MovieChat Forums > Bourbon Street Beat (1959) Discussion > Who's still around

Who's still around

posted 13 years ago by schappe1
4 replies | jump to latest

I like to watch the TV shows that were on when I was growing up and one group of shows I remember watching were the Warner Brothers Detective Shows. I was trying to think of which cast members of those shows were still alive and still working in the business today.

77 SUNSET STRIP 1958-64 (6 of 9 still living)
Stu Bailey - Efrem Zimbalist Jr.: Born 11/30/18, now age 92. Film/TV credits from 1946-2008 Still performing on stage as late as 2007
Jeff Spencer - Roger Smith: Born 12/18/32, now age 78. Film/TV credits from 1956-1968. Stopped acting due to myasthenia gravis and to manage the career of his second wife, Ann-Margaret.
Kookie - Edd Byrnes: Born 7/30/33, now age 78. Film/TV credits from 1956-1999. Career went downhill due to a contract dispute with Warner Brothers, typecasting and alcoholism.
Roscoe - Louie Quinn: Born 3/23/15, died 9/14/88, age 73, (lung cancer). Film/TV credits from 1956-1987. Former comedy writer.
Suzanne - Jacqueline Beer: Born 10/14/32, now age 78. Film/TV credits from 1955-1979. Former beauty queen. Married Thor Hyerdahl in 1991 and is presently the board chairperson of his foundation.
Lt. Gilmore - Byron Keith: Born 11/17/17. Died 1/19/96, age 78. Film/TV credits from 1946-1973.
J. R. Hale - Robert Logan: Born 5/29/41, now age 70. Film/TV credits from 1961-1997
Rex Randolph - Richard Long: Born 12/17/27. Died 12/21/74, age 47. Film/TV credits from 1946-1974. Had long-standing heart condition.
Hannah- Joan Staley: Born 5/20/40, now age 71. Film/TV credits from 1960-2009, (but not much after 1960’s). Former Playboy centerfold.

BOURBON STREET BEAT 1959-60 (2 of 4 still living)
Rex Randolph - Richard Long: Born 12/17/27. Died 12/21/74, age 47 (heart attack). Film/TV credits from 1946-1974. Had long-standing heart condition.
Cal Calhoun - Andrew Duggan: Born 12/28/23 Died 5/15/88, age 64 (throat cancer). Film/TV credits from 1949-1987
Kenny Madison - Van Williams: Born 2/27/34, now age 77. Film/TV credits from 1954-1993 but only one after the 1970’s.
Melody Lee Mercer - Arlene Howell Born 10/25/35, now age 75. Film/TV credits from 1958-66. Former beauty queen.

HAWAIIAN EYE 1959-1963 (5 of 9 still living)
Tracy Steele - Anthony Eisley: Born 1/19/25. Died 1/20/03, age 78, (heart failure). Film/TV Credits from 1952-1991
Tom Lopaka - Robert Conrad: Born 3/1/29, now age 82. Film/TV credits from 1958-2002. Badly injured in a car crash 2003 that left his left side paralyzed.
Greg MacKenzie - Grant Williams: Born 8/31/31. Died 7/28/85, age 53 (peronitis). Film.TV credits from 1954-1976. Difficult to get along with, very argumentative and drank too much, his career faded after Hawaiian Eye and he didn’t take care of himself.
Cricket Blake - Connie Stevens: Born 8/8/38, now age 73. Film/TV credits from 1957-2011. Popular singer.
Kazuo Kim- Poncie Ponce: Born: 4/10/33, now age 78. Film/TV credits from 1959-1987 but not much after the 60’s.
Moke - Doug Mossman. DOB unknown. Film/TV credits from 1959-2004.
Mt. Danny Quon - Mel Prestridge: Born: 11/20/28. Died 1/25/11, age 82. Film/TV credits 1958-78. Was an LA County Sheriff when he got the role of Danny Quon and kept both jobs- he actually could have arrested someone on the set!
Philip Barton - Troy Donahue: Born 1/27/36. Died 9/2/01, age 65, (heart attack). Film/TV credits from 1957-2000. After early stardom, became an alcoholic and drug addict and was homeless at one point.
Sunny Day- Tina Cole: Born 8/4/43, now age 68. Film/TV credits from 1963-2005 but only one after 1974. A member of the King Family singers.

