The Barbra Colby Murder.

[callmetootie]

In the first episode of Phyllis, Julie Erkstine is played by Barbra Colby. Shorlty after the episode was filmed, Barbra Colby was murdered by a maniac. She was replaced by Liz Torres. Post your comments on this topic here.

------------------
Andrew Carden

[APPLEI]

I THINK I REMEMBER BARBRA COLBY WAS IN THE FIRST 3 EPISODES AND BARBRA COLBY AND HER BOYFRIEND JAMES KIERNAN WHO JUST COMPLETED AN EPISODE OF RHODA WERE GUNNED DOWN IN A DARKED PARKING LOT WHERE THEIR CAR WAS PARKED ON JULY 24 1975 BY A COUPLE OF GANG MEMBERS.SADLY CBS WOULD'NT AIR AN EULOGY A GRIEVING CLORIS LEACHMAN GAVE THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO AIR AFTER BARBRA COLBYS FINAL EPISODE AIRED.ONE OF THE SADNESS MOMENTS IN THE HISTORY OF TELEVISION!

[callmetootie]

Barbra Colby only played Julie is one episode. If you look on IMDB, it only says that she was in one 1975 episode. She was replcaed by Liz Torres only a few days after the shooting.

------------------
Andrew Carden

[TRAVIS]

barbara colby was on 'three' episodes of phyllis, not just one.

[Nanny Fine]

Originally posted by TRAVIS
barbara colby was on 'three' episodes of phyllis, not just one.

She was in

Hello Mrs. Lindstrom
Boss, Is You A woman now?
Up For Grabs

[Nanny Fine]

Did they ever find out who killed them?

[PracTz]

Originally posted by Nanny Fine
Did they ever find out who killed them?

To the best of my knowledge- no!:crying:
BTW, though separated at the time of her murder, Barbara Colby was the daughter-in-law of Ethel Merman who'd attend her funeral and have a strong meltdown over the atrocity!

[Nanny Fine]

Originally posted by PracTz
To the best of my knowledge- no!:crying:
BTW, though separated at the time of her murder, Barbara Colby was the daughter-in-law of Ethel Merman who'd attend her funeral and have a strong meltdown over the atrocity!

That's terrible. So was there a motive for the murder or did the investigators think it was random?

I just watched the 3 episodes with Barbara in them as I taped them for someone and I had not realized what happened until after I watched them.

Very sad.

[hawaii five-o]

I heard that Cloris Leachman wanted to give an on air eulogy to Barbara Colby following an episode of "Phyllis", but CBS said no.

[TJAMES03]

Something sounds strange here. While there are murders all of the time, 98 percent of them are not random even if the motive of the murderer itself is trivial. I would think that there would be a major investigation into two such brutal murders. Were they robbed of their belongings, etc? Could it have even been a deranged "fan" of Miss Colby's? It seems as though the murderer(s) knew EXACTLY where Miss Colby and her friend would be and at the exact right moment too. It also seems to me that there was very little (if any) effort to find the culprits. I would think that at the time (I wasn't even born yet), that their murders would have been quite high profile. I find it hard to believe that no one bragged to anyone else that they were indeed the culprits (especially if it was gang related). Was there a reward offered in this case? Like Benjamin Franklin said, "Three people can keep a secret only if two of them are dead." It is human nature (especially for criminals) to brag about something that they have done. Many criminals commit crimes simply for the notoriety factor - yet their murders became a "cold case" almost immediately after they were commited. I think that there is more to this case than meets the proverbial and literal eye.

[CeeBO]

The case remains unsolved. who knows if it ever will be. Anything is possible. I have heard that Colby and Kiernan were dating, or at least, very good friends.

Barbara and James were giving an acting class that night in July, 1975. They both had background in stage work. Apparently, Barbara loved the theatre, and had misgivings about joining a television series. She had worked with Cloris before, liked the MTM family, and the money and exposure would be great, even if the show wasn't a hit. The third episode was in the can, and I believe the fourth, "Leaving Home", was in pre-production. Probably Colby already had a script.

The two were approached in a parking garage, and told to put up their hands. Being native New Yorker's they took what they thought was a "mugging" in stride. Shots were fired. Barbara died instantly...at least she didn't suffer. James survived (painfully) for a short while, long enough to relate the account to authorities.

The cast and crew of "Phyllis" were, of course, stunned. Leachman was especially saddened by the tragedy, and has remarked that it was an event that was extremely difficult for her. She and Colby had become close, and enjoyed working together.

