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BURT MUSTIN
February 8, 1884
Burton Hill Mustin was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1884. Mustin graduated from Pennsylvania Military College with a degree in civil engineering, in 1903. He worked as an engineer but later decided to go into sales. In 1921, he became the first announcer for Pittsburgh’s then newly established KDKA radio station. He appeared in productions in the Pittsburgh Savoyards (a Gilbert and Sullivan troupe) and the Pittsburgh Opera. He was also a member of the Barbershop Harmony Society, making his first trip to California in 1925 although he had no intention of having a film career.
He didn’t make his screen debut until 1951, when he was 67 years old. That year he was uncredited in The Last Outpost, Detective Story, and made his television debut in an episode of “The Adventures of Kit Carson.”
From then on, he was never without work – mostly playing little old men on TV and films. He first worked with Lucille Ball on “Main Street U.S.A.” (TLS S5;E17) the first of a two-part musical episode of “The Lucy Show” aired on January 23, 1967. Mustin played Old Uncle Joe, the town of Bancroft’s resident checker-playing old codger.
A week later, the second part was aired, titled “Lucy Puts Main Street on the Map” (TLS S5;E18). Mustin repeated his role as Uncle Joe. The character is supposedly 105 years old, although Mustin was a mere 82 at the time!
On “Here’s Lucy” Mustin played Mr. Robertson, Juror #3, when “Lucy and Joan Rivers Do Jury Duty” (HL S6;E9) aired on November 5, 1973.
In 1974, Mustin played Uncle Jeff in Lucy’s Mame. Uncle Jeff was one of Beau’s relatives in the scene set on the Beauregard plantation. Lucille Benson and Ruth McDevitt played more of Mame’s soon-to-be in-laws.
From 1953 to 1955, Mustin did five episode of “Our Miss Brooks”, filmed at Desilu, playing five different characters. He did a 1956 episode of Desilu’s “December Bride” a 1963 episode of “The Dick Van Dyke Show”, 5 episodes of “My Three Sons” (1962-70) and 14 episodes of “The Andy Griffith Show” (1960-66, above), nearly all as Jud Fletcher – all filmed at Desilu Studios.
In 1975 and 1976, Mustin had recurring roles on “Phyllis” and “All In the Family” but his final role was in the film Baker’s Hawk in 1976.
Mustin married Frances Woods in 1915. The couple remained together for 54 years, until her death in 1969, and had no children.
On January 28, 1977, Mustin died, less than two weeks before his 93rd birthday.
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LYLE TALBOT
February 8, 1902
Lyle Talbot was born Lysle Francis Henderson in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, although he was raised in Brainard, Nebraska. He left home at 17, and began his career as a magician’s assistant. He went to Hollywood in 1931 and became a contract player at Warners.
“You have no idea what it was like to be young and beautiful in the ‘30s in Hollywood. Everyone was sleeping with everyone.” ~ Lyle Talbot
After several shorts, his first Warners feature was an uncredited role in 1932′s Miss Pinkerton, starring Joan Blondell. Over the next 50 years he appeared in more than 150 films, and numerous television shows. Surprisingly, none of his film credits were with Lucille Ball. He would, however, appear with Ball on television.
Before teaming with Ball, he made his TV debut with Jackie Gleason, in a 1950 episode of “The Life of Riley”.
In 1953, Talbot’s career took a turn for the unusual when he teamed with B-movie director Ed Wood on Glen or Glenda, an early film about transgender identity that also featured Bela Lugosi. This was the first of three collaborations with Wood, including what is considered the worst film of all time, Plan 9 From Outer Space in 1957.
From 1954 to 1958, Talbot did five episodes (including on three-parter) of Desilu’s “December Bride.”
In April 1959, he did a single episode of Desilu’s “The Ann Sothern Show”. Lucille Ball played Lucy Ricardo on the series on October 5, 1959.
From 1955 to 1959 he had been a regular on “The Bob Cummings Show.” Although not produced by Desilu, Cummings and Lucille Ball would collaborate on several episodes of her television shows. In 1960, Talbot did an episode of Desilu’s short-lived series “Angel.”
In February 1962, he was at Desilu Studios to do an episode of the long-running “Danny Thomas Show.” The series did twin cross-over episodes with “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour” in late 1958 and 1959.
Finally, Talbot teamed with Lucille Ball in “Kiddie Parties Inc.” (TLS S2;E2)
filmed on June 6, 1963 and aired on October 7, 1963.
