TVSquad

Never got a dinner!

That's the phrase that leaps to mind when I hear the name Red Buttons. It was the catch phrase he used during the Dean Martin Roasts in the 70s. Buttons died of vascular disease today in Los Angeles.

Buttons was in a ton of movies over the years, including The Poseidon Adventure, They Shoot Horses, Don't They?, Hatari!, Gable and Lombard, The Big Circus, and won an Oscar for supporting actor for his performance in Sayonara.

But Buttons had a big TV career too. Besides the roasts, Buttons hosted his own variety show The Red Buttons Show in the early 50s and was a guest star on many shows since then, including Studio One, Suspense, Playhouse 90, Death Valley Days, Ben Casey, Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, Wonder Woman, Vegas, The Cosby Show, Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Roseanne, Family Law, and Early Edition. He was probably best known to younger TV audiences for his role as Ruby in several episodes of ER.

Do you ever get the feeling that as all of these classic performers pass away, a huge chunk of pop culture, of another type of era, is going too, and we're just going to be left with today's stars? Kinda sad to think about.