I never met the lady but I feel a real sense of loss at the passing of Carole Shelley. She had a full acting career which included stage work, screen work, TV work, animation voices, a Tony Award, etc., but right now I'm missing Gwendolyn Pigeon, one of the two Pigeon Sisters from The Odd Couple on stage, on screen and on TV. Apart from Monica Evans, who played Cecily Pigeon in all three media, can you name anyone else who originated a role on Broadway, re-created it in a movie and then played it on TV? There's probably someone but I sure can't think of who it might be.
(Well, I thought of one: In 1975, there was a pilot made for a TV sitcom version of How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying. It didn't sell but the pilot did feature as Twimble — the meek head of the mail room — Sammy Smith, who played the part in the original Broadway version and also in the movie. Anyone else?)
The movie version of The Odd Couple is one of those films I can watch over and over with undiminished enjoyment and Ms. Shelley was utterly perfect in her role as was everyone. In April of this year, I took Amber to see it at the TCM Film Festival for three reasons, four if you count the fact that I had two free passes. One was that I wanted to see it again with an audience, which is something I hadn't been able to do in fifty friggin' years. Secondly, I wanted Amber to see it since she, shockingly, didn't see it when it first came out. Not having been born yet is not much of an excuse in my book.
And third, they had Carole Shelley and Monica Evans there to talk about the film after the screening. They were delightful in every way. It was great just to be in the same room with them and to occasionally hear them giggle for real just like their characters. I'm grateful to the TCM Fest for giving us the chance to do that.
P.S. Fifteen minutes after I posted the above, John Momberg e-mailed me with the name of another actor who scored a triple-play: Yul Brynner originated the role of King Mongkut in the Broadway version of The King and I, played him again in the movie and then played the same character in the 1972 TV series, Anna and the King. The TV version wasn't based on the musical so that's a little different but it's close enough for me. Good catch, John!