Godspeed Elke Sommer

Elke Sommer, who appeared in such movies as A Shot in the Dark (1964) and The Wrecking Crw (1969), died on October 28, 2026, at the age of 85.

Elke Sommer was born Elke Schletz in Berlin on November 5, 1940. Her father, a Lutheran minister, died when she was 14. When she was 17 she worked for a year as an au pair in London. It was while she was vacationing in Viareggo, Italy with her mother that she was declared the winner of a beauty contest while sitting in a cafe. Her picture appeared in the local paper. This led to her being cast in The Friend of the Jaguar (1959). Director Vittorio De Sica took notice of her and cast her in Men and Noblemen (1959). In the late Fifties, she appeared in the films Ragazzi del Juke-Box (1959), The Death Ship (1959), The Day the Rains Came (1959), La Pica sul Pacifico (1959), Stage Fright (1960), Howlers in the Dock (1960), Heaven, Love and Twine (1960). The Warrior Empress (1960), and Femmine di lusso (1960).

It was in 1961 that Eke Sommer appeared in her first English language film, the British comedy Don't Bother to Knock. Her first Hollywood film was the thriller The Prize (1963). In the Sixties, she appeared in the movies Und sowas nennt sich Leben (1961), Daniella By Night (1961), Beloved Imposter (1961), Auf Wiedersehen (1961),. Café Oriental (1962), Douce violence (1962), Das Mädchen und der Staatsanwalt (1962), Un chien dans un jeu de quilles (1962), Bahía de Palma (1962), The Phone Rigs Every Night (1962), Les Bricoleurs (1963), Ostrva (1963), The Victors (1963), ...denn die Musik und die Liebe in Tirol (1963). A Shot in the Dark (1964), Among Vultures (1964), La bambole (1965), Hotel of Dead Guests (1965), The Art of Love (1965, The Money Trap (1965), The Oscar (1966), Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number! (1966), The Venetian Affair (1967), The Peking Medallion (1967), Deadlier Than the Male (1967), The Wicked Dreams of Paula Schultz (1968), They Came to Rob Las Vegas (1968), The Wrecking Crew (1969), and The Invincible Six (1970). On television, she guest starred on The Jack Benny Hour.

In the Seventies, Elke Sommer guest starred on the shows Probe, Die Vico-Torriani-Show, Six Million Dollar Man, and The Muppet Show.and Forever Fernwood. She appeared in the movies Percy (1971), Zeppelin (1971), Baron Blood (1972), Trip to Vienna (1973), Lisa and the Devil (1973), One or the Other of Us (1974), Percy's Progress (1974), Ten Little Indians (1974), Carry On Behind (1975), The Net (1975), One Away (1976), The Swiss Conspiracy (1976), Meet Him and Die (1976), The Astral Factor (1978), I Miss You, Hugs and Kisses (1978), The Prisoner of Zenda (1979), The Double McGuffin (1979), The Treasure Seekers (1979), A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square (1979), and Exit Sunset Boulevard (1980).

In the Eighties, she appeared on the shows Fantasy Island,. Die Krimistunde, The Love Boat, St Elsewhere, and Adventures Beyond Belief. She appeared on the mini-series Jenny's War, Peter the Great, and Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna, She appeared in the movies The Man in Pyjamas (1981). Lily in Love (1984), No One Cries Forever (1984), Death Stone (1987), and Himmelsheim (1988).

In the Nineties, she appeared in the movies Severed Ties (1992), Life is a Bluff (1996), Doppeltes Spiel mit Anne (1999), and Flashback (2000). She guest starred on the shows Countersrike, Happy Holidays, Destiny Ridge, and Florian III. In the Naughts, she appeared in the movie Life is Too Long (2010). In the Naughts, she guest starred on the TV show Für alle Fälle Stefanie.

