Godspeed Joby Baker

Joby Baker, who appeared in the three Gidget movies and starred on the short-lived sitcom Good Morning World, died on June 22, 2026, at the age of 92. His Good Morning World costar Ronnie Schell died ten days before him.

Joby Baker was born on March 26, 1934, in Montreal,Quebec. His mother died when he was very young, and the family moved to Oahu, Hawaii. Following the attack on Pearl Harbour, he and his stepmother were evacuated to San Francisco. He attended school in New York City and then served in the United States Army, where he entertained the troops. Among the men he served with was Lou Costello's son-in-law. He convinced Mr. Costello to do a show at his camp. As a result, the comic became both Joby Baker's friend and manager. He sometimes stayed at Lou Costello's home.

It was while he was working as a page at NBC that he made his television debut on The Red Skelton Show in 1952. During the Fifties, he guest starred on the shows Studio One, The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, Dragnet, and Surfside 6. He made his movie debut in Target Zero in 1955. He appeared in the movies Gidget (1959), The Last Angry Man (1960), Key Wtiness (1960), and The Wackiest Ship in the Army (1960).

In the Sixties, he starred on the single-season sitcom Good Morning World. He guest starred on the shows The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, Cain's Hundred, Dr. Kildare, The Roaring 20's, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Wagon Train, Bachelor Father, Frontier Circus, Gunsmoke, Sam Benedict, Combat!, The Greatest Show on Earth,. Ben Casey, 12 O' Clock High, The Loner, The Dick Van Dyke Show, and Mannix. He appeared in the movies Gidget Goes Hawaiian (1961), Gidget Goes to Rome (1963), Hootenanny Hoot (1963), Looking for Love (1964), Girl Happy (1965), When the Boys Meet the Girls (1965), The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin (1967), and Blackbeard's Ghost (1968).

In the Seventies, Joby Baker had regular roles on the shows Stone and The Six O' Clock Follies. He appeared in the shows Love, American Style; The Streets of San Francisco; Assignment: Vienna; A Touch of Grace; Run, Joe, Run; Barnaby Jones; Police Story; Kate McShane; Medical Center; Bronk; Gemini Man; Most Wanted; and Nobody's Perfect. He appeared in the movies Self-Portrait (1973), which he also wrote, Superdad (1973), and Avalanche (1978).

In the Eighties, Joby Baker guest starred on the shows Simon and Simon; Quincy, M.E.; McClain's Law; Tucker's Witch; and The Paper Chase. He retired from acting in 1984 to concentrate on his career as a painter, sculptor, and jeweller. His artwork has been displayed at galleries in Los Angeles and have sold for thousands of dollars.

While Joby Baker considered himself a painter rather than an actor, he had considerable talent as an actor. In particular, he had a gift for comedy, that was on display on Good Morning World and elsewhere. In the Dick Van Dyke Show episode "Love Thy Other Neighbour," he played the husband of an old school pal of Millie, who creates jealousy in Laura when she thinks Millie is spending more time with her. In the F Troop episode "La Dolce Courage," he played a spurned lover who pursues the object of his affection when she and her father visit Fort Courage. While it isn't necessarily a good movie, he was funny as supermarket stockman and part-time bass player in Looking for Love. He could play dramatic roles as well. In the Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode "Madame Mystery," he played a smarmy publicist seeks to exploit the death of an actress. Joby Baker had considerable talent both as an actor and as an artist.

Happy 4th of July 2026

It was 250 years ago on this date that the Declaration of Independence was signed, marking the founding of the United States of America. I know that many people aren't particularly in the mood to celebrate today. Much of the country is suffering from extreme heat. The economy is not particularly good. There is widespread political division. And a certain individual who shall not be named has insisted about making the 250th anniversary of the United States of America all about himself. And I do have to admit that the United States has not always lived up to its ideal that all men are created equal. Native Americans (including my Cherokee ancestors) suffered greatly because of the US. For the first 87 years of the country's existence, slavery existed in the US. Still, it is the idea that all people were created equal, that we all have certain unalienable Rights, including those to  Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness, is one worth celebrating and one worth working towards, no matter what others might think or try to force upon us. For that reason, I am celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States of America today.