Talbot plays a father looking to hire Lucy and Viv as party-planners for his son’s birthday.
A couple of months later, Talbot was back for “Lucy’s College Reunion” (TLS S2;E11) on December 16, 1963. Talbot played a former class-mate of Lucy’s named Howard Wilcox. The character was named for a college friend of writer Madelyn Martin. As a child, Lucille Ball once lived at Wilcox Apartments in Jamestown.
After wrapping up his run as a recurring character on “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet” (95 episodes from 1955 to 1966), he appeared on “Here’s Lucy” in “Lucy Takes Over” (HL S2;E23) on February 23, 1970.
He played Harry’s lawyer, helping him negotiate Lucy’s claim to the Unique Employment Agency.
His final appearance with Lucille Ball was in “Lucy’s Wedding Party” (HL S3;E8) on November 2, 1970. Talbot played Freddy Fox, Harry’s old college chum.
Eerily, his final screen appearance was on an episode of “Newhart” titled “It’s My Party and I’ll Die If I Want To” on January 19, 1987. Lyle Talbot died of natural causes on March 3, 1996, in his home in San Francisco, California, at the age of 94. He was working on his memoirs when he died. He was married five times and had four children.
“I used to have the attitude that it was better to work than sit home idle, and as a result I did a lot of things that weren’t the greatest. But that was my fault.” ~ Lyle Talbot
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AUDREY MEADOWS
February 8, 1922
Audrey Meadows was born as Audrey Cotter in New York City. She was the youngest of four children. After she was born, her family returned to China, where they worked as missionaries. Her family returned to the US and settled in New England when Audrey was age 6, and she and sister Jayne attended an all-girls boarding school.
After high school, Jayne went to NYC with the goal of becoming an actress and convinced Audrey to join her as a singer. Audrey appeared in the Broadway musical Top Banana with Phil Silvers.
She next replaced Pert Kelton as the most famous and best-loved Alice Kramden of “The Honeymooners” (1955-56). Her collaboration with Jackie Gleason earned her four Emmy nominations and one win.
Like Lucy Ricardo, Alice Kramden was a red-headed housewife in New York City during the 1950s. Although both the Ricardos and Kramdens were struggling, it was clear that Ralph and Alice were living closer to the poverty line than the Ricardos. Both couples also had best friends and neighbors – the Mertzes and the Nortons. The shows even had episodes that were eerily similar.
After “The Honeymooners” ended, Meadows went on to do films, such as Take Her, She’s Mine (1963) and That Touch of Mink (1962) with Doris Day (above).
In 1965, Lucille Ball and Audrey Meadows appeared on “Salute to Stan Laurel” although the pair did not share any screen time together. Meadows was featured in the segment titled “The Perils of Pearl’ while Lucille Ball did a silent movie sketch with her mentor, Buster Keaton.
In her final regular role on television, Meadows portrayed Ted Knight’s mother-in-law on the sitcom “Too Close for Comfort” (1982-86).
She didn’t collaborate with Lucille Ball again until 1986, when she played Lucy Barker’s only sister Audrey on Ball’s ill-fated series “Life With Lucy” (LWL S1;E8).
Meadows is granted ‘special guest star’ status in the opening credits. The character says she is the social director on a cruise ship.
Audrey: “Darling, nobody but nobody serves Swedish meatballs anymore.”
Lucy: “Not even the Swedes?”
This was the twelfth episode filmed, although it was aired eighth, on November 15, 1986. This was Lucille Ball’s final performance as scripted character on television. There was talk about changing the show’s format and adding Audrey Meadows to the permanent cast, but by that time the network had canceled the show. It was the last episode to be aired by ABC.
Her final screen appearance was on a 1995 episode of “Dave’s World” starring Harry Anderson as Dave Barry.
“You as you are better by far than the you that you are trying to be.” ~ Audrey Meadows
Meadows died on February 3, 1996 at age 73.
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GEORGE BARROWS
February 7, 1914
George Barrows was born on February 7, 1914 in New York City.
He was one of Hollywood’s leading “gorilla performers.” Unlike other “gorilla performers,” he also did a lot of performances without the gorilla suit doing stunt work and bit parts in numerous feature films and television episodes.
Barrows made his screen debut as one of two gorillas in MGM’s Tarzan and His Mate (1934) starring Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O’Sullivan.
Although he continued acting and doing stunt work, he didn’t wear the gorilla suit again until 1953, in an episode of “The Abbott and Costello Show”. As a human, he made his TV debut as a Guard in an episode of “Magnavox Theatre” based on “The Three Musketeers”.