Elke Sommer was a remarkable actress. She had a gift for comedy, and excelled in caper movies and spy films. She played one of two lesbian assassins in the spy spoof Deadlier Than the Male. In The Venetian Affair, she played the ex-wife of a former CIA agent, who may or may not be a Communist sympathizer. In They Came to Rob Las Vegas, she played the secretary and mistress of a security transport expert. Of course, she may be best remembered as Maria Gambrelli, the maid who may or not be guilty of murder in A Shot in the Dark. She played a woman saved by an artist in The Art of Love and a French movie star in Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number!. She could play roles beyond caper movies, spy movies and comedies. She was a history scholar and architect's assistant in Baron Blood and an American tourist who is Satan's prey in Lisa and the Devil. Elke Sommer could play a variety of roles and was entertaining in many films and TV shows.

Gospeed Barbra Barrie

Barbara Barrie, who played the wife of the title character on the classic sitcom Barney Miller and appeared in such movies as Breaking Away (1979), died on October 28, 2026, at the age of 95. She had terminal cancer.

Barbara Barrie was born  Barbara Ann Berman on May 23, 1931, in Chicago. She was 9 years old when her family moved to Corpus Christi, Texas. She graduated from Corpus Christi High School and then studied at the University of Texas in Austin. In 1955, she moved to New York. She made her television debut in an episode of Kraft Television Theatre in 1955. That same year she made her debut on Broadway in The Wooden Dish. She made her movie debut in a bit part in Giant in 1956. On television, she guest starred on the shows Playwrights '56; Robert Montgomery Presents; The Kaiser Aluminum Hour; Suspicion; Decoy; Faith for Today; Play of the Week; The Eternal Light; and Love of Life. She appeared on Broadway in The Beaux Stratagem. 

In the Sixties, she guest starred on the television shows Armstrong Circle Theatre; The United States Steel Hour; Great Ghost Tales; Route 66; The Untouchables;  Naked City; Dr. Kildare; The Virginian; The Twilight Zone; Alcoa Premiere; Mr Novak; The Nurses; The Defenders; The Alfred Hitchcock Hour; The Fugitive; Ben Casey; Rawhide; The Trials of O'Brien; Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre; Ironside; and The Invaders. She appeared in the movies The Caretakers (1963) and One Potato, Two Potato (1964). She appeared on Broadway in Happily Ever After.

In the Seventies, she played Elizabeth Miller, the wife of Barney Miller on the TV show Barney Miller. She was also a regular on the short-lived sitcom Diana and the show Breaking Away, based on the movie of the same name. She guest starred on the shows Play for Today; The ABC Afternoon Playbreak; The Mary Tyler Moore Show;  Bronk; MacMillan & Wife; The Wonderful World of Disney; Visions; and Lou Grant. She appeared in the mini-series Harold Robbins' 79 Park Avenue, Backstairs at the White House, and Roots: The Next Generation. She appeared in the movies The Bell Jar (1979), Breaking Away (1979), and Private Benjamin (1980). She appeared on Broadway in Company, The Prisoner of Second Avenue, The Selling of the President, and California Suite.

In the Eighties, Barbara Barrie was a regular on the shows Tucker's Witch, Reggie, and Double Trouble. She guest starred on the shows Private Benjamin; Standing Room Only; American Playhouse; Trapper John, M.D.; Kate & Allie; I'll Take Manhattan; Mr. President; Family Ties; A Fine Romance; His & Hers; and Thirtysomething. She appeared in the movies End of the Line (1987), Real Men (1987), and After the Rain 1988). She appeared on Broadway in Torch Song Trilogy.

In the Nineties, Barbara Barrie was a regular on the sitcom Suddenly Susan. She guest starred on the TV shows Babes; Law & Order; ABC Afternoon Specials; The Fifth Corner; Lovejoy; CBS Schoolbreak Special; The Commish; and Once and Again. She appeared in the miniseries Scarlett. She appeared in the movies Spent (1999) and 30 Days (1999). She was a voice in the animated movie Hercules (1999). She appeared on Broadway in Company.

In the Naughts Barbara Barrie guest starred on the shows Law & Order: Special Victims Unit; Dead Like Me; Pushing Daisies; Surviving Suburbia; Army Wives; and Nurse Jackie. She appeared in the movies Second Best (2004), Frame of Mind (2009), The Six Wives of Henry LeFay (2009), Harvest (2010), and Twelve Thirty (2010). She appeared on Broadway in Fiddler on the Roof,. In the Teens, she guest starred on the show Enlightened. She appeared in the movie Somewhere Only I Know (2018). She appeared on Broadway in Significant Other. In the 2020s, she appeared in the movies The Magnificent Meyersons (2023) and Things Like This (2025).

