The latest reminder of the expiration of my youth--aside from the Olympic cheerleaders--was the passing of Don "Barney Fife" Knotts. Although he is best remembered from the "Andy Griffith Show," Knotts did much more. My personal favorite was "The Incredible Mr. Limpet," which made me want to grow up to be a fish.... At least until I realized I couldn't swim.
Hopefully St. Peter will let him keep his bullet.
But the other person that just passed away, and whose death is likely overshadowed by Don's, was Darin McGavin. The name may not be immediately familiar, but you'll recognize him when I tell you he played The Old Man in "A Christmas Story." Forget "Christmas Carol" and "It's a Wonderful Life;" if you want to watch a film that best captures the holidays (as well as the innocence of childhood), "A Christmas Story" is the one.
McGavin also played the lead in "Kolchak: The Night Stalker" back in the early '70's. Kolchak was a reporter for some tabloid in Chicago who was always running into critters like vampires, werewolves, and headless motorcycle riders. While the special effects were a bit cheesy, the show usually made up for it with humor and clever writing. Though Kolchak only had about 13 episodes, it was enough to capture the imagination of Chris Carter, who went on to create the "X-Files."
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