On this day in comedy on September 5, 1985 The Comedy Act Theater opens its doors!
Struggling music promoter, Michael Williams was frustrated with the business. One night to break the monotony he went to a club with a friend and saw his future. A comedian named Robin Harris was on stage wreaking and convulsing the room with laughter. When Harris departed the stage, Williams stepped to him. How would Harris like to host an all-black comedy club? Having recently been snubbed by Comedy Store owner, Mitzi Shore for being “too black” this sounded like a golden opportunity. Harris asked where this club was. Williams had to tell him he didn’t know yet. He had just come up with the idea when he saw Harris.
That brainstorm didn’t take long to materialize. Soon Williams was telling Harris to report to a small storefront on Crenshaw Boulevard in what was then known as South Central L. A. or to some Leimert Park. The opening night featured many established black comedians. Robert Townsend was there along with Sinbad, Myra J, a Wayans or two and several others. Attendance was decent, but the word spread and it wasn’t long before the store front could not contain the wave of people trying to make their way inside for this new party.
The new location of The Comedy Act Theater was right around the corner on 43rd east of Crenshaw in the Regency West building owned by “Mr. Calloway” father of actress Vanessa Bell-Calloway. Business boomed and celebrities spilled out of the woodwork. Everybody was there to see the cash cow, Robin Harris.
Harris made the Comedy Act Theater the legend it became. His onstage antics were the stuff people talked about the next day and throughout the weekend. It became the place to be on Thursday –Saturday. With an old school style and rapid fire insults (he talked about patrons on the way up the stairs to the bathroom and on the way back down as well as anybody wearing something dumb or saying something stupid) and ad-libs (not to mention signature routines; most famous being Bebe’s Kids) made him the talk of Los Angeles and soon Hollywood. Industry types made caravan trips down to the hood to see him and it wasn’t long before Robin Harris was in movies; adding even greater cache to this hot night spot.
Williams expanded his original vision. He opened another Comedy Act Theater in Atlanta. It was a success; taking the fledgling career of Jamie Foxx to “must see” status and introducing the South to up & comer, Chris Tucker. Then Williams went for a trifecta and founded the Comedy Act Theater in Chicago. That’s when Williams’ fortune started to turn. The Chicago spot was an initial success, but Chicago was a comedy town and making inroads into the territory of the already established black favorite, All Jokes Aside was no small task. In this case it was an impossible one and Williams had his first defeat in comedy. The club closed.
When Harris died on March 18, 1990 of a sudden heart attack many thought the L. A. club was doomed. That first Thursday after the funeral only 15 patrons attended the show. So the search was on for a new host to re-ignite the public’s imagination. Many of the regular comedians had auditions in front of live audiences, but none were Robin and that’s what the club needed; a comic who engaged the audience. While most on the younger comedians feared the challenge, St. Louis transplant, Joe Torry saw it as an opportunity to establish himself. So he raised his hand at the right time and got the gig. Then just like Harris he was off to Hollywood. Those returning industry types liked what they saw and Torry had a film career.
Next up to bat as host was D. L. Hughley. He went the same route as Harris and Torry. His shoulder was tapped for bigger things and he followed the beckoning finger to fame. Speedy gave it a shot as did Keith Morris, but after Hughley the interest began to wane. The club had no consistent anchor and the crowds thinned. Williams was diagnosed with cancer and hospitalized. Few thought he would survive, including Williams so he left the club to be run by family who in his absence did their best, but pretty much ran it into the ground.
Atlanta’s Comedy Act Theater also closed due to family mismanagement. Michael Williams beat his form of cancer and returned to the fray, but it was all too late. His empire had all but crumbled and by the mid-90s the original Comedy Act Theater on 43rd was nothing more than a memory, but what a glorious memory it will remain.
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
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On this day in comedy on September 4, 1974 That’s My Mama debuted on ABC.
Theresa Merritt was the title character of this short-lived sitcom. Co-starring Clifton Davis as her son the show centered on the situations of a mother who wants her bachelor son to settle down and have a family. Stop running around with young, willing, nubile females who want nothing but to have fun. Time to get serious; not getting any younger talk. For crying out loud – the man was 26 years old. He worked at the barbershop he inherited from his daddy. He had two fun-loving buddies: Earl, the mailman (played by Ed Bernard for the first two episodes and then taken over by Teddy Wilson) and Junior, the neighborhood town crier (Ted Lange). Davis’ character had everything a man in his mid-20s could want so naturally his mother felt it was time to mess it all up with marriage.