Barbara Barrie was an actress of considerable talent. I have to think that many will remember her as the grounded and warm Elizabeth Miller on Barney Miller. She'll also be remembered as Evelyn, the supportive mother of bicycle racer Dave Stohler. Barbara Barrie was prolific and she appeared on a number of TV shows, regularly giving solid performances. In the Route 66 episode "Even Stones Have Eyes" she played an instructor at a school for the blind. In the Virginian episode "The Small Parade," she played a woman taking care of orphans. She was also noted for her performances on stage. Barbara Barrie was a remarkable talent who leaves behind many great performances

Godspeed Susan Saint James

Susan Saint James, who starred on McMillan & Wife and Kate & Allie, died on October 26, 2026, at the age of 80. The cause was pancreatic cancer.

Susan Saint James was born Susan Jane Miller on August 14, 1946 in Los Angeles. In 1958, the family moved to Rockford, Illinois. She went to the Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart in Lake Forest, Illinois. She began modelling while still in high school. Afterwards she attended Connecticut College. She adopted the surname "St. James" when she was 20 and decided to pursue acting as a career.

Susan Saint James signed with Universal and made her television debut in the TV movie Fame is the Name of the Game in 1966. It served as the pilot for the TV series The Name of the Game. She later had a regular role on the show. She also had a recurring role on the show It Takes a Thief. She guest starred on the shows Ironside and McCloud. She made her film debut in 1967 in P. J. She appeared in the movies Where Angles Go Trouble Follows! (1968), Jigsaw (1968), and The Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County.

In the Seventies, she starred as Sally McMillan, the wife of Police Commissioner Stuart McMillan (Rock Hudson), on McMillan & Wife. She guest starred on the shows Alias Smith and Jones and M*A*S*H. She also appeared in several TV movies. She appeared in the movies Outlaw Blues (1977), Love at First Bite (1979), and How to Beat the High Cost of Living (1980).

In the Eighties, Susan Saint James starred on the sitcom Kate & Allie. She guest starred on the show Tattingers. She appeared in the movies Carbon Copy (1981) and Don't Cry, It's Only Thunder (1982). In the Nineties, she guest starred on The Drew Carey Show and in the Naughts she guest starred on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. In the Teens, she guest  starred on Suits. She appeared in the TV movie Holiday Hearts and the mini-series The Haunting of Bly Manor. From the late Teens into the 2020s, she had three guest appearances on the TV series Upload.

Chances are good that Susan Saint James will always be best remembered as Sally, the crime solving wife of a police commissioner on McMillan & Wife  and the free-spirited Kate on Kate & Allie, but she played a variety of other roles. In How to Beat the High Cost of Living, she played Jane, a divorced woman who plots a heist with other women to solve her money woes. In Love at First Bite, she played quirky fashion model Cindy Sondheim, who becomes the object of desire of Dracula (George Hamilton). She played war correspondent Aggie O' Shea in a guest appearance on M*A*S*H. Susan Saint James played a wide variety of roles in her career and played all of them well.

Happy Halloween 2026

On Halloween, here at A Shroud of Thoughts, we only offer you treats and no tricks. As to the treats, they are vintage pinups. Without further ado, here are this year's "treats."

First up is Jane Harker, who looks ready for a Halloween party.

/Next is Jeanne Crain, who is posing with a rather large pumpkin. 

And here's Dusty Anderson dressed up as a cat.

And here Audrey Totter is doing some pumpkin carving

Anne Nagel standing atop a large pumpkin.

And it wouldn't be Halloween without Ann Miller!

Happy Halloween!

Perry Mason at Halloween: "The Case of the Dodging Domino"

While Halloween episodes were fairly common on television sitcoms of the Fifties and Sixties, they were rare in comparison on dramas. An exception to this rule was the Perry Mason episode "The Case of the Dodging Domino." It aired on November 1, 1962, and Halloween was front and centre in the episode.

