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1-16 of 16
- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
The nicknames, "The Prince of Pandemonium", "The Master of Mayhem" and "King of Camp and Confetti", are but a few valid applications that were thrust upon zany comedian Rip Taylor, whose flamboyant blend of burlesque and self-deprecating humor entertained audiences for over four decades. He headlined the top showrooms of Las Vegas, appeared on scores of television shows, starred in various musical stage slapstick comedies and even toyed with dramatic material over the years.
He was born Charles Elmer Taylor, Jr. in Washington, D.C., on January 13, 1931 to Charles Elmer Taylor Sr. and Elizabeth Evans Taylor. He began his career by tossing out one-liners in nightclubs and had his first big break on Ed Sullivan's The Ed Sullivan Show (1948) TV show in 1964. The tacky costumes, ridiculous props, handlebar mustache, wacky wigs and manic confetti-tossing didn't take long to follow as professional trademarks, and they soon made their way into the 1970s pop culture.
Frequently appearing on television, he appeared in everything from variety shows to talk shows (Merv Griffin and David Letterman) to sitcoms like The Monkees (1965). He was the gag man who delightfully wrangled out of every groan-inducing one-liner there was, eventually finding the perfect avenue for his brand of insanity via producer Chuck Barris and his syndicated TV shows of the 1970s and 1980s. Rip became a favorite panelist judge, along with Jaye P. Morgan, on Barris' The Gong Show (1976), and later served as host of the equally tacky The $1.98 Beauty Show (1978).
A mainstay in Las Vegas, whether as ringleader of a topless chorus line or opening act to a major entertainer, Rip also slayed 'em on Broadway ("Sugar Babies") and has demonstrated a fine singing instrument in musicals including "Anything Goes", "Oliver!" (as "Fagan"), "Peter Pan" (as "Captain Hook") and in a 1999 production of "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" (as "Pseudolus").
On a more serious side, he played Demi Moore's crusty boss in Indecent Proposal (1993) and showed up sans confetti as Kate Hudson's father in the Rob Reiner feature, Alex & Emma (2003).
For the most part, he continued merrily in such campy films as Barris' The Gong Show Movie (1980); the "Exorcist" spoof, Repossessed (1990), with Linda Blair and Leslie Nielsen; the foreign-made The Silence of the Hams (1994)and Jackass: The Movie (2002). Beginning in the early 1960s, when he first provided additional voices for The Jetsons (1962), Rip continued making voice-over work a viable means of income. His voice can be heard in such animated films as DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp (1990), Tom and Jerry: The Movie (1992) and Scooby-Doo and the Monster of Mexico (2003), and animated TV series as Whatever Happened to... Robot Jones? (2002) and The Emperor's New School (2006). He was nominated for an Emmy award for voicing "Uncle Fester" in the TV cartoon program, The Addams Family (1992).
Having suffered an epileptic seizure the week prior, 88-year-old Rip died of congestive heart failure on October 6, 2019, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Once briefly married to Las Vegas showgirl Rusty Rowe, whom he divorced in the early 1960s, Rip was involved in a long-term relationship with Robert Fortney at the time of his death.- Giant Gustav Claude Ouimet was born on 25 April 1961 in Longueuil, Québec, Canada. He was an actor, known for X-Men: Apocalypse (2016), No Holds Barred (1989) and Carny (2009). He died on 6 October 2019 in Chambly, Québec, Canada.
- Karen Anita Pendleton was born in Glendale and raised in North Hollywood, California. She was the youngest of three children, her sister Yvonne and brother Kent being many years older. Her father was a movie set builder, but Karen had no exposure to show business prior to the show. She took dancing lessons with Elaine Troy from age three, but had never even entered an amateur contest, let alone done professional work. She went to the audition with two other girls from her studio. Afterwards she was asked to sing; it perhaps helped that she recognized one of the judges, Jimmie Dodd, as the fellow who the week before sang at the First Presbyterian Church, which Karen and her family attended.
Karen's initial appeal lay in her slightly raspy singing voice and wide-open eyes. She was a good dancer, but that part of her talent wasn't emphasized until the later seasons. For duets, Karen was matched with either Johnny Crawford, who was also a good singer, or with Cubby when no male solo was needed. Johnny was let go midway through the first season, so for the next two and a half years she and Cubby were singing partners.
Karen was very popular in the first season, receiving enough fan mail that she was given her own mini-series entitled Karen in Kartoonland. She narrated and starred in this four-part feature that explained how animation worked. In 1956 she was tapped to appear in the Disney movie Westward Ho, the Wagons, along with Cubby, Tommy, and Doreen. Karen had slightly more screen time than the others, but just as few lines.
Karen's friends on the set tended to be the girls her own age; she didn't really interact much with the older girls. In the third season, though she was friends with Linda Hughes, she undoubtedly lost some singing parts to her. The Mouseketeer production numbers gradually shifted focus to the teenage kids, leaving Karen with less screen time. She was given the job of introducing the Annette serial episodes, and shared the Mousekartoon introductions with Cubby. When the Rainbow Road to Oz was proposed, she was cast as Polychrome, and had a short song solo and some dancing parts in the Disneyland episode promoting that film project.
