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Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2005
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Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2005 Film, Television, Radio, Theatre, Dance, Music, Cartoons and Pop Culture by
HARRIS M. LENTZ III
McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers Jefferson, North Carolina, and London
Front cover, clockwise from top left: Johnny Carson, Barbara Bel Geddes, John Paul II, James “Scotty” Doohan
ISSN 1087-9617
/
ISBN 0-7864-2489-3
(softcover : 50# alkaline paper)
©2006 Harris M. Lentz, III. All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Manufactured in the United States of America
McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers Box 611, Jefferson, North Carolina 28640 www.mcfarlandpub.com
To the memory of those friends and family lost during 2005 — Watson “Sivad” Davis, Horace Pierotti, Frank White, Josephine Cerritto, Sen. Eugene McCarthy, Terry Keeter, Betty Dean Lunamand, Robert Fleming, Marjorie Miller, Hazel McKenzie, Louise Byrd, Anne Clifton Dwyer and Keith Andes, Jack Mathis, Tommy Bond, James Doohan, Shelby Foote, Kelly Freas, Michael Sheard
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Celebrity Obits, Joy Martin, Denise Tansil, Blaine Lester, Louis and Carol Baird, Carlin and Renee Stuart, Greg Bridges, Michael and Maggie Hernandez, “Doc,” Dave Ramsey, Ray and Judy Herring, Don and Elaine Kerley, Mark Webb, Wally Traylor, Letsie Axmaker, Jerry Van Hausen, Steve Tines, Ronnie McAfee, Mark Ledbetter, Dennis Traylor, Gwen Beatley, John Anglin, Brian Theros, Jimmy Sowell, Kira Christensen, Shannon Carrico, Keith Prince, Laura Crofcheck, Jerry Warloh, April Buescher, Kat Cunningham, Hayden Brown, the fine folks at J. Alexanders, Willy Moffitt’s, Bob’s Sports Bar, the Memphis Film Festival, Glinda Kelley and Ray Grier of the Ellendale Post Office, the gang at AOL’s Classic Horror Film Board, Tommy Gattas, James Gattas, the University of Memphis Library and the Memphis, Shelby County, and Bartlett Public Libraries.
I greatly appreciate the assistance of my mother, Helene Lentz, and my good friend, Carla Clark. Special thanks also go to my sister, Nikki Walker, and to Bob King at Classic Images, for granting permission to use information from my columns. Also, thanks to Rosa Burnett and the staff at State Technical Institute library, Tom Weaver, Fred Davis, Forrest J Ackerman, Mike Fitzgerald, John Beifuss, Ray Neilson, John Whyborn, Boyd Magers, Larry Tauber, Andrew “Captain Comics” Smith, Jimmy Walker, Tony Pruitt, Greg Bridges, Bobby Mathews, Kent Nelson, Dale Warren, Andrew Clark, Aarin Prichard, Dr. Mark Heffington, Anne Taylor, Andy Branham, John Nelson, Richard Allynwood, Frank de Azpillaga, Irv Jacobs, Bill Warren, Bob Cuneo, Alun Jones, Marty Baumann, Joe Caviolo, Rusty White of Entertainment Insiders, Russ Blatt of Life in Legacy, Barbara and the folks at VoyForums:
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgments vi Introduction viii Reference Bibliography xi The 2005 Obituaries
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INTRODUCTION The year 2005 set a new record for the passings of prominent people in the world of the performing arts since I prepared the first volume of this series eleven years ago. The obituaries of nearly 1500 individuals are included in the current book, along with pictures of the vast majority. Among the numerous notables are legendary late-night talk show host Johnny Carson, veteran newscaster Peter Jennings, taboo-breaking comedian Richard Pryor, Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright (and Marilyn Monroe ex) Arthur Miller, filmdom’s first Gidget: Sandra Dee, screen icon Ossie Davis, Wuthering Heights star Geraldine Fitzgerald, Oscar-winning star of The Miracle Worker Anne Bancroft, The Karate Kid’s Mr. Miyagi: Pat Morita, Star Trek’s Scotty, actor James Doohan, and Robert Wise, director of Star Trek: The Motion Picture. The world of television was particularly hard hit in 2005, with Gilligan’s Island’s Gilligan (Bob Denver), Get Smart’s Maxwell Smart (Don Adams), Green Acres’ Oliver Wendell Douglas (Eddie Albert), and Dallas’ Miss Ellie (Barbara Bel Geddes) among the stars who departed. The Hollywood firmament was also depleted with the loss of such stars as Sir John Mills (Best Supporting Actor Academy Award winner for Ryan’s Daughter), Teresa Wright (Best Supporting Actress Academy Award winner for Mrs. Miniver), Virginia Mayo, June Haver, Ruth Hussey, Jean Parker, Sheree North, Margaretta Scott, Maria Schell, and Simone Simon, the exotic star of The Cat People. Paul Henning, who created the hit television sit-com The Beverly Hillbillies, and William J. Bell, who created the soap opera The
Young and the Restless also died, as did Ralph Edwards, the long-time host of This Is Your Life, and Flipper patriarch Brian Kelly. Television supporting actors featured in this work include Batman villain the Riddler (Frank Gorshin), The Incredible Hulk’s nemesis, reporter Jack McGee ( Jack Colvin), western hero Johnny Ringo (Don Durant), the West Wing’s Chief of Staff Leo McGarry ( John Spencer), Seinfeld ’s Dad (Barney Martin), Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman neighbor (Debralee Scott), and The Andy Griffith Show recurring characters Howard Morris (Ernest T. Bass) and Jean Carson (Daphne, one of the Fun Girls). Several television bosses also departed including McGyver’s (Dana Elcar), McCloud ’s ( J.D. Cannon), Lou Grant’s (Mason Adams), Hogan’s Heroes’ Col. Klinck’s, General Burkhalter (Leon Askin), and Clark Kent’s, Perry White from Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (Lane Smith). Skitch Henderson, the longtime bandleader for The Tonight Show, comedian Louis Nye, who was a comic foil for Tonight’s Steve Allen, and Charles Rocket, who parodied the news on Saturday Night Live, also died in 2005. Other passings include Merchant-Ivory film producer Ismail Merchant, Rambo director George Pan Cosmatos, R&B singer Luther Vandross, caberet star Hildegarde, entertainer Bobby Short, singer Frances Langford, opera sensation Birgit Nilsson, ballet star Fernando Bujones, ice skating sensation Belita, Broadway leading man John Raitt, comedian Nipsey Russell, and serial stars George D. Wallace (Commando Cody from Radar Men from the Moon) and Constance Moore (Wilma Deering from Buck Rogers). Pooh Corner
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ix is also a lonelier place with the back to back deaths of the voices of Tigger (ventriloquist Paul Winchell) and Piglet ( John Fielder). Henry Corden, the voice of Fred Flintstone, Thurl Ravenscroft, the voice of Kellogg’s Tony the Tiger, and Len Dresslar, the voice of the Jolly Green Giant, were also silenced. The many film and television character performers whose deaths are noted also include John Vernon (Dean Wormser from Animal House), Jocelyn Brando (the sister of Marlon), Amrish Puri (the villain from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom), Geoffrey Keen ( James Bond’s M), David Kossoff (The Mouse That Roared scientist), Brock Peters (the innocent defendant from To Kill a Mockingbird ), Patrick Cranshaw (the over-the-hill frat brother Blue from Old School), Matthew McGrory (the giant from Big Fish), Daniel O’Herlihy (the corporate boss from RoboCop), Argentina Brunetti (Mr. Martini’s wife from It’s a Wonderful Life), Mary Jackson (one of the Baldwin Sisters from The Waltons), James Booth (Hook from Zulu), Vincent Schiavelli (the subway ghost from Ghost), Alex McAvoy (the fearsome teacher from Pink Floyd’s The Wall ), Wendie Jo Sperber (Amy from Bosom Buddies), Roy Stuart (Corporal Boyle from Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C ), Ileen Getz ( Judith from 3rd Rock from the Sun), Edward Bunker (Reservoir Dogs’ Mr. Blue), and such familiar faces as Harold J. Stone, Lloyd Bochner, Eva Renzi, Ford Rainey, Sandy Ward, Keith Andes, Lorna Thayer, Stephen Elliott, Carolyn Kearney, Kevin Hagen, John Larch, Harrie White Medin, Macon McCalman, Kay Walsh, Richard Eastham, Warren J. Kemmerling, and Marc Lawrence. The music world lost synthesizer inventor Robert Moog, “Ring of Fire” songwriter Merle Kilgore, blues artist Little Milton, Mike Gibbins of Badfinger, Obie Benson of the Four Tops, Mike Botts of Bread, and Spencer Dryden of Traffic. A member of the musical family the Cowsills, Barry, also perished, found dead following the devastation on the Gulf Coast caused by Hurricane Katrina. Robert Clarke, who starred in the cult scifi films The Hideous Sun Demon and The Man from Planet X, and Jason Evers and Adele Lamont, who co-starred in the schlock classic The Brain that Wouldn’t Die, died. Other cult film stars who passed include Pamela Duncan (lead-
2005 • Obituaries ing lady from Attack of the Crab Monsters), Paul Partain (a victim of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre), Cal Bolder (the monster from Jesse James Meets Frankenstein Daughter), Gregg Martell (the Caveman from Dinosaurus! ), Luce Potter (the bizarre Martian Intelligence from Invaders from Mars), Mel Welles (florist Gravis Muchnick from Little Shop of Horrors), Ron Randell (The She Creature leading man), and Fred Borges (star of Weasels Rip My Flesh). Death also claimed directors and producers Richard Cunha (Frankenstein’s Daughter), Herbert L. Strock (I Was a Teenage Werewolf ), Wolf Rilla (Village of the Damned ), Alfred Shaughnessy (Cat Girl ), and Wyott Ordung (Monster from the Ocean Floor). Also included within is Watson Davis, who as the caped and fanged Sivad, hosted many of these films on television’s Fantastic Features. Contemporary horror films lost three producers from the Halloween franchise, Debra Hill, Joseph Wolf and Moustapha Akkad (who perished in a terrorist bombing in Lebanon), and Saw and Saw II producer Greg Hoffman. The two stars of the 1970s British cult science fiction series U.F.O., Ed Bishop and Michael Billington, died days apart, and Blake’s 7 actor David Jackson followed. From the world of Star Wars, Michael Sheard (Admiral Ozzel) and John Hollis (Lobot) from The Empire Strikes Back, and William Hootkins (Porkins) from Star Wars also passed, as did several producers and directors from the long-running Star Trek franchise, Michael Piller and Herbert J. Wright. Literary losses from 2005 include authors John Fowles (The French Lieutenant’s Woman), Judith Rossner (Looking for Mr. Goodbar), and Rona Jaffe (The Best of Everything), Neil Simon’s brother Danny, Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright August Wilson, and Nobel laureates Saul Bellow and Claude Simon. Evan Hunter, who scripted Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds and wrote detective novels as Ed McBain, and Ernest Lehman who wrote Hitchcock’s North by Northwest are also found within these pages, along with science fiction legends Andre Norton, Jack L. Chalker, and Robert Sheckley. Legendary comic writer and artist Will Eisner, who created The Spirit, and Dale Messick, creator of the long-running comic strip Brenda Starr, were joined by Mad magazine artist and
Obituaries • 2005 science fiction illustrator Kelly Freas, Dick Tracy writer Michael Killian, Finding Nemo animator Dan Lee, Superman artist Paul H. Cassidy, Muppets co-creator Jerry Juhl, and Berenstain Bears creator Stan Berenstain. Rainier III, the Prince of Monaco whose marriage to Hollywood star Grace Kelly transformed her into a real-life Princess, and Karol Wojtyla, an actor and playwright who became the first Pole to lead the Roman Catholic Church as Pope John Paul II, are also included in this year’s volume. Also listed are automotive innovator John DeLorean, O.J. attorney Johnnie Cochrane, Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal, chicken magnate Frank Perdue, quirky tele-evangelist Dr. Gene Scott, Shirely Temple’s husband Charles Black and Judy Garland’s ex, Sid Luft, stripper Candy Barr, Oscar-winning art director Alexander Golitzen, Royal photographer the Earl of Lichfield, model-turned-bounty hunter Domino Harvey, poet and presidential candidate Eugene McCarthy, Star Trek theme soprano Loulie Jean Norman, Oscar-winning songwriter Joel Hirschhorn, Italian scripter Agenore “Age” Incrocci, Valley of the Cliff hangers creator Jack Mathis, Oscar Meyer’s Little Oscar George Molchan, surfing legends Dale Velzy and Wayne Miyata, and Gunsmoke fast-draw artist Arvo Ojala. Other passings include Civil War historian Shelby Foote and Civil War reenactor Brian Pohanka, along with Lucy Richardson, who inspired the Beatles’ tune “Lucy in the Sky (With Diamonds)” and John Fred, who parodied the song with “Judy in Disguise” (With Glasses). Also among the deceased are Little Rascal stars Tommy “Butch” Bond and and Gordon “Porky” Lee, and Sig Frohlich, who was Mickey Rooney’s stunt double and perhaps the last of the Flying Monkey’s from The Wizard of Oz. Lon McCallister, a juvenile star from Hollywood’s Golden Age, passed on, and Tara Correa-McMullen, a young teen actress, was gunned down in a drive-by gang shooting. The world of professional wrestling lost young superstars Eddie Guerrero and Chris Candido, and veteran mat legends Reggie “the Crusher” Lisowski, Pistol Pez Whatley, and Lord Alfred Hayes. German boxing champion Max Schmelling and Vikki LaMotta, wife of Jake “The Raging Bull” LaMotta, also passed.
x The animal kingdom also had several losses including race horse I Two Step Too, who appeared in the film Seabiscuit, Gordy, the seal star of German television, and Sam, who three times earned the moniker of World’s Ugliest Dog. This book provides a single source that notes the deaths of all major, and many minor, figures in the fields of film, television, cartoons, theatre, music and popular literature. The obituaries within this volume contain pertinent details of deaths including date, place and cause, of roughly 1500 persons. Biographical information and career highlights and achievements are also provided. I have also included a complete-as-possible filmography for film and television performers. Most obituaries are followed by citations to major newspapers and periodical stories reporting the death. A photograph has been included for many of the individuals. I have been writing obituaries of film personalities for nearly thirty years, beginning with a column in Forry Ackerman’s Famous Monsters of Filmland in the late 1970s. Many of the film obituaries in the work are taken from my monthly column in Classic Images (P.O. Box 809, Muscatine, IA 52761), a newspaper devoted to classic films and their performers. Information on the passing of the individuals found in this volume has been gathered from a myriad of sources. Primary sources, as previously noted, are listed in the individual bibliographies, including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Times (of London), The Washington Post, Variety, Time, People, TV Guide and Newsweek. Other sources include Boyd Mager’s Western Clippings, The Memphis Commercial Appeal, The Hollywood Reporter, The (Manchester) Guardian, The Comics Buyer’s Guide, Locus, Pro Wrestling Torch, Psychotronic Video, The Comics Journal and Facts on File. Several sources on the internet have also been helpful, including Celebrity Obits (http://www/voy.com/60649/), Life in Legacy (formerly Famous Deaths — Week in Review) (http://www.lifeinlegacy.com/), Entertainment Insiders (http://www.einsiders.com/features/ columns/2005obituaries), and the Internet Movie Database, Ltd. (http://us.imdb.com/).
REFERENCE BIBLIOGRAPHY The Academy Players Directory. Beverly Hills, Calif.: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science, 1978–2003. The American Film Institute Catalog: Feature Films, 1911–20. Patricia King Hansen, ed. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1988. American Film Institute Catalog: Feature Films, 1921–30. Kenneth W. Munden, ed. New York: R.R. Bowker, 1971. The American Film Institute Catalog: Feature Films, 1931–40. Patricia King Hansen, ed. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1993. American Film Institute Catalog: Feature Films, 1961–70. Richard P. Krafsur, ed. New York: R.R. Bowker, 1976. Brooks, Tim. The Complete Directory of Prime Time TV Stars. New York: Ballantine Books, 1987. Brown, Les. The New York Times Encyclopedia of Television. New York: Times Books, 1977. Bushnell, Brooks. Directors and Their Films. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 1993. Chilton, John. Who’s Who of Jazz. Philadelphia, PA: Chilton Book, 1972. Contemporary Authors. Detroit: Gale Research, various editions. DeLong, Thomas A. Radio Stars. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 1996. Dimmitt, Richard Bertrand. An Actors Guide to the Talkies. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow, 1967. Two Volumes.
Erickson, Hal. Television Cartoon Shows. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 1995. Fetrow, Alan G. Feature Films, 1940–1949. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 1994. _____. Feature Films, 1950–1959. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 1999. _____. Sound Films, 1927–1939. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 1992. Finch, Yolande. Finchy. New York : Wyndham Books, 1981. Fisher, Dennis. Horror Films Directors, 1931–1990. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 1991. Hunter, Allan, ed. Chambers Concise Encyclopedia of Film and Television. New York: W & R. Chambers Ltd., 1991. Katz, Ephraim. The Film Encyclopedia, 2d ed. New York: HarperPerennial, 1994. Malloy, Alex G., ed. Comic Book Artists. Radnor, Penn.: Wallace-Homestead, 1993. Maltin, Leonard, ed. Movie and Video Guide 1995. New York: Signet Books, 1994. Marill, Alvin H. Movies Made for Television. Westport, CT: Arlington House, 1980. Mathis, Jack. Republican Confidential, Vol. 2: The Players. Barrington, IL: Jack Mathis Advertising, 1992. McNeil, Alex. Total Television. New York: Penguin Books, 1996. Monaco, James. Who’s Who in American Film Now. New York: Zoetrobe, 1988. Nash, Jay Robert, and Stanley Ralph Ross. The Motion Picture Guide. 10 vols. Chicago; Cinebooks, 1985.
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Obituaries • 2005 Nowlan, Robert A., and Gwendolyn Wright Nowlan. The Films of the Eighties. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 1991. Oliviero, Jeffrey. Motion Picture Players’ Credits. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 1991. Parrish, James Robert. Actors’ Television Credits 1950–1972. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow, 1973. _____. Film Actors Guide: Western Europe. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow, 1977. Ragan, David. Who’s Who in Hollywood, 1900– 1976. New Rochelle, NY: Arlington House, 1976. Rovin, Jeff. The Fabulous Fantasy Films. South Bunswick, NJ: A.S. Barnes, 1977. Terrace, Vincent. Encyclopedia of Television Series, Pilots and Specials, 1937–1973. New York: Zoetrobe, 1986. _____. Encyclopedia of Television Series, Pilots and Specials, 1974–1984. New York: Zoetrobe, 1986. Walker, John, ed. Halliwell’s Filmgoer’s and Video Viewer’s Companion, 10th Edition. New York: HarperPerennial, 1993. Watson, Elena M. Television Horror Movie Hosts. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 1991. Weaver, Tom. Attack of the Monster Movie Makers: Interviews with 20 Genre Giants. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 1994.
xii _____. Eye on Science Fiction. Jefferson, NC : McFarland, 2003. _____. I Was a Monster Movie Maker. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2001. _____. Interviews with B Science Fiction and Horror Movie Makers. Jefferson, NC : McFarland, 1988. _____. It Came from Weaver Five: Interviews with 20 Zany, Glib and Earnest Moviemakers in the SF and Horror Traditions of the Thirties, Forties, Fifties and Sixties. Jefferson, NC : McFarland, 1994. _____. Monsters, Mutants and Heavenly Creatures. Baltimore, MD: Midnight Marquee Press, 1996. _____. Science Fiction and Fantasy Film Flashbacks. Jefferson, NC.: McFarland, 1998. _____. Science Fiction Stars and Horror Heroes. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 1991. _____. They Fought in the Creature Features: Interviews with 23 Classic Horror, Science Fiction and Serial Stars. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 1994. Who’s Who in the World. Chicago: Marquis Who’s Who, various editions. Willis, John, ed. Screen World. New York: Crown Publishers, 1958–2001.
OBITUARIES IN THE PERFORMING ARTS, 2005 ABRAHAM, GEORGE “DOC” & KATY George “Doc” Abraham and his wife, Katy Abraham, who co-hosted the popular radio gardening program The Green Thumb from 1952 until their retirement in December of 2002, both died in Troy, New York, in 2005, Doc from a heart ailment on January 27, 2005, at age 89, and Katy from complications from Alzheimer’s disease on May 24, 2005, at age 83. The couple were childhood sweethearts in Wayland, New York, and both graduated from Cornell University, where they earned degrees in horticulture and journalism. They were married in 1942 and began writing a syndicated gardening column after Doc was discharged from the U.S. Army after World War II. They soon were addressing a large radio audience, hosting a half-hour radio call-in program out of Rochester, New York’s WHAM, dispensing gardening wisdom along with poetry and platitudes over a fifty year span. They also wrote 16 popular books on gardening including The Green Thumb Garden Handbook, Growing Plants from Seeds, Green Thumb Wisdom: Garden Myths Revealed!, and the autobiographical A Bathtub Built for Two. • Los Angeles Times, May 25, 2005, B15.
Don Adams (as Maxwell Smart)
Talent Scouts in 1954, which led to appearances on various television programs including The Steve Allen Show, The Rosemary Clooney Show, The Dinah Shore Chevy Show, Startime, and Toast of the Town, and was a regular performer on Kraft Music Hall in the early 1960s. Adams often teamed with fellow comic Bill Dana from the 1950s, and was cast as incompetent detective Byron Glick when Dana got his own television series, The Bill Dana Show, in 1963. He also played the voice of the animated penguin Tennessee Tuxedo in the cartoon series Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales in the early 1960s, and was the voice of Comet in the 1964 animated version of Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Adams remained with The Bill Dana Show for two seasons until being cast as Maxwell Smart in 1965. He was ably supported by Barbara Feldon as the lovely Agent 99 and Edward Platt as the bald and frustrated Chief of the spy organization CONTROL. Adams earned three Emmy Awards while battling the forces of evil, KAOS, for five seasons. The show spawned such popular catch phrases as “Sorry about that, Chief ” when he bumbled a mission, and “Would you believe...?” when a previous exaggeration went challenged. He subsequently starred as Detective Lennie Crooke in the short-lived comedy series The Partners from 1971 to 1972, and was host of the syndicated program Don Adams’ Screen Test in 1975. He starred as Howard Bannister in the sit-com Check It Out in 1985. He also guest starred in episodes of Hulabaloo, The Andy Williams Show, The Dean Martin Show, Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, The Danny Thomas Hour, Rowan & Martin’s LaughIn, It’s Happening, Playboy After Dark, The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, The Fall Guy, Empty Nest, and Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher. Adams also was the voice of Inspector Gadget on several cartoon series from the 1980s. He was also seen in the films Jimmy the Kid (1982) and Back to the Beach (1987). Adams reprised the role of Maxwell Smart in the 1980 feature film The Nude Bomb, and the 1989 tele-film Get
George “Doc” and Katy Abraham
ACHS, ROBERT Filmmaker Robert Achs died of cancer in New York City on June 21, 2005. He was 54. Achs was born on August 19, 1950. He worked as a cinematographer for the HBO television series Taxi Cab Confessions. He also photographed the documentaries and films No Maps on My Taps (1979), Death of a Prophet (1981), In Our Hands (1984), Kaddish (1985), Damned in the U.S.A. (1991), and Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision (1994). ADAMS, DON Comic actor Don Adams, who starred as bumbling secret agent Maxwell Smart in the 1960s comedy spy spoof Get Smart, died of a lung infection in a Los Angeles hospital on September 25, 2005. He was 82. Adams was born Donald James Yarmy in New York City on April 13, 1923. He served in the U.S. Marines during World War II and was wounded at Guadalcanal. After the war he began working as a standup comic. He won a competition for Arthur Godfrey’s
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Obituaries • 2005 Smart, Again!. Fox aired a new Get Smart series for 7 episodes in 1995, with Adams again as Maxwell Smart, now Chief of CONTROL, overseeing his son, Zach Smart, played by Andy Dick. Adams also appeared in numerous commercials and was a voice actor in such cartoon programs as Wait Till Your Father Gets Home, The New Scooby-Doo Movies, Gadget Boy’s Adventures in History, and Pepper Ann as Principal Hickey. Adams brother, Dick Yarmy, was also an actor who often gueststarred on Get Smart. He died in 1992. Adams was married three times and had seven children. His daughter, Cecily, was also an actress, and died in 2004. • Los Angeles Times, Sept. 27, 2005, B10; New York Times, Sept. 27, 2005, B7; People, Oct. 10, 2005, 73; Times (of London), Sept. 28, 2005, 67; Variety, Oct. 3, 2005, 76.
2 Miss Marple: Nemesis (1987), Danny, the Champion of the World (1989), The Bride in Black (1990), and The Count of Solar (1991). Adams starred as Alexander Krivenko in the 1987 science fiction series Star Cop, and guest starred in episodes of The Man in Room 17, Z Cars, The Troubleshooters, Rogues’ Gallery, The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes, Dixon of Dock Green, Hunter’s Walk, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Howard’s Way, Forever Green, The Piglet Files, Maigret, and Kavanagh QC.
ADAMS, JONATHAN British actor Jonathan Adams, who was an original cast member of The Rocky Horror Show, died in London on June 13, 2005. He was 75. Adams was born in Northampton, England, on February 14, 1931. He began his career in regional theater in 1959 and moved to London in the mid–1960s. He performed with various repertory companies before being cast in Richard O’Brien’s off-beat musical The Rocky Horror Show. He was featured as the Narrator in the London stage production at the Royal court’s Theatre Upstairs. A film version was made two years later and Adams took the part of Dr. Everett Von Scott, a Rival Scientist, in that production. The play and film developed a major cult following in England and the United States. Adams appeared in various other theatrical productions including a series of one man shows. He also performed in the musical Tomfoolery (1980), Master Class (1984), Metropolis (1989), and Valentine’s Day (1991). His other film credits include Three for All (1974), It Could Happen to You (1975), Eskimo Nell (1975), Adventures of a Private Eye (1977), Adventures of a Plumber’s Mate (1978), Revolution (1985), and the 1990 horror film Two Evil Eyes. He also appeared often on British television in such productions as The Donati Conspiracy (1973), Jesus of Nazareth (1977), King Richard the Second (1978), Anton & Cleopatra (1981), Bergerac (1981) as Dr. Lejeune, The Barchester Chronicles (1982), Squaring the Circle (1984), The Invisible Man (1984), Exploits at West Poley (1985), London Embassy (1987), The Day After the Fair (1987),
ADAMS, MASON Character actor Mason Adams, who as managing editor Charlie Hume in the 1970s television series Lou Grant, died at his home in Manhattan on April 26, 2005. He was 86. Adams was born in New York City on February 26, 1919. He was a leading performer on radio in the 1940s and 1950s, starring as Pepper Young in the radio soap opera Pepper Young’s Family. He also voiced the Kryptonite-powered Atom Man on the Superman radio serial. Adams was also seen as Thomas Watson in the 1947 film Mr. Bell. He also appeared in episodes of the television series The Man Behind the Badge and Robert Montgomery Presents. Adams was a popular character actor in films and television from the 1970s, appearing in the features The Happy Hooker (1975), God Told Me To (1976), The Final Conflict (1981), F/X (1986), Toy Soldiers (1991), Son in Law (1993), Not of This Earth (1995), Houseguest (1995), Life Among the Cannibals (1996), Touch (1997), Hudson River Blues (1997), and The Lesser Evil (1998). He also appeared in the tele-films The Deadliest Season (1977), And Baby Makes Six (1979), Shining Season (1979), Flamingo Road (1980), Murder Can Hurt You (1980), Revenge of the Stepford Wives (1980), Peking Encounter (1981), The Kid with the Broken Halo (1982), The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat (1982) as the voice of the Cat in the Hat, Adam (1983), Solomon Northup’s Odyssey (1984), Passions (1984), The Night They Saved Christmas (1984), Under Siege (1986), Northstar (1986), Who Is Julia? (1986), Rage of Angels: The Story Continues (1986), A Quiet Conspiracy (1989), Perry Mason: The Case of the Maligned Mobster (1991), Jonathan: The Boy Nobody Wanted (1992), Assault at West Point: The Court-Martial of Johnson Whittaker (1994), Murder One: Diary of a Serial Killer (1997), and From the Earth to the Moon (1998). He starred as Dr. Frank Prescott in the television soap opera Another World
Jonathan Adams
Mason Adams
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2005 • Obituaries
from 1976 to 1977, and co-starred with Ed Asner in Lou Grant from 1977 to 1982. He appeared as Gordon Blair in the 1986 series Morningstar/Eveningstar and was Everett Daye in the 1989 series Knight & Daye. His other television credits include episodes of The Love Boat, Family Ties, Matlock, Murder, She Wrote, Monsters, Family Matters, Civil Wars, Class of ’96, Murder One, The West Wing, and Oz. From the 1970s Adams was the commercial spokesman for Smucker’s Jam, whose familiar intonation of the line “With a name like Smucker’s, it has to be good,” became the company’s catchphrase. • Los Angeles Times, Apr. 29, 2005, B11; New York Times, Apr. 28, 2005, C18; Time, May 9, 2005, 28; Variety, May 9, 2005, 68.
ADAMS, TONY Film producer Tony Adams, who produced many of Blake Edwards films, died of a stroke on October 22, 2005. He was 52. Adams was born in Dublin, Ireland, on February 15, 1953. He began working in films as an assistant to director John Boorman on Deliverance in 1972. He subsequently served as associate producer on Blake Edwards’ The Return of the Pink Panther (1975) and The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976). Adams continued to work with Edwards, producing most of his films. He produced Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978), 10 (1979), S.O.B. (1981), Victor/Victoria (1982), Trail of the Pink Panther (1982), The Man Who Loved Women (1983), Micki + Maude (1984), A Fine Mess (1986), That’s Life! (1986), Blind Date (1987), Sunset (1988), Skin Deep (1989), Switch (1991), and Son of the Pink Panther (1993). He also produced the tele-films Justin Case (1988) and Peter Gunn (1989), and coproduced the stage version of Victor/Victoria on Broadway in 1995. • Los Angeles Times, Oct. 26, 2005, B11; New York Times, Oct. 25, 2005, C19; Times (of London), Nov. 23, 2005, 65; Variety, Oct. 31, 2005, 73.
Hasil Adkins
songs, often featuring Adkin’s macabre humor, garnered him a cult following and some of his early works were collected for the 1986 album Out to Hunch. He also released recordings of “The Wild Man” and “Peanut Butter Rock and Roll.” Adkins was also seen in several films in recent years including The Wild World of Hasil Adkins (1993), R.I.P., Rest in Pieces (1997), Let Me Be Your Band (2003), The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things (2004), and Die You Zombie Bastards! (2005). • Los Angeles Times, Apr. 29, 2005, B10; New York Times, Apr. 30, 2005, B9.
ADLER, GERALD Film and television distributor Gerald Adler died of respiratory failure following a brain hemorrhage in a Los Angeles hospital on October 11, 2005. He was 81. Adler was born in New York City on March 9, 1924. He worked in radio before joining NBC in 1953, becoming director of international enterprises for the network. Adler also served as president of NBC Enterprises from 1968 to 1973. He was instrumental in pioneering the distribution of films and television programs throughout the world. Adler served as managing director of Viacom International in the 1980s, and was vice president of the Motion Picture Export Association of America from 1988 to 1990. • Los Angeles Times, Oct. 20, 2005, B9; Variety, Oct. 31, 2005, 73. AH-YUE LOU German actor Ah-Yue Lou died in Hamburg, Germany, on April 17, 2005. He was 81.
Tony Adams
ADKINS, HASIL Rockabilly singer Hasil Adkins was found dead at his home near Madison, West Virginia, on April 26, 2005. He was 67. Adkins was born in Boone County, West Virginia, on April 29, 1937. He began performing in rural West Virginia in the 1950s. He performed as a one-man band, recording hundreds of songs including “She Said” and “We Got a Date.” His
Ah-Yue Lou
Obituaries • 2005 Ah-Yue Lou was born in Hamburg on October 7, 1923. He starred in numerous films and television productions in the 1950s and 1960s including Freddy und das Lied der Sudsee (1962), A Mission for Mr. Dodd (1964), and The Corrupt Ones (1967). AILLAUD, GILLES French painter and scenic designer Gilles Aillaud died in Paris on March 24, 2005. He was 76. Aillaud was born in Paris on June 5, 1928, the son of architect Emile Aillaud. He began his career as an artist in the late 1940s. He was also a production designer on numerous theatrical works, as well as the French television productions of Don Carlos (1996), Le Couronnement de Poppee (2000), and Il Ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria (2002).
Gilles Aillaud
AITKEN, LAUREL Jamaican musician Laurel Aitken died on July 17, 2005. He was 78. Aitken was born in Cuba on April 22, 1927, and emigrated to Jamaica at the age of 11. He began singing calypso in his early teens, and was soon performing in Kingston nightclubs. He recorded the song “Roll Jordan Roll” in 1957, and had a hit with “Little Sheila” and “Boogie in My Bones” the following year. Aitken was regarded as one of the earliest innovators of the Jamaican ska sound, with such songs as “Bartender, More Whiskey” and “Judgement Day.” He moved to London in the early 1960s,
4 where he continued to record and perform. He went into semi-retirement in the 1970s, when a new generation of reggae performers came to prominence. Aitken returned to the forefront the following decade during the 2Tone ska revival. He performed with such groups as the Toasters, the Busters, and the New York Ska Jazz Ensemble. He also appeared in the 1986 film Absolute Beginners with David Bowie. • Times (of London), July 26, 2005, 52. AJETI, MELIHATE Kosovar actress Melihate Ajeti died of a heart attack in Prishtina, Kosova, on March 28, 2005. She was 69. Ajeti was born in Prishtina, then Yugoslavia, on October 9, 1935. She began her career on stage while in her teens and appeared in nearly 200 roles during her career. She starred in productions of Hamlet, Othello, Antigone, Macbeth, and many others. Ajeti was also featured in numerous films including Wolf of Prokletija (1968), Zedj (1971), Treni (1976), Gjurmet e Baredha (1980), and Dorotej (1981).
AKKAD, MOUSTAPHA Moustapha Akkad, the Syrian-born filmmaker who served as executive producer of the Halloween horror film series, died of injuries received in a terrorist bombing of a hotel in Amman, Jordan, on November 11, 2005. He was 75. His daughter, Rima Akkad Monia, who was with him attending a wedding in Jordan, was also killed in the bombing. Akkad was born in Aleppo, Syria, in July of 1930. He came to the United States in 1950 to studying filmmaking. He was best known as the executive producer of John Carpenter’s landmark horror film Halloween in 1978. Akkad was also executive producer for the sequels Halloween II (1981), Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982), Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988), Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989), Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995), Halloween H2O: 20 Years Later (1998), and Halloween: Resurrection (2002). Akkad also produced and directed the 1976 film Mohammed, Messenger of God (aka The Message) and 1981’s Omar Mukhtar: Lion of the Desert, about a Muslim rebel who battled Italian troops in Libya during World War II. • Los Angeles Times, Nov. 12, 2005, B1; New York Times, Nov. 12, 2005, A13; Times (of London), Dec. 6, 2005, 64; Variety, Nov. 21, 2005, 73.
Moustapha Akkad Laurel Aitken
5 ALBERT, EDDIE Leading film and television actor Eddie Albert, who earned two Academy Award nominations for best supporting actor and starred in the popular television sit-com Green Acres, died of pneumonia at his home near Pacific Palisades, California, on May 26, 2005. He was 99. He was born Edward Albert Heimberger in Rock Island, Illinois, on April 22, 1906. He began his career on the local stage in the early 1930s, and was soon performing on radio as a singer and comic. He made his debut on the Broadway stage in the 1936 comedy O Evening Star, and subsequently starred in Garson Kanin’s production of Brother Rat. He also appeared in Broadway productions of Room Service (1937) and The Boys from Syracuse (1938). He made his film debut in 1937 reprising his role as Bing Edwards in the film version of Brother Rat, and also starred in the 1940 sequel Brother Rat and the Baby. He also appeared in the films On Your Toes (1939), Four Wives (1939), An Angel from Texas (1940), My Love Came Back (1940), A Dispatch from Reuters (1940), The Great Mr. Nobody (1941), Four Mothers (1941), The Wagons Roll at Night (1941), Thieves Fall Out (1941), Out of the Fog (1941), Treat ’Em Rough (1942), Eagle Squadron (1942), Lady Bodyguard (1943), Ladies’ Day (1943), and Bombardier (1943). Albert served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, and was awarded the Bronze Star while serving in the Pacific. He returned to the screen after the war in such films as Strange Voyage (1946), Rendezvous with Annie (1946), The Perfect Marriage (1947), Hit Parade of 1947 (1947), Smash-Up: The Story of a Woman (1947), Time Out of Mind (1947), Unconquered (1947), The Dude Goes West (1948), You Gotta Stay Happy (1948), and Every Girl Should Be Married (1948). He also began Eddie Albert Productions, which produced such educational 16-millimeter films as the pioneer sex education films Human Growth and Human Beginnings. Albert continued his career in films, usually playing a light leading man in such features as The Fuller Brush Girl (1950), You’re in the Navy Now (1951), Meet Me After the Show (1951), Actor’s and Sin (1952), Carrie (1952), Roman Holiday (1953) which earned him an Oscar nomination for his role as Gregory Peck’s pal, The Girl Rush (1955), Oklahoma! (1955), I’ll Cry Tomorrow (1955), Attack (1956), The Teahouse of the August Moon (1956), The Sun Also Rises (1957), The Joker Is Wild (1957), Orders to Kill (1958), The Roots of Heaven (1958), The Gun Runners (1958), Beloved Infidel (1959), The Young Doctors (1961), Madison Avenue (1962), The Longest Day (1962), Who’s Got the Action? (1962), The Two Little Bears (1963), Miracle of the White Stallions (1963), Captain Newman, M.D. (1963), The Party’s Over (1965), and 7 Women (1966). Albert also began appearing frequently on television from the late 1940s, starring in episodes of such series as The Ford Theatre Hour, The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre, Suspense, Lights Out, Somerset Maugham TV Theatre, Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, Studio One, Danger, The Revlon Mirror Theater, the science documentary Our Mr. Sun, and Studio One starring as Winston Smith in an acclaimed adaptation of George Orwell’s 1984. He starred as Larry Tucker in the 1952 comedy series Leave It to Larry with Ed Begley, and hosted the summer variety shows Nothing But the Best in 1953 and Saturday Night Revue in 1954. He also guest
2005 • Obituaries
Eddie Albert
starred in The Philip Morris Playhouse, The Philco Television Playhouse, You Show of Shows, The Motorola Television Hour, The United States Steel Hour, Goodyear Television Playhouse, Letter to Loretta, Medallion Theatre, Toast of the Town, General Electric Theater, TV Reader’s Digest, Front Row Center, Robert Montgomery Presents, The Alcoa Hour, Climax!, Zane Grey Theater, Wagon Train, Studio 57, Frontier Justice, Goodyear Theatre, Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse, Playhouse 90, The David Niven Show, Frontier Justice, Laramie, Riverboat, Sunday Showcase, Startime, Tales of Wells Fargo, Ben Casey, The Virginian, Naked City, The DuPont Show of the Week, The Wide Country, Sam Benedict, The Eleventh Hour, The Greatest Show on Earth, Combat!, Dr. Kildare, The Lieutenant, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Mr. Novak, The Outer Limits, The Reporter, Rawhide, Kraft Suspense Theatre, The Rogues, Burke’s Law, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Dean Martin Show, The Carol Burnett Show, and The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. Albert starred as city lawyer Oliver Wendell Douglas, who takes his wife, played by Eva Gabor, to start a new life on a small country farm in popular comedy series Green Acres from 1965 to 1971. He also guest starred in the same role on the sister programs The Beverly Hillbillies and Petticoat Junction. Albert was also seen in the tele-films Columbo: Dead Weight (1971), See the Man Run (1971), Fireball Forward (1972), The Borrowers (1973), Benjamin Franklin (1974), and Promise Him Anything (1975). He was the narrator of the 1972 animated version of Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax and earned a second Oscar nomination for his role in the 1972 film The Heartbreak Kid. He made a rare screen appearance as a villain, playing the evil Warden Hazen in the 1974 prison football film The Longest Yard starring Burt Reynolds. He also appeared in the films McQ (1974), The Take (1974), Escape to Witch Mountain (1975), the 1975 horror film The Devil’s Rain, Whiffs (1975), Hustle (1975), Moving Violation (1976), Birch Interval (1977), The Border (1979), The Concorde: Airport ’79 (1979), How to Beat the High Co$t of Living (1980), Foolin’ Around (1980), Yesterday (1981), Take This Job and Shove It (1981), The Act (1982), Yes, Giorgio (1982), Dreamscape (1984), Stitches (1985), Head Office (1985), Turnaround (1987), Brenda Starr (1989), The Big Picture (1989), and Headless! (1994). Albert starred as Frank McBride in the light detective series Switch with Robert
Obituaries • 2005 Wagner from 1975 to 1978, and was Carlton Travis in the prime-time soap opera Falcon Crest in the early 1980s. He was also seen in the tele-films Evening in Byzantium (1978), The Word (1978), Trouble in High Timber Country (1980), Beulah Land (1980), The Oklahoma City Dolls (1981), Peter and Paul (1981), Goliath Awaits (1981), Beyond Witch Mountain (1982), Rooster (1982), The Demon Murder Case (1983), Burning Rage (1984), In Like Flynn (1985), Mercy or Murder? (1987), War and Remembrance (1988), The Girl from Mars (1991), and The Barefoot Executive (1995). He also guest starred in episodes of McCloud, Here’s Lucy, Kung Fu, The Fall Guy, Simon & Simon, The Love Boat, Hotel, Highway to Heaven, Murder, She Wrote, The Twilight Zone, thirtysomething, The Ray Bradbury Theater, The Golden Palace, The Jackie Thomas Show, and Time Trax. He was the voice on the villainous Vulture in several episodes of the Spider-Man cartoon series, and reprised his role as Oliver Wendell Douglas in the 1990 reunion tele-film Return to Green Acres. Albert was married to actress Margo, who starred in the 1937 fantasy classic Lost Horizon, from 1945 until her death in 1985. He is survived by his son, actor Edward Albert, Jr., and a daughter, Maria Albert Zucht. • Los Angeles Times, May 28, 2005, B20; New York Times, May 28, 2005, C14; People, June 13, 2005, 150; Time, June 6, 2005, 25; Times (of London), May 31, 2005, 49.
ALESSANDRI, LUISA Luisa Alessandri, the long-time assistant director to Vittorio De Sica, died in Rome on March 18, 2005. She was 91. Alessandri was De Sica’s assistant from his first film, Red Roses, in 1940, through his final picture, The Voyage in 1974. Her film credits also include Piccolo Alpino (1940), The Dream of Everything (1940), The Children Are Watching Us (1944), The Bicycle Thief (1948), Hello Elephant (1952), Umberto D (1952), Frisky (1954), The Gold of Naples (1954), It Happens in Roma (1955), Scandal in Sorrento (1955), The Sign of Venus (1955), Two Women (1960), The Last Judgment (1961), Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (1963), Marriage Italian-Style (1964), After the Fox (1966), and The Garden of the Finzi-Continis (1970). In recent years Alessandri collaborated with De Sica’s son, Manuel, on a television documentary of the director, Long Live De Sica. • Variety, Apr. 18, 2005, 44. ALEXANDER, MICHAEL Actor Michael Anderson died in England in October of 2005. He was 78. Alexander was born in the British Bahamas in 1927. He began his career on stage while in his teens and served in British army’s theatrical unit during World War II. He performed on television and radio in New York after the war. He made his debut on the London stage in 1952’s production of The Troublemakers. He also appeared in productions of The Day Nursery (1955) and The Beaux Stratagem (1957). Alexander also appeared in several films including The Love Lottery (1954) and The Gilded Cage (1954). He starred as Spike Stranahan in the BBC science fiction television mini-series Return to the Lost Planet in 1955. His other television credits include episodes of Colonel March of Scotland Yard, The Count of Monte Cristo, Storyboard, Jacks and Knaves, and Suspense. Alexander’s acting career was ended when he contracted polio in 1961. After a year of hospitalization he began
6
Michael Alexander
working as a newsreader at Southern Television, and became head of television programs with Gibraltar Broadcasting in 1964. He continued to work as a television executive over the next three decades and, in the 1990s, wrote profiles on various film stars for British radio. Alexander was married to actress Rosemary Rogers from 1958 until his death.
ALEXANDER, SHANA Journalist Shana Alexander, who was best known as the liberal half of the debating duo with James J. Kilpatrick on the Point/Counterpoint segment of the landmark CBS television news magazine show 60 Minutes in the 1970s, died of cancer in an assisted-living home in Hermosa Beach, New York, on June 23, 2005. She was 79. Alexander was born in New York City on October 6, 1925, the daughter of Tin Pan Alley composer Milton Ager and show-business columnist Cecilia Ager. She attended Vassar, where she majored in anthropology before embarking on her career in journalism. Her mother was instrumental in securing her first job at the New York tabloid PM, where she rose from copy clerk to reporter. She was a freelance writer for such magazines as Junior Bazaar and Mademoiselle in the 1940s before joining the staff of Life as a researcher in 1951. During the 1960s Alexander wrote the groundbreaking column “The Feminine Eye” for Life. She became editor of McCall’s in 1969, where she remained for two years. She subsequently worked a columnist for
Shana Alexander
7 Newsweek when she was teamed with conservative columnist James J. Kilpatrick for the weekly 60 Minutes debate sessions. Their sometimes contentious sessions became the fodder for a regular Saturday Night Live skit, featuring Dan Aykroyd and Jane Curtin. The comic duo spoofed their debates in diatribes that often included Aykroyd’s disdainful retort, “Jane, you ignorant slut.” Alexander left 60 Minutes in 1979, continuing to work as a journalist and author. She wrote 10 books including Anyone’s Daughter about Patty Hearst, Very Much a Lady about Scarsdale diet doctor Herman Tarnower’s killer, Jean Harris, and When She Was Bad about former Miss America Bess Myerson. Alexander’s book, Nutcracker: Money, Madness & Murder was adapted for a television mini-series in 1987. She also wrote a memoir, Happy Days: My Mother, My Father, My Sister & Me, in 1995. • Los Angeles Times, June 24, 2005, B8; New York Times, June 25, 2005, A16; Time, July 4, 2005, 21; Variety, July 11, 2005, 44.
ALEXANDRAKIS, ALEKOS Leading Greek stage and film actor Alekos Alexandrakis died of cancer in an Athens hospital on November 8, 2005. He was 76. Alexandrakis was born in Athens in 1928. He studied at the National Theater’s Drama School, and appeared frequently in films and plays from the late 1940s. His numerous film credits include Lily of the Harbor (1952), Eva (1953), Madame X (1954), Michael Cacoyannis’ Stella (1955) with Melina Mercouri, Katrakylisma (1956), The Hurdy-Gurdy (1957), Agorokoritso, To (1959), I Soferina (1964), Return (1965), A Brief Intermission (1966), Xypna Vassili (1969), Beautiful Days (1970), Papaflessas (1971), Boom (1972), The Man with the Carnation (1980), The Children of the Swallow (1987), Fading Light (2001), and Athens Blues (2001). He also starred in such Greek television productions as Oi Mistikoi Arravones (1979), O Hartopehtis (1990), O Fovos (1991), Passion (1993), Taxim (1999), and Watch Over Me (2000).
2005 • Obituaries
Tony Alizzi
(MSR) in 1999, which produced adult films designated for the gay community. Alizzi directed many of the MSR titles including Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell! (1999), Manhattan Sex Party (2001), White Trash (2002), The List (2003), Sex Pigs (2003), and Studs ’N Pps (2004).
ALLBEURY, TED Novelist Ted Allbeury died in England on December 4, 2005. He was 88. Allbeury was born in Stockport, England, on October 24, 1917. He served in the Army Intelligence Corps during World War II, and worked in advertising after the war. He also operated a farm and a pirate radio station before embarking on a career writing espionage thrillers in the early 1970s. Allbeury wrote over 40 popular novels during his career, some under the pen names Richard Butler and Patrick Kelly. His works include A Choice of Enemies (1973), Palomino Blonde (1975), The Only Good German (1976), The Man with the President’s Mind (1977), The Lantern Network (1978), The Alpha List (1979), The Twentieth of January (1980), The Reaper (1980), The Secret Whispers (1981), Codeword Cromwell (1981), Shadow of Shadows (1982), The Girl from Addis (1984), The Judas Factor (1984), Children of Tender Years (1985), The Seeds of Treason (1986), A Wilderness of Mirrors (1988), Deep Purple (1989), The Stalking Angel (1989), Show Me a Hero (1992), Beyond the Silence (1995), The Reckoning (1999), Berlin Exchange (2000), Cold Tactics (2001), Rules of the Game (2001), The Networks (2002), Due Process (2003), and Hostage (2004). • Times (of London), Dec. 5, 2005, 54.
Alekos Alexandrakis
ALIZZI, TONY Adult filmmaker Tony Alizzi died of a heart attack in Hollywood, California, on January 3, 2005. He was 42. Alizzi, whose real name was Robert Allen, was born on July 27, 1962, and was raised in New Jersey. He began working in films and television as a set designer. He founded Male Sexual Research
Ted Allbeury
Obituaries • 2005 ALLEN, DAVE Irish comedian Dave Allen died in his sleep at his London home on March 10, 2005. He was 68. Allen was born in Tallaght, Dublin, Ireland, on July 6, 1936. He was a popular guest performer on television in BBC One’s The Val Doonican Show, and was soon given his own series with ITV’S Tonight 2ith Dave Allen in 1967. He subsequently starred in the BBC series Dave Allen at Large in 1971. He was often seen on camera sitting on a stool and sipping a glass of whiskey. He created a stage show, An Evening with Dave Allen, in 1991, and another ITV series followed in 1993. He also appeared in the 1970 film Squeeze a Flower, and in a 1979 television production of One Fine Day. Allen retired from performing in 1999. • Times (of London), Mar. 12, 2005, 80.
8 & Allie. He was also seen in the tele-film A Place to Call Home (1987), and the feature Born on the Fourth of July (1989), before retiring from acting to become a high school teacher.
AMES, CHRISTINE GOSSETT Actress Christine Gossett Ames, the widow of actor Leon Ames, died in Corona del Mar, California, on October 27, 2005. She was 91. She was born Christine Mae Gossett in Chickasha, Oklahoma, on December 25, 1913. She moved to Hollywood in the 1930s where she signed a contract with 20th Century–Fox. She appeared in small roles in several films including High Tension (1936) and Ramona (1936). She married Ames in 1938, and abandoned films to raise a family. She and Ames remained together until his death in 1993. AMONGO, MAR Philippine comic artist Mar Amongo died in Los Banos, Laguna, the Philippines, on August 10, 2005. Amongo studied under comic artist Nestor Redondo, and was artist for numerous publications in the Philippines. He also drew stories for such DC Comics as Weird War Tales, All Out War, G.I. Combat, and Ghosts in the 1980s. He left comics to work as an artist in the Middle East, before returning to the Philippines to draw religious comics.
Dave Allen
AMELIO, PHILIP Child actor Philip J. Amelio, who starred as Lucille Ball’s grandson on the shortlived Life with Lucy television series in 1986, died in Schenectady, New York, of an internal infection on April 1, 2005. He was 27. Amelio was born on November 3, 1977. He performed in numerous television commercials as a child. He starred as young Kevin McGibbon on Life with Lucy, which was cancelled in 1986 after only several episodes. Amelio also appeared as Scott Parker Chandler on the daytime soap opera All My Children from 1988 to 1991, and guest starred in a episode of Kate
Philip Amelio
Mar Amongo
ANTALOSKY, CHARLES Stage actor Charles Antalosky died of cancer in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
Charles Antalosky
9
2005 • Obituaries
on March 23, 2005. He was 67. Antalosky was born in St. Clair, Pennsylvania, on December 8, 1937. He was a popular performer on the Philadelphia stage and also appeared on Broadway in productions of Fortune’s Fool, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Measure for Measure, and Sly Fox. He also appeared on television in the soap opera All My Children and the comedy series Remember WENN.
ANCONA, EDWARD P., JR. Edward P. Ancona, Jr., who worked as a color consultant at NBC from the 1960s, died of a heart attack in Los Angeles on November 8, 2005. He was 84. Ancona was born on June 11, 1921. He served as color consultant for the television western series Bonanza during most of its 14 season run, earning an Emmy Award in 1965 for his contributions to the series. His work was also instrumental in standardizing colors on national television. He also worked on the western series The High Chaparral in the late 1960s, and again worked with Michael Landon as a color consultant for his 1970s series Little House on the Prairie and several of the subsequent tele-films. Ancona later served as director of tape and film post-production at NBC before his retirement in 1988. • Los Angeles Times, Nov. 20, 2005, B12. ANDERSSON, KENT Swedish actor Kent Andersson died in Gothenburg, Sweden, on November 3, 2005. He was 71. Andersson was born on Gothenburg on December 2, 1933. He was a leading actor on the Swedish stage, screen, and television from the early 1960s. His numerous film credits include My Love Is Like a Rose (1963), Love 65 (1965), Vindingevals (1968), A Simple Melody (1974), Elvis! Elvis (1976), Battle of Sweden (1980), Who Pulled the Plug? (1981), The Painter (1982), King of Smugglers (1985), Pease and Whiskers (1986), The Return of the Jonsson Gang (1986), Rat Winter (1988), Kurt Olsson —The Film About My Life as Myself (1990), The Pill-Roller (1994), Hitler and We in Clamping Street (1997), and Jacobs Fretelse (2001).
Kent Andersson
ANDES, KEITH Leading actor Keith Andes was found dead at his home in Canyon Country, California, of suicide by asphyxiation on November 11, 2005. He had been suffering from numerous physical ailments including bladder cancer and lung problems in recent
Keith Andes
years. He was 85. He was born John Charles Andes in Ocean City, New Jersey, on July 12, 1920. He began performing on radio at the age of 12. He studied voice at the Philadelphia Conservatory of Music, and served in the United States Air Force for three years during World War II, often performing in USO shows. He began his film career after the war, appearing in such features as The Farmer’s Daughter (1947), Project X (1949), Clash by Night (1952) as Marilyn Monroe’s leading man, Blackbeard the Pirate (1952), Split Second (1953), A Life at Stake (1954), The Second Greatest Sex (1955), Away All Boats (1956), Back from Eternity (1956), Pillars of the Sky (1956), Interlude (1957), The Girl Most Likely (1957), Model for Murder (1958), the 1958 crime drama Damn Citizen as Col. Francis C. Grevemberg, Surrender — Hell! (1959), Hell’s Bloody Devils (1970), Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) as General George Marshall, and ...And Justice for All (1979). He also appeared in the tele-films The Ultimate Impostor (1979) and Blinded by the Light (1980). Andes starred as Police Chief Frank Dawson in the 1959 police drama This Man Dawson, and starred as Keith Granville, husband of Glynis Johns, in the comedy mystery series Glynis in 1963. He was featured as Jeff Morgan in the soap opera Paradise Bay from 1965 to 1966. Andes was the voice of Ray Randall and Birdman in the cartoon series Birdman and the Galaxy Trio in 1967, and was Dr. Barnett in the science fiction adventure series Search in 1973. His other television credits include guest roles in such series as Ford Television Theatre, Celebrity Playhouse, Letter to Loretta, Producers’ Showcase, Conflict, Playhouse 90, Jane Wyman Presents the Fireside Theatre, Goodyear Theatre, The Gale Storm Show, Alcoa Theatre, The Bell Telephone Hour, Sea Hunt, Have Gun—Will Travel, Follow the Sun, The Rifleman, G.E. True, Perry Mason, Vacation Playhouse, The Lucy Show, 77 Sunset Strip, The Outer Limits, Death Valley Days, Branded, Run for Your Life, Daniel Boone, I Spy, The Andy Griffith Show, Star Trek as Akuta in the episode “The Apple,” Petticoat Junction, The Bold Ones: The New Doctors, Cannon, The Streets of San Francisco, Gunsmoke, Caribe, and Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. Andes retired from the screen in the early 1980s. • Los Angeles Times, Nov. 27, 2005, B12; New York Times, Nov. 30, 2005, C19.
Obituaries • 2005 ANDREASI, FELICE Italian actor Felice Andreasi died in Italy on December 25, 2005. He was 77. Andreasi was born in Turin, Italy, on January 8, 1928. He appeared in numerous films from the early 1970s including Fiorina la Vacca (1972), Clareta and Ben (1974), Il Sospetto (1975), Goodnight, Ladies and Gentlemen (1976), Stormtroopers (1977), Man in a Hurry (1977), How to Lose a Wife and Find a Lover (1978), Saxophone (1979), Bingo Bongo (1982), The Story of Boys and Girls (1989), The Latest from Paris (1992), A Soul Split in Two (1993), Muzungu (1999), The Invisible Collection (2000), Bread and Tulips (2000), Johnny the Partisan (2000), Check and Mate (2001), and Two Friends (2002).
Felice Andreasi
ANDRES, VALERIANO Spanish actor Valeriano Andres died in Madrid, Spain, on April 21, 2005. He was 82. Andres was born in Madrid on July 1, 1922. He appeared in numerous film and theatrical productions from the 1940s. His many film credits include Maria de los Reyes (1948), The Duchess of Benameji (1949), Trifles (1950), The Siege (1950), Lola, the Coalgirl (1952), El Seductor de Granada (1953), The Generous Bandit (1954), La Lupa (1955), Torment of Love (1956), Whom God Forgives (1957), Poison at 2:30 (1959), Vampiresas 1930 (1962), The Daughters of Helena (1963), Old Man Made in Spain (1969), Secret Intentions (1970), Crimen Imperfecto (1970), Don Quixote Rides Again (1973), Los Auto-
10 nomicos (1982), The Heifer (1985), The Lame Pigeon (1995), and Story of a Kiss (2002). Andres also worked often in Spanish television.
ANGERS, AVRIL British comedienne Avril Angers died of pneumonia in a London hospital on November 9, 2005. She was 83. Angers was born in Liverpool, England, on April 18, 1922. She began her career on stage while in her teens. She also appeared frequently in films from the late 1940s, appearing in Brass Monkey (1948), Skimpy in the Navy (1949), The Six Men (1950), Miss Pilgrim’s Progress (1950), Don’t Blame the Stork (1954), Women Without Men (1956), The Green Man (1956), Bond of Fear (1956), Blonde Bait (1956), Light Fingers (1957), Devils of Darkness (1965), Be My Guest (1965), The Family Way (1966), Two a Penny (1967), Three Bites of the Apple (1967), The Best House in London (1969), Staircase (1969). There’s a Girl in My Soup (1970), Mr. Forbush and the Penguins (1971), Gollocks! There’s Plenty of Room in New Zealand (1973), Confessions of a Driving Instructor (1976), and Dangerous Davies —The Last Detective (1981). Angers also starred in such British television series as How Do You View? in the early 1950s, All Aboard (1958), Coronation Street as Norah Dawson in 1961, The More We Are Together (1971), No Appointment Necessary (1977) as Beryl Armitage, Odd Man Out (1977) as Ma, Just Liz (1980) as Jessie Worth, and Common as Muck (1994) as Diane Parry. Her other television credits include episodes of such series as Dad’s Army, The Liver Birds, Dawson’s Weekly, All Creatures Great and Small, Are You Being Served?, Smuggler, Minder, Cat’s Eyes, and Victoria Wood. • Times (of London), Nov. 11, 2005, 79.
Avril Angers
Valeriano Andres
ANSELL, LORRAINE Actress Lorraine Ansell died suddenly in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, on November 28, 2005. She was 49. Ansell worked in film and television in Canada from the 1980s. She was featured in the films Two’s a Mob (1998), Undercover Angel (1999), The Kiss of Debt (2000), House of Luk (2001), and Parkwood Hills (2002). She starred as Victoria Mann in the 2004 television series Mann to Mann, and was also seen in the tele-films The Body Electric (1985), Saving Emily (2004), H2O (2004), A Killer Upstairs (2005), and The Perfect Neighbor (2005).
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2005 • Obituaries
Lorraine Ansell
Adriano Arie
APARO, JIM Veteran comic artist Jim Aparo died at his home in Southington, Connecticut, after a brief illness on July 19, 2005. He was 72. Aparo was born on August 24, 1932. He worked as a commercial artist in the fashion industry in the early 1960s, and was creator of the short-lived newspaper comic strip Stern Wheeler with Ralph Kanna in 1963. He was hired by Dick Giordano at Charlton Comics in 1966, where he drew comics in numerous genres, often pencilling, inking and lettering his work. Giordano was instrumental in bringing Aparo to DC Comics in the late 1960s. He worked at DC for the next three decades, drawing in the adventures the super-heroes the Phantom Stranger, Batman, Green Arrow, and Aquaman. He also did illustrations for the DC comics Brave and the Bold for nearly 100 issues, which showcased Batman in team-ups with various other DC heroes on a monthly basis. Aparo was the cocreator of the Batman and the Outsiders book in the 1980s and was penciller on the Death in the Family storyline in the Batman comic that resulted in the murder of Jason Todd, the second Robin. During the 1990s Aparo contributed occasional artwork through the end of the decade, until his retirement.
L’Altra Cara de la Lluna (2000), and Horse Fever: The Mandrake Sting (2002). He also produced Fratelli (1988), Greener Fields (1998), Pepe Carvalho (1999), Francesca and Nunziata (2001), La Tassinara (2004), and Il Veterinario (2005) for television.
ARIKAWA, SADAMASA Japanese special effects director Sadamasa Arikawa, who worked on the original Godzilla film, died of lung cancer at a hospital in Izu, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, on September 22, 2005. He was 79. Arikawa was born in Tokyo in June of 1926. He began his career assisting director Inoshiro Honda on Godzilla (1954) as director of special effects photography. Arikawa designed and directed special effects for numerous Japanese films including The Invisible Man (1954), Gigantis, the Fire Monster (1955), Rodan (1956), The Mysterians (1957), The H-Man (1958), Battle in Outer Space (1959), Submarine 1–57 Will Not Surrender (1959), The Birth of Japan (1959), Magic Monkey Sky (1959), I Bombed Pearl Harbor (1960), The Secret of the Telegian (1960), The Human Vapor (1960), Blood on the Sea (1961), Daredevil in the Castle (1961), Mothra (1961), The Last War (1961), Gen and Acala (1961), Gorath (1962), Scarlet Sky (1962), King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962), Varan the Unbelievable (1962), Attack Squadron! (1963), Attack of the Mushroom People (1963), The Lost World of Sinbad (1963), Atragon (1963), Siege of Fort Bismarck (1963), Dagora, the Space Monster (1964), Ghidrah, the
Jim Aparo (self portrait)
ARIE, ADRIANO Italian film producer Adriano Arie died in Rome on October 3, 2005. He produced numerous film and television productions from the late 1980s. Arie produced the films Electric Blue (1988),
Sadamasa Arikawa
Obituaries • 2005 Three-Headed Monster (1964), Shikonmado: Big Tornado (1964), Godzilla vs. the Thing (1964), Frankenstein Conquers the World (1965), Monster Zero (1965), Retreat from Kiska (1965), Crazy Adventure (1965), War of the Gargantuas (1966), Zero Fighters: Great Air Battle (1966), Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster (1966), King Kong Escapes (1967), Son of Godzilla (1967), Mighty Jack (1968), Destroy All Monsters (1968), Admiral Yamamoto (1968), Latitude Zero (1969), Yog, Monster from Space (1970), Rainbowman (1972), and The Mighty Peking Man (1977). Arikawa also directed special effects for the Ultraman television series in the 1960s, and was director of the 1983 films The Phoenix (aka War of the Wizards). • Times (of London), Sept. 26, 2005, 50.
ARMSTRONG, DARRYL Canadian actor Darryl Armstrong committed suicide by jumping from a bridge in Toronto on January 29, 2005. He was 23. Armstrong was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, in 1982. He appeared on television in episodes of the series Queer as Folk and Degrassi Junior High.
Darryl Armstrong
ARRELIA Waldemar Seyssel, who performed as the clown Arrelia from the 1920s, died of pneumonia in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on May 23, 2005. He was 99. Seyssel was born to a circus family in Jaguariaiva, Brazil, on December 31, 1905. He worked in the family circus as a juggler and acrobat before becoming a clown in 1922.
Arrelia
12 He created the character of Arrelia several years later in 1927. Seyssel continued to perform with the circus through the 1950s, and subsequently appeared in Brazilian films and television. Seyssel’s film credits include O Palhaco Atormentado (1948), Suzana e o Presidente (1951), Modelo 19 (1952), O Homem Dos Papagaios (1953), A Sogra (1954), Destiny in Trouble (1954), Carnaval em La Maior (1955), Na Corda Bamba (1958), O Barbeiro Que Se Vira (1958), and Pluft, o Fantasminha (1965). He performed regularly on Brazilian television from the 1950s through the 1970s.
ASKIN, LEON Hefty Austrian character actor Leon Askin, who was best known for his recurring role as General Burkhalter, bumbling Colonel Klinck’s commanding officer, in the 1960s sit-com Hogan’s Heroes, died in a Vienna, Austria, hospital on June 3, 2005. He was 97. Askin was born Leo Aschkenasy in Vienna on September 18, 1907. He performed in cabarets in the 1930s before fleeing persecution by the Nazi regime. He went to France before settling in the United States. He worked often with theatrical director Erwin Piscator, and appeared on Broadway in productions of Faust and Shylock. He was an imposing screen presence from the early 1950s, often portraying villains in numerous film and television productions. His numerous film credits include Assignment: Paris (1952), Road to Bali (1952), Desert Legion (1953), South Sea Woman (1953), China Venture (1953), The Robe (1953), The Veils of Bagdad (1953), Knock on Wood (1954), Secret of the Incas (1954), Valley of the Kings (1954), Carolina Cannonball (1955), Son of Sinbad (1955), Spy Chasers (1955), Duel in the Forest (1958), The Last Blitzkrieg (1959), Rebel Flight to Cuba (1959), Mistress of the World (1960), Until Money Departs You (1960), The Whole Truth (1961), Billy Wilder’s One, Two, Three (1961), Lulu (1962), The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1962), Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace (1962), John Goldfarb, Please Come Home (1965), Do Not Disturb (1965), What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? (1966), Double Trouble (1967), The Caper of the Golden Bulls (1967), The Perils of Pauline (1967), Lucrezia Borgia (1968), God’s Police Patrol (1968), The Wicked Dreams of Paula Schultz (1968), Guns for San Sebastian (1968), The Blonde Connection (1969), A Fine Pair (1969), The Maltese Bippy (1969), Hammersmith Is Out (1972) with
Leon Askin
13 Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, Dr. Death: Seeker of Souls (1973), The World’s Greatest (1973), Karl May (1974), Going Ape! (1981), Frightmare (1982), Airplane II: The Sequel (1982), A Stroke of Genius (1984), Odd Jobs (1984), Stiffs (1985), Savage Island (1985), First Strike (1985), Deshima (1987), Occhio Pinocchio (1994), Fear of Heights (1994), Deadly Love (1995), and Smoking Cuban Style (1999). Askin starred as General Albert Burkhalter on Hogan’s Heroes from 1965. He also appeared in the Gene Roddenberry science fiction tele-film Genesis II (1973), and appeared in European television productions of Bliss by Installments (1995) and A Styrian Television Story (1995). Askin was a familiar face on television from the 1950s, guest starring in episodes of such series as Biff Baker, U.S.A., The Charles Farrell Show, Schiltz Playhouse of Stars, Lux Video Theatre, Superman, Studio 57, The Lineup, Soldiers of Fortune, Crusade, TV Reader’s Digest, Front Row Center, Telephone Time, The 20th Century–Fox Hour, Tales of the 77th Bengal Lancers, The Restless Gun, Matinee Theater, Disneyland, The Dick Powell Show, Saints and Sinners, G.E. True, The Outer Limits, The Rogues, My Favorite Martian, Honey West, Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, The Double Life of Henry Phyfe, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., I Spy, It’s About Time, Vacation Playhouse, Felony Squad, The Monkees, It Takes a Thief, Daniel Boone, Mission: Impossible, The F.B.I., McMillan and Wife, Friends and Lovers, Switch, Meeting of Minds, The Hardy Boys Nancy Drew Mysteries, Happy Days, Three’s Company, Insight, and Diff ’rent Strokes. Askin had returned to Austria in the 1980s, where he continued to perform on stage, film and television into the 2000s. • Los Angeles Times, June 5, 2005, B12; Variety, June 27, 2005, 80.
ASTELL, BETTY British actress Betty Astell died in St. Peter Port, Guernsey, Channel Islands, on July 27, 2005. She was 93. Astell was born in Brondesbury, London, England, on May 23, 1912. She began her career on stage as the age of two, appearing as an egg at the London Coliseum. She performed on stage as a dancer and actress, appearing in such productions as For the Love of Mike in the early 1930s. She also began performing on BBC television in some of its earliest broadcasts in 1931. Astell also appeared in numerous comedy films and thrillers in England during the 1930s includ-
2005 • Obituaries ing A Tight Corner (1932), Double Dealing (1932), This Is the Life (1933), Strike It Rich (1933), That’s My Wife (1933), The Stickpin (1933), The Medicine Man (1933), I’ll Stick to You (1933), Great Stuff (1933), Cleaning Up (1933), A Wife or Two (1934), That’s My Uncle (1934), On the Air (1934), The Man I Want (1934), The Lost Chord (1934), The Life of the Party (1934), Josser on the Farm (1934), Flat Number Three (1934), Strictly Illegal (1935), Sunshine Ahead (1936), Jack of All Trades (1936), Behind Your Back (1937), and The Mind of Mr. Reeder (1939). She married comedian Cyril Fletcher in 1941. They remained wed for over sixty years until Fletcher’s death on January 1, 2005. The often performed together, with Astell writing much of their material. They wrote and starred in the 1948 comedy film A Piece of Cake, and were featured in such television series as Cyril’s Saga (1957) and The Cyril Fletcher Show (1959). They also toured on stage in pantomime and variety shows from the 1950s through the late 1970s. Astell subsequently retired from performing, though she did continue to write pantomime scripts. • Times (of London), July 30, 2005, 71.
ATKINSON, GEORGE George Atkinson, a former stuntman-actor who was a pioneer in the video rental business in California, died of emphysema in Los Angeles on March 3, 2005. He was 69. Atkinson was born in Shanghai, China, on June 2, 1935. He worked as an actor and stuntman in films and television in the 1960s. He was seen in the 1969 film Childish Things, and appeared in television in episodes of Burke’s Law, Honey West, and Mannix. Atkinson began Video Station in Los Angeles 1979, renting films in the emerging format of video. Within several years over 500 video stores were affiliated with Video Station. Atkinson left the business in the mid–1980s. • Los Angeles Times, Mar. 12, 2005, B17; New York Times, Mar. 9, 2005, A23.
George Atkinson
Betty Astell
AUSTIN, MIKE Mike Austin, a record holding golfer and occasional actor, died at the Motion Picture and Television Hospital in Woodland Hills, California, on November 22, 2005. He was 95. Austin was born in Guernsey, on Great Britain’s Channel Islands, in 1910. A golfer and teacher, he was noted for his long drives and stunt shots which earned him the title of “The Golfing Bandit.” He held the world record for the longest
Obituaries • 2005
Mike Austin
14 BA, INDAY Actress Inday Ba (N’Deaye Ba) died of complications from lupus in Bristol, England, on April 26, 2005. She was 32. Ba was born in Gothenburg, Sweden, on August 10, 1972. She was featured in several films from the 1990s including The Perfect Blue (1997), The Man Who Knew Too Little (1997), The Man with Rain in His Shoes (1998), Four Dogs Playing Poker (2000), and Tom & Thomas (2002). She also appeared in numerous television productions including Into the Blue (1997), Out of Hours (1998), The Ruth Rendell Mysteries: Going Wrong (1998), Y2K (1999), Thin Ice (2000), Arabian Nights (2000), Trial & Retribution V (2001), The Lost Empire (2001), The Reunion (2002), Lie with Me (2004), Ahead of the Class (2005), and Empire (2005). Her other television credits include episodes of Holding the Baby, The Pretender, Ultimate Force, The Brief, and Sea of Souls.
drive in a professional golf tournament at the U.S. National Seniors Open in Las Vegas in 1974, driving the ball 515 yards. Austin also performed on stage in a production of The Desert Song at the Los Angeles Civic Opera in 1947. He appeared as Judge Lang in the 1983 film thriller The Star Chamber with Michael Douglas.
AYLWARD, DEREK British character actor Derek Aylward died in Sussex, England, on July 10, 2005. He was 82. Aylward was born in Maidenhead, England, on October 29, 1922. He appeared frequently in films and television from the early 1950s. Aylward’s film credits include Operation Diplomat (1953), Malta Story (1953), The Strange Case of Blondie (1954), John Wesley (1954), The Devil’s Jest (1954), Handcuffs, London (1955), The House in Marsh Road (aka The Invisible Creature) (1960), The Trials of Oscar Wilde (aka The Green Carnation) (1960), Very Important Person (1961), School for Sex (1968), For Men Only (1968), The Big Switch (1969), Cool It Carol! (1970), Man of Violence (1971), Come Play with Me (1977), and The Playbirds (1978). He also appeared in television productions of Quatermass II (1955), Bellweather Nine (1959), and The Moonstone (1959). Aylward’s other television credits include episodes of The Adventures of Sir Lancelot as King Marhaus, The New Adventures of Charlie Chan, The New Adventures of Martin Kane, Ivanhoe, William Tell, Dixon of Dock Green, and The Prisoner.
Inday Ba
BABB, SANORA Novelist and poet Sanora Babb died at her home in Hollywood, California, on December 31, 2005. She was 98. Babb was born Oklahoma in an Otoe Indian community in 1907. While working for the Farm Security Administration during the Great Depression, she authored a novel about migrant workers in the Kansas dust bowl. The book was considered an excellent account of the times, but the similarity of her story to John Steinbeck’s 1939 novel The Grapes of Wrath delayed its publication for over sixty years, until
Derek Aylward Sanora Babb
15 it was published as Whose Names Are Unknown by the University of Oklahoma Press in 2004. Babb went on to write several other works including the 1958 novel The Lost Traveler, the short story collection Cry of the Tinamou, the collection of poems Told in the Seed, and the memoir An Owl on Every Post. Babb was married to Oscar-winning cinematographer James Wong Howe from 1948 until his death in 1976. • Los Angeles Times, Jan. 8, 2006, B12; New York Times, Jan. 10, 2006, C17.
BABI, PARVEEN Indian actress Parveen Babi was found dead at her home in Bombay, India, on January 22, 2005. She was believed to have died of natural causes two days earlier. She was 55. Babi was born in Junagad, India, on April 4, 1949. She began her film career in B.R. Ishara’s 1973 film Charitra. She remained a leading film star for the next fifteen years, starring in such movies as Majboor (1974), Kala Sona (1975), I’ll Die for Mama (1975), Bullet (1976), The Husband, Wife and Mistress (1978), Sign of Marriage (1979), Black Stone (1979), Abdullah (1980), Strength (1982), Ashanti (1982), Chor Police (1983), Sitamgar (1985), and Avinash (1986). Babi retired from the screen after appearing in 1988’s Akarshan, and spent a largely reclusive life. • Times (of London), Jan. 26, 2005, 63; Variety, Jan. 31, 2005, 69.
2005 • Obituaries France, on February 15, 2005. He was 60. Bachelet was born in Paris on May 25, 1944. He composed the score for the 1974 erotic film Emmanuelle. He also composed music for the sequels Emmanuelle 2: The Joys of a Woman (1975), Emmanuelle V (1987), Emmanuelle’s Secret (1992), Emmanuelle’s Love (1993), and Emmanuelle Forever (1993). His other film score credits include Some Too Quiet Gentlemen (1973), The Story of O (1975), Black and White in Color (1976), The Last Romantic Lover (1978), Hothead (1979), Private Collections (1979), Confessions of the Naughty Nymphos (1980), The Perils of Gwendoline in the Land of the Yik Yak (1984), The Children of the Marshland (1999), and A Crime in Paradise (2001).
BACKHAUSEN, BIRTHE Danish actress Birthe Backhausen died in Copenhagen, Denmark, on November 18, 2005. She was 78. Backhausen was born in Denmark on January 20, 1927. She performed frequently on stage, film, and television from the 1950s. Her film credits include I Gabestokken (1950), Charly & Steffen (1979), Kvindesind (1980), Ved Vejen (1988), Tifanfayaz (1997), and Facing the Truth (2002). She also appeared on television in productions of Rullegardinet (1971), Matador (1978), and Lange leve Friheden (1993).
Parveen Babi
Birthe Backhausen
BACHELET, PIERRE French composer Pierre Bachelet died of cancer in Suresnes, Hauts-de-Seine,
BAILEY, BENNY Jazz trumpeter Benny Bailey died at his home in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on
Pierre Bachelet
Benny Bailey
Obituaries • 2005 April 14, 2005. He was 79. He was born Ernest Harold Bailey in Cleveland, Ohio, on August 13, 1925. He attended the Cleveland Conservatory of Music and began his career performing with bands led by Bull Moose Jackson and Scatman Crothers. In the late 1940s he toured Europe with Dizzy Gillespie’s band, and spent several years with Lionel Hampton’s band. Bailey largely remained in Europe for the rest of his life, settling in Sweden and, later, the Netherlands. Bailey performed in Europe with the Kenny Clarke–Francy Boland Big Band and the George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band. He also recorded the hit jazz single “Compared to What” with Sax player Eddie Harris and singer Les McCann at the Montreaux Jazz Festival in Switzerland in 1969. Bailey also returned to the U.S. to make occasional performances in New York in the 1990s. • Los Angeles Times, May 11, 2005, B12; New York Times, May 9, 2005, B8; Times (of London), May 18, 2005, 62.
BAIRD, HARRY British Black actor Harry Baird died in London on February 13, 2005. Baird was born in Georgetown, Guyana (then British Guinea), on May 12, 1931. He began his acting career on stage in a British West End production of Kismet, and made his film debut as a wrestler in 1955’s A Kid for Two Farthings. He starred as Atimbu in the African adventure series White Hunter in 1957, and was featured in the films Sapphire (1959), Killers of Kilimanjaro (1959), Tarzan the Magnificent (1960), Taur the Mighty (1960), The Mark (1961), The Devil Inside (1961), Flame in the Streets (1961), The Road to Hong Kong (1962), Station Six-Sahara (1962), The Small World of Sammy Lee (1963), Traitor’s Gate (1964), He Who Rides a Tiger (1965), The Whisperers (1967), Melvin Van Peebles’ The Story of a Three-Day Pass (1968), The Touchables (1968), The Italian Job (1969), Edgar Allan Poe’s The Oblong Box (1969), Castle Keep (1969), Cool It Carol! (1970), and 1000 Convicts and a Woman (1971). He also appeared in several episodes of the British television spy series Danger Man with Patrick McGoohan, and starred as Lt. Mark Bradley in the cult science fiction series UFO in 1970. He was featured in several Italian spaghetti westerns including Trinity and Sartana Are Coming (1972), Colt in the Hand of the Devil (1972), and Those Dirty Dogs (1973). He appeared in a 1975 television production of The Count of Monte Cristo
16 and an Italian version of Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1975) before largely retiring from the screen.
BA JIN Chinese writer Ba Jin died of cancer in Shanghai, China, on October 17, 2005. He was 100. Ba Jin was born Li Yaotang in Chengdu, Sichuan, China on November 25, 1904. He was best known for his novel Family, published in 1931 about a household in feudal China. The saga of the Torrents trilogy continued with Spring (1938) and Autumn (1940). He wrote numerous novels, essays and short stories, becoming one of the leading authors in the Communist era. His other works include the Love Trilogy Fog (1931), Rain (1933) and Lightning (1935), the short novels A Garden of Repose (1944), Ward No. 4 (1946), and Cold Nights (1947), the novellas Autumn in Spring and A Dream of the Sea, and the short story collection Germination. Several of his works were adapted for film including Spring (1953), Family (1953), Autumn (1954), Cold Nights (1955), Ming Feng (1957), and Garden of Repose (1964). Persecuted as a counterrevolutionary during the Chinese Cultural Revolution of the 1960s, he was rehabilitated in 1977, becoming chairman of the Chinese Writers’ Association in 1983. Ba Jin continued to write throughout his life until poor health curtailed his activities in later years. • Los Angeles Times, Oct. 18, 2005, B8; New York Times, Oct. 18, 2005, A25; Time, Oct. 31, 2005, 27; Times (of London), Oct. 25, 2005, 66.
Ba Jin
BAKER, ROBERT Psychologist and author Robert Baker, who spent most of his career debunking
Harry Baird
Robert Baker
17 ghostly sightings and supernatural occurrences, died on August 8, 2005. He was 84. Baker was born in Blackford, Kentucky, on June 27, 1921. He served in the Army Air Force as a cryptographer during World War II, and studied psychology at the University of Kentucky and Stanford, where he earned a doctorate in 1951. He wrote numerous books on the paranormal, attempting to explain ghostly visitations as waking dreams or hallucinations. His works include Hidden Memories: Voices and Visions from Within (1992) and Mind Games (1996).
BAKER, TUNGIA Maori stage and film actress Tungia Baker died of cancer at her family home in Otaki, Manawatu, New Zealand, on July 27, 2005. She was 64. Baker was featured as Hira in the 1993 film The Piano with Holly Hunter and Anna Paquin. She also appeared in several short films and television dramas in New Zealand including the mini-series A Difficult Woman (1998) and Greenstone (1999), and the children’s series Mirror, Mirror. She was also seen in the 2002 television drama Mataku, and the 2003 film The Legend of Johnny Lingo.
2005 • Obituaries language films including 1967’s Agniputhri. He usually appeared in supporting roles and was featured as the wise man Narada in a series of mythological films. He also produced 18 films under his production company, TKB Films.
BALDRY, LONG JOHN British blues musician Long John Baldry died of complications from a chest infection in a Vancouver, British Columbia, hospital on July 21, 2005. He was 64. Baldry was born in Derbyshire, England, on January 12, 1941. He became a leading recording artist in the 1960s, releasing his first hit, “Let the Heartaches Begin,” in 1967. Baldry recorded over 40 albums that included such popular songs as “Don’t Try to Lay No Boogie-Woogie on the King of Rock and Roll,” “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling,” “A Thrill’s a Thrill,” and “Come and Get Your Love.” He was also instrumental in launching the careers of such rock artists as Rod Stewart, Ginger Baker, Jimmy Page, and Mick Jagger, who were featured in Baldry’s stage act in the 1960s. The 6'7" musician also appeared in the 1971 British comedy film Up the Chastity Belt as Little John. Baldry lived in New York and Los Angeles for several years before moving to Vancouver in 1980, and became a Canadian citizen soon after. He became a popular voice-over artist, working on numerous commercials and such animated programs as Ewoks, Dragon Quest, Captain N: The Game Master, Madeline, Bucky O’Hare and the Toad Wars, Conan: The Adventurer, The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog as Dr. Ivo Robotnik, Hurricanes, Nilus the Sandman, ReBoot, Sabrina the Animated Series, and Toad Patrol, and the animated tele-films Snow Queen (2002) and Ben Hur (2003). • Los Angeles Times, July 23, 2005, B17; New York Times, July 25, 2005, B7; Times (of London), July 25, 2005, 47.
Tungia Baker
BALACHANDRAN, T.K. Indian actor and producer Thiruvananthapuram K. Balachandran died at his home in India on December 15, 2005. He was 78. Balachandran began his career on stage before moving to films in the late 1950s. He appeared in over 400 Tamil
Long John Baldry
T.K. Balachandran
BALLING, ERIK Danish film and television director Erik Balling died of a heart attack in Gentoffe, Denmark, on November 19, 2005. He was 80. Balling was born in Nyborg, Denmark, on November 29, 1924. He began working in films as the Danish production company Nordisk Films Kompagni in 1946, and made his directoral debut with the 1953 feature Adam and Eve. He went on to direct such films as Kispus (1956), The Poet and the Little Mother (1959), Faith, Hope and Witch-
Obituaries • 2005
Erik Balling
craft (1960), Birkus Buster (1961), Death Comes at High Noon (1964), Summer in Tyrol (1964), Two Times Two in the Fourposter (1965), Operation Lovebirds (1965), Relax Freddie (1956), I Belong to Me (1967), and Martha (1967). Balling’s best known films were the popular comic detective series The Olsen Gang, which included The Olsen Gang (1968), The Olsen Gang in a Fix (1969), The Olsen Gang in Jutland (1971), The Olsen Gang’s Big Score (1972), The Olsen Gang Runs Amok (1973), The Last Exploits of the Olsen Gang (1974), The Olsen Gang on the Track (1975), The Olsen Gang Sees Red (1976), The Olsen Gang Outta Sight (1977), The Olsen Gang Goes to War (1978), and The Olsen Gang Never Surrenders (1979). His other credits include the films Revolution My A... (1970), One of Those Things (1971), and Midt om Natten (1984), and the television series Matador (1978) and Anthonsen (1984).
BALSAN, HUMBERT French film producer Humbert Balsan committed suicide in Paris on February 10, 2005. He was 50. Balsan was born in Arcachon, Gironde, France, on August 21, 1954. He began his career as an actor, appearing as Sir Gawain in 1974’s Lancelot of the Lake. He was also featured in the films The Conquistadores (1976), Northwest Wind (1976), Loulou (1980), Quartet (1981), Merry-Go-Round (1981), Strange Affair (1981), Chanel Solitaire (1981), All Fired Out (1982), I Married a Shadow (1983), Liberty Belle (1983), Swann in Love (1984), Thieves After Dark (1984), The Aspern Papers (1985), Listening in the Dark (1988), Jefferson in Paris (1995), The Proprietor (1996), The Ad-
Humbert Balsan
18 versary (2002), and Le Divorce (2003). Balsan also produced over sixty films from the late 1970s including Face to the Sun (1980), Quartet (1981), The Veiled Man (1987), Alexandria Again and Forever (1990), Walking a Tightrope (1992), Great Happiness (1993), Angels in Paradise (1993), The Light from Dead Stars (1994), The Emigrant (1994), Jefferson in Paris (1995), Muriel’s Parents Have Had It Up to Here (1995), Lumiere and Company (1995), Surviving Picasso (1996), Will It Snow for Christmas? (1996), The Proprietor (1996), Destiny (1997), After Sex (1997), Terminale (1998), Rembrandt (1999), The City (2000), Samia (2000), Martha ... Martha (2001), Silence ... We’re Rolling (2001), Chronicle of Love and Pain (2002), Total Kheops (2002), The Bathers (2003), Process (2004), The Gate of Sun (2004), Youssef Chahine’s Alexandria ... New York (2004), Le Grand Voyage (2004), The Intruder (2004), Travaux (2005), and The Man from London (2005). • Variety, Feb. 14, 2005, 55.
BANCROFT, ANNE Leading actress Anne Bancroft, who received the 1962 Academy Award for Best Actress for her role as Annie Sullivan, young Helen Keller’s teacher, in The Miracle Worker, and starred as the “older woman,” Mrs. Robinson, who seduced her daughter’s boyfriend, Dustin Hoffman, in the 1967 film The Graduate, died of uterine cancer in a New York City hospital on June 6, 2006. She was 73. She was born Anna Maria Italiano in The Bronx, New York, on September 17, 1931. She began her career in New York in the early 1950s, working in television under the name Anne Marno in such series as Suspense, Danger, The Adventures of Ellery Queen, and Lights Out. She was signed to a contract by 20th Century–Fox in 1952 and chose the screen name Anne Bancroft. She starred in over a dozen B-films over the next six years including Don’t Bother to Knock (1952), Tonight We Sing (1953), Treasure of the Golden Condor (1953), The Kid from Left Field (1953), Gorilla at Large (1954), Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954), The Raid (1954), New York Confidential (1955), A Life in the Balance (1955), The Naked Street (1955), The Last Frontier (1955), Walk the Proud Land (1956), Nightfall (1957), The Restless Breed (1957), and The Girl in Black Stockings (1957). She was also seen on television in such series as Omnibus, Kraft Television Theatre, Lux Video Theatre, Climax!, The Alcoa Hour, Playhouse 90,
Ann Bancroft
19 Zane Grey Theater, Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, and ABC Stage 67. Bancroft returned to New York in 1958 to star with Henry Fonda in Arthur Penn’s Broadway production of Two for the Seesaw. She earned a Tony Award for her performance, which she followed with another Tony-winning role in Broadway’s The Miracle Worker. She reprised her role as teacher to Patty Duke’s Helen Keller in the 1962 film version, winning the Oscar. She married comedian and director Mel Brooks in 1964. She also starred in the films The Pumpkin Eater (1964) with Peter Finch, The Slender Thread (1965), and 7 Women (1966), before joining Dustin Hoffman in the 1967 landmark film The Graduate. Bancroft earned an Academy Award nomination for her role as Mrs. Robinson. She continued to appear in such films as Young Winston (1972) as Jenny Churchill, Mel Brooks’ Blazing Saddles (1974) in the role of an extra in her husband’s comedy classic, The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1975), The Hindenburg (1975), and Lipstick (1976). She starred as Mary Magdalene in the television mini-series Jesus of Nazareth in 1977 and received another Oscar nomination for her role as ballerina Emma Jacklin in the 1977 The Turning Point. She earned another Tony nomination for her performance as Golda Meir in the 1977 Broadway production of Golda. Bancroft wrote, directed and starred in the 1980 comedy Fatso and appeared as Mrs. Kendal in David Lynch’s The Elephant Man in 1980. She starred in the 1982 television mini-series Marco Polo and co-starred with her husband in the 1983 comedy To Be or Not to Be. She also appeared in the films Garbo Talks (1984), Agnes of God (1985) which earned her another Academy Award nomination, ’Night, Mother (1986), 84 Charing Cross Road (1987) with Anthony Hopkins, Torch Song Trilogy (1988), Bert Rigby, You’re a Fool (1989), Honeymoon in Vegas (1992), Love Potion No. 9 (1992), Point of No Return (1993), Malice (1993), Mr. Jones (1993), How to Make an American Quilt (1995), Home for the Holidays (1995), Mel Brooks’ Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995), The Sunchaser (1996), G.I. Jane (1997), Critical Care (1997), the animated Antz (1998) as the voice of the Queen, Great Expectations (1998), Keeping the Faith (2000), Up at the Villa (2000), and Heartbreakers (2001). Bancroft also starred in Max Chandler in the 1990 comedy series Freddie and Max, and appeared in television productions of Neil Simon’s Broadway Bound (1992), Mrs. Cage (1992), Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All (1994), Paddy Chayefsky’s The Mother (1994), Homecoming (1996), Deep in My Heart (1999) which garnered her an Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress, Haven (2001), and The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone (2003). Bancroft is survived by her husband and their son, Max. • Los Angeles Times, June 8, 2005, A1; New York Times, June 8, 2005, A17; People, June 20, 2005, 137; Time, June 20, 2005, 23; Variety, June 13, 2005, 56.
BAQUET, MAURICE French actor and musician Maurice Baquet died in Noisy-le-grand, France, on July 8, 2005. He was 94. Baquet was born in Villefranche-sur-Saone, Rhone, France, on May 26, 1911. He studied the cello in Paris as a young man, but soon turned to acting. He was featured in numerous films from the early 1930s including Le Taxi de Minuit (1934),
2005 • Obituaries Sacrifice of Honor (1935), The Crime of Monsieur Lange (1936), Helene (1936), The Lower Depths (1936), Lady Killer (1937), L’Alibi (1937), Youth in Revolt (1938), Final Accord (1938), Hatred (1938), Twisted Mistress (1942), Frederica (1942), Adieu Leonard (1943), Coup de Tete (1944), The Last Metro (1945), My Treasure (1947), Sextette (1948), The Sad Sack (1950), Andalousie (1951), Bibi Fricotin (1951), Innocents in Paris (1952), The Impossible Mr. Pipelet (1955), Stowaway in the Sky (1960), Mandrin (1962), Scarf of Mist Thigh of Satin (1966), Costa-Gavras’ Z (1969), Special Section (1975), Let’s Make a Dirty Movie (1976), Mr. Klein (1976), Bobby Deerfield (1977), The Adolescent (1979), Le Divorcement (1979), The King of Jerks (1981), Intimate Moments (1981), L’Ange (1982), Salut, j’Arrive (1982), Viva le Sociale! (1983), Paulette (1986), The Debutante (1986), Only God Sees Me (1998). Baquet also appeared often on French television, making his last performance in 2002’s L’Ami de Patagonie.
BARBERO, LUIS Spanish character actor Luis Barbero died of a heart attack in Madrid, Spain, on August 3, 2005. He was 88. Barbero was born in Madrid on August 8, 1916. He began his career on the Spanish stage in the late 1930s. He was also featured in over 100 films during his career including Stories from Madrid (1958), Valentine’s Day (1959), The Big Family (1962), The Sinner and the Witch (1964), Find That Girl (1965), Every Day Is a Holiday (1965), Snakes and Ladders (1966), Sangre en el Ruedo (1969), El Sobre Verde (1971), My Dearest Senorita (1972), Las Colocadas (1972), Senora Doctor (1973), La Curiosa (1973), Watch Out, We’re Mad (1974), Timid Bachelor (1974), Silk Worms (1977), Historia de S (1979), ...And the Third Year, He Resuscitated (1981), La Tia de Carlos (1981), Los Chulos (1981), The Beehive (1982), They Call Him J.R. (1982), Shake Before Use (1983), Our Father (1985), Silver-Beet Face (1987), Madrid (1987), Lute: Forge on or Die (1987), SSS (1988), The Things of Love (1989, I’m the One (1990), The Dumbfounded King (1991), On the Far Side of the Tunnel (1994), and Corazon Loco (1997). Barbero also appeared frequently on Spanish television, starring in the series Ay, Senor, Senor! (1994), La Banda de Perez (1997), and Medico de Familia as Matias from 1997 to 1999.
Luis Barbero
BARBOUR, PETER British entertainer Peter Barbour died in Northampton, England, on September 12,
Obituaries • 2005
20 BARCLAY, EDDIE French jazz musician and music producer Eddie Barclay died of pulmonary and urinary infections in Paris on May 12, 2005. He was 84. Barclay was born in Paris on January 26, 1921. He began his career as a pianist and composer, working on the scores for several films in the 1950s. His credits include Fever Heat (1955), Every Day Has Its Secret (1958), Temptation (1959), FX 18, Secret Agent (1964), and The Dictator’s Guns (1965). Barclay was also a successful music producer in France from the 1950s, working with such artists as Jacques Brel, Quincy Jones, and Charles Aznavour. • Los Angeles Times, May 14, 2005, B19; New York Times, May 22, 2005, 31; Times (of London), May 17, 2005, 54.
Peter Barbour
2005. He was 82. Barbour was born in Skegness, Lincolnshire, England, on November 5, 1922, the son of comedian Roy Barbour. He made his stage debut in variety shows in the late 1930s. He joined with his brother, Roy Jr., in the 1940s as part of a comedy stilt-walking act. They performed on stage and television and appeared in musical production of Barnum! on the London stage in 1981. They were also seen in the 1986 television production of Barnum!.
BARBOUR, THOMAS Character actor Thomas Barbour died in New York City on December 29, 2005. He was 84. Barbour was born in New York City on July 25, 1921. He was featured in several Broadway plays including The Great White Hope and Kingdoms. He was also seen in a handful of films including The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974), Arthur (1981) and the 1988 sequel Arthur 2: On the Rocks as Stanford Bach, Woody Allen’s A Midsummer Night’s Sex Comedy (1982), Whatever It Takes (1986), Legal Eagles (1986), Hotshot (1987), Suspect (1987), The Age of Innocence (1993), Girlfight (2000), and York Street, 1929 (2004). Barbour also appeared in the tele-films Dr. Cook’s Garden (1971), The Mating Season (1980), The Haunted Mansion Mystery (1983), and Will There Really Be a Morning? (1983). His other television credits include episodes of The DuPont Show of the Week and The Nurses.
Eddie Barclay
BARDINET, MICHEL French actor Michel Bardinet died in Apt, Vaucluse, France, on February 22, 2005. He was 73. Bardinet was born in Toulon, Var, France, on November 15, 1931. He was popular film star in France from the late 1950s, appearing in The Nude Set (1957), Three Murderesses (1959), The Green Mare (1959), Heat of the Summer (1959), The Bread Peddler (1963), Les Baisers (1964), Hired Killer (1966), I Married You for Fun (1967), The Black Sheep (1968), The Sweet Body of Deborah (1968), Naked Violence (1969), A Woman on Fire (1969), The Lady of Monza (1969), That Little Difference (1970), Oasis of Fear (1971), Without Apparent
Thomas Barbour Michel Bardinet
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2005 • Obituaries
Motive (1971), Shadows Unseen (1972), Slap the Monster on Page One (1972), Blood in the Streets (1973), The Porcelain Anniversary (1974), Maxim’s Porter (1976), A Little Romance (1979), American Dreamer (1984), and L’Invite Surprise (1989). Bardinet was also seen frequently on television, guest starring in an episode of It Takes a Thief in 1969 and appearing in such productions as The Age of the Medici (1973), Gil Blas de Santillane (1974), Adios (1976), Alistair MacLean’s The Hostage Tower (1980), Vivement Lundi (1988), and Victoire, ou la Douleur des Femmes (2000).
BARKER, FRANCINE HURD Singer Francine Hurd Barker, who was half of the original Peaches and Herb duo in the 1960s, died in Maryland after a lengthy illness on August 13, 2005. She was 58. She was born in Washington, D.C., on April 28, 1947. She began singing while in her teens, performing with such groups as the Keynotes, the Darlettes, and the Sweet Things. She teamed with Herb Feemster, later known as Herb Fame, in 1965 to form the duo Peaches and Herb. The two recorded such hits as “Let’s Fall in Love” and “We’re in This Together.” The duo remained together until 1970, when Herb left show business. When he resumed his career in 1976, it was with a new Peaches, singer Linda Greene. Barker suffered a brain aneurysm and stroke and was in a coma for over a decade. She remained in very poor health for the remainder of her life.
Francine Barker
BARKER, RONNIE English comedian Ronnie Barker, who starred in the popular BBC television series The Two Ronnies from the early 1970s, died of a heart ailment at his home in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, England, on October 3, 2005. He was 76. Corbett was born in Bedford, England, on September 25, 1929. He began his career on stage in the late 1940s, and was also performing on British radio in the 1950s. He was noted for his role in the BBC radio program The Navy Lark in 1959. He began performing in British films and television in the 1950s, appearing in the features Wonderful Things! (1958), Kill or Cure (1962), Father Came Too! (1963), The Cracksman (1963), Doctor in Distress (1963), A Home of Your Own (1964), The Bargee (1964), Runaway Railway (1965), The Man Outside (1967), A Ghost of Chance (1968), Futtocks End (1970), and The Magnif-
Ronnie Barker
icent Seven Deadly Sins (1971). He also performed on television in It’s a Square World, The Seven Faces of Jim, Six More Faces of Jim, More Faces of Jim, How to Be an Alien, Bold as Brass, The Keys of the Cafe, A Tale of Two Cities, Benny Hill, The Frost Report, Foreign Affairs, The Saint, Sykes and A..., The Avengers, and Before the Fringe. He starred in the series The Ronnie Barker Playhouse (1968), Hark at Barker (1969) as Lord Rustless, and 6 Dates with Barker (1971) as Fred. He also appeared as Bottom in a 1971 television production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Barker had worked with fellow comic Ronnie Corbett in the 1960s satirical series That Was the Week That Was, and they teamed for the popular British comedy series The Two Ronnies in 1971. The series ran on the BBC for over 15 years, with Barker writing many of the skits, often under the pseudonym Gerald Wiley. He also starred as Norman Stanley Fletcher in the comedy series Porridge from 1973 to 1977. He reprised his role as Fletcher in the 1978 series Going Straight, and the 1979 feature film Porridge. Barker also starred as George Idle in the 1972 television production of Idle at Work, and was Lord Rustless in 1972’s His Lordship Entertains. He was Arkwright in Open All Hours from 1973 to 1985, and was Johnnie Wetherby in 1974’s Franklyn and Johnnie. He also appeared in productions of The Picnic (1975) and When We Are Married (1975), and was featured as Friar Tuck in the 1976 film Robin and Marian with Sean Connery and Audrey Hepburn. Barker appeared in the film By the Sea (1982), and a television production of The Magnificent Evans (1984). He also reunited with Ronnie Corbett for several specials including The Two Ronnies in Australia (1987) and Christmas Night with the Two Ronnies (1987). He starred as Clarence Sale in the 1988 comedy series Clarence, and was featured in the 1999 television production of The Nearly Complete and Utter History of Everything. He returned to the screen as David Inches, Winston’s Churchill’s butler, in the television production of The Gathering Storm in 2002, and was featured in My House in Umbria the following year. • Times (of London), Oct. 5, 2005, 69; Variety, Oct. 10, 2005, 93.
BARNES, ANN Dixie Cheney, who, as Ann Barnes, starred as Cookie Bumstead on the Blondie television series in the late 1950s, died in Lansing, Michi-
Obituaries • 2005
22
Ann Barnes
Candy Barr
gan, on September 13, 2005. She was 60. She was born in Lansing on June 17, 1945. As a child actress, she was featured as Dagwood and Blondie’s daughter, Cookie in the short-lived sit-com based on the popular comic strip, Blondie. She also guest-starred as Frances Hobbs in two episodes of Leave It to Beaver in 1960.
for possession of less than an ounce of marijuana. She served several years in prison before being paroled. She subsequently moved to Brownwood, and later, Edna, Texas, where she lived in seclusion. • Los Angeles Times, Jan. 3, 2006, B9; New York Times, Jan. 4, 2006, C15.
BARONE, JOE
Actor Joe Barone died of a lung infection in Amarillo, Texas, on April 12, 2005. He was 65. Barone was born on November 15, 1939. He left his career as a New York City fireman to move to Los Angeles in the 1980s to act. He appeared in episodes of several television series including The Fall Guy and Designing Women. He also appeared in the 1979 science fiction film The Day It Came to Earth. He subsequently moved to Amarillo, where he performed on stage and hosted a local radio program.
BARRETT, TOMI Actress and stuntwoman Tomi Barrett died of lung cancer in Austin, Texas, on September 8, 2005. Barrett was born Shirley Willford in Austin on December 19, 1950. Barrett worked on the choreography for Brian DePalma’s 1974 film The Phantom of the Paradise, and appeared in the films The Pyramid (1975) and Terror in the Forest. She and her husband, Gary Kent, produced the 1985 film Rainy Day Friends (aka L.A. Bad). She also did stunts for the 1996 film Street Corner Justice.
Tomi Barrett Joe Barone
BARR, CANDY Exotic dancer Candy Barr died of pneumonia in a Victoria, Texas, hospital on December 30, 2005. She was 70. She was born Juanita Dale Slusher in Edna, Texas, on July 6, 1935. She went to Dallas and, at the age of 16, appeared in the landmark stag film Smart Alec in 1951. She became one of the best known strippers in Texas, often outfitted in a skimpy cowgirl outfit. She was a choreographer and technical advisor to Joan Collins for the 1960 film Seven Thieves. Barr’s career was halted after her arrest in the late 1950s
BARRON, BLUE Band leader Blue Barron died in his sleep in Baltimore, Maryland, on July 16, 2005. He was 91. Barron was born Harry Friedman in Cleveland, Ohio, on November 19, 1913. He formed a swing band in 1936 and originally featured Russ Carlyle as the lead vocalist. The band recorded several hit songs including “At a Perfume Counter,” “Sometimes I’m Happy,” and “Cruisin’ Down the River.” They also starred in several movie shorts including Melody Master: Blue Barron and His Orchestra (1939), Paramount Headliner: Blue Barron and His Orchestra (1940), and Blue
23
2005 • Obituaries in California on November 28, 2005. She was 76. She was born Joan Hamilton Killian in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on October 11, 1929. She went to Hollywood in the mid–1950s and appeared in the 1956 film A Kiss Before Dying as a stunt rider for actress Virginia Leith. She met actor Jeffrey Hunter on the set of the film and the two were married the following year. She and Hunter were together for ten years until their divorce in 1967.
Blue Barron
Barron and His Orchestra (1952). The group continued to perform until 1956 and Barron subsequently moved to Baltimore to manage real estate. • Los Angeles Times, July 23, 2005, B17; New York Times, July 23, 2005, B20.
BARRY, ALAN Irish actor Alan Barry died in Dublin, Ireland, on July 13, 2005. He was 72. Barry was born in Dublin in 1933. He began his career on the stage in Ireland in the 1960s. He also performed in BBC radio dramas and was seen in small roles in the films The Night of the Prowler (1962), Dead Man’s Evidence (1962), The Limbo Line (1968), Captain Nemo and the Underwater City (1969), and Hennessy (1975). He remained a popular performer on the Dublin stage and also appeared on television in episodes of Softly Softly, Z Cars, Gazette, and Bergerac. Barry also performed in the films In the Name of the Father (1993), Some Mother’s Sons (1996), Bloodlines: Legacy of a Lord (1997), The Brylcreem Boys (1998), The General (1998), A Love Divided (1999), and Evelyn (2002), and in television productions of The Old Curiosity Shop (1995), The Tale of Sweeney Todd (1998), and The Return (2003). He was featured as Superintendent Foley in the television series Ballykissangel from 1997 to 1999, and guest-starred in episodes of The New Adventures of Robin Hood and Baddiel’s Syndrome.
Alan Barry
BARTLETT, JOAN Joan “Dusty” Bartlett, the former wife of actor Jeffrey Hunter, died of lung cancer
BARTMAN, WILLIAM Stage and film director William Bartman died of multiple organ failure and complications from HIV infections at a New York hospital on September 15, 2005. He was 58. Bartman was born in Chicago on October 14, 1946. He began producing and directing stage productions for the West Coast Theater Co. in Lost Angeles in the 1970s. He also served as second-unit director on several films, and directed and co-scripted the 1982 film O’Hara’s Wife. He was founder of the nonprofit Art Resources Transfer, which published contemporary artist interview books and distributed them to underprivileged area.
