#Mary Neely

[jordanthecomeback]

Tchotchke by Mary Neely

[iflewkscouldkill]

Mary Connor Neely

[itstimeforstarwars]

I'm getting to a point in writing where I want to write more about my ocs than about the canon characters but at the same time it feels like going to middle school art club and being like "this is trilly, they're nonbinary and homeless in the fantasy 1940s and they're traveling with their partner whose name is Starlight and she was an orphan saved by one background character from one book and they're traveling to find Trilly's uncle and cousin who went missing in the war and I think they're really cool so please care about them!"

[kwebtv]

TV Guide -  December 28, 1963 - January 3, 1964

Anna Marie “Patty” Duke (December 14, 1946 – March 29, 2016) Actress of stage, film and television. She first became famous as a tween star, winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress at age 16 for her role in The Miracle Worker, which she had originated on Broadway. She later starred in the sitcom, The Patty Duke Show. She progressed to more mature roles upon playing Neely O'Hara in the 1967 film Valley of the Dolls. She served as the president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1985 to 1988, four years after her Patty Duke Show co-star William Schallert held the same office

In 1982, Duke was cast alongside Richard Crenna in the ABC sitcom It Takes Two, from Soap and Benson creator Susan Harris. The socially topical series depicted both Duke’s and Crenna’s characters as a modern career couple (hers was a lawyer, his a surgeon) and the moral and personal challenges that abounded from their professions. Helen Hunt and Anthony Edwards played their teenaged offspring. Although It Takes Two was praised, ABC cancelled the series after one season due to low ratings.

Duke would subsequently work with Susan Harris on a new ABC series, Hail To The Chief, which premiered in April 1985. She appeared as the first female President of the United States in the ensemble, all-star series (the cast featured Dick Shawn, Herschel Bernardi, Glynn Turman and Ted Bessell as Duke’s husband, among others) and the material was topical yet off-the-wall, much in the fashion of Soap, like which it was partially serialized. Hail To The Chief was less successful than the star’s and producer’s previous joint effort of It Takes Two and was cancelled after seven episodes. In 1987, Duke returned to series television in another short-lived comedy, Karen’s Song, which aired on the fledgling Fox network.  (Wikipedia)

[perplexingly]

I really enjoyed it! It was a German production in Nuremberg, but the songs were sung in English. They modernized it, having Jesus and his followers speak out against the catholic church and its controversies (treatment of queer people, women, children, ...). So Herod was the pope and so on. (This Video is German but it has snippetes of the songs: youtube.com/watch?v=bL1zvFUHzMY And this one some more immagery: youtube.com/watch?v=aCcIiCqCCI0 ) Both Jesus's and Judas's actors were sick actually, but they somehow managed to find replacement (Jesus: youtube.com/watch?v=DqFpvyhbtOk and Judas, tho i could only find him as Jesus, too: youtube.com/watch?v=L5w4y_2KNco)! I liked Mary Magdalene a lot. Something about her voice really suited the role imo? like how rough?? it was maybe.. (youtube.com/shorts/rxC6FgRjv8s) I cried multiple times, in particular during "Superstar". they made it out to be this scene in which Judas was wearing a sparkly suit, holding a camera (which was projected in large for everyone to see) and microphone into Jesus's face, who was all naked and bloodied from being whipped. The scene was really bizarre with everyone ignoring Jesus's suffering and telling him he didnt do enough. And Jesus and Mary Magdalene had a son together, who in the end was the reincarnation.

I'm really looking forward to comparing it to other productions!! it was the very first time for me to even listen to the songs, so i dont have a full opinion on this production in particular, except for that I liked it and i'm glad I got to see it and that it got me into the JCST in the fist place. (My boyfriend said we'd have to go again to compare it to other productions so I know he's the right one 🙏😤)

Omgggg that sounds incredible! Glad that you had fun 🥰 I love it when theatres do something unique to the play, thank you for summarising it! (the one I saw was very traditional, back when Neely had his European tour, I also watched it in Germany 🙈)

There's a couple recordings of different productions on YouTube if you want to compare, though I'd say most of them are different from one another only through the costumes and acting, without major changes. Still, this show tends to go all weird and unique with the setting so it's still worth watching other productions : D

[colemckenzies]

