Goodbye

There's a double dose of sad news to report today:

RIP Darren McGavin (1922-2006)

Darren McGavin died yesterday of natural causes, at an LA hospital with his family at his side--according to the actor's son Bogart.

McGavin was comfortable on both the big and small screens, finding success in both mediums, taking on many great roles.

His first film role, which went uncredited, came in 1945 as a student in A Song to Remember, Before long he graduated to bigger parts in movies like The Natural, Turk 182! , and Airport '77 .

The actor really made a name for himself on TV though, in the short lived cult classic "Kolchak: The Night Stalker" , during the 1974-75 season, which was revived last fall and met with a quick end. He did appear in the Pilot in a cameo. It seems like he was in just about every other series at some point. Besides Kolchack, I will remember his two appearances on "The X Files" which itself was a series inspired by Kolchak, and as "Murphy Brown" 's dad for which he was nominated for an Emmy.

But the one role in his long resume that will always be with me is as Mr Parker in the 1983 comedy, A Christmas Story--My favorite holiday film of all time! I will never forget him in that film as long as I live. He was pitch perfect in that film and helped make it the classic it has become today.

For more on his life and career click here.

RIP Don Knotts (1924-2006)

The comedic genius died this past Friday at Cedar-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles of lung cancer. He was 81.

Of course everyone will remember him as bumbling deputy Barney Fife on the classic TV comedy "The Andy Griffith Show" , for which he won 5 Emmys from 1960-1965 and as swinger in his own mind Ralph Furley on "Three's Company" from 1979-1984. Both parts, the actor was born to play, I might add.

Mr Knotts also made my childhood pretty special with film roles in The Reluctant Astronaut from 1967, in the star studded comedy It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World , The Incredible Mr. Limpet, as 1969's The Love God? And my personal faves The Apple Dumpling Gang and its sequel The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again, both with pal Tim Conway They made quite a pair whenever they did a project together.

Late in life he had a great part in Pleasantville as The TV Repairman and did a lot of voice-over work, including last year's animated film Chicken Little

For more on his life and career, Click here