William Bartman
BARTON, FRANKLIN Television writer and producer Franklin Barton died in Beverly Hills, California, on May 31, 2005. He was 87. Barton was born in Chicago on September 30, 1917. He began his career as a reporter and became head of the CBS New Bureau’s Chicago desk. He began writing for television in New York in the 1950s, scripting episodes of such series as Robert Montgomery Presents, Matinee Theatre, and The Kaiser Aluminum Hour. Barton went to California in the 1960s where he continued writing for television. He scripted episodes of such series as The Nurses, Arrest and Trial, Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, Peyton Place, The Law and Mr. Jones, The Virginian, Felony Squad, The Invaders, and Judd for the Defense. He also was a story consultant and supervising producer for the series Hawaii Five-O. Barton became CBS’s vice president for program development in the late 1970s and was a producer at Universal Studios. He produced the 1977 television mini-series Seventh Avenue, and the tele-films Off the Wall (1977) and Ransom for Alice! (1977). He subsequently served as a senior vice president for television at Warner Bros. until his retirement. • Variety, June 13, 2005, 56.
Obituaries • 2005 BATCHELOR, DAVID Film sound mixer David “Dickie” Batchelor died of liver cancer in England on May 3, 2005. He was 64. Batchelor was born in England on March 7, 1941. He began working at the BBC as an aide while in his teens before joining Anglia Television’s camera department. He remained with Anglia until 1977, working on numerous television productions and commercials. He subsequently worked freelance in films and television, serving as a production sound assistant on the 1981 fantasy Dragonslayer. He was a boom operator for the 1983 science fiction classic Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi. He also worked as a sound mixer on Alex Cox’s 1987 film Walker. • Times (of London), May 28, 2005, 70. BATTEN, TOM Stage and screen actor Tom Batten died on June 6, 2005. He was 77. Batten was born on October 29, 1927. Batten appeared in several films from the late 1930s including The Star Maker (1939) and Rationing (1941). He was also featured as Smiley in Sweet Genevieve with Jean Porter in 1947. He appeared on Broadway in the 1970s in the musicals Gantry, Mack & Mabel (1974), On the Twentieth Century (1978), the revival of Can-Can (1981), and Into the Light (1986). He also appeared in the 1981 television production of Pippin: His Life and Times, and the films Just Tell Me What You Want (1980) and Crocodile Dundee II (1988). Batten was also seen on television in an episode of The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd. BAUER, BILLY Jazz guitarist Billy Bauer died in Melville, New York, of complications from pneumonia on June 17, 2005. He was 89. Bauer was born in the Bronx, New York, on November 14, 1915. He began performing with the banjo and guitar on radio while in his teens and was playing electric guitar in danced bands by the 1940s. He performed with Woody Herman’s First Herd band during the decade, and later played with bands led by Benny Goodman, Jack Teagarden, Tommy Dorsey, and many others. He released an album, Plectrist, in 1956. He also played with the NBC staff orchestra during the 1950s. He continued to perform and taught at the Billy Bauer Guitar School in New York until shortly before his death. An autobiography, Sideman, was published in 1997. • Los Angeles Times, June 25, 2005, B19; New York Times, June 23, 2005, C20.
Billy Bauer
24 BAY, FRANCIS Belgian band leader Francis Bay died in Bonheiden, Belgium, on April 25, 2005. He was 90. He was born Frans Bayetz in Rijkevorsel, Belgium, in 1914. He began playing the clarinet at an early age, and soon became proficient on the trombone and saxophone as well. He performed with several swing and dance bands in Europe in the 1930s and during World War II. After the war he as a founder of the European big band The Skymasters. He also worked often in the postwar film industry composing and conduction scores for numerous film and television productions including Ontdek de Ster (1955), TV-Cirkus, Het (1955), CorsariShow (1959), Anita, My Love (1960), Canzonissima (1963), Pro of Contra (1963), De Vorstinnen van Brugge (1972), and Anna, Child of the Daffodils (1975). Bay formed his own band in the mid–1950s and, in 1956, became the director of popular music at the Flemish radio and television network in Belgium. His music became international popular soon due to the 1958 World’s Fair in Brussels, bringing him to the attention of an international audience. He recorded numerous popular albums over the next decade, before jazz recordings receded in popularity in the 1960s. He continued to work in television in Belgium until his retirement in 1979.
Francis Bay
BAYLOS, GENE Comedian Gene Baylos died in a Manhattan, New York, hospital on January 10, 2005.
Gene Baylos
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2005 • Obituaries
He was 89. Baylos was born in New York City on November 16, 1906. He began his career as a stand-up comic in the Catskills in the 1930s and became a successful entertainer on the nightclub circuit. In the early 1960s Baylos appeared as Backdoor Benny Harper, the bookie, in several episodes of the television comedy Car 54, Where Are You? He was also seen in episodes of The Dick Van Dyke Show, Burke’s Law, and Kojak, and appeared in the films The Family Jewels (1965) with Jerry Lewis and The Love Machine (1971). He continued to perform in nightclubs, including the New York Friars Club, until he was forced to retire after breaking his hip in 1999. • Los Angeles Times, Jan. 16, 2005, B15; New York Times, Jan. 15, 2005, C11.
BEAUMONT, ANDY British actor Andy Beaumont died in England of a brain tumor on November 11, 2005. He was 53. Beaumont was born in Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire, England, on September 28, 1952. He began his career as an entertainer in the early 1970s, forming a song and dance team as The Stewart Brothers with Billy Pearce. He also appeared in BBC productions of Kisses at Fifty and Speech Day in 1973. Beaumont was featured as Robin Smethurst, a recurring character on the television series Coronation Street in 1977. Later in the decade he joined with Paula Smyczok and Chris Beaumont to form the singing trio Young Love, which was later known as Neon. They recorded and performed in venues throughout the world.
Wolfgang Becker
BEDFORD, LOU Character actor Lou Bedford died on January 18, 2005. He was 74. Bedford was born on December 16, 1930. He starred as Inspector Sam in the tele-film series Extralarge with Bud Spencer. He was also seen in the films The Happy Hooker (1975), Death Journey (1976), The Killing Hour (1982), and Passenger 57 (1992) with Wesley Snipes. He also appeared on television in episodes of B.L. Stryker, The 100 Lives of Black Jack Savage, and SeaQuest DSV.
Lou Bedford (left, with Bud Spencer and Michael Winslow from Extralarge)
Andy Beaumont
BECKER, WOLFGANG German film and television director Wolfgang Becker died in Munich, Germany, on January 30, 2005. He was 94. Becker was born in Berlin on May 15, 1910. He began working in films as an editor and assistant director, and was involved in documentary filmmaking until 1950. He subsequently directed numerous feature films in Germany from the 1950s including I Was All His (1957), Voyage to Italy, Complete with Love (1958), Everybody Loves Peter (1959), Riviera-Story (1961), and Dead Sexy (1970). He worked primarily in television from the 1960, helming episodes of Kriminalmuseum, Babeck, Der Kommissar, The Little Doctor, Tatort, Derrick, and Der Alte. • Variety, Feb. 21, 2005, 41.
BEI, LEO Austrian costume designer Leo Bei died in Austria on September 24, 2005. He was 86. Bei was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1918, the son of costume designers Albert and Ella Bei. He joined the family business, creating costumes for numerous theatrical productions and films. Bei’s film credits include Vienna Waltzes (1951), Helle Dienstmann (1952), Adventures in Vienna (1952), April 1, 2000 (1952), The Story of Vickie (1954), Sissi (1955), Congress Dances (1956), The House of the Three Girls (1958), Embezzled Heaven (1958), Forever My Love (1962), Born to Sing (1962), Miracle of the White Stallions (1963), The Waltz King (1963), and Emil and the Detectives (1964). BEL GEDDES, BARBARA Veteran actress Barbara Bel Geddes, who was best known for her role as Ewing matriarch Miss Ellie in the popular television series Dallas, died of lung cancer at her home in Northeast Harbor, Maine, on August 8, 2005. She was 82. She was born in New York City on October 31, 1922, the daugh-
Obituaries • 2005
26
Barbara Bel Geddes
Belita
ter of famed stage designer Norman Bel Geddes. She began her career on stage in 1940, and made her film debut opposite Henry Fonda in The Long Night in 1947. Bel Geddes was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Katrin Hanson in I Remember Mama in 1948. She was also seen in the films Blood on the Moon (1948), Caught (1949), Panic in the Streets (1950), Fourteen Hours (1951), Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo (1958) with James Stewart and Kim Novak, The Five Pennies (1959), Five Branded Women (1960), and By Love Possessed (1961). She also continued to perform on stage, earning Tony Award nominations for her roles in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof in 1956 and Mary, Mary in 1961. Bel Geddes was also seen frequently on television in the 1950s, guest-starring in episodes of Robert Montgomery Presents, Pulitzer Prize Playhouse, Nash Airflyte Theatre, Campbell Playhouse, Toast of the Town, On Trial, Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, Studio One, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Playhouse 90, The United States Steel Hour, The DuPont Show of the Month, Riverboat, Death Valley Days, Dr. Kildare, Daniel Boone, Journey to the Unknown, and Spencer’s Pilots. She returned to the screen in 1971’s Summertree and The Todd Killings, and was featured in the 1977 television production of Our Town. Bel Geddes was cast as Miss Ellie Ewing, wife of Jock and mother of J.R. and Bobby, in the prime-time soap opera Dallas in 1978. She remained the backbone of the Ewing clan for six seasons before leaving the series for health reasons in 1984. She was briefly replaced by Donna Reed for season before returning to the role in 1985 and remaining until the series end in 1990. • Los Angeles Times, Aug. 11, 2005, B10; New York Times, Aug. 11, 2005, C17; Time, Aug. 22, 2005, 21; Times (of London), Aug. 17, 2005, 48.
Man on the Eiffel Tower (1950), Never Let Me Go (1953), Invitation to the Dance (1956), and Silk Stockings (1957). She also performed in numerous ice shows in the United States and England. Belita retired from ice skating in 1956 and made her final film, The Terrace, in 1963. She spent most of her later years in France. • Los Angeles Times, Dec. 23, 2005, B11; Times (of London), Jan. 4, 2006, 54.
BELITA Ice skating film star Belita died in France on December 18, 2005. She was 82. She was born Belita Gladys Olive Lyne Jepson-Turner in Nether Wallop, Hampshire, England, on October 25, 1923. She skated on the British Olympic team at the age of 13 in 1936. She toured the United States two years later and made her film debut in 1941’s Ice-Capades. She continued to appear in films, most of which were designed to highlight her skating skills. Her film credits include Silver Skates (1943), Lady, Let’s Dance (1944), Suspense (1946), The Gangster (1947), The Hunted (1948), The
BELKIN, GARY Emmy Award–winning comedy writer Gary Belkin died of emphysema in New York City on July 28, 2005. He was 78. Belkin was born on April 24, 1927. He wrote material for such stars as Frank Sinatra, Johnny Carson, Danny Kaye, and Anne Bancroft. He wrote for Sid Caesar’s variety show Caesar’s Hour from 1954 to 1957, and earned two Emmy Awards for his work on The Carol Burnett Show in the 1960s. He also received an Emmy for writing the 1970 television special Annie, the Woman in the Life of a Man. Belkin also scripted episodes of such comedy series as The Danny Kaye Show, Get Smart, The Doris Day Show, Chico and the Man, and Newhart. He also scripted the PBS sex education show VD Blues, and was ghostwriter for much of Mohammed Ali’s poetry. He also shared an Emmy nomination in 1987 for his work on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. • Los Angeles Times, Aug. 3, 2005, B11; New York Times, Aug. 4, 2005, A17; Variety, Aug. 8, 2005, 37.
Gary Belkin
27
2005 • Obituaries
BELL, ESTELITA Brazilian actress Estelita Bell died of heart failure in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on April 12, 2005. She was 93. She began her career on stage in 1938, and appeared in such films as Massagista de Madame (1958), Mulheres Chequei (1959), Memoirs of a Gigolo (1970), O Mau Carater (1974), O Cacador de Fantasma (1975), Quem Matou Pacifico (1977), Odio (1977), The Kiss (1981), and Tropclip (1985). She also performed in such Brazilian television series as O Fim do Mundo (1996) and Salsa e Merenque (1996). BELL, MARY HAYLEY Actress and author Mary Hayley Bell died in England after a long illness on December 1, 2005. She was 91. Bell was born in Shanghai, China, on January 22, 1914. She began her career as an actress in the early 1930s, making her stage debut in a production of The Barretts of Wimpole Street in 1932. She made her London debut two years later. She met actor John Mills in the 1930s and the two were married in 1941. The couple had a son, Jonathan, and two daughters, Juliet and Hayley, both of whom became film and television stars. Bell largely quit acting in the 1940s to concentrate on writing. She wrote numerous plays including Men in Shadow (1942), Duet for Two Hands (1945), Angel (1947), and The Uninvited Guest (1953). She was best known for writing the 1958 novel Whistle Down the Wind which was adapted for a 1961 film starring her daughter Hayley. Bell also wrote the 1966 film Sky West and Crooked (1966), which was directed by her husband and also starred Hayley. Bell appeared in small roles in several films including The Shrike (1955) and The Big Freeze (1993). He autobiography, What Shall We Do Tomorrow?, was published in 1968. She and Mills remained married until his death in April of 2005. • New York Times, Nov. 6, 2005, C19; Times (of London), Dec. 3, 2005, 75.
William J. Bell
World Turns in 1957 and was co-creator, with Irna Phillips, of the prime time soap spin-off Our Private World in 1965. He became head writer for the soap Days of Our Lives in 1966, transforming it into a popular hit before leaving the series in 1972. Bell teamed with his wife, Lee Phillip Bell, to create The Young and the Restless in 1973, which became television’s top rated soap. They also created The Bold and the Beautiful in 1987. His survivors include his wife, sons Bill Jr. and Bradley, who is executive producer and head writer for The Bold and the Beautiful, and daughter, actress Lauralee Bell, who stars as Cricket on The Young and the Restless. • Los Angeles Times, May 2, 2005, B9; New York Times, May 3, 2005, B8; Times (of London), May 9, 2005, 49; Variety, May 9, 2005, 68.
BELLOW, SAUL Nobel Prize–winning author Saul Bellow died at his home in Brookline, Massachusetts, on April 5, 2005. He was 89. Bellow was born Solomon Bellows in Lachine, Quebec, Canada, on June 10, 1915, and was raised in Chicago, Illinois. He was educated at the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, and the University of Wisconsin, and served in the Merchant Marine during World War II. He wrote several novels in the 1940s including Dangling Man (1944) and The Victim (1947). He received acclaim for his 1953 novel The Adventures of Augie March, and expanded on his growing reputation as a leading literary figure
Mary Hayley Bell
BELL, WILLIAM J. William J. Bell, the writer, producer and co-creator of the popular daytime soap operas The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful, died of complications from Alzheimer’s disease in Los Angeles on April 29, 2005. He was 78. Bell was born in Chicago on March 6, 1927. He began working in television in the mid–1950s as a writer on the Guiding Light soap opera. He started writing for As the
Saul Bellow
Obituaries • 2005 with Seize the Day (1956), Henderson the Rain King (1959), Herzog (1964), and Mr. Sammler’s Planet (1970). He received the Pulitzer Prize for fiction for the 1975 novel Humboldt’s Gift, and was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1976. He also wrote the memoir To Jerusalem and Back: A Personal Account (1976), the short story collection Him with His Foot in His Mouth (1984), and the novel Die of Heartbreak (1987). His later works include the novellas A Theft (1989) and The Bellarosa Connection (1989), the essay collection It All Adds Up (1994), and the books The Actual (1997), Ravelstein (2000), and Collected Stories (2001). He was reportedly working on another manuscript, All Marbles Still Accounted For, at the time of his death. Seize the Day was adapted for a film starring Robin Williams in 1986, and Bellow appeared as himself in Woody Allen’s 1983 film Zelig. Bellow taught at the University of Chicago for many years, before moving to Boston University in 1993. He served as a mentor and advisor to numerous younger writers. • Los Angeles Times, Apr. 6, 2005, A1; New York Times, Apr. 6, 2005, A1; People, Apr. 18, 2005, 105; Time, Apr. 18, 2005, 146; Times (of London), Apr. 7, 2005, 57.
BENEDICT, HOWARD Space reporter Howard Benedict died at his home in Cocoa, Florida, on April 25, 2005. He was 77. Benedict was born in Sioux City, Iowa, on April 23, 1928. He worked for the Associated Press wire service, where he became the senior aerospace writer during his 37 years there. He covered numerous space missions from Alan Shepard’s 1961 Mercury flight, until his retirement in 1990. Benedict also wrote three books about the space program, NASA: A Quarter Century of Space Achievement (1984), NASA: The Journey Continues (1989), and Moon Shot: The Inside Story of America’s Race to the Moon (1994) which he co-authored with reporter Jay Barbee and astronauts Alan Shepard and Deke Slayton. Moon Shot was adapted as a tele-film in 1994. • Los Angeles Times, Apr. 28, 2005, B13.
28 body Likes a Smart Ass, which was featured on New Orleans’ Bourbon Street throughout the 1960s and 1970s. He also appeared in numerous local plays and was featured in several films including Crypt of Dark Secrets (1976) and Mardi Gras Massacre (1978).
BENNETT, JOHN British character actor John Bennett died in London on April 11, 2005. He was 76. Bennett was born in Beckenham, Kent, England, on May 8, 1928. He trained as an actor and made his stage debut in a performance of The Man from the Ministry in 1949. He spent the next decade acting in repertory theater and made his film debut in 1960s The Challenge (aka It Takes a Thief) with Jayne Mansfield. He appeared in numerous films over the next 40 years including The Trials of Oscar Wilde (1960), the 1961 Hammer horror film The Curse of the Werewolf (1961), Victim (1961), Postman’s Knock (1962), The Barber of Stamford Hill (1962), The Pirates of Blood River (1962), Crooks Anonymous (1962), Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Kaleidoscope (1966), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966), The Syndicate (1968), The House That Dripped Blood (1970), Henry VIII and His Six Wives (1972), The House in Nightmare Park (1973), Hitler: The Last Ten Days (1973) as Josef Goebbels, Mohammed, Messenger of God (1976), The Shadow Line (1976), Face of Darkness (1976), Watership Down (1978) as the voice of Holly, The Greek Tycoon (1978), The Mirror Crack’d (1980), Eye of the Needle (1981), Strangers Kiss (1983), Give My Regards to Broad Street (1984), Tai-Pan (1986), Night Angel (1990), Antonia and Jane (1991), Split Second (1992), Priest (1994), Last Fair Deal (1995), The Fifth Element (1997), Bridge of Dragons (1999), Breathtaking (2000), Beginner’s Luck (2001), Charlotte Gray (2001), Roman Polanski’s The Pianist (2002), Minority Report (2002), and Chaos and Cadavers (2003). He also appeared in television productions of The Horse Without a Head (1963), Lorna Doone (1963), Esther Waters (1964), Market in Honey Lane (1967), The Forsyte Saga (1967), Daniel Deronda (1970), Hope (1970), Ross (1970), Fathers and Sons (1971), I, Claudius (1976) as Xenophon, Anna Karenina (1977), The House on Garibaldi Street (1979), Maybury (1981), Return to Treasury Island (1986), The Bretts (1987), Miss Marple: Sleeping Murder (1987), The Tenth Man (1988),
Howard Benedict
BENIT, BUTCH Actor and comedian Dudley “Butch” Benit, Jr., died in Louisiana on July 27, 2005. He was 68. Benit was born on November 11, 1936. He wrote and performed in the popular comedy revue No-
John Bennett (as Goebbels from Hitler: The Last Ten Days)
29 Saracen (1989), Needle (1990), The War That Never Ends (1991), Prisoner of Honor (1991), Merlin of the Crystal Cave (1991), Mulberry (1992), Sherlock Holmes and the Leading Lady (1992) as Sigmund Freud, Jason and the Argonauts (2000), The Infinite Worlds of H.G. Wells (2001), and Armadillo (2001). Bennett starred as Injun Joe in the 1960 television series The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and was Jackman in the 1962 series The River Flows East. He was Zaliv in the 1964 series The Midnight Men, and was the editor in 1965’s The Front Page. His numerous television appearances also include roles in episodes of The Cheaters, Top Secret, Silent Evidence, The Avengers, Z Cars, Crane, Dixon of Dock Green, The Saint, Detective, Danger Man, Softly Softly, The Baron, Thirty-Minute Theatre, The Mind of Mr. J.G. Reeder, Strange Report, Ryan International, Hadleigh, Paul Temple, The Troubleshooters, Doctor Who, Porridge, Survivors, 1990, Return of the Saint, Blakes 7, The Professionals, Boon, Bergerac, Hunter, Alleyn Mysteries, Cadfael, Murder Most Horrid, Heartbeat, Jonathan Creek, Holby City, Casualty, Doctors, Seven Wonders of the Industrial World, New Tricks, and Rosemary & Thyne. • Times (of London), May 6, 2005, 70
BENOIT, JACQUES Canadian assistant director Jacques Benoit died of lung cancer in Canada in April of 2005. He was 63. Benoit was born in St-Jean, Quebec, Canada, in 1941. He worked as an assistant director on numerous Canadian films including Murder in the Family (1984), Night Magic (1985), Elvis Gratton (1985), The Decline of the American Empire (1986), Brother Andre (1987), The Revolving Doors (1988), Leolo (1992), Shadow of the Wolf (1992), Legends of the North (1995), Rainbow (1996), Poverty and Other Delights (1996), Out of Control (1998), Possible Worlds (2000), and The Barbarian Invasions (2003). Benoit was also assistant director on the television productions Warrior Spirit (1994), Nuremberg (2000), and Largo Winch (2002).
2005 • Obituaries
Obie Benson
inally known as the Four Aims, the performed in New York jazz clubs for nearly a decade before achieving popular success after an appearance on the Tonight show in 1963 singing “In the Still of the Night.” They were then signed to a recording contract by Berry Gordy of Motown Records and produced numerous hits including “Baby, I Need Your Lovin’,” “Standing in the Shadows of Love,” “Bernadette,” and “Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch).” Benson also wrote the anti-war song “What’s Goin’ On,” which was a hit for singer Marvin Gaye. Though the Four Tops left Motown in 1972, they continued to perform and record together and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. The group remained together until Payton’s death in 1997. Stubbs left the group because of illness in 2000, but Benson and Fakir continued with the Tops, joined by newcomers Ronnie McNair and Theo Peoples. The remained popular performer, particularly in Las Vegas venues. • Los Angeles Times, July 2, 2005, B18; New York Times, July 2, 2005, C16; People, July 18, 2005, 73; Times (of London), July 6, 2005, 59; Variety, July 11, 2005, 45.
BENTLEY, LAMONT Lamont Bentley, who starred as Hakeem Campbell in the Moesha television series in the 1990s, was killed when his car plunged from the embankment of the San Diego Freeway on January 18, 2005. He was 31. Bentley was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on October 25, 1973. He starred as Rashad
Jacques Benoit
BENSON, OBIE Singer Renaldo “Obie” Benson, who was a founding member of the popular Motown singing group the Four Tops, died in Detroit, Michigan, of lung cancer on July 1, 2005. He was 69. Benson was born in Detroit on June 14, 1936. He joined with fellow high schoolers Levi Stubbs, Abdul Fakir and Lawrence Payton to form the Four Tops in 1954. Orig-
Lamont Bentley
Obituaries • 2005 in the 1994 television series South Central, and guest starred in such series as Gabriel’s Fire, Family Matters, The Parent ’Hood, Courthouse, The Client, The Sentinel, NYPD Blue, Clueless, The Parkers, and Soul Food. He also appeared in the films Tales from the Hood (1995), A Day in the Life of Mia (1997), The Breaks (1999), Gabriela (2001), The Wash (2001), and Shards (2004), and the tele-films Buffalo Soldiers (1997) and Too Legit: The MC Hammer Story (2001) as Tupac Shakur. • Los Angeles Times, Jan. 21, 2005, B9; People, Feb. 7, 2005, 83; Variety, Jan. 31, 2005, 69.
BERBERIAN, ARA Opera singer Ara Berberian died of heart failure in Boynton Beach, Florida, on February 21, 2005. He was 74. Berberian was born in Detroit, Michigan, on May 14, 1930. He trained as a singer and began performing with the Robert Shaw Chorale and the New York City Opera in the late 1950s. He made his debut with the Metropolitan Opera in 1979, appearing in over 100 roles in such productions as Orphete, Boris Godunov, and The Barber of Seville. He sang with the Met for twenty years before his retirement in 1997. Berberian also performed in television productions of the operas Carmen in 1987 and The Ghosts of Versailles (1992). • Los Angeles Times, Feb. 24, 2005, B11; New York Times, Feb. 24, 2005, B11.
30 Janeiro, Brazil, on May 17, 2005. She was 51. Berditchevsky was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on July 1, 1953. She appeared in several films during her career including Ajuriicaba (1977), Colonel Delmire Gouveia (1978), Os Sete Gatinhos (1980), Noites do Sertao (1984), O Cavalinho Azul (1984), and O Vestido (2003). She was best known for her numerous television performances from the late 1970s, starring in such series as Dancin’ Days (1978), Marrom-Glace (1979), Plumes & Paetes (1980), Terras do Sem-Fim (1981), Selva de Pedra (1986), Barriga de Aluguel (1990), Fera Ferida (1993), Vera Uma Vez... (1998), and Senhora do Destino (2004).
BERENSTAIN, STAN Stan Berenstain, who created the popular children’s book series the Berenstain Bears with his wife, Jan, died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on November 26, 2005. He was 82. Berenstain was born on September 19, 1923. He and his wife began drawing together after meeting at the Philadelphia Museum School of Industrial Art in 1941. The married after Stan served in the army during World War II. They collaborated on numerous cartoons for such magazines as The Saturday Evening Post, Collier’s, and McCalls. They also created the All in the Family cartoon series, which appeared in several magazines. The Berenstain’s became associated with Theodore “Dr. Seuss” Geisel in 1962, who helped them develop the first Berenstain Bears book, The Big Honey Hunt, at Random House in 1962. The couple produced over 200 books in the series over the next four decades, working with their sons Leo and Michael on more recent volumes. The Berenstain Bears also became an animated television series in 2003. • Los Angeles Times, Nov. 30, 2005, B10; New York Times, Nov. 30, 2005, C19; Time, Dec. 12, 2005, 29; Times (of London), Dec. 7, 2005, 56.
Ara Berberian
BERDITCHEVSKY, SURA Brazilian television actress Sura Berditchevsky died of a suicide in Rio de
Stan Berenstain
Sura Berditchevsky
BERGER, TONI German actor Toni Berger died in Munich, Germany, on January 29, 2005. He was 83. Berger was born in Munich on March 27, 1921. A leading stage actor, he was also featured in numerous films including The Cry of the Black Wolves (1972), The Serpent’s Egg (1977), It Can Only Get Worse (1979), From the Life of the Marionettes (1980), Doctor Faustus (1983), Sugarbaby (1985), and Madame Baurin (1993). He appeared frequently on German television from the 1970s,
31
2005 • Obituaries
Toni Berger
Giovanni Bertolucci
appearing the series Der Alte, Derrick, Tatort, Franz Xaver Brunnmeyr, and Kir Royal, and numerous tele-films.
the Night (1985), Miranda (1985), Capri Remembered (1987), Goodbye and Thank You (1988), Snack Bar Budapest (1988), Dial Help (1988), the 1989 mini-series Ocean, The Belt (1989), Mom I Can Do It (1992), All Women Do It (1992), Where Are You? I’m Here (1993), Poor but Beautiful (1996), Frivolous Lola (1998), and Fallo! (2003).
BERNTZEN, ROLF Norwegian stage and screen actor Rolf Berntzen died in Bergen, Norway, on September 22, 2005. He was 87. Berntzen was born in Norway on June 4, 1918. He appeared in numerous theatrical productions and many Shakespearean plays during his career. He was also featured in several films including Marenco (1964), Song of Norway (1970), and Vilde, the Wild One (1986).
BETTIS, PAUL Canadian actor Paul Bettis died of lung cancer in Toronto, Canada, on August 4, 2005. He was 65. Bettis was born in England in 1940 and came to Canada in 1970. He began his career on stage in the 1970s as artistic director of the Theatre Second Floor. He also founded his own experimental theater and performed at leading theaters throughout Canada. Bettis was also a director at his Civilized Theatre. He was featured in several experimental films including Pissoir (1988), Termini Station (1989), The Adjuster (1991), Uncut (1997), The Five Senses (1999), Touch (2001), The Messiah: Prophecy Fulfilled (2004), and Looking for Angelina (2005). He was also seen on television in episodes of War of the Worlds, The Twilight Zone, Friday the 13th, and Queer as Folk.
Rolf Berntzen
BERTOLUCCI, GIOVANNI Italian film producer Giovanni Bertolucci died in Rome on February 17, 2005. He was 64. Bertolucci was born in Parma, Italy, on June 24, 1940. He began working in films as a producer in the late 1960s, producing the 1968 feature Partner, written and directed by his cousin Bernardo Bertolucci. He produced several more of Bernardo Bertolucci’s films and also worked with the directors Luchino Visconti and Tinto Brass. His numerous credits include The Spider’s Stratagem (1970), The Conformist (1970), Teresa the Thief (1972), The Perfume of the Lady in Black (1974), Conversation Piece (1974), Burnt by a Scalding Passion (1976), The Innocent (1976), The Bishop’s Bedroom (1977), Stay as You Are (1978), Luna (1979), Lost and Found (1980), Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man (1981), the 1982 television mini-series Marco Polo, The Key (1983), Lady of
Paul Bettis
BETTS, KETER Jazz bassist Keter Betts died at his home in Silver Springs, Maryland, on August 6, 2005. He was 77. Betts was born in Port Chester, New York, on July 22, 1928. He began playing the bass while
Obituaries • 2005
32 Telugu language film Vara Vikrayan. She made her debut in Tamil films in 1948, and appeared in nearly 100 films opposite such stars as N. T. Rama Rao, Nageswara Rao, and Sivaji Ganesan. Her numerous film credits include Maya Rambha (1950), Chakrapani (1954), Rangoon Radha (1956), Varudu Kavali (1957), Penchina Prema (1963), Bobbili Yudham (1964), Palnati Yudham (1966), Vichitra Vivaham (1973), Gadasari Attaha Sosagara Kodalu (1981), Mangamma Gari Manavadu (1984), Bamma Maata Bangaru Baata (1990), Peddarikam (1992), and Pelli Kanuka (1998). She also produced and directed many of her films from the 1950s.
Keter Betts
in his teens and performed with Earl Bostic’s band in the late 1940s. He teamed with guitarist Charlie Byrd and saxophonist Stan Getz in the early 1960s to record the album Jazz Samba, which was largely responsible to inaugurating the bossa nova sound in the United States. Betts began a lengthy association with singer Ella Fitzgerald in the mid–1960s, accompanying her performances until her retirement in 1993. Betts also performed and recorded frequently with pianist Tommy Flanagan. • Los Angeles Times, Aug. 10, 2005, B10; New York Times, Aug. 22, 2005, B7; Times (of London), Aug. 13, 2005, 66.
BIANCHI, GIAMPIERO Italian actor Giampiero Bianchi died in Rome on July 16, 2005. He was 60. Bianchi was born in Varese, Italy, in 1945. He was featured in numerous Italian television productions from the 1960s including La Freccia Nera (1968), La Donna di Picche (1972), E.S.P. (1973), L’Homme de Suez (1984), Olimpo Lupo (1995), Turbo (1999), La Piovra 10 (1999), One Last Dream (2000), Incantesimo 5 (2002), and Chiaroscuro (2003). Bianchi also appeared in several films including Da Grande (1987), Love and Fear (1988), Wolf! Wolf! (1992), Italia Village (1994), State Secret (1995), Ardena (1997), and Scandalous Crimes (1999).
BEYERS, CHARLOTTE Educational filmmaker Charlotte Kempner Beyers died of complications from lymphoma at her home in Palo Alto, California, on March 10, 2005. She was 73. Beyers was born in New York City on December 8, 1931. She worked as a journalist for various magazines and newspapers from the 1950s. She made her first film AIDS In your School following the death of her husband’s brother from the disease in 1985. She made two other documentaries about the disease including A Is for AIDS (1989) and AIDS and Women: The Greatest Gamble (1993). • Los Angeles Times, Mar. 17, 2005, B11. BHANUMATHI, PALUVAYI Indian film actress and director Paluvayi Bhanumathi died at her home in India on December 25, 2005. She was 80. Bhanumathi was born in Madras, India, on September 7, 1925. She began her career in films in 1939, appearing in the
BICH, KAREN French adult film star Karen Bich committed suicide in Paris on January 28, 2005. She was 32. Bich was born in Lyon, Francis, on January
Paluvayi Bhanumathi
Karen Bich
Giampiero Bianchi
33
2005 • Obituaries
19, 1973. Sometimes billed under such names as Karen Lancaume, Carene Lancome, and Angel Paris, Bich appeared in such adult films as Black Widow (1997), Private Gold 25: When the Night Falls (1997), Mad Sex (1997), The Panty Thief (1997), Cindy (1997), The Nurse’s Diary (1998), Exhibition 99 (1998), Masquerade (1998), American Girl in Paris (1998), The Marionette (1999), Hotdorix (1999), and the 2000 feature Baise-Moi (aka Kiss Me).
BIDDLE, ADRIAN British cinematographer Adrian Biddle died of a heart attack in London on December 7, 2005. He was 53. Biddle was born in England on July 20, 1952. He began his career directing television commercials. He worked in films as a camera operator on such films as On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969), Captain Nemo and the Underwater City (1969), Murphy’s War (1971), When Eight Bells Toll (1971), The Duellists (1977), and Alien (1979). He made his debut as director of photography for James Cameron’s Aliens in 1986. He continued to serve as cinematographer on such films as The Princess Bride (1987), The Dawning (1988), Willow (1988), The Tall Guy (1989), Thelma and Louise (1991) which earned him an Academy Award nomination, 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992), City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly’s Gold (1994), Judge Dredd (1995), 101 Dalmatians (1996), Fierce Creatures (1997), The Butcher Boy (1997), Event Horizon (1997), Holy Man (1998), The Mummy (1999), The World Is Not Enough (1999), The Weight of Water (2000), 102 Dalmatians (2000), The Mummy Returns (2001), Reign of Fire (2002), Shanghai Knights (2003), Laws of Attraction (2004), Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004), An American Haunting (2005), and the forthcoming V for Vendetta (2006). • Times (of London), Dec. 17, 2005, 65.
Annamirl Bierbichler
BILBOE, GORDON British actor Gordon Bilboe died of lung cancer in Shropshire, England, on February 26, 2005. He was 60. Bilboe was born on May 5, 1944. He appeared on British television in episodes of Softly Softly, Dixon of Dock Green, and Last of the Summer Wine, and the 1975 Play for Today production of Gangsters. BILLINGTON, MICHAEL British actor Michael Billington, who starred as Colonel Paul Foster in the 1970 science fiction television series U.F.O., died of cancer in England on June 6, 2005. He was 63. Billington was born in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, on December 24, 1941. He appeared in several films during his career including Alfred the Great (1969), the 1977 James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) as Sergei Barsov, KGB: The Secret War (1986), and Flicks (1987). He was best known for his roles on television, starring as Neil Hall in the 1965 British series United!, and as Freddie Hepton in Hadleigh in 1971. He also starred as Daniel Fogarty on The Onedin Line from 1971 to 1974, and was featured in the mini-series War and Peace (1972) and Edward the King (1975), playing Czar Nicholas II. Billington starred as Count Louis Dardinay in the short-lived U.S. television series The Quest in 1982, and appeared in television productions of Antony and Cleopatra (1983) and The Collectors (1986). His other television credits include episodes of The Prisoner, Z Cars, The Profession-
Adrian Biddle
BIERBICHLER, ANNAMIRL German actress Annamirl Bierbichler died in Germany on May 27, 2005. She was 55. Bierbichler was born on December 7, 1949. She appeared in over a dozen films from the late 1970s including Bye-Bye Bavaria! (1977), Beer Chase (1977), The Last Hole (1981), The Ghost (1983), Wanderkrebs (1984), Rita Ritter (1984), Triumph der Gerechten (1987), Punch Drunk (1987), Bride of the Orient (1989), Mix Wix (1989), and Ab Nach Tibet! (1994).
Michael Billington
Obituaries • 2005 als, The Greatest American Hero, Hart to Hart, Fantasy Island, Philip Marlowe, Private Eye, Magnum, P.I., and Maigret. • Variety, June 27, 2005, 80.
34 ries in 1979. He also appeared regularly in the 1986 series Buddy as Mr. Normington, and was Roy in Kinsey in 1990. His other television credits include episodes of such series as Ghost Squad, Z Cars, The Saint, The Protectors, Gideon’s Way, The Avengers, The Baron, Sanctuary, Dixon of Dock Green, My Partner, the Ghost, Department X, Steptoe and Son, Hadleigh, Budgie, Paul Temple, The Guardians, Softly Softly, Jason King, Shirley’s World, Till Death Us Do Part, The Adventure, The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes, Bless This House, Public Eye, Rising Damp, Angels, Raffles, Coronation Street, All Creatures Great and Small, Fawlty Towers, Yes, Minister, Hammer House of Horror, Julie Bravo, The Fourth Arm, One by One, Ever Decreasing Circles, Stay Lucky, Second Thoughts, and Boon.
BIRD, NORMAN Leading British character actor Norman Bird died of cancer in Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England, on April 22, 2005. He was 80. Bird was born in Coalville, Leicestershire, England, on October 30, 1924. He appeared in numerous films from the 1950s including An Inspector Calls (1954), The League of Gentlemen (1959), Man in the Moon (1960), The Angry Silence (1960), Cash on Demand (1961), Whistle Down the Wind (1961), Victim (1961), Very Important Person (1961), The Secret Partner (1961), Term of Trial (1962), Burn, Witch, Burn! (1962), In Search of the Castaways (1962), The Punch and Judy Man (1963), The Cracksman (1963), Bitter Harvest (1963), 80,000 Suspects (1963), The Mind Benders (1963), Maniac (1963), The Black Torment (1964), The Beauty Jungle (1964), The Bargee (1964), Agent 8∫ (1964), H.G. Wells’ First Men in the Moon (1964), The Hill (1965), Sky West and Crooked (1966), The Wrong Box (1966), The Limbo Line (1968), A Dandy in the Aspic (1968), Oh! What a Lovely War (1969), The Virgin and the Gypsy (1970), The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer (1970), Please Sir! (1971), The Raging Moon (1971), Hands of the Ripper (1971), Get Charlie Tully (1972), Doomwatch (1972), Young Winston (1972), The Slipper and the Rose (1976), the 1978 animated version of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings as the voice of Bilbo Baggins, The Medusa Touch, The Final Conflict (1981), If You Go Down in the Woods Today (1981), and Shadowlands (1993). Bird also appeared frequently on British television, performing in productions of The Pub Fighter (1968), W. Somerset Maugham: A Casual Affair (1969), Run a Crooked Mile (1969), Elementary My Dear Watson (1973), Margie and Me (1978), To Serve Them All My Days (1980), A Voyage Round My Father (1982), The Ghost Downstairs (1982), Break Point (1982), the Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense production of Black Carrion (1984), Born Kicking (1992), and Crossing the Floor (1996). Bird also appeared as Sid Stubbins in the 1973 television series Up the Workers, and was Leonard Chambers in the series Yanks Go Home in 1976. He was featured as Gilbert in Thomas and Sarah in 1979 and was Mr. Braithwaite in the Worzel Gummidge children’s se-
BISHOP, ED Leading actor Ed Bishop, who starred as Commander Ed Straker in the British science fiction television series U.F.O. in 1970, died in a hospital in England on June 8, 2005. He was 72. Bishop was born George Bishop in Brooklyn, New York, on June 11, 1932. He served in the U.S. Army in the early 1950s and was a disc jockey on Armed Forces Radio. After his discharge he studied drama at Boston University before attending the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. He began his professional career on the English stage in 1961. Bishop was featured in numerous films during his career including The Cool Mikado (1962), Lolita (1962), The War Lover (1962), The Mouse on the Moon (1963), Man in the Middle (1964), The Bedford Incident (1965), You Must Be Joking! (1965), Battle Beneath the Earth (1967), the 1967 James Bond film You Only Live Twice, Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), Journey to the Far Side of the Sun (1969), the 1971 James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever, Pets (1974), Sex Play (1974), Twilight’s Last Gleaming (1977), The French Woman (1977), Running Blind (1979), Brass Target (1979), Silver Dream Racer (1980), Saturn 3 (1980), Nutcracker (1982), The Lonely Lady (1983), The Lords of Discipline (1983), Restless Natives (1985), Turnaround (1987), Testimony (1988), The Serpent of Death (1989), Born to Ride (1991), Funny Man (1994), and 500! (2001). He also appeared in television productions of The Portrait of a Lady (1968), W. Somerset Maugham’s The Fall of Edward Barnard, Marked Personal (1973), Nurse Will Make It Better (aka The Devil’s Web) (1975), The Day After To-
Norman Bird
Ed Bishop
35 morrow (1976), S.O.S. Titanic (1979), Breakaway (1980), Whoops Apocalypse (1982), The Mad Death (1983), The Master of Ballantrae (1984), Master of the Game (1984), The First Olympics: Athens 1896 (1984), Threads (1984), Chocky’s Children (1985), Going for the Gold: The Bill Johnson Story (1985), The Fifth Missile (1986), Broken Glass (1996), The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax (1999), and The American (2001). Bishop was the voice of Captain Blue in the marionette television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons in the late 1960s, and was a voice actor in the 1973 animated Star Trek series. Bishop’s other television credits include episodes of such series as The Saint, The Troubleshooters, Man in a Suitcase, Sherlock Holmes, Out of the Unknown, Strange Report, The Adventurer, The Protectors, Colditz, Warship, Quiller, Great Mysteries, Two’s Company, 1990, The Wilde Alliance, The Professionals, It Ain’t Half Hot Mum, Dick Turpin, Phillip Marlowe, Private Eye, Worlds Beyond, Just Good Friends, French and Saunders, The South Bank Show, 2point4 Children, Space Cadets, Highlander, and Waking the Dead. • Variety, July 18, 2005, 48.
2005 • Obituaries Workers (1979), Krypskyttere (1982), and The Bluck (1991). He also appeared often on Norwegian television in such productions as Ungen (1960), Nederlaget (1966), Twigs (1978), Blind Goddess (1997), and Nini (2001).
BLACK, CHARLES Charles A. Black, the husband of former child star Shirley Temple, died of a bone marrow disease at his home in Woodside, California, on August 4, 2005. He was 86. Black was born on March 6, 1919. He attended Stanford University, where he earned a master’s degree in business. He served with distinction in naval intelligence during World War II. Black met Temple in Honolulu, Hawaii, in 1950 and the two were married later the same year. He later founded a fishing and hatchery company and was a leading expert on maritime issues. He is survived by his wife and children, Charles Jr. and Lori, and another daughter, Susan, from Temple’s first marriage to actor John Agar. • Los Angeles Times, Aug. 7, 2005, B17; New York Times, Aug. 6, 2005, C16.
BITHIKOTSIS, GRIGORIS Leading Greek singer Grigoris Bithikotsis, who was regarded as the “voice of Greece,” died in an Athens, Greece, hospital after a long illness on April 7, 2005. He was 82. Bithikotsis was born in Athens on December 11, 1922. He began his musical career as a bouzouki player and became well known for his renditions of songs by leftist political composer Mikis Theodorakis. He also performed in several films in the early 1960s including Synoikia to Oneiro (1961), The Red Lanterns (1963), and Moderna Stahtopouta (1965). • Times (of London), Apr. 15, 2005, 75.
Charles Black (with wife Shirley Temple and their children)
BLACK, IAN Canadian actor Ian Black died in Canada on December 19, 2005. He was 55. Black was featured in the films The Journey of Natty Gann (1985) and Mystery Date (1991). He also appeared in the telefilms Sky High (1990), Always Remember I Love You (1990), Morning Glory (1993), Johnny’s Girl (1995), and
Grigoris Bithikotsis
BJORNSTAD, ROY Norwegian character actor Roy Bjornstad died in Oslo, Norway, of cancer on November 25, 2005. He was 80. Bjornstad was born in Norway on September 29, 1925. He appeared frequently on stage and film from the 1940s. His numerous film credits include Englandsfarere (1946), Dei Svarte Hestane (1951), About Tilla (1963), Marenco (1964), Hunger (1966), An-Magritt (1969), One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich (1970), Call of the Wild (1972), Lina’s Wedding (1973), Bobby’s War (1974), The Seed (1974), Karjolsteinen (1977), Operation Cobra (1978), Blood of the Railroad
Ian Black
Obituaries • 2005 Mary Higgins Clark’s Try to Remember (2004). His other television credits include episodes of The Beachcombers, Airwolf, Stingray, MacGyver, Hawkeye, Moccasin Flats, and Corner Gas.
BLAKE, BUD Bud Blake, the creator of the popular “Tiger” cartoon strip, died in a Portland, Maine, hospital on December 26, 2005. He was 87. Blake was born in Nutley, New Jersey, on February 13, 1918. He began working as an artist at an advertising agency in the late 1930s, and rose to become executive art director for the Kudner Agency in New York City. He left the agency in 1965 to embark on a career as a cartoonist. His panel cartoon “Ever Happen to You?” was distributed by King Features Syndicate, as was the comic strip he created later in 1965, “Tiger.” The gently humorous strip depicted the childhood antics of Tiger and his younger brother, Punkinhead. The comic was awarded the National Cartoonists Society’s best humor strip award in 1970, 1978 and 2000. Blake continued the strip for the next forty years, with “Tiger” appearing in over 400 newspapers at the time of his death. • Los Angeles Times, Dec. 31, 2005, B14.
36 cover of such magazines as Mademoiselle. She also appeared as Miss Pringle, the girl in the cap and gown, in Woody Allen’s 1965 film What’s New Pussycat. She authored an amusing autobiography, Made in Heaven, in 1971. She continued to write and also taught English in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
BLAKE, TERESA Teresa Blake, the widow of character actor Larry J. Blake and mother of child actor turned make-up artist Michael Blake, died on January 2, 2005. She was 91. She was born on October 9, 1913, and was married to Larry Blake until his death in 1982. She appeared with her son in the 2000 documentary Lon Chaney: A Thousand Faces.
Teresa Blake
BLAKE, ROSIE Actress and model Rosemary (Rosie) Blake Johnson died of cancer on February 6, 2005. She was 63. She was born on October 6, 1941. She worked as a model in the early 1960s, appearing on the
BLAND, STEVEN “DOOKY” Rodeo star and actor Steven “Dooky” Bland died after a brief illness in Noodle, Texas, on August 21, 2005. He was 48. Bland was born in Abilene, Texas, on November 17, 1956. He joined the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association in 1977 and was a leading competitor over the next decade. Bland also worked as a wrangler and occasional actor on films in the Texas area including the 1995 tele-film The Good Old Boys, and the features Blood Trail (1997), The Postman (1997), Dancer, Texas Pop. 81 (1998), All the Pretty Horses (2000), American Outlaws (2001), Grand Champion (2002), Secondhand Lions (2003), and The Alamo (2004).
Rosie Blake
Steven “Dooky” Bland
Bud Blake
37
2005 • Obituaries
BLOCK, HOWARD Cameraman Howard Block died in Tarzana, California, on February 5, 2005. He was 79. Block was born in New York City on June 29, 1925. He worked as an assistant cameraman on the Naked City television series in the late 1950s. He was also a cameraman on the films Godspell (1973), Crazy Joe (1974), The Prisoner of Zenda (1979), and The Nude Bomb (1980). Block was cinematographer for the 1973 film Girls Are for Love, and for the television series Crazy Like a Fox and She-Wolf of London. BLUMENFELD, SIMON Novelist Simon Blumenfeld died on April 3, 2005. He was 97. Blumenfeld was born on November 25, 1907. He began his career writing plays in the 1920s and was best known for his 1932 novel Jew Boy (aka The Iron Garden). He also penned the novel Phineas Kahn in 1937, and wrote several western novels under the pen name Huck Messer in the 1930s. Blumenfeld served in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps during World War II, and also became involved with the army talent show, Stars in Battledress. After the war Blumenfeld wrote for the entertainment magazine Band Wagon. He subsequently began a publishing business himself, putting out the Weekly Sporting Review newspaper. He began writing for The Stage in the early 1960s, and continued to contribute a column for the publication until shortly before his death. • Times (of London), Apr. 16, 2005, 72.
Simon Blumenfeld
BOCHNER, LLOYD Actor Lloyd Bochner, who made a career out of playing suave leading men and villains, died of cancer at his home in Santa Monica, California, on October 29, 2005. He was 81. Bochner was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on July 29, 1924. He began his career on radio in Ontario at the age of 11. He was soon performing on stage in Canada and moved to New York in the early 1950s to continue his career. He starred as Captain Nicholas Lacey in the television drama series On Man’s Family in 1952 and was host of the series On the Spot in 1953. Bochner also appeared in episodes of Kraft Television Theatre, Star Tonight, and the Hallmark Hall of Fame production of Twelfth Night. He moved to Los Angeles in 1960 to co-star as Chief of Police Neil Campbell in the adventure series Hong Kong with Rod Taylor. He also appeared as government cryp-
Lloyd Bochner
tographer Chambers in the classic Twilight Zone episode “To Serve Man,” who learns that the alien book of that title is a cookbook. He also appeared in episodes of Hudson’s Bay, The Americans, Boris Karloff ’s Thriller, The United States Steel Hour, Cain’s Hundred, Dr. Kildare, Sam Benedict, The Eleventh Hour, Alcoa Premiere, G.E. True, The Dick Powell Show, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, Perry Mason, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Kraft Suspense Theatre, numerous episodes of The Richard Boone Show, Twelve O’Clock High, The Legend of Jesse James, Honey West, Combat!, Branded, A Man Called Shenandoah, Wild Wild West, The Wackiest Ship in the Army, Daniel Boone, The Green Hornet, The Girl from U.N.C.L.E., Occasional Wife, Hallmark Hall of Fame, T.H.E. Cat, Death Valley Days, Tarzan, Bonanza, The Big Valley, Hogan’s Heroes, The Virginian, Custer, Daniel Boone, Judd for the Defense, The Name of the Game, Mannix, Mission: Impossible, It Takes a Thief, Bewitched, The Outsider, Medical Center, The F.B.I., Insight, The Silent Force, Storefront Lawyers, and Hawaii Five-O. He also had a successful film career in such features as Drums of Africa (1963), The Night Walker (1964), Sylvia (1965), Harlow (1965), Point Blank (1967), Tony Rome (1967), Tiger by the Tail (1968), The Detective (1968), The Young Runaways (1968), The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit (1968), the 1970 film adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft’s horror classic The Dunwich Horror, Ulzana’s Raid (1972), The Man in the Glass Booth (1975), It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time (1975), Mr. No Legs (1981), The Hot Touch (1982), The Lonely Lady (1983), Crystal Heart (1985), Fine Gold (1989), Millennium (1989), Deadly Deception (1991), The Naked Gun 2∂: The Smell of Fear (1991), Landslide (1992), Bram Stoker’s Legend of the Mummy (1997), and The Commission (2003). He also appeared in numerous television productions including Scalplock (1966), Barefoot in Athens (1966), Stranger on the Run (1967), Braddock (1968), Crowhaven Farm (1970), They Call It Murder (1971), Columbo: The Most Dangerous Match (1973), Satan’s School for Girls (1973), Rex Harrison Presents Stories of Love (1975), The Nurse Killer (1975), Collision Course: Truman vs. MacArthur (1976) as W. Averell Harriman, Richie Brockelman: The Missing 24 Hours (1976), Terraces (1977), Greatest Heroes of the Bible (1978) as Imhotep, The Immigrants (1978), A Fire in the Sky (1978),
Obituaries • 2005 The Best Place to Be (1979), Riel (1979), The Golden Gate Murders (1979), Mary and Joseph: A Story of Faith (1979), Rona Jaffe’s Mazes and Monsters (1982), Hotel (1983), Manimal (1983), Louisiana (1984), Double Agent (1987), Race for the Bomb (1987) as Gen. Curtis LeMay, Dick Francis: Blood Sport (1989), Berlin Lady (1991), Morning Glory (1993), Loyal Opposition: Terror in the White House (1998), and Mary Higgins Clark’s Before I Say Goodbye (2003). Bochner also starred as Cecil Baldwin Colby in the prime time soap opera Dynasty from 1981 to 1982, who died of cardiac arrest while making love to Joan Collins. He also guest-starred in episodes of The Bold Ones: The New Doctors, The Doris Day Show, Emergency!, Cannon, Ironside, McCloud, Barnaby Jones, The Starlost, Hec Ramsey, Gunsmoke, Police Story, Medical Center, The Magician, The Rookies, Barbary Coast, Ellery Queen, The Bionic Woman, McMillan and Wife, The Amazing SpiderMan, Vega$, Charlie’s Angels, Fantasy Island, The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, Battlestar Galactica, The Littlest Hobo, Trapper John, M.D., B.J. and the Bear, Hart to Hart, Fantasy Island, Darkroom, The Love Boat, Matt Houston, Hotel, Manimal, The Highwayman, Masquerade, The A-Team, Crazy Like a Fox, The Fall Guy, Murder, She Wrote, The Golden Girls, 1st & Ten, Highway to Heaven, Superboy, Designing Women, Who’s the Boss?, Road to Avonlea, The Young Riders, and Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. He was also the voice of Mayor Hamilton Hill cartoon series Batman: The Animated Adventures in the early 1990s. He was the father of actor Hart Bochner. • Los Angeles Times, Nov. 3, 2005, B11; New York Times, Nov. 2, 2005, C18; Times (of London), Dec. 14, 2005, 61.
BOLAND, FRANCY Jazz pianist and composer Francy Boland died of cancer in Geneva, Switzerland, on August 12, 2005. He was 75. Boland was born in Namur, Belgium, on November 6, 1929. He began playing the piano at an early age and joined Bob Shots’ band in 1949. He began performing with Chet Baker’s quintet in Paris in the mid–1950s, and recorded and toured Europe with the group. He subsequently came to the United States where he worked as an arranger for such musicians as Benny Goodman and County Basie. He formed the Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band in 1961, which recorded over thirty albums during the next
Francy Boland
38 decade. Boland also composed the jazz composition “Sax No End,” which was later recorded by the Oscar Peterson trio. • Los Angeles Times, Aug. 16, 2005, B11; New York Times, Aug. 22, 2005, B7; Times (of London), Sept. 15, 2005, 65.
BOLCHI, SANDRO Italian film director Sandro Bolchi died of complications from heart disease and diabetes in Rome on August 2, 2005. He was 81. Bolchi was born in Vogheri, Italy, in 1924. Bolchi worked primarily in television, helming numerous Italian miniseries and tele-films. His credits include Un Marito Ideale (1959), Il Mulino del Po (1962), I Miserabili (1964), I Fratelli Karamazov (1969), I Corvi (1969), Il Cappello del Prete (1970), Puccini (1973), Anna Karenina (1974), Manon Lescaut (1975), Camilla (1976), Bel Ami (1979), Chimica (1980), Melodramma (1984), Lulu (1986), Una Donna a Venezia (1986), Assunta Spina (1992), and Servo d’Amore (1995).
Sandro Bolchi
BOLDER, CAL Bodybuilder and actor Cal Bolder, who was best known for his role as the hulking monster in the 1966 horror western Jesse James Meets Frankenstein’s Daughter, died of cancer on January 19, 2005. He was 74. He was born Earl Craver in Kansas on June 14, 1931. He was also seen in the films Heller in Pink Tights (1960) and One Spy Too Many (1966). Bolder appeared on television in episodes of such series as Ad-
Cal Bolder
39 ventures in Paradise, Bonanza, Outlaws, Gunsmoke, Destry, Honey West, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Daniel Boone, Cimarron Strip, and Star Trek. He was also the author of the novel Last Reunion under his birth name E.C. Craver.
BOLESCH, OTTO Austrian actor Otto Bolesch died in Vienna after a long illness on April 7, 2005. He was 86. Bolesch appeared in numerous films from the 1950s including Night to Mont-Blanc (1951), A Devil of a Woman (1951), 8/15 Part 2 (1955), Sebastian Kneipp (1958), and Das Fliegende Klassenzimmer (1973). He also appeared in German television in episodes of Derrick, Der Kommissar, and Tatort. He was a member of the Castle Theatre ensemble from 1978 until his retirement in 2000. BOLLEN, PAUL Actor Paul Bollen died in Los Angeles, California, on October 19, 2005. He was 65. Bollen was born on February 1, 1940. He was featured in such films as Die Hard 2 (1990), American Me (1992), Unlawful Entry (1992), Love Is Like That (1993), Demolition Man (1993), Executive Decision (1996), Total Force (1997), Absolute Force (1997), Lethal Weapon 4 (1998), and Trapped (1999). He also guest starred in an episode of television’s Mike Hammer, Private Eye. BOLTON, BETTY British actress and singer Betty Bolton died in London on April 2, 2005. She was 99. She was born in Nottingham, England, on January 26, 1906. She began her career as a child performer on the stage at the age of 10. She appeared in numerous musical revues and plays. She appeared in productions of Fifinella (1919), The Dybbuk (1927), and Appearances (1930). She also appeared in several films including Balaclava (1928), Wolves (1930), and Long Live the King (1933). She also performed on British radio in the 1930s and appeared in an experimental television transmission in August of 1932. She retired from the theater later in the decade after the birth of her daughter.
2005 • Obituaries his film career at the age of five when he was discovered by a Hal Roach talent scout while leaving a movie theater with his mother. Bond appeared in numerous Our Gang and Little Rascals shorts, originally as a character named Tommy, and later as Spanky and Alfalfa’s nemesis, Butch. His Our Gang credits include Spanky (1932), Forgotten Babies (1933), The Kid from Borneo (1933), Mush and Milk (1933), Bedtime Worries (1933), Wild Poses (1933), Hi’-Neighbor! (1934), For Pete’s Sake! (1934), The First Round-Up (1934), Honky Donkey (1934), Mike Fright (1934), and Washee Ironee (1934). Bond’s other credits include Beauty and the Bus (1933) with Thelma Todd and Patsy Kelly, the 1933 serial The Mystery Squadron, and several shorts with comedian Charley Chase including The Cracked Iceman (1934), I’ll Take Vanilla (1934), and You Said a Hatful! (1934). He was also seen in Kid Millions (1934), Alimony Aches (1935), Gobs of Trouble (1935), Oh, My Nerves (1935), Unrelated Relations (1936), The Return of Jimmy Valentine (1936), Silly Billies (1936) with Wheeler and Woolsey, Counterfeit (1936), Page Miss Glory (1936), The Final Hour (1936), Mister Smarty (1936), Libeled Lady (1936), the Tex Avery Warner cartoon I Love to Singa (1936) as the voice of Owl Jolson, Knee Action (1937), Married Before Breakfast (1937), Rosalie (1937), and Hideaway (1937). After a three year absence Bond returned to Our Gang as the bully Butch in Glove Taps (1937), Rushin’ Ballet (1937), Fishy Tales (1937), Framing Youth (1937), Came the Brawn (1938), The Little Ranger (1938), Party Fever (1938), Football Romeo (1938), Practical Jokers (1938), Duel Personalities (1939), Cousin Wilbur (1939), Dog Daze (1939), Auto Antics (1939), Captain Spanky’s Show Boat (1939), and Bubbling Troubles (1940) before leaving the series. He also appeared in The Magician’s Daughter (1938), City Streets (1938), Block-Heads (1938) with Laurel and Hardy, Happily Buried (1939), Now It Can Be Sold (1939), and Static in the Attic (1939). Bond also starred as Joey Pepper in the films Five Little Peppers and How They Grew (1939), Five Little Peppers at Home (1940), Out West with the Peppers (1940), and Five Little Peppers in Trouble (1940). His other films include A Little Bit of Heaven (1940), Adventures in Washington (1941), New York Town (1941), A Quiet Fourth (1941), This Land Is Mine (1943), Man from Frisco (1944), Twice Blessed (1945), The Beautiful Cheat (1945), Gas House Kids Go
Betty Bolton
BOND, TOMMY Tommy Bond, who starred as the bully Butch in the Little Rascals comedy shorts, died of complications from heart disease in a Los Angeles hospital on September 24, 2005. He was 79. Bond was born in Dallas, Texas, on September 16, 1926. He began
Tommy Bond (as Butch from Our Gang)
Obituaries • 2005
Tommy Bond (as Jimmy Olsen with Kirk Alyn as Superman)
West (1947) and Gas House Kids in Hollywood (1947) as Chimp, Big Town Scandal (1948), The Lucky Stiff (1949), Any Number Can Play (1949), Tokyo Joe (1949), Battleground (1949), Hot Rod (1950), Call Me Mister (1951), and Bedtime for Bonzo (1951). Bond was also featured as Jimmy Olsen in the serials Superman (1948) and Atom Man vs. Superman (1950) with Kirk Alyn as the Man of Steel. He left acting in 1951 to work in television production. He retired in 1991 from a television station in Fresno, California. • Los Angeles Times, Sept. 26, 2005, B9; New York Times, Sept. 26, 2005, B7; Variety, Oct. 3, 2005, 76.
BOOTH, JAMES British supporting actor James Booth died in Hadleigh, Essex, England, on August 11, 2005. He was 77. Booth was born David Geeves-Booth in Croydon, Surrey, England, on December 19, 1927. He began his career on the amateur stage in London after serving in the British army. He attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in the mid–1950s and performed in several plays at the Old Vic later in the decade. He made his film debut in the 1959 musical Jazz Boat and continued to perform on stage with Joan Littlewood’s London Theatre Workshop. He appeared on British television in episodes of William Tell, The Invisible Man, Them, and The Sweeney, and was seen in the films Let’s Get Married (1960), In the Nick (1960), The Trials of Oscar Wilde (1960), In the Doghouse (1961), The Hellions
James Booth
40 (1961), Sparrows Can’t Sing (1963), Zulu (1964) as Private Henry Hook, French Dressing (1964), Ninety Degrees in the Shade (1965), The Secret of My Success (1965), Robbery (1967), The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom (1968), Fraulein Doktor (1969), the 1970 television production of W. Somerset Maugham’s The Vessel of Wrath, Adam’s Woman (1970), Darker Than Amber (1970), Macho Callahan (1970), The Man Who Had Power Over Women (1970), Revenge (1971), Rentadick (1972), Penny Gold (1973), That’ll Be the Day (1973), Percy’s Progress (1974), Brannigan (1975), and I’m Not Feeling Myself Tonight (1976). Booth came to United States in the mid–1970s, where he appeared on television in episodes of Bonanza, Lassie, Shirley’s World, Baretta, Mission: Impossible, The Hardy Boys Mysteries, Charlie’s Angels, Hart to Hart, and The Fall Guy. He also appeared in the film Airport ’77 (1977), and the tele-films Murder in Peyton Place (1977), Arthur Hailey’s Wheels (1978), Evening in Byzantium (1978), Jennifer: A Woman’s Story (1979), Hotline (1982), and The Cowboy and the Ballerina (1984). Booth also began writing films in the late 1970s, scripting the 1979 feature Sunburn and the 1985 tele-film Stormin’ Home. He also wrote and appeared in the action films Pray for Death (1985), Avenging Force (1986), and American Ninja 2: The Confrontation (1987). Dividing his time between the United States and England, he also appeared in the films Caboblanco (1980), The Jazz Singer (1980), Zorro, the Gay Blade (1981), Bad Guys (1986), Moon in Scorpio (1987), Deep Space (1987), Programmed to Kill (1987), American Ninja 4: The Annihilation (1991), Inner Sanctum II (1994), The Breed (2001), and Keeping Mum (2005). Booth was also featured in the tele-films The Lady and the Highwayman (1989), Have a Nice Night (1990), Gunsmoke: To the Last Man (1992), and The Red Phone: Manhunt (2001). His other television credits include episodes of the series Minder, Auf Wiedersehen, Pet in the recurring role of Kenny Ames, Bergerac, Lovejoy, The Bill, David Lynch’s Twin Peaks as Ernie Niles and Acapulco H.E.A.T. • Los Angeles Times, Aug. 22, 2005, B9; Times (of London), Aug. 17, 2004, 48.
BORBA, EMILINHA Singer Emilinha Borba, who was a leading star of Brazilian radio from the late 1930s, died of a heart attack on October 3, 2005, several months after suffering a severe fall at her home in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She was 82. She was born Emilia Savana
Emilinha Borba
41 da Silva Borba in a poor district of Rio de Janeiro on August 31, 1923. She began performing professionally in the late 1930s after performer Carmen Miranda arranged her audition for a popular casino. Borba recorded her first record, “Pirulito” (“Lollipop”) in 1939, and was soon signed by Radio Nacional where she spent the next three decades as their leading singer. She also recorded over 200 songs during her career, including the popular “Chiquita Bacana,” “Tomara que Chova,” and “Com Jeito Vai.” She also performed in several dozen films from the late 1930s through the 1960s including Bananada-Terra (1939), Astros em Desfile (1942), Segura Esta Mulher (1946), Estou Ai (1949), Tudo Azul (1952), Rei do Movimento (1954), Carnaval em Marte (1955), Eva no Brasil (1956), Garotas e Samba (1957), Mulheres a Vista (1959), Virou Bagunca (1960), 007 1/2 no Carnaval (1996), and Carnaval Barra Limpa (1967). She was largely retired by the early 1980s, but returned to record her final CD, Emilinha Pinta e Borda, in 2003. • Times (of London), Oct. 25 2005, 67.
BORGES, FRED Actor Fred Borges died on January 31, 2005 in Balwin, New York, of a heart attack. He was 43. Borges was born on June 12, 1961 in Queens, New York. He was featured in several independent horror films including Weasels Rip My Flesh (1979) and Long Island Cannibal Massacre (1980).
2005 • Obituaries
Clovis Bornay
1930s, appearing in over a dozen features. Her film credits include A Shot at Dawn (1932), Love in Uniform (1932), Crown of Thorns (1932), I Will Teach You to Love (1933), Story of a Night (1933), The Song of Happiness (1933), and Every Woman Has a Secret (1934). She subsequently retired from films and came to the United States.
Ery Bos
Fred Borges (from Weasels Rip My Flesh)
BOTTS, MIKE Mike Botts, who was drummer for the rock band Bread in the 1970s, died of cancer in
BORNAY, CLOVIS Brazilian Carnival designer Clovis Bornay died of cardiac arrest in a Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, hospital on October 9, 2005. He was 89. Bornay was instrumental in persuading the Rio Municipal Theater to promote costume parades during Carnival in 1937. He took part in numerous festivals, outfitted in outlandish costumes with plumes and sequins. He also designed costumes and appeared in the 1967 film Anguished Land, and was featured in the 1970 television series Assim na Terra Como no Ceu. Bornay also appeared in the films Independencia ou Morte (1972) and O Gigante de America (1978). • Times (of London), Oct. 15, 2005, 81. BOS, ERY German actress Ery Bos died in Chappaqua, New York, on March 10, 2005. She was 94. Bos was born in Berlin, Germany, on October 3, 1910. She had a brief career in films in Germany in the early
Mike Botts (left, with Larry Knechtal, James Griffin and David Gates from Bread)
Obituaries • 2005
42
a Burbank, California, hospital on December 9, 2005. He was 61. Botts was born on December 8, 1944. He joined Bread before their second album, On the Waters, and remained with the group until it broke up in 1973. Botts later worked as a session drummer and recorded and toured with such artists as Linda Ronstadt, Eddie Money, Tina Turner, Dan Fogelberg, and others. He briefly returned to Bread when the group reunited for a reunion and tour in 1977. • Los Angeles Times, Dec. 15, 2005, B11.
BOWDON, DORRIS Actress Dorris Bowdon died of complications from strokes and heart failure at the Motion Picture Country Home in Los Angeles on August 9, 2005. She was 89. Bowdon was born in Coldwater, Mississippi, on December 27, 1915. She was the winner of the Miss Memphis pageant in 1937 and was approached by a scout from 20th Century–Fox while appearing in a play at Louisiana State University. She signed a contract with Fox and headed to Hollywood. Bowdon met producer and writer Nunnally Johnson, and the two soon married. Bowdon was featured in a handful of films including Always Goodbye (1938), Down on the Farm (1938), Young Mr. Lincoln (1939), John Ford’s Drums Along the Mohawk (1939), The Grapes of Wrath (1940) as Rose-of-Sharon, Jennie (1940), and The Moon Is Down (1943). She retired from the screen after the birth of her first child. She and Johnson remained together until his death in 1977.
John Box
dra (1971). He received two further Oscar nominations for his work on the films Travels with My Aunt (1972) and A Passage to India (1984). Box also served as a production designer on the films The Wild Affair (1963), Of Human Bondage (1964), A Man for All Seasons (1966), The Great Gatsby (1974), Rollerball (1975), Sorcerer (1977), The Keep (1983), the 1986 tele-film Murder by the Book, Just Like a Woman (1992), Black Beauty (1994), and First Knight (1995). • Los Angeles Times, Mar. 23, 2005, B10; Times (of London), Mar. 11, 2005, 69.
BRABOURNE, LORD British film producer John Ulick Knatchbull, the seventh Baron Brabourne, died at his home in Kent, England, on September 22, 2005. He was 80. He was born in Bombay, India, on November 9, 1924. Lord Brabourne began working in films as a production manager in the early 1950s on such features as The Stranger’s Hand (1952), Trouble in the Glen (1953), and Pursuit of the Graf Spee (1956). He produced numerous acclaimed films including Harry Black and the Tiger (1958), Sink the Bismarck! (1960), Damn the Defiant! (1962), Othello (1965), The Mikado (1967), Up the Junction (1968), Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 production of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, which garnered an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture, The Dance of Death (1969), Tales of Beatrix Potter (1971), Murder on the Orient Express (1974), The Copter Kids (1976), Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile (1978), Stories from
Dorris Bowdon
BOX, JOHN British film production designer John Box died in Leatherhead, Surrey, England, on March 7, 2005. He was 85. Box was born in London on January 27, 1920. He attended the London School of Architecture and began working in films in England in 1947. He worked as an art director on numerous films in the 1960s including Man with a Million (1953), The Cockleshell Heroes (1955), High Flight (1956), Zarak (1956), The Gamma People (1956), Tank Force (1958), The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (1958), Our Man in Havana (1959), Left Right and Centre (1959), The World of Suzie Wong (1960), and Two Way Stretch (1960). Box was co-recipient of four Academy Awards for Best Art Direction for the films Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Doctor Zhivago (1965), Oliver! (1968), and Nicholas and Alexan-
Lord Brabourne
43 a Flying Trunk (1979), The Mirror Crack’d (1980), Evil Under the Sun (1982), A Passage to India (1984) which also received a Best Picture Oscar nomination, and Little Dorrit (1988). Lord Brabourne married Patricia Mountbatten, daughter of Lord Mountbatten, in 1946. They were both aboard Lord Mountbatten’s boat in 1979 when an IRA bomb blast killed Mountbatten. Brabourne’s mother, Doreen, the Dowager Lady Brabourne, and the Brabourne’s 14-year-old son, Nicholas, were also killed in the explosion. Lord and Lady Brabourne and another son were all badly injured. • Los Angeles Times, Sept. 28, 2005, B10; Times (of London), Sept. 24, 2005, 76; Variety, Oct. 3, 2005, 76.
BRACARDI, FRANCO Italian musician and comic actor Franco Bracardi died in Rome on February 27, 2005. He was 67. Bracardi was born in Rome on May 16, 1937. He was a pianist with Maurizio Costanzo’s orchestra for many years. Bracardi also performed in several films in the 1970s and 1980s, usually in comic roles. His screen credits include Sex Diary (1976), Sex for Sale (1976), In the Pope’s Eye (1981), Snow White and the Seven Wise Men (1982), and Il Diavolo e l’Acquasanta (1983).
2005 • Obituaries the Swinging Blue Jeans in 1958. He played bass guitar and was lead singer of the group. They were popular in England, recording such hit songs as “Hippy Hippy Shake,” “Good Golly Miss Molly,” “You’re No Good,” and “Don’t Make Me Over” in the early 1960s. Braid continued to perform with a changing array of musicians in the group for nearly 45 years. • Times (of London), Sept. 23, 2005, 69.
BRAININ, NORBERT Classical violinist Norbert Brainin died of cancer in London on April 10, 2005. He was 82. Brainin was born in Vienna, Austria, on March 12, 1923. He studied at the Vienna Conservatory before coming to England with his family at the start of World War II. He joined with fellow refugees Siegmund Nissel and Peter Schidlof, and cellist Martin Lovett to form what became the Amadeus Quartet in 1947. The group gained an international reputation for their performances and recordings of the works of such composers as Mozart, Brahms, and Schubert. They continued to play together until Schidlof ’s death in 1987. Brainin also performed as a solo violinist, and taught music in England and Germany. • Los Angeles Times, May 11, 2005, B12; New York Times, Apr. 16, 2005, B6; Times (of London), Apr. 12, 2005, 55.
Franco Bracardi Norbert Brainin
BRAID, LES British musician Les Braid died of lung cancer on July 31, 2005. He was 67. Braid was born in Liverpool, England, on September 15, 1937. He began performing with the band that became known as
BRAMLEY, PETER Peter Bramley, who served as the first art director of the National Lampoon humor
Les Braid
Peter Bramley
Obituaries • 2005 magazine in the early 1970s, died of pneumonia in St. Petersburg, Florida, on April 12, 2005. He was 60. Bramley was born in Braintree, Massachusetts, in 1944. He began drawing cartoons while in his early teens and formed Cloud Studio in New York in 1967 with Bill Skurski and Gail Burwen. The studio was noted for its surreal photographic comic strips and produced illustrations for such publications as Fortune, Boys’ Life, Playgirl, and The New York Times. They also did work for the television series The Electric Company and Sesame Street. Bramley also appeared in several underground films in the early 1970s including a role as a trapeze artist in the adult film It Happened in Hollywood. He and Skurski were the first art directors for National Lampoon from 1970 to 1971. Bramley also was involved in producing several other short-lived humor magazines including Apple Pie, Harpoon, and International Insanity. He also created the underground comic books Vinny Shinblind, the Invisible Sex Maniac and Cahoot Cheroot. Los Angeles Times, May 10, 2005, B11; New York Times, May 5, 2005, A33.
BRANDO, JOCELYN Actress Jocelyn Brando, the older sister of the late Marlon Brando, died at her home in Santa Monica, California, on November 27, 2005. She was 86. Brando was born in San Francisco on November 18, 1919, and raised on a farm near Evanston, Illinois. She began her career on stage in the early 1940s, and made her Broadway debut in the short-lived 1942 production of The First Crocus. She was also featured on Broadway in productions of Desire Under the Elms, The Golden State, and Mister Roberts. She came to Hollywood in the early 1950s to work in films and television. She was featured in such films as China Venture (1953), The Big Heat (1953), Ten Wanted Men (1955), Nightfall (1957), Step Down to Terror (1958), The Explosive Generation (1961), The Ugly American (1963), Bus Riley’s Back in Town (1965), The Chase (1966), Movie Movie (1978), Good Luck, Miss Wyckoff (1979), Why Would I Lie? (1980), and Mommie Dearest (1981). She also appeared in the tele-films A Question of Love (1978), Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981), and Starflight: The Plane That Couldn’t Land (1983). She was a frequent performer on television, guest starring in such series as Actor’s Studio, Kraft Television Theatre, Omnibus, The United States Steel
Jocelyn Brando (with brother, Marlon Brando)
44 Hour, General Electric Theater, Official Detective, Wagon Trail, Richard Diamond, Private Detective, State Trooper, One Step Beyond, Buckskin, M Squad, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Lux Playhouse, Riverboat, Laramie, Thriller, COronado 9, Checkmate, The Tall Man, Alcoa Premiere, Tales of Wells Fargo, Frontier Circus, 87th Precinct, The Virginian, Arrest and Trial, Dr. Kildare, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Ironside, Little House on the Prairie, Kojak, Darkroom, and Dallas in the recurring role of Mrs. Reeves. She was also featured as Anna Krakauer in the daytime soap opera Love of Life from 1966 to 1967. She remained close to her brother and was at his bedside when he died of lung failure in July of 2004. • Los Angeles Times, Nov. 29, 2005, B11; New York Times, Nov. 30, 2005, C19; Variety, Dec. 12, 2005, 67.
BRAUNGER, CARL Film and television art director Carl Braunger died of complications from Parkinson’s disease in Hollywood Hills, California, on December 6, 2005. He was 81. Braunger served as art director on such series as The Lucy Show, Get Smart, The Partridge Family, and The Waltons. He also worked on the films Paint Your Wagon (1969) and Viva Max! (1969), and the tele-films Banjo Hackett: Roamin’ Free (1976), Roger & Harry: The Mitera Target (1977), and Kill Me If You Can (1977). BREED, HELEN LLOYD Character actress Helen Lloyd Breed died in New York City after a long illness on April 16, 2005. She was 94. Breed was born in New York City on January 27, 1911. She appeared in numerous stage productions during her career. She was also featured in several films including Forever, Lulu (1987), The Witches of Eastwick (1987), Who’s That Girl? (1987), Funny Farm (1988), How I Got Into College (1989), Vampire’s Kiss (1989), Passed Away (1992), Rain Without Thunder (1992), Home Before Dark (1997), Big Daddy (1999), and Mickey Blue Eyes (1999). Breed also appeared in the 1989 tele-film Dream Breakers, and guest starred in episodes of Mathnet and Law & Order. BRENNER, MAURICE Actor Maurice Brenner died on August 25, 2005. He was 80. Brenner starred as Private Fleischman in the The Phil Silvers Show (aka Sergeant Bilko) from 1955 to 1959. He also appeared in episodes of Car 54, Where Are You? and The Dick Van Dyke Show. Brenner appeared in a small role in the 1964 film Lilith. He returned to the screen in 1985 to appear in Woody Allen’s The Purple Rose of Cairo. He was also featured in Sweet Lorraine (1987). BREWSTER, BARBARA Barbara Brewster LeMond, who performed with her twin sister, Gloria, as the Brewster Twins in films in the 1930s, died of pneumonia in an Oceanside, California, hospital on June 21, 2005. She was 87. She and her sister were born Naomi and Ruth Stevenson in Tucson, Arizona, on February 19, 1918. They were billed as “the Most Beautiful Twins in America,” when they were contracted to 20th Century–Fox in the late 1930s. They were seen in 1937 Buster Keaton comedy short Ditto, and the films Wake Up and Live (1937), Wife, Doctor and Nurse (1937), Happy Landing (1938), Little Miss Broadway (1938) with Shirley Temple, Hold That Co-Ed (1938) with John Bar-
45
Barbara Brewster (with twin sister Gloria)
rymore, Thanks for Everything (1938), Twincuplets (1940), and The Flame of New Orleans (1941). She also appeared on the New York stage with Montgomery Clift in the drama Foxhole in the Parlor. She entertained the troops in the South Pacific with the USO during World War II, where she met radio and television announcer Bob LeMond. She and Lemond subsequently wed and she retired from show business in 1946. Her sister, Gloria, predeceased her in 1996. • Los Angeles Times, June 25, 2005, B19.
BRIER, BARBARA Former actress Barbara Brier died in San Marino, California, on July 10, 2005. She was 79. Brier was born in Topeka, Kansas, on October 19, 1925. She moved to California in the 1930s to work as a fashion model. She was runner-up in the 1945 competition for Miss California, and soon began appearing in small roles in such films as I Surrender Dear (1948), An Old-Fashioned Girl (1949), Shamrock Hill (1949), Manhattan Angel (1949), and Hard, Fast, and Beautiful (1951). She retired from the screen after her marriage to attorney James C. Ford in 1957.
2005 • Obituaries II (1980), Night Train to Murder (1983), The Wicked Lady (1983), Young Sherlock Holmes (1985), A Fish Called Wanda (1988), Killing Dad or How to Love Your Mother (1989), The Law Lord (1991), A Business Affair (1994), Beaumarchais the Soundrel (1996), Jinnah (1998), Bodywork (1999), The Calling (2000), Ali G Indahouse (2002), and About a Boy (2002). Brierley was also featured in television productions of A Touch of the Casanovas (1975), Out of the Trees (1976), Pennies from Heaven (1978), Maybury (1981), Love Story: Mr. Right (1983), In the Secret State (1985), Inside Story (1986), When We Are Married (1987), East of Ipswich (1987), A Very British Coup (1988), Nineteen 96 (1989), All Creatures Great and Small: Brotherly Love (1990), Foreign Affairs (1993), Pat and Margaret (1994), The Buccaneers (1995), The Vanishing Man (1996), A Case of Coincidence (1996), Have Your Cake and Eat It (1997), Sex and Chocolate (1997), This Could Be the Last Time (1998), Tilly Trotter (1999), Innocents (2000), My Fragile Heart (2000), Evolution (2002), Ella and the Mothers (2002), Poirot: Five Little Pigs (2003), The Alan Clark Diaries (2004), and In Denial of Murder (2004). He starred as Ronnie Peabody in the 1974 series Not on Your Nellie. His television credits also include episodes of The Likely Lads, Doctor Who, Z Cars, Detective, The Howerd Confessions, The Sweeney, Rising Damp, The Wilde Alliance, Rumpole of the Bailey, The Goodies, To the Manor Born, Minder, Solo, Only Fools and Horses, Casualty, Call Me Mister, Victoria Wood, The Bill, Jeeves and Wooster, Bottom, Boon, Lovejoy, Mr. Bean, Goodnight Sweetheart, Surgical Spirit, Tales from the Crypt, Dangerfield, Spark, Kavanagh QC, Midsomer Murders, Spooks, and My Family. • Times (of London), Oct. 12, 2005, 65.
BRIERLEY, ROGER British actor Roger Brierley died of a heart attack at his home in England on September 23, 2005. He was 70. Brierley was born in Stockport, Cheshire, England, on June 2, 1935. He appeared frequently on stage, film, and television during his career. His numerous film credits include Superman
BRISTOW, DEEM Actor Deem Bristow died of a heart attack in San Diego, California, on January 15, 2005. He was 57. Bristow was born in Eaton, Ohio, on April 11, 1947. He appeared in small roles in such films as Terminal Exposure (1987), Freeway (1988), Flitch! (1988), and Problem Child (1990), and was featured in an episode of the sci-fi television series Quantum Leap. Bristow was best known as a voice actor and was the voice of the villainous Dr. Ivo “Eggman” Robotnik in the Sonic Adventure video games. He also voiced characters in such video games as Die Hard Trilog y 2: Viva Las Vegas, Di-
Roger Brierley
Deem Bristow
Obituaries • 2005 ablo II, Dungeon Lords, and Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth.
BRITO, PHIL Singer Phil Brito died in Newark, New Jersey, on October 28, 2005. He was 90. He was born Philip Colombrito in Boomer, West Virginia, to Italian immigrants on September 15, 1915. He began performing in his teens in clubs in New Jersey singing with numerous dance bands. He also appeared in several films in the 1940s including Sweetheart of Sigma Chi (1946), Music Man (1948), and Square Dance Katy (1950). He returned to New Jersey later in the decade where he remained a popular performer in the local venues until poor health forced his retirement.
Phil Brito
46 BROMFIELD, JOHN Actor John Bromfield, who starred as lawman Frank Morgan in the 1950s television series Sheriff of Cochise and U.S. Marshal, died of kidney failure in a Palm Desert, California, hospital on September 18, 2005. He was 83. Bromfield was born Farron Bromfield in South Bend, Indiana, on June 11, 1922. He began acting on stage at the La Jolla Playhouse in the 1940s, and made his film debut in the documentary Harpoon in 1948. He appeared with Burt Lancaster in the films Sorry, Wong Number (1948) and Rope of Sand (1949), which also featured French actress Corinne Calvet, whom Bromfield married soon after. They were together for five years before divorcing in 1954. Bromfield continued to appear in increasingly larger roles in such films as Paid in Full (1950), The Furies (1950), The Cimarron Kid (1952), Hold That Line (1952), Flat Top (1952), Easy to Love (1953), Ring of Fear (1954), The Black Daakotas (1954), Revenge of the Creature (1955), The Big Bluff (1955), Three Bad Sisters (1956), Manfish (1956), Crime Against Joe (1956), Quincannon — Frontier Scout (1956), Hot Cars (1956), and Curucu, Beast of the Amazon (1956). He also appeared on television in episodes of The Ford Television Theatre and Frontier. He began playing lawman Frank Morgan in the contemporary western The Sheriff of Cochise in 1956. The series became known as U.S. Marshal in 1958 and continued until 1960. Bromfield subsequently retired from acting. He spent his later years as an avid hunter and commercial fisherman. • Los Angeles Times, Sept. 19, 2005, B9; Variety, Sept. 26, 2005, 71.
BROGREN, LENA Swedish stage and film actress Lena Brogren died of complications from a heart attack in Gothenburg, Sweden, on September 21, 2005. She was 76. Brogren was born on April 18, 1929. She was featured in films from the early 1950s, appearing in Secrets of Women (1952), Lille Fridolf blir Morfar (1947), The Rooster (1981), Rasmus and the Vagabond (1981), The Best Intentions (1992), and Jacobs Frestelse (2001). Brogren also appeared often on Swedish television, starring in productions of Kallocain (1981), Glenn och Gloria (1989), Glappet (1997), Solbacken: Avd. E (2003), and Salton (2005). John Bromfield
Lena Brogren
BRONHILL, JUNE Australian operatic soprano June Bronhill died of breast cancer in Sydney, Australia, on January 24, 2005. She was 75. Bronhill was born in Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia, on June 26, 1929. She began her career in the 1950s, performing with England’s Sadler’s Wells Opera Company. She also sang with the Australian Opera, the Victorian State Opera, and the State Opera of South Australia during her career. Bronhill performed in a television production of The Merry Widow in 1958. She also appeared as Mrs. Crawford in the television series Are You Being Served? in 1980 and was Annie Montagu in the 1987 mini-series Melba. She retired in 1993. • Times (of London), Feb. 16, 2005, 63.
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2005 • Obituaries the Park (1963), Flora, the Red Menace (1965), On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (1965), Promises, Promises (1968), Last of the Red Hot Lovers (1969), Minnie’s Boys (1970), Holiday (1973), The Member of the Wedding (1975), Carmelina (1979), and Dance a Little Closer (1983). He was the recipient of the Coty Award, the fashion industry’s highest honor, on three occasions during his career. • Los Angeles Times, Aug. 6, 2005, B17; New York Times, Aug. 3, 2005, C17; Variety, Aug. 22, 2005, 43.
June Bronhill
BROOKS, EVELYN Actress and entertainer Evelyn Brooks Wagner died in a Florida hospital on September 16, 2005. She was 82. Brooks was born on October 23, 1922. She began her career as a singer on the Catskill circuit, and was featured in Off-Broadway productions of George M., Mr. President, and Gypsy. She came to Florida in 1984 where she continued to perform. Brooks was featured in small roles in several films including Folks! (1992), The Crew (2000), All About the Benjamins (2002), Out of Time (2003), and The Boynton Beach Bereavement Club (2005).
BROOKS, DONALD Costume designer Donald Brooks died of a heart attack in a Stony Brook, New York, hospital on August 2, 2005. He was 77. Brooks was born in New Haven, Connecticut, on January 10, 1928. He was a leading fashion designer, replacing Clare McCardle as Townley Manufacturing’s chief designer. He opened his own design house in 1963. He was also a leading stage, film, and television costume designer. He earned a Tony Award nomination for his work on Richard Rodgers’ 1962 Broadway production No Strings. He also received an Academy Award nomination for his work on Otto Preminger’s 1963 film The Oscar. He also received Oscar nominations for the Julie Andrews films Star! (1968) and Darling Lili (1970). He designed costumes for Ethel Merman for the 1961 television special Merman on Broadway, and designed First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy’s outfits for the 1962 televised Tour of the White House. His other celebrity clients include Princess Grace, Pamela Harriman, Barbra Streisand, Lady Bird Johnson and Faye Dunaway. Brooks was costume designer for the films The Third Day (1965), The Detective (1968), The Terminal Man (1974), and The Bell Jar (1979), and the tele-films Laura (1968), Scruples (1981), The Country Girl (1982), The Letter (1982) which earned him an Emmy Award, Murder Among Friends (1985), and The Two Mrs. Grenvilles (1987) which earned him another Emmy nomination. He also designed costumes for over forty Broadway productions including Barefoot in
BROSNAN, JOHN British film critic and writer John Brosnan was found dead of acute pancreatitis at his home in South Harrow, London, England, on April 11, 2005. He had died in his sleep, possibly several days earlier. He was 57. Brosnan was born in Perth, Western Australia, on October 7, 1947. He became active in science fiction fandom in the 1960s and moved to London later in the decade. He wrote several books on film including James Bond in the Cinema (1972), Movie Magic: The Story of Special Effects in the Cinema (1974), The Horror People (1976), Future Tense: The Cinema of Science Fiction (1978), Hollywood Babble On (1989), The Primal Screen: A History of Science Fiction Film (1991), Lights, Camera, Magic! (1998), Scream (2000), and The Hannibal Lecter Story (2001). He also wrote many of the film entries for the 1978 Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. He also wrote science fiction and horror novels, often under pseudonyms. His work appeared under the names James Blackstone (with John Baxter), Simon Ian Childer and Harry Adam Knight (with Leroy Kettle), and John Raymond. His novel Bedlam was filmed as Beyond Bedlam, starring Elizabeth Hurley, in 1993. His novel Carnosaur was filmed in 1993 and a film adaptation of Proteus was
Donald Brooks
John Brosnan
Obituaries • 2005
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released in 1995. His other novels include Skyship (1981), Midas Deep (1983), Slimer (1983), The Fungus (1985), Torched (1986), Worm (1988), The Sky Lords (1989), War of the Sky Lords (1989), Death Spore (1990), The Fall of the Sky Lords (1991), The Opononax Invasion (1993), Damned and Fancy (1995), Have Demon, Will Travel (1996), and Mothership (2004). His most recent novel, Mothership Awakening, was scheduled for publication later in the year.
BROUGH, JOANNE Television producer Joanne Brough died of esophageal cancer in Joplin, Missouri, on February 24, 2005. She was 77. Brough was born on November 24, 1927. She began her career in Los Angeles with TV station KTLA in 1960. She moved to CBS several years later, where she was instrumental in the development of such series as Kojak, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Hawaii Five-O, All in the Family, and M*A*S*H. In the 1980s she was executive producer of the prime-time soap operas Dallas and Falcon Crest. She served as vice president of creative affairs at Lorimar Productions and was executive producer for several telefilms including Our Family Business (1981), Mistress of Paradise (1981), Washington Mistress (1982), and This Is Kate Bennett... (1982). She left Hollywood in 1993, developing soap operas in Indonesia and Singapore. She later returned to her native Missouri, where she taught courses on television drama production. • Los Angeles Times, Mar. 12, 2005, B17.
Bob Brown (left, with author Harris Lentz at the Memphis Film Festival)
BROWN,
CLARENCE
“GATEMOUTH”
Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown died of complications from cancer and heart disease on September 10, 2005, at his brother’s home in Orange, Texas, where he had gone when his home in Slidell, Louisiana, was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. He was 81. Brown was born in Vinton, Louisiana, on April 18, 1924, and raised in Orange, Texas. He began playing the guitar at an early age and performed with swing bands in the early 1940s. he acquired the nickname Gatemouth because of his deep singing voice. He made numerous recordings in the 1940s and 1950s including “Boogie Rambler,” “Okie Dokie Stomp,” and “Dirty Work at the Crossroads.” Brown also performed country and western numbers, and recorded with such artists as Roy Clark, Eric Clapton and Bonnie Raitt. • Los Angeles Times, Sept. 12, 2005, B9; New York Times, Sept. 12, 2005, A19; Time, Sept. 26, 2005, 21; Times (of London), Sept. 12, 2005, 59; Variety, Sept. 19, 2005, 84.
Joanne Brough
BROWN, BOB Bob Brown, leathersmith to the cowboy stars, died in his home in Big Bear City, California, on September 13, 2005. He was 95. Brown was born in Geneva, Illinois, on May 22, 1910, and moved to California in 1916. He studied art as a youth and won a contest to design the Columbia Pictures logo in the early 1930s. He was trained in leatherwork by Frankie Paul who he worked with until founding his own leather shop in 1937. Brown handcrafted saddles, holsters and other accoutrements for such western stars as Hopalong Cassidy, Lash LaRue, Buck Jones, Sunset Carson, and John Wayne. Brown also made the leather mask for the film Man in the Iron Mask (1939), and reputedly taught John Wayne his famous swagger. In recent years Brown was a popular guest for film festivals across the country.
Gatemouth Brown
BROWN, DANNY JOE Danny Joe Brown, who was the original lead singer for the Southern rock ’n’ roll group Molly Hatchet in 1970s, died of complications from diabetes and a stroke in Florida on March 10, 2005. He was 53. Brown was born on August 24, 1951. He was a founding member of the Jacksonville, Florida– based band and was lead singer on their debut album,
49
2005 • Obituaries series Brewster Place with Oprah Winfrey, and guest starred as jazz pianist Mile Taylor in the sit-com Roc in 1992. He also appeared in the films Up Against the Wall (1991) and Original Gangstas (1996), and the tele-film Sunday in Paris (1991). • Los Angeles Times, May 31, 2005, B9; New York Times, May 31, 2005, D8; Time, June 13, 2005, 15; Times (of London), June 2, 2005, 269.
Danny Joe Brown
Molly Hatchet, in 1978. He also performed on the band’s hit recording of “Flirtin’ with Disaster” in 1979. Brown left Molly Hatchet the following year and formed the Danny Joe Brown Band, which recorded the songs “Beatin the Odds” and “Take No Prisoners” in the early 1980s. He returned to Molly Hatchet in 1982, singing with the group on the albums No Guts ... No Glory (1983), The Deed Is Done (1984), and Double Trouble Live (1985). Brown continued to record and perform with Molly Hatchet until poor health forced him to leave the band in the mid–1990s. • Los Angeles Times, Mar. 15, 2005, B9.
BROWN, OSCAR, JR. Singer, songwriter and actor Oscar Brown, Jr., died of complications from a blood infection in a Chicago hospital on May 29, 2005. He was 78. Brown was born in Chicago on October 10, 1926. He began his career while in his teens, performing in radio dramas. He subsequently became host of the Chicago radio program Negro Newsfront. He attempted to start a career as a singer in 1960, earning acclaim for his album Sin and Soul. He also wrote the musical play Kicks & Co., and his musical adaptation Buck White played on Broadway starring Muhammad Ali in 1969. Brown also appeared frequently on television, hosting the syndicated series Jazz Scene U.S.A. in 1962 and the PBS 13-week history of black music, From Jumpstreet. Brown also appeared regularly as Jessie in the 1990 drama
Oscar Brown, Jr.
BROWN, TED Radio disc jockey Ted Brown died of complications from a stroke in The Bronx, New York, on March 20, 2005. He was 85. He was born Theodore David Brown in Collingwood, New Jersey on May 5, 1919. He worked in radio in New York City for over 40 years as a disc jockey and radio talk-show host for various stations including WMGM, WNEW and WNBC. Brown was also seen on television as Bison Bill, who sometimes substituted for Buffalo Bob Smith as the host of The Howdy Doody Show in the 1950s. He also hosted the television series Birthday Party in 1949, The Greatest Man on Earth from 1952 to 1953, and Across the Board in 1959. He was the announcer for The Paul Winchell and Jerry Mahoney Show from 1951 to 1954. He teamed with his first wife, Rhoda, on the radio program Ted Brown and the Redhead. He was subsequently married to actress Sylvia Miles, whom he divorced, and to Rene Lee Brody, who survives him. • New York Times, Mar. 22, 2005, C17.
Ted Brown
BRUCE, HONEY Nightclub entertainer Honey Bruce Friedman, who was the former wife of comedian Lenny Bruce, died of complications from colitis in a Honolulu, Hawaii, hospital on September 12, 2005. She was 78. She was born Harriett Jolliff in Mania, Arkansas, on August 15, 1927. She ran away from home in her teens and danced in carnivals and worked as a stripper before her marriage to Bruce in 1951. She appeared with Bruce in the 1953 film Dance Hall Racket, and was also featured in the film Princess of the Nile (1954). He marriage to Bruce ended in divorce in 1957, and Lenny Bruce died of a drug overdose in 1966. Honey Bruce overcame drug and alcohol addiction and became a clothing designer. She was an advisor on Bob Fosse’s 1974 film Lenny, starring Dustin Hoffman as Lenny and Valerie Perrine as Honey. She wrote the 1976 memoir, Honey: The Life and Loves of Lenny’s Shady Lady, and appeared in the 1998
Obituaries • 2005
Honey Bruce (with husband Lenny Bruce and daughter Kitty)
documentary Lenny Bruce: Swear to Tell the Truth. She was instrumental in winning a posthumous pardon for Lenny Bruce in 2003 from New York Governor George Pataki for Bruce’s 1964 conviction on obscenity charges during a comedy act. • Los Angeles Times, Sept 18, 2005, B12; New York Times, Sept. 20, 2005, A27; Time, Oct. 3, 2005, 27; Variety, Sept. 26, 2005, 71.
BRUNE, GABRIELLA British actress Gabriella Brune died in Chichester, Sussex, England, on January 18, 2005. She was 92. Brune was born in Bournermouth, Dorset, England, on February 12, 1912. She began her film career in the early 1930s, appearing in such features as Red Pearls (1930), The Wife of General Ling (1937), The Penny Pool (1937), Bad Boy (1938), Garrison Follies (1940), He Found a Star (1941), At Dawn We Die (1943), A Run for Your Money (1949), Crash of Silence (1952), Hot Ice (1952), The Titfield Thunderbolt (1953), The Wedding of Lilli Marlene (1953), White Fire (1954), Touch and Go (1955), True As a Turtle (1956), Stars in Your Eyes (1956), Fun at St. Fanny’s (1956), The Model Murder Case (1963), and Follow Me! (1972). Brune also appeared on British television in episodes of Z Cars, My Partner, the Ghost, and Raffles. BRUNETTI, ARGENTINA Character actress Argentina Brunetti, who was featured as Mrs. Martini in the holiday classic It’s a Wonderful Life, died in Rome, Italy, on December 20, 2005. She was 98. Brunetti was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on August 31, 1907, the daughter of Italian leading actress Mimi Aguglia. Brunetti made her debut on stage at the age of three in a small role in the opera Cavelaria Rusticana. She performed on stage throughout South America and Europe, and was signed by MGM to provide the Italian dubbing voices for such stars as Jeanette MacDonald and Norma Shearer in the late 1930s. She appeared frequently in films in the United States from the mid–1940s, usually cast in ethnic roles as Italian or Spanish housewives. Her films include Gilda (1946), The Return of Monte Cristo (1946), Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), California (1946), High Tide (1947), Tycoon (1947), ManEater of Kumaon (1948), Tenth Avenue Angel (1948), Mexican Hayride (1948), Knock on Any Door (1949), El Paso (1949), We Were Strangers (1949), House of Strangers
50 (1949), The Red Danube (1949), Holiday in Havana (1949), The Blonde Bandit (1950), The Lawless (1950), Broken Arrow (1950), Dial 1119 (1950), Southside 1–1000 (1950), The Great Caruso (1951), Ghost Chasers (1951), Sirocco (1951), Force of Arms (1951), The Fighter (1952), Rose of Cimarron (1952), When in Rome (1952), Apache War Smoke (1952), Woman in the Dark (1952), My Cousin Rachel (1952), Tropic Zone (1953), San Antone (1953), The Story of Three Loves (1953), The Caddy (1953), King of the Khyber Rifles (1953), Make Haste to Live (1954), Hell’s Island (1955), The Prodigal (1955), The Far Horizons (1955), The Last Command (1955), The Tall Men (1955), The Rains of Ranchipur (1955), Anything Goes (1956), Duel at Apache Wells (1956), Three Violent People (1957), The Unholy Wife (1957), The Midnight Story (1957), The Brothers Rico (1957) as Mrs. Rico, Showdown at Boot Hill (1958), Jet Over the Atlantic (1960), The George Raft Story (1961), as Mrs. Raft, The Horizontal Lieutenant (1962), The Pigeon That Took Rome (1962), George Pal’s 7 Faces of Dr. Lao (1964), Stage to Thunder Rock (1964), The Money Trap (1965), The Appaloosa (1966), The Venetian Affair (1967), The Shakiest Gun in the West (1968), Blue Sunshine (1976), Fatso (1980), and Lookin’ Italian (1998). She was also featured in the telefilms Flight to Holocaust (1977), Black Market Baby (1977), Tenspeed and Brown Shoe (1980), and Evita Peron (1981). Brunetti was featured as Filomena Soltini in the daytime soap opera General Hospital from 1985 to 1986. Her numerous television credits also include guest roles in such series as Hopalong Cassidy, Racket Squad, Waterfront, Letter to Loretta, The Public Defender, Lux Video Theatre, The Lone Ranger, Jane Wyman Presents the Fireside Theatre, TV Reader’s Digest, The 20th Century–Fox Hour, Matinee Theatre, Celebrity Playhouse, Telephone Time, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Navy Log, The Adventures of Jim Bowie, Panic!, The Veil, Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse, M Squad, The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor, The Untouchables, General Electric Theater, Bonanza, Rawhide, One Step Beyond, Thriller, The Deputy, Wanted: Dead or Alive, Checkmate, Wagon Train, Route 66, The Lawless Years, Miami Undercover, The Rifleman, The Gallant Men, Ben Casey, Gunsmoke, The Fugitive, The F.B.I., The Andy Griffith Show, The Invaders, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., The Big Valley, I Spy, Ironside, The High Chaparral, To Rome with Love, Temperatures Rising, Kojak,
Argentina Brunetti
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2005 • Obituaries
Wonder Woman, Quincy, Fantasy Island, The Quest, Joanie Loves Chachi, 1st & Ten, Booker, Everybody Loves Raymond, and That’s Life. Throughout her long career Brunetti also worked as a journalist, writing numerous articles and books on Hollywood personalities. A member of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, she also interviewed film stars for Italian radio for Voice of America. • Los Angeles Times, Dec. 24, 2005, B15; New York Times, Dec. 26, 2005, B8; People, Jan. 9, 2006, 109; Variety, Dec. 26, 2005, 37.
BRUNETTI, GUY Wrestler Guy Brunetti died in Phoenix, Arizona, on June 5, 2005. He was 75. Brunetti was born in Bingham Canyon, Utah, on September 28, 1929. He began wrestling in the late 1940s, teaming with Joe Tangaro as his “brother,” Joe Brunetti. The duo wrestled as crowd favorites throughout the 1950s and 1960s, competing against such teams as the Kalmikoffs and the Smith Brothers. They held the NWA World Tag Team Title several times throughout the United States and Canada. After retiring from the ring in the early 1970s, Brunetti was a wrestling promoter in the Salt Lake City, Utah, area. He subsequently opened a restaurant in Sun City, Arizona.
Guy Brunetti
BRUNNER, VIVIAN Vivian Brunner, who cofounded the Popcorn Theater Marionettes with her husband, died in North Hollywood on September 24, 2005. She was 79. She was born Vivian Hypes in Downey, California, on August 22, 1926. She married advertising artist John Brunner in 1947 and worked as a fashion designer. She and her husband quit their jobs to form the touring marionette show in 1962, with John creating the puppets and Vivian outfitting them in costumes. They created over 100 marionettes for the increasingly elaborate productions over the next three decades. The Brunners also were involved in creating special effects for several films including 1985’s Lifeforce and the 1987 horror film Dolls. She was widowed when John Brunner died in 1993. • Los Angeles Times, Oct. 19, 2005, B10. BRUNO, NIKKI Actress Nikki Bruno died of breast cancer at her home in Westerly, Rhode Island, on October 30, 2005. She was 82. She was born Dorothy Stoppello in Providence, Rhode Island, on December 7,
Nikki Bruno
1922. She began her career on the local stage and moved to New York in the early 1940s. She performed on stage and appeared in numerous touring productions including Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. She met her future husband, Bucky Walsh, in the play, and they worked together often. Bruno also appeared on television in the daytime soap operas As The World Turns and The Guiding Light. She was featured often in television commercials and appeared in small roles in several films including Mystic Pizza (1988), True Lies (1994), and The Crucible (1996), and the television mini-series The Buccaneers (1995).
BRUNOY, BLANCHETTE French actress Blanchette Brunoy died in Paris on April 3, 2005. She was 89. She was born Blanche Bilhaud in Paris on October 5, 1915. She began her career in films in the 1930s and appeared in numerous features over the next sixty years. Her numerous film credits include The Woman Thief (1936), Counsel for Romance (1936), Confessions of a Newlywed (1937), Jeannette Bourgogne (1938), Altitude 3,200 (1938), The Human Beast (1938), Love Cavalcade (1940), The Duraton Family (1940), They Were Twelve Women (1940), Two Women (1940), The Big Fight (1942), The White Truck (1943), It Happened at the Inn (1943), Shop Girls of Paris (1943), The Eleventh Hour Guest (1945), Ladies of the Park (1945), Raboliot (1946), Clockface Cafe (1947), The Murdered Model (1948), Sextette (1948), La
Blanchette Brunoy
Obituaries • 2005
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Maternelle (1949), Just Out (1949), Venom and Eternity (1950), French Touch (1952), Le Petit Jacques (1953), Agonies (1954), Le Circuit de Minuit (1956), Bernadette of Lourdes (1960), The Baron of the Locks (1960), People in Luck (1962), Anatomy of a Marriage: My Days with Francoise (1963), Careless Love (1963), The Holy Terror (1963), L’Enfer (1964), Love on the Quiet (1985), Roulez Jeunesse! (1993), and White Lies (1998). She also appeared frequently on French television from the 1960s, starring in such productions as La Berthe (1975), Le Theatre de Tristan Bernard (1975), Les Eygletiere (1978), Les Filles d’Adam (1980), Marcheloup (1982), Tantie (1989), La Stagiaire (1991), and La Corruptrice (1994).
BRYANT, BETTY Australian actress Betty Bryant died in Seattle, Washington, on October 3, 2005. She was 85. Bryant was born in Bristol, England, on June 27, 1920. She moved to Australia with her family in the early 1930s and began performing on Australian radio as a teenager. She was cast as the female lead, Juliette Rouget, in the 1941 film Forty Thousand Horsemen, which became the first Australian film to succeed in the United States and Europe. Bryant became a popular singer and leading stage and radio performer in Australia. She married MGM executive Maurice “Red” Silverstein in 1941. She was cast in the film Mrs. Miniver, but had to withdraw after becoming pregnant. She later appeared in a small role in the 1948 film Saigon. She and her husband were co-founders of the charity organization The Foundation for the People of the South Pacific in the early 1960s, and Bryant remained active with the group for the remainder of her life. She and Silverstein remained married until his death in 1999.
John Bryson
and The Osterman Weekend (1983). He was also featured in the 1988 television mini-series War and Remembrance. • Los Angeles Times, Aug. 12, 2005, B11; Variety, Aug. 22, 2005, 43.