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ultimate Edition

this easter It Is Time. using my years of fixation and research i present to you The Best Version of every song from jesus christ superstar, plus commentary. obviously subjective opinion so do feel free to discourse in the tags bc as you may have picked up i enjoy talking about the relative merits of jcs productions. also i might not even stand by this in a week bc i find it hard to keep multiple versions in my head at the same time for comparison and there are so so many versions.

please note that acting, vocal quality, music direction, and where available staging have all been taken into account. act 2 in rb bc of link restrictions.

heaven on their minds - 2012 broadway revival

obviously in terms of pure vocals carl anderson is unbeatable forever, but the staging of the 2012 broadway revival pips it for me. josh young's voice is still gorgeous and the judas/jesus/mary throuple is everything. i love versions where hotm is sung directly To jesus, and i love that in this version jesus actually listen and takes judas' concerns on board. the love and respect between all three of them is palpable and even though it is a serious disagreement, part of that disagreement comes from the fact that they care about each other so much. that's tragedy baby!

special mention to henrike tönnes on the 2022 rob carroll version, i specifically like the Ending of the song for that one. also the sarcastic clap along w the disciples that judas does in the 2013 hungary version.

what's the buzz/ strange thing mystifying - 2018 tv event

annoyingly this isn't on youtube but tbh the staging is nothing mindblowing. i think what's the buzz is a great song for showcasing the usp of each version and in this one i think being able to hear the real crowd actually cheering for jesus (john legend) really adds to the narrative. i also absolutely love brandon victor dixon and as i have said before he would be one of my favourite judases if judas were straight. sara bareilles does a great 'offended' face when he bitches about her lmao.

honourable mention to the 2012 uk arena tour for again showing off the conceit of 'modern day activists' really well in this song, not forgetting of course WOTS THE BUZZ #buzz tweet

then we are decided - 2013 hungary

(starts at about 9:49) obviously not a huge amount of competition for this one, i wish more versions included it bc it's a great song :( anyway i loveee the staging choice to have everyone else freeze-framed on stage with the priests walking among them, and i freaking love this caiaphas. literally inserting it into what's the buzz also works nicely

i do miss kurt yaghjian from the 1973 film tho, forever obsessed with his voice and facial expressions. extra shout out to the striving artists version for simply existing.

everything's alright - 2006 austria

something about the musical direction in 90% of versions of this song goes right through me, like there is always some weird instrument that makes me Cringe. but this version is Nice :) really enjoy how Pissed this judas is. and i love the way the long notes last into the next section of the song. i will say i prefer the alt melody for 'people who are hungry' but you can't have everything

this is a really nice one on the all-female cast recording as well, obviously it's already the most female-heavy song of the show but shoshana bean's judas is particularly good here i think. also of course carl anderson with tears in his eyes grasping ted neely's hands while the music swells is ingrained on my brain for all time.

this jesus must die - 1994 studio cast

this album as a whole is probably my Least Favourite JCS Ever, but i will admit that this song fucks. the haunting eeriness at the beginning. the way it kicks into a funky little syncopated rhythm. the disembodied hosannas. unexpected delight.

2012 uk arena tour is unfortunately disqualified for having possibly the Most antisemitic portrayal of the priests, which is a shame because it's probably my favourite casting. one of my favourite annas portrayals, but in general all of them are distinct and fully embodied which does make that version very fun to watch. i also really enjoy the 2019 castaway productions version for this song, the way they play instruments while they sing like a lil band, and caiaphas' eye make-up is sick. 1973 film is obviously also iconic with the little scaffolding tippy taps, and the way kurt yaghjian sings 'a trick-or-two with lepers'. i love this song sorry.

hosanna - 2017 striving artists

i kind of don't have justification for this one LOL i just like it. i know there are versions that are sung better and really the staging is quite important for this song but idk i just find this version really calming. i don't know if it's the music direction? i don't know enough about music tbh

admittedly this is another one that works really well for the 2018 tv event, but doesn't quite win for me as the crowd don't cheer in all the right places and john legend doesn't react at all to the 'would you DIE for me?' line which is crucial. for good reaction to that line the 2000 film where it elevates the bitchy gay tension in the love triangle really nails it.

simon zealotes - 2011 austria

EASYYY WIN FOR ME this is actually the song that made me want to pick a best version for each one because this version IS so much better than any other one for me. the guitar!!!!!! rob's energy!! the music design for this one really fucks so severely and then there's just rob jumping around hyping up the crowd (there is a film version from 2008 on youtube, but i wanted to capture the music for this one). iconic.

