beadsobleach
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They just keep coming, but at least she was 87....
RIP Gale Storm
- Thread starter beadsobleach
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Oh myyy!! This one hits close to home. She and my dad were very close friends in high school in Houston (it even mentions the name of the high school in her Wikipedia write up). He was an excellent amateur photographer. He did all the photographs of her which went into her portfolio used when she went to Hollywood!! Which reminds me, there was a photo of her he kept in the garage. I wondered what happened to it when they moved out of the house in 2002. I have to look through all the photos I just received when I got my mom's car this week. All these photographs and family movies too were put in boxes and such in the trunk when we closed out their assisted living apartment in December. I'll have to ask my dad if he remembers what happened to the photo.
I remember her "My Little Margie" TV series (in reruns) and her later "The Gale Storm" show, which were big hits in the 50's. I remember the opening credits for "The Gale Storm" show, which included a shot of signal flags hoisted on a mast - which was appropriate because the sit com was supposed to be located on a luxury liner. Other than that, I don't remember much of anything about the episodes, except that "My Little Margie" was one of my mom's favorites.
whirlcool
Well-known member
To think that My Little Margie ran from 1952-55 is amazing. Gale Storm was one of the television sitcom pioneers! Our entire family loved that show.
I had looked up Gale Storm about a year ago and was surprised that she was from Houston. She had a nice website at all where she'd sell autographed photos.
I wonder why we don't see more early vintage sitcoms on the air these days. Another one of my favorites was "Topper" with George Sterling and Ann Jeffries.
I had looked up Gale Storm about a year ago and was surprised that she was from Houston. She had a nice website at all where she'd sell autographed photos.
I wonder why we don't see more early vintage sitcoms on the air these days. Another one of my favorites was "Topper" with George Sterling and Ann Jeffries.
I loved My Little Margie. Hadn't thought of that show in years. Kind of like Ann Southern. Lost in childhood memories.
Rich, IIRC I think Margie was poking her head out of a porthole during the opening credits. It's been a loooooong time . . .
Jeff, Topper RULES! The Kirbies in particular. My all time favorite and by far the coolest vintage TV couple. I swear just the other day I was describing some woman as looking like Topper's maid, I think the Katie one, who had the braids wrapped up and around her head. Not the one whose braids would go up when she saw inanimate objects moving about the place. I don't know which one came first.
Including Neil, there was probably more alcohol being consumed on that show than even Dean Martin's.
Yeah, why don't we see more of these vintage shows on some free cable channel? It seems they only run certain ones to death.
Ralph
Jeff, Topper RULES! The Kirbies in particular. My all time favorite and by far the coolest vintage TV couple. I swear just the other day I was describing some woman as looking like Topper's maid, I think the Katie one, who had the braids wrapped up and around her head. Not the one whose braids would go up when she saw inanimate objects moving about the place. I don't know which one came first.
Including Neil, there was probably more alcohol being consumed on that show than even Dean Martin's.
Yeah, why don't we see more of these vintage shows on some free cable channel? It seems they only run certain ones to death.
Ralph
Darn....
I interviewed her once about 6 years ago over the phone for an article that I was working on. We talked about 2 hours. I did it from home. I enjoyed talking to her very much. I got the feeling that she was lonely. I should have called her back to chit chat. I just did not want to intrude.
I also loved "My Little Margie". Good clean silly period comedy.
She had a good life.
Brent
I interviewed her once about 6 years ago over the phone for an article that I was working on. We talked about 2 hours. I did it from home. I enjoyed talking to her very much. I got the feeling that she was lonely. I should have called her back to chit chat. I just did not want to intrude.
I also loved "My Little Margie". Good clean silly period comedy.
She had a good life.
Brent
Margie Goes Places
A fun little Jam Handy short from 1954 starring Gale Storm, that gives advice on how to get the most out of your Chevrolet when going on a driving vacation.
Sorry, it didn't seem to want to embed.
A fun little Jam Handy short from 1954 starring Gale Storm, that gives advice on how to get the most out of your Chevrolet when going on a driving vacation.
Sorry, it didn't seem to want to embed.
danemodsandy
Well-known member
And She Could Sing!
Look up her records for Dot sometime; Gale had a very decent set of pipes, and she knew how to use them.
By the way, she was one of the first celebrities to be open about being in recovery. Unlike today's celebs who go on Entertainment Tonight after they've been in rehab for five minutes, telling the world how great they're doing - only to relapse in time for the next day's headlines - Gale did it the hard way, and kept on doing it.
Good lady. She'll be missed.
Look up her records for Dot sometime; Gale had a very decent set of pipes, and she knew how to use them.
By the way, she was one of the first celebrities to be open about being in recovery. Unlike today's celebs who go on Entertainment Tonight after they've been in rehab for five minutes, telling the world how great they're doing - only to relapse in time for the next day's headlines - Gale did it the hard way, and kept on doing it.
Good lady. She'll be missed.
She was right here in Danville. Supposedly she kept in touch with some of her fans on a regular basis. Sounds like she was good people all the way around. Not many of my childhood entertainers left . . .
westyslantfront
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I fondly remember the Gale Storm Show with Zasu Pitts and before that, My Little Margie with Charlie Farrell, former mayor
of Palm Springs, California where I lived for 8 years.
I always wondered what kind of washer Margie had in her
kitchen. She will be missed.
Ross
of Palm Springs, California where I lived for 8 years.
I always wondered what kind of washer Margie had in her
kitchen. She will be missed.
Ross
danemodsandy
Well-known member
I Wanted to Add...
...That Gale Storm accomplished something pretty unusual in the history of network television.