A brief eulogy was filmed, and I understand that Cloris wanted to air it before the third episode aired. The show had yet to hit the airwaves, and MTM President Grant Tinker decided against it. I think it was felt that the home audience (who was promised a night full of laughs with the line-up of "Rhoda", "Phyllis", "Maude" and "All In The Family") would find it too depressing. Probably the network had the final say.

I have most of the transcript of what Cloris said in the eulogy, if anyone is interested.

Grant Tinker said of Barbara Colby: "If there was a kinder, nicer lady, I have never met her. She was loved by everyone".

I know that she was only in the show a brief time, and I love Liz Torrez. But check out the chemistry Colby, Leachman and Schaal share in the second episode, "Bess, Is You A Woman Now?". Great stuff.

Christopher

[TVFactFan]

The case remains unsolved. who knows if it ever will be. Anything is possible. I have heard that Colby and Kiernan were dating, or at least, very good friends.

Barbara and James were giving an acting class that night in July, 1975. They both had background in stage work. Apparently, Barbara loved the theatre, and had misgivings about joining a television series. She had worked with Cloris before, liked the MTM family, and the money and exposure would be great, even if the show wasn't a hit. The third episode was in the can, and I believe the fourth, "Leaving Home", was in pre-production. Probably Colby already had a script.

The two were approached in a parking garage, and told to put up their hands. Being native New Yorker's they took what they thought was a "mugging" in stride. Shots were fired. Barbara died instantly...at least she didn't suffer. James survived (painfully) for a short while, long enough to relate the account to authorities.

The cast and crew of "Phyllis" were, of course, stunned. Leachman was especially saddened by the tragedy, and has remarked that it was an event that was extremely difficult for her. She and Colby had become close, and enjoyed working together.

A brief eulogy was filmed, and I understand that Cloris wanted to air it before the third episode aired. The show had yet to hit the airwaves, and MTM President Grant Tinker decided against it. I think it was felt that the home audience (who was promised a night full of laughs with the line-up of "Rhoda", "Phyllis", "Maude" and "All In The Family") would find it too depressing. Probably the network had the final say.

I have most of the transcript of what Cloris said in the eulogy, if anyone is interested.

Grant Tinker said of Barbara Colby: "If there was a kinder, nicer lady, I have never met her. She was loved by everyone".

I know that she was only in the show a brief time, and I love Liz Torrez. But check out the chemistry Colby, Leachman and Schaal share in the second episode, "Bess, Is You A Woman Now?". Great stuff.

Christopher



Chris is the "Bess Is you a Woman Now?" one of the eps you sent me? I don;t have the list in front of me

[CeeBO]

Yes. You have all three of the Barbara Colby episodes, wich I included as a bonus. The unedited version of "Bess, Is You A Woman Now?" is on the vhs.

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody.

[TVFactFan]

Yes. You have all three of the Barbara Colby episodes, wich I included as a bonus. The unedited version of "Bess, Is You A Woman Now?" is on the vhs.

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody.


Ok. Your Tape will be done and shipped on Monday

[MikeL]

does anyone got any pics of late Barbera colby so we can see what she am use look like.any availabel

[TJAMES03]

does anyone got any pics of late Barbera colby so we can see what she am use look like.any availabel

Here are the ones that I came across. The first one is of BC from the premiere episode of Phyllis and the other three are from a Columbo movie that she was in in which she played Lily LaSanka.

[MikeL]

she was pretty to bad she gone.hey who is the girl sittign by phyllis.in the picture above.my god barbera looked young

[comedyfreak]

I remember seeing her on an episode of The Odd Couple where Felix and Oscar go to an Island resort. She is the woman at the bar.

[JO jr]

The case remains unsolved. who knows if it ever will be. Anything is possible. I have heard that Colby and Kiernan were dating, or at least, very good friends.

Barbara and James were giving an acting class that night in July, 1975. They both had background in stage work. Apparently, Barbara loved the theatre, and had misgivings about joining a television series. She had worked with Cloris before, liked the MTM family, and the money and exposure would be great, even if the show wasn't a hit. The third episode was in the can, and I believe the fourth, "Leaving Home", was in pre-production. Probably Colby already had a script.