big love also to hungary 2013 for having a simon who's in a wheelchair, particularly notable when it's really the highest energy role in the show. i do enjoy.

poor jerusalem - 2022 rob carroll

i cannot find any information about this album other than what's on spotify but i do enjoy the slight alt melodies in this version and i like his voice.

not a lot to go into for this song really. i like the ben forster version a lot as well, and the 1996 london cast version. 'close your eyes' is a better lyric than 'live a lie'. moving on.

pilate's dream - 2022 all-female cast

may be biased bc I LOVE ORFEH but i just think this version is so gorgeous. i love the little vocal drifts without going too overboard and distracting from the song. the music composition is especially pleasing as well.

there's a lot of honourable mentions i could give here bc i think pilate has so much potential for power and gravitas, but 1973 film, 2012 uk arena tour, 2013 hungary, and east end theatrical ensemble. are also big favs. in terms of staging i love the fact that 2019 castaway productions has jesus himself on stage playing the backing piano like he actually is haunting pilate.

the temple - 1992 australia

australia 1992 habitually has some of the most interesting and creative music direction and this is one of the songs where it particularly pays off. love the whistles. i also like that the second 'get out' is spoken, not screamed. the second half is appropriately creepy with the sustained 'chriiiist'. pretty boring staging but at least the costumes are fun.

i don't know how to love him - east end theatrical ensemble

possibly controversial choice but ugh i love this version i even love how low the sound quality is. like listening to a vinyl. i think her voice is so gorgeous and i love her accent. deeply soothing to listen to. i feel like im in the 70s rn.

i'm also a huge fan of the 1996 london cast recording, joanna ampil has such a sweet voice and the way she emotes so that you can really Hear it works well for this song. special shout out to 2012 uk arena tour which i don't think is a particularly amazing version but we get the absolute gunshow from mel c at the end so we love it.

damned for all time/blood money - 1973 film

CARL!! I feel like 1973 film and 1996 london album are at a disadvantage in this bc they're what i grew up with so i kind of take them for granted but this is undeniably iconic. no one can commit to the tortured soul but belief he's doing the right thing like him. the way he can scream but it still sounds Good. i prefer versions that have annas suggest 'a fee' rather than caiaphas just repeating himself so that's here too. the weird keening way he sings 'on thursday night'. annas dropping the coins just as he reaches for them. UGH so good. a lot less brassy than other versions as well.

this is another song that kinda fucks in every version, but the original 1970 album and the 2018 tv event are particularly good i think. also that one bit in 2012 uk arena tour where annas is like '...... get up off the floor.'

[gotaletter-archive]

Closed starter for Laurie! (@creatureshrieks)

Dying here was never easy.

When James had arrived in the Entity's realm, he hadn't been sure what to expect. To be honest, when he took his first breath after spending so long underwater, his first thought wasn't "Great! I get to do this again, and again! Forever!" But that was his life now. Was this some form of punishment? Maybe the writing on the wall at Neely's was right. Maybe he actually went to a different place than Mary.

But there were others here. Others like him. Well, maybe not exactly like him. Survivors. Killers. The Entity. It was all very strange. He barely had enough time to parse through all the information before he was running for his life, forced to fix machines in order to open exit gates just to rinse and repeat. Everything was a blur. That is, until he met Laurie Strode.

She was a young woman, barely out of her teens. If you had squinted hard enough, one could have almost mistaken them to be related. Maybe it was that idea that had made him put his life on the line for her. Maybe it was the idea that she didn't deserve any of this, and that a tainted man like him should take the final blow for innocence. Perhaps it was him trying to repent for what it was he had done to Mary: the woman he had wanted a child with. James wasn't really too sure himself.

Whatever it was, he hadn't expected anything in return. So when the young woman approached him later on by the shared campfire, needless to say he was speechless. In fact, he quickly averted his gaze, staring down at his boots as he fidgeted with his hands.

"... Hello." He offered.

