Great Thespians Never Die, They Just Fade to Black...

Bob Hope

This month marks birthdays for two of the greatest Hollywood legends of all time, Bob Hope and Katharine Hepburn. It's fascinating to me how old some people are. It is pleasing to think that with any luck I may last just as long. With that in mind here is an update on the oldest surviving movie stars around today.

Karl Malden is 90. He seemed old back in the seventies when he did all those American Express commercials. You know the ones... "Don't leave home without them." Karl made his first movie 62 years ago in 1940. Legendary director Elia Kazan (who, by the way, directed Malden in the classics A Streetcar Named Desire and On The Waterfront) is 92. His directing career began back in 1937 and lasted until he did Beyond the Aegean in 1989. He survived the blacklisting era of the nineteen-fifties and has lived long enough to receive a special Oscar at the Academy Awards a few years back.

Gloria (Titanic) Stuart was born on the fourth of July in 1910. She is a founding member of the Screen Actors Guild and made her movie debut 70 years ago in 1932. She has worked as recently as a Murder She Wrote special on television in 2001.

Luise Rainer won a Best Actress Academy Award for her role in The Good Earth back in 1937 and last acted in a film in 1997. She turns 93 next January.

Three stars of classic nineteen-sixties situation comedies are still living. Buddy Epson (94), Eddie Albert (94) and Al Lewis (91) played Jed Klampett, Oliver Douglas III and Grandpa Munster respectively. Their shows The Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres and The Munsters are three of the most popular syndicated sitcoms of all time.

Penny Singleton is better known as her famous alter-ego Blondie Bumstead. A role she played in 28 movies between 1938 and 1950. The 93 year old actress also created the voice of Jane Jetson and last played the role in 1990 in Jetsons: The Movie.

Katharine Hepburn

Fay Wray made her first movie in 1923. It was titled Gasoline Love. It was not, however, until ten years and 45 movies later that she created her lasting work. The character Ann Darrow in one of the most famous movies of all time King Kong. Just to put it in perspective that was released the year that FDR took office. Fay will be 95 on September 10th.

May 12th marks the 95th Birthday of America's greatest living actress, Katharine Hepburn. This 4 time Best Actress Oscar winner has appeared in some of the best loved movies of all time. Movies like Little Women(1933), Bringing Up Baby(1938), The Philadelphia Story(1940), Woman of the Year(1942), The African Queen(1951), Suddenly, Last Summer(1959), The Lion In Winter(1968) and On Golden Pond(1981). Happy Birthday Kate!!!

Which brings us to Bob Hope. Bob was a month shy of his 9th birthday when the Titanic sunk. He was 15 when WWI ended. He was 35 by the time he introduced his theme song "Thanks For The Memories" in 1938. He was in his late forties by the time he began his legendary 50 year run on NBC television. When man first walked on the moon in 1969 Bob was a youthful 66 years old. He last appeared on live television at the 2000 Emmy Awards at the age of 97. On May 29th Bob Hope turns 99. Happy birthday Bob and many happy returns from Three Movie buffs.