Cheryl Holdridge (Julie Foster) 1944-2009 - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Zoneboy · 01-08-2009, 06:41 PM

Link

Cheryl Holdridge, the beautiful blond actress who first gained fame as a Mouseketeer on TV's "The Mickey Mouse Club" in the 1950s, has died. She was 64.

Holdridge died Tuesday at her home in Santa Monica after a two-year battle with lung cancer, said Doreen Tracey, a former Mouseketeer.

"What's amazing is that Cheryl and I have gone through so many things together, I'm glad I could have been there in the end too," Tracey said.

Holdridge was 11 in the spring of 1956 when she auditioned and was hired for "The Mickey Mouse Club," which had debuted Oct. 3, 1955, with 24 talented youngsters who sang and danced and yet came across as the kids next door.

Holdridge joined the Mouseketeers in the second season of the show, which ran until 1959.

She quickly became part of the core group that appeared on the famous Mouseketeer roll call at the start of each show, along with Tracey, Annette Funicello, Tommy Cole, Cubby O'Brien, Sharon Baird, Bobby Burgess, Karen Pendleton, Lonnie Burr and Darlene Gillespie.

"She was a good technical dancer, but I think she was picked mostly because she had this angelic look and a great smile. She's known for her smile," Tracey said. With a laugh, she added: "We used to try to keep her quiet when she started singing because she sang off-key."

The other reason Holdridge was included in the core group was that "her fan mail was quite high, and they need those ratings," Tracey said. "We were trying to win over the American public, which we did."

"Annette had the highest rating, but Cheryl came pretty close," she said.

During her Mouseketeer days, Holdridge appeared in several of the show's episodic serials, including "Boys of the Western Sea" and the "Annette" series.

Unlike some of the other Mouseketeers, Holdridge didn't have trouble finding work as a young actress after hanging up her Mouse ears.

She went on to play Wally Cleaver's girlfriend, Julie Foster, for two seasons on "Leave it to Beaver." And she had guest roles on shows such as "The Rifleman," "Bachelor Father," "My Three Sons," "Bewitched" and "The Dick Van Dyke Show."

"Our reputations as Disney players opened doors," Holdridge told the Chicago Tribune in 2001 during a Mouseketeer autograph session at a Disney memorabilia show in Bloomingdale, Ill., that drew a crowd of more than 1,000.

"Directors knew we understood how to move on camera, how to hit our marks and say lines. Doreen and I went up for many of the same parts. We both did 'Ozzie and Harriet' and 'Bachelor Father,' and I made the pilot for 'Archie.' I played Betty, but we never went into production."

Holdridge left the business in 1964 when she married Lance Reventlow, the son of Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton, "because that's what you did then. You married and stayed home."

Reventlow died in a plane crash in 1972.

In 1994, Holdridge married Manning Post, a prominent West Coast Democratic Party fund-raiser and advisor, who died in 2000.

MickeyMac · 01-08-2009, 07:00 PM

Whoa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I didnt even know she was sick

RIP

catlover79 · 01-08-2009, 07:04 PM

Awwww...I loved her role as "The Girl Reporter" during the first season of Bewitched. How very sad. May she

.

70s show watcher · 01-08-2009, 10:10 PM

i really liked her too

r ip

catlover79 · 01-08-2009, 10:30 PM

Here are pics of Cheryl Holdridge on her Bewitched appearance:

honeybea · 01-09-2009, 01:20 PM

A beautiful lady, so sorry to hear of her passing. I've always enjoyed watching her and remember her well from The Mickey Mouse Club.

AB · 01-09-2009, 02:58 PM

very sad news.

tdr · 01-09-2009, 05:27 PM

This is sad news. I liked "Julie Foster," even though she was rather fickle. And Cheryl was certainly cute as a younger Mouseketeer. I still have copies of a few eps of the MMC serials; kept definitely not because they are great stories or drama, but just to watch the progression of young actors like CH, Tim Considine, Annette, et al.

I never finished a fanfic about Beaver starting high school and Wally and the gang, including Julie, going off to 'State.' I may look at that over the next week or so and continue it.

catlover79 · 01-10-2009, 06:06 PM

^ If you complete it, I hope you post it here. It sounds great.

Ohio8 · 01-19-2009, 08:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catlover79

Here are pics of Cheryl Holdridge on her Bewitched appearance:

Here are some more.

catlover79 · 01-19-2009, 08:08 PM

^ Those pics are great, Don!! I can just hear Darrin saying, "I'll be with you as soon as I finish my legs - err, eggs."

MickeyMac · 01-19-2009, 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catlover79

^ Those pics are great, Don!! I can just hear Darrin saying, "I'll be with you as soon as I finish my legs - err, eggs."

I think I would have that same problem

catlover79 · 01-19-2009, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MickeyMac

I think I would have that same problem

Just a little Freudian slip.

MickeyMac · 01-21-2009, 06:38 PM

The way Cherly was sitting on Darrin's desk I can see Larry either being jealous or saying to Darrin "you son of a gun".