The two were approached in a parking garage, and told to put up their hands. Being native New Yorker's they took what they thought was a "mugging" in stride. Shots were fired. Barbara died instantly...at least she didn't suffer. James survived (painfully) for a short while, long enough to relate the account to authorities.

The cast and crew of "Phyllis" were, of course, stunned. Leachman was especially saddened by the tragedy, and has remarked that it was an event that was extremely difficult for her. She and Colby had become close, and enjoyed working together.

A brief eulogy was filmed, and I understand that Cloris wanted to air it before the third episode aired. The show had yet to hit the airwaves, and MTM President Grant Tinker decided against it. I think it was felt that the home audience (who was promised a night full of laughs with the line-up of "Rhoda", "Phyllis", "Maude" and "All In The Family") would find it too depressing. Probably the network had the final say.

I have most of the transcript of what Cloris said in the eulogy, if anyone is interested.

Grant Tinker said of Barbara Colby: "If there was a kinder, nicer lady, I have never met her. She was loved by everyone".

I know that she was only in the show a brief time, and I love Liz Torrez. But check out the chemistry Colby, Leachman and Schaal share in the second episode, "Bess, Is You A Woman Now?". Great stuff.

Christopher

I JUST READ ABOUT THE MURDER, AND THE EULOGY CLORIS WANTED TO GIVE. I UNDERSTAND IT'S A LATE REQUEST, BUT IF YOU STILL HAVE THE EULOGY INFO, CAN YOU PLEASE POST IT? I WOULD LIKE TO READ IT. THANKU

[Edster2973]

I JUST READ ABOUT THE MURDER, AND THE EULOGY CLORIS WANTED TO GIVE. I UNDERSTAND IT'S A LATE REQUEST, BUT IF YOU STILL HAVE THE EULOGY INFO, CAN YOU PLEASE POST IT? I WOULD LIKE TO READ IT. THANKU

As would I... please post it or send to me privately.

Thanks!

Ed

[McGillicuddy]

This is one of the saddest stories in sit-com history! I wonder if Phyllis would have been a more sucessful series, if Barbara Colby had survived, and continued as Julie. (Nothing against Liz Torres) :(

[catlover79]

This is one of the saddest stories in sit-com history! I wonder if Phyllis would have been a more sucessful series, if Barbara Colby had survived, and continued as Julie. (Nothing against Liz Torres) :(
Not to sound morbid, but I think this tragedy jinxed the show from the start. Other actors passed on during the show's run (the older actors, of natural causes), which just made it more morbid (in my opinion). I do feel for Cloris and the rest of the cast/crew - they did the best they could in a tough situation.

[LittleRickyII]

Not to sound morbid, but I think this tragedy jinxed the show from the start. Other actors passed on during the show's run (the older actors, of natural causes), which just made it more morbid (in my opinion). I do feel for Cloris and the rest of the cast/crew - they did the best they could in a tough situation.

First Barbara Colby in Jul '75, then Judith Lowry (Mother Dexter) in Nov '76, then Burt Mustin (Arthur Lanson) in Jan '77. And Jane Rose (Audrey Dexter) passed away from cancer in June '79, only two years after the series had ended. So even if the show had continued beyond two seasons, it would have lost a fourth cast member after the fourth year. And frankly, other than Cloris Leachman herself, I think Barbara Colby, Judith Lowry, Burt Mustin and Jane Rose were the biggest bright spots in this series. Without them, there wasn't too much point to continuing this show.

[catlover79]

First Barbara Colby in Jul '75, then Judith Lowry (Mother Dexter) in Nov '76, then Burt Mustin (Arthur Lanson) in Jan '77. And Jane Rose (Audrey Dexter) passed away from cancer in June '79, only two years after the series had ended. So even if the show had continued beyond two seasons, it would have lost a fourth cast member after the fourth year. And frankly, other than Cloris Leachman herself, I think Barbara Colby, Judith Lowry, Burt Mustin and Jane Rose were the biggest bright spots in this series. Without them, there wasn't too much point to continuing this show.
:yeahthat Exactly.

[catlover79]

I also loved Barbara as Sherry the prostitute on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. She played the role in two episodes in Season 5, and made the dress that literally showed Mary off. :lol:

[scotsguy]

I think it was a mistake to keep the role of Julie on,they should have made Liz Torres,Julie's cousin or something.
The first season of Phyllis was better than the first due to the office setting in the 2nd season,shame Phyllis didn't run for a third season.
I think the 4th and fifth seasons of Rhoda were very poor,script wise,compared to the first three seasons.

