We start off today’s birthday list with Karen Grassle. The 72 year old appeared on Gunsmoke and daytime drama Love of Life, but we best know her as Caroline Ingalls on the long-running family western drama Little House on the Prairie.

Others celebrating a birthday: college basketball analyst Billy Packer is 74, actress Diane Baker (guested on Bonanza, The Fugitive, Kojak) turns 76, CBS newsman Bob Schieffer (Face The Nation) is 77 and actor Dick Jones is 87. Jones starred in an early TV western (Buffalo Bill Jr.) and co-starred in another (The Range Rider).He also guested on such shows as Annie Oakley, The Gene Autry Show and Wagon Train. He may be best known as the voice of Disney’s Pinocchio.

February 25 was also the birthday of some old classic TV friends who have since passed on. Jim Backus (pictured above) had a TV career that stretched from the 1940s to the 1980s. He starred in Blondie (short-lived 1968 version), Gilligan’s Island, I Married Joan and The Jim Backus Show. He guested on shows including The Brady Bunch, Burke’s Law, Fantasy Island, Love American Style, The Love Boat and Police Story. Many of us classic TV fans also remember Backus of the voice of nearsighted cartoon character Mr. Magoo.

Others born this day include actor Christopher George (The Rat Patrol, husband of actress Lynda Day George), sax player Tommy Newsom (The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson), former Chicago Cubs player-broadcaster Ron Santo and country singer Faron Young (Country Style USA, Hee Haw, The Porter Wagoner Show).

We also lost some classic TV favorites this day. James Coco guested on Alice, The Love Boat, N.Y.P.D. and The Patty Duke Show. He also starred in a pair of short-lived sitcoms: Calucci’s Apartment (1973) and The Dumplings (1976). Darren McGavin (pictured above) worked from the 1940s to the 2000s, starring in Crime Photographer, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Mike Hammer (late 1950s version), The Outsider and Riverboat. McGavin guested on numerous classic TV shows as well, later appearing as the father of TV character Murphy Brown. New generations know him best as the lovably gruff father on the classic holiday film A Christmas Story.

Edward James Olmos leads off today’s birthday list. The 67 year old guested on such 1970s classics Cannon, Kojak and Police Story. He went on to co-star in Miami Vice and the 1990s revival of Battlestar Galactica.

Also celebrating birthdays: Barry Bostwick (guested on Charlie’s Angels, Hawaii Five-0, later co-starred on Spin City) is 69, singer-actress Joanie Sommers (appeared on 77 Sunset Strip, Burke’s Law, The Wild Wild West) turns 73, Dominic Chianese (guested on Kojak, a regular on Ryan’s Hope and later The Sopranos and Boardwalk Empire) is 83, Steven Hill (Mission: Impossible, Law & Order) turns 92 and Abe Vigoda is still alive at 93 🙂 Vigoda, who turned his reported death turned into a running joke, appeared in The Godfather movie but is best known as Detective Fish on Barney Miller and it’s spinoff sitcom, Fish.

February 24 was also the birthday of some classic TV stars no longer with us, including Pete Duel (Alias Smith & Jones, Gidget, Love on a Rooftop), James Farentino (The Bold Ones), Barbara Lawrence (guested on Bat Masterson, Perry Mason), Marjorie Main (guested on Wagon Train, best known as Ma Kettle in a series of Ma and Pa Kettle movies), Zachary Scott (appeared on Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Rogues), John Vernon (frequent classic TV guest star, best remembered for his movie role as Dean Wormer in Animal House) and Douglas Watson (Another World, Search for Tomorrow, Studio One, Suspense).

Today was also the day we lost a long list of classic TV friends. Bruce Bennett was an Olympic shot putter who later played Tarzan on the big screen and guested on small screen classics Lassie and Perry Mason. Actress-singer Virginia Bruce appeared on Lux Video Theatre and Studio 57. George Gobel was an actor, comedian and producer who starred in 1950s sitcom The George Gobel Show. His company, Gomalco, produced the first 4 seasons of Leave It To Beaver. Gobel was a frequent panelist on The Hollywood Squares and later co-starred in the Barbara Eden sitcom Harper Valley PTA.

