Byrnes died Wednesday at his home in Santa Monica, his son, Logan Byrnes, said in a statement. Critics praised her performance and she was nominated for an Oscar for supporting actress. The hip-talking, hair-combing image clung to him, however, and Edd felt he lost the lead in PT 109 (1963) because President John F. Kennedy didn't want to be played by "Kookie". In addition, Mr. Smith produced several of her high-profile TV specials as well as a feature film he wrote, C.C. colonel frank o'sullivan interview; beverly hills high school football Once I found Ann-Margret, I couldnt stand to be without her and, surprisingly, she couldnt stand to be without me. The character of Stuart Bailey was presented as a solo private investigator, with no continuity or reference to his past years with Jeff Spencer, Suzanne, Kookie and Roscoe or to his military OSS background. Byrnes, who was born Edward Byrne Breitenberger in New York City, came from a poor family. From 1958 to 1963, he co-starred with Efrem Zimbalist Jr. on the glossy ABC series. Mr. Smiths marriage to Ann-Margret proved one of Hollywoods most enduring and poignant unions. All Rights Reserved. Edit Details 5 reviews A collection of 3 stories that previously appeared in Saturday Evening Post and Esquire Mag. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in May 1959. Save Share. Edd Byrnes, who gained fleeting fame as Kookie, the ultra-hip, wisecracking parking attendant on the jazzy 1950s-60s ABC detective series 77 Sunset Strip, has died. Wij, Yahoo, maken deel uit van de Yahoo-merkenfamilie. His son is a television news anchor who works for KYSI-TV news in San Diego, California, since 2018. At the very end I said to him, You were right.. ! The main . Edd was known as a comedic sensation and gained much attention by playing Kookie, who had a habit of running his comb through his slick hair in 77 Sunset Strip. The show was so popular that rising young actors clamored for guest spots. Neighborhood: West Hollywood. He twice worked with Cagney, taking supporting roles in Man of a Thousand Faces (1957), a biopic of silent-film actor Lon Chaney, and Never Steal Anything Small (1959), a musical comedy crime caper. He was 84. Roger LaVerne Smith was born in South Gate, Calif., on Dec. 18, 1932, and he grew up partly in Nogales, Ariz. They divorced in 1965. Their son, Logan, was born on September 13, 1965. After 56 years out of circulation, it finally resurfaced on MeTV on June 17, 2017.). In 1958, he started playingthe handsome, smooth-talkingKookie onthe private-detective series "77 Sunset Strip." 77 Sunset Strip is the fictional location of the office shared. Today it still maintains the title, but has also become the "it" neighborhood for the entertainment industry's up-and-comers. [citation needed], The show was referenced in an episode of Jay Ward's Fractured Flickers, showing a satirical depiction of Ward looking at a lineup of fictional shows, one of them being "77 Gaza Strip.". She broke her sex kitten stereotype in dramatic fashion in 1971 when she appeared in Mike Nichols Carnal Knowledge as the abused mistress of Jack Nicholson. "Kookie" redirects here. He was 87. Mr. Smith told New York magazine in 1976 that he was aware of backstage whispers that he was little more than a hanger-on in his wifes orbit. 77 Sunset Strip is an American television private detective drama series created by Roy Huggins and starring Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Roger Smith, Richard Long (from 1960 to 1961) and Edd Byrnes (billed as Edward Byrnes). It was an abrupt, unexplained disconnect. Jack Gilardi, Ann-Margrets agent, confirmed the death. The actor was such a hit, producers decided to keep him around as another character, Gerald Lloyd Kookson III. It is with profound sadness and grief that I share with you the passing of my father Edd Byrnes. His height and weight remain inside the closet. It is with profound sadness and grief that I share with you the passing of my father Edd Byrnes. Today it still maintains the title, but has also become the "it" neighborhood for the entertainment industry's up-and-comers. "), and young males imitated the way he wielded his ever-present comb. And with the car two years away from celebrating a century of hitting the road, the Kookie-T remains the sole active reminder of 77 Sunset Strip. Meanwhile he was dating Ann-Margret, the dynamic singer, dancer and actress of Bye Bye Birdie, Viva Las Vegas and other films. , actress and philanthropist of aristocratic poise, dies at 93. 