When the show ended, so did Karen's career. She and Cubby had been offered a contract extension, contingent upon both re-signing, but Karen's father decided against it. She never really liked acting, only dancing and singing, and she found going to auditions an ordeal. Public school was hard for her; she was sensitive and shy, and became a target for teasing about her Mouseketeer days. She continued to work on her dancing with Elaine Troy, and helped give lessons to newcomers at the latter's North Hollywood studio. In 1959, and again in 1960, she went on the Mouseketeer tours of Australia organized by Jimmie Dodd. At odd intervals she would appear in the fan magazines, invited to a birthday bash for Cheryl, or a magazine-sponsored Mouseketeer reunion party.
Though Karen and Cubby were never romantically involved, she did go out for a while with Johnny Crawford, and in 1969 appeared on The Dating Game, where she picked Bobby Burgess as her date after recognizing his voice. After high school, Karen went to college for a while, then quit and started working at May department store as a sales clerk. She had some embarrassing encounters with folks she knew from the show, including Cheryl Holdridge, then the wealthy wife of Lance Reventlow, and with Annette's mother. She later went to work for Prudential, again as a clerk. Karen married Mike DeLaurer, a lawyer and a Marine veteran of Vietnam, in 1970. They had a daughter in 1973, but later divorced.
In 1983 Karen was in an automobile accident that left her paralyzed from the waist down. An event that destroyed a dancer may have been the genesis of a new Karen. She'd always lacked confidence; now, perhaps born of frustration and anger, she forced herself to complete college, earning first a B.A., then a Master of Science degree, in Psychology, while continuing to raise her daughter. She took a full-time job at a shelter for battered women, and testified at government hearings on problems facing the handicapped. In the late 1990's she served on the Board for the California Association of the Physically Handicapped (now known as Californians for Disability Rights), and was director of the Center for Independent Living in her city. In 2004 she appeared on the Disney Treasures DVD interview conducted by Leonard Maltin with several other Mouseketeers, and in 2005 took part in the 50th Anniversary Celebration for the Mickey Mouse Club. She was also awarded a "Mousecar" (Oscar) during August 2015 for the MMC's 60th Anniversary, though she did not attend the ceremonies. Karen passed away on Sunday, October 6, 2019, leaving behind her daughter, son-in-law, and two grandchildren. - Actor
- Music Department
- Composer
Ginger Baker was born on 19 August 1939 in Lewisham, London, England, UK. He was an actor and composer, known for The Harder They Fall (2021), Casino (1995) and Gonks Go Beat (1964). He was married to Kudzai Machokoto, Karen Loucks Rinedollar, Sarah Dixon and Elizabeth Ann Finch. He died on 6 October 2019 in Canterbury, Kent, UK.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Vlasta Chramostová was born on 17 November 1926 in Brno, Czechoslovakia [now Czech Republic]. She was an actress, known for Sekal Has to Die (1998), The Cremator (1969) and Kure melancholik (1999). She was married to Stanislav Milota. She died on 6 October 2019 in Prague, Czech Republic.- Actor
- Camera and Electrical Department
Andrew Weems was born on 18 July 1961 in Seoul, South Korea. He was an actor, known for Person of Interest (2011), American Masters (1985) and The Killing Floor (2007). He died on 6 October 2019 in the USA.- Bruce Martin was born on 2 April 1937 in Galashiels, Scotland, UK. He was a writer, known for Friday the 13th: The Series (1987), Body Puzzle (1992) and Once a Thief (1996). He died on 6 October 2019 in Toronto, Canada.
- Larry Junstrom was born on 22 June 1949 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. He was an actor, known for 38 Special: Hold on Loosely (Live) (1981), 38 Special: You Keep Runnin' Away (1982) and 38 Special: Back Where You Belong (1983). He was married to Thania. He died on 6 October 2019 in the USA.
- Writer
- Actor
Tome was born on 24 February 1957 in Brussels, Brussels-Capital, Belgium. He was a writer and actor, known for Escapades (2005), Spirou (1993) and Little Spirou (2017). He died on 6 October 2019 in Brussels, Brussels-Capital, Belgium.- Miro Bizzozero was an actor, known for Le retour d'Arsène Lupin (1989), T.I.R. (1987) and L'elemento D (1981). He died on 6 October 2019 in Lugano, Ticino, Switzerland.
- Neale Lavis was born on 11 June 1930 in Murwillumbah, New South Wales, Australia. He died on 6 October 2019 in Braidwood, New South Wales, Australia.
- Ciaran Carson was born on 9 October 1948 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK. He was married to Deirdre Shannon. He died on 6 October 2019 in Northern Ireland.
- Sergey Malafeev was born on 23 February 1952. He was an actor, known for Burnt by the Sun 2 (2010). He died on 6 October 2019.
- Stephen C. Swid, an investor and businessman whose varied career included an independent film distributor and the "21" Club, but who became best known for transforming Sesac, once an obscure licensing organization. Sesac, founded in 1930 as the Society of European Stage Authors and Composers, had long been a marginal player in performing rights, the business of collecting licensing payments from radio and other outlets and funneling that money back to songwriters and publishers as royalties.
- Masaichi Kaneda was born on 1 August 1933 in Aichi, Japan. He was married to Misa Enomoto and Miyamoto. He died on 6 October 2019 in Tokyo, Japan.
- Martin Lauer was born on 2 January 1937 in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. He was married to Christa. He died on 6 October 2019 in Lauf an der Pegnitz, Middle Franconia, Bavaria, Germany.