• Don Rickles- The King of the Insult

    Born May 8, 1926, Don Rickles grew into one of the country’s most famous comedians. Famous for his acidic wit, he went on from his humble Jackson Heights New York beginnings to playing the top stages both domestically and internationally. After graduating from high school, Rickles enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served on the USS Cyrene in World War II. He said later in an 2015 interview with the New York times, he was the class comedian of the ship. When he returned home after being honorably discharged in 1946, Rickles studied and graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Out of desperation at not getting dramatic work,…

  • The Death of Thomas Ince

    Thomas Ince was a member of the early Hollywood elite and considered the “Father of the Western”.  He was also the man who made Mary Pickford’s career, dubbing her “America’s Sweetheart”.  He was the most successful producer in 1924, and worked out of a 20,000-acre studio called ‘Inceville”.  However, his death is one of the biggest mysteries in old Hollywood. Ince was invited to celebrate his 42nd birthday aboard the luxury yacht of William Randolph Hearst.  Hearst owned ten of the largest newspapers in the US.  On the side, he cleaned up money from the gold, silver and copper mines he had inherited.  The man was swimming in money.  Hearst…

  • Mary Tyler Moore

    The New York Times said she “incarnated the modern woman on TV”.  That is about the best summary I can come up with for this legendary woman.  I can remember as a small child watching my parents watch her antics on the Mary Tyler Moore Show (yes, I am that old) and loving her wit and her grace, without really knowing exactly what that meant. She was born on December 29, 1936 in Brooklyn, New York and was the eldest of three children.  The family moved to Los Angeles when Mary was eight where she studied acting and dancing.  She got her start in commercials because of her “lovely legs”…

  • Carrie Fisher

    This year has taken a lot out of us as a culture. Many of our most beloved icons have been taken from us, the face of the world is changing drastically, and more and more we are faced with truths that are difficult to accept. It seems almost trivial to say that the death of one person represents the culmination of the whole year to me, but that is my burden to bear and my truth to share, and your choice if you wish to keep reading. My guess is if you do, you might feel the same way, or at least are able to understand where I am coming…

  • Zsa Zsa Gabor

    Vivacious actress and socialite, Zsa Zsa Gabor was famous for her take no crap attitude and numerous marriages.   Born in Budapest, Hungary on February 6, 1917, Sari Gabor was the middle daughter of Vilmos and Jolie Gabor.  Jolie was the heiress to a European jewelry business and a Vilmos was a soldier.  She had two sisters, Eva and Magda, and they all lived a luxurious life in Budapest complete with servants, vacations and expensive boarding schools.  Sari began calling herself “Zsa Zsa” at an early age, and the pet name stuck.  She and her sisters were all blonde, lovely and known on the social circuit.  They were rather like…