"The Case of the Dodging Domino" centres on college professor Damion White (David Hedison), who has taken credit for a melody that he didn't write, "Pearls and Jade." The actual writer of the tune is Phil Schuyler (James Forrest), who not only forged one of his brother-in-law's cheques, but is blackmailing Damion White over the song. Given Phil Schuyler is not a very nice guy, he naturally winds up dead and Damion White is accused of his murder. Perry Mason must then defend Damion White and reveal who the real murderer is.

Unlike a few other Perry Mason episodes, there are no spooky, creepy, or paranormal themes in "The Case of the Dodging Domino," which is a straightforward, if somewhat convoluted mystery. Regardless, it is set during and shortly after Halloween. Indeed, Halloween is essential to the episode's plot.  Rudy Mahlsted (Lloyd Corrigan), Schuyler's apartment manager,  was watching the neighbourhood kids as they went trick-or-treating when he saw who thinks was the murderer leaving Schuyler's apartment. The kids in their Halloween costumes are then a key bit of evidence in clearing Damion White. 

What makes all of this even more interesting for younger Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, and older Millennials is that the children's costumes are clearly the sort that Ben Cooper, Collegeville, and Halco manufactured at the time. One of the children even says that Rudy helped one of this children pick out her costume at the corner drugstore, which is where costumes by Ben Cooper, Collegeville, and Halco were often sold. The fact that "The Case of the Dodging Domino" features costumes of the sort made by Ben Cooper and other companies makes it unusual among TV shows of the Sixties. Even though many, if most, children wore store-bought costumes in the Sixties, most TV shows of the era featured children in homemade costumes (well, costumes from the studio costume department, anyway rather than the common Ben Cooper, Collegeville, and Halco costumes.

Perry Mason was known for its guest stars, who were often famous or soon to be famous. "The Case of the Dodging Domino" is no different. The aforementioned David Hedison had already starred in the horror movie The Fly (1958) and would soon star in the TV series Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. Character actor Jeff Morrow, who had appeared in such films as This Island Earth (1955) and The Creature Walks Among Us (1956), appears as composer Alex Chase. The aforementioned Lloyd Corrigan began his career in the Silent Era and appeared in everything from The Ghost Breakers (1940) to Cyrano de Bergerac (1950). What is now possibly the most famous name to appear in "The Case of the Dodging Domino"is Ellen Burstyn. At the time, Ms. Burstyn had not yet appeared in her first movie, but guest starred frequently on television. In 1962, the same year that she appeared in "The Case of the Dodging Domino," she also appeared on such shows as Ben Casey, Bus Stop, Dobie Gillis, The Real McCoys, and yet others. In the episode, she played actress Mona Winthrope. At the time, she was still being credited as "Ellen McRae," 

"The Case of the Dodging Domino" is not one of the best Perry Mason episodes, but it is also far from being one of the worst as well. It is certainly one of the most interesting in that it one of the few set around the time of a holiday and perhaps the only Perry Mason episode in which a holiday plays a central role. As the only episode centred around Halloween, it certainly stands out. 

Fibber McGee and Molly: "Halloween Party at Gildersleeve's House"

Halloween episodes were very common during the Golden Age of Radio. The Jack Benny Program did at least six Hallloween-themed episodes, with yet others that at least referenced the holiday. Among the shows that featured Halloween episodes was Fibber McGee and Molly. Its final Halloween episode was "Halloween Party at Gildersleeve's House," which aired on October 24, 1939.

Fibber McGee and Molly was one of the most successful sitcoms in any medium. It debuted on the NBC Blue Network on April 16, 1935 and ran as a standalone show until 1956. It ran from 1957 to 1959 as  segment on the NBC radio show Monitor. The show was created by husband and wife comedy team Jim and Marian Jordan. It centred on Fibber McGee (Jim Jordan), a habitual teller of tall tales, and his wife Molly,who was often terse with Fibber, but loved him all the same. Set in the small town of Wistful Vista, Fibber McGee and Molly had a large cast of recurring characters. Among the most popular, if not the most popular, was the McGees' neighbour Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve (Harold Peary).  A bit self-important, Gildersleeve enjoyed taunting Fibber and the two often argued. Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve proved to so popular that he was spun off into his own series, The Great Gildersleeve, in 1941. It was quite possibly the first spinoff on radio.

