Rosalind Russell, to be held at the Rainbow Room, on September 23rd. Joan agreed, and was looking forward to seeing Rosalind again.

At the time, Rosalind was very ill and suffering from Rheumatoid Arthritis and the side effects from her daily Cortisone injections. She was also worried after receiving the news that she had been diagnosed with Cancer, which she kept discreet. Though she remained strong that night and put on a brave front.

The whole night, Joan and Rosalind Russell were swarmed by photographers and press taking photos, which were to appear in the newspapers the next day. When Joan read the newspaper the next morning, she was horrified to see unflattering photos of herself and Russell. Joan put down the paper and said, ” If that’s the way I look, they’ve seen the last of me.”

True to her word, Joan cancelled all upcoming engagements, including a charity fashion show, in which Joan was to appear in November. That was the last the public ever saw of Joan. She spent the rest of her life a recluse, hardly venturing out of her New York Apartment and only seeing close friends and family...

SOURCE

THE LAST ROLE OF LOU COSTELLO

In her affectionate biography of her father, Lou's on First (1981), Chris Costello remembers Lou's rare dramatic appearance on television's Wagon Train:

Howard Christie was now producing Wagon Train for television and a story came up which he felt was right for Dad. He had seen the General Electric Theater episode and felt Dad had the ability todo a beautiful job in a straight acting role. The story was "The Tobias Jones Story," in which Dad played the role of a drunk. Howard very capably describes the situation:

" ... From the moment Lou walked on that sound stage at Universal to do 'Tobias Jones,' there was never any sign of nervousness. He threw every ounce of himself into that part and did a brilliant job as the hopeless drunk, a character named Tobias Jones, accused of murdering a man on a wagon train. He was magnificent."

Harry Von Zell, Dad's old friend who had been the announcer on the Fred Allen Show, was the
official writer for Dad's segment of Wagon Train. He describes a scene which shows just how
dramatic my father could get:

"There was one scene between Lou and the little girl (Beverly Washburn) that runs maybe ten minutes. She's trying to reason with Tobias, reaching into this man to try and bring him out of his funk. Prior to the scene being shot, the makeup lady came over with her tear-producing glycerine to
make him able to cry in the scene. I went over to her and said, 'Why don't we rehearse Lou first
without the glycerine? He might be uncomfortable thinking you have to give him something to produce the tear effect.' She agreed.

"When it came time to shoot, Lou was crying crocodile tears. That little girl reached him so much and
so impressively, he was actually crying real tears. After the show aired, Lou gave Beverly Washburn
all the credit. He inisted it was the little girl who brought out that dramatic quality in him. I don't think it ever occurred to him for one minute that he already had that quality inside him."

Because of the great notices he received for his performance, he was approached by a producer to
star him in a dramatic play on Broadway--but that never took place. Dad's last acting role was now
behind him....

LAST APPEARANCE: JUDY GARLAND

Here is one of the last appearances Judy Garland made on television. Six months before her death on June 22, 1969, a frail Judy Garland made an appearances on "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson. The original broadcast was December 17,1968. It was a far cry from Dorothy and the land of Oz...

UNUSUAL DUETS: DEAN MARTIN AND THE ANDREWS SISTERS

The Andrews Sisters were closely associated with Bing Crosby, but they did appear with another great crooner Dean Martin. This duet is from Dino's variety show. Sadly it also marked the last time the Andrews Sisters would appear together. Sister Laverne would pass away soon after this appearance...

LAST APPEARANCES: ELEANOR POWELL

Here is the last public appearance that Eleanor Powell made at a tribute for Fred Astaire in April of 1981. She was already ill, but received a standing ovation. Eleanor Powell died February 11, 1982 of cancer at the age of 69...

LAST APPEARANCE: JOHNNY CASH

Here is the last known public performance of the great Johnny Cash. This was from July of 2003. His beloved wife June Carter Cash had died months earlier. Johnny Cash died on September 12, 2003...

LAST APPEARANCE: JOHN WAYNE

Here is a new feature where I spotlight the last appearances of great entertainers. This last appearance is of the great John Wayne. It was from the 1979 Oscars telecast. John Wayne was dying of cancer, and this was his last official appearance. He still had strength and dignity even though he was sick...