Mr. Smiths marriage to Ann-Margret proved one of Hollywoods most enduring and poignant unions. However he is sometimes used as an operative and is an ever-informed source for the word on the street. 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. Kookie was also used to provide product placement for Harley-Davidson, appearing on their Topper motor scooter in the show and in Harley-Davidson advertisements.[3][4]. Edd's rise to fame was a true dream story. 2023 The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. 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. Contributing: Robert Jablon, Associated Press, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. According to his 1996 autobiography, "Kookie No More", this led to a few years of "hustling" older, well-to-do men, despite the fact that Edd was heterosexual. He was an amazing man and one of my best friends, he wrote. (AP) Actor Roger Smith, who brought glamour to the TV detective genre as a hip private eye on "77 Sunset Strip," has died. Producers, directors, writers and aspiring . They were married quietly in Las Vegas in 1967. Edd Byrnes, star of the 1950s and '60s TV hit "77 Sunset Strip" who went on to co-star in the 1978 smash "Grease," has died, the actor's son, Logan Byrnes, confirmed Thursday via Facebook. He was married to actress Asa Maynor from 1962 to 1971. 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!!!! Eventually, he was featured in an episode of the Crossroads TV program and then in the Wire Service and Navy Log. As Kookie, I was one of the first young fellows on television, one of the first that the young could identify with, he said in 1969. The song became the centerpiece of an album of the show's music in Warren Barker orchestrations, which was released in 1959, a top-10 hit in the Billboard LP charts. Comic relief is provided by Roscoe the racetrack tout (played by Louis Quinn), who frequently hangs around the offices giving horse-racing tips. Byrnes died Wednesday at his home in Santa Monica, his son, Logan Byrnes, said in a statement. He developed an interest in performing and after high school landed summer-stock work. Kookie, Kookie (Lend Me Your Comb), a novelty record he recorded with Connie Stevens, sold more than 1 million copies and rose to No. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Typically the two detectives would alternate as leads, with a Stuart Bailey case being featured one week and a Jeff Spencer case the nextalthough depending on the nature of the case, sometimes the two would team up.[2]. The son of Mary (Byrne) and Augustus "Gus" Breitenberger. Did stu bailey ever drive a 1957 ford thunderbird in 77 sunset strip Edit Details 286.4M . The Kookie character became a cultural phenomenon, with his slang expressions such as "ginchy" (cool) and "piling up Zs" (sleeping). Jack Gilardi, who is an agent for Smith's wife, Ann-Margret, confirmed to the news outlet that the actor passed away at a Los Angeles-area hospital after . Please see the press release attached. Though the Hollywood legend Ann-Margret famously once dated Elvis Presley, the love of her life was 77 Sunset Strip actor Roger Smith, who she was married to for fifty years before he died in 2017. I signed a two-week contract and it lasted eight years. 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 . In some cases, "77" scripts were recycled and rewritten to fit the characters of each series. Get A Copy Amazon Stores Mass Market Paperback, 160 pages Published 1959 by Dell More Details. 2023 Uplifting Today ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 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). The show lingered for only one more year. Byrnes died unexpectedly Wednesday at his Santa Monica home of natural . However, Byrnes chafed under a contract that cost him the chance to play several roles in movies, including Oceans Eleven. He walked off the show in the second season, demanding a bigger part and better pay, and he didnt return until 1960, when Kookie had become a partner in the detective agency. I discovered that I had made an impact on the public but not on the 20 or so people who run the movie business, he told a reporter at the time. Hale is seen throughout Seasons 4 and 5. He survived two serious illnesses to have a second career after 77 Sunset Strip as manager of his second wife, entertainer Ann-Margret. Recorded with actress Connie Stevens, the song (on Warner Bros. Records) made it to No. His son is a television news anchor who works for KYSI-TV news in San Diego, California, since 2018. 