Also passing this day: Don Knotts (The Andy Griffith Show, Three’s Company), Conrad Nagel (guested on The Defenders, Route 66), John Randolph (appeared on The Bob Newhart Show, The Bold Ones, Mannix…later played Clark Griswold’s father in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation), Dennis Weaver (Gentle Ben, Gunsmoke, McCloud) and comedian-violinist Henny Youngman (frequent guest on The Tonight Show and other talk/variety shows).

Dinah Shore also died on February 24. The singer-actress starred in the primetime Dinah Shore Show and The Dinah Shore Chevy Show back in the 1950s, later hosting the daytime series Dinah’s Place and Dinah! in the 1970s. She appeared as herself on such TV classics as Alice, Make Room for Daddy and Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In. Shore was also an avid golfer and helped launch the Colgate Dinah Shore golf tournament, now known as the Kraft Nabisco Championship.

Happy 74th birthday to Peter Fonda. Son of Henry and brother of Jane, Fonda is known for his roles in movies such as Easy Rider. He also appeared in classic TV shows 12 O’Clock High, Naked City and Wagon Train.

Several classic TV favorites were born February 23 but have since passed. Majel Barrett guested on such shows as Bonanza, Leave It To Beaver and The Lucy Show. She also appeared in the pilot of Star Trek and had a recurring role in the series as Nurse Chapel. Barrett later did voice work on Star Trek: The Animated Series. She also happened to be the wife of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry.

Also born this day: Jon Hall (starred in early 1950s series Ramar of The Jungle, guested on Perry Mason) and film actress Diane Varsi (appeared on Cannon, Dr. Kildare, Playhouse 90).

February 23 was also the day we lost one of the legends of comedy. UK born actor-writer Stan Laurel worked in movies from the 1910s to the 1950s and is best known as the skinny half of the comedy team of Laurel and Hardy. The duo was honored on a 1954 episode of the classic TV series This Is Your Life.

Enjoy this classic short from the great Laurel and Hardy:

Google+

Today’s birthday list starts with John Ashton. The 66 year old actor appeared in the Beverly Hills Cop movies and guested on Columbo, Dallas, Kojak and Starsky & Hutch.

Also celebrating birthdays: Leslie Charleson (General Hospital castmember since 1977, also guested on Adam-12, Cannon, Happy Days and The Wild Wild West) is 69, Paul Dooley (played Molly Ringwald’s dad in Sixteen Candles, earlier appeared on TV shows like Bewitched and The Defenders) turns 86 and Donald May (co-starred in Colt .45 and The Roaring 20’s, guested on The FBI and Quincy M.E., appeared on several daytime soaps) is 87.

Others born February 22: TV producer-director Bud Yorkin (All in the Family, Carter Country, Good Times, Maude, What’s Happening!!) is 88 and legendary NBC announcer Don Pardo turns 96. Pardo was a longtime game show announcer (Jeopardy!) and has been announcing on Saturday Night Live since the show’s 1975 launch.

One more familiar face is celebrating a birthday. You may not know the name, but you surely recognize his picture. Veteran character actor James Hong turns 85 today. He has been working in showbiz since the 1950s and reportedly has over 500 movie and TV roles on his resume. Hong co-starred in the 1957 series The New Adventures of Charlie Chan and the 1976 series Jigsaw John. He’s voiced characters on Jackie Chan Adventures and Kung Fu Panda. Hong has guested on countless classic TV shows, among them Bachelor Father, Hawaii Five-0, Hawaiian Eye, I Spy, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Perry Mason and Peter Gunn. He also appeared in the memorable Seinfeld episode “The Chinese Restaurant.”

