Baby, If You've Ever Wondered....

Alexander Gordon Jump was born, ironically, in Dayton, Ohio, on April 1, 1932.  While growing up in the Midwest, he developed an interest in communications, eventually earning a degree in journalism from Kansas State University.  After graduation, he took a series of on-air jobs in both radio and television (really), which would undoubtedly lay the groundwork for the role he would be most famously associated with, that of Arthur Carlson, aka "The Big Guy," on WKRP in Cincinnati.

In the early 1960s, Jump decided to move to Los Angeles and take up acting full time.  It didn't take him long to pick up roles on series such as The Brady Bunch, Get Smart, and Green Acres.  He was also the pitchman for Shakey's Pizza Parlor.  Watch one of his commercials here.

Jump was a practicing Mormon, and he loaned his acting talents to a series of religious-themed productions in the 1960s, including a marriage-advice film titled What About Thad?  Watch it in its entirety here.  You won't be disappointed.

By 1978, he had established himself as a reliable character actor in Hollywood.  Given his background in both radio and TV, he was probably pre-destined to join WKRP that year.  Watch the intro here.  I'm convinced that's his hand changing the radio dial.

The series only lasted for four seasons, as someone at CBS felt that renewing Alice for a 9th season was a smarter move.  Although it's time on the air was brief, WKRP produced a number of memorable episodes, none more so than the infamous "Turkeys Away" Thanksgiving episode, which, ironically aired on Halloween that year!  Watch series creator Hugh Wilson discuss the real-world origins of that episode in this interview.

After cancellation, Jump continued to find work on television.  His most notable (and creepy) guest-starring role was on Diff'rent Strokes, in a story that put the phrase "a very special episode" in all of our vocabularies.  Jump played Mr. Horton, owner of Horton's Bicycle Shop, who had evil intentions on series regulars Arnold (Gary Coleman) and his best pal Dudley (Shavar Ross).  Watch it in its entirety here.

Then in 1989, Jump assumed his second-most-famous role, that of the Maytag Repairman, replacing long-term veteran Jesse White.  Watch one of Jump's commercials here.

Two years later, a funny thing happened.  WKRP's creator Hugh Wilson decided to bring the series back to television with all-new, original episodes, buoyed by the success of other first-run syndication series, such as Star Trek: The Next Generation and Baywatch.  Jump returned to his role of Arthur Carlson and was joined by fellow WKRP cast members Frank Bonner and Richard Sanders.  Watch the updated intro here. The revised version lacked the chemistry of the original however, and was canceled after just two seasons.  It did however launch the careers of French Stewart, Mykelti Williamson and Tawny Kitaen, a fact we can all most certainly be happy about.

Jump was a private person, and although he stayed in touch with the original cast members, he never told them that his health was in decline.  Series star Gary Sandy, aka Andy Travis, suspected something was wrong however, after Jump left an event early claiming he was tired.  Listen to the interview here.  What Jump hadn't told them was that he suffered from pulmonary fibrosis, which ultimately took his life on September 22, 2003.  He was just 71 years old.  Jump was interred at El Toro Memorial Park in Orange County, California.

The inscription on his marker states "Loved and respected by all who knew him" and "God takes our loved ones from our homes, but never from our hearts."  There is also a memorial bench at his grave.

There is an inscription on the back:

RIP Big Guy.

Judy Garland: The Woman Who Had Two Graves!

Sometimes, one grave just isn't enough.  In 2018, this blog chronicled the two graves of actor Anton Yelchin.  Taking a page from that book, the family of Hollywood royalty, Judy Garland, decided that her final resting place wasn't so final after all, and flew her remains 3,000 miles cross country.  But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Garland was born Frances Ethel Gumm (really) on June 10, 1922 in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.  She began her career in vaudeville with her two older sisters and quickly caught the eye of MGM Studios in Hollywood.  She'd appear in more than 45 films throughout her career, and of course, is best known for her portrayal of Dorothy Gale in the 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz.  Watch the original 1939 trailer here.

Garland in 1969 shortly before her death.

By the 1960s, Garland had appeared on stage around the world, released albums, and even had her own variety series on CBS, appropriately titled The Judy Garland Show.  Watch a full-length episode here.

Garland also had no less than five husbands, including nightclub manager Mickey Deans, who she married in March 1969.  Just three months later, on June 22, he'd find her body on the floor of their rented home in London, dead at age 47.  NBC News offered this report on her passing.