Of course, here at A Shroud of Thoughts, celebrating means posting vintage pinups. I hope that you appreciate them whether you are celebrating today or not.

First up is Vera-Ellen, who is celebrating the 4th of July with a patriotic version of hopscotch.

And here's another Vera, Vera Miles, getting ready for a loud boom.

The lovely Angela Greene is celebrating the 4th of July on the beach.

Jane Russell is getting ready to light off a rather large firecracker. Or maybe dynamite...

Gloria Grahame not looking too happy after what looks like the aftermath of a fireworks display.

And here's the lovely, leggy Ann Miller with some really big fireworks. 

Happy 4th of July!

David Sheiner Passes On

David Sheiner, who had a recurring role on the short-lived sitcom Diana, guest starred on shows from The Man From U.N.C.L.E. to Murder, She Wrote, and appeared in such movies as The Odd Couple (1968) and Blue Thunder (1983), died on June 5, 2026, at the age of 98.

David Sheiner was born on January 13, 1928, in the Bronx. He graduated from DeWitt High School and then served in U.S. Army Air Forces. After his service, he took acting lessons for eight years on a scholarship from Lee Strasberg.

Early in his career he toured with a production of The Country Girl by Clifford Odets. He made his television debut in an episode of Studio One. During the Fifties, he guest starred on the shows Tom Corbett, Space Cadet; The Big Story; The Best of Broadway; The Phil Silvers Show; and Perry Mason. He made his movie debut in an uncredited role in The Mugger (1958). He appeared on Broadway in Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?.

In the Sixties, David Sheiner guest-starred on the shows The Defenders; The Detectives; Sam Benedict; The Twilight Zone; The Eleventh Hour; The Rogues; Dr. Kildare; Kraft Suspense Theatre; Mr. Novak; A Man Called Shenandoah; Burke's Law; Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea; Blue Light; The F.B.I.; The Man From U.N.C.L.E.; I Spy; The Fugitive; Combat!; Mission: Impossible; The Invaders; Iron Horse; Ironside; Dundee and the Culhane; The Big Valley; Judd for the Defense; Hawaii Five-O; Then Came Bronson; The Name of the Game; The Virginian; and The Young Lawyers. He appeared in the movies The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), A Man Called Gannon (1968), The Odd Couple (1968), Winning (1969), Halls of Anger (1970), and They Call Me Mr. Tibbs! (1970).

In the Seventies, David Sheiner had a recurring role as the title character's boss on the short-lived sitcom Diana, starring Diana Rigg. He guest starred on the shows Mission: Impossible; The Bold Ones: Senator; Gunsmoke; Mannix; Sarge; Bonanza; The Delphi Bureau; Cannon; Hawkins; Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law; Columbo; Planet of the Apes; S.W.A.T.; Bronk; Kate McShane; Medical Center; Switch; Lanigan's Rabbi; Baretta; Rich Man, Poor Man Book II; Police Story; Westside Medical; Lucan; The Six Million Dollar Man; The Amazing Spider-Man; How the West Was Won; The Wonderful World of Disney; and Vega$. He appeared in the movies The Stone Killer (1973), The Gong Show Movie (1980), and Battle Creek Brawl (1983).

In the Eighties, David Sheiner appeared in the movie Blue Thunder (1983). He guest starred on the shows Charlie's Angels; Quincy, M.E.; Manimal; Automan; Trapper John, M.D.; Fantasy Island; Matt Houston; The Fall Guy; and Murder, She Wrote. He retired from acting in 1988.

David Sheiner is one of those actors whose name they might not recognize, but whose face they certainly would. He appeared in several hours of television over the years, including several movies. What is more, he could play a wide variety of roles. His versatility can be demonstrated by his two guest appearances on Combat!. In the first episode, "The Steeple," he played a U.S. Army paratrooper captain trapped in a steeple with German soldiers on the ground below him. In "Gadjo," he played a major in the German S.S. He played a prime minister in an episode of The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Oscar's accountant Roy in The Odd Couple, a preacher turned outlaw on Gunsmoke, and a somewhat skeptical police captain in The Stone Killer. David Sheiner was nothing if not versatile, and he always gave good performances.