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. His remains were cremated at Hollywood Forever Cemetery and his ashes were sprinkled into the Pacific Ocean. Byrnes, who was born Edward Byrne Breitenberger in New York City, came from a poor family. 8532 W Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069-2310. Jack Gilardi, who is the agent of Smiths widow, actress Ann-Margret, said the actor died Sunday morning at a Los Angeles hospital after battling a terminal illness. Cagney recommended Smith for a role in Man of a Thousand Faces, the 1957 film biography of silent star Lon Chaney. It was to be produced by Clint Eastwood and starred Jim Caviezel, Timothy Olyphant and Maria Bello. [citation needed] Some of the detectives, played by the same actors, became regulars in other series after their original series had been cancelled. He earned his education from Haaren High School. She later cared for Mr. Smith as his myasthenia gravis worsened. He was 84. No number 77 exists on the Strip, as all Sunset Boulevard addresses in the area have four digits. 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. For decades Smith guided Ann-Margrets career with great care. There is no 77 Sunset Strip, all addresses on Sunset Strip have four digits. I can't even imagine the day I finally send it into the sunset. Smith served 2 years in the Navy Reserve, and in Hawaii he sang at social events. Early mentions of the show were made in the network's fall affiliate presentation promotion, with the 77 Sunset Strip logo visible in the movie backlot motif. . Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter. 77 Sunset Strip - Full Cast & Crew - TV Guide Though Ann-Margret never had children of her own, Smiths children from a previous marriage are close to her and look after her. Edd was born in the Byrnes family with the full name Edward Byrne Breitenberger. His height and weight remain inside the closet. I thought, This is a cinch business. But it isnt. 77 Sunset Strip had been created by producer-writer Roy Huggins, who also created Maverick, and it spawned a host of spinoffs and knockoffs, including Hawaiian Eye, Surfside 6 and Bourbon Street Beat., Smith told the Los Angeles Times that the series aimed to show that private investigators were well-trained, serious men, and not the movie and TV stereotype with dangling cigarettes and large chips on their shoulders. He was chosen for the part because I dont look like a detective., But the show had its glamorous side, too. Smith passed away on Sunday morning at a hospital in Sherman Oaks,. in January 2023, no trace of the sidewalk engraving remained. 1959. who is still alive on the big valley? - legal-innovation.com Edd began his acting career at a non-paid job in a summer stock theatre company in 1956. Television brought Mr. Smith his greatest visibility. When he wasnt making wisecracks, Gerald Lloyd Kookie Kookson III was lovingly combing his well-greased hairdo. The episode "The Target" was unusual because key roles were played by the show's primary behind-the-scenes crew, who happened to also be experienced actors. Amazon.com: Customer reviews: 77 Sunset Strip British and Spanish America, as the two units of comparison, did not remain static but changed over time. His final roles were Shake, Rattle, and Roll: An American Love Story in 1999. She was nominated again in 1975 for her portrayal of Roger Daltreys mother in the film version of the Whos rock opera Tommy.. He also was featured in the 1978 film Grease as television teen-dance show host Vince Fontaine, and was a charting recording artist with . The actor's son, San Diego evening news anchorLogan Byrnes, shared the newson Twitter Thursday. Edd was one of the most handsome actors in the Hollywood industry who was widely known for his curly hair. The Hollywood Reporter is a part of Penske Media Corporation. He was 87. John H Elliott - Empires Of The Atlantic World.pdf Episodes of the television series can be seen in reruns through syndication packages offered by Warner Bros. Studios. Talking about his family, he was raised with two siblings J-Ann and Vincent. 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. When he wasnt making wisecracks, Gerald Lloyd Kookie Kookson III was lovingly combing his well-greased hair. His contract prohibited Byrnes from accepting plum roles in such movies as Oceans Eleven, North to Alaska and Rio Bravo, and John F. Kennedy was said to have objected to having someone known as Kookie play him in the 1963 film PT 109. At the peak of his popularity, Byrnes received more than 15,000 fan letters a week, exceeding the record that Warner Bros., the studio behind 77 Sunset Strip, had ever received for any star (yes, more than even Errol Flynn and James Cagney). With his square jaw, sturdy build and easy manner, Mr. Smith seemed in his prime to embody the all-American male at his most appealing. In his 1996 autobiography, Kookie No More, he detailed his addiction to drugs and alcohol. 