Sadly, legendary film and TV actress, Cloris Leachman, passed away on January 27, 2021. She was born on April 30, 1926 and lived to be 94 years old. Cloris will be fondly remembered for a variety of roles, including "The Beverly Hillbillies," "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "The Facts of Life" and more... Plus, she had multiple guest star roles on many shows, such as: "Gunsmoke," "Lassie," The Donna Reed Show," "The Love Boat," "Perry Mason," "Diagnosis Murder," "Touched by an Angel," "Promised Land" and so on...
Cloris Leachman had an extensive career in film and on TV, and it's no wonder - with her spunky, vibrant personality and dramatic flair, Cloris fit into any character, whether it was the den Mother on "Facts of Life," the cranky, recluse woman in "Prancer," the peppy, high-spirited Granny in "The Beverly Hillbillies," or even the inspirational grandmother in "I Can Only Imagine." Cloris could play all of these roles perfectly.
Hallmark fans may also recall Cloris Leachman had a role in one of the Christian based, "Love Comes Softly" pioneer era movies, "Love Takes Wing," which aired on the Hallmark Channel in 2009. Cloris played the role of Miss Hattie and helped Dr. Belinda Simpson overcome her grief and reach out to the sick orphaned children, who were in desperate need.
While I loved Cloris in so many roles, I will personally remember her best from two of her family Christmas movies. The first one is "A Little Piece of Heaven," with Lacey Chabert and Kirk Cameron, from 1991. This sweet little movie is one that always touches the heart; I sure wish they would air it on TV again. I've had it on DVD for years, and I'm so glad to see Amazon still offers it.
The second Christmas movie that Cloris Leachman has a role in that is always a must see for me each Christmas, is Prancer! To say I absolutely love this movie is an understatement. It brings me such joy to see the little girl, Jessica, reach out to show love and kindness to Cloris' character, Mrs. McFarland, who lives all alone and is forgotten by everyone else in town. It is such a beautiful scene when Mrs. McFarland comes to church during a Christmas candlelight service. I typically become a bit misty-eyed at this point. There is so much more to this movie then just believing in Santa Claus, it's about overcoming loss and restoring one's faith and Cloris' character is key to that discovery.
Please share which show or movie you enjoyed with Cloris Leachman in comments below.
Sending our love and prayers
to her dear family and friends.
God's Blessings, Net
” Christmas Movie and John Corbett was in the 2nd movie in that series, "
". This movie, unfortunately, doesn't have anything to do with the Prancer Movies, which I personally love. I know many fans would enjoy a third movie.
