Another Hollywood legend has gone to the great soundstage in the sky as the entertainment world mourns the passing of Jonathan Winters.
From his appearances on the Tonight Show, Hollywood Squares, the Dean Martin Show and of course the film, It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, Winters represented the essence of old Hollywood.
Each time one of the “greats” pass, I’m reminded of how the entertainment industry has changed over the years. Think about it. In the 50’s and 60’s movies had plots, actors “acted,” and scripts were written without every third word being profane. Television was mild and gentle with husband and wives sleeping in separate beds and bathrooms didn’t have a toilet. The 70’s saw a major shift in entertainment as shows like All in the Family tackled racism, divorce, pre-martial sex – topics that were forbidden just a decade earlier.
Today, networks rely on reality programming to fill time slots because of their cheap production costs and fan “stickiness.” Flip through the channels and you’ll find an abundance of “housewives” who spend their days bragging about their husband’s net worth instead of planning a meal for the family. Only in America can you follow along in the footsteps of dysfunctional, F-list, pseudo-celebrities such as the poster family for birth control, the Kardashians.
There really isn’t any “good” television today.
The same can be said for movies.
When was the last time you plucked down ten bucks and saw a movie that you really liked or would go to see again? Ok, there may be one or two of those in the last ten years, but let’s be honest… movies today are only box office hits if they have at least four brutal killings, two sex scenes, one drug arrest and an f-bomb dropped every three minutes.
Stars like Jonathan Winters, and the ones who have gone before him, will never be replaced. They were masters of their trade and each time one passes, the degradation of Hollywood continues.
If there is a heaven, which I kind of doubt, I’m sure there’s a big reunion going on right now. Dean Martin is at the podium with Jack Benny, Johnny Carson, Frank Sinatra, Foster Brooks and Red Skelton at his side. He raises a glass, turns to Brooks and says, “you think you’re the only one who can drink up here?”
“No drinking today, Dean” Foster replies. “We have a friend to welcome home.”
The door swings open and Jonathan walks in.
“Jack you still look 39,” he quipped as he shook Benny’s hand.
“It’s been a while Red.”
Skelton extends his hand and says, “too long, Jon. Too long.”
Laughter begins to fill the room as old friends reminisce about days gone by.
Back here, we remember those days too and lament that we’ll never see them again.