BUISSON, PAUL Canadian television personality Paul Buisson died of respiratory arrest in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on April 19, 2005. He was 41. Buisson worked with the Canadian sports network RDS from the station’s beginning in 1989. He also appeared in the films Les Boys II (1998) and Station Nord (2002). He also starred in the television series Reseaux (1998) and Lance et Compte — La Nouvelle Generation (2001) as Bouboule.
Paul Buisson Betty Bryant
BRYSON, JOHN Photojournalist John Bryson died in a Brookings, Oregon, retirement home on August 10, 2005. He was 81. He was born on October 12, 1923. He began his career as a photographer working at Life magazine as a picture editor. During his career he photographed numerous celebrities including Katharine Hepburn, Ernest Hemingway, Salvador Dali, Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Frank Sinatra, and President John F. Kennedy. Bryson also appeared in several films including John Frankenheimer’s Grand Prix (1966), and Sam Peckinpah’s The Getaway (1972), Conwoy (1978),
BUJONES, FERNANDO Ballet dancer Fernando Bujones died of lung cancer in Miami, Florida, on November 9, 2005. He was 50. Bujones was born in Miami of Cuban parents on March 9, 1955. He studied ballet in his teens and earned the gold medal at the International Ballet Competition in 1974. He joined the American Ballet Theatre in 1974. During his thirty year career Bujones performed throughout the world, dancing with the Paris Opera, the Royal Ballet, the Tokyo Ballet, and as guest artist in over thirty other countries. Bujones also appeared the 1977 ballet film The Turning Point. He served as artistic director of the Orlando Ballet in Florida until shortly before his death. • Los Angeles Times, Nov. 12, 2005, B16; New York Times, Nov. 11,
53
2005 • Obituaries set in Anglo-Saxon England (Wolfshead as Arthur Frazier), and war dramas as Bruno Krauss. He also adapted the British television series The Professionals as Ken Blake. He also created the Dray Prescott series of science fiction novels under the pseudonym of Alan Burt Akers, beginning with 1972’s Transit to Scorpio. The series was published in the U.S. by DAW Books, and continued for nearly forty volumes through 1988’s Warlord of Antares. Bulmer continued the series with his German publisher for another decade. He began the Odan of the Half-God series with 1977’s Dream Chariots under the name Manning Norval, and Whetted Bronze (1978) and Crown of the Sword God (1980) followed. Bulmer continued to produce novels until suffering a stroke in 1993.
Fernando Bujones
2005, C16; Time, Nov. 21, 2005, 27; Times (of London), Nov. 17, 2005, 67.
BULMER, KENNETH Science fiction writer Kenneth Bulmer died after a long illness of complications from a stroke on December 16, 2005. He was 84. Bulmer was born in London on January 14, 1921. He began his writing career in the early 1950s, co-authoring the science fiction novel Space Treason in 1952. He wrote nearly 200 novels over the next fifty years, including Empire of Chaos (1953), The Stars Are Ours (1953), City Under the Sea (1957), The Earth Gods Are Coming (1960), Beyond the Silver Sky (1961), No Man’s World (1961), The Wizard of the Starship Poseidon (1963), Demon’s World (1964), The Million Year Hunt (1964), Behold the Stars (1965), The Doomsday Men (1968), The Ulcer Culture (1969), Kandar (1969), Quench the Burning Stars (1970), Sword of the Barbarians (1970), The Electric SwordSwallowers (1971), The Insane City (1971), On the SymbSocket Circuit (1972), Roller Coaster World (1972), To Outrun Doomsday (1975), and Where the Jungle Ends (1978). Bulmer also created the Keys to the Dimensions series, which included nine volumes including Land Beyond the Map (1961), The Key to Irunium (1967), The Key to Venudine (1968), The Wizards of Senchuria (1969), The Chariots of Ra (1972), and The Diamond Contessa (1983). During the 1970s Bulmer continued to write novels, utilizing over 20 pen names. He authored tales of ancient Rome (The Eagles as Andrew Quiller), historical novels
BUMATAI, RAY Hawaiian actor and entertainer Ray Bumatai died of brain cancer in Hawaii on October 6, 2005. He was 52. Bumatai was born in Offenbach, Germany, on December 20, 1952. He began working as a stand-up comic in the 1980s and was a member of the Booga Booga comedy troupe. Bumatai also appeared in supporting roles in numerous films and television productions set in Hawaii. He was James Kulani in the television series Island Son from 1989 to 1990, and was Danny Kinimaka in Big Wave Dave’s in 1993. He also appeared in the tele-films Blood & Orchids (1986), Miracle Landing (1990), Danger Island (1992), Miss America: Behind the Crown (1992), and Johnny Tsunami (1991). He was also featured in episodes of Magnum, P.I., Life Goes On, Raven, Time Trax, The Adventures of Brisco County Jr., One West Waikiki, Martial Law, Baywatch, and Hawaii. He also appeared in several feature films including Tis the Season (1994), Glacier (1995), Under the Hula Moon (1995), Lemon Tree Billiards House (1996), Lani Loa; The Passage (1998), Ho’olawe: Give and Take (2001), and 2005’s Pele O Ka Foodmart. Bumatai was also the voice of Tito Makani in the Rocket Power animated series in 1999, and was a voice actor in The Wild Thornberrys and 2005’s Aloha, Scooby-Doo.
Ray Bumatai (with Tina Shelton in a production of The King and I )
Kenneth Bulmer
BUNCE, BARRINGTON Animation artist Barrington Bunce died on June 14, 2005. He was 60. Bunce was born on January 12, 1945. He began working as an animator in the later 1960s, and was a storyboard and
Obituaries • 2005
54
layout artist for such cartoons as Spider-Woman, The Smurfs, The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo, Dr. Seuss’ Pontoffel Pock, Where Are You, Baby Daze, CatDog, and Johnny Bravo.
BUNCH, CHRIS Science fiction novelist and television writer Chris Bunch died on July 4, 2005. He was 61. Bunch was born on December 22, 1943. He was a veteran of the Vietnam war and was a combat correspondent for Stars and Stripes. He later wrote for various publications including Look, Rolling Stone, and outlaw motorcycle magazines. He was best known as the coauthor of the Sten series with Allan Cole, which included the novels Sten (1982), The Wolf World (1984), The Court of a Thousand Suns (1986), Fleet of the Damned (1988), Revenge of the Damned (1989), The Return of the Emperor (1990), Vortex (1992), and Empire’s End (1993). He and Cole also worked together as television scriptwriters, penning episodes of such series as The Incredible Hulk, Mrs. Columbo, Magnum, P.I., The A-Team, The Master, Jessie, Hardball, and Walker, Texas Ranger. Bunch wrote numerous other science fiction novels including The Far Kingdoms (1985), A Reckoning for Kings: A Novel of the Tet Offensive (1987), A Daughter of Liberty (1992), The Warrior’s Tale (1994), Kingdoms of the Night (1995), The Wind After Time (1996), Hunt the Heavens (1996), The Darkness of God (1997), The Seer King (1997), The Demon King (1998), The Warrior King (1999), The Last Legion (1999), Firemask (2000), Storm Force (2000), The Empire Stone (2000), Corsair (2001), Homefall (2001), Storm of Wings (2002), Star Risk, Ltd. (2002), Scoundrel Worlds (2003), Knighthood of the Dragon (2003), The Last Battle (2004), The Doublecross Program (2004), and The Dog from Hell (2005). • Los Angeles Times, July 11, 2005, B9; Variety, July 25, 2005, 57.
Edward Bunker
and No Beast So Fierce. The latter work served as the basis for the 1978 film Straight Time starring Dustin Hoffman, which used Bunker as a technical adviser and also featured him the role of Mickey. Bunker worked often in films from the 1980s, appearing in small rolls, and often serving as a technical advisor, on such features as The Long Riders (1980), Runaway Train (1985) which he also scripted, Shy People (1987), The Running Man (1987) with Arnold Schwarzeneggar, Fear (1988), Miracle Mile (1988), Relentless (1988), Best of the Best (1989), and Tango & Cash (1989). Bunker appeared as a member of the color-coded criminal gang in Quentin Tarantino’s premiere film Reservoir Dogs in 1992 as Mr. Blue. He was also seen in the films Best of the Best 2 (1993), Distant Cousins (1993), Somebody to Love (1994), Chameleon (1996), and Shadrach (1998), and the tele-films Slow Burn (1986) and Love, Cheat & Steal (1993). He also appeared in an episode of Hunter on television, and was a technical advisor on the 1995 film Heat. Bunker wrote, scripted and starred as Buzzard in 2000’s Animal Factory, and was featured in Family Secrets (2002), 13 Moons (2002), and Adam Sandler’s The Longest Yard (2005) as Skitchy Rivers. • Los Angeles Times, July 24, 2005, B14; New York Times, July 27, 2005, C17.
BUNKER, LARRY Jazz drummer Larry Bunker died of complications from a stroke in a Los Angeles hospital on March 8, 2005. He was 76. Bunker was born
Chris Bunch
BUNKER, EDWARD Screenwriter and actor Edward Bunker died of complications from surgery while suffering from cancer and diabetes in a Burbank, California, hospital on July 19, 2005. He was 71. Bunker was born in Hollywood on December 31, 1933. He became San Quentin prison’s youngest inmate in 1940 when he was sentenced for bank robbery and car theft at the age of seventeen. He served over twenty years in prison, during which time he wrote the books Confession of a Felon
Larry Bunker
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2005 • Obituaries
in Long Beach, California, on November 4, 1928. He began performing in the early 1950s with trombonists Howard Rumsey. He also played with such jazz legends as Stan Getz, Art Pepper and Gerry Mulligan. Bunker performed as a member of singer Peggy Lee’s band. He worked as a studio musician on numerous films including Stalag 17 (1953), A Boy and His Dog (1975), The Truth About Cats and Dogs (1996), and The Incredibles (2004). • Los Angeles Times, Mar. 17, 2005, B11; New York Times, Mar. 27, 2005.
BURCH, WILLIAM N. Radio and television producer and director William N. Burch died of complications from hip surgery in Sacramento, California, on October 1, 2005. He was 86. Burch was born in Evanston, Illinois, on October 30, 1918. He began his career working as a copywriter for the J. Walter Thompson advertising firm in Chicago in the 1930s. He served in the Army Air Force during World War II, and rejoined Thompson’s California office after the war. He joined Ralph Edwards’ production company in the late 1940s and produced Edwards’ game show Truth or Consequences for radio and, from 1950, for television. Burch was also involved in the production of Gene Autry’s radio and television programs, and worked with Tennessee Ernie Ford in the early 1960s. Burch married singer Yvonne King in 1966, and produced several of the King Family television specials. • Variety, Oct. 24, 2005, 40. BURGER, NEAL Writer and sound editor Neal Robinson Burger died in San Pedro, California, on July 28, 2005. He was 73. Burger was born in Brooklyn, New York, on September 4, 1931. He began working in films as a mailroom clerk at Republic Studios in the mid– 1950s. He became a member of the Motion Pictures Editors Guild in the early 1960s and worked in films as a sound editor. Burger also co-wrote the 1974 tele-film The Disappearance of Flight 412 with George Simpson. He and Simpson also co-wrote several novels including Ghostboat. Burger worked as sound editor on numerous films including Shoot to Kill (1988), Bull Durham (1988), License to Drive (1988), Talk Radio (1988), Renegades (1989), Turner and Hooch (1989), Steel Magnolias (1989), National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989), Narrow Margin (1990), Backstreet Dreams (1990), L.A. Story (1991), Only the Lonely (1991), and Clifford (1994). • Variety, Sept. 26, 2005, 72. BURNSIDE, R.L.
Mississippi blues musician R.L. Burnside died after a long illness in a Memphis, Tennessee, hospital on September 1, 2005. He was 78. Burnside was born in Harmontown, Mississippi, on November 21, 1926. He learned to play guitar while in Chicago in the 1940s, and was first recorded in 1968 by folklorist George Mitchell. He continued to play the blues in Mississippi venues and signed with the newly formed Fat Possum record label in 1991. Burnside went on to record over a dozen albums including the live recording Bad Luck City (1992), Too Bad Jim (1994), and his final, 2004’s A Bothered Mind. • Los Angeles Times, Sept. 2, 2005, B11; New York Times, Sept. 2, 2005, B7; Time, Sept. 12, 2005, 26; Times (of London), Oct. 7, 2005, 78.
R.L. Burnside
BUSBY, F.M. Science fiction writer Francis Marion Busby died after a long illness in a Seattle, Washington, health facility on February 17, 2005. He was 83. Busby was born on March 11, 1921. He was a leading science fiction fan from the 1950s, writing and publishing fanzines including the Hugo Award winning Cry of the Nameless. He also wrote over 20 novels and collections, including the popular Rissa Kergulen series which he began in 1976. He also wrote The Demu Trilog y and the Dynas series. His other novels include Cage a Man (1973), All These Earths (1978), Getting Home (1987), The Breeds of Man (1988), The Singularity Project (1993), Arrow from Earth (1995), and The Triad Worlds (1996).
F.M. Busby
BYCE, JASON Actor and singer Jason Byce died of multiple myeloma in a Marietta, Georgia, hospital on February 13, 2005. He was 60. He was born Ervin Luther Buice in Roswell, Georgia, on June 17, 1944. He performed in numerous opera and theatrical productions, appearing in musicals on Broadway and stages throughout the country. He also appeared in the 1993 film The Program, and was seen in the daytime soap opera All My Children and the drama series In the Heat of the Night. Byce was best perhaps best known for his appearances in a Polaner All fruit television commercial in the mid–1980s, where drawled the phrase “Would ya please pass the jelly?” to a shocked tableful of fellow diners.
Obituaries • 2005
56 Hawaii Vice Reflections (1990), Voodoo Vixens (1991), Tempting Tianna (1992), Dyno-mite (1992), Dirty Dixie (1992), Beverly Hills Geisha (1992), Spanish Fly (1993), Beach Bunny (1994), and Wendy Has Whoppers (1996).
Jason Byce
BYRD, JERRY Musician Jerry Byrd died of complications from Parkinson’s disease in Honolulu, Hawaii, on April 11, 2005. He was 85. Byrd was born in Lima, Ohio, on March 9, 1920. He began playing the steel guitar while in his teens, and was a country music performer on the radio in Cincinnati and Detroit in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Byrd subsequently went to Nashville, where he performed with such country artists as Patsy Cline, Hank Williams, Red Foley, Chet Atkins, and Marty Robbins. He became a leading figure on the Hawaiian music scene in the 1970s, where he played steel guitar with such artists as Don Ho and Irmgard Aluli. He often performed at the Royal Hawaiian and Halekulani. • Variety, Apr. 25, 2005, 69.
CABRERA INFANTE, GUILLERMO Cuban writer Guillermo Cabrera Infante died in a London hospital on February 21, 2005, from an infection he developed while being treated from a broken hip following a fall in his bathroom. He was 75. Cabrera Infante was born in Gibara, Cuba, on April 22, 1929. He moved to Havana with his family in 1941, where he aspired to be a writer. He wrote for several magazines in the 1950s including a stint as film critic for Carteles from 1954 to 1960. He was an early supporter of Fidel Castro’s Communist revolution. Cabrera’s first collection of stories, In Peace As in War, was published in 1960. He served the Cuban government as a charge d’affaires in Belgium in the early 1960s before breaking with the Castro regime. Cabrera spent the next four decades in exile in London. He wrote the popular novel Three Trapped Tigers in 1967 and scripted the 1968 films Wonderwall. Under the pseudonym Guillermo Cain he scripted the 1971 cult film Vanishing Point, which was refilmed for television in 1997. He was also noted for his film criticisms, with a collection of his reviews published in 1968 as A TwentiethCentury Job. His other works include Infante’s Inferno (1984) and View of Dawn in the Tropics (1988). • Los Angeles Times, Feb. 23, 2005, B7; New York Times, Feb. 23, 2005, C19; Time, Mar. 7, 2005, 27; Times (of London), Jan. 23, 2005, 62.
Jerry Byrd
Guillermo Cabrera Infante
CABO, REX Adult film actor and director Rex Cabo died in a suicide plunge from the 11th floor of a Long Beach, California, apartment building, landing on a parked police car on April 28, 2005. He was 40. He was born Rex Hickok on June 26, 1964. Cabo began working in adult films with Leisure Time Entertainment in the early 1990s. Cabo also recruited such stars as Vivanna, Rikki Lee, and Savannah into the adult film world. Savannah, formerly known as Shannon Wilsey, was a leading superstar in the industry until her death by suicide in the 1990s. Cabo also directed over 100 adult films, often appearing under the name Lance Heywood. Some of his film credits include Slip of the Tongue (1990),
CALAME, CRAIG DEXTER Craig Dexter Calame, who starred as Mugsy on New Jersey’s The Uncle Floyd Show from 1974 to 1986, died of cancer at his home in Hackensack, New Jersey, on October 25, 2005. He was 56. Calame was born on February 25, 1949, in Newark, New Jersey. He worked with Floyd Vivino throughout the run of the Uncle Floyd Show, often performing comic song parodies. Calame was also the creator of the television programs The 11th Hour and After Hours in New Jersey. CALLE, TEOFILO Spanish actor Teofilo Calle died in Madrid, Spain, on February 13, 2005. He was
57
Mugsy Calame
2005 • Obituaries
Salvador “Tutti” Camarata (with Annette Funicello)
sion series including Startime, The Alcoa Hour, and The Vic Damone Show. • Los Angeles Times, Apr. 18, 2005, B11; New York Times, Apr. 19, 2005, C17.
Teofilo Calle
67. Calle attended the School of Dramatic Art and began his career as an actor on the Spanish stage in the mid–1950s. He was also seen in several films in Spain including Unmarried and Mother in Life (1969), El Mejor Regalo (1975), Memorias del General Escobar (1984), Dragon Rapide (1986), Men Always Lie (1995), Lycantropus: The Moonlight Murders (1996), and Barbaric Years (1998).
CAMARATA, SALVADOR “TUTTI” Musician and big band arranger Salvador ‘Tutti’ Camarata died in Burbank, California, after a brief illness on April 13, 2005. He was 91. Camarata was born in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, on May 11, 1913. He studied music at Juilliard in New York and was arranger and lead trumpeter in Jimmy Dorsey’s band in the 1930s and early 1940s. He was arranger on such popular songs as “Green Eyes,” “Yours,” and “Tangerine.” After leaving Dorsey’s band he worked as an arranger for such musicians as Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra, Benny Goodman, Ella Fitzerald, Billie Holiday, and Bing Crosby. He also was an arranger and orchestrator for several films including Sing, Helen, Sing (1943) and London Town (1946). He worked for London Records in England in the late 1940s, then returned to the United States to work with Disneyland Records. He was an arranger for such Disney performers as Hayley Mills and Annette Funicello. Camarata also served as musical director for several televi-
CAMP, HAMILTON Character actor and folk singer Hamilton Camp died after suffering a fall near his home in Hancock Park, California, on October 2, 2005. He was 70. Camp was born in London on October 30, 1934. He moved to Canada, and then to California with his mother and sister after World War II. He and his sister performed in USO shows and Camp made his film debut in the 1946 horror classic Bedlam with Boris Karloff. Sometimes billed as Robin Camp, he also appeared in the films The Happy Years (1950), Outrage (1950), Dark City (1950), Kim (1950), When I Grow Up (1951), The Son of Dr. Jekyll (1951), My Cousin Rachel (1952), Titanic (1953), Ride Clear of Diablo (1954), Executive Suite (1954), and The Black Shield of Falworth (1954). In the early 1960s he formed a folk singing duo with Bob Gibson. Gibson and Camp recorded the 1961 album Live at the Gate of Horn, and wrote such songs as “You Can Tell the World” and “Well, Well, Well.” The duo broke up after a year when Camp became an early member of the comedy troupe Second City in Chicago. He was also a founding member of the San Francisco troupe the Committee. The 5'2" Camp often played comedy roles in films and television. He was featured as Andrew Hummel in the television sit-com He & She from 1967 to 1968, and wrote and performed in the
Hamilton Camp
Obituaries • 2005 short-lived comedy variety series Turn-On. He also appeared in the films The Perils of Pauline (1967), Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County (1970), Nickelodeon (1976), American Hot Wax (1978), Heaven Can Wait (1978), Starcrash (1979), Roadie (1980), All Night Long (1981), S.O.B. (1981), Evilspeak (1981), Eating Raoul (1982), Safari 3000 (1982), Young Doctors in Love (1982), Under Fire (1983), Meatballs Part II (1984), No Small Affair (1984), The Rosebud Beach Hotel (1984), City Heat (1984), Bird (1988), Megaville (1990), Dick Tracy (1990), Arena (1991), Let’s Kill All the Lawyers (1992), Gordy (1995), Doctor Dolittle (1998) as the voice of the Pig, Family Tree (1999), Joe Dirt (2001), Wishcraft (2002), The 4th Tenor (2002), and Hard Four (2005). He was also featured in the tele-films McGurk (1979), Portrait of a Showgirl (1982), I Take These Men (1983), The Hoboken Chicken Emergency (1984), It Came Upon the Midnight Clear (1984), Lots of Luck (1985), Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman (1993), and How to Marry a Billionaire: A Christmas Tale (2000) as Santa. He also starred as Mr. Peabody in the 1979 comedy series Co-Ed Fever, and was Arthur Wainwrigh in Two Close for Comfort in 1981. He performed regularly on the variety series The Nashville Palace from 1981 to 1982, and was Professor Bob in the comedy series Just Our Luck in 1983. His numerous television credits also include episodes of The Andy Griffith Show, The Rat Patrol, Hey, Landlord, The Monkees, Bewitched, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., Bonanza, The Good Guys, Love, American Style, Mary Tyler Moore, The Flip Wilson Show, Starsky and Hutch, Alice, M*A*S*H, WKRP in Cincinnati, Laverne & Shirley, Soap, Three’s Company, Trapper John, M.D., Mork & Mindy, Hill Street Blues, The Twilight Zone, Cheers, All Is Forgiven, Mama’s Family, Saved by the Bell, Murphy Brown, Morton & Hayes, The Jeff Foxworth Show, ER, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman as H.G. Wells, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, Titus, Grounded for Life, That Was Then, and Desperate Housewives. Camp also worked often as a voice actor for the animated films The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo (1985), Scooby-Doo Meets the Boo Brothers (1987), The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones, Scooby-Doo and the Reluctant Werewolf (1988), Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School (1988), Rockin with Judy Jetson (1988), The Little Mermaid (1989), The Pebble and the Penguin (1995), and All Dogs Go to Heaven 2 (1996), and on the cartoon series The Smurfs as Greedy Smurf and Harmony Smurf, The Kwicky Koala Show, The Incredible Hulk, The Secret World of Og, Sherlock Hound, the Detective, DuckTales, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, A Pup Named ScoobyDoo, Potsworth & Co., Tale Spin, The Wizard of Oz, Gravedale High, Pirates of Darkwater, Darkwing Duck, Spacecats, James Bond Jr., Bonkers, Aladdin, Tiny Toon Adventures, The Tick, Mighty Max, Duckman, Extreme Ghostbusters, and The Zeta Project. • Los Angeles Times, Oct. 5, 2005, B12; Times (of London), Oct. 6, 2005, 68.
CAMPBELL, BLACK ANGUS Professional wrestler Black Angus Campbell died in a hospital in Stranraer, Scotland, on April 21, 2005. Campbell was born Frances Patrick Hoy in England. He became a wrestler at an early age. With shoulder lengthy black
58
Black Angus Campbell
hair and a long black beard, the burly brawler wrestled under the names Rasputin, The Mad Monk and Black Angus Campbell. He later competed in Canada and the United States. Campbell held the Stampede North American Title in Calgary, Canada, several times in 1971. He also held several tag team championships, teaming with Roger Kirby and Harley Race. He competed in Florida, the Carolinas, and the Pacific Northwest before retiring from the ring in the mid–1970s. Campbell moved to New Zealand and later settled in Scotland.
CANDIDO, CHRIS Professional wrestler Chris Candido collapsed and died in Matawan, New Jersey, on April 28, 2005. He was 33. He had undergone surgery for a broken ankle earlier in the week. Candido was born in Spring Lake, New Jersey, on March 21, 1972. He was trained by Larry Sharpe and began wrestling professionally in 1986. He competed in the USWA in 1990, and wrestled in the WWA in New Jersey in the early 1990s, holding the Junior Heavyweight Title in 1990 and 1992. He entered Smoky Mountain in April of 1993, where he teamed with Brian Lee to capture the tag team belts. Candido captured the revived NWA title in a tournament in November of 1994. He and his wife, Tammy Fytch, joined the WWF in 1995 as the Body Donnas, with Candido as Skip and Fytch as Sunny. Candido teamed with Zip (Tom Prichard) to capture the WWF Tag Team Title in a tournament in March of 1996. They lost the belts the following May. Candido subsequently
Chris Candido (with Tammy “Sunny” Fytch)
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2005 • Obituaries
left the WWF for ECW, where he teamed with Lance Storm to win the ECW World Tag Team. He and Tammy wrestled with the XPW in 2000, where he held the XPW championship in February. He moved to WCW soon afterwards and won a tournament to become the WCW Cruiserweight Champion in April of 2000. After leaving the WCW Candido and Tammy appeared in independent promotions, and Candido competed with New Japan in early 2002. He was competing with TNA wrestling when he suffered a broken ankle.
CANNON, DORAN WILLIAM Writer and filmmaker Doran William Cannon died on March 12, 2005. He was 68. Cannon was born in Toledo, Ohio, on February 11, 1937. He attended Columbia College before making his first film, Square Root of Zero, which he produced, directed, scripted and edited in 1963. He also wrote the 1968 film Skidoo and wrote Robert Altman’s black comedy Brewster McCloud in 1970. He also wrote the 1970 supernatural film Hex and the 1980 television adaptation of George Orwell’s Brave New World. Cannon was also a staff writer for the prime-time soap opera Knots Landing in the 1980s.
Doran William Cannon
CANNON, J.D. Actor J.D. Cannon, who was best known for his role as New York City Detective Chief Peter B. Clifford in the 1970s police drama McCloud with Dennis Weaver, died at his home in Hudson, New York, on May 20, 2005. He was 83. Cannon was born in Salmon Idaho, on April 24, 1922. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and was a prolific actor in television and films from the 1960s. His film credits include An American Dream (1966), Cool Hand Luke (1967) with Paul Newman, Krakatoa, East of Java (1969), Heaven with a Gun (1969), The Thousand Plane Raid (1969), Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970), Lawman (1971), Serpico (1973), Raise the Titanic (1980), Death Wish II (1982), and Street Justice (1989). He also appeared in numerous tele-films including Memorandum for a Spy (1965), U.M.C. (1969), D.A.: Murder One (1969), Sam Hill: Who Killed the Mysterious Mr. Foster? (1971), Cannon (1971), Lady Luck (1973), A Memory of Two Mondays (1974), Testimony of Two Men (1977), Ike: The War Years (1978), A Double Life (1978), Killing Stone (1978), the
J.D. Cannon
1979 mini-series Ike as Gen. Walter Bedell Smith, Walking Through the Fire (1979), My Kidnapper, My Love (1980), Top of the Hill (1980), Pleasure Palace (1980), The Adventures of Nellie Bly (1981), Beyond Witch Mountain (1982), Rooster (1982), and The Road Raiders (1989). Cannon starred as Chief Clifford on McCloud from 1970 to 1977, and reprised the role in the 1989 tele-film The Return of Sam McCloud. He also starred as General Hampton in the 1984 series Call to Glory. His many television credits also include appearances in such series as The United States Steel Hour, Play of the Week, Naked City, The Catholic Hour, The Defenders, The Untouchables, The Nurses, Wagon Train, Combat!, Stoney Burke, The Great Adventure, Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, East Side/West Side, Rawhide, Gunsmoke, The Rogues, Profiles in Courage, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Twelve O’Clock High, The Fugitive, Wild Wild West, The Trials of O’Brien, A Man Called Shenandoah, The F.B.I., Shane, The Invaders, Disneyland, The Guns of Will Sonnett, Cimarron Strip, The Iron Horse, The Invaders, Lancer, The Mod Squad, Bonanza, Hallmark Hall of Fame, The Name of the Game, The Virginian, Alias Smith and Jones in the recurring role of Harry Briscoe, The Hardy Boys Mysteries as Jason Fox, Sword of Justice, B.J. and the Bear, The Fall Guy, Fantasy Island, Remington Steele, Matt Houston, The Master, Murder, She Wrote, Blacke’s Magic, The Highwayman, and Law & Order. • Los Angeles Times, June 4, 2005, B19; New York Times, June 4, 2005, A13; Variety, June 13, 2005, 56.
CANNON, JEAN Model Jean Cannon, who was Playboy Playmate of the Month for October of 1961, died in Hollywood, Florida, on November 17, 2005. She was 64. Cannon was born on Long Island, New York, on October 4, 1941. The busty brunette was Playboy’s Miss October in 1961. CANTO E CASTRO, HENRIQUE Portuguese actor and singer Henrique Canto e Castro died in Almada, Portugal, on February 1, 2005. He was 74. Canto e Castro was born in Lisbon, Portugal, on April 24, 1930. He was a leading performer on the Portuguese stage for over fifty years. Canto e Castro was also seen in numerous films including Submersed Morning (1980), Life Is Beautiful (1982), The Blood (1989), The Man from Nowhere (1989), To the Bitter End (1991), Xavier (1992),
Obituaries • 2005
Jean Cannon
Henrique Canto e Castro (right, with Ruy de Carvalho in King Lear)
The Last Dive (1992), Light Trap (1993), Here on Earth (1993), See You Tomorrow, Mario (1994), Revenge of the Musketeers (1994), Three Palm Trees (1994), Lisbon Story (1994), Requiem (1998), In the Shadow of the Vultures (1998), Traffic (1998), Jaime (1999), April Captains (2000), Word and Utopia (2000), and Low-Flying Aircraft (2002).
60 Worcestershire, England, on April 24, 1944. He was a founding member of the legendary rock band Traffic with Steve Winwood, Dave Mason and Chris Wood in 1967. The band produced such hit songs as “John Barleycorn Must Die,” “40,000 Headmen,” “Paper Sun,” and “Mr. Fantasy” and recorded 11 albums before they broke up in 1974. They also scored music for the 1967 film Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush, and appeared in the 1972 concert film Traffic Life at Santa Monica. Capaldi subsequently performed with The Contenders and had a successful career as a solo artist with such hits as “Oh! How We Danced,” “It’s Alright,” and “Love Hurts.” Traffic reunited for a U.S. tour in 1994 and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. • Los Angeles Times, Jan. 29, 2005, B17; New York Times, Jan. 29, 2005, B7; People, Feb. 14, 2005, 101; Time, Feb. 7, 2005, 23; Times (of London), Jan. 29, 2005, 76.
CAPPUCCILLI, PIERO Italian opera singer Piero Cappuccilli died in Trieste, Italy, on July 12, 2005. He was 75. Cappuccilli was born in Trieste on November 9, 1929. He performed in small roles in Trieste before making his official debut in a production of Pagliacci in Milan in 1957. He came to London at the end of the decade, where he performed in EMI recordings of Don Giovanni and Lucia di Lammermoor with Maria Callas. He also performed Lucia in his La Scala debut in 1964. He performed La Traviata at London’s Covent Garden, and was in Verdi’s Don Carlos at the Salzburg Festival in 1975. In the 1970s and 1980s he was also seen in television productions of Il Travatore (1978), Otello (1982), Andrea Chenier (1985), Don Carlo (1986), and Un Ballo in Maschera (1986). He continued to perform until he was seriously injured in an automobile accident in 1992. • New York Times, July 21, 2005, A26; Times (of London), Aug. 5, 2005, 62.
CAPALDI, JIM Rock drummer Jim Capaldi died of stomach cancer in a London hospital on January 28, 2005. He was 60. Capaldi was born in Evesham,
Piero Cappuccilli
Jim Capaldi
CARDOSO, REGIS Brazilian television director Regis Cardoso died of respiratory failure and pneumonia in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on April 3, 2005. He was 70. Cardoso worked in television from the 1960s, directing such series as O Direito de Nascer (1964), O Sheik de Agadir (1966), Anastacia, A Mulher Sem Destino (1967), Rosa Rebelde (1969), A Cabana do Pai Tomas (1969), A Proxima Atracao (1970), Os Ossos do Barao
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2005 • Obituaries
Regis Cardoso
Al Carmines
(1973), Escalada (1975), Anjo Mau (1976), Locomotivas (1977), Te Contei (1978), Os Gigantes (1979), O BemAmado (1980), Verao Quente (1993), Cinzas (1993), and Tocaia Grande (1995).
CARNEIRO, KADU Brazilian actor Kadu Carneiro died of respiratory failure in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on May 20, 2005. Carneiro appeared in the films Lambada (1990), Cruz e Sousa — O Poeta do Desterro (1998), and Filhas do Vento (2004). He also appeared on television in the series A Hostoria de Ana Raio E Ze Trovao, Sangue do Meu Sangue, and Forca de Um Desejo.
CARISSE, TERRY Canadian country singer and songwriter Terry Carisse died of cancer in Ottawa, Canada, on May 22, 2005. He was 58. Carisse was born in Ottawa on July 11, 1946. He began performing while in his teens and recorded his debut album, The Story of the Year, in 1978. He recorded five further albums as well as such popular hit songs as “Sparkle in Her Eyes,” “All Her Letters,” and “We Could Make Beautiful Music Together.”
Kadu Carneiro (with Maria Ceica)
CAROSIO, MARGHERITA Italian lyric soprano Margherita Carosio died in Italy on January 10, Terry Carisse
CARMINES, AL Al Carmines, a leading figure of the New York avant-garde stage, died in New York city on August 11, 2005. He was 69. Carmines was born in New Hampton, Virginia on July 25, 1936. He earned a degree in divinity at the Union Theological Seminary in 1961, and was selected to serve as assistant minister at a Greenwich Village church. In the 1960s he formed the Judson Poet’s Theater where he staged numerous controversial production. He was considered a founder of the Off Off Broadway Theater, staging and often appearing in the off beat production. Carmines won five Obie Awards during his career, including one for lifetime achievement. He also appeared in the 1987 tele-film Kojak: The Price of Justice as a priest.
Margherita Carosio
Obituaries • 2005 2005. She was 96. Carosio was born in Genoa, Italy, on June 7, 1908. She began performing in her teens and sang at London’s Covent Garden in the late 1920s. She was also a popular performer at La Scala and at the Colon in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She performed the roles of Rosina in The Barber of Seville and Violetta in La Traviata. Carosio was also featured in several films including Queen of the Scala (1937), Sarasate (1941), and L’Elisir d’Amore (1941). She retired in the early 1960s, subsequently working in Genoa as a journalist and critic. • Times (of London), Jan. 24, 2005, 52.
CARPENTER, HUMPHREY
British author and biographer Humphrey Carpenter died in England after a long illness with Parkinson’s disease on January 5, 2005. He was 58. Carpenter was born in England on April 29, 1946. He began working as a trainee for the BBC in the late 1960s, launching BBC Radio Oxford in 1970. He also was a disc jockey, known as Humf, on the station. After leaving the BBC he began writing, with his first book, A Thames Companion, published in 1975. Carpenter was best known for his 1977 biography of Lord of the Rings creator J.R.R. Tolkien. He also wrote such literary biographies as The Angry Young Men, The Brideshead Generation, Geniuses Together, and That Was Satire That Was. Carpenter also created the Mr. Majeika series of children’s books, which were adapted for a television series in 1992. He subsequently returned to radio, where he often hosted the Night Waves series for Radio 3. • Los Angeles Times, Jan. 20, 2005, B11; New York Times, Jan. 19, 2005, C17; Times (of London), Jan. 6, 2005, 61.
62 and Orchestra Wives. Carr served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and was active in the Navy’s training film program. After the war he was a founder of Cascade Pictures. He was executive producer of the 1947 film The Fabulous Joe, and directed the comedy films Curley (1947) and Who Killed Doc Robbin? (1948). In the 1970s Carr founded Multi-Media, Inc., which was active in the distribution and storage of television and radio commercials. He worked with the company until his retirement in the 1990s.
CARR, TERRY MARTIN Film producer Terry Martin Carr and his nine-year-old daughter, Arieka, were found dead in a Jeep SUV outside of a convenience store in Clearlake Oaks, California, on August 1, 2005. Carr had driven off with his daughter after abandoning his wife at a grocery store in Ashland, Oregon, the day before. The bodies were lying in the back of the Jeep, showing no obvious cause of death. He was 62. Carr was born on February 22, 1943. He had been involved in films from the 1970s, serving as an assistant director on Woody Allen’s Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex * But Were Afraid to Ask, and as production manager for the 1976 remake of King Kong. He was also production supervisor for the films On Golden Pond (1981), The River (1984), and Jagged Edge (1985). Carr wrote and directed the 1986 film Welcome to 18 He was also a producer on the films An Almost Perfect Affair (1979), Coast to Coast (1980), Yes, Giorgio (1982), Six Against the Rock (1987), The Boost (1988), Predator 2 (1990), and Dark Summer (1999). CARREY, LEAH Actress Leah Carrey died in New York City on June 16, 2005. She was a longtime co-host of Ben Gailing’s Boston Yiddish radio program under the name Leahke Post. She also appeared as Grandma in Woody Allen’s 1987 comedy film Radio Days.
Humphrey Carpenter
CARR, BERNARD Actor turned director Bernard Carr died at his home in Pacific Palisades, California, on October 18, 2005. He was 94. Carr was born in Stockton, California, on March 23, 1911. He moved to Hollywood after graduation from the University of San Francisco where he acted in such films as Murder in the Fleet (1935), The Virginia Judge (1935), and Three Godfathers (1936). He soon turned to directing and producing at 20th Century–Fox and Hal Roach Studios. He served as assistant director on such films as One Million B.C. (1940), Turnabout (1940), Topper Returns (1941), Week-End in Havana (1941), Song of the Islands (1942),
Leah Carrey
CARROLL, GORDON Film producer Charles Gordon Carroll, III, died of pneumonia on September 20, 2005. He was 77. Carroll was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on February 2, 1928. He worked in advertising before moving to Los Angeles in the late 1950s. Carroll became involved with films, serving as a producer on such features as How to Murder Your Wife (1965), Cool
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2005 • Obituaries
Hand Luke (1967), The April Fools (1969), Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973), Alien (1979), Blue Thunder (1983), The Best of Times (1986), Aliens (1986), Red Heat (1998), Aliens 3 (1992), Alien: Resurrection (1997), and Alien Vs. Predator (2004).
CARSON, JEAN Actress Jean Carson, who was best known for her role as Daphne, one of the “fun girls” from Mt. Pilot in several episodes of The Andy Griffith Show, died in Palm Springs, California, on November 2, 2005. She was 82. Carson was born in Charleston, West Virginia, on February 28, 1923. She began her career on stage in the late 1940s, making her Broadway debut in a production of George S. Kaufman’s Bravo in 1958. Carson earned a Tony Award for her performance in Bird Cage in the 1950s. She also appeared in roles in several films including The Phenix City Story (1955), I Married a Monster from Outer Space (1958), The Sound and the Fury (1959), Here Come the Jets (1959), Sanctuary (1961), One Man’s Way (1964), Warning Shot (1967), Gunn (1967), and The Party. She was a frequent performer on television from the late 1940s, guest starring in episodes of such series as NBC Presents, Studio One, The Philco Television Playhouse, The Ford Theatre Hour, The Trap, Robert Montgomery Presents, The Adventures of Ellery Queen, Eye Witness, Inner Sanctum, The Man Behind the Badge, The 20th Century–Fox Hour, The Gale Storm Show, The Court of Last Resort, Sugarfoot, Death Valley Days, Peter Gunn, General Electric Theater, The Chevy Mystery Show, The Twilight Zone, Ripcord, The Tom Ewell Show, COronado 9, The Untouchables, The Joey Bishop Show, Stoney Burke, 77 Sunset Strip, Perry Mason, Burke’s Law, Wendy and Me, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. and The Outsider. Carson also starred as Rosemary in the 1959 comedy series The Betty Hutton Show. She was featured in three episodes of The Andy Griffith Show with Joyce Jameson as the “fun girls,” and was noted for her throaty rendition of the line “Hello Doll” as she flirted with Andy and Barney. She retired from the screen in the late 1970s shortly after appearing in the 1977 comedy film Fun with Dick and Jane. • Los Angeles Times, Nov. 12, 2005, B17; Variety, Nov. 14, 2005, 61.
Johnny Carson
Jean Carson (with Don Knotts)
thirty years, died of emphysema at his home in Malibu, California, on January 23, 2005. He was 79. Carson was born in Corning, Iowa, on October 23, 1925. He began performing as a magician and ventriloquist while in his teens. Carson served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. After the war he attended the University of Nebraska and worked as an announcer on an Omaha television station. He subsequently moved to Los Angeles where he was soon hosting the comedy talk show Carson’s Cellar. He also worked as a writer for Red Skelton and became host of The Johnny Carson Show on CBS from 1955 to 1956. Carson subsequently moved to ABC, where he hosted the quiz show Who Do You Trust? from 1957 to 1962. Carson also appeared as a panelist on the game shows What’s My Line, I’ve Got a Secret, and To Tell the Truth. Carson replaced Jack Paar as host of The Tonight Show on October 1, 1962. With Ed McMahon as his sidekick and bandleaders Skitch Henderson and, from 1967, Doc Severinsen, Carson ruled the late night airwaves for three decades. He also hosted the Academy Award shows in television several times in the late 1970s and 1980s. He appeared in cameo roles in several films including Looking for Love (1964), Cancel My Reservation (1972), and the Bob Hope tele-film Joys (1976). He was also seen in episodes of Playhouse 90, The Polly Bergen Show, The United States Steel Hour, The Jack Benny Program, Get Smart, Bob Hope Presents The Chrysler Theatre, Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In, Here’s Lucy, The Dean Martin Show, Mary Tyler Moore, Night Court, Newhart, and Cheers, and voiced an episode of The Simpsons. Numerous comedians achieved fame as performers and guest hosts, including David Letterman, Bill Cosby, David Brenner, Garry Shandling, Joan Rivers, and Jerry Seinfeld. Carson made his final appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson on May 22, 1992, with Jay Leno taking over duties as host. Carson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1992 and was honored for career achievement at the Kennedy Center Honors in 1993. • Los Angeles Times, Jan. 24, 2005, A1; New York Times, Jan. 24, 2005, A1; People, Feb. 7, 2005, 84; Time, Feb. 7, 2005, 23; Variety, Jan. 31, 2005, 68.
CARSON, JOHNNY Johnny Carson, who hosted the late night talk show The Tonight Show for
CARSON, MICHAEL Australian television producer and director Michael Carson died of pancreatic
Obituaries • 2005
64 since the mid–1970s. • Los Angeles Times, Mar. 5, 2005, B17; New York Times, Mar. 5, 2005, A11.
CARTER, PAM Actress Pam Carter died of a heart aneurysm in an Omaha, Nebraska, hospital on February 28, 2005. She was 50. Carter was born on March 7, 1954. She was a leading performer in local theater in Omaha. She also had small roles in Alexander Payne’s films Citizen Ruth (1996) and Election (1999). Carter also had her own production company and directed several nationally syndicated cartoons including Warner Bros.’s Archie’s Weird Mysteries and Nickelodeon’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. She also directed segments of the PBS animated series Liberty’s Kids, and the 2003 tele-film Time Kid. Michael Carson
cancer in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, on May 14, 2005. Carson began working in television in the early 1970s. After several years as an assistant director he began directing television dramas. He helmed the mini-series Loss of Innocence (1978), A Place in the World (1979), The Timeless Land (1980), and The Petrov Affair (1987). He also helmed the tele-films Coralie Landsdowne Says No (1980), Intimate Strangers (1981), and Touch the Sun: Peter & Pompey (1988), and episodes of Spring & Fall. Carson also produced the television dramas Intimate Strangers (1981), Scales of Justice (1983), Mail Order Bride (1984), Crime of the Decade (1984), and Man of Letters (1984). He continued to direct such productions as Jackaroo (1990), Halifax f.p: Hard Corps (1994), Singapore Sling: Old Flames (1995), The Bite (1996), and The Devil Game (1997). His other credits include episodes of Police Rescue, Phoenix, The Damnation of Harvey McHugh, Janus, SeaChange, Driven Crazy, Something in the Air, Horace & Tina, Cybergirl, Corridors of Power, and Out There.
CARTER, JOE Country musician and comedian Joe Carter died of pancreatic cancer on March 2, 2005. He was 79. He was born on February 27, 1926, the youngest son of country music legends Sara and A.P. Carter. He performed with the Carter Family on many of their recordings from the 1950s. A singer and guitarist, he was also noted for his animal impersonations as part of the Carter Fold show in Hiltons, Virginia,
Joe Carter
Pam Carter
CASE, DAVID Actor David Case died of complications from throat cancer at his home in El Sobrante, California, on October 1, 2005. He was 73. Case was born in London on April 25, 1932. He made his acting debut on the British stage, and also appeared in small roles on television. He came to the United States in the mid–1970s where he continued to perform in local theater. He soon found his calling as a recording artist for Books on Tape, reading the works on numerous authors and performing over 700 books for audiotape. Case also worked for Blackstone Audio Books, where he recorded under the name Frederick Davidson. His works included
David Case
65 Don Quixote, Galsworthy’s Forsyte chronicles, and numerous novels by P.G. Wodehouse, Anthony Trollope, and Charles Dickens. He was forced to retire in 2000 after contracting throat cancer.
CASEY, AL Guitarist Al Casey died of colon cancer in a Manhattan hospital on September 11, 2005. He was 89. Casey was born in Louisville, Kentucky, on September 15, 1915. He was a leading musician with Fats Waller’s band in the 1930s and 1940s. He also performed with Teddy Wilson and Louis Armstrong, and recorded with Billie Holiday and Frankie Newton. During the 1950s he continued to perform in swing and blues settings, and played with King Curtis for several years later in the decade. Casey emerged from retirement to join Albert Vollmer’s Harlem Blues and Jazz Band in 1981. He continued to perform with the group until poor health forced his retirement in 2001. • Los Angeles Times, Sept. 15, 2005, B11; New York Times, Sept. 13, 2005, B9; Times (of London), Sept. 16, 2005, 76.
2005 • Obituaries for Joe Shuster’s studio in Cleveland in 1938. Shuster, with writer Jerry Siegel, created the character of Superman, which became a mainstay at DC Comics from its inception. Cassidy was ghost artist for Shuster until 1940, when he began teaching. He later worked as an artist for World Book Encyclopedia and art director for the Child Craft publications. He also worked at Grollier’s Books of Knowledge. He returned to Milwaukee in 1964 where he again worked as an art teacher. Cassidy also created his own comic, Fantasy, the Moon Boy, but was unable to find a publisher. • Los Angeles Times, July 5, 2005, B9.
CASTAGNO, NESTOR Chilean television writer Nestor Castagno died of lung cancer in Chicureo, Chile, on March 19, 2005. He was 63. Castagno was born in Santiago, Chile, in 1941. He began writing for Chilean television series in the late 1960s, scripting Los Dias Jovenes (Chile, the Young Days). He also wrote for the series La Gran Mentira (1982), La Torre 10 (1984), A la Sombra del Angel (1989), Rojo y Miel (1994), Santoladron (2000), and Mas Que Amigos (2002).
Al Casey Nestor Castagno
CASSIDY, PAUL H. Comic artist Paul H. Cassidy, who was one of the first artists to draw Superman for comic books, died at a seniors’ living facility in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on May 15, 2005. He was 94. Cassidy was born in Cherry Valley, Illinois, on June 11, 1910. He attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison, where he earned a degree in fine arts. He began working
CATARCIO, MAURICE Maurice Catarcio, who wrestled professionally as The Matador in the World Wrestling Federation in the late 1950s, died of prostate cancer at his home in Del Haven, New Jersey, on May 12, 2005. He was 76. Catarcio was born on March 21, 1929. He was a bodybuilder and weightlifter
Paul H. Cassidy
Maurice Catarcio
Obituaries • 2005 while serving in the Navy in the late 1940s and early 1950s in California, where he became a friend of fitness guru Jack LaLanne. After leaving the navy he worked in New York as the wrestler The Matador, complete with flowing cape. Catarcio continued to display feats of strength in the 1990s, dragging the 80-foot boat, Delta Lady, across Sunset Lake and hauling a 27,000 pound bus down a New York City street on The Late Show with David Letterman. Catarcio was also a prominent figure in the local Republican party in southern New Jersey, severing as a state committeeman and local party chairman.
CAVALCANTI, URSULA Italian adult actress Ursula Cavalcanti died of lung cancer in Italy on September 22, 2005. Cavalcanti appeared in such adult productions as Messalina: The Virgin Empress (1996), Lunch Party (1996), Mamma (1997), Year of Bullets (1999), La Polizia Ringrazia (2001), and Dangerously Alone (2004).
66 CHALKER, JACK L. Science fiction writer Jack L. Chalker died of congestive heart failure in a Baltimore, Maryland, hospital on February 11, 2005. He was 60. Chalker was born in Baltimore on December 17, 1944. He worked as a teacher and lecturer before becoming a full-time writer in the late 1970s. Chalker was best known for his Well World series of novels, which commenced with Midnight at the Well of Souls in 1977, and continued through Ghost of the Well of Souls in 2000. He also wrote several other science fiction series including The Four Lords of the Diamond, The Rings of the Master, G.O.D., Inc., Change Winds, The Quintara Marathon, The Soul Rider, The Dancing Gods, The Watchers of the Well, The Three Kings, and The Wonderland Gambit. • Los Angeles Times, Feb. 17, 2005, B10.
Jack L. Chalker Ursula Cavalcanti
CAYROL, JEAN French author and screenwriter Jean Cayrol died in Bordeaux, France, on February 10, 2005. He was 93. Cayrol was born in Bordeaux on June 6, 1911. He was best known for his work with director Alain Resnais, scripting his 1956’s documentary Night and Fog and the 1963 feature Muriel. Cayrol also wrote 25 novels and wrote and directed the films Madame se Meurt (1961), Le Coup de Grace (1965), and La Deesse (1966). • Times (of London), Jan. 28, 2005, 49.
CHEVIE, EDMOND Film producer and agent Edmond J. E’Chavarrie, who produced films under the name Edmond Chevie, died in Las Vegas, Nevada, on August 4, 2005. He was 83. E’Chavarrie was born in Tuscon, Arizona, on April 12, 1922. He represented such stars as Bette Davis and Sterling Hayden while an agent. He was producer on several films in the late 1950s including Rock, Pretty Baby (1956) and Eighteen and Anxious (1957). He also produced several independent films and was the founder of the telecommunications firm Space Time Systems in 1975.
Jean Cayrol
CHISHOLM, SHIRLEY Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to the United States House of Representatives and an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1972, died of complications from strokes in Ormond Beach, Florida, on January 1, 2005. She was 80. Chisholm was born in Brooklyn, New York, on November 30, 1924. She was elected to Congress from New York in 1969. She received 152 delegates and was winner of the New Jersey primary in the 1972 campaign. George McGovern ultimately became the party’s nominee that year. She remained in Congress for another decade before retiring in 1983. She was featured in a German made documentary about her presidential campaign, Shirley Chisholm for President, in 1972. Her landmark effort was also the subject of Shola Lynch’s 2004 documentary film Chisholm ’72: Unbought
67
2005 • Obituaries
Shirley Chisholm
Professeur Choron
& Unbossed. • Los Angeles Times, Jan. 4, 2005, B10; New York Times, Jan. 4, 2005, B9.
1929. He created several satirical newspapers in the 1950s was best known for his creation of the Mad magazine inspired Hara Kiri in 1960. The controversial publication remained on the newstands for twenty-five years. Bernier was also seen in several films in France including The Year 01 (1973), The King of Jerks (1982), and Paulette (1986), and performed in the television comedy series Les Raisins Verts (1963) and Merci Bernard (1982). • Times (of London), Mar. 7, 2005, 52.
CHO, SHINTA Japanese children’s author and illustrator Shinta Cho died of cancer in a Tokyo, Japan, hospital on June 25, 2005. He was 77. Cho was born Shuji Suzuki in Tokyo in 1928. He began illustrating cartoon strips in the late 1940s. He created the Talkative Fried Egg cartoon for a comic monthly in 1959. He also wrote illustrated children’s books, notably 1994’s The Gas We Pass: The Story of Farts. CHOICE, LIVIA German adult actress and fetish model Livia Chase was killed in an automobile accident in Germany on June 9, 2005. She was 26. She appeared in numerous bondage films including Black and Bad (2003) and Betty Bi: Six Days to Hell (2004).
CHORVINSKY, MARK Mark Chorvinsky, a filmmaker and debunker of cryptozoological hoaxes, died of cancer in Rockville, Maryland, on July 16, 2005. He was 51. Chorvinsky was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on March 4, 1954. He trained as a magician as a child and became interested in unusual phenomena. He was involved with the International Fortean Organization in the early 1980s before leaving the group to found Strange magazine in 1987. Chorvinsky was active in debunking sightings of Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, and Owlman, among others. He was also producer of the short film Strange Tangents in the 1980s, and produced several video documentaries on his investigations, including Strange World, in the 1990s.
Livia Choice
CHON UN Veteran South Korean actor Chon Un died of colon cancer in Ilsan, South Korea, on March 26, 2005. He was 67. A leading voice actor, Chon Un also featured in numerous television dramas from the 1960s, usually playing kindly father figures. He was seen in Taewongun and Haeddugo Talddugo. CHORON, PROFESSEUR
George Bernier, who was known professionally as Professeur Choron, died in Paris on January 10, 2005. He was 75. Bernier was born in Laneuville-aux-Bois, France, in September of
Mark Chorvinsky
CHRISTENSEN, CAROL Actress and model Carol Christensen died on June 4, 2005. She was 68. Christensen was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1937. She
Obituaries • 2005
68
began modeling in the late 1950s. She appeared in a handful of films in the early 1960s including Freckles (1960), Swingin’ Along (1961), The Big Show (1961), and The Three Stooges in Orbit (1962). She also appeared on television in an episode of Ensign O’Toole. Christensen was married to actor Dwayne Hickman from 1963 to 1972.
CITTI, SERGIO Italian film director and writer Sergio Citti died of a heart attack in a hospital near Rome on October 11, 2005. He was 72. Citti was born in Rome on May 30, 1933. He began working in films in the early 1960s, assisting director Pier Paolo Pasolini in writing the dialogue on his early films including Accattone (1961) and Mamma Roma (1962). Citti also scripted Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1962 film The Grim Reaper. He served as an assistant director on such films as The Hawks and the Sparrows (1966), The Witches (1967), Pigpen (1969), Medea (1969), The Decameron (1971), and The Canterbury Tales (1972). He also wrote Pasolini’s Salo, or The 120 Days of Sodom (1976). Citti made his own directoral debut with 1970’s Ostia. He also wrote and directed the films Bawdy Tales (1973), Beach House (1977), Happy Hobos (1978), Il Minestrone (1981), Death to You (1989), We Free Kings (1996), Viper (2001), and Fratella e Sorello (2002). • Times (of London), Oct. 21, 2005, 81; Variety, Oct. 24, 2005, 40.
Sergio Citti
CLAIRE, IMOGEN British character actress Imogen Claire died in London on June 24, 2005. She was 62. Claire was born in London in 1943. She trained at the Royal Ballet School, and danced principal roles with the London Dance Theatre. She also appeared in numerous films from the early 1970s including many from director Ken Russell. Claire’s screen credits include The Music Lovers (1970), Henry VIII and His Six Wives (1972), Savage Messiah (1972), The Who’s Tommy (1975), the cult musical The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) as one of the Transylvanians, Lisztomania (1975), Hussy (1980), Flash Gordon (1980), Shock Treatment (1981), Caravaggio (1986), Salome’s Last Dance (1988), Hawks (1988), The Lair of the White Worm (1988), Wilt (1989), I Hired a Contract Killer (1990), Billy Elliot (2000), and The Man Who Cried (2000). She also appeared in television productions of Clouds of Glory: The Rime of the Ancient
Imogen Claire
Mariner (1978), Oedipus the King (1984), Prisoner of Honor (1991), and The Sin Eater (1997), and appeared in episodes of Dial M for Murder, Star Maidens, The Bill, Lovejoy, and Kavanagh QC.
CLARIN, HANS German actor Hans Clarin died of heart failure in Aschau im Chiemgau, Germany, on August 28, 2005. He was 75. Clarin was born in Wilhelmshaven, Germany, on September 14, 1929. He began his career on stage in Munich in 1950. Clarin appeared in numerous films in Germany from the early 1950s including Dwarf Nose (1952), Die Goldene Gans (1953), Music by Night (1953), Fireworks (1954), The Spessart Inn (1958), Arms and the Man (1958), Beautiful Adventure (1959), The Haunted Castle (1960), Crook and the Cross (1960), Brutality in Stone (1961), The Indian Scarf (1963), Chamber 13 (1964), Mark of the Tortoise (1964), 24 Hours to Kill (1965), 100 Horsemen (1965), Angel Baby (1968), Pippi Longstocking (1969) as Dunder-Karlsson, Pepe: His Teacher’s Fright (1969), Pippi Goes on Board (1973), Hannah (1996), An Almost Perfect Wedding (1999), and Pinky and the Million Dollar Pug (2001). He also appeared in numerous German television productions including Madame Pompadour (1976), Der Millionenbauer (1979), Mandara (1983), Der Kleine Riese (1985), La Paria (1985), Oliver Maass (1985), Tante Tilly (1986), Das Geheimnis von Lismore Castle (1986), Tatort— Die Macht des Schicksals (1987), Tatort— Die Bruder (1988), Der Bettler vom
Hans Clarin
69 Kurfurstendamm (1989), Die Schnelle Gerdi (1989), Heidi und Erni (1990), Lippels Traum (1991), Peter und Paul (1992), Heute Weder Hamlet (1994), Titus, der Satansbratten (1997), Waiting Means Death (1999), Der Bestseller (2001), and Der Bergpfarrer (2004).
2005 • Obituaries Minister Neville Chamberlain. Clarke also appeared on television in the horror anthology series Tales from the Darkside and Monsters.
CLARKE, RICHARD British character actor Richard Clarke died of colon cancer on January 7, 2005. He was 71. Clarke was born in England on January 31, 1933. He began his career on stage in England, and appeared in several British films from the late 1950s including Dangerous Exile (1957), A Night to Remember (1958), To Have and to Hold (1963), and Five to One (1964). Clarke made his Broadway debut in 1964’s Poor Richard. He appeared in numerous Broadway productions over the next forty years in such plays as Saint Joan, Tiger at the Gates, Cyrano de Bergerac, Hay Fever, The Devil’s Disciple, Arcadia, Six Degrees of Separation, The Judas Kiss, and Ring Round the Moon. He also created the role of Carr Gomm in the Broadway production of The Elephant Man, and reprised the role in a 1982 television adaptation of the play. Clarke also appeared in the films Midnight Cowboy (1969), John and Mary (1969), The Protector (1985), Identity Crisis (1989), The Last Resort (1997), and Meet Joe Black (1998). He also appeared in the tele-film Kojak: None So Blind (1990) and the 1990 mini-series The Kennedys of Massachusetts as British Prime
CLARKE, ROBERT Leading actor Robert Clarke, who was best known for his starring in such 1950s cult science fiction and horror films as The Hideous Sun Demon and The Man from Planet X, died of complications from diabetes at his home in Valley Village, California, on June 11, 2005. He was 85. Clarke was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on June 1, 1920. He began his career in Hollywood at RKO in the early 1940s, appearing in small roles in numerous films including The Falcon in Hollywood (1944), A Game of Death (1945), The Enchanted Cottage (1945), Those Endearing Young Charms (1945), Zombies on Broadway (1945), Val Lewton’s adaptation of Robert Lewis Stevenson’s The Body Snatcher (1945) with Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi, Back to Bataan (1945), Wanderer of the Wasteland (1945), Radio Stars on Parade (1945), First Yank into Tokyo (1945), Sing Your Way Home (1945), Man Alive (1945), Ding Dong Williams (1946), Bedlam (1946) as Dan the Dog, Sunset Pass (1946), The Bamboo Blonde (1946), Step by Step (1946), Genius at Work (1946), Lady Luck (1946), Criminal Court (1946), San Quentin (1946), Code of the West (1947), The Farmer’s Daughter (1947), In Room 303 (1947), Desperate (1947), Under the Tonto Rim (1947), Thunder Mountain (1947), Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome (1947), If You Knew Susie (1948), Fighting Father Dunne (1948), Return of the Bad Men (1948), Beyond Glory (1948), Ladies of the Chorus (1948), The Judge Steps Out (1949), Riders of the Range (1950), Champagne for Caesar (1950), A Modern Marriage (1950), Outrage (1950), The Valparaiso Story (1951), Drums in the Deep South (1951), Hard, Fast and Beautiful (1951), Edgar Ulmer’s science fiction classic The Man from Planet X (1951), Tales of Robin Hood (1951) as Robin Hood, Casa Manana (1951), Pistol Harvest (1951), Street Bandits (1951), The Fabulous Senorita (1952), Captive Women (1952), Body Beautiful (1953), Sword of Venus (1953), Captain John Smith and Pocahontas (1953), Her Twelve Men (1954), The Black Pirates (1954), King of the Carnival (1955), The Benny Goodman Story (1955), The Incredible Petrified World (1957), The Astounding She-Monster (1957), Outlaw Queen (1957), Band of Angels (1957), The Helen Mor-
Richard Clarke
Robert Clarke
CLARKE, JON Jon Clarke, an original member of the Loggins and Messina band in the 1970s, died of kidney cancer at his home in Kauai, Hawaii, on June 10, 2005. He was 54. Clarke was born on August 19, 1950. He began performing on saxophone and oboe while in his teens. He played with the rock band California Earthquake and Don Ellis’ jazz orchestra. He was a founding member of the five-piece band formed by Kenny Loggins and Jim Messina in 1970, and played and recorded with the group throughout the decade. He was noted for his baritone sax solo on the 1972 hit record “Your Momma Don’t Dance.” After the group split up, Clarke worked as a studio musician and often performed with the Academy Award orchestra. He also performed on numerous film and television soundtracks including Fried Green Tomatoes, Scent of a Woman, The Green Mile, The Road to Perdition, and My Big Fat Greek Wedding. • Variety, June 20, 2005, 44.
Obituaries • 2005 gan (1957), My Man Godfrey (1957), The Deep Six (1958), Girl with an Itch (1958), From the Earth to the Moon (1958) as the Narrator, Date with Death (1959), and Timbuktu (1959). Clarke produced, directed, and scripted the 1959 cult horror film The Hideous Sun Demon, also starring as ill-fated Dr. Gilbert McKenna, who turns into a bloodthirsty reptilian creature when exposed to the rays of the sun. He also produced and starred in the 1960 science fiction film Beyond the Time Barrier. He continued to appear in such films as Cash McCall (1960), The Last Time I Saw Archie (1961), Terror of the Bloodhunters (1962), Secret File: Hollywood (1962), The Lively Set (1964), Zebra in the Kitchen (1965), The Restless Ones (1965), the 1970 tele-film The Brotherhood of the Bell, Where’s Willie? (1978), the 1980 television mini-series Scruples, Frankenstein Island (1981), First Strike (1985), Midnight Movie Massacre (1988), Alienator (1989), and Haunting Fear (1991). Clarke also began appearing on television in the late 1940s, starring as Fred in a 1949 version of The Christmas Carol, and as D’Artagnan in 1950’s The Three Musketeers. He also appeared in episodes of The Ford Theatre Hour, The Lone Ranger, Dragnet, Cavalcade of America, The Cisco Kid, Science Fiction Theater, The Ford Television Theatre, The Gale Storm Show, Perry Mason, Sea Hunt, Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok, Harbor Command, Sky King, Wagon Train, The Man and the Challenge, Men into Space, Bronco, M Squad, Hawaiian Eye, Laramie, Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse, 77 Sunset Strip, Checkmate, Cheyenne, Ripcord, Kraft Suspense Theatre, Dragnet 1967, Adam-12, Marcus Welby, M.D., O’Hara, U.S. Treasury, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Baa Baa Black Sheep, Fantasy Island, Dynasty, Simon & Simon, Knight Rider, Matt Houston, Murder, She Wrote, Finder of Lost Loves, Falcon Crest, and Hotel. Clarke married Alyce King, one of the singing King Sisters, in 1956 and toured and performed with the group. He was a regular on the television variety series The King Family Show on ABC from 1965 to 1969. He and Alyce were married until her death in August of 1996. Clarke is survived of a son, voice actor Cam Clarke. • Los Angeles Times, June 16, 2005, B10; Times (of London), Aug. 2, 2005, 43.
CLEEVE, DAVID British actor David Cleeve died of cancer in London on September 16, 2005. He was 63. He was born David Woolliscroft in Maccles-
70 field, Cheshire, England, on March 6, 1942. He began acting as a child, appearing in several segments of the radio program Out of School. He performed in various theatrical productions in the 1960s, and had small roles in such episodes of such television series as Z Cars, Upstairs, Downstairs, and Then Churchill Said to Me in the 1970s. Cleeve spent most of his career as a dress extra and background performer in numerous films and television productions.
CLEMENTS, VASSAR Legendary fiddle player Vassar Clements died of lung cancer at his home in Nashville, Tennessee, on August 16, 2005. He was 77. Clements was born in Kinards, South Carolina, on April 25, 1928, and raised in Kissimmee, Florida. He began playing the fiddle at an early age and performed in bluegrass, country, jazz, and rock groups during his career. He was heard on over 2000 albums, backing up such musicians as Paul McCartney, Johnny Cash, the Byrds, the Grateful Dead, Bonnie Raitt, and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Clements also recorded over two dozen solo albums during his career. He also appeared onscreen in Robert Altman’s 1975 film Nashville. He continued to record and perform until early in 2005, when he was diagnosed with cancer. • Los Angeles Times, Aug. 17, 2005, B10; New York Times, Aug. 17, 2005, C16; Time, Aug. 29, 2005, 21; Times (of London), Aug. 25, 2005, 60; Variety, Aug. 22, 2005, 42.
Vassar Clements
CLERK, CLIVE Actor Clive Clerk died in Los Angeles on June 22, 2005. He was 59. Clerk appeared in several films in the 1960s including Send Me No Flowers (1964), Dear Brigitte (1965), and Billie (1965). He was also seen as David Martin in the daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives from 1966 to 1967, and was the recurring character Jack in the teen drama series The New People in 1969. He was also the lead male dancer in Happy Days in 1970, and appeared in episodes of Combat!, The Virginian, I Spy, The Rat Patrol, The High Chaparral, The Mod Squad, The Name of the Game, and Judd for the Defense. He performed in the original cast of the hit Broadway musical A Chorus Line in the 1970s. After leaving the production he changed his name to Clive Wilson to work as a professional artist. David Cleeve
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2005 • Obituaries
Clive Clerk
Johnnie Cochran, Jr.
COATES, CAROLYN Actress Carolyn Coates died of cancer in a Branford, Connecticut, hospice on March 28, 2005. She was 77. Coates was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on April 29, 1930. A leading stage actress, she performed in productions of such plays as Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, The Cherry Orchard, The Trojan Women and The Balcony. She was also featured in several films including The Hustler (1961), The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds (1972), The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981), Mommie Dearest (1981), and The Buddy System (1984). Coates also appeared in the tele-films Starflight: The Plane That Couldn’t Land (1983) and Blood Feud (1983), and guest starred in episodes of Knots Landing, Lou Grant, Remington Steele, and St. Elsewhere. She was married to actor James Noble, who appeared as the Governor in the television sit-com Benson, from 1956 until her death. • Variety, Apr. 11, 2005, 59.
sented many of those arrested during the race riots there in 1965. He became a prominent attorney in the Los Angeles area. His defense of Simpson, the former football star and actor who was charged with murdering his exwife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and Ronald Goldman, brought Cochran to national attention. The proceedings, called “The Trial of the Century” by much of the media, resulted in Cochran winning an acquittal for Simpson. He subsequently handled numerous civil liberties cases around the country as head of the Cochran, Cherry, Givens & Smith legal firm. He appeared in cameo roles in the 1998 tele-film CHiPs ’99, and several films including Bamboozled (2000) and Showtime (2002). He also guest starred in episodes of such series as Family Matters, Arli$$, The Hughleys, JAG, and First Monday. Cochran’s autobiography, A Lawyer’s Life, was published in 2002. • Los Angeles Times, Mar. 30, 2005, A1; New York Times, Mar. 30, 2005, A15; People, Apr. 11, 2005, 81; Time, Apr. 11, 2005, 16; Times (of London), Mar. 31, 2005, 59; Variety, Apr. 4, 2005, 80.
COELHO, EDUARDO TEIXEIRA Portuguese comic artist Eduardo Teixeira Coelho died in Florence, Italy on May 31, 2005. He was 86. Coelho was born on Terchera Island, in the Azores, on January 4, 1919. He began illustrating comics in the early 1940s working for the magazine Mosquito. He moved to Brazil in the 1950s where he taught art in Son Paulo. He moved to France
Carolyn Coates
COCHRAN, JOHNNIE L., JR. Attorney Johnnie Cochran, Jr., who achieved fame as the lead defense attorney in the O.J. Simpson murder trial in 1995, died of a brain tumor at his home in Los Angeles on March 29, 2005. He was 67. Cochran was born in Shreveport, Louisiana on October 2, 1937. He attended the University of California at Los Angeles and earned a law degree from Loyola Law School in 1962. He returned to Los Angeles to practice law, where he repre-
Eduardo Teixeira Coelho
Obituaries • 2005 in 1955 where he worked for the magazine Vaillant for over twenty years. His best known work was the adventure series Ragner the Viking.
COLEMAN, BRYAN British character actor Bryan Coleman died in Dorset, England, on July 4, 2005. He was 94. Coleman was born in London on January 29, 1911. He was featured in numerous films from the early 1940s including Lady in Distress (1940), Jassy (1947), Landfall (1949), The Lost Hours (1952), The Planter’s Wife (1952), The Sword and the Rose (1953), You Know What Sailors Are (1954), Suspended Alibi (1956), Loser Takes All (1956), Blood of the Vampire (1958), The Hand (1960), The Longest Day (1962), Mr. Brown Comes Down the Hill (1965), Give a Dog a Bone (1965), Happy Deathday (1968), Zeppelin (1971), Mona Lisa (1986), Johann Strauss: The King Without a Crown (1987), and Chaplin (1992). He was also seen in television productions of Country (1981), A Dedicated Man (1982), The Road to 1984 (1984), and The Black Candle (1991). He starred as Geoffrey Windsor in the British television series My Friend Charles in 1958, and was Alistair Goodman in The Scarf in 1959. Coleman was also seen as Captain Digby in The Naked Lady in 1959, and was Mr. Brownlow in The Further Adventures of Oliver Twist in 1980. His other television credits include episodes of Sword of Freedom, The Adventures of Robin Hood, The New Adventures of Charlie Chan, Danger Man, Sir Francis Drake, Softly Softly, Adam Adamant Lives!, Upstairs, Downstairs, The Duchess of Duke Street in the recurring role of Lord Henry Norton, The Agatha Christie Hour, Sorry!, and This Is David Harper. COLLINS, LARRY Larry Collins, who was best known as the co-author of the best-selling book Is Paris Burning?, died of a cerebral hemorrhage in Frejus, France, on June 20, 2005. He was 75. He was born John Lawrence Collins, Jr., in West Hartford, Connecticut, on September 14, 1929. He worked as reporter in Europe for the news agency United Press International from the early 1950s. He met Paris-Match reporter Dominique Lapierre in the 1950s and collaborated on a project about the later days of the German occupation of Paris during World War II. Their work culminated in the publication of Is Paris Burning? in 1964, chronicling Hitler’s attempts to raze the French capital before Allied troops
72 liberated the city in August of 1944. The best-selling book was adapted into a film by Rene Clement, with a script by Francis Ford Coppola and Gore Vidal, in 1966, and an all-star French and American cast. Collins and Lapierre left their day jobs to concentrate on further projects, authoring a chronicle of Israel’s early day of independence, O Jerusalem!, in 1972. They also wrote a popular biography about Spanish bullfighter El Cordobes, Or I’ll Dress You in Mourning (1968), and two books about independence of India, Freedom at Midnight (1975) and Mountbatten and the Partition of India (1982). The duo also collaborated on several fiction novels, including the nuclear thriller The Fifth Horseman (1980). Collins also several solo novels including the World War II thriller Fall from Grace (1985), the 1989 novel about Cold War mind control Maze, Black Eagles (1995) about drug traffic in the inner city, and Road to Armageddon (2003), which speculated on Iran’s intentions to become a nuclear power. Collins reunited with Lapierre for a final novel, Is New York Burning?, centering around a nuclear terrorist assault on New York, in 2004. • Los Angeles Times, June 21, 2005, B11; New York Times, June 21, 2005, A19; Time, July 4, 2005, 21; Variety, June 27, 2005, 80.
COLLINS, LYN Singer Lyn Collins, who performed with James Brown in the 1970s, died suddenly in a Pasadena, California, hospital on March 13, 2005. She was 56. Collins was born in Dime Box, Texas, in 1948. She began singing while in her teens and was discovered by James Brown in the late 1960s. She joined his traveling show in 1970 and was nicknamed the “Female Preacher” because of her powerful singing voice. She recorded her first solo album Think (About It) in 1972, and released Check Me Out if You Don’t Know Me by Now in 1975. She continued to perform until several years ago, when rheumatoid arthritis forced her to limit her touring.
Lyn Collins
Larry Collins
COLOME, ANTONITA Spanish actress Antonita Colome died in Madrid, Spain, on August 28, 2005. She was 93. Colome was born in Seville, Spain, on February 18, 1912. She was a leading actress and singer on the Spanish stage from the 1930s. She was also featured in numerous films including Mercedes (1932), The Man
73
Antonita Colome
Who Laughed at Love (1932), World Crisis (1934), Alala (1934), Rataplan (1935), Miss Trevelez (1936), and The Dancer and the Worker (1936). She left Spain during the Spanish Civil War, returning in 1940. She continued appearing in such films as Heroe a la Fuerza (1941), Idyll in Mallorca (1943), La Sevillane (1943), Mi Fantastica Esposa (1944), El Crimen de Pepe Conde (1946), and Revelacion (1948). Colome’s career wound down from the 1950s, though she continued to perform on occasion. She also appeared in the films Tercio de Quites (1951), La Viuda Andaluza (1976), Los Alegres Bribones (1982), and Pasodoble (1988).
COLONNELLO, ANTONINO Italian actor Antonio Colonnello died of a heart attack in Rome, Italy, on May 30, 2005. He was 67. He was a leading dubbing voice for U.S. film and television productions into Italian. He was the Italian voice of Larry Hagman’s J.R. Ewing in Dallas and of Henry Winkler’s Fonzie from Happy Days. He also dubbed John Travolta from Welcome Back Kotter, Judd Hirsch from Taxi, Claude Akins from Lobo, and Robert Wagner from It Takes a Thief and Switch. He was also a voice in numerous films, dubbing such stars as Maximilian Schell (in The Black Hole), Bruce Boxleitner (in Tron), Jeff Conaway (in Grease), Leslie Nielsen, Clint Eastwood and Steven Seagal.
2005 • Obituaries COLVIN, JACK Actor Jack Colvin, who starred as tabloid reporter Jack McGee in the television series The Incredible Hulk with Bill Bixby in the 1970s, died of complications from a stroke in a North Hollywood nursing home on December 1, 2005. He was 71. Colvin was born in Lyndon, Kansas, on October 13, 1934, and moved to Los Angeles with his family at an early age. He began performing on stage as a child and teamed with Yvonne Wilder in the comedy act Colvin and Wilder in the 1960s. The duo performed on stage and television variety shows. Colvin made his film debut in the late 1960s, appearing in such features as How Sweet It Is! (1968), Viva Max! (1969), Monte Walsh (1970), Jeremiah Johnson (1972), Hickey & Boggs (1972), The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972), Scorpio (1973), The Stone Killer (1973), The Terminal Man (1974), The Crazy World of Julius Vrooder (1974), Rooster Cogburn (1975), Embryo (1976), and Child’s Play (1988). He was also seen in the tele-films Footsteps (1972), Hurricane (1974), Knuckle (1975), Amelia Earhart (1976), Benny and Barney: Las Vegas Undercover (1977), The Spell (1977), and Exo-Man (1977). Colvin starred as Jack McGee in the 1977 telefilm The Incredible Hulk, and remained with the subsequent series for four seasons from 1978 to 1982. He also directed several episodes of the series. He reprised his role as McGee in the 1988 tele-film sequel The Incredible Hulk Returns. Colvin’s other television credits include episodes of The Rat Patrol, Tarzan, Kojak, Petrocelli, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Invisible Man, Baretta, Harry O, The Rookies, Switch, The Rockford Files, The Bionic Woman, Westside Medical, Quincy, Switch, Hunter, Cagney and Lacey, MacGyver, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, and Murder, She Wrote. He also was active in local theater as an actor and director. • Los Angeles Times, Dec. 5, 2005, B9; Variety, Dec. 12, 2005, 67.
Jack Colvin
Antonino Colonnello
COMANOR, PAULINE Cartoonist Pauline Comanor died of heart failure in Little Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, on May 22, 2005. She was 91. Comanor was born in West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1913. She began drawing cartoons while attending high school and she joined Max Fleischer’s animation studio in New York in 1934. She worked as an artist on many of Fleischer’s Betty Boop cartoons during the decade and also performed a live act with Betty Boop’s voice, Lit-
Obituaries • 2005
74 Week (1965), Don Camillo in Moscow (1965), Misunderstood (1966), Italian Secret Service (1968), Giacomo Casanova: Childhood and Adolescence (1969), The Adventures of Pinocchio (1972), The Scientific Cardplayer (1972), How Long Can You Fall? (1974), Somewhere Beyond Love (1974), Goodnight, Ladies and Gentlemen (1976), Strange Occasion (1976), The Sunday Woman (1976), The Cat (1978), Traffic Jam (1979), Eugenio (1980), Catherine’s Wedding (1982), Looking for Jesus (1983), The Boy from Calabria (1987), The Cowboy and the Frenchman (1988), La Boheme (1988), Merry Christmas ... Happy New Year (1989), and Miracle of Marcellino (1991).
Pauline Comanor
tle Ann Little. She left the industry in 1940 after her marriage, which ended ten years later. In 1950 returned to Philadelphia where she hosted a local Saturday morning television program. She also hosted the local Cartoon Party, and later was host of a cartoon program in Orlando, Florida. In the late 1960s Comanor began doing art performances at shopping malls throughout the country. She would draw cartoons that incorporated audience members. She also created the cartoon character Chunky Monkey in the 1970s. She and ice cream makers Ben & Jerry’s later collaborated on a plush toy Chunky Monkey. Comanor continued to perform at malls and shopping centers until her retirement in 2001.
COMENCINI, LUIGI Italian film director Luigi Comencini died in Rome on April 21, 2005. He was 88. Comencini was born in Salo, Lombardy, Italy, on June 8, 1916. He worked in films from the 1930s, and directed and scripted numerous films during his career. Comencini’s numerous film credits include Children in Cities (1946), The Emperor of Capri (1949), Behind Closed Shutters (1950), Heidi (1952), Girls Marked Danger (1953), Bread, Love and Jealousy (1954), Frisky (1954), The Belle of Rome (1955), The Window to Luna Park (1956), Husbands in the City (1957), Surprise of Love (1959), And That On Monday Morning (1959), Everybody Go Home (1960), Jail Break (1961), The Police Commissioner (1962), Bebo’s Girl (1963), Three Nights of Love (1964), My Wife (1964), The Dolls (1965), Six Days a
CONAN, ZOILA Actress Zoila Conan died in Los Angeles on May 12, 2005. She was 101. Conan was born on July 29, 1903. She appeared in several films in the 1930s including Sensation Hunters (1933), Miss Fane’s Baby Is Stolen (1934), and The First Round-Up (1934). She also worked as a stage manager and story analyst. She was the widow of Vernon E. Rickard. CONCANNON, JACK Football player Jack Concannon died of a heart attack in a Newton, Massachusetts, hospital on November 28, 2005. He was 62. Concannon was born on February 25, 1943. He played for Boston College before turning pro in the mid–1960s. He was quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1964 to 1966, and for the Chicago Bears from 1967 to 1971. He also played with the Green Bay Packers in 1974 and the Detroit Lions in 1975. Concannon was also seen as a football player in the 1970 film version of M*A*S*H, and appeared as himself in the 1971 tele-film Brian’s Song.
Jack Concannon
Luigi Comencini
CONEY, MICHAEL G. Science fiction writer Michael G. Coney died of lung cancer in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on November 4, 2005. He was 73. Coney was born in Birmingham, England, in 1932. He moved to Canada in the early 1970s, where he worked for the British Columbia Forest Service. He also began writing science fiction, authoring such novels as Mirror Image (1972), Friends Come in Boxes (1973), The Hero of Downways (1973), Syzyg y (1973), Winter’s Children (1974), Charisma (1975), The Jaws That Bite, the Claws That Catch (1975), Hello Summer, Goodbye (1975), Brontomek! (1975), The Ultimate Jungle (1981), Neptune’s Cauldron (1981), Cat Karina (1982), The Celestial Steam
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Michael G. Coney
Locomotive (1983), The Gods of the Greatway (1984), Fang, the Gnome (1988), King of the Sceptre’d Isle (1989), A Tomcat Called Sabrina (1992), and No Place for a Sealion (1992). Coney was nominated for the Nebula Award for his novelette Tea and Hamsters in 1995.
CONROY, FRANK Author Frank Conroy died of colon cancer at his home in Iowa City, Iowa, on April 6, 2005. He was 69. Conroy was born in New York City on January 15, 1936. He began writing short fiction while in college and his first story was published in 1957. Conroy’s best known book was his 1967 coming-of-age work Stop-Time. He also wrote the short-story collection Midair, the novel Body and Soul, and the essay collection Dogs Bark, but the Caravan Rolls On. His last book was 2004’s Time and Tide: A Walk Through Nantucket. Conroy was also a teacher and headed the University of Iowa’s Writer’s Workshop of for nearly twenty years. • Los Angeles Times, Apr. 8, 2005, B11; New York Times, Apr. 7, 2005, B10; People, Apr. 25, 2005, 91; Time, Apr. 18, 2005, 26.
2005 • Obituaries as a child. He came to Hollywood in the 1940s and made his film debut in 1947’s The Secret Life of Walter Mitty with Danny Kaye and Boris Karloff. Corden also appeared in the films She Shoulda Said No (aka Marijuana, the Devil’s Weed) (1949), Bride of Vengeance (1949), Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion (1950), Please Believe Me (1950), The Asphalt Jungle (1950), The Toast of New Orleans (1950), Kim (1950), Mrs. O’Malley and Mr. Malone (1951), The Sword of Monte Cristo (1951), Behave Yourself (1951), Viva Zapata! (1952), Scaramouche (1952), The Wild North (1952), Carbine Williams (1952), Son of Ali Baba (1952), The Black Castle (1952), Hiawatha (1952), I Confess (1953), The System (1953), Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1953), Fort Algiers (1953), King Richard and the Crusaders (1954), The Eg yptian (1954), Jupiter’s Darling (1955), The Ten Commandments (1956), Cry Tough (1959), The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn (1960), Blueprint for Robbery (1961), When the Clock Strikes (1961), Tammy Tell Me True (1961), Island of Love (1963), Strange Bedfellows (1965), McHale’s Navy Joins the Air Force (1965), Frankie and Johnny (1966), Don’t Worry, We’ll Think of a Title (1966), Hook, Line & Sinker (1969), and Modern Problems (1981). Corden began voicing Fred Flintstone after the death of Fred’s original voice, Alan Reed, in 1977. He played Flintstone in cartoons, animated films, and cereal commercials through the 1990s. He also worked as a voice actor on such cartoon programs The Jetsons, The Secret Squirrel Show, The Atom Ant Show, The Banana Splits Adventure Hour, Josie and the Pussycats, Jonny Quest, The Harlem Globetrotters, The Barkleys, The New Scooby-Doo Movies, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kids, These Are the Days, Return to the Planet of the Apes, The New Tom & Jerry Show, The Scooby-Doo/Dynomutt Hour, The C.B. Bears, The Challenge of the SuperFriends, Thundarr the Barbarian, Heathcliff, Fangface and Fangpuss, The Smurfs, The Kwicky Koala Show, Goldie Gold and Action Jack, Here Comes Garfield, Mister T, and Challenge of the GoBots. Corden also made numerous appearances in liveaction television series from the 1950s, guest-starring in episodes of Space Patrol, Terry and the Pirates, Dangerous Assignment, Superman, Soldiers of Fortune, Dragnet, Jane Wyman Presents the Fireside Theatre, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Millionaire, Sally, Perry Mason, Richard Diamond, Private Detective, The Restless Gun, Gunsmoke,
Frank Conroy
CORDEN, HENRY Veteran character actor Henry Corden, who provided the voice for animated caveman Fred Flintstone for the past two decades, died of emphysema in a Los Angeles hospital on May 19, 2005. He was 85. Corden was born in Montreal, Canada, on January 6, 1920, and moved to New York City
Henry Cordon
Obituaries • 2005 Tales of Wells Fargo, Peter Gunn, Steve Canyon, The Lawless Years, 21 Beacon Street, Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse, The Gale Storm Show, Wagon Train, Have Gun —Will Travel, Alcoa Theatre, Tightrope, The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor, Tate, The Islanders, 77 Sunset Street, Thriller, Bonanza, Guestward Ho!, The Lawless Years, Ben Casey, Mister Ed, Maverick, Father of the Bride, The Twilight Zone, The Wide Country, Bob Hope Presents Chrysler Theatre, McHale’s Navy, Burke’s Law, My Favorite Martian, The Great Adventure, Vacation Playhouse, I Dream of Jeannie, Hogan’s Heroes, Hank, Gilligan’s Island, The Monkees, Daniel Boone, Bewitched, Hey, Landlord, The F.B.I., The Beverly Hillbillies, The Second Hundred Years, Green Acres, It Takes a Thief, Land of the Giants, The Doris Day Show, Get Smart, Mary Tyler Moore, The Bob Newhart Show, The Brady Bunch, Lotsa Luck, Police Story, The Streets of San Francisco, Harry O, and Welcome Back, Kotter. • Los Angeles Times, May 21, 2005, B17; New York Times, May 21, 2005, B7; Variety, May 30, 2005, 44.
CORDIC, VOJKA Serbian actress Vojka Cavajda Cordic died in Belgrade, Serbia, on May 27, 2005. She was 43. Cordic was born in Belgrade on April 26, 1962. She appeared in films and television from the early 1980s. Cordic was featured in the films Moljac (1984), The Misfit Brigade (1987), Cudna noc (1990), Velika Frka (1992), and We Are Not Angels (1992). She also starre as Zaga in the 1988 television series Dome, Slatki Dome, and was Tetka Rosa in 2003’s Neki Novi Klinci.
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William Corlett
and The Islamic Space (1979). He received his greatest acclaim for his series of novels about magician Stephen Tyler and a host of talking animals in The Magician’s House series. The quartet of novels began with The Steps Up the Chimney in 1990 and continued with The Door in the Tree (1991), Tunnel Behind the Waterful (1991), and The Bridge in the Clouds (1992). The first two books were adapted for the BBC in 1999, and were followed by an adaptation of the third as The Magician’s House II in 2000. Corlett also wrote the television productions Barriers (1980), The Christmas Tree (1986), Dreams Lost, Dreams Found (1987), The Watch House (1988), The Torch (1992), Moonacre (1994), and Winter Solstice (2003).
CORREA E CASTRO, CLAUDIO Brazilian actor Claudio Correa e Castro died of complications from diabetes and hypertension in Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on August 16, 2005. He was 77. Correa e Castro was born in Rio de Janeiro on February 27, 1928. He appeared in numerous films and television productions in Brazil from the late 1950s. Correa e Castro’s film credits include Um Caso de Policia (1959), Amante Muito Louca (1973), The Claudia Case (1979), Prova de Fogo (1980), La Fuerza del Deseo (1984), Tiradentes (1999), Duas Vezes com Helena (2000), Xuxa Popstar (2000), and Irmaos de Fe (2004). He was best known for his many television performances, appearing in such productions as Os Estranhos (1969), Dez Vidas (1969), Vojka Cordic
CORLETT, WILLIAM British writer William Corlett died in Sarlat, France, on August 16, 2005. He was 66. Corlett was born in Darlington, Curham, England, on October 8, 1938. He began his career writing for the stage with the 1963 play Another Round. This was followed by The Gentle Avalanche (1964) and Return Ticket (1966). He was best known for his novels for children and young adults, beginning with The Gate of Eden in 1974. It was adapted as a television mini-series in 1979. The novel was part of a trilogy that continued with The Land Beyond (1974) and Return to the Gate (1975). Corlett also wrote for the television series Emmerdale Farm, The Paper Lads, The Machine Gunners, and The Agatha Christie Hour. Corlett also wrote several non-fictions including The Hindu Sound (1978), The Christ Story (1978),
Claudio Correa e Castro
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2005 • Obituaries
As Bruxas (1970), Signo da Esperanca (1972), Signo da Esperanca (1972), Os Inocentes (1974), A Viagem (1975), Zeque-Mate (1976), O Profeta (1977), Dancin’ Days (1978), Cabocla (1979), Chega Mais (1980), Jogo da Vida (1981), Paraiso (1982), Eu Prometo (1983), A Gata Comeu (1985), Cambalacho (1986), Sinha Moca (1986), Bambole (1987), Tieta (1989), Boca do Lixo (1990), La Mamma (1990), Agosto (1993), Quatro Por Quatro (1994), Incidente em Antares (1994), New Wave (1995), Anjo au (1997), Forca de Um Desejo (1999), Porto dos Milagres (2001), O Quinto dos Infernos (2002), A Casa das Sete Mulheres (2004), Kubanacan (2003), and Senhora do Destino (2004).
CORREA-MCMULLEN, TARA Teen actress Tara Correa-McMullen was shot to death outside an apartment complex in Inglewood, California, in what police believed to be a gang-related shooting, on October 21, 2005. She was 16. Correa-McMullen was born in Westminster, Vermont, on May 24, 1989. She starred in the recurring role of former gang member Graciela Reyes in the television series Judging Amy from 2004 to 2005, and was seen in an episode of Zoey 101. She also appeared as Big Mac in the 2005 comedy film Rebound with Martin Lawrence. • Los Angeles Times, Oct. 29, 2005, B1; People, Nov. 14, 2005, 150; Variety, Nov. 14, 2005, 61.
Alfredo Corvino
2005. He was 64. Cosmatos was born in Tuscany, Italy, on January 4, 1941. He began working in films in the 1960s as an assistant director for such productions as Exodus (1960), Zorba the Greek (1964), All the Way to Paris (1965), and The Day the Fish Came Out (1967). He produced, directed and wrote the 1970 feature The Beloved. He directed the 1973 film Massacre in Rome and wrote and directed the 1976 thriller The Cassandra Crossing. He also directed the films Escape to Athena (1979) and Of Unknown Origin (1983). He also helmed Sylvester Stallone action films Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) and Cobra (1986). Cosmatos’ next film with the 1989 underwater science fiction thriller Leviathan, which was followed by his 1993 retelling of the Wyatt Earp legend Tombstone. His final film with the 1997 thriller Shadow Conspiracy starring Charlie Sheen. • Los Angeles Times, Apr. 28, 2005, B12; Times (of London), Apr. 28, 69; Variety, May 2, 2005, 84.
Tara Correa-McMullen
CORVINO, ALFREDO Ballet dancer Alfredo Corvino died in a Manhattan hospital on August 2, 2005. He was 89. Corvino was born in Montevideo, Uruguay, on February 2, 1916. He attended the National Academy of Ballet in Montevideo, and soon became principal dancer at the Municipal Theater. He toured throughout South America with Kurt Jooss’s company. Corvino became a principal dancer with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and toured the United States. He also danced with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet in New York in the 1940s. Corvino joined the dance division of the Juilliard School in 1952, serving as the company’s balletmaster until retiring in 1994. • New York Times, Aug. 5, 2005, B7. COSMATOS, GEORGE PAN Film director George Pan Cosmatos died of lung cancer on April 19,
George Pan Cosmatos
COSTA-GREENSPON, MURIEL Opera singer Muriel Costa-Greenspon died in a Manhattan, New York, hospital on December 26, 2005. She was 68. Costa-Greenspon was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1937. She was a leading mezzo-soprano with the New York City Opera from the early 1960s, playing character roles in such productions as Street Scene, Ballad of Baby Doe, and Candide. She also performed in numerous operas by Gian Carlo Menotti including Old Maid and the
Obituaries • 2005
Muriel Costa-Greenspon
Thief, Medium, and The Saint of Bleecker Street. CostaGreenspon also appeared on television in several operatic productions including The Daughter of the Regiment (1974), Street Scene (1979), Candide (1986), and The New Moon (1989). • New York Times, Jan. 8, 2006, 25.
COWSILL, BARRY Barry Cowsill, a member of the 1960s singing family The Cowsills, was found dead on December 28, 2005, on a New Orleans wharf four months after he disappeared in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina’s flooding of the city. He had last been heard from on September 1, 2005, when he left a phone message for his sister. He was 51. The Cowsills began performing in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1965. Barry Cowsill played bass in the band, with his brother Bill on guitar, Bob on guitar and organ, and John on drums. Their mother, Barbara, and younger sister, Susan, also performed with the group. The television series “The Partridge Family” was based on The Cowsills, who recorded such hit songs as “Hair” and “The Rain, the Park, and Other Things.” The band’s break up in the 1970s divided some members of the band for many years. Barry Cowsill is survived by his siblings. Barbara Cowsill died in 1985. • Los Angeles Times, Jan. 6, 2006, B9; New York Times, Jan. 7, 2006, C14; Time, Jan. 16, 2006, 29.
78 brother Blue in the 2003 comedy Old School, died at his home in Fort Worth, Texas, on December 28, 2005. He was 86. He was born Joseph Patrick Cranshaw in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, on June 17, 1919. He began his career on screen playing a bartender in the 1955 western Texas Lady. He was featured in numerous films over the next 50 years, appearing in The Seventh Commandment (1960), The Amazing Transparent Man (1960), Under Age (1964), Curse of the Swamp Creature (1966), Mars Needs Women (1967), Hip, Hot & 21 (1967), Bonnie and Clyde (1967) as a bank teller, Bandolero! (1968), Nightmare Honeymoon (1973), Frasier, the Sensuous Lion (1973), Slumber Party ’57 (1976), Mule Feathers (1977), Thunder and Lightning (1977), Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978), The Gong Show Movie (1980), The Private Eyes (1981), Yes, Giorgio (1982), Pee-wee’s Big Adventure (1985), Runaway to Glory (1988), Moving (1988), The Beverly Hillbillies (1993), The Hudsucker Proxy (1994), Ed Wood (1994), Everyone Says I Love You (1996), Ground Zero (1997), Nothing to Lose (1997), Broken Vessels (1998), Almost Heroes (1998), The Cracker Man (1999), MVP: Most Valuable Primate (2000), Best in Show (2000), Bubble Boy (2001), Air Bud: Seventh Inning Fetch (2002) as Sheriff Bob, Frank McKlusky, C.I. (2002), Air Bud: Spikes Back (2003), My Boss’s Daughter (2003), Old School (2003) as Joseph “Blue” Palasky, Brakin’ All the Rules (2004), One More Round (2005), and Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005) as Jimmy D. the demolition derby owner. Cranshaw had completed filming the latest Air Bud sequel, Air Buddies at the time of death. He was also featured in the tele-films Return of the Rebels (1981), Quantum Leap (1989), and Alien Avengers II (1998). Cranshaw starred as Bert Taylor in the 1973 television sit-com Thicker Than Water, and was Gabby in the comedy series On the Rocks from 1975 to 1976. He also appeared in the recurring role of Andy in the sit-com Alice from 1976 to 1978. He also appeared as Bob Scannell in the 1983 series AfterMASH. His numerous television credits also include guest roles in such series as The Doris Day Show, Green Acres, The Odd Couple, Temperatures Rising, Adam12, The Bob Newhart Show, Jigsaw John, Police Woman, Sanford and Son, Baby, I’m Back, Mork and Mindy, Little House on the Prairie, Wonder Woman, The Dukes of Hazzard, CHiPs, Best of the West, It’s a Living, Archie Bunker’s Place, Diff ’rent Strokes, Night Court, Three’s a
Barry Cowsill
CRANSHAW, PATRICK Veteran character actor Patrick Cranshaw, who starred as elderly frat
Patrick Cranshaw
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2005 • Obituaries
Crowd, Perfect Strangers, Hunter, Growing Pains, Married ... with Children, Ellen, Coach, All-American Girl, Pig Sty, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, The Single Guy, The Drew Carey Show, Just Shoot Me, ER, Boy Meets World, Veronica’s Closet, Suddenly Susan, Ladies Man, The Norm Show, Dead Last, Monk, and 7th Heaven. • Los Angeles Times, Dec. 31, 2005, B14; New York Times, Jan. 4, 2006, C15; People, Jan. 16, 2006, 75; Variety, Jan. 16, 2006, 47.
CRESSWELL, HELEN British children’s writer Helen Cresswell died of ovarian cancer in England on September 26, 2005. She was 71. Cresswell was born in Nottingham, England, on July 11, 1934. She began her writing career in the early 1960s with the children’s book Sonya-by-the-Shore. She also began writing for children’s dramas for BBC television in the early 1960s. She also wrote the popular children’s book The Piemakers in 1967, and inaugurated her best known work, Lizzie Drippings, in 1973. Lizzie Drippings became a series of six books and spawned two BBC television series. She also created a series of novels about a disaster prone family with The Bagthorpe Saga, which began as a trilogy but extended to 11 books between 1978 and 2001. The Bagthorpe’s Saga was also adapted for television in 1981. Cresswell also created the television productions The Secret World of Polly Flint (1987), Mondial (1988), Five Children and It (1991), The Return of the Psammead (1993), The Phoenix and the Carpet (1997), and Little Grey Rabbit (2000), and adapted Enid Blyton’s works for The Famous Five in 1997. • Times (of London), Sept. 30, 2005, 69.
N.J. Crisp
self (1972), Dangerous Knowledge (1976), and The Odd Job Man (1984). Crisp scripted several films including The Masks of Death (1984) starring Peter Cushing as Sherlock Holmes, Murder Elite (1985), and Sunday Pursuit (1990). He was also an acclaimed playwright, whose plays include Fighting Chance (1985), Dangerous Obsession (1987) which was filmed as Darkness Falls in 1999, and That Good Night (1996). • Times (of London), Aug. 2, 2005, 43.
CUMMINGS, CONSTANCE Actress Constance Cummings died in England on November 23, 2005. She was 95. Cummings was born in Seattle, Washington, on May 15, 1910. She came to Hollywood in the early 1930s, where she starred in such features as The Criminal Code (1931), The Last Parade (1931), Lover Come Back (1931), Traveling Husbands (1931), The Guilty Generation (1931), Behind the Mask (1932), The Big Timer (1932), Attorney for the Defense (1932), Frank Capra’s American Madness (1932), Movie Crazy (1932) with Harold Lloyd, The Last Man (1932), Washington MerryGo-Round (1932), Night After Night (1932), Billion Dollar Scandal (1933), The Mind Reader (1933), Channel Crossing (1933), Broadway Through a Keyhole (1933), Heads We Go (1933), This Man Is Mine (1934), Looking for Trouble (1934), Glamour (1934), Remember Last Night? (1935), Seven Sinners (1936), and Strangers on Honeymoon (1936). She married British playwright Benn Levy
Helen Cresswell
CRISP, N.J. British television writer N.J. Crisp died in a Southampton, England, hospital after a long illness on June 14, 2005. He was 81. He was born Norman John Crisp in England on December 11, 1923. He began his career writing short stories and soon began scripting for television in the early 1960s. He wrote for such series as Dixon of Dock Green, Compact, Danger Zone, The Man in Room 17, The First Lady, Quick Before They Catch Us, Doomwatch, The Brothers, The Long Chase, Colditz, Orson Welles’ Great Mysteries, You’re On Your Own, Oil Strike North, The Mackinnons, Secret Army, Enemy at the Door, Buccaneer, Squadron, and Strike It Rich! He also wrote the television productions Man Who Was Hunting Him-
Constance Cummings
Obituaries • 2005 in 1933, and was soon appearing in stage productions of his work. She developed into a leading stage actress in such productions as Goodbye Mr. Chips, Long Day’s Journey into Night with Laurence Olivier, George Bernard Shaw’s Saint Joan, Romeo and Juliet, Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Jean-Paul Sartre’s No Exit, and Hamlet. She also continued to appear in such films as Haunted Honeymoon (1940), This England (1941), The Foreman Went to France (1942), Blithe Spirit (1945) with Rex Harrison, Into the Blue (1950), Three’s Company (1954), John and Julie (1955), The Intimate Stranger (1956), The Battle of the Sexes (1959) with Peter Sellers, A Boy Ten Feet Tall (1963), and In the Cool of the Day (1963). Cummings also appeared on television in episodes of Lux Video Theatre, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Presents, Screen Directors Playhouse, Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, Menace, and Jemima Shore Investigates, and productions of Wings (1983), Love Song (1985), and Agatha Christie’s Dead Man’s Folly (1986). • Los Angeles Times, Nov. 29, 2005, B10; New York Times, Nov. 29, 2005, A25; Time, Dec. 12, 2005, 29; Times (of London), Nov. 28, 2005, 55; Variety, Dec. 12, 2005, 67.
CUMMINGS, DALE Actor Robert Dale Cummings died on August 19, 2005. He was 72. Cummings was born in Syracuse, New York, on August 9, 1933. He was active in films and television from the mid–1950s, appearing in such features as The Enemy Below (1957), Operation Petticoat (1959), Barabbas (1962), One Step to Hell (1967), Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell (1968), Cowards Don’t Pay (1969), The Battle of the Damned (1969), and Rangers Attack at Hour X (1970). He also appeared on television in episodes of Navy Log, State Trooper, 26 Men, and Have Gun —Will Travel. Cummings returned to the screen in the 1980s to appear in the features Wild Wind (1986) and Samurai Cop (1989), and guest star in an episode of L.A. Law.
80 Cruiser. He also served as a special effects consultant for the science fiction series Lexx.
CUNHA, RICHARD Richard Cunha, the director of several cult horror films from the 1950s, died of a heart ailment on September 18, 2005. He was 84. Cunha was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, on March 4, 1921. He served in the United States Air Corps during World War II, working with the newsreel and motion picture units. After the war he continued to work in films, making commercials and industrial films. He was also cinematographer for the 1950 western film Red Rock Outlaws. In the late 1950s Cunha teamed with Arthur A. Jacobs to form the production company Screencraft Enterprises. He wrote and directed the cult classic She Demons (1958) starring Irish McCalla and Giant from the Unknown (1958) starring Ed Kemmer. Cunha also helmed 1958’s Frankenstein’s Daughter and Missile to the Moon, a schlockier remake of the slightly earlier schlock classic Catwomen of the Moon. He wrote and directed the thriller Girl in Room 13 (1961), and was cinematographer on the films Bloodlust! (1961) and Silent Witness (1962). Cunha subsequently abandoned films and worked largely as a television commercial director for the remainder of his career. • Los Angeles Times, Oct. 3, 2005, B9; Times (of London), Oct. 7, 2005, 78; Variety, Oct. 10, 2005, 93.
Richard Cunha
Dale Cummings
CUNEO, MICHAEL Michael Cuneo, who created props and models for Star Trek: The Next Generation, died of a brain tumor in a Woburn, Massachusetts, hospital on June 25, 2005. He was 41. A civil engineer, Cuneo designed the alien landscapes for the planets Romulus and Bajor for Star Trek: The Next Generation, and created various prop ships including a Klingon Battle
CURTIS, CHRIS British drummer Chris Curtis died in Liverpool, England, after a long illness on February 28, 2005. He was 63. Curtis was born Christopher Crummey in Oldham, Lancashire, England, on August 26, 1941. He was a founding member of the popular 1960s group The Searchers in 1960, with Mike Pender, Tony Jackson and John McNally. They recorded the hit songs “Needles and Pins,” “Sugar and Spice,” and “Sweets for My Sweet.” Curtis was seen with the group in the 1963 musical film Saturday Night Out. Jackson left the group in 1964, and was replaced by Frank Allen. The Searchers continued their succession of hits with “Love Potion Number 9” and “He’s Got No Love.” Curtis left the group in 1966 and, under the name The Flowerpot Men, had a hit with “Let’s Go to San Francisco. He was a founder of the band Roundabout the following year. The group eventually evolved into Deep Purple,
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2005 • Obituaries
Chris Curtis
Jojo D’Amore
but Curtis had left the group before then. He worked as a music producer for several years before largely abandoning the music industry to work in civil service. He had recently returned to the stage, performing with the charity group The Merceycats after having retired from his job due to ill health. • Los Angeles Times, Mar. 2, 2005, B11; New York Times, Mar. 2, 2005, D8; Times (of London), Mar. 2, 2005, 77.
the Doomed (1976), Dracula’s Dog (1978), Alligator (1980), the tele-film A Cry for Love (1980), The Idolmaker (1980), The Sword and the Sorcerer (1982), and Hollywood Harry (1986). D’Amore also appeared on television in episodes of 227 and Curb Your Enthusiasm, and in the 1998 documentary Lenny Bruce: Swear to Tell the Truth. • Los Angeles Times, Oct. 3, 2005, B9; Variety, Oct. 17, 2005, 65.
D’AMARIO, TONY
French actor Tony D’Amario died of an heart attack in France on June 29, 2005. He was 44. D’Amario made his film debut as the Mayor of Compiegne in Luc Besson’s The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999). He was also seen in the films Would I Lie to You? 2 (2001), Tanguy (2001), Aram (2002), Lovely Rita (2003), and Banlieue 13 (2004) as K2. He also appeared in several productions on French television.
DANGERFIELD, WINNIE British silent film child actress Winnie Dangerfield died in a retirement home in Bromley, Kent, England, after a short illness on March 13, 2005. She was 96. She was born to a musical family in Croydon, Surrey, England, on June 13, 1908. She began her career in films as a child, appearing in the film Sweep! Sweep! Sweep!!!, written by her father in 1913. She also appeared in the silent films When the Pie Was Opened (1915), The Society Visit (1915), Rough on Uncle (1915), and Amusing the Kids (1915). She later trained as a singer and appeared in numerous stage musicals, often under the stage name of Unita Hanson. She appeared in several variety shows from Tom Arnold in the 1930s and 1940s including Walk This Way. She also appeared in the West End in productions of Sunny South and Hello Beautiful. She entertained troops throughout England during World War II, and continued her career on stage after the war. She worked often with her brother, bandleader Leslie Hanson, appearing in his operetta, The Missing Princess. She retired after his death in 1985.
