“What Ever Became Of…?” author Richard Lamparski, 93, died on Nov. 11. His books—11 of them, published between 1967-89, are treasure troves of interviews with not only old movie stars, but sports, political, and arts figures. I hold Vol. 1 in my dainty little hands now, and the subjects include Adele Astaire, Gertrude Ederle, Jesse Owens, and Patsy Kelly. He touched history in a way we all wish we could, and he shared it with us. He also wrote the more recent books Hollywood Diary and Manhattan Diary, which I found fascinating, if a bit over-sharing for my taste. Lamparski’s friend James Gavin called him “a handsome, self-made man with aristocratic diction and manners, a fierce ability to place himself amid fascinating people and situations.” Richard and I were “virtual friends”—we emailed a lot, but never met in person. I found him to be always friendly, helpful and amusing.
I used to absolutely love his interviews on Merv, Mike, Dick, Johnny and all the talk shows back in the 60's and 70s. My mom had all his books, which I also found fascinating.