A Shroud of Thoughts Store on Zazzle

In an effort to increase my income in these difficult times, I have opened a store for A Shroud of Thoughts on Zazzle. Like the blog, it is dedicated to popular culture. Of course, due to copyright restrictions, I really can't have any times based on movies, TV shows, or books that are not in the public domain. Fortunately, there are a lot of popular books that are in the public domain, so I have created a series of products such as T-shirts, key chains, and coffee mugs using quotes from popular books, including The Sign of Four, Wuthering Heights, and The Great Gatsby. I do plan to add more products as I go along, and I might even include products based on silent movies in the public domain (most talkies aren't for now).

Anyway, if you're interested in taking a look, you can click the link here. 

The Late Great James Burrows

James Burrows, who co-created the classic sitcom Cheers and directed shows from The Mary Tyler Moore Show to Fraiser, died on June 19, 2026, at the age of 85.

James Burrows was born on December 30, 1940 in Los Angeles. His father was composer, director, and writer Abe Burrows. He was fairly young when his family moved to the West Side of Manhattan in New York City. Given his father's profession, as a boy, he got to spend time backstage of such Broadway shows as Guys and Dolls and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. In grade school, he was a member of the Metropolitan Boy's Choir. He attended the High School of Music & Art. He attended Oberlin College and then the Yale School of Drama.

After college, James Burrows moved to California where he became a dialogue coach on the short-lived sitcom O.K. Crackerby. He then worked as an assistant manager on Holly Golightly, a musical version of Breakfast at Tiffany's, during its pre-Broadway tryouts. While the musical was scrapped before making it to Broadway, James Burrows did get to meet its star, Mary Tyler Moore.

It was meeting to Mary Tyler Moore that would lead to James Burrows's first work as a television director, directing episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show in 1974. In the Seventies, he also directed episodes of Fay; Phyllis; The Bob Newhart Show; The Tony Randall Show; Laverne & Shirley; Busting Loose; Szysznyk; Lou Grant; We've Got Each Other; The Betty White Show; Rhoda, On Our Own; Husbands, Wives & Lovers; Free Country; A New Kind of Family; The Associates; The Stockard Channing Show; and Good Time Harry.

It was in the 1980s that James Burrows co-created Cheers with Glen and Les Charles, and co-created its spinoff The Tortellis with Glen and Les Charles and Ken Estin. He directed the vast majority of the 275 episodes of Cheers, as well as episodes of the shows Best of the West; Taxi; Night Court; Valerie; All is Forgiven; The Tortellis; CBS Summer Playhouse; Dear John; The Marshall Chronicles; Wings; Down Home; and The Fanelli Boys,

He continued working on Cheers into the early Nineties. In 1998, he began work on Will & Grace and directed every episode of the show's original run. He also directed episodes of the shows Roc; Pacific Station; Flesh 'n' Blood; Flying Blind; Cafe Americain; Monty; The Boys Are Back; Madman of the People; The Preston Episodes; Hudson Street; Partners; NewsRadio; 3rd Rock from the Sun; Frasier; Men Behaving Badly; Chicago Sons; Fired Up; Veronica's Closet; George & Leo; Caroline in the City; Union Square; Dharma & Greg; Friends; Jesse; Conrad Bloom; The Secret Lives of Men; In the Loop; Stark Raving Mad; Madigan Men; and Cursed.

In the Naughts, James Burrows continued work on Will & Grace. He also directed episodes of the shows Cursed; Good Morning, Miami; Bram and Alice; The Stones; Four Kings; Teachers; Two and a Half Men; Courting Alex; The Class; The Big Bang Theory; Back to You; Gary Unmarried; Better with You; and S#*! My Dad Says,

In the Teens, James Burrows directed episodes of Up All Night; Partners; Sean Saves the World; Friends with Better Lives; The Millers; 2 Broke Girls; Mike & Molly; Crowded; Man with a Plan; Superior Donuts; Disjointed; The Neighborhood;Our House; B Positive; and Romantically Challenged. In the 2020s, he directed episodes of Mid-Century Modern and the revival of Frasier.