[crimedawgbylaw]

Milwaukee Rap, 2024 (so far)

J.P. - "Bad Bitty"

POLO PERKS<3<3<3 & AyooLii - "RAINBOW" [prod. FearDorian]

AyooLii - "PLANE JANE" [prod. people]

Gucco - "Tipping Cars"

Deadend Quan, Joe Pablo & Chicken P - "Locked In"

Otb Pablo, AyooLii & AD Huncho - "STRIKER"

SME TAXFREE - "Wonder Why" [prod. BabyOnTheTrack]

Ocean Legacy - "Actin Cheap (feat. 414BigFrank) [prod. MookMadeIt]

Kill.Dawn & Polo Perks - "Again and Again" [prod. FearDorian]

BRISTACKZ - "BritneySpears" [prod. iBn Farmacia]

Kali Lo, Dai Ballin & SGN BigRon - "How We Groove"

Emmy Glod - "Bammin Smackin Crackin Stashin" [prod. mke neely]

Tombo - "Adhd*" [prod. mke neely & tombo]

*+*be3e*+* & Desi - "under_cover"

414bigfrank & J.P. - "Oh shi"

Carvie P - "Aom"

Esco & Kezzbo - "S.G.W.I."

Maz G - "Dead Rapper"

BIGTREAL P - "I Really Bark"

Myaap & Yonaa - "Choppa Sound"

Chicken - "Drink My Soda Hot"

Samson 2 Slapped - "ive lost it"

Marie Valentine - "Sundown"

Court loww - "Get in Mode"

Bdwthr & *+*be3e*+* - "pick on me"

Myaap & Mg Sleepy - "I Aint Hidin"

Chicken P & Expen$ive - "Dead Wrong" [prod. gentlebeatz]

Lake - "Medication"

Maz G & Marie Valentine - "Gravedigger"

414bigfrank - "e way (dataexit remix)"

[ohmyenjolrass]

my ranking of every production i have seen (or listened) of jesus christ superstar

we are getting closer to holy week so IT'S THAT TIME OF THE YEAR. this is a remake of this post.

as always, sorry for any grammar mistakes, english is not my first language. also, this is my personal opinion, any other opinion is also accepted :)

without further ado, let's get into it!

1. Jesus Christ Superstar (1973 movie)

YOU CAN'T OUTDO THE DOER.

everything in this movie changed my life. literally.

it was the first time i actually saw jesus christ superstar represented visually (i had only heard the 2007 madrid version before). the overture scene is one of my favourites of all time, the concept is amazing.

the cast is SUPREME. carl anderson is one of my favourite judas of all time; he is an excellent singer and his interpretation is E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G. also, yvonne elliman and ted neely are amazing. both their interpretations are absolutely gorgeous.

i love the costume design also (mary magdalene's dress AND JUDAS' OUTFIT FOR SUPERSTAR), i feel like it really fits the 70s vibe and i love that jesus is still dressed as, well, jesus.

overall, it is an amazing production AND the original so 10/10 without a doubt.

2. Jesucristo Superstar (2007 Madrid)

i may be a little biased by this one but HEAR ME OUT. it is an impressive production. i grew up listening to this soundtrack in my parents' car and i feel like it is one of the best cast recordings of all time. the lyrics of this version are different from the 1975 spanish one, but they are equally amazing.

costume design for me in this one is also a bonus, because i love how everyone is dressed as people dressed in spain in the 2000s. also, i like that jesus doesn't wear a tunic, i don't know why lol. one of my favourite costumes is the priests' outfits.

now, the cast. WOW. ignasi vidal is my favourite judas. it is not even up for debate. he is AMAZING in everything he does, BUT JUDAS. his role. his 'heaven on their minds' ('el cielo los cegó' in this production) is on repeat in my brain 24/7. also, miquel fernández, who plays jesus, IS STUNNING. he was my first celebrity crush. his voice and acting is something else (you should really check out his 'gethsemane'!). lorena calero plays mary magdalene, and apart from being THE MOST GORGEOUS WOMAN ON EARTH, i want her voice to sing for me every day of my life.

this production is truly something else, and i feel like it is great heritage from the 1975 version. again, i encourage you to see it! (10/10!)