He donned the gorilla suit 18 more times from 1954 to 1978 including three times on “The Lucy Show,” but he also played two human characters on the series.
His first appearance was in “Lucy and the Monsters” (TLS S3;E18) on January 25, 1965. Barrows played Loretta, the maid, in the haunted house dream sequence.
In “Lucy at Marineland” (TLS S4;E1) on September 13, 1965, Barrows was a (human) extra in the location sequence at the dolphin show. Although not addressed by name in the dialogue, he is credited as Bruiser. His blonde companion is unbilled and unidentified.
“Lucy and Art Linkletter” (TLS S4;E16) on January 10, 1966, found Barrows playing Hilda, a gorilla escaped from the Los Angeles Zoo. The gorilla has actually been sent by Art Linkletter, to tempt Lucy into speaking while she’s competing for a prize by staying silent for 24 hours.
When “Lucy Meets Mickey Rooney” (TLS S4;E18) on January 24, 1966, Barrows is involved in the silent movie sketch in which Lucy plays Charlie Chaplin and Rooney the Kid. Barrows plays an escaped Prisoner, toting a ball and chain as he runs from the Keystone Kops.
In “Lucy Goes to a Hollywood Premiere” (TLS S4;E20) on February 7, 1966, Barrows plays Coconuts Mulligan, star of the film “Love in the Jungle”. She (Coconuts is a female, like all of Barrow’s other Lucy gorillas) is accompanied to the premiere by Miss Beverly Hills (Mimi Van Tysen).
Also for Desilu, Barrows played a policeman and a fireman on two episodes of the helicopter drama “Whirlybirds” (1957).
Barrows played a policeman on a Christmas Eve 1959 episode of “The Untouchables.”
He even had a bit part on a 1962 episode of “My Three Sons” filmed on the Desilu lot.
Like many of Lucy’s performers, Barrows was seen on “Batman”. He played Charles, henchman to the Catwoman in two 1968 episodes.
His final gorilla character was on an episode of “The Tim Conway Show” in 1981. He retired the following year and died in 1994 at age 80.
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BELATED HONEYMOONERS IN DETROIT
February 7, 1941
BY FRANK P. GILL
A handsome young Cuban troubadour, who owes his start in show business to his country’s predilection for revolutions and cuartelazos (army rebellions), and a pretty and popular film star, who has time on her hands between pictures, popped into Detroit Thursday with a sigh of relief.
The troubadour, Desi Arnaz, has come to the Motor City for a definite purpose: to carol the canciones of his native land nightly in the Terrace Room of the Hotel Statler, with Fausto Curbelo’s band. The film star, Lucille Ball, just came along for the ride.
Actually this trip is part of a belated honeymoon for these two, who were marked between shows at the Roxy Theater in New York last November. They’ve been trying to have a honeymoon ever since, but Desi’s night club commitments and Miss Ball’s film work have proved serious handicaps at times.
Detroit Last Stop
“Our things aren’t even unpacked,” Miss Ball said, wryly, shortly after they arrived in town. “We’re now In the third phase of our honeymoon. Thank goodness! Detroit’s the last stop before we go back to California to settle down.” This doesn’t mean, of course, that either of them is quitting show business. Miss Ball recently finished “A Girl, a Guy and a Gob,” Harold Lloyd’s initial directing effort for RKO-Radio Pictures. Plans are afoot, she told us, to co-star her with her groom In “Havana,” a Latin musical. (**)
But, to the honeymooners. Miami was their last stopping place, where, while Desi sang nightly at the Rhumba Casino, Miss Ball vacationed. They were both bursting to talk about the Florida resort when they arrived; Desi because that city was his first show home, Miss Ball because she went fishing, a favorite sport with her, and caught a shark.
Revolution In Cuba
In 1933, the young singer explained, during the revolution against Machado, his father, a congressman, was jailed by the revolutionists. Six months later he was released and was “told to take a trip."
"We came to Miami,” Desi said. “I had to leave school, where I was getting ready to study law. We had no money, so I decided I had to make some, fast. The only thing I could do was to sing songs with a guitar to please my father. I started out to get job and finally landed one in a hotel, where they paid me $5 a night to sing. I thought it was robbery,” he added, laughing, “to pay me for what I liked to do for amusement.”