Ohio8 · 01-21-2009, 07:02 PM

Here's Cheryl on "My Three Sons":

01-08-2009, 06:41 PM	#1
Zoneboy RIP, I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU :( Moderator Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 13, 2003 Location: AT HOME WISHING ALL THIS WAS JUST A DREAM AND THAT I'LL WAKE UP FROM THIS NIGHTMARE. Posts: 34,408	Cheryl Holdridge (Julie Foster) 1944-2009 Link Cheryl Holdridge, the beautiful blond actress who first gained fame as a Mouseketeer on TV's "The Mickey Mouse Club" in the 1950s, has died. She was 64. Holdridge died Tuesday at her home in Santa Monica after a two-year battle with lung cancer, said Doreen Tracey, a former Mouseketeer. "What's amazing is that Cheryl and I have gone through so many things together, I'm glad I could have been there in the end too," Tracey said. Holdridge was 11 in the spring of 1956 when she auditioned and was hired for "The Mickey Mouse Club," which had debuted Oct. 3, 1955, with 24 talented youngsters who sang and danced and yet came across as the kids next door. Holdridge joined the Mouseketeers in the second season of the show, which ran until 1959. She quickly became part of the core group that appeared on the famous Mouseketeer roll call at the start of each show, along with Tracey, Annette Funicello, Tommy Cole, Cubby O'Brien, Sharon Baird, Bobby Burgess, Karen Pendleton, Lonnie Burr and Darlene Gillespie. "She was a good technical dancer, but I think she was picked mostly because she had this angelic look and a great smile. She's known for her smile," Tracey said. With a laugh, she added: "We used to try to keep her quiet when she started singing because she sang off-key." The other reason Holdridge was included in the core group was that "her fan mail was quite high, and they need those ratings," Tracey said. "We were trying to win over the American public, which we did." "Annette had the highest rating, but Cheryl came pretty close," she said. During her Mouseketeer days, Holdridge appeared in several of the show's episodic serials, including "Boys of the Western Sea" and the "Annette" series. Unlike some of the other Mouseketeers, Holdridge didn't have trouble finding work as a young actress after hanging up her Mouse ears. She went on to play Wally Cleaver's girlfriend, Julie Foster, for two seasons on "Leave it to Beaver." And she had guest roles on shows such as "The Rifleman," "Bachelor Father," "My Three Sons," "Bewitched" and "The Dick Van Dyke Show." "Our reputations as Disney players opened doors," Holdridge told the Chicago Tribune in 2001 during a Mouseketeer autograph session at a Disney memorabilia show in Bloomingdale, Ill., that drew a crowd of more than 1,000. "Directors knew we understood how to move on camera, how to hit our marks and say lines. Doreen and I went up for many of the same parts. We both did 'Ozzie and Harriet' and 'Bachelor Father,' and I made the pilot for 'Archie.' I played Betty, but we never went into production." Holdridge left the business in 1964 when she married Lance Reventlow, the son of Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton, "because that's what you did then. You married and stayed home." Reventlow died in a plane crash in 1972. In 1994, Holdridge married Manning Post, a prominent West Coast Democratic Party fund-raiser and advisor, who died in 2000.
	Last edited by Zoneboy; 01-09-2009 at 01:55 PM.

01-08-2009, 07:04 PM	#3
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,382	Awwww...I loved her role as "The Girl Reporter" during the first season of Bewitched. How very sad. May she .
	__________________ "Jesus loves you and He approves this message." "I'm alive. I'm feeling good. I'm trying to live every moment as much as I can." - Valerie Harper, March 2013

01-08-2009, 10:30 PM	#5
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,382	Here are pics of Cheryl Holdridge on her Bewitched appearance: Attached Images

01-21-2009, 07:02 PM	#15
Ohio8 Member Forum Star Join Date: Jul 29, 2003 Location: Wherever you aren't. Posts: 18,966	Here's Cheryl on "My Three Sons": Attached Images

01-08-2009, 07:00 PM	#2
MickeyMac Member Forum Star Join Date: Jun 18, 2008 Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan Posts: 19,006	Whoa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I didnt even know she was sick RIP

01-08-2009, 10:10 PM	#4
70s show watcher Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: May 20, 2008 Location: between point place and studio 8 h Posts: 4,549	i really liked her too r ip

01-09-2009, 01:20 PM	#6
honeybea Member Forum Regular Join Date: Nov 06, 2005 Location: SC Posts: 503	A beautiful lady, so sorry to hear of her passing. I've always enjoyed watching her and remember her well from The Mickey Mouse Club.

01-09-2009, 02:58 PM	#7
AB Member Eternal Member Forum Icon Join Date: Dec 26, 2006 Location: The South Posts: 59,428	very sad news.

01-09-2009, 05:27 PM	#8
tdr Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 23, 2001 Posts: 1,454	This is sad news. I liked "Julie Foster," even though she was rather fickle. And Cheryl was certainly cute as a younger Mouseketeer. I still have copies of a few eps of the MMC serials; kept definitely not because they are great stories or drama, but just to watch the progression of young actors like CH, Tim Considine, Annette, et al. I never finished a fanfic about Beaver starting high school and Wally and the gang, including Julie, going off to 'State.' I may look at that over the next week or so and continue it.

01-10-2009, 06:06 PM	#9
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,382	^ If you complete it, I hope you post it here. It sounds great.

01-19-2009, 08:08 PM	#11
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,382	^ Those pics are great, Don!! I can just hear Darrin saying, "I'll be with you as soon as I finish my legs - err, eggs."

01-21-2009, 06:38 PM	#14
MickeyMac Member Forum Star Join Date: Jun 18, 2008 Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan Posts: 19,006	The way Cherly was sitting on Darrin's desk I can see Larry either being jealous or saying to Darrin "you son of a gun".