3. Jesus Christ Superstar (2012 O2 Arena)

LISTEN. i know in my last post i said it wasn't one of my favourites. BUT AFTER A REWATCH, i have a lot to say.

first, setting. how the scene is organised is the coolest. i love the tents, i love the stairs, i love the screens. everything. i feel like it is the best setting (without counting the movie because they are literally IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DESERT).

now, cast. TIM MINCHIN, LOVE OF MY LIFE. i'm not gonna say anything new, his judas is amazing. he plays the part so effortless it makes me think i can do it to. ALSO, BEN FORSTER. i know i talked shit about him before, but i really didn't know how to appreciate him. i love you, bensus, sorry for anything i've said before. mel c still doesn't sit right for me as mary magdalene, but her voice is truly beautiful.

costumes, right. i love how jesus is both dressed in black and white, not only in white. also, JUDAS. serving looks the entire play. one thing i have to say, mary's outfit was not made for me. i love the vibe, but not really my thing.

in general, good production, amazing singers. 9/10.

4. Jesus Christ Superstar (2012 Broadway Revival)

I DISCOVERED AMERICA WITH THIS ONE. OH MY GOD.

josh young ABSOLUTELY blows my mind. his voice, his outfit, his angst, EVERYTHING. he is stunning and i would give my life for him. also, chilina kennedy????? WHATEVER YOU SAY, SWEETHEART. i swear she is a dream, her voice, her acting, HER FACE.

one thing i really liked in this version was the scene, and also the little screen that was saying like '3 days until passover'. i think that was very original and guiding tbh lol.

if i have to say something that i didn't like is paul nolan as jesus. i liked his acting and his voice is pretty, but i feel like his gethsemane was lacking something and it wasn't really my favourite.

also, the dynamic between jesus, judas, and mary in this version was one of the sweetest ever. i loved loved LOVED it.

all in all, 7.5/10!

5. Jesucristo Superstar (Spain, 1975)

i haven't seen this version but i heard it when i was little as well. i still prefer the 2007 spanish recording, but this one is amazing.

camilo sesto's gethsemane never ceases to amaze me. his voice and the pain in it are truly heartbreaking. also, ángela carrasco's voice???? life-saving. i swear everyone who plays mary is GORGEOUS and an amazing singer.

the lyrics are well-translated and the 70s vibe throughout the whole album is absolutely stunning.

now, negative points. teddy bautista as judas is not my favourite. his voice is amazing but i think it is not made for me. however, his passion and interpretation are truly something.

i have to give it a few more listenings to this so i can get a better opinion, but in general, 7/10!

6. Jesus Christ Superstar (2000 movie)

well, after a year, this has gone down a few positions.

what to say, let's see. the scene was cool. i feel like they did a lot with very little decorations. it was original and well-used.

now, the cast. renée castle is a dream. she is absolutely stunning, as a person and as a singer. her voice is just so soothing and relaxing. and tony vincent as simon is SO HOT. the rest, well...

glenn carter is a pretty good singer, but i feel like lots of his songs lacked a bit of something. he is a good actor (never seen a sadder jesus), but i think that there are other jesus that i like better.

now, jerôme pradon. interpretation, 10/10. singing, well. could be better. i love his acting throughout the whole musical, and also his evil twink vibe. however, his voice kinda makes me nervous??? i don't know how to explain it but maybe it wasn't the role for him, i don't know.

costume design was questionable to say the least. i gotta say that judas' outfit is so cool but WHO HAD THE THOUGHT OF PUTTING JESUS ON CARGOS. costume department found arrested.

after giving it a few rewatches, 6/10. enjoyable but not the best.

7. Jesus Christ Superstar: Live In Concert (2018)

this was a bit of a mess, to be honest. let's go first with the positive points.

SARA BAREILLES, MY LORD AND SAVIOR. she could sing me her grocery list and i would listen to her. she has such a captivating and calming voice and she's an amazing performer.

also, norm lewis. that man is just *chef's kiss*. brandon victor dixon is also amazing as judas and i feel like he deserves more recognition. his damned for all time is one of my favourites.

moreover, the set. i think it was very modern and the vibe was so cool with the orchestra in the scaffolds. also, i feel like the public played a very important role in this performance and they really knew how to use it.

costume design wasn't my favourite but we have seen worse.

now, negative things. JOHN LEGEND. my guy could not play jesus and i think he knew it too. his gethsemane sounds like i sound when i sing it in the shower. his acting was also pretty questionable. don't get me wrong, he is an amazing singer, but i feel like he shouldn't play a role that requires reaching high notes.

also, i feel like alice cooper could have done a much better job as herod. he is lacking that dorky, humoristic element that i think is essential in that song.

i gotta say this gets bonus points for glitter. i love glitter. overall, 5.5/10. would rewatch only for sara bareilles.

and that was everything! another year, another ranking. i hope you enjoyed it and tell me your opinions too! see you next year x

[jordanthecomeback]

Anastasia Sanchez and Eva Chambers by Mary Neely

[greatbritishsimchallenge]

Stunned, Elisaria asked the lawyer what the second matter was.