While James Burrows directed hundreds of hours of television, he only directed on feature film, Partners in 1982.

James Burrows also served as a producer on several shows, including All is Forgiven; Cheers; The Tortellis; The Secret Lives of Men; The Class; Back to You; Gary Unmarried; Romantically Challenged; Mike & Molly; Partners; The Millers; Crowded; Superior Donuts; Man with a Plan; Will & Grace; and Mid-Century Modern.

James Burrows occasionally made cameos on shows. He was an agent on Rhoda, a telephone man on Phyllis, a maintenance man on The Bob Newhart Show, a director on Friends, and James Burrows on Will & Grace and The Comeback.

Over the years, James Burrows was nominated for several awards. He won Emmy Awards for episodes of Taxi, Cheers, and Will & Grace.. He also won Directors Guild of America awards for Cheers, Frasier, and Will & Grace.

James Burrows was definitely one of the greatest directors of all time. Even though the majority of his work was in multi-camera sitcoms, he used lighting that was a bit more advanced than that of the average sitcom. He was also a genius when it came to comic timing, able to milk the most out of the humor already in a script and in the performances of his actors. Indeed, more so than other directors, he concentrated on the characters, emphasizing the dialogue and using often complicated blocking. James Burrows could often get the best out of his performers, and it is little wonder that many of the episodes he directed are considered among the greatest television episodes of all time.

The Late Great Ann Blyth

I have no idea who said it first, but there is a saying, "Live your life so that even if you die at 100 years old, people will say you died too soon." For many of us that holds true of legendary actress Ann Blyth, who died on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, at the age of 98. She was best known for playing spoiled daughter Veda in the classic Mildred Pierce, but appeared in movies from Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid (1948) to Kismet (1955) and TV shows from The Twilight Zone to Murder, She Wrote. If ever a film star was adored by classic movie fans, it was Miss Blyth. As for myself, I have had a crush on Miss Blyth since childhood, to the point that she was possibly the only woman Vanessa was even a little bit jealous of. Ann Blyth was beautiful, talented, and, I know from those who met her or knew her personally, sweet, kind, and gracious. The perfect woman may not exist, but Ann Blyth was as close to perfect as any human being could ever come.

Ann Marie Blythe was born on August 16, 1927, in Mount Kisco, New York. She grew up in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Her father left the family when she was very young, and her mother raised Ann Blyth and her older sister alone. Ann Blyth displayed talent as a singer while she was still very young. She both sang and recited poetry on the radio from when she was only 6 years old. She performed as part of the San Carlos Opera Company. She appeared on Broadway in Watch on the Rhine from 1941 to 1942, turning 13 during the play's run. After it closed on Broadway, she toured around the country with the play.

Ann Blyth was signed by Universal in 1943 to provide Deanna Durbin, who was increasingly unhappy with the studio, with some competition. She made her film debut in 1944 in Chip Off the Old Block. She was loaned to Warner Bros. for Mildred Pierce (1945), in which she was cast against type as spoiled daughter Veda Pierce, for which she was nominated for the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. She also played the mermaid, Lenore, of the title in Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid (1948), a role which required that she be unable to speak. During the Forties, Miss Blyth also appeared in the movies The Merry Monahans (1944), Babes on Swing Street (1944), Bowery to Broadway (1944), Swell Guy (1946), Brute Force (1947), Killer McCoy (1947), A Woman's Vengeance (1948), Another Part of the Forest (1948), Red Canyon (1949), Top o' the Morning (1949), Once More, My Darling (1949), Free for All (1949), Our Very Own (1950), and Katie Did It (1950).

In the Fifties, Ann Blyth appeared in the movies The Great Caruso (1951), Thunder on the Hill (1951), The House on the Square (1951), The Golden Horde (1951), The World in His Arms (1952), Sally and Saint Anne (1952), One Minute to Zero (1952), All the Brothers Were Valiant (1953), Rose Marie (1954), The Student Prince (1954), The King's Thief (1955), Kismet (1955), Slander (1956), and The Buster Keaton Story (1957). Her final feature film was The Helen Morgan Story (1957), in which she played singer and actress Helen Morgan. Despite the fact that Ann Blyth had a lovely singing voice that was actually close to that of Helen Morgan, her vocals were dubbed by singer Gogi Grant. She made her television debut on an episode of Family Theatre in 1952. During the Fifties, she guest starred on the shows Lux Video Theatre, Wagon Train, and The DuPont Show with June Allyson.

