Tuesday, October 29, 2024

Irresistible, winsome Teri Garr succumbs to m.s. at 79


Terri Garr (1944-2024)


By N.S.

I first saw winsome, cute-as-a-button, yet very desirable Teri Garr, circa 1971, when she played a police person secretary on McCloud (presumably the secretary to the police commissioner played by J.D. Cannon). She showed saintly patience, while dealing with the impossible demands of eccentric, southwestern deputy sheriff McCloud (Dennis Weaver), on loan to the new york city police department from the taos, new mexico sheriff's office. The show, part of the rotating nbc sunday mystery movie, which alternated with Columbo, McMillan & Wife, and Hec Ramsey, was a tv version of Coogan's Bluff, the hit 1968, fish-out-of-water movie starring the founder of the catatonic school of acting, Clint Eastwood, and featuring Lee J. Cobb. The main difference between the two, aside from replacing Catatonic with Weaver, was that Catatonic's home base was in arizona. Why they changed arizona to new mexico, I do not know.


In young frankenstein?


McCloud would do things like having the titular character hop on a horse for a chase scene through midtown.

Garr switched from tv to supporting roles in big budget movies, where the money was much better. And then she disappeared. Years ago, I was deeply saddened, reading her imdb.com page to learn that she had ms, but gladdened to also learn that her dutiful, adopted daughter, Molly O'Neil, had devoted herself to her mom's care.

She had supporting roles in some amazing movies that were released between 1974 and 1982:

The Conversation (1974)
Young Frankenstein (1974)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
The Black Stallion (1979)
Tootsie (1982), for which she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress



Garr amassed 545 credits, before her ms forced her into retirement at 66.



"Teri Garr, sweet star [sic] of tootsie and young frankenstein, dies at 79"

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/teri-garr-dead-tootsie-young-frankenstein-1236047759/





2 comments:

Anonymous said...

She was that generation's version of Jennifer Lawrence,sexy,but comedic. On talk shows,neurotic(truth--or playing a character?),and a lack of self-assuredness.

The women,in the mid 1960s to the early 1970s,had a certain look which back then,I didn't notice much,but today,find very sexy. The hair,slim figures--can't beat it.

I want to recommend two videos on YT that encapsulates this(both 2 1/2 minutes).One,shows Ann Margaret,Raquel Welch and Joey Heatherton dancing and another of the song,"California Sun",features tv and movie stars of that era dancing up a hurricane. Barbara Eden,Donna Douglas and more Ann Margaret--going absolutely frantic with her fast paced go-go moves.Many more.

Teri Garr was a talent,no doubt.
--GRA


Anonymous said...

Also,if you like Elizabeth Montgomery,Lou Christie's "I'm Gonna Make You Mine" has her AND Tina Louise(looking unbelievable)among others. I think I could have watched "Ginger" dance on her own network 24/7.

--GRA