Top 10 Favorite People (born between 1900 and 1940)

Can I share with you a list of my top 10 favorite people born between 1900 - 1940?  I hope you have one too but if you really DON’T have one, I would be deeply saddened to know - so please don’t ever tell me. ;-)

My list is a quite fantastic list and I’m sure everyone will agree wholeheartedly with me as they read (I can already hear your ‘Amen!’s and ‘You got that right, Rachelle!’s) because that’s just the way the world works, right? 

*your cue to say, “You got that right, Rachelle!”  ;-) 

Anyway, we’ll start down with number 10 and work our way to the top, the cream of the crop, shall we?  This list is of course, in order by way of my favorite – not by date of birth.

10. Eugene Maurice Orowitz (October 31, 1936 – July 1, 1991)

You may know him as Michael Landon – or you may be fortunate enough to know him as Charles Ingalls.  Actor, writer, director, producer, javelin thrower – Michael Landon was a man with talent.  Can we all agree though: his role as Charles Ingalls was the very embodiment of old-fashioned American ideals?  A wise, caring husband and father, Charles Ingalls persevered against the wrong in the world (both natural and man-made) in a way that inspired and so, I have yet to enjoy seeing an actor portray a man, a father, and a husband more than Michael Landon did for Charles Ingalls!

9. Katherine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003)

WHAT a woman!  She could act with the best of them (most notable performance in MY opinion was Rooster Cogburn and the Lady because it was just so fun) but I really love that she walked to the beat of her own drum.  I may not agree with all of her opinions and such but the fact that she decided not to let society or any one person tell her how she should live her life is pretty admirable. Despite society’s expectations at the time for women, Katherine Hepburn did what she wanted.  She wore pants.  She was active outdoors.  She said what was on her mind.  Gotta’ admire that moxie!

8. Richard Wayne Van Dyke (December 13, 1925 – present)

Dick Van Dyke, folks – Dick Van Dyke.  This man was a DJ on a radio station, an actor on both Broadway and film, a dancer, a singer (CURRENTLY IN an a cappella group called The Vantastix), and a comedian.  Now that he’s 88 years old I think he’s taking it a bit slower but he sure made a good impression in his day.  Is his Cockney accent terrible in Mary Poppins?  Yes.  Do I love it?  Yes.  Is Caractacus Pott my favorite of all his roles because every little bit of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is just so amazing?  Yes – a million times, YES!

7. David Daniel Kaminsky (January 18, 1913 – March 3, 1987)

If you’re someone who loves to laugh, is it possible to NOT love Danny Kaye?!  He is just fantastic.  My all time favorite Danny Kaye performance is either as Red Nichols in Five Pennies or as Phil Davis in White Christmas.  I love his singing, his dancing, his acting, and his comedy.  This man has a genius for making me laugh.  They way he could recite (especially when singing) the tongue twisting hilarity is just unbelievable. 

“I became an entertainer not because I wanted to but because I was meant to.” ~ Danny Kaye

6. Harry Lillis Crosby, Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977)

Christmas music = Bing Crosby

Give me a word association test and show me a picture of a Christmas tree – I just might shout out ‘Bing Crosby’.  How can one have Christmas without watching Bing in White Christmas? I certainly can’t!  I HAVE to watch it every year the week of Christmas (preferably Christmas Eve or Day).  Who can get properly into the Christmas spirit without listening to Bing croon White Christmas and all the other essential holiday songs?  I certainly can’t!  On a side note, it just makes me sad to hear almost ANYONE else try to sing White Christmas.  Did you know that Bing Crosby’s White Christmas is the best selling single of ALL TIME?  In 1947 he had to re-record it with the same musicians and everything because the master from 1941 was so damaged from being used to make copies - they needed a new master! 

Of course, Bing is more than just Christmas.  He has 41 number 1 hits, he did the most for G.I. morale during WWII, and trailing only behind Clark Gable and John Wayne, Bing Crosby is the most popular movie actor (as far as amount of tickets sold for one his movies goes).  Bing is one of only 22 people to have THREE stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (for acting, radio, and audio recording)!  Bing was a founding member of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club (a group which included Charles Howard – owner of Seabiscuit), an assistant football coach on the college Gonzaga team, part owner for a time of the Pittsburgh Pirates, and a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.

In his autobiography Don't Shoot, It's Only Me! (1990), Bob Hope wrote, "Dear old Bing. As we called him, the Economy-sized Sinatra. And what a voice. God I miss that voice. I can't even turn on the radio around Christmas time without crying anymore.”

5. Marguerite Henry (April 13, 1902 – November 26, 1997)

I grew up reading over and over and over again books like Misty of Chincoteague, Justin Morgan had a Horse, King of the Wing – OH, King of the Wind!  These books by Marguerite Henry inspired my imagination as a child and caused me to fall in love with horses.  I relished the majesty of Sham, the triumphs of Little Bub, and the wildness of the Assateague ponies.  Those stories will live on in my heart forever.  Thank you, Marguerite Henry!

4. William Henry Cosby Jr. (July 12, 1937 – present)

If I had to pick one T.V. show to own/watch and it could only ever be that one, I would have a hard time choosing between 2 shows and one of them is The Cosby Show (number one show in America for 5 years).  I dearly love the family values, humor, and love in The Cosby Show and while those qualities could have existed in that show without Bill, they certainly couldn’t have existed to that degree without him.  Bill Cosby is magic.  His expressions, his voice, his use of the English language – he weaves a mesmerizing spell and I can’t stop watching him or listening to him (loved to pop in the Bill Cosby: Himself cassette tape when I was younger).  His book Fatherhood is also mesmerizing to me – once I start reading it I must persevere until the book is finished in that sitting.   It is, for real, laugh out loud funny!

3. Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977)

I have been listening to the King for as long as I can remember.  Angel, Let Me Be (Your Teddy Bear), Can’t Help Falling in Love for You – it doesn’t matter the song: his voice is incredibly unique – no duplication possible.  Elvis impersonators can be entertaining but it’s never the same.  For that reason, I listen to Elvis radio frequently.  Another avenue for enjoying Elvis is his movies!  Now, I know that he is not the best actor but his movies are truly entertaining and while you watch an entertaining film you can listen to truly AMAZING music!  It just doesn’t get any better than that! 

2. Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979)

The Duke – THE cowboy of all time!  John Wayne needs no introduction – you all know his acting.  Whether he’s portraying an imposing cowboy, a mighty catcher of African animals, a daring oil well fighter, or a leading military man – John Wayne is the picture of strength, courage, and American patriotism.  I look up to John Wayne as a hero.  Now, he was not perfect.  No one is.  But He is one of my very favorite people.  Would you please read what Ronald Reagan wrote?  http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/fr/1148830/posts

1.  Betty Jane Billings (August 12, 1926 – present)

Born and raised in Oregon, Betty Jane (called ‘Jane’), my great-grandmother, is one of the finest people I know.  I love her sweetness and humor.  When she laughs I can’t help but join in.  She is a whiz at crossword puzzles – no one can beat her.  Her spaghetti – it’ll blow your socks off it’s so good.  Grandma Billings can tell me stories from a time when children actually played outside and with each other because T.V. hadn’t been invented yet.  Those are pretty wonderful.  She is a wellspring of wisdom and love.  She is a pillar of strength and a source of laughter.  She is my grandma and I love her!