Later Xavier Cugat heard him and gave him a job as a vocalist. Later he formed his own band, and still later went into the cast of “Too Many Girls,“ which brought him, eventually, to Hollywood, where he met hit bride In pictures.
** = “Havana” was filmed by Columbia in 1949 as ‘Holiday in Havana’. Although Desi Arnaz played the leading role, the part of his love interest was not played by Lucille Ball, but by Mary Hatcher.
During Desi’s engagement, a fan wrote to Lucy and Desi asking if she could introduce herself. Naturally, the Arnaz’s agreed. The signed letter sold at auction in 2004 for $400!
Detroit’s Hotel Statler was built in 1914. In 1974, the structure was renamed the Detroit Heritage Hotel until it was abandoned in 1975 and demolished in 2005.
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EVE WHITNEY
February 6, 1923
Eve Whitney was born Eva Whitney on February 6, 1923 in Lincoln, Nebraska.
She worked as a model in New York, later modelling for illustrators Alberto Vargas and George Petty. She appeared on the cover of Yank magazine in January 1945.
She made her screen debut with Lucille Ball in Du Barry Was A Lady (1943). Above, actor Robert Taylor (who was not in the film and is in costume for MGM’s Billy the Kid) is surrounded by (left to right) Kay Williams, Ruth Ownbey, Theo Coffman, and Eve Whitney.
Also in 1943, Whitney had an uncredited role in Thousands Cheer in which Lucille Ball played herself.
In 1944, Whitney was once again an uncredited showgirl in a Lucille Ball MGM film, Meet the People, again with Kay Williams.
Whitney, Ball, and Williams were all Ziegfeld Girls in 1945′s Ziegfeld Follies from MGM.
Finally, in 1954, Eve Whitney (using her own name) was seen on “I Love Lucy” as the inspiration for Lucy and Ethel to enroll in “The Charm School” (ILL S3;E15). The episode was filmed on December 10, 1953 and first aired on January 25, 1954. It was her one and only television appearance.
After this episode, Whitney did one more acting job (an uncredited background appearance in 1957′s The Helen Morgan Story) and then retired from show business to become a real estate agent.
Her real-life husband Eddie Cherkose (aka Eddie Maxwell) wrote the lyrics to the song “There’s a Brand-New Baby in Our House” which was commercially released by Desi Arnaz and sung on “I Love Lucy.”
The couple had two children, Casey and Christine. Casey has written a memoir about her parents which is promoted with the description that “Their mother, Eve Whitney, a stunning Hollywood beauty, didn’t much care for children. Unfortunately, she had two of them.”
This photo from a 1953 magazine TV Mirror shows Casey (center) and her dad Eddie (back to us right) watching television with the Arnaz family.
Eve Whitney died on February 13, 2002 in Studio City, California, at age 79.
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BRYAN O’BYRNE
February 6, 1931
Bryan O’Byrne was born on February 6, 1931 in Plattsburgh, New York. He attended St. Peter’s Elementary School and Plattsburgh High School, and received his B.A. from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh.
He served in the United States Army before becoming an elementary school teacher.
He studied acting under Stella Adler and dance with Martha Graham. He later starred on Broadway opposite Vivien Leigh in Duel of Angels during the late 1950s. The run was cut short after five weeks due to the first actors’ strike in forty years.
He made his screen debut in 1958 in an episode of “Maverick” doing a second episode in 1961, both times uncredited.
In 1963, he did an episode of the Desilu crime drama “The Untouchables”.
O’Bryne did two episodes of “My Three Sons” filmed at Desilu Studios, the first in 1962 with William Frawley, and a second in 1965.
He made his one and only appearance with Lucille Ball in “Lucy and John Wayne” (TLS S5;E10) on November 21, 1966. He played the Assistant Director of Wayne’s film. Lucy Carmichael has been invited to the set to observe, and naturally drives everyone crazy. When the Assistant Director shouts “Scene 856, Take One!” Lucy corrects him under hear breath: “Take Four!” Lucy is right, but it is hard to determine if this was Lucy Carmichael or Lucille Ball talking!
After being a day player on many shows, O’Bryne finally landed a regular character on “Occasional Wife” (1966-67): The story of Peter, an unmarried junior executive whose company favors married men for promotions. Peter makes an arrangement with his friend Greta, to serve as his “occasional wife.”
