“Roll, roll, roll in ze hay!”

We lost another gem last week. Comedic actress Teri Garr, 79, passed away from complications of multiple sclerosis, a disease she was first diagnosed with over two decades ago.

I’m not going to present a biography of Ms. Garr’s life, or a detailed filmography. You’ve likely seen them all over the Internet since her passing. I did want to acknowledge her roles in two of my absolute favorite films from the 1970s: Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Young Frankenstein. (I should also mention that her first significant television role in the ’60s was in the Star Trek episode, “Assignment Earth.”)

In Young Frankenstein, one of the funniest movies ever, Ms. Garr played Inga, assistant to Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (Gene Wilder), and stole quite a few scenes. Her “roll in ze hay” scene is priceless. Check it out on YouTube.

Why is her husband sculpting the Devils Tower out of mashed potatoes?

Ms. Garr played Ronnie Neary, down-to-earth wife of UFO-obsessed Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfuss), in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Tell the truth, she actually annoyed the hell out of me in that role—which means she did a great acting job. No surprise there, as years later she received an Academy Award nomination for Tootsie, performing opposite Dustin Hoffman.

Our favorites from yesteryear are dwindling. Such is life, I guess. Rest in peace, Teri Garr.