Patty Duke has died

[Brock]

 

This is certainly unexpected. Her poor family.

 

From USA Today:

 

 

Patty Duke, the teen who won an Oscar for The Miracle Worker and later played "identical cousins" in her own TV sitcom, has died. She was 69.

The news was confirmed Tuesday by one of her representatives, Mitchell Stubbs.

"Anna 'Patty Duke' Pearce passed away this morning March 29, 2016 at 1:20 am," his statement read. "Her cause of death was sepsis from a ruptured intestine. She was a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a friend, a mental health advocate and a cultural icon. She will be missed."

Duke's last tweets, earlier this month, alluded to being "absent" recently.

 

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2016/03/29/oscar-winning-former-child-star-patty-duke-dies-age-69/82382666/

[Luvsbway]

Well that certainly was unexpected.

[Brock]

Hers was such an interesting chapter in Lucy history.

[Luvsbway]

Well this look says it all.

[LittleRickyII]

Yes, unexpected for sure.  This makes me very sad.  Incidentally, I saw a fairly recent interview where the interviewer referred to her only as Anna because, apparently, she no longer wished to be called Patty.

[Neil]

She had so many other acting accomplishments that her work on "The Patty Duke Show" tends to be overlooked, probably because the show was such a trifle---and had its own unique laugh track, sounding like 12 people tittering.   Not saying the show wasn't good. On the contrary, it was an above average sitcom from its era, 1963-66.  But so much rested on the considerable charm and skill of Patty Duke.  And what a workload.  Patty and/or Cathy were in just about every scene.  Patty's delineation of the two characters was nothing short of a remarkable feat of acting.  Patty Lane was the typical (for TV) malt-shop loitering, watusi-ing teen who evidently had control issues around hot dogs (?!), while Cathy, despite having been most everywhere, was a bit of a square.    Patty played each character so believable that you tend to forget they're being played by the same actress.  It wasn't just the different hairdo and wardrobe that set them apart. Cathy's facial expressions, voice inflections and body movements were completely different than Patty's.  I don't remember too many episodes centering around the fact they're lookalikes, although I'm sure there were plenty.   At least, Patty got an Emmy nomination during the show's first season, which I think she should have won over MTM (and not knocking Mary). 

And then there were the post-TPDS rebellion years where she eloped and divorced, started living in the fast Lane (my one pun per post limit);  then took up with SIXTEEN year old Desi when she was in her early 20s.  The movie magazines had a field day, usually portraying Lucy as a bit of a harpee.  I don't know if female-to-male statutory rape existed in that era, but that's what it was.   And WHO can blame Lucy for not being happy about that?.  Though I don't think Desi suffered any psychological trauma because of it.  I risk being labeled misogynistic by speculating few 16-17 year old boys did, in the same way young girls did in the opposite situation. 

So glad that Patty bounced back, giving one Emmy-winning or nominated performance after another in the 70s (and into the 80s, I think).

Sorry to learn of her WEIRD childhood with those creepy controlling Ross's.  I'll have to re-read her autobiography to see why her parents let this happen in the first place. 

I didn't know DNA testing was done and determined Desi was not the father of Sean, because yes, they was a better-than-average resemblance, more so than any with the senior Astin.  I haven't seen Sean lately as a 45 year old.  Has he morphed into resembling John as he's has gotten older?--- a phenomenon that happens to a lot of men as they age (much to MY chagrin).   A nice little coda-revelation.  Evidently Desi, Jr. and Patty had stayed in touch over the years. 

I haven't heard much about her in the last decade-plus.  I hope she finally found the peace that was robbed from her as a child.  Imagine being 11 and doing 8 performances a week of a strenuous production like "Miracle Worker", including 2 on matinee days.

 

A Patty Duke Show-Wildcat connection: the theme song, one of the catchiest, was written by Sid Ramin, co-orchestrator of the Wildcat score, one of the greatest Broadway orchestrations on record, IMO. 

[LittleRickyII]

And then there were the post-TPDS rebellion years where she eloped and divorced, started living in the fast Lane (my one pun per post limit);  then took up with SIXTEEN year old Desi when she was in her early 20s.  The movie magazines had a field day, usually portraying Lucy as a bit of a harpee.  I don't know if female-to-male statutory rape existed in that era, but that's what it was.   And WHO can blame Lucy for not being happy about that?.  Though I don't think Desi suffered any psychological trauma because of it.  I risk being labeled misogynistic by speculating few 16-17 year old boys did, in the same way young girls did in the opposite situation.