77 Sunset Strip star Edd Byrnes died at 87 on Wednesday of natural causes at his home in Santa Monica. We will soon update Edd Byrness funeral. Connie recently recorded a beautiful Christmas Album, "Tradition". Its perfect for me. You are here: Home / is tatum o'neal still alive is tatum o'neal still alive. NBC liked it but insisted on another host, and so Chuck Woolery got the gig on Wheel of Fortune. 77 Sunset Strip Cast List - YouTube However, Byrnes chafed under a contract that cost him the chance of several roles in movies such as Oceans Eleven. He walked off the show in the second season, demanding a bigger part and better pay, and he didnt return until 1960, when Kookie had become a partner in the detective agency. Is Ed Kookie Burns from 77 Sunset Strip TV show still alive - Answers 9040 W Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069-1851. Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones are good friends, too, an insider said. He is the only main actor on screen for the entire hour. Roger Smith Dies: 'Auntie Mame' And '77 Sunset Strip' Star Was 84 Stay tuned! 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. His character of Rex Randolph from Bourbon Street Beat was said to have left New Orleans and relocated to North Hollywood, joining Bailey and Spencer's firm and taking Office 104. 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. Is Max Baer Still Alive? Max Baer Age, Bio, Net Worth & More Edd Byrnes, of '77 Sunset Strip' and 'Grease' fame, dies at 87 - USA TODAY Jack Gilardi, who is the agent of Smith's widow, actress. Ann-Margret Opens Up About The Death Of Husband Of 50 Years - 'You Have Suzanne Fabry, the beautiful French switchboard operator played by Jacqueline Beer, handles the phones for Sunset Answering Service, in Suite 103. 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 Byrnes was born in New York City, New York, in 1932. It was a lighthearted and popular series, with Zimbalist as the Ivy League-educated private eye Stuart Bailey and Mr. Smith as onetime federal undercover agent Jeff Spencer. 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. Established film and TV actors and older stars who guest-starred include Fay Wray, Francis X. Bushman, Rodolfo Hoyos Jr., Ida Lupino, Liliane Montevecchi, Keenan Wynn, Rolfe Sedan, Jim Backus, Billie Burke, Buddy Ebsen, George Jessel, Peter Lorre, Boris Karloff, Burgess Meredith, Nick Adams, Gerald Mohr and Roy Roberts, among others. Edd Byrnes - Wikipedia The show was so popular that rising young actors clamored for guest spots. 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. Sunset Strip (West Hollywood) - All You Need to Know - Tripadvisor 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. The show made Byrnes a teen idol who at the height of his popularity received 15,000 fan letters a week. In 1965, Smith was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis, a disorder that disrupts the transmission of nerve signals to the muscles, causing severe muscle weakness. Jack Gilardi, who is the agent of Smith's widow,. His pre-Fonzie, cool-guy persona soon caught on like wildfire. The Associated Press is an independent, not-for-profit news cooperative headquartered in New York City. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. List of 77 Sunset Strip episodes - Wikipedia Meanwhile, Smith got the title role in the NBC series based on Mister Roberts, based on the 1955 comedy-drama about Navy life. Edd Byrnes, a veteran actor best known for his role as television host Vince. Played Alma Bogart in "77 Sunset Strip" in 1958. His fan mail soon reached an astonishing 15,000 letters a week and his single with Connie Stevens, "Kookie, Kookie, Lend Me Your Comb", became a top-5 hit. The 60's hit TV series "77 Sunset Strip" and 1978's smash "Grease" actor, Edd Byrnes died at age 87 on Wednesday. Judith Rawlins has: Performed in "77 Sunset Strip" in 1958. Edd Byrnes, who played 'Kookie' in '77 Sunset Strip,' dies 77 SUNSET STRIP 1958 Cast THEN AND NOW 2022 Thanks For The - YouTube 1959 Warner Records Inc., manufactured and marketed by Rhino Entertainment Company, a Warner Music Group Company. Not only that, he was cast in episodes of Telephone Time, The Aventures of Jim Bowie, and in a film, Fear Strikes Out. 77 Sunset Strip - S01ep15 - The Secret Of Adam Cain.mp4 . He sporadically returned to Hollywood to capitalize on his Kookie notoriety. "It is with profound sadness and grief that I share with you the passing of my father Edd Byrnes," he wrote. 