bpatrick said:
This all reminds me of August 1977 when Elvis and Groucho died three days
apart. Elvis's death was headline news: a heart attack at age 42 related to
the abuse of his body over time by pills and excess weight; by contrast, even
though Groucho's "You Bet Your Life" was still in syndication he was 86 and had
not been in good health for years. So the media all but overlooked Groucho's
passing.
As I recall the only negative thing I remember previous to Elvis' death was his weight. There was never any mention of his eating habits although he seemed to be a compulsive personality.
Groucho, OTOH, had been in the news almost constantly prior to his passing. Mainly for the battles between his caregiver and his family. Out of that came the news that he was not in good health and, of course, was in his 80's. His death was not unexpected.
bpatrick said:
For that matter, Bob Hope's passing at age 100 didn't get much coverage either,
and I think it was enough that George Burns accomplished his goal of living to be
100 that the media played down his passing.
Hope's death wasn't unexpected as it seems a quite descends over someone when death is imminent. I guess the prognosis is leaked to some journalists who can then take the last few days to concoct an obit and other relevant stories about the dying. That seemed to be the case with Hope.
Burns had announced that he planned to play the Palladium in London (I think) on his 100th birthday but, alas, his health didn't hold out and he couldn't keep his engagement. Nevertheless, there were stories published upon the announcement and also later just before he died.
All true, except that Elvis had developed a drug problem (not hard drugs but probably enough to up his weight over the years) while in the Army, where he needed something besides reveille to get him up in the morning, having been used to working nights as a civilian. And I don't know exactly when the hassle over Groucho's estate started--although I know it did--but in his book "The Secret Word Is Groucho" there's a picture of him taken on his 85th birthday, nearly two years before he died, with George Fenneman and many of the behind-the-scenes people on "You Bet Your Life." He looked quite frail even then.
Personal note: I've got to quit thinking about celebrities; the other day it occurred to me that the Monkees were just about the only '60s group left with all its members still alive--then about two days later Davy dies. Seems that happens everytime one crosses my mind.
I was numb yesterday when I found out, today my heart aches..Long live his memory whether they televise or not.