Wednesday, January 6, 2021

Who's Still Alive?


For the record, yesterday's headline is no longer correct. Tanya Roberts is dead. It just took a little more time. RIP Tanya.

Mentioning those dead (and almost dead) celebrities yesterday made me wonder, "Who's still alive?" I thought of people like Mitzi Gaynor (who's 89) or Gene Hackman (90), but as it turns out, they're practically spring chickens in the world of aging actors. Wikipedia maintains a page of living actors from the Golden Age of Hollywood, and it shows that a guy named Norman Lloyd, who began acting in 1939, is the great survivor, still plugging along at 106. (I didn't know his name, but I definitely know his face.)

Others still with us include Nehemiah Persoff (101); Betty White (98); Glynis Johns (97); Eva Marie Saint and Cicely Tyson (both 96); June Lockhart, Angela Lansbury and Dick Van Dyke (all 95); Mel Brooks and Cloris Leachman (both 94); and Sidney Poitier (93).

Unfortunately, it seems there's no equivalent Wikipedia page for musicians, but I know Tony Bennett (94) and Harry Belafonte (93) are still outrunning the reaper.

Of course, this could all change at any moment.

(Tina Louise, by the way, is a relatively youthful 86.)

As I write this, the Georgia elections are too close to call. It's exciting that the Democrats did so well. Even though Biden won Georgia, I feared the Senate races might follow a different pattern. Fingers crossed the numbers break our way. The Republicans deserve to be repudiated by voters for enabling you-know-who for the last four years.

"In case you didn't know, love is still winning!"

With freezing temperatures in the forecast for the next few nights, Dave and I wrestled with the plants again yesterday. We brought the tree fern back inside and put it in the dining room this time. Like the geraniums around the back door, we may just keep it there for the foreseeable future, rather than schlepping it in and out according to the whims of the weather. I put the canna lilies in the shed, and I brought in one of the hanging plectranthi. (Plectranthuses?)

We had a Zoom meeting with our head of school, catching us up on current plans for working. It turns out we're supposed to steer clear of the building, for the most part, so teachers will be working largely from home. As of Monday I'll be going in at least a few times a week, to keep things in the library organized and hopefully help manage a system that will allow people to continue checking out books. We haven't really figured out that system yet. Maybe parents can pick up and drop off books at the curb in front of the school or something like that.

(Top photo: A bright sidewalk near our flat.)

19 comments:

Jennifer said...

Warnock has been called as the winner and Ossoff is in the lead as of 4am Eastern time!!

Moving with Mitchell said...

Per Jennifer's update, here's hoping! By the way, I'M still alive.

Steve Reed said...

Wooo hooo!!!!!!!! Trumpism is dying. The voters have spoken.

Steve Reed said...

And you are most certainly a worthy celebrity, Mitchell. :)

Vivian Swift said...

I'm too nervous to sleep, and too nervous to check election results, but I just took a peek...Ossoff is still leading as of 4:50am eastern time. I'm crying with relief.

If it's going to get that cold in London be sure to put a bottle or two of champagne in the backyard. I've got mine cooling in our polar vortex here on the north shore of Long Island and if I wake up in three hours and Georgia is still blue I'm having mimosas for breakfast.

Angelicastar said...

Steve people like to spread news without really knowing the whole story. Then to, her boyfriend started this rumor. If she was in his arms, there is no way he couldn't know if she had a pulse or still breathing. This same thing happen to us about someone we grew up with in Shreveport, Louisiana just last week. Someone who was related to this man told my cousin he had died. My brother told my ex-brother n'law and he travels to East Texas and beyond telling all the people we knew and this man was on life support but he wasn't dead. A couple days later his sister posted on facebook that her brother has his wings. Then we knew then he had passed away. I don't do facebook but my sister sent me her post by email. Life will take awhile but eventually we will be back to normal when that dictator get on down the road with all his cult members. One day they will realize everytime Trump try helping someone they lose. If he couldn't help himself win how do they expect him to help them win. The voters have spoken and they(we) are speaking loudly. We will eventually clean up D. C and really make American better than we were before the dictator tried to change our democracy. Biden have to clean up four years of destruction and bullshit to our democracy but he's been working hard and doing the best he can before he is sworn in. Dan Crenshaw (the Senator that wear the patch over his eye)from here in the Houston area is going to have to go next time he is up for re-election. The county Judge is trying to close non-essential businesses but he is all over the news telling them not to close. She is only trying to help minimize the spread of this virus.
















Yorkshire Pudding said...

Steve Reed is a film actor, known for JFK (1991), Zapruder (2000) and Dangerous Curves (1992). I believe that Steve is still alive though that would require confirmation by a medical practitioner.

Ms. Moon said...

When I saw that Tanya Roberts had, indeed died, I too thought about your post title. "Oops, not any more."
I love that picture of the cars on the street, the frost (is it frost or just damp?) disappearing as the sun shines on it.
"...love is still winning." Oh, I hope so. Looks like Democrats are, at least.

Bob said...

Sad that Tanya will always be known as the actress who died, then didn't, then did.

And I love that graffiti.

Sharon said...

Interesting about all the actors who are still with us. I recognize Norman Lloyd too.
Things are looking up in Georgia. Now we wait and see what happens today with Congress. A handful Republican senators are scheduled to make asses of themselves today by objecting to the certification of electors.
I just heard some rather disturbing news on the Covid front. Los Angeles is apparently in crisis mode with hospital intensive care at 150% capacity. People are stuck in ambulances waiting to get into a hospital and EMT's are stretched to the max. Pretty darn scary.

Anonymous said...

Wow, I had forgotten some of those names of the still-living actors. It surprised me to know that Cicely Tyson is 96. I would have never guessed that. I read the story about Tanya Roberts, the Schrodinger's Cat of the acting world.
Love the good news out of Georgia this morning. Yes!

ellen abbott said...

'love is still winning' written on a wall topped with concertina wire. I wonder if that was purposeful or just random. it's been warm here the last few days but I haven't lugged the three big plants out. sort of missed my window as tomorrow it's getting cold again.

The Bug said...

I woke up this morning to the news of our probable Georgia win & just sobbed - I guess I had a lot more riding on that election than I admitted to myself!

Ellen D. said...

Great news coming out of Georgia! Thank goodness! I remember Norman Lloyd from St. Elsewhere - I loved that show.
I like that graffiti - I hope it is true that love will win over hate. We have seen too much hate in the last 4 years here in the US.

Margaret said...

I had few hopes for GA; I thought perhaps one seat but never dreamed we could get BOTH. The fight to end Trumpism and restore sanity is far from over as evidenced by what's happening in Washington D.C. Ugh.

John Going Gently said...

I miss Olivia de havilland who was 104

Red said...

Some of these ages are astounding and some o these people are still independent.

Anonymous said...

I recently wrongly said a local actor had died some time ago in a forum. I felt bad as I was wrong. I just hope he didn't read what I wrote.

Janie Junebug said...

I'm sure you know by now that the Democrats won. All I can say is thank god for Georgia.

Love,
Janie