Annette Joanne Funicello (1942-2013)

What little boy could possibly forget the girl with the big ... uh, reputation on The Mickey Mouse Club in the 1950s? Annette Funicello passed away yesterday, from complications related to multiple sclerosis. She was 70 years old.

Born to an Italian-American family in Utica, New York, that moved to California when she was four years old, our little starlet first made her mark on the aforementioned children's television show in 1955, when she was only twelve. One thing led to another, including those ridiculous "beach party" movies in the early 1960s co-starring Frankie Avalon. There were several of them, all pretty much alike. Later she became a spokeswoman for Skippy peanut butter. In 1992, she disclosed her MS to the public after several years of hiding it, and then only to combat rumors that she was suffering from ... alcoholism?

This video clip is a scene from her cameo appearance in the 1968 pseudo-psychadelic movie, Head, no doubt having established a reputation for experience with pointless excuses for movies. But we know better, don't we? Our little Mouseketeer used to appear in stories with a discernible plot. Stay tuned to this part of the blogosphere for our short-run series, Annette Funicello Theatre, beginning next week. Until then, stay tuned, and stay in touch.