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. This was actually a scene from "5" (the sixth-season opener) and it was supposedly located in New York City where Bailey arrived to work for a client to "pay his dead brother's way into heaven.". [1], The street address was colloquially known as the Sunset Strip and was between La Cienega Boulevard and Alta Loma Road on the south side of the strip, next door to Dean Martin's real-life lounge, Dino's Lodge. COMMENT POLICY: We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, vulgarity, profanity, all caps, or discourteous behavior. The actor's son, San Diego. Roger LaVerne Smith was born in 1932, in South Gate, near Los Angeles. Roger Smith, a star of TV's '77 Sunset Strip,' dies at 84 But, Edd gained into the limelight by playing the role of Kookie in the hit TV series, 77 Sunset Strip. Edd Byrnes (born July 30, 1933) is an American actor best known for his starring role in the television series 77 Sunset Strip. The character of detective Stuart Bailey was first used by writer Huggins in his 1946 novel The Double Take, later adapted into the 1948 film I Love Trouble. One of these men acted as Edd's mentor, introducing him to fashion and culture and encouraging his hopes for an acting career.After doing some summer-stock work and a few bit parts on TV, Edd drove to California in 1955, arriving in Los Angeles on the day James Dean died in a car crash. A GEEZER who remembers watching TV in 1951 and was an Echostar customer from 1988 to 2008, now a Dish . "I knew he would protect me," she told Closer Weekly of Smith, adding that she knew she would marry him after their third date. Kookie became a full-fledged detective and partner in the firm as of Season 4, taking over Rex Randolph's office in 104. In Auntie Mame (1958), a madcap comedy about a bohemian socialite (Rosalind Russell) caring for her orphaned nephew, he played the nephew as a young adult. In the 1959-60 season, this was ABC's highest-rated series, and its breakout star was teen heartthrob Edd 'Kookie' Byrnes, whose expressions (like 'you're the ginchiest') became national catchphrases, and whose recording of 'Kookie, Kookie, Lend Me Your Comb' (with Connie Stevens) was a hit. Smith later quit to manage her career. He supported her at a time she was transitioning away from sheer sexpot roles in films like Kitten With a Whip (1964). After 77 Sunset Strip ended its six-season-run in 1963, Byrnes moved to Europe to star in a string of spaghetti Westerns and spy thrillers. Gerald `Kookie' Lloyd Kookson III 44 Episodes 2022. However it is good to know Edd Byrnes is still alive. With his attractive personality, he had made Asa Maynor fell in love with him. He was diagnosed two days later with a blood clot on the brain. 77 Sunset Strip is a 1958-1964 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). 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, acco '77 Sunset Strip' star Roger Smith dies at age 84 - USA TODAY 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. Neighborhood: West Hollywood. It was an abrupt, unexplained disconnect. Tab Hunter claimed he was the first choice for the lead of the series, but turned it down. When it comes to talking about Handsome persons in the acting industry, Edd Byrness name often emerged. He was of one-quarter German and three-quarters Irish descent. She sees them, speaks to them and Zooms with them all frequently.. Youre not dead when you reach a certain age, she explained. 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). His contract dispute was eventually settled, though not much to his advantage, and when he returned to "77 Sunset Strip" his role was upgraded from "sidekick" to "partner" and he wore a suit and tie. [7] A 25-minute pilot presentation was shot for upfronts in the spring of 1995, but despite a few attempts to modify and finalize it for broadcast in 19951996, the project never made it past the testing stage. In his personal life, Byrnes struggled with alcohol and drug addictions for years before managing to kick them. Roger Smith Dead: '77 Sunset Strip' Star Dies at 84 - Us Weekly ", '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.". Edd Byrnes. 77 Sunset Strip | DBSTalk Forum Edd shared an impoverished and unhappy childhood with brother Vincent and sister Jo-Ann. He drove out to Hollywood in his early 20's from his home of New York City. As the title suggests, the episode presented its story completely without dialogue. Was a taxi driver in the late 1940s and was fired for doing push-ups during his break.

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