Shelley and Annette - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Sal · 04-10-2013, 12:31 PM

On Monday, one of TV's earliest and most enduring child stars Annette Funicello died after a very long battle with MS. In reading her story and learning more about her life and career, I was touched by the way that her life affected others, not only her many fans who stayed with her and supported her through her career and her tragic fight with MS, but also how she managed to maintain and strengthen her friendships with many of her peers and fellow celebrities from the 50s and 60s, like the late Dick Clark, Paul Anka, Frankie Avalon, and her best friend for more than 60 years, Shelley Fabares.

Annette met Shelley in Grade 7 while Shelley was preparing for her Confirmation. They got to know each other on "The Mickey Mouse Club" when Annette became easily the most popular Mouseketeer. Ironically, Shelley's TV brother Paul Petersen was an original Mouseketeer but was fired before the show began for being, shall we say, a little too rambunctious. Walt Disney tried to take advantage of her sudden fame by featuring her in her own 10 minute serial on the show called simply "Annette". She plays a young girl named Annette McLeod who moves in with her aunt and uncle (played by sitcom veteran Richard Deacon) and struggles with adjusting to a new school and trying to make new friends, which grows increasingly difficult and frustrating for her with every episode. One girl who does become her friend as time goes on was Moselle Corey, played by Shelley. Moselle was shy and quiet and barely spoke to, or got noticed by, the more popular girls in school but soon forms a bond with Annette, who becomes someone that she can relate to and see herself in a similar fashion.

This was not unlike how both girls lived out their teen years. When the "Mickey Mouse Club" ended and Annette's recording career took off, coinciding with the success and popularity which Shelley gained from doing "The Donna Reed Show", they would meet at home away from the spotlight and simply do normal teenage girl stuff like talking on the telephone, exchanging the latest Hollywood news about their co-stars, and sit and wonder how long all this would last before they could live a normal life again. From then until Annette's death on Monday, the bond which they formed on and off the camera never weakened and was never threatened in any way and they should be very proud of that.

Today my thoughts and prayers are not only for Annette's family, friends, and fans, but also for Shelley. It takes a lot of strength to survive a tough loss like this. For it to happen so soon after the death of Bonnie Franklin, whom Shelley appeared with on "One Day At A Time" and got to be close to as well, is simply too much for anyone to have to bear and I wouldn't wish it on anybody.

GOD BLESS AMERICA'S SWEETHEARTS

bliss · 12-05-2013, 09:39 PM

Shelley is a sitcom legend and she seems never to badmouth her former co-stars.

Now Annette has joined her childhood crush Zorro's Guy Williams to the great beyond.

04-10-2013, 12:31 PM	#1
Sal Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Jul 20, 2001 Location: Oakville, Ont. Canada Posts: 6,179	Shelley and Annette On Monday, one of TV's earliest and most enduring child stars Annette Funicello died after a very long battle with MS. In reading her story and learning more about her life and career, I was touched by the way that her life affected others, not only her many fans who stayed with her and supported her through her career and her tragic fight with MS, but also how she managed to maintain and strengthen her friendships with many of her peers and fellow celebrities from the 50s and 60s, like the late Dick Clark, Paul Anka, Frankie Avalon, and her best friend for more than 60 years, Shelley Fabares. Annette met Shelley in Grade 7 while Shelley was preparing for her Confirmation. They got to know each other on "The Mickey Mouse Club" when Annette became easily the most popular Mouseketeer. Ironically, Shelley's TV brother Paul Petersen was an original Mouseketeer but was fired before the show began for being, shall we say, a little too rambunctious. Walt Disney tried to take advantage of her sudden fame by featuring her in her own 10 minute serial on the show called simply "Annette". She plays a young girl named Annette McLeod who moves in with her aunt and uncle (played by sitcom veteran Richard Deacon) and struggles with adjusting to a new school and trying to make new friends, which grows increasingly difficult and frustrating for her with every episode. One girl who does become her friend as time goes on was Moselle Corey, played by Shelley. Moselle was shy and quiet and barely spoke to, or got noticed by, the more popular girls in school but soon forms a bond with Annette, who becomes someone that she can relate to and see herself in a similar fashion. This was not unlike how both girls lived out their teen years. When the "Mickey Mouse Club" ended and Annette's recording career took off, coinciding with the success and popularity which Shelley gained from doing "The Donna Reed Show", they would meet at home away from the spotlight and simply do normal teenage girl stuff like talking on the telephone, exchanging the latest Hollywood news about their co-stars, and sit and wonder how long all this would last before they could live a normal life again. From then until Annette's death on Monday, the bond which they formed on and off the camera never weakened and was never threatened in any way and they should be very proud of that. Today my thoughts and prayers are not only for Annette's family, friends, and fans, but also for Shelley. It takes a lot of strength to survive a tough loss like this. For it to happen so soon after the death of Bonnie Franklin, whom Shelley appeared with on "One Day At A Time" and got to be close to as well, is simply too much for anyone to have to bear and I wouldn't wish it on anybody. GOD BLESS AMERICA'S SWEETHEARTS
	Last edited by Sal; 12-06-2013 at 06:03 PM.

12-05-2013, 09:39 PM	#2
bliss THAT GIRL Senior Member Join Date: Apr 26, 2009 Posts: 1,000	Shelley is a sitcom legend and she seems never to badmouth her former co-stars. Now Annette has joined her childhood crush Zorro's Guy Williams to the great beyond.