“It is the matter of your nephew, Wilkin Neely. He is still just a child and is now orphaned. As his sole living relative, you have become responsible for his care.”

“Oh no!” exclaimed Lady Colette in disgust, “A peasant boy? Here?”

“That could never be,” said Lady Elisaria quickly, to calm Lady Colette. “The boy will need to be put into an orphanage. I will see he has an allowance and is cared for.”

“Very well,” said the lawyer, “Do you have a preferred institution?”

“Yes - the Sisterhood of Mary. They have just opened a chapter nearby - some of the nuns are chaplain to this household.”

“Very well. I will see he is transferred from Henford in due course.”

Start (Iron Age) | Start (Roman Britain) | Start (Anglo Saxon) | Start (Medieval)

Previous | Next

[basingstokemercury]

Album liner of "Come All Ye Fair And Tender Ladies" (Pernell Roberts, folk/country, 1963).

Transcript below image.

HOW A FOLK SINGER GETS THAT WAY...

by the co-star of the "Bonanza" TV Show

At the age of 32, two and one-half years ago, I bought myself a guitar along with Pete Seeger's instruction book and record. Very painfully, I learned to play - not too well by any means, but enough to chord and accompany myself for folk songs. I can't possibly describe the joy and sense of accomplishment when my fingers finally behaved themselves and formed A, E and B-7. (Then a whole new world opened up with C, F, G-7, A-7, D-7, etc!) I was born again! However, I ran into a problem... if I played Chunk! Chunk! Chunk!, I sang "Chunk! Chunk! Chunk!" What to do? Well, it's like when the tourist came to New York and asked a little old lady, "How do you get to Carnegie Hall?" She replied, "Practice." I did and it's richly rewarding. Aside from acting, the thing I enjoy most is singing and - most of all - folk songs. Of course, next to singing folk songs, listening to folk songs… especially when performed by people like Odetta, Joan Baez, Bob Gibson, Pete Seeger, Jack Elliott, Woody Guthrie, Leadbelly, Big Bill Broonzy, Lightnin' Hopkins, Barbara Dane - and, oh, so many others that it would take the backs of three album jackets just to list them. Although I realize that folk songs, singers and records are exceedingly popular, I know there are also a lot of people who are not familiar with this area of music. I know that most of you who pick up this album will do so because of the television series I'm associated with. But what I'm hoping, more than anything else, is that you also pick up something new in the way of music appreciation. I highly recommend all of John and Alan Lomax's books of folk songs and, most essentially, the folk song magazine "Sing Out." What a rich heritage we all have in this form of music. When I sing a song like Woody Guthrie's Pastures of Plenty, my problems in life seem a bit unimportant compared to the problems of other people. I quickly realize just how un-unique I am, that we all face many problems of daily living, and singing about them seems to make it all a little easier to take. That's why folk songs and folk lore were the basic source of material for this album, and I'd like to thank Steve Sholes for asking me to do it, Neely Plumb for his infinite patience and guidance, Jim Malloy for his engineering seal, Perry Botkin, Jr. for his perceptive arranging "pointing", and last of all - but far from least - Dick Rosmini. Dick, in my opinion, is a talent to be reckoned with. Besides being an extraordinary six or twelve-string guitarist, banjo player and folk singer, he also writes beautiful songs and adaptations, notably - in this album - Alberta and Mary Ann. Richard, thank you for making this such a rewarding and exciting experience! PERNELL ROBERTS

[kwebtv]

TV  Guide -  August 29 - September 4, 1964

Anna Marie “Patty” Duke (December 14, 1946 – March 29, 2016) Actress of stage, film and television. She first became famous as a tween star, winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress at age 16 for her role in The Miracle Worker, which she had originated on Broadway. She later starred in the sitcom, The Patty Duke Show. She progressed to more mature roles upon playing Neely O'Hara in the 1967 film Valley of the Dolls. She served as the president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1985 to 1988, four years after her Patty Duke Show co-star William Schallert held the same office.  (Wikipedia)

William Joseph Schallert (July 6, 1922 – May 8, 2016)

William Schallert’s face was one of those that was well known before many viewers even knew his name.  He was the chamelon of character actors who popped up regularly in anthologies, westerns, dramas and sitcoms from the 1950’s and as recent as 2014, as an unbilled elevator operator in an episode of “Two Broke Girls”.  (Wikipedia)

Jean Byron (born Imogene Audette Burkhart; December 10, 1925 – February 3, 2006)  Film, television, and stage actress. She is best known for the role of Natalie Lane, Patty Lane's mother in The Patty Duke Show. She was also known as Jean Audette and Jean Burkhart early in her career.