That’s My Mama was set in Washington, DC. Besides, the aforementioned cast the show also featured Lynne Moody as Davis’ little sister (later played by Joan Pringle) as well as DeForest Covan and Jester Hairston as local barbershop fixtures, Wildcat and Josh. An attempt was made to spin-off some of the characters after the original went off the air, but the pilot entitled, That’s My Mama Now!! never made it to the programming schedule phase and the idea inspired by the success of the revived What’s Happening!! (What’s Happening Now!!), would be nothing more than a notion.
That’s My Mama ran for only 39 episodes due to low ratings. It aired its last show on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1975.
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
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On this day in comedy on September 4, 1960 Comedian, Actor, Writer, Producer, Damon Kyle Wayans, Sr. was born in Harlem.
In 1982 Damon Wayans began his career in stand-up comedy. In 1984 he made his first film appearance as a hotel employee offering Eddie Murphy bananas in “Beverly Hills Cop”. In 1985 Wayans was cast as a featured performer on “Saturday Night Live” for NBC. This lasted for a year. He was fired for changing a skit; playing his cop character gay instead of straight. By 1990 he was on “In Living Color” a sketch comedy show on Fox showcasing the talents of his brothers Keenan Ivory and Shawn Wayans as well as sister, Kim.
On “In Living Color” Wayans created an arrayed of memorable characters. There was Whiz (Homeboy Shopping Network), Homey D. Clown, Blaine Edwards (Men on Film), Handi-Man, Reverend Ed Cash and Anton Jackson. Wayans also did impressions of Louis Farrakhan, Little Richard and Babyface. He was the co-creator and a performer. He stuck around for two seasons and then Wayans was off to make movies.
Damon Wayans starred in a succession of hit films. He played in The Last Boy Scout with Bruce Willis, Major Payne, The Great White Hype with Samuel L. Jackson, Blankman, Mo’ Money with Stacey Dash, Hollywood Shuffle, Bulletproof with Adam Sandler and Celtic Pride, just to name a handful.
Despite cinematic fame, Wayans never strayed too far from television. He produced the animated series, “Waynehead” for Fox in 1996. It lasted one season due to poor ratings. From 1997-1998 Wayans produced the short-lived drama, “413 Hope St.” starring Richard Roundtree. He starred in “Damon” in 1998 for Fox and wrote a book about family in 1999 called “Bootleg”. From 2001-2005 Damon Wayans starred in the ABC sitcom, “My Wife and Kids”. In 2006 he produced the Showtime sketch show, “The Underground” and in 2011 he wrote a novel about the “Red Hat Society”.
Wayans has received numerous award nominations (four for acting and directing “In Living Color”; four International Press Academy’s “Golden Satellite Award”) and won the 2002 People’s Choice Award for Favorite Male Performer for his work on “My Wife and Kids”.
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
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On this day in comedy on September 3, 1902 Comedian, Actor, Mantan Moreland was born in Monroe, Louisiana.
The adolescent runaway joined a minstrel show in 1910. By 1920 Moreland was a veteran performer of vaudeville, Broadway and had toured Europe. His film debut took place in a “race film” (which he did many), but it wasn’t long before Hollywood beckoned and he was signed to Monogram Pictures and a co-starring contract to play in action pictures opposite Frankie Darro then transitioned into the role of detective Charlie Chan’s chauffer, Birmingham Brown.
In a career that included appearances in over 300 films, Moreland chiefly appeared as shoe shine boys, waiters and porters. Mantan’s physical trembling and eye bulging whenever danger was about earned him a reputation as a premier big screen funnyman. He also worked the Apollo Theater with partner, Ben Carter and was known for the routine called the Incomplete Sentence where Moreland played straight man. It involved the two comedians cutting each other off in mid-sentence in an attempt to top the other one. “Say, did you see…?” “Saw him just yesterday…didn’t look so good”. When Carter died in 1946 Mantan found other partners to fill the void, such as Nipsy Russell.