[McGillicuddy]

The fact that this high profile murder mystery was never solved, makes it so much more tragic. Family, friends, and co-workers as well as fans of Ms. Colby probably never had any closure.

[Edster2973]

The fact that this high profile murder mystery was never solved, makes it so much more tragic. Family, friends, and co-workers as well as fans of Ms. Colby probably never had any closure.

Was it high profile? I've yet to find any real info on the matter. Granted, it's been since 1975 but still, you'd think something would be posted, even an acknowledgement that it's indeed a cold case.

Tragic...

Ed

[McGillicuddy]

I just said that because she was an actress. I guess maybe it wasn't high profile, but my point is, its sad it wasnt solved.

[Edster2973]

I just said that because she was an actress. I guess maybe it wasn't high profile, but my point is, its sad it wasnt solved.

I see... I wasn't trying to nitpick. I just wasn't aware if you knew more than I did. I was only 2 1/2 years old when she was murdered. You could be older than I am and remember more from that time. And I agree that it wasn't solved.

If I have time, I plan to stop by the library and do a news article search for the case and see what I can dredge up. It's frustrating not knowing the full story. Come this July, she'll have been gone for the same amount of years that she lived. Very tragic. For some reason, there were a few 70s murders that were never solved. Christa Helm, for one, is another example (she was Rita in a Wonder Woman episode "Beauty on Parade" and was found stabbed to death one morning; the case has never been solved).

They say everything happens in life for a reason. Hopefully Ms. Colby has gotten her answer, even if no answer to us could ever seem good enough.

Ed

[LittleRickyII]

Was it high profile? I've yet to find any real info on the matter. Granted, it's been since 1975 but still, you'd think something would be posted, even an acknowledgement that it's indeed a cold case.

Tragic...

Ed

It was kind of high profile in that Phyllis was a highly anticipated new series. There was a lot more excitement back in those days around new fall TV series, especially ones that were spin-offs of hit TV shows. Rhoda had been a big hit the year before, and the same was expected of Phyllis. The murder, of course, happened before Phyllis even hit the airwaves, but I remember hearing about it right after it happened. I specifically remember reading about it in TV Guide. So people were well aware, not because they knew who Barbara Colby -- for the most part, they didn't -- but because everyone knew this series was about to launch. However, I suppose Ms. Colby may have been in the minds of some because of those two memorable appearances as a prostitute during the previous season on Mary Tyler Moore.

[Edster2973]

It was kind of high profile in that Phyllis was a highly anticipated new series. There was a lot more excitement back in those days around new fall TV series, especially ones that were spin-offs of hit TV shows. Rhoda had been a big hit the year before, and the same was expected of Phyllis. The murder, of course, happened before Phyllis even hit the airwaves, but I remember hearing about it right after it happened. I specifically remember reading about it in TV Guide. So people were well aware, not because they knew who Barbara Colby -- for the most part, they didn't -- but because everyone knew this series was about to launch. However, I suppose Ms. Colby may have been in the minds of some because of those two memorable appearances as a prostitute during the previous season on Mary Tyler Moore.

One thing I never understood was the reason why they kept the first 3 episodes intact with Barbara Colby in them. If the show thought it was too depressing to have the spectre of what happened to her "haunt" the show, why not re-shoot the scenes with Liz Torres as to minimize the impact Barbara Colby's death would have on the show? It wouldn't have been that difficult since she wasn't in every scene.

Don't get me wrong. I much prefer that they didn't reshoot her scenes. But if the show was trying to outrun the spectre of her murder, it seems a "duhhh" moment would be to reshoot the scenes she was in so that the public would be none the wiser.

Perhaps it was considered and, out of respect to her, they decided to give her her due. Who knows. I'm glad we have the scenes to watch but overall, it doesn't seem to make good business sense. But I guess we have the benefit of hindsight...

Ed

[LittleRickyII]

I think it was a mistake to keep the role of Julie on,they should have made Liz Torres,Julie's cousin or something.
The first season of Phyllis was better than the first due to the office setting in the 2nd season,shame Phyllis didn't run for a third season.
I think the 4th and fifth seasons of Rhoda were very poor,script wise,compared to the first three seasons.