Tony D’Amario
D’AMORE, JOJO Comic actor Joseph “Jojo” D’Amore died of emphysema and cancer in Los Angeles on September 24, 2005. He was 74. D’Amore was born in Brooklyn, New York, on October 11, 1930. He came to California as a child when his father opened an Italian restaurant in Los Angeles. D’Amore became a stand-up comedian and a friend of comic Lenny Bruce. He appeared in several films from the 1970s including The Doberman Gang (1972), Little Cigars (1973), Mansion of
Winnie Dangerfield
Obituaries • 2005 DANINOS, PIERRE French author and humorist Pierre Daninos died in Paris on January 7, 2005. He was 91. Daninos was born in Paris on May 26, 1913. He began his career as a journalist in the early 1930s, and wrote the award-winning book The Notebooks of the Good God in 1947. He wrote several other humorous works including Sonia, the Others and Myself (1952), A Certain Monsieur Blot (1960), and Snobbismo (1964). Daninos was best known for his creation of Major Thompson, a proper British army major, who witty observations of both the French and the British were first recounted in the best selling 1954 work The Notebooks of Major Thompson. Daninos’ book was adapted the following year as the film The French, They Are a Funny Race. Daninos returned to Major Thompson in his 1968 book The Tricolor Major, bringing his character to France. • Times (of London), Jan. 15, 2005, 71.
82 Inside Out, Ting Tang Mine, and A Place Called Mars. Several of his works were adapted for British television including Farmers Arms in 1983 and The Bench in 1999. He and his wife, filmmaker Jane Darke, became active in the protection of the Cornish coast and their environmental struggles were the subject of the BBC documentary The Wrecking Season (2004), which Darke wrote and his wife directed.
DARLTON, CLARK Walter Ernsting, who wrote numerous science fiction novels in the Perry Rhodan series under the pseudonym Clark Darlton, died in Salzburg, Austria, on January 15, 2005. He was 84. Ernsting was born in Koblenz, Germany, on June 13, 1920. He wrote over a dozen of the popular Perry Rhodan science fiction series, which was adapted to film for 1967’s Mission Stardust. Ernsting also wrote the science fiction novels Mutants Vs. Mutants (1972), A World Gone Mad (1973), The Dead Live (1974), Prisoner of Time (1974), The Phantom Fleet (1976), Atom Fire on Mechanica (1978), The Phantom Horde (1979), and Sentinels of Solitude (1979). • Times (of London), Mar. 7, 2005, 52.
Pierre Daninos
DARKE, NICK British playwright Nick Darke died of complications from a stroke in England on June 11, 2005. He was 56. Darke was born in St. Eval, Cornwall, England, on August 29, 1948. He began his career on stage as an actor until 1978, when he wrote his first play, Never Say Rabbit in a Boat. He continued to write such plays as A Tickle on the River’s Back, Landmarks, and Catch. The were followed by a cycle of more experimental plays that included The Body, The Earth Turned
DAVIES, MEREDITH British conductor Meredith Davies died in England on March 9, 2005. He was 82. Davies was born in Birkenhead, England, on July 20, 1922. He served as organist and music director at St. Albans and Hereford cathedrals, and conducted such
Nick Darke
Meredith Davies
Clark Darlton
83 groups as the Birmingham City Orchestra, the BBC Training Orchestra, the Royal Choral Society, and others. He was often associated with British composer Benjamin Britten, conducting the premier of his War Requiem in 1962. Davies also premiered the works of such composers as Humphrey Searle, Lennox Berkeley, and Richard Rodney Bennett. • Times (of London), Apr. 2, 2005, 66.
DAVIS, C. MARIE Visual effects producer C. Marie Davis died of breast cancer in Los Angeles on November 9, 2005. She was 47. Davis was born in Duncan, British Columbia, Canada, in 1958. She began working in films as an assistant to voice actor Mel Blanc and his son Noel in the 1980s. She subsequently began working as a visual effects editor and producer at such companies as Dream Quest Images, Free Range Imaging, Cinema Research Company, and CIS Hollywood. She rose to the position of president and executive producer at CIS, and served as vice president of production services at Sony Pictures Imageworks. Davis’ numerous film credits include Big Business (1988), The Blob (1988), Scrooged (1988), The Abyss (1989), Fat Man and Little Boy (1989), Ernest Goes to Jail (1990), Total Recall (1990), Ernest Scared Stupid (1991), Patriot Games (1992), The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), Blink (1994), The Little Rascals (1994), Star Trek: Generations (1994), Batman Forever (1995), Dante’s Peak (1997), Contact (1997), George of the Jungle (1997), Titanic (1997), Deep Impact (1998), The Parent Trap (1998), Jane Austen’s Mafia! (1998), Rush Hour (1998), Practical Magic (1998), Mission to Mars (2000), Men of Honor (2000), Charlie’s Angels (2000), What Women Want (2000), Cats & Dogs (2001), Scary Movie 2 (2001), The Score (2001), Planet of the Apes (2001), Kate & Leopold (2001), We Were Soldiers (2002), Spider-Man (2002), S1m0ne (2002), Frida (2002), The Tuxedo (2002), and Star Trek: Nemesis (2002). • Variety, Nov. 28, 2005, 73. DAVIS, OSSIE Ossie Davis, a leading actor in stage and films for over sixty years, was found dead in his Miami hotel room on February 4, 2005. He was 87. Davis was in Miami filming an upcoming feature Retirement. Davis was born in Cogdell, Georgia, on December 18, 1917. He entered Howard University in 1935, where he studied drama. He began acting on stage later in the decade, performing with the Rose McClendon Players in Harlem. During World War II Davis served as a surgical technician in a U.S. Army hospital in Liberia. He resumed his career after the war and made his Broadway debut in Jeb in 1946. His co-star in the drama about a returning soldier was actress Ruby Dee. They became close collaborators both on and off the stage and were married in December of 1948. Despite Davis’ outspoken leftist political sentiments and affiliation with such figures as W.E.B. DuBois and Paul Robeson, he and Dee largely escaped the blacklist that cast a pall over the show business community in the 1950s. He was later an active participant in the civil rights movement and a friend of Malcolm X. He delivered the eulogy at Malcolm X’s funeral in 1966. While mainly performing on stage in the 1950s, he appeared in several films including No Way Out (1950), Fourteen Hours
2005 • Obituaries (1951), and The Joe Louis Story (1953). He also appeared in television productions of The Emperor Jones (1955) and Seven Times Monday (1962), and in episodes of Kraft Television Theatre, The Defenders, The Great Adventure, The Nurses, Slattery’s People, The Fugitive, Run for Your Life, Twelve O’Clock High, N.Y.P.D., Bonanza, Rod Serling’s Night Gallery, and Love, American Style. Davis also appeared in the recurring role of Omar in the television comedy series Car 54, Where Are You? and was District Attorney Daniel Jackson in the legal drama series The Defenders in the mid–1960s. Davis’ play, Purlie Victorious, was filmed in 1963 as Gone Are the Days!, with Davis in the lead role. He also starred in the films The Cardinal (1963), Shock Treatment (1964), The Hill (1965) with Sean Connery, A Man Called Adam (1966), The Scalphunters (1968), Sam Whiskey (1969), Slaves (1969), Let’s Do It Again (1975), and Countdown at Kusini (1976) which he also wrote and directed. Davis also directed the films Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970) which he also scripted, Kongi’s Harvest (1970), Black Girl (1972), and Gordon’s War (1973). He also continued to appear in such films Hot Stuff (1979), Harry and Son (1984), The House of God (1984), School Daze (1988), Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing (1989), Joe Versus the Volcano (1990), Jungle Fever (1991), Gladiator (1992), Malcolm X (1992), Grumpy Old Men (1993), John Grisham’s The Client (1994), Get on the Bus (1996), I’m Not Rappaport (1996) reprising his Broadway role as Midge Carter, Doctor Dolittle (1998) with Eddie Murphy, Alyson’s Closet (1998), the animated Dinosaur (2000) as the voice of Yar, Here’s to Life! (2000), Bubba Ho-tep (2002) as nursing home resident and mummy-fighter John F. Kennedy, Proud (2003), How to Get the Man’s Foot Outta Your Ass (2003), and She Hate Me (2004). Davis also appeared in many tele-films and mini-series including The Outsider (1967), Teacher, Teacher (1969), The Sheriff (1971), The Tenth Level (1975), Billy: Portrait of a Street Kid (1977), King (1978) as Martin Luther King, Sr., Roots: The Next Generation (1979), Freedom Road (1979) as the Narrator, All God’s Children (1980), Don’t Look Back: The Story of Leroy “Satchel” Paige (1981), We’ll Take Manhattan (1990), King of Jazz (1990), Die Laughing (1990), The Ernest Green Story (1993), Alex Haley’s Queen (1993), the 1994 Stephen King mini-series The Stand, Ray Alexander: A Taste for Justice (1994) as Uncle Phil, The Android Affair (1995), Home of the
Ossie Davis (with wife, Ruby Dee)
Obituaries • 2005 Brave (1996), Miss Evers’ Boys (1997), 12 Angry Men (1997), The Secret Path (1999), The Soul Collector (1999), A Vow to Cherish (1999), Finding Buck McHenry (2000), Legend of the Candy Cane (2001), and Anne Rice’s The Feast of All Saints (2001). Davis and Ruby Dee hosted the television series Ossie and Ruby! in the early 1980s. Davis also appeared as Oz Jackson in the series B.L. Stryker from 1989 to 1990, and co-starred with Burt Reynolds in the comedy series Evening Shade, playing Ponder Blue in the 1990s. He reprised his role of Judge Harry Roosevelt in the 1995 television series based on John Grisham’s novel The Client, and was Erasmus Jones in the series Promised Land from 1996 to 1998. His other television credits include episodes of Touched by an Angel, Cosby, Third Watch, City of Angels, Philly, Presidio Med, JAG, and The L Word. He and Dee, who appeared together in 11 stage productions and five films during their mutual careers, published a dual autobiography, In This Life Together, in honor of their 50th wedding anniversary in 1998. • Los Angeles Times, Feb. 5, 2005, A1; New York Times, Feb. 5, 2005, A14; People, Feb. 21, 2005, 73; Time, Feb. 14, 2005, 19; Times (of London), Jan. 23, 2005, 62; Variety, Feb. 14, 2005, 55.
DAVIS, PHIL Television comedy writer Phil Davis died on October 8, 2005. He was 101. Davis was born on February 9, 1904. He scripted episodes of numerous television series in the 1950s and 1960s including Private Secretary, The Ann Sothern Show, The Thin Man, The Donna Reed Show, O.K. Crackerby, My Mother, the Car, Family Affair, and My Three Sons. He also wrote for the animated series Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space in the early 1970s. DAVIS, RAY Singer Ray Davis, who was a founding member of George Clinton’s funk band Parliament-Funkadelic, died of respiratory complications in New Brunswick, New Jersey, on July 5, 2005. He was 65. Davis was born in Sumter, South Carolina, on March 29, 1940. He began performing with Clinton with the original Parliaments while in high school in the 1950s. The Parliaments had a hit single with “(I Wanna) Testify” in 1967. Clinton changed the band’s name to Parliament-Funkadelic in the early 1970s, which overlapped several of the bands he had organized, which were usually known as P-Funk. Davis sang bass vocals on
84 some of their hit songs including “One Nation Under a Groove” and “Flashlight.” P-Funk was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. Davis continued to perform, sometimes filling in for the late Melvin Franklin in the Temptations in the mid–1990s. He also toured with fellow Parliaments bandmates Clarence Haskins and Grady Thomas in recent years. • New York Times, July 8, 2005, B8.
DAVIS, TYRONE Soul singer Tyrone Davis died of complications from a stroke on February 9, 2005. He was 66. Davis was born in Greenville, Mississippi, on May 4, 1938. He began singing professionally in Chicago in the early 1960s and recorded his first song, “Suffer,” under the name Tyrone the Wonder Boy. He had a hit record with his 1968 soul ballad “Can I Change My Mind.” His other popular recordings include “Is It Something You’ve Got,” “Turn Back the Hands of Time,” “I’ll Be Right Here,” “Let Me Back In,” “Could I Forget You,” “I Had It All the Time,” “Without You in My Life,” “There It Is,” and “Turning Point.” He was signed by Columbia in the mid–1970s, where he continued producing such hits as “This I Swear,” “Give It Up (Turn It Loose),” “Get On Up (Disco),” and “In the Mood.” He continued to perform and record until suffering a stroke in October of 2004, which kept him hospitalized until his death. • Los Angeles Times, Feb. 11, 2005, B13; New York Times, Feb. 14, 2005, A19.
Tyrone Davis
DAWKINS, BILL Actor Bill Dawkins died of complications from Alzheimer’s disease in Maine on December 30, 2005. He was 87. Dawkins was an actor and director in numerous productions in Maine for many years. He was featured as Elwyn Adamson in the 2001 film In the Bedroom, co-starring with his wife Harriet as a elderly married couple.
Ray Davis
DAY, SONNY Country musician Sonny Day died of bone cancer on February 7, 2005. He was 80. He was an original member of Roy Acuff ’s Smoky Mountain Boys, playing accordion with the group from the 1940s. He appeared with Acuff in the film Night Train to Memphis. Day also appeared regularly with the Grand Ole Opry, and performed or recorded with such stars as Patsy Cline, Tanya Tucker, and Minnie Pearl.
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2005 • Obituaries Bloody Sunday (1971), Don’t Just Lie There, Say Something (1973), In Celebration (1975), and Cry Wolf (1980). She also appeared in television productions of Your Name’s Not God, It’s Edgar (1968), Persuasion (1971), Sunset Across the Bay (1975), The Patricia Neal Story (1981), and A Very British Coup (1988). Her television credits also include episodes of Jacks and Knaves, Dial RIX, Rogues’ Gallery, I Didn’t Know You Cared, Survivors, All Creatures Great and Small, Angels, Juliet Bravo, and Ever Decreasing Circles.
Bill Dawkins
Sonny Day
DAYE, GABRIELLE British character actress Gabrielle Daye died in England on January 5, 2005. She was 93. Daye was born in Manchester, England, on October 2, 1911. She was best known for her role as Beattie Pearson in the popular British television series Coronation Street from 1975 to 1981. Daye also starred as Mrs. Pring in the comedy series Bless Me Father from 1978 to 1981, and was Mrs. Burrows in Flying Lady (1987). She appeared in a handful of films during her career including Twilight Hour (1945), Saints and Sinners (1949), Little Big Shot (1952), 10 Rillington Place (1971), Sunday
Gabrielle Daye
DAYTON, RONN Actor Ronn Dayton, who doubled for Frankie Avalon in several of the Beach Party films in the 1960s, died of complications from heart surgery in Reno, Nevada, on August 27, 2005. He was 70. Dayton was born in Chicago, Illinois, on September 29, 1934. He was active in films in the 1960s, doubling for Avalon and appearing in small roles in Bikini Beach (1964), Robin and the 7 Hoods (1964), Pajama Party (1964), Beach Blanket Bingo (1965), How to Stuff a Wild Bikini (1965), Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine (1965), Thunder Alley (1967), Devil’s Angels (1967), Maryjane (1968), and Helle’s Belles (1970). Dayton retired to Wakiki, Hawaii, in the 1980s. DE ALBA, FELIPE Character actor Felipe de Alba died in New York on November 15, 2005. He was 81. He began his film career in Mexico in the 1940s when he was chosen by actress Maria Felix to appear opposite her in 1946’s La Devoradora. He also appeared in the films El Puente del Castigo (1946), El Gallero (1948), Yo Dormi con un Fantasma (1949), Una Familia de Tantas (1949), The Perez Family (1949), Eterna Agonia (1949), Canta y no Llores (1949), Love for Love (1950), Mi Querido Capitan (1950), Furia Roja (1951), Stronghold (1951), El Martir del Calvario (1952), Mujer de Medianoche (1952), Las Carinosas (1953), and Luis Bunuel’s The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (1954) as Captain Oberzo. De Alba subsequently came to the United States. He was married for one day to actress Zsa Zsa Gabor in 1982. The couple were married aboard ship and the union was annulled soon afterwards. De Alba appeared as the grandfather in the 2002 film Real Women Have Curves (2002). He also wrote, produced, and appeared in the 2002 Mexican-made films El Sueno de Elias and Noche y Luz.
Felipe De Alba
Obituaries • 2005 DE ANGELIS, RICHARD Character actor Richard De Angelis died of congestive heart failure and complications from prostate cancer at his home in Silver Springs, Maryland, on December 28, 2005. He was 73. De Angelis was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1932. He worked as an accountant for over a decade before embarking on a career in show business. He worked as a stand up comic and appeared in small roles in several films including Being There (1979), First Monday in October (1981), The Man Who Wasn’t There (1983), Chances Are (1989), Men Don’t Leave (1990), Replay (2003), and A Dirty Shame (2004). He also appeared in the 2000 tele-film Homicide: The Movie and starred in the recurring role of Baltimore police Col. Raymond Foerster in the HBO crime series The Wire from 2003 to 2004. • New York Times, Jan. 3, 2006; People, Jan. 16, 2006, 75.
Richard De Angelis
86 Loneliest Runner (1976), Sergeant Matlovich Vs. the U.S. Air Force (1978), Cocaine: One Man’s Seduction (1983), The Execution (1985), Wes Craven’s Chiller (1985), Streets of Justice (1985), Outrage! (1986), and Shannon’s Deal (1989). His numerous television credits also include roles in such series as Mary Tyler Moore, Police Woman, The Incredible Hulk, The Amazing Spider-Man, The Phoenix, Dynasty, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Our House, Matlock, Sisters, Coach, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Beverly Hills, 90210, Martial Law, Cold Case, and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
DE CASTRO, ISABEL Portuguese actress Isabel de Castro died of cancer in Borba, Portugal, on November 23, 2005. She was 74. De Castro was born in Lisbon, Portugal, on August 1, 1931. She was a popular star in Portuguese films from the 1940s, appearing in Barrio (1947), Fuego! (1949), La Danza del Corazon (1952), El Presidio (1954), As Pupilas do Senhor Reitor (1961), Sunday Afternoon (1966), Lerpar (1975), Brandos Costumes (1975), Francisca (1981), A Portuguese Farewell (1986), O Desejado (1988), Tall Stories (1988), Three Less Me (1988), Hard Times (1988), The Blood (1989), Xavier (1992), Vertigem (1992), Abraham’s Valley (1993), Shadows in a Conflict (1993), Here on Earth (1993), Three Palm Trees (1994), Taxi to Portugal (1994), Down to Earth (1995), Isle of Contempt (1996), Voyage to the Beginning of the World (1997), Traffic (1998), Senhor Jeronimo (1998), Gloria (1999), When It Thunders (1999), Low Flying Aircraft (2002), Us (2003), and A Casa Esquecida (2004). She also appeared frequently in character roles on Portuguese television, starring in such series as Alves dos Reis (2000) and Anjo Selvagem (2001).
DEARTH, BILL Character actor Bill Dearth died in Los Angeles on May 21, 2005. He was 57. Dearth was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on November 16, 1947. He moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career in the early 1970s and made his film debut in Marathon Man. Dearth was also seen in the films 48 Hrs. (1982) with Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte, Rhinestone (1984), Banzai Runner (1987), The Glass Shield (1994), Spark (1996), and Officer Down (2005). Dearth, who was often cast as police officers, also appeared in the tele-films The
Isabel De Castro
DE CLOSS, JAMES Actor James De Closs died on May 4, 2005. He was 71. De Closs was born on September 7, 1933. He was seen in the films Cinderella Liberty (1973), Freebie and the Bean (1974), Harry and Walter Go to New York (1976), Hide in Plain Sight (1980), Lookin’ to Get Out (1982), and Alien Nation (1988). He also appeared in the 1972 pilot tele-film Longstreet, and guest-starred in episodes of Lawman and Daniel Boone. Bill Dearth
DEE, SANDRA Actress Sandra Dee, who became a film icon in the 1950s and early 1960s starring in
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Sandra Dee
such roles as Gidget and Tammy, died of complications from kidney disease and pneumonia in a Thousand Oaks, California, hospital on February 20, 2005. She was 63. She was born Alexandra Zuck in Bayonne, New Jersey, on April 23, 1941 (though sources also indicate 1942 or 1944). She began working as a model in her early teens and made her film debut in the 1957 feature Until They Sail. She soon became a popular teen star in such films as The Reluctant Debutante (1958), The Restless Years (1958), A Stranger in My Arms (1959), Gidget (1959) as surfing girl Francine “Gidget” Lawrence, Imitation of Life (1959), The Wild and the Innocent (1959), and A Summer Place (1959). Dee starred with Rock Hudson and Bobby Darin in the 1960 film Portrait in Black and married Darin soon after the production was completed. She continued to star in films throughout the 1960s including Romanoff and Juliet (1961), Tammy Tell Me True (1961), taking over the role that Debbie Reynolds had created several years earlier, Come September (1961), If a Man Answers (1962), Tammy and the Doctor (1863), Take Her, She’s Mine (1963), I’d Rather Be Rich (1964), That Funny Feeling (1965), A Man Could Get Killed (1966), Doctor, You’ve Got to Be Kidding (1967), and Rosie! (1967). Dee’s marriage to Darin ended in 1967, and her film career largely ended as well. She next appeared in the 1970 horror film The Dunwich Horror based on a story by H.P. Lovecraft, and was seen in tele-films The Manhunter (1972), The Daughters of Joshua Cabe (1972), Houston, We’ve Got a Problem (1974), and the 1977 pilot film for Fantasy Island. She also appeared on television in episodes of Rod Serling’s Night Gallery, Love, American Style, The Sixth Sense, Police Woman, and Fantasy Island. She made her final film appearance in the 1983 feature Lost. Dee suffered from many physical and psychological problems ranging from alcoholism, depression and anorexia, to diagnoses of throat cancer and kidney failure in recent years. Her stormy marriage to Bobby Darin was recounted in the 2004 film Beyond the Sea, starring Kevin Spacey as Darin and Kate Bosworth as Dee. She is survived by her only child, Dodd Darin, and two granddaughters. • Los Angeles Times, Feb. 21, 2005, B8; New York Times, Feb. 21, 2005, A17; People, Mar. 7, 2005, 74; Time, Mar. 7, 2005, 27; Times (of London), Jan. 22, 2005, 56; Variety, Feb. 28, 2005, 53.
2005 • Obituaries DEEL, GUY Artist and illustrator Guy Deel died of complications from Alzheimer’s disease in Los Angeles on December 13, 2005. He was 72. Deel was born in Tuxedo, Texas, on July 7, 1933. He began drawing professionally after attending the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles in the early 1950s. His work was published in such magazines as Saturday Evening Post, Good Housekeeping, Reader’s Digest, and Redbook. He also designed the painted the numerous book cover illustrations for such western authors as Louis L’Amour, J.T. Edson, and Elmer Kelton. Deel also worked for Disney Studios and a designer and stylist. He designed the titles for the films The Strongest Man in the World (1975) and The Shagg y D.A. (1976), and was an artist and character designer on the animated films The Rescuers (1977), Oliver and Company (1988), The Lion King (1994), The Pebble and the Penguin (1995), Pocahontas (1995), Tarzan (1999), and Fantasia 2000 (1999). Deel was also the artist who created the huge mural that graces the Gene Autry Western Heritage Museum in Los Angeles.
Guy Deel
DEES, MARY Actress Mary Dees died on August 4, 2005. She was 93. Dees was a stand-in and double for film star Jean Harlow in the 1930s. She doubled for Harlow in 1937’s Saratoga and finished Harlow’s scenes in the film when the actress died before shooting
Mary Dees
Obituaries • 2005 was completed. Another actress, Paula Winslowe, dubbed Harlow’s voice in the footage. Dees also appeared in the films Dinner at Eight (1933), Kid Millions (1934), The Man with Two Faces (1934), Let’s Talk It Over (1934), Two-Fisted (1935), Hoi Polloi (1935) with the Three Stooges, Born to Dance (1936), Bad Guy (1937), The Last Gangster (1937), The Shopworn Angel (1938), and The Women (1939). Dees made her final film appearance in the 1946 Marx Brothers comedy A Night in Casablanca.
DEGUERE, PHILIP, JR. Television producer, director and writer, Philip DeGuere, Jr. died of cancer in Los Angeles on January 24, 2005. He was 60. DeGuere was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on July 19, 1944. He began working at Universal Studios after attending Stanford University. He wrote for such television series as Alias Smith and Jones, Baretta, City of Angels, Stone, Magnum, P.I., and Whiz Kids. He also scripted the telefilms How to Steal an Airplane (1971), The 3,000 Mile Chase (1977), Dr. Strange (1978) which he also directed, and The Last Convertible (1979). DeGuere was a producer and director for the series Baa Baa Black Sheep and was the producer and creator of the popular CBS detective series Simon and Simon, which aired from 1981 to 1988. He also produced, directed and scripted episodes of the new Twilight Zone series in 1985, and the series Max Headroom. He wrote and created the 1998 series Air America, and was a writer and producer for Navy NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service. He also wrote episodes of JAG and Stephen King’s The Dead Zone. • Los Angeles Times, Feb. 2, 2005, B10; Variety, Feb. 7, 2005, 92.
88 See Arnold Run, and appeared on television as Alexis Cameron in the series The Court in 2002. Her other television credits include episodes of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, The Practice, Without A Trace, Dragnet, Monk, and CSI: Miami. • People, Mar. 28, 2005, 97; Variety, Feb. 28, 2005, 54.
Nicole DeHuff
DELFINO, LUIZ Brazilian actor Luiz Delfino died in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on May 25, 2005. He was 83. Delfino was born in Ouro Preto, Brazil, in 1921. He began his career on stage in 1946. He performed in films, radio, and television during his career. His film credits include Tudo Azul (1952), Com o Diabo no Corpo (1952), Teus Olhos Castanhos (1961), Em Busca do Tesouro (1967), Papai Trapalhao (1968), Ali Baba e os Quarenta Ladroes (1972), O Comprador de Fazendas (1974), As Deliciosas Traicoes do Amor (1975).
Philip DeGuere, Jr.
DEHUFF, NICOLE Nicole DeHuff, who starred as the older sister in the popular comedy film Meet the Parents, died in Hollywood on February 16, 2005. She was 31. DeHuff was born in Oklahoma on January 6, 1974. She made her film debut in 2000’s Meet the Parents with Ben Stiller and Robert DeNiro. She played Deborah Byrnes, the sister of Stiller’s girlfriend, whose wedding leads to the comedy situations in the film. She also appeared in the 2004 thriller Suspect Zero, and the independent films Killing Cinderella and Unbeatable Harold. She was also seen in the 2005 tele-film
Luiz Delfino
DELGADO, JUNIOR Jamaican reggae singer Junior Delgado died in London on April 11, 2005. He was 46. He was born Oscar Hibbert in Kingston, Jamaica, on August 25, 1958. He began performing while in his teens, singing with the group Time Unlimited in the 1970s. His debut album, Taste of the Young Heart, was released in 1978. He toured and recorded often in England in the 1980s, producing such albums as Effort, The More She Love It, and Disco Style Showcase. His most popular songs
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2005 • Obituaries
Junior Delgado
Tonino Delli Colli
include “Sons of Slaves,” “Away with Your Fussing and Fighting,” and “Raggamuffin Year.” • Times (of London), Apr. 15, 2005, 75.
Toto the Third Man (1951), City of Pain (1951), Accidents to the Taxes!! (1951), It’s Him! ... Yes! Yes! (1951), The Eleven Musketeers (1952), Three Corsairs (1952), Toto and the Women (1952), Italy’s first color film Toto in Color (1952), Jolanda, the Daughter of the Black Corsair (1952), I Always Loved You (1953), The Pagans (1953), Night of Love (1954), The Shadow (1954), Where Is Freedom? (1954), The Intruder (1956), Donatella (1956), Poor But Beautiful (1957), Oh! Sabella (1957), Poor Girl, Pretty Girl (1957), Venice, the Moon and You (1958), First Love (1958), Adorable and a Liar (1958), Seven Hills of Rome (1958), Poor Millionaires (1959), World by Night (1959), The Friend of the Jaguar (1959), Female Three Times (1959), Morgan the Pirate (1961), The Thief of Bagdad (1961), The Wonders of Aladdin (1961), Acattone! (1961), The Nun of Monza (1962), The New Angels (1962), Swordsman of Siena (1962), RoGoPaG (1963), Not On Your Life (1963), Extraconjugal (1964), A Very Handy Man (1964), Love in Four Dimensions (1964), The Beautiful Swindlers (1964), The Gospel According to St. Matthew (1964), The Mandrake (1965), Assembly of Love (1965), The Camp Followers (1965), The Hawks and the Sparrows (1966), The Sultans (1966), Sergio Leone’s landmark spaghetti western The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966), China Is Near (1967), Ghosts — Italian Style (1968), Mafia (1968), Caprice Italian Style (1968), Louis Malle’s “William Wilson” segment of 1968’s Spirits of the Dead, No Roses for OSS 117 (1968), Once Upon a Time in the West (1968), Love Circle (1969), Pigpen (1969), Operation Snafu (1970), Pussycat, Pussycat, I Love You (1970), Man of the Year (1971), The Decameron (1971), Come Together (1971), Pilgrimage (1972), Deaf Smith and Johnny Ears (1972), The Canterbury Tales (1972), The Master Touch (1972), Bawdy Tales (1973), Lovers and Other Relatives (1973), The Sensual Man (1973), How Long Can You Fall? (1974), Lacombe, Lucien (1974), Seven Beauties (1975), Salo, or The 120 Days of Sodom (1976), Dear Michael (1976), The Purple Taxi (1977), The Forbidden Room (1977), Beach House (1977), The New Monsters (1977), First Love (1978), Blood Feud (1978), Dear Papa (1979), A Trip with Anita (1979), The Photogenic (1980), Hurricane Rosie (1980), Sunday Lovers (1980), Ghost of Love (1981), Tales of Ordinary Madness (1981), Trenchcoat (1983), The Future Is Woman (1984), Ginger and Fred (1986), The Name of the Rose (1986), Fellini’s Intervista
DELIEGE, PAUL Belgian cartoonist Paul Deliege died in Belgium on July 7, 2005. He was 74. Deliege was born in Belgium on January 21, 1931. He began drawing cartoons in the 1950s at the Belgian daily Le Soir. He worked with the popular Spirou magazine from the 1960s, were he co-created the popular series Theophile & Philibert. He also drew numerous humorous strips including Bobo, Superdingue, and Cabanon. Deliege also created the popular strip Les Krostons in 1968, about three cartoon characters out to conquer the world. He continued the strip until 1983, and drew Bobo until his retirement in 1996.
Paul Deliege
DELLI COLLI, TONINO Italian cinematographer Tonino Delli Colli died of heart problems in his Rome, Italy, apartment on August 17, 2005. He was 81. Delli Colli was born in Rome on November 20, 1923. He began working in Rome’s Cinecitta studios while in his teens and went on to work with such esteemed directors as Federico Fellini, Sergio Leone, and Pier Paolo Pasolini. He was director of photography for over 100 films from the mid–1940s including Lost Happiness (1946), Nada (1947), The Island of Procida (1948), Fugitive Lady (1949), Nero and the Burning of Rome (1949), Man of Death (1949), Fame and the Devil (1949), Il Voto (1950),
Obituaries • 2005 (1987), Stradivari (1989), The African Woman (1990), The Voice of the Moon (1990), A Simple Story (1991), Especially on Sunday (1991), Bitter Moon (1992), The Thirst for Gold (1993), Death and the Maiden (1994), Looking for Paradise (1995), Marianna Ucria (1977), and Life Is Beautiful (1997). • Los Angeles Times, Aug. 24, 2005, B8; New York Times, Aug. 21, 2005, 27; Time, Aug. 29, 2005, 21.
DELOREAN, JOHN Z. Automobile designer and executive John Z. DeLorean died of complications from a stroke in a Summit, New Jersey, hospital on March 19, 2005. He was 80. DeLorean was born in Detroit, Michigan, on January 6, 1925. He began working in the automotive industry as an engineer with Packard Motor Car Company in 1952. He moved over to General Motors in 1956 and became general manager of the Pontiac division in 1965. He was promoted to manager of the Chevrolet division in 1969 and became a General Motors vice president in 1972. He left the company the following year, claiming G.M. had conflicts with his often flamboyant business style. He subsequently formed his own automobile company in 1981, with a factory in Denmurry, Northern Ireland. Despite a large investment by the British government, the company developed financial difficulties and closed the following year. DeLorean Motors produced only one model, the DMC12, with about 9,000 cars coming off the assembly line before the plant shut down. The stainless steel sports car with doors that resembled gull wings when opened left a lasting impression and were featured as the timetraveling vehicle in the Back to the Future film series in the 1980s starring Michael J. Fox. DeLorean was subsequently charged with dealing in cocaine to save his company from bankruptcy, but was acquitted in a widely publicized trial in 1984. He co-wrote the book On a Clear Day You Can See General Motors with J. Patrick Wright in 1979, and was the subject of a documentary film, DeLorean, in 1981. He divorced his first wife, Elizabeth, after fifteen years of marriage in 1969. He subsequently married actress Kelly Harmon. They divorced three years later and, in 1974, he married actress and model Cristina Ferrare. Ferrare supported him throughout his legal difficulties, but the couple divorced in 1985. He is survived by his fourth wife, Sally. • Los Angeles
90 Times, Mar. 21, 2005, A1; New York Times, Mar. 21, 2005, B7; People, Apr. 4, 2005, 81; Time, Apr. 4, 2005, 19; Times (of London), Mar. 22, 2005, 61.
DELORME, GUY French actor Guy Delorme died in Bry-sur-Marne, France, on December 26, 2005. He was 76. Delorme was born in France on May 23, 1929. He was a popular performer on the French stage, screen, and television from the early 1950s. Delorme’s numerous film credits include Under the Paris Sky (1951), The Hunchback of Paris (1960), The Battle of Austerlitz (1960), Captain Blood (1960), Fortunate (1960), The Fighting Musketeers (1961), The Miracle of the Wolves (1961), Vengeance of the Three Musketeers (1961), Long Live Henry IV ... Long Live Love (1961), Captain Fracasse (1961), Rocambole (1962), Ladies’ Man (1962), The Mysteries of Paris (1962), Clash of Steel (1962), Your Turn, Darling (1963), The Gallant Musketeer (1964), FX 18, Secret Agent (1964), The Gorillas (1964), The Majordomo (1965), The Sucker (1965), OSS 117: Mission for a Killer (1965), Seven Guys and a Gal (1966), A Ace and Four Queens (1966), The Big Vacation (1967), The Madman of Lab Four (1967), Fantomas Against Scotland Yard (1967), The Last Adventure (1967), I Killed Rasputin (1967), Dead Run (1967), Farewell, Friend (1968), The Return of Monte Cristo (1968), The Comeuppance (1969), The Brain (1969), The Southern Star (1969), My Uncle Benjamin (1969), Atlantic Wall (1970), Take It Easy It’s a Waltz (1971), Quentin Durward (1971), Jesus Franco’s 1974 horror film Lorna, the Exorcist, The Main Thing Is to Love (1975), Blue Rita (1977), Perceval (1978), and Le Fou du Roi (1984). He was also seen in the tele-films The Hostage Tower (1980) and Robinson Crusoe and Man Friday (1981).
Guy Delorme
John Z. DeLorean
DE LOS ANGELES, VICTORIA Spanish operatic soprano Victoria de los Angeles died of respiratory failure in Barcelona, Spain, on January 15, 2005. She was 81. De los Angeles was born in Barcelona on November 1, 1923. She studied at the Barcelona Conservatory and made her professional debut in 1945. She performed on the BBC’s production of La Vida Breve in 1948. Over the next several years she performed in Paris, Salzburg, and London’s Covent Garden. She made her debut with the Metropolitan Opera in New York as Mar-
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Victoria de los Angeles
guerite in 1951. She also performed with La Scala in Milan, Italy, from 1950 to 1956, and appeared in other productions at the Met throughout the decade. De los Angeles performed primarily as a concert singer from the early 1960s. She continued to sing in concerts and occasional operas until her retirement in March of 1994. • Los Angeles Times, Jan. 18, 2005, B11; New York Times, Jan. 16, 2005, 26; Times (of London), Jan. 17, 2005, 49.
DE MASI, FRANCESCO Italian film composer Francesco de Masi died in Rome on November 6, 2005. He was 75. De Masi was born in Rome on January 11, 1930. He composed scores for hundreds of films from the early 1960s. His numerous film credits include Suleiman the Conqueror (1961), Toto vs. Maciste (1962), The Red Sheik (1962), Colossus of the Arena (1962), The Carpet of Horror (1962), The Shadow of Zorro (1962), Goliath and the Sins of Babylon (1963), Son of Hercules in the Land of Darkness (1963), Hypnosis (1963), The Ghost (1963), Scarlet Eye (1963), The Burning of Rome (1963), Weapons of Vengeance (1963), Hercules vs. the Giant Warrior (1964), The Sign of the Coyote (1964), Magnificent Brutes of the West (1964), Samson in King Solomon’s Mines (1964), Seven Slaves Against Rome (1964), Two Gunmen (1964), Tiko and the Shark (1964), Seven Rebel Gladiators (1965), Temple of a Thousand Lights (1965), The Man from Oklahoma (1965), The Last of the Mohicans (1965), The Lion of Thebes (1965), Serenade for Two Spies (1965), The Revenge of Spartacus (1965), Desperate Mission (1965),
Francesco De Masi
2005 • Obituaries Man of the Cursed Valley (1965), Lone and Angry Man (1965), Seven Dollars on the Red (1966), An Angel for Satan (1966), Third Eye (1966), Operation Apocalypse (1966), Arizona Colt (1966), Any Gun Can Play (1966), Your Turn to Die (1967), The Fantastic Three (1967), Death Trip (1967), Two Crosses at Danger Pass (1967), Master Stroke (1967), Ringo, Face of Revenge (1967), The Murder Clinic (1967), Spies Kill Silently (1967), Blood Calls to Blood (1968), Fifteen Scaffolds for the Killer (1968), Taste of Death (1968), The Moment to Kill (1968), Time and Place for Killing (1968), The Magnificent Texan (1968), Seven Pistols for a Massacre (1968), Rattle Kid (1968), Johnny Hamlet (1968), Seven Winchesters for a Massacre (1968), Kill Them All and Come Back Alone (1968), Love Me, Baby, Love Me! (1969), Sartana Does Not Forgive (1969), Three Golden Serpents (1969), Lesbo (1969), Two Brothers, One Death (1969), Battle Squadron (1969), Ostia (1970), Challenge of the McKennas (1970), For a Fist in the Eye (1970), Mission Phantom (1970), Sartana’s Coming, Get Your Coffins Ready (1970), The Weekend Murders (1970), Zorro, Rider of Vengeance (1971), Vendetta at Dawn (1971), Crime Boss (1972), The Big Game (1972), African Story (1972), The House of the Doves (1972), Bloody Friday (1972), Pirates of Blood Island (1972), Bawdy Tales (1973), The Weapon, the Hour, and the Motive (1973), Org y of the Dead (1973), Silence the Witness (1974), The Arena (1974), Private Vices and Public Virtues (1975), Ettore the Trunk (1975), Counterfeit Commandos (1977), Weapons of Death (1977), Vengeance (1977), Nazi Love Camp 27 (1977), New York Ripper (1982), Horror Safari (1982), Rush (1983), Thor the Conqueror (1983), Lone Wolf McQuade (1983), Escape from the Bronx (1983), Thunder Warrior (1983), Deadly Impact (1984), Cobra Mission (1985), Mad Dog (1985) Formula for a Murder (1985), Days of Hell (1986), Thunder Warrior III (1988), Bye Bye Vietnam (1988), The Hateful Dead (1989), and The Tortilla Road (1991).
DE MESQUITA, BUENO Dutch entertainer Bueno De Mesquita died of complications from lung cancer and a brain tumor in Lelystad, the Netherlands, on August 19, 2005. He was 87. De Mesquita was born in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on July 23, 1918. He teamed with Rita Corita from the 1950s, performing in vaudeville, television and films. De Mesquita was fea-
Bueno De Mesquita
Obituaries • 2005 tured in the films Tante Trude aus Buxtehude (1971), SexExpress in Oberbayern (1977), and Himmel, Scheich und Wolkenbruch (1979).
DENIZ, FRANK Guitarist Frank Deniz died in Stanstead Abbots, Hertfordshire, England, on July 17, 2005. He was 92. He was born Francisco Antonio Deniz in Cardiff, Wales, on July 21, 1912. He learned the guitar at an early age and moved to London to perform in 1937. He became a fixture on the Latin music scene there. Deniz served in the Merchant Marine during World War II and resumed his music career after the war. He became a member of Harry Parry’s Radio Rhythm Club Sextet and performed often on British radio. He also joined with his younger brothers, Joe and Laurie, to form the Hermanos Deniz Cuban Rhythm Band. Deniz played in the 1959 film Our Man in Havana, and was a leading session musician over the next two decades. He retired from performing in 1980.
Frank Deniz
DENNEY, DODO Actress Dolores “Dodo” Denney died at her home in Crestline, California, after a brief illness on November 20, 2005. She was 77. Denney was born in Kansas City, Missouri, on May 5, 1928. She began her career on local television playing Marilyn the Witch on The Witching Hour television program. She also performed in plays off–Broadway in New York. Denney was also featured in several films, notably as
Dodo Denney (as Marilyn the Witch)
92 Mrs. Teevee in 1971’s Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory with Gene Wilder. Her other film credits include Who’s Minding the Mint? (1967), I Walk the Line (1970), American Hot Wax (1978), Splash (1984), Mr. & Mrs. Bridge (1990), and Ride with the Devil (1999). She was also seen in the tele-films Good Old Days (1966), Do Not Fold, Spindle, or Mutilate (1971), The Amazing Cosmic Awareness of Duffy Moon (1976), My Mom’s Having a Baby (1977), Trouble River (1977), Skag (1980), Ethel Is an Elephant (1980), The Burden of Proof (1992), A Matter of Justice (1993), and Truman (1995). She also appeared on television in episodes of My Favorite Martian, I Spy, Bewitched, Green Acres, Get Smart, Petticoat Junction, McCloud, The Sandy Duncan Show, Starsky and Hutch, Soap, and Eight Is Enough.
DENNIS, BEVERLY Actress Beverly Dennis died of multiple myeloma on January 20, 2005. She was 79. Dennis was born in Rahway, New Jersey, on December 12, 1925. She appeared in several films in the early 1950s including Westward the Women (1951), Challenge of the Wilderness (1951), and Take Care of My Little Girl (1951). She also starred as Red Buttons’ wife in the television comedy series The Red Buttons Show in 1952, and was featured in episodes of Kraft Television Theatre and Danger. Dennis’ career, along with that of her husband, actor Russell Dennis, largely ended when they fell victim to the House Un-American Activities Committee blacklist. Dennis returned to school and studied to become a psychotherapist. • New York Times, Feb. 14, 2005, A19; Variety, Jan. 31, 2005, 69. DENNY, MARTIN Pianist and bandleader Martin Denny, who was known for his popular exotic tropical instrumental compositions in the 1950s, died in Hawai’i Kai, Hawaii, on March 2, 2005. He was 93. Denny was born in New York City on April 10, 1911. He performed in bands from the early 1930s and served in the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II. After the war he performed as an accompanist for performers Betty Hutton and Hildegarde. He formed a popular musical group in Hawaii in 1955, and recorded the 1959 hit instrumental “Quiet Village.” He topped the charts with his album Exotica, and recorded such songs as “Primativa,” “Island of Dreams,” “Hypnotique,” “Love at Sight,” “Blue Paradise,” “Sake Rock,” “Cobra,” and
Martin Denny
93 “Burma Train.” Denny’s popularity subsided in the early 1960s. • Los Angeles Times, Mar. 7, 2005, B7; New York Times, Mar. 5, 2005, A11; Variety, Mar. 7, 2005, 62.
DENVER, BOB Bob Denver, who starred as First Mate Gilligan in the television cult comedy classic Gilligan’s Island, died of complications from surgery for throat cancer at a Winston-Salem, North Carolina, hospital on September 2, 2005. He was 70. Denver was born in New Rochelle, New York, on January 9, 1935. He began his career on stage in the late 1950s, making his debut in a production of The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial with the Del Ray Players in Los Angeles. Denver was given a screen test for a role in the comedy series The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis starring Dwayne Hickman. He landed the role of Dobie’s beatnik buddy Maynard G. Krebs. Denver became a comic icon with the laid-back Krebs character. Maynard was noted for his aversion to work, voicing a gasping exclamation “Work!?!” whenever anyone would evoke the word in his presence. The series ran from 1959 to 1963. He also appeared in small roles in several films including A Private’s Affair (1959), Take Her, She’s Mine (1963), and For Those Who Think Young (1964). In 1964 he began his best known role as Gilligan, first mate on the S.S. Minnow, a small ship whose “three hour tour” ends up with the passengers and crew stranded on an uncharted tropical island. Marooned with Gilligan were the Skipper (Alan Hale, Jr.), the millionaire, Thurston Howell, III ( Jim Backus), and his wife, Lovey Howell (Natalie Schafer), the movie star, Ginger Grant (Tina Louise), the Professor (Russell Johnson), and Mary Ann (Dawn Wells). Gilligan’s Island ran for three seasons and has aired in reruns ever since. It also spawned several reunion tele-films with Denver and most of the cast returning. They included Rescue from Gilligan’s Island (1978), The Castaways on Gilligan’s Island (1979) and The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan’s Island (1981). Denver also was the voice of Gilligan in the 1974 cartoon series The New Adventures of Gilligan and 1982’s Gilligan’s Planet. Denver also appeared in the films Who’s Minding the Mint? (1967), The Sweet Ride (1968), and Did You Hear the One About the Traveling Saleslady? (1968). He returned to television as Rufus Butterworth in the comedy series The Good Guys in 1968, co-starring with Herb Edelman for two seasons. He
2005 • Obituaries starred as Dusty in the comedy western Dusty’s Trail with Forrest Tucker in 1973, and was Junior in the children’s comedy series Far Out Space Nuts from 1975 to 1976. Denver was also a frequent performer in Steve Martin’s Twilight Theater in 1982, and appeared in the tele-films Scamps (1982), The Invisible Woman (1983), and High School U.S.A. (1983). He also appeared in the feature film Back to the Beach (1987). He reprised his role as Maynard G. Krebs in the 1988 television reunion film Bring Me the Head of Dobie Gillis. He appeared in the 2002 television documentary Surviving Gilligan’s Island: The Incredibly True Story of the Longest Three Hour Tour in History, and played Gilligan once more in the 2004 film Miss Cast Away. Denver’s other television credits include guest roles in episodes of Dr. Kildare, The Farmer’s Daughter, The Andy Griffith Show, Make Room for Daddy, I Dream of Jeannie, Love, American Style, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, The New Gidget, ALF, Baywatch, Evening Shade, Herman’s Head, Roseanne, Meego, and The Simpsons as a voice actor. • Los Angeles Times, Sept. 7, 2005, B10; New York Times, Sept. 7, 2005, C20; People, Sept. 19, 2005, 208; Time, Sept. 19, 2005, 21; Times (of London), Sept. 9, 2005, 79; Variety, Sept. 12, 2005, 81.
DE ROOCK, ROBRECHT Belgian television actor and entertainer Robrecht De Roock died in Belgium on January 23, 2005. He was 33. De Roock was born in Ninove, Flanders, Belgium, on March 25, 1971. He starred in several television series in Belgium from the early 1990s including Familie Backelijau, Sterke Verhalen, De Jacques Vermeire Show, Chris & Co, and Zone Stad.
Robrecht De Roock
Bob Denver
DERVIN, JOSEPH T. Film and television editor Joseph T. Dervin died in Calabasas, California, on June 20, 2005. He was 90. Dervin was born in Somerville, Massachusetts, on November 4, 1914. He began working in films in the late 1930s, editing features at MGM Studios. He edited the films Desire Me (1947), No Questions Asked (1951), Desperate Search (1952), Bright Road (1953), and Fast Company (1953). He began working primarily in television in the 1950s, and was supervising editor on The Loretta Young Show for eight years. He also edited Kung Fu, Charlie’s Angels, The Eleventh Hour, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, and The Young Lawyers.
Obituaries • 2005
94 Heels (2001), See Jane Run (2001), The Man Who Wasn’t There (2001), Human Nature (2001), I Am Sam (2001), Die, Mommie, Die! (2003), and The Aviator (2004) as Louis B. Mayer. DeSantis starred as Norman Neal Williams in the award-winning mini-series Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City. He also appeared as Mr. V in the 2000 series The Near Future, and was producer Scott Wick on HBO’s Entourage in 2005. DeSantis’ other television credits include episodes of Fame, Moonlighting, Doctor Doctor, ALF, My So-Called Life in the recurring role of social studies teacher Mr. Demitri, Early Edition, NYPD Blue, Tracey Takes On, Stark Raving Mad, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Six Feet Under. • Variety, Aug. 29, 2005, 85.
Joseph T. Dervin
Dervin received an Emmy Award for editing The Man from U.N.C.L.E. in 1966, and for his work on Longstreet in 1972. He also edited the feature film versions made from Man from U.N.C.L.E. episodes including The Spy with My Face (1965), The Spy in the Green Hat (1966), and The Helicopter Spies (1968), and edited the 1967 film Brighty of the Grand Canyon. • Variety, July 18, 2005, 49.
DESANTIS, STANLEY Character actor Stanley DeSantis died of a heart attack in Los Angeles on August 16, 2005. He was 52. DeSantis was born in Roslyn, New York, in 1953. He was raised in Chicago and attended New York University film school. He was featured as Gagarian in the television series Paper Chase from 1978 to 1979. He also appeared in the tele-films Rape and Marriage: The Rideout Case (1980), Paper Dolls (1982), Medusa: Dare to Be Truthful (1992), National Lampoon’s Attack of the 5 Ft. 2 Woman (1994), Witch Hunt (1994), Broken Trust (1995), The Barefoot Executive (1995), The Beneficiary (1997), and Lansky (1999). He was also seen in numerous feature films including Black Moon Rising (1986), Vital Signs (1990), Taking Care of Business (1990), Candyman (1992), Caged Fear (1992), Doppelganger (1993), Ed Wood (1994), The Birdcage (1996), The Truth About Cats & Dogs (1996), The Fan (1996), After the Game (1997), Fools Rush In (1997), Clockwatchers (1997), Boogie Nights (1997), Heartwood (1998), Bulworth (1998), Rush Hour (1998), Head Over
Stanley DeSantis
DESMOND, FRANKIE British comedian Frankie Desmond died in England on July 4, 2005. He was 74. Desmond was born in Cardiff, Wales, in May of 1931. He began his career performing in revues in Scarborough under the name of Mr. Scarborough. He wrote material for comedians on the BBC and had success as a stand-up comedian. He was best known for his performances as a pantomime dame. • Times (of London), Aug. 20, 2005, 67.
Frankie Desmond
DETLIE, JOHN S. Hollywood set designer and architect John S. Detlie died of lung cancer in Westlake Village, California, on November 30, 2005. He was 96. Detlie was born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on December 23, 1908. He studied architecture at the University of Pennsylvania and moved to Hollywood after his graduation in 1933 to work in films. He worked on numerous features over the next decade as an art director and production designer. His film credits include Mama Steps Out (1937), A Family Affair (1937), Saratoga (1937), Everybody Sing (1938), Test Pilot (1938), Hold That Kiss (1938), Three Loves Has Nancy (1938), A Christmas Carol (1938), Lucky Night (1939), On Borrowed Time (1938), Another Thin Man (1939), Broadway Melody of 1940 (1940), Edison, the Man (1940), Strike Up the Band (1940), Bitter Sweet (1940) which earned him an Academy Award nomination, Andy Hardy’s Private Secretary (1941), The Bad Man (1941), Lady Be Good (1941), The Chocolate Soldier (1941), I Married an Angel (1942), Crossroads (1942), The War Against Mrs. Hadley (1942), and
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2005 • Obituaries
John S. Detlie
Armand Deutsch (with his wife, Harriet)
Panama Hattie (1942). Detlie left films in the early 1940s to join and architectural firm. During World War II he was assigned to camouflage the Boeing airplane factory in Seattle, Washington, to confuse enemy bombers. Detlie was married to actress Veronica Lake from 1940 until 1943. He is survived by his second wife, Virginia, whom he married in 1946.
When he was picked up by a chauffeur instead of walking home, Leopold and Loeb chose Bobby Franks as their victim instead on May 24, 1924. The notorious murder case in what was basically a motiveless crime, was the inspiration for several films including Alfred Hitchcock’s Rope. Deutsch worked as an investment broker after college and served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. After the war he went to Hollywood, where he produced several films including Ambush (1949), The Magnificent Yankee (1950), Right Cross (1950), Three Guys Named Mike (1951), Kind Lady (1951), The Girl in White (1952), Carbine Williams (1952), The Girl Who Had Everything (1953), Green Fire (1954), Slander (1956), and Saddle the Wind (1958). He became a close friend of such Hollywood personalities as Humphrey Bogart and Ronald and Nancy Reagan. He was also a leading patron of the arts, serving as president of the board of the Center Theater Group from 1972 to 1976. When Reagan became president he appoint Deutsch as a member of the Presidential Task Force on the Arts and Humanities. Deutsch was also author of the book Me and Bogie, and Other Friends and Acquaintances from a Life in Hollywood and Beyond in 1991. • Los Angeles Times, Aug. 17, 2005, B10; New York Times, Aug. 18, 2005, A23; Variety, Aug. 29, 2005, 85.
DETROIT JUNIOR Emery Williams, Jr., the blues pianist and songwriter who was known as Detroit Junior, died of heart failure at his home in Chicago on August 9, 2005. He was 73. Williams was born on October 26, 1931. He began his career playing clubs in Michigan, and was dubbed Detroit Junior when he began performing in Chicago in the 1950s. He recorded four albums during his career and his songs were also recorded by Kole Taylor and Albert King, including the hit tune “Call My Job.” • Los Angeles Times, Aug. 14, 2005, B14; Times (of London), Aug. 19, 2005, 63.
DEWEY, CHAS Actor and model Casand “Chas” Dewey drowned while swimming at Lake Isabella
Detroit Junior
DEUTSCH, ARMAND Film producer Armand Deutsch died of complications from pneumonia at a Los Angeles hospital on August 13, 2005. He was 92. Deutsch was born to a wealthy family in Chicago on January 25, 1913. He was the grandson of Julius Rosenwald, the chairman of Sears, Roebuck and Co. At the age of 11 he was the intended victim of murderers Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, who planned to kill him.
Chas Dewey
Obituaries • 2005
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near Bakersfield, California, on June 25, 2005. He was 20. Dewey was born in Alexandria, Virginia, on November 2, 1984. He began working as a model as a child, and performed in stage productions and operas in the 1990s. He starred as Neil in the MTV television series Undressed in 2001, and guest starred in an episode of Even Stevens.
DIAMOND, DAVID Leading American composer David Diamond died of congestive heart failure in an assisted living facility in Rochester, New York, on June 13, 2005. He was 89. Diamond was born in Rochester on July 9, 1915. He studied with Roger Sessions in New York and went to Paris to study under Nadia Boulanger in 1936. He was already an acclaimed composer when he returned to the United States, and his First Symphony premiered with the New York Philharmonic in 1941. Diamond’s best known compositions include “Rounds,” written for a string orchestra in 1944. He also composed eleven symphonies, ten string quartets, and various concertos and other pieces of chamber music. Diamond’s fame was eclipsed by the onset of atonal music in the 1950s, but there was a subsequent resurgence of his composition and 1980s and 1990s. • Los Angeles Times, June 16, 2005, B11; New York Times, June 15, 2005, C20; Time, June 27, 2005, 23; Times (of London), July 1, 2005, 70.
Romy Diaz
man’s 1957 science fiction feature Attack of the Crab Monsters, playing a small role in the film and assisting in the operation the Crab Monsters. He was also seen in the films Rock All Night (1957), Loving You (1957), Sorority Girl (1957), War of the Satellites (1958), Teenage Cave Man (1958) with Robert Vaughn, T-Bird Gang (1959) also serving as assistant director, G.I. Blues (1960), Creature from the Haunted Sea (1961), Shell Shock (1964), The Trip (1967), Like Mother Like Daughter (1968), The Savage Seven (1968), Killers Three (1968), Gun Runner (1969) and Angels Die Hard (1970) which he also produced, The Dunwich Horror (1970), Runaway, Runaway (1971), Bury Me an Angel (1972), Welcome Home, Soldier Boys (1972), Summer School Teachers (1974), Capone (1975), Crazy Mama (1975), Cocaine and Blue Eyes (1983), School Spirit (1985), Deadly Dreams (1988), and Future Kick (1991). Dickerson also appeared on television in episodes of The Fall Guy and The Greatest American Hero.
David Diamond
DIAZ, ROMY Philippine character actor Romy Diaz died of cancer of the tongue in a Manila, Philippines, hospital on May 10, 2005. He was 64. Dias appeared in numerous films from the 1960s including Kid Brother (1968), Diegong Daga (1968), Brothers for Hire (1968), Devil Woman (1970), Wonder Vi (1973), The Impossible Kod of Kung Fu (1982), Jungle Wolf (1986), Fast Gun (1987), Nam Angels (1989), Live by the Fist (1993), Angelfist (1993), The Dancer (1997), Spspek (1999), The Expert (2000), Tumbador (2000), Panabla (2001), and Putik (2003). DICKERSON, BEACH Actor Beach Dickerson, who was featured in such Roger Corman cult classics as Attack of the Crab Monsters and Creature from the Haunted Sea, died in Los Angeles of December 7, 2005. He was 81. Dickerson was born in Glenville, Georgia in 1924. He made his film debut working on Roger Cor-
Beach Dickerson
DI FRANCESCANTONIO, FRANCO Italian actor and dancer Franco Di Francescantonio died in Florence, Italy, after a long illness on July 27, 2005. He was 52. Di Francescantonio was born in Monterotondo, Italy, in 1953. He began his career on stage in Florence in the early 1970s. He performed on stage throughout Italy and Spain. He was also seen in several films including Endora (1999), Goya in Bordeaux (1999), The Comeback (2001), and God Is on Air (2002). • Variety, Dec. 26, 2005, 37.
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2005 • Obituaries tary. He also appeared on Broadway in productions of The Wonderful World of Burlesque and Ziegfeld Follies. Dillon performed on television in the 1950s with Perry Como, Victor Borge, Milton Berle and Martha Raye. He also performed for over a decade with vaudeville star Bert Wheeler. Dillon was also seen in several films including The Two Mrs. Grenvilles, Anastasia, Slaughterhouse Five, and Family Business (1989). • Los Angeles Times, Mar. 17, 2005, B11; New York Times, Mar. 18, 2005, B8.
Franco Di Francescantonio
DI GIUSEPPE, ENRICO American operatic tenor Enrico Di Giuseppe died of cancer in Voorhees, New Jersey on December 31, 2005. He was 73. Di Giuseppe was born to Italian immigrants in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on October 14, 1932. He studied music and singing at Juilliard and performed in various productions. He made his debut with the New York City Opera on a 1965 production of Gian Carlo Menotti’s Saint of Bleecker Street. His debut at the Metropolitan Opera was in Madame Butterfly in 1970 opposite Martina Arroyo. He remained a fixture at the New York City Opera for nearly two decades starring in productions of La Traviata, Cavalleria Rusticana, and The Barber of Seville. From the mid–1980s Di Giuseppe performed primarily with the New York Grand Opera, notably starring in the cycle of Verdi Operas in Central Park. • New York Times, Jan. 6, 2006, B7.
Tom Dillon
DIMITROVA, GHENA Bulgarian operatic soprano Ghena Dimitrova died in a hospital in Milan, Italy, on July 11, 2005. She was 64. Dimitrova was born in Bulgaria on May 6, 1941. She made her professional debut in 1965, performing with the Sofia National Opera in Bulgaria. She also sang at La Scala in Milan, the Paris Opera, the Vienna State Opera, and starred in Turandot with the Metropolitan Opera in New York in 1987. She was noted for her performances in such productions as Verdi’s Nabucco, Aida, Cavalleria Rusticana, Tosca, and many others. • Los Angeles Times, June 12, 2005, B15; New York Times, June 13, 2005, B8.
Enrico Di Giuseppe
DILLON, TOM Actor Tom Dillon, who headed the show-business industry charity foundation The Actors’ Fund of America from 1989 to 2004, died at The Actors’ Fund Home in Englewood, New Jersey, on March 14, 2005. He was 86. Dillon was born in Brooklyn, New York, on September 3, 1918. He began performing on stage and radio in the 1930s. Dillon served in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War II and appeared on Broadway in the Moss Hart classic Winged Victory with servicemen from all branches of the mili-
Ghena Dimitrova
DIMITROVA, MARIANA Bulgarian actress Mariana Dimitrova committed suicide on June 2, 2005, by leaping from the eighth floor of a San Diego, California, building, where she had resided with her family
Obituaries • 2005
98 2010 (1994), Mario Puzo’s The Last Don (1997), and First-Time Felon (1997). His other television credits include episodes of Tales of the Gold Monkey, Spenser: For Hire, B.L. Stryker, Wiseguy, The 100 Lives of Black Jack Savage, Roc, The X Files, Nash Bridges, NYPD Blue, Millennium, Brooklyn South, ER, Chicago Hope, The Fugitive, and The Lone Gunmen. • Variety, Jan. 22, 2005, 69.
Mariana Dimitrova
since 1997. She was 51. Dimitrova was born in Kozarevetz, Bulgaria, on May 28, 1954. She was a leading actress in Bulgarian films from the 1970s, starring in such films as Strong Water (1975), Doomed Souls (1975), Bittersweet (1975), Fairy Dance (1976), Manly Times (1977), Be Blessed (1978), Almost a Love Story (1980), Ladies Choice (1980), Elegy (1982), Green Fields (1984), My Darling, My Darling (1986), Bird of Prey (1995), and TapTap (1996).
D’JOLA, BADJA Actor Badja D’jola died in Los Angeles of a heart attack on January 8, 2005. He was 56. D’jola was born on April 9, 1948. He performed on stage as a dancer and African drummer. He began his career in films in the late 1970s, appearing in such features as The Man Event (1979), Penitentiary (1980), Night Shift (1982), The Lonely Guy (1984), The Lightship (1985), The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988), Mississippi Burning (1988), An Innocent Man (1989), A Rage in Harlem (1991), The Last Boy Scout (1991), The Waterdance (1992), Who’s the Man? (1993), Eddie Presley (1993), Heaven’s Prisoners (1996), Rosewood (1997), Gunshy (1998), The Players Club (1998), Butter (1998), Deterrence (1999), The Hurricane (1999), Lost in the Pershing Point Hotel (2000), The Price of Air (2000), Night at the Golden Eagle (2002), Back in the Day (2004), and Slipdream (2005). D’jola was also featured in the tele-films Christmas on Division Street (1991), Marked for Murder (1993), Knight Rider
DJORDJEVIC, ALEKSANDAR Serbian film director Aleksandar Djordjevic died in Beograd, Serbia, on April 27, 2005. He was 80. Djordjevic was born in Subotica, Serbia, Yugoslavia, on July 28, 1924. He began his career as a director of stage productions at the National Theater. He also directed television dramas and series for Television Belgrade. He made his feature film debut with 1974’s Written Off. He also directed the films The Written Off Return (1976), Arrive Before Daybreak (1978), The Adventures of Borivoje Surdilovic (1980), Balkan Express 2 (1988), and Tajna Porodicnog Blaga (2000). He also continued to work in television, helming numerous productions until his death. DODD, MAURICE British cartoonist Maurice Dodd died of a brain hemorrhage at a hospital in Ashford, Surrey, England, on December 31, 2005. He was 83. Dodd was born in Hackney, England, on October 25, 1922. He served in the Royal Air Force during World War II, and studied art after his discharge. He worked in advertising before he began writing the comic strip The Perishers for The Daily Mirror in the late 1950s, partnered with artist Dennis Collins. The cartoon revolved around the antics of a group of children and their Old English Sheep Dog, Boot. He became involved in adapting the The Perishers for television in the early 1980s. Dodd continued to both write and draw the strip after Collins retired in 1983 until Bill Mevin became artist in 1992. Dodd wrote storylines for the comic until his death.
Maurice Dodd
Badja D’jola
DODDS, JOHN Canadian rodeo champion and stuntman John Dodds died of cancer in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, on April 24, 2005. He was 56. Dodds was born in Ponoka, Alberta, Canada, in 1948. He began competing in rodeos at the age of nine. He became a
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2005 • Obituaries
DODERER, JOOP Dutch actor Joop Doderer died in Roelofarendsveen, the Netherlands, on September 22, 2005. He was 84. Doderer was born in Velsen, the Netherlands, on August 28, 1921. Active on stage, films, and television, he appeared in the films Op de Hollandse Toer (1973), Apart (1971), The Human Factor (1979), Moord in Extase (1984), De Prooi (1985), Wilde Harten (1989), Last Call (1995), Little Crumb (1999), Dial 9 for Love (2001), and Peter Bell (2002). He was also seen in television productions of De Ware Jakob (1983), De Sylvia Millecam Show (1995), Joop en Gaston (1995), De Kapsalon (1999), and Viva Boer Gerrit (2000).
DOOHAN, JAMES James Doohan, who starred as the Starship Enterprise chief engineer, Scotty, in the original Star Trek television series and subsequent films, died of complications from pneumonia and Alzheimer’s disease in Redmond, Washington, on July 20, 2005. He was 85. Doohan was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on March 3, 1920. He served in the Canadian army during World War II, and was badly injured with six bullet wounds after landing on Juno Beach on D-Day. After the war he began studying drama in Toronto and at New York’s Neighborhood Playhouse. Doohan became a master of dialects and was a popular radio performer and appeared on television in Canada and the United States. He starred as Phil Mitchell in the 1953 science fiction television series Space Command. He was also seen in episodes of Tales of Tomorrow and Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans, and the Canadian short films Strike in Town (1955) and Strike in Town: Revised (1956). Doohan also appeared in the films The Cage (1956), Test Pilot (1957), and The Business of Farming (1961), and television productions of Flight into Danger (1956) and The Labyrinth (1963). He worked in Hollywood from the early 1960s, appearing in small roles in the films The Wheeler Dealers (1963), 36 Hours (1965), The Satan Bug (1965), and Bus Riley’s Back in Town (1965), and the tele-film Scalplock (1966). He also guest-starred in episodes of The New Breed, Bonanza, Gunsmoke, The Twilight Zone, Hazel, The Virginian, G.E. True, The Gallant Men, Empire, The Outer Limits, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Rogues, Ben Casey, The Fugitive, Laredo, Convoy, Bewitched, The F.B.I., A Man Called Shenandoah, The Iron Horse, and Jericho. When he auditioned for the role of the chief engineer for producer Gene Roddenberry’s new NBC science fiction television series, Doohan tried seven different accents for the role. When the producers asked him which he preferred, Doohan responded, “If this character is going to be an engineer, you’d better make him a Scotsman.” He was featured as Lt. Commander Montgomery “Scotty” Scott for three seasons on NBC from 1966 until 1969. The series starred William Shatner as the dynamic Captain James T. Kirk and Leonard Nimoy as the emotionless half–Vulcan science officer, Mr. Spock. Despite a huge fan following for the series the network cancelled Star Trek due to low ratings. The series leg-
Joop Doderer
James Doohan
John Dodds
member of the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association in the 1960s, He was the Canadian bull riding champion in 1969, 1971, 1972, and 1977. Dodds was also a stuntman in films, working on such features as Dead Bang (1989), The Fourth War (1990), Landslide (1992), Legends of the Fall (1994), Last of the Dogmen (1995), The Scarlet Letter (1995), Portraits of a Killer (1996), Carpool (1996), The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996), Wrongfully Accused (1998), The 13th Warrior (1999), Rat Race (2001), Jet Boy (2001), and John Q (2002). Dodds also worked on the telefilms Convict Cowboy (1995), Black Fox: Good Men and Bad (1995), Dead Man’s Gun (1997), Roughing It (2002), Johnson County War (2002), and Monte Walsh (2003), and did stuntwork for the television series Lonesome Dove: The Series and Lonesome Dove: The Outlaw Years.
Obituaries • 2005
100
endary fan base, known as “Trekkies” or “Trekkers,” kept interest in Star Trek and its cast and characters alive, and becoming even more popular in syndication. Doohan continued acting, appearing in the films Jigsaw (1968), Pretty Maids All in a Row (1971), Man in the Wilderness (1971), and Danny (1977), and guest-starring on television in episodes of Then Came Bronson, Daniel Boone, and Fantasy Island. He returned to the character of Scott for the first time in 1973, voicing the chief engineer and several other characters for the Star Trek animated series. After the success of George Lucas’ science fiction epic Star Wars in 1977, Paramount finally decided to create a film version of the Star Trek series. Reuniting Doohan with the rest of the original cast Star Trek: The Motion Picture was directed by veteran director Robert Wise and was one of 1979’s most successful releases. Doohan returned as Scotty in subsequent sequels including Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan (1982), Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984), Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986), Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989), Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991), and Star Trek: Generations (1994). He also starred as Commander Canarvin in the Saturday morning juvenile science fiction series Jason of Star Command, which aired as a live-action segment of the animated Tarzan and the Super 7 series from 1978 to 1980. He was also seen in episodes of Magnum, P.I., Hotel, MacGyver, and The Ben Stiller Show. Doohan’s later film credits include the tele-film Knight Rider 2000 (1991), Double Trouble (1992), Amore! (1993), National Lampoon’s Loaded Weapon 1 (1993), New York Skyride (1994), Storybook (1995), Bug Buster (1998), Through Dead Eyes (1999), and The Duke (1999). Doohan visited the Star Trek spin-off series Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1992, emerging from suspended animation as Scotty in the episode “Relics.” He also made numerous live appearances at Star Trek fan gatherings and conventions throughout the world, and appeared in the 1997 about the series’ fandom, Trekkies. He also performed Scotty’s voice for many of the Star Trek video games. Doohan appeared as Damon Warwick on the daytime soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful in 1993 and in 1998, and starred as Pippen in the comedy sci-fi series Homeboys in Outer Space in 1996. His last film credit was the 2005 direct-to-video horror film Skinwalker: Curse of the Shaman. • Los Angeles Times, July 21, 2005, B8; New York Times, July 21, 2005, A27; People, Aug. 8, 2005, 77; Time, Aug. 1, 2005, 19; Times (of London), July 21, 2005, 62; Variety, July 25, 2005, 55.
DOUGHERTY, JAMES James Dougherty, who was married to Marilyn Monroe before she became a film star, died of complications from leukemia in San Rafael, California, on August 15, 2005. He was 84. Dougherty was born on April 12, 1921. He began dating Norma Jean Baker in January of 1942, and the two were married on June 19, 1942, when she was 16 years old. He joined the merchant marine several years later and was shipped overseas. Norma Jean Baker soon began getting modelling assignments and starting a film career. She divorced Dougherty in September of 1946 after signing a contract with 20th Century–Fox. She soon became known as sex symbol Marilyn Monroe. Dougherty
James Dougherty
joined the Los Angeles police department, serving 25 years until his retirement in 1974. He later wrote two books about his relationship with Monroe, The Secret Happiness of Marilyn Monroe (1976) and To Norma Jeane with Love, Jimmie (1997). He also appeared in the documentary film Marilyn’s Man in 2004. • Los Angeles Times, Aug. 18, 2005, B10; New York Times, Apr. 19, 2005, C13.
DOWNING, BIG AL Country singer and songwriter Big Al Downing died of leukemia in a Massachusetts hospital on July 4, 2005. He was 65. Downing was born in Leicester, Massachusetts, on January 9, 1940. He began his career as a keyboardist in Wanda Jackson’s rockabilly band in 1957, performing on many of her hit songs including “Let’s Have a Party.” He remained with Jackson until 1964. Fats Domino recorded two of Downing’s songs, “Heartbreak Hill” and “Mary, Oh Mary,” in the early 1960s, and such artists as Tom Jones, Webb Wilder, and Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland also recorded his compositions. Downing had a solo hit himself with 1974’s “I’ll Be Holdin’ On.” He became one of the few black artists to have success in the field of country music and was named Billboard’s Best New Male Country Singles Artist in 1979. His final album, One of a Kind, was released in 2003. • Los Angeles Times, July 7, 2005, B10; New York Times, July 8, 2005, B8; Times (of London), Aug. 4, 2005, 57.
Big Al Downing
101 DOWNING, PATRICK British film and television production designer Patrick Downing died in Norwich, Norfolk, England, on January 9, 2005. He was 76. Downing was born in London on April 5, 1928. He worked as a art director and set designer for the television series Dimensions of Fear, Armchair Theatre, The Avengers, and Out of This World. He was also production designer for the 1972 film Pulp, and the television mini-series Napoleon and Love (1972). DOYLE, TERRY Canadian actor Terry Doyle died of a heart attack in Grand Bend, Ontario, Canada, on June 3, 2005. He was 71. Doyle was born in Guelph, Ontario, Canada, in 1933. He began his acting career on stage at the Guelph Little Theatre. He appeared in several films from the 1970s including Recommendation for Mercy (1975), Night Friend (1987), Prom Night III: The Last Kiss (1989), Change of Heart (1992), and The Spreading Ground (2000). He was also seen in the tele-films Danielle Steele’s Kaleidoscope (1990), The Good Fight (1992), and Alley Cats Strike (2000). His other television credits include episodes of The Littlest Hobo, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Diamonds, Street Legal, and Maniac Mansion.
2005 • Obituaries
October 16, 2005. He was 80. Dresslar was born Elmer L. Dresslar in St. Francis, Kansas, on March 25, 1925. He began performing on stage in the 1950s, touring with the national production of South Pacific. He was a regular performer on the Chicago television variety program In Town Tonight from 1955 to 1960. During the 1960s Dresslar performed and recorded with the groups The J’s with Jamie and The Singers Unlimited. He also sang in numerous television and radio commercials for over forty years. Besides the Jolly Green Giant, Dresslar was the voice of Snap for Rice Krispies’ Snap, Crackle and Pop trio, Kellogg’s Sugar Smacks’ Dig’em the frog, and the Marlboro Man. He retired to Palm Springs in 1991. • Los Angeles Times, Oct. 27, 2005, B11; People, Nov. 14, 2005, 99; Time, Nov. 7, 2005, 23; Variety, Oct. 31, 2005, 73.
DRINDA , HORST German actor Horst Drinda died in Berlin on February 21, 2005. He was 77. Drinda was born in Berlin on May 1, 1927. He appeared in numerous German films from the 1950s including Dr. Semmelweis (1950), The Brave Little Tailor (1956), Lissy (1957), Encounters in the Dark (1960), The Best Years (1965), The Red Orchestra (1971), Two Lines in Small Font (1981), and Jailbirds (1996). He was also a popular performer on German television appearing in numerous tele-films and the series Zur See (1977), Alone Among Wolves (1979), and Aerolina (1990).
Terry Doyle
DRESSLAR, LEN Actor Len Dresslar, who was best known as the voice of the Jolly Green Giant in commercials, died in Palm Springs, California, on
Horst Drinda
DROVE , ANTONIO Spanish film director Antonio Drove died in Paris on September 24, 2005. He was 62. Drove was born in Madrid, Spain, on November 1, 1942. He wrote and directed the films La Primera Comunion (1966), La Caza de Brujas (1967), Que se Pueda Hacer con una Chica (1969), Tocata y Fuga de Lolita (1974), We Who Were So Happy (1976), The Truth on the Savolta Affair (1980), The Tunnel (1987), and the tele-film La Huella del Crimen 2: El Crimen de Don Benito (1990). Drove also scripted the films Al Diablo con el Amor (1973) and B Must Die (1975).
Len Dresslar
DRYDEN, SPENCER Musician Spencer Dryden, who served as the drummer for the legendary rock group Jefferson Airplane in the 1960s, died of stomach cancer at his home in Penngrove, California, on January 11, 2005. He was 66. Dryden was born in New York
Obituaries • 2005
102 and Svullo, and the 1991 sequel Angne and Svullo ’Har och Nu! He appeared frequently of Swedish television, starring in the series 1628 (1991), V som i Viking (1991), and Lukas 1:18 (1999). He was also featured in the films Lilla Jonssonligan och Cornflakeskuppen (1996), Lilla Jonssonligan pa Styva Linan (1997), Sex, Logner & Videovald (2000), and Naked (2000).
Antonio Drove
City on April 7, 1938, and moved to Los Angeles with his family as an infant. He began playing in rock bands in the 1950s and was selected to replace Skip Spence as Jefferson Airplane’s drummer in 1966. He performed on some of the group’s best known albums including Surrealistic Pillow, Bless Its Pointed Little Head, Volunteers, and Crown of Creation. He left the group in 1970 and joined the country-rock band New Riders of the Purple Sage the following year. He played on many of that bands albums including the 1973 hit The Adventures of Panama Red. He briefly served as the band’s manager before leaving in 1978. Dryden joined with other rock music veterans to form the group the Dinosaurs in the 1980s. He also played with Barry Melton’s band before retiring in 1995. Dryden was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the other members of Jefferson Airplane in 1996. He had been suffering from poor health for several years before his death. • Los Angeles Times, Jan. 14, 2005, B9; People, Jan. 31, 2005, 85; Time, Jan. 24, 2005, 21; Times (of London), Jan. 15, 2005, 71; Variety, Jan. 24, 2005, 55.
Micke Dubois
DUFILHO, JACQUES Leading French comic actor Jacques Dufilho died in Paris on August 28, 2005. He was 91. Dufilho was born in Begles, France, on February 19, 1914. He was a leading performer on the French stage, films and television from the late 1930s. Dufilho appeared in over 100 films during his career including Sideral Cruises (1942), Adieu Leonard (1943), Criminal Brigade (1947), The Farm of Seven Sins (1949), Unusual Tales (1949), Dear Caroline (1951), Two Pennies Worth of Violets (1951), Crimson Curtain (1952), Caroline Cherie (1953), Saadia (1953), Knight of the Night (1954), Love in a Hot Climate (1954), CadetRousselle (1954), Photo Finish (1956), Marie Antoinette (1956), Life Is Beautiful (1956), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1956) with Anthony Quinn as Quasimodo, Until the Last One (1957), The Happy Road (1957), The Nude Set (1957), The Foxiest Girl in Paris (1957), A Tale of Two Cities (1958), Hardboiled Egg Time (1958), Honey, Scare Me (1958), Maxime (1958), The Little Pro-
Spencer Dryden
DUBOIS, MICKE Swedish actor Micke Dubois died in Sweden on December 2, 2005. He was 46. Dubois was born in Stockholm, Sweden, on October 21, 1959. He wrote and starred in the 1988 film Angne
Jacques Dufilho
103 fessor (1959), Bobosse (1959), The Overtaxed (1959), Julie the Redhead (1959), Signed, Arsene Lupin (1959), Work and Freedom (1959), Premeditation (1960), Zazie in the Subway (1960), Amazons of Rome (1961), The Black Monocle (1961), Moonlight in Maubeuge (1962), War of the Buttons (1962), The Doll (1962), Snobs! (1962), The Murderer Knows the Score (1963), Good King Dagobert (1963), Sweet and Sour (1963), Mission to Venice (1964), The Visit (1964), The Big Scare (1964), The Wacky World of James Tont (1965), Public School (1965), Lady L (1965), Y Manana? (1967), The Unknown Man of Shandigor (1967), Benjamin (1968), The Hotheads (1969), A Golden Widow (1969), Call Me Mathilde (1969), Rookies Run Amock (1971), Fantasia Among the Squares (1971), Chut! (1972), A Full Day’s Work (1973), The Lonely Heart (1973), The Heavenly Bodies (1973), The Three Fantastic Supermen in the Orient (1974), Soldier of Fortune (1975), Cher Victor (1975), Vow of Chastity (1976), Black and White in Color (1976), DrummerCrab (1977), Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979), Pierrot My Friend (1979), Street of the Crane’s Foot (1979), the 1980 television production of Fantomas as Inspector Juve, The Proud Ones (1980), A Bad Son (1980), Is There a Frenchman in the House? (1982), The Man Who Wasn’t There (1987), Mangeclous (1988), Shipwrecked Children (1992), Petain (1993), as Marshal Philippe Petain, Homer: Portrait of an Artist As an Old Man (1997), Children of the Marshland (1999), What’s Life? (1999), and Above the Clouds (2003). DUFRESNE, NICOLE Actress and playwright Nicole duFresne was shot to death during a confrontation with an armed robber on a New York city street on January 27, 2005. She and her fiancé and another couple had been approached by several gunmen after leaving a Lower East Side bar. DuFresne was shot and killed when she resisted the robber’s attempts at robbery. She was 28. She was a founding member of the Present Tense Theater Project and had performed with the LAByrinth Theater Co. She was also the co-author of the play Burning Cage.
2005 • Obituaries
78. Duke was born in Richmond, Virginia, in 1927. He began working as a newscaster on local radio while in his teens. He graduated from the University of Richmond in 1947 and subsequently joined the Associated Press as a sports reporter. He became involved in coverage of the civil rights movement in Virginia, which brought him to the AP’s Washington bureau in 1957. Duke joined the staff of The Wall Street Journal in 1959, covering Capitol Hill until 1963, when he became a congressional reporter from NBC. He became the host of PBS’s Washington Week in Review in 1974, and served in that capacity for two decades before stepping down in 1994. He briefly returned to the show in 1999 to fill in while PBS searched for another host when his successor was fired. Duke was also involved in the PBS documentary The Great Campaign of 1960 in 2000.
Paul Duke
DUMONT , DUCK Alan Shustak, who directed numerous adult videos under the name Duck Dumont, died of a heart attack on August 15, 2005. He was 56. Dumont was born on December 18, 1948. He helmed over 200 titles from the mid–1980s. He founded the production house RedBoard Video in the late 1990s. His numerous films include Passion Pit (1985), Pleasure Maze (1986), Out of Control (1987), Dream Lovers (1987), The Naked Truth (1990), Mummy Dearest (1990), The Luscious Baker Girls (1990), Sun Bunnies (1991), Sunrise Mystery (1992), and the series Pain, Torment, and Virgin Kink.
Nicole duFresne
DUKE, PAUL Paul Duke, a veteran television newscaster and long-time host of the PBC news series Washington Week in Review, died of leukemia at his home in Washington, D.C., on July 18, 2005. He was
Duck Dumont
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DUNCAN, PAMELA Actress Pamela Duncan, who starred in Roger Corman’s sci-fi cult classics Attack of the Crab Monsters and The Undead in the 1950s, died of complications from a stroke at the Lillian Booth Actors’ Fund of American Home in Englewood, New Jersey, on November 11, 2005. She was 72. Duncan was born in Brooklyn, New York, on December 28, 1932. She went to Hollywood in the early 1950s and made her film debut in the 1951 Western Whistling Hills. Duncan was also seen in the films Lawless Cowboys (1951), Confidence Girl (1952), Two Gun Marshal (1953), Dragonfly Squadron (1954), The Saracen Blade (1954), Return from the Sea (1954), Seven Men from Now (1956), Julie (1956), Attack of the Crab Monsters (1957), The Undead (1957), My Gun Is Quick (1957), Gun Battle at Monterey (1957), Don’t Give Up the Ship (1959), Summer and Smoke (1961), and Girls! Girls! Girls! (1932). She also performed frequently on television, appearing in episodes of Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok, Terry and the Pirates, Craig Kennedy, Criminologist, Cowboy GMen, The Roy Rogers Show, Dragnet, Letter to Loretta, Four Star Playhouse, The Adventures of Kit Carson, Rocky Jones, Space Ranger, Studio 57, Soldiers of Fortune, The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, Screen Directors Playhouse, The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, The George Sanders Mystery Theater, Blondie, Panic!, Tales of Wells Fargo, M Squad, General Electric Theater, Maverick, Tombstone Territory, Harbor Command, Death Valley Days, Sea Hunt, Perry Mason, The Adventures of Jim Bowie, World of Giants, Death Valley Days, Rawhide, Tombstone Territory, Bat Masterson, Peter Gunn, Death Valley Days, Laramie, Mr. Lucky, Colt .45, Lock Up, Boris Karloff ’s Thriller, The Brothers Brannagan, Whispering Smith, Dr. Kildare, The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor, and The Tall Man. She largely retired from acting in the early 1960s. Duncan moved to the Actors’ Home in 1995. She was one of several entertainers who were featured in Curtain Call, the Oscar nominated 2000 documentary about the home’s residents. • Variety, Nov. 28, 2005, 73.
Alan Dundes
tember 8, 1934. He earned a doctorate in folklore at Indiana University in 1962, and began teaching at Berkeley the following year. He became a leading authority on contemporary folklore, authoring the books Interpreting Folklore (1980), Cracking Jokes: Studies of Sick Humor Cycles and Stereotypes (1987), Why Don’t Sheep Shrink When It Rains? A Further Collection of Photocopier Folklore (2000), and The Shabbat Elevator and Other Sabbath Subterfuges (2002). Dundes studies incorporated the usual subjects of folklore scholarship such as fairly tales, proverbs, and superstitions, but extended the field to include graffiti, off-color jokes, and chain letters. Dundes summed up his studies with the words “my professional goals are to make sense of nonsense, find a rationale for the irrational, and seek to make the unconscious conscious.” • Los Angeles Times, Apr. 3, 2005, B14; New York Times, Apr. 2, 2005, A12.
DUNHILL, DAVID British radio announcer David Dunhill died in England on March 20, 2005. He was 88. Dunhill was born in England on March 1, 1917. He began working for the BBC after World War II as a newsreader and announcer. He became announcer for the popular radio comedy Take It from Here. He continued to work for the BBC for nearly five decades as an announcer for the Home Service and its successor, Radio 4. • Times (of London), Apr. 19, 2005, 54.
Pamela Duncan (from Attack of the Crab Monsters)
DUNDES, ALAN Folklorist Alan Dundes died of a heart attack while teaching a class at the University of California at Berkeley on March 30, 2005. He was 70. Dundes was born in New York City on Sep-
David Dunhill
105 DUNNE, HUGH Former child actor Hugh Dunne died of colon cancer in New York City on October 2, 2005. He was 62. Dunne was born in New York on June 5, 1943. He appeared as a child performer on television in the 1950s, playing Tommy in the Watch Mr. Wizard science series, and appearing in I Remember Mama.
2005 • Obituaries
of the Yukon, State Trooper, General Electric Theater, Wagon Train, Maverick, Perry Mason, The Gale Storm Show, Trackdown, Colgate Theatre, Zane Grey Theater, Man with a Camera, Wanted: Dead or Alive, Richard Diamond, Private Detective, The Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Virginian, The Wide Country, Arrest and Trial, and Wagon Train. • Los Angeles Times, Mar. 24, 2005, B11; New York Times, Mar. 29, 2005, A15; Variety, Apr. 11, 2005, 59.
Hugh Dunne
DUPARINOVA, MARGARITA Bulgarian actress Margarita Duparinova died in Bulgaria on November 3, 2005. She was 84. Duparinova was born in Bulgaria on July 1, 1921. She began her career on stage with the National Theatre in 1944, appearing in numerous productions over the next sixty years. She was also featured in several films during her career including Daughter-in-Law (1954), Riot (1975), and Four (2002). Duparinova also performed often on Bulgarian radio and television.
Don Durant (as Johnny Ringo)
DURANTON, ROBERT French body-builder, wrestler and occasional actor Robert Duranton died in Saint-Gervais, Savoie, France, on February 9, 2005. He was 78. Duranton was born in Paris on September 11, 1926. He held the title of Mr. France from 1948 through 1951. He was a leading professional wrestler in France in the 1950s and 1960s. He also appeared in a handful of films including The Sucker (1965), Woman Times Seven (1967), The Burglars (1971), The Mad Adventures of Rabbi Jacob (1973), and Baby Cat (1983).
Margarita Duparinova
DURANT, DON Don Durant, who starred as Johnny Ringo in the 1959 television western series, died of heart failure and complications from cancer in Monarch Beach, California, on March 15, 2005. He was 72. Durant was born in Long Beach, California, on November 20, 1932. He appeared in a small role in the 1955 war film Battle Cry and starred in Roger Corman’s 1958 adventure film She Gods of Shark Reef. He was also soon on television in episodes of Sergeant Preston
Robert Duranton
DUSE, VITTORIO Italian actor Vittorio Duse died in Rome on June 2, 2005. He was 89. Duse was born in Loreto, Italy, on March 21, 1916. He was featured in numerous Italian films from the early 1940s including Girl of the Golden West (1942), The Lion of Damascus (1942), Redenzione (1943), Two Anonymous
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106
Vittorio Duse
Letters (1945), Outcry (1946), The Tragic Pursuit (1947), The Mysterious Rider (1948), Altura (1949), The Walls of Malapaga (1949), Santa Lucia Luntana (1951), You Saved My Daughter (1951), Attention! Bandits! (1951), Island Sinner (1952), Foreign Earth (1953), Lo Scocciatore (1954), Ultima Illusione (1954) which he also directed, The Loves of Salammbo (1960), A Man for Burning (1962), The Leopard (1963), The Possessed (1965), Two Sergeants of General Custer (1966), Kill and Say Your Prayers (1967), The Stranger (1967), Galileo (1969), Let’s Have a Riot (1970), Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (1970), Corbari (1970), Black Turin (1972), Alfredo, Alfredo (1972), The Assassin of Rome (1972), City Under Siege (1974), Kiss of a Dead Woman (1974), The Iron Prefect (1977), La Bravata (1977), The Human Beast (1977), Aurora by Night (1984), the television mini-series The Octopus (1984), Queen of Hearts (1989), The Godfather: Part III (1990) as Don Tommasino, Enchanted April (1992), The Mysterious Enchanter (1996), That’s It (1998), Give Us a Smile (2000), and When in Rome (2002).
ceived acclaim for his role in the 1956 film Mother Indian, which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film. His numerous film credits include Railway Platform (1955), Kundan (1955), The Only Way (1956), Payal (1957), The Penance (1958), Post Box 999 (1958), Untouchable Girl (1959), Didi (1959), Chhaya (1961), I Shall Remain Silent (1962), Jhoolya (1962), Dancer (1963), Cry for Life (1963), Gumrah (1963), Today or Tomorrow (1963), Memories (1964), Ghazal (1964), Time (1965), Aristocratic Family (1965), Gaban (1966), Reunion (1967), Grace (1967), Confidante (1967), The Sage and the Devil (1968), Padosan (1968), Jwala (1969), Chirag (1969), Brother and Sister (1969), Darpan (1970), Reshma and Shera (1971), Jwala (1971), Jai Jwala (1972), Heera (1973), My Name Is Geeta (1974), Zakhmee (1975), Nagin (1976), Paapi (1977), Darinda (1977), Ram Kasam (1978), Mugabla (1979), Beloved Enemy (1979), Ahimsa (1979), Lahu Pukarega (1980), Laila (1984), Distances (1985), Mangala Dada (1986), Bound by an Oath (1991), Jurbaan (1991), Tradition (1992), Phool (1993), and Warriors (1993). He was married to actress Nargis Dutt, his co-star in Mother India, until her death in 1981. Their son, Sanjay, is also a popular Indian actor. Dutt joined India’s Congress party in 1984, and became a leading political figure in the government. He served in the Congress-led cabinet as Minister of Sport. Dutt’s final film appearance was in 2004’s Munnabhai MBBS, which starred his son, Sanjay. • New York Times, May 26, 2005, C18; Times (of London), June 4, 2005, 71; Variety, June 13, 2005, 56.
DUTT, SUNIL Indian actor and political figure Sunil Dutt died of a heart attack in Mumbai, India, on May 25, 2005. He was 74. Dutt was born in Jhelum, now in Pakistan, on June 6, 1930. He went to India after the two countries were partitioned in 1947 and began his career as an actor the early 1950s. He re-
DUXBURY, LESLIE British television journalist and writer Leslie Duxbury died in Clayton-leMoors, Lancashire, England, on October 17, 2005. He was 79. Duxbury was born in Clayton-le-Moors on June 13, 1926. He began his career as a journalist after service in the Royal Navy during World War II. In the early 1960s he began trying his hand at television scriptwriting, and became a storyline writer for the popular British soap opera Coronation Street in January of 1966. He soon became a scripter for the series, which he continued to write for over the next 25 years. Duxbury also was briefly producer for Coronation Street in 1974 and 1977. During his career he also scripted episodes of the series Z Cars, Her Majesty’s Pleasure,
Sunil Dutt
Leslie Duxbury
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Angels, A Sharp Intake of Breath, Crown Court, and Pleasures, and the daytime serials Marked Personal and Rooms. Duxbury retired in December of 1991 after writing 415 episodes of Coronation Street. • Times (of London), Oct. 25 2005, 67.
DWAN, ROBERT Television director Robert Dwan died of complications from pneumonia in Santa Monica, California, on January 21, 2005. He was 89. Dwan was born on April 1, 1915. He began his career in radio as an announcer in the 1930s. He served in the merchant marine during World War II, and resumed his career in radio after the war. He was a writer for the Art Linkletter series People Are Funny. Dwan served as director of Groucho Marx’s radio and, later, television series You Bet Your Life, which began on radio in 1947 and aired on television from 1950 to 1961. He also directed Marx in a television production of The Mikado in 1960. Dwan wrote a memoir of his years with Groucho in 2000 entitled As Long as They’re Laughing. • Los Angeles Times, Jan. 27, 2005, B10; Variety, Feb. 7, 2005, 92.
Robert Dwan
DWORKIN, ANDREA Feminist writer Andrea Dworkin died after a long illness at her home in Washington, D.C., on April 9, 2005. She was 58. Dworkin was born in Camden, New Jersey, on September 26, 1946. She began a life-long crusade against pornography with the publication of her first book, Woman Hating, in the early 1970s. Dworkin, who had been a rape victim, battered wife, and prostitute earlier in her life, fought against what she considered the subordination of women through pornography and archaic marriage laws. She wrote over a dozen other books including Our Blood: Prophesies and Discourses on Sexual Politics (1976), The New Woman’s Broken Heart (1980), Pornography — Men Possessing Women (1981), Intercourse (1988), Letters from a War Zone: Writings, 1976–1987 (1988), Right-Wing Women: The Politics of Domesticated Females (1991), the 2001 American Book Award–winner Scapegoat: The Jews, Israel, and Women’s Liberation, and Heartbreak: The Political Memoir of a Feminist Militant (2002). She also wrote two novels, Ice and Fire (1986) and Mercy (1990), and appeared in the 1995 television documentary Pornography: Andrea
Andrea Dworkin
Dworkin. • Los Angeles Times, Apr. 15, 2005, B10; New York Times, Apr. 12, 2005, B7; Time, Apr. 25, 2005, 15; Times (of London), Apr. 13, 2005, 58.
EASTHAM, RICHARD Character actor Richard Eastham died of complications from Alzheimer’s disease at an assisted-living facility in Pacific Palisades, California, on July 10, 2005. He was 87. Eastham was born Dickinson Swift Eastham in Opelousas, Louisiana, on June 22, 1918. He began his career as a singer, performing with the St. Louis Grand Opera while a student at Washington University. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II and studied drama at the American Theatre Wing in New York City after the war. He performed on the New York Stage from the late 1940s, replacing Ezio Pinza in the lead role of South Pacific on Broadway and appearing with Ethel Merman in a production of Call Me Madam. He made his film debut in the 1954 musical There’s No Business Like Show Business, and was seen in the 1957 feature Man on Fire. Eastham subsequently moved to Los Angeles. He starred as Harris Claibourne in the western television series Tombstone Territory from 1957 to 1960. He was also seen in the films Toby Tyler (1960), That Darn Cat! (1965), Not with My Wife, You Don’t! (1966), Murderers’ Row (1966), Tom Sawyer (1973), Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973) as a Mutant Captain, and McQ (1974). He appeared as Red Wilson in the daytime soap
Richard Eastham
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opera Bright Promise from 1969 to 1972. Eastham starred as General Phil Blankenship in the super-hero adventures series Wonder Woman with Lynda Carter from 1976 to 1977, and was Dr. Howell in the primetime soap opera Falcon Crest from 1982 to 1983. Eastham also guest-starred in such series as Men of Annapolis, Zane Grey Theater, The Aquanauts, King of Diamonds, Perry Mason, Bat Masterson, The Barbara Stanwyck Show, Ripcord, Ensign O’Toole, Alcoa Premiere, Bonanza, The Invaders, Cowboy in Africa, The F.B.I., The Mad Squad, Adam-12, The Young Lawyers, Cade’s County, Cannon, The Streets of San Francisco, Kojak, Barnaby Jones, McMillan and Wife, Baretta, Galactica 1980, The Waltons, and Tales of the Gold Monkey. He was also featured in the tele-films Silent Night, Lonely Night (1969), The President’s Plane Is Missing (1973), The Missiles of October (1974), Attack on Terror: The FBI vs. the Ku Klux Klan (1975), Mallory: Circumstantial Evidence (1976), Salvage (1979), Condominium (1980), and A Wedding on Walton’s Mountain (1982). He retired from the screen in the early 1980s. • Los Angeles Times, July 23, 2005, B17.
EASTON , JUNE
Actress and dialect coach June Easton died in Los Angeles following a long battle with lupus on April 2, 2005. She was 72. Easton was born on June 19, 1932. She was married to actor Robert Easton, and appeared with him in several films and television productions. They also worked together with the Henry Higgins of Hollywood, Inc. dialect coaching firm. Her film credits include The Sound of Fury (1950), Two Tickets to Broadway (1951), The Racket (1951), The Las Vegas Story (1952), Son of Paleface (1952), Jalopy (1953), White Lightning (1953), Serpent of the Nile (1953), Abbott and Costello Go to Mars (1953), City of Bad Men (1953), The French Line (1954), Bitter Creek (1954), Son of Sinbad (1955), The Purple Mask (1955), The Brothers Rico (1957), Jet Pilot (1957), Paint Your Wagon (1969), Timber Tramps (1975), and Tai-Pan (1986).
Emilio Ebergenyi
a leading voice on Mexican radio from the 1980s. He also appeared in several films during his career including Tacos de Oro (1985), Calacan (1987), La Ultima Luna (1990), and Jolts to the Heart (1996).
ECCLES, CLANCY Jamaican reggae singer Clancy Eccles died of complications from a stroke in Spanish Town, Jamaica, on June 30, 2005. He was 64. Eccles was born Dean Pen in Jamaica on December 9, 1940. He began singing professionally in the 1950s and had a hit with his performances of “River Jordan” in 1961. He became a reggae producer in the late 1960s, recording Lord Creator’s “Kingston Town” in 1967. He was an active supporter of Jamaican Prime Minister Michael Manley in the 1970s, producing the song “My Leader Born Yah” in his honor. • Los Angeles Times, July 2, 2005, B19; New York Times, July 2, 2005.
Clancy Eccles
June Easton (with her husband, Robert Easton)
EBERGENYI, EMILIO Mexican radio performer Emilio Ebergenyi died of an aneurysm in Mexico City on November 10, 2005. He was 55. Ebergenyi was born in Mexico City on September 1, 1950. He was
EDER, SHIRLEY Show business columnist Shirley Eder died after a long illness with Alzheimer’s disease in New York on May 29, 2005. She was 85. Eder was born in New York City in 1920. She began her career working in radio reading war bulletins during World War II. She soon became the entertainment reporter for several New York radio stations and became host of the television series Women Talk It Over in 1951. She went to Detroit with her husband in the mid–1950s where she continued to cover show business for the Detroit Free Press and a syndicated column for the next
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Shirley Eder
three decades. She maintained a good relationship with numerous Hollywood celebrities including Joan Crawford, Ginger Rogers, Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, and Lana Turner. She appeared in small roles in the films Palm Springs Weekend (1963) and C.C. and Company (1970). She retired from her regular column in 1993. • Los Angeles Times, June 3, 2005, B10.
EDWARDS, RALPH Ralph Edwards, the host of the 1950s television series This Is Your Life, died of heart failure in Los Angeles on November 16, 2005. He was 92. Edwards was born in Merino, Colorado, on June 13, 1913. He began working in radio while a teenager in the late 1920s. He had his first hit creating the game show Truth or Consequences for radio in 1940. The game show had contestants performing novelty stunts for prizes. The program also appeared on television in 1941, becoming the first commercial show for NBC. Though experimental television faded during the war, Truth or Consequences remained a popular radio program and returned to the television airwaves in 1950. Edwards selected Bob Barker as master of ceremonies of the series in 1956, which established him as a leading television personality. Edwards also created This Is Your Life for television, using the program to surprise celebrity guests with people from their past. This series also moved to television in 1952, and ran with Edwards as host through 1961. Edwards also ap-
2005 • Obituaries
peared in several films during his career including Manhattan Merry-Go-Round (1937), Seven Days’ Leave (1942), Radio Stars on Parade (1945), The Bamboo Blonde (1946), and Beat the Band (1947). He also guest starred on such television variety programs as Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, and The Flip Wilson Show. Edwards also served as a creator of producer on such television programs as Name That Tune, Cross Wits, Superior Court, Place the Face, About Faces, Funny Boners, It Could Be You, End of the Rainbow, Who in the World, The Woody Woodbury Show, Wide Country, and The People’s Court with Judge Joseph Wapner. Both Truth or Consequences and This Is Your Life have frequently returned to television as syndicated programs. • Los Angeles Times, Nov. 17, 2005, B8; New York Times, Nov. 17, 2005, A28; People, Dec. 5, 2005, 129; Time, Nov. 28, 2005, 27; Variety, Nov. 21, 2005, 73.
EFEKAN, EFGAN Leading Turkish actor Efgan Efekan died of lung cancer in Istanbul, Turkey, on September 8, 2005. He was 70. Efekan was born in Izmir, Turkey, on May 6, 1935. He appeared in numerous Turkish films from the 1950s including The Immortal Love (1959), The Transitory World (1960), The Ominous Woman (1960), Cilali Ibo’s Ordeal (1960), Forbidden Love (1961), The Quarter Friends (1961), The Singer Girl (1962), The Five Stories (1962), The Love Race (1962), The Love Stairs (1962), The Acrobat Girl’s Love (1962), Secret Love (1963), My Killer Is Osman (1963), The Sugar Almonds (1963), Aysecik the Poor Princess (1963), The Angry Young Man (1964), Five Sweet Girls (1964), The Thief (1965), The Bread Seller Woman (1965), Kismet (1974), Geri Don (1987), Yalniz Deglsiniz (1990), and Askimizda Olum Var (2004).
Efgan Efekan
Ralph Edwards
EFFNER, RYAN Special effects artist and prop maker Ryan Effner died on April 18, 2005. He was 40. Effner was born on October 28, 1964. He worked in films from the 1980s and was involved with creating the effects for the 1989 Freddy Kruger horror film A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child. He also worked on S.P. Somtow’s horror film The Laughing Dead (1989), playing a supporting role in the film. Recently Effner worked as a propmaker on the 1999 film She’s All That.
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Ryan Effner
Sixten Ehrling
EGOLF, TRISTAN Novelist Tristan Egolf was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at his apartment in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, on May 7, 2005. He was 33. Egolf was born in San Lorenzo del Escorial, Spain, on December 19, 1971. He was raised in Washington and Louisville, Kentucky. Egolf ’s first novel, Lord of the Barnyard: Killing the Fatted Calf and Arming the Aware in the Corn Belt, was published in 1998. The tale of a farm boy’s misadventures became a cult hit. His second novel, Skirt and the Fiddle, was published in 2002, and a third, Kornwolf, about an Amish werewolf, was scheduled for publication in 2006. • New York Times, May 14, 2005, A13; Times (of London), July 8, 2005, 72.
(1957), and the 1961 television production of Boheme. • Los Angeles Times, Feb. 16, 2005, B9; New York Times, Feb. 16, 2005, B9; Times (of London, Feb. 17, 2005, 61.
EICHHORN , WERNER German character actor Werner Eichhorn died in Hamburg, Germany, on July 14, 2005. He was 83. Eichhorn was featured in the films A Happy Family Life (1975), The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum (1975), Death Is My Trade (1977), Endstation Freiheit (1980), Nuclearvision (1982), Sheer Madness (1983), Edith’s Diary (1984), Burning Beds (1988), and Lebewohl, Fremde (1991). He also appeared frequently on German television from the early 1970s in such productions as Tatort— Schones Wochenende (1980), Die Pawlaks (1982), Diese Drombuschs (1983), Der Schwarze Obelisk (1988), Le Gorille (1990), Tatort— Experimente (1992), Arzte: Nachtrunden (1994), Over the Edge (1996), Cape Town Blues (1998), Ein Mann wie Eine Waffe (1999), Stubbe — Von Fall zu Fall: Tod des Models (2000), and Stahlnetz — Innere Angelegenheiten (2001).
Tristan Egolf
EHRLING, SIXTEN Swedish orchestra conductor Sixten Ehrling died in New York City on February 13, 2005. He was 86. Ehrling was born in Malmo, Sweden, on April 3, 1918. He attended Stockholm’s Royal Academy of Music and joined the Royal Swedish Opera, where he rose to become principal conductor. He left Sweden to become conductor at the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in 1963. He left Detroit in 1973 and subsequently worked with the New York Metropolitan Opera, the Denver and San Antonio Symphonies, and was a teacher at Juilliard School of Music. Ehrling also was orchestral conductor for several film scores including Miss Julie (1951), The Seventh Seal
Werner Eichhorn
EISNER, WILL Legendary comic creator Will Eisner died of complications from quadruple heart bypass surgery in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on January 3, 2005. He was 87. Eisner was born in Brooklyn, New York, on March 6, 1917. He began working in comics in 1936, creating the features Harry Karry and The
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Will Eisner
Flame for WOW What a Magazine! He joined with Jerry Iger to form the Eisner-Iger Studio soon afterwards, where such future comic legends as Bob Kane and Jack Kirby began their early careers. In 1939 Eisner joined Quality Comics, where he produced a 16-page comic newspaper supplement. Eisner created the cemeterydwelling crime fighter, The Spirit, for the supplement. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He resumed The Spirit after his discharge and continued the weekly series until 1952. Eisner also founded the American Visuals Corporation, which produced commercial art for such companies as RCA Records, New York Telephone, and the Baltimore Colts. He was also a pioneer in the “graphic novel” with A Contract with God in 1978. Over the next two decades Kitchen Sink Press published more of Eisner’s works including The Dreamer, To the Heart of the Storm, The Building, Invisible People, and Life on Another Planet. The Spirit was the subject of a 1987 tele-film. Eisner was also seen in the 1988 film Comic Book Confidential. • Los Angeles Times, Jan. 5, 2005, B8; New York Times, Jan. 5, 2005, C14; People, Jan. 24, 2005, 107; Time, Jan. 17, 2005, 19; Times (of London), Jan. 13, 2004, 68; Variety, Jan. 10, 2005, 58.