Work began to dry up for Moreland in the 1950s with the rise of the Civil Rights Movement and Hollywood’s forced re-assessment of black images. Moreland along with others were considered negative stereotypes to be avoided. In 1953 he hosted a short-lived variety show on TV called “Club Mantan”, but as I said it was short lived. In 1957 he appeared in a black production of Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot” as Estragon (Gogo) on Broadway to rave reviews, but it didn’t matter. The industry was soured on Moreland’s kind.
One bright spot in that decade was in 1955 when Shemp Howard of the Three Stooges died (unless you were a Howard). There was serious talk of replacing Shemp with Mantan, but obviously that was only serious talk. So it was back to the chitlin circuit for Moreland. He recorded a few XXX party records; one where he popularized a bit called “Ain’t My Finger (the routine revolves around two people in bed and one says to the other to stop playing and ‘get your finger away from my butt’, at which the other replies ‘I ain’t playing and that ain’t my finger.’) The gag was so popular it was sampled by the Beastie Boys and reference on the animated show “Archer”, but mostly it was just a lot waiting for something to happen for Mantan.
It got to the point where in 1959, Moreland made an apology for what he’d done. Going on record he stated he would “never play another stereotype, regardless of what Hollywood offers. The Negro, as a race, has come too far in the last few years for me to dash his hopes, dreams, and accomplishments against a celluloid wall, by making pictures that show him to be a slow-thinking, stupid dolt…Millions of people may have thought that my acting was comical, but I know now that it wasn’t always so funny to my own people.”
This apology also didn’t matter. His career languished for decades. Mantan suffered a stroke in the early 60s, but survived and found whatever work available in a slight resurgence as older generations began to forgive and the newer generation had no knowledge. He was seen in TV commercials and a couple of low budget horror films, but the resurgence was not to last. On September 28, 1973 Mantan Moreland died of a cerebral hemorrhage.
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
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On this day in comedy on September 2, 1971 Comedian, Actor, Micah Sierra “Katt” Williams was born in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Raised in Dayton and declared a genius from school officials, Williams ran away from home as an early teen and joined a carnival. He learned the tricks of entertainment traveling and experimenting; transitioning his road act into clubs and eventually settling in Inglewood, California where he gained attention hosting the Hollywood Park Casino; known as comedian Katt in the Hat.
Williams’s high energy delivery, distinctive voice and diminutive size made him stand out in the packed field of standup comedians. After several television appearances (NYPD Blue, BETs Comic View, The Tracy Morgan Show) he distinguished himself with the public in Friday After Next and was now Money Mike, the hyper co-proprietor of the fashion boutique, “Pimps & Hoes”. Behind the scenes, Williams had united fellow actors Terry Crews and K D Aubert to strengthen their small parts to be as funny as possible and it worked so well those parts were expanded and the trio stole the movie. He next was seen in Dumb and Dumberer: When Harold met Lloyd, Repos and his well-received special, Katt Williams Live: Let A Playa Play.
However, it was the HBO special Pimp Chronicles 1 that put Williams on the mainstream radar. Decked out in a green suit he was reminiscent of a mischievous leprechaun bouncing around the huge stage riffing; dropping catchphrases like, “This nigga right here” and climaxing with a sweat drenched deriding of Michael Jackson and his love of children. The show had everybody talking the next day and Williams had cemented himself as a must-see concert act.
Katt Williams was present in all mediums. He was featured as himself in the video game, Grand Theft Auto IV. He played Bobby Shaw on the Damon Wayans / Tisha Campbell sitcom, My Wife & Kids. He roasted Flavor Flav on Comedy Central. He did voice-over work for Aaron McGruder’s cartoon, The Boondocks playing A Pimp Named Slickback and the voice of Seamus in Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore. Williams did improv on Nick Cannon’s Wild N Out and recorded rap tunes with rappers.
His notable film performances included Norbit (where Eddie Griffin had to convince the producers Williams was hilarious; give him some lines and Williams proved Griffin was no liar); American Hustle (his hybrid follow up to Pimp Chronicles 1, where the first part of the film shows Williams and his openers, Luenell Campbell, Melonie Comarcho and Red Grant traveling to their gig and the second portion the concert footage of Williams) and First Sunday (he played a heterosexual choir director).