Several classic TV favorites were born this day but are no longer with us. Director David Greene worked on The Defenders, Rich Man Poor Man and Roots. Actor-director Sheldon Leonard appeared in such classic films as It’s A Wonderful Life and guested on numerous classic TV shows, even starring in a short-lived 1975 sitcom Big Eddie. He is probably best known for producing such classic shows as The Andy Griffith Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, I Spy and Make Room for Daddy.

Robert Young was also born today. We remember him for his longtime role as Jim Anderson on the radio and TV versions of Father Knows Best. He later starred as kindly doctor Marcus Welby M.D.

February 22 was also the day we lost some classic TV friends. Ed Flanders guested on many classic shows of the 1960s and 70s, among them Daniel Boone, Hawaii Five-0, Mannix, The Mary Tyler Moore Show and M*A*S*H. He later went on to star in the medical drama St. Elsewhere. Legendary animator-director Chuck Jones worked on Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons, creating such classic characters as Marvin the Martian, Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote.

Others passing this day: George Ives (co-starred in 1965 sitcom Mister Roberts, guested on Green Acres, Mister Ed, Emergency!, Wonder Woman), storyboard artist Michael Maltese (worked for Warner Bros. and Hanna-Barbera) and Alexander Scourby. Scourby guested on Mannix, Marcus Welby M.D. and The Rifleman. He was also well known for his recording of the King James version of The Bible and as narrator of National Geographic Specials from the 1960s to the 1980s.

Christine Ebersole is first on today’s birthday list. The 61 year old actress-singer appeared on daytime soaps One Life To Live and Ryan’s Hope. She was a regular on Saturday Night Live in the early 80s and is currently in the cast of the TBS sitcom Sullivan & Son.

Also celebrating a birthday: Tyne Daly is 68. She guested on many classic TV series including Hawaii Five-0, Ironside, Medical Center, Quincy and The Virginian. She also appeared on The Rookies with ex-husband Georg Stanford Brown. Daly went on to star in the long-running 1980s crime drama Cagney and Lacey. She’s also the sister of actor Tim Daly (Wings).

Gary Lockwood turns 77 today. He starred in the 1963 drama The Lieutenant and guested on many classic shows of the 1960s, 70s and 80s. His resume includes 12 O’Clock High, Barnaby Jones, Medical Center and Perry Mason.

February 21 is also the birthday of some classic TV favorites no longer with us. Humorist Erma Bombeck wrote a long-running newspaper column and appeared on Good Morning America. B-movie actress Arline Judge guested on Mr. & Mrs. North and Perry Mason. Austrian-American actress Celia Lovsky appeared on many classic shows of the 1950s to the 70s, including Dragnet (both 1950s and late 1960s versions), The Flying Nun, Marcus Welby M.D., Playhouse 90 and The Waltons. Lovsky was once married to movie actor Peter Lorre.

Also born this day: Rue McClanahan (The Golden Girls, Mama’s Family, Maude), film director-screenwriter Sam Peckinpah (Straw Dogs, The Wild Bunch…also worked on TV, mostly westerns like Broken Arrow, Gunsmoke, The Rifleman and The Westerner) and Ann Sheridan. Sheridan, pictured above, starred in such movies as Angels with Dirty Faces and appeared on daytime soap Another World, Lux Video Theatre and Wagon Train. Her last role was as star of the 1966 sitcom Pistols ‘n’ Petticoats.

Actor Ben Chapman died on February 21. He made a couple of early TV appearances (Adventures in Paradise, The Colgate Comedy Hour) but is best known for playing the Gill Man in Creature from the Black Lagoon.

Today’s birthday list kicks off with Peter Strauss. The 67 year old guested on Hawaii Five-0, The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Streets of San Francisco. He also starred in the 1970s miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man.

Sandy Duncan is 68 today. She had guest roles on Bonanza, The Six Million Dollar Man and was a frequent panelist on The Hollywood Squares. Duncan starred in an early 1970s sitcom Funny Face (reformatted as The Sandy Duncan Show) and later replaced Valerie Harper on the 1980s sitcom The Hogan Family. She is also known for her stage work (Peter Pan) and as a commercial spokeswoman for Wheat Thins crackers.

