Badmovies.org Forum

So, in a little over a week, I'm going to go see Chuck Berry perform live.  I've been trying to get tickets to see him for a while - they sell out within like 45 minutes of going up for sale online.  But yeah, he still performs regularly in St. Louis, and occasionally elsewhere.  He just turned 84 a few days ago.  Once in a while, I'll mention this to people, even native St. Louisans, and they'll stare at me and say "I thought he was dead!".  

Years ago, I remember thinking Fay Wray wasn dead, only to discover she was just really old.  Then she did die.  Oh well.

The classic example of the celeb everyone thinks is dead, of course, is Abe Vigoda.  At 89, I think he's still alive.  I hope he makes it another two or three decades, personally.

http://www.abevigoda.com/ (http://www.abevigoda.com/)

So, what other celebs have you guys thought were dead, only to discover this was not so true?

I usually look up info if I'm uncertain, especially after watching movies from the 70s and 80s. I never really assume that they are dead though. Most of the time I just think that they only retired from acting or singing.
Sometimes I do stumble across some celeb who has actually died years ago, and then I'm always kind of shocked.

For example, I didn't know that Cary Grant was dead until a few years later. It seems impossible not to have known but the news sort of went under my radar back then.

I've got to admit, I thought Chuck Berry was dead too. I guess thinking back to his heyday, it seems so long ago.

One actor, who is now dead (since 1997), whom I thought was dead well before then was William Hickey. I remember having watched a movie review for, I believe, Prizzi's Honor, and I could swear they referred to him as the late William Hickey; but he kept popping up in movies. Not a bad career for a dead man.

Lucio Fulci was one who was confused for having died; he even made light of it in interviews. Of course, considering his fame, somehow it seems appropriate that he was still giving interviews after having passed away.

  I thought Maureen O'Hara was dead. I mean come on, she was bumping uglies with John Wayne. Turns out she's 90!

Funny you should mention this.  When I saw you post you were going to see Chuck Berry, my first thought was "isn't he dead?" 

About a decade ago, I was surprised to find out BB King was still alive and performing regularly.  He still is alive ten years later and he has had the occasional performance after a 2006 "Farewell tour." 

I didn't realize Andy Griffith was still alive until I saw him on a commercial recently.  He's only 83!

Unfortunately, when I found out Paul Naschy was still alive, he died a few weeks later :bluesad:.

Another star who dosen't get mentioned much is Francis Lederer, whose one big horror role was the 1958 movie The Return Of Dracula.  I thought he was long gone, only to find out that he lived to 101.  Naturally he did pass away (back in 2000) but until that time I was under the impression he was already gone. Sadly, now he is.  :bluesad:

Ann B. Davis-Alice the Maid from The Brady Bunch.  Turns out she's like, 84.  Not that that's bad.  Just assumed.

George "The Animal" Steele- Professional wrestler, who also portrayed Tor Johnson in Ed Wood.  Turns out he's like, 74.  He was old when I watched him as a kid.

Russell Johnson- The Professor from Gilligan's Island amongst the "B" movies he's done.

John Astin- Gomez Addams from The Addams Family.  Thought he passed as I hadn't seen him in anything.  Guess he's enjoying being retired.

William Daniels- The legend...KITT from Knight Rider, Dr. Craig in St. Elsewhere, Mr. Feeny on Boy Meets World.  Turns out he's 83.

Andy Griffith- I too, was surprised to see him in a commercial recently.

Can't believe Ernest Borgnine is still around! 
Same as June Foray (voice of Rocky of "Rocky And Bullwinkle", and a billion other cartoon characters).

Hadn't heard anything new from
Ernest Borgnine or Robert Loggia lately.  Glad to see them popping up...

Must not make joke!

-Phyllis Diller
-Andy Griffith
-Shirley Temple

For a couple of years back in the 90's, I thought Ben Kingsley was dead.  I could have sworn I had heard on the news at some point that he died, then to my surprise, I noticed he was in some movie that was just coming out.

For a long time I also thought Bowzer from Sha Na Na had died, then I later discovered that he had not.  I think there was a false rumor going around about it or something because it seems I heard that one more than once.

Shirley Temple's ALIVE? :buggedout:

Wow.  Thought she was long dead.

That's good news, though.

Yep, she's just over 80.  Still not as old as Griffith or Diller, but up there.