Williams 2008 It’s Pimpin, Pimpin national tour grossed $50 million. Following that 100 plus dates 6 month marathon Katt Williams formally retired in from entertainment. He popped up in a couple of films (The Obama Effect and Scary Movie 5) but stayed relatively inactive in show business until his return in 2012 with a tour and the special Kattpacalypse.
Multiple legal problems and run-ins with the police plagued Williams come back prompting him to retire once again. This was short lived (3 days) and he returned to the road for his “Growth Spurt” Tour followed up with another culminating in his HBO special, Priceless: After Life, directed by Spike Lee.
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
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On this day in comedy on September 1, 1995 “Phat Tuesday” opened for business at the Comedy Store
Since the discovery of legendary urban comedian, Robin Harris and the Comedy Act Theater in 1988, the suits of Hollywood had been going down to the hood to find up & coming black comedians. The 1992 L. A. Riots changed all that. Once flickering flames dotted the landscape and smoke billowed through the skies south of Wilshire, those same suits decided that if talent wanted to be seen they better come up to Hollywood like in the old days. Better safe than have your head bashed in like Reginald Denny.
A shutdown of career opportunities bothered Guy Torry. He had just recently gotten into the West Coast swing of comedy, following in the footsteps of older brother, Joe, not to have it snatched away by something as mundane as civil unrest. Though he himself was making inroads and getting work he didn’t want to see anybody short changed. He had an idea to bring the hood to Hollywood. So without any business, management or room running experience, Guy Torry approached the management of the Comedy Store and asked for a black night; an evening to expose the now underserved segment of talent Hollywood still wanted to see. They agreed and in 1995 Phat Tuesday was born.
The birth took place in the cramped quarters known as the Belly Room. Guy was taking over from another comedian, Dante, who’d had achieved moderate success in the upstairs 90 seater doing a mainstream show, but had supposedly seen that room run its course. Guy came in doing a black show and his 4-week trial run turned into a decade long marathon. After 9 months the crowds had blown up to Main Room capacity (400 seats) and Torry got a once a month- first Tuesday of the month shot on the big floor. In no time he had that platform every week and his night was the place to be.
Phat Tuesday not only brought out the industry with their entourages looking for fresh comedy meat, but all the other meat in town as well. There were working girls and hustling guys, wanna be’s and never wassus. The room was always packed with celebrities, athletes, models, porn stars, politicians and regular old folks. The Comedy Store couldn’t have been happier. Why not? They were making money by the buckets (with raised liquor prices and increased entry fees over the other mainstream nights).
The audience was also getting riches; that’s because Guy was a task master when it came to the talent. He knew the tradition of the Comedy Store and its history. Guy knew the club was once Ciro’s, the hottest night club in Hollywood in the 50s and 60s and the place Sammy Davis Jr. was discovered by the mainstream. He knew all the other top shelf icons who had graced that hallowed stage throughout the years and he was intent on living up to that legacy. Guy took this historic opportunity seriously and he was determined to have the comedians take it just as seriously. There was no B Game at Phat Tuesday. If you didn’t bring your A-Game Guy would never let you play there again. Nothing personal.
Phat Tuesday was the place deals were made. The eager, yet trying to be blasé L. A. audience, were treated to the best black comedy had to offer. The comics who were what the industry were looking for got that look and that movie, TV or touring deal. Of course comedians became more cut throat than usual when they knew bigshots were in the house and Guy would get hit up with requests for guest spots. That wasn’t the way he ran Phat Tuesday. The crowd got the comedians that were booked. Guy knew how he wanted his shows to flow. It wasn’t about favors, bribes or the offering of coochie. If you weren’t on the list or weren’t funny enough to be on the lists you could keep your little coochie. Guy was about the integrity of his night.
Guy was also a host who got his look. The renamed Phat Tuesday (The Guy Torry Comedy Show) afforded him a weekly showcase and Hollywood took notice. Guy appeared in sitcoms, films and toured with the Original Kings of Comedy (on their first leg as the host before D. L. Hughley came aboard). He produced live specials for Magic Johnson, Martin Lawrence, The L. A. Clippers and others and had a reputation for excellence. So with the vast career opportunities and the increasing demands of running a successful show, Guy Torry said good-bye to the biggest night in comedy history in the year 2005. He passed the torch then sat back and watched the phenomenon he created continue to shine; though without quite the amber hot glow he brought to it.