My Little Margie was originally aired as a CBS summer replacement for I Love Lucy. The reviews weren't great at first - one reviewer said that she "loved Lucy" but was only "mild about Margie."
The reviews didn't matter - audiences liked the show, and Lucy sponsor Phillip Morris asked NBC to put Margie on its fall schedule. It was on NBC for a couple of months, then CBS decided to bring the show back to the network it started out on. My Little Margie lasted four seasons on TV, with a radio edition (not everyone had TVs yet) running simultaneously.
This just Did. Not. Happen. with summer replacement shows (most of which were dreck, even during TV's "great years" of the '50s), yet Storm managed it, and then went on to the even more successful Gale Storm Show, known in syndication as Oh, Susanna!. That one lasted six seasons.
All that, and she had several Top Ten record hits in the late '50s, as well, including hitting a Number Four spot with "Dark Moon." Pretty good, eh?
...That Gale Storm accomplished something pretty unusual in the history of network television.
My Little Margie was originally aired as a CBS summer replacement for I Love Lucy. The reviews weren't great at first - one reviewer said that she "loved Lucy" but was only "mild about Margie."
The reviews didn't matter - audiences liked the show, and Lucy sponsor Phillip Morris asked NBC to put Margie on its fall schedule. It was on NBC for a couple of months, then CBS decided to bring the show back to the network it started out on. My Little Margie lasted four seasons on TV, with a radio edition (not everyone had TVs yet) running simultaneously.
This just Did. Not. Happen. with summer replacement shows (most of which were dreck, even during TV's "great years" of the '50s), yet Storm managed it, and then went on to the even more successful Gale Storm Show, known in syndication as Oh, Susanna!. That one lasted six seasons.
All that, and she had several Top Ten record hits in the late '50s, as well, including hitting a Number Four spot with "Dark Moon." Pretty good, eh?
whirlcool
Well-known member
That film done with Chevrolet has the same feel as the instructional 16mm films we had in high school. I'm willing to bet this film was made for Home Economics students, or maybe even Auto Mechanics students.
My parents had a 54' Chevy Bel Air like the one in the film. It had a white roof and a orange body. Reminded me of a Creamsicle ice cream. But my parents always insisted it was red. My Dad said it was the best car we ever owned. Even though he was an airline pilot, my Mother talked him into DRIVING to Fort Lauderdale in the summer of 57'. Since all you had to take were two lane highways, I think it took us four days to get there from Chicago, and it was blistering hot and humid the whole way. The car didn't have A/C, nor did the relatives we were visiting, either. They had a lot of fans, though.
That was the last time we took a long trip by car.
My parents had a 54' Chevy Bel Air like the one in the film. It had a white roof and a orange body. Reminded me of a Creamsicle ice cream. But my parents always insisted it was red. My Dad said it was the best car we ever owned. Even though he was an airline pilot, my Mother talked him into DRIVING to Fort Lauderdale in the summer of 57'. Since all you had to take were two lane highways, I think it took us four days to get there from Chicago, and it was blistering hot and humid the whole way. The car didn't have A/C, nor did the relatives we were visiting, either. They had a lot of fans, though.
That was the last time we took a long trip by car.
beadsobleach
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- Apr 19, 2007
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- 179
I noticed the Bel-Air had a power seat though...
That Bel-Air was pretty decked out for a Chevy for back then.
I *think* the '54 Belair only came with an inline six cylinder motor. I *think* Chevy didn't put V8's in its cars until 1955, with the advent of the "small block", which started out as a 265 cu inch motor.
Please correct me if I'm wrong...!
Been working on my Chevy today... it's a '67 ChevyVan, with a 283 small block V8. It was having some fuel line leaking problems, and finally I had to pull the gas tank (interesting) in order to replace the fuel hose from the tank to the metal fuel line.
We've been having a heat wave here, and on the hottest day (yesterday) I drove it to the tri-valley area (near Concord) to do some shopping and also to drain the tank. Must have been at least 100 out there. No A/C in the van - and it would be tough to install an A/C unit in it, due to the tight engine compartment (it's in a doghouse inside the van). But it did clear my sinuses!
I have this week off so I'm hoping to get the van ready to do some car camping later on in the week, for a night or two.
Please correct me if I'm wrong...!
Been working on my Chevy today... it's a '67 ChevyVan, with a 283 small block V8. It was having some fuel line leaking problems, and finally I had to pull the gas tank (interesting) in order to replace the fuel hose from the tank to the metal fuel line.
We've been having a heat wave here, and on the hottest day (yesterday) I drove it to the tri-valley area (near Concord) to do some shopping and also to drain the tank. Must have been at least 100 out there. No A/C in the van - and it would be tough to install an A/C unit in it, due to the tight engine compartment (it's in a doghouse inside the van). But it did clear my sinuses!
I have this week off so I'm hoping to get the van ready to do some car camping later on in the week, for a night or two.
TBH, thought she had died years ago,
I'm barely old enough to remember "My Little Margie". Wasn't there a character on the show called Mr. Honeywell? What I do remember very clearly was a running gag on "The Munsters" where Grandpa's crystal ball was always so decrepit that it could only pick up reruns of My Little Margie.
Jeez, I don't know about 3's or 4's but hasn't this been a week for celeb death?
I'm barely old enough to remember "My Little Margie". Wasn't there a character on the show called Mr. Honeywell? What I do remember very clearly was a running gag on "The Munsters" where Grandpa's crystal ball was always so decrepit that it could only pick up reruns of My Little Margie.
Jeez, I don't know about 3's or 4's but hasn't this been a week for celeb death?
