Come on Down

Rod Roddy, the loud-talking, loud-dressing announcer on the Price is Right has died of colon and breast cancer at the age of 66. Yes, breast cancer. After his diagnosis in 2001, Roddy became an advocate for early detection and urged everyone, even men, to get a mammogram. Breast cancer is diagnosed in 1,500 men each year. Prior to the Price is Right, Roddy had been the announcer for Press Your Luck and Love Connection, and sharp-eared listeners will also remember him as the announcer on Soap.

Madame Shuttered Eyes

Madame Chiang Kai-Shek, who fought the Japanese in WWII and the Communist Revolution in China alongside her husband, President Chiang Kai-Shek, has died at the age of 105. Born Soong Mei-ling in China, she studied in the U.S. from age 10-19, graduating from Wellesley College in Massachusetts in 1917, giving her a familiarity with Western thought and culture. After marrying Chiang Kai-Shek, she did everything from serve as his interpreter to performing social work to running China's Air Force during WWII. They then unsuccessfully tried to maintain the power of Nationalist China during the Communist Revolution, retreating to Taiwan, and then after President Chiang Kai-Shek's death in 1975, she moved to the United States. Even before his death, their influence had been waning, and after coming to the United States, Madame Chiang Kai-Shek lived in seclusion, one exception being her endorsement of a Nationalist candidate for president in 2000. He was soundly defeated, ending the party's five-decade hold on the presidency.

But on the bright side, Madame Kirsti wrests control of the 2003 George Harrison Invitational back to the other side of the breakfast table with her 7th hit of the year with 5 weeks to go. Rough break for Conni, who had Madame Chiang Kai-Shek last year, but dropped her. Conni also had Elia Kazan last year but not this. D'oh. In her defense, two of her additions this year: Hume Cronyn and Warren Zevon did kick it old school in '03.

The Leaderboard:
1st: Kirsti 7 dead, 78.44444444 points
2nd: Greg's Wily Veterans 6 dead, 66.22222222 points
3rd: Keith 5 dead, 43.88888889 points
4th: Conni 5 dead, 26.11111111 points
5th: Me 4 dead, 33.88888889 points

Last Berry Beret

Fred Berry, the suspender and beret-clad dancing fool Frederick "Rerun" Stubbs from What's Happening, died last night at the age of 52. Although he was in his 20s when he got the role as a high schooler, Berry followed the template for child stars of the '70s and '80s: success, drug abuse, recovery, inability to find new roles because of type-casting and lack of actual talent, cash in on nostalgia craze. With his career tied up in the character Rerun, Berry played the part in all public and TV appearances, including What's Happening Now!, Martin, Scrubs, The Rerun Show, and I Love the 70s, always in his trademark beret and suspenders. Berry also sunk to be a part of Star Dates, in which regular people get dates with D-list celebs. Given that Berry was married 6 times to 4 women, A Star Date with him was no idle threat. Berry also participated in the service HollywoodisCalling.com, where you can pay to have washed-up celebs place a personalized 30-second phone call. The site below is worth a sad, nostalgic laugh.

Slowest Gun in the West

Jack Elam, a veteran character actor whose roles ran the gamut of western heavies to parodies of western heavies to western drunks, headed for the last round-up Monday at the age of 84. Elam's left eye, which was blinded in a fight at a Boy Scout meeting, wandered in its socket, adding an unsteady element to roles as the villain in such films as Rawhide and Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, and mania in comic roles in Support Your Local Sheriff and Cannonball Run. He was also a steady worker on the small screen, with more than 100 TV guest appearances, including 14 different roles on Gunsmoke, and the crazy old man in the Twilight Zone classic "Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up." People with way too much time on their hands also may remember him as Loni Anderson's destitute uncle who comes to live with her in the crap-tacular 1986 NBC sitcom "Easy Street."

Shoe's Flies Don't Bother Me

Hall of Fame Jockey Willie Shoemaker died in his sleep Sunday morning at the age of 72. In his 41-year career, he won 8,833 of his record 40,350 races, and finished in the money in nearly half of his races. He held the record for victories until 1999, and his dossier included winning the Kentucky Derby 4 times, the Preakness twice and the Belmont 5 times. In 1986, at 54, he became the oldest man ever to win the Kentucky Derby, on Ferdinand, in what many regard as one of the greatest rides in horsing history. He was less successful with cars, and after an afternoon of golf and alcohol a single-car accident left him paralyzed from the neck down. Despite his injuries, he carried on as a trainer for 6 years from his wheelchair.

She Sleeps with the Fishes

Veteran character actress Florence Stanley, best known for having played Bernice Fish, the of Abe Vigoda's Phil Fish on Barney Miller and Fish, died Oct. 3 of a stroke. The gravelly voiced actress was a frequent guest and voice on other series, including Grandma on Dinosaurs, a dead judge on Night Court, and a live judge on My Two Dads.