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
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On this day in comedy on August 31, 1971 Comedian, Actor, Chris Tucker was born in Atlanta, Georgia.
Tucker briefly honed his comedy craft in Atlanta comedy clubs such as Atlanta’s Comedy Act Theater before moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career. Following a disappointing result at the Bay Area Black Comedy Competition, Def Comedy Jam talent scout, Bob Sumner cornered Tucker and told him he felt the comedian had been robbed by the judges. He also told him he’d be on HBO the next season – first show of the new season – first slot. Tucker left an indelible impression. With high energy and a likability that translated, Tucker passed his audition before a national audience.
The stand-up comedian was now an in demand talent and made a rapid succession of films. His debut was a small part in Robert Townsend’s The Meteor Man followed by playing Johnny Booze in House Party 3 where he picked up his first of many award nominations for Best Comedic Performance. Next up was his signature role as Smokey, the lovable weedhead out to make the day of his fired friend Craig (ice Cube) a good day in the runaway hit Friday. That was followed up by The Fifth Element with Bruce Willis; a flamboyant role Tucker initially had reservations about how to portray. The end result was a performance praised by critics. He appeared in Panther, Dead Presidents, Jackie Brown and co-starred with Charlie Sheen in 1997’s Money Talks. And then came Rush Hour.
The first Rush Hour martial arts action comedy paired Tucker and Jackie Chan as diverse styled officers of the law: one a motor-mouthed LAPD detective and the other an inspector from Hong Kong. The hilarious combination spawned two sequels and the films were so well received internationally that the franchise made Tucker the highest paid co-star ($20 million for Rush Hour 2 and $25 million for Rush Hour 3) in Hollywood history.
Tucker’s influence extended beyond the silver screen. Socially he was friends with superstar, Michael Jackson and appeared in his video. Politically he traveled with other friend, former US President, Bill Clinton. Tucker returned to stand-up in 2011 and in 2012 he was featured in the highly acclaimed film, Silver Linings Playbook along with Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence and Robert DeNiro. The cast won the Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast.
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
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On this day in comedy on August 30, 1953 Comedian, Actor, Robin Hughes Harris born in Chicago, Illinois.
Discovered by ventriloquist, Richard Sanfield washing cars for a rental agency, Harris was encouraged by the recording and touring artist to consider comedy. Harris gained experience opening for Sanfield and auditioned to be a regular at Hollywood’s World Famous Comedy Store in 1980. Owner, Mitzi Shore told him his act was “too Black” and so he went to where that was an asset not an insult. He was approached by then struggling promoter, Michael Williams and a partnership was formed. On September 5, 1985 Williams opened the first black comedy club in Los Angeles, The Comedy Act Theater and Harris was his host.
The club became the place to be on Thursday –Saturday and Harris was the man to see. His old school style and rapid fire insults (he talked about patrons on the way up the stairs to the bathroom and on the way back down as well as anybody wearing something dumb or saying something stupid) and ad-libs (not to mention signature routines; most famous being Bebe’s Kids) made him the talk of Los Angeles and soon Hollywood. Major Black celebrities would talk about Harris during so many outings with their non-black reps that they wanted to see him. When they were told he didn’t perform in Hollywood (the usual showcase city) the industry types made caravan trips down to the hood to see him. And what they saw made dollar signs jump in their eyes.
Robin Harris was soon in the movie making business. He debuted in Keenan Ivory Wayans, I’m Gonna Git You Sucka. He played Kid’s (of Kid & Play) father, Pops, in the original House Party (he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor by the Independent Spirit Awards). He appeared briefly in Eddie Murphy’s Harlem Nights. His next role and some say his most memorable was as Sweet Dick Willie in Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing. Harris was part of a trio of bench sitters commenting on what goes on in the neighborhood. The only thing missing was the dominoes. He was then seen in Lee’s Mo’ Better Blues, starring Denzel Washington and Wesley Snipes playing the part of night club comedian, Butterbean.
