Lynn and Lena

Two notable passings in the entertainment world occurred recently. . . .

Lynn Redgrave was a British actress as familiar to Americans as a Beatles song on the radio. She had the relative (no pun intended) career impediment of being a good actress in a family with a great one. But Lynn was able to get out of sister Vanessa's shadow in good fashion. First introduced to moviegoers in the title role in Georgy Girl, a 1966 movie about a young woman dealing with a weight problem, Lynn Redgrave came out of Swinging London swinging with talent, a talent that made her a ubiquitous presence in movies, theater, stage and television. She distinguished herself in various stage roles, both plays and musicals, and considered no role too small; only a couple of years ago, she starred in a production Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest in New Jersey. Lynn Redgrave died of breast cancer last week at 67. Her death comes a a bad time for sister Vanessa Redgrave, who lost her daughter Natasha Richardson last year and her brother more recently.

Meanwhile, I don't think I can say anything about singer/actress Lena Horne, who died Sunday at 92, that hasn't been said already. So I'll just say what's on my mind. Lena Horne was always referred to as the first black woman to be major star in Hollywood, but what makes her career important is that she succeeded in being a female Hollywood star who happened to be black. Her success paved the way for future stars such as Halle Berry, and Horne was able to succeed without having to re-invent herself. She never had to erase her accent, and she adapted to changing times without changing her style. Her 1981 one-woman Broadway show, Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music, proved that she was still relevant, glamorous, and talented at 64.

Both women will be missed. RIP. :-(