Ralphland

“Give! Remember to always give. This is the thing that will make you grow.”

-Elizabeth Taylor, 1932-2011

We lost another legend today as Leslie Nielsen has passed away at the age of 84. Leslie’s career was unusual in that he became more popular in his later years, primarily due to him finally getting the sort of roles he seemed born to play- comedic ones. From the time he arrived in Hollywood until 1980, Mr. Nielsen was pretty much given only dramatic roles. In 1980, however, all of that changed. The Zucker Brothers, along with Jim Abrahams, cast Mr. Nielsen in the role that would change his life, that of Doctor Rumack in the comedy classic Airplane! a film that spoofed the increasingly over dramatic disaster films that had become popular in the 1970s, a trend which began with The Poseidon Adventure, which coincidentally starred Mr. Nielsen himself.

Despite playing nothing but dramatic roles up until then, things changed for Mr. Nielsen in a big way and he ended up playing nothing but comedic roles from then on. He even got another opportunity to play a legendary role- that of Frank Drebin, a bumbling police officer who never did anything right, yet always won out in the end. Leslie always made us laugh and was always a bright spot in any film he was in, regardless of its quality.

Losing such an iconic comedic actor is especially sad, considering how Mr. Nielsen was as nice in person as he was on the screen. My cousin once wrote to him and he replied back with a signed picture; a picture that is valued to this day as a reminder of a class act who valued his fans as much as we valued him. So we honor Mr. Nielsen not only as a legend, but as someone who gave us so many happy moments and fun times. I have to admit that my sense of humor was partially shaped by Mr. Nielsen; I still recall watching The Naked Gun for the first time and thinking it was the funniest thing I had ever seen; that is, until I finally caught Airplane!, the original Police Squad and many more of Mr. Nielsen’s now classic films. Rest in Peace, Mr. Nielsen and thank you for the laughs!

“Marion and I have not climbed Mount Everest or written a great American novel. But we’ve had the joy of raising two wonderful kids, and watching them and their friends grow up into loving adults. And now, we’re going to have the pleasure of watching them pass that love on to their children. And I guess no man or woman could ask for anything more. So thank you all for being part of our family. To Happy Days!”

-Howard Cunningham, as played by Tom Bosley.

“All you have to do is decide what you want to do. You have to have a dream.”

-Barbara Billingsley

We’ve lost a true music legend this week; Harvey Fuqua has passed away at the age of 80.

Mr. Fuqua was a talented singer, who with his band “Harvey and the Moonglows” recorded the marvelous Doo-Wop classic “Sincerely”. Mr. Fuqua would have cemented his place in music history had he only been the lead singer of “The Moonglows”, but he proved to be just as talented behind the scenes as he was in front of them. Together with his wife Gwen Gordy, Mr. Fuqua founded the “Anna Records” label which would later become part of the legendary Motown Records label. In fact, Motown’s first official hit single “Money (That’s What I Want)” was produced by Mr. Fuqua himself and sung by one of his discoveries- Barrett Strong.

After selling the Anna Records label to his brother-in-law Berry Gordy, Mr. Fuqua stayed on and helped shape Motown’s distinctive sound, discovering marvelous singers like The Spinners and Junior Walker. It was also his idea to pair two of Motown’s most legendary singers- Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell and have them sing their now classic duets together. Marvin and Tammi’s voices went so well together and their huge success was due to Mr. Fuqua’s excellent eye for talent.

While we mourn the loss of this music legend, we can take comfort in knowing that Mr. Fuqua is now up in heaven, reunited with many of his old friends and putting on the greatest concert ever. Rest well, Mr. Fuqua and thank you for sharing your talent with the world.

Ilene Woods was the voice of Cinderella and a true Disney Princess. Rest in Peace, Ms. Woods.

“Have faith in your dreams, and someday your rainbow will come smiling through. No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing, the dream that you wish will come true.”

-Cinderella

We’ve lost another Hollywood legend this week, as one of “America’s Grandmas” passed away- Rue McClanahan.