In the Sixties, she guest starred on the shows The Dick Powell Show, Wagon Train, Saints and Sinners, The Christophers, The Twilight Zone, Burke's Law, Kraft Suspense Theatre, Insight, and The Name of the Game. Starting in the late Fifties, throughout the Sixties, and into the Seventies, Ann Blyth played in dinner theatre and summer stock. In the Seventies, Ann Blyth guest starred on Switch and Quincy, M.E. She made her final appearance on a scripted television series in an episode of Murder, She Wrote in 1985.

Ann Blyth was a guest at multiple TCM Classic Film Festivals and also a guest on the TCM cruise. She was a guest host on Turner Classic Movies multiple times over the years.

Words cannot express how beloved Ann Blyth was by many classic movie buffs. It wasn't simply that she was one of the last links to the Golden Age of Hollywood. It wasn't even that she was a beautiful and talented actress. She was a gracious, kind, and intelligent woman who appreciated her fans and was eager to share her stories of movie history. There was no better ambassador for classic movies than Ann Blyth.

Of course, she was enormously talented as an actress and a singer. She gave a tour de force performance as Veda in Mildred Pierce, not only holding her own with the formidable Joan Crawford, but arguably even surpassing her. Using only facial expressions and body language, Ann Blyth was totally convincing as a mermaid in Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid. Even when she appeared only briefly on screen, as in the classic noir Brute Force, she could give an impressive performance. Her role as Ruth Collins, the cancer stricken wife of convict Joe Collins (Burt Lancaster), only gave her minutes in screen time, but she was utterly convincing. She gave great performances in films as diverse as I'll Never Forget You and The Helen Morgan Story (on which she really should have been allowed to sing). She gave great performances on television as well. In the Wagon Train episode "The Jenny Tannen Story," she played a dual role as Jenny, a young woman who was going blind, and her mother, the embittered former singer Phoebe Tannen. Both performances were incredible, and she got to display her mellifluous singing voice as well. In the Twilight Zone episode "Queen of the Nile," she played beautiful, immortal, and utterly evil movie star Pamela Morris, While she was nothing like Pamela Morris in real life, she was utterly convincing in the role.

In the end, Ann Blyth was very special to many of us. She was beautiful. She was talented. She possessed an incredible singing voice. And as I said earlier, I know from those who met her and those who knew her personally, Miss Blyth was one of the sweetest, kindest, most gracious women one could ever meet. It is little wonder that many of us believe that at age 98 she died much too soon.

Godspeed Ronnie Schell

Ronnie Schell, best known for playing Duke Slater on Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., died on June 12, 2026, at the age of 94. He was also a voice actor on several cartons.

Ronnie Schell was born on December 23, 1931, in Richmond, California. He attended Richmond Union High School. As a baseball player, he played first base for both American Legion and semipro teams in th San Francisco Bay Area. He served in the United States Air Force for four years, at which point he began doing comedy. He graduated with a degree in Liberal Studies from San Francisco State in 1958.

It was while he was a senior in college that he began performing standup comedy at The Purple Onion in the North Beach area of San Francisco. Also on the bill were Phyllis Diller and the Kingston Trio. George Fenneman, the announcer on You Bet Your Life, was scouting Phyllis Diller when he saw Ronnie Schell perform. He asked both of them to appear on You Bet Your Life. Ronnie Schell won $600 and also mentioned the secret word (a randomly chosen word on the show each day, the mention of which would win the contestant a prize).

Ronnie Schell made his television debut in a guest appearance on the show Harbor Command in 1958. It was in 1964 that he began playing Duke Slater on Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. He left the show for the 1967-1968 season to star on his own show Good Morning, World. When that show was cancelled, he returned to Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., at which point he was promoted from private to corporal. He had a recurring role on That Girl as the agent, Harvey Peck, of Ann Maire (Marlo Thomas). After Jim Nabors ended Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., Ronnie Schell was a regular on The Jim Nabors Hour. During the Sixties ; he also guest-starred on the shows Valentine's Day; The Patty Duke Show; The Andy Griffith Show; and Love, American Style.