Also on the birthday list: Richard Beymer (guested on Dr. Kildare, Make Room for Daddy, Sky King…later appeared on Murder She Wrote and Twin Peaks) is 75, Marj Dusay (guested on Barnaby Jones, Mannix, The Odd Couple, The Wild Wild West…played Blair’s mom on The Facts of Life…regular on daytime dramas All My Children, Guiding Light and Santa Barbara) turns 78 and socialite-heiress Gloria Vanderbilt is 90. Vanderbilt had several acting roles in the 1950s and early 60s (Playhouse 90, The Shirley Temple Storybook, Studio One) and is the mother of CNN anchor Anderson Cooper.

Classic TV friends born February 20 but since passed include film and TV actor Edward Albert (guested on Kung Fu, The Love Boat, Police Story…later had recurring roles on primetime soaps Falcon Crest and the Yellow Rose…son of actor Eddie Albert), movie director Robert Altman (M*A*S*H, also worked on TV shows like Bonanza, Combat! and Whirlybirds) and Malcolm Atterbury. He guested on many classic TV shows from the 1950s on, including The Fugitive, Gunsmoke and Perry Mason. Atterbury was a regular on the 1974 family drama Apple’s Way.

Also born this day: Amanda Blake (Gunsmoke), Whitney Blake (Hazel, co-creator of One Day At A Time), Pierre Boulle (author of Planet of the Apes), Gale Gordon (Dennis The Menace, Here’s Lucy, Our Miss Brooks, The Lucy Show), Larry Hovis (Hogan’s Heroes), Brion James (guested on Chico and the Man, The Rockford Files, The Waltons), author-screenwriter Richard Matheson (wrote over a dozen episodes of The Twilight Zone, including Nightmare at 20,000 Feet that starred William Shatner) and actor-voice artist Henry Polic II (When Things Were Rotten, later on Webster).

A number of classic TV favorites passed away February 20, including Rosemary DeCamp (a regular on The Bob Cummings Show, The Life of Riley and That Girl…played Shirley Jones’ mom on The Partridge Family), Sandra Dee (starred in films Gidget, A Summer Place…guested on Fantasy Island and Love American Style), sportscaster Curt Gowdy (longtime voice of the Boston Red Sox, later announced baseball and football for ABC and NBC Sports, hosted The American Sportsman) and voice actor Clarence Nash (Donald Duck).

Others passing this day: actor-singer John Raitt (guested on 1950s series including Death Valley Days, Shirley Temple’s Storybook…father of singer Bonnie Raitt), film critic Gene Siskel and newspaper-radio commentator Walter Winchell (narrator of The Untouchables).

Dick York also died on February 20, He co-starred with Gene Kelly in the 1962 TV comedy Going My Way and guested on such shows as Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Playhouse 90 and Wagon Train. He is best known as the first Darrin Stephens on the long-running sitcom Bewitched.

Happy birthday to actor Michael Nader. The 69-year-old appeared on a number of 1960s beach movies and guested on the Gidget TV series. He was later a regular on primetime soap Dynasty and daytime sudser All My Children.

Lee Marvin (pictured) was born on this day. Marvin starred in late 1950s cop drama M Squad, then later guested on Bonanza, Route 66, The Twilight Zone and The Untouchables. He is also well-known for his many film roles, including The Dirty Dozen and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.

Also born February 19 was Dave Niehaus. He was a longtime baseball announcer for the California Angels and Seattle Mariners.

Classic TV friends passing away this day include Janet Blair, who was born here in my hometown of Altoona, PA. Altoona is located in Blair County, which is where she got her stage name. Blair was a film and TV actress who appeared on Burke’s Law, Marcus Welby M.D. and The Outer Limits. She also co-starred in the 1971 Henry Fonda comedy-drama series The Smith Family.

