Remembering Julie Harris

Actress Julie Harris had an amazing six plus decade career in television, film and in the theater. While I am familiar with some of her films, such as The Haunting (1963) and The Dark Half (1993), I will always remember her as Lilimae Clements on the long running television series Knots Landing. Originally, Lilimae was not a likable character and flashbacks revealed how she always put herself and her music career ahead of her children, even refusing to help her pregnant daughter, Valene (Joan Van Ark), when she was being pursued by the dastardly J.R. Ewing (Larry Hagman) and his paid henchmen (Knots Landing was spun off from Dallas). However, during Harris's seven year stint on Knots Landing, she became the emotional heart of the show and came to develop a loving relationship with Valene, as well as earning the respect of her friends and neighbors. She could sing too, and was called upon from time to time to showcase her considerable musical talent on the series.

Julie Harris passed away on Saturday, August 24 at the age of 87.

Check out the videos below that showcase the work of Julie Harris on Knots Landing. The first is a compilation of scenes from the series and the second is an emotional scene featuring Alec Baldwin, who played her son, Joshua, and Lisa Hartman Black, who portrayed Cigi/Cathy.

Remembering Jean Stapleton

Photo Credit: Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImage

Edith Bunker was the voice of reason, the moral center and the glue that held the Bunker family together in the classic situation comedy All in the Family. As played by the late Jean Stapleton, Edith suffered through her husband, Archie's tirades against everyone who was different than he was and put up with him always calling her Dingbat. However, Edith was smarter than Archie and knew when to keep her mouth shut and her ears open.  Indeed, smarter and wiser. Regardless of Archie's many faults, Edith loved him and supported him, but would speak her mind on the rare occasion to put everything into perspective and tell the truth.

Jean Stapleton's performance as the seemingly meek and mild Edith was nothing short of brilliant and viewers could not help but love her. Stapleton made excellent use of  her vocal talents (she had a much better singing voice than viewers were led to believe) and demonstrated great physical comedy with the way she scurried around the house preparing dinner for Archie. Her character was original, unforgettable and the gentle strength that she displayed was heartwarming and inspirational. Thankfully, Stapleton's work was justly rewarded with three Emmy trophies in the early 1970s. Two episodes come to mind when I think about Jean's work on All in the Family; when she was going through menopause in the episode "Edith's Problem," and Archie insisted that she go through "the change" right away, and when she was the target of a would be rapist in "Edith's 50th Birthday," but managed to fight him off through physical force. That Edith could be one tough lady when she wanted to be.

Jean Stapleton worked mainly in the theater throughout her long career, but she will likely be best remembered for her work on All in the Family. Stapleton passed away on May 31, 2013 at the age of 90, of natural causes. Rest in Peace Jean and thanks for so many great memories, like "still waters run very deep."

Remembering Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was a part of my popular culture world for many years. I was deeply saddened and a bit surprised to learn of his passing this past week, since he was posting on Twitter just a couple of days before news of his death was announced on Thursday. Ebert battled various health related issues for the past several years, but clearly his mind was as sharp as ever, right up until the very end. 

I have many fond memories of the syndicated Siskel and Ebert/At the Movies program, with Ebert and the late Gene Siskel, and was a regular viewer for many years. Part of the appeal was the rapport between the legendary critics, but what drew me in more than anything was the intelligence that was exhibited by both men, who were also clearly passionate about the world of film. Both Siskel and Ebert influenced me to voice my opinions about the entertainment world, not just film, through this blog.

I remained an avid viewer of At the Movies even after Roger Ebert departed due to health issues in 2006 and was very pleased to watch the revival, Ebert Presents At the Movies, which aired on PBS in 2011. In recent years, I have also had the pleasure of following Roger Ebert on Twitter and reading his memoir, Life Itself, in 2011. Ebert tweeted about a variety of subjects, including politics, and his progressive political opinions were as keen and intelligent as his movie reviews. Roger Ebert will indeed be missed, but he gave his fans, readers and viewers many gifts that will never be forgotten.

I trust the balcony has already reopened in a better place. 

Remembering Larry Hagman

Photo Credit: TNT

I was first introduced to Larry Hagman while watching reruns of the situation comedy I Dream of Jeannie in the mid 1970s. His character, Major Tony Nelson, was a down to earth guy who just happened to have a real live genie at his personal disposal. However, his life became more complicated, instead of easier, with the well-meaning Jeannie (Barbara Eden), and he was made to run constant interference between her and his superior, Dr. Bellows (Hayden Rorke). Almost a decade after I Dream of Jeannie came to an end, Hagman greatly expanded his acting range by tackling the character of J. R. Ewing, a ruthless, backstabbing, deceptive S.O.B. who would become the ultimate television villain on the long running CBS series Dallas.

While I was, in theory, too young to be watching Dallas, the most popular prime time soap opera of its era, I tuned in every Friday night anyway. As a youngster, I did not like J.R. and was upset when he would make life difficult for my favorite character, Pam (Victoria Principal). But over the years, Hagman won me over as J.R. and became, without a doubt, a much beloved and irreplaceable character. If there was no Hagman, there would be no Dallas.

Last summer, I was very pleased to see the Dallas reboot, on TNT, with Hagman, Patrick Duffy (Bobby) and Linda Gray (Sue Ellen) reprising their roles from the original series. However, the new younger cast members appeared to receive more airtime than the veterans, so it may be possible for the new series to fill the void left by Hagman, but the producers will need to mine the history of the series and come up with original and creative ideas to keep the show afloat. I hope it can survive, but I am skeptical.

In recent years, Larry Hagman made guest appearances on Nip/Tuck and Desperate Housewives and I was fortunate enough to see his performances since I watched both series. Hagman was always a treat to watch, but his work as J.R. Ewing was his crowning achievement. He could say so much with just a mischievous smile and that twinkle in his eye that alerted viewers that J.R. was up to no good. Hagman made it fun to root for the bad guy and created an unforgettable character in J.R. Ewing that will never be forgotten. Thanks for the memories Larry. You will be missed.

Larry Hagman died on November 23 due to complications from throat cancer. He was 81 years old.