She had guest roles on The Millionaire, The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse, Science Fiction Theatre, Fury, and Bourbon Street Beat. Byron also served as spokeswoman for Revlon and Lux products on NBC's The Rosemary Clooney Show. She played Minnie in the syndicated TV series Mayor of the Town (1954).

In 1959, Byron landed a semiregular spot on CBS's The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis playing Dr. Imogene Burkhart, her real name.  During her time on the show, she was cast in a spinoff pilot about Dobie Gillis' girlfriend, Zelda, where she would have played the girl's mother. However, the pilot was not picked up. In the show's final season, Byron convinced producers to allow her character to discard the plain, repressed appearance she presented, and show a more modern version of a schoolteacher.

The following year, she starred in the short-lived soap opera Full Circle.  In 1963, she won the role of Natalie Lane on The Patty Duke Show.  After the series ended in 1966, she continued appearing in guest roles on Batman, Marcus Welby, M.D., Maude, and Hotel. She also was a regular on Pat Paulsen's Half a Comedy Hour (1970).

Byron's last on-screen role was in the 1999 television movie The Patty Duke Show: Still Rockin' in Brooklyn Heights.  (Wikipedia)

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As Zanuck Sr. repeatedly told his son, had Valley of the Dolls been a product of the Hollywood studio system at its apex, in less than a week he would have assigned it to a contract director, one or more of the studio’s stable of thirty-plus top screenwriters, an available cameraman, production and costume designer, a composer, and a cast selected from 20th’s contract talent roster. It isn’t hard to imagine a forties-era Valley of the Dolls. On tap at the studio were any number of great beauties and “types,” some of them quite talented. And if those weren’t quite right, Zanuck might have arranged to borrow talent from other studios. There was Gene Tierney, Linda Darnell, or Jeanne Crain to play the reserved New Englander Anne Welles. Betty Grable, Rita Hayworth, or Lana Turner might have played the luckless showgirl Jennifer North. The young Bette Davis, Susan Hayward, or Ida Lupino would have fit as brilliantly talented, tormented Neely O’Hara. Tyrone Power/Gregory Peck/Cornel Wilde could have slipped easily into the role of suave, slippery Lyon Burke, alongside Dana Andrews as press agent Mel, Vincent Price as Charles Revson–inspired cosmetics empire maven Kevin Gillmore, and Clifton Webb as fashion designer Ted Casablanca. For good measure, Zanuck could have thrown in Gertrude Lawrence as fading Broadway virago Helen Lawson, Frank Sinatra/Dean Martin/Vic Damone as Tony Polar, and Geraldine Fitzgerald as Miriam, sister of the sexy, childlike crooner. Or had Zanuck made the movie later in his career, he could have helped himself to the talents of, respectively, Hope Lange, Diane Varsi, or Shirley Jones as Anne, Marilyn Monroe, Joan Collins, or Debra Paget as Jennifer, Joanne Woodward as Neely, Richard Burton or Stephen Boyd as Lyon, Roddy McDowall as Ted Casablanca, Claudette Colbert or Mary Martin as Helen, Elvis Presley as Tony with Angela Lansbury as Miriam. But in 1966, the days of the studio system and exclusive contracts were on life support. With the long shadow of Darryl F. Zanuck looming over Valley of the Dolls, it would take Richard D. Zanuck, producer David Weisbart, and director Mark Robson long, torturous months and many reversals before the casting—let alone the entire production—finally pulled together. And, from his Paris headquarters, Zanuck Sr. thought that was laughable—when he didn’t find it infuriating.

-- Dolls! Dolls! Dolls!: Deep Inside Valley of the Dolls, the Most Beloved Bad Book and Movie of All Time, Stephen Rebello

Rebello's bonkers fancasts here have captivated me.