I agree with everything you wrote. I liked both Barbara Colby and Liz Torres, but the new office cast in the second season left no impression whatsoever. Those new characters were rather bland. As for Rhoda, the criticism back in those days was that when they gave her her own series, Rhoda was no longer Rhoda. Viewers had empathy and were amused by her sarcastic New York approach to dealing with her struggles on MTM, primarily her awkward dating life and inability to find "Mr. Right," and her humble lifestyle, her weight problems. Then on Rhoda, once the writers got past all the wedding and newlywed and getting-to-know-each other storylines, they didn't know what to do with her. She had her Mr. Right, she had a cool apartment, she was slim and no longer had weight issues, so Rhoda no longer seemed like Rhoda. They first tried to undo some of what had made her less interesting by getting rid of the husband during the third season. But she was still left with a nice apartment (alimony?) and a slim body, so not a whole lot to complain about. Moreover, there was no friend like Mary hanging around with a "perfect" life to draw contrast with Rhoda's life, so the fun just wasn't there. So little by little, they seemed to be trying to turn Rhoda into The Mary Tyler Moore Show, with Rhoda morphing into sort of a Mary Richards, and Brenda becoming the old, awkward Rhoda. They even gave Rhoda an arrogant and shallow Ted Baxter-like friend, Johnny Venture, and a boss who looked and acted like Lou Grant. But in the end, he was no Lou Grant, Johnny Venture was no Ted Baxter, Rhoda was no Mary Richards, and Brenda was no Rhoda. It simply didn't work.

[McGillicuddy]

Another murder, actor Sal Mineo, stabbed to death in 1976, but his was solved in 1979.

[LittleRickyII]

One thing I never understood was the reason why they kept the first 3 episodes intact with Barbara Colby in them. If the show thought it was too depressing to have the spectre of what happened to her "haunt" the show, why not re-shoot the scenes with Liz Torres as to minimize the impact Barbara Colby's death would have on the show? It wouldn't have been that difficult since she wasn't in every scene.

I think that would have been very difficult to do because some of those scenes included guest actors, like the wake scene in the first episode where Julie first meets Phyllis. There were guest characters in that scene and a re-shoot might not have worked because of conflicting schedules. It might have required re-shooting the entire episode with completely different actors, which would have involved recasting, would have cost a lot of money, and there probably wouldn't have been time to do that and still get on the air in time.

[Edster2973]

Another murder, actor Sal Mineo, stabbed to death in 1976, but his was solved in 1979.

I never heard of him but just did a quick google picture search on him. My God he was hottttt...

Ed

[Edster2973]

I think that would have been very difficult to do because some of those scenes included guest actors, like the wake scene in the first episode where Julie first meets Phyllis. There were guest characters in that scene and a re-shoot might not have worked because of conflicting schedules. It might have required re-shooting the entire episode with completely different actors, which would have involved recasting, would have cost a lot of money, and there probably wouldn't have been time to do that and still get on the air in time.


Hmmm, many of the guest actors in that scene (who weren't part of the regular cast already) were not big names in the industry and did NOT play a pivotal role in later scenes, so replacing them to accomodate the change in Julie's would've been more than plausible. Again, it might have been done out of respect to Barbara. It's been noted that Cloris was especially bereft and might have insisted those 3 episodes remain untouched. Who knows.

I'm just glad we got to see them, that's all (well, the first 2 for me; I've never seen any eps of the show except for the first 2 eps).

Ed

[TV_on_the_Porch]

I'm pretty sure I recall that the first three episodes remained intact at Cloris' insistance. The network went along with that--it did not go along with allowing her a brief on-air eulogy for Barbara. I think that was a pretty fair compromise under the circumstances.

BTW...you never heard of Sal Mineo? Seriously?? Gawd, make me feel oldddddd why dontcha! :happyface

You should rent 'Rebel Without a Cause'. The very hot Mr. Mineo was never hotter than in 'Rebel' and (remarkable for 1955) his character is clearly smitten with that of costar James Dean.

Um...you have heard of James Dean...? :lol:

[LittleRickyII]

I'm pretty sure I recall that the first three episodes remained intact at Cloris' insistance. The network went along with that--it did not go along with allowing her a brief on-air eulogy for Barbara. I think that was a pretty fair compromise under the circumstances.

