Remembering Dame Patricia Routledge (1929-2025)

Dame Patricia Routledge, born February 17, 1929, died today at age of 96. Although she was a hugely successful stage actress, she is best known for her role as Hyacinth Bucket on the television series Keeping Up Appearances.  She won a Whitbread Award in 1966, and a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for Darling of the Day in which she starred with Vincent Price.  She won the Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her work in Candide.

"The Ten Commandments" debuts 1956

Cecil B. DeMille's epic movie The Ten Commandments, was released into theaters October 5, 1956. The film followed the life of Moses and his journey with God, freeing the Israelites from Egypt, and delivering the Ten Commandments to the people.

Charlton Heston played Moses and Yul Brynner starred as the pharaoh Rameses.  It featured many other big names such as Yvonne De Carlo, Judith Anderson, and Vincent Price.

It won an Academy Award for Best Special Effects and nominated for six more, including Best Picture. Charlton Heston was nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance as Moses.

The Ten Commandments was added to the National Film Registry by the US Library of Congress in 1999.

Patricia Routledge and Leslie Uggams tie for Tony Award 1968

Patricia Routledge and Leslie Uggams tied for the Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical, at the 22nd annual ceremony, April 21, 1968.

Routledge won for her role as Alice Challice in Darling of the Day, in which she starred with Vincent Price in his one and only Broadway musical.

Leslie Uggams won for her role as Georgina in Hallelujah, Baby!

Angela Lansbury and Peter Ustinov hosted the ceremonies. 

"The Raven" released 1963

The Raven, a horror-comedy movie produced and directed by Roger Corman, was released January 25, 1963.  It was loosely based on the poem by Edgar Allan Poe and starred horror icons Vincent Price, Peter Lorre and Boris Karloff.  It also starred a young Jack Nicholson.

This production of The Raven had more comedy than horror and, in my opinion, made it much more enjoyable. 

"Batman" debuts 1966

Everyone's favorite super-hero show, Batman, aired its first episode Hi Diddle Riddle, January 12, 1966.  The show featured a theme song to which we  know the all words...word, rather and took 'camp' to heights never achieved before or since.  It starred Adam West and Burt Ward as the Dynamic Duo.  Throughout its three season run, a galaxy of stars appeared, such as Frank Gorshin as the Riddler, Cesar Romero as the Joker, Burgess Meredith as the Penguin, and Eartha Kitt as Catwoman. 

Other guests were Vincent Price, Caroline Jones, Bruce Lee, Ethel Merman, Liberace, Roddy McDowall, Joan Collins and Lee Meriwether.

Remember 'some days you just can't get rid of a bomb'?  The shark jumping out of the water and clamping on Batman's leg? 

Roger Corman's "The Pit and the Pendulum" released 1961.

Horror-meister director/producer Roger Corman released his version of the Poe classic tale Pit and the Pendulum August 12, 1961.  Corman has brought us movies such as Sharktopus vs Whalewolf, Pirhanaconda and Dinocroc. His version of Pit and the Pendulum starred the wonderfully sinister Vincent Price and John Kerr (South Pacific).

The tag line says that no one had dared to film this until now.  Did they forget about the 1913 version?