ELCAR, DANA Veteran character actor Dana Elcar, who was best known for his role as Pete Thornton in the action television series MacGyver from 1986 to 1992, died of complications from pneumonia in a Ventura, California, hospital on June 6, 2005. He was 77. Elcar was born Ibson Dana Elcar in Fernadale, Michigan, on October 10, 1927. He began performing on stage while a student at the University of Michigan. Elcar began working in television in the late 1950s, appearing in episodes of Play of the Week, Way Out, Naked City, The DuPont Show of the Week, The Nurses, Car 54, Where Are You?, The Defenders, Hallmark Hall of Fame, Espionage, The Trials of O’Brien, ABC Stage 67, and N.Y.P.D. . He also appeared in television productions of Burning Bright (1959), Our Town (1959), and The Sacco-Vanzetti Story (1960). Elcar starred as District Attorney Andrew Murray in the daytime soap opera The Guiding Light in 1962, and was Clinton Wheeler in The Edge of Night from 1964 to 1965. He starred as Sheriff George Patterson in the Gothic soap opera Dark
2005 • Obituaries
Shadows from 1966 to 1967. Elcar also appeared in numerous films during his career including Fail-Safe (1964), The Fool Killer (1965), A Lovely Way to Die (1968), The Boston Strangler (1968), Pendulum (1969), The Maltese Bippy (1969), The Learning Tree (1969), Soldier Blue (1970), Adam at 6 A.M. (1979), Zigzag (1970), Mrs. Pollifax — Spy (1971), A Gunfight (1971), The Great Northfield, Minnesota Raid (1972), The Sting (1973), Report to the Commissioner (1975), Baby Blue Marine (1976), W.C. Fields and Me (1976), St. Ives (1976), The Champ (1979), Good Luck, Miss Wyckoff (1979), The Nude Bomb (1980) as Maxwell Smart’s Chief, The Last Flight of Noah’s Ark (1980), Condorman (1981), Buddy Buddy (1981), Breach of Contract (1982), Blue Skies Again (1983), Jungle Warriors (1984), All of Me (1984), 2010 (1984), and Inside Out (1987). He was also a familiar face in many tele-films including The Borgia Stick (1967), The Sound of Anger (1968), Deadlock (1969), The Whole World Is Watching (1969), D.A.: Murder One (1969), San Francisco International (1970), Sarge (1971), The Death of Me Yet (1971), The Bravos (1972), Fireball Forward (1972), Hawkins on Murder (1973), Dying Room Only (1973), Columbo: Any Old Port in a Storm (1973), Heat Wave! (1974), Senior Year (1974), Panic on the 5:22 (1974), The Missiles of October (1974) as Defense Secretary Robert McNamara, Law of the Land (1976), Gemini Man (1976), Waiting for Godot (1977), Centennial (1978), Crisis in Mid-Air (1979), Samurai (1979), Death Penalty (1980), Mark, I Love You (1980), Help Wanted: Male (1982), The Day the Bubble Burst (1982), Forbidden Love (1982), I Want to Live (1983), Quarterback Princess (1983), Sweet Revenge (1984), Toughlove (1985), Agatha Christie’s Murder in Three Acts (1986), These Were Times, Dear (1987), and For Their Own Good (1993). Elcar starred as Inspector Shiller in the 1975 police drama Baretta with Robert Blake, and was Colonel Lard in the war drama Baa Baa Black Sheep from 1976 to 1978. He co-starred with Richard Dean Anderson in the MacGyver series from 1986, playing think tank director and MacGyver’s nominal boss, Peter Thornton. When Elcar began going blind due to glaucoma four seasons into the series, they incorporated his disability into the show until MacGyver left the air in 1992. His numerous television credits also include guest starring roles in episodes of
Dana Elcar
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such series as Mannix, Run for Your Life, The F.B.I., The Invaders, Judd for the Defense, The Outsider, Bonanza, Medical Center, The Virginian, The Bold Ones: The Lawyers, Get Smart, Hawaii Five-O, Mission: Impossible, Storefront Lawyers, Gunsmoke, The Bold Ones: The Senator, Marcus Welby, M.D., Ironside, Alias Smith and Jones, Love, American Style, Longstreet, Cannon, The Sixth Sense, The Partridge Family, Hawkins, Kung Fu, The Waltons, Petrocelli, The Rockford File, The Six Million Dollar Man, Police Story, The Incredible Hulk, One Day at a Time, B.J. and the Bear, Eight Is Enough, Galactica 1980, Flamingo Road, Benson, Falcon Crest, Herbie, the Love Bug, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Newhart, Voyagers!, Trapper John, M.D., Knight Rider, Hart to Hart, Hardcastle and McCormick, Matt Houston, The Paper Chase, The Fall Guy, The A-Team, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Hill Street Blues, Riptide, Matlock, Law & Order, and ER. Elcar also directed several episodes of television series including Baa Baa Black Sheep, The Rockford Files, The Duke, Salvage 1, and MacGyver. • Los Angeles Times, June 10, 2005, B11; New York Times, June 11, 2005, B7; People, June 27, 2005, 124; Time, June 20, 2005, 23.
ELLIOTT, STEPHEN Veteran character actor Stephen Elliott died of congestive heart failure at the Motion Picture and Television Hospital in Woodland Hills, California, on May 21, 2005. He was 84. He was born Elliott Pershing Stilzel in New York City on November 27, 1920. He began his career on stage at New York’s Neighborhood Playhouse, where he studied with Sanford Meisner. He served in the Merchant Marine during World War II and made his debut on Broadway in a production of The Tempest in 1945 after his discharge. He appeared on television in the early DuMont Television Network series Hands of Murder in 1949, and was also seen in episodes of such series as Actor’s Studio, The Philco Television Playhouse, Danger, Tales of Tomorrow, and Studio One. He also played Dr. Pauli in the juvenile science fiction series Captain Video from 1954 to 1955. Elliott appeared in several films in the 1950s including Three Hours to Kill (1954), Canyon Crossroads (1955), and Street of Sinners (1957). He was also a familiar face on daytime soap operas, guest starring on The Secret Storm and Young Dr. Malone, and
Stephen Elliott
starring as Dr. Jerry Stephens on As the World Turns from 1960 until 1962. He also continued his career on stage, earning a Tony nomination for his role in the 1967 Broadway revival of Marat/Sade. He also performed on Broadway in productions of A Whistle in the Dark (1969) and An Enemy of the People (1971). He was Jack Condon on the soap A World Apart from 1970 to 1971. Elliott co-starred with George C. Scott in the 1971 black comedy The Hospital and was the police commissioner in Charles Bronson’s vigilante thriller Death Wish in 1974. He was also featured in the telefilms Pueblo (1973), Steambath (1973), The Gun (1974), and The Chinese Prime Minister (1974). He starred as Benjamin Lassiter in the prime-time soap opera Beacon Hill in 1975, and was Howell Rutledge in the shortlived comedy series Executive Suite in 1976. Elliott also appeared in the films The Hindenburg (1975) and Report to the Commissioner (1975), and the tele-films Two Brothers (1976), The November Plan (1976), The Invasion of Johnson County (1976), Young Joe, the Forgotten Kennedy (1977) as Joseph Kennedy, Sr., The CourtMartian of George Armstrong Custer (1977), How the West Was Won (1978), Mom and Dad Can’t Hear Me (1978), Sergeant Matlovich vs. the U.S. Air Force (1978), Overboard (1978), Betrayal (1978), Some Kind of Miracle (1979), The Ordeal of Patty Hearst (1979) as Randolph Hearst, Son-Rise: A Miracle of Love (1979), Can You Hear the Laughter? The Story of Freddie Prinze (1979), Mrs. R’s Daughter (1979), and The Golden Honeymoon (1980). His other television credits include episodes of The Nurses, Barnaby Jones, Kojak, Petrocelli, Bronk, Visions, The Bionic Woman, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Rockford Files, Hawaii Five-O, Lou Grant, Vega$, Quincy, Hart to Hart, Taxi, Nero Wolfe, Little House on the Prairie, Magnum, P.I., Remington Steele, Benson, Hardcastle and McCormick, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Faerie Tale Theatre’s production of Beauty and the Beast, Murder, She Wrote, Highway to Heaven, Hotel, Sledge Hammer, Max Headroom, and Law & Order. He played Scotty Demarest on several seasons of Dallas in the 1980s, and was Jane Wyman’s ex-husband, Douglas Channing, on Falcon Crest from 1981 to 1982. Elliott played Dudley Moore’s domineering millionaire father in the 1981 comedy film Arthur, and reprised the role in the 1988 sequel Arthur 2: On the Rocks. He also appeared in the films Cutter’s Way (1981), Kiss Me Goodbye (1982), Roadhouse 66 (1964), Beverly Hills Cop (1984) with Eddie Murphy, Assassination (1987), Walk Like a Man (1987), and Taking Care of Business (1990). He also appeared in the tele-films Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years (1981) as William Randolph Hearst, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy (1981) again playing Joseph P. Kennedy, My Body, My Child (1982), Not in Front of the Children (1982), Prototype (1983), Midas Valley (1985), Perry Mason: The Case of the Lost Love (1987), Remo Williams (1988), Columbo: Grand Deceptions (1989), When He’s Not a Stranger (1989), and The Big One: The Great Los Angeles Earthquake (1990). He appeared in the recurring role of Manny Schecter in the television series St. Elsewhere in 1984, and was Edmund Kittle in the short lived series Trial and Error in 1988. His final television appearances were in several episodes
113 of the medical drama Chicago Hope in the recurring role of Judge Harold Aldrich. • Los Angeles Times, May 24, 2005, B11; Variety, May 30, 2005, 44.
ELLIS, ALICE THOMAS British novelist Alice Thomas Ellis died of cancer in London on March 8, 2005. She was 72. She was born Anna Margaret Haycraft in Liverpool, England, on September 9, 1932. She began writing fiction in the late 1970s and her first novel, The Sin Eater, was published in 1977. She continued to write such popular works as The Birds of the Air (1980), The 27th Kingdom (1982), The Other Side of the Fire (1983), and Unexplained Laughter (1985), which was adapted for a tele-film in 1988. She wrote the Summerhouse trilogy, consisting of The Clothes in the Wardrobe (1987), The Skeleton in the Cupboard (1988), and The Fly in the Ointment (1989). The trilogy was adapted as a tele-film, Clothes in the Wardrobe, in 1992. Her later works include The Inn at the Edge of the World (1990), Pillars of Gold (1992), The Evening of Adam (1994), and Fairy Tale (1996). He most recent book, Fish, Flesh and Good Red Herring, was serialized for BBC Radio in 2004. • Los Angeles Times, Mar. 15, 2005, B9; New York Times, Mar. 12, 2005, C11; Times (of London), Mar. 10, 2005, 67.
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from lung cancer on September 7, 2005. He was 72. Endrigo was born in Pula, Italy (now Croatia), on June 15, 1933. He was a popular performer in Italy in the 1960s, recording such songs as “I Who Love Only You” and “Song for You.” He expanded his audiences to South America in the 1970s, penning numerous songs with such Brazilian artists as Vinicius de Moraes and Toquinho. • Times (of London), Oct. 7, 2005, 77.
ENGEL , MORRIS Independent filmmaker Morris Engel died of cancer at his home in New York City on March 5, 2005. He was 86. Engel was born in New York City on April 8, 1918. He began his career as a photographer, working for such magazines as Collier’s and McCall’s. He made his first film, Little Fugitive, in 1953, and the low-budget feature received the Silver Lion Award at the Venice Film Festival. Engel was also nominated for an Academy Award for writing the film with his wife, Ruth Orkin, and journalist Ray Ashley. The film inspired the French New Wave filmmakers including Francois Truffaut. He and Orkin also collaborated on the films Lovers and Lollipops (1956) and Weddings and Babies (1958). Engel returned to working as a photographer, abandoning films for the next decade. His next film, a 1968 feature about East Village hippies, I Need a Ride to California, was never released. He was also involved in the productions of several video documentaries including A Little Bit Pregnant (1993) and Camelia (1998). • Los Angeles Times, Mar. 13, 2005, B14; New York Times, Mar. 7, 2005, B7; Time, Mar. 21, 2005, 25; Times (of London), Mar. 21, 2005, 51.
Alice Thomas Ellis
ENDRIGO, SERGIO Italian singer and songwriter Sergio Endrigo died in Rome of complications Morris Engel (with wife, Ruth Orkin)
Sergio Endrigo
ENSLEY, HAROLD Harold Ensley, the longtime host of the syndicated television series The Sportsman’s Friend, died of complications from heart problems at his home in Kansas City, Kansas, on August 24, 2005. He was 92. Ensley was born on November 20, 1912. He worked in advertising sales when he decided to produce a fishing show in the Kansas City area. In 1953 The Sportsman’s Friend began airing weekly on WCMO-TV. It was soon being syndicated in numerous markets and Ensley was hosting celebrity fishing excursions for the stars of such series as The Beverly Hillbillies and Gunsmoke. He also appeared in a small
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Harold Ensley
Siv Ericks
role in a Gunsmoke episode in 1965. He produced over 1,500 television programs and 5,000 radio shows before retiring in 2001.
and Illusioner (1994). Ericks also appeared in numerous character roles on Swedish television.
Swedish actress Ingrid Envall died of heart failure in Stockholm, Sweden, on July 6, 2005. She was 87. Envall was born in Stockholm on March 8, 1918. She was active in films in the 1930s and 1940s, appearing in Dollar (1938), Good Friends and Faithful Neighbours (1938), One Single Night (1939), Sussie (1945), Each to His Own Way (1948), and The Girl from the Third Row (1949).
ESPOSITO, PHILLIP Actor Phillip Esposito died in Hollywood, California, on July 21, 2005. He was 50. Esposito was born in Manhattan, New York, in 1955. He moved to Los Angeles in 1979 to become an actor. He appeared in small roles in several television series including General Hospital, America’s Most Wanted, and Knot’s Landing. He was also seen in the independent films The Velocity of Gary (1998) and Identity Lost (2001). • Variety, Aug. 22, 2005, 42.
Ingrid Envall
Phillip Esposito
ERICKS, SIV Swedish actress Siv Ericks died in Sweden on July 3, 2005. She was 87. Ericks was born in Oxelosund, Sweden, on July 1, 1918. She began performing on stage and in films in the 1930s. She was featured in numerous films during her career including Rosor Varje Kvall (1939), Soderpojkar (1941), Morgondagens Melodi (1942), A Leson in Love (1954), Simon the Sinner (1954), The Yellow Squadron (1954), Dreams (1955), Seventh Heaven (1956), The Staffan Stolle Story (1956), Summer Place Wanted (1957), You Are My Adventure (1958), Woman in a Fur Coat (1958), The Judge (1960), Swedish Portraits (1964), Sailors (1964), Pippi Longstocking (1969), Exposed (1971), The Decoy (1971), Pippi Goes on Board (1973), Maria (1975), Hello Baby (1976), The Score (1978), Flourishing Times (1980), The Flight of the Eagle (1982), Fanny and Alexander (1982),
ESTRADA, ANGELINA Actress Angelina Estrada died of heart failure in Las Vegas, Nevada, on August 5, 2005. She was 73. Estrada was born in Los Angeles on February 28, 1932. She was active in films from the 1970s, appearing in such features as Cheech and Chong’s Up in Smoke (1978), Carbon Copy (1981), The Jigsaw Murders (1988), Ghost (1990), The Unborn (1991), Fires Within (1991), Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991), Big Girls Don’t Cry... They Get Even (1992), Pentathlon (1994), There Goes My Baby (1994), My Family (1995), The Big Squeeze (1996), and Luminarias (2000). She also appeared in the tele-films The Best Place to Be (1979), Joshua’s Heart (1990), Danielle Steel’s Fine Things (1990), One Woman’s Courage (1994), Zooman (1995), A Vow to Cherish (1999), and The
ENVALL, INGRID
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Angelina Estrada
Jason Evers
Princess and the Barrio Boy (2000). Estrada played the recurring character of Aunt Connie in the sit-com Chico and the Man in the mid–1970s, and was Gloria Rodriguez on Martin in the mid–1990s. She also gueststarred on episodes of Barney Miller, Bosom Buddies, Dream On, and Sister, Sister.
reer on stage, appearing on Broadway before heading to Hollywood in the late 1950s. He starred as Pitcairn in the television western series Wrangler in 1960, and was Prof. Joseph Howe in the drama series Channing from 1963 to 1964. Evers was also seen in the films Pretty Boy Floyd (1960), House of Women (1962), Tarzan’s Jungle Rebellion (1967), P.J. (1968), The Green Berets (1968) with John Wayne, the 1969 film adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s The Illustrated Man, A Man Called Gannon (1969), Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971), A Piece of the Action (1977), Claws (1977), and Barracuda (1978). Evers also appeared in several tele-films including The Young Lawyers (1969), Shadow of Fear (1973), Fer-de-Lance (1974), and Golden Gate (1981). He also guest starred in numerous television series including Cheyenne, Hong Kong, Bonanza, Perry Mason, The Rebel, Laramie, Lawman, Surfside 6, Bus Stop, Adventures in Paradise, Gunsmoke, Tales of Wells Fargo, Frontier Circus, The Defenders, Alcoa Premiere, Branded, Death Valley Days, The Big Valley, The F.B.I., T.H.E. Cat, The Green Hornet, Combat!, Felony Squad, The Road West, The Invaders, The Guns of Will Sonnett in the recurring role of the elusive Jim Sonnett, Wild Wild West, Run for Your Life, Mannix, Felony Squad, Star Trek, It Takes a Thief, Mission: Impossible, The Mod Squad, The Bold Ones: The New Doctors, Hawaii Five-O, Medical Center, Cannon, The Streets of San Francisco, Banacek, The Rookies, Barnaby Jones, Police Story, Hec Ramsey, Matt Helm, Marcus Welby, M.D., The Streets of San Francisco, McMillan and Wife, Barnaby Jones, The Fantastic Journey, Emergency!, The Bionic Woman, The Rockford Files, Charlie’s Angels, Happy Days, CHiPs, Vega$, Hart to Hart, Fantasy Island, The Fall Guy, Knight Rider, T.J. Hooker, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, The Dukes of Hazzard, Murder, She Wrote, The A-Team, and Matlock. Evers’ last film role was Editor Lou in Frank Henenlotter’s cult horror classic Basket Case 2 in 1990. He subsequently retired from acting. Evers was married to actress Shirley Ballard from 1953 until his death. • Los Angeles Times, Mar. 27, 2005, B12; Variety, Mar. 28, 2005, 56.
ESTRIN, MARK Screenwriter turned winery founder Mark Estrin died of a brain tumor at his parents’ home in Keizer, Oregon, on May 7, 2005. He was 57. Estrin was born in Chicago on November 4, 1947. He began writing in the late 1970s and co-scripted the tele-films Warm Hearts, Cold Feet (1987) and Bare Essentials (1991) with his brother Allen. He abandoned screenwriting in 1994 to work in sales of cigars, wines and fine foods. He was co-founder of the Santa Barbara County winery Red Car Wine Co. with film producer Carroll Kemp in 2000, which was noted for its distinctive labels and varieties of Syrah and Pinoto Noir. • Los Angeles Times, May 12, 2005, B10.
Mark Estrin
EVERS, JASON Actor Jason Evers, who was best known for his role as the mad scientist who keeps his fiancée’s disembodied head in his basement laboratory in the 1962 schlock horror classic The Brain That Wouldn’t Die, died of heart failure in Los Angeles on March 13, 2005. He was 83. He was born Herb Evers in New York City on January 2, 1922. He began his ca-
FALKENHAGEN, RUDI Dutch actor Rudi Falkenhagen died of esophageal cancer in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on January 26, 2005. He was 71. Falkenhagen was born in Diemen, the Netherlands, on
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Rudi Falkenhagen
May 26, 1933. He was a popular performer in Dutch films and television, appearing in the films Bicycling to the Moon (1963), the 1974 sci-fi film Lifespan with Klaus Kinski, Paul Verhoven’s Spetters (1980), Black Rider (1983), Ciske the Rat (1984), Gaston and Leo in Hong Kong (1988), and The Polish Bride (1998). He starred as Jonathan Brewster in a Dutch television production of Arsenic and Old Lace in 1971, and starred in the television series Pipo the Clown (1958), Dossier Verhulst (1986), and Tax Free (1994). He was also the voice of Launchpad McQuack in the Dutch version of the animated series Darkwing Duck.
FARKASH, MICHAEL R. Playwright and screenwriter Michael R. Farkash was found dead after a long illness at his home in Granada Hills, California, on June 9, 2005. He was 53. Farkash wrote a number of science fiction stories before embarking on a career as a playwright. He was noted for his dark comedies which include Perpetual Care (1989), Meat Dreams (1990) about a deranged delicatessen owner, and the 1991 musical Frozen Futures. Farkash also wrote and produced the 1997 independent film Street Vengeance. He also wrote for other local publications including The Hollywood Reporter. • Los Angeles Times, June 18, 2005, B18.
on the Channel Island of Guernsey on April 23, 2005. He was 87. Farnon was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on July 24, 1917. A talented trumpeter, Farnon came to England in 1944 as conductor of the Canadian Band of the Allied Expeditionary Forces. He remained in England after the war where he was a leading film composer, working on such features as Just William’s Luck (1948), Elizabeth of Ladymead (1948), Paper Orchid (1949), Maytime in Mayfair (1949), Captain Horatio Hornblower (1951), Circle of Danger (1951), His Majesty O’Keefe (1954), All for Mary (1955), Gentlemen Marry Brunettes (1955), True as a Turtle (1956), It’s a Wonderful World (1956), The Little Hut (1957), The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw (1958), Expresso Bongo (1960), The Road to Hong Kong (1962), The Truth About Spring (1964), Shalako (1968), The Disappearance (1977), Alistair MacLean’s Bear Island (1979), Mary and Joseph: A Story of Faith (1979), and Friend or Foe (1981). He also composed music for several television series including Quatermass II, The Prisoner, The Champions, Colditz, Secret Army, and the 1979 mini-series A Man Called Intrepid. • Los Angeles Times, Apr. 28, 2005, B12; New York Times, May 1, 2005, 37; Times (of London), Apr. 27, 2005, 65.
Robert Farnon
FASS , GERTRUDE Radio and television scripter Gertrude Fass died on March 6, 2005. She was 95. Fass was born on July 1, 1909. She and her husband, George, wrote scripts for such radio programs as Suspense. They also scripted numerous television episodes for such series as Four Star Playhouse, Science Fiction Theater, The Case of the Dangerous Robin, Foreign Intrigue, Sherlock Holmes, The Adventures of Robin Hood, Highway Patrol, Casey Jones, Peter Gunn, The Rough Riders, Behind Closed Doors, and 77 Sunset Strip. George Fass died in 1965.
Michael R. Farkash
FARNON, ROBERT Canadian composer and arranger Robert Farnon died at a hospice near his home
FAURE, RENEE French leading actress Renee Faure died in France of complications following surgery on May 2, 2005. She was 86. Faure was born in Paris on April 14, 1919. She starred in numerous films from the early 1940s including Who Killed Santa Claus? (1941), Le Prince Charmant (1942), Angels of the Streets (1943), Beatrice (1944), Francois Villon (1945), The Bellman (1945), The Great Dawn (1946), Torrents (1947),
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bidon (1962). He also appeared in the films Give Me a Hand (1965), This Is No Time for Romance (1966), Les Indrogables (1972), and the tele-film The Horse Trader’s Daughter (1990).
FAWCETT, PAULINE Pauline Fawcett, the mother of Charlie’s Angels actress Farrah Fawcett, died in Houston, Texas, on March 4, 2005. She was 91. She was born Pauline Alice Evans in Henryetta, Oklahoma, on January 30, 1914. Pauline and her husband of 67 years, James, were both featured in early episodes of their daughter’s reality television series Chasing Farrah in March of 2005. Pauline Fawcett also appeared with Farrah in the 1979 tele-film Sunburn, and was featured in Richard Simmons’ Silver Foxes Aerobics exercise videos along with the parents of other celebrities. Renee Faure
Charterhouse at Parma (1948), One Only Loves Once (1949), Adorable Creatures (1952), Koenigsmark (1953), Rasputin (1954), Blood to the Head (1956), Bel Ami (1957), Illegal Cargo (1958), Rue de Paris (1959), The President (1961), David Copperfield (1965), The Sultans (1966), The Judge and the Assassin (1976), Love on the Quiet (1985), The Little Thief (1988), Dede (1990), Miss Moscou (1992), Stranger in the House (1992), and Homer: Portrait of the Artist as an Old Man (1997). She was also seen on television in productions of David Copperfield (1965), Lancelot of the Lake (1970), PotBouille (1972), Julia von Mogador (1972), Madame Bovary (1974), Le Naufrage de Monte-Cristo (1977), Les Mysteres de Paris (1980), Antoine et Julie (1981), Tante Blandine (1983), La Ruele au Clair de Lune (1988), Les Grandes Families (1989), Maigret and the Burglar’s Wife (1991), and Un Ange Passe (1994).
Pauline Fawcett (left, with daughter Farrah)
Canadian actor Marc Favreau died of cancer in a Montreal, Canada, hospital on December 17, 2005. He was 76. Favreau was born in Montreal on November 9, 1929. He was best known for performing the character of Sol the hobo clown, who surreal humor and mangling of the French language entertained audiences in Quebec for many years. Favreau starred in several Canadian television series including 14, rue de Galais (1954), Le Survenant (1957), La Cote de Sable (1960), and Les Enquetes Jo-
FEDERSPIEL, BIRGITTE Danish actress Birgitte Federspiel died in Odense, Denmark, on February 2, 2005. She was 89. Federspiel was born in Denmark on September 6, 1925. She was a leading performer on stage and in films, and appeared in numerous movies from the 1940s. Her credits include Susanne (1950), Familien Schmidt (1951), Adam and Eve (1953), Carl Dryer’s Ordet (aka The Word) (1955), A Stranger Knocks (1959), Charles’ Aunt (1959), The Last Winter (1960), The Musketeers (1961), Suddenly, a Woman! (1963), Death Comes at High Noon (1964), Hunger
Marc Favreau
Birgitte Federspiel
FAVREAU, MARC
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(1966), Hagbard and Signe (1967), The Performance Will Be Followed by a Dance (1970), Z.P.G. (1972), The Olsen Gang Runs Amok (1973), 19 Red Roses (1974), That Brief Summer (1976), The Office Party (1976), The New Toy (1977), Mind Your Back, Professor (1977), The Factory Outing (1978), Peter Von Scholten (1987), Babette’s Feast (1987), Carlo & Ester (1994), Looping (1995), Barbara (1997), Southern Comfort (1997), Indien (1999), and Kat (2001). She also starred as Baroness von Rytger in the 1978 television series Matador.
FEINBERG, RON Character actor Ron Feinberg died in Los Angeles on January 29, 2005. He was 72. Feinberg was born on October 10, 1932. appeared as Fellini in the 1975 science fiction cult classic, A Boy and His Dog, starring Don Johnson and Jason Robards, Jr., based on a story by Harlan Ellison. He also appeared in the film Thunder and Lightning in 1977. Feinberg was featured in numerous tele-films including Brian’s Song (1971), Dying Room Only (1973), Hijack (1973), Money to Burn (1973), The Missiles of October (1974) as Gen. Charles de Gaulle, and The Man in the Santa Claus Suit (1979). His other television credits include episodes of I Spy, Cowboy in Africa, Run for Your Life, It’s About Time, Hawaii Five-O, It Takes a Thief, Here Come the Brides, The High Chaparral, Mission; Impossible, The Partridge Family, Cannon, Kung Fu, Lotsa Luck, Emergency!, Barney Miller, Diff ’rent Strokes, Archie Bunker’s Place, Hill Street Blues, Bring ’Em Back Alive, Night Court, and thirtysomething. Feinberg was also a voice actor in such animated series as Hong Kong Phooey, The Scooby-Doo/Dynomutt Hour, Jabberjaw, Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, Transformers, The Centurions, Hulk Hogan’s Rock ’N’ Wrestling as Andre the Giant, Defenders of the Earth, Tale Spin, Darkwing Duck, The Tick, The Fantastic Four, and Extreme Ghostbusters.
Camillo Felgen
small roles in the German films When Conny and Peter Do It Together (1958) and Five Sinners (1960). He represented Luxembourg in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1960 and 1962. He was best known as the host of the television series Spiel ohne Grenzen (Play Without Borders) from 1965 to 1973. He also hosted numerous television variety programs.
FERNANDEZ, JAIME Mexican actor Jaime Fernandez died of a heart attack in Mexico City, Mexico, on April 15, 2005. He was 67. Fernandez was born in Monterrey, Mexico, on December 6, 1937. He was the younger brother of actor and director Emilio El Indio” Fernandez and singer Fernando Fernandez. He began his career in films as a boy in the late 1940s and was featured in nearly 200 productions during his career. His numerous films include Out on the Big Ranch (1949), Soledad’s Shawl (1952), The Brute (1953), The Proud Ones (1953), The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (1954) as Friday, The Rebellion of the Hanged (1954), Untouched (1954), Mortal Sin (1955), The River and Death (1955), Massacre (1956), Talpa (1956), The Headless Rider (1957), The Head of Pancho Villa (1957), Zonga, the Diabolical Angel (1958), Beneath the Sky of Mexico (1958), Thirst for Love (1959), Two Disobedient Sons (1960), Tragic Inheritance (1960), The Imposter (1960), Northern Courier (1960), The Mask of Death (1961), Jalisco Gals Are Beautiful (1961), Santo Vs. the
Ron Feinberg
FELGEN, CAMILLO Luxembourg singer and television personality Camillo Felgen died in Luxembourg on July 16, 2005. He was 84. Felgen was born in Tetange, Luxembourg, on November 17, 1920. He began his career as a newscaster with Radio Luxembourg in 1946. He soon began singing and appeared in
Jaime Fernandez
119 Zombies (1962), Santo vs. the Vampire Women (1962), The Incredible Face of Dr. B (1963), Song of the Soul (1964), Always Further On (1965), Blue Demon vs. the Satanical Power (1966), A Bullet for the General (1967), The Female Soldier (1967), The Last Gunman (1968), Day of the Evil Gun (1968), Guns for San Sebastian (1968), Lucio Vazquez (1968), Laura Punales (1969), Emiliano Zapata (1970), Chicano (1975), The Bricklayers (1976), Mi Fantasma y Yo (1988), El Gato de Chihuahua (1996), Outside the Law (1998), The Gardeners (1999), and Deaths at Midnight (2001). He was also seen in numerous television productions including the 1977 mini-series El Mexicano. Fernandez was also a leader of the actors’ union, the National Actors Association (ANDA), serving as the group’s general secretary from 1966 to 1977. • Variety, Apr. 25, 2005, 69.
FERRER, IBRAHIM
Cuban singer Ibrahim Ferrer, who performed with the Buena Vista Social Club, died of complications from emphysema in Cuba on August 6, 2005. He was 78. Ferrer was born in Santiago, Cuba, on February 20, 1927. He began singing professionally in his teens in the early 1940s, and was a popular performer in Cuba by the 1950s. He performed with bandleader Pacho Alonso’s group for over two decades. He emerged from retirement in 1999 when he was recruited by musician Ry Cooder to join other aging Cuban musicians for the Buena Vista Social Club album and film. The album earned a Grammy Award and Ferrer also recorded the album Buena Vista Social Club Presents Ibrahim Ferrer in 1999. He earned a Latin Grammy Award as best new artist in 2000. • Los Angeles Times, Aug. 8, 2005, B9; New York Times, Aug. 8, 2005, B8; People, Aug. 22, 2005, 99; Time, Aug. 15, 2005, 25; Times (of London), Aug. 9, 2005, 47; Variety, Aug. 15, 2005, 48.
2005 • Obituaries
Jacques Ferriere
(1981), and Tete a Claques (1982). Ferriere was also a voice actor for the film Tintin and the Lake of Sharks (1972), and the animated series UFO Robot Goldorak (1975) and Pac-Man (1982).
FIEDLER , JOHN Character actor John Fiedler, who starred in films, and on television and Broadway, and delighted younger audiences as the voice of Piglet in Walt Disney’s Winnie-the-Pooh animated films for over 35 years, died of cancer in Englewood, New Jersey, on June 25, 2005. He was 80. Fiedler was born in Platteville, Wisconsin, on February 3, 1925. He served stateside in the U.S. Navy during World War II. After the war he went to New York, where he joined the Neighborhood Playhouse. He appeared in a OffBroadway production of The Sea Gull with Montgomery Clift in 1954, and subsequently was featured in Broadway productions of A Raisin in the Sun and The Odd Couple. Fiedler also appeared as Cadet Alfie Higgins in the children’s science fiction television series Tom Corbett, Space Cadet from 1951 to 1954. He made his film debut as Juror #2 in 1957’s 12 Angry Men. The balding Fiedler was usually cast as meek characters, appearing in the films Stage Struck (1958), the 1961 film version of A Raisin in the Sun (1961) reprising his stage role of Mark Lindner, That Touch of Mink (1962), The World of Henry Orient (1964), Kiss Me Stupid (1964), Girl Happy (1965) with Elvis Presley, A Fine Madness
Ibrahim Ferrer
FERRIERE, JACQUES French actor Jacques Ferriere died in France on April 9, 2005. He was 72. He appeared in numerous films from the 1950s including Gas-Oil (1955), It Happened in Aden (1956), Modigliani of Montparnasse (1958), The Sucker (1965), Nights of Farewell (1966), Franciscan of Bourges (1968), A Slightly Pregnant Man (1973), The Persian Lamb Coat (1979), The Telephone Bar (1980), Madame Claude 2
John Fiedler
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(1966), The Ballad of Josie (1967), Fitzwilly (1967), The Odd Couple (1968) as Vinnie, True Grit (1969) with John Wayne, Rascal (1969), and The Great Bank Robbery (1969). Fiedler was also a prolific television performer, appearing in television productions of All the King’s Men (1958), Mickey and the Contessa (1963), and Guns of Diablo (1964). He was also seen in episodes of Armstrong Circle Theatre, Studio One, The United States Steel Hour, Hallmark Hall of Fame, Brenner, The Twilight Zone, Adventures in Paradise, The Aquanauts, Peter Gunn, Have Gun —Will Travel, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Peter Loves Mary, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, Pete and Gladys, Checkmate, Dr. Kildare, Thriller, 87th Precinct, Outlaws, The Tall Man, The New Breed, Bonanza, My Favorite Martian, The Great Adventure, Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, The Farmer’s Daughter, The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters, Destry, The Fugitive, The Munsters, Gunsmoke, The Donna Reed Show, Captain Nice, Bewitched, Star Trek as Mr. Hengist in the “Wolf in the Fold” episode, Get Smart, Felony Squad, Death Valley Days, I Spy, The Most Deadly Game, The Doris Day Show, Cannon, The Odd Couple, Banacek, Banyon, A Touch of Grace, Gunsmoke, McMillan and Wife, Police Story, The Streets of San Francisco, Dirty Sally, The Manhunter, and Mobile One. Fiedler made his debut as Piglet in Disney’s 1968 animated film Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day. He played Pooh’s fretful friend in numerous cartoons and films including Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too! (1974), The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977), Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore (1983), Winnie the Pooh & Christmas Too (1991), Boo to You Too! Winnie the Pooh (1996), Pooh’s Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin (1997), A Winnie the Pooh Thanksgiving (1998), Winnie the Pooh: A Valentine for You (1999), Winnie the Pooh: Seasons of Giving (1999), The Tigger Movie (2000), The Book of Pooh (2001), Piglet’s Big Movie (2003), Winnie the Pooh: Springtime with Roo (2004), and Pooh’s Heffalump Movie (2005). Fiedler also worked as a voice-over artist on the films Robin Hood (1973) as Sexton, The Rescuers (1977) as Deacon Owl, the imported Pokemon television cartoons as the Narrator from 1997 to 1999, and The Emperor’s New Groove (2000) as the Old Man. He also continued his film career in such features as Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came? (1970), Making It (1971), Honky (1971), Shadow House (1972), Skyjacked (1972), Deathmaster (1972), Superdad (1973), The Fortune (1975), The Shagg y D.A. (1976), Harper Valley P.T.A. (1978), Boulevard Nights (1979), Midnight Madness (1980), The Cannonball Run (1981), Sharky’s Machine (1981), Savannah Smiles (1982), I Am the Cheese (1983), Seize the Day (1986), and Weekend with Kate (1990). Fiedler appeared regularly as Emil Peterson in the television comedy series The Bob Newhart Show in the 1970s. He was also featured as Gordy Spangler in Kolchak: The Night Stalker with Darren McGavin from 1974 to 1975. He starred was Woody Deschler in the 1983 comedy series Buffalo Bill, and was Gilbert Lange and Virgil in the daytime soap opera One Life to Life in 1987. He was also seen in the tele-films Cannon (1971), Hitched (1971), A Tattered Web (1971), Columbo: Blueprint for Murder (1972), Mys-
tery in Dracula’s Castle (1973), Double Indemnity (1973), The Whiz Kid and the Mystery at Riverton (1974), Bad Ronald (1974), Who Is the Black Dahlia? (1975), Woman of the Year (1976), Human Feelings (1978), The Monkey Mission (1981), and A Raisin in the Sun (1989) again in the role of Mark Lindner. Fiedler’s other television credits include episodes of Jigsaw John, Ark II, Alice, Three’s Company, Switch, Tabitha, Quincy, The Rockford Files, Fantasy Island, Hart to Hart, Cheers, Father Murphy, Amazing Stories, Tales from the Darkside, The Golden Girls, The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd, L.A. Law, George & Leo, and Cosby. • Los Angeles Times, June 28, 2005, B10; New York Times, June 27, 2005, B6; People, July 11, 2005, 83; Time, July 11, 2005, 21; Variety, July 11, 2005, 46.
FIELD, SUSAN British character actress Susan Field died in London on March 19, 2005. Field starred as Rose Cullen in the British television series Crossroads in the mid–1960s and was Mrs. Vincent in the 1966 series Weavers Green. She appeared as Queen Victoria in the 1975 comedy film The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes’ Smarter Brother with Gene Wilder. Her other film credits include The Beginning (1978), Clockwise (1986), Consuming Passions (1988), The Tall Guy (1989), Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1994) as Frau Brach, and Ever After (1998). She also remained a familiar face on British television, appearing in productions of The Glittering Prizes (1976), The Phoenix and the Carpet (1976), Thomas and Sarah (1978), Breakaway (1980), The Jewel and the Crown (1984), John Le Carre’s A Perfect Spy (1987), Troubles (1988), Sir Norbert Smith, a Life (1989), The Man Who Cried (1993), The Plant (1995), and Bramwell: Our Brave Boys (1998). Her other television appearances include episodes of Out of the Unknown, The Jazz Age, Angels, Dixon of Dock Green, Blakes 7, Nanny, Dempsey & Makepeace, Fairly Secret Army, Ever Decreasing Circles, The Bill, Chelmsford 123, KYTV, Poirot, Where the Heart Is, Inspector Morse, Midsomer Murders, and Harbour Lights. FIERRO, AURELIO Italian singer Aurelio Fierro died in a Naples, Italy, hospital after a long illness on March 11, 2005. He was 81. Fierro was born in Montella, Italy, on September 13, 1923. He was a popular singer in Italy from the 1950s. Fierro also appeared
Aurelio Fierro
121 in several films including Lazzarella (1957), Ricordati di Napoli (1958), Caporale di Giornata (1958), Quel Tesoro di Papa (1959), Luna e l’Altra (1996), and Altanic (2000).
FINCHAM , BARRY Actor Barry Fincham, who also performed under the name Michael Chase, died of a stroke in Torrance, California, on March 4, 2005. He was 69. Fincham was born in Toronto, Canada, on November 8, 1935. He was a former boxer who began his career on stage in Florida in the late 1960s. He subsequently moved to Hollywood, where he was seen in the films Paper Lion (1968), Midnight Cowboy (1969), and Pistole (1975). He also appeared on television in episodes of Gentle Ben, Bill Cosby, and General Hospital. FISCHER, MARIE LOUISE
Popular German novelist Marie Louis Fischer died in Prien, Germany, on April 2, 2005. She was 82. Fischer was born in Dusseldorf, Germany, on October 28, 1922. She was the author of numerous books from the 1960s, several of which were adapted for film. Her novel Peter and Sabine was made into a 1968 film. Other film adaptations include Women in Hospital (1976) and the 1993 tele-film Alarm auf Station 2.
2005 • Obituaries
ufacturer, died in Van Nuys, California, after a long illness on July 1, 2005. He was 87. Fisher was born in Great Falls, Montana, on March 30, 1918. He began working with MGM laboratories in 1938. He worked for Republic Studios in the 1940s, where he helped improve the quality of microphone booms. Founding J.L. Fisher, Inc., he designed and manufactured the first lighter and more functional microphone boom and base in 1951. Fisher was given a Technical Achievement Award by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1978 for the design and manufacture of a small, mobile motion picture camera platform known as the Fisher Model Ten Dolly. His work on the Fisher Model Ten Dolly also earned him the Academy’s Scientific and Engineering Award in 1989.
FISHER, SONNY Rockabilly singer and songwriter Therman “Sonny” Fisher died in Houston, Texas, on October 8, 2005. He was 73. Fisher was born in Chandler, Texas, on November 13, 1931. He began performing in 1954 after forming the hillbilly band the Rocking Boys. They released their first record, “Rockin’ Daddy,” the following year. He also wrote the songs “Sneaky Pete,” “Rockin’ and A’Rollin,” and “Pink and Black.” Known as the Wild Man from Texas, he continued to record and perform over the next decade before retiring from the music scene. Fisher came out of retirement when Ace Records tracked him down in 1979 and they released his albums Texas Rockabilly and Texas Rockabilly Tear Up. He continued to perform throughout the 1980s and recorded “Rockabilly Fiesta” with Sleepy LaBeef in 1993 before again retiring. • Times (of London), Nov. 23, 2005, 65.
Marie Louise Fischer
FISHER, JAMES L. James L. Fisher, an Academy Award–winning motion picture equipment man-
Sonny Fisher
James L. Fisher
FITZGERALD , GERALDINE Irish actress Geraldine Fitzgerald died of a respiratory infection and complications from Alzheimer’s disease at her Manhattan, New York, home on July 17, 2005. She was 91. Fitzgerald was born in Dublin, Ireland, on November 24, 1913. She began her career on stage in Dublin, performing at the Gate Theater. She also appeared in a handful of films including Open All Night (1934), Blind Justice (1934), Turn of the Tide (1935), Three Witnesses (1935), Lieutenant Daring, R.N. (1935), The Lad (1935), Department Store (1935), The Ace of Spades
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Geraldine Fitzgerald
(1935), Debt of Honor (1936), Cafe Mascot (1936), and The Mill on the Floss (1937). She accompanied her husband, Edward Lindsay-Hogg, to the New York in 1938 and was soon cast by Orson Welles in his Mercury Theater production of Heartbreak House. The beautiful red-head with a light Irish accent soon caught the attention of Hollywood, and she was signed to a contract at Warner Bros. by Hal Wallis. She was featured as Bette Davis’ best friend in the 1939 drama Dark Victory, which led to her role as Isabella Linton in the 1939 production of Wuthering Heights. She earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her performance. She remained in the United States during World War II, appearing in the films A Child Is Born (1939), ’Til We Meet Again (1940), Flight from Destiny (1941), Shining Victory (1941), The Gay Sisters (1942), Watch on the Rhine (1943), Ladies Courageous (1944), Wilson (1944) as First Lady Edith Wilson, The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry (1945), Three Strangers (1946), O.S.S. (1946), Nobody Lives Forever (1946), and So Evil My Love (1948). Fitzgerald had divorced LindayHogg in 1946 and married wealthy businessman Stuart Scheftel later in the year. After moving back to New York, her film roles became more scarce, though she was seen in the features The Late Edwina Black (1951), Ten North Frederick (1958), The Fiercest Heart (1961), The Pawnbroker (1964) with Rod Steiger, Rachel, Rachel (1968), The Last American Hero (1973), Harry and Tonto (1974), Echoes of Summer (1976), The Mango Tree (1977), Bye Bye Monkey (1978), Diary of the Dead (1980), Arthur (1981) as Martha Bach, Lovespell (1981), Blood Link (1982), Easy Money (1983), Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986) as Gramma Jess, and Arthur 2: On the Rocks (1988). She also remained active on stage and founded the Everyman Street Theater in the 1960s to bring theater to New York’s poorest sections. She also performed frequently on television from the 1950s. She starred in the 1965 prime time soap opera Our Private World as Helen Eldredge, and was Violet Jordan in the daytime soap The Best of Everything in 1970. She also appeared in episodes of Robert Montgomery Presents, Armstrong Circle Theatre, Somerset Maugham TV Theatre, Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, CBS Television Workshop, Studio One, Suspense, Lux Video Theatre, ABC Album, Goodyear Television Playhouse, Justice, Front Row
Center, Climax!, Producers’ Showcase, Shirley Temple’s Storybook, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Naked City, The Nurses, The Defenders, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Lou Grant, Oh Madeline, Trapper John, M.D., Cagney & Lacey, St. Elsewhere, Vacation Playhouse, and The Golden Girls. Fitzgerald was also seen in the tele-films Untold Damage (1971), The Widowing of Mrs. Holroyd (1974), Forget-Me-Not-Lane (1975), Beyond the Horizon (1975), Ah, Wilderness! (1976), Yesterday’s Child (1977), The Quinns (1977), Tartuffe (1978), The Jilting of Granny Weatherall (1980), Dixie: Changing Habits (1983), Kennedy (1983) as Rose Kennedy, Do You Remember Love (1985), Circle of Violence: A Family Drama (1986), Night of Courage (1987), and Bump in the Night (1991). Fitzgerald earned her only Tony nomination in 1982 as director of the play Mass Appeal. Fitzgerald was widowed in 1994 and suffered from Alzheimer’s disease for the past decade. Her survivors include her son, director Michael Lindsay-Hogg, and daughter Susan Scheftel. • Los Angeles Times, July 19, 2005, B11; New York Times, July 19, 2005, B7; People, Aug. 1, 2005, 69; Time, Aug. 1, 2005, 19; Times (of London), Sept. 3, 2005, 64; Variety, July 25, 2005, 55.
FLANAGIN, STEVE Actor Steve Flanagin died by suicide in Austin, Texas, on November 10, 2005. He was 60. Flanagin was born on April 26, 1945. He was featured in films and television from the early 1990s. He appeared in such films as Natural Selection (1999), The Life of David Gale (2003), and Screen Door Jesus (2003). He was also featured in the tele-films A Seduction of Travis County (1991), Witness to the Execution (1994), Shadows of Desire (1994), and Tornado! (1996). Flanagin also guest-starred on several episodes of Walker, Texas Ranger, and was a voice actor in the dubbed version of several Japanese productions including Devil Lady (1998), Soul Hunter (1999), and GetBackers Recovery Service (2002).
Steve Flanagin
FLETCHER, CYRIL British comedian Cyril Fletcher died at his home in St. Peter Port, Guernsey, the Channel Islands, on January 1, 2005. He was 91. Fletcher was born in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, on June 25, 1913. A stage comedian, he was a pioneer in British television, making his first appearance in
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Cyril Fletcher
1937. He appeared in the early BBC comedy review Tele-Ho. He was also featured as the Emperor of Morocco in a 1937 television production of Dick Whittington and His Cat. Fletcher was also featured in several films including Yellow Canary (1943), Nicholas Nickleby (1947), and A Piece of Cake (1948), which he also scripted. He remained a familiar face of television, appearing regularly on Does the Team Think? and hosting the comedy show That’s Life from 1973 to 1981. • Times (of London), Jan. 3, 2005, 42.
FLON, SUZANNE French stage and film actress Suzanne Flon died in Paris of complications from a stomach illness on June 15, 2005. She was 87. Flon was born in Le-Kremlin-Bicetre, France, outside of Paris, on January 28, 1918. She began working in show business as a secretary to French singer Edith Piaf. She became a popular performer on stage and screen from the late 1940s. Flon was seen in numerous films including Capitaine Blomet (1947), Bed for Two (1949), Last Love (1949), Cage of Girls (1949), The Beautiful Image (1951), John Huston’s Moulin Rouge (1952), Miracle of Saint Therese (1952), Orson Welles’ Mr. Arkadin (1955), Thou Shalt Not Kill (1961), Famous Love Affairs (1961), A Monkey in Winter (1962), The Trial (1962), The Bread Peddler (1963), Nutty, Naughty Chateau (1963), John Frankenheimer’s The Train (1964), If I Were a Spy (1967), Action Man (1967), Zita (1968),
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Under the Sign of the Bull (1968), Franciscan of Bourges (1968), La Chasse Royale (1969), Jeff (1969), Teresa (1970), As Far as Love Can Go (1971), Closed Shutters (1973), Escape to Nowhere (1973), the 1974 television production of The Turn of the Screw, Loving in the Rain (1974), No Time for Breakfast (1975), Monsieur Albert (1976), Boomerang (1976), Hotel Baltimore (1976), Mr. Klein (1976), Black-Out (1977), Quartet (1981), One Deadly Summer (1983), Triple Sec (1986), Widow’s Walk (1987), Diary of a Mad Old Man (1987), No Harm Intended (1988), La Vouivre (1989), Gaspard et Robinson (1990), Voyage a Rome (1992), The Children of the Marshland (1999), A Crime in Paradise (2001), The Landlords (2002), The Flowers of Evil (2003), and Strange Gardens (2003). She was a two-time recipient of the Cesar Award, France’s version of the Oscar, and received two Moliere Awards for her theatrical performances during her lengthy career. • Los Angeles Times, June 20, 2005, B9; New York Times, June 18, 2005, A11; Variety, June 27, 2005, 80.
FLOREN, MYRON Accordion player Myron Floren, who was a regular on The Lawrence Welk Show from the 1950s, died of cancer at his home in Los Angeles on July 23, 2005. He was 85. Floren was born in Webster, South Dakota, on November 5, 1919. He began playing the accordion at an early age. During World War II Floren entertained the troops as part of the USO band. After the war he joined the group The Buckeye Four, performing on the radio and local television in St. Louis. He was invited to join Lawrence Welk’s orchestra in 1950 and became nationally renowned when The Lawrence Welk Show began airing on television several years later in 1955. The musical program aired on Saturday nights on ABC for the next 16 years before the network cancelled the program. The show became even more popular when it continued as a syndicated program for over a decade, finally ending in 1982. Floren, who was known as “The Happy Norwegian,” continued performing and making appearances with fellow Welk alumni after the show ceased production. • Los Angeles Times, July 24, 2005, B13; New York Times, July 25, 2005, B7.
Myron Floren Suzanne Flon
FOLON, JEAN-MICHEL Belgian surrealist illustrator and poster designer Jean-Michel Folon died
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Jean-Michel Folon
of leukemia in Monaco on October 20, 2005. He was 71. Folon was born in Uccle, Belgium, on March 1, 1934. He began drawing at an early age and moved to Paris in 1960 to work as an illustrator. He was soon doing drawings for such magazines as The New Yorker, Time, and Esquire. He also illustrated numerous book editions including works by Ray Bradbury, Jorge Luis Borges, H.G. Wells, Lewis Carroll, and Franz Kaf ka. Folon also produced cartoon idents for French television station Antenne 2 in the 1970s. He began designing for theatrical and operatic stage productions in the 1980s. Folon also appeared in a handful of films including Fall of a Body (1973), Lily, Love Me (1975), F as in Fairbanks (1976), A Guy Like Me Should Never Die (1976), and L’Amour Nu (1981). Folon was best known for his numerous illustrations and sculptures feature his Everyman figure, dressed in blue or gray with a brimmed hat and raincoat, set in an urban landscape. • Los Angeles Times, Oct. 21, 2005, B9; New York Times, Oct. 22, 2005, C14; Time, Oct. 31, 2005, 27.
FONTOURA, AGNES Brazilian television actress Agnes Fontoura died of cancer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on March 5, 2005. She was 76. Fontoura was born in Rio de Janeiro on April 4, 1928. She starred in numerous Brazilian television series in the 1970s and 1980s including Selva de Perda, Dona Xepa, Maria, Miria, Pecado Rasgado, and Viver a Vida.
FOOTE, SHELBY Civil War historian Shelby Foote, who was featured in Ken Burns 1990 documentary mini-series The Civil War on PBS, died at his home in Memphis, Tennessee, on June 27, 2005. He was 88. Foote was born in Greenville, Mississippi, on November 17, 1916. He worked as a reporter in Mississippi before writing his first novel, Tournament, which was published in 1949. He continued to write the novels Follow Me Down (1950), Love in a Dry Season (1951), Shiloh (1952), and Jordan County (1954). He began working on a history of the Civil War for Random House in 1954. The project evolved into a threevolume work that was completed in 1974. • Los Angeles Times, June 29, 2005, B10; New York Times, June 29, 2005, B8; People, July 11, 2005, 83; ; Time, July 11, 2005, 21.
Shelby Foote
FORD, PHIL Entertainer Phil Ford died in Las Vegas, Nevada, of natural causes on June 15, 2005. He was 85. Ford was born in San Francisco, California, on June 21, 1919. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He began working as an entertainer after the war. He met performer Mimi Hines in 1952 and they married two years later. The formed a popular husband-and-wife comedy team in nightclubs and on television. They also starred in Broadway musicals and appeared together in the 1965 comedy film Satur-
Agnes Fontoura Phil Ford (with Mimi Hines)
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day Night Bath in Apple Valley They were also seen on television in Toast of the Town, Summer Playhouse, The Merv Griffin Show, The Pat Boone Show, The Mike Douglas Show, and The Tonight Show. They were a popular act in Vegas from the late 1950s. He and Hines divorced in 1972, though they occasionally reunited professionally, appearing together in small role in the 1982 film Fake-Out. Ford was also seen on television in episodes of Love, American Style and Quincy. • Los Angeles Times, June 18, 2005, B18; New York Times, June 18, 2005, A11.
FORRESTER, CAY Actress Cay Forrester died of pneumonia on June 18, 2005. She was 83. She began her film career in the early 1940s, appearing in Blazing Guns (1943), San Fernando Valley (1944), Song of the Range (1944), Brenda Starr, Reporter (1945), Dakota (1945), Strange Impersonation (1946), Suspense (1946), Below the Deadline (1946), That Brennan Girl (1946), Queen of the Amazons (1947), Smash-Up: The Story of a Woman (1947), Violence (1947), The Pretender (1947), Blonde Savage (1947), The Challenge (1948), Canon City (1948), Hollow Triumph (1948), Hold That Baby! (1949), D.O.A. (1950) with Edmond O’Brien, and To Please a Lady (1950). Forrester scripted and co-starred with Johnny Cash in the psycho-thriller Door-to-Door Maniac in 1961. She also appeared in the films Advise and Consent (1962) and Fuzz (1972). Forrester also appeared on television in episodes of Family Affair, Adam-12, and Mannix.
Robert Fortier
Full Circle. His television credits also include episodes of the series Letter to Loretta, Studio 57, Colt .45, Have Gun —Will Travel, U.S. Marshal, The Law and Mr. Jones, Outlaws, Bonanza, The Gallant Men, Gunsmoke, Combat!, The Outer Limits, Kraft Suspense Theatre, Star Trek, and Insight.
FOWLES, JOHN British author John Fowles, who novels included such notable works as The Collector and The French Lieutenant’s Woman, died after a long illness at his home in Lyme Regis, England, on November 5, 2005. He was 79. Fowles was born in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, England, on March 31, 1926. His first novel, The Collector, about a disturbed young butterfly collector who “collects” a beautiful young woman, was published in 1963. It was adapted for a 1965 film directed by William Wyler starring Terrence Stamp and Samantha Eggar. He scripted the adaptation of his next novel, the mystical The Magus, for film in 1968. Set on a Greek isle, the film version starred Michael Caine, Anthony Quinn, and Candice Bergen. Fowles short story was the basis for the 1974 film The Last Chapter. His best known work, the Victorian novel The French Lieutenant’s Woman, was published in 1969. It was filmed in 1981, earning Oscar nominations for star Meryl Streep and screenwriter Harold Pinter. Fowles’ other works of fiction include The Ebony Tower (1974) which was adapted as a tele-film in 1984, the semi-autobiographical Daniel Martin (1977), Mantissa (1982), and A Maggot (1985). He also wrote the non-
Cay Forrester (with Edmund O’Brien from D.O.A.)
FORTIER, ROBERT Actor Robert Fortier died in California on January 1, 2005. He was 78. Fortier was born in West Hollywood, California, on November 5, 1926. He began his career as a dancer and appeared in such film musicals as Let’s Dance (1950), Show Boat (1951), and Texas Carnival (1951). He was also featured in the films The Girl Rush (1955), The Fearmakers (1958), and the 1965 Esperanto-language experimental film Incubus. His later screen appearances included several Robert Altman films including McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971), 3 Women, Heaven Can Wait (1978), A Wedding (1978), Popeye (1980) as Bill Barnacle, HealthH (1982), and O.C. and Stiggs (1987). Fortier also starred as Scotty in the 1959 television series Troubleshooters, and was Gary Donovan in 1960’s
John Fowles
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fiction works The Aristos: A Self-Portrait in Ideas (1964), The Enigma of Stonehenge (1980), A Short History of Lyme Regis (1983), and Wormholes: Essays and Occasional Writings (1998). • Los Angeles Times, Nov. 8, 2005, B10; New York Times, Nov. 8, 2005, A25; Time, Nov. 21, 2005, 27; Times (of London), Nov. 8, 2005, 58; Variety, Nov. 14, 2005, 61.
FOX, FRED S. Television comedy writer Fred S. Fox died of pneumonia in Encino, California, on October 23, 2005. He was 90. Fox was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on July 26, 1915, and began his career writing for radio in San Francisco in the late 1930s. He moved to Hollywood in 1943 to write comedy material for such stars as George Burns and Gracie Allen, Bing Crosby, Jack Carson, and Spike Jones. He joined Bob Hope’s writing staff the following year, writing for The Bob Hope Pepsodent Show on radio. He also wrote material for Hope and Crosby for the Road films. He continued to work with Hope over the next forty years, writing for his tours and television specials. He scripted episodes of numerous television comedy series including The Real McCoys, The Red Skelton Show, The Andy Griffith Show, Petticoat Junction, F Troop, Mona McCluskey, The Mothers-in-Law, Here’s Lucy, The Doris Day Show, The Jimmy Stewart Show, Temperatures Rising, Sigmund and the Sea Monsters, Hong Kong Phooey, Alice, The Love Boat, and Diff ’rent Strokes. Fox also wrote for several George Burns television specials and the 1980 film Oh, God! Book II. • Los Angeles Times, Nov. 3, 2005, B11; New York Times, Nov. 4, 2005, C14; Times (of London), Nov. 4, 2005, 80; Variety, Nov. 14, 2005, 61.
Peter Foy
as Mary Martin in 1954, Sandy Duncan in 1979, and Cathy Rigby in the early 1990s. He founded the Flying by Foy company in the late 1950s, and continually upgraded the technology utilized in his stage flying sequences. He also served as a technical advisor on the 1966 science fiction film Fantastic Voyage and the 1967 television series The Flying Nun, starring Sally Field. He was supervisor of the flying rigs for the 1978 musical film The Wiz. Flying by Foy effects were also utilized in Broadway productions of Raggedy Ann, Fool Moon, The Who’s Tommy, The Red Shoes, Dracula, and the upcoming Spamalot and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Foy had worked and lived in Las Vegas from the mid–1960s. • Los Angeles Times, Feb. 28, 2005, B7; New York Times, Mar. 2, 2005, D8; Time, Mar. 14, 2005, 19; Variety, Mar. 7, 2005, 62.
FRANCOIS, ANDRE French cartoonist and illustrator Andre Francois died of heart and kidney failure at his home in Grisy-les-Platres, France, on April 11, 2005. He was 89. He was born Andre Farkas in Timisoara, Romania, in 1915. He moved to Paris in the early 1930s where he worked as a graphic artist. He became noted for his humorous drawings, which appeared in such magazines as Le Rire in France and Punch in England. His first book, Double Bedside Book, was published in 1952, and his children’s book Crocodile Tears was published in 1956. During the 1950s he worked often in advertising and also worked as a set
Fred S. Fox
FOY, PETER Peter Foy, whose theatrical flying effects were utilized on stage in such productions as Peter Pan and The Lion King, died in Las Vegas, Nevada, on February 17, 2005. He was 79. Foy was born in London, England, on June 11, 1925. He began performing on stage while in his teens. He served in the Royal Air Force during World War II, and resumed his stage career as an assistant to Joseph Kirby after the war. Foy went to Broadway in 1950 to stage Jean Arthur’s flying sequences in the musical Peter Pan. He also designed the flying effects for such later Peter Pans
Andre Francois
127 and costume designer for the Royal Shakespeare Theater’s production of Merry Wives of Windsor in 1956. Several volumes of his cartoon anthologies were also published including The Penguin Andre Francois, The Tattooed Sailor and Other Cartoons from France, and The Half-Naked Knight. • New York Times, Apr. 15, 2005, C13; Times (of London), Apr. 30, 2005, 71.
FRANK, HAL Character actor Hal Frank died on August 18, 2005. He was 68. Frank was born on September 6, 1936. He was featured as the 1912 stage manager in the science fiction romance Somewhere in Time in 1980. He also appeared in the films Thief (1981) and Class (1983).
Hal Frank
FRANKEL, GENE Stage director and acting teacher Gene Frankel died of heart failure in Manhattan on April 20, 2005. He was 85. Frankel was born on December 23, 1919. He began his career as an actor and performed with the Actors Studio. In the 1950s Frankel became better known as a teacher and director. He received an Obie Award for directing the OffBroadway production of Volpone in 1957. He also received acclaim for his director of the 1961 production of Jean Genet’s avant-garde play The Blacks. Frankel also directed seven productions on Broadway including A Cry of Players (1968), Indians (1969), and The Lincoln Mask (1972), and the 1975 musical The Night
2005 • Obituaries
That Made America Famous. He continued to teach an actor’s workshop at his Gene Frankel Theater throughout his life. • Los Angeles Times, Apr. 23, 2005, B16; New York Times, Apr. 22, 2005, B7; Variety, May 2, 2005, 84.
FRANKLIN, GRETCHEN British character actress Gretchen Franklin died in London on July 11, 2005. She was 94. Franklin was born in London on July 7, 1911. She began her film career in the early 1950s, appearing in such features as Shadow of Fear (1954), Cloak Without Dagger (1956), High Terrace (1956), Bullet from the Past (1957), Flame in the Streets (1961), The Hidden Face (1965), Help! (1965) with the Beatles, The Murder Game (1965), Die, Monster, Die! (1965) with Boris Karloff and Nick Adams, How I Won the War (1967), Twisted Nerve (1968), Subterfuge (1969), The Night Visitor (1971), Richard Lester’s The Three Musketeers (1973) as D’Artagnan’s Mother, Quincy’s Quest (1979), Ragtime (1981), and Return to Waterloo (1985). She was also seen in television productions of The Company Man (1970), Secrets (1973), Nicholas Nickleby (1977), Quatermass (1979), and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1981). Franklin was featured as Sara Meek in the 1969 television series Castle Haven, and was Mum in the 1973 comedy series Bowler. She was Myrtle Cavendish in the series Crossroads in 1974, and was Auntie Lil in I Didn’t Know You Cared in 1975. Franklin was also seen as Alice in the series Dead Ernest in 1982. She was best known for her role as Ethel Skinner on the popular series EastEnders from 1985 until her semiretirement in 1993. She continued to make cameo roles on the series’ Christmas episodes until 1997, and returned again in 2000. Franklin’s other television credits include episodes of Dixon of Dock Green, Silent Evidence, Suspense, Z Cars, Till Death Us Do Part, Danger Man, Journey to the Unknown, Follyfoot, The Organisation, Budgie, Sykes, Softly Softly, Black and Blue, George and Mildred, Hazell, Rising Damp, The Famous Five, The Sweeney, Some Mothers Do ’Ave ’Em, Danger UXB, How’s Your Father?, Terry and June, The Black Adder, In Loving Memory, Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV, and Keeping Up Appearances. • Los Angeles Times, July 13, 2005, B11; Times (of London), July 13, 2005, 55.
Gretchen Franklin Gene Frankel
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FRASER , ELISABETH Actress Elisabeth Fraser died of congestive heart failure in Woodland Hills, California, on May 5, 2005. She was 85. Fraser was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1920. She began her career on stage, performing in the Broadway production of There Shall Be No Night in 1940. She was featured in numerous other Broadway productions over the next three decades including The Russian People, The Family, Tunnel of Love, and The Best Man. She also began performing in films in the early 1940s, appearing in such features as One Foot in Heaven (1941), The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942), Busses Roar (1942), The Hidden Hand (1942), Commandos Strike at Dawn (1942), All My Sons (1948), Roseanna McCoy (1949), Dear Wife (1949), Hills of Oklahoma (1950), When I Grow Up (1941), Callaway Went Thataway (1951), Death of a Salesman (1951), So Big (1953), The Steel Cage (1954), Young at Heart (1954), The Tunnel of Love (1958), Ask Any Girl (1959), Two for the Seesaw (1962), Who’s Been Sleeping in My Bed? (1963), A Patch of Blue (1965) as Shelley Winter’s brassy pal Sadie, The Glass Bottom Boat (1966), Seconds (1966), The Ballad of Josie (1967), The Way West (1967), Tony Rome (1967), The Graduate (1967), Nine to Five (1980), and the 1980 telefilm The Scarlett O’Hara War. Fraser was best known for her roles on television, starring as Sergeant Bilko’s girlfriend Sgt. Joan Hogan on The Phil Silvers Show from 1955 to 1958 and as Hazel Norris on the comedy series Fibber McGee and Molly in 1959. She was also seen in episodes of Four Star Playhouse, The Revlon Mirror Theater, Dragnet, Kraft Television Theater, Man with a Camera, The Vise, Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Richard Diamond, Private Detective, Perry Mason, Car 54, Where Are You?, The Defenders, The Dick Powell Show, McKeever and the Colonel, The Lloyd Bridges Show, 77 Sunset Strip, Wagon Train, Ben Casey, The Eleventh Hour, The Jack Benny Program, Kilroy, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., The Addams Family, Rawhide, Bewitched, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Gunsmoke, Vacation Playhouse, Hey, Landlord, The Monkees, Mannix, and Maude. • New York Times, May 18, 2005, B10; Times (of London), May 18, 2005, 62; Variety, May 16, 2005, 66.
FRAZIER, AL Al Frazier, who sang with the 1960s group the Rivingtons, died at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada, on November 13, 2005. He was 75. Frazier was born on May 3, 1930. He joined with Sonny Harris, Rocky Wilson, Jr., and the late Carl White to form the Rivingtons. They had previously been backup singers for such recording stars as Paul Anka and Duane Eddy. They recorded several popular novelty hits in the early 1960s including “Papa-Oom-MowMow” and “The Bird’s the Word.” • Los Angeles Times, Nov. 20, 2005, B12.
Al Frazier (left, with the Rivingtons)
FREAS, KELLY Leading science fiction artist Frank Kelly Freas died at his home in Los Angeles on January 2, 2005. He was 82. Freas was born in Hornell, New York, on August 27, 1922. He began his career as a commercial artist, but soon moved to creating illustrations for science fiction and fantasy publications. He provided cover illustrations for such magazines as Weird Tales, Analog, and Astounding Science Fiction, and the works of such writers as Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, Arthur C. Clarke, and Poul Anderson. Freas also began working for Mad magazine in the 1950s, becoming the lead cover artist for the magazine for seven years. He also illustrated the covers for several Mad paperbacks including Son of Mad and Ides of Mad. Freas’ work also ranged from creating the of-
Elisabeth Fraser (with Phil Silvers) Kelly Freas
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ficial NASA patch for the 1973 Skylab 1 mission to drawing the cover for the rock group Queen’s 1977 album News of the World. He was the recipient of 11 Hugo Awards for his drawings in the science fiction field. • Los Angeles Times, Jan. 4, 2005, B10; New York Times, Jan. 5, 2005, C13; People, Jan. 17, 2005, 95; Time, Jan. 17, 2005, 19.
FRED, JOHN John Fred Gourrier, who recorded the popular 1960s tune “Judy in Disguise (With Glasses),” died in a New Orleans hospital of complications from a kidney transplant on April 15, 2005. He was 63. Gourrier was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in May 8, 1941. He and his band, John Fred and the Playboys, became performing in the late 1950s and recorded the local hits “Shirley” and “Good Lovin’“. He returned to the music scene in the mid–1960s with a new Playboy Band, and had his first hit with a parody of the Beatles’ song “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” recording “Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)” in 1967. The tune topped the pop charts for two weeks. The band split in 1969 and John Fred continued as a solo performer for several years. He reformed the Playboy Band to play regional venues in the early 1980s, and formed The Louisiana Boys in the 1990s. • New York Times, Apr. 19, 2005, C17; Times (of London), May 4, 2005, 54.
John Fred
FREEDMAN , HARRY Canadian composer Harry Freedman died of cancer in Toronto, Canada, on September 16, 2005. He was 83. Freedman was born in Lodz, Poland, in 1922. He joined the Toronto Symphony Orchestra as an English horn player in 1946, and remained with the orchestra until 1970. He composed nearly 200 works during his career including three symphonies and nine ballets. Freedman also composed scores to several films including Isabel (1968), November (1970), Tilt (1972), The Pyx (1973), Kavik, the Wolf Dog (1980), and Something Hidden — A Portrait of Wilder Penfield (1981). FREEMAN, DAVE British film and television comedy writer Dave Freeman died at his home in London, England, after a long illness on March 28, 2005. He was 82. Freeman was born in England on August 22, 1922. He began working with comedian Benny Hill in
Harry Freedman
the mid–1950s and wrote for the series, The Benny Hill Show, for over a decade. Freeman also wrote comedy sketches for such performers as Frankie Howerd, Arthur Askey and Tony Hancock. Freeman also wrote for such television series as Great Scott, It’s Maynard, Arthur’s Treasured Volumes, The Avengers, The Arthur Askey Show, World of His Own, Scott On..., Mr. Aitch, Knock Three Times, The Dustbinmen, The Fossett Saga, Bless This House, The Howerd Confessions, Robin’s Nest, Terry and June, and Keep It in the Family. Freeman also wrote for several films including Those Fantastic Flying Fools (aka Jules Verne’s Rocket to the Moon) (1967), Simon Simon (1970), The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins (1971), Carry on Behind (1975), and Carry on Columbus (1992). • Times (of London), Apr. 6, 2005, 54.
FREEMAN, DEVERY Film and television writer Devery Freeman died of complications from open heart surgery in a Los Angeles hospital on October 7, 2005. He was 92. Freeman was born in Brooklyn, New York, on February 18, 1913. Freeman began his career writing for such magazines as Saturday Evening Post and The New Yorker before moving to Hollywood in the late 1930s. He wrote numerous films over the next two decades including Main Street Lawyer (1939), Ziegfeld Follies (1946), The Thrill of Brazil (1946), The Guilt of Janet Ames (1947), The Fuller Brush Man (1948), A Kiss in the Dark (1949), Miss Grant Takes Richmond (1949), Tell It to the Judge (1949), Borderline
Devery Freeman
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(1950), The Yellow Cab Man (1950), Watch the Birdie (1950), Dear Brat (1951), Three Sailors and a Girl (1953), Francis Joins the WACS (1954), Ain’t Misbehavin’ (1955), Francis in the Navy (1955), Three Bad Sisters (1956), The First Traveling Saleslady (1956), Dance with Me Henry (1956), Public Pigeon No. One (1957), and The Girl Most Likely (1957). He also began working in television in the 1950s, scripting episodes of Playhouse 90, The 20th Century–Fox Hour, Climax, and Desilu Playhouse. Freeman also wrote and produced the series Letter to Loretta, The Thin Man, The Ann Sothern Show, and Pete and Gladys. He also created the western series Sugarfoot in 1957. He worked as a network executive at CBS for several years in the 1960s. Freeman wrote a novel, Father Sky, in the 1970s, which was adapted to the screen in 1981 as the film Taps starring George C. Scott and Timothy Hutton. • Los Angeles Times, Oct. 12, 2005, B10; New York Times, Oct. 14, 2005, C15; Variety, Oct. 17, 2005, 64.
FREY, JACK Actor Jack Frey died on February 14, 2005. He was 66. Frey was born on April 26, 1938. He appeared in small roles in the films Funny Lady (1975), The Eiger Sanction (1975), Let’s Do It! (1982), and You Talkin’ to Me? (1987). He also appeared in the tele-films It Couldn’t Happen to a Nicer Guy (1974), Amelia Earhart (1976), The Magnificent Magical Magnet of Santa Mesa (1977), and Street of Dreams (1988). His other television credits include episodes of Lucas Tanner, The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, and CHiPs.
Louis Friedland
in 1978. Friedland retired in 1986, though he remained with the company as a consultant for several years. • Los Angeles Times, July 5, 2005, B9; New York Times, July 2, 2005, C16.
FRIEDMAN, ED Animator Ed Friedman died of complications from a stroke in Los Angeles on April 29, 2005. He was 92. Friedman was born on October 23, 1912. He began working in animation in the early 1930s, and worked with such studios as Iwerks, Mintz/Screen Gems, UPA, and Disney over the next fifty years. Friedman animated numerous Mister Magoo cartoons in the 1950s and worked on the 1974 animated film Journey Back to Oz. He also was an animation director on the television series Mighty Mouse, Star Trek: The Animated Series, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, She-Ra: Princess of Power, Ghostbusters, and BraveStarr.
Jack Frey
FRIEDLAND , LOUIS Television executive Louis N. Friedland died in a Great Neck, New York, hospital after a brief illness on June 29, 2005. He was 92. Friedland was born in Brooklyn, New York, on April 18, 1913. After graduation from New York University, he served in the Coast Guard during World War II. Friedland joined MCA (then known as Music Corporation of America) in 1952. He served as director of distribution of Universal Studios television programs from 1963 to 1978, while MCA was owner of Universal. He played a leading role in the development of programming for syndicated television in that position and as chairman of MCA-TV, which he assumed
Ed Friedman
FROES, HEMILCIO Brazilian actor Hemilcio Froes died after a long illness in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on April 27, 2005. He as 84. Froes was born in Campos dos Goitacases, Brazil, on July 10, 1920. He acted in many film and television productions in a career that began in the 1940s. He was featured in the films Terra Violenta (1948), Katucha (1950), Murder in Copacabana (1962), El Justicero (1967), Marilie e Marina (1976), and The Naked Man (1997). He also appeared in numerous television series including A Pe-
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quena Orfa (1968), Gabriela (1975), Capital Sins (1975), Os Gigantes (1979), and Aqua Viva (1980).
FROHLICH, SIG Veteran actor Sig Frohlich, who worked as Mickey Rooney’s stand-in from the late 1930s, died of pneumonia in a Los Angeles hospital on September 30, 2005. He was 95. Frohlich was born on January 8, 1910. He began appearing in small roles in films in the 1930s. He was seen in Riffraff (1936), and was a Flying Monkey in 1939’s The Wizard of Oz. He was also featured in the films This Time for Keeps (1942), Sunday Punch (1942), Killer McCoy (1947), B.F.’s Daughter (1948), Easter Parade (1948), Words and Music (1948), Three Little Words (1950), Dial 1119 (1950), Right Cross (1950), The Strip (1951), Off Limits (1953), The Atomic Kid (1954), How to Stuff a Wild Bikini (1965), Jacqueline Susann’s Once Is Not Enough (1975), Harry and Walter Go to New York (1976), First Monday in October (1981), True Confessions (1981), Lookin’ to Get Out (1982), American Flyers (1985), Clue (1985), and Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (1986). He also worked as Rooney’s stand-in on many films and television productions through the 1960s. • Times (of London), Oct. 13, 2005, 70.
Sid Frohlich
FRY , CHRISTOPHER British dramatist Christopher Fry died in Chichester, England, on June 30, 2005. He was 97. Fry was born Christopher Fry Harris in Bristol, England, on December 18, 1907. He became interested in writing while in school, and became a teacher after graduation. He became involved with the theater in 1929, overseeing an amateur theater and repertory company in Tunbridge Wells. He wrote the verse drama Boy With a Cart in 1938 to commemorate the jubilee year of a church near his home in Sussex. A lifelong pacifist, Fry served in a noncombatant army unit during World War II. His play A Phoenix Too Frequent was stage in 1946, and his most notable work, The Lady’s Not for Burning, was produced in 1948. The play was restaged by John Gielgud in the West End the following year, featuring early performances by Richard Burton and Claire Bloom. Laurence Olivier starred in the debut of Fry’s Venus Observed, and The Lady’s Not for Burning opened on Broadway in 1950. He met with less success with his next work, The Dark Is Light
Christopher Fry
Enough, in 1954. Fry also wrote several films including A Queen Is Crowned (1953) and The Beggar’s Opera (1953). He subsequently wrote adaptations of Jean Anouilh’s The Lark and Giraudoux’s Tiger at the Gates, Judith, and Duel of Angels. He worked for over a year doctoring the script for the 1959 film Ben-Hur. His work on that film led to screenwriting assignments on Barabbas (1962) and The Bible ... In the Beginning (1966). He also wrote a play about Henry II, Curtmantle, in 1962, and the love story A Yard of Sun in 1970. He spent his later years translating Rostand’s Cyrano and writing the television series The Brontes of Haworth (1973). The Lady’s Not for Burning was adapted for television in 1974 and again in 1987. He continued to write into his 90s, penning a play for his old school, A Ringing of Bells, in 2000. • Los Angeles Times, July 7, 2005, B11; New York Times, July 5, 2005, B7; Time, July 18, 2005, 25; Times (of London), July 4, 2005, 59; Variety, July 11, 2005, 46.
FU BIAO Chinese actor Fu Biao died of liver cancer in a Beijing, China, hospital on August 30, 2005. He was 40. He had undergone a liver transplant in September of 2004 but had relapsed in May of 2005. He had been in a coma for over a week. Fu was a leading film actor in China from the 1990s, appearing in such films as Shanghai Triad (1995), The Dream Factory (1997), Restless (1998), A Sign (2000), Happy Times (2001), and A World Without Thieves (2004).
Fu Biao
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FUJIKI, YU Japanese character actor Yu Fujiki died of a pulmonary embolism resulting from complications from surgery for a broken leg in a Tokyo, Japan, hospital on December 19, 2005. He was 74. Fujiki was born in Tokyo on March 2, 1931. He appeared in numerous films from the 1950s including Farewell Rabaul (1954), Saturday Angel (1954), Ghost Man (1954), A Man Among Men (1955), No Time for Tears (1955), Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple (1955), The Tears of Geisha Konatsu (1955), Rainy Night Duel (1956), Throne of Blood (1967), Be Happy, These Two Lovers (1957), Sazae-San, Part 2 (1957), Last Day of Samurai (1957), The Lower Depth (1957), Sazae’s Youth (1957), Anzukko (1958), All About Marriage (1958), The Inn in Front of the Train Station (1958), The Hidden Fortress (1958), A Salaryman’s Commandments (1959), An Echo Calls You (1959), Aisaiki (1959), Magic Monkey Sky (1959), The Birth of Japan (1959), The Gambling Samurai (1960), Wanton Journey (1960), New Ladies’ University (1960), Salary Man Chushingura (1960), Daredevil in the Castle (1961), A Night in Hong Kong (1961), The End of Summer (1961), Different Sons (1961), Ganba (1961), Star of Hong Kong (1962), King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962), The Loyal 47 Ronin (1962), Sensation Seekers (1963), Young Guy in Hawaii (1963), Operation Mad Dog (1963), Stragon (1963), Godzilla vs. the Thing (1964) as the comic egg-loving reporter, The Sandal Keeper (1964), Blood and Diamond (1964), Yearning (1964), We Will Remember (1965), White Rose of Hong Kong (1965), The Stranger Within a Woman (1966), The Daphne (1966), Operation Crazy Gold (1967), Japan’s Longest Day (1967), Ghost Story of Two Travelers at Ernamonya (1967), Scattered Clouds (1967), Imaginary Paradise (1968), Admiral Yamamoto (1968), Freshman Young Guy (1969), Yog: Monster from Space (1970), It’s My Sky! Young Guy (1970), A Salaryman’s Honor (1973), Hurry, Young Ones! Tomorrow Never Waits (1974), Go For It! Young Guy (1975), Clash! Young Guy (1976), Young Guy Returns (1981), Station (1981), At This Late Date, the Charleston (1981), Southern Cross (1982), Time and Tide (1983), Lost in the Wilderness (1986), Rainbow Kids (1991), Transparent: Tribute to a Sad Genius (2001), and Year One in the North (2005). Fujiki was also featured in a supporting role in the Japanese television drama series G-Men ’75 in the 1970s.
Yu Fujiki
FUMO, NUCCIA Italian character actress Nuccia Fumo died in Naples, Italy, on September 21, 2005. She was 88. Fumo was born in Naples in 1917. She appeared in numerous theatrical productions during her career. She was also featured in several films including Let’s Hope It’s a Girl (1986), Chiari di Luna (1988), The House of Smiles (1988), Saturday, Sunday, and Monday (1990), I Thought It Was Love (1991), Package, Double Package and Counterpackage (1993), I’m Crazy About Iris Blond (1996), Pictures Deep in One’s Eyes (2000), and A Children’s Story (2004).
Nuccia Fumo
FURST , JOSEPH Austrian character actor Joseph Furst died on November 29, 2005. He was 95. Furst was born in Vienna, Austria, on October 12, 1910. He appeared in numerous films and television productions in England from the 1950s. Furst was featured in Otto Preminger’s 1960 film Exodus (1960). His other film credits include Off beat (1961), Very Important Person (1961), John Huston’s Freud (1962), 55 Days at Peking (1963), The High Bright Sun (1964), Theatre of Death (1966), The Brides of Fu Manchu (1966) with Christopher Lee, Arrivederci, Baby! (1966), Hammerhead (1968), Eyewitness (1970), Goodbye Gemini (1970), the 1971 James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever as Dr. Metz, ...And Millions Will Die! (1973), Inn of the Damned (1974), and Plugg (1975). He was also seen in
Joseph Furst
133 television productions of The Poisoned Earth (1961), The Midnight Men (1964), The July Plot (1964), A Magnum for Schneider (1967), Lucinda (1967), Number 96 (1972), Luke’s Kingdom (1976), Jonah (1982), The Schippan Mystery (1984), The Dunera Boys (1985), and Tusitala (1986). Furst starred as Heinrik Smeaton in the television series The Young Doctors in 1978. His other television credits include episodes of One Step Beyond, Ghost Squad, Man of the World, Studio Four, The Saint, Espionage, The Saint, The Wednesday Play, The Saint, The Baron, Doctor Who, Callan, Boy Meets Girl, The Troubleshooters, The Champions, Doomwatch, Paul Temple, The Persuaders!, Division 4, Ryan, Kingswood Country, A Country Practice in the recurring role of Alex Popovich, and Special Squad. Furst retired to Australia in the 1980s.
GABRIEL, JIM
Actor Jim Gabriel died in San Angelo, Texas, on October 5, 2005. He was 63. Gabriel was born in Spur, Texas, on December 20, 1941. He operated a clothing store in San Angelo for over thirty years before moving to Hollywood in 2001 to work as a character actor. He played small roles in several films and was featured as the Secretary of Defense in an episode of The West Wing. He returned to Texas in 2003 where he worked in real estate.
GAETE, MARCELO Chilean actor and director Marcelo Gaete died of cancer in San Jose, Costa Rica, on October 10, 2005. He was 60. He was a popular comic actor from the 1950s, appearing in the films Tres Miradas a la Calle (1957), The Witnesses (1969), and The Promised Land (1971), and the television series El Rosario de Plata (1969) and Don Camilo (1969). He left Chile with his wife, actress Sara Astica, after the 1973 military coup and settled in Costa Rica. He remained a popular comic performer on stage, television and films. His film credits include Alsino and the Condor (1982) and The Bicycle Racer (1983). He also wrote and directed the films Mas Alla (2000) and A Diestra y Siniestra (2001).
Marcelo Gaete
GALIANA, FRED
Spanish boxer Fred Galiana died of pneumonia and complications from Alzheimer’s disease at an Orihuela, Spain, nursing home on July 4, 2005. He was 74. He was born Exuperancio Galiana
2005 • Obituaries
Fred Galiana
Diaz in Spain in 1931. He began boxing professionally in the early 1950s, gaining the Spanish and European championship. He also appeared in two films, School of Journalism (1960) and He Is My Man (1966). Galiana retired from the ring in 1964 to open a restaurant.
GALINDO , OCTAVIO Mexican actor Octavio Galindo died of renal failure in a Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, hospital on March 28, 2005. He was 62. Galindo was born in Hermosillo on August 1, 1942. He began his career on stage, appearing in over 100 productions during his career. He was a leading film and television actor from the early 1970s. Galindo was featured in the films Ya Somos Hombres (1970), El Ausente (1971), Todo en el Juego (1972), Apolinar (1972), El Rey (1976), Herederos en Aprietos (1989), El Mutilador (1991), Marea Suave (1992), and Me Tengo que Casar (1995). Galindo also starred in numerous Mexican television series including Lucia Sombra (1971), Acompaname (1978), Papa Soltero (1986), Il Alcanzar una Estrella (1991), Caminos Cruzados (1994), Nunca te Olvidare (1999), DKDA: Suenos de Juventud (1999), and El Noveno Mandamiento (2000).
Octavio Galindo
GANESAN , GEMINI Indian leading actor Gemini Ganesan died in Bangalore, India, after a long illness on March 22, 2005. He was 84. He began his career in films working as a production assistant. He became a leading film star in the 1950s and 1960s,
Obituaries • 2005
134 Garcia began his career as a playwright in Venezuela. He also scripted several. films including Ifigenia (1986), Reflejos (1987), and Tosca, the True Story (2001). He moved to Mexico in 1996 where he became a leading writer of telenovelas for Argos production house. He wrote such series as Ka Ina (1995), Quirpa de Tres Mujeres (1996), Amor Mio (1997), Todo Por Amor (2000), and Ladron de Corazones (2003). • Variety, Dec. 26, 2005, 37.
Gemini Ganesan
known as the “King of Romance” because of his onscreen image. He appeared in over 200 films in Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, and several in Hindi. He remained active in films as a character performer later in his career. His numerous film credits include Avaiyar (1953), Miss Mary (1957), Maya Bazaar (1957), The Wedding Gift (1959), The Flower of Love (1961), The Atonement of Sin (1961), Holy Love (1962), Great Leader (1970), I Am Not He (1974), Stephen (1980), Brother, It Is Possible! (1988), Veena of Shiva (1988), and Avvai Shanmugi (1996). His survivors include his daughter Rekha, a leading actress in India. • Variety, Mar. 28, 2005, 56.
GARBER , H OPE Character actress Hope Garber died of complications from Alzheimer’s disease on September 7, 2005. She was 81. Garber was born on February 18, 1924. She was a singer who hosted as television show in her hometown of London, Ontario, Canada. She was also featured in the tele-films She Cried Murder (1973) and The Haunted (1991), and the movies Wag the Dog (1997) and The Politics of Desire (1998). She also appeared in an episode of television’s Who’s the Boss? She was the mother of actor Victor Garber.
GARDELLA, KAY Longtime television critic Kay Gardella died of cancer in a Manhattan hospital on April 13, 2005. She was 82. Gardella was born in Belleville, New Jersey, in 1922. She began working for the Daily News as a copygirl in 1946. She soon began reporting on early television productions. She became radio and television editor for the paper in 1975 and took over as television critic in 1981. She continued to write a column for the Daily News until shortly before her death. Gardella had also been a frequent guest on such early television series as What’s My Line?, and was a commentator on several radio programs and a cable television show. • New York Times, Apr. 15, 2005, C13.
Kay Gardella
GARDINER , BOB Artist and writer James Robbins “Bob” Gardiner committed suicide at his home in Grass Valley, California, on April 21, 2005. He was 54. Gardiner was born on March 19, 1951. He was noted for his clay animation, which he termed “sculp-
Hope Garber
GARCIA, RICARDO Venezuelan television writer Ricardo Garcia died of a cerebral edema in Caracas, Venezuela, on December 16, 2005. He was 46.
Bob Gardiner
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2005 • Obituaries
timation,” which was featured in commercials and films. He earned an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 1974 for Closed Mondays, which he coproduced, directed, wrote and animated. Gardiner also worked on several Smothers Brothers television specials.
GARFINKLE, LOUIS Screenwriter Louis A. Garfinkle, who was nominated for an Academy Award for the 1978 film The Deer Hunter, died of complications from Parkinson’s disease at his home in Studio City, California, on October 3, 2005. He was 77. Garfinkle was born in Seattle, Washington, on February 11, 1928. He began working in films in the late 1950s, scripting the western The Young Guns (1956), and writing and producing the horror films I Bury the Living (1958) and Face of Fire (1959). Garfinkle also wrote the European features The Cruel Ones (1967) and A Minute to Pray, a Second to Die (1968). His other screenwriting credits include The Doberman Gang (1972), Little Cigars (1973), and Milena (1991). Garfinkle also created the interactive scriptwrighting computer program, Collaborator, in the 1990s. GARMENDIA, MIKEL Leading Basque actor Mikel Garmendia died after a long illness on August 5, 2005. He was 60 Garmendia was born in Ordizia, in the Basque region of Spain, on January 22, 1945. He began his career on stage, training at the Antzerti Drama School. He made his film debut in the early 1980s, appearing in Pedro Olea’s Akelarre (1984), El Polizon del Ulises (1987), Kareletik (1987), The Anonymous Letter (1990), The Winter in Lisbon (1991), Question of Luck (1996), Airbag (1997), Si, quiero... (1999), and Visionaires (2001).
Mikel Garmendia
GARRISON, GREG Veteran television director Greg Garrison died of pneumonia in Los Angeles on March 25, 2005. He was 81. Garrison was born on February 20, 1924. He began working in television in 1946 with Philadelphia’s WFIL, rising to the position of cameraman and director. He subsequently moved to Chicago where he directed Super Circus and Stand by for Crime for WENR. Moving to New York in the late 1940s he continued to direct such early television series as Ladies Be Seated, Bon Voyage, Majority Rules,
Greg Garrison (right, with Dean Martin)
Sid Caesar’s Your Show of Shows, The Kate Smith Evening Hour and The Milton Berle Show. He also directed episodes of the 1957 television sit-com Bachelor Father, and helmed numerous specials for such stars as Lucille Ball, Jack Benny, Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. Garrison directed two feature films during his career, Hey, Let’s Twist (1961) and Two Tickets to Paris (1962). He teamed with Dean Martin to produce and direct his television variety series in the 1960s. He also directed many of Martin’s televised celebrity roast specials. • Los Angeles Times, Apr. 2, 2005, B14; New York Times, Apr. 5, 2005, B8; Time, Apr. 18, 2005, 26; Variety, Apr. 4, 2005, 80.
GAVIN, JAMES Veteran actor James Gavin died in California on August 13, 2005. He was 70. Gavin was born on March 13, 1935. A stuntman and character actor, he worked on numerous films and television productions from the 1950s through the 1970s. He was seen in the films The Werewolf (1956), Face of a Fugitive (1959), The Gazebo (1959), Rampage (1963), Coogan’s Bluff (1968), A Man Called Gannon (1969), Wild Rovers (1971), Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry (1974), Airport (1974), The Domino Principle (1977), Heroes (1977), Dog Soldiers (1978), The Day the World Ended (1979), The Nude Bomb (1980), The Border (1981), and Blue Thunder (1983). He was also featured in the telefilms The Other Man (1970), Nightmare (1975), Fire! (1975), Hanging By a Thread (1979), The Return of Frank Cannon (1980), and Disaster on the Coastliner (1981). Gavin’s other television credits include episodes of Front Row Center, Frontier, You Are There, Cheyenne, Zane Grey Theater, Perry Mason, Tales of the Texas Rangers, Casey Jones, Jane Wyman Presents the Fireside Theatre, Trackdown, Have Gun —Will Travel, Fury, Dragnet, Gunsmoke, 26 Men, Frontier Justice, Frances Farmer Presents, Colgate Theatre, M Squad, Rawhide, Maverick, Bonanza, Playhouse 90, Two Faces West, The Rifleman, The Twilight Zone, Cain’s Hundred, Wagon Train, The Big Valley, Man from U.N.C.L.E., A Man Called Shenandoah, The F.B.I., Mission: Impossible, Cimarron Strip, Wild Wild West, It Takes a Thief, The High Chaparral, Daniel Boone, McCloud, and Apple’s Way. GAVIRA, GONZALO Oscar-winning Mexican sound effects editor Gonzalo Gavira died in Mex-
Obituaries • 2005
136
Gonzalo Gavira
Henri Genes
ico City from blood circulation problems on January 9, 2005. He was 79. Gavira, who shared the Academy Award for his sound effects work on William Friedkin’s 1973 horror classic The Exorcist, worked on over 60 films in Mexico from the early 1950s. His numerous film credits include Bullfighter (1956), El Topo (1970), National Mechanics (1972), Dr. Tarr’s Torture Dungeon (1972), The Holy Mountain (1973), El Andariego (1976), Alucarda (1978), Guaguasi (1983), Arizona (1984), Silencio Mortal (1991), Starfighters (1992), The Steel Horseman (1994), and Streeters (2001).
Farm (1945), The Chocolate Girl (1949), We Will All Go to Paris (1950), The Lovers of Bras-Mort (1951), Paris Is Always Paris (1951), We Will All Go to Monte Carlo (1952), Women of Paris (1953), A Woman of Evil (1954), Trois de la Canebiere (1956), The Counterfeit Constable (1964), The Sucker (1965), Don’t Look Now —We’re Being Shot At (1966), The Mad Adventures of the Bouncing Beauty (1967), The Brain (1969), The Song of the Balalaika (1970), Young Casanova (1974), Le Pied! (1975), The Animal (1977), The Gendarme and the Creatures from Outer Space (1979), The Miser (1980), La Soupe aux Choux (1981), Vive la Sociale! (1983), Garcon! (1983), Le Facteur de Saint Tropex (1985), La Fille des Collines (1990), Le Provincial (1990), and Justinien Troube, or God’s Bastard (1993). Genes also appeared often on the French stage and television.
GELMAN, ERIC Eric Gelman, an aspiring actor who had appeared in two episodes of the television series Monk, was stabbed and killed during a robbery attempt as he walked to his car in the Wilshire area of Los Angeles after work on April 17, 2005. He was 32. Gelman was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, on July 10, 1972. He studied acting in college before moving to New York in 1996. He appeared in several plays and commercials, then moved to Los Angeles in 2003. He had appeared in an episode of the quirky mystery series Monk as a paparazzi photographer before his death.
GEORGE, ANTHONY Films and television actor Anthony George died of a lung condition in Los Angeles on March 16, 2005. He was 84. He was born Octavio George in Endicott, New York, on January 29, 1921. He began his career in films in the late 1940s with 20th Century–Fox. He was featured in a handful of films including Black Hand (1950), Under My Skin (1950), Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950), Inside the Walls of Folsom Prison (1951), The Fat Man (1951), and You Never Can Tell (1951), and co-starred with Pinky Lee on the variety television series Those Two. He returned to New York in the early 1950s when he felt unable to
Eric Gelman
GENES, HENRI French character actor Henry Genes died in Paris on August 22, 2005. He was 86. Genes was born in Tarbes, France, on July 2, 1919. He was a leading performer in French films from the mid–1940s, appearing in such features as Hanged Man’s
Anthony George
137 handle the stress of Hollywood. He continued to find work in television there, appearing in episodes of Studio One, Tales of Tomorrow, and General Electric Theater. George again returned to Hollywood were he continued to appear in such series as Brave Eagle, Crossroads, The Adventure of Rin Tin Tin, The 20th Century–Fox Hour, On Trial, Crusader, Soldiers of Fortune, Tales of Wells Fargo, Cheyenne, How to Marry a Millionaire, Zorro, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Tombstone Territory, Lawman, Sugarfoot, Sky King, Death Valley Days, Sea Hunt, Hawaiian Eye, 77 Sunset Strip, Miami Undercover, Alcoa Premiere, Wagon Train, The Wide Country, and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. He also appeared in small roles in several films including Three Bad Sisters (1956), The Ten Commandments (1956), Chicago Confidential (1957), and Gunfire at Indian Gap (1957). George appeared regularly with Robert Stack as Elliot Ness’s ill-fated partner Agent Cam Allison in the first season of The Untouchables in 1960. He subsequently starred as Don Corey in the drama series Checkmate from 1960 to 1962. George again returned to New York, where he appeared in numerous theatrical productions including The Front Page, Come Blow Your Horn, The Tender Trap, Cactus Flower, and Funny Girl. He replaced Mitchell Ryan as Burke Devlin in the Gothic soap opera Dark Shadows in 1967, and remained on the show as the character Jeremiah Collins. George also starred as Dr. Tony Vincente on the daytime soap opera Search for Tomorrow from 1970 to 1975, and was Dr. Will Vernon on One Life to Live from 1977 to 1984. He also appeared in episodes of Wonder Woman, Police Woman, and Simon & Simon, and did voice-over commercial work. • Los Angeles Times, Mar. 27, 2005, B12; Variety, Apr. 4, 2005, 80.
GEPRTOVA, LIBUSE Czech actress Libuse Geprtova died in Prague, Czech Republic, on November 18, 2005. She was 63. Geprtova was born in Kolin, Bohemia, Czechoslovakia, on December 21, 1941. She was active in films from the 1960s, appearing in Lady on the Tracks (1966), Babicka (1971), Smrt Stoparek (1979), Hordubal (1980), Zachvev Strachu (1983), Komediant (1984), and Houpacka (1990). She also appeared on the Czech stage and television.
2005 • Obituaries
GERRETSEN, P ETER Canadian film producer Peter Gerretsen died in Toronto, Canada, after a long bout with lung cancer on August 16, 2005. He was 66. Gerretsen was born in the Netherlands in 1939. He and his wife, Pat, founded Gerretsen Film Productions in 1974, and he produced, directed, and wrote numerous pro-life films including Two Is a Crowd and The Slippery. He also produced the films Night Friend (1987), The Kidnapping of Baby John Doe (1987), and Apocalypse: Caught in the Eye of the Storm (1998).
Peter Gerretsen
GERRY, VANCE Disney animator and artist Vance Gerry died of complications from cancer in a Pasadena, California, hospital on March 5, 2005. He was 75. Gerry was born in Pasadena on August 21, 1929. He began working at Disney Studios in 1955 as an assistant. He soon moved up to layout artist, working on such Disney television productions as The Goofy Success Story, Goofy’s Cavalcade of Sports, and How to Relax. He also worked on the animated shorts The Truth About Mother Goose and Donald in Mathmagic Land. He was also a layout artist on the features 101 Dalmatians (1961) and The Sword in the Stone (1963). Gerry worked on numerous other Disney films over the next forty years, working as a writer, storyboard artist, or character designer for such features as The Jungle Book (1967), Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day (1968), The Aristocats
Libuse Geprtova Vance Gerry
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138
(1970), Robin Hood (1973), The Rescuers (1977), The Fox and the Hound (1981), The Black Cauldron (1985), The Great Mouse Detective (1986), Oliver & Company (1988), Pocahontas (1995), Hercules (1997), Fantasia 2000 (2000), and many more. • Los Angeles Times, Mar. 11, 2005, B11; Variety, Mar. 14, 2005, 64.
GETZ, ILEEN Actress Ileen Getz died of cancer in New York City on August 4, 2005. She was 44. Getz was best known for her recurring role as Judith Draper in the television series Third Rock from the Sun from 1996 to 2001. She also was featured in several films including Celebrity (1998), Lovely & Amazing (2001), The Next Big Thing (2001), Changing Lanes (2002), The Station Agent (2003), A Hoe in One (2004), and Social Grace (2005). Getz appeared in the 1996 tele-film The Prosecutors, and guest-starred in episodes of Law & Order, Caroline in the City, Cybill, Seinfeld, NYPD Blue, Chicago Hope, The $treet, That 70s Show, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Queens Supreme, and The Jury. She was also active on stage, performing on Broadway and with regional theaters. • Variety, Aug. 15, 2005, 48.
Ileen Getz
GHIA, F ERNANDO Italian film producer Fernando Ghia died in Rome, Italy, on June 1, 2005. He was 69. Ghia was born in Rome on July 22, 1935.
Fernando Ghia
He began working in film as an actor in the late 1950s, though he soon became a business associate of producer Franco Cristaldi. Ghia produced his first film, Robert Bolt’s Lady Caroline Lamb, in 1972. He again worked with Bolt in 1986, producing with David Putnam the Oscar-nominated feature The Mission. He spent a decade in Hollywood before returning to Rome in the late 1980s, where he founding Pixit Productions. He produced the 1990 film Tre Colonne in Cronaca, and the television productions The Endless Game (1990) and Joseph Conrad’s Nostromo (1997). • Los Angeles Times, June 11, 2005, B18; Times (of London), July 4, 2005, 50.
GIBBINS, MIKE Mike Gibbins, the drummer for the hit pop group Badfinger, died at his home in Florida on October 4, 2005. He was 56. Gibbins was born in Swansea, Wales, on March 12, 1949. The group was formed in the mid–1960s as the Iveys, including Gibbins on drums, Tom Evans on guitar, Ron Griffiths on bass, and Pete Ham as lead singer. They were signed by the Beatles’ record label, Apple, in 1968 and, after Griffiths was replaced by Joey Molland, their first single, “Maybe Tomorrow,” was released. The record was not a success so the group was repackaged as Badfinger in 1969. Their next record, “Come and Get It,” became a hit and was heard in the 1969 film “The Magic Christian.” Other hit songs followed including “No Matter What” and “Day After Day” in the early 1970s. There subsequent albums, Straight Up (1972) and Ass (1973), proved disappointing and they left Apple for Warner Bros. A financial dispute with Warner delayed they’re next album, Wish You Were, which also failed to catch on. The group’s singer and songwriter, Pete Ham, hanged himself in April of 1975 and the group broke up. Gibbins returned to Wales, playing backup on such recordings as Bonnie Tyler’s 1976 hit “It’s a Heartache.” Evans and Molland reformed Badfinger without Gibbins in 1978, but soon disbanded. Evans also committed suicide by hanging in 1983. Gibbins joined with Molland for another version of Badfinger in 1986, and they toured for several years before Gibbins relocated to Florida. He later recorded two solo albums, A Place in Time (1998) and More Annoying Songs (2000). • Times (of London), Oct. 20, 2005, 73.
Mike Gibbins (second from right, with Pete Ham, Tommy Evans and Joey Molland of Badfinger)
139 GIBSON, MICHAEL Michael Gibson, who orchestrated the hit Broadway musical Grease, died of lung cancer in a Dover, New Jersey, hospital on July 15, 2005. He was 60. Gibson was born in Wilmington, Delaware, on September 29, 1944. He began working as a studio musician in New York City before becoming an orchestrator. Gibson orchestrated the Broadway musical Grease in 1972, and orchestrated the soundtrack of the film version in 1978. He often collaborated with the composing team of John Kander and Fred Ebb, orchestrating their productions The Ring (1984), Kiss of the Spider Woman (1995), and Steel Pier (1997). He also orchestrated several revivals of Kander and Ebb’s hit Cabaret. Gibson also worked on several films, composing scores for Summerdog (1977), Roseland (1977), and Cold River (1982). He was orchestrator for the film Still of the Night (1982) and the tele-film Breathing Lessons (1994).
2005 • Obituaries
to television four years laster. He worked as a producer on the educational series Monitor. Gill made the award winning short film The Peaches, a fantasy written by his wife, in 1963. He remained with the BBC where he produced the art series Giacometti in 1966. Later in the decade he directed the landmark mini-series Civilisation written by Kenneth Clark. The award-winning work was followed in 1972 by an adaptation of Alistair Cooke’s America. In 1977 he joined with Adrian Malone to form the production company Malone Gill. They produced the 1981 nautical series The Commanding Sea. Gill directed the 1988 documentary feature Paul Gauguin: The Savage Dream and the television mini-series Vintage: The History of Wine. His later works include Nature Perfected: The Story of the Garden (1995), Highlanders (1995), Vermeer: Light, Love and Silence (1997), and Beyond Wall Street (1997). After producing the 1998 BBC mini-series The Face of Russia Gill retired to write his memoirs. • Los Angeles Times, Oct. 28, 2005, B11; New York Times, Oct. 29, 2005, C16; Times (of London), Oct. 20, 2005, 76.