Ms. McClanahan was already an accomplished actress when she stepped into the role she seemed born to play; that of Blanche Devereaux on the TV classic The Golden Girls. It was like capturing lightning in a bottle; Ms. McClanahan and her co-stars instantly clicked and the show became an overnight success, an unheard of feat. America completely fell in love with these “Girls” and eagerly awaited each new episode.

Blanche became everyone’s “sexy grandmother” who made us laugh. We felt we knew these characters and welcomed them into our homes each week. Ms. McClanahan and her fellow girls brought multiple generations of families together each week; even if only for a half hour. The laughs they provided were universal and fully appreciated by their millions of fans around the world, who will never forget the glory days of the Golden Girls.

Rue, along with her fellow Golden Girls, was honored for her legendary role last year at the Disney 23 Expo when she was declared a Disney Legend. Her health prevented her from attending, but the cheers from her fans proved that she was deserving of the honor. We will never forget Rue and I’m sure that she’s sitting at the kitchen table with Bea and Estelle, trading stories and eating copious amounts of cheesecake. Rest in Peace, Rue McClanahan and thank you for the laughs!

Hollywood legend Art Linkletter has passed away at the age of 97. A true class act, Mr. Linkletter not only hosted the grand opening of Walt Disney’s greatest dream, but was also there to celebrate its 50th Anniversary, which just so happened to fall on his own birthday. Just as articulate and sharp as he was fifty years before, Mr. Linkletter marveled the crowd with a heartfelt speech that outshined a few of the other speakers who were several decades his junior. I was fortunate enough to meet Mr. Linkletter at various Disney special events and he was always ready with an anecdote and seemed to genuinely enjoy meeting his fans. Sadly, they don’t make ‘em like Mr. Linkletter anymore, but we can think back to the marvelous memories he left us. I’m sure he’s filling his old friend Walt Disney in on everything right now. Please say hi to Walt for me, Mr. Linkletter, and rest in peace.

“Things turn out best for the people who make the best out of the way things turn out.”

-Art Linkletter

“There have been several turning points in my life, but the most important one came the day I stepped before the cameras as Davy Crockett. The way I look at things, a man’s life story isn’t his alone, but it belongs to a lot of people who have influenced him and done things for him that he can never repay.”

-Fess Parker

On December 17, 1989 television history was made when “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire” premiered on the fledgling FOX television network. I remember that day fondly because I had read all about this show that dared to introduce animation back to prime time and had decided that, for better or worse, I planned to be there from the beginning to see what all of the fuss was about.

I had previously seen the snippets that appeared during the “Tracey Ullman Show” and wasn’t too impressed, though there wasn’t much impressive on FOX at that time. (And believe me when I say that I watched pretty much anything that aired on FOX back then.) I suppose I didn’t know what to expect and really didn’t expect much. I certainly didn’t think that I would still be watching the show (or even writing about it) twenty years later.

What my sister and I saw that night would instantly make an impression on us and the world would never seem quite the same again. “The Simpsons” was funny and most of all, REAL. There was Homer, suffering through a school recital, eager to leave. (Who among us can say they’ve never had to do that?) We meet Homer’s sisters-in-law, who prove to be as much of a pain in the neck as real in-laws. And Grandpa? Well he’s as senile (and boring) as real life family members of a certain age can be. Despite it all (and despite the laughs) we find out by the end of the half hour that this family, despite its faults, loves each other very much, just like in real life.

What a difference 20 years can make! Back then, “The Simpsons” was written off as just a fad; now it has become an evergreen institution. Can you believe that there are college students who have never lived in a world without Homer Simpson? The show’s longevity alone is an achievement; that it is still hilariously funny is even more astounding.

So today we honor “The Simpsons” for beating the odds and finding its way into our hearts. I recall getting depressed around season seven, when I pondered living in a world without new episodes of “The Simpsons”. I assumed by that point that the show was past the midway point for a successful run and that we would soon see the end of our favorite family. I am happy to say that I was totally wrong.

On the off chance that anyone associated with the show sees this, I would like to say ‘Thank You’. Your work has given me so many laughs and so many fond memories. I can no longer imagine a world without “The Simpsons” and that’s a good thing….

Simpsons Forever!!