Rest In Peace, Betty Garrett (Edna Babish DeFazio, Laverne & Shirley)

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p65/halloweennut/vlcsnap-2010-10-23-11h25m28s191.png

Rest In Peace, Betty Garrett (Edna Babish DeFazio, Laverne & Shirley)

Source?

I just googled her. She did pass today, Age 91. Wow first Peggy Rea, now Betty Garratt. RIP.

I just googled her. She did pass today, Age 91. Wow first Peggy Rea, now Betty Garratt. RIP.

That doesn't mean anything, so far none of the reliable news services have mentioned it.

http://www.ontheredcarpet.com/Betty-Garrett-of-On-the-Town-fame-dies-at-91/7955443&rss=rss-kabc-ent_story-7955443

Posted 02/12/2011 3:43 PM by Olivia Allin

Actress Betty Garrett, who starred in the musical film "On the Town" alongside Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra, died on Friday evening at the age of 91.

Garrett's son Garrett Parks confirmed to KABC that the actress died at UCLA Medical Center in Westwood, California with her family by her side.

Garrett was a sunny singer, dancer and comic actress who starred in the TV shows like "Laverne and Shirley" as Edna Babish and "All in the Family" as Irene Lorenzo. Her best known films were "On the Town," "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," "My Siter Eileen" (pictured above with Jack Lemmon) and "Neptune's Daughter." Garrett often contributed to the soundtracks of her films as well.

Garrett's husband, actor Larry Parks was nominated for an Oscar for his role in the 1946 film, "The Jolson Story." Parks and Garrett were involved in the Communist scare in the 1950s and Parks made the Hollywood Blacklist.

Garrett received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in May, 2003. The actress is Oscar-winner Jeff Bridges' godmother.

Garrett is survived by her sons, composer Garrett Parks and actor Andrew Parks.

:rip: Betty Garrett

Let's not Jump into this yet. I haven't seen ANY RELIABLE SOURCES REPORT THIS!! Let wait for a Reliable Source to report it.

Let's not Jump into this yet. I haven't seen ANY RELIABLE SOURCES REPORT THIS!!

Neither have I.

http://www.theatermania.com/new-york/news/02-2011/betty-garrett-dies-at-91_34174.html

Betty Garrett Dies at 91

By: Brian Scott Lipton · Feb 12, 2011 · New York


Legendary actress Betty Garrett died Saturday morning of natural causes at UCLA Medical Center following a brief illness, according to L.A. Weekly.. She was 91.

Garrett appeared in numerous Broadway shows, including Something for the Boys, Call Me Mister, Bells Are Ringing, Meet Me In St. Louis and the Roundabout Theater Company's production of Follies.

She was a founding member of the 49-year-old Theatre West and appeared in many of their productions, including "Nunsense, Waiting in the Wings, and a revue, Betty Garrett, Closet Songwriter. She also appeared in many benefits for S.T.A.G.E. Garrett received the Career Achievement Awards from the Los Angeles Drama Critics' Circle and the Ovation Awards, among other honors.

Her many film and television credits include Words and Music, Take Me Out to the Ball Game, Neptune's Daughter, On The Town, My Sister Eileen, All in the Family, Laverne and Shirley, and Becker.

She is survived by her sons,actor Andrew Parks and composer Garrett Parks, and a granddaughter, Madison Claire Parks.

Michael Mckean just tweeted about it, that's good enough for me.

Michael Mckean just tweeted about it, that's good enough for me.
What did he say?

It is true. Betty's friend has a blog and posted this:

http://sitteninthehills64.blogspot.com/2011/02/betty-garrett-1919-2011.html

KABC is also reporting it.

The veteran performer was in MGM musicals and a regular on "All in the Family" and "Laverne & Shirley." She also starred on Broadway and in Los Angeles theater productions.

Link (http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-betty-garrett-20110213,0,2531900.story)

Betty Garrett, a comedic actress who was a fixture in such MGM musicals as "On The Town" and "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," a regular on the television series "All in the Family" and "Laverne & Shirley" and a star on Broadway and in Los Angeles theater productions, has died. She was 91.

Garrett died early Saturday morning at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center of an aortic aneurysm, said her son Garrett Parks.

Just last Wednesday, Garrett went to dinner with friends and afterward taught a weekly musical comedy class at Theatre West, the nonprofit theater she helped found in North Hollywood half a century ago.

"She was a woman of boundless optimism," Miles Kreuger, president of the Los Angeles-based Institute of the American Musical, told The Times on Saturday. "On the screen and on television there was just a wonderful sense of joy."

In a 2009 interview with The Times, Garrett reflected on her long career. "People say, how come you've lasted this long?" she said. "I say I think it's because all of my life I have gotten to do what I love to do."

Born on May 23, 1919, in St. Joseph, Mo., Garrett had a flair for performance that was apparent at an early age.

In 1936, a family friend arranged for her to meet famed dancer Martha Graham. Graham recommended Garrett for a scholarship at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York.

"I graduated from high school at 16 and came right to New York," Garrett later recalled.

Within a few years, she was landing roles on Broadway. She made her first big splash in "Call Me Mister," a sketch comedy revue in which she sang the hit song "South America, Take It Away."

Soon, Hollywood came calling. A Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract drew her west in 1947, and she spent the next several years making musicals, including 1949's "Neptune's Daughter" with Red Skelton and "On the Town" with Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra.

"I was in on the end of what they called the golden years," she told The Times in 1979. "I met Gable and Tracy and, of course, Gene Kelly and Sinatra. To grow up with Frank being your idol and then suddenly being his leading lady is an extraordinary fantasy lived out."

In 1944, Garrett married actor Larry Parks, who had had success onscreen in "The Jolson Story" but whose film career ended with the Hollywood blacklist. The couple toured Britain with a vaudeville act. Parks died in 1975.

Garrett was best known on TV for her roles on two popular 1970s sitcoms, as landlady Edna Babish on "Laverne & Shirley" and as Archie Bunker's neighbor Irene Lorenzo on "All in the Family."

In recent years, she had performed a one-woman show, "Betty Garrett and Other Songs." She appeared frequently on the Theatre West stage. Her final shows there included "Nunsense," the Los Angeles premiere of Noel Coward's "Waiting in the Wings" and a revue, "Betty Garrett, Closet Songwriter."

In addition to her son Garrett, a composer, she is survived by her son Andrew, an actor, and a granddaughter, Madison.

On Saturday night Madison performed in an opera at her high school.

"She's following in her grandmother's footsteps," Garrett Parks said of his daughter.

Betty was a true talent. May she :rip:

What did he say?

Per Michael McKean and Twitter, "Our Betty Garrett is now gone; an amazing woman, stellar performer, never lost a step; I'm very happy to have known her. RIP".

Rest in peace, Mrs. Babish!

What sad news for fans of both Laverne & Shirley and All in the Family. :rip: Betty Garrett, you were a true lady and a true talent.

Betty was also so kind to her fans. I wrote her the first year I started collecting autographs, and didn't receive a response until 3-4 years later. She sent a note apologizing saying a bunch of her fan mail had been stored in her garage and she just now found it. So many people probably would have tossed it out after that long.

Such a talented lady. I always loved Mrs. Babbish, especially all of her moments singing on L&S. Will remember her always. My heart goes out to her family. She truly was a wonderful woman.

i worked with Betty when she had her one-woman show in the early 1980s. A very sweet, wonderful lady....a genuine class act. Rest in peace, Betty.

so it is true RIP betty