It's Our Turn To Act For Them

Recently, a comment on Norma Desmond's Blog brought my attention back to an issue that's been one of great sadness for me for over a year.  Thank you for the reminder 'researcher'.

It is the proposed closing of the Long Term Care facility at the Motion Picture and Television Fund's Woodland Hills campus.  Fondly known as The Old Actors Home, the Country Home was opened in 1942 and the Hospital in 1948.  There are people residing there right now with names that you know.  Other residents are the artistic technicians who worked behind the camera and are no less responsible for our entertainment than the marquee 'names'.  I am crushed at the thought of this facility being no more.  I've been there and it's fantastic.

Thankfully, 'researcher' put a link on the comment to an organization called Saving the Lives of Our Own.  There is a petition there that you can sign.  (I did 3 days ago and I haven't received any spam yet)  Their goal is 5000 signatures and at present, there aren't even 1500!  Please do this folks.  The residents have given us countless hours of joy and, just now, they need our help.

Below is a list of former residents many of whom ended their days in these beautiful surroundings.

Famous residents

Bud Abbott* Mary Alden* Eddie Anderson* Richard Angarola Gilbert M. Anderson* Johnny Arthur* Iris Ashton*, actress, wife of writer Arthur St. Claire Mary Astor* Jeanne Bates* Sally Benson* Willie Best* Betty Blythe* DeWitt Bodeen* Vanessa Brown* Carol Bruce* Virginia Bruce* Mae Clarke* Jerry Colonna[1]* Chester Conklin Ellen Corby* Wendell Corey* Maurice Costello Robert Cummings[1]* Jane Darwell* Dorothy Davenport* Yvonne DeCarlo* Curly Joe DeRita* Billie Dove* Norman Fell* Stepin Fetchit Larry Fine* Max Fleischer* Richard Fleischer* Harrison Ford* Douglas Fowley* Anita Garvin* James Gleason* Julius Harris* Curly Howard Gareth Hughes* Frieda Inescort*

Richard Jaeckel* Allyn Joslyn* Kathleen Key* Stanley Kramer* Patsy Kelly* DeForest Kelley*[1] Mabel King Mitchell Leisen* Babe London* Edmund Lowe* Marion Leonard* Ken Maynard* Bess Meredyth* Karen Morley* Joel McCrea[1]* Hattie McDaniel* Mae Murray* (a founding trustee) Harry Oliver* Jean Parker* Virginia Pearson House Peters Jr.*[1] Robert Quarry* Norman Reilly Raine* Jobyna Ralston* Anne Ramsey* Blossom Rock (aka Marie Blake)* Leonard Rosenman* Marin Sais* Philip Saltzman*[3] Dorothy Sebastian* Mack Sennett* Norma Shearer* Allan Sherman* Jay Silverheels* Gale Sondergaard* Jan Sterling* Madame Sul-Te-Wan* Audrey Totter Florence Turner* Johnny Weissmuller Ben Welden* Clara Kimball Young* Dick Wilson*[1]

* denotes died while resident at hospital

Thanks very much.