It’s Friday!

This week we pay tribute to actress Janet Waldo who passed away earlier this week at the venerable age of 96. A radio, film and television actress, she enjoyed her greatest success as the title character in the long-running radio program “Meet Corliss Archer.” Yeah, I’d never heard of it either. She played that role for eight years and yet she’s best known for her portrayal of space-age teenager Judy Jetson on the Hanna-Barbera television series “The Jetsons” (1963-64.) At the time she was 43 years old. That series initially lasted only one season, but it returned in various incarnations and Waldo played teen Judy well into her sixties.

This clip is from the second episode of the original series in which Judy wins a date with rock idol Jet Screamer after writing a song for him. This song. It was actually written by legendary Hanna-Barbera music director Hoyt Curtin who also wrote the iconic opening theme for “The Jetsons.”

Waldo continued working with Hanna-Barbera for many years, providing (among others) the voices of Penelope Pitstop (Wacky Racers), Josie (Josie and the Pussycats) and some smurf (The Smurfs.)

Finally, from the “I Never Knew” department, Janet Waldo was married for 44 years to playwright Robert E. Lee who, with his partner Jerome Lawrence, wrote such theater classics as “Inherit the Wind,” “Auntie Mame,” “The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail” and “The First Monday in October.” They had two children.

Waldo and Lee, that is. Not Lawrence and Lee.

Have a groovy, space-age weekend!

Groovy Friday extra!

Here’s Janet appearing on the first season of “I Love Lucy.” Oh that voice!

Bonus GIF