SURFSIDE 6 1960-62 (2 of 8 still alive)
Sandy Winfield II - Troy Donahue: Born 1/27/36. Died 9/2/01, age 65, (heart attack). Film/TV credits from 1957-2000. After early stardom, became an alcoholic and drug addict and was homeless at one point.
Ken Madison - Van Williams: Born 2/27/34, now age 77. Film/TV credits from 1954-1993 but only one after the 1970’s.
Dave Thorne - Lee Patterson: Born 3/31/29. Died 2/14/07, age 77. Film/TV credits from 1953-1994
Cha Cha O’Brien - Margarita Sierra: Born 1/5/36. Died 9/6/63, age 27, (heart disease). Nightclub singer- this was her only acting credit. She always looked about a decade older than her listed age to me, but died very young of a congenital heart problem in any case.
Daphne Dutton - Diane McBain: Born 5/18/41, now age 70. TV Film Credits from 1959-2001. Both miscast as a “bad girl” and typecast, her career faded. She was raped in 1982 and became a crusader for rape victims.
Lt. Snedigar - Donald “Red” Barry: Born 1/11/12. Died 7/17/80, age 68, (suicide). TV/Film credits from 1933-1981. Appeared in many westerns. Famed for his temper, which limited his career.
Lt. Gene Plehn - Richard Crane: Born 6/6/18. Died 3/9/69, age 50, (heart attack). Film/TV credits from 1940-1968.
Mousie- Mousie Garner: Born 7/31/09. Died 8/8/04, age 95. Film/TV credits from 1929-2008. Worked with the three stooges.

The Warner Brother announcer was Dick Tufeld, Born 12/11/26. He was also the voice of Robbie the Robot on “Lost in Space”.

Including Tufeld, that’s 15 of 28 still living as of 9/8/2011, (I didn‘t count Van Williams, Troy Donahue or Richard Long twice).

The past is a series of presents. The present is living history we are privileged to witness

[–] Clintessence 13 years ago

Hey Schappe1, that's quite a bit of work you went to in putting that together. Good job, I enjoyed reading it. I remember all of those shows well. Why don't you put together something similar with the Warner Brothers westerns, like "Maverick", "Cheyenne", "Sugarfoot", and many others.

[–] schappe1 13 years ago

...and they tended to have stars, rather than "casts", but I'll give a try when I get around to it.

The past is a series of presents. The present is living history we are privileged to witness

[–] Clintessence 13 years ago

Yeah, you're right. The westerns didn't have the rotating casts like the P.I. shows, other than "Maverick" alternating between Bret and Bart. I have always been fascinated by the way the characters jumped from one show to another in the P.I. series.

[–] schappe1 8 years ago

I've been watching some episodes from the first season of 77 Sunset Strip posted to You-Tube by a poster named Lilo Kai:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX9XuvZfGLfVczlNj7tiyJw/videos

I enjoyed seeing some of our TV heros when they were young, strong and attractive. When, Oh when is Warner's going to release these shows on a professionally done video? I've gotten stuff from internet collectors recorded from VCRs but it's juat not the same. They've done the westerns.

Anyway, I decided to just check on the names to see who we've lost if anyone since my original post.

I found three:

Dick Tufeld died 1/22/12 at the age of 85.
Poncie Ponce died 7/19/13 at the age of 80.
Efrem Zimbalest Jr. died 5/2/14 at the age of 95.

Still alive:

Roger Smith, age 83
Edd Byrnes, age 82
Jacquiline Beer, age 83
Joan Staley, age 76
Van Williams, age 82
Arlene Howell, age 76
Robert Conrad, age 86
Connie Stevens, age 77
Doug Mossman, (I still don't know his DOB)
Tina Cole, age 72
Diane McBain, age 75, (just read her book: very good).

I have no idea of the state of their health but they don't seem to have been cheated by life and they sure provided a lot of entertainment for us back in the day and I wish them all well.

The past is a series of presents. The present is living history we are privileged to witness