GRACE BRADLEY DIES

Grace Bradley has passed away, and although her name will not be known to many, she was a Paramount contract player, starred with Bing Crosby in TOO MUCH HARMONY(1933), and was the widow of Hopalong Cassidy. She was 97.

She was born on September 21, 1913 in Brooklyn, New York. On December 22, 1930 Bradley made her Broadway debut at New York's Hammerstein Theatre in Ballyhoo. Her next stage appearance came one year later at The Music Box Theatre in The Third Little Show. Soon Bradley found herself working in various New York nightclubs and theatres. In March 1933, she apperared in Strike Me Pink at the Majestic Theatre. Soon Bradley decided to give Hollywood a try. After she left Broadway her role in Strike Me Pink was taken over by Dorothy Dare, who would later become a musical film star.

Although she actually made one film in 1932 her real film career did not begin until 1933 when she starred in a lead role in the film Too Much Harmony (1933). In the 1930s she became one of the periods most popular musical stars and her other screen credits include parts in Girl Without a Room (1933), The Cat's Paw (1934), Anything Goes (1936), Wake Up and Live (1937), Larceney on the Air (1937), and The Big Broadcast of 1938.

During her career she co-starred opposite such notable figures as Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Dorothy Lamour, Alice Faye, Bruce Cabot, William Bendix, Fred MacMurray, Harold Lloyd and W.C. Fields.In May 1937, Bradley submitted to a blind date and met Hopalong Cassidy star William Boyd and the two of them hit it off so well that they were wed in June 1937.

In the 1940s Bradley's star began to wain and in 1943 she starred in her last big role in Taxi, Mister. Following this Bradley had officially played out her Paramount contract and she spent the remainder of the 1940s alongside her beloved husband William Boyd and traveled around the country with him helping to promote his cowboy image. She did come out of her publicty trips with Boyd to make one more film appearance; an uncredited cameo role in Tournament of Roses (1954).

On September 12, 1972, just nine days before her 59th birthday, William Boyd died and Bradley became a widow. Following his death she retired from the entertainment world; however, since she shared such a strong union with her husband she still continued to do things to help keep Boyd's memory alive. Although she never bore children she considered all the children who enjoyed her husbands work as Hopalong Cassidy to be like her children. She also endured years of fighting for the legal rights to her late husbands sixty-six "Hopalong Cassidy" features. With her acting career behind her she devoted her time to a lot of volunteer work at the Laguna Beach Hospital where her husband had spent his final days.

Grace Bradley Boyd died on her 97th birthday; Tuesday, September 21, 2010. She left no survivors. On Thursday, September 23, 2010 private services were held at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, CA. She was interred with her husband there...

INTERVIEW: CONNIE FRANCIS

Connie Francis was a legendary singer in the 1960s, but her life has been filled with tragedy and problems. Here is a recent interview I discovered from June of 2010. Connie is now 71 years old...

RIP: EDDIE FISHER

1950s singer Eddie Fisher has passed away. Discovered by Eddie Cantor in the late 1940s, Fisher had a troubled career and an even more troubled relationship with his wives and children. He had been out of the spotlight for quite some time...

LOS ANGELES – Pop singer Eddie Fisher, whose clear voice brought him a devoted following of teenage girls in the early 1950s before marriage scandals overshadowed his fame, has died at age 82.

He passed away Wednesday night at his home in Berkeley of complications from hip surgery, his daughter, Tricia Leigh Fisher of Los Angeles, told The Associated Press.

"Late last evening the world lost a true America icon," Fisher's family said in a statement released by publicist British Reece. "One of the greatest voices of the century passed away. He was an extraordinary talent and a true mensch."

The death was first reported by Hollywood website deadline.com.

In the early 50s, Fisher sold millions of records with 32 hit songs including "Thinking of You," "Any Time," "Oh, My Pa-pa," "I'm Yours," "Wish You Were Here," "Lady of Spain" and "Count Your Blessings."

His fame was enhanced by his 1955 marriage to movie darling Debbie Reynolds — they were touted as "America's favorite couple" — and the birth of two children.

Their daughter Carrie Fisher became a film star herself in the first three "Star Wars" films as Princess Leia, and later as a best-selling author of "Postcards From the Edge" and other books.

Carrie Fisher spent most of 2008 on the road with her autobiographical show "Wishful Drinking." In an interview with The Associated Press, she told of singing with her father on stage in San Jose. Eddie Fisher was by then in a wheelchair and living in San Francisco.

When Eddie Fisher's best friend, producer Mike Todd, was killed in a 1958 plane crash, Fisher comforted the widow, Elizabeth Taylor. Amid sensationalist headlines, Fisher divorced Reynolds and married Taylor in 1959.

The Fisher-Taylor marriage lasted only five years. She fell in love with co-star Richard Burton during the Rome filming of "Cleopatra," divorced Fisher and married Burton in one of the great entertainment world scandals of the 20th century.

Edwin Jack Fisher was born Aug. 10, 1928, in Philadelphia, one of seven children of a Jewish grocer. At 15 he was singing on Philadelphia radio.

Fisher's romantic messages resonated with young girls in the pre-Elvis period. Publicist-manager Milton Blackstone helped the publicity by hiring girls to scream and swoon at Fisher's appearances.

After getting out of the Army in 1953 following a two-year hitch, hit records, his own TV show and the headlined marriage to Reynolds made Fisher a top star. The couple costarred in a 1956 romantic comedy, "Bundle of Joy," that capitalized on their own parenthood.