I knew Andy Griffith was alive, but I assumed he was much older. I was kind of amazed when I looked up his age. He just has this reputation of being really old.

I was pleasantly surprised to read an interview with Ernest Borgnine a couple of weeks ago. In his case, I knew he was alive, but I'd greatly underestimated his age, probably because I haven't seen him in anything for quite a while. He's 93 and still working, most recently appearing in the Bruce Willis movie, Red.

That's what I love about the acting profession. As long as you're able to do it, retirement is entirely optional. Since characters come in all ages, there's no such thing as too young or too old.

One that kind of disappointed me a while ago was Arnold Stang. This was when I was toying with the idea of writing a b-movie book, and looking for people I could interview about the movies. Not only did I discover that Stang was alive and in his 80s, but I had his home phone number. It was in the phone book. Would have been worth calling it just to hear the voice, and say "I enjoy your work." Then he died within the next couple of weeks. Very disappointing.

I thought that Fats Domino was dead, turns out he's just 82.

I didn't think so, but so many people thought Ultimate Warrior (James Hellwig) was dead. Well he's not.
However Renegade from WCW (Warrior clone) did pass away in 1999. RIP.
The DVD - "The Self Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior" tells all.

Given their past lifestyles, sometimes I'm amazed both Jake "The Snake" Roberts and the Iron Sheik are still alive (there's two guys pretty close to the final showdown in The Wrestler).

I was sad to see Captain Lou go recently, but I was kind of amazed that he was over 70.

One celebrity who surprised me was Leon Askin, who played General Burkhalter on Hogan's Heroes. He died a few years ago at the age of 97, but a little while before that, I'd read that he was still alive and was genuinely amazed. The guy was around 60 years old and fat when he did Hogan's Heroes in the 60s, and he managed to outlive most of the cast.

And looking up the cast of Hogan's Heroes just now, I see that Richard Dawson is alive, and only 78. I was sure he was dead, and I'd assumed he was a lot older. Probably because he went grey so early.

Wow, I can't believe R.G. Armstrong is still around.  He looked old in numerous horror films he was in, in the 70s and 80s.  He's 93.

Not a month goes by where I am utterly surprised that Henry Kissinger is still alive.  It's just one of those things; I'll think he's dead for awhile then - POP - there he is being interviewed on TV.  Weird.

Orson Bean.

Let me take this time to say, RIP Leslie Nielsen and RIP Irvin Kershner.

I was very glad to find out that Robert Crumb is still alive after hearing he died in 2006.

James Arness. Hes 87!  :thumbup:
Micheal Gough is 93!!!!!!  :cheers:
Julie Adams,of REVENGE OF THE CREATURE fame is 84!
And Ray Harryhausen is 90!!! Bless is soul!

Hers a clip of an interview on his 90th Birthday!
(Unfourtantly,I don't have any speakers yet....but enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9YMK_qp8RM

Wilford Brimley... But then I find out he's just a bit olde rthan my dad who is manifestly not dead.
Also not an actor...but C. Everett Koop is still kickinga nd he was born in 1916!

Funny, I was just thinking about Wilford Brimley recently myself, and I'd meant to look him up, just to confirm that he is still alive. Taking a peek at Wikipedia, it turns out he is just a little over two weeks older than my dad.

Brimley is another guy people assume is a lot older than he is. I assumed he had to be in his late 80s by now (kept alive by all that oatmeal), but he's only 76. He just played much older characters. He was only about 50 when he made Cocoon.

Chevy Chase.

Where the hell is this guy?

-Jimmybob

You don't get basic cable do you?

I thought B.B. King was dead, but then I found out he's playing a gig in Manchester in June. He's 85 years old and still putting out records too. Got two tickets for that concert, so I'm gonna take my old man.

On a similar note:

4 Celebrities I Think I Killed

Celebrities seem to kick the bucket shortly after I see them at some event.
It may have something to do with going to see really, really old celebrities.

1) Alberta Hunter - Went to see her give a concert in Muscle Shoals, AL. Died within the month.
2) Count Basie - Concert in Florence, AL. Dead within the week.
3) Kim Hunter - Gave an over the phone Q & A re STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE at a Nashville theater. Died the next day.
4) Boots Randolph - Concert at Watertown Jazz Fest. Died a couple of months later.