GILL, TOM Cartoonist Tom Gill died of heart failure at his home in Croton-on-Hudson, New York, on October 17, 2005. He was 92. Gill was born on June 3, 1913, and was raised in Brooklyn, New York. He began his career working for the New York Daily News. He moved to the New York Herald Tribune in 1946, where he created the comic strip Flower Potts. Gill was artist for The Lone Ranger comic book for Dell and Gold Key for twenty years between 1950 and 1970. Gill also drew several other western comics for Gold Key including, The Owl, Hi-Yo Silver and Bonanza. Michael Gibson
GILL, MICHAEL British television director Michael Gill, who helmed the PBS mini-series Civilisation and America died in London of complication from Alzheimer’s disease on October 20, 2005. He was 81. Gill was born in Winchester, England on December 10, 1923. He began working as a journalist in the early 1950s and wrote short stories for various literary magazines. He joined BBC Radio in 1954 and moved
Tom Gill
Michael Gill
GISH , SHEILA British actress Sheila Gish died of cancer in London on March 9, 2005. She was 62. Gish was born in Lincoln, England, on April 23, 1942. She began her career on stage in the early 1960s, appearing in productions of Noel Coward’s Present Laughter (1963) and the musical Robert and Elizabeth (1964). She married fellow actor Roland Curram and made her film debut in a cameo role with Curram in John Schlesigner’s 1965 featuring Darling. Though she remained best known for her works on stage, she was also featured in such films as The Reckoning (1969),
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Sheila Gish
Every Home Should Have One (1970), A Day in the Death of Joe Egg (1972), Hitler: The Last Ten Days (1973), Quartet (1981), Highlander (1986) and the 2000 sequel Highlander: Endgame as Rachel Ellenstein, Separate Bedrooms (1990), Seasick (1996), and Mansfield Park (1999). Gish also appeared in television productions of The First Churchills (1969), Anna Karenina (1977), Thomas and Sarah (1979), That Uncertain Feeling (1985), Stanley and the Women (1991), Danielle Steel’s Jewels (1992), Brighton Belles (1993), Resnick: Rough Treatment (1993), Company (1996), Supply and Demand (1998), The Blonde Bombshell (1998), and Love in a Cold Climate (2001). Her other television credits include episodes of Z Cars, The Troubleshooters, The Adventurer, The Sweeney, Tales of the Unexpected, The Gentle Touch, Worlds Beyond, Boon, The House of Eliott, Inspector Morse, Ghostbusters of East Finchley, Jonathan Creek, and Pie in the Sky. Divorced from Curram, she met actor Denis Lawson in the mid–1980s, and the two became life partners, eventually marrying in 2004. Gish had continued to perform on stage despite the loss of her eye in 2003 because of a cancerous facial tumor. • Times (of London), Mar. 12, 2005, 81.
ing the violin at the age of five and later performed with the Santa Cecilia Orchestra. An anti–Fascist, he led the Santa Cecilia Orchestra in the first concert after the Allied liberation of Rome during World War II. He subsequently served as assistant conductor of the Rome Radio Symphony. In 1953 Giulini became conductor at La Scala, where he conducted Maria Callas in productions of La Traviata and Falstaff. He left La Scala after five years to concentrate on recordings, conducting Mozart’s Don Giovanni and The Marriage of Figaro in 1959. He conducted the Royal Orchestra in England for Luchino Visconti’s 1958 film production of Verdi’s Don Carlos. Giulini became principal guest conductor with the Chicago Symphony in 1969, and also served as music director of the Vienna Symphony in the mid–1970s. Giulini served as music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic from 1978 to 1984, which included a popular production of Verdi’s Falstaff. He left Los Angeles after his wife suffered a cerebral aneurysm and the couple returned to Italy. Giulini earned a Grammy Award for leading the La Scala opera orchestra and pianist Vladimir Horowitz in a recording of Mozart in 1989. He continued to make occasional orchestral appearances until a heart condition forced his retirement in the late 1990s. • Los Angeles Times, June 16, 2005, A1; New York Times, June 16, 2005, B11; Time, June 27, 2005, 23.
GIULINI, CARLO MARIA Carlo Maria Giulini, who conducted the Los Angeles Philharmonic in the late 1970s and early 1980s, died at his home in Brescia, Italy, on June 14, 2005. He was 91. Giulini was born in Barletta, Italy, on May 9, 1914. He began play-
GLAISTER, GERARD British television producer and director Gerard Glaister died in England on February 5, 2005. He was 89. Glaister was a producer with BBC Television from the 1950s. He oversaw production, and sometimes wrote and directed, for such series as The Men from Room 13 (1959), The Dark Island (1962), Moonstrike (1963), The Revenue Men (1967), The Expert (1968), Codename (1970), The Passengers (1971), The Brothers (1972), The Long Chase (1972), Colditz (1972), Oil Strike North (1975), The Mackinnons (1977), Secret Army (1977), Buccaneer (1980), Blood Money (1981), Kessler (1981), The Fourth Arm (1983), Skorpion (1983), Cold Warrior (1984), Howard’s Way (1985), and Trainer (1991). Glaister also directed several Edgar Wallace mystery films in the early 1960s including The Clue of the Silver Key (1961), The Share Out (1962), The Set-Up (1963), and The Partner (1963). • Times (of London), Mar. 21, 2005, 51.
Carlo Maria Giulini
Gerard Glaister
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GLEASON, JACK Television editor Jack Gleason died on April 24, 2005. He was 86. Gleason was born on October 8, 1918. He received an Emmy Award nomination for editing the television series Naked City in 1963. He also worked as an editor on such series as Navy Log, Behind Closed Doors, Route 66, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Hawaii Five-O, Harper Valley P.T.A., and Private Benjamin. Gleason also edited the tele-films Cry Rape (1973), Fun and Games (1980), Marilyn: The Untold Story (1980), The Day the Loving Stopped (1981), and The Jerk, Too (1984). GLEASON, WILLIAM Actor William Gleason died at his home in Santa Monica, California on August 25, 2005. He was 76. Gleason was born on September 25, 1928. He began his career on stage performing in productions in New York and London. He was also featured in the daytime soap opera The Edge of Night. Gleason appeared in several films including That Touch of Mink (1962), The Minx (1969), and Shakedown (1988), and guest starred in an episode of McCloud on television. GLITTERS, GOLDIE Michael Heesey, who performed in the as Goldie Glitters with the San Francisco–based transvestite troupe The Cockettes, died in Dorset, England, on October 9, 2005. He was 59. He was born in Los Angeles, California, on October 15, 1945. He performed with The Cockettes from 1969 to 1972, and appeared with them in the films Groupies (1970) and Tricia’s Wedding (1971) as Tricia Nixon.
Gloriella
GOKEN, TRICIA Tricia Goken, who served as a script supervisor for numerous independent films and the television spy series Alias, was killed in an automobile accident along with her fiancé, Denis Tri, in Maryland on January 29, 2005. She was 35. Goken was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on November 16, 1969. She was a script supervisor for the films The Keening (1999), Bust (1999), On Duty (2000), Talk to You Later (2000), Gulp (2001), All Over the Guy (2001), Second to Die (2001), and The Road Home (2003). She was working with Alias, the popular espionage series starring Jennifer Garner, at the time of her death.
Tricia Goken (with her fiancé, Denis Tri)
Goldie Glitters
GLORIELLA Mexican actress Gloriella was shot to death in Colima, Mexico, on December 2, 2005. She was 52. She was born Gloria Cardenas Sandoval in Ixtlahuacan, Colima, Mexico, in 1953. She appeared in numerous films in the 1970s and 1980s including Capulina Against the Monsters (1974), Rarotonga (1978), El Fin del Tahur (1979), En la Cuerda del Hambre (1979), Los Mantenidos (1980), La Grilla (1980), La Coralillo (1981), Un Macho en la Casa de Citas (1982), Sexo, Sexo, Ra Ra Ra (1987), and Un Macho en el Salon de Belleza (1987).
GOLDSTEIN, HERB Character actor Herb Goldstein died on August 25, 2005. He was 78. Goldstein was born on September 13, 1926. He was featured in such films as Let’s Play Dead (1973), Mako: The Jaws of Death (1976), Bloodstalkers (1978), King Frat (1979), Super Fuzz (1980), Freddie of the Jungle (1981), Eyes of a Stranger (1981), The Pilot (1981), A Friend Is a Treasure (1981), Masterblaster (1985), Miami Blues (1990), Twin Sisters (1992), and Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde (1995). He was also seen in the tele-films Beyond the Bermuda Triangle (1975) and Charley Hannah (1986), and an episode of Miami Vice. GOLIAS, RONALD Brazilian comedian Ronald Golias died of multiple organ failure in a Sao Paulo, Brazil, hospital on September 27, 2005. He was 76.
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Herb Goldstein
Dolores Golightly (left)
Golias was born in Sao Carlos, Brazil, on May 4, 1929. He began his career on radio and became a popular comic in the 1950s after appearing in the television comedy series Happiness Plaza as Pacifico. Golias also starred as Bronco in the television sit-com The Trapo Family in the 1960s. Golias’ film credits include Um Marido Barra Limpa (1957), Os Tres Cangaceiros (1959), Tudo Legal (1960), O Dono da Bola (1961), Os Cosmonautas (1962), and Agnaldo, Perigo a Vista (1969). Most recently, he was featured as Carlos Bronco in the 2004 television series Meu Cunhado.
try with his family during the Russian Revolution. They eventually settled in Seattle, Washington, where Golitzen studied architecture at the University of Washington. He subsequently moved to Los Angeles where he worked as an assistant to art director Alexander Toluboff at MGM. Golitzen worked on several films including Call of the Wild (1935), The Hurricane (1937) and Trade Winds (1938). He became an art director in 1939 and rose to unit art director and then supervising art director at Universal from 1942, where he was credited on hundreds of films. Golitzen earned his first Oscar nomination for Alfred Hitchcock’s 1940 film Foreign Correspondent. He was also nominated for Sundown (1941) and Arabian Nights (1942), and won the Oscar for 1943’s Phantom of the Opera. He was also nominated for The Climax (1944) before receiving his second Academy Award for Stanley Kubrick’s Spartacus (1961). Golitzen earned nominations for Flower Drum Song (1961) and That Touch of Mink (1962), and another Oscar for To Kill a Mockingbird (1963). He was also nominated for Gambit (1966), Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967), Sweet Charity (1969), Airport (1970), and Earthquake (1974). His numerous film credits also include Eternally Yours (1939), Slightly Honorable (1940), The House Across the Bay (1940), That Uncertain Feeling (1941), Sundown (1941), Eagle Squadron (1942), We’ve Never Been Licked (1943), Gung Ho! (1943), Ladies Courageous (1944), Cobra Woman (1944), San Diego I
Ronald Golias
GOLIGHTLY, DOLORES Actress Dolores Golightly died of heart failure in Fresno, California, on June 5, 2005. She was 76. Golightly was born on December 7, 1928. She was a popular performer in local theatrical productions in Fresno from the mid–1970s. She also was seen in numerous television commercials and was featured in Alan Autry’s 2002 tele-film The Legend of Jake Kincaid. Golightly also appeared in the 2003 horror film Dark Walker. GOLITZEN, ALEXANDER Art director Alexander Golitzen, who shared three Academy Awards for his work as a film art director, died of congestive heart failure in a San Diego, California, healthcare center on July 26, 2005. He was 97. Golitzen was born in Moscow, Russia, on February 28, 1908, and left the coun-
Alexander Golitzen
143 Love You (1944), Hi, Beautiful (1944), Salome, Where She Danced (1945), Fritz Lang’s Scarlet Street (1945), A Night in Paradise (1946), Magnificent Doll (1946), Smash-Up: The Story of a Woman (1947), Something in the Wind (1947), The Lost Moment (1947), Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948), Tap Roots (1948), You Gotta Stay Happy (1948), The Saxon Charm (1948), The Lady Gambles (1949), Sword in the Desert (1949), Bagdad (1949), Spy Hunt (1950), Frenchie (1950), Double Crossbones (1951), Up Front (1951), Smuggler’s Island (1951), You Never Can Tell (1951), The Golden Horde (1951), The Treasure of Lost Canyon (1952), The Duel at Silver Creek (1952), The World in His Arms (1952), It Grows on Trees (1952), Against All Flags (1952), Girls in the Night (1953), The Mississippi Gambler (1953), City Beneath the Sea (1953), Seminole (1953), Gunsmoke (1953), Desert Legion (1953), Thunder Bay (1953), Lone Hand (1953), Law and Order (1953), Take Me to Town (1953), Column South (1953), The Great Sioux Uprising (1953), All I Desire (1953), Abbott and Costello Go to Mars (1953), The Man from the Alamo (1953), The Veils of Bagdad (1953), The Glenn Miller Story (1953), War Arrow (1953), Playgirl (1954), Fireman Save My Child (1954), Francis Joins the WACS (1954), Dawn at Socorro (1954), The Black Shield of Falworth (1954), Naked Alibi (1954), The Far Country (1954), Ricochet Romance (1954), Four Guns to the Border (1954), Bengal Brigade (1954), Destry (1954), The Yellow Mountain (1954), Sign of the Pagan (1954), Six Bridges to Cross (1955), So This Is Paris (1955), Abbott and Costello Meet the Keystone Kops (1955), Man Without a Star (1955), Captain Lightfoot (1955), Smoke Signal (1955), The Man from Bitter Ridge (1955), Chief Crazy Horse (1955), Revenge of the Creature (1955), This Island Earth (1955), The Purple Mask (1955), Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955), Ain’t Misbehavin’ (1955), The Shrike (1955), Foxfire (1955), The Looters (1955), The Private War of Major Benson (1955), Francis in the Navy (1955), Cult of the Cobra (1955), Female on the Beach (1955), To Hell and Back (1955), One Desire (1955), Kiss of Fire (1955), The Second Greatest Sex (1955), Lady Godiva of Coventry (1955), Running Wild (1955), The Rawhide Years (1955), Tarantula (1955), The Spoilers (1955), The Square Jungle (1955), The Benny Goodman Story (1955), All That Heaven Allows (1955), Rock, Pretty Baby (1956), There’s Always Tomorrow (1956), World in My Corner (1956), Never Say Goodbye (1956), The Price of Fear (1956), Raw Edge (1956), Red Sundown (1956), Backlash (1956), The Creature Walks Among Us (1956), The Kettles in the Ozarks (1956), A Day of Fury (1956), Star in the Dust (1956), The Toy Tiger (1956), Francis in the Haunted House (1956), Congo Crossing (1956), Behind the High Wall (1956), Away All Boats (1956), Outside the Law (1956), Walk the Proud Land (1956), Pillars of the Sky (1956), Showdown at Abilene (1956), Everything but the Truth (1956), The Unguarded Moment (1956), Written on the Wind (1956), The Mole People (1956), Battle Hymn (1956), Four Girls in Town (1957), Istanbul (1957), Gun for a Coward (1957), The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957), Mister Cory (1957), The Tattered Dress (1957), Kelly and Me (1957), Man Afraid (1957), The Girl in the Kremlin (1957), The Night Runner (1957),
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The Kettles on Old MacDonald’s Farm (1957), Joe Butterfly (1957), The Deadly Mantis (1957), Quantez (1957), The Midnight Story (1957), Night Passage (1957), Man of a Thousand Faces (1957), The Land Unknown (1957), Slaughter on Tenth Avenue (1957), Man in the Shadow (1957), Interlude (1957), Joe Dakota (1957), Appointment with a Shadow (1957), My Man Godfrey (1957), Slim Carter (1957), The Monolith Monsters (1957), The Tarnished Angels (1958), The Female Animal (1958), The Lady Takes a Flyer (1958), Day of the Bad Man (1958), Damn Citizen (1958), Summer Love (1958), Touch of Evil (1958), Live Fast, Die Young (1958), Girls on the Loose (1958), Flood Tide (1958), This Happy Feeling (1958), The Thing That Couldn’t Die (1958), A Time to Love and a Time to Die (1958), The Last of the Fast Guns (1958), Twilight of the Gods (1958), Voice in the Mirror (1958), Wild Heritage (1958), The Saga of Hemp Brown (1958), Raw Wind in Eden (1958), Kathy O’ (1958), Step Down to Terror (1958), Ride a Crooked Trail (1958), Once Upon a Horse... (1958), The Restless Years (1958), The Perfect Furlough (1958), Monster on the Campus (1958), Money, Women and Guns (1959), Never Steal Anything Small (1959), No Name on the Bullet (1959), A Stranger in My Arms (1959), Imitation of Life (1959), The Wild and the Innocent (1959), Curse of the Undead (1959), This Earth Is Mine (1959), Operation Petticoat (1959), The Leech Woman (1960), Seven Ways from Sundown (1960), Midnight Lace (1960), The Private Life of Adam and Eve (1960), The Great Impostor (1961), Posse from Hell (1961), The Last Sunset (1961), Tammy Tell Me True (1961), Back Street (1961), Lover Come Back (1961), The Outsider (1961), Cape Fear (1962), Six Black Horses (1962), Lonely Are the Brave (1962), The Spiral Road (1962), If a Man Answers (1962), 40 Pounds of Trouble (1962), The Ugly American (1963), Showdown (1963), Tammy and the Doctor (1963), The List of Adrian Messenger (1963), A Gathering of Eagles (1963), The Thrill of It All (1963), For Love or Money (1963), Captain Newman, M.D. (1963), Man’s Favorite Sport? (1964), The Brass Bottle (1964), Wild and Wonderful (1964), Bedtime Story (1964), Bullet for a Badman (1964), McHale’s Navy (1964), Island of the Blue Dolphins (1964), I’d Rather Be Rich (1964), Send Me No Flowers (1964), The Lively Set (1964), Kitten with a Whip (1964), Father Goose (1964), Taggart (1964), William Castle’s The Night Walker (1964), Strange Bedfellows (1965), The Sword of Ali Baba (1965), Wild Seed (1965), Mirage (1965), Shenandoah (1965), Fluffy (1965), The Art of Love (1965), McHale’s Navy Joins the Air Force (1965), A Very Special Favor (1965), I Saw What You Did (1965), Love and Kisses (1965), That Funny Feeling (1965), The War Lord (1965), Blindfold (1965), Moment to Moment (1965), The Rare Breed (1966), Incident at Phantom Hill (1966), Gunpoint (1966), Madame X (1966), The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966), Munster, Go Home (1966), The Pad and How to Use It (1966), The Plainsman (1966), Beau Geste (1966), And Now Miguel (1966), The Appaloosa (1966), Texas Across the River (1966), Let’s Kill Uncle (1966), The Ballad of Josie (1967), Tobruk (1967), Gunfight in Abilene (1967), Ride to Hangman’s Tree (1967), The Young Warriors (1967), The Reluctant Astronaut (1967),
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Rough Night in Jericho (1967), The King’s Pirate (1967), The Perils of Pauline (1967), Games (1967), Rosie! (1967), Banning (1967), Nobody’s Perfect (1968), P.J. (1968), Counterpoint (1968), The Secret War of Harry Frigg (1968), Madigan (1968), A Lovely Way to Die (1968), What’s So Bad About Feeling Good? (1968), Journey to Shiloh (1968), The Shakiest Gun in the West (1968), Did You Hear the One About the Traveling Saleslady? (1968), In Enemy Country (1968), The Hell with Heroes (1968), Don’t Just Stand There! (1968), The Pink Jungle (1968), Coogan’s Bluff (1968), House of Cards (1968), Hellfighters (1968), Angel in My Pocket (1969), Death of a Gunfighter (1969), Winning (1969), A Man Called Gannon (1969), Eye of the Cat (1969), The Lost Man (1969), The Love God? (1969), Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here (1969), The Story of a Woman (1970), the tele-film Company of Killers (1970), The Forbin Project (1970), Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County (1970), Pufnstuf (1970), I Love My Wife (1970), Raid on Rommel (1971), How to Frame a Figg (1971), The Beguiled (1971), One More Train to Rob (1971), Red Sky at Morning (1971), Shoot Out (1971), Play Misty for Me (1971), Slaughterhouse-Five (1972), The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid (1972), Joe Kidd (1972), That Man Bolt (1973), and Breezy (1973). He also worked on the television series Playhouse 90, Peter Gunn, One Step Beyond, and The Twilight Zone, and several Academy Award ceremonies. Golitzen retired in the early 1970s. • Los Angeles Times, Aug. 13, 2005, B16; New York Times, Aug. 20, 2005, C16; Times (of London), Aug. 26, 2005, 74; Variety, Aug. 22, 2005, 43.
GOMIASHVILI, ARCHIL Russian actor Archil Gomiashvili died in Russia on May 31, 2005. He was 79. Gomiashvili was born in Chiatura, Soviet Union (now Georgia), on March 23, 1926. He was a leading performer on the Russian stage and screen, appearing in such films as Personally Known (1958), Mole (1962), You Cannot See What I Had Seen (1965), An Extraordinary Assignment (1966), Explosion After Midnight (1969), Twelve Chairs (1971), Mimino (1977), My Love, My Sorrow (1978), Golden Fleece (1981), Early, Early Morning... (1983), Copper Angel (1984), and My Favourite Clown (1986).
GONZALEZ, AGUSTIN Spanish actor Agustin Gonzalez died of complications from pneumonia in Madrid, Spain, on January 16, 2005. He was 74. Gonzalez was born in Madrid on March 24, 1930. He made his film debut in the 1954 feature Happy Easter, and starred in over 100 films in a career on screen that lasted fifty years. His numerous credits include The Devil Made a Woman (1959) Life Around Us (1959), My Last Tang (1960), At Five in the Afternoon (1961), The Big Family (1962), Gunfight at Red Sands (1963), Fair of the Dove (1963), Sword of Zorro (1963), Weeping for a Bandit (1964), Death Travels Too Much (1965), Life Goes On (1965), That Man in Istanbul (1965), Behind the Mask of Zorro (1965), A Little Maiden in White (1965), Los Flamencos (1968), Don Quixote Rides Again (1973), Love Doll (1974), The Regent’s Wife (1974), Silk Worms (1977), The National Shotgun (1978), Confessions of a Congressman (1979), Honey (1979), The Nest (1979), Five Forks (1979), Chocolates (1980), Gary Cooper, Who Art in Heaven (1980), Kargus (1981), National Heritage (1981), Begin the Beguine (1982), Hooray for Divorce! (1982), The Beehive (1982), National III (1982), The Crack II (1983), Bicycles Are for the Summer (1984), The Holy Innocents (1984), Poppers (1984), The Heifer (1985), Bohemian Nights (1985), The Court of the Pharaoh (1985), The Old Music (1985), Mambru Went to War (1986), Voyage to Nowhere (1986), The Bastard Brother of God (1986), Moors and Christians (1987), Scent of a Crime (1988), Let’s Trash the Poor (1991), After the Dream (1992), The Age of Beauty (1992), Everyone Off to Jail (1993), Tales of the Stinking Military Service (1994), The Worst Years of Our Lives (1994), Long Life Together (1994), On Earth as It Is in Heaven (1994), Caresses (1998), The Grandfather (1998), Said (1999), The Ugliest Woman in the World (1999), First and Last Love (2002), Story of a Kiss (2002), and Witchery Deal (2003). Gonzalez also appeared often on Spanish television from the 1990s, staring in the series Los Ladrones van a la Oficina (1993), Mama Quiere ser Artista (1997), Ni Contigo ni Sin Ti (1998), A Las Onc een Casa (1998), La Vida de Rita (2003), and Paco y Veva (2004).
Agustin Gonzalez Archil Gomiashvili
GOODMAN , BURT Character actor Burt Goodman died on July 23, 2005. He was 70. Goodman was born on February 18, 1935. He was a regular
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GORDON, HASKELL Stage and television actor Haskell Gordon died of respiratory failure in Miami, Florida, on January 8, 2005. He was 83. Gordon was born in Chicago, Illinois, on May 28, 1921. He began his career on stage there before moving to New York in the 1950s. He appeared on Broadway in original productions of 1776, Sugar Babies, and Amadeus. Gordon was also seen on television in an episode of the 1960s series Route 66, and had a recurring role in the daytime soap opera One Life to Live. He also appeared in the 1980 comedy film Getting Wasted. • Variety, Mar. 14, 2005, 64.
Burt Goodman
performer in the television series America’s Funniest People and Candid Camera in the early 1990s. He was also featured in the 1988 tele-film Perry Mason: The Case of the Avenging Ace, and the features Loving Deadly (1994), Shooting Lily (1996), Storm Catcher (1999), Shteps (2002), and Interviewing Norman (2005). Goodman’s other television credits include episodes of Boston Common and Will and Grace.
GOODMAN, SHIRLEY Rhythm and blues singer Shirley Goodman died of complications from a stroke in California on July 5, 2005. She was 69. Goodman was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on June 19, 1936. She began performing while in her teens, recording “I’m Gone” with childhood friend Leonard Lee in the early 1950s. The record became a R&B hit for the duo who became known as “the sweethearts of the blues.” They continued to record and perform together over the next decade, producing such hits as “Let the Good Times Roll” and “Feel So Good.” The duo split in the early 1960s and Goodman moved to California where she did session work with such artists as the Rolling Stones and Sonny and Cher. She recorded the disco hit “Shame, Shame, Shame” under the credit of Shirley and Company in 1974. Goodman subsequently retired from performing to work for a cable television company in New Orleans. • Times (of London), July 30, 2005, 72.
GORDY Gordy, a popular seal who starred in the German television series Hallo Robbie! since 2001, was found dead in Tetzitser Lake in Rugen, Germany, on May 17, 2005. He was ten. Gordy starred as Robbie in the series which also featured human actor Karsten Bacon. Seals Chico and Tino, who also appeared in the series, took over Gordy’s role after his death.
Gordy
GORMLEY, CHARLES Scottish film director and writer died of cancer in Glasgow, Scotland, on September 22, 2005. He was 67. Gormley was born in Rutherglen, Scotland, on December 19, 1937. He began working in films as a writer of documentaries in the late 1960s, and co-scripted the children’s film The Big Catch
Shirley Goodman Charles Gormley
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(1968). He joined with Bill Forsyth and Nick Lewis to form Tree Films in 1972, and made numerous documentaries including If Only We Had the Space (1974), Keep Your Eye on Paisley (1975), The Legend of Los Tayos (1976), and The Cromarty Bridge (1979). Gormley also co-wrote the Dutch sexploitation film Blue Movie in 1971. He also scripted VD (1972), Dakota (1974), Alicia (1974), My Nights with Susan, Sandra, Olga and Julie (1975), and The Forbidden Bacchanal (1981). Gormley wrote and directed the feature Living Apart Together in 1982. He also wrote and directed the comedy Heavenly Pursuits starring Tom Conti in 1985. Gormley also directed The Bogie Man (1992) and Down Among the Big Boys (1993) for the BBC. • Times (of London), Oct. 7, 2005, 77.
GORSHIN, FRANK Actor and impressionist Frank Gorshin, who was best known for his role as the villainous Riddler on the 1960s cult television series Batman, died of complications from lung cancer and emphysema on May 17, 2005. He was 71. Gorshin was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on April 5, 1934. He began his career in show business after serving in the Army during the Korean War. An impressionist and comic, Gorshin began acting in films in the 1950s, often playing psychotic young men in such features as The Proud and Profane (1956), Hot Rod Girl (1956), Between Heaven and Hell (1956), Runaway Daughters (1956), The True Story of Jesse James (1957), Dragstrip Girl (1957), The Delicate Delinquent (1957), Invasion of the Saucer Men (1957), Portland Expose (1957), Tank Battalion (1958), Night of the Quarter Moon (1959), Warlock (1959), Bells Are Ringing (1960), Studs Lonigan (1960), Where the Boys Are (1960), The Great Impostor (1961), Ring of Fire (1961), The George Raft Story (1961), Sail a Crooked Ship (1961), That Darn Cat! (1965), Ride Beyond Vengeance (1966), and Skidoo (1968). He also was seen on television in episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Navy Log, The Restless Gun, Frontier Doctor, General Electric Theater, Hennesey, The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor, Mr. Lucky, Toast of the Town, The Defenders, The Untouchables, Empire, Combat!, Naked City, The DuPont Show of the Week, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Nurses, A Man Called Shenandoah, The Munsters, and Garrison’s Gorillas. Gorshin’s career was
Frank Gorshin (as the Riddler from Batman)
forever impacted when he starred as The Riddler in the first episode of the Batman television series in January of 1966. The series, which starred Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin, the Boy Wonder, became a cult phenomena with colorful villains played by prominent actors including The Joker (Cesar Romero), The Penguin (Burgess Meredith), King Tut (Victor Buono), The Catwoman ( Julie Newmar and Eartha Kitt), Egghead (Vincent Price), The Black Widow (Tallulah Bankhead), The Archer (Art Carney), The Bookworm (Roddy McDowall) and many more. Gorshin donned the green bowler hat and question-marked green outfit, playing the Riddler in over a dozen episodes of the series over the next two years. He earned an Emmy nomination for the role. He also joined fellow Bat-Villains Romero, Meredith and Lee Meriwether (taking over the role of Catwoman) in the 1966 feature film version of the series. He earned another Emmy nomination in 1969 for his performance as the half-black half-white Commissioner Bele pursuing a half-white half black fugitive in the racially-themed Star Trek episode “Let That Be Your Last Battlefield.” Gorshin also became a popular performer on the Las Vegas stage with his comedy routines and impressions, which earned him the title of “the man with 100 faces.” He also performed on such television series as The Andy Williams Show, The Dean Martin Show, The Jackie Gleason Show, The Carol Burnett Show, Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, The High Chaparral, The Name of the Game, The Virginian, The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, O’Hara, U.S. Treasury, The Flip Wilson Show, The Kopycats, Ironside, Hawaii Five-O, Get Christie Love, S.W.A.T., Police Woman, Charlie’s Angels, Wonder Woman, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, and The Fall Guy. Gorshin also appeared in the tele-films Sky Heist (1975), Greatest Heroes of the Bible (1978), and Death Car on the Freeway (1979). He reprised his role of the Riddler in the 1979 television special Legend of the Superheroes, and starred as Smiley Wilson in the daytime soap opera The Edge of Night from 1981 to 1982. He was also seen in the films Record City (1978), Underground Aces (1981), The Uppercrust (1981). Gorshin starred as Dan Wesker in the 1981 tele-film Goliath Awaits, and appeared in the tele-films Princess Ida (1982), A Night on the Town (1983), and A Masterpiece of Murder (1986). Other television credits include guest roles in The Fall Guy, Murder, She Wrote, Monsters, Are You Afraid of the Dark, and Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. He was a voice actor in and episode of the animated Ren & Stimpy Show and the 1987 animated film The Gnomes’ Great Adventure (1987). He also appeared in the films Hot Resort (1985), Uphill All the Way (1986), Hollywood Vice Squad (1986), Beverly Hills Bodysnatchers (1989), Midnight (1989), Sweet Justice (1992), The Hollywood Beach Murders (1992), Body Trouble (1992), Amore! (1992), The Meteor Man (1993), Hail Caesar (1994), Twelve Monkeys (1995), Threshold (1997), Better Than Ever (1997), After the Game (1997), Twilight of the Ice Nymphs (1997), Bloodmoon (1997), The Rules (for Men) (1999), The Art of Murder (1999), All Shook Up (1999), Man of the Century (1999), Game Day (1999), Castlerock (2000), Luck of the Draw (2000),
147 Beethoven 3rd (2000), The Curio Trunk (2000), Something Else (2000), High Times Potluck (2002), Manna from Heaven (2002), Mail Order Bride (2003), and The Creature of the Sunny Side Up Trailer Park (2004). Gorshin appeared as the old codger in the 1999 cable Halloween mini-series Roger Corman’s The Phantom Eye, and was Rev. Love on the soap General Hospital in 1999. He again revisited his super-villain roots as Benjamin Tickerman, aka the costumed felon Clockwise, in an episode of the cable series Black Scorpion in 2001. Gorshin again co-starred with Adam West and Burt Ward in the 2003 tele-film Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam Burt. He captivated a new generation of theater goers in recent years with his masterful performance as George Burns in the one-man show Say Goodnight Gracie which opened on Broadway in 2002. His final television performance, in an episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigations, aired several days after his death. • Los Angeles Times, May 19, 2005, B10; New York Times, May 19, 2005, C23; People, June 6, 2005, 142; Time, May 30, 2005, 25; Times (of London), May 20, 2005, 73; Variety, May 23, 2005, 52.
GOSNELL, RAY Assistant director Raymond A. Gosnell, Jr., died at his home in Los Angeles of lung cancer on August 14, 2005. He was 81. Gosnell was born on July 26, 1924. He began working in films in the 1950s and served as second assistant director on William Wyler’s 1958 film The Big Country. He worked with such directors as John Ford, John Huston, George Roy Hill, Stanley Kramer, and Peter Bogdanovich during his career, and was assistant director on the features Pork Chop Hill (1959), The Horse Soldiers (1959), Battle of the Coral Sea (1959), The Gene Krupa Story (1959), Ocean’s Eleven (1960), Posse from Hell (1961), Lover Come Back (1961), Cape Fear (1962), Freud (1962), Cat Ballou (1965), Hawaii (1966), Murderers’ Row (1966), The Happening (1967), Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967), Funny Girl (1968), The Secret of Santa Vittoria (1969), What’s Up, Doc? (1972), Slaughterhouse-Five (1972), Paper Moon (1973), The Sting (1973), and The Great Waldo Pepper (1975). He subsequently served as executive vice president of production management of feature films at 20th Century–Fox under Alan Ladd, Jr. Gosnell was an agent at the Smith Gosnell Nicholson
2005 • Obituaries
& Associates Agency for the past 16 years, representing cinematographers, editors, and other film personnel.
GOSS, JOE Special effects artist Joseph Franklin Goss, who worked on the science fiction series Battlestar Galactica, died on August 5, 2005. He was 90. He was born on November 13, 1914. Goss earned an Emmy Award with John Dysktra and Robert Edlund for his work on the series. He did mechanical special effects for Galactica. He also did effects work for the 1979 film The Concorde: Airport ’79. GOTTLER, JEROME S. Film and television writer Jerome S. Gottler died in Los Angeles on November 1, 2005. He was 89. Gottler was born in New York City on December 2, 1915, the son of composer and film director Archie Gottler. He served with the Signal Corps Photographic Center during World War II, writing numerous training films for the War Department. He often worked with his father as a songwriter, composing such tunes as “He Took Her for a Sleigh Ride,” “Yes, There Ain’t No Moonlight, So What,” and “The Girl on the Isle of Man.” Gottler also wrote several films including High Society (1955), Spy Chasers (1955), and Sweet and Hot (1958), and scripted episodes of Racket Squad and Circus Boy for television. GOTTSCHALL , ROBERT Actor Robert Gottschall, who appeared in films in the late 1930s and early 1940s under the name Robert Shaw, died on January 3, 2005. He was 89. Gottschall was born in Dallas, Texas, on September 15, 1915. He was featured in such films as Rose of Washington Square (1939), Young Mr. Lincoln (1939), Boy Friend (1939), 20,000 Men a Year (1939), Quick Millions (1939), The Grapes of Wrath (1940), The Great Profile (1940), Tobacco Road (1941), Adam Had Four Sons (1941), Rise and Shine (1941), Son of the Guardsman (1946), Captain from Castile (1947), and Berlin Express (1948). Gottschall joined the U.S. Army during World War II, and continued his career in the military after the war, rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel. He again returned to the screen in the early 1980s, appearing in the films Honeysuckle Rose (1980) and The Big Brawl (1980), and the tele-films Adam (1983) and The Sky’s No Limit (1984).
Robert Gottschall Ray Gosnell
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GOURRIER, JOHN FRED see FRED, JOHN GOWER, JOHN British stage actor John Gower died in England on August 1, 2005. He was 74. Gower was born in Dar es Salaam, Tanganyika, in 1931. He made his professional debut in a stage production of The Three Caskets in 1956. He continued to play leading roles in such plays as Zuleika (1957), The Love Doctor (1959), Oh What a Lovely War! (1963), Dearest Dracula (1965), Half a Sixpence (1966), and Phil the Fluter (1970). Gower was also featured often in British radio plays, and appeared on television in episodes of Dixon of Dock Green and On the Up. He appeared in the 1992 television production of Sherlock Holmes and the Leading Lady, and was Prince Fuspoli in the 1996 film version of Evita starring Madonna. • Times (of London), Aug. 25, 2005, 60.
Joe Grant
(1998). His short animated film, Lorenzo, earned an Academy Award nomination earlier in 2005. • Los Angeles Times, May 10, 2005, B10; New York Times, May 11, 2005, B10; Time, May 23, 2005, 25; Times (of London), May 13, 2005, 62; Variety, May 16, 2005, 66.
John Gower (with Mary Millar from Dearest Dracula)
GRANT, JOE Animator and writer Joe Grant, who was instrumental in the creation of many of Disney Studio’s most enduring classics, died of a heart attack at his drawing board at Disney in Glendale, California, on May 6, 2005. He was 96. Grant was born in New York City on May 15, 1908, and raised in Los Angeles. He began drawing at an early age and worked as a caricaturist for the Los Angeles Record. He was first hired by Disney in 1933 to draw cartoon versions of Hollywood stars for the cartoon Mickey’s Gala Premiere. Walt Disney was impressed with Grant’s work and offered him a permanent job with the studio. He was instrumental in the development of the first animated feature film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937. He was also involved in designing the Wicked Witch for the film. Grant also helped conceive Disney’s animated tribute to classical music, Fantasia, and the adaptation of the children’s classic Pinocchio in 1940. He was also involved in the production of Dumbo (1941), The Reluctant Dragon (1941), Saludos Amigos (1942), and Alice in Wonderland (1951). Grant left the studio in the late 1940s to form a greeting card company, but an earlier idea of his was the basis for the 1955 animated film Lady and the Tramp. Grant returned to Disney in the early 1990s to work as a writer, character designer, and animator on the films Beauty and the Beast (1991), The Lion King (1994), Pocahontas (1995), and Mulan
GRANT, SIMONE Actress Simone Grant Timoney died of breast cancer in New York City on November 2, 2005. She was 44. She appeared in numerous regional productions and performed in New York City Opera productions of Dead Man Walking, La Boheme, and Haroun. She also worked as a voice actor in the English language versions of such anime series as Record of Lodoss War (1990), The Heroic Legend of Arislan (1991), Record of Lodoss War: Chronicles of the Heroic Knight (1998), Boogiepop Phantom (2000), and Space Travelers (2000). • Variety, Nov. 21, 2005, 73.
Simone Grant (with husband, actor Michael Timoney)
GRAUNKE, KURT German symphony conductor and orchestrator Kurt Graunke died in Munich, Germany, on June 5, 2005. He was 89. Graunke was born in Stettin, Germany, on September 20, 1915. He began playing the violin at an early age and studied music at Berlin University. He formed the Graunke Symphony Orchestra in Munich in 1945. The orchestra toured Germany and performed on radio. It was also noted for orchestral work in numerous films, with Graunke conducting for such features as Peter and the
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Kurt Graunke
Guy Green
Wolf (1946), Make Mine Music (1946), Fanfares of Love (1951), Mask in Blue (1953), Ski Crazy! (1955), The Trapp Family (1956), The Trapp Family in America (1958), Grand Canyon (1958), and Captain Sinbad (1963).
Captain Horatio Hornblower (1951), Night Without Stars (1951), The Story of Robin Hood (1952), The Hour of 13 (1952), The Beggar’s Opera (1953), Decameron Nights (1953), Cocktails in the Kitchen (1954), Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue (1954), Souls in Conflict (1955), I am a Camera (1955), and The Dark Avenger (1955). Green also began directing films, helming such features as River Beat (1954), Postmark for Danger (1955) which he also scripted, Tears for Simon (1955), House of Secrets (1956), Desert Patrol (1958), The Snorkel (1958), SOS Pacific (1959), The Angry Silence (1960), The Mark (1961), Light in the Piazza (1962), Diamond Head (1963), 55 Days at Peking (1963), A Patch of Blue (1965) which he also produced and scripted, Pretty Polly (1967), The Magus (1968), Walk in the Spring Rain (1970), Luther (1973), Jacqueline Susann’s Once Is Not Enough (1975), and The Devil’s Advocate (1977). He also directed several tele-films including The Incredible Journey of Doctor Meg Laurel (1979), Jennifer: A Woman’s Story (1979), Jimmy B. & Andre (1980), Inmates: A Love Story (1981), Isabel’s Choice (1981), and Arthur Hailey’s Strong Medicine (1986). • New York Times, Sept. 17, 2005, A16; Times (of London), Sept. 17, 2005, 75; Variety, Sept. 26, 2005, 72.
THE GREAT JOHN L. Burly stuntman, character actor, and professional wrestler The Great John L. died in Springdale, Arkansas, on November 6, 2005. He was 80. He was born William H. Clark in Bowling Green, Kentucky, on March 25, 1925. He began his career as a professional wrestler in the 1950s. He made his film debut as a stuntman in the 1958 adaptation of Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth. He was also featured in such films as Vengeance (1964), Breaker! Breaker (1977), The Island of Dr. Moreau (1977) as one of Burt Lancaster’s beastmen, Zero to Sixty (1978), and Silent Rage (1982) with Chuck Norris. He also appeared on television in episodes of The Munsters, Burke’s Law, Little House on the Prairie, Archie Bunker’s Place, and Life Goes On. GREEN, BRIAN WESLEY Animator Brian Wesley Green died after collapsing at his home in Texas on May 15, 2005. Green worked as an animator for Disney from the 1990s, working on such films as The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), Fantasia 2000 (1999), Dinosaur (2000), and Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001). GREEN, GUY Oscar-winning cinematographer and film director Guy Green died of heart and kidney failure at his Beverly Hills home on September 14, 2005. He was 91. Green was born in Somerset, England, on November 5, 1913. He began his career in London as a portrait photographer before he began working in films in 1929 as an assistant cameraman. He served as a camera operator on several films including the wartime productions of One of Our Aircraft Is Missing (1942) and In Which We Serve (1942). He became director of photography in the early 1940s, serving as cinematographer on Spellbound (1941), Escape to Danger (1943), The Way Ahead (1944), Carnival (1946), David Lean’s Great Expectations (1946) which garnered him an Academy Award, Take My Life (1947), Blanche Fury (1947), Oliver Twist (1948), The Passionate Friends (1949), Adam and Evelyne (1949), Madeleine (1950),
GREGORY, MARY ETHEL Character actress Mary Ethel Gregory died in a Salt Lake City, Utah, hospital after a long battle with cancer on February 22, 2005. She was 79. She was born Mary Ethel Eccles in
Mary Ethel Gregory
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Salt Lake City on November 27, 1925. She appeared frequently on the local stage before earning a supporting role in the 1982 tele-film about executed killer Gary Gilmore, The Executioner’s Song. She also appeared in the films Footloose (1984) and The Red Fury (1984), and the tele-films The Deliberate Stranger (1986) and Double Jeopardy (1992). Gregory was also featured in the 1994 television mini-series adaptation of Stephen King’s The Stand.
GREY, JASMINE Model Jasmine Grey died of injuries she received in an automobile accident in Medina, Ohio, on December 10, 2005. She was 21. Grey was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on March 8, 1984. She worked as a nude model for various publications and internet sites, and appeared in Candy Girl Video’s Personal Panties and Sweet Satisfaction DVDs. She was also a guest at numerous GlamourCon and comic book conventions for the past two years.
Jasmine Grey
GRIFFIN, CHRIS Trumpeter Chris Griffin died of cancer in Danbury, Connecticut, on June 18, 2005. He was 89. He was born Gordon Claude Griffin in Binghamton, New York, on October 31, 1915. He began playing the trumpet at the age of 12, and was playing professionally with Charlie Barnet’s band in New York in the early 1930s. He played with Barnet for two years, then accompanied such singers as Mildred
Bailey and Rudy Vallee. He joined Benny Gordman’s orchestra in May of 1936. Griffin remained part of Goodman’s trumpet section with jazz legends Harry James and Ziggy Elman for three years, performing with the band at the 1938 Carnegie Hall concert, and appearing with the band in the films The Big Broadcast of 1937 and Hollywood Hotel. He left Goodman in 1939 to work as a studio musician, playing lead trumpet on radio and television for Ed Sullivan, Milton Berle, and Jackie Gleason. He was also heard on albums recorded by Ella Fitzgerald, Charlie Parker, Billie Holiday, and Tony Bennett. Griffin later taught the trumpet and embarked on a European tour in the 1970s. He also played with Tex Beneke’s band. Griffin was married to singer Helen O’Brien from the 1930s until her death in 2000. • Los Angeles Times, June 27, 2005, B7; New York Times, June 25, 2005, A16; Times (of London), July 19, 2005, 48.
GRIFFIN , JIMMY Jimmy Griffin, the cofounder of the soft-rock band Bread who earned an Academy Award for co-writing the song “For All We Know” for the 1970 film Lovers and Other Strangers, died of cancer at his home in Nashville, Tennessee, on January 11, 2005. He was 61. Griffin was born in Memphis, Tennessee, on August 10, 1943. He moved to Los Angeles in the early 1960s, where he appeared in several films including For Those Who Think Young (1964) and None but the Brave (1965). He also signed a recording contract with Reprise Records. He soon joined with fellow musicians David Gates and Robb Royer to form the group Bread in 1969. Their first single, “Make It with You,” was a major hit in 1970. He won the Academy Award for The Carpenters hit “For All We Know” in 1970, writing the song under the pseudonym Arthur James. Bread also recorded the hit albums Baby I’m a Want You, Guitar Man and If before splitting in 1973. They regrouped three years later and recorded another hit single, “Lost Without Your Love.” • Los Angeles Times, Jan. 14, 2005, B9; New York Times, Jan. 14, 2005, B9; Times (of London), Jan. 24, 2005, 52.
Jimmy Griffin
Chris Griffin
GRIFFITHS, ERIC Guitarist Eric Griffiths, who was founding member of the rock group The Quarry Men in the late 1950s, died of pancreatic can-
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film credits include Cop or Hood (1979), I Love you All (1980), Choice of Arms (1981), The North Star (1982), The Big Brother (1982), I Don’t Kiss (1991), Death in Therapy (1996), and Signe Picpus (2003). He also wrote for television, creating the detective character Helene Franck for S.O.S. Disappeared in 1988, and writing several episodes of Maigret in the early 2000s.
Eric Griffiths
cer at his home in Edinburgh, Scotland, on January 29, 2005. He was 63. Griffiths was born in Denbigh, North Wales, on October 31, 1941, and was raised in Liverpool after his father’s death during World War II. He joined with several schoolmates, including John Lennon, Pete Shotton, and Rod Davis, to form the Quarry Men. They were joined by Paul McCartney in 1957 who aspired for Griffiths’ role as lead guitarist in the band. The group decided neither musician was suitable for the job and brought in George Harrison to replace Griffiths in the band. Griffiths entered the Merchant Navy soon after and remained with them until 1964. He subsequently began working with the prison system in England and, later, Scotland, and continued for the next three decades. He attended a reunion of his surviving Quarry Men in 1997, and they took the stage to perform. They played a charity benefit together later in the year and Griffiths reformed the band to record an album, John Lennon’s Original Quarrymen — Get Back Together. The group toured together through 2004, until Griffiths was diagnosed with cancer. • Los Angeles Times, Feb. 6, 2005, B13; New York Times, Feb. 4, 2005, B7; Times (of London), Feb. 5, 2005, 63.
GROLLMAN, ELAINE Actress Elaine Grollman died in Bayside, New York, on November 17, 2005. She was 77. She was born in the Bronx, New York, on October 22, 1928. Grollman made her Broadway debut in the original stage version of Yentl. She toured the United States and Canada in numerous productions of Fiddler on the Roof in the role of Yente the Matchmaker. Grollman was also seen in several films including Woody Allen’s Broadway Danny Rose, Zelig, and The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985). Her other film credits include In America (2002) and Untitled: A Love Story (2003).
Elaine Grollman
GRISOLIA, MICHEL French writer Michel Grisolia died of an aneurysm in Paris on March 29, 2005. He was 56. Grisolia was born in Nice, France, on August 12, 1948. Many of his novels were adapted for film, often with Grisolia providing the scripts. His
GRUSKIEWICZ, PAULA Actress Paula Gruskiewicz died of breast cancer in a Washington, D.C., hospital on December 31, 2005. She was 47. Gruskiewicz was born in Woodbridge, New Jersey, in 1958. She began performing on stage in the 1980s, and performed frequently in the Washington, D.C., area from the late 1980s. She appeared in such productions
Michel Grisolia
Paula Gruskiewicz
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as Lillian Hellman’s The Children’s Hour, Eileen Atkin’s Vita and Virginia, and David Mamet’s The Old Neighborhood. Her final performance on stage with in an October production of Paul Osborn’s Mornings at Seven. During her career she also appeared in several television commercials and was featured in a small role in the NBC television series Homicide. • Variety, Jan. 23, 2006, 48.
GRUSKIN, EDWARD Television writer and producer Edward Gruskin died of complications from Alzheimer’s disease on November 15, 2005. He was 91. Gruskin was born on June 16, 1914. He began his career as a writer for such 1940s comic books as Doc Savage, The Shadow, Beebo, and Supersnipe. He also produced a radio version of Doc Savage. Gruskin wrote and produced the 1950 television version of Flash Gordon starring Steve Holland. GUASCH, SARA Mexican actress Sarah Guasch died of a heart attack in Mexico City on June 1, 2005. She was 86. Guasch was born in Chile in 1918. She was a leading performer in Spanish-language films from the 1940s, appearing in such features as My Memories of Mexico (1944), The House of the Fox (1945), Una Virgen Moderna (1946), A Story of the Nineties (1949), Jewels of Sin (1950), Cry of the Flesh (1951), Cradle Song (1953), Witchcraft (1954), White as an Angel (1954), The Hidden One (1956), Bambalinas (1957), Island for Two (1959), Tigers of the Ring (1960), The Killer Lacks a Name (1968), Mothers’ Day (1969), Survive! (1976), Mil Caminos Tiene la Muerte (1977), El Color de Nuestra Piel (1981), El Barrendero (1982), Abortion: A Song to Life (1983), and Nana (1985).
Sara Guasch
GUERRERO , EDDIE Professional wrestler and former WWE world champion Eddie Guerrero was found dead in a hotel room in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on November 13, 2005. He was 38. Guerrero was born in El Paso, Texas, in September of 1967, the youngest son of wrestler Gory Guerrero. He followed his father and older brothers Chavo, Hector, and Mando, into the wrestling arena in the late 1980s. He began wrestling in Mexico in 1987. He wrestled as Mascara Magica in EMLL and AAA in 1992 and 1993,
Eddie Guerrero
where he teamed with El Hijo de Santo as the Atomic Pair. He also wrestled as the Black Tiger in New Japan in 1993. During 1995 he wrestled with New Japan and ECW, where he often competed against Dean Malenko. Guerrero subsequently entered the WCW and, in December of 1996, defeated Diamond Dallas Page in a tournament final for the vacant U.S. Heavyweight Title. He lost the belt to Malenko in March of 1997. He began teaming, and sometimes battling, his nephew, Chavo Jr. later in the year. Guerrero held the WCW Cruiserweight title several times against such competitors as Chris Jericho, Rey Misterio, Jr., and the Ultimo Dragon. His career was sidelined on December 31, 1998, when he was seriously injured in an automobile accident. Guerrero was out of action for six months, returning to the ring in June of 1999. He joined Konnan, Kidman and Rey Misterio, Jr., in the Filthy Animals. He subsequently broke with the group and was again out of action due to surgery for his elbow at the end of 1999. Guerrero left the WCW in January of 2000, joining Dean Malenko, Chris Benoit and Perry Saturn as the Radicals in the WWF. In his WWF debut match Guerrero again injured his elbow, temporarily keeping him out of action. After his return he paired up with Chyna, calling himself Latino Heat. Chyna assisted him in his victory over Chris Jericho for the WWF European Title in April of 2000. His relationship with Chyna ended soon after he defeated her for the WWF Intercontinental Title in September of 2000. He held the belt for several months before losing to Billy Gunn in November. Problems with alcohol and a drunk driving arrest in November of 2001, led to Guerrero being released from the WWF. He wrestled on the independent circuit before returning to the WWE in April of 2002. He often wrestled Rob Van Dam, Steve Austin, and Chris Benoit, and held the WWE Tag Team title with his nephew, Chavo Jr. He defeated Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship in February of 2004, holding the belt for several months before losing to John Bradshaw Layfield. He participated in several notable feuds in 2005 including battles with Chavo Jr., Rey Misterio, Jr., and Batista. He was comfortable addressing his former problems with drugs and alcohol and was the subject of the 2004 documentary video Cheating Death, Stealing Life: The
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Eddie Guerrero Story. • Los Angeles Times, Nov. 16, 2005, B9; New York Times, Nov. 15, 2005, A25; People, Nov. 28, 2005, 207.
GUERRERO, LALO Singer Eduardo “Lalo” Guerrero, Jr., who was known as the “Father of Chicano Music,” died in an assisted living facility in Palm Springs, California, on March 17, 2005. He was 88. Guerrero was born on December 24, 1916, in Tucson, Arizona. He began performing and recording in Los Angeles in the early 1930s after dropping out of high school. He wrote or recorded over 700 songs during his career. He was best known to mainstream audiences for his 1955 parody song “Pancho Lopez,” based on the popular “Ballad of Davy Crockett.” He also wrote and sang such comic parodies as “Pancho Claus,” “Tacos for Two,” “No Chicanos on TV,” and “Mexican Mamas, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Bus Boys.” He also recorded a series of popular children’s albums featuring the squeaky-voiced talking squirrels Las Ardillitas. Some of his songs were featured in Luis Valdez’s 1977 stage production Zoot Suit, and the subsequent movie in 1981. Guerrero was awarded the presidential Medal of the Arts from Bill Clinton in 1997. He owned and operated a popular East Los Angeles nightclub for many years. His most recent recording were three songs for Ry Cooder’s forthcoming album Chavez Ravine. • Los Angeles Times, Mar. 18, 2005, B10; New York Times, Mar. 19, 2005, A13; Variety, Mar. 28, 2005, 56.
Marco Guglielmi
Calais (1962), Planets Against Us (1962), The Carpet of Horror (1962), Family Diary (1962), Imperial Venus (1963), Summer Night (1963), The Visit (1964), Spy in Your Eye (1965), The Looters (1966), Secret Agent Super Dragon (1966), The Stranger Returns (1967), You Die ... but I Live (1967), Big Gundown 2 (1968), Anyone Can Play (1968), Revenge (1969), The Battle of El Alamein (1969), Plagio (1969), Probability Zero (1969), Mafia Killer (1973), Loves of a Nymphomaniac (1973), How to Kill a Judge (1974), The Last Days of Mussolini (1974), La Minorenne (1974), A Man for Sale (1977), The Cynic, the Rat, and the Fist (1977), The Biggest Battle (1978), and Un Uomo di Razza (1989).
GUIGUET, JEAN-CLAUDE French film director and writer Jean-Claude Guiguet died of cancer in a French hospital on September 18, 2005. He was 56. Guiguet was born in France on November 22, 1948. He wrote and directed the 1979 film Fine Manners. He also directed and scripted the films L’Archipel des Amours (1983), Faubourg Saint Martin (1986), Le Mirage (1992), Love Reinvented (1996), The Passengers (1999), and Metamorphose (2003).
Lalo Guerrero
GUGLIELMI, MARCO Italian actor Marco Guglielmi died in Rome on December 23, 2005. He was 79. Guglielmi was featured in numerous films from the early 1950s including They Were 3000 (1952), Folgore Division (1954), Attila (1954), Forbidden (1954), Abandoned (1955), Destination Piovarolo (1955), The Art of Getting Along (1955), Andrea Chenier (1955), Rio Guadalquivir (1956), The Song of Destiny (1957), Lost Souls (1958), Maid, Thief and Guard (1958), Adorable and a Liar (1958), El Alamein (1958), Always Victorious (1958), The Savage Innocents (1959), Seven in the Sun (1959), Pensione Edelweiss (1959), The Black Chapel (1959), The Night They Killed Rasputin (1960), The Story of Joseph and His Brethren (1960), Terror of the Red Mask (1960), Mill of the Stone Women (1960), Seven Seas to
Jean-Claude Guiguet
GUILLEMOT, AGNES French film editor Agnes Guillemot died in Paris on December 17, 2005. She was 74. Guillemot was born in Roubaix, Nord, France, in 1931. She was active in films from the early 1960s, editing many of the works of Jean Luc Godard
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and Francois Truffaut. Her film credits include A Woman Is a Woman (1961), My Life to Live (1962), The Little Soldier (1962), RoGoPaG (1963), The Riflemen (1963), Contempt (1963), Band of Outsiders (1964), The Beautiful Swindlers (1964), A Married Woman (1964), All About Loving (1964), Alphaville (1965), MasculineFeminine (1966), The Oldest Profession (1967), Weekend (1967), Stolen Kisses (1968), Sympathy for the Devil (1968), Love and Anger (1969), Mississippi Mermaid (1969), The Wild Child (1970), Bed and Board (1970), Blue Country (1976), A Guy Like Me Should Never Die (1976), It’s a Long Time I’ve Loved You (1979), Dangerous Moves (1984), Staircase C (1985), Every Other Weekend (1990), Dirty Like an Angel (1991), North (1991), Lovers (1994), The Favorite Son (1994), Don’t Forget You’re Going to Die (1995), Perfect Love (1996), and Romance (1999).
GUILMAIN, OFELIA
Spanish actress Ofelia Guilmain died of respiratory failure and pneumonia in Mexico City, Mexico, on January 14, 2005. She was 83. Guilmain was born in Madrid, Spain, on November 17, 1921. She began her career on stage in Spain, performing with the Republican government’s Guerrillas of Theater groups. Guilmain fled to Mexico in 1939 as Francisco Franco’s forces achieved victory in the Spanish Civil War. She married soon after and was inactive in performing for the next decade. She renewed her acting career in the 1950s, appearing in numerous films, plays and television productions. Her many film credits include Nazarin (1959), The Man and the Monster (1959), The Queen’s Swordsmen (1961), Little Red Riding Hood and the Monsters (1962), The Brainiac (1962), Luis Bunuel’s The Exterminating Angel, Panico (1966), Sor Ye-Ye (1968), The Prophet Mimi (1973), Celestina (1976), and El Patrullero 777 (1978). She also appeared in numerous Mexican television series and soap operas. • Los Angeles Times, Jan. 16, 2005, B15; Variety, Jan. 24, 2005, 55.
Natalya Gundareva
Her numerous film and television credits include Passing Through Moscow (1970), Hello and Goodbye (1972), Truffaldino from Bergamo (1972), Looking for a Man (1973), Autumn (1974), They Fought for the Motherland (1975), A Sweet Woman (1976), The Orphans (1976), Guarantee Life (1977), Citizen Nikanorova Waits for You (1978), Autumn Marathon (1979), Once Upon a Time Twenty Years Later (1980), Say a Word for Poor Cavalrymen (1980), The Imaginary Invalid (1980), Culdinea of Tobossa (1980), White Snow of Russia (1980), Sold Laughter (1981), The Uninvited Friend (1981), Time Barred (1983), Life, Tears and Love (1984), Winter Evening in Gagry (1985), Children of the Sun (1985), The Life of Klim Samgin (1986), Aelita, Do Not Pester Men! (1988), Heart Is Not a Stone (1989), It (1989), Two Arrows: The Crime Story from the Stone Age (1989), Dogs Feats (1990), The Passport (1990), Temptation of B. (1990), Vivat, Naval Cadets! (1991), The Promised Land (1991), The Hen (1991), Crazies (1991), 1000 Dollars One Way (1991), Lost in Siberia (1991), Naval Cadets III (1992), Devil’s Hostages (1993), The Private Life of Queens (1993), Alfons (1993), The Mysteries of Sankt Petersburg (1995), and Moscow Vacation (1995).
GUR, BATYA Israel detective novelist Batya Gur died of cancer in Jerusalem on May 19, 2005. She was 57. Gur was born in Tel Aviv, Israel, in 1947. She was educated in Hebrew literature at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and taught high school literature
Ofelia Guilmain
GUNDAREVA , NATALYA Russian actress Natalya Gundareva died in Moscow of complications from a stroke on May 15, 2005. She was 56. Gundareva was born in Moscow on August 28, 1948. She was a leading actress in Russian films from the early 1970s.
Batya Gur
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before she began writing in the 1980s. She created the character of Chief Superintendent Michael Ohayon of the Jerusalem police, who starred in a series of detective novels. Five of her novels featuring Ohayon were published in English including The Saturday Morning Murder (1992), Literary Murder (1993), Murder on a Kibbutz (1994), Murder Duet (1999), and Bethlehem Road Murder (2004). • Los Angeles Times, June 1, 2005, B11; New York Times, May 30, 2005, B7; Times (of London), June 2, 2005, 269.
GUSSOW, MEL Mel Gussow, the long-time theatrical critic for The New York Times, died of cancer in a Manhattan, New York, hospital on April 29, 2005. He was 71. Gussow was born in New York City on December 19, 1933. He studied journalism and began working for Newsweek in the late 1950s. He soon became theatrical critic for the publication where he became a champion of the works of such playwrights as Edward Albee, Tom Stoppard, and Harold Pinter. He began writing for The New York Times in 1969 and wrote a biography of film producer Darryl F. Zanuck in 1971. He continued to write for the Times for the next 35 years. He was also the author of eight books including a series on Arthur Miller, Samuel Beckett, Harold Pinter, and Tom Stoppard. He also wrote the 1999 biography Edward Albee: A Singular Journey. His final book, Michael Gambon: A Life in Acting, was published in 2004. • Los Angeles Times, May 2, 2005, B9; New York Times, May 1, 2005, 36.
Juancho Gutierrez
semblance to the late Chinese leader Chairman Mao Zedong, died of a heart attack in China’s southern Guangdon Province on July 2, 2005. He was 68. Gu began playing Chairman Mao in films in 1978, and appeared as Mao in over 80 film and television productions. He won China’s prestigious film award, the Hundred Flowers Awards, for his performances in 1990 and 1993. Gu appeared in the films After the Final Battle, The Founding Ceremony of China, and The Story of Mao Zedong.
Gu Yue
HAAS, KARL Musicologist and radio personality Karl Haas died in a Royal Oak, Michigan, hospiMel Gussow
GUTIERREZ, JUANCHO Philippine leading actor Juancho Gutierrez died of multiple organ failure and complications from diabetes in a Manila, the Philippines, hospital on October 1, 2005. He was 73. Gutierrez was a leading matinee idol in films in the Philippines from the 1950s. He starred with actresses Amalia Fuentes and Gloria Romero, who became his wife in 1960. His film credits include Rodora (1956), Lydia (1956), Sonata (1957), Baby Bubot (1958), Wedding Bells (1959), Amy, Susie, Tesie (1960), Tatlong Panata (1961), Dope Addict (1961), Historia de un Amor (1963), and Senyorito at Ang Atsay, Ang (1964). GU YUE Chinese actor Gu Yue, as soldier who began a film career in the late 1970s because of his re-
Karl Haas
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tal on February 6, 2005. He was 91. Haas was born in Germany on December 6, 1913. A classical pianist, he came to the United States in 1936 after fleeing from the Nazi regime. He settled in Detroit, where he formed the Chamber Music Society of Detroit in 1944. During the 1950s he began doing music commentary on radio, and began hosting the classical syndicated radio program Adventures in Good Music in 1959, which was broadcast for many years. • Los Angeles Times, Feb. 8, 2005, B9; New York Times, Feb. 8, 2005, C19.
HAEFNER, MICHAEL German singer and actor Michael Haefner committed suicide by hanging in Munich, Germany, on January 3, 2005. He was 45. Haefner was born in Germany on October 14, 1959. He appeared in numerous musicals on the German stage. He also starred as Heinz Trilling in the German television series Marienhof in 1992, and appeared in television productions of Die Goldene Gans (1994), Anwalt Abel — Der Voyeur un das Madchen (2000), and Weissblaue Geschichten (2000).
Michael Haefner
HAGEN , KEVIN Veteran character actor Kevin Hagen, who was best known for his role as Dr. Hiram Baker on the television series Little House on the Prairie, died of complications from esophageal cancer at his home in Grants Pass, Oregon, on July 9, 2005. He was 77. Haven was born in Chicago, Illinois, on April 3, 1928. He attended the University of Southern California, where he earned a degree in international relations. He worked with the U.S. State Department in Germany and served in the Navy after World War II. Hagen briefly attended law school before he began acting on stage in California. He was soon appearing on television and films. He guest-starred in episodes of Jane Wyman Presents the Fireside Theatre, Tales of Wells Fargo, Wagon Train, M Squad, Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, Dragnet, General Electric Theater, The Walter Winchell File, Gunsmoke, Goodyear Theatre, Have Gun —Will Travel, Perry Mason, Laramie, Riverboat, The Twilight Zone, Sugarfoot, Mr. Lucky, The Deputy, The Rifleman, Hotel de Paree, Outlaw, Thriller, Bat Masterson, The Untouchables, Cain’s Hundred, Straightaway, and Cheyenne. Hagen starred as John Colton in the television western series Yancy Derringer from 1958 to 1959.
Kevin Hagen (as Insp. Kobick from Land of the Giants)
He was also seen in the films The Light in the Forest (1958), Gunsmoke in Tucson (1958), Pork Chop Hill (1959), Rider on a Dead Horse (1962), The Man from Galveston (1963), Rio Conchos (1964), Shenandoah (1965), The Last Challenge (1967), and The Learning Tree (1969). He also guest-starred in episodes of Bonanza, Rawhide, Lawman, The New Breed, Maverick, 77 Sunset Strip, G.E. True, The Gallant Men, The Virginian, Kraft Suspense Theatre, Daniel Boone, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Profiles in Courage, Branded, The Big Valley, A Man Called Shenandoah, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Blue Light, Lost in Space, Felony Squad, The Time Tunnel, The High Chaparral, Ironside, Mission: Impossible, Wild Wild West, Cimarron Strip, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Lancer, The Guns of Will Sonnett, The Outcasts, The Mod Squad, Mannix, Bracken’s World, The Bold Ones: The Senator, The Silent Force, The Bold Ones: The New Doctors, The New Perry Mason, The Cowboys, Harry O, M*A*S*H, Sara, Fantasy Island, Simon & Simon, Amazing Stories, and Matlock. Hagen also starred as Inspector Kobick in Irwin Allen’s science fiction television series Land of the Giants from 1969 to 1970. He was also seen in the tele-films Weekend of Terror (1970), Vanished (1971), Dead Men Tell No Tales (1971), The Delphi Bureau (1972), Honky Tonky (1974), The San Pedro Bums (1977), Power (1980), Beulah Land (1980), and Bonanza: The Next Generation (1988). Hagen’s later film credits include Gentle Savage (1973), The Legend of Nigger Charley (1973), The Hunter (1980), Power (1986), and The Ambulance (1990). Hagen starred as kindly Dr. Hiram Baker on Michael Landon’s television series Little House on the Prairie from 1974 through 1983. He was also seen in the subsequent tele-films Little House: Look Back to Yesterday (1983), Little House: The Last Farewell (1984), and Little House: Bless All the Dear Children (1984). He also starred as the Judge in the 1987 series Trial by Jury. • Los Angeles Times, July 13, 2005, B11; Variety, July 18, 2005, 48.
HALE , UNA Australian soprano Una Hale died in Bath, England, on March 4, 2005. She was 82. Hal was born in Adelaide, Australia, on November 18, 1922. She studied at the Royal College of Music in England after World War II. She performed in numerous operas with the Carl Rosa Opera Company, including
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Una Hale
Jimmy Hall
leading roles in La Traviata and Carmen. She also starred in the Australian premiere of Ariadne auf Naxos in 1962. Hale subsequently married ballet director Martin Carr, and retired to Bath to raise a family. • Times (of London), Mar. 12, 2005, 81.
ing partner Keith Waterhouse were nominated for Best British Screenplay BAFTAs for three subsequent years with their scripts for Whistle Down the Wind (1961), A Kind of Loving (1962), and Billy Liar (1963). Hall also wrote such films as The Valiant (1962), West 11 (1963), Man in the Middle (1964), Pretty Polly (1967), and Lock Up Your Daughters! (1969). He also wrote often for television for such series as Suspense, That Was the Week That Was, The Frost Report, According to Dora, Budgie, Queenie’s Castle, The Upper Crusts, Billy Liar, Village Hall, The Crezz, Robin’s Next, Secret Army, The Fuzz, Hazell, Worzel Gummidge, Minder, The Return of the Antelope, and Moving Story. • Times (of London), Mar. 14, 2005, 51.
HALJALA, AHTI Leading Finnish actor Ahti Haljala died in Tampere, Finland, on November 7, 2005. He was 80. Haljala was born in Sakkola, Finland, in 1925. He was a popular performer on stage, screen, and television. Haljala was featured in the films Syoksykierre (1981) and Kaikki Pelissa (1994), and appeared in such television series as Heikki ja Kaija (1961), Rintamakelaiset (1972), Kotirappu (1987), and Metsolat (1993).
Ahti Haljala
HALL, JIMMY
William James “Jimmy” McCallum, who wrestled professionally in the South as Jimmy Hall, died at his home in Collierville, Tennessee, on August 28, 2005. He was 35. McCallum was born on December 30, 1969. He began wrestling in the 1990s, competing primarily in Mid-South arenas.
HALL, WILLIS British playwright and television writer Willis Hall died in England on March 7, 2005. He was 75. Hall was born in Leeds, Yorkshire, England, on April 6, 1929. He scripted the 1960 war film The Long and the Short and the Tall. Hall and writ-
Willis Hall
HALLSTROM, MALOU Swedish actress and television producer Malou Hallstrom was found dead of an accidental drowning in her bathtub in Stockholm, Sweden, on February 3, 2005. She was 63. She was born in Stockholm on May 11, 1941. She was the former wife of Swedish film director Lasse Hallstrom, and edited her husband’s 1977 concert film ABBA: The Movie. She appeared in several films in the early 1980s including The Charter Trip (1980) and The Children from Blue Lake Mountain (1980). She was later involved in producing programs for Swedish television.
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Malou Hallstrom
Ruth Hampton
HAMILTON, BRUCE Comic publisher Bruce Hamilton, who founded the Gladstone imprint for Walt Disney characters, died after a long illness on June 18, 2005. He was 72. Hamilton was born on October 11, 1932. He was a pioneer dealer in rare Golden Age comics, and served as an early adviser The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide after its initial publication in 1971. He joined with Russ Cochran in 1980 to acquire the license to produce the prestige publication The Fine Art of Walt Disney’s Donald Duck, which spotlighted Disney artist Carl Barks. Hamilton subsequently worked with Barks to produced limited edition lithographs based on his oil paintings. Hamilton took over the publication rights to the Disney comic books in the mid–1980s, founding the Gladstone Publishing Co. for that purpose.
The Glenn Miller Story (1953), Johnny Dark (1954), and Ricochet Romance (1954). She retired from the screen following her marriage to television performer Byron Palmer 1954.
HANLON, ROY British stage and screen actor Roy Hanlon died in England on April 19, 2005. He was 66. Hanlon was born in Greenock, England, on June 30, 1938. He studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music an Drama in the 1950s and began appearing on British television in the early 1960s. Hanlon was seen in such series as The Dark Island, The Villains, Z Cars, Adam Adamant Lives!, The Baron, Softly Softly, Dixon of Dock Green, The Saint, Out of the Unknown, The Borderers, Detective, Department S, Spyder’s Web, Budgie, Sutherland’s Law, The Mackinnons, The Wilde Alliance, The Standard, and Taggart. He also appeared in several films during his career including The Vulture (1967), Robbery (1967), The Naked Runner (1967), and The Fiction Makers (1968). He also appeared in the 1979 British television production of A Sense of Freedom, and starred as Dad in the 1994 comedy series Takin’ Over the Asylum. He appeared in the tele-films The Witch’s Daughter in 1996.
Bruce Hamilton (right, with Carl Barks)
HAMPTON, RUTH Actress Ruth Hampton died in Merriam, Kansas, on August 25, 2005. She was 74. She was born Regina Ruth Jane Hampton in Throop, Pennsylvania, on April 25, 1931. She began her career as a dancer, performing with the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall in New York. She was also a beauty pageant winner, and was crowned Miss New Jersey in 1952. She subsequently moved to Hollywood where she was featured in a handful of films including Abbott and Costello Go to Mars (1953), Law and Order (1953) with Ronald Reagan, Take Me to Town (1953),
Roy Hanlon
HANNA, RAY British pilot Ray Hanna died in England on December 1, 2005. He was 77. He was born Raynham Hanna in Takapuna, New Zealand, on August 28, 1928. He learned to fly in the late 1940s and
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Ray Hanna
Hisako Hara
came to England to join the Royal Air Force in 1949. He served as a flight instructor and was a member of the Meteor aerobatic team. He was a founding member of the Red Arrows aerobatic team in 1964, and led the group for four years before leaving the Royal Air Force in 1971. In the early 1980s he formed the Old Flying Machine Company with his son Mark. They restored early aircrafts and made appearances at numerous airshows. They also were stunt pilots in such films as Hope and Glory (1987), Empire of the Sun (1987), Memphis Belle (1990), The River Wild (1994), Species (1995), and Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan (1998). Hanna continued to operate the Old Flying Machine Company after the death of Mark Hanna in Spain in 1999. • Times (of London), Dec. 10, 2005, 75.
HARDEE, MALCOLM British comedian Malcolm Hardee was reported missing in London on January 31, 2005, and his body was recovered from the Thames River two days later. No foul play was suspected in the drowning. He was 55. Hardee was born in London on January 5, 1950. He was known for outrageous antics and stage performances, which often concluded by his standing naked in front of his audience and launching fireworks from his rear. He also appeared on British television in episodes of The Black Adder, The Comic Strip Presents, and The People vs. Jerry Sadowtiz. • Times (of London), Feb. 7, 2005, 52.
HANSEN, ED Film director and writer Ed Hansen died of bladder cancer in Antioch, California, on December 16, 2005. Hansen was born in Minnesota on January 30, 1937. He began his career as a commercial director before he began directing and writing exploitation films in the early 1980s. Hansen’s film credits include Eroticise (1983), Takin’ It Off (1985), Takin’ It All Off (1987), Party Favors (1987), Party Plane (1988), Cyber-C.H.I.C. (1989), The Bikini Car Wash (1992), and Takin’ It Off Out West (1995). He also worked as an editor on such films as Code Name: Zebra (1984), 9∂ Weeks (1986), and Skeeter (1993), and the children’s tele-films The Elf Who Saved Christmas (1992) and The Elf and the Magic Key (1993). Hansen also wrote the films Hell’s Belles (1997) and Wooly Boys (2001). HANSON, UNITA see DANGERFIELD,
WINNIE
HARA, HISAKO Japanese actress Hisako Hara died of heart failure in a Tokyo hospital on December 4, 2005. She was 95. Hara was born Hisa Ishijima in Japan in 1909. She made her debut on stage in 1933 and was later featured in numerous film and television productions. Hara played supporting roles in such films as Weaker Sex (1960), Girl of Dark (1961), The Scarlet Man (1961), Bullet Wound (1969), Rhyme of Vengeance (1977), Black Rain (1989), Fancy Dance (1989), Water Creature (1994), A Quiet Life (1995), After Life (1998), and By Player (2000).
Malcolm Hardee
HARMS , CARL Puppeteer and actor Carl Harms died in New York City on August 11, 2005. He was 94. Harms was born in Chicago, Illinois, on August 30, 1910. He began his career on stage and was a member of the WPA Federal Theatre. He learned to create puppets and participated in the First American Puppetry Festival in Detroit in 1936. He also performed as a dancer with the Great Northern Theatre’s Federal Ballet. Harms joined Bil Baird with the Marionettes in 1940. After serving in the merchant marines during World War II, Harms continued her career on stage. He again worked with Bil Baird on the television show The Adventures of Snarky Parker in 1948. He also created puppets and had a supporting role in the 1950s children’s program Johnny Jupiter. Harms made his Broad-
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160 director for the talk show The Mike Douglas Show from 1967 to 1973. Harnell subsequently moved to California, where he scored numerous films and television shows. He composed music for such series as The Bionic Woman, The Incredible Hulk, Cliff hangers: Stop Susan Williams, Cliff hangers: The Curse of Dracula, Cagney & Lacey, V, Santa Barbara, Shadow Chasers, In the Heat of the Night, and Alien Nation. He also was composer on the tele-films The Murder That Wouldn’t Die (1980), Senior Trip (1981), Hot Pursuit (1984), The Liberators (1987), and The Death of the Incredible Hulk (1990). Harnell earned three Emmy nominations for best dramatic score for his compositions. • Los Angeles Times, July 17, 2005, B14; New York Times, July 20, 2005, A21; Variety, July 25, 2005, 55.
Carl Harms
way debut in the 1951 musical Flahooley, and appeared on Broadway in Much Ado About Nothing, Man in the Moon, and The Girl on the Via Flamina. Harms also appeared in such television productions as The Tempest, Barefoot in Athens, and A Cry of Angels. He also appeared in an episode of Hallmark Hall of Fame and was the voice of Tigger in the Shirley Temple Storybook production of Winnie-the-Pooh in 1960. In the 1960s Harms was involved with NBC News, working with Bil Baird to create replicas of the spacecrafts for the 1967 Gemini space walk and of the lunar surface for man’s first walk on the moon in 1969. • Variety, Aug. 22, 2005, 42.
HARNELL , JOE Pianist and composer Joe Harnell died of heart failure in a Sherman Oaks, California, hospital on July 14, 2005. He was 80. Harnell was born in The Bronx, New York, on August 2, 1924. He began performing professionally as a jazz musician while in his teens. He served in the Army Air Force during World War II and toured with Glenn Miller’s Air Force band. After the war he worked as an accompanist and arranger for many singers. He worked with Peggy Lee on several projects, conducting the orchestra for her albums Anything Goes: Cole Porter and Pegg y Lee and the George Shearing Quintet. He was arranger for the hit song “Fly Me to the Moon Bossa Nova” in 1962, which earned him a Grammy Award for best performance by an orchestra for dancing. He was music
HARNESS, CHARLES L. Science fiction writer Charles L. Harness died in North Newton, Kansas, on September 20, 2005. He was 89. Harness was born in Colorado City, Texas, on December 29, 1915. He worked as a patent attorney from the late 1940s. He also began writing science fiction stories for pulp magazines, beginning with “Time Trap” for Astounding Science Fiction in 1948. His first novel, Flight into Yesterday (aka The Paradox Men) was published in 1953. His best known work was the novella The Rose, which was published in England in 1953 and in the United States in 1969. Harness authored 14 books during his career including the novels The Ring of Ritormel (1968), Wolf head (1978), The Venetian Court (1986), and Cybele, with Bluebonnets (2002). Many of his short stories were included in the two collections An Ornament to His Profession (1998) and Rings (2000).
Charles L. Harness
HARPEL, LARRY Actor and dialogue coach Larry Harpel died at his home in Venice, California, on October 17, 2005. He was 55. Harpel was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on May 23, 1950. He worked in Los Angeles as a dialogue coach on such series as Hard Time on Planet Earth, Amen, and Cheers during the 1980s. He also appeared as Larry, a bar customer, on several episodes of Cheers. • Variety, Oct. 24, 2005, 40. Joe Harnell
HARPER, JERRY Actor Jerry Harper died of prostate cancer in Alaska on April 8, 2005. He was 75.
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He also was a composer or orchestrator of such films as Kiss Me Deadly (1955), Showdown at Boot Hill (1958), Alakazam the Great (1960), Master of the World (1961), The Raven (1963), Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine (1965), The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini (1966), and the 1979 Curse of Dracula segment of the television series Cliff hangers. Harris retired to New Zealand in 1992.
Larry Harpel
HARRIS, GEORGE Actor George E. Harris, II, died in Margaretville, New York, on December 29, 2005. He was 84. Harris was born in Bronxville, New York, on April 12, 1921. He was an actor and director in the early Off-Off Broadway stage and made his Broadway debut in The Great White Hope in 1968. He appeared in several films including Cops and Robbers in 1973. Harris was best known for his film role as Officer Mooney in 1978’s Superman, who reports an early sighting of the Man of Steel to his sergeant.
Harper was born the The Dalles, Oregon, on March 1, 1930. He began performing in the 1950s at circuses and carnivals before making his way to Hollywood in the 1960s. He was seen on television in episodes of Occasional Wife, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., The Mod Squad, Alias Smith and Jones, and M*A*S*H. He also appeared in the 1971 tele-film Once Upon a Dead Man and the features Bombs Away (1985) and Avalanche (1999). Harper returned to Alaska in 1987 where he operated the Off Center Playhouse theater and Cyrano’s Bookstore.
George Harris
Jerry Harper
HARRIS, ALBERT Composer, musician and orchestrator Albert Harris died in Auckland, New Zealand, on January 14, 2005. He was 88. Harris was born in London, England, on February 13, 1916. He studied piano from an early age and came to the United States in 1936, playing in various big bands across the country. He was co-founder of Music Service Incorporated, which was responsible for the music for several television shows including The Andy Griffith Show, The Danny Thomas Show, The Ray Bolger Show, and The Dick Van Dyke Show. Harris was also music director for Barbra Streisand’s television special Barbra and Other Instruments, and was a conductor and composer for Quinn Martin Productions on such series as Cannon, Barnaby Jones, Streets of San Francisco, and The F.B.I.
HARVEY, DOMINO Domino Harvey, the daughter of British film star Laurence Harvey who went from a career as a fashion model to the life of a bounty hunter, was found dead in her bath at her home in West Hollywood, California, on June 27, 2005. She was 35. She was born on August 7, 1969, to actor Harvey and his third wife, British model Paulene Stone. Domino abandoned a career with the Ford modeling agency in the 1980s and emerged as a bounty hunter
Domino Harvey
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working for bailbondsmen in Los Angeles in the early 1990s. She was the subject of a biographical film by Tony Scott, Domino, starring Keira Knightley, that was released later in 2005. Harvey had been arrested in 2004 on charges of drug dealing and conspiracy and was facing a lengthy prison sentence if convicted.
HASHIMOTO, KOJI Japanese film director Koji Hashimoto died of heart disease in Ashikaga, Japan, on January 9, 2005. He was 68. Hashimoto was born in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan, on January 21, 1936. He worked to Toho Films from the early 1960s, serving as an assistant director on such films as King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962), Ghidrah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964), Frankenstein Conquers the World (1965), Monster Zero (1965), Operation Crazy (1966), Latitude Zero (1969), Konto Five-Five’s Adventure in Outer Space (1969), Godzilla’s Revenge (1969), Dodes’ka-den (1970), The Pacifist Children (1973), Long Journey Into Love (1973), Tidal Wave (1973), The Last Days of Planet Earth (1974), The Gates of Youth (1976), and High Teen Boogie (1982). Hashimoto advanced to director for the 1983 science fiction film Bye Jupiter. The following year he helmed the return of Japan’s best known giant lizard with Godzilla: 1985.
in Yokohama, Japan, on July 11, 2005. He was 40. Hashimoto was born in Gisu, Japan, on July 3, 1965. He began wrestling in September of 1984, competing often with New Japan. He briefly wrestled as Hashif Khan in Canada in 1987. Hashimoto held the IWGP Heavyweight Title in 1994 and 1995. He also captured the IWGP International Tag Team Title in July of 1995, teaming with Junji Hirata. He temporarily retired from the ring, and his subsequent comeback was short lived when he was fired from New Japan. In 2001 Hashimoto formed his own independent promotion, Zero-One. In recent years he also appeared in several films in Japan including 2002’s Blood Heat.
HASKINS, JIM Jim Haskins, whose book The Cotton Club inspired Francis Ford Coppola’s 1984 film of the same name, died of emphysema at his Manhattan, New York, apartment on July 6, 2005. He was 63. Haskins was born in Demopolis, Alabama, on September 19, 1941, and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. He took a job as English professor at the University of Florida in Gainesville in 1977, and commuted from New York to Gainesville to teach. He wrote numerous books including children’s texts and biographies of such celebrities as Spike Lee and Rosa Parks. His 1977 picture book about the Harlem speakeasy, The Cotton Club, inspired Coppola and writers Mario Puzo and William Kennedy to pen the subsequent film. Another book, Mr. Bojangles: The Biography of Bill Robinson, served as the basis for the 2001 television production Bojangles. • Los Angeles Times, July 17, 2005, B14; New York Times, July 11, 2005, B7.
Koji Hashimoto
HASHIMOTO , SHINYA Japanese wrestler Shinya Hashimoto died suddenly of a brain aneurysm Jim Haskins
Shinya Hashimoto
HASLUND, VESLEMOY Norwegian actress Veslemoy Haslund died in Norway on November 7, 2005. She was 66. Haslund was born in Norway on April 8, 1939. She was active in films and television from the early 1960s. Haslund was seen in such films as Pan (1962), Hunger (1966), The Greatest Gamble (1967), Operasjon V for Vanvidd (1970), Streik! (1975), The Guardians (1978), Kvinnen (1979), For Tor’s Sake (1982), Kristin Lavransdotter (1995), and Hamsun (1996). She also starred as Erna Hjeltevik in the television series Familiesagaen de Syv Sostre from 1999 to 2000.
163 HATTA , KAYO Hawaiian filmmaker Kayo Hatta died in San Diego, California, in a drowning accident at a friend’s home on July 20, 2005. She was 47. Hatta was born in Honolulu on March 18, 1958, and studied film at UCLA. She made her first film, Picture Bride, which chronicled the sugarcane plantation life in Hawaii in the early 20th century, while a student. The film earned an audience award as best drama at the Sundance Film Festival in 1995. She had recently completed work on the short film Fishbowl, which was scheduled to air on PBS later in the year. • Los Angeles Times, July 29, 2005, B10; New York Times, July 31, 2005, 31.
Kayo Hatta
HAVER, JUNE Actress and singer June Haver died of respiratory failure at her Brentwood, California, home on July 4, 2005. She was 79. Haver was born June Stovenour in Rock Island, Illinois, on June 10, 1926. She made her musical debut at the age of seven playing the piano with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. She was soon performing on radio and with local dance bands. She began her film career in the early 1940s, singing with Ted Fio Rito’s Band in Skyline Serenade (1941). She also appeared in small roles in Tune Time (1942) and The Gang’s All Here (1943). Haver was groomed for stardom at 20th Century–Fox, starring in Home in Indiana (1944), Irish Eyes Are Smil-
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ing (1944), Where Do We Go from Here? (1945) with future husband Fred MacMurray, Three Little Girls in Blue (1945), The Dolly Sisters (1945) with Betty Grable, Wake Up and Dram (1946), I Wonder Who’s Kissing Her Now (1947), Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay! (1948), Look for the Silver Lining (1949), Oh, You Beautiful Doll (1949), The Daughter of Rosie O’Grady (1950), I’ll Get By (1950), Love Nest (1951), and The Girl Next Door (1953). Haver was married to trumpeter Jimmy Zito for less than a year in 1947. She became engaged to dentist John Duzik in 1949, but he died following routine surgery. In the early 1950s Haver broke her contract with Fox and joined the Sisters of Charity convent in Kansas, as a novice nun. She left the convent after eight months. Returning to Hollywood she again encountered Fred MacMurray at a New Year’s Eve party in 1953. His wife of 17 years, Lillian Lamont, had died earlier in the year. She and MacMurray became involved and were married on June 28, 1954. She and MacMurray, who had two children from his earlier marriage, adopted twin girls in December of 1956. Haver abandoned her film career to raise a family. She and MacMurray remained married for 37 years until his death in 1991. She is survived by her two daughters, her stepdaughter and a step-son. • Los Angeles Times, July 6, 2005, B11; New York Times, July 7, 2005, B11; Time, July 18, 2005, 25; Times (of London), Aug. 4, 2005, 57; Variety, July 11, 2005, 44.
HAWELL, NICHOLAS British actor and director Nicholas Hawell died of injuries he suffered in an automobile accident in England on September 13, 2005. He was 49. Hawell was born in England on April 6, 1956. He began his career on stage as a child actor and made his television debut in 1969’s Christ Recrucified. He was also featured on television in productions of Tom Brown’s Schooldays (1971) and ...And Mother Makes Three (1973) with Wendy Craig.
Nicholas Hawell
June Haver (with husband Fred MacMurray)
HAYAFUNE, CHIYO Japanese author Chiyo Hayafune died in a Yugawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, hospital on October 8, 2005. She was 91. Hayafune was best known for the 1961 novel Cupola, Where the Furnaces Glow. It was adapted as the 1962 film Foundry Town, starring actress Sayuri Yoshinaga.
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HAYASHI, YUMIKA Japanese adult actress Yumika Hayashi was found dead in her Tokyo apartment on June 29, 2005. She was 35. She began her career starring in adult videos in the 1980s. During the 1990s she began appearing in more mainstream films including the gruesome horror features ExorSister 4 (1994) and Splatter: Naked Blood (1995). She was also seen in the films All Night Long 3: The Final Chapter (1996), Sunday’s Dream (2000), and the soft-core art film Lunch Box (2003).
joined the WWF in 1982, where he served as co-host of Tuesday Night Titans with Vince McMahon, Jr. Hayes did numerous comedy skits with the WWE over the next decade on Titans, The Bobby Heenan Show, and other wrestling programs. He left the WWE in 1995 and suffered numerous health problems for the remainder of his life. • Times (of London), Sept. 7, 2005, 62.
HAYES, LORD ALFRED British professional wrestler, manager, and commentator Lord Alfred Hayes died of complications from a stroke in a Dallas, Texas, hospital on July 21, 2005. He was 77. He began wrestling in Great Britain in the early 1950s as Judo Al Hayes. He held the British Wrestling Association Heavyweight Title in the late 1950s. He also held the Southern Area Heavyweight Title in England several times between 1967 and 1970. He subsequently came to the United States. He teamed with Roger Kirby to hold the NWA Central States Tag Team Title in January of 1974. He again held the Central States tag belts in February of 1974, teaming with Bob Brown. He retired from the ring to become a manager in the early 1980s. He managed Bobby Jaggers, Nikolai Volkoff and Chris Markoff in the NWA in the early 1980s. He
HEALEY, MYRON Veteran film western badman Myron Healey died on December 21, 2005. He was 82. Healey was born in Petaluma, California, on June 8, 1923. He began his career playing small roles in films and serials in the early 1940s. He was best known for his numerous appearances in B westerns as a villain or henchman. His many film credits include A Stranger in Town (1943), Salute to the Marines (1943), Young Ideas (1943), Swing Shift Maisie (1943), Thousands Cheer (1943), I Dood It (1943), The Iron Major (1943), See Here, Private Hargrove (1944), Meet the People (1944), The Time of Their Lives (1946), Crime Doctor’s Man Hunt (1946), That Brennan Girl (1946), Millie’s Daughter (1947), Buck Privates Come Home (1947), The Corpse Came C.O.D. (1947), Down to Earth (1947), It Had to Be You (1947), Silly Billy (1948), Tall, Dark and Gruesome (1948), I, Jane Doe (1948), Blondie’s Reward (1948), The Man from Colorado (1948), Walk a Crooked Mile (1948), Ladies of the Chorus (1948), The Return of October (1948), You Gotta Stay Happy (1948), Hidden Danger (1948), Wake of the Red Witch (1948), Slightly French (1949), Knock on Any Door (1949), Gun Law Justice (1949), Trail’s End (1949), Across the Rio Grande (1949), Laramie (1949), the 1949 serial Batman and Robin, Air Hostess (1949), Brand of Fear (1949), The Wyoming Bandit (1949), Range Justice (1949), South of Rio (1949), Haunted Trails (1949), The Girl from Gunsight (1949), Western Renegades (1949), Rusty’s Birthday (1949), Riders of the Dusk (1949), Pioneer Marshal (1949), Lawless Code (1949), Fence Riders (1950), Trail of the Rustlers (1950), West of Wyoming (1950), A Woman of Distinction (1950), Over the Border (1950), No Sad Songs for Me (1950), Kill the Umpire (1950), Salt Lake Raiders (1950), In a Lonely Place (1950), Federal Man (1950), Hi-Jacked (1950), I Killed Geronimo (1950), My Blue Heaven (1950), The Fuller Brush Girl (1950), Law of the Panhandle (1950), Between Midnight
Lord Alfred Hayes
Myron Healey
Yumika Hayashi
165 and Dawn (1950), Hot Rod (1950), Emergency Wedding (1950), Experiment Alcatraz (1950), Outlaw Gold (1950), Short Grass (1950), Sierra Passage (1951), Colorado Ambush (1951), Al Jennings of Oklahoma (1951), Baby Sitters’ Jitters (1951), Night Riders of Montana (1951), I Was an American Spy (1951), the 1951 serial Roar of the Iron Horse, Rail-Blazer of the Apache Trail, Lorna Doone (1951), The Texas Rangers (1951), Montana Desperado (1951), Bonanza Town (1951), Journey into Light (1951), Drums in the Deep South (1951), Slaughter Trail (1951), Elephant Stampede (1951), The Big Night (1951), The Longhorn (1951), Silver City (1951), The Wild Blue Yonder (1951), Fort Osage (1952), Rodeo (1952), Montana Territory (1952), Storm Over Tibet (1952), The Kid from Broken Gun (1952), Fargo (1952), Apache War Smoke (1952), Desperadoes’ Outpost (1952), Monsoon (1952), The Maverick (1952), Kansas Pacific (1953), White Lightning (1953), Son of Belle Starr (1953), The Moonlighter (1953), The Fighting Lawman (1953), Saginaw Trail (1953), Combat Squad (1953), Hot News (1953), Vigilante Terror (1953), Private Eyes (1953), Texas Bad Man (1953), Gang Busters (1954), They Rode West (1954), Rails into Laramie (1954), Silver Lode (1954), Cattle Queen of Montana (1954), the 1955 serial Panther Girl of the Kongo (1955), African Manhunt (1955), Man Without a Star (1955), Rage at Dawn (1955), Thunder Over Sangoland (1955), The Man from Bitter Ridge (1955), Ma and Pa Kettle at Waikiki (1955), Jungle Moon Men (1955), Tennessee’s Partner (1955), Count Three and Pray (1955), Dig That Uranium (1956), Slightly Scarlet (1956), The First Texan (1956), Magnificent Roughnecks (1956), The Young Guns (1956), Calling Homicide (1956), Running Target (1956), The White Squaw (1956), Guns Don’t Argue (1957), Hell’s Crossroads (1957), Shoot-Out at Medicine Bend (1957), The Restless Breed (1957), Lure of the Swamp (1957), the 1957 horror film The Unearthly with John Carradine, Undersea Girl (1957), The Hard Man (1957), Escape from Red Rock (1957), Cole Younger, Gunfighter (1958), Quantrill’s Raiders (1958), Apache Territory (1958), Onionhead (1958), Rio Bravo (1959), Ma Barker’s Killer Brood (1960), The Final Hour (1962), Convicts 4 (1962), the 1962 U.S. version of the Japanese monster movie Varan the Unbelievable, Cavalry Command (1963), He Rides Tall (1964), Mirage (1965), Harlow (1965), The Swinger (1966), Gunfight in Abilene (1967), Journey to Shiloh (1968), The Shakiest Gun in the West (1968), True Grit (1969), The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969), The Cheyenne Social Club (1970), Which Way to the Front? (1970), Smoke in the Wind (1975), Claws (1977), The Incredible Melting Man (1977), The Other Side of the Mountain Part II (1978), Ghost Fever (1987), Pulse (1988), and Little Giants (1994). Healey was also seen in the tele-films Shadow on the Land (1968), The Overthe-Hill Gang (1969), The Honorable Sam Houston (1975), and the 1983 sci-fi mini-series V. Healey was a prolific performer on television from the 1950s, gueststarring in episodes of such series as The Lone Ranger, Ripcord, Gang Busters, Fireside Theatre, The Cisco Kid, The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, The Range Rider, The Gene Autry Show, The Adventures of Kit Carson, Sky King, The Roy Rogers Show, Death Valley Days,
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Cowboy G-Men, Your Jeweler’s Showcase, Ramar of the Jungle, Hopalong Cassidy, Annie Oakley, Stories of the Century, Lassie, Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, Hallmark Hall of Fame, Buffalo Bill Jr., Superman, The Adventures of Champion, Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, Cheyenne, Tales of the Texas Rangers, Judge Roy Bean, The 20th Century– Fox Hour, Broken Arrow, Matinee Theatre, State Trooper, You Are There, Conflict, Man Without a Gun, The Adventures of Jim Bowie, Colt .45, Casey Jones, The Veil, The Silent Service, Tombstone Territory, M Squad, Maverick, Sugarfoot, Wagon Train, Zane Grey Theater, Buckskin, Sea Hunt, 26 Men, Behind Closed Doors, Tales of Wells Fargo, Bronco, Rawhide, Cimarron City, Peter Gunn, Perry Mason, The Texan, Bat Masterson, Zorro, 21 Beacon Street, Swamp Fox, The Man and the Challenge, Lock Up, Riverboat, Bourbon Street Beat, The Alaskans, Tightrope, Men into Space, Checkmate, Laramie, The Deputy, The Case of the Dangerous Robin, Assignment Underwater, Surfside 6, The Islanders, The Rebel, Whispering Smith, Outlaws, Gunsmoke, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, The Dakotas, The Virginian, Kraft Suspense Theatre, Destry, Arrest and Trial, Bonanza, Laredo, Daniel Boone, A Man Called Shenandoah, The Road West, The Guns of Will Sonnett, The High Chaparral, The Iron Horse, Land of the Giants, The Outsider, Ironside, Mannix, Adam-12, Cade’s County, Ghost Story, Kung Fu, The Cowboys, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, The Amazing Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, and Knight Rider. Healey was largely retired from acting for the past two decades, but made occasional appearances at film festivals. He was honored with a Backbone of the B’s Award at the Golden Boot Awards ceremony for westerns in 2000.
HEARD, CHARLES Actor Charles Heard died in San Antonio, Texas, on December 15, 2005. Heard appearing in supporting roles in over a dozen films from the 1940s including Around the World (1943), Rogues of Sherwood Forest (1950), The Lady and the Bandit (1951), Elephant Walk (1954), The Adventures of Hajii Baba (1954), Phffft! (1954), Hidden Guns (1956), Around the World in Eighty Days (1956), Desk Set (1957), Band of Angels (1957), Gunman’s Walk (1958), Auntie Mame (1958), and The Young Sinner (1965). He was also seen on television in episodes of The Roy Rogers Show, Death Valley Days, Bat Masterson, and The Rebel. HEATH, PERCY Jazz bassist Percy Heath died of bone cancer in Southampton, New York, on April 28, 2005. He was 81. Heath was born in Wilmington, North Carolina, on April 30, 1923, and was raised in Philadelphia. He trained as a pilot during World War II and served in the Army Air corps as a member of the Tuskegee Airmen. He began playing bass after the war, performing at local night spots in Philadelphia. He moved to New York City in 1947 and, in 1950, joined Dizzy Gillespie’s band. Heath joined with pianist John Lewis, vibraphonist Milt Jackson and drummer Kenny Clarke to form the Modern Jazz Quartet in 1952. Clarke was replaced by drummer Connie Kay three years later and that version of the quartet continued to record and perform for the next twenty years. They separated in 1972 and Heath joined with his brothers
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Percy Heath
Joseph Hecht
Jimmy and Albert to perform jazz as The Heath Brothers. The Modern Jazz Quartet reunited in the early 1980s, and Heath divided his time performing with the quartet and his brothers. When Heath decided to retire in the mid–1990s, the other members of the Modern Jazz Quartet decided to shut the group down rather than replace him. Heath was preceded in death by the other members of the best known version of the group — Connie Kay in 1994, Milt Jackson in 1999, and John Lewis in 2001. • Los Angeles Times, Apr. 30, 2005, B18; New York Times, Apr. 29, 2005, C13; Time, May 9, 2005, 28; Times (of London), May 4, 2005, 54.
in The Honeymooners with Jackie Gleason in the 1960s. He soon became her manager and, later, her husband. The two appeared often on stage and television. He was also seen in an episode of television’s Eight Is Enough in 1978.
HEATHER, DAVE British television director Dave Heather, who pioneered televised operas in the 1970s, died of a heart attack on April 16, 2005. He was 64. Heather was born in Kent, England, on February 17, 1941. He began working in television in the 1960s as a camera assistant at ATV. He advanced to director in 1966 with the networks Wheel of Fortune series. Heather went ton to help create the children’s show Get This. In 1971 Heather was chosen to direct a series of operas performed at Glyndebourne for broadcast on ITV. He directed televised productions of The Return of Ulysses to His Homeland (1973), Le Nozze di Figaro (1973), Cosi fan Tutte (1975), Verdi’s Falstaff (1976), Don Giovanni (1977), Mozart’s The Magic Flute (1978), Beethoven’s Fidelio (1980), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1981), The Barber of Seville (1981), The Yeoman of the Guard (1982), The Sorcered (1982), Princess Ida (1982), Patience (1982), Iolanthe (1982), The Gondoliers (1982), and Cox and Box (1982). He also directed the 1986 television series Day to Day, and the 1991 special Lily Savage Life from the Hackney Empire. He also created the popular classical music series Music in Camera, and directed the ITV’s coverage of the funerals of Princess Diana and the Queen Mother. HECHT, JOSEPH Joseph Hecht, the manager and husband of actress Jean Kean, died of a massive stroke at his home in Paradise Cove, California, on December 31, 2005. He was 85. Hecht was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1920. He performed on stage from the 1950s and was also featured in a small role in the 1950 film My Friend Irma Goes West. He met actress Jane Kean while she was starring as Trixie
HEDBERG, MITCH Comedian Mitch Hedberg died of heart failure in Livingston, New Jersey, on March 30, 2005. He was 37. Hedberg was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, on February 24, 1968. He began performing stand-up comedy in the Florida area before moving to Seattle and the Pacific Northwest. He was soon performing on such comedy series as MTV’s Comikaze, A&E’s Comedy on the Road, Comedy central’s Comedy Product, and NBC’s Comedy Showcase. He appeared several times on The Late Show with David Letterman and Late Night with Conan O’Brien. He also appeared in episodes of That ’70s Show, Ed, and the animated Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist. Hedberg also wrote, produced, directed and starred in the independent comedy film Los Enchiladas! in 1999. Hedberg had recently signed a development deal for his own sitcom with Fox. • Los Angeles Times, Apr. 2, 2005, B15; New York Times, Apr. 1, 2005, C13; Variety, Apr. 11, 2005, 59.
Mitch Hedberg
HEDMAN, WERNER Danish adult film director Werner Hedman died in Copenhagen, Den-
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mark, on July 26, 2005. Hedman was born in Copenhagen on April 6, 1926. He began working in films as a cinematographer in the late 1940s. He photographed such features as Nalen (1951), Where Mountains Float (1955), and Hidden Fear (1957). He made his directoral debut in the 1960s, and was best known for writing and directing the adult films In the Sign of the Taurus (1974), In the Sign of the Gemini (1975), In the Sign of the Lion (1976), Emmanuelle in Denmark (aka Agent 69 in the Sign of Scorpio (1977), and Agent 69 Jensen in the Sign of Sagittarius (1978).
HELMS, CHET Rock music promoter Chet Helms died of complications from a stroke in San Francisco, California, on June 25, 2005. He was 62. Helms was born in Santa Monica, California, on August 2, 1942. He helped launch the career of rock icon Janis Joplin in the 1960s as the founder and manager of her first band, Big Brother and Holding Company. Helms became known as “the father of The Summer of Love,” producing the first psychedelic rock show at Bill Graham’s Fillmore West in 1967. He was also the owner and manager of the rock venues, the Avalon Ballrooms. Helms appeared in several documentaries about Joplin including Feed Your Head (1997) and Intimate Portrait: Janis Joplin (2000). • Los Angeles Times, June 28, 2005, B10; New York Times, June 28, 2005, A21; Variety, July 11, 2005, 45.
Chet Helms
HENDERSON, SKITCH Pianist Skitch Henderson, who was bandleader for the Tonight Show band in the 1950s and early 1960s, died at his home in New Milford, Connecticut, on October 31, 2005. He was 87. Henderson was born in England on January 27, 1918. He worked as a pianist in vaudeville during the 1930s and went to Hollywood later in the decade. He joined the music department at MGM, and worked with such stars as Bob Hope and Bing Crosby. Henderson was a pilot for bot the Royal Air Force and the United States Army Air Corps during World War II. After the war Henderson worked as musical director for Frank Sinatra. He followed Sinatra to New York, where he served as musical director for the NBC radio shows Lucky Strike Show and The Philco Hour. He soon moved to television, where he appeared with Faye Emerson in
Skitch Henderson
the television series Wonderful Town, U.S.A. and Faye and Skitch in the early 1950s. He became the first bandleader for NBC’s Tonight Show with host Steve Allen in 1954. Henderson remained bandleader for the Tonight Show under subsequent hosts Jack Paar and Johnny Carson before leaving in 1966. He continued to record and perform, and was founder of the New York Poops in 1983, serving as musical director and conductor. He also performed as a guest conductor for orchestras around the world. • Los Angeles Times, Dec. 2, 2005, B9; New York Times, Nov. 3, 2005, C19; People, Nov. 21, 2005, 108; Time, Nov. 14, 2005, 27; Times (of London), Nov. 7, 2005, 59.
HENNING, PAUL Television writer and producer Paul Henning, who created the popular 1960s sit-coms The Beverly Hillbillies and Petticoat Junction, died in a Burbank, California, hospital on March 25, 2005. He was 93. Henning was born in Independence, Missouri, on September 16, 1911. He began working in radio in the 1930s, writing for such series as Fibber McGee and Molly and The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. He moved to television in the 1950s, where he wrote episodes of such series as The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, The Dennis Day Show, Where’s Raymond?, The Bob Cummings Show, The Real McCoys, and The Andy Griffith Show. He created The Beverly Hillbillies in 1962, which starred Buddy Ebsen as the patriarch of the Clampett clan who travels to Beverly
Paul Henning
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Hills with daughter Elly Mae, nephew Jethro, and mother-in-law Granny after striking oil on Ozark homestead. Henning also wrote the words and music to the theme song, “The Ballad of Jed Clampett.” The Beverly Hillbillies was a popular CBS series throughout the decade until 1971. He also created the spin-off series Petticoat Junction in 1963 starring Bea Benaderet and Edgar Buchanan. This series also featured his daughter, Linda Henning, as one of the three Bradley girls, Betty Jo. He also served as executive producer and assisted in the casting for another spin-off comedy, Green Acres, which starred Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor in 1965. Henning also created the 1971 short-lived adventure series Bearcats! Henning also scripted several films including Lover Come Back (1961) and Bedtime Story (1964), which was remade as Dirty Rotten Scoundrels in 1988. He also produced and wrote the 1981 telefilm sequel The Return of the Beverly Hillbillies. The Clampetts again returned in 1993 with a feature film, The Beverly Hillbillies. • Los Angeles Times, Mar. 26, 2005, B16; New York Times, Mar. 30, 2005, D8; Time, Apr. 4, 2005, 19; Variety, Apr. 4, 2005, 80.
HENRIKSON, MATHIAS Swedish actor Mathias Henrikson died of a heart attack in Stockholm, Sweden, on July 13, 2005. He was 65. Henrikson was born in Stockholm on May 16, 1940, the son of actors Anders Henrikson and Aino Taube. He was featured in numerous films in Sweden from the 1960s including My Love and I (1964), The Vicious Circle (1967), Victor Frankenstein (1977), Love (1980), In the Name of the Law (1986), Hip Hip Hurra! (1987), The Last Contract (1998), and Family Secrets (2001). He also appeared on Swedish television in productions of The Department Store (1987), The Big Leak (1994), Pip-Larssons (1998), and The Marriage of Gustav III (2001).
John Herald
Joan Baez, Linda Ronstadt, and Maria Muldaur. Herald continued to perform as a solo act from the 1970s, and recorded the album Roll on John in 2000. • Los Angeles Times, July 24, 2005, B15; New York Times, July 23, 2005, B20.