That makes sense. It also seems like it would have been very difficult to reshoot those scenes several weeks or more after they were originally filmed without getting off schedule. That first episode had to be in final form quickly because it was the premiere episode and had to be on track to go on air in September, before any other episode. By the time of the murder, the first episode was probably very far along in the editing process. So in order to re-shoot scenes, first they had to find someone to replace Barbara Colby; then bring back the guest actors who had appeared in scenes with her -- assuming they were still available and, if not, recast them; then do all the re-staging, re-shooting, re-editing, and get it all wrapped up in time for a September airing. And on top of this, it would have to be done without impacting the shooting schedule of other episodes in process. And of course, there were possible budget constraints. All in all, a pretty tall order.

BTW...you never heard of Sal Mineo? Seriously?? Gawd, make me feel oldddddd why dontcha! :happyface

You should rent 'Rebel Without a Cause'. The very hot Mr. Mineo was never hotter than in 'Rebel' and (remarkable for 1955) his character is clearly smitten with that of costar James Dean.

Um...you have heard of James Dean...? :lol:

I know how you feel. I'm not greatly familiar with Sal Mineo, but certainly aware of who he was. And speaking of Sal Mineo, James Dean, and Rebel Without a Cause, check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eCdH4TAMOQ . . . and this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFJjSPE-mb8&feature=related

[McGillicuddy]

Actually, I only am aware of Mineo because his murder it seems was much more publicised than Ms. Colby's. I'm not really sure of how well known he actually is/was. I think I will check out Rebel, besides I've never actually watched anything with the legendary James Dean.

[Edster2973]

Um...you have heard of James Dean...? :lol:


James who? (tongue firmly in cheek)


Ed

[OOliver]

"But in the end, he was no Lou Grant, Johnny Venture was no Ted Baxter, Rhoda was no Mary Richards, and Brenda was no Rhoda. It simply didn't work."


This is so true. They just should have left Rhoda as Rhoda when she moved back to Manhattan, rather than 'glam her up' and turn her into Mary.

[catlover79]

"But in the end, he was no Lou Grant, Johnny Venture was no Ted Baxter, Rhoda was no Mary Richards, and Brenda was no Rhoda. It simply didn't work."


This is so true. They just should have left Rhoda as Rhoda when she moved back to Manhattan, rather than 'glam her up' and turn her into Mary.
Exactly.

[Torgo]

Actually, I only am aware of Mineo because his murder it seems was much more publicised than Ms. Colby's. I'm not really sure of how well known he actually is/was. I think I will check out Rebel, besides I've never actually watched anything with the legendary James Dean.

Sal Mineo was a very well known actor(and I remember my mom telling me about him being a heartthrob when she was a teen). Not only was he in Rebel Without A Cause with James Dean, they also appeared together in Giant. James Dean had wanted to do a third movie with Mineo, but sadly that never happened.
Besides his roles with Dean, Mineo also made a huge splash with his appearance as the titular character in both the TV version(on Studio One), and the theatrical version of 'Dino'.

[LittleRickyII]

Thanks to "wayman" for turning me on to Google News. What a great service! I was able to track down a lot of articles from 1975 on the murder of Barbara Colby and it's impact on Phyllis. As I remember, it did get a lot of press attention back then. I noticed, also, that she was already getting a fair amount of press before her murder, clearly an up and coming performer.

The murders took place on July 24, 1976. As you can see in one of the articles below, it was reported on August 29, 1976 that Liz Torres had been signed to replace Barbara Colby. One of the articles states that when the cast first learned of the murder, they stopped rehearsals immediately and held a private screening of the first three episodes. Rehearsals remained suspended for several more weeks. Cloris Leachman was among several big-name celebrities who put up award money for the arrest of the killers.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AOQNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hnkDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7336,5679293&dq=barbara+colby&hl=en

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=68scAAAAIBAJ&sjid=oFsEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6967,4046839&dq=barbara+colby&hl=en

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8iYvAAAAIBAJ&sjid=qs0FAAAAIBAJ&pg=2981,338734&dq=barbara+colby&hl=en

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=BW8dAAAAIBAJ&sjid=VSQEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2362,4256295&dq=barbara+colby&hl=en

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=IugNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Ym0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=7136,3270341&dq=barbara+colby&hl=en

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jgwfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Jo4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=2899,980082&dq=barbara+colby&hl=en

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=O-MLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=QlgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5552,2943626&dq=barbara+colby&hl=en

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=I2QzAAAAIBAJ&sjid=COwFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2107,594258&dq=barbara+colby&hl=en

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=hncsAAAAIBAJ&sjid=28sEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7042,1382330&dq=barbara+colby&hl=en

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=fKAyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UuoFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1269,3516145&dq=barbara+colby&hl=en

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=YvUKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=IVADAAAAIBAJ&pg=6736,1854223&dq=barbara+colby&hl=en

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=TjIMAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Vl8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6238,1174370&dq=barbara+colby&hl=en

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=l14zAAAAIBAJ&sjid=HuoFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1039,1817216&dq=barbara+colby&hl=en

[catlover79]

I think it's also fascinating that Barbara's mother-in-law in real life was Ethel Merman!!