Others passing on February 19: Madge Blake (guested on many classic shows of the 1950s and 60s, best known for her roles as Aunt Harriet on Batman and Larry Mondello’s mom on Leave It To Beaver), singer-banjo player Grandpa Jones (Hee Haw) and veteran Looney Tunes animator and voice actor Tedd Pierce.

Hard to believe, but actor John Travolta turns 60 today. As most of us classic TV fans know, the veteran film star (Carrie, Grease, Look Who’s Talking, Pulp Fiction, Urban Cowboy) got his start on 1970s television. He first appeared on Emergency!, then later guested on Medical Center and The Rookies.

Travolta starred in the made-for-TV movie The Boy in the Plastic Bubble, but he’s best known as one of the Sweathogs on the classroom comedy Welcome Back Kotter. Side note: I actually met Travolta once on a movie set. My roommate at the time was in a movie with him called Perfect (unfortunately the movie didn’t live up to its name at the box office!).

Also celebrating a birthday: George Kennedy. The 89 year old is well-known for his roles in the Airport and Naked Gun movie franchises, but he also has an impressive classic TV resume. Kennedy guested on a number of shows, including Gunsmoke and Have Gun Will Travel. He was in the cast of Dallas and starred in two shows of his own: 1971 drama Sarge (he played a priest) and 1975 crime drama The Blue Knight.

A number of classic TV friends were born on February 18 but have since passed. Bill Cullen was a legendary game show host (including The $25,000 Pyramid, Blankety Blanks, Break The Bank, The Price Is Right) who also appeared often as a panelist. Character and voice actor Allan Melvin had roles on All in the Family, The Brady Bunch, Gomer Pyle USMC, McHale’s Navy, The Phil Silvers Show and many more classic shows of the 1960s and 70s. He was also the voice of Magilla Gorilla.

Other classic TV contributors passing this day include screenwriter Sam Rolfe (created The Delphi Bureau, Delvecchio, Have Gun Will Travel) and Jack Palance. The boxer-turned-actor guested on shows like Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Playhouse 90. He starred in the 1963 series The Greatest Show on Earth and 1975 crime drama Bronk. Personally, I always enjoyed his hosting work on the 1980s version of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Palance later won an Academy Award for his supporting role in the movie City Slickers.

February 18 also marks the day we lost some TV favorites. Actor Richard Bright was best known for his role in the Godfather films, but he also guested on classic TV series The Defenders and Studio One. Baseball broadcaster Harry Caray was the longtime voice of the Chicago Cubs, and also called games for the Athletics, Cardinals and White Sox. Andy Devine, the raspy-voiced cowboy sidekick in the movies, co-starred in The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok and guested on Flipper, The Twilight Zone and The Virginian.

Also leaving us this day were actress-model Maggie McNamara (guested on The Alfred Hitchcock Hour and Ben Casey, starred in the “Ring-a-Ding Girl” episode of The Twilight Zone) and actor-director Noam Pitlik. He acted on many shows in the 1960s and 70s, including Ben Casey, The Bob Newhart Show, The Fugitive, Hogan’s Heroes and Sanford & Son. Pitlik went on to direct such shows as Barney Miller, One Day at a Time and Taxi.

Actor turned director Don Scardino turns 65 today. Scardino guested on classic sitcoms The Ghost and Mrs. Muir and The Patty Duke Show, later appearing on daytime soaps As the World Turns and Guiding Light. He is currently a director on the CBS sitcom 2 Broke Girls.

Miss America 1959 Mary Ann Mobley is 75. Mobley guested on many classic TV shows of the 1960s and 70s, including Burke’s Law, Diff’rent Strokes, Fantasy Island and Perry Mason. She was also a panelist on Match Game and other 70s daytime game shows. Mobley is the widow of actor-TV host Gary Collins.