HERMAN, GEORGE Television news reporter George Herman died of cancer and heart failure at a Washington, D.C., hospital on February 8, 2005. He was 85. Herman was born in New York City on January 14, 1920. He began his career as a newswriter for CBS radio in 1944, and began appearing on television several years later as a analyst at the 1948 Democrat Convention in Philadelphia. He reported from overseas, covering the Korean War in the early 1950s. Herman became CBS’ White House correspondent during the first term of President Dwight Eisenhower. He became a familiar face on Sunday morning as the host of the television public affairs program Face the Nation from 1969 to 1983. • Los Angeles Times, Feb. 9, 2005, B8; New York Times, Feb. 9, 2005, C19; Time, Feb. 21, 2005, 21.
Mathias Henrikson
HERALD, JOHN Bluegrass singer and guitarist John Herald died of an apparent suicide at his home in West Hurley, New York, on July 18, 2005. He was 65. Herald was born in Manhattan on September 6, 1939. He joined with Eric Weissberg and Bob Yellin to form the bluegrass band the Greenbriar Boys in the late 1950s. They performed and recorded for a decade, and Herald also wrote songs recorded by such artists as
George Herman
HERMAN, JULES Bandleader and musician Jules Herman died of heart failure at his home in West St. Paul, Minnesota, on July 29, 2005. He was 93. He was teaching music in North Dakota when Lawrence Welk invited him to join his orchestra as a trumpet
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Jules Herman
Gyula Hernadi
player. He married Lois Best, Welk’s first official Champagne Lady singer, in 1938. Herman joined Griff Williams’ band during World War II and played with Wayne King’s Orchestra. He subsequently formed his own band which he led until 1950. Herman then settled in St. Paul, where he led the house orchestra at the Prom Ballroom for over 30 years. • Los Angeles Times, July 28, 2005, B10; Variety, Aug. 8, 2005, 37.
(1969), Agnus Dei (1970), The Pacifist (1970), Red Psalm (1972), Electra, My Love (1974), Adoption (1975), Requiem for a Revolutionary (1976), Nine Months (1976), Az Erod (aka The Fortress) (1979), Hungarian Rhapsody (1979), Season of Monsters (1987), Jesus Christ’s Horoscope (1988), God Walks Backwards (1991), Blue Danube Waltz (1992), Living on Borrowed Time (1993), Lord’s Lantern in Budapest (1999), Last Supper at the Arabian Gray Horse (2001), and Wake Up, Mate, Don’t You Sleep (2002).
HERMANTIER, R AYMOND French actor Raymond Hermantier died suddenly in Paris on February 11, 2005. He was 81. Hermantier was born in Lyon, France, in 1924. Though primarily known for his roles on stage, Hermantier also appeared in a handful of films during his career including Dawn Devils (1946), Prelude to Glory (1950), Under the Paris Sky (1951), and Clean Slate (1981). He was also an organizer and director of the Theatre Daniel Sorano of Dakar in Senegal.
HESTER , PAUL Australian rock drummer Paul Hester committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree in a park near his home in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, on March 21, 2005. He was 46. Hester was born in Melbourne on January 8, 1959. He joined the rock band Split Enz in 1983, playing on the hit songs “Message to My Girl” and “Strait Old Line.” Split Enz recorded the albums Conflicting Emotions and See Ya Round before breaking up. Hester subsequently joined with singer Neil Finn and bass player Nick Seymour as founding members of the band Crowded House. They recorded several popular songs including “Don’t Dream It’s Over.” He left Crowded House in 1993. Hester appeared in small roles in the films One Night Stand (1984) and The Coca-Cola Kid (1985), and was a performer on the Australian television series Hessie’s Shed and The Mick Molloy Show in the late
Raymond Hermantier
HERNADI, GYULA Hungarian screenwriter Gyula Hernadi died in Budapest, Hungary, on July 20, 2005. He was 78. Hernadi was born in Oroszvar, Hungary, on August 23, 1926. He worked often with director Mikos Jancso from the 1960s, writing such films as The Hopeless Ones (1965), My Way Home (1965), The Valley (1967), The Red and the White (1967), Silence and Cry (1967), Winter Wind (1969), Sparkling Winds
Paul Hester
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1990s. • Los Angeles Times, Mar. 29, 2005, B9; New York Times, Mar. 29, 2005, A15; People, Apr. 11, 2005, 81.
HIDALGO, LAURA Argentine actress Laura Hidalgo died in La Jolla, California, on November 18, 2005. She was 78. Hidalgo was born in Besarabia, Romania, on May 1, 1927, and came to Argentina at an early age. She began her career on stage in the 1940s and made her screen debut in 1948’s His Last Fight. She had supporting roles in several films including Five Men and One Girl (1950) and Juna Mondiola (1950), before starring in 1951’s The Orchid. She was a leading Argentine actress throughout the 1950s starring in The Tunnel (1952), Black Ermine (1953), Maria Magdalena (1954), Descent into Hell (1954), El Tren Expreso. (1955), Beyond Oblivion (1956), Las Campanas de Teresa (1957), and La Mafia del Crimen (1958). She subsequently retired from the screen to marry and raise a family. She resided in Mexico for several decades before moving to the United States in 1987.
York and soon teamed with songwriter Anna Sosenko, who helped orchestrate her career. They spent several years in Paris where Hildegarde studied cabaret performing. Often billed as the Incomparable Hildegarde, she was a leading entertainer throughout the 1930s and 1940s. She was noted for such songs as “Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup,” “Lili Marlene,” and “The Trees of Paris.” She also began appearing on television in the 1950s, performing on numerous specials. She also performed with the national tour of Stephen Sondheim’s musical Follies. Hildegarde’s autobiography, Over 50 ... So What!, was published in 1961. She continued to perform at supper clubs well into her 90s. • Los Angeles Times, Aug. 1, 2005, B9; New York Times, July 31, 1005, 31; Time, Aug. 15, 2005, 25; Times (of London), Aug. 1, 2005, 43; Variety, Aug. 8, 2005, 37.
HILDEGARDE Legendary cabaret entertainer Hildegarde died in a New York City hospital on July 29, 2005. She was 99. She was born Hildegarde Loretta Sell in Adell, Wisconsin, on February 1, 1906. She began performing in vaudeville in the late 1920s, working as a piano accompanist. She soon moved to New
HILL, DEBRA Debra Hill, who produced and co-scripted John Carpenter’s landmark 1978 horror film Halloween, died of cancer in Los Angeles on March 7, 2005. She was 54. Hill was born in Haddonfield, New Jersey, on November 10, 1950, and was raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She began working in films in the early 1970s as a production assistant on adventure documentaries. She later served as script supervisor on such films as Goodbye, Norma Jean (1976) and Carpenter’s Assault on Precinct 13 (1976). She continued to work with Carpenter, co-writing and producing the first two installments in the long-running Halloween series, chronicling the murder spree of psycho killer Michael Myers. Jamie Lee Curtis starred as the maniac’s primary target in Halloween (1978) and Halloween II (1981). Hill also produced and co-wrote the 1980 horror film The Fog with Carpenter, and produced the science fiction actioner Escape from New York (1981) and the sequel in name only Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982). She formed an independent production company with Lynda Obst in 1986, and worked with Walt Disney Pictures as a producer on several short films for the Disney theme parks and the 35th Disneyland anniversary for NBC. Her film credits as producer also include The Dead Zone (1983), Clue (1985), Head Office (1985), The Lottery (1987), Adventures in Babysitting (1987), Big Top Pee-wee (1988), Heartbreak Hotel (1988), Gross Anatomy (1989), and
Hildegarde
Debra Hill
Laura Hidalgo
171 The Fisher King (1991). She also produced numerous films for cable television including Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman (1993), Shake, Rattle and Rock! (1994), Reform School Girl (1994), Roadracers (1994), Confessions of a Sorority Girl (1994) and Jailbreakers (1994) which she also scripted, Motorcycle Gang (1994), Runaway Daughters (1994), Girls in Prison (1994), Dragstrip Girl (1994), and Cool and the Crazy (1994). She also directed segments of the television series Monsters and Dream On. Hill reunited with Carpenter as writer and producer for 1996’s Escape from L.A. starring Kurt Russell. She also produced the films Chow Bella (1998) and Crazy in Alabama (1999), and was involved in an upcoming remake of The Fog at the time of her death. • Los Angeles Times, Mar. 7, 2005, B7; New York Times, Mar. 8, 2005, A21; Times (of London), Mar. 10, 2005, 68; Variety, Mar. 14, 2005, 64.
HILLARD, SHIRLEY
Author Shirley Hillard died in Los Angeles on October 4, 2005. She was 70. Hillard was born in Fort Worth, Texas, on August 21, 1935. She was the author of numerous children’s books including One Big Hug and Who’s Not Asleep? She also wrote several plays including the musical There’s No Place Like Hollywood, and scripted the 1994 film Season of Change.
Shirley Hillard
HILLIER, ERWIN British cinematographer Erwin Hillier died in London on January 10, 2005. He was 93. The German-born cinematographer began working in films in Germany in the early 1930s and was an assistant cameraman on Fritz Lang’s classic suspense tale M in 1931. He came to Great Britain later in the decade where he continued to work in films. His numerous credits as cinematographer include Lady from Lisbon (1942), The Silver Fleet (1943), The Butler’s Dilemma (1943), Rhythm Serenade (1943), Welcome, Mr. Washington (1944), A Canterbury Tale (1944), Great Day (1945), I Know Where I’m Going (1945), They Knew Mr. Knight (1946), My Heart Goes Crazy (1946), The October Man (1947), The Mark of Cain (1947), Mr. Perrin and Mr. Traill (1948), The Weaker Sex (1948), Private Angelo (1949), The Interrupted Journey (1949), Shadow of the Eagle (1950), Happy Go Lovely (1951), Young Wives’ Tale (1951), Where’s Charley (1952), Castle in the
2005 • Obituaries
Erwin Hillier
Air (1952), The Woman’s Angle (1952), Father’s Doing Fine (1952), Will Any Gentleman...? (1953), Isn’t Life Wonderful! (1953), The House of the Arrow (1953), Duel in the Jungle (1954), The Dam Busters (1954), Now and Forever (1955), Let’s Be Happy (1957), Casino de Paris (1957), Chase a Crooked Shadow (1957), The Mark of the Hawk (1958), The Naked Earth (1958), Girls at Sea (1958), Shake Hands with the Devil (1959), School for Scoundrels (1960), The Long and the Short and the Tall (1960), The Naked Edge (1961), A Matter of WHO (1961), The Pot Carriers (1962), Go to Blazes (1962), A Boy Ten Feet Tall (1963), Operation Crossbow (1965), Sands of the Kalahari (1965), The Quiller Memorandum (1966), Eye of the Devil (1967), Shoes of the Fisherman (1968), The Valley of Gwangi (1969), and 42:6 — Ben Gurion (1970). • Times (of London), Mar. 18, 2005, 79.
HILTON, DEREK British composer Derek Hilton died in England on July 11, 2005. He was 78. Hilton was born in Whitefield, England, on February 3, 1927. He studied piano from an early age and was leading his own band in his early teens. He performed with various bands from the late 1940s. He began working at Granada Television as a pianist, performing with the Derek Hilton Trio. They were regular performers on the series Sharp at Four and People and Places. He soon began composing scores for many of Granada’s television series including The Corridor People, Nearest and Dearest, The Dustbinmen, Judge Dee,
Derek Hilton
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The Lovers, The Last of the Baskets, The Comedians, The Cuckoo Waltz, Leave It to Charlie, The Glamour Girls, and Cribb. Hilton also arranged the them music for the popular soap opera Coronation Street. He remained with Granada for over thirty years before leaving the station. He continued to work freelance, composing scores for several stage productions. • Times (of London), Aug. 12, 2005, 57.
(1983). He also appeared in the tele-films The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case (1976), Dear Lovey Hart: I Am Desperate (1976), Elvis (1979), and The Tenth Month (1979). He was also seen in episodes of Ironside, Kojak, The Rockford Files, Wonder Woman, The Incredible Hulk, Lou Grant, Knots Landing, Simon & Simon, Manimal, 1st & Ten, Dallas, Tour of Duty, and Step by Step.
HINKLEY, DEL Character actor Del Hinkley died on June 11, 2005. He was 74. Hinkley was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, on July 24, 1930. He was featured in the films Coma (1978) and The Survivors
HIRSCHHORN, JOEL Songwriter Joel Hirschhorn died of a heart attack in a Thousand Oaks, California, hospital on September 17, 2005, after suffering a broken shoulder in a fall the previous day. He was 67. Hirschhorn was born in the Bronx, New York, on December 18, 1937. He performed as a singer and pianist in nightclubs and with the rock band the Highlighters early in his career. He teamed with fellow songwriter Al Kasha to write “The Morning After” for the 1973 film The Poseidon Adventure. They received an Academy Award for Best Song for their work, and earned a second Oscar for “We May Never Love Like This Again” from The Towering Inferno in 1974. They were also nominated for Oscars for the original score for Disney’s 1977 animated film Pete’s Dragon, and the title song for Candle on the Water (1977). Hirschhorn’s other film credits include The Fat Spy (1966), The Cheyenne Social Club (1970), Freaky Friday (1976), Hot Lead and Cold Feet (1978), The North Avenue Irregulars (1979), Universe of Energ y (1982), China Cry: A True Story (1990), The Giant of Thunder Mountain (1991), Rescue Me (1993), Hungry for You (1996), Club V.R. (1996), and Cheyenne (1996). He also composed music for such television productions as The Trouble with Tracy (1971), Trapped Beneath the Sea (1974), Someone I Touched (1975), The Runaway Barge (1975), and David Copperfield (1993). He also composed music for the series Kids Inc, Knots Landing, and Three’s a Crowd, penning the lyrics to the theme song “Side by Side.” He and Kasha also received a Tony Award nomination for their score for the 1981 musical Copperfield, and another Tony nomination for songs they added to the 1983 Broadway revival of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Hirschhorn and Kasha also wrote several books including If They Ask You, You Can Write a Song (1979), Notes on Broadway: Conversations with the Great Songwriters (1985), and Reaching the Morning After (1986). He also wrote
Del Hinkley
Joel Hirschhorn
HINDS , JUSTIN
Jamaican ska and reggae singer and songwriter Justin Hinds died of lung cancer in Jamaica on May 7, 2005. He was 63. Hinds was born in Steertown, St. Ann, Jamaica, on May 7, 1942. He was lead singer in the group Justin Hinds and the Dominoes, with Dennis Sinclair and Junior Dixon, recording with Duke Reid’s Treasure Isles label in the 1960s. They were best known for the rock stead tune “Carry Go Bring Come” in 1963. They also recorded over 70 other songs including “Jump Out a Frying Pan,” “Baddaration,” “Rub Up Push Up,” “The Higher Monkey Climb,” and “King Samuel.” Hinds retired in the mid–1980s, but had recently joined with the Jamaica All Stars to perform in Paris.
Justin Hinds
173 several books on his own including Rating the Movie Stars for Home Video, TV, Cable (1985) and The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Songwriting (2001), and co-wrote a play, Musical Chairs, with his wife, documentary filmmaker Jennifer Carter Hirschhorn, in 2001. • Los Angeles Times, Sept. 20, 2005, B11; New York Times, Sept. 21, 2005, C18; Times (of London), Oct. 20, 2005, 73; Variety, Sept. 26, 2005, 71.
HLEBCE, ANGELCA Slovenian actress Angelca Hlebce died in Ljubljana, Slovenia, on October 18, 2005. She was 83. Hlebce was born in Strazisce, Slovenia, on May 7, 1922. She was active in films in Yugoslavia from the 1950s, appearing in Kala (1955), X25 Reports (1960), Ballad About a Trumpet and a Cloud (1961), Lucija (1965), Sunny Whirlpool (1968), Red What (1971), Between Fear and Duty (1975), The Call to Spring (1978), Dih (1983), Love (1984), Bumpstone (1985), and Carmen (1995). HODGES, MARGARET Children’s book author Margaret Hodges died of heart disease and complications from Parkinson’s disease at her home in Verona, Pennsylvania, on December 13, 2005. She was 94. She was born Sarah Margaret Moore in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1911. She wrote over forty children’s books during her career including the 1985 Caldecott Medal winner, Saint George and the Dragon. Her other works include What’s for Lunch, Charley and Merlin and the Making of the King. Hodges also wrote and performed children’s tales for radio and television in the Pittsburgh area, and was featured in the “Tell Me a Story” segments for Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood from the mid–1960s through 1976.
2005 • Obituaries
president of production at Disney, and produced the direct-to-video sequel George of the Jungle 2 in 2003. He joined with two partners to independently finance the low-budget serial killer thriller Saw in 2004, which became a major hit. A sequel, Saw II, followed in 2005 which also proved successful at the box-office. Hoffman was working on several forthcoming horror films including Saw III, Catacombs, and Silence at the time of his death. • Los Angeles Times, Dec. 6, 2005, B10; Variety, Dec. 12, 2005, 67; Times (of London) Feb. 20, 2006, 51.
HOFFMANN, BENNO German actor Benno Hoffmann died in Germany on March 9, 2005. He was 85. Hoffmann was born in Suderbrarup, Germany, on May 30, 1919. He was featured in numerous films and television productions from the 1950s. His film credits include The Barrings (1955), Eva (1958), Two Worlds (1958), Labyrinth (1959), The Cow and I (1959), Tomorrow Is My Turn (1960), The Fair (1960), The Revolt of the Slaves (1961), Destination Death (1961), Escape from East Berlin (1962), Room 13 (1964), The Gentlemen (1965), Whom the Gods Wish to Destroy (1966), The Castle (1968), Beyond Control (1968), No Pawing, Darling (1970), Three Men in the Snow (1974), Lina Braake (1975), Berlinger (1975), and Werner — Eat My Dust!!! (1996). He was also seen in the television productions Intercontinental-Express (1965), Ein Jahr Ohne Sonntag (1969), Im Auftrag von Madame (1972), Es Begann bei Tiffany (1979), Bekenntnisse des Hochstaplers Felix Krull (1982), and Trautes Heim (1990).
HOFFMAN, GREGG Gregg Hoffman, who produced the popular low-budget horror films Saw and Saw II, died in suddenly a Hollywood hospital on December 4, 2005, after having been admitted complaining of neck pain. He was 42. Hoffman was born in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1963. He went to Hollywood in the mid–1980s and began working in films as an assistant at the independent production company PRO Filmworks. He began working at the Walt Disney Co. in 1995, where he worked on the development of the live-action children’s films Inspector Gadget, 101 Dalmatians, and The Parent Trap. He became a senior vice Benno Hoffmann
Gregg Hoffman
HOHN , CAROLA German actress Carola Hohn died at her residence in Munich, Germany, on November 8, 2005. She was 95. Hohn was born in Wesermunde, Germany, on January 30, 1910. She made her film debut in the late 1920s. She appeared in numerous films over the next seventy years including I Sing Myself Into Thy Heart (1934), Charley’s Aunt (1934), Liebeslied (1935), Every Day Isn’t Sunday (1935), The Making of a King (1935), The Royal Waltz (1935), April April! (1935), The Beggar Student (1936), Twice Two in a Four Post Bed (1937), Fridericus (1937), Life Begins Anew (1937), Comrades at Sea (1938), The Green Emperor (1939), Hurrah! I’m a Papa (1939), The Lucky
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Carola Hohn
Jan Holden
Seven (1940), Mamma (1941), Beatrice Cenci (1941), Solitudine (1941), Drei Tolle Madels (1943), Leuchtende Schatten (1945), Der Fall Rabanser (1950), Toxi (1952), Love in the Tax Office (1952), The Swap (1952), Eternal Love (1954), I’ll See You at Lake Constance (1956), Viktor and Viktoria (1957), Vertauschtes Leben (1961), Apartmentzauber (1963), Pepe: His Teacher’s Fright (1969), Heart Break (1969), Hurrah, the School Is Burning (1969), Night Crossing (1981), Schloss Konigswald (1988), and The Thistle (1992). Hohn also appeared frequently on German television from the 1960s, starring as Juliane Forwster in the 1969 series Ein Sommer mit Nicole, and was Anna Maerker in the 1987 series Praxis Bulowbogen. She also guest starred in episodes of Derrick.
featured in television productions of Harpers West One (1961), Curtain of Fear (1964), The Loves of Larch Hill (1969), Casanova ’73 (1973), Agony (1979), Oh Happy Band (1980), and Lace II (1985). Her other television credits include episodes of The Vise, The Count of Monte Cristo, O.S.S., Interpol Calling, International Detective, Corrigan Blake, The Avengers, Undermind, The Saint, The Baron, Public Eye, Thirty-Minute Theatre, The Champions, Journey to the Unknown, Father Dear Father, Rings on Their Fingers, Are You Being Served?, and TBag and the Revenge of the T-Set. • Times (of London), Nov. 24, 2005, 76.
HOLDEN, JAMES Actor James Holden, who starred as Clay Baker in the television series Adventures in Paradise in the early 1960s, died in Burbank, California, on January 19, 2005. He was 84. Holden was born in Birmingham, Alabama, on December 12, 1920. He began his film career in the late 1940s, appearing in Fighter Squadron (1948), It’s a Great Feeling (1949), Task Force (1949), The House Across the Street (1949), Sands of Iwo Jima (1949), and Flight Nurse (1954). He was also seen on television in episodes of Campbell Playhouse, Star Tonight, and The Real McCoys. He appeared in Adventures in Paradise from 1960 to 1962. HOLDEN, JAN British stage and film actress Jan Holden died in England on October 11, 2005. She was 74. Holden was born Valerie Jeanne Wilkinson in Southport, England, on May 9, 1931. She began her career on stage in the early 1950s. Holden also made her film debut in 1955, appearing in such features as No Smoking (1955), The Hornet’s Nest (1955), High Flight (1956), Assignment Redhead (1956), the cult science fiction film Fire Maidens from Outer Space (1956), Enemy from Space (aka Quatermass 2) (1957), Storm Over Jamaica (1958), Links of Justice (1958), The Camp on Blood Island (1958), The Whole Truth (1958), Woman Possessed (1959), Top Floor Girl (1959), Escort for Hire (1960), The Stranglers of Bombay (1960), Never Let Go (1960), The Primitives (1962), Work Is a 4-Letter Word (1968), One Brief Summer (1969), Horror House (1969), and The Best House in London (1969). Holden was also
HOLDEN, SCOTT Scott Holden, the son of actor William Holden and Brenda Marshall, died of cancer in San Diego, California, on January 21, 2005. He was 58. Holden was born on May 2, 1946. He appeared in several films in the 1970s with his father including Panhandle 38 (1972), The Revengers (1972), and Breezy (1973). HOLLAND, DAVE Author and western film historian Dave Holland, who was a founder and director of the Lone Pine Film Festival, died of esophageal cancer at his home in Santa Clarita, California, on November 14, 2005. He was 70. Holland was born in Raleigh, North Carolina, on January 22, 1935, and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. He moved to Los Angeles in the late 1950s, where he worked in films as a
Dave Holland
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2005 • Obituaries
press agent and unit production manager. A fan of westerns of the 1940s, Holland became interested in the Alabama Hills area where many of them were filmed. He wrote the 1990 pictorial guide about the area, On Location in Lone Pine, and later revised the book and produced two videos about the location. He was instrumental in starting the Lone Pine Film Festival in 1990, and served as director of the event from 1991 to 1999. Numerous celebrities have attended the festival over the years including Gregory Peck, Peggy Stewart, and Clayton Moore. Holland also wrote the book From Out of the Past: A Pictorial History of the Lone Ranger in 1989. • Los Angeles Times, Nov. 19, 2005, B16.
HOLLAND , MILTON Drummer Milton Holland died of kidney failure and complications from Alzheimer’s disease in Los Angeles on November 4, 2005. He was 88. Holland was born in Chicago on February 7, 1917. He began his career playing jazz with such artists as Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, and Benny Carter. Holland was proficient with various exotic percussion instruments and played on numerous films and television soundtracks. He proved Tinker Bell’s twinkling sound in Disney’s Peter Pan, and the tinkle of Samantha’s nose twitch for Bewitched. He also performed on the soundtracks of the films The King and I (1956), West Side Story (1961), and To Kill a Mockingbird (1962).
John Hollis (as Lobot from Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back)
dom. Hollis was also featured in several films during his career including the 1967 James Bond spoof Casino Royale, The Dirty Dozen (1967), On the Run (1968), Freelance (1971), Ghost in the Noonday Sun (1973), Captain Kronos — Vampire Hunter (1974), Superman (1978) and Superman II (1980) as a Kryptonian Elder, Aftermath (1980), the 1980 Star Wars film The Empire Strikes Back as Lando’s Aide, Lobot, Flash Gordon (1980), the 1981 James Bond film For Your Eyes Only as Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987). He was also seen on television in productions of The Day of the Triffids (1981) as Alf, Badger Girl (1984), The Great Kandinsky (1995), and Esther (1999).
HOLM, SVERRE Norwegian actor Sverre Holm died in Larvik, Norway, on March 16, 2005. He was 73. Holm was born in Norway on July 24, 1931. He was best known for his roles as Benny Franzen in the long-running Olsen Gang series of films from the 1970s through the 1990s. Holm appeared in films from the 1950s including Bustenskjold (1958), Surrounded (1960), Kanarifuglen (1973), and Deilig er Fjorden! (1985). He was also seen as Stationmaster Tiedemann on the Sesam Station television series in the 1990s.
Milton Holland
HOLLIS, JOHN British character actor John Hollis died in London on October 18, 2005. He was 74. Hollis appeared frequently on British television from the early 1960s, starring as Kaufman in the science fiction mini-series A for Andromeda (1961) and The Andromeda Breakthrough (1962). He also appeared in television productions of Malatesta (1964), Legend of Death (1965), Detective Waiting (1970), And Whose Side Are You On? (1972), and The Adventures of Don Quixote (1973). He also guest starred in episodes of The Avengers, Crane, The Saint, Espionage, The Wednesday Play, Dixon of Dock Green, Adam Adamant Lives!, Out of the Unknown, Softly Softly, Boy Meets Girl, The Onedin Line, Doctor Who, The Tomorrow People, Blakes 7, Turn on to T-Bag, and T-Bag and the Pearls of Wis-
Sverre Holm
HOLT, JANY French actress Jany Holt died in Paris on October 26, 2005. She was 96. Holt was
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176 star as Kim in the Japanese stage production of Miss Saigon in 1992. She also starred in such musicals as Fiddler on the Roof and The King and I.
HONDA, MINAKO Japanese singer and actress Minako Honda died of acute myelocytic leukemia in a Tokyo hospital on November 6, 2005. She was 38. She was born Minako Kudo on July 31, 1967. She made her debut as a pop singer in 1985 and recorded such hits as “One Way Generation.” He recorded several albums and anime songs, and was also featured in the 1987 film Passenger: Sugisharishi Hibi. Honda was chose to
HOOTKINS, WILLIAM William Hootkins, who made his film debut as rebel fighter pilot Porkins in George Lucas’ science fiction classic Star Wars, died of pancreatic cancer in a Santa Monica, California, hospital on October 23, 2005. He was 57. Hootkins was born in Dallas, Texas, on July 5, 1948. He moved to London after graduating from Princeton University to study at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. His small role in Star Wars led to numerous other film role. His credits include Twilight’s Last Gleaming (1977), Valentino (1977), The Lady Vanishes (1979), Hanover Street (1979), Hussy (1980), Bad Timing (1980), Flash Gordon (1980), Sphinx (1981), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) as Major Eaton, Trail of the Pink Panther (1982), Curse of the Pink Panther (1983), Zina (1985), Water (1985), DreamChild (1985), White Nights (1985), Biggles (1986), Haunted Honeymoon (1986), Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987), American Gothic (1988), Crusoe (1989), Batman (1989), Hardware (1990), The Pope Must Die (1991), Hear My Song (1991), The Milky Life (1992), A River Runs Through It (1992), Dust Devil (1992), The Princess and the Goblin (1993) as a voice actor, The NeverEnding Story III (1994), Funny Bones (1995), Death Machine (1995), Gospa (1995), The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996), Rhinoceros Hunting in Budapest (1997), The World, Then the Fireworks (1997), Seizures (1998), Something to Believe In (1998), The Omega Code (1999), Town & Country (2001), The Breed (2001), Blessed (2004), and Dear Wendy (2005). He was also seen on television in productions of Come Back, Little Sheba (1977), Lillie (1978), Clouds of Glory: William and Dorothy (1978), J.M. Barrie and the Lost Boys (1978), Charlie Muffin (1979), Black Carrion (1984), Rocket to the Moon (1986), Paradise Postponed (1986), The Return of Sherlock Holmes (1987), U.S. Marshals: Waco & Rhinehart (1987), The Big Knife (1988), Monkeys (1989), Gummed Labels (1992), Age of Treason (1993), Like Father, Like Santa (1998), and The Magnificent Ambersons (2002). Hootkins starred as Jay in the television series Capital City in 1990. He was also featured in episodes of Tales of the Unexpected, Agony,
Minako Honda
William Hootkins (as Porkins from Star Wars)
Jany Holt
born in Bucharest, Romania, on May 13, 1909. She was a leading actress in French films from the early 1930s, starring in The Green Domino (1935), Abel Gance’s The Life and Loves of Beethoven (1936), Jean Renoir’s Underworld (1936), The Golem (1936), Southern Carrier (1936), L’Alibi (1937), Satan’s Paradise (1938), Rasputin (1938), Sirocco (1938), The Phantom Baron (1943), Angels of the Streets (1943), Farandole (1945), Special Mission (1946), Land Without Stars (1946), Counter Investigation (1947), Runors (1947), Not Guilty (1947), Dr. Laennec (1949), The Gauntlet (1952), and Gervaise (1956). Holt continued to perform in films and on television in character roles. She was featured in the films Hung Up (1968), A Time for Loving (1971), The LeftHanded Woman (1977), Target (1985), Saxo (1987), The Crossing (1988), Cafe au Lait (1993), and Black for Remembrance (1995). She also appeared on television in productions of Adieu mes Quinze Ans (1971), Destins (1973), and Toutes Griffes Dehors (1982).
177 Bret Maverick, Bergerac, Cagney & Lacey, Remington Steele, Philip Marlowe, Private Eye, Taxi, Agatha Christie’s Partners in Crime, Whiz Kids, Blackadder II, The New Statesman, Valerie, Poirot, Bergerac, Chancer, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, The Tomorrow People, and The West Wing. Hootkins was also a voice actor in the animated versions of Moby Dick (2000), The Miracle Maker (2000), and Hamilton Mattress (2001), and for such video games as Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem, Evil Dead: A Fistful of Broomstick, and EverQuest II. He also performed frequently on the British stage, most recently appearing as Alfred Hitchcock in Hitchcock Blonde in 2003. His final film appearance was in the forthcoming feature Colour Me Kubrick. • Los Angeles Times, Oct. 30, 2005, B13; Times (of London), Nov. 7, 2005, 59.
HOPKINS, RAND Actor Rand Hopkins died in Pine Lake, Georgia, on January 3, 2005. He was 59. Hopkins was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on February 17, 1945. He appeared in small roles in several films including The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996) as Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, The First of May (1999), Unshackled (2000), and Bobby Jones, Stroke of Genius (2004). He also appeared in the tele-film Against the Wall (1994), and was seen in such series as The Waltons, Quantum Leap, and The Jersey.
2005 • Obituaries
York Times, Oct. 22, 2005, C14; People, Nov. 7, 2005, 98; Time, Oct. 31, 2005, 27; Times (of London), Oct. 24, 2005, 50; Variety, Oct. 31, 2005, 73.
HORNBLOW, LEONORA Novelist Leonora Hornblow died on November 5, 2005. She was 85. She was born Leonora Salmon in New York City on June 3, 1920. She married actor Wayne Morris in 1939 and had a son, Michael, before they separated after 18 months. She married film producer Arthur Hornblow in 1946 and lived with him in Hollywood. She penned her first novel, Memory and Desire (1950), about the film community. A second novel, The Love Seekers, set in New York City, followed in 1958. She authored a children’s book about the Egyptian queen Cleopatra in 1961 and she and her husband collaborated on several subsequent children’s books including Birds Do the Strangest Things (1965) and Prehistoric Monsters Did the Strangest Things (1974). She and Hornblow remained married until his death in 1976.
HORN, SHIRLEY Jazz singer Shirley Horn died in a Cheverly, Maryland, nursing home of complications from breast cancer and diabetes on October 20, 2005. She was 71. Horn was born in Washington, D.C., on May 1, 1934. She learned to play the piano at an early age, and trained in classical music. She began performing jazz in Washington in the early 1950s, forming a jazz trio. She recorded her first album, Embers and Ashes, in 1960. Miles Davis was instrumental in getting her a contract with Mercury Records as a singer, where she recorded such songs as “Loads of Love” in 1962. She continued to perform in the Washington area over the next two decades. She returned to touring and recording in the 1980s, and signed with Verve Music Group in 1986, where she recorded nearly a dozen albums including You Won’t Forget Me (1990) and the Grammy Award winning I Remember Miles (1998). • Los Angeles Times, Oct. 22, 2005, B16; New
Leonora Hornblow (with her husband, Arthur Hornblow)
Shirley Horn
Basil Hoskins
HOSKINS, BASIL British character actor Basil Hoskins died in England on January 17, 2005. He was 75. Hoskins was born in England on June 10, 1929. He was a leading performer on the British stage for nearly half a century, appearing in productions that ranged from high drama to musical comedy. He also per-
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formed for five years with the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. Hoskins appeared in a handful of films during his career including It Started in Paradise (1952), Desert Attack (1958), Flame Over India (1959), and The Millionairess (1960). He starred as Dr. Reginald LaneRussell in the British television series Emergency —Ward 10 in 1963, and appeared in television productions of The Befrienders (1970), Lillie (1978), Lost in London (1985), The Blackheath Poisonings (1992), Heidi (1993), and Cold Comfort Farm (1995). His other television credits include episodes of The Avengers, The Prisoner, The New Avengers, The Professionals, The Return of Sherlock Holmes, and The Upper Hand. Hoskins also appeared as Mr. Bottingham in the 1989 film version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Edge of Sanity. • Times (of London), Mar. 14, 2005, 52.
HOUSTON, JAMES Writer and artists James A. Houston, whose work brought the culture and art of the Eskimo to an international audience, died in New London, Connecticut, on April 17, 2005. He was 83. Houston was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on June 12, 1921. He began drawing at an early age and, in 1948, traveled to an Inuit village where he remained for the next 14 years drawing the land and its people. He also discovered the indigenous art of the Eskimo people and was instrumental in gaining international attention to their intricate carvings and drawings. Houston became the first civil administrator of West Baffin Island in the mid–1950s. In 1962 began working as an artist for Steuben, designing artwork for their glass products. He wrote a novel based on his exploits in the Arctic, The White Dawn, in 1971. He adapted his work to film in 1974. He also wrote and illustrated several other works. His memoir, Confessions of an Igloo Dweller, was published in 1996. • Los Angeles Times, Apr. 25, 2005, B9; New York Times, Apr. 22, 2005, B6.
James Houston
HOWELLS, URSULA British actress Ursula Howells died in Petsworth, West Sussex, England, on October 16, 2005. She was 83. Howells was born in London on September 17, 1922, the daughter of British composer and musician Herbert Howells. She began her career on stage while in her teens. She appeared in numerous theatrical productions and made her film
Ursula Howells
debut in 1950’s Flesh and Blood. Howells’ many film credits also include I Believe in You (1952), Young and Willing (1953), The Horse’s Mouth (1953), The Gilded Cage (1954), Handcuffs, London (1955), They Can’t Hang Me (1955), Marriage a la Mode (1955), Track the Man Down (1955), Keep It Clean (1956), The Third Key (1956), Account Rendered (1957), The Fighting Wildcats (1957), Death and the Sky Above (1962), The Sicilians (1963), 80,000 Suspects (1963), Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors (1965), Torture Garden (1967), Assignment K (1968), the 1969 psychological horror film Girly (aka Mumsy, Nanny, Sonny and Girl), Crossplot (1969), Father Dear Father (1972), Time After Time (1985), and The Tichborne Claimant (1998). She also appeared frequently on British television from the 1940s, starring in productions of Frieda (1946), King Lear (1948), Number Three (1953), Gravelhanger (1954), The Voices (1955), The Burning Glass (1956), Joyous Errand (1957), The Madhouse on Castle Street (1963), Present Laughter (1964), The Forsyte Saga (1967), Cousin Bette (1971), Fall of Eagles (1974), The Barchester Chronicles (1982), The Cold Room (1984), Bon Voyage (1985), Miss Marple: A Murder Is Announced (1985), Downtown Lagos (1992), Danielle Steel’s Jewels (1992), A Pinch of Snuff (1994), She’s Out (1995), and A Rather English Marriage (1998). Howells starred as Madame Bersac in the television series Ryan International in 1970, and was Elizabeth Woodfore in 1976’s The Many Wives of Patrick. She starred as Mrs. Gradgrind in Hard Times in 1977, and was Mary Browne Lacey in Something in Disguise in 1982. She also starred as Kitty Cazalet in The Cazalets in 2001. Her other television credits include episodes of Sherlock Holmes, Interpol Calling, Kraft Mystery Theater, Dixon of Dock Green, The Human Jungle, Crane, The Wednesday Thriller, No Hiding Place, The Informer, Man in a Suitcase, Thirty-Minute Theatre, Judge Dee, Special Branch, Upstairs, Downstairs, Bulman, Bergerac, Alleyn Mysteries, The Mixer, Lovejoy, Heartbeat, Dangerfield, and Midsomer Murders. • Times (of London), Nov. 4, 2005, 80.
HUGHES , BILLY , JR. Child actor Billy Hughes, Jr., died on December 20, 2005. He was 57. He was born in Los Angeles on November 28, 1948, the son of stuntman Bill Hughes, Sr. He was featured as a child actor in numerous television show including
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Other Animals (1997), The Lent Jewels (2002), and The Hack’s Tail (2004). • New York Times, Apr.24, 2005, 46; Times (of London), Apr. 20, 2005, 59.
Billy Hughes, Jr.
episodes of The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor, The Law and Mr. Jones, Shirley Temple’s Storybook, Lassie, 87th Precinct, Wagon Train, Gunsmoke, General Electric Theater, The Rifleman, Leave It to Beaver, Dr. Kildare, Twilight Zone, and Arrest and Trial. He was also featured in several films including Posse from Hell (1961), Ole Rex (1961), Stakeout! (1962), My Six Loves (1963), and Five Card Stud. Hughes returned to the screen in the 1970s, appearing in Smoke in the Wind (1975), Gone with the West (1975), and Convoy (1978). He was working on writing a screenplay at the time of his death.
HUGHES , DAVID British novelist David Hughes died in London on April 11, 2005. He was 74. Hughes was born in Alton, Hampshire, England, on July 27, 1930. He began his career as an editorial assistant at London Magazine in the 1950s, then worked for a publishing company. He wrote several novels during the decade including Sealed with a Loving Kiss (1959) and The Horsehair Sofa (1961). He married Swedish actress Mai Zetterling in 1958, and the two collaborated on writing several films including Loving Couples (1964), Night Games (1966), Doctor Glas (1968), and The Girls (1968). They also wrote a children’s book and a work on H.G. Wells, The Man Who Invented Tomorrow (1968). He and Zetterling divorced in 1976 and Hughes returned to England and resumed his career as a writer. His later works include The Pork Butcher (1985), The Joke of the Century (1986), Himself and
David Hughes
HULL, SHELLEY Television producer Shelley Hull died of emphysema and complications from pneumonia at his Santa Monica, California, home on February 27, 2005. He was 85. Hull was born in New York City on December 10, 1919, the son of actor Henry Hull, who starred in the 1935 Universal horror classic The Werewolf of London. The younger Hull was a producer on such television series including The Guns of Will Sonnett, Starsky and Hutch, Charlie’s Angels, 7th Heaven, and The Love Boat: The Next Wave. He also produced numerous tele-films including Cricket on the Hearth (1967), The Over-the-Hill Gang (1969), Wake Me When the War Is Over (1969), The Monk (1969), The Pigeon (1969), Carter’s Army (1970), The Love War (1970), Wild Women (1970), The Over-the-Hill Gang Rides Again (1970), Yuma (1971), Five Desperate Women (1971), The Reluctant Heroes (1971), Savages (1974), Death Sentence (1974), Hit Lady (1974), Only with Married Men (1974), The Daughters of Joshua Cabe Return (1975), One of My Wives Is Missing (1976), Death at Love House (1976), The Boy in the Plastic Bubble (1976), Little Ladies of the Night (1977), Return to Fantasy Island (1978), Kate Bliss and the Ticker Tape Kid (1978), Return of the Mod Squad (1979), Murder Can Hurt You (1980), Casino (1980), The Wild Women of Chastity Gulch (1982), Dark Mirror (1984), International Airport (1985), Dark Mansions (1986), Cracked Up (1987), Jailbirds (1991), Grass Roots (1992), and Jane’s House (1994). • Los Angeles Times, Mar. 15, 2005, B9. HUNTER, BOB Environmental activist, writer and broadcaster Bob Hunter died in Canada of prostate cancer on May 2, 2005. He was 63. Hunter was born in St. Boniface, Manitoba, Canada, on October 13, 1941. He began his career as a reporter for the Winnipeg Tribune. He wrote his first novel, Erebus, in 1968, and also wrote ten scripts for the CBC Canadian syndicated television series The Beachcombers in the early 1970s. Hunter was one of the founding members of the international environmental organization Greenpeace in 1972, becoming the group’s first president. He was influential in turning the organization into a major
Bob Hunter
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world environmental lobby. Hunter stepped down as president in 1977 to resume working as a writer and television broadcaster. He hosted the print media critique program Papercuts for Toronto’s Citytv in the 1980s, usually appearing on camera in his bathrobe. Hunter’s other books include On the Sky: Zen and the Art of International Freeloading (1988), Occupied Canada (1991), and Red Blood: One (Mostly) White Guy’s Encounters with the Native World (1999). • Los Angeles Times, May 3, 2005, B10; New York Times, May 3, 2005, B8; Time, May 16, 2005, 25; Times (of London), May 4, 2005, 53.
He also wrote the tele-films Columbo: No Time Die (1992), Columbo: Undercover (1994), Ed McBain’s 87th Precinct: Lightning (1995), Ed McBain’s 87th Precinct: Ice (1996), and Ed McBain’s 87th Precinct: Heatwave (1997). McBain also created the character of Florida divorce lawyer Matthew Hope, who appeared in a series of a dozen novels between 1978 and 1998. His later books in the 87th Precinct series include Widows (1991), Mischief (1993), and Money, Money, Money (2001). His 55th and last novel in the series, Fiddlers, was scheduled for publication later in the year. • Los Angeles Times, July 8, 2005, B9; New York Times, July 7, 2005, B10; Time, July 18, 2005, 25; Times (of London), July 8, 2005, 71.
HUNTER, EVAN Evan Hunter, the creator of the 87th Precinct series of police procedural novels under the pseudonym Ed McBain, died of cancer of the larynx at his home in Weston, Connecticut, on July 6, 2005. He was 78. He was born Salvatore Lombino in New York City on October 15, 1926. He began writing in the early 1950s and, as Evan Hunter, received acclaim for his novel about a young schoolteacher, The Blackboard Jungle in 1954. The novel was adapted as a film starring Glenn Ford and Sidney Poitier the following year. His first 87th Precinct novel, Cop Hater, was published in 1956. Cop Hater was adapted to film in 1958, and many of his other works were also filmed including The Mugger (1958), The Pusher (1960), Strangers When We Meet (1960) which he also scripted, The Young Savages (1961) based on his novel A Matter of Conviction, the Japanese film High and Low (1963) based on King’s Ransom, Mister Buddwing (1966), Last Summer (1969), Cry of the Cormoran (1970), Without Apparent Motive (1971), Every Little Crook and Nanny (1972), Fuzz (1972) which he also scripted, Blood Relatives (1978), Walk Proud (1979), Lonely Heart (1981), and Three Blind Mice (2001). As a screenwriter he was best known for his adaptation of Daphne Du Maurier’s short story for Alfred Hitchcock’s classic 1963 film The Birds. His stories were also filmed for television as episodes of Climax!, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Kaiser Aluminum Hour, 87th Precinct, Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, and Ironside. Hunter adapted his novel The Chisholms as a television mini-series in 1979, and scripted the tele-film The Legend of Walks Far Woman (1982) and the mini-series Dream West (1986).
HUSSEY, RUTH Leading actress Ruth Hussey died of complications from appendicitis in a Thousand Oaks, California, nursing home on April 19, 2005. She was 93. Hussey was born in Providence, Rhode Island, on October 30, 1911. She studied drama in college and began her career as a fashion commentator on Providence radio. She subsequently went to New York where she modeled and performed on stage. She was signed to a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1937 when a casting agent saw her in a production of Dead End. She made her film debut in a small part in the 1937 Spencer Tracy film Big City. She appeared in increasingly larger roles in such films as Madame X (1937), Judge Hardy’s Children (1938), Hold That Kiss (1938), Marie Antoinette (1938), Man-Proof (1938), Rich Man, Poor Man (1938), Time Out for Murder (1938), Spring Madness (1938), Honolulu (1939), Within the Law (1939), Maisie (1939), The Women (1939), Blackmail (1939), Fast and Furious (1939), and Another Thin Man (1939) with William Powell and Myrna Loy. Hussey co-starred with Spencer Tracy in the 1940 drama Northwest Passage and earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role as sarcastic photographer Liz Imbrie in 1940’s The Philadelphia Story. Hussey continued to star in such films as Flight Command (1940), Susan and God (1940), Free and Easy (1941), Our Wife (1941), Married Bachelor (1941), H.M. Pulham, Esq. (1941), Pierre of the Plains (1942), Tennessee Johnson (1942) with Van Johnson, Tender Comrade (1943), the 1944 supernatural classic
Evan Hunter
Ruth Hussey
181 The Uninvited with Ray Milland and Gail Russell, Marine Raiders (1944), and Bedside Manner (1945). She starred on Broadway for two years opposite Ralph Bellamy in the hit play State of the Union (1945) before returning to the screen in I, Jane Doe (1948), The Great Gatsby (1949) as athlete Jordan Baker opposite Alan Ladd, Louisa (1950), Mr. Music (1950), That’s My Boy (1951) as Jerry Lewis’ mother, Women of the North Country (1952), Stars and Stripes Forever (1952), The Lady Wants Mink (1953), and The Facts of Life (1960) with Bob Hope and Lucille Ball. Hussey also appeared often on television in the 1950s, guest starring in such series as Pulitzer Prize Playhouse, Lux Video Theatre, Family Theatre, Celanese Theatre, The Ford Television Theatre, General Electric Theater, Studio One, The Elgin Hour, Producers’ Showcase, Climax!, Science Fiction Theater, Shower of Stars, The Christophers, Jane Wyman Presents The Fireside Theatre, Playwrights ’56, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and Vacation Playhouse. She largely retired from the acting after appearing in an episode of Marcus Welby, M.D. and the 1973 tele-film My Darling Daughter’s Anniversary (1973). She was married to Hollywood talent scout C. Robert Longenecker from 1942 until his death in 2002. • Los Angeles Times, Apr. 21, 2005, B10; New York Times, Apr. 26, 2005, B6; Time, May 2, 2005, 25; Times (of London), Apr. 22, 2005, 68; Variety, Apr. 25, 2005, 69.
HUTCH, WILLIE Songwriter and musician Willie Hutch, who was best known for co-writing the Jackson Five’s hit tune “I’ll Be There,” died in Duncanville, Texas, on September 19, 2005. He was 60. Hutch was born Willie McKinley Hutchinson in Los Angeles on December 6, 1944. He wrote and performed for the Motown label in the 1970s, also co-writing the Jackson Five hits “Got to Be There” and “Never Can Say Goodbye.” He also wrote the songs “Brother’s Gonna Work It Out,” “Slick,” and “California My Way.” Hutch also recorded several albums and composed music for the soundtracks of the blaxploitation films The Mack (1973) and Foxy Brown (1974). Several of his songs were heard in Berry Gordy’s 1985 film The Last Dragon, and his composition “I Choose You” was heard in the 2005 Memphis-based feature Hustle & Flow. • Times (of London), Sept. 27, 2005, 60.
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HUTCHINSON, TOM British film critic Tom Hutchinson died in a London hospital on August 3, 2005. He was 75. Hutchinson wrote for the Picture Guide film magazine before becoming a film critic for the Sunday Telegraph. He also wrote reviews for such publications as The Guardian and Radio Times. Hutchinson wrote a book on actress Marilyn Monroe and a biography of Rod Steiger entitled Rod Steiger: Memoirs of a Friendship. His other books include Horror and Fantasy in the Cinema. Hutchinson also hosted the BBC Radio 2 program Starsound Extra, and a series of films for Southern Television. He continued to work as a film critic, writing a column for the Hampsted and Highgate Express, until shortly before his death. HYDE, MIRIAM Australian composer and pianist Miriam Hyde died in Sydney, Australia, on January 11, 2005. She was 91. Hyde was born to a musical family in Australia on January 15, 1913. She began her studies in Australia and attended the Royal College of Music in London from 1932 to 1935. During her time in London she composed numerous works including two piano concertos that were performed by the London Philharmonic. After returning to Australia in 1936 she composed her best known work, Fantasia on Waltzing Matilda. She composed her Piano Sonata in G minor during World War II, while her husband was a prisoner of war in Germany.
Miriam Hyde
IBANEZ, ROGER Basque actor Roger Ibanez died in Paris on January 17, 2005. He was 73. Ibanez was born in Paris of Spanish Basque parents in 1931. He was a popular performer in French films and television from the 1960s. His numerous film credits include Zita (1968), The Last Train (1973), Mad Enough to Kill (1975), The Red Poster (1976), Judge Fayard Called the Sheriff (1977), What Do You Want, Julie? (1977), The Obscure Object of Desire (1977), The Key Is in the Door (1978), The Red Sweater (1979), The Truth on the Savolta Affair (1979), Nanou (1986), Radio Corbeau (1989), La Source (1991), Homer: Portrait of the Artist as an Old Man (1997), Asfalto (2000), and Life Kills Me (2002). Willie Hutch
ILHAN, ATILLA Turkish novelist and poet Atilla Ilhan died of a heart attack at his home in Istan-
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Roger Ibanez
Rolf Illig
bul, Turkey, on October 10, 2005. He was 80. Ilhan was born in Menemen, Turkey, on June 15, 1925. His first volume of poetry, Wall, was published in 1948. He spent several years in France in the early 1950s. After returning to Turkey he worked as a screenwriter on numerous films, often under the pseudonym Ali Kaptanoglu. His film credits include The Lonely Ones’ Quay (1959), Nebahat, the Driver (1960), The Death Curtain (1960), The Female Wolf (1960), The Fury of the Giants (1960), and A Person Named Rifat (1962). Ilhan also wrote numerous poetry collections and the novels Man on the Street (1953), Knife’s Edge (1973), Hyena’s Share (1975), and Absolutely Leman (1980). He adapted his novel The Ordinary Man for the screen in 1995.
(1999), Das Gestohlene Leben (2000), and Tatort— Rattenlinie (2000).
INCI, BILAL Turkish actor Bilal Inci died of a heart attack in Istanbul, Turkey, on October 13, 2005. He was 69. Inci was born in Kozan, Turkey, on September 29, 1936. He appeared in numerous Turkish films from the 1960s including The Cruel Ones (1966), Son Vurgun (1968), I Lost Me Heart to a Turk (1969), The Hungry Wolves (1969), Live Target (1970), Tarkan Viking Kani (1971), Katiller (1971), Hey Amigo (1971), The Return (1972), Eleg y (1972), Baba Kartal (1978), Scene of the Crime: A Tooth for a Tooth (1985), and On Kadin (1987). In recent years he was seen in the Turkish television mini-series Deli Yurek (1999) and Berivan (2002).
Atilla Ilhan
ILLIG, ROLF
German actor Rolf Illig died in Issing am Ammersee, Germany, on February 24, 2005. He was 79. Illig was born in Berlin, Germany, on May 30, 1925. He was featured in the 1964 German science fiction film No Survivors, Please. He also appeared in the films Die Ameisen Kommen (1974), Celeste (1981), The Swing (1983), Alpine Fire (1985), Ariadna (1990), Desire (1992), Transatlantis (1995), 14 Days to Life (1997), Germania (2002), and Schwesternliebe (2003). Illig was also active on stage and appeared in television productions of Martin Luther (1983), Sealed in Salt (1989), Regina on the Ladder to Success (1990), Marienhof (1992), End of Summer (1995), Riding the Storm
Bilal Inci
INCROCCI, AGENORE “AGE ” Italian screenwriter Agenore Incrocci, who often wrote under the pen name Age, died of a heart attack in a Rome hospital on November 15, 2005. He was 91. Incrocci was born in Brescia, Lombardy, Italy, on July 4, 1914. He began working in films as a writer in the late 1940s, often collaborating with fellow scripter Furio Scarpelli. His numerous film credits include The Two Orphans (1947), Toto Looks for an Apartment (1949), Toto Tarzan (1950), Toto the Third Man (1951), Rome-Paris-Rome (1951), Position Wanted (1951), Three Corsairs (1952),
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INGERSOLL, MARY AMADEO Actress Mary Amadeo Ingersoll died of breast cancer on August 8, 2005. She was 52. Ingersoll was born on March 10, 1953. She was featured as a reporter in the tele-films Alien Nation: The Enemy Within (1996) and Alien Nation: The Udara Legacy (1997). She was also seen in episodes of such television series as Tracey Takes On... and Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.
Agenore “Age” Incrocci
Toto and the Women (1952), Toto in Color (1952), Don Lorenzo (1952), At Sword’s Edge (1952), Neapolitans in Milan (1953), Ivan, Son of the White Devil (1953), Captain Phantom (195), Schubert (1954), The Anatomy of Love (1954), House of Ricordi (1954), Toto and Carolina (1955), Con Camillo’s Last Round (1955), Bravissimo (1955), Roman Tales (1955), Time of Vacation (1956), The Band of Honest Men (1956), The Bigamist (1956), It Happened in Rome (1957), March’s Child (1957), Doctor and the Healer (1957), A Tailor’s Maid (1957), Toto, Peppino and the Fanatics (1958), First Love (1958), Big Deal on Madonna Street (1958), The Law Is the Law (1958), The Great War (1959), Fiasco in Milan (1959), Policarpo (1959), Everybody Go Home (1960), The Passionate Thief (1960), Love and Larceny (1960), Divorce — Italian Style (1961), Jail Break (1961), Toto and Peppino Divided in Berlin (1962), March on Rome (1962), Mafioso (1962), The Police Commissioner (1962), The Best of Enemies (1962), The Teacher from Vigevano (1963), Summer Frenzy (1963), Opiate ’67 (1963), Seduced and Abandoned (1964), and Me, Me, Me ... and the Others (1965). Age and Scarpelli shared back to back Oscar nominations for the scripts for Mario Monicelli’s films The Organizer and Casanova 70 in 1965 and 1966. They continued to write such films as Complexes (1965), For Love and Gold (1966), The Good, the Ugly, the Bad (1966), I Married You for Fun (1967), The Witches (1967), The Tiger and the Pussycat (1967), Kill Me with Kisses (1968), Will Our Heroes Be Able to Find Their Friend Who Has Mysteriously Disappeared in Africa? (1968), Caprice Italian Style (1968), Operation Snafu (1970), Brancaleone at the Crusades (1970), Drama of Jealousy (1970), In the Name of the Italian People (1970), Teresa the Thief (1972), Without Family (1972), We Want the Colonels (1973), Come Home and Meet My Wife (1974), We All Loved Each Other So Much (1974), Goodnight, Ladies and Gentlemen (1976), The Sunday Woman (1976), The New Monsters (1977), Double Murder (1978), Hurricane Rosie (1980), The Terrace (1980), Sunday Lovers (1980), Portrait of a Woman, Nude (1981), Spaghetti House (1982), The Taxi Driver (1983), A Joke of Destiny, Lying in Wait Around the Corner Like a Bandit (1983), Good King Dagobert (1984), Madman at War (1985), Big Deal After 20 Years (1987), A Blast of Life (1988), La Pagaille (1991), and Boom (1999). • Variety, Nov. 28, 2005, 73.
Mary Amadeo Ingersoll
IRVING, MARJORIE Australian actress Marjorie Irving died of heart failure in Australia on July 4, 2005. She was 98. Irving was born in England in July of 1907. She began her career on stage as a child and had a career in show business that lasted 90 years. She performed on radio and was featured in Peter Weir’s film Gallipoli with Mel Gibson. ISHII, TERUO Japanese film director Teruo Ishii died of lung cancer in a Tokyo hospital on August 12, 2005. He was 81. Ishii was born Teruo Kitagawa in Tokyo on January 1, 1924. He was best known as the director of the Super Giant science fiction series starring Ken Utsui. These films were re-edited into four features and released to U.S. television in the 1960s. The hero was now known as Starman. The movies included Attack from Space, Evil Brain from Outer Space, Invaders from Space, and Atomic Rulers of the World. Ishii also directed the 18-part series known as Abashiri
Teruo Ishii
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Prison starring Ken Takakura from 1965 through the early 1970s, about an attempted prison break. Ishii wrote and directed numerous other films during his career. His credits include Yellow Line (1960), The Flower, the Storm, and the Gang (1961), The G-Men of the Pacific (1962), Boss of the Underworld (1963), Tokyo Gang vs. Hong Kong Gang (1964), The Joy of Torture (1968), Love and Crime (1969), Horror of a Deformed Man (1969), Orgies of Edo (1969), Inferno of Torture (1969), Yakuza Punishment: Lynch (1969), The Tattooed Swordswoman (1970), The Friendly Killer (1970), Female Yakuza Tale: Inquisition and Torture (1973), The Executioner (1974), Revenge! The Killing Fist (1974), The Karate Inferno (1974), The Hit Man (1991), Gensen-Kan Inn (1993), Screwed (1998), Hell (1999), and Blind Beast vs. Dwarf (2001).
I TWO STEP TOO
I Two Step Too, who was one of nine horses that had played the title role in the 2003 Oscar nominated film Seabiscuit, died at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky, on March 7, 2005. He had been euthanized because of a recurring tumor in his nasal cavity. He was 11. I Two Step Too was seen as Seabiscuit in the film’s racing sequences where he would increase his speed to swiftly pass other horses and pull into the lead. He had become a popular attraction at the Horse Park since he arrived there in July of 2003.
David Jackson
tion series Blake’s 7 from 1978 to 1979. He also appeared in television productions of The Eyes Have It (1973), Lord Peter Wimsey: The Nine Tailors (1974), Sky (1976), The Music Shoppe (1981), and Edge of Darkness (1985) as Col. Taffy Lawson.
JACKSON, JAY Television game show host Jay Jackson died on August 16, 2005. He was 86. Jackson was born on November 4, 1918. He was the announcer for the television anthology series The Philco Television Playhouse from 1948. He was host of the popular quiz program Twenty Questions from 1953 to 1955, and emceed the evening version of the game show Tic Tac Dough in 1957. Jackson also appeared as a game show host in an episode of Jackie Gleason’s The Honeymooners in 1956. He also narrated several Laurel and Hardy retrospective films in the 1960s. • Variety, Nov. 14, 2005, 61.
I Two Step Too
JACKSON, DAVID British actor David Jackson died of a heart attack in England on July 25, 2005. He was 71. Jackson was born in England on July 15, 1934. He was active on British television from the early 1960s, appearing in episodes of The Saint, Redcap, The Avengers, Counterstrike, The Liver Birds, The Sweeney, Space: 1999, Cribb, Only Fools and Horses, Minder, and Lovejoy. He also appeared in the 1961 television miniseries Flower of Evil and the 1968 tele-film City 68. Jackson was also featured in several films during his career including 10 Rillington Place (1971), Unman, Wittering and Zigo (1971), Blood from the Mummy’s Tomb (1971), Killer’s Moon (1978), The Big Sleep (1978), and Breakout (1983). He starred as Detective Constable Braithwaite on the television series Z Cars from 1972 to 1978, and was Olag Gan in the popular science fic-
Jay Jackson (right, with Jackie Gleason)
JACKSON, MARY Veteran character actress Mary Jackson, who was best known for her role as Miss Emily Baldwin on television’s The Waltons, died in Hollywood on December 10, 2005. She was 95. Jackson was born in Milford, Michigan, on November 22, 1910. She briefly worked as a school teacher before embarking on an acting career. She was featured on Broadway in such productions as Kiss & Tell, Eastward in Eden, The Flowering Cherry, and The Trial of the Catonsville
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Angeles Times, Dec. 15, 2005, B11; Variety, Dec. 19, 2005, 68.
Mary Jackson (left, with Helen Kleeb as the Baldwin sisters from The Waltons)
Nine. She also performed on stage in Chicago and Los Angeles, and appeared frequently on television from the early 1950s. Jackson was seen in episodes of The Philco Television Playhouse, Robert Montgomery Presents, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, General Electric Theater, The Barbara Stanwyck Show, My Three Sons, Route 66, Hazel, Stoney Burke, The Fugitive, The Outer Limits, The Andy Griffith Show, The F.B.I., Please Don’t Eat the Daisies, The Invaders, Insight, The Second Hundred Years, Lancer, Room 222, Mary Tyler Moore, The Name of the Game, Cannon, Barnaby Jones, The Rookies, The Manhunter, The Bionic Woman, The Rockford Files, Hart to Hart, Quincy, Family Ties, Magnum, P.I., The Jeffersons, The Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Highway to Heaven, Stingray, Hill Street Blues, Hunter, and L.A. Law. Jackson made her film debut in a small role in the 1956 drama Friendly Persuasion. She also appeared in the films Targets (1968) with Boris Karloff, Airport (1970) as Sister Felice, Wild Rovers (1971), The Trial of the Catonsville Nine (1972), Terror House (aka The Folks at Red Wolf Inn (1972), Kid Blue (1973), Blume in Love (1973), Our Time (1974), Fun with Dick and Jane (1977) as Jane Fonda’s mother, Audrey Rose (1977), Coming Home (1978), Some Kind of Hero (1982), Big Top Peewee (1988), Skinned Alive (1989), The Exorcist III (1990), Leap of Faith (1992), Ozone (1993), and A Family Thing (1996). Jackson was also seen in the tele-films Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night (1967), The Failing of Raymond (1971), Columbo: Try and Catch Me (1977), Letters from Frank (1979), The Two Lives of Carol Letner (1981), A Small Killing (1981), Between Two Brothers (1982), James Michener’s Space (1985), My Town (1986), Meet the Munceys (1988), The Case of the Hillside Stranglers (1989), and Criminal Behavior (1992). She and Helen Kleeb were featured as the spinster Baldwin sisters on the television drama The Waltons from 1972 to 1981, and she reprised her role as Miss Emily in the tele-films A Wedding on Walton’s Mountain (1982), A Day for Thanks on Walton’s Mountain (1982), A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion (1993), A Walton Wedding (1995), and A Walton Easter (1997). She also starred as Sara Wicks in the drama series Hardcastle and McCormick in 1983 and was Great Grandma Greenwell in the 1990 comedy series Parenthood. • Los
JAFFE , RONA Novelist Rona Jaffe died of cancer in a London hospital while vacationing on December 30, 2005. She was 74. Jaffe was born in Brooklyn, New York, on June 12, 1931. She began her career working at Fawcett Publications, rising to the position of associate editor. She was commissioned by film producer Jerry Wald to write a novel about the trials and tribulations of a quartet of career girls in New York in 1958. The novel, The Best of Everything, became a best seller and was adapted for film the following year. Hope Lange, Diane Baker, Martha Hyer, and Suzy Parker were cast in the lead roles. Jaffe wrote over a dozen other books including the short story collection Mr. Right Is Dead (1965), and the novels The Last Chance (1976), Class Reunion (1979), and The Room-Mating Season (2003). Her novel Mazes and Monsters, about a group of college students who became overly involved in a role-playing game, was adapted as a tele-film in 1982, and starred a young Tom Hanks. • Time, Jan. 9, 2005, 19.
Rona Jaffe
JAMES, ALAN Film producer Alan James died of congestive heart failure in Portland, Oregon, on January 28, 2005. He was 74. James was born in Burbank, Washington, on August 23, 1930. He became involved in films in 1995, financing and producing the docudrama Without Evidence starring Angelina Jolie. He was also producer of the 1999 film Morgan’s Ferry, and 2000’s Lakeboat. James was also a music promoter, financing Mariah Carey and the Dixie Chicks tours in 2000. • Variety, Apr. 11, 2005, 59. JAMES-MOORE , JONATHAN Jonathan James-Moore, the former director of BBC Radio’s Department of Light Entertainment, died in England on November 20, 2005. He was 59. James-Moore was born in England on March 22, 1946. He began his career as a stage manager for theatrical productions in the late 1960s. He went to the BBC in 1978, where he produced comedy series for radio. He became head of Light Entertainment in 1991, where he oversaw the production of such series as Alan Partridge, The League of
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Jonathan James-Moore
Susanna Javicoli
Gentlemen, and Goodness Gracious Me. He left the BBC in 1999, but continued to work as an independent producer on such series as The Private World of Kenneth Williams.
(1977), Ecce Bombo (1978), The Days Are Numbered (1979), Action (1980), Blu Cobalto (1986), Body Puzzle (1991), When a Man Loves a Woman (2000), and One Last Kiss (2001). Javicoli also dubbed the performances of such actresses as Isabella Rossellini, Karen Allen, Cindy Lauper, Barbara Hershey, Elizabeth Perkins, Holly Hunter, Bonnie Bedelia, Miranda Richardson, and Michelle Pfeiffer into Italian for release in Italy.
JANEWAY, ELIZABETH Novelist Elizabeth Janeway died at her retirement home in Rye, New York, on January 15, 2005. She was 91. Janeway was born in Brooklyn, New York, on October 7, 1913. She was the author of seven novels from the 1940s including The Walsh Girls (1943) and Daisy Kenyon (1945). Daisy Kenyon was adapted into a film in 1947 starring Joan Crawford. She was also a literary critic for The New York Times and wrote several feminist works in the 1970s including Man’s World, Woman’s Place (1971) and Between Myth and Morning: Women Awakening (1974). She was the widow of presidential adviser Eliot Janeway. • Los Angeles Times, Jan 21, 2005, B9; New York Times, Jan. 16, 2005, 26; Time, Jan. 31, 2005, 21; Times (of London), Mar. 7, 2005, 52.
JAVIER, DELIA SAGUIN Philippine actress Delia Saguin Javier died of cancer at her home in Los Angeles on November 10, 2005. She was 72. Javier was born in Mindanao, Philippines, on May 27, 1933. She worked in films from the 1980s, serving as a set decorator on the films Dr. Heckyl and Mr. Hype (1980), Rambling Rose (1991), and Plain Clothes (1988). She was also production designer for 1983’s Valley Girl. Javier appeared in small roles in several films including Plain Clothes (1988) and Angie (1994). For nearly twenty years Javier also led a program to feed homeless people in downtown Los Angeles, heading Mama D’s Feed the Homeless. JECKO, TIMOTHY Actor Timothy Jecko died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in Madison, New Jersey, on January 11, 2005. He was 66. Jecko was born in Washington, D.C., on January 24, 1938. A reserve member of the 1956 U.S. Olympic swimming team in Melbourne, he was a film and television actor in the
Elizabeth Janeway
JAVICOLI, SUSANNA Italian actress Susanna Javicoli died of kidney failure in Rome, Italy, on June 18, 2005. She was 50. Javicoli was best known for her role as the gruesomely murdered Sonia in Dario Argento’s horror classic Suspiria (1977). She also appeared in the films La Nottata (1974), Private Vices and Public Virtues (1975), Armaguedon (1977), Pigs Have Wings
Timothy Jecko
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1970s and 1980s. He was featured in the films Power (1986) and Surrender (1987), and the tele-films Eleanor and Franklin (1976) and Terrorist on Trial: The United States vs. Salim Ajami (1988). He also appeared in episodes of Hunter, St. Elsewhere, Murder, She Wrote, and Starman.
JELLIFFE, BILL Supporting actor Bill Jelliffe died on July 3, 2005. He was 66. Jelliffe was born on January 11, 1939. He was featured in small roles in the films The Enforcer (1976), Airport ’77 (1977), Serial (1980), Light Blast (1985), and Burglar (1987). He also performed stunts in the films Sleeping with the Enemy (1991) and Shattered (1991). Jelliffe was seen in the telefilms The Last Ride of the Dalton Gang (1979) and Stolen Innocence (1995), and guest starred in episodes of Falcon Crest and Midnight Caller.
Clinton Jencks
Supreme Court. He had difficulty obtaining a job throughout the 1950s, but earned a doctorate degree in economics in the early 1960s. He taught at San Diego State from 1964 until he retired in 1988.
Bill Jelliffe
JENCKS , CLINTON Clinton Jencks, the union organizer who starred in the 1953 classic film Salt of the Earth, died in San Diego, California, on December 14, 2005. He was 87. Jencks was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on March 1, 1918. He served in the Army Air Forces in the Pacific during World War II. After the war he worked at a Denver smelter before being assigned by the International Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers to organize labor in southern New Mexico. He led a group of largely Latino workers in a strike against the Empire Zinc Co. that began in 1950. The strike lasted for 15 months, but resulted in the workers being granted equal pay to that of white workers, and improved safety conditions and healthcare for the miners. Producer Paul Jarrico and director Herbert Biberman put together a film based on the strike, Salt of the Earth (1953), which starred Jencks as Frank Barnes, a character based on himself. The cast of the film was largely composed of the miners themselves, and also featured blacklisted actor Will Geer and Mexican actress Rosaura Revueltas. The House Committee on Un-American Activities and the Screen Actors Guild organized a largely successful boycott of the film, and Revueltas was deported for her participation in the film. Jencks was sentenced to five years in prison for perjury for accused Communist affiliations, but his conviction was later overturned by the U.S.
JENKINS, ROBIN British novelist John Robin Jenkins died in Toward, Scotland, on February 24, 2005. He was 92. Jenkins was born in Flemington, Lanarkshire, Scotland, on September 11, 1912. He worked as a teacher in Glasgow before World War II and registered as a conscientious objector during the war. He spent the war years working with the Forestry Commission, which served as the basis for his first novel, So Gaily Sings the Lark, in 1950. His later, and best known work, The Cone-Gatherers was also based on this period of his life. He continued to teach and write after the war, becoming a full time writer in 1970. He produced over thirty novels during his career including the novels Happy for the Child, The Changeling, The Thistle and the Grail, Guests of War, and Fergus Lamont. • Times (of London), Feb. 26, 2005, 71.
Robin Jenkins
JENNINGS, PETER Veteran ABC News anchorman Peter Jennings died of lung cancer at his home in New York City on August 7, 2005. He was 67. Jennings was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on July 29, 1938. He was the son of Charles Jennings, a pioneer Canadian newscaster who later became head of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporations news divi-
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Peter Jennings
sion. Peter Jennings had his own radio program in Ottawa by the age of nine. He began reporting the news on radio while in his teens and soon became an anchor at Canadian Television. He was hired by ABC while in the United States covering the Democratic national convention in 1964 for Canada. He began his job as anchor of the ABC evening news in February of 1965. He remained as anchor for three years while critics lambasted him for his inexperience for the job. He became a foreign correspondent with ABC, covering such international stories as the Munich Olympics tragedy when Israeli athletes were held hostage and murdered by Arab terrorists in 1972. Jennings formed the ABC News bureau in Beirut, Lebanon, and was regarded as an expert on the Middle East. He returned as an evening news anchor at ABC’s World News Tonight, working with Frank Reynolds and Max Robinson. Five years later he again took over the anchor desk by himself. ABC had typically lagged behind NBC and CBS in news ratings, but under Jennings the network rose to the top in the mid–1980s. Jennings also was the host of a 2000 television documentary The Search for Jesus, and co-authored the books The Century and In Search of America with Todd Brewster. With NBC’s Tom Brokaw and CBS’s Dan Rather, Jennings was part of the triumvirate that dominated new coverage for two decades. Both Brokaw and Rather announced their retirements within the past year. Jennings announced in April of 2005 that he was suffering from lung cancer and stepped down from his position. • Los Angeles Times, Aug. 8, 2005, A1; New York Times, Aug. 8, 2005, A1; People, Aug. 22, 2005, 62; Time, Aug. 22, 2005, 21; Times (of London), Aug. 9, 2005, 48; Variety, Aug. 15, 2005, 48.
JENNINGS, WILLIAM BRYAN William Bryan Jennings died in Arlington, Texas, on December 19, 2005. He was 86. Jennings was born in Waxahachie, Texas, on October 8, 1919. An attorney in the Dallas–Fort Worth area for many years, Jennings was also active in community theatrical productions. He also appeared as the police officer in the 1966 horror film Manos the Hands of Fate, which gained a cult following years later when aired on Mystery Science Theatre 3000.
William Bryan Jennings (from Manos — The Hands of Fate)
JEPSEN, KLAUS German actor Klaus Jepsen died in Berlin, Germany, on January 16, 2005. He was 68. Jepsen was born in Schleswig, Germany, in 1936. He was a popular radio actor in Germany from the 1970s. He also appeared in several films including Destination Death (1961), The Devil Came from Akasawa (1971), Werwolfe (1973), and Der Umsetzer (1976). Jepsen also appeared in several German television productions and narrated the 2003 film The Castle.
Klaus Jepsen
JOERGER, FRED Fred Joerger, who helped create numerous Disneyland attractions, died at the Motion Picture and Television Country House in Woodland Hills, California, on August 26, 2005. He was 91. Joerger was born in Pekin, Illinois, on December 21, 1913. He moved to Los Angeles in the 1930s, where he worked at Warner Bros. building models of movie sets. He later moved to Disney, where he created miniature models of the sets for such films as 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) and Mary Poppins (1964). He was chosen by Walt Disney to be one of the first model makers for Disneyland in 1953, becoming the first Disney “Imagineers.” He helped create such attractions as Sleeping Beauty Castle, the Jungle Cruise, the Matterhorn, Tom Sawyer Island, and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Though he retired in 1979, he returned later to assist in the design of Disney’s Epcot
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Fred Joerger
Center in Florida and Tokyo Disneyland. • Los Angeles Times, Sept. 5, 2005, B13.
2005 • Obituaries
tober 16, 1978, taking the name John Paul II. He became the first non–Italian Pope in over 450 years. John Paul II traveled widely during his first years in office. John Paul II was shot and seriously wounded in an assassination attempt on May 13, 1981. He recovered from his injuries after a long period of convalescence. He aligned himself with Catholic conservatism in his continued opposition to artificial birth control and priestly marriages. He also rejected the doctrine of liberation theology and forbade members of the clergy to hold political office. He served as pope for over 26 years, becoming one of the longest reigning in history. Two of John Paul’s plays were adapted into film. The Jeweller’s Shop was adapted by Jeff Andrus for Michael Anderson’s 1988 film starring Burt Lancaster and Olivia Hussey. Our God’s Brother was filmed in Poland by Krzysztof Zanussi in 1997. • Los Angeles Times, Apr. 3, 2005, A1; New York Times, Apr. 3, 2005, 1; People, Apr. 18, 2005, 54; Time, Apr. 11, 2005, 18.
JOHN PAUL II Pope John Paul II died in the Vatican after a long illness on April 2, 2005. He was 84. He was born Karol Jozef Wojtyla in Ladowice, Poland, on May 18, 1920. He became involved with the theater in his early teens. He was taught by Mieczyslaw Kotlarcyzk, who trained him in the performing style known as “the Living Word,” which emphasized monologues, dialogue and simple sets. Wojtyla acted in Kotlarcyzk’s Amateur University Theatre in Ladowice. He also wrote several plays before the Nazi invasion of Poland limited his theatrical career in the late 1930s. He and Kotlarcyzk co-founded the underground Rhapsodic Theatre during World War II, and Wojtyla remained involved with the group as a sponsor and critic even after becoming a priest in November of 1946. Wojtyla subsequently taught at the Catholic University of Lublin and the Major Seminary of Krakow. He was selected as auxiliary bishop of Lvov in 1958, and was elevated to Archbishop of Krakow in January of 1964. Wojtyla was created a cardinal priest by Pope Paul VI on June 26, 1967. He was considered a moderate reformer and became a symbol of the Roman Catholic Church in Communist-dominated Poland. He participated in the conclave to select a successor to Paul VI in August of 1978. Pope John Paul I died several months later and Wojtyla was elected pope on Oc-
JOHNSON, BRUCE Television producer and writer Bruce Johnson died of heart failure at his home in Encino, California, on September 27, 2005. He was 66. Johnson was born in Piedmont, California, on July 7, 1939. He began working in television in the late 1950s as an intern on The Andy Griffith Show. Johnson spent the next forty years as a writer and producer on such television series as Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., Arnie, The Doris Day Show, Temperatures Rising, Let’s Switch!, Alice, Mork and Mindy, Webster, All-American Girl, The Home Court, Sparks, The Good News, LateLine, and Tucker. He also produced the tele-films Samson and Delilah (1985) and Burning Bridges (1990).
John Paul II
Johnnie Johnson
JOHNSON, JOHNNIE Rock and roll pianist Johnnie Johnson died at his home in St. Louis, Missouri, on April 13, 2005. He was 80. Johnson was born in Fairmont, West Virginia, on July 28, 1924. He began a long time association with music legend Chuck Berry in the 1950s when he hired Berry to fill in for his band. Johnson played on many of Berry’s hit recordings including “Roll Over Beethoven,” “Brown-Eyed Handsome Man,” and “Maybellene.” It was reputed that Johnson was the inspiration for Berry’s classic tune “Johnny B. Goode.” Rolling Stones musician Keith Richards reunited Johnson with Berry for the 1986 Tay-
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lor Hackford film Chuck Berry: Hail! Hail! Rock ’n’ Roll. Johnson also played on Richards’ 1988 solo recording of Talk Is Cheap. He continued to record in the 1990s and occasionally performed with Albert King and Little Richard. Johnson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001. • Los Angeles Times, Apr. 14, 2005, B9; New York Times, Apr. 14, 2005, A25; Time, Apr. 25, 2005, 15; Times (of London), Apr. 15, 2005, 75; Variety, Apr. 18, 2005, 44.
JOHNSON, LINDA Actress Linda Leighton, who often performed on screen under the name Linda Johnson, died of congestive heart failure at her home in Monarch Beach, California, on December 26, 2005. She was 88. Leighton was born in Oklahoma City in 1917. She went to Hollywood in the 1940s, where she appeared in films and serials under the names Melinda Leighton, Linda Johnson, and Linda Leighton. She was featured in the films Strike Up the Band (1940), Cowboy Serenade (1942), Code of the Outlaw (1942), The Sundown Kid (1942), Wild Horse Rustlers (1943), The Haunted Mine (1946), That Brennan Girl (1946), Bandits of Dark Canyon (1947), Brick Bradford (1947), Jungle Goddess (1948), Impact (1949), The Threat (1949), Armored Car Robbery (1950), and Where Danger Lives (1950). She starred as Hazel in the first national television soap opera, One Man’s Family. She also appeared on television in episodes of The Lone Ranger, Racket Squad, Fireside Theatre, The Cisco Kid, The Gale Storm Show, The Millionaire, Tales of Wells Fargo, Perry Mason, Kraft Suspense Theatre, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Barnaby Jones, and The Mod Squad. She largely retired from show business in the 1960s but remained a close friend of actress Gale Storm.
Tommy Johnson
Bulan (1990), The Slingshot (1993), Murder at the Savoy (1993), Run for Your Life (1997), Systrar (2000), and Naked (2000). Johnson also appeared in the television productions Inferno (1973), Das Blaue Hotel (1974), Godnatt, Jord (1979), Mordare! Mordare! (1980), Marknadsafton (1982), Korset (1985), Glasmastarna (1986), Gosta Berlings Saga (1986), Trapatronema (1988), Utmaningen (1994), The Zone (1996), and Stormen (1998).
JOINT, ALF British stuntman and actor Alf Joint died in England on July 25, 2005. He was 78. He began his career working in television, performing stunts for such series as Doctor Who, The Prisoner, My Partner, the Ghost, Danger Man, The Avengers, and Dixon of Dock Green. He was a Morlock in George Pal’s 1960 science fiction classic The Time Machine and was Capungo in the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger with Sean Connery. Joint also performed stunts, and sometimes appeared in small roles, in such films as The Heroes of Telemark (1965), The Sorcerers (1967), Great Catherine (1968), The Conqueror Worm (1968), The Lost Continent (1968), Where Eagles Dare (1968) as Richard Burton’s stunt double, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969), Kelly’s Heroes (1970), Macbeth (1971), Rentadick (1972), S*P*Y*S (1975), Permission to Kill (1975), Russian Roulette (1975), Brannigan (1975), A Bridge Too Far (1976), The Omen (1976), Superman (1978), the 1978 television production of Les Miserables, Money Moovers (1979), Birth of the Beatles (1979), Bear Island
Linda Johnson
JOHNSON, TOMMY Swedish actor Tommy Johnson died in Stockholm, Sweden, on September 21, 2005. He was 73. Johnson was born in Stockholm on December 5, 1931. A star of stage, film, and television in Sweden, Johnson’s many film credits include Girls Without Rooms (1956), Blackjackets (1959), The Bathers (1968), Midsummer Sex (1971), Mondays with Fanny (1977), The Brothers Lionheart (1977), Misfire (1978), Troll Summer (1980), Lucky Devil (1983), Second Dance (1983), Splittring (1984), The Man from Majorca (1984),
Alf Joint
191 (1979), Arabian Adventure (1979), Amin: The Rise and Fall (1980), Superman II (1980), Outland (1981), An American Werewolf in London (1981), Who Pulled the Plug? (1981), the 1982 tele-film version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, One-Week Bachelors (1982), Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi (1983), Krull (1983), The Keep (1983), Supergirl (1984), Lifeforce (1985), Lady Jane (1986), the 1986 television mini-series Return to Treasure Island, Shanghai Surprise (1986), Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987), Mountains of the Moon (1990), and Clockwork Mice (1995). He also worked in such television series as The Zoo Gang, Spy Trap, The Adventurer, Space: 1999, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, London’s Burning, Pulaski, Dempsey & Makepeace, Reilly: The Ace of Spies, Doctor Finlay, Cribb, and The Knock. • Times (of London), Aug. 19, 2005, 63.
JOLICOEUR, AUBELIN
Haitian journalist Aubelin Jolicoeur, whose effete manner and unctuous courting of visiting celebrities earned him immortality as the basis for Graham Greene’s Petit Pierre in the 1966 novel The Comedians, died of complications from Parkinson’s disease and prostate cancer in Haiti on February 14, 2005. He was 80. Jolicoeur was born in a cemetery in the southern Haitian town of Jacmel when his mother went into premature labor on April 30, 1924. He studied French and became a journalist in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince. He usually wrote society columns, fawning over jet-setting tourists and celebrities who stayed at Haiti’s Hotel Oloffson during the brutal regimes of President Francoise “Papa Doc” Duvalier and his son, Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier. Graham Greene’s literary version of Jolicoeur was portrayed in the film version of The Comedians by Roscoe Lee Browne in 1967. After the collapse of the Duvalier regimes Jolicoeur’s columns took a more political bent until age and failing health curtailed his activities. He spent his final years in the seaside home of an old friend. • New York Times, Mar. 6, 2005, 44; Times (of London), Feb. 26, 2005, 71.
2005 • Obituaries
Chloe Jones
layouts for Playboy and Vanity Fair, and was the Penthouse Pet in April of 1998. Jones appeared in small parts in several television series including Baywatch, Edenquest, Diagnosis Murder, and Showtime’s Full Front Comedy. She also appeared in numerous adult videos, working for Vivid Entertainment Group and New Sensations. Her credits include Virtual Sex with Chloe Jones (2001), Sweetwater (2002), Love Machine (2002), Where the Boys Aren’t 17 (2003), The Low Lifes (2003), Loveless (2003), Inside the Mind of Chloe Jones (2003), In Defense (2003), Air Erotica (2003), Chloe’s Pool Party (2004), and Coming from Behind (2004).
JONES , DISLEY Film production designer Disley Jones died in England on June 4, 2005. He was 79. He was born Clifford Jones in Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, on January 15, 1926. He began working in the theater in the early 1940s, serving as an assistant to Reginald Woolley, the production designer at the Players’ Theatre in London. Jones designed his first production, Twelfth Night in 1946. He worked on numerous theatrical productions over the next two decades. He designed the 1967 film version of The Mikado, and worked frequently as a film production designer thereafter. His film credits include The Long Day’s Dying (1968), The Italian Job (1969), The Revolutionary (1970), Fright (1971), Murphy’s War (1971), The Spiral Staircase (1975), The Legacy (1978), the 1979
Aubelin Jolicoeur
JONES , CHLOE Adult actress and model Chloe Jones died suddenly at her home in Houston, Texas, on June 4, 2005. She was 29. Jones was born in Texas on June 17, 1975. She worked as a print model in
Disley Jones
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tele-film The House on Garibaldi Street, and Killing Heat (1981). • Times (of London), July 12, 2005, 54.
trial films. He received an Academy Award nomination for his documentary short Snow (1963). His other works include Rail (1967) and Locomotion (1975). His final films, made in 2004 under a grant from the Wales Art Council, were A Chair-A-Plane Kwela and A ChairA-Plane Flamenco.
JONES , ELIZABETH ORTON Children’s book author and illustrator Elizabeth Orton Jones died in a Peterborough, New Hampshire, hospital on May 10, 2005. She was 94. Jones was born in Highland Park, Illinois, on June 25, 1910. She studied art in the United States and France and held her first exhibition in the 1930s. Her first children’s book, Ragman of Paris and His Ragamuffins, was published in 1937. She also illustrated the works of other children’s authors and received a Caldecott Medal for her work on Rachel Field’s Prayer for a Child in 1945. She also illustrated the Golden Books version of Little Red Riding Hood in 1948. Her other works include Minnie the Mermaid (1939), Maminka’s Children (1940), Twig (1942), Big Susan (1947), and How Far Is It to Bethelehem? (1955).
JONES, JOE Singer and musician Joe Jones died of complications from heart bypass surgery in a Los Angeles hospital on November 27, 2005. He was 79. Jones was born on August 12, 1926. He was leader of the band the backed B.B. King in the early 1950s. he was best known for singing the 1961 hit “You Talk Too Much.” Jones was also an independent music producer in the 1960s and discovered the Dixie Cups, who sang the hit song “Chapel of Love” in 1964. • Los Angeles Times, Dec. 3, 2005, B16; Times (of London), Jan. 2, 2006, 47.
Elizabeth Orton Jones
Joe Jones
JONES, GEOFFREY Documentary filmmaker Geoffrey Jones died of cancer in England on June 21, 2005. He was 73. Jones was born in London on November 27, 1931. He began making animated film in the mid–1950s, and earned a grant from the British film institute. He took a job as supervisor director of animation at the Shell Film Unit, where he produced the documentary Shell Panorama in 1959. He formed his own company in 1961, making commercials and indus-
JORDAN, TED Actor Ted Jordan, who appeared in the recurring role of freight agent Nathan Burke in the television western series Gunsmoke, died on March 30, 2005. He was 80. Jordan was born in Lancaster, Ohio, in 1924. He began his career in films after World War II, appearing in small roles in such features as Circumstantial Evidence (1945), A Bell for Adano (1945), Behind Green Lights (1946), Dragonwyck (1946), Mother Wore Tights (1947), When My Baby Smiles at Me (1948), The Undercover Man (1949), Slattery’s Hurricane (1949), Miss Grant Takes Richmond (1949), Thieves’ Highway (1949), Tokyo Joe (1949), Tell It to the Judge (1949), Whirlpool (1949), When Willie Comes Marching Home (1950), Francis (1950), A Woman of Distinction (1950), Cargo to Capetown (1950), Kill the Umpire (1950), Sierra (1950), David Harding, Counterspy (1950), Rookie Fireman (1950), Between Midnight and Dawn (1950), Emergency Wedding (1950), Counterspy Meets Scotland Yard (1950), Air Cadet (1951), Bonanza Town (1951), The Las Vegas Story (1952), The Bushwhackers (1952), Hold That Line (1952), Lure of the Wilderness (1952), Francis Goes to West Point (1952), Back to the Front (1952), The Farmer Takes a Wife (1953), The Marshal’s Daughter (1953), The Band Wagon (1953), Miss Sadie Thompson (1953), Beloved Infidel (1959), The Silencers (1966), The Wrecking Crew (1969),
Geoffrey Jones
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playing an investigative journalist based on Josephy. He later served as an editor and chief with American Heritage Publishing. He was also the author of over a dozen books, most detailing the struggles of the American Indian of the western frontier. His books include The Patriot Chiefs (1961), The Nez Perce Indians and the Opening of the Northwest (1965), Now That the Buffalo’s Gone (1982), The Civil War in the American West (1991), and the memoir A Walk Toward Oregon (2000). • Los Angeles Times, Oct. 21, 2005, B9; New York Times, Oct. 18, 2005, A25.
Ted Jordan
The $1,000,000 Duck (1971), Walking Tall (1973), and The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again (1979). He also appeared in the tele-films The Secret Life of T.K. Dearing (1975) and The Kids Who Knew Too Much (1980). Jordan was featured regularly on Gunsmoke as freight agent Nathan Burke from 1966 to 1975. He also guest starring in episodes of Sky King, The Walter Winchell File, COronado 9, The Andy Griffith Show, Combat!, Branded, Mission: Impossible, The Road West, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Hondo, The Virginian, The High Chaparral, Land of the Giants, Apple’s Way, Kung Fu, The Blue Knight, How the West Was Won, Eight Is Enough, and The Waltons. Jordan was also the author of a controversial book about Marilyn Monroe entitled Norma Jean: My Secret Life with Marilyn Monroe in which he claims to have had a love affair with the screen legend.
JOUBERT, JACQUELINE French actress and television personality Jacqueline Joubert died in Neuilly-sur-seine, France, on January 8, 2005. He was 83. Joubert was born in Paris on March 29, 1921. She began her career as an actress in the French films Chacun son Tour (1951), Paris Still Sings! (1952), Clara et les Mechants (1958), and Secret Professionel (1959). She was the host of the Eurovision Song Contest in 1959 and 1961. She later worked as an executive at the French public television channel Antenne 2, overseeing entertainment and children’s programs.
JOSEPHY, ALVIN M., JR. Historian Alvin M. Josephy, Jr., who produced numerous books on the American West, died at his home in Greenwich, Connecticut, on October 16, 2005. He was 90. Josephy was born in Woodmere, Long Island, New York, on May 18, 1915. He worked as a journalist for the New York Herald Tribune before World War II, and was a Marine combat correspondent during the war. After the war he went to Hollywood were he wrote several films including Operation Secret (1952), Something for the Birds (1952) and The Captive City (1952) with John Forsythe
JOZEFSON, JACK Character actor Jack Jozefson died of cancer in Indio, California, on November 28, 2005. Jozefson was featured in numerous films from the late 1970s including The Buddy Holly Story (1978), Gas Pump Girls (1979), In ’n Out (1986), W.B.,
Alvin M. Josephy, Jr.
Jack Jozefson
Jacqueline Joubert
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Blue and the Bean (1989), Lonely Hearts (1991), The Evil Inside (1993), Almost Dead (1994), Trade Day (2001), Drink That In (2002), Bruce Almighty (2003), Next to Nothing (2004), Vic (2005), Cyxork 7 (2005), Aimee Price (2005), and Circuit Riders (2005). He was also seen in the tele-films A Whale for the Killing (1981), Nightbreaker (1989), Open Window (1991), Sinatra (1992), Baby Brokers (1994), and Runway One (1995). Jozefson’s other television credits include episodes of The Fall Guy, Night Court, Highway to Heaven, The Twilight Zone, L.A. Law, Murder, She Wrote, Parker Lewis Can’t Lose, Father Dowling Mysteries, Hunter, Quantum Leap, NYPD Blue, and Buff y the Vampire Slayer.
JUDITH, DINORAH Mexican actress Dinorah Judith Ross died of complications from cancer at her home in Coral Gables, Florida, on October 21, 2005. She was 57. Judith was born in Mexico City in 1948. She began her career as a ballet and flamenco dancer and made her film debut in the mid–1960s. She appeared in several features including La Maldicion de mi Raza (1965), La Virgen de la Calle (1967), Contrabandistas del Caribe (1968), Antesala de la Silla Electrica (1968), Las Pasiones Infernales (1969), El Fantastico Mundo de los Hippies (1972), and Layendas Macabras de
Dinorah Judith
la Colonia (1974).
JUHL, JERRY Jerry Juhl, a long-time writer and producer associated with the Muppets, died of complications from cancer on September 26, 2005. He was 67. Juhl was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, on July 27, 1938. He was a childhood friend of puppeteer Frank Oz, and began working with Muppet creator Jim Henson in 1961 as a puppeteer on the local Washington, D.C., television program Sam and Friends. He began writing for the Muppets from their beginning with Sesame Street in the late 1960s and was instrumental in the creation of all of the characters. Juhl was head writer for The Muppet Show from 1977 to 1981, and scripted the television specials The Muppets Valentine Show (1974), Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas (1977), and The Muppets Go Hollywood (1979). He also wrote the feature films The Muppet Movie in 1979, and The Great Muppet Caper (1981). He wrote and produced the 1983
Jerry Juhl (with Kermit the Frog)
Henson series Fraggle Rock and the 1989 series The Jim Henson Hour. He also wrote the feature films The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), Muppet Treasure Island (1996), and Muppets from Space (1999). • Los Angeles Times, Oct. 6, 2005, B10; New York Times, Oct. 9, 2005, 44; Times (of London), Oct. 14, 2005, 81; Variety, Oct. 17, 2005, 64.
JUHNKE, HARALD German actor and entertainer Harald Juhnke died in Brandenburg, Germany, after a long battle with dementia and alcoholism on April 1, 2005. He was 75. Juhnke was born in Berlin, Germany, on June 10, 1929. He began his career on stage in Germany in the late 1940s. He became a popular film star and television star for the next five decades, appearing in The Dancing Heart (1953), Guitars of Love (1954), The Model Husband (1956), Beneath the Palms on the Blue Sea (1957), The Mad Bomberg (1957), Stage Free for Marika (1958), La Paloma (1959), A Thousand Stars Aglitter (1959), Do Not Send Your Wife to Italy (1960), The Last Witness (1960), Isola Bella (1961), The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1962), Golden Goddess of Rio Beni (1964), Lausbubengeschichten (1964), Mission Hong Kong (1965), Killer with a Silk Scarf (1966), Pepe: His Teacher’s Fright (1969), Ludwig on the Lookout for a Wife (1969), Hurrah, the School Is Burning (1969), I Wasn’t a Very Good Student Either (1974), Jenseits von Blau (1989), Die Hallo-Sisters (1990), The
Harald Juhnke
195 Parrot (1992), The Emperor’s New Clothes (1994), Back to Square One (1994), and Conversation with the Beast (1996). He also appeared in numerous television series and productions from the 1970s including Sergeant Berry (1974), Cafe Wernicke (1978), Mein Freund Harvey (1985), Harald und Eddi (1987), Der Showmaster (1993), Harry & Sunny (1993), Das Double (1993), Jungle Hospital (1996), Frohliche Chaoten (1998), Die Spesenritter (1999), Jugendsunde (2000), and Zwei Dickkopfe mit Format (2000). During the peak of his career Juhnke was known as the “German Frank Sinatra,” and recorded a popular version of Sinatra’s theme song “My Way.” His later years were marked by declining health and numerous tabloid reports on his failing mental state. • Times (of London), Apr. 16, 2005, 72; Variety, Apr. 11, 2005, 59.
JURICHS, CLAUS
German actor Claus Jurichs died in Meschede, Germany, on March 31, 2005. He was 70. Jurichs was born in Berlin, Germany, on March 28, 1935. He began his career on stage in the early 1950s and made his film debut in 1954’s The Big Test. He also performed often in television in Germany from the 1960s and was a leading voice actor. He dubbed the German language versions of such performers as David Warner in The Omen, Roddy McDowall in Planet of the Apes, Jerry Orbach in Dirty Dancing, and Ken Kercheval in the television series Dallas.
2005 • Obituaries
Erich Kaestner
KALASHNIKOV , LEONID Russian cinematographer Leonid Kalashnikov died in Moscow on November 7, 2005. He was 79. Kalashnikov was born in the Soviet Union on September 19, 1926. He served as director of photography for numerous films from the early 1960s including The Crossing (1961), White Caravan (1963), The Clear Ponds (1965), Anna Karenina (1967), The Red Tent (1969), Yegor Bulychov and Others (1971), The Station Master (1972), One Hundred Days After Childhood (1975), The Last Victim (1975), The Steppe (1977), The Bodyguard (1979), The Theme (1979), With Love Half-and-Half (1979), Easy Money (1981), Valentina (1981), Vassa (1983), Postscript (1983), And Life, and Tears, and Love... (1984), Victory (1984), The Time of the Sons (1986), The Endhouse Mystery (1989), Mother of Jesus (1990), The Cocktail Mirage (1991), The Promised Heavens (1991), The Shroud of Alexander Nevsky (1992), The Nero Passion (1994), Don Quixote Returns (1997), and Invisible Traveller (1998).
Claus Jurichs
KAESTNER, ERICH Oscar-winning camera designer Erich Kaestner died in Penzberg, Germany, on January 31, 2005. He was 93. Kaestner was born in Jena, Germany, in 1911. He moved to Munich in the early 1930s to join the firm of Arnold & Richter, where he co-designed the first hand-held serial reflex film camera, the Arriflex 35, with Arnold Richter. He was Arnold & Richter’s chief design engineer for over half a century, developing the Arriflex 16, which utilized 16mm film and became the camera of choice for documentary filmmakers. Kaestner received scientific and technical awards from the Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1973 and 1982, and was given the Gordon E. Sawyer Award for lifetime achievements in the film industry in 1992. • Variety, Feb. 28, 2005, 54.
Leonid Kalashnikov
KALLAY, ILONA Hungarian stage and screen actress Ilona Kallay died in Budapest, Hungary, on July 15, 2005. She was 74. Kallay was born in Miskolc, Hungary, on December 14, 1930. She was featured in numerous films from the late 1950s including Up the Slope (1959), Nem (1965), My Way Home (1965), Jaguar (1967), Lanyarcok Tukorben (1973), Duty Free Marriage
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(1980), Eskimo Woman Feel Cold (1984), A LightSensitive Story (1993), Child Murders (1993), and Love Till Last Blood (2002).
sion series Tales from the Crypt, and in several independent films including The Big Bowling Ball. He later left acting to pursue a career as an artist.
KAMBER, BERNIE Film press agent Bernie Kamber died in New York City on May 22, 2005. He was 94. Kamber was born on December 5, 1910. He worked for United Artists in the 1930s, promoting the opening of the studio’s films. He worked as a publicist for stars entertaining U.S. troops during World War II. After the war he continued his career as a publicist for such stars as Kirk Douglas, Rita Hayworth, Clark Gable, Helen Hayes, and William “Hopalong Cassidy” Boyd. He worked for Burt Lancaster’s production company, Hecht-Lancaster, promoting the films Marty, Separate Tables, and Elmer Gantry. Kamber was cast in a small part in the 1960s comedy film The Plot Against Harry, and appeared in Woody Allen’s film Broadway Danny Rose. He worked at Technicolor until his retirement at the age of 90.
KANIEWSKA, MARIA Polish character actress Maria Kaniewska died in Warsaw, Poland, on December 11, 2005. She was 94. Kaniewska was born in Kiev, Russia (now Ukraine), on May 27, 1911. A stage and film actress and director, she was seen in such films as Bright Fields (1947), The Last Stage (1948), The Warsaw Debut (1951), Three Starts (1955), Lost Affections (1957), Winter Twilight (1957), Mr. Anatol’s Hat (1957), Two Hours (1957), King Matthew I (1958), Eve Wants to Sleep (1958), Bad Luck (1960), The Knave of Spades (1960), Encounters in the Dark (1960), Husband of His Wife (1961), Adam’s Two Ribs (1964), Five (1964), God’s Whip (1967), Abel, Your Brother (1970), Man —Woman Wanted (1973), The Refuge (1978), Horizontal Landscape (1978), and Haker (2002). Kaniewska also directed and wrote several films. Her directoral credits include Not Far from Warsaw (1954), Argument About Basia (1959), The Devil from Seventh Grade (1960), Comediants (1962), A Lady from the Window (1964), God’s Whip (1967), The Ring of Princess Ann (1970), and Magical Backyard (1974). She continued to appear on Polish television through the 2000s, starring in productions of Awantura o Basie (1997) and Wielkie Rzeczy: Gra (2000).
Bernie Kamber
KANE, PARKER Actor and model Parker Kane died of complications from AIDS in Los Angeles on February 3, 2005. He was 40. He was born Jeffrey Robbins Kane in Williamsburg, Virginia, on April 7, 1964. He began his career as a model and appeared in ads for Calvin Klein. He soon appeared in a recurring role on the daytime soap opera Another World. Kane also appeared in an episode of the HBO televi-
Maria Kaniewska
KAPLAN, HENRY Television director Henry Kaplan died in New York on September 14, 2005. He was 79. Kaplan was born on September 13, 1926. was director of the daytime soap opera All My Children for over 25 years. He also was a director on the Gothic soap opera Dark Shadows in the 1960s, and the soaps The Doctors and Ryan’s Hope. Kaplan directed the 1962 film The Girl on the Boat, and also many productions for Granada Television in London and stage shows in London’s West End.
Parker Kane
KASHEY, AL Professional wrestler Al Kashey died on July 17, 2005. Kashey was the son of wrestler Abe ‘King Kong’ Kashey. He was 75. Kashey was born on June 7, 1930. He began wrestling in the mid–1950s and held the NWA light heavyweight championship in November of 1957. He also held the NWA Pacific
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Al Kashey
Northwest tag belts in 1959 while teaming with Nick Kozak. Kashey continued to compete in the ring through the 1980s.
KATZ, STEPHEN Screenwriter Stephen Katz died of prostate cancer in Plano, Texas, on October 18, 2005. He was 59. Katz was born in The Bronx, New York, on July 4, 1946. He moved to Los Angeles in the mid–1970s, where he attended the American Film Institute. He wrote a short film based on Lillian Smith’s 1944 novel Strange Fruit that earned an Academy Award nomination in 1978. He began writing for television in 1980, scripting episodes of Hart to Hart, Knight Rider, The A-Team, Hunter, Magnum P.I., The Bronx Zoo, Hardcastle and McCormick, Friday the 13th: The Series, and L.A. Law. He also wrote the 1990 horror film Satan’s Princess. He was co-scripter of the film The Contract, which was being filmed with Morgan Freeman and John Cusack at the time of his death.
2005 • Obituaries
KAY, GORDON Film producer Gordon Kay died in Woodland Hills, California, on March 8, 2005. He was 88. Kay was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on September 6, 1916. He began his career working at Republic Studios in the late 1930s. He produced numerous films, primarily westerns starring Allan “Rocky” Lane, from the 1940s through the 1960s including The Wild Frontier (1947), Bandits of Dark Canyon (1947), Oklahoma Badlands (1948), The Bold Frontiersman (1948), Carson City Raiders (1948), Marshal of Amarillo (1948), Desperadoes of Dodge City (1948), The Denver Kid (1948), Renegades of Sonora (1948), Sheriff of Wichita (1949), Death Valley Gunfighter (1949), Frontier Investigator (1949), The Wyoming Bandit (1949), Bandit King of Texas (1949), Powder River Rustlers (1949), Navajo Trail Raiders (1949), Gunmen of Abilene (1950), Code of the Silver Sage (1950), Salt Lake Raiders (1950), Covered Wagon Raid (1950), Vigilante Hideout (1950), Frisco Tornado (1950), Rustlers on Horseback (1950), Rough Riders of Durango (1951), Night Riders of Montana (1951), and Wells Fargo Gunmaster (1951). He subsequently moved to Universal Studios where he continued to produce such films as The Unguarded Moment (1956), Man Afraid (1957), Quantez (1957), Day of the Bad Man (1958), Twilight of the Gods (1958) starring Rock Hudson, Voice in the Mirror (1958), The Saga of Hemp Brown (1958), Hell Bent for Leather (1960), Seven Ways from Sundown (1960), Posse from Hell (1961), Six Black Horses (1962), Showdown (1963), He Rides Tall (1964), Bullet for a Badman (1964), Taggart (1964), Fluff y (1965), Gunpoint (1966), and The Young Warriors (1967). • Los Angles Times, Mar. 23, 2005, B11; Variety, Apr. 25, 2005, 69.
Turkish film director and writer Omer Kavur died of cancer at his home in Istanbul, Turkey, on May 12, 2005. He was 60. Kavur was born in Ankara, Turkey, on June 18, 1944. Kavur studied film in Paris and made his directoral debut with 1979’s Yusuf ile Kenan. He was noted for his psychological dramas Desperate Road (1985), Motherland Hotel (1987), The Secret Face (1991), Journey in the Hour Hand (1997), and Encounter (2002).
KAY, KATHIE Scottish big band singer Kathie Kay died of complications from Alzheimer’s disease in a Largs, Ayrshire, Scotland, nursing home on March 8, 2005. She was 86. Kay was born in London in 1918. She sang on The Billy Cotton Band Show on BBC radio during the 1950s. She continued with the show when it moved to television, performing with George Formby, Hughie Greene and Harry Lauder. Kay’s hit songs included “A House with Love in It” and “We Will Make Love.” • Times (of London), Mar. 12, 2005, 81.
Omer Kavur
Kathie Kay
KAVUR , OMER
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KEARNEY, CAROLYN Actress Carolyn Kearney died of complications from heart problems in Los Angeles, California, on November 18, 2005. She was 75. Kearney was born in Detroit, Michigan, on August 28, 1930, and raised in New Orleans. She began her career on stage at the Pasadena Playhouse in the 1950s. She was also featured in several cult films during the decade including Hot Rod Girl (1956), Damn Citizen (1958), Young and Wild (1958), and The Thing That Couldn’t Die (1958). Kearney also appeared frequently on television, guest starring in such series as Zane Grey Theater, Buckskin, Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse, Goodyear Theatre, Playhouse 90, The Brothers Brannagan, Michael Shayne, Wanted: Dead or Alive, Stagecoach West, Dr. Kildare, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Frontier Circus, Cain’s Hundred, Thriller, The Dick Powell Show, The Virginian, Empire, Ensign O’Toole, The Eleventh Hour, Bonanza, Route 66, Wagon Train, Ben Casey, Twilight Zone, and Vacation Playhouse. She retired from the screen in the mid–1960s. In later years Kearney became addicted to the prescription drug Xanax after suffering anxiety attacks following a train accident that left her trapped in her compartment. After overcoming the addiction she co-founded Benzodiazepine Anonymous in 1989, a 12-step group to assist others with similar problems.
