End of the day, end of the week, I’m bored . . . What with Milton Berle and Billy Wilder dying, I thought I’d compile a list (in no particular order) of show-biz folk 90 years or older:
Leni Riefenstahl
Bob Hope
Anita Page
Kitty Carlise Hart
Fay Wray
Charles Lane
Katharine Hepburn
Frances Dee
Buddy Ebsen
Penny Singleton
Eddie Albert
Luise Rainer
Elia Kazan
Artie Shaw
Gloria Stuart
Ronald Reagan
Simone Simon
Karl Malden
Hume Cronyn
Jane Wyatt
Jules Dassin
I met Kitty Carlisle Hart once, over 20 years ago. It was at a reception at the college president’s home. She was a regal looking lady, with great charm, poise, and grace.
A nice memory. Thank you for spurring that thought, Eve.
The only person on that list I know is Anita Page, who was an MGM starlet from about 1928–1932. She’s a great gal, very funny and full of stories about her costars (Lon Chaney, Wm. Haines, Clark Gable, Joan Crawford, Buster Keaton, John Gilbert!).
Bruce Bennett (Herman Brix), born 1909
One-time Tarzan, “Treasure of The Sierra Madre,” etc.
Also, not to hijack, but I think I have heard that Bob Hope, for whatever reason, falsified his records to show he was born in 1903, when he was really born in 1901, thus making him already 100 years of age. Anybody know if this is true?
Sir Rhosis
Is Stanley Donen still alive?
I see Buddy Ebsen on your list. I noticed in the paper that he had a birthday recently. (I think he was 94.)
[SNL reference]
You know why he outlived 'em all?
'Cause he was a dancer!
[/SNL reference]
It’s interesting to imagine what The Wizard of Oz would’ve been like if Ebsen hadn’t been allergic to the Tin Man makeup. Whee doggies, Dorothy!
Blondie (Penny Singleton) is STILL alive? I wonder if Baby Dumpling got her longevity genes?
Katharine Hepburn, b. 1907. You know, I recently saw Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1969) and was surprised to see that she had noticable Parkinson’s tremors. My recollection is that speculation about her disease came about the time she starred in On Golden Pond (1981). Is my memory faulty? In 1969 I wasn’t old enough to really be coherant about anyone’s medical conditions, movie star or not.
According to IMDb, Kate holds the record of being the actress with the most Oscar nominations and most Oscar wins, which I didn’t know.
Rilchiam, Stanley Donen is only 78. And Eve doesn’t like mentioning him.
I was going to add Anna Lee to the list, but IMDB says she was born in January 1913. Oh, so close!
Professor Irwin Corey turned 90 in January.
Millvina Dean, who counts as “entertainment folk” because she has appeared in documentaries about the Titanic, turned 90 in February.