So Many Friends Gone

The deaths of Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett on the same day last week overshadowed the recent passings of many other figures in the entertainment industry--innovative choreographer Pina Bausch whose work has been seen around the world and in Fellini's And the Ship Sails On; Oscar winner Karl Malden; velvet-voiced baritone Harve Presnell; impressionist Fred Travelena; actor T. Scott Cunningham; TV pitchman Billy Mays; and the screamingly funny Mollie Sugden ("Are you free, Mr. Peacock?").

I have memories of many of these people. Travelena used to be on TV all the time in the 1970s. I remember seeing him on a variety show called The Copycats, performing  his very accurate impression of Bobby Darren singing "Beyond the Sea." Cunningham was in numerous plays both on and Off-Broadway I reviewed, particularly in the works of Nicky Silver where he usually played a distressed gay man comically coping with unattainable love. Malden was like a fixture in the movie and TV world since he was in pratically everything. I recently rented The Cincinnatti Kid from Netflix. In this 1965 movie Steve McQueen stars as a poker hustler and Edward G. Robinson is the old king card player McQueen wants to knock off. Malden played the dealer in their epic game of five-card stud. Gambler Rip Torn has blackmailed him into dishonestly favoring McQueen in his shuffles. Though he was not the star, Malden showed more conflict and nuance than the higher-billed players. I interviewed Malden once for my biography of George C. Scott. He was gracious and forthcoming with his experience on Patton.

And how could forget Mollie Sugden's flowsy Mrs. Slocombe on the naughty British sitcom Are Your Being Served? Her every line about her difficult wayward cat was a double-entrendre ("Has anyone seen my pussy?") The britcom was aired on my local public TV station while I was growing up in Philadelphia.

Needless to say Jackson and Fawcett received more attention this past week than their fellow performers. That is a function of worldwide fame. I think the two had more in common that passing away within 24 hours of each other. Each was trapped in their public persona and tried to break out. Fawcett was more successful, making the transition from bubblehead Charlie's Angel to serious actress. I was an usher for her Off-Broadway performance in Extremities and I admired her courage for taking on the challenging role. In one of her last films, Dr. T and the Women, she tackled an equally difficult part--Richard Gere's deranged wife--succeeding with skill.

Jackson's death is probably the saddest of all these noted. He had no childhood and was always trying to create that innocent state of being, often with tragic results. His unquestionable talent overwhelmed his individuality and now he will rank with Elvis, Marilyn, and Jimmy Dean as an entertainer who was smothered by his public persona.

(Photo of Karl Malden: Getty Images)

--David Sheward    

Comments

[TV, Bitch!]

Michael Jackson's death was unfortunate. He was truly someone who kept the channel open. He followed, and flowed with his impulses. I hope to use that in my acting.