[OOliver]

Thanks for all the articles. I was also interested in reading some of the other celebrity news and celebrity Q&A back in 1975!

[LittleRickyII]

Thanks for all the articles. I was also interested in reading some of the other celebrity news and celebrity Q&A back in 1975!

You're welcome. It is interesting reading that stuff, isn't it? I LOVE Google News. Thanks again, wayman, for introducing me. Now I'm an addict!

[catlover79]

You're welcome. It is interesting reading that stuff, isn't it? I LOVE Google News. Thanks again, wayman, for introducing me. Now I'm an addict!
I love google news, too. It's so much fun to find these obscure articles!!

[wayman]

You're welcome. It is interesting reading that stuff, isn't it? I LOVE Google News. Thanks again, wayman, for introducing me. Now I'm an addict!
You're welcome. Thanks, also, for posting the links to the many articles you found. I have found them to be very interesting. The possibilities of what you can find are endless. I'm glad you're having fun! Enjoy!

[catlover79]

Were the killings of Barbara Colby and James Kiernan ever profiled on Unsolved Mysteries?

[OOliver]

Were the killings of Barbara Colby and James Kiernan ever profiled on Unsolved Mysteries?


Or AMERICA'S MOST WANTED? I bet this mystery could be solved on that program!

I'm wondering why "60 Minutes" never did anything on it, either?

[mtnpoppies]

Barbara Colby's youngest sister here thanking all of you for remembering her, caring about her, and still being interested in her in 2010. She was special to say the least. I have started a fan page for Barbara on Facebook. Two of the Phyllis episodes, 1 Mary Tyler Moore, and some other interesting pieces are posted. I read that some one has the transcript of the eulogy that didn't air. I would like very much to get hold of it. Come to my fan page on Facebook if you want to chat more about her or contact me at mtnpoppies@aol.com. Again, blessings to all- Renee

[Chrisothebigc]

Hello Renee,

Welcome to the message board. Thank you for posting about your sister Barbara. She has made an indelible impression on me: big beautiful eyes, and a lovely, talented and funny lady! I had a copy of the unaired eulogy once; I will find it again, I promise.

All the best to you,
Chris O

[OOliver]

Earlier, we were saying how much fun we had searching Goggel news archives. Now it seems the archives are gone - does anyone know how to access old articles again?

[scotsguy]

Hi Renee,Greg here we chat on your Facebook,dedicated to Barbara.

[LittleRickyII]

Barbara Colby's youngest sister here thanking all of you for remembering her, caring about her, and still being interested in her in 2010. She was special to say the least. I have started a fan page for Barbara on Facebook. Two of the Phyllis episodes, 1 Mary Tyler Moore, and some other interesting pieces are posted. I read that some one has the transcript of the eulogy that didn't air. I would like very much to get hold of it. Come to my fan page on Facebook if you want to chat more about her or contact me at mtnpoppies@aol.com. Again, blessings to all- Renee

Renee, thank you so much for introducing yourself here. As you can see, we are all fans of your sister's work. I think there has been a consensus that Barbara's Julie was the favorite of all of Phyllis's office co-workers (both at the photography studio and at the city supervisor's office). I think Liz Torres is a talented actress who did a fine job in that role, but there was just something unique and special about Barbara's portrayal of Julie that couldn't be duplicated. It seemed to fit her perfectly; she made the character absolutely real. I don't think I'm speaking only for myself when I say this because, from comments I've seen, that seems to be the sentiment of most (if not all) fans of the show. And her portrayal of Sherry on those two episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show was phenomenal. She was most certainly among the favorite guest actors to ever to appear on that show.

You should be so proud she was your sister. I'm so sorry for what happened to her. I'll never forget when I first learned the news. I can't even imagine the pain your family has had to endure. But I hope you've been able to take comfort that she will live on always in our memories, in reruns, and now on DVD where we'll be able to appreciate her performances over and over again.