In the Brit/Irish Wing of Heaven…now sits Peter O’Toole.

I’m sure Richard Burton, fellow Irishman Richard Harris and classmate Alan Bates greeted their Shakespearean equal with wide grins, glasses in hand and a bottle to share. Fans around the world aware that we’ve lost another icon and are running out of the best.

Upon hearing the news of O’Toole’s death as with all the greats who leave us, a deep sadness set in. Flashes of all the movies, masterpieces, performances he blessed us with went flying through my mind. As a child I remember the raves of what seemed everybody on Lawrence of Arabia, adults and teens alike were flocking to the theaters to see not one but two handsome men with Omar Sharif. Though it would be O’Toole that would captivate the audience.

Saturday Sonata In Honor Of James Gandolfini.

Now the song itself is befitting the character he made famous, Tony Soprano but not for the man himself the actor. Jimmy Roselli’s “Little Pal” literally became the mob song, all you have to do is listen to the lyrics.

In Memory of Jack Klugman, Charles Durning & Fontella Bass.

Of lately I feel like an obituary writer and it is more than disheartening.

December has been a horrible month for the entertainment industry, as far as that goes the whole year whether Musicians or Actors. One right after the next, the deaths just keep coming. Dave Brubeck, Ravi Shankar, Larry Hagman, Lee Dorman and now Jack Klugman, Charles Durning & Fontella Bass.

Klugman was something special. His role as Oscar on the TV side of the Odd Couple was a show you looked forward to every week. I grew up watching him in a variety of Movies and TV. From the “Day’s of Wine and Roses”, “Twelve Angry Men”, the earliest of the Twilight Zone episodes, from Broadway where he created the character of Herbie in 1959 stage version of “Gypsy” to The Odd Couple Broadway & TV (he replaced Walter Matthau on stage version) and back then later Quincy M.E.. Jack always played his characters convincingly and more, with passion.

He just was a likable personality that fit in to whatever project he was doing. So it was sad to hear of his death Christmas Eve. He gave us decades & decades of enjoyment and will be remembered for his gift of making us laugh. Of course me having worked in the Thoroughbred Industry all my life that was another soft spot I had with this man. He loved horse racing, gambling and was an owner of them as well.

Goodbye Colonel Potter. Harry Morgan 1915-2011

It was with great sadness to hear today that a great actor from one of my favorite sitcoms had died. Harry Morgan who in his entire career never appeared once on any talk show even when Dragnet was such a hit, because he felt why talk about himself. A rarity among actors of any stature. But my God is there a lot to talk about when it comes to this man.

Sunday Tribute to Director – Sidney Lumet