Most of the obits I’ve read since former “M*A*S*H” star Harry Morgan died Wednesday, at the ripe old age of 96, failed to mention one well-publicized blemish on his lifelong resume — his arrest, in July 1996, for allegedly beating his wife in their Brentwood, Calif. home.
Morgan was already 81 at the time of the incident, in which he was charged with spousal battery after Barbara Morgan, who was 70 at the time, called cops to report that Harry had attacked her. She reportedly had a swollen foot, a quarter-inch cut near her eye and a bruised arm, according to an LA Times report.
Morgan’s wife told cops that the couple had an argument at a dinner party, which continued once they got home and escalated into violence.
The charges against Morgan were eventually dropped after he agreed to attend anger-management classes.
Sometimes the eulogies go a bit overboard. We’re all flawed.
I’m just sayin’.
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Syfy PR maven Gary Morgenstein has done it again.
And this time Morgenstein, a veteran playwright and author, has snared Brooke Shields for a reading of his new play, “A Tomato Can’t Grow in the Bronx.” The reading, which takes place Dec. 20 at the Jerry Orbach Theatre at the Snapple Theatre Center (1627 Broadway), will be directed by Philip Morgaman. Shields stars as Eleanor Abrams, “the neurotic, only daughter of Harry, a domineering old school (and fading) Bronx big shot.” Eleanor dreams of moving into her own house on Long Island, “along with her teenage son Eliot and husband Sammy,” who’ll be played by Aaron Simon Gross and Sam Seder, respectively. It’s being executive-produced by Aaron Grant. Shields is currently starring on Broadway in “The Addams Family.”
Morgenstein is a prolific playwright/author who’s also written the plays “Ponzi Man” and “Mad Mel & The Marradians” and the novels, “Loving Rabbi Thalia Kleinman,” “Jesse’s Girl,” “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” “The Man Who Wanted to Play Center Field for the New York Yankees” and the non-fiction book, “How to Find a Woman . . . Or Not.” He’s also a really good guy, by the way.
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Last, but not least:
* Ratings: Last Saturday’s “48 Hours Mystery” snared 6.8 million viewers, its best numbers since last January . . . Jay Leno’s “Tonight Show” rallied the week of Nov. 28, notching 4.1 million viewers to beat “Nightline” (3.8 million) and “Late Show” (2.8 million) . . . “Sanford and Son” star Redd Foxx, who died in 1991, would have been 89 today. Tonight’s “Entertainment Tonight” (7:30/Ch. 2) remembers his legacy.