It's no mystery why she was special. (Image via CBS) When I expressed my dismay over Angela Lansbury dying today at 96, a friend said, “But 96, come onnnn.” It isn't a tragedy when someone dies at 96, but it's always a loss when it's someone close to you, or someone whose unique talents made you feel less alone.
One of the very first movies I ever saw in a theater was Bedknobs & Broomsticks (1971), which I'm assuming was in re-release as I don't have memories from quite that far back.
I loved her in that, and later used her Murder, She Wrote (1985-1996 + TV movies) as visual comfort food. I saw every episode in reruns, eventually, and I loved every corny second of it.
When I awakened to exploring classic cinema, it was jarring to realize most of her film work was nothing like Jessica Fletcher, a rare earthy role.