To night I was informed on my Facebook page, that Erin Moran, who played Richie Cunningham”s (Ron Howard) sister on “Happy Days”, Joanie Cunningham, and later was starred with Scott Baio on “Joanie Loves Chachi”, died tonight. Like many our our earlier TV stars, their careers start to falter, and like many of us, who run out of money and in Ms. Moran’s case, fame. It has been rumored that she had an addiction problem, and even was evicted from her Indiana trailer home. This really hit me hard, and even though I was a fan, it reminded me of another TV star from “Different Strokes”, I met her at an autograph show, and I can sensed that there was something wrong, like she just didn’t want to be part of the whole entertainment industry, she also sensed my concerned, and whispered softly to me, “I will be OK, she wasn’t OK, in due time she decided enough was enough, it was time to leave, she died from an overdose, I still wish I could of done something.
Well there is something I can do, I never knew after knowing a Chicago photographer named Richard Hertzberg for at least fifteen years, that he was a child TV star like Erin, and Dana, he was one of the neighbor kids on “My Three Sons”, named Sudsy, aka Richie Allen. Richard a a very good commercial photographer, a graduate of The Art Center of California, also had some issues that I am not at liberty to devote, he was a heavy smoker, had a heart implant but later on died from lung cancer, about two years ago I had an urge to call Richard, I knew he closed hid Chicago studio, and was able to reach out to his mother, Estele Hertzberg, a child talent scout in California, and we discussed many of the good stories we had with Richard.
Feeling remorse, and remembering that I did meet Barry and Stanley Livingston at an autograph show, and never knew Sudsy was a photographer, what they remembered most that Stanley(Chip-“My Three Sons”) loved to play roller skate hockey around the TV sets, driving the TV crew nuts.
After my wonderful talk with Richard’s mom, she wanted to know if I wanted any of her son’s photographs, I told her it would be a great idea to donate to Richard’s Photography school Alma-Mata, Art Center, after we talked I made the call if they would like to have his photos, they said yes, and thanked me.
Feeling guilty for not reaching out sooner to Richard, I was very fortunate to make contact with Stanley Livingston, and we shared some great stories about Sudsy, I asked him if there is anything I can help you with please let me know, he said that I am very welcome to lend my expertise on his motion picture production company, First Team Productions www.firstteamproductions.com. It then occurred to me, that perhaps there should be more emphasis on making new television shows that many of us loved to watched after school or after we did our homework. My first suggestion was perhaps, there might be someone who would like to produce a show like “My Three Son”, but instead called ” Those Four Daughters of Mine”, there are so many shows that I can remember, “Car 54 Where Are You?”, “Gunsmoke, or even a modern day version “This Is Your Life”, the point I am trying to make, perhaps if we can get rid of our TV reality mentality, perhaps our former TV stars, especially for many of our hundreds of stricken actresses, and actors, who find it very hard to get back to their beloved professions, of acting and singing, they would be too busy working, and wouldn’t even think of abusing their bodies and minds with addictions, and for me I finally say thank you Erin, Dana, and especially Sudsy, for entertaining me on my Television, and it’s now my turn, to change the channels for those who need our help.
Stanley Livingston is very active with many of our past TV stars, and we discussed a project that could rival the success of “Tina and Tony’s Wedding”, If there anybody in TV land that needs to know what this idea is, please call me at 630-202-1979, or email me at [email protected].