In 1960 he played a role in "Butterfield 8," for which Taylor won an Academy Award. But that film marked the end of his movie career.

After being discarded by Taylor, Fisher became the butt of comedians' jokes. He began relying on drugs to get through performances, and his bookings dwindled. He later said he had made and spent $20 million during his heyday, and much of it went to gambling and drugs.

In 1983, Fisher attempted a full-scale comeback. But his old fans had been turned off by the scandals, and the younger generation had been turned on by rock. The tour was unsuccessful.

He had added to his notoriety that year with an autobiography, "Eddie: My Life, My Loves." Of his first three marriages, he wrote he had been bullied into marriage with Reynolds, whom he didn't know well; became nursemaid as well as husband to Taylor, and was reluctant to marry Connie Stevens but she was pregnant and he "did the proper thing."

Another autobiography, "Been There, Done That," published in 1999, was even more searing. He called Reynolds "self-centered, totally driven, insecure, untruthful, phony." He claimed he abandoned his career during the Taylor marriage because he was too busy taking her to emergency rooms and cleaning up after her pets, children and servants. Both ex-wives were furious, and Carrie Fisher threatened to change her name to Reynolds.

At 47, Fisher married a 21-year-old beauty queen, Terry Richard. The marriage ended after 10 months. His fifth marriage, to Betty Lin, a Chinese-born businesswoman, lasted longer than any of the others. Fisher had two children with Reynolds: Carrie and Todd; and two girls with Stevens: Joely and Tricia.

MEL BROOKS (BORN 1926)

When Mel Brooks's movies first gained popularity in the early 1970s, he was considered vulgar and dirty, but looking back at his movies they were really good. Brook was also a talented writer for Sid Caesar in the early days of television. I personally think that he was one of the best directors and funny men of all time...

TEN MOVIES THAT SHOULD BE ON DVD

Over the last couple of years a huge amount of great movies have been released on DVD. However, there are still a number of great films that still collect dust somewhere. In my opinion, here are 10 movies that should be released on DVD...

1. KID MILLIONS(1934) - This month two of Eddie Cantor's movies from the late 1940s are being released, but his movies from his golden era need to be released. KID MILLIONS is among his best. The movie is partially in color and features Irving Berlin tunes and a young George Murphy and Ann Southern...

2. SHOW BOAT(1935) - Everyone remembers the 1951 MGM remake of SHOW BOAT, but the 1935 version of the stage musical is far superior. It is really a crime that any film with Irene Dunne and/or Helen Morgan is not released yet...

3. THE FACE BEHIND THE MASK(1941) - A little known film from Columbia which starred Peter Lorre and Evelyn Keyes. Lorre tugs at your heartstrings in this movie. It is one of my favorite movies of all-time. Thankfully got TCM I have the movie, because it has never been released anywhere...

4. DIXIE(1943) - This is a rare Bing Crosby movie, where he portrays Dan Emmett, who wrote the song "Dixie". It has never been released, mostly because of the blackface in the movie, but it really is a great film...

5. THE ACCUSED(1949) - I saw this movie on AMC when they played old movies, and I have always wanted to see it again. The movie stars Loretta Young as a woman who is attacked and kills her assailant. It has been a long time sing I saw this film...

6. UNGUARDED MOMENT(1956) - This movie is one of the few films where Esther Williams does not swim or even take a bath. It is a drama about a teacher being stalked by one of her students. It is a rare Esther Williams gem...

7. GIGOT(1962) - In many ways I think GIGOT is a masterpiece. It is one of Jackie Gleason's finest roles as a deaf poor soul. Gleason makes the movie and does not speak at all. Of all the movies on this list, I would love to see this one released most of all...

8. SOLDIER IN THE RAIN(1964) - This is another Jackie Gleason movie. This one has Gleason as a sageant in the army, and a young Steve McQueen is a backwards private that befriends him. It is another fine movie that should not be forgotten...

9. DR. COOK'S GARDEN(1971) - This television movie starred an older Bing Crosby as an aging country doctor who takes matters into his own hands when it comes to his community and the people who live in it. Bing gives a chilling performance in this odd forgotten gem...

10. THE DAY THE CLOWN CRIED(1972) - This is the infamous Jerry Lewis movie that has never seen the light of day. I have never liked Jerry Lewis much, but I would love to see this movie just because of curiosity and nothing else...

RUSS MORGAN'S SON RETIRES

Does anyone remember the great orchestra of Russ Morgan?

In 1935, Russ Morgan formed what became a legendary dance band, with hits including So Tired, Cruising Down the River, Somebody Else Is Taking My Place, Forever and Ever, and his theme song, Does Your Beat for Me?.

After Russ passed away in 1969, one of his sons, Jack, took over the leadership of his dad's famed orchestra and has since kept his father's musical legacy going for more than 40 years. However, Jack has decided to call its quits with a "last hurrah" tour and retire at the end of 2010.

That means that during the 75 years that The Russ Morgan Orchestra has been in existence, there's been only two leaders: Russ and Jack. No other big band can make that claim!

Under his direction, Jack expanded the Orchestra's working music library to more than 1,800 songs, including a large number of Latin tunes. Besides playing the trombone and singing, Jack is a talented ballroom dancer, so he and The Russ Morgan Orchestra will finish out their performances with some dance dates later in the year...

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...