Jiminy Christmas, Still Another?!

Fred Travalena, a talented comedian and impressionist, lost his seven-year battle Sunday against cancer at age 66. He was a perennial guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and during his 40-year career, delighted audiences with his impersonations of such show biz figures as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Bob Hope.

Not Another?!

Actress/Singer Gale Storm, best remembered for starring in two television sitcoms and recording a cover version of "I Hear You Knocking," passed away on Saturday at age 87.

Ken Roberts, R. I. P.

Perhaps best remembered as the long-time announcer for such television Soap Operas as Love of Life and The Secret Storm, Ken Roberts, who was the father of Broadway and motion picture actor Tony Roberts, passed away on June 19 at age 99 from pneumonia.

Mr. Roberts was also in demand for radio and TV commercials. Here is a 1955 ABC telecast of Dollar A Second, hosted by Jan Murray. On this show, Ken was not only the announcer but also on-camera commercial pitchman for Mogen David wine.









To a generation of TV viewers, he was the announcer of Love of Life and The Secret Storm.

Here is the conclusion of a 1966 CBS telecast of The Secret Storm.

Music performed by Charles Paul.

Death Of A Salesman

This was a rough week for cultural icons, with the recent passings of Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, and Michael Jackson.

Now comes news of the passing of a television commercial and infomercial icon of recent years.

Here's one his commercials:




Billy Mays was 50 years old.

Not Everyone

It appears not everyone misses the recently-deceased "King of Pop."

Red Letter Day For Obits As "Jacko" and Farrah Pass On

As you may have known by now, entertainer and "King of Pop" (as well as cultural icon) Michael Jackson passed away on Thursday in Los Angeles at age 50. Family members suspect that Mr. Jackson passed away from cardiac arrest. An autopsy is scheduled for Friday.

Actress and former Charlie's Angel Farrah Fawcett lost her battle with cancer at age 62, also on Thursday. Miss Fawcett went from emerging as somewhat of a cultural icon from the swimsuit poster she posed for and as being one of the stars of the ABC television series Charlie's Angels in its first season (1976-77) to gaining positive reviews for serious roles in movies and TV, beginning with her performance in "The Burning Bed."

Queensland Squad Wins State of Origin Series

At Sydney, Australia:

Greg Inglis, Israel Folau, Darren Lockyear, and Cameron Smith each scored a try (four points each in Rugby League) as Queensland defeated New South Wales 24-14 in game two of the State of Origin Rugby League series. The Queenslanders win the series, but there will be a third game in this year's series, to be played on July 15 in Brisbane, Queensland.

Ed McMahon, R.I.P.

Ed McMahon, who was Johnny Carson's longtime announcer and sidekick on The Tonight Show (1962-92) and who was also the host of the original version of Star Search, passed away on Monday in Los Angeles at the UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center at age 86.

Now, up there, Ed will once again announce, "Heeeeeeere's Johnny!"

I also must add that Mr. McMahon's association with Mr. Carson actually dated back to 1958 when Ed became the new announcer on an ABC game show that Johnny was hosting entitled Who Do You Trust.

Johnny passed away in 2005.

Ed McMahon was also co-host with Dick Clark on a weekly primetime show TV Bloopers and Practical Jokes. He was also the announcer and sidekick to Jerry Lewis on numerous Muscular Dystrophy telethons.

Ed also did numerous commercials. He was a spokesman for the American Family Sweepstakes as well as Budweiser, brewed by Anhauser-Busch.

In recent years, Ed had been having all sorts of financial problems. He also had suffered from a broken neck that had left him unable to work.

Okay, Kids, Time For A Cartoon

The title of this cartoon is "Yelp Wanted" starring Scrappy in his first cartoon.

Produced by Charles Mintz

Story: Dick Huemer

Animation: Sid Marcus, Art Davis

Music: Joe De Nat

Released theatrically in 1931 by Columbia Pictures

Enjoy!

More Video

Here is another piece of video from Sunday's Southern Oregon coast trip.

Queensland Tops NSW In Series Opener

At Melbourne, Australia:

Three tries (each worth four points in Rugby League) in a six-minute span in the first half helped lift Queensland to a 28-18 win over New South Wales in the opening match of the State of Origin rugby league series on Wednesday.

Beach Video, Take One

Here is a piece of video from Sunday's trip to the Southern Oregon coast.


This was taken at Harris Beach State Park, near Brookings, Oregon.

A Day At The Beach

These photos were taken this past Sunday at Harris Beach State Park, just north of Brookings, Oregon. I hope to have some video uploaded in the near futre.