In the Seventies, Ronnie Schell began his long career as a voice actor proving additional voice on the Saturday morning cartoon Butch Cassidy as well as voices on the cartoons Goober and the Ghost Chasers, Wait Till Your Father Gets Home, Yogi's Space Race, Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels, and Battle of the Planets (the American adaptation of the anime series Science Ninja Team Gatchaman). He was also the voice of Peter Puck, the animated, anthropomorphic puck who explained the rules of the National Hockey League on both NBC's Hockey Game of the Week and CBC's Hockey Night in Canada. He guest starred on the shows Arnie; Love, American Style; The New Dick Van Dyke Show; The Little People; Here We Go Again; Temperatures Rising; The Girl with Something Extra; Diana; Lotsa Luck!; Adam-12; Happy Days; Karen; Big Eddie; Emergency!; Sanford and Son; Forever Fernwood; The Wonderful World of Disney;The Practice; The Dukes of Hazzard; Charlie's Angels; Turnabout; One Day at a Time; Mork & Mindy; California Fever; and Alice. He appeared in the movies The Strongest Man in the World (1975), Gus (1976), The Shaggy D.A. (1976), The Cat from Outer Space (1978), Love at First Bite (1979), and How to Beat the High Cost of Living (1980).

In the Eighties, Ronnie Schell was a regular on the sitcom Down to Earth and had a recurring role on the soap opera Santa Barbara. He guest starred on the shows The Love Boat; Too Close for Comfort; Strike Force; Madame's Place; Trapper John, M.D.; ABC Weekend Specials; New Love, American Style; Shadow Chasers; Sledge Hammer!; 1st and Ten; She's the Sheriff; Mathnet; Square One TV; Mr. Belvedere; The New Gidget; Hard Time on Planet Earth, Saved by the Bell; Empty Nest; 227; The Golden Girls; and Shades of LA. He was a voice on the animated shows Shirt Tales, Smurfs, Potsworth & Co., and the others. He appeared on the movies He appeared in the movies The Devil and Max Devlin (1981), The Check is in the Mail... (1987), and Dutch Treat (1987). He was a voice in the animated movie The Jetsons: The Movie (1990).

In the Nineties, Ronnie Schell appeared in the movies Fatal Instinct (1993), Revenge of the Red Baron (1994), Killer per caso (1997), Venus Enby (1997), Family Jewels (2000), and The View from the Swing (200). He was voice in the animated movie Rover Dangerfield (1991). He guest starred on the shows Good & Evil; Family Album; Coach; Step by Step; and The Wayan Bros. He was a voice on the television cartoons Yo Yogi!, The Legend of Prince Valiant, The Elvis and Jack Nichlaus Mysteries, and Recess.

In the Naughts, he appeared in the movies The Biggest Fan (2005) and Soupernatural (2010). He guest starred on the shows Yes, Dear; Phil of the Future; and Easy to Assemble. He was a voice on the animated shows Lloyd in Space, Megas XLR, and The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy. In the Teens, he guest starred on the shows Jessie, Retired at 35, You'll Be Fine, Heaven's Waiting Room, See Ya, Kaplan's Korner, and Beyond Hope 2020.

Chances are good that Ronnie Schell will always be remembered as Duke Slater, the streetwise, fast-talking, clever Marine who was a sharp contrast to the naive and innocent Gomer Pyle (Jim Nabors). Of course, he played a wide variety of roles, On That Girl, he played Ann Marie's fast talking, cynical, and pragmatic agent Harvey Peck. He starred as disc jockey Larry Clarke on Good Morning, World. He played a variety of roles in guest appearances on other shows and appearances in movies, from a furrier on The Andy Griffith Show to sports scout Joe Barnsdale in the movie Gus to the angel Lester Luster on the sitcom Down to Earth. Ronnie Schell had perfect comic timing and could create memorable characters with only very little screen time. He also had a versatile voice. He may always be best remembered as Duke Slater, but he did much more.