Carolyn Kearney (with Ed Wynn from Twilight Zone)
KEATOR, DOLORES Dolores Keator died on November 2, 2005. She was 81. Keator was born in New Jersey on February 14, 1924. She was married to Sunglass Hut founder Sandford Ziff. They owned the house used by Strangeways in the 1962 James Bond film Dr. No, and Keator played the small role of Mary, who was shot to death by the Three Blind Mice assassins. Keator also served as a casting assistant in Jamaica for the 1963 film version of Lord of the Flies. KEEN , GEOFFREY British character actor Geoffrey Keen, who was best known for his role as the Minister of Defense in several James Bond films in the 1970s and 1980s, died in London on November 3, 2005. He was 87. Keen was born in London on August 21, 1918, the son of Shakespearean actor Malcolm Keen. He began his career on stage in the 1930s. Keen joined the Royal Army Medical Corps at the outset of
Dolores Keator (from Dr. No)
World War II. During the war he was featured in the 1943 army training film The New Lot directed by Carol Reed. Keen continued his career as an actor after the war, appearing in such films as Riders of the New Forest (1946), Odd Man Out (1957), It’s Hard to Be Good (1948), The Fallen Idol (1948), The Small Back Room (1949), The Third Man (1949) with Orson Welles, Chance of a Lifetime (1950), Treasure Island (1950) as Israel Hands, Seven Days to Noon (1950), High Treason (1951), Green Grows the Rushes (1951), Cry, the Beloved Country (1951), Cheer the Brave (1951), The Clouded Yellow (1951), The Long Memory (1952), His Excellency (1952), Hunted (1952), Lady in the Fog (1952), Malta Story (1953), Genevieve (1953), Angels One Five (1953), Turn the Key Softly (1953), Meet Mr. Lucifer (1953), Face the Music (1954), Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue (1954), The Maggie (1954), Doctor in the House (1954), The Divided Heart (1954), Postmark for Danger (1955), The Glass Tomb (1955), Court Martial (1955), Passage Home (1955), Doctor at Sea (1955), Panic in the Parlor (1956), Loser Takes All (1956), House of Secrets (1956), The Man Who Never Was (1956), The Third Arm (1956), A Town Like Alice (1956), Yield to the Night (1956), Strange Affection (1957), The Birthday Present (1957), The Spanish Gardener (1957), She Played with Fire (1957), Doctor at Large (1957), The Secret Place (1957), Town on Trial (1957), Nowhere to Go (1958), Devil’s Bait (1959), Deadly Record (1959), The Boy and the
Geoffrey Keen
199 Bridge (1959), Horrors of the Black Museum (1959), The Scapegoat (1959), Beyond This Place (1959), The Malpas Mystery (1960), The Dover Road Mystery (1960), Sink the Bismarck! (1960), The Angry Silence (1960), Spare the Rod (1961), The Silent Weapon (1961), Raising the Wind (1961), A Matter of Who (1961), No Love for Johnnie (1961) as the Prime Minister, Return to Sender (1962), Live Now — Pay Later (1962), Lisa (1962), The Spiral Road (1962), The Cracksman (1963), The Mind Benders (1963), Torpedo Bay (1963), The Heroes of Telemark (1965), David Lean’s Doctor Zhivago (1965) as Boris Kurt, Born Free (1966), Berserk! (1968) with Joan Crawford, Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970), Cromwell (1970), Sacco and Vanzetti (1971), Doomwatch (1972), Living Free (1972), No. 1 of the Secret Service (1977), Holocaust 2000 (1977), Licensed to Love and Kill (1979), and Amin: The Rise and Fall (1981). He made his debut as Defense Minister Sir Frederick Gray in 1977’s The Spy Who Loved Me, and reprised his role in the films Moonraker (1979), For Your Eyes Only (1981), Octopussy (1983), A View to a Kill (1985), and his final film, The Living Daylights. Keen was also featured in numerous television productions including The Prince and the Pauper (1962), The Invincible Mr. Disraeli (1963), The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh (1964), QB VII (1974), The Ventures (19785), and Churchill and the Generals (1979). He starred as ruthless oilman Brian Stead in the 1965 television series The Troubleshooters. He also gueststarred in episodes of Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Presents, The Adventures of Robin Hood, Assignment Foreign Legion, The Invisible Man, The Four Just Men, Kraft Mystery Theater, Z Cars, Man of the World, Zero One, Detective, The Hidden Truth, Dixon of Dock Green in the recurring role of Detective Superintendent Harvey, The Saint, Danger Man, The Man in Room 17, The Persuaders, Return of the Saint, Lady Killers, Cribb, and Strangers. • Times (of London), Nov. 7, 2005, 58.
2005 • Obituaries
Kindl (1972), Felix and Oskar (1980), Tatort— Riedmuller, Vorname Sigi (1986), Der Meister des Jungsten Tages (1990), and Ring of Darkness (1992).
KELLEHER, ED Ed Kelleher, who scripted such 1970s cult schlock horror films as Invasion of the Blood Farmers and Shriek of the Mutilated, died in Fairfax, Virginia, on May 14, 2005. He was 61. Kelleher was born in Queens, New York, on April 17, 1944. He began working for the rock magazine Creem in the early 1970s, writing the movie column under the name Edouard Dauphin. He was also a publicist for CBS records. Kelleher scripted the films Invasion of the Blood Farmers (1972), Shriek of the Mutilated (1974), Prime Evil (1988), Lurkers (1988), and Voodoo Dolls (1990), several of which were adaptations of stories he had co-written with Harriette Vidal. He also wrote the 1990 film Madonna: A Case of Blood Ambition. He adapted his play Stand-Ins for film in 1997. He also co-wrote the plays Space Cadets and Ace of Diamonds with singersongwriter Melanie.
Ed Kelleher
KEHLMANN, MICHAEL Austrian film director Michael Kehlmann died in Vienna, Austria, on December 1, 2005. He was 78. Kehlmann was born in Vienna on September 21, 1927. He wrote and directed numerous films and television productions in Germany from the 1950s. His credits include Kasimir und Karoline (1959), Der Kommissar (1969), Tatort— Munchner
KELLER, JACK Songwriter Jack Keller, who was best known for composing the theme song for the 1960s sit-com Bewitched, died of leukemia in Nashville, Tennessee, on April 1, 2005. He was 68. Keller was born on November 11, 1936. He began his career with Aldon Music, writing with Howard Greenfield the
Michael Kehlmann
Jack Keller
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popular songs “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool,” “My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own,” and “Venus in Blue Jeans.” He and Greenfield worked in television in the 1960s, penning the themes to Bewitched, Gidget, and Here Come the Brides. Keller was also credited as a producer for the Monkees television theme and first album. He also wrote songs for the films Winter A-GoGo (1965) and For Singles Only (1968).
KELLERMAN , LONE Danish actress and singer Lone Kellerman died of cancer in Stubbekobing, Denmark, on April 23, 2005. She was 62. Kellerman was born in Denmark on March 20, 1943. A popular performer, she was seen in several films including Winterborn (1978), Children of the Warriors (1979), Charly & Steffen (1979), Rubber Tarzan (1981), Baby Doll (1988), The Hideaway (1991), Eva (1994), and Flyvende Farmor (2001).
Lone Kellerman
KELLISON, PHIL Special effects artist Phil Kellison died on May 13, 2005. He was 87. Kellison was born on April 11, 1918. He ran the special effects department for Cascade Studios and was responsible for special effects work on numerous television commercials, notably overseeing the animation of the Pillsbury Doughboy and Speedy Alka Seltzer in the 1960s. Kellison also worked on special effects for several films including The Giant Behemoth (1958), Jack, the Giant Killer (1962), and Airplane II: The Sequel (1982). Kellison was also the owner of the original King Kong armature, which he donated to Bob Burns’ movie memorabilia collection. KELLOGG, MARJORIE Author Marjorie Kellogg died of complications from Alzheimer’s disease at her home in Santa Barbara, California, on December 19, 2005. She was 83. Kellogg was born in Santa Barbara on July 17, 1922. She worked as a journalist and social worker before collaborating with Paula Fox on a tele-play for Matinee Theatre in 1950. She was best known for her first novel, 1968’s Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon, about a trio of disabled people who become roommates. Kellogg also wrote the screenplay for the 1970 film version directed by Otto Preminger and starring Liza Minnelli. She subsequently authored the 1972 novel Like the Lion’s Tooth, and worked on the
Marjorie Kellogg
script for the 1975 film Rosebud. She adapted Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar for the screen in 1979. Kellogg also wrote several plays including After You’re Gone in 1982. • Los Angeles Times, Jan. 5, 2006, B10.
KELLY, BRIAN Actor Brian Kelly, who starred as Ranger Porter Ricks in the popular aquatic adventure series Flipper on television in the 1960s, died of pneumonia in Voorhees, New Jersey, on February 12, 2005. He was 73. Kelly was born in Detroit, Michigan, on February 14, 1931. He was the son of Harry F. Kelly, who later served as governor of Michigan. The younger Kelly served in the U.S. Marines during the Korean War and began his acting career in the late 1950s. He appeared in episodes of such television series as Panic!, Adventures in Paradise, The Rifleman, and The Beverly Hillbillies. Kelly appeared as Brian in the 1959 detective series 21 Beacon Street, and was Scott Ross in the adventure series Straightaway in 1961. He was best known for his role in Flipper, starring as the widower father of two sons, played by Luke Halpin and Tommy Norden, and their adventures with the dolphin Flipper. Kelly reprised his role in the 1964 feature film based on the series, Flipper’s New Adventure, and continued his underwater action in the 1966 film Around the World Under the Sea. Kelly was also seen in the film Thunder Island (1963), and the spaghetti western Shoot, Gringo ... Shoot! (1968). He was featured in several tele-films in the early 1970s including Berlin
Brian Kelly
201 Affair (1970), Company of Killers (1970), and Drive Hard, Drive Fast (1973). A motorcycle accident in 1970 left Kelly with his right arm and leg paralyzed. He remained active in films as a producer, serving as an executive producer on the 1982 science fiction film Blade Runner. • Los Angeles Times, Feb. 18, 2005, B12; Variety, Feb. 28, 2005, 53.
KELLY, MICHAEL T. Character actor Michael T. Kelly was found dead at his Rockledge, Florida, condominium on December 27, 2005. He was 62. He was born Thomas James Kelly in Cocoa Beach, Florida, in 1943. He was best known for his portrayal of crusty 60 Minutes commentator Andy Rooney in a series of car commercials. Kelly also appeared in small role in several films including Invasion U.S.A (1985), Porky’s Revenge (1985), Dream Trap (1990), and Matinee (1993).
Michael T. Kelly
KELLY, PAUL Radio talk show host Paul Kelly died of injuries he received when his car crashed into a stalled tractor-trailer near Cambria, California, on March 20, 2005. He was 46. Kelly was born on January 16, 1959. He was an actor in the 1990s, appearing in the film The Flintstones (1994), and episodes of NYPD Blue. He subsequently moved to radio where he hosted a talk show on Los Angeles station KVEC.
2005 • Obituaries
KEMMERLING , WARREN J. Character actor Warren J. Kemmerling died in Burbank, California, on January 3, 2005. He was 80. Kemmerling was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on January 4, 1924. He was a familiar face in films and on television from the early 1960s. His numerous film credits include Gun Street (1961), Incident in an Alley (1962), Convicts 4 (1962), Trauma (1962), A Tiger Walks (1964), Navajo Run (1964), The Loved One (1965), Angel’s Flight (1965), The Lawyer (1970), The Cheyenne Social Club (1970), Brother John (1971) with Sidney Poitier, Hit! (1973), 92 in the Shade (1975), Family Plot (1976), Eat My Dust! (1976), Steven Spielberg’s science fiction classic Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) as Wild Bill, The Bermuda Triangle (1979), The Dark (1979), and in the U.S. version of Godzilla 1985 (1985). Kemmerling was also featured in the tele-films The Meanest Men in the West (1967), Savage (1973), The Execution of Private Slovik (1974), Trapped Beneath the Sea (1974), Raid on Entebbe (1977), the 1978 mini-series King as President Lyndon Johnson, and the Western mini-series How the West Was Won (1978). His numerous television credits also include guest roles in episodes of such series as Black Saddle, Shotgun Slade, The Blue Angels, Two Faces West, One Step Beyond, Lawman, Peter Gunn, The Asphalt Jungle, Perry Mason, Route 66, Gunsmoke, The Twilight Zone, Outlaws, Laramie, Tales of Wells Fargo, Ben Casey, Lawman, Dr. Kildare, The Virginian, Bonanza, The Eleventh Hour, The Jack Benny Program, Destry, I Dream of Jeannie, A Man Called Shenandoah, Laredo, The Monroes, Mission: Impossible, Mannix, Daniel Boone, The Outsider, The Name of the Game, The High Chaparral, McMillan and Wife, Cade’s County, The Rookies, Cannon, Ironside, The Rockford Files, The Waltons, Petrocelli, The Bionic Woman, Kingston: Confidential, Kaz, Shannon, Lou Grant, The A-Team, Murder, She Wrote, and L.A. Law.
Warren J. Kemmerling
Paul Kelly
KENNEDY, GRAHAM Australian actor and television personality Graham Kennedy after a long illness in a nursing home in New South Wales, Australia, on May 25, 2005. He was 71. Kennedy was born St. Kilda, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, on February 15, 1934. He began his career on radio in the 1950s as sidekick to radio personality Nicky Nicholls. He starred in
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Graham Kennedy
the popular Australian television variety series In Melbourne Tonight and The Graham Kennedy Show from the late 1950s through the mid–1970s. He also appeared in such films as On the Beach (1959), They’re a Weird Mob (1966), The Box (1975), Don’s Party (1976), The Odd Angry Shot (1979), The Club (1980), The Return of Captain Invincible (1983), Every Home Should Have One (1984), The Killing Fields (1984), Les Patterson Saves the World (1987), and Travelling North (1987). He also hosted the television game show Blankety Blanks in 1977 and Australia’s Funniest Home Video Show in 1990. His other television credits include guest roles in The Love Boat and Five Mile Creek. • Times (of London), May 27, 2005, 75.
KEOGH, BARBARA British character actress Barbara Keogh died in England on October 25, 2005. She was 76. Keogh was born in Cheshire, England, on April 21, 1929. She began her career on the British stage, performing with repertory companies. She also appeared frequently on British television from the late 1950s. She was seen in such television productions as Stand Up, Nigel Barton (1965), Your Name’s Not God, It’s Edgar (1968), Fall of Eagles (1974), Out (1978), Wuthering Heights (1978), The Quatermass Conclusion (1979), Last Video and Testament (1984), Past Caring (1985), Whoops Apocalypse (1986), John Le Carre’s A Perfect Spy (1987), One Last Chance (1990), God on the Rocks (1990), Murder Being Once Done (1991), Dead Ro-
mantic (1992), Brazen Hussies (1996), Jane Eyre (1997), Lost in France (1998), The Secret (2002), Ready When You Are Mr. McGill (2003), and Bloodlines (2005). She starred as Celia Blatchford in the 1965 comedy series The Newcomers, and was Lady Pendleton in the 1979 series Thomas and Sarah. She was also seen as Sally in 1989’s Making Out, and was the Landlady in Bramwell IV in 1998. She played Lilly Mattock in EastEnders from 1998 to 1999, and was Nan Grimley in The Grimleys in 1999. She also starred as the Lady Mayoress in 2000’s Tough Love, and was Margaret in 2005’s Mike Bassett: Manager. Her other television credits include episodes of Dixon of Dock Green, Outbreak of Murder, Z Cars, The Wednesday Play, Public Eye, The First Lady, Softly Softly, The Troubleshooters, Brett, Doctor in Charge, Follyfoot, Open All Hours, Angels, Doctor on the Go, Mind Your Language, Buccaneer, Hammer House of Horror, The Professionals, Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense, Juliet Bravo, Boon, The Bill, Covington Cross, Birds of a Feather, Heartbeat, Joking Apart, Ghostbusters of East Finchley, Jack and Jeremy’s Real Lives, Game On, Hetty Wainthropp Investigates, Highlander, My Family, Spooks, Little Britain, and Doctors. Keogh also appeared in several films during her career including The Virgin Soldiers (1969), A Nice Girl Like Me (1969), The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971) with Vincent Price, Tai-Pan (1986), Road (1987), Paperhouse (1988), Princess Caraboo (1994), and .327 (2005). • Times (of London), Nov. 24, 2005, 76.
KER , EVELYNE French actress and singer Evelyne Ker died in Paris on June 12, 2005. She was 69. Ker was born in France on May 18, 1936. The began her career on stage, starring in a production of Gigi in Paris in 1955. She also appeared in numerous French films including Wild Fruit (1954), Les Copains du Dimanche (1958), Ramuntcho (1959), Sins of Youth (1959), Love Play (1960), The Big Risk (1960), Janine (1961), The Dance (1962), The Room of Chains (1972), Like a Pot of Strawberries (1974), And Long Live Liberty! (1978), An Adventure for Two (1979), Bolero (1981), To Our Loves (1983), Lie (1993), and Scenes de Lit (1998).
Evelyne Ker
Barbara Keogh
KERSEY, RON Songwriter Ron “Have Mercy” Kersey died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, after a long illness of complications from pneumonia on Jan-
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2005 • Obituaries
Ron Kersey
song “Ring of Fire,” died in Mexico of complications from treatment for lung cancer on February 6, 2005. He was 70. Kilgore was born in Chickasha, Oklahoma, on August 9, 1934, and raised in Shreveport, Louisiana. A singer and songwriter, he recorded the country hit “Love Has Made You Beautiful” in 1960. He also wrote the songs “Johnny Reb,” recorded by Johnny Horton in 1959, and “Wolverton Mountain,” a hit for Claude King in 1962. Kilgore co-wrote “Ring of Fire” with June Carter, which became a hit for Johnny Cash in 1963. Kilgore also appeared in small roles in several films including Second Fiddle to a Steel Guitar (1966), Nevada Smith (1966), Five Card Stud (1968), Nashville (1975), the 1979 tele-film Willa, and Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980). • Los Angeles Times, Feb. 8, 2005, B9; Times, of London, Mar. 2, 2005, 77.
uary 25, 2005. He was 55. Kersey was born in Philadelphia in April 7, 1949. He was best known for writing the hit song “Disco Inferno” in 1977 while a member of the musical group The Trammps. The song was heard on soundtrack for the hit film Saturday Night Fever (1979). The Trammps also recorded the songs “Soul Bones,” “Body Contact (Contract),” “That’s Where the Happy People Go,” and “The Night the Lights Went Out” before disbanding in 1980. Kersey was also a leading studio musician who performed on songs with such artists as Teddy Pendergrass, the O’Jays and the Salsoul Orchestra. He also wrote the popular song “Send for Me” for Atlantic Starr. Kersey suffered a stroke while working in Los Angeles in the early 1990s. • Times (of London), Feb. 7, 2005, 52.
KILIAN, MICHAEL Mystery writer Michael Kilian, who wrote the Dick Tracy comic strip, died of a liver ailment on October 26, 2005. He was 66. Kilian was born in Toledo, Ohio, on July 16, 1939, the son of Chicago television pioneer Fred Kilian. He worked as a columnist for the Chicago Tribune from the 1970s. He also wrote 24 novels including the mystery series starring Civil War Pinkerton spy Harrison Raines the started with 2000’s Murder at Manassas, and another series with Greenwich Village art gallery owner Bedford Green the began with The Weeping Woman in 2001. Kilian teamed with cartoonist Richard Locher to work on the Dick Tracy comic strip after the death of Tracy’s creator, Chester Gould, in 1977. • Los Angeles Times, Oct. 29, 2005, B16.
KHAN , NAMIR Actor and teacher Namir Khan was found dead at his Toronto, Ontario, Canada, apartment after a long illness on July 10, 2005. He was 50. Khan was born on January 11, 1955. He was a popular teacher at the University of Toronto, and also appeared in small roles in several films including Roadkill (1989), Samsara (1991), Masala (1991), Highway 61 (1991), Jack of Hearts (1993) which he also wrote, Arrowhead (1994), Dance Me Outside (1995), City of Dark (1997), and Elimination Dance (1998). KILGORE , MERLE Country songwriter Merle Kilgore, who was best known for penning the hit Michael Kilian
KIM MOO-SAENG Korean television actor Kim Moo-Saeng died of pneumonia on April 16, 2005. He was 62. He began his career as a voice actor at Korea’s Tongyang Broadcasting Company. He made his television onscreen debut in 1969, appearing in over 100 productions including Wedding Dress, Trapp of Young, and Save the Last Dance for Me.
Merle Kilgore
KINE, JOHN British television special effects designer John Kine died in Worminghall, Buckinghamshire, England, on January 14, 2005. He was 83. Kine was born in North London, England, on September 20, 1921. He was co-founder with Bernard Wilkie
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Kim Moo-Saeng
Brian King
of the BBC’s Visual Effect’s Department, and worked on such productions as The Quatermass Experiment (1953), 1984 (1954), Quatermass II (1955), Quatermass and the Pit (1958), Hands Across the Sky (1960), It’s a Square World (1960), and The Caves of Steel (1964). He was also special effects designer for the 1966 sci-fi film Invasion, and created alien creatures for television productions of Doctor Who, Blake’s Seven, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Day of the Triffids, and Red Dwarf. Kine was the author of the book Miniature Scenic Modelling. • Times (of London), Feb. 11, 2005, 67.
ber 20, 2005. He was 80. King was born in Dodge City, Kansas, on May 22, 1925. He made his professional debut with the San Francisco Opera’s production of Carmen, and was noted for his performance in Puccini’s Tosca in Florence in 1961. He worked often with conductor Karl Bohm, performing roles in Fidelio, Die Frau Ohne Schatten, and Ariadne auf Naxos at Austria’s Salzburg Festival. He made his debut with the Metropolitan Opera in 1966, and gave over 100 performances with the Met over the next thirty years. He also performed in the 1970 film version of the opera Fidelio, and appeared in the television productions of Die Tote Stadt (1983), Il Ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria (1985), Ariadne auf Naxos (1988), and Elektra (1989). He retired from performing in 2000. • Los Angeles Times, Nov. 26, 2005, B17; New York Times, Nov. 24, 2005, A31; Times (of London), Nov. 24, 2005, 76.
John Kine
KING, BRIAN Cinematographer and Editor Brian J. King died of heart failure on June 16, 2005. He was 59. King was born in Hartford, Connecticut on September 27, 1945. He worked in television as a cinematographer and camera operator in the 1960s on such series as The American Sportsman and The World of Boating. He also assisted Bob Clampett on restoring his Beany and Cecil cartoons and was editor of the syndicated version of the Adventures of Rin Tin Tin. King was the assistant editor for the 1971 documentary On Any Sunday and was cameraman for Alice Cooper’s Welcome to My Nightmare in 1975. He also edited the 1976 animated feature Bugs Bunny Superstar. • Variety, July 18, 2005, 49. KING , JAMES Operatic tenor James King died of a heart attack in Naples, Florida, on Novem-
James King
KIRCHIN, BASIL British composer and musician Basil Kirchin died in Hull, England, on June 18, 2005. He was 77. Kirchin was born in Blackpool, England, on August 8, 1927, the son of bandleader Ivor Kirchin. Basil began playing drums professionally in 1941, performing with Harry Roy and his Orchestra on the BBC after World War II. He played with the Ted Heath Band later in the decade before joining his father as co-leader of the Kirchin Band. The group specialized in Latin American sounds, recording “Mambo
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Macoco” (1954), “Mambo Rock” (1955), “Calypso” (1957), and”Rock-A-Conga” (1959). He began writing for films in 1965, scoring the documentary Primitive London and writing the background score for the Dave Clark Five film Having a Wild Weekend (aka Catch Us if You Can). He also scored the Gothic horror film The Shuttered Room (1967), the action thriller Assignment K (1968), The Strange Affair (1968), Negatives (1968), I Start Counting (1969), and Freelance (1971). Kirchin’s best known work was for Robert Fuest’s cult horror film The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971) starring Vincent Price. He also scored the 1973 horror film The Mutations. Kirchin was also noted for his 1970s musical work World Within Worlds, which included ambient sounds backed by various horned instruments.
2005 • Obituaries
KISHON, EPHRAIM Israeli film writer and director Ephraim Kishon died of a heart attack in Appenzell, Switzerland, on January 29, 2005. He was 80. Kishon was born in Budapest, Hungary, on August 23, 1924. He survived the Nazi concentration camps during World War II to become a leading comic writer and satirist. His play, Not a Word to Morgenstein, was adapted for film in 1963, and Kishon wrote and directed the films Sallah (1964), which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film, and Ervinka (1967). He also received an Oscar nomination for the 1970 film The Policeman. His other films include The Big Dig (1970), The Going Up of David Lev (1971), The Fox in the Chicken Coop (1978), and the tele-films Der Trauschein and Zieh den Stecker Raus, das Wasser Kocht (1986). • Los Angeles Times, Feb. 1, 2005, B9; New York Times, Jan. 31, 2005, B8; Times (of London), Feb. 2, 2005, 54; Variety, Feb. 7, 2005, 92.
KIRSCHENBAUER, KAREN Actress Karen Kirschenbauer died of a heart attack at her home in Middleburg, Virginia, on May 6, 2005. Kirschenbauer began acting late life after raising a family. She appeared in numerous commercials and was featured in several films including The Exorcist III (1990), He Said, She Said (1991), Sommersby (1993), and The Jackal (1997). She was also seen in the tele-films Scattered Dreams (1993), Vanishing Son (1994), A Burning Passion: The Margaret Mitchell Story (1994), Amy & Isabelle (2001), and The Locket (2002), and in episodes of Unsolved Mysteries, America’s Most Wanted, Homicide: Life on the Street, Dawson’s Creek, and The Wire.
KISIMOV, ASEN Bulgarian actor Asen Kisimov died suddenly in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria, on July 13, 2005. He was 69. Kisimov was born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, on May 3, 1936. He was a popular film star for nearly fifty years, appearing in such features as Item One (1956), Years of Love (1957), The Lindens of Stublen (1960), Be Happy, Ani! (1961), The Last Round (1961), Captive Flock (1962), Thirteen Days (1964), The Kindest Person I Know (1973), And the Day Came (1973),
Karen Kirschenbauer
Asen Kisimov
Ephraim Kishon
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Life or Death (1974), To Eat the Apple (1976), People from Afar (1977), Gunpowder (1977), A Unique Morning (1978), Warmth (1978), Something Out of Nothing (1979), A Journey (1980), The Warning (1982), I’ve Never Killed a Man (1983), Someone at the Door (1987), Eve on the Third Floor (1987), Monday Morning (1988), Running Dogs (1989), The Bronze Vixen (1991), and Ad Libitus 2: A Recitative of the Envious Man (2000).
KISLINGER, IVANA Argentine actress Ivana Kislinger died of cancer in California on December 15, 2005. She was 73. Kislinger was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on March 27, 1932. She won the title of Miss Argentina in 1954 and subsequently embarked on a career in films. She was seen in several films in Argentina including La Noche de Venus (1955), El Tango en Paris (1956), Enigma de Mujer (1956), and C’e un Sentiero nel Cielo (1957). She also appeared in several films in Europe and the United States including The Naked Maja (1959) and What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? (1966). She subsequently retired from the screen.
(1963), Ovi (1965), Hot Cat? (1968), The Brothers (1969), and A Night on the Shore of Sea (1981).
KLASS, PHILIP Philip Klass, a leading investigator of UFO phenomena, died on August 9, 2005. He was 85. Klass was born in Des Moines, Iowa, on November 8, 1919. He was an aviation engineer at General Electric until the early 1950s when he joined the staff of the magazine Aviation Week and Space Technolog y. Klass first became involved with flying saucers while investigating a report of an extraterrestrial landing in Socorro, New Mexico, in 1966. His meticulous investigations led him to dismiss the incident as a hoax. He remained actively involved in Ufology becoming a leading debunker of most sightings and phenomena. He wrote several books on the subject including UFOs Explained (1975) and The Real Roswell Crashed-Saucer Coverup (1997). • New York Times, Aug. 12, 2005, A17; Times (of London), Sept. 12, 2005, 58.
Philip Klass
KIVIKOSKI, ERKKO Finnish film director and writer Erkko Kivikoski died in Turku, Finland, on August 11, 2005. He was 69. Kivikoski was born in Iisalmi, Finland, on July 2, 1936. He helmed such films as EPX-503 (1962), Tovi (1963), This Summer at Five
KLUBA, HENRYK Polish film director and actor Henryk Kluba died in Konin, Poland, on June 11, 2005. He was 74. Kluba was born in Przystajnia, Poland, on January 9, 1931. He began directing films in the 1950s, helming such features as Proces (1957), Salvation (1957), Two from the Big River (1958), The Knave of Spades (1960), One Thousand Talars (1960), Skinny and Others (1967), Warsaw Sketches (1970), Five
Erkko Kivikoski
Henryk Kluba
Ivana Kislinger
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and a Half of Pale Joe (1971), The Sun Rises Once a Day (1972), A Story in Red (1974), The Scatterbrain of St. Cross Mountains (1978), and The Star Wormwood (1988). Kluba also appeared in small roles in films from the late 1950s including Eve Wants to Sleep (1958), Two Men and a Wardrobe (1958), Mr. Anatol’s Inspection (1959), When Angels Fall (1959), One Thousand Talars (1960), Mammals (1962), Walkover (1965), The Sun Rises Once a Day (1972), A Jungle Book of Regulations (1974), The Birthday (1980), and My Name Is Jurek (2000).
KNIGHT, BAKER Songwriter Baker Knight, who was best known for writing Ricky Nelson’s hit song “Lonesome Town,” died at his home in Birmingham, Alabama, on October 12, 2005. He was 72. He was born in Los Angeles in 1935. He learned to play the guitar while serving in the US Air Force. Knight was leader of the rock band Baker Knight and the Knightmares in the mid–1950s. He met Ricky Nelson later in the decade and began a career as a songwriter. His hit songs include “I Got A Feeling,” “Somewhere There’s A Someone,” and “The Wonder Of You,” which was a hit for Elvis Presley in 1970. He wrote nearly 1000 songs during his career which ended in the mid–1980s when he developed severe agoraphobia. • Los Angeles Times, Oct. 15, 2005, B15; New York Times, Oct. 18, 2005, A25.
Keith Knudsen
KNUTSON, BARBARA Children’s books author and illustrator Barbara Knutson died of a rare autoimmune deficiency disease in St. Paul, Minnesota, on May 7, 2005. Knutson was born in South Africa to American missionary parents in 1959. She came to the United States at the age of 12. She was best known for her retelling and illustrating of African folk tales. He earned the Minnesota Book Award for How the Guinea Fowl Got Its Spots: A Swahili Tale of Friendship (1991) and Sungura and Leopard: A Swahili Trickster Tale (1994). Her other works include Why the Crab Has No Head (1987) and Love and Roast Chicken: A Trickster Tale from Andes Mountains (2004). Knutson also illustrated the works of other authors including Linda Lowery’s Day of the Dead and Trish Marx’s Hanna’s Cold Winter.
Baker Knight
KNUDSEN, KEITH Drummer Keith Knudsen, a member of the Doobie Brothers from the mid–1970s, died of pneumonia in a Kentfield, California, hospital on February 8, 2005. He was 56. Knudsen was born in Lamars, Iowa on February 18, 1948. He joined with the Doobie Brothers as their drummer in 1974 and remained with the band until their 1982 farewell tour. Knudsen played with the Doobie Brothers on many of their top hits in the 1970s, including “Taking It to the Streets,” “Black Water,” and “Minute by Minute.” He subsequently joined with band mate John McFee in the country rock band Southern Pacific. He returned to the Doobies in 1993 and continued to record and perform with them throughout his life. • Los Angeles Times, Feb. 9, 2005, B9; New York Times, Feb. 10, 2005, C17; People, Feb. 28, 2005, 101; Times (of London), Jan. 22, 2005, 56.
Barbara Knutson
KODET, JIRI Czech stage and film star Jiri Kodet died in Prague on June 25, 2005. He was 67. Kodet was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia, on December 6, 1937. A leading performer for over fifty years, he was seen in such films Messenger of Dawn (1950), Awakening (1959), Romeo, Juliet and Darkness (1960), Pochodne (1960), Higher Principle (1960), Something Different (1963), Crime at the Girls School (1965), Closely Watched Trains (1966), Hotel for Strangers (1967), All Good Citizens (1968), Morgiana (1972), The Day That Shook the World (1975), The Apple Game (1976), The
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Jiri Kodet
Tanju Korel
Blue Planet (1977), Prefab Story (1979), Run Waiter Run (1980), The Medal (1970), Just Whistle a Little (1980), How the World Is Losing Poets (1981), Fenix (1981), The Death of a Talented Cobbler (1982), Dissolved and Effused (1984), Zatah (1985), Papilio (1986), The Jester and the Queen (1987), How Poets Are Enjoying Their Lives (1987), Accumulator 1 (1994), The Button-Pushers (1997), Cosy Dens (1999), the Oscar-nominated foreign film Divided We Fall (2000), and Sentiment (2003).
Kezban (1970), Soum Cemberi (1970), Kara Leke (1970), Kahramanlar (1975), The Usage (1978), and Celik Mezar (1983). He also appeared in many Turkish television productions in recent years including Vasiyet (2001) and Zeybek Atesi (2002).
KORAL, ALEV Turkish actress Alev Koral died in Istanbul, Turkey, of complications from Alzheimer’s disease on July 17, 2005. She was 73. Koral was a leading actress in Turkey in the 1950s and 1960s. Originally billed as Alev Elmas, she appeared in such films as Murder on the Third Floor (1954), If a Woman Loves... (1955), Murder Night (1963), Vur Gozunun Ustune (1964), and Hak Yolunda Hazreti Yahya (1965).
KOSSLYN, JACK Character actor Jack Kosslyn died of complications from a stroke in the Motion Picture Television Fund hospital in Calabassas, California, on June 24, 2005. He was 84. Kosslyn was born on December 28, 1920. He began appearing in films in the 1950s, and was featured in The Devil’s Hairpin (1957), The Amazing Colossal Man (1957), Attack of the Puppet People (1958), War of the Colossal Beast (1958), Earth vs. the Spider (1958), Maracaibo (1958), Cash McCall (1960), and The Magic Sword (1962) as the Ogre. Kosslyn was a casting director and dialogue coach for Clint Eastwood’s Malpaso Productions for several years. He worked on, and appeared in small roles, in Play Misty for Me (1971), High Plains Drifter (1973), Breezy (1973), Magnum Force (1973), and The Eiger Sanction (1975). He was also seen in the films Empire of the Ants (1977), Didn’t You Hear... (1983), Vendetta (1986), and Echos of Enlightenment (2001). He was also featured in the tele-films The Death of Richie (1977) and Blind Ambition (1979). His other television credits include episodes of Surfside 6, Ben Casey, Rawhide, Hawaii Five-O, Emergency!, Charlie’s Angels, Baretta, Voyagers!, Dynasty, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Cagney & Lacey, and
Alev Koral
KOREL, TANJU Veteran Turkish actor Tanju Korel died in Turkey on September 21, 2005. He was 61. Korel was born in Istanbul, Turkey, on October 10, 1943. He was a leading actor in Turkish films from the 1960s. His numerous credits include The Bandit (1966), Kamali Zeybegin Intikami (1967), Nuri Bey Mafiaya Karsi (1968), Dev Adam (1968), Yuvvam Yikilmasin (1969), Kara Efe (1969), Hayat Kurbani (1969), Yanik
Jack Kosslyn
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Cheers. Kosslyn was also a drama coach for over forty years, teaching classes at his own studio in Hollywood. • Variety, July 25, 2005, 55.
KOSSOFF , DAVID British character actor David Kossoff died of liver cancer in England on March 23, 2005. He was 85. Kossoff was born in London on November 24, 1919. He starred as the Sheriff of Nottingham in the British television version of Robin Hood in 1953, and was hen-pecked husband Alf Larkins in the comedy series The Larkins in 1958. He later starred as Marcus Lieberman in the 1963 series A Little Big Business. Kossoff also appeared in numerous films curing his career including The Good Beginning (1952), The Angel Who Pawned Her Harp (1954), The Young Lover (1954), Svengali (1954), The Woman for Joe (1955), Now and Forever (1955), I Am a Camera (1955), A Kid for Two Farthings (1955), Portrait in Smoke (1956), House of Secrets (1956), Who Done It? (1956), 1984 (1956), The Bespoke Overcoat (1956), The Iron Petticoat (1956), Innocent Sinners (1958), Count Five and Die (1958), Indiscreet (1958), The Journey (1959), Jet Storm (1959), and The House of the Seven Hawks (1959). Kossoff starred as Professor Kokintz in the 1959 British satire The Mouse That Roared with Peter Sellers and the 1963 sequel The Mouse on the Moon. He continued to appear in such films as Inn for Trouble (1960), Conspiracy of Hearts (1960), The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll (1960), Freud (1962), Ring of Treason (1963), Summer Holiday (1963), The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970), Three for All (1974), The Omega Connection (1979), and Staggered (1994). He was also seen in the 1989 tele-film Young Charlie Chapin, and appeared in episodes of Interpol Calling, The Saint, Espionage, and Lovejoy. • Times (of London), Mar. 24, 2005, 66.
Andras Kozak
Thousand Days (1967), The Red and the White (1967), Silence and Cry (1967), The Girl (1968), The Confrontation (1969), Winter Wind (1969), Temperate Zone (1970), Face (1970), The Agitators (1971), Sons of Fire (1974), Blindfold (1975), Mrs. Dery Where Are You? (1975), Season of Monsters (1987), Never, Nowhere, to No-One! (1988), Jesus Christ’s Hororscope (1988), After All (1990), God Walks Backwards (1991), Blue Danube Waltz (1992), and Blue Box (1993). Kozak also starred in the Hungarian television series Little Town from 1993 to 2000.
KRACHMALNICK, SAMUEL Conductor Samuel Krachmalnick died of a heart attack in Burbank, California, on April 1, 2005. He was 79. Krachmalnick was born on January 9, 1926. He studied with Leonard Bernstein in the 1950s and earned a Tony nomination as musical director for Bernstein’s musical production of Candide on Broadway in 1957. He also conducted productions for the American Ballet Theater and the New York City Opera. Krachmalnick came to Los Angeles to serve as director of the University of California Symphony in 1978. He directed numerous concerts, opera and other productions there until his retirement in 1991. Krachmalnick was also seen in the 1980 comedy film Die Laughing and appeared as a conductor in the 1992 film Brain Donors. • Los Angeles Times, Apr. 10, 2005, B14.
David Kossoff
KOZAK, ANDRAS Hungarian actor Andras Kozak died in Budapest, Hungary, on February 24, 2005. He was 62. Kozak was born in Vencsello, Hungary, on February 23, 1943. He was leading actor in Hungarian films from the early 1960s, noted particularly for his roles in films from director Mikos Jancso. Kozak’s numerous film credits include Current (1963), My Way Home (1964), The Hopeless Ones (1965), WaterNymph on the Signet Ring (1965), Father (1966), Ten
Samuel Krachmalnick
KRANITZ, LAJOS Hungarian actor Lajos Kranitz died in Hungary on August 1, 2005. He was 62.
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Lajos Kranitz
Kranitz was born in Budapest, Hungary, on February 9, 1943. He was featured in numerous films from the early 1970s including The Stud Farm (1978), The Fortress (1979), Helter-Skelter (1974), Diary for My Children (1984), Whooping Cough (1987), Mills of Hell (1987), Winning Ticket (2003), and Ebed (2005). He also performed often on Hungarian television and dubbed numerous English-language productions into Hungarian, including Larry Hagman in Dallas.
KRASSOVSKA, NATHALIE Ballerina Nathalie Krassovska died in a Dallas, Texas, hospital of complications from surgery on February 8, 2005. She was 86. Krassovska was born in Petrograd, Russia, on June 1, 1918. She was trained for the ballet in Paris and joined Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo in 1935. She danced in numerous productions including The Snow Maiden, Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, and Giselle. she also danced in several films including The Gay Parisian (1941) and Spanish Fiesta (1942), but turned down a movie contract from David O. Selznick to continue with ballet. Krassovska joined the London Festival ballet in 1950, and performed throughout Europe over the next decade. She became a United States citizen in 1964 and formed the Ballet Jeunesse of Dallas where she taught and choreographed ballet productions for young people. • Los Angeles Times, Feb. 17, 2005, B11; New York Times, Feb. 11, 2005, C14; Times (of London), Mar. 26, 2005, 73.
Nathalie Krassovska
KRESKI, CHRIS Chris Kreski, who was head writer for the World Wrestling Entertainment television programs for several years, died of cancer on May 9, 2005. He was 42. Kreski was born on July 31, 1962. He was a writer for the 1987 television series Remote Control and the cartoon series Beavis and Butt-Head before becoming head writer for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He was brought in to the WWE by Vince McMahon in 1999 when Vince Russo left the company for the competition. Kreski wrote for the WWE Smackdown! and WWE Raw Is War series until being replaced by McMahon’s daughter Stephanie in 2002. The WWE experienced one of its most successful periods during Kreski’s tenure there. He was also co-authored several books with William Shatner including Star Trek Memories (1993), Star Trek Movie Memories (1994), and Get a Life (1999), and co-authored Growing Up Brady: I Was a Teenage Greg with Barry Williams in 1992. He also wrote the books Life Lessons from Xena, Warrior Princess: A Guide to Happiness, Success and Body Armor (1998) and Perfect I’m Not: Boomer on Beer, Brawls, Backaches, and Baseball (2003) with David Wells. KRUGER, OTTILIE Actress Ottilie Kruger Laybourne died of pancreatic cancer in Los Angeles on May 12, 2005. She was 78. She was born on November 20, 1926, the daughter of actor Otto Kruger and actress Sue MacManamy. She performed often on the Broadway stage in the 1940s and 1950s. She made her Broadway debut in a 1944 production of I Remember Mama, which also featured Marlon Brando. She was also seen in productions of A Joy Forever and The Pursuit of Happiness. She was also featured with her father in two plays, Little A and Time for Elizabeth. KRUPA , KID Guitarist Kid Krupa, who played for three years with the punk rock group the Revillos, died of complications from diabetes as reported by Revillos’ drummer Rocky Rhythm on March 16, 2005. He was 41. Krupa joined the Revillos as a guitarist in 1980 at the age of 17, and performed with the band on the albums Rev Up and Attack. He left the band in 1983 to form his own group, and played as a session musician which such artists as Roger Daltry, Bonnie Tyler, and Tim Finn. He reunited with the Revillos on a tour of Japan in 1994, and helped produce the 1996 live album, Totally Alive.
Kid Krupa
211 KUZMINSKI, ZBIGNIEW Polish film director Zbigniew Kuzminski died in Gdansk, Poland, on March 12, 2005. He was 83. Kuzminski was born in Bydgoszcz, Poland, on November 4, 1921. He began working in films as an assistant director in the late 1940s on the films Border Street (1949), First Start (1951), and Five from the Barska Street (1954). Kuzminski soon began directing films, including The Lonely House (1950), The Case of Pilot Maresz (1956), Warmia (1958), Coloured Stockings (1960), Silent Traces (1961), Another Shore (1962), My Second Marriage (1964), The Gang (1965), The Descent to Hell (1966), A Crazy Night (1967), Heaven on Earth (1970), Top Agent (1972), A Short Life (1976), A Hundred Horses to a Hundred Shores (1979), Crab and Joanna (1981), Environs of a Quiet Sea (1982), Closer to the Sky Every Day (1983), The Republic of Hope (1986), On the Banks of the Niemen (1987), Between (1987), and Desperation (1988). KWESKIN, SAM Veteran comic book artist Sam Kweskin died on June 23, 2005. He was 81. Kweskin was born in Chicago, Illinois, on February 24, 1924. He began working for Atlas Comics (which evolved into Marvel Comics) in 1952, drawing for such publications as Adventures into Terror and Wild Western. He left Atlas in 1957 to work as a graphic artist for advertising and commercials. He returned to comics in 1972, drawing such characters as Daredevil, Dr. Strange, and Sub-Mariner for Marvel, often under the name Irv Wesley. He worked with creator Bill Everett on the Sub-Mariner comic, which was canceled before Kweskin could replace the ailing Everett on the book. He again left comics to return to advertising.
2005 • Obituaries
Jussi Kylatasku
born on April 2, 1942. He appeared frequently in films and television from the early 1970s. His film credits include Santee (1973), Devil Times Five (1974), Mr. Majestyk (1974), Bound for Glory (1976), The Wackiest Wagon Train in the West (1976), Baker’s Hawk (1976), Final Chapter: Walking Tall (1977), A Force of One (1979), Day of the Assassin (1979), Ruckus (1981), The Avenging (1982), Deadly Stranger (1988), Spirit of the Eagle (1989), W.B., Blue and the Beran (1989), and Cellblock Sisters: Banished Behind Bars (1995). He was also seen in the tele-films The Police Story (1973), Attack on Terror: The FBI vs. the Ku Klux Klan (1975), The Deadly Triangle (1977), The Hunted Lady (1977), Crisis in Sun Valley (1978), Desperate Women (1978), Return of the Mod Squad (1979), Beulah Land (1980), The Return of Frank Cannon (1980):, Don’t Look Back: The Story of Leroy “Satchel” Paige (1981), Cry for the Strangers (1982), and A Summer to Remember (1985). Lacher starred as Arlo Pritchard in the television series Cade’s County from 1971 to 1972. He was Deputy Hubbel Martin in the series Nakia in 1974, and was Detective Will Carson in Joe Forrester from 1975 to 1976. His other television credits include episodes of Ghost Story, The Rookies, The Streets of San Francisco, Dusty’s Trail, Police Story, S.W.A.T., City of Angels, Charlie’s Angels, The Bionic Woman, Barnaby Jones, Starsky and Hutch, The Rockford Files, The White Shadow, Hagen, Eischied, Stone, Quincy, The Dukes of Hazzard, CHiPs, The Waltons, The Incredible Hulk, Simon & Simon, Father Mur-
Sam Kweskin
KYLATASKU, JUSSI Finnish writer and poet Jussi Kylatasku died in Porvoo, Finland, after a long illness on January 8, 2005. He was 61. Kylatasku was born in Tampere, Finland, on June 19, 1943. He began writing in the 1960s, authoring numerous novels, plays, and radio scripts over the next three decades. Several of his works were adapted to film including When the Heavens Fell (1972), One Man’s War (1973), Loma (1976), Petos (1988), Have a Good Trip (1988), and The White Woman (1989). LACHER, TAYLOR Character actor Taylor Lacher died on June 21, 2005. He was 63. Lacher was
Taylor Lacher
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phy, Little House on the Prairie, T.J. Hooker, Knight Rider, Manimal, Lottery!, Masquerade, Dynasty, Airwolf, The A-Team, and Knots Landing.
LAFFERTY, PERRY Television producer and director Perry Lafferty died of prostate cancer at his home in Century City, California, on August 25, 2005. He was 87. Lafferty was born in Davenport, Iowa, on October 3, 1917. He began his career in radio in New York in the early 1940s. He served in the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II, and began working in television after the war. During the 1950s he directed episodes of such series as Robert Montgomery Presents, Studio One, General Electric Theater, Rawhide, and The Twilight Zone. He was producer of the variety series Kay Kyser’s Kollege of Musical Knowledge and The Danny Kaye Show. During the 1970s Lafferty served as head of West Coast programming at CBS, where he was instrumental in the airing of such series as All in the Family, M*A*S*H, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and The Waltons. Lafferty was also executive producer of the 1977 television series Big Hawaii, and a producer for the tele-film Danger in Paradise (1977). He went to NBC in 1979 as senior vice president of West Coast Programs and was executive in charges of the network’s tele-films and mini-series in the 1980s. He was also executive producer for the tele-films An Early Frost (1985), Maybe Baby (1988), and Murder C.O.D. (1990). He began writing mystery novels following his retirement from television. His novels include Jablonski of L.A. (1991) and The Downing of Flight Six Heavy (1992). His survivors include his daughter, actress Marcy Lafferty. • Los Angeles Times, Sept. 9, 2005, B8; New York Times, Sept. 18, 2005, 34; Variety, Sept. 12, 2005, 81.
Derek Lamb
(1973), The Bead Game (1977) which also earned him an Oscar nomination, The Psychic Parrot (1977), Why Me? (1978), The National Scream (1980), The Sweater (1980), The Tender Tale of Cinderella Penguin (1981), Five Billion Years (1981), The Old Lady’s Camping Trip (1983), Narcissus (1983), Karate Kids (1990), and Goldtooth (1996). Lamb produced programming for the Children’s Television Workshop and PBS from 1972 to 1976, and served as executive producer of the National Film Board’s English Animation Studio in Montreal from 1976 to 1982. He worked with Eugene Fedorenko to create the animated opening titles based on designed by Edward Gorey for the PBS series Mystery! He and Fedorenko also produced stop-frame animation sequences for Skyward, the 1985 IMAX documentary. Lamb was also involved in the development of the Emmy Award–winning animated series for preschoolers, Peep and the Big Wide World, in the late 1990s. • Los Angeles Times, Nov. 16, 2005, B9; New York Times, Nov. 22, 2005, B9. LAMBERT, GAVIN Screenwriter Gavin Lambert died of pulmonary fibrosis at a Los Angeles hospital on July 17, 2005. He was 80. Lambert was born in Sussex, England, on July 23, 1924. He began his writing career scripting commercials in the early 1940s. He also wrote short stories and film criticism. He and future director Lindsay Anderson founded the film journal Sequence in 1948. He later served as editor of the film journal Sight and Sound from 1950 to 1956. He
Perry Lafferty
LAMB, DEREK Canadian animator and producer Derek Lamb, who earned an Academy Award for his 1979 animated short film Every Child, died of cancer at a friend’s home in Poulsbo, Washington, on November 5, 2005. He was 69. Lamb was born in Bromley, Kent, England, on June 30, 1936. He began his career as a writer and animator with the National Film Board in the late 1950s. Lamb was involved in the production of such animated shorts as The Great Two Robbery (1963), I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly (1964), The Shepherd (1970), The Last Cartoon Man
Gavin Lambert
213 also wrote and directed the 1954 film Another Sky. Lambert moved to Hollywood soon after where he served as personal assistant to director Nicholas Ray. He scripted Ray’s 1957 film Bitter Victory, and worked on the scripts for Ray’s The True Story of Jesse James, and Bigger Than Life. He also published a collection of short stories about Hollywood, The Slide Area: Scenes of Hollywood Life, in 1959. Lambert earned an Academy Award nomination for his adaptation of D.H. Lawrence’s Sons and Lovers in 1960. The following year he adapted Tennessee Williams’ The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone for the screen. Lambert scripted the 1965 film version of his novel Inside Daisy Clover, about the mental problems of a teen film star, played by Natalie Wood. He wrote additional dialogue for the 1971 psychological thriller Whoever Slew Auntie Roo?, and scripted the 1973 film Interval. He garnered a second Oscar nomination for his script for the 1977 drama I Never Promised You a Rose Garden. He also wrote several tele-films including Second Serve (1986), Sweet Bird of Youth (1989), and Dead On the Money (1991). In his later years, Lambert concentrated on writing biographies of such film figures as Norma Shearer, Nazimova, George Cukor, and Lindsay Anderson. His most recent works were 2004’s biography Natalie Wood: A Life and The Ivan Moffat File: Life Among the Beautiful and Damned in London, Paris, New York, and Hollywood. • Los Angeles Times, July 19, 2005, B10; New York Times, July 19, 2005, B7; Time, Aug. 1, 2005, 19; Times (of London), July 21, 2005, 60; Variety, July 25, 2005, 55.
LAMBERTS, HEATH Canadian comic actor Heath Lamberts died of complications from prostate and throat cancer in a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, hospital on February 22, 2005. He was 63. Lamberts was born in Toronto, Canada, on December 15, 1941. He began his career on stage in Canada in the 1960s, performing with the Stratford Festival and the Shaw Festival. He received acclaim for his roles in such theatrical productions as Cyrano de Bergerac and Beauty and the Beast. Lamberts was also seen in the films A Great Big Thing (1968), To Kill a Clown (1972), Nothing Personal (1980), Utilities (1981), Where’s Pete (1986), White Light (1991), Sam & Me (1991), Change of Heart (1992), Ordinary Magic (1993), and Tom and Huck (1995). He also appeared on television in productions of Dick
Heath Lamberts
2005 • Obituaries
Francis’ Blood Sport (1989), Back to the Beanstalk (1990) as the Giant, Johann’s Gift to Christmas (1991), The First Circle (1991), The Trial of Red Riding Hood (1992), Club Land (2001), By Jeeves (2001), and Whitewash: The Clarence Brandley Story (2002). His other television credits include episodes of Street Legal, E.N.G., Road to Avonlea, The Mighty Jungle, Law & Order, TekWar, More Tales of the City, Eerie, Indiana: The Other Dimension, and Remember WENN. • Variety, Mar. 7, 2005, 62.
LAMONT, ADELE Actress and dancer Adele Thompson, who performed under the stage name of Adele Lamont on stage, film and television, died in California on November 24, 2005. She was 75. She was born on August 7, 1930. She studied at the Actors’ Studio in New York under Stella Adler, and appeared with Robert Culp in the Off-Broadway production of He Who Gets Slapped. She also appeared on Broadway in productions of Blood Wedding and Cole Porter’s Out of This World. Lamont was a featured singer with Xavier Cugat’s band, and performed in nightclubs as half of the Christian and Lamont dance team. She starred as model Doris Powell in the cult horror film The Brain That Wouldn’t Die in 1962, whose torso was selected by Jason Evers to become the host of his bodiless fiancée. Lamont was also seen on television in episodes of The Tall Man and The Phil Silvers Show.
Adele Lamont
LAMOTTA, VIKKI Vikki LaMotta, the exwife of legendary boxer Jake LaMotta, died in a Boca Raton, Florida, hospital on January 25, 2005, several months after undergoing open-heart surgery. She was 75. She was born Beverly “Vikki” Thailer on January 23, 1930, in the Bronx, New York. She married LaMotta while in her teens and had three children with the boxer. The boxer had difficulty adjusting to his subsequent retirement, and she left him at the age of 26 as their relationship deteriorated. Their story was filmed by director Martin Scorcese as Raging Bull in 1980, with Robert De Niro as Jake LaMotta and Cathy Moriarty as Vikki. She assisted Moriarty with her performance in the film and publicity from the filming led to an offer for her to appear nude in a Playboy pictorial the following year. The 51-year-old beauty accepted the offer to show that “life doesn’t end at 30.”
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Vikki LaMotta
She later appeared in numerous local commercials and personal appearances, and lent her name to a cosmetics line. • Los Angeles Times, Feb. 3, 2005, B9; New York Times, Feb. 3, 2005, A25; Time, Feb. 14, 2005, 19.
(1934), Love Time (1934), Music in the Air (1934), Bonnie Scotland (1935), White Hunter (1936), The Country Doctor (1936), Every Saturday Night (1936), Captain January (1936) with Shirley Temple, The Road to Glory (1936), Nancy Steele Is Missing! (1937), Wee Willie Winkie (1937), Ali Baba Goes to Town (1937), International Settlement (1938), One Wild Night (1938), Meet the Girls (1938), Zenobia (1939), Forged Passport (1939), For Love or Money (1939), Captain Fury (1939), Inside Information (1939), Convicted Woman (1940), Isle of Destiny (1940), Red Head (1941), The Deadly Game (1941), Too Many Women (1942), Footlight Serenade (1942), City of Silent Men (1942), Flesh and Fantasy (1943), Stage Door Canteen (1943), Up in Arms (1944), Three of a Kind (1944), and Lighthouse (1947). Her marriage to reputed mobster Johnny Roselli damaged her career and she largely retired from the screen in the mid–1940s. She made several appearances on television in the 1950s, guest-starring in episodes of Fireside Theatre and The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor.
LANE, SHARYN Films actress and producer Sharyn Lane died of pancreatic cancer in Los Angeles on March 7, 2005. She was 55. She was born in Queens, New York, on April 15, 1949. She was married to television producer Ron Leavitt in the 1990s, and starred as Winnie in his short-lived television series Vinnie & Bobby in 1992. She also appeared on television in episodes of Married ... with Children, Parker Lewis Can’t Lose, and LA Law. Lane produced the 2000 film version of Del Shores’ Sordid Lives, also appearing in the film in a small role. She also produced several theatrical plays including The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife. June Lang
LANGEVIN, BOB “LEGS ” Professional wrestler Bob “Legs” Langevin died on October 8, 2005. He was 91. Langevin was born Florian Langevin in Magog, Quebec, Canada, on October 13, 1913. He began training as a wrestler in the 1930s and competed on the Canadian circuit. Over the next three decades Langevin usually competed as a villain. He had bouts against
Sharyn Lane
LANG, JUNE Actress June Lang died in Valley Village, California, on May 16, 2005. She was 90. Lang was born Winifred June Vlasek in Minneapolis Minnesota, on May 5, 1915. She began her film career in the early 1930s under the name June Vlasek. She was featured in the films Chandu the Magician (1932), I Loved You Wednesday (1933), and The Man Who Dared (1933). She continued her career as June Lang, appearing in Now I’ll Tell (1934), She Learned About Sailors
Bob Langevin
215 such wrestling legends as Lou Thesz, Killer Kowalski, Jim Londos, Yvon Robert, and boxing champion Joe Louis. He also served as trainer and manager of wrestling champion Edouard Carpentier. A bout with cancer in the 1960s ended Langevin career in the ring. He subsequently worked as a wrestling promoter in Canada.
LANGFORD, FRANCES Singer and actress Frances Langford died at her home in Jensen Beach, Florida, on July 11, 2005. She was 91. Langford was born in Lakeland, Florida, on April 4, 1914. She began her career as a singer on local Tampa radio where she was heard by Rudy Vallee. She joined his radio variety show in 1931 and soon was starring in her own radio series. During the 1930s and 1940s she broadcast often on such programs as The Spartan Hour, Hollywood Hotel, Bob Hope Show, and The Drene Show. During World War II she accompanied Bob Hope on many of his tours to entertain the troops. She became known as the “Sweetheart of the Fighting Fronts.” She also appeared nearly thirty films during her career including The Subway Symphony (1932), Every Night at Eight (1935) where she performed what became her trademark song, “I’m in the Mood for Love,” Broadway Melody of 1936 (1935), Collegiate (1936), Palm Springs (1936), Born to Dance (1936), Hit Parade of 1937 (1937), Hollywood Hotel (1937), Dreaming Out Loud (1940), Too Many Girls (1940), Hit Parade of 1941 (1940), Swing It Soldier (1941), All American Co-Ed (1941), Mississippi Gambler (1942), Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942), Cowboy in Manhattan (1943), This Is the Army (1943), Never a Dull Moment (1943), Career Girl (1944), Dixie Jamboree (1944), Girl Rush (1944), Tropical Moon (1945), Some Day When the Clouds Roll By (1945), A Dream Came True (1945), Radio Stars on Parade (1945), People Are Funny (1946), The Bamboo Blonde (1946), Beat the Band (1947), Deputy Marshal (1949), Purple Heart Diary (1951), and The Glenn Miller Story (1953). She was also an accomplished comedienne, noted for her comedy sketches with Don Ameche as The Bickersons. She and Ameche co-hosted the prime time variety series Star Time from 1950 to 1951, and the daytime show The Frances Langford–Don Ameche Show from 1951 to 1952. Langford also guest-starred on the variety series The Jackie Gleason Show, The Bob Hope Show, The Perry
2005 • Obituaries
Como Show, and The DuPont Show of the Week. She also starred in the prime time specials Frances Langford Presents (1959) and The Frances Langford Show (1960). She was married to actor Jon Hall from 1938 until their divorce in 1955. She subsequently married outboard motor magnate Ralph Evinrude several months later and largely retired to Florida by the end of the decade. She was widowed with Evinrude’s death in May of 1986. She married Harold Stuart, a former assistant secretary of the Air Force in Harry Truman’s administration, in November of 1994, and he survives her. • Los Angeles Times, July 12, 2005, B8; New York Times, July 12, 2005, A19; Time, Sept. 25, 2005, 19; Times (of London), July 30, 2005, 71; Variety, July 18, 2005, 48.
LANZA, TONY Professional wrestler and photographer Tony Lanza died of injuries he received in a fall in the bathroom at his home in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on January 20, 2005. He was 84. Lanza was born in Montreal on July 7, 1920. He was an amateur boxer and wrestler in the 1930s. After World War II Lanza began participating in body-building events. He also began taking photographs for Weider Publications, taking numerous bodybuilding and physique photographs for their magazines. Lanza also took many photographers of wrestling greats that appeared in magazines in the 1950s and 1960s. He competed in the ring for several decades, often wrestling in Montreal under a mask and such names as The Strangler, The Black Mask, The Hooded Terror and The Black Devil. He also competed in numerous promotions in the United States, including California and St. Louis, before his retirement from the ring in 1973.
Tony Lanza
Frances Langford
LARCH, JOHN Veteran actor John Larch died in Woodland Hills, California, on October 16, 2005. He was 83. Larch was born in Salem Massachusetts, on October 4, 1922. He was featured in nearly fifty films from the early 1950s including Bitter Creek (1954), Tight Spot (1955), Seven Angry Men (1955), Five Against the House (1955), The Naked Street (1955), The Phenix City Story (1955), The Killer Is Loose (1956), Behind the High Wall (1956), Seven Men from Now (1956), Man from Del Rio (1956), Written on the Wind (1956), Gun for a Coward (1956), Quantez (1957), Man in the Shadow (1957), The Careless Years (1957), From Hell to
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Texas (1958), The Saga of Hemp Brown (1958), Hell to Eternity (1960), How the West Was Won (1962), Miracle of the White Stallions (1963) as General Patton, The Wrecking Crew (1969), Hail, Hero! (1969), The Great Bank Robbery (1969), Cannon for Cordoba (1970), Move (1970), Play Misty for Me (1971), Dirty Harry (1971), Santee (1973), Framed (1975), The Amityville Horror (1979), and Airplane II: The Sequel (1982). He was also seen in the tele-films The City (1971), Women in Chains (1972), Magic Carpet (1972), Winter Kill (1974), The Chadwick Family (1974), Bad Ronald (1974), The Desperate Miles (1975), Ellery Queen (1975), Future Cop (1976), Collision Course: Truman vs. MacArthur (1976), The Critical List (1978), A Fire in the Sky (1978), and the 1988 mini-series War and Remembrance. Larch was featured as Deputy District Attorney Jerry Miller in the 1963 television series Arrest and Trial, and was Captain Ben Foster in the 1965 series Convoy. He appeared as Arlen and Atticus Ward in the series Dallas in 1990. Larch’s other television credits include episodes of Dragnet, Gunsmoke, You Are There, Zane Grey Theater, Broken Arrow, The Restless Gun, Jefferson Drum, Wagon Train, The Texan, Have Gun Will Travel, Wanted: Dead or Alive, Rawhide, Texas John Slaughter, The Rough Riders, Black Saddle, Bat Masterson, Yancy Derringer, Riverboat, Bonanza, Wichita Town, Tales of Wells Fargo, The Twilight Zone, Adventures in Paradise, Law of the Plainsman, Laramie, Johnny Ringo, Outlaws, The Deputy, The Rifleman, Ben Casey, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Naked City, The Virginian, The Untouchables, Stoney Burke, Dr. Kildare, The Fugitive, The F.B.I., Felony Squad, The Invaders, Ironside, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Daniel Boone, Hawaii Five-O, Mission: Impossible, The Young Lawyers, Alias Smith and Jones, Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law, Nanny and the Professor, The Smith Family, Cannon, Madigan, Police Story, The Streets of San Francisco, Hawkins, Bronk, Charlie’s Angels, Big Hawaii, Vega$, Quincy, Lou Grant, Little House on the Prairie, The Dukes of Hazzard, Dynasty, and Simon & Simon. • Times (of London), Oct. 20, 2005, 76.
John Larch
LAREDO, RUTH Classical pianist Ruth Laredo died of cancer at her apartment in New York City on May 25, 2005. She was 67. She was born Ruth Meckler in Detroit, Michigan, on November 20, 1937.
Ruth Laredo
She was trained by Rudolf Serkin at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia before her marriage to violinist Jaime Laredo in the early 1960s. She made her orchestral debut in 1962 with the American Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall under Leopold Stokowski. She made her New York Philharmonic debut under Pierre Boulez in 1974. She was best known for her recorded sets of the works of Russian composers Rachmaninoff and Scriabin in the 1970s. She made her first solo recital at Carnegie Hall in 1981 and performed her last concert at the Metropolitan Museum of Art shortly before her death. • Los Angeles Times, May 28, 2005, B21; New York Times, May 27, 2005, C15.
LARNER, STEVAN Cinematographer Stevan Larner died of complications from an accident at his vineyard near Solvang, California, on November 6, 2005. He was 75. Larner was born in New York City on February 6, 1930. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, and attended film school in Paris after his discharge. He worked as a documentary and newsreel cameraman for several years, covering the Algerian war of independence. He also made documentary films for the U.S. Information Agency, earning an Academy Award nomination for 1969’s A Few Notes on Our Food Problem. He served as cinematographer for numerous films from the early 1970s including The Student Nurses (1970), The Night God Screamed (1971), Steelyard Blues (1973), Badlands (1973), Pipe Dreams (1976), Gray Lady Down (1978), The Buddy Holly Story (1978), Almost Summer (1978), Double Take (1979), Goldengirl (1979), Caddyshack (1980), Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983), House Made of Dawn (1987), The Beans of Eg ypt, Maine (1994), and Partners in Crime (2000). He was also cinematographer for the tele-films The Greatest Gift (1974), The Gun (1974), The Godchild (1974), Let’s Switch! (1975), Someone I Touched (1975), Guilty or Innocent: The Sam Sheppard Murder Case (1975), The Keegans (1976), Roots (1977), Curse of the Black Widow (1977), Young Joe, the Forgotten Kennedy (1977), Standing Tall (1978), True Grit: A Further Adventure (1978), Long Journey Back (1979), High Midnight (1979), A Rumor of War (1980), Fighting Back: The Story of Rocky Bleier (1980), Thornwell (1981), Kent State (1981), The Choice (1981), World War III (1982), Rehearsal for Murder (1982), This Is Kate Bennett...
217 (1982), Take Your Best Shot (1982), The Winds of War (1983), Happy Endings (1983), The Face of Rage (1983), V: The Final Battle (1984), Anatomy of an Illness (1984), The Mystic Warrior (1984), Fatal Vision (1984), Guilty Conscience (1985), North and South (1985), Circle of Violence: A Family Drama (1986), Convicted: A Mother’s Story (1987), Inherit the Wind (1988), Divided We Stand (1988), Dance ’Til Dawn (1988), Crazy from the Heart (1991), ...And Then She Was Gone (1991), Honor Thy Mother (1992), They’ve Taken Our Children: The Chowchilla Kidnapping (1993), Deadly Family Secrets (1995), A Season in Purgatory (1996), Murder, She Wrote: South by Southwest (1997), and Heartless (1997). Larner also worked on several television series including Beauty and the Beast and Studio 5–8. • Variety, Nov. 21, 2005, 73.
LATIFF, BAT
Malaysian former child star Bat Latiff died of complications from diabetes and heart disease in Malaysia on May 2, 2005. He was 53. Latiff was a leading child actor in Asia in the late 1950s, earning the Best Male Child Actor award at the 1960 Asian Film Festival. He was best known for his role in 1959’s Nujum Pak Belalang. Latiff later became a choreographer and was the founder of the Bat Latiff Dancers.
Bat Latiff
LATTUADA, ALBERTO Italian film director Alberto Lattuada died at his country home outside of Rome on July 3, 2005. He was 90. Lattuada was born in Milan, Italy, on November 13, 1914, the son of composer Felice Lattuada. He trained as an architect before entering film as an assistant director to Mario Soldati on the film Old-Fashioned World. Lattuada directed his first film, Giacomo the Idealist, the following year. He went on to make the films The Arrow (1945), The Bandit (1946), Flesh Will Surrender (1947), Without Pity (1948), and The Mill on the Po (1948). He co-directed the 1950 film Variety Lights with Federico Fellini. Lattuada directed and wrote numerous other features including Anna (1951), She Wolf (1952), The Overcoat (1952) based on a Gogol short-story, Love in the City (1953), Riviera (1954), Guendalina (1956), Tempest (1958) with Silvana Mangano, Sweet Deceptions (1960) with Catherine Spaak, Rita (1960), Unexpected (1961), Mafioso (1962), The Steppe (1962), The Mandrake (1965), the spy comedy Matchless (1966), Don Juan in
2005 • Obituaries
Alberto Lattuada
Sicily (1967), Fraulein Doktor (1969), Come Have Coffee with Us (1971), White Sister (1972), I Did It (1973), Bambina (1974), Dog’s Heart (1975), Oh Serafina (1976), Stay as You Are (1978) with Nastassja Kinski and Marcello Mastroianni, The Cricket (1980), Portrait of a Nude Woman (1981), and A Thorn in the Heart (1987). He also directed the tele-films Christopher Columbus (1985) and Fratelli (1988). During his career he also appeared in cameo roles in several films including Variety Lights (1950), A Hero of Our Times (1955), Oh Serafina (1976), Stay As You Are (1978), and The Bull (1994) which marked the end of his career in films. Lattuada was married to actress Carla De Poggio from the 1940s. • New York Times, July 16, 2005, C14; Times (of London), July 8, 2005, 72; Variety, July 11, 2005, 44.
LAUDADIO, FRANCISCO Italian film director Francisco Laudadio died after a long illness in Bologna, Italy, on April 6, 2005. He was 55. Laudadio was born in Mola di Bari, Italy, on January 2, 1950. He made his directoral debut with the 1982 film Grog. He also directed the films Made on Measure (1984), Goodbye to Enrico Berlinguer (1984), and Topo Galileo (1987). Laudadio wrote and directed the films La Riffa (1991) and Persone Perbene (1992), and also worked in television on such series as Il Mastino. He was working on his final film, Mrs., shortly before his death.
Francisco Laudadio
LAURENCE, PAULA Stage and screen actress Paula Laurence died in a New York City hospital of
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218 Das Phantom von Bonn (1997), Campus (1998), Ninas Geschichte (2002), Solino (2002), Hamlet X (2003), Pustefix (2003), and Head-On (2004). He was also a frequent performer on television, appearing in productions of Ice Age (1975), Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980), Der Bastard (1989), Die Staatskanzlei (1989), Kollege Otto (1991), Dicke Freunde (1995) as East German Communist leader Erich Honecker, Ferkel Fritz (1997), Der Laden (1998), Abgehauen (1998), Hostage Flight to Paradise (1998), Das Gestohlene Leben (2000), Rote Glut (2000), Die Stunde der Offiziere (2003), Der Fall Gehring (2003), and Die Fremde Frau (2004), and episodes of Derrick, Der Alte, Balko, Siska, and Tatort. • Variety, Apr. 11, 2005, 59.
Paula Laurence
complications from a broken hip on October 29, 2005. She was 89. Laurence was born in Brooklyn, New York, on January 25, 1916. She began her career on stage, appearing in Orson Welles’ Federal Theatre Project production of Horse Eats Hats in 1937. She also starred as Helen of Troy in Welles’ production of Dr. Faustus. She was a leading performer on the New York stage from the 1940s, appearing in Broadway productions of Junior Miss (1941), Something for the Boys (1943), One Touch of Venus (1943), Cyrano de Bergerac (1946), and Ivanov (1966). She also starred as Carlotta Ivanova in a television production of The Cherry Orchard in 1959, and was Hannah Stokes in the Gothic daytime soap opera Dark Shadows in 1970. Laurence was also featured in several films during her career including Firepower (1979), Crossing Delancey (1988), and For Love or Money (1993), and guest starred in an episode of television’s Law & Order in 1994. • Variety, Nov. 28, 2005, 73.
LAWRENCE , JERRY Radio and television quiz show host and announcer Jerry Lawrence died in Los Angeles, on September 24, 2005. He was 93. Lawrence was born in Rochester, New York, on December 18, 1911. He began his career in radio in the 1930s in New York City. He was host of the music and interview program Moonlight Savings Time, and was announcer for The Frank Sinatra Show in 1944. He went to Los Angeles in 1945, where he hosted The Spade Cooley Show. Lawrence developed several local quiz programs for radio including Play Marco. He also served as the announcer for the television game show Truth or Consequences with host Jack Bailey from 1954 to 1955. Lawrence also appeared in small roles in several films including The Hitch-Hiker (1953) and X-15 (1961), and guest starred on television’s Dragnet and The Donna Reed Show.
LAUSE, HERMANN German actor Hermann Lause died of cancer in a Hamburg, Germany, hospital on March 28, 2005. He was 66. Lause was born in Meppen, Germany, on February 7, 1939. He was a leading stage performer in Germany from the early 1970s. Lause was also seen in numerous films including On the Move (1978), Fabian (1980), Nach Mitternacht (1981), Der Mann im Pyjama (1981), The Roaring Fifties (1983), Super (1984), The Summer of the Hawk (1988), Wings of Fame (1990), Schtonk! (1992), North Curve (1993), Jerry Lawrence
Hermann Lause
LAWRENCE, JUNE Actress and singer June Lawrence died at her Greenwich Village, New York, home on August 5, 2005. She was 90. Lawrence was born in Bozeman, Montana, in 1915, and was raised in Mount Vernon, Washington. She studied acting in her teens and began appearing in theater in New York in the early 1930s. she was seen in Broadway productions of Oklahoma!, Where’s Charley, and Inside U.S.A. . She also appeared in the 1944 Columbia film Sailor’s Holiday. Lawrence married sculptor and architect Tony Smith in 1943, with playwright Tennessee Williams as their best man. She was reputed to have been an inspiration for Williams’ character of Blanche Dubois in the
219 play Streetcar Named Desire. She was also the subject of a painting by Smith’s friend, artist Jackson Pollock. Lawrence performed as an opera singer in Germany in the early 1950s, singing the role of Electra in a production of Idomeneo in 1951 at the Salzburg festival. Tony Smith died in 1980 and Lawrence resumed her acting career in the avant-garde theater. • New York Times, Aug. 22, 2005, B7.
LAWRENCE, MARC Veteran character actor Marc Lawrence died at his home in Palm Springs, California, on November 27, 2005. He was 95. Lawrence was born Max Goldsmith in the Bronx, New York, on February 17, 1910. He began performing on stage in New York in the early 1930s where he became friends with fellow actor John Garfield. With a pockmarked face and dark eyes Lawrence was usually cast in villainous roles after making his film debut in 1932’s If I Had a Million. Lawrence was featured in hundreds of films over the next seventy years. His numerous credits include Gambling Ship (1933), Her First Mate (1933), Lady for a Day (1933), White Woman (1933), Straight Is the Way (1934), Death on the Diamond (1934), Million Dollar Baby (1934), Strangers All (1935), G Men (1935), Go into Your Dance (1935), Men of the Hour (1935), After the Dance (1935), The Arizonian (1935), Don’t Bet on Blondes (1935), Little Big Shot (1935), Dr. Socrates (1935), Three Kids and a Queen (1935), Road Gang (1936), Don’t Gamble with Love (1936), Love on a Bet (1936), The Robin Hood of El Dorado (1936), Desire (1936), Under Two Flags (1936), Counterfeit (1936), Trapped by Television (1936), The Final Hour (1936), Blackmailer (1936), The Cowboy Star (1936), Night Waitress (1936), What Price Vengeance? (1936), Racketeers in Exile (1937), Motor Madness (1937), I Promise to Pay (1937), Criminals of the Air (1937), A Dangerous Adventure (1937), San Quentin (1937), Charlie Chan on Broadway (1937), Life Begins with Love (1937), Counsel for Crime (1937), Murder in Greenwich Village (1937), The Shadow (1937), Penitentiary (1938), Who Killed Gail Preston? (1938), Squadron of Honor (1938), Convicted (1938), I Am the Law (1938), The Spider’s Web (1938), Adventure in Sahara (1938), While New York Sleeps (1938), Charlie Chan in Honolulu (1938), Think First (1939), Homicide Bureau (1939), There’s That
Marc Lawrence
2005 • Obituaries
Woman Again (1939), The Lone Wolf Spy Hunt (1939), Sergeant Madden (1939), Romance of the Redwoods (1939), Code of the Streets (1939), Blind Alley (1939), S.O.S. Tidal Wave (1939), Ex-Champ (1939), The Housekeeper’s Daughter (1939), Dusty Be My Destiny (1939), Beware Spooks! (1939), Invisible Stripes (1939), Johnny Apollo (1940), Love, Honor and Oh Baby! (1940), The Man Who Talked Too Much (1940), The Golden Fleecing (1940), The Great Profile (1940), Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum (1940), Brigham Young (1940), A Dangerous Game (1941), Tall, Dark and Handsome (1941), The Monster and the Girl (1941), The Man Who Lost Himself (1941), Blossoms in the Dust (1941), The Shepherd of the Hills (1941), Lady Scarface (1941), Hold That Ghost! (1941), Sundown (1941), Public Enemies (1941), Nazi Agent (1942), Yokel Boy (1942), This Gun for Hire (1942), Call of the Canyon (1942), ’Neath Brooklyn Bridge (1942), Eyes of the Underworld (1943), Calaboose (1943), The Ox-Bow Incident (1943), Hit the Ice (1943), Submarine Alert (1943), Tampico (1944), Rainbow Island (1944), The Princess and the Pirate (1944), Dillinger (1945), Flame of the Barbary Coast (1945), Don’t Fence Me In (1945), Club Havana (1945), Life with Blondie (1945), Blonde Alibi (1946), The Virginian (1946), Cloak and Dagger (1946), Yankee Fakir (1947), Joe Palooka in the Knockout (1947), Unconquered (1947), The Captain from Castile (1947), I Walk Alone (1948), Key Largo (1948), Out of the Storm (1948), Jigsaw (1949), Calamity Jane and Sam Bass (1949), Tough Assignment (1949), Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion (1950), Black Hand (1950), The Asphalt Jungle (1950), The Desert Hawk (1950), Hurricane Island (1951), and My Favorite Spy (1951). Lawrence’s career in Hollywood ended in the early 1950s when revelations that he had briefly been a member of the Communist party in the 1930s surfaced. Lawrence was subpoenaed by the House Un-American Activities Committee and reluctantly named other party members from his past. Subjected to the Hollywood Blacklist, Lawrence and his family moved to Italy where he continued to appear in such films as Vacation with a Gangster (1951), Three Corsairs (1952), Tormento del Passato (1952), Noi Peccatori (1952), Legione Straniera (1952), Jolanda, the Daughter of the Black Corsair (1952), Brothers of Italy (1952), Girls Marked Danger (1953), The Funniest Show on Earth (1953), Ballata Tragica (1954), Suor Maria (1955), New Moon (1955), La Catena dell’Odio (1955), Helen of Troy (1956), and Kill Her Gently (1957). He returned to Hollywood in 1959, where he worked as a director for such television series as Maverick, Lawman, Rawhide, and 77 Sunset Strip. Lawrence returned to the screen as a crime boss in the 1963 action film Johnny Cool. He also produced, directed and scripted the 1965 feature Nightmare in the Sun starring Ursula Andress and John Derek. Lawrence continued to appear in such films as Due Mafiosi Contro Al Capone (1966), Johnny Tiger (1966), Savage Pampas (1966), Custer of the West (1967), King of Kong Island (1968), Krakatoa, East of Java (1969), The Five Man Army (1969), Pursuit of Treasure (1970), Dream No Evil (1970), The Kremlin Letter (1970), and the 1971 James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever as a henchman who tosses Lana Wood’s char-
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acter, Plenty O’Toole, from a high-rise hotel room into a swimming pool. Lawrence produced, directed, wrote, and co-starred with his daughter, Toni Lawrence, in the 1972 horror film Daddy’s Deadly Darling (aka The Pigs and The Strange Exorcism of Lynn Hart). He continued to appear in such films as Frasier, the Sensuous Lion (1973), The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), Marathon Man (1976), A Piece of the Action (1977), Foul Play (1978), Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978), Goin’ Coconuts (1978), Hot Stuff (1979), Swap Meet (1979), Cataclysm (1980), Super Fuzz (1980), Cat and Dog (1982), Night Train to Terror (1985), The Big Easy (1987), Blood Red (1989), Ruby (1992), Newsies (1992), Four Rooms (1995), From Dusk Till Dawn (1996), End of Days (1999), The Shipping News (2001), and his final, Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003) as an Acme Vice President. Lawrence was also seen in the tele-films Honor Thy Father (1973), Switch (1975), Terror at Alcatraz (1982), Donor (1990), and Gotti (1996) as crime boss Carlo Gambino. His other television credits include episodes of Wagon Train, Playhouse 90, The Rifleman, Peter Gunn, M Squad, Tightrope, Johnny Staccato, The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor, The Untouchables, Zane Grey Theater, Bronco, Richard Diamond, Private Detective, The Deputy, Lawman, Whispering Smith, Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, Petticoat Junction, Mister Ed, The Rat Patrol, Mannix, Bonanza, Here’s Lucy, The Doris Day Show, Nichols, McCloud, Switch, The Rookies, Baretta, CHiPs, Wonder Woman, The Dukes of Hazzard, Star Trek: The Next Generation, ER, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Lawrence wrote an autobiography, Long Time No See: Confessions of a Hollywood Gangster, which was released in 1991. Lawrence was married to writer Fanya Foss for 53 years until her death in 1995. • Los Angeles Times, Dec. 1, 2005, B10; New York Times, Dec. 3, 2005, C14; Times (of London), Dec. 14, 2005, 61; Variety, Dec. 5, 2005, 65.
LAWTON, HARRY Author Harry W. Lawton died in Dana Point, California, following a long illness on November 20, 2005. He was 77. Lawton was born on December 3, 1927. He was the author of the 1960 Willie Boy: A Desert Manhunt, about the hunt for an American Indian charged with killing his girlfriend’s father in 1909. The book served as the inspiration for the 1969 film, Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here, starring Robert Redford and Robert Blake. • Los Angeles Times, Dec. 5, 2005, B9; New York Times, Dec. 7, 2005, B10.
John Laxdal
2005. He was 41. Layne was born in Lynchburg, Virginia, on December 29, 1963. He had worked in films and television for the past several years, appearing in small roles in the films Anger Management, Spider-Man II, and Starsky and Hutch. He also appeared in episodes of Just Shoot Me, The West Wing, Judging Amy, and Will & Grace.
LEAVITT, NORMAN Character actor Norman Leavitt died on December 11, 2005. He was 92. Leavitt was born in Lansing, Michigan, on December 1, 1913. He was featured in numerous films from the 1940s including The Spider Woman Strikes Back (1946), The Harvey Girls (1946), Idea Girl (1946), The Hoodlum Saint (1946), Two Sisters from Boston (1946), The Runaround (1946), The Unfinished Dance (1947), Daisy Kenyon (1947), If Winter Comes (1947), The Big Clock (1948), Best Man Wins (1948), A Foreign Affair (1948), The Walls of Jericho (1948), Music Man (1948), The Luck of the Irish (1948), The Three Musketeers (1948), That Wonderful Urge (1948), Yellow Sky (1949), Slattery’s Hurricane (1949), The Reckless Moment (1949), The Inspector General (1949), Mule Train (1950), A Woman of Distinction (1950), Side Street (1950), The Flame and the Arrow (1950), The Return of Jesse James (1950), Harvey (1950), The Killer That Stalked New York (1950), California Passage (1950), Vengeance Valley (1951), The Red Badge of Courage (1951), M (1951), Show Boat (1951), Comin’ Round the Mountain (1951), Mr. Belvedere Rings
LAXDAL, JON Icelandic actor and director Jon Laxdal died in Kaiserstuhl, Switzerland, on May 15, 2005. He was 71. Laxdal was born in Isafjorour, Iceland, on June 7, 1933. He spent much of his career performing and directing stage productions. He also appeared in several films including Brekkukotsannal (1972) and The Polar Bear King (1991), and the television series Nirgendwo ist Poenichen (1980) and Engels & Consorten (1986). Laxdal became a citizen of Switzerland in 1994. LAYNE, CHUCK Actor Chuck Layne died of complications from AIDS in Los Angeles on April 14,
Norman Leavitt
221 the Bell (1951), The Lady and the Bandit (1951), Drums in the Deep South (1951), Elopement (1951), The Bushwhackers (1952), For Men Only (1952), Deadline — U.S.A. (1952), Mutiny (1952), The Merry Widow (1952), O. Henry’s Full House (1952), Stars and Stripes Forever (1952), The Stooge (1953), Off Limits (1953), The Blue Gardenia (1953), Ride, Vaquero! (1953), Hannah Lee (1953), The Moonlighter (1953), Combat Squad (1953), The Long, Long Trailer (1954), Living It Up (1954), The Kentuckian (1955), Kismet (1955), It’s a Dog’s Life (1955), Inside Detroit (1956), Fury at Gunsight Pass (1956), When Gangland Strikes (1956), The Ten Commandments (1956), Friendly Persuasion (1956), Stagecoach to Fury (1956), The Brass Legend (1956), The Quiet Gun (1957), Fury at Showdown (1957), God Is My Partner (1957), The Girl in the Gold Stockings (1957), Rockabilly Baby (1957), Teenage Monster (1958), Live Fast, Die Young (1958), The Sheepman (1958), The Left Handed Gun (1958), The Rookie (1960), Elmer Gantry (1960), Young Jesse James (1960), Cinderfella (1960), Swingin’ Along (1961), Saintly Sinners (1962), The Three Stooges in Orbit (1962), Period of Adjustment (1962), Billie Rose’s Jumbo (1962), Showdown (1963), Summer Magic (1963), The Patsy (1964), Looking for Love (1964), McHale’s Navy Joins the Air Force (1965), Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number! (1966), The Marriage of a Young Stockbroker (1971), and The Day of the Locust (1975). Leavitt also appeared frequently on television, guest starring in episodes of The Roy Rogers Show, Stories of the Century, Soldiers of Fortune, The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, The Ford Television Theatre, General Electric Theater, Studio 57, The Silent Service, Navy Log, Casey Jones, Flight, State Trooper, December Bride, The Texan, Trackdown, Peter Gunn, Men into Space, One Step Beyond, The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour, Leave It to Beaver, M Squad, Shirley Temple’s Storybook, The Brothers Brannagan, Checkmate, The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, Gunslinger, Stagecoach West, Whispering Smith, Tales of Wells Fargo, Dennis the Menace, Frontier Circus, The Bob Cummings Show, Boris Karloff ’s Thriller, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Lucy Show, Laramie, Gunsmoke, The Andy Griffith Show, Perry Mason, The Rifleman, The Wide Country, Wagon Train, Kraft Suspense Theatre, Rawhide, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, The Twilight Zone, Mister Ed, Burke’s Law, The Addams Family, Green Acres, The Beverly Hillbillies, Petticoat Junction, The Green Hornet, Laredo, Man from U.N.C.L.E, Bonanza, Lost in Space, The Big Valley, Cimarron Strip, The Guns of Will Sonnett, Wild Wild West, Daniel Boone, The Virginian, Alias Smith and Jones, Mayberry R.F.D., Longstreet, Kung Fu, and Quincy. Leavitt retired from the screen in the mid– 1970s.
LEDOGOROV , IGOR Russian actor Igor Ledogorov died in Hamilton, New Zealand, on February 10, 2005. He was 72. Ledogorov was born in Moscow, Russia, on May 9, 1932. He appeared in numerous films from the early 1970s including The Ballad of Bering and His Friends (1970), Teenagers in Space (1974), The Legend of Till Ullenspiegel (1976), A Portrait with Rain (1977), Front Beyond the Front Line (1977), The Late Berry (1978), The Path of the Golden Beasts
2005 • Obituaries
Igor Ledogorov
(1979), Poem of Wings (1979), The Smoke of the Home Country (1980), They Were Actors (1981), the science fiction film To the Stars By Hard Ways (1981), About Oddities of Love (1983), God, Let Me Die... (1988), and the 1997 television mini-series The Hunting Season.
LEDOUX, CHRIS Country singer and songwriter Chris LeDoux died after a long battle with liver cancer on March 9, 2005. He was 56. LeDoux was born in Biloxi, Mississippi, on October 2, 1948, and was raised in Austin, Texas. He was a leading rodeo competitor in the 1970s, earning the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association title of world champion bareback rider in 1976. LeDoux also began writing and recording music, forming his own label, Lucky Man Music, in 1973. He recorded over twenty albums which were primarily marketed to rodeo audiences including Old Cowboy Heroes, Rodeo Songs, and Wild and Wooly. LeDoux signed with Capitol Records in the early 1990s, releasing the popular albums Western Underground and Whatcha Gonna Do With a Cowboy. LeDoux had a hit record with the latter album’s title track, which also featured the vocals of Garth Brooks. LeDoux also collaborated with such artists as Toby Keith and Jon Bon Jovi. • Los Angeles Times, Mar. 10, 2005, B10; New York Times, Mar. 11, 2005, A21; People, Mar. 28, 2005, 107.
Chris LeDoux
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LEDOUX, MATHIAS French film and television director Mathias Ledoux died in a Paris hospital after a long illness on March 11, 2005. He was 51. He directed many documentaries and concert films including The Three Tenors, Paris 1998 (1998). He also directed the 2000 feature film Across the Road, and the 2003 mystery film Three Blind Mice. Ledoux’s other credits include the tele-films Chaplin Today: A Woman of Paris (2003), Monica: Irresistible (2003), and Claude Berri, le Dernie Nabab (2003).
Lee Eun-Joo
Mathias Ledoux
LEE, DAN Canadian animator Dan Lee died of lung cancer in a Berkeley, California, hospital, on January 15, 2005. He was 35. Lee began working on cartoons and television commercials at Kennedy Cartoons in Toronto and Colossal Pictures in San Francisco. He joined Pixar as a sketch artist, character designer and animator in 1996. He worked on such animated films as A Bug’s Life (1998), A Toy Story 2 (1999), Monsters, Inc. (2002), and 2003’s Finding Nemo, designing the title character. • Los Angeles Times, Feb. 3, 2005, B9; Variety, Feb. 14, 2005, 55.
Gunsan, South Korea, on November 16, 1980. She was best known for her roles as the suicidal mistress in the 2004 Korean film The Scarlet Letter. She had previously appeared in the films If It Snows on Christmas (1998), Virgin Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors (2000), Bloody Beach (2000), Bungee Jumping of Their Own (2001), Friends and Lover (2002), Unborn but Forgotten (2002), Garden of Heaven (2003), Au Revoir, UFO (2004), and Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War (2004). • Variety, Mar. 7, 2005, 62.
LEE, GORDON “PORKY” Gordon Lee, the child actor who played Spanky’s chubby kid brother, Porky, in the Our Gang comedy shorts in the 1930s, died of complications from lung and brain cancer in a Minneapolis, Minnesota, nursing home on October 16, 2005. He was 71. Lee was born Eugene Lee in Fort Worth, Texas, on October 25, 1933. He was cast in Hal Roach’s Our Gang comedies because of his resemblance to Spanky McFarland. Porky, who popularized the catchphrase “otay,” appeared in many of the shorts between 1935 and 1939, often teaming with Bill “Buckwheat” Thomas against the older Spanky and Alfalfa. Lee was seen in the shorts Little Sinner (1935), Our Gang Follies of 1936 (1935), The Pinch Singer (1936), Divot Diggers (1936), Second Childhood (1936), Bored of Education (1936), Two Too Young (1936), Pay as You Exit (1936), Spooky Hooky (1936), General Spanky (1936), Reunion in Rhythm (1937), Glove Taps (1937),
Dan Lee
LEE EUN -JOO South Korean actress Lee Eun-joo was found dead at her Seongnam, South Korea, apartment after committing suicide by hanging on February 22, 2005. She was 24. Lee was born in
Gordon “Porky” Lee
223 Hearts Are Thumps (1937), Rushin’ Ballet (1937), Three Smart Boys (1937), Roamin’ Holiday (1937), Night ’n Gales (1937), Fishy Tales (1937), Framing Youth (1937), The Pigskin Palooka (1937), Mail and Female (1937), Our Gang Follies of 1938 (1937), Bear Facts (1938), Three Men in a Tub (1938), Came the Brawn (1938), Feed ’Em and Weep (1938), The Awful Tooth (1938), Hide and Shriek (1938), The Little Ranger (1938), Party Fever (1938), Aladdin’s Lantern (1938), Men in Fright (1938), Football Romeo (1938), Canned Fishing (1938), Practical Jokers (1938), Alfalfa’s Aunt (1939), Tiny Troubles (1939), Duel Personalities (1939), Clown Princes (1939), Cousin Wilbur (1939), Joy Scouts (1939), Dog Daze (1939), Auto Antics (1939). The Our Gang shorts became known as The Little Rascals when the began appearing on television in the 1950s. Lee worked as a schoolteacher during most of his adult career, and moved to Minnesota after retiring. • Los Angeles Times, Oct. 23, 2005, B14; New York Times, Oct. 22, 2005, C14; People, Nov. 7, 2005, 98.
LEE, TAMARA Adult film actress Tamara Lee died of complications from AIDS in Whittier, California, on February 3, 2005. She was 35. Lee was born on July 30, 1969. She starred in numerous adult films in the late 1980s and early 1990s including Foolish Pleasures (1988), Torrid House (1989), Secret Cravings (1989), One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Breast (1989), Open House (1989), Live In, Love In (1989), The Invisible Girl (1989), Hotel Paradise (1989), Hard at Work (1989), Cat on a Hot Sin Roof (1989), Born for Porn (1989), Bazooka County 2 (1989), Sex Kittens (1990), New Girls in Town (1990), National Poontang’s Summer Vacation (1990), Haunted Passions (1990), Wild Goose Chase (1991), and Soft Bodies, Curves Ahead (1993). She left films to concentrate on her tours as a dancer at topless clubs.
2005 • Obituaries
Rene Le Hanaff
dale (1934), Port of Shadows (1938), Marcel Carne’s Daybreak (1939), Beating Heart (1940), Who Killed Santa Claus? (1941), Mlle. Desiree (1942), Women Without Names (1949), The Doctor of Stalingrad (1958), Twelve Hours by the Clock (1959), Love Play (1960), and Lafayette (1962). Le Hanaff also directed a dozen films in the 1930s and 1940s including Precious Fools (1937), L’Amant de Borneo (1942), Colonel Chabert (1943), St. Val’s Mystery (1945), Hoboes in Paradise (1946), and Scandale (1948).
LEHMAN, ERNEST Oscar-nominated screenwriter Ernest Lehman died of a heart attack in Los Angeles on July 2, 2005. He was 89. Lehman was born in Manhattan on December 8, 1915, and raised in Woodmere, New York. He graduated from New York’s City College and began writing fiction for popular magazines in the 1930s. Lehman also worked as an assistant to a Broadway gossip columnist in the late 1930s. This experience formed the backdrop for his 1950 novella Tell Me About It Tomorrow. The story was adapted for the 1957 film Sweet Smell of Success starring Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis, with a script by Lehman and Clifford Odets. He also scripted the films The Inside Story (1948), Executive Suite (1954), and Sabrina (1954) which earned him an Oscar nomination. Lehman adapted the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The King and I for the screen in 1956, and scripted the 1956 film Somebody Up There Likes Me. He earned another
Tamara Lee
LE HANAFF, RENE French film director and editor Rene Le Hanaff died in Belley, Ain, France, on January 5, 2005. He was 102. Le Hanaff was born in Saigon, French Indochina (now Vietnam), to French parents in 1902. He began working in films in France in the early sound period, editing Rene Claire’s comedies Under the Roofs of Paris (1930), Liberty for Us (1931), and July 13 (1933). He also edited such films as Le Scan-
Ernest Lehman
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Academy Award nomination for scripting Alfred Hitchcock’s 1959 thriller North by Northwest. He also wrote the 1960 film From the Terrace, and was again nominated for an Oscar for adapting the hit Broadway musical West Side Story for the screen in 1961. He scripted 1963’s The Prize and the hit musical film The Sound of Music starring Julie Andrews in 1965. Lehman wrote and produced the films Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf ? which earned him Oscar nominations for best script and best picture, and for best picture nominee Hello, Dolly! in 1969. Lehman produced, directed and scripted the 1972 adaptation of Philip Roth’s novel Portnoy’s Complaint. He also wrote Family Plot (1976) and Black Sunday (1977). Lehman’s novel The French Atlantic Affair was adapted as a television mini-series in 1979. He also wrote the novel Farewell Performance (1982), and a collection of essays, Screening Sickness and Other Tales of Tinsel Town (1982). He served as president of the Writers Guild West from 1983 to 1985. • Los Angeles Times, July 6, 2005, B10; New York Times, July 6, 2005, C15; Time, July 18, 2005, 25; Times (of London), July 7, 2005, 60; Variety, July 11, 2005, 44.
LEIGH-HUNT, RONALD British character actor Ronald Leigh-Hunt died in England on September 12, 2005. He was 88. Leigh-Hunt was born in London on October 5, 1916. He began his career on stage before making his film debut in Blackout in 1950. He was also featured in the films Tread Softly (1952), Flannelfoot (1952), Colonel March Investigates (1952), Paul Temple Returns (1952), The Broken Horseshoe (1953), Three Steps to the Gallows (1954), Shadow of a Man (1954), Tiger by the Tail (1955), Hi-Jack (1956), Assignment Redhead (1956), The League of Gentlemen (1959), Piccadilly Third Stop (1960), The Hand (1960), Sink the Bismarck! (1960), Oscar Wilde (1960), A Coming-Out Party (1961), We Joined the Navy (1962), The Survivor (1962), The Invisible Asset (1963), Zoo Baby (1964), Seventy Deadly Pills (1964), The Third Secret (1964), The Liquidator (1965), Curse of the Voodoo (1965), Where the Bullets Fly (1966), Khartoum (1966), Hostile Witness (1968), Clegg (1969), Universal Soldier (1971), Le Mans (1971), Baxter! (1973), Mohammed, Messenger of God (1976), The Omen (1976), and Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? (1978). Leigh-Hunt starred as King
Ronald Leigh-Hunt
Arthur in the 1956 television series The Adventures of Sir Lancelot, and was B.J. Thornton in the 1964 series Crossroads. He was Colonel Buchan in the series Freewheelers in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and was Bishop in Emmerdale Farm in 1980. Leigh-Hunt also appeared in the tele-films Melody of Hate (1976), Ike (1979), Lord Peter Wimsey (1987), Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story (1987), and the 1992 adaptation of Frankenstein as Alphonse. His other television credits include episodes of Colonel March of Scotland Yard, The Vise, White Hunter, Sword of Freedom, The New Adventures of Charlie Chan, O.S.S., William Tell, Ivanhoe, Interpol Calling, Four Just Men, The Pursuers, Ghost Squad, Danger Man, The Avengers, Sir Francis Drake, Z Cars as Assistant Chief Constable Harrison, The Saint, The Human Jungle, Detective, Thorndyke, The Saint, The Third Man, The Wednesday Thriller, The Troubleshooters, Redcap, Softly Softly, The Informer, Dixon of Dock Green, Doctor Who, Out of the Unknown, Department S, Special Branch, Van der Valk, Oil Strike North, Warship, The Professionals, Blakes 7, The Enigma Files, Citizen Smith, Minder, Airline, Remington Steele, and One Foot in the Grave. • Times (of London), Sept. 24, 2005, 76.
LEIGHTON, LINDA see JOHNSON, LINDA LEIGHTON, WARNER Film and television editor Warner E. Leighton died in Cambria, California, on March 20, 2005. He was 74. Leighton was born on July 31, 1930. He began his career working as a sound editor in the 1958 Cinerama production of South Seas Adventure. He subsequently moved to television, where he edited the animated cartoons The Flintstones, The Secret Squirrel Show, Space Ghost, Shazzan!, Moby Dick and the Mighty Mightor, The Fantastic Four, and Birdman and the Galaxy Trio. He also edited the animated features Hey There, It’s Yogi Bear (1964) and The Man Called Flintstone (1966). He worked on several films for action director H.B. Halicki including the original Gone in 60 Seconds (1974), The Junkman (1982), and Deadline Auto Theft (1983). Leighton’s other credits include the films The American Dreamer (1971), Wolf Lake (1978), C.H.O.M.P.S. (1979), and The Trouble with Spies (1987), and the tele-film Shootout in a One-Dog Town (1974) and Louis L’Amour’s Down the Long Hills (1986). He also edited the Burt Kennedy Western tele-films Once Upon a Texas Train (1988) and Where the Hell’s That Gold?!!? (1988). Leighton subsequently returned to sound editing, working on Robert Townsend’s Hollywood Shuffle (1987), and the tele-films The Last Innocent Man (1987) and Third Degree Burn (1989). He retired to Durango, Colorado, in the late 1980s. • Variety, Apr. 11, 2005, 59. LEITERMAN, RICHARD Canadian cinematographer Richard Leiterman died in Vancouver, Canada, on July 14, 2005. He was 70. Leiterman worked in films from the early 1960s, serving as director of photography for numerous features, documentaries, and television productions. Leiterman’s film credits include The Field Day (1963), Running Away Backwards (1964), High School (1968), The World of One in Five
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2005 • Obituaries
Richard Leiterman
Tina Leiu
(1969), A Married Couple (1969), Goin’ Down the Road (1970), Rip-Off (1971), Wedding in White (1972), Hamlet (1973), Cavendish Country (1973), Catskinner Keen (1973), Between Friends (1973), Van’s Camp (1974), Thunderbirds in China (1974), Teenage Psycho Killer (1975), Who Has Seen the Wind (1977), Four Portraits (1978) which he also directed, Wild Horse Hank (1979), I, Maureen (1980), Utilities (1981), Surfacing (1981), Ticket to Heaven (1981), Silence of the North (1981), Hail Columbia! (1982), Gulfstream (1982), Mother Lode (1982), Change of Heart (1984), My American Cousin (1985), Rad (1986), And Then You Die (1987), Watchers (1988), State Park (1990), Cadence (1990), Change of Heart (1992), Pocahontas: The Legend (1995), The Ex (1997), Epicenter (2000), and Right Hook: A Tall Tail (2004). Leiterman was also cinematographer for the television productions Cougar (1984), He’s Fired, She’s Hired (1984), Striker’s Mountain (1985), Stone Fox (1987), Bluffing It (1987), Higher Ground (1988), The Squamish Five (1988), The People Across The Lake (1988), Dead Reckoning (1990), Stephen King’s It (1990), And the Sea Will Tell (1991), Blackmail (1991), A Mother’s Justice (1991), City Boy (1992), The Comrades of Summer (1992), To Grandmother’s House We Go (1992), A Killer Among Friends (1992), Without a Kiss Goodbye (1993), Double, Double, Toil and Trouble (1993), No Child of Mine (1993), Witness to the Execution (1994), Don’t Talk to Strangers (1994), The Disappearance of Vonnie (1994), How the West Was Fun (1994), A Christmas Romance (1994), The Cold Heart of a Killer (1996), When Friendship Kills (1996), She Woke Up Pregnant (1996), Talk to Me (1996), Country Justice (1997), In the Arms of Danger (1997), The Alibi (1997), The Right Connections (1997), Cold Squad (1998), Nobody Lives Forever (1998), The Spree (1998), Greener Fields (1998), Hayley Wagner, Star (1999), At the Mercy of a Stranger (1999), and Popcorn with Maple Syrup (2004).
Kickboxing Academy (1997), Devil and Angel (1997), Hell Mountain (1998), and Dark Confessions (1998). She starred as Jenny, the host, in the 2002 television series Hotel Erotica. Billed as Tina Wiseman, she starred in the 2005 film Hey DJ and recorded several dance tracks for the film.
LEIU, TINA
Samoan actress Tina Leiu died of pulmonary edema in Freeport, Bahamas, on February 20, 2005. She was 29. Leiu was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, on September 26, 1975. She began singing and performing professionally in the mid–1990s and was featured in numerous commercial and print ads. She also appeared in the independent films Miami (1997),
LENART, ERNEST German actor Ernest Lenart died in Germany on January 6, 2005. He was 92. He performed on the German stage in the 1930s before fleeing the Nazi regime and settling in the United States. He continued to work as a stage actor and made several appearances in films. His film credits include Target Unknown (1951), Dear Mother, I’m All Right (1972), Seaside, Dusk (2000), and Walk on Water (2004). He also appeared in the 1976 television miniseries 21 Hours at Munich, the 1983 mini-series Wagner, and an episode of the television series Millennium.
Ernest Lenart
LE PERSON, PAUL French actor Paul Le Person died in Paris on August 8, 2005. He was 74. Le Person was born in Argenteul, France, on February 10, 1931. He was a leading performer on the French stage and appeared in over 100 films from the early 1960s. His numerous film credits include A Matter of Resistance (1966), Diamond Safari (1966), A Man and a Woman (1966), Idiot in Paris (1967), Alexander (1967),
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Paul Le Person
The Thief of Paris (1967), Pillaged (1967), The Return of Monte Cristo (1968), The Crook (1970), A Loser (1971), One Is Always Too Good to Women (1972), Mont-Dragon (1971), The Troubles of Alfred (1972), The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe (1972), The Last Train (1973), Violins at the Ball (1974), The Phantom of Liberty (1974), The Return of the Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe (1974), Show Business (1975), Hothead (1979), The Proud Ones (1980), The Wings of the Dove (1981), Neige (1981), The Judge (1984), The Twin (1984), Monsieur de Pourceaugnac (1985), Douce France (1986), L’Autrichienne (1990), The Elegant Criminal (1990), The Last Season (1991), Amour, Amor (1992), The Ebony White Man (1992), Bernie (1996), The Creator (1999), Officer’s Ward (2001), and Viper in the Fist (2004). He was also a frequent performer on French television, starring in the series La Malle de Hambourg (1972), Les Chemins de Pierre (1972), and Bonjour Paris (1976), and television productions of Tartuffe (1971), Les Thibault (1972), Salavin (1975), Le Gentleman des Antipodes (1976), Adios (1976), Take Me to the Ritz (1977), L’Epreuve (1980), Les Mysteres de Paris (1980), Docteur Teyran (1980), Livingstone (1981), Marcheloup (1982), Paris-Saint-Lazare (1982), Manipulations (1984), Les Copains de la Marne (1985), L’Or Noir de Lornac (1987), Talleyrand ou Les Lions de la Revanche (1989), Le Retour d’ Arsene Lupin (1989), Herlock Sholmes s’en Mele (1994), Le