Wednesday, December 7, 2011
HARRY MORGAN DEAD AT AGE 96
Character actor Harry Morgan, best known for playing Colonel Potter in the long-running television series “M*A*S*H”, died on Wednesday morning at his home in Los Angeles. He was 96. In more than 100 movies, he played Western bad guys, characters with names like Rocky and Shorty, loyal sidekicks, judges, sheriffs, soldiers, thugs and police chiefs.
On television, he played Officer Bill Gannon who provided a light touch to Jack Webb’s always-by-the-book Sgt. Joe Friday in the updated “Dragnet,” from 1967 to 1970. He starred as Pete Porter, a harried husband, in the situation comedy “Pete and Gladys” (1960-62), reprising a role he had played on “December Bride” (1954-59). He was also a regular on “The Richard Boone Show” (1963-64), “Kentucky Jones” (1964-65), “The D.A.” (1971-72), “Hec Ramsey” (1972-74) and “Blacke’s Magic” (1986).
But to many fans he was first and foremost Col. Sherman T. Potter, commander of the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital unit in Korea. With a wry smile, flat voice and sharp humor, Harry Morgan played Colonel Potter from 1975 to 1983, when “M*A*S*H” went off the air. He replaced McLean Stevenson , who had quit the series, moving into the role on the strength of his performance as a crazed major general in an early episode.
BLAGOJEVICH SENTENCED TO 14 YEARS!
Ex-governor Rod Blagojevich has been sentenced to 14 years in prison. Blagojevich told the judge at his sentencing hearing that he acknowledges his crimes and is "unbelievably sorry." He says the mistakes he's made have been "terrible mistakes." Blagojevich's attorneys admitted for the first time Tuesday that he is guilty of corruption and accepts the verdicts against him but said the sentence of 15 to 20 years prosecutors want is too harsh. Experts had predicted Blagojevich, who long professed his innocence, would get a sentence of about 10 years. Rod reports to a Federal prison in February 2012.