The episode "Halloween at Gildersleeve's House" as Fibber McGee and Molly attending a Halloween party next door at the Gildersleeves. Horatio K. Boomer (Bill Thompson), known to be a bit shady, performs sleight-of-hand. Fibber and Molly talk briefly to the Old-Timer (Bill Thompson), who jokes about President Roosevelt doing his Christmas shopping early (a reference to President Roosevelt moving Thanksgiving from the last Thursday in November to the fourth Thursday in November that year to allow for a longer Christmas shopping season). Mrs. Uppington (Isabel Randolph) reads Fibber's palm. The show's announcer, Harlow Wilcox, then tells a ghost story at the party. While everyone else is going to dinner, Fibber sneaks outside to pull a Halloween prank on Gildersleeve. There he runs into the neighbourhood little girl, Sis (Marian Jordan), who has been out pulling pranks herself. She helps Fibber play the prank.

Fibber McGee and Molly had Halloween episodes prior to "Halloween Party at Gildersleeve's House." The first was "Halloween Party," which aired on October 28, 1935, and centred on a Halloween party at the McGee's house. The second was also titled "Halloween Party" and aired on October 25, 1938.  It also centred on a Halloween party held by Fibber McGee and Molly. "Halloween Party at Gildersleeve's House"would be the show's last episode focused entirely on Halloween, although there would be other episodes that referenced the holiday. Regardless, if you love Old Time Radio, "Halloween Party at Gildersleeve's House" is worth a listen. 

Witch's Night Out

There was a time when Halloween specials were unknown on American television, even though Halloween episodes of television shows were common even in the Fifties and Sixties. Even after the success of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, Halloween specials would be relatively rare. This began to change in the mid to late Seventies when several Halloween specials debuted. Among this specials was the Canadian special Witch's Night Out.

Witch's Night Out begins with a witch (Gilda Radner) who finds herself feeling lonely on Halloween. Meanwhile, Goodly (John Leach) decides to hold a Halloween party for both children and adults. As it turns out, the abandoned house Goodly selects turns out to be that of the with. Also on that Halloween, two children, Small (Tony Molesworth) and Tender (Naomi Leach) are disappointed that their costumes (a werewolf and a ghost) scared no one and wish to become an actual werewolf and a ghost. Of course, all of this leads to a number of complications.

Witch's Night Out was a sequel to the 1974 Canadian special The Gift of Winter, and was directed, written, and produced by the creator of The Gift of Winter, John Leach. It used the same characters, although they were voiced by different actors. In addition to The Gift of Winter and Witch's Night Out, John Leach had earlier provided animated Spanish inserts for Sesame Street and worked on the Canadian children's show Readalong. 

A few well-known actors provided voices for Witch's Night Out. Gilda Radner had voiced the characters Nicely and Malicious in The Gift of Winter, and was also its narrator. For Witch's Night Out, she was the voice of the witch. Cathrine O' Hara voiced Malicious, while Fiona Reid voiced Nicely. While Dan Akroyd had originated the voice of Goodly in The Gift of Winter, animator John Leach took over the role of Goodly in Witch's Night Out.

Witch's Night Out debuted on both CBC in Canada and NBC in the United States on October 27, 1978. It would air again on NBC in 1979 and 1980. It entered syndication in 1982 and continued to air in syndication for years to come. It was in 1987 that it began airing on the Disney Channel, multiple times each October. It continued to air on the Disney Channel well into the Nineties.

Witch's Night Out would see a revival in the Teens. John Leach and animation director Jimmy Cross of the animation studio Uncle Porkchop Productions remastered Witch's Night Out. It was released on DVD though Mill Creek Entertainment along with other Halloween specials. It aired on This TV and in 2016 was available for streaming on Hulu. It is currently available on several streaming services, including Fawesome, Hoopla, Prime Video, and Tubi.

While Witch's Night Out never became a yearly broadcast network tradition the way that It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and some Christmas specials have, it remains a fondly remembered special from the years it spent in syndication and on the Disney Channel. Given how common it is on streaming services, it seems likely it will be around for many Halloweens to come.