Gale Storm RIP

[RBA]

http://www.mercurynews.com/natbreakingnews/ci_12709123

Gale Storm, perky star of 1950s TV, dies at 87

By BOB THOMAS Associated Press Writer
Posted: 06/28/2009 01:22:09 PM PDT
Updated: 06/28/2009 01:37:55 PM PDT




LOS ANGELES—Gale Storm, whose wholesome appearance and perky personality made her one of early television's biggest stars on "My Little Margie" and "The Gale Storm Show," has died at age 87.
Storm, who had been in failing health in recent years, died Saturday at a convalescent hospital in Danville, said her son, Peter Bonnell.
Before landing the starring role in "My Little Margie" in 1952, Storm starred in numerous B movies opposite such stars as Roy Rogers, Eddie Albert and Jackie Cooper. After her last TV series, "The Gale Storm Show," ended in 1960 she went on to a successful singing career while continuing to make occasional TV appearances.
Storm was a Texas high schooler named Josephine Owaissa Cottle when she entered a talent contest for a radio show called "Gateway to Hollywood" in 1940. She was brought to Los Angeles for the finals, where her wholesome vivacity won over the radio audience and she was awarded a movie contract.
The contest's male winner was a lanky would-be actor named Lee Bonnell, who would later become her husband. Given the quirky name Gale Storm, she went from contracts with RKO to Monogram to Universal, appearing in such low-budget films as "Where Are Your Children?" with Cooper and "Tom Brown's School Days" with Freddie Bartholomew.

more at link

[reds1869]

Pretty soon we are going to need a whole separate celebrity death forum.

[GAC]

Geez! I may be one of the few on here that is old enough to remember MY Little Margie.

[westofyou]

Originally Posted by GAC

Geez! I may be one of the few on here that is old enough to remember MY Little Margie.

Yep, a UHF standard in the B&W days

[cumberlandreds]

When I first saw this name I was thinking it was Gale Gordon who was on The Lucy Show back in the 60's. Obviously I was way off there.
It another name I have heard of but really don't remember her. I guess I am a little too young to remember My Little Margie.

[Roy Tucker]

Originally Posted by GAC

Geez! I may be one of the few on here that is old enough to remember MY Little Margie.

Me too. Although I remember "The Gale Storm Show" a little better.

The days of 3 channels and TV went off the air at 1 AM and came back on to test patterns and you had to walk over to the TV to change channels.

[TRF]

Originally Posted by Roy Tucker

Me too. Although I remember "The Gale Storm Show" a little better.

The days of 3 channels and TV went off the air at 1 AM and came back on to test patterns and you had to walk over to the TV to change channels.

I worked for a station that signed off at 1:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. 15 minutes of colorbars and 100% tone. And prior to that, the "touched the face of god" poem.

Good times.