October 25 Birthday Wishes

Whit Bissell [1909 - 1996]
Jean Cooper [1928 - ]
Marion Ross [1928 - ]
Gordon Tootoosis [1941 - 2011]

Howdy Manco!!

Whit Bissell attended the University Of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and began his acting career there. He began his film career in 1940 and for 14 years, he toiled away in uncredited roles and bit parts, until 1954, when he snagged the role of the professor in Creature From The Black Lagoon. He followed that up with the role of the mad scientist in, I was A Teenage Werewolf. This film also launched the career of Michael Landon. Next came, No Name On The Bullet and Warlock and he began to get bigger and better roles in both film and t.v.. He also appeared on Peter Gunn. Bachelor Father, The Rifleman, Rawhide, Have Gun Will Travel and many other t.v. series through the 1980's. He had roles in, Hud, The Magnificent Seven, Spencer's Mountain and when he was finished, he had appeared in over 200 movies and innumerable t.v. series. His last acting was on Falcon Crest in 1984. Whit became one of the most prolific character actors of his generation. I believe, it was Tom, who told us about Whit being asked to attend one of the western festivals and his reply was" they wouldn't remember me" I can remember Whit Bissell's face and many of his roles, without even having to pull up a picture. Whit passed on in 1996 at the age of 86 and since he was in Woodland Hills, I assume it was at the Actors Retirement Home there.

Jeanne Cooper made her film debut in the 1953 film, The Redhead From Wyoming, which if the ole memory serves, was a Maureen O'Hara film. Although Jeanne has appeared in several films of note during her career, like The Boston Strangler, Kansas City Bomber and There Was A Crooked Man, she is better known for her many roles in t.v. series over the years. She has played more bar room floozies and hard hearted women in westerns, than just about anyone, with the exception of Constance Ford or Jean Willes. After the westerns began to fade from t.v., Jeanne began to appear on the soap operas and in 1973, she took on the role of Katherine Chancellor on the daytime series, The Young And The Restless and has continued in this role through 2012.

Who among us doesn't know who Marion Ross is???????? Well, if you don't know who she is, then you must have been in a coma from 1974-1984!! Marian ( her real spelling) started out in an uncredited role in the 1953 film, Life With Father. She continued to appear in small roles in both film and t.v. for the next 21 years. She appeared on Father Knows Best back in the 50's all the way through roles in Rawhide and Laredo through the the 60's. Disallusioned with Hollywood, nontheless she kept plugging right along and accepted a role on the 70's t.v. series, Love American Style. The name of the episode was 'Love And Happy Days" and starred Elliot Gould and Ron Howard as her son. 2 years later, the network decided to spin the episode off into a series of it's own. They dropped Elliot Gould, hired Tom Bosely as the father and for the next 10 years, we got to relive the 50's again with Henry Winkler as the Fonz and Marion Ross as .Mrs C. Marian has continued her acting career and is currently working on a film for a 2013 release, but it is unlikely that she will ever top the fame she received from this series. She says there's one good benefit from having played that role. When she calls the plumber and he tells her, he can't come over until tomorrow, she replies, " Do you remember Happy Days?? I'm .Mrs C., and not only does he come right over, but he brings his whole family".

Gordon Tootoosis is a native of the Canadian Cree tribe. He began his film career in 1974, in the film, Alien Thunder. He appeared in Northern Exposure, North Of 60 and several other films and series, but in was in 1994 that he got the part of "One Stab" in the Brad Pitt/Anthony Hopkins hit, Legends Of The Fall. This led to his role of "Growling Bear" in the 2005, Steven Spielberg mini-series, Into The West and also the role of Chief Red Cloud in H.B.O.'s made for t.v. film, Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee. He has had regular roles on at least 3 t.v. series, including Wapos Bay, Blackstone and as Joe Redsky on Mocassin Flats. Gordon has continued to act through 2011 and still resides in Canada.

Ed

On That '70s Show, Marion Ross played Red Foreman's mother (Red is the dad of the lead kid Eric, played by Topher Grace). And Red's mother is the complete opposite of Marion Cunningham: smokes, drinks, and has a bad attitude!

Also today:

Anthony Franciosa (1928-2006) started out in theater, earning a Tony Award nomination for A Hat Full of Rain, later star in the film adaptation. He was also in the films A Face in the Crowd, Rio Conchos, and The Long Hot Summer. He would appear in many TV shows and TV movies, guest starring in an episode of The Virginian and playing the embezzling banker Gatewood in the 1986 version of Stagecoach. He starred on the series Valentine's Day, The Name of the Game, Search, and Matt Helm. He was married 4 times, once to Shelley Winters, who died 5 before he died of a massive stroke.

Yes, Ed, Whit did say that no one would remember him and he was amazed at the reception he received at the film festival by the fans. I think he and Edgar Buchanan kept up a contest score to see who would be in the most movies because one or the other seemed to be in about every other movie. Yes, he passed away at the Motion Picture home.