 

She discusses her relationship with Lucille Ball in this 2009 interview, starting at 53:28:

 

 

 

And this is one of her last interviews, from 2014, talking about Robin William's mental health issues and his tragic death.  She was back to being referred to by her real name, Anna, at this point.  Patty was a name forced upon her by her abusers.

 

[leenorman]

Hers was such an interesting chapter in Lucy history.

 

YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I JUST LOOKED AT!  I realize IMDb has some 'odd' content; certainly, not always correct; but, I DARE anyone to read the bio part about marriages and relationships; particularly, DATES of same; let me know what you find/feel/believe.

 

Then, we'll talk again!  JK

[LittleRickyII]

YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I JUST LOOKED AT!  I realize IMDb has some 'odd' content; certainly, not always correct; but, I DARE anyone to read the bio part about marriages and relationships; particularly, DATES of same; let me know what you find/feel/believe.

 

Then, we'll talk again!  JK

 

It looks accurate to me, except for this part:  "According to her book "Call Me Anna", she was pregnant and unmarried when she met Michael Tell."  DNA results determined that Michael Tell was actually Sean Astin's father, so she couldn't have already been pregnant when she met Michael Tell because he's the one who got her pregnant.

[Mot Morenzi]

Well this look says it all.

"Ms. Ball, I travelled to hell in my new veneer, and look what I got as a souvenir!"

[Neil]

I didn't know that Patty, with her limited vocal ability, did "Gypsy" on some regional theater stage about 10 years ago.  I'm sure her acting was great, but despite having several albums during her Patty Duke Show popularity era, (lots of double tracking and reverb), her singing does not match up. 

[HarryCarter]

I didn't know that Patty, with her limited vocal ability, did "Gypsy" on some regional theater stage about 10 years ago. I'm sure her acting was great, but despite having several albums during her Patty Duke Show popularity era, (lots of double tracking and reverb), her singing does not match up.

Patty made her musical theater debut in a LA production of Follies with a cast that included Carole Cook, Carol Lawrence, Jack Carter, Donna McKechnie, Liz Torres, and Vikki Carr. She played Phyllis. Critics applauded her for taking the risk, but said she was lacking in the musical area and had trouble with the tongue twisting lyrics of "The Story of Lucy and Jessie." There's audio of her doing the number online. Patty seems very miscast in the role of Phyllis. Too bad she didn't have the voice for Sally, the former glamour girl now Midwestern housewife who clearly suffers from Bipolar Disorder and is obsessed with her lost love. She could have been the most perfect Sally ever.

 

Patty also replaced Andrea Martin as Aunt Eller in the 2002 Broadway revival of Oklahoma! and had a long run in the San Francisco production of Wicked.

[Neil]

Patty made her musical theater debut in a LA production of Follies with a cast that included Carole Cook, Carol Lawrence, Jack Carter, Donna McKechnie, Liz Torres, and Vikki Carr. She played Phyllis. Critics applauded her for taking the risk, but said she was lacking in the musical area and had trouble with the tongue twisting lyrics of "The Story of Lucy and Jessie." There's audio of her doing the number online. Patty seems very miscast in the role of Phyllis. Too bad she didn't have the voice for Sally, the former glamour girl now Midwestern housewife who clearly suffers from Bipolar Disorder and is obsessed with her lost love. She could have been the most perfect Sally ever.

 

Patty also replaced Andrea Martin as Aunt Eller in the 2002 Broadway revival of Oklahoma! and had a long run in the San Francisco production of Wicked.

---Sally, the former glamour girl now Midwestern housewife who clearly suffers from Bipolar Disorder and is obsessed with her lost love.---

 

I never thought of that.  Was there a song cut from the score "Hello Sally, Bye-Polar"?   Patty would have been right for the character but Sally's songs are much more demanding than Phyllis's.   

[Mot Morenzi]

I've been watching her archive interview recently. What an utterly charming, down to earth and candid woman she was. For someone who went through what she had to endure, she certainly had a wonderful outlook on it in her later life. I truly hope she had the peace and happiness she exuded.