Worth 1,000 Words: Izat you, ZaSu?
By Steve CrumThe brilliant comedienne and Parsons, Kansas native ZaSu Pitts, born Eliza Susan Pitts, explains how to properly pronounce her unusual first name. Besides her terrific comedy acting on TV with Gale Storm and in movies with Thelma Todd, Pitts is memorable as a dramatic actress in the silent classic Greed (1924). ZaSu’s final role was as a telephone operator in 1963’s It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.
Remembering the great ones: VERNA FELTON
By Steve CrumVerna Felton, shown with Lucille Ball in one of her infrequent appearances on I Love Lucy, is an Emmy nominated veteran actress known for her great radio, TV and movie live action and voice work. Among her TV appearances, she played Hilda Crocker on December Bride (Emmy nominated) and Dennis Day’s mother on The Jack Benny Program. Movie-wise, I love her as the compassionate, savvy neighbor Mrs. Potts in Picnic (1955).
Felton’s voice work is highlighted by Walt Disney animated classics, even though she did do some TV voices on The Flintstones. Her voice will live forever in such Disney films as Dumbo (Mrs. Jumbo), Cinderella (Fairy Godmother), Alice in Wonderland (Queen of Hearts), Lady and the Tramp (Aunt Sara), Sleeping Beauty (Flora and Queen Leah), and The Jungle Book (Winifred the Elephant)–her final role. She died of a stroke on December 14, 1966, the day before Walt Disney died. Vera Felton is interred at the Grand View Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.Worth 1,000 Words: Stan & Ollie visit ‘My Little Margie’
By Steve CrumHere is something rarely seen: a signed photo of the cast of My Little Margie (Charles Farrell and Gale Storm) the day Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy visited their set at Hal Roach Studios. Stan and Ollie made the majority of their classic comedies on the Roach lot. The popular sitcom My Little Margie ran from 1952-55, and years thereafter in reruns.
Worth 1,000 Words: Downtown Vegas with The Rat Pack
By Steve CrumThree Rat Packers (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Peter Lawford) stroll anything but incognito through downtown Las Vegas during the premiere of Ocean’s 11 in 1960.
Worth 1,000 Words: The Revenge of Karloff and Company
By Steve CrumUniversal makeup artist supreme Jack Pierce gets humorously attacked on the set of Son of Frankenstein (1939) by Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff and director Rowland V. Lee.