Also celebrating February 17 birthdays: Christina Pickles (Another World, Guiding Light, Lou Grant, The White Shadow) is 79, UK actress Patricia Routledge (guested on CBS Children’s Film Festival, best known for 1990s Britcom Keeping Up Appearances) turns 85 and Hal Holbrook is 89. Holbrook appeared on The Bold Ones and The FBI, along with such movies as the Dirty Harry sequel Magnum Force. He is also well-known for his portrayal of Abraham Lincoln in several miniseries (Lincoln, North and South). Holbrook was married to the late actress Dixie Carter.

Today was also the birthday of some classic TV favorites, including Red Barber (longtime baseball and football announcer), silent film star Ruth Clifford (later appeared on Hazel, Highway Patrol, Police Story), Arthur Hunnicutt (guested on Bonanza, My Three Sons, The Virginian) and Arthur Kennedy (guested on The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, co-star of the 1974 crime drama Nakia).

Character actress Kathleen Freeman was also born on this day. Her familiar face appeared on many classic TV shows from the 1950s on, including 77 Sunset Strip, The Beverly Hillbillies, Hogan’s Heroes, Kojak and Wagon Train. She played a hotel maid in a memorable episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show (“Never Bathe on Saturday”), and later co-starred with Dom DeLuise on the 1973 sitcom Lotsa Luck. Freeman was also the voice of Al Bundy’s mother-in-law on Married with Children.

February 17 was also the day we lost some old classic TV friends. Radio, TV and voice actor Joseph Kearns guested on shows like Gunsmoke, The Jack Benny Program and Our Miss Brooks. He’s best known for his final role: neighbor Mr. Wilson on Dennis the Menace. Character actor Sunshine Parker had guest shots on BJ and the Bear, Bonanza and Little House on the Prairie.

Also passing this day: Dan O’Herlihy. The veteran Irish actor guested on The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and The Untouchables. He co-starred with Kurt Russell in the 1960s western The Travels of Jamie McPheeters, then the short-lived 1979 drama A Man Called Sloane (with Robert Conrad). O’Herlihy later appeared in the quirky 1990s series Twin Peaks.

Today’s birthday list begins with Lisa Loring (56). As a child, she portrayed Wednesday on the classic 1960s comedy The Addams Family. Loring was later a regular on the daytime soap As The World Turns.

Also celebrating birthdays: LeVar Burton (Reading Rainbow, Roots, Star Trek: The Next Generation) is 57 and William Katt is 63. Katt, son of Perry Mason co-star Barbara Hale, guested on Emergency!, Ironside and M*A*S*H. He also starred in the early 1980s comedy-drama series The Greatest American Hero.

February 16 was also the birthday of some classic TV favorites since passed, including Edgar Bergen (longtime radio star, played Grandpa in the Waltons movie pilot, father of actress Candice Bergen), Sonny Bono (The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour, later had a career in politics), Chester Morris (played Boston Blackie in the movies, on radio and the first season of the TV series) and Gretchen Wyler (guested on Charlie’s Angels and Naked City, co-starred in 1978 sitcom On Our Own).

Today was also the birthday of Hugh Beaumont. The film, radio and TV actor was the narrator of the early 1950s series Racket Squad. He later guested on classics like Mannix, Petticoat Junction and The Virginian. We all remember him as the kind and wise father Ward Cleaver on the long-running sitcom Leave it to Beaver.

Today was also the day we lost some classic TV friends. Roger Bowen was a co-founder of The Second City comedy troupe and played Lt. Colonel Henry Blake in the M*A*S*H movie. He was a regular on The Brian Keith Show and guested on such shows as All in the Family, House Calls and I Spy. Smiley Burnette was a singer-actor who played the same memorable role on two 1960s sitcoms. He was railroad engineer Charley Pratt on Green Acres and Petticoat Junction.

Len Lesser also passed away on February 16. The veteran character actor appeared on TV shows across six decades, from the 1950s to the 2000s. Among the shows on Lesser’s resume: The Bob Newhart Show, Bonanza, Get Smart, Kojak, The Munsters and Switch. He had a recurring role on Everybody Loves Raymond, but we all know him best as Uncle Leo on Seinfeld (Jerry! Hello!)