Coroner Gavin Thurston attributed her death to "an incautious self-overdosage of barbituates."   Later at her funeral, Garland's Oz co-star Ray Bolger surmised that "she just plain wore out."  Yeah, drugs will do that to you.

Following a funeral in New York City that drew more than 20,000 fans, Deans had her interred at Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York.  She was placed in a mausoleum holding thousands of other remains, in a crypt belying her star status.  The fact that I had such easy access speaks volumes.

But 48 years after her passing, Garland's children, including Liza Minnelli, Lorna Luft and Joe Luft decided it was time for an upgrade.  The family issued a statement (!) declaring that they had decided to "bring her home" to Hollywood.  I guess there's no place like home after all.  Like Anton Yelchin, she was reburied at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, given a place of honor in the Judy Garland Pavilion.

Rest in peace Judy, finally.

Hey Vern! I'm Dead!

Jim Varney was born on June 14, 1949 in Lexington Kentucky.  From an early age, it was obvious to all who knew him that one day he would annoy millions of people.  Can you believe this spaz won a daytime Emmy Award?

Recognizing that her son had a knack for imitating popular cartoon characters, Varney's mother enlisted him in local theater productions when he was just eight years old.  He was a quick study, and by the time he was in high school, he was already winning drama competitions.  He studied Shakespeare in Virginia and became a regular performer at Opryland In Nashville.  Not bad for a kid of 17.

In 1980, Varney signed with an advertising agency in Nashville to play what would become his signature character, Ernest P. Worrel.  Watch Varney discuss that historic decision with ABC's Joan Lunden here.

Ernest's first commercial was for a local amusement park in Bowling Green, Kentucky, but his pitchman career soon took off.  By 1984, Varney had played the part in more than 800 local commercials throughout the south, selling everything from milk to Toyotas.  KnowwhatImean, Vern?

I paid $5 to see this in the theatre.

It wouldn't take long for Hollywood to notice, which decided to quickly cash in on his character.  The first Ernest movie, Ernest Goes to Camp, was released in 1987.  Watch the trailer here.  It was a box office success (!), bringing in more than $23 million (produced for a mere $3 million).  Incredibly, seven additional Ernest films would hit theatres before the franchise burned out in 1997.

Varney had other roles besides Ernest, including that of Slinky Dog in the popular Toy Story movie franchise.  Hear a sampling of that character here. He also took over the role of Jed Clampett in the 1993 big-screen remake of The Beverly Hillbillies.  Watch the trailer here.

In 1998, Varney was filming a movie called Treehouse Hostage when he started coughing up blood.  He hid his condition until the production was complete, but as a longtime smoker, he knew how serious it potentially was.  When production on the film was completed, he was officially diagnosed with lung cancer.

For two years, Varney continued to act, while also taking time off for chemotherapy.  Sadly, he'd succumb to the disease on February 10, 2000.  He was just 50 years old.  He was buried in his hometown of Lexington in the town cemetery.  His final film, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, was released the following year, and Disney dedicated the film to his memory.

Next: New year - new graves!

Surely You Can't Be Serious - "Airplane's" Stephen Stucker

Stephen Stucker was never a household name. But to fans of the 1980 comedy smash Airplane!, he'll forever be Johnny Henshaw, a wisecracking air traffic controller with a license to ad lib.  Fans of Airplane II: The Sequel will know him as Johnny Jacobs, but hey, what's a little continuity among friends.

Stucker was born on July 2, 1947 in Des Moines, Iowa.  We're familiar with it.  His family moved to Ohio, then later to Alameda, California.  There he attended the Lincoln School, making a name for himself as both the class clown and an up and coming concert pianist.  Makes this scene all the more funny.

Stucker's high school yearbook photo.

Stucker's first film was 1975's Carnal Madness, aka Delinquent Schoolgirls.  Watch the trailer here.  Viewer discretion is advised.  He had an itch for comedy, and he eventually found himself in Madison, Wisconsin, where he joined the Kentucky Fried Theatre, a sketch comedy group founded by brothers David and Jerry Zucker and their friend Jim Abrams.  This led to a role in the group's first film, the aptly titled Kentucky Fried Movie, in 1977.  Watch the trailer here.

Stucker's antics in that film earned him the role of Johnny in Airplane! just three years later. Watch a compilation of his finer moments in the film here.

Following the success of that film, Stucker continued to find modest work in the industry, including this 1981 episode of the long-forgotten Marie Osmond Show.  Don't have time for the whole episode?  Watch his parody of Hostess cupcakes here. His last role of significance was a walk-on in the 1983 film Trading Places.

