Gale Storm, star of '50s hit TV series, dies at 87

[babylonsister]

http://www.salon.com/wires/ap/us/2009/06/28/D993T1JG0_us_obit_storm/index.html

Gale Storm, star of '50s hit TV series, dies at 87



Jun 28th, 2009 | LOS ANGELES -- Gale Storm, whose wholesome appearance and perky personality made her one of early television's biggest stars, has died at age 87.

The actress died Saturday at a convalescent hospital in Danville, said her son, Peter Bonnell. He says she died of natural causes.

Storm was a Texas high schooler named Josephine Owaissa Cottle when she won a talent contest for a radio show called "Gateway to Hollywood" on New Year's Day 1940.

Soon she was in Los Angeles, making movies with Jackie Cooper, Eddie Albert and Audie Murphy.

In 1952 she landed the starring role in "My Little Margie," which quickly became an audience favorite and ran until 1955.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

1. "My Little Margie"!!!

I remember watching that show on our tiny black-and-white TV set.

She had the nicest Dad..................

[CurtEastPoint]

10. I remember her, too. I loved her! n/t

[CurtEastPoint]

13. And on the Gale Storm show she was the cruise director Susanna Pomeroy with the...

mean boss Mr. Huxley (Roy Roberts). "Oh! Susanna!"

[shanti]

2. dang, i remember the gail storm show...

RIP, gail.

[graywarrior]

3. They're gonna start coming in 30's now.

[Faygo Kid]

4. Ohmigod. She was a HUGE star when we Boomers were kids.

A hundred times bigger than Billy Mays (no slight intended).

Wow.

[Kahuna]

14. True. I used to love watching, My Little Margie. nt

[MineralMan]

5. My Little Margie...

it was one of the first sitcoms I watched regularly. I was 7 years old and we had had our 10" TV set for just under a year when the show premiered. Lots of shows from that period I remember still. Television was in its infancy, still, and the shows from that time had an influence that is still in effect. Not all good, but...

[PSzymeczek]

21. My mom and I

used to watch this together. I was about three.

[Adelante]

6. Aw, My Little Margie

I am surprised to learn she was alive, but it's still sad. :(

RIP

[spanone]

7. i remember my little margie from when i was a kid in the fifties...i had a kid crush on her....

[The empressof all]

8. Oh no...Now Gale too...

I loved her! I remember watching My Little Margie re runs when I was a kid. Is Ann Southern still alive? I loved her too.

[NYCGirl]

17. No, she died in 2001 (she was 92). Ann Sothern is one of my favorites. If you

have a chance, check out some of her "Maisie" films. A lot of fun, there's a whole series of them. They're shown on TCM from time to time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ann_Sothern

In a role originally intended for Jean Harlow, MGM cast Sothern in the film Maisie (1939), as brassy Brooklyn burlesque dancer Mary Anastasia O'Connor who also goes by the stage name Maisie Ravier. In Mary C. McCall Jr.'s screenplay of Wilson Collison's novel, Maisie is stranded penniless in a small Wyoming town, takes a job as a ranch maid and becomes caught in a web of romantic entanglements. After years of struggling, Sothern had her first real success, and a string of "Maisie" comedy sequels followed, beginning with Congo Maisie (1940), and ending with Undercover Maisie (1947) in which Maisie infiltrates a gang of con men headed by a phony swami. A review of Swing Shift Maisie (1943) by Time magazine praised Sothern and described her as "one of the smartest comediennes in the business".<1>

[Serial Mom]

9. Wow, we looked her up on IMDB about 3 weeks ago to see if she was still around!

That was one of my mom's favorite's shows - I remember the her and the name of show and and her boss, but not much about the premise of the show.

Memories!

[MineralMan]

12. The show was about a 20-something woman

living with her widower father, while trying to have a social life, etc. Her boyfriend, Freddy, was something of a ne'er-do-well dufus, and that was often the main theme of the show. Margie was cute as a bug's ear and clever, to boot.

Lots of sight gags along with subtle humor as Margie works around her skeptical dad.

[MineralMan]

11. There are several complete episodes of MLM over on

YouTube. I'd forgotten just how cute she was as a single 20-something. If you remember the show, go watch a couple of episodes.

[madrchsod]

15. i remember watching my little margie

i`m getting old....

[Greybnk48]

16. My Little Margie! I loved that show!!

Thanks for a great show MS. Storm. RIP.

[tblue37]

18. Man, the studios used to give their stars the goofiest names.

But I do remember watching her on TV when I was a child.

[RufusTFirefly]

19. Coincidentally, our local radio station played a radio episode of "My Little Margie" last week n/t

[Hepburn]

20. My fav program when I was a kid: My Little Margie

Charlie Farrell as her dad...and she had a Thunderbird.

RIP, Gale Storm....:cry:

[Hissyspit]

22. "I Hear You Knocking!" Why has nobody...

mentioned her singing career. She had six Top Ten hits including the hit version of "I Hear You Knocking" in 1955. It was No. 2 for three weeks (for all intents and purposes, a No. 1 hit).

[Kingofalldems]

23. Not to mention 'Dark Moon'

Her records are played regularly on XM 5.

[bikebloke]

24. I remember her.

The Gale Storm Show and there was another - The Spring Bighington (spelling?) Show.

That's what happens when you go through life without drinking much. Memories of long lost telly shows.