Television also came calling. Harris was pegged to be the host of HBO’s Def Comedy Jam. It was rumored CBS had a show in the works to star Harris and fellow L.A. comedy mainstay, Reynaldo Rey. There was also the film The Last Boy Scout to co-star Harris and Bruce Willis, but on March 18, 1990 the avalanche of a career ended. Robin Harris died of a heart attack after a sold out show at Chicago’s Regal Theater. He was only 36 years old, but he spawned what came to be known as the Urban Comedy Boom.
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
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On this day in comedy on August 29, 1977 Comedienne, Actress, Aida Rodriguez (Aida Margarita Paradas Rodriguez) was born in Boston, Massachusetts.
Rodriguez was taken to the Dominican Republic soon after her birth. From there she studied English at Florida State University before getting into modeling, getting married, getting divorced and becoming a driven comedienne. Rodriguez kept a busy schedule as a personal appearance performer who’s toured with Kim Coles and many others.
Aida Rodriguez was also a busy actress. Her filmography began in 2006 in the role of Ida in Black Woman’s Guide to Finding a Good Man. She also appeared in The Adventures of Umbweki and Bailando (2007), The Greatest Song and Fotonovela (2008), The Rub (2009) and Braniacs In La La Land (2010). Rodriguez appeared on Stand Up and Deliver in 2013 and in 2014 Aida Rodriguez gained national prominence as a competitor on NBC’s Last Comic Standing hosted by J. B. Smoove with Keenan Ivory Wayans, Roseanne Barr and Russell Peters serving as judges. Though she did not win (that was Rodman), Rodriguez received rave critiques both from the panel and audience (where it matters).
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
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On this day in comedy on August 29, 1917 Comedic Actress, Isabel Sanford (born Eloise Gwendolyn Sanford) was born in Harlem, New York.
Best known as Louise Jefferson from the hit CBS sitcom, The Jeffersons, we’re lucky to have ever seen Sanford in anything. She was the last out of seven children, none who survived past infancy. This apparently caused her mother to be overly protective, keeping young Isabel in church most of the time and there was an aversion to the dream she had of going into show business. Regardless, the aspiring performer was hard headed and cut her teeth in night clubs, winding up on amateur night at the Apollo. She became a member of Harlem’s American Negro Theater as well as the Star Players and worked the off-Broadway circuit starting in 1946.
Sanford’s personal life was fraught with drama. She worked as a key punch operator for IBM and was married to a house painter that she’d constantly battle. That relationship produced three children, but ended in 1960 when Sanford separated and took the off-spring to California. Her husband died soon after their departure due to a fight.
In the golden state Sanford was approached by famed actress, Tallulah Bankhead to join the production, Here Today. That led to other prominent roles and her Broadway debut in James Baldwin’s, The Amen Corner. Films soon followed and Sanford was cast in the Sidney Poitier starring vehicle, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner in 1967. That role as a maid was seen by producer, Norman Lear. He offered her the part of Louise Jefferson on his ground-breaking sitcom, All in the Family. That led to the spin-off The Jeffersons, which at the offset Sanford was reluctant to accept based on the uncertainty of job security on television.
Isabel Sanford’s fears were immediately put to rest when The Jeffersons became an overnight success. The show rans for 11 seasons and 253 episodes. For her efforts as the wife of an upwardly mobile bigoted dry cleaning mogul, Sanford earned multiple Golden Globe and Emmy nominations and was the first (and so far, the only) African-American female to win the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (1981). Once it ended its run in 1985, she had her own five-day-a-week syndicated sitcom, Isabel’s Honeymoon Hotel, in 1987, but due to low ratings it was soon cancelled. Sanford spent the remainder of her career guest-starred in other sitcoms (Living Single, Dream On, Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper, The Steve Harvey Show), doing a film here and there (Original Gangstas, Sprung, Mafia!) and occasionally revising her signature character along with co-star, Sherman Hemsley in a touring show, The Real Live Jeffersons and on television (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, The Simpsons) and on a series of Old Navy and Denny’s commercials.
Isabel Sanford passed away on July 9, 2004 following surgery on her carotid artery and a lengthy stay in Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
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