In 1984, Stucker was diagnosed with AIDS.  He became one of the first celebrities to publicly announce their affliction, which he discussed in great detail with talk-show host Phil Donahue. He passed just two years later, on April 13, 1986.  He was just 38 years old.  What a pisser.

Stucker was unmarried, and he preceded both of his parents in death.  For years, it was something of a mystery as to what had become of him.  It wasn't until his father's passing in 2008 that all was revealed (Stucker's mother had passed 20 years earlier in 1988).

All three family members were cremated.  Their ashes were placed in matching urns at Chapel of the Chimes in Oakland, California.

Trivia:  Airplane! was released on July 2, 1980 - Stucker's 33rd birthday. 

Sit On It! - The Final Resting Place of Garry Marshall

Garry Marshall (his real name!) was born on November 13, 1934.  Though one might assume he was born in Milwaukee, it was actually farther east - the Bronx. 

His parents were both in show business in one form or another.  His father was a producer of industrial films while his mother ran a tap dancing school.  So it was almost predestined that he'd carve out a career in show business for himself.


He began as a joke writer in New York for comedians such as Joey Bishop and Phil Foster.  He'd later work for The Tonight Show under Jack Paar, the show's original host.  Watch Garry discuss that experience here.   

In 1961, Garry headed west and landed in Hollywood, where he teamed up with fellow writer Jerry Belson.  The two would work together on a variety of shows including The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Danny Thomas Show before creating series of their own.  Their first such joint venture was a short-lived sit-com called Hey, Landlord. Watch the opening credits here.  And here's a complete episode.

The series only lasted for one season.  Afterwards, the two began adapting a popular Broadway play by Neil Simon for television.  The Odd Couple, starring Tony Randall and Jack Klugman, premiered in 1970 and lasted for five seasons.  Watch the intro here.  Ten years later, Marshall revived the series with an all African-American cast.  The New Odd Couple, starring Ron Glass and Demond "Big Dummy" Wilson, lasted only one season.  Watch the intro here.

Going solo, Marshall created the series that would define his career, Happy Days.  It's origins are often confused, but here's what happened.  Marshall produced the Happy Days pilot in 1972, starring Ron Howard as Richie, Anson Williams as his best friend Potsie, and Marion Ross as Mrs. C. ABC decided to pass on the series, but rather than jettisoning their investment entirely, they aired the pilot as part of their anthology series Love, American Style.  Watch that episode here. 

Fast forward a year to 1973.  George Lucas's film American Graffiti hit the screen and scored box office gold.  Like Happy Days, it was set in the 50s, and like Happy Days, it starred Ron Howard.  Suddenly ABC was interested, and the series was a go. 

Howard, Williams and Ross returned, joined by newcomers Tom Bosley, Erin Moran, Don Most, and of course, Henry Winkler as the Fonz.  Early seasons featured three Cunningham children, including Richie's older brother Chuck, who mysteriously disappeared and was retconned out of existence entirely.  Watch Marshall explain how that happened here.

It lasted for ten seasons with a host of spin-offs, including Laverne and Shirley, starring Marshall's sister Penny.  Watch her discuss that casting decision here.

Marshall's plot at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills.

After 30 years of producing sit-coms, Marshall turned to the silver screen, producing 1990's biggest hit Pretty Woman, launching Julia Roberts into orbit.  Thanks Garry. He'd also produce a hit for Bette Midler in Beaches as well as The Princess Diaries.

In 2016, Marshall suffered a stroke and was admitted to a hospital in Burbank.  While there, he contracted pneumonia and passed away on July 19.  He was buried at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills.


I'd love to know who left the baseball.

Marshall's family provided visitors to the grave with a bench to sit down and pay their respects.

They honored Garry's legacy by including a plaque, bearing the iconic insult from Happy Days.

Trivia: As stated above, Garry's birthday was November 13.  It's probably not a coincidence then that in the introduction to The Odd Couple, the narrator explains to us that Felix Unger was kicked out of his home on November 13th.

David Brinkley: Six Feet Under - Film at 11:00!

David Brinkley was born on July 10, 1920 in Wilmington, North Carolina.  Though his career would later take him across the globe, he'd eventually return to Wilmington to be laid to rest.  But that's getting ahead of the story.

Brinkley began his career in journalism while still in high school, writing for the Wilmington Morning Star.  While there, one of his stories was picked up by the Associated Press and published nationally.  He'd continue his education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Emory University, and finally Vandberbilt.

