The Kornmans at Hollywood ’80
Tuesday, August 28th, 2007
Okay, I was young and uneducated at the time. I hadn’t seen many of the silent Our Gang films at that point. They just really weren’t very available for viewing in 1980. So at the time I scarcely knew who Mary Kornman was, much less her little sister Mildred. And the clincher was that the Kornman Mom – Verna Kornman – was also on hand for the Our Gang reunion. Mary, who had passed away from cancer in 1973, was THE leading lady of the silent Our Gang – as much as Darla was the leading lady of the sound Little Rascal films. Read the rest of this entry »
Cubby O’Brien was one of only nine children to star as Mousketeers for the entire run (three seasons – plus a fourth which consisted of all reruns) of The Mickey Mouse Club from 1955-59. Cubby was also distinctive as being the only musical Mouseketeer who was permitted by Disney to be shown on screen playing his instrument. Closely associated with his drums, Cubby actually went on to be a professional drummer later in life. 
He’s got one of those faces that any TV addict would instantly recognize. I knew him best as playing Leander Pomfritt, the teacher in The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis…but his credits just keep going on. With over 300 different film and TV roles – and still working today, most recently appearing on How I Met Your Mother – William Schallert is the quintessential character actor. His credits include (but are most certainly not limited to) The Twilight Zone, Burns and Allen, Leave It To Beaver, The Untouchables, The Rifleman, The Andy Griffith Show, The Lucy Show, Gunsmoke, Little House on the Prairie, Coach, Lois and Clark, ER…I could go on and on. Not to mention all of his movie appearances. Go check out the IMDB if you don’t believe me. 
I wasn’t overly-ecstatic to meet Carla Laemmle on October 1, 2005 at the Hollywood Collectors Show. I didn’t even recognize her name…although I should have. She was the niece of Universal Studios founder Carl Laemmle, so there should have been some name recognition. But I was a bit impressed that she had appeared – albeit briefly – in the 1930 Bela Lugosi version of Dracula. I became even more impressed to find that she had appeared in the Academy Award winning Broadway Melody. 
I had no appreciation really for who Peggy Ahern was when I met her at the Hollywood ’80 convention, but was eager to have any of the former-child stars whom I encountered sign my little blue autograph book. Later I found out exactly who Peggy was…one of the short-term leading ladies of the Our Gang series from 1924 to 1927. Over this span of time she only appeared in seven of the silent films. Of utmost distinction was that she signed my autograph page, and then Woim Kibrick signed on the same page right under her as seen