Classic TV Birthdays: March 10

A pair of classic TV birthdays today: Katharine Houghton is 69 and Ralph Emery is 81. Houghton guested on Hawk and Judd For The Defense, but is best known for her role in the movie Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner. Emery is a country music veteran, hosting the 1970s syndicated series Pop! Goes The Country and the long-running Nashville Now on the now defunct Nashville Network.

March 10 was also the birthday of some classic TV friends now passed. Warner Anderson starred in the 1950s cop drama The Lineup, then was an actor-narrator on primetime soap Peyton Place. Baldwin Cooke acted in a number of Laurel & Hardy and Our Gang movie shorts, which were later staples on television. UK actor Richard Haydn guested on such classics as The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Twilight Zone, and also had some memorable film roles (including The Sound of Music). Sam Jaffe co-starred in classic medical drama Ben Casey and appeared on shows like Alias Smith & Jones, Harry O, Naked City and Tarzan.

Irish actor Barry Fitzgerald was also born this day. His extensive film work included Going My Way and The Naked City (John McIntire took over the role in the TV series). Fitzgerald also had several classic TV roles on Alfred Hitchcock Presents and Lux Video Theatre.

Today was also the day we lost some old favorites. Irish comedian Dave Allen hosted Dave Allen at Large, which was also syndicated here in the U.S. Lloyd Bridges starred in the classic adventure series Sea Hunt. He guested on a number of shows, including Battlestar Galactica and Here’s Lucy. Bridges (father of actors Beau and Jeff) also had a memorable guest role as Izzy Mandelbaum (you think you’re better than me?) on Seinfeld.

Also passing this day: June Marlowe (Our Gang comedies) and Welsh actor Ray Milland. Milland starred a 1959 crime drama series called Markham, and later appeared on Columbo, The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries and The Love Boat. He is best known for his movie work, most notably Dial M for Murder and The Lost Weekend. He also starred alongside (literally!) Rosey Grier in the 1972 movie The Thing with Two Heads…a true classic LOL!