After graduation in 1940, Brinkley enlisted in the U.S. Army, but was soon discharged for medical reasons.  He took a position with United Press International in Atlanta before moving to NBC as a radio reporter.  But with the dawn of television, Brinkley would become one of the first journalists to make the transition.

Brinkley was paired with fellow reporter Chet Huntley for The Huntley-Brinkley Report from 1956 to 1970.  They'd set the stage for how news would be presented on television, with Brinkley anchoring in Washington while Huntley reported from New York City.  Every night they'd close the program with their signature trademarks "Good night, Chet" and "Good night, David," which undoubtedly inspired The Waltons.    Watch them preview the 1960 Democratic National Convention here, as presented by Kentucky King cigarettes, featuring an all tobacco-filter!   Then watch Brinkley's commentary on the night John F. Kennedy was assassinated here.  Finally, watch Brinkley reflect on his former partner in this video.

Inscription on Brinkley's marker.

Brinkley moved to ABC in 1981, where he began hosting This Week With David Brinkley. It ran until he finally retired in 1996, by which time he was the longest serving news anchor or host of a national television program.

He retired to his ranch in Houston, Texas.  Over the next seven years, his health greatly deteriorated, confining him to a wheelchair for his final days.  Just six months before he passed away, he'd require rescuing from that ranch when it nearly burned to the ground.

On June 12, 2003, Brinkley died from complications of a fall.  He was 82 years old.  He died the same day as actor Gregory Peck, who beat him out by five years.  Brinkley was interred at Oakdale Cemetery in Wilmington.

The Brinkley Family plot at Oakwood Cemetery.  David's flat, rectangular plot is at far right, obscured by the tree.

Good night, David.

Frank Gorshin: Six Feet Under

Frank John Gorshin, Jr. was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on April 5, 1933.  He was the son of Slovenian immigrants to the United States, who were very active in Pittsburgh's local Slovenian community.  Frank got his first taste of show biz singing in the Slovenian Singing Society Preseren.

By age 15, Frank was already a skilled impressionist.  He took a job as a theatre usher, where he studied the mannerisms of those on the silver screen.  Before graduating from high school, he was already performing in nightclubs.

After a tour with the Army, Gorshin returned to America and resumed his public career.  He appeared in a number of films and television series throughout the 1950s and 60s, including The Ed Sullivan Show.  Gorshin made a number of appearances on the show, and was a guest on February 9, 1964 - the same night the Beatles made their iconic premiere.  History also forgets one other guest from that night - future teen heartthrob Davy Jones.  The things you learn on the internet.

In 1965, Gorshin was cast in the role that would mark his career, that of the Riddler on the iconic Batman television series.  He was the first of the rogues gallery to taunt the dynamic duo, appearing in the pilot episode.  Watch him chew up the scenery in this compilation video.

Over the next three years, he'd play the character in ten different half-hour installments, earning an Emmy nomination along the way (Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Comedy).  Yes, even the Academy acknowledged that Batman was a comedy.

After Batman completed its run, Gorshin made a memorable appearance on another pop culture juggernaut, Star Trek.  Watch him try to match wits with Captain Kirk here.

Gorshin never hurt for work, continuing to appear on stage and screen for the next three decades.  He made appearances in such series as Hawaii Five-O, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, and of course, Murder, She Wrote.  His final guest role was on an episode of CSI, directed by Quentin Tarantino, which aired two days after he died.

In 2002, Gorshin was on Broadway in a one-man show called Say Goodnight, Gracie, playing the iconic showman George Burns.  It was nominated for a 2003 Tony Award for best play.  By 2005, he was touring the country with the production. 

After completing a performance in Memphis in April, Gorshin boarded a plane bound for Los Angeles.  While en route, he experienced difficulty breathing, receiving emergency oxygen from the flight crew.  Once on the ground, he was transported to a hospital in Burbank , where he passed on May 17, 2005.  A lifelong smoker, Gorshin died of lung cancer, emphysema and pneumonia.  Jesus.

Gorshin's family returned him to his native Pittsburgh, where he was buried with his parents and his brothers at Calvary Catholic Cemetery.  The headstone befits his iconic showbiz career.

According to a groundskeeper at Calvary who spoke to me on the subject, Gorshin's burial vault was painted lime green with a question mark on either side.  We can only hope that this is true.

Next:  Tragedy strikes on the set of Twilight Zone: the Movie.