He puts her on salary and gets her an apartment two floors above his own. Hilarity ensues as then run up and down the fire escape to act as husband and wife. This all happens to the bemusement of a man residing on the floor in-between. That man was played by Bryan O’Byrne, who had no character name and no speaking lines, but became the hit of the show. In early 1967, a nationwide contest was held to give the “Man in the Middle” an actual name. Much attention was heaped on O’Byrne, but the show survived only one season.
Byrne continued acting on television and doing over 200 commercials until his final appearance in 1991 when he retired from acting in the 1990s to care for his sister, who was in declining health.
A noted L.A. based acting teacher and coach in later years, his students included Nick Nolte, Forest Whitaker, Jimmy Smits, Lou Diamond Phillips, Pam Dawber, Christopher McDonald and Bonnie Bedelia.
His only son, Sean Kevin O’Byrne, died young.
He died on December 4, 2009 at age 78.
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JOHN CARRADINE
February 5, 1906
John Carradine was born Richmond Reed Carradine in New York City. He became one of the most famed character actors in Hollywood history. He was best known for his roles in horror films, Westerns, and Shakespearean theatre. In total, he holds 351 film and television credits, making him one of the most prolific English-speaking actors of all time.
He made his screen debut in 1930, with an uncredited role in Bright Lights directed by Michael Curtiz.
In 1936, he appeared in Winterset, a film in which Lucille Ball played a small (uncredited) role.
In 1939, Carradine and Ball were billed as two of the stars of Five Came Back.
Carradine made one appearance with Lucille Ball on television: “Lucy Goes To Art Class” (TLS S2;E15) on January 13, 1964. Carradine played Lucy and Viv’s art instructor, Professor Guzman.
“I’ve made some of the greatest films ever made–and a lot of crap, too.” ~ John Carradine
Carradine was married four times, had five children, and was the patriarch of the Carradine family, including four of his sons and four of his grandchildren who are or were also actors.
Carradine died on November 27, 1988 in Milan, Italy, age 82.
“Milan. What a beautiful place to die.” ~ John Carradine
The last time he was seen on screen was in 1995′s Jack-O, a low budget horror film. Carradine’s scenes were filmed eight years earlier in December 1985. While certainly not the last role he played, it was the last released: 7 years after his death.
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BUY NOW CAMPAIGN
February 4, 1934
Six beautiful poster and magazine ad models, whose faces have become
famous through the nation, worked with Eddie Cantor in Samuel Goldwyn’s new production, Roman Scandals.
From left to right they are:
- Vivian Keefer, the Listerine girl;
- Jane Hamilton and Bonnie Bannon, Palmolive Soap models;
- Katharine Mauk, Lucky Strike girl;
- Barbara Pepper, Fisher Body and Gotham Hosiery girl
- Lucille Ball, Chesterfield cigarette girl.
They have joined the “Buy Now” campaign. They are now playing at Loew’s Grand.
The Buy Now Campaign (aka Buy Blue Eagle) was part of the National Industrial Recovery Act (NRA) of September 1933. To mobilize political support for the NRA, the “NRA Blue Eagle” publicity campaign was rolled out. Consumers were encouraged to buy products and services only from companies displaying the Blue Eagle banner.
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JANET WALDO
February 4, 1918
Janet Marie Waldo Lee was born in Yakima, Washington. Some sources give her birth year as 1920. She attended the University of Washington, where her performances brought her to the attention of Bing Crosby. A talent scout signed Waldo for a screen test, which led to a contract with Paramount.
She became best known as the voices of Judy Jetson, Penelope Pitstop, and Josie in “Josie and the Pussycats.”
On radio, she was one of three actresses who voiced the title character in “Meet Corliss Archer” (1943-56).
She made her screen debut (uncredited) in the 1938 Paramount film Cocoanut Grove starring Fred MacMurray and Eve Arden.
She made her TV debut in “The Young Fans” (ILL S1;E20) filmed on January 18, 1952 and aired on February 25, 1952.
Waldo played Peggy Dawson, a young fan of Ricky Ricardo.
Waldo was actually pregnant during the episode. She had married playwright and lyricist Robert E. Lee in 1948.
Eleven years later she played Lucy’s sister on “Lucy’s Sister Pays a Visit” (TLS S1;E15), a 1963 episode of “The Lucy Show.”
Waldo played Marge, who is nervous about marrying her sweetheart Hughie (Peter Marshall).
That same year, on the Desilu Studios back lot, she played a suitor to Sheriff Taylor on an episode of “The Andy Griffith Show.”
She was diagnosed with a benign but inoperable brain tumor five years before her death on June 12, 2016.
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