Happy Halloween!

 

Trick or treat? 

Meme Spirited

 

 You can take the boy out of Detroit, but you can't take the Devil's Night out of me! 

What were the odds that I would marry a man from one of the few other places that actually has a name for Oct. 30, only they can't even sort it out among themselves.

Death Became Them

If you're anything like me, you've been a little rattled by the spate of recent deaths of so many beloved stars of our Gen X youth -- Patrick Stewart, Walter Koenig, Elke Sommer, Susan Saint James and Barbara Barrie, all in just the past week. (Has anyone checked in on Jo Anne Worley lately?)

But it's worth remembering that these familiar faces lived to be 86, 90, 85, 80 and 95, respectively -- with the oldest one needing a little help from Dr. Kevorkian.

 

While people die at all ages, all the time, it's chilling to compare these recent celebrity deaths with this "Bewitched" meme going around showing that neither Darrin Stephens made it to 65 -- oh, am I the only one who didn't know that Fake Darrin was actually the producers' first choice, but was busy shooting "Broadside"? -- and Samantha herself was just 62 when she died, the same age Erin Murphy (Tabitha) is now.

Somehow knowing that I'm not much younger than Dick York, Dick Sargent and Elizabeth Montgomery were when they bit the dust makes me appreciate just how long the stars we recently lost lived -- and makes the early deaths of Sam and the two Derwoods seem all the more shocking. 

And to think I actually saw Sargent and Montgomery serve as grand marshals of the 1992 LA Pride Parade in WEST HOLLYWOOD not long before they road that '59 Cadillac convertible to the sky ...

On the Rag, Vol. 931

In this week's rag 'n' mag roundup: Jordan Firstman gets flirty with Andrew Scott; Josh Moore talks "Crush House"; Guitarricadelafuente goes Hollywood; Rocco Ritchie opens up about his art career; Jack Innanen reflects on his rise to fame; and more BELOW.

Remains of the Day (10/28)

NBC: "Teen Wolf" star Tyler Posey teases a possible romance on "Line of Fire" as his character, a former Marine turned NSA agent, reconnects with an old military buddy who appears to be harboring feelings for him

The Caftan Chronicles: "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" creator John Cameron Mitchell, 63, opens up about his strained relationship with his conservative Catholic parents, his father's bisexuality and his new play about lesbian artists who defied the Nazis

IG: For gays of a certain age, International Male was our first look at "porn"

Greg in Hollywood: Three AFI Fest highlights include Ira Sachs's "The Man I Love" with Rami Malek, the gay true-crime documentary "My Brother's Killer" and Andrew Haigh's "A Long Winter" with Kit Connor

Wrestle Wednesday: If Mike Henson had given birth to Lex Baldwin's baby

Gr8erDays: A fond farewell to Susan Saint James, the beloved "McMillan & Wife" and "Kate & Allie" star who died of pancreatic cancer at 80, recalling her television career, marriage to Dick Ebersol and the heartbreaking loss of their 14-year-old son in a 2004 plane crash

Guardian: Doubles players sign open letter pleading with tennis chiefs to "protect" format

Out: Benito Skinner teases a steamy hot hookup in "Overcompensating" season 2

AP: The iconic Chinese takeout container was originally patented in 1894 to hold oysters before finding a second life as a staple of Chinese-American restaurants

People: Cyndi Lauper recalls being so embarrassed about working (vintage) retail after her band (Blue Angel) broke up that she'd hide under the counter or pretend to be a customer whenever fellow musicians came in

Robb Report: Montgomery Clift's former Upper East Side townhouse, where the Hollywood legend lived until his death in 1966, is on the market for $8 million, complete with the original bar where he entertained famous friends including Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe

Page Six: "I Dream of Jeannie" star Barbara Eden, 95, is back and looking fabulous after a health scare forced her to cancel a September appearance, later clarifying that the problem was actually side effects from a new medication

NYP: Woman allegedly stabbed rabbi with syringe, targeted another Jewish man, then stopped and apologized when third said he was Muslim(!) 

People: "I Love LA" and "English Teacher" star Jordan Firstman reveals he donated sperm to help his sister and her wife have a baby, calling the decision a "total no-brainer" while making it clear he's the child's uncle, not her dad

GCN: A "straight-acting brotherhood" ... what year are these people living in?

Hot Cat of the Day: A Florida sheriff's deputy rescues a frightened 5-week-old kitten from a busy interstate after a brief chase, then adopts the little guy, now named Dash, into her own family

First Serb: Novak Djokovic has always had more than his share of detractors, but I think he's often on the right side of things -- even when it comes at a personal cost. His support for Serbia's student-led democracy movement made him a target of pro-government attacks and is believed to have contributed to his decision to relocate his family to Greece. Now that the students have helped bring about the defeat of Aleksandar Vucic, it's nice to see Novak celebrating their victory.

RIP: Godspeed to Barbara Barrie, the Oscar-nominated "Breaking Away" actress and familiar face from "Barney Miller," (Murray’s temptress on) “Mary Tyler Moore" and Broadway's "Company," who died at 95 with medical assistance following a terminal cancer diagnosis. I adored her on "Double Trouble" (1984-85) playing eccentric Aunt Margo, whom the twins moved in with in New York City during the revamped second season, and later loved seeing her pop up as the witty and loving Nana on "Suddenly Susan."

Grounded "Airplane!": How Matt Rettenmund wasn't on hand to stage film this iconic reunion of Jill Whelan, Lorna Patterson and Joyce Bulifant is anyone's guess! 

 

 Song of the Day: Everything But the Girl is back with "Young and Dumb," the first single from their upcoming album "Blue Reservoir," due February 19. And as my friend David pointed out, Tracey Thorn's transformation into Nina Simone is now complete!

Tennis Tuesday: Six-Pack

 

A half dozen "real" guys hit the court in various states of undress BELOW.