77 Sunset Strip is an hour-length American television private detective series created by Roy Huggins and starring Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Roger Smith, and Edd Byrnes. I knew he would protect me, she told Closer Weekly of Smith, adding that she knew she would marry him after their third date. On 77 Sunset Strip, Kookie parked cars at Dino's Lodge, a Hollywood nightclub that was owned by Dean Martin and served as a backdrop on the show. Get A Copy Amazon Stores Mass Market Paperback, 160 pages Published 1959 by Dell More Details. He supported her at a time she was transitioning away from sheer sexpot roles in films like Kitten With a Whip (1964). When he was 12 the family moved to Nogales, Ariz., where he excelled in the high school acting club and football team. Besides Ann-Margret, survivors include three children from his marriage to Shaw. The show made Byrnes a teen idol who, at the height of his popularity, received 15,000 fan letters a week. Roger Smith, a clean-cut and debonair Hollywood actor of the 1950s and 1960s who gained a wide following on the hit detective series 77 Sunset Strip and was the envy of generations of men as the husband of the bewitching actress and singer Ann-Margret, died June 4 at a Los Angeles hospital. Still yearning for larger parts, he bought out his Warner Bros. contract in 1963. Bourbon Street Beat saw a similar detective agency located in New Orleans. When Smiths Navy service ended, he signed a contract with Columbia Pictures. Mr. Smith, a dynamic figure off-screen who enjoyed motorcycles and piloting aircraft and who also sang in fluent Spanish, never found a movie part that captured his personality. The series and Bailey's personality took on a darker tone, and the familiar office, parking lot and Dino's Lodge were gone. The marriage ended in divorce. Not only that, he was cast in episodes of Telephone Time, The Aventures of Jim Bowie, and in a film, Fear Strikes Out. But he had light brown hair color and blue eye color. It still remains plausible, however, that the moment of 'fragmentation' - of the founding of a colony - constituted a defining moment for the self-imagining, and consequently for the emerging character, of these overseas societies. Watch 77 Sunset Strip season 1 episode 4 online. Dammit now I'm going to cry - I still have my first car (the first that's not my parents'), a 2001 Volvo, and I'm already way too attached to it. In 1982, he succeeded in going "clean and sober" but never remarried. In Season 6, gone are Roger Smith (Jeff) and Ed "Kookie" Byrnes, and the fun, easygoing tone of the office right on the strip. Thirty-one years after the series left the air, Warner Bros. proposed a modern revival of 77 Sunset Strip, which was to be the first hour-long drama series to air on the new WB Television Network. For years, West Hollywood has been known as a hub for the LGBT communities in Los Angeles. He was known for his hipster lingo, including the catchphrase Baby, youre the ginchiest!. The show occasionally featured sports stars such as Sandy Koufax in guest roles. Edd Byrnes, an actor best known for his roles in 1978's "Grease" and the 1950s series "77 Sunset Strip," died Wednesday at his home in Santa Monica. He cared for her during her addictions to pills and alcohol as well as her recovery from an accident in 1972 when she fell 22 feet off an elevated platform onstage and required extensive reconstructive surgery to her face. Played Wendy Wynne in "77 Sunset Strip" in 1958. Time has a habit of getting away from you. A GEEZER who remembers watching TV in 1951 and was an Echostar customer from 1988 to 2008, now a Dish . On 1/23/2005 he was ranked #5 in "TV Guide"'s list of "TV's 25 Greatest Teen Idols". He even tried his luck to get roles in Broadway theatre production but didnt succeed. Meanwhile, Smith got the title role in the NBC series based on Mister Roberts, based on the 1955 comedy-drama about Navy life. In the three years since Smith died, the 79 year-old Ann-Margret has managed to recover her footing and move forward. But right now I still think its impossible to be married to a successful actress and have your own career and have the marriage work.. Your email address will not be published. Actors Roger Smith, left, Carolyn Komant and Efrem Zimbalist Jr. tune up for their parts in the TV series "77 Sunset Strip," in 1961. Moving forward, Ann-Margret is embracing getting older with everything shes got! No number 77 exists on the Strip, as all Sunset Boulevard addresses in the area have four digits. He managed to get a few minor parts in films and then won a role in a new TV series, 77 Sunset Strip (1958), which premiered in September 1958. LOS ANGELES (AP) Actor Roger Smith, who brought glamour to the TV detective genre as a hip private eye on "77 Sunset Strip," has died. Up-and-comers who made guest appearances include: Ellen Burstyn, Roger Moore, DeForest Kelley, William Shatner, Mary Tyler Moore, Shirley MacLaine look-alike Gigi Verone, Robert Conrad, Dyan Cannon, Janet De Gore, Jay North, Connie Stevens, Irish McCalla, Adam West, Tuesday Weld, Sherry Jackson, Marlo Thomas, Max Baer Jr., Carole Mathews, Elizabeth Montgomery, Karen Steele, Randy Stuart, Susan Oliver, Robert Vaughn, Suzanne Storrs, Peter Breck, Donna Douglas, Troy Donahue, Chad Everett, Gena Rowlands, Cloris Leachman, Eve McVeagh, and Diane Ladd. At one time, 43 episodes had been removed from syndication for various legal reasons, but 13 of these can now be seen as reruns. An early teen idol, Edd was known for '77 Sunset Strip' and the dance contest host, Vince Fontaine, in the 1978 film 'Grease'. Contributing: Robert Jablon, Associated Press, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. His alcoholic father died when he was 13. Erin O'Brien, the singer and actress best known for starring in the pilot episode of "77 Sunset Strip," has died at the age of 87. Edd Byrnes. No singer has been as consistent, on a commercial level, as Chris. February 27, 2023 By scottish gaelic translator By scottish gaelic translator He was an amazing man and one of my best friends, he wrote. You can fall as fast as you rise.. Now it is time to release 77 Sunset Strip. The firm's most frequently seen police contact is Lt. Roy Gilmore (Byron Keith), who is almost never called by his first name. He began acting professionally in 1960 at Warner Bros., where he made appearances on television programs such as Maverick, Surfside 6, Hawaiian Eye, Cheyenne, The Roaring 20's, and 77 Sunset Strip. Edd Byrnes, who played cool kid Kookie on the hit TV show 77 Sunset Strip, scored a gold record with a song about his characters hair-combing obsession and later appeared in the movie Grease, has died. 8532 W Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069-2310. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Sue's final appearance on Leave it to Beaver was in an episode called "Nobody Loves Me" (Season 5, Episode 20, Air Date: February 17, 1962). Edd began his acting career at a non-paid job in a summer stock theatre company in 1956. She lets herself be sad, but also cherishes the years they had together, said the insider. The character of detective Stuart Bailey, portrayed in the series by Zimbalist, was first used by writer Huggins in his 1946 novel The Double Take, later adapted into . . The interior of Bailey's new office building is shown behind the show's opening and closing credits, forcing viewers to ponder how the same address could look so very different (it was actually the historic Bradbury building in downtown Los Angeles). Cagney recommended Smith for a role in Man of a Thousand Faces, the 1957 film biography of silent star Lon Chaney. Also a good idea to release Hawaian Eye, starring Robert Conrad and Connie Stevens; and Surfside Six, starring Troy Donahue and the Green Hornet himself, Van Williams!!!! Edd "Kookie" Byrnes, the 77 Sunset Strip actor whose wavy hair and penchant for combing it made him an early TV teen idol, died Thursday of natural causes at his Santa Monica home, according. To her, a great love story doesnt end with death. 0:51 LOS ANGELES - Actor Roger Smith, who brought glamour to the TV detective genre as a hip private eye on "77 Sunset Strip," has died. The 1950s show was filmed entirely on the Warner Brothers lot, but the opening 30-second sequence was filmed in front of Dino's Lodge, located at 8524 Sunset Boulevard. The handsome leading man retired from acting after. Eventually, he was featured in an episode of the Crossroads TV program and then in the Wire Service and Navy Log. Edd and Asa's marriage ended in divorce in 1971, partially due to his substance abuse. He had been a radio actor in childhood and a high school gridiron star, and his athletic good looks and a chance encounter with movie star James Cagney smoothed his way to a Hollywood contract. When I met Ann-Margret, I felt happy for the first time in my life. When Byrnes' demands for more money and an expanded role were not met, he left the show for a period in Season 2. The show was the subject of an ownership battle between Roy Huggins and Warner Brothers, which was the proximate cause of Huggins' departure from the studio. He elicited shrieks of delight from young female fans everywhere and parlayed that teen-idol fame into a gold record, Kookie, Kookie, Lend Me Your Comb.. He was married to actress Asa Maynor from 1962 to 1971. He was diagnosed two days later with a blood clot on the brain. Episodes of the television series can be seen in reruns through syndication packages offered by Warner Bros. Studios. Joan Staley. However he is sometimes used as an operative and is an ever-informed source for the word on the street. In the 1978 movie Grease, he played the character of Dick Clark. The Season 6 show title was not changed; it still was an address, but Bailey's new office is dramatically different from that which he shared with Spencer for the previous five years. He is pictured in 2011 +13 View gallery Byrnes was best known for his role on the. He did some stage work and performed as a singer-guitarist at the hungry i in San Francisco, among other nightclubs, until NBC hired him in 1965 in the title role of Mister Roberts, a sitcom based on the Broadway and screen success that had starred Henry Fonda. As of 2017, the syndication package aired on Me-TV contained every original episode. He made the calculation that Ann-Margret had greater raw talent than he ever did, and he happily took the back seat. Youre not dead when you reach a certain age, she explained. Edd was one of the most handsome actors in the Hollywood industry who was widely known for his curly hair. Kookie became a full-fledged detective and partner in the firm as of Season 4, taking over Rex Randolph's office in 104. Edd shared an impoverished and unhappy childhood with brother Vincent and sister Jo-Ann. It was to be produced by Clint Eastwood and starred Jim Caviezel, Timothy Olyphant and Maria Bello. [6] In a twist of fate, the opposition to the redevelopment of the area was known as "Save Our Strip" or "SOS" and was spearheaded by former 77 Sunset Strip semiregular Gigi Verone. The show's breakout character, who had not been included in the pilot film, was Gerald Lloyd "Kookie" Kookson III (Edd Byrnes), the rock and roll-loving, wisecracking, hair-combing hipster and aspiring PI who initially works as the valet parking attendant at Dino's, the club next to the detectives' office. A new musical theme was written by Bob Thompson. Overview: After discovering that Rex Randolph is still alive, the Sunset Strip team head for the Latin-American country where they believe he is being held. In addition to his son, he is survived by his partner, Catherine Gross; a sister, Jo-Ann Breitenberger; and a brother, Vincent Breitenberger. Its perfect for me. ", '77 Sunset Strip' star Roger Smith dies at age 84, In addition to his television career, Byrnes had multiple film roles, including that of Vince Fontaine, the suave dance show hostin "Grease.". 2:00. Both judo experts, they ran a . Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. Efrem Zimbalist Jr. and Roger Smith starred as private eyes but Edd, playing a hip-talking parking-lot attendant named "Kookie", won the most attention. 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Played Alma Bogart in "77 Sunset Strip" in 1958. Byrnes died on January 8, 2020, aged 87, in Santa Monica, California. Cagney, who was there making a film, suggested that Smith might try for a film career. As from his biography sites, his father died at the age of 13. Here, at last, is the picture to name when someone asks you to recommend a good bad movie. .
