Okay, even I will admit that Van Johnson was a bit before my time. But, I do have fond memories of the “I Love Lucy” episode where he waltzes Lucy across the nightclub to impress Caroline Appleby. Johnson, a heartthrob from the ‘40s, died yesterday at the age of 92 of natural causes.
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Johnson often appeared in roles at the All-American boy, exhibiting a charm that earned him the nickname “the non-singing Sinatra.” Through a career that spanned over 50 years, he appeared in such films as A Guy Named Joe with Spencer Tracy, The Caine Mutiny with Humphrey Bogart, and 30 Seconds over Tokyo with Elizabeth Taylor. Johnson also appeared on stage, doing Damn Yankees and The Music Man during the 1960s. In addition to “I Love Lucy,” Johnson was featured in such television hits as “McMillan + Wife,” “Quincy M.E.,” “The Love Boat,” “Fantasy Island,” and “Murder She Wrote.” He returned to the stage in the ‘80s when he appeared in La Cage aux Folles, which led to a small role in the 1985 Woody Allen film The Purple Rose of Cairo.
It probably comes as no surprise to anyone that actress Tara Reid has checked into rehab. Reid’s representative, Jack Ketsoyan, told PEOPLE magazine “Tara Reid has checked herself into Promises Treatment Center. We appreciate your respect to her and her family’s privacy at this time.” However, Ketsoyan did not say for what Reid was being treated.
Reid’s had issues in the past. Dubbed a Hollywood party girl, she admitted to suffering from anorexia after her breakup with then-fiance Carson Daly. Many photos have been snapped of her in an obviously inebriated state, but she said last October that those days were over. “I’ve had a great time. I partied. I had fun. I ate and drank whatever. I dated a million guys, but I’m so happy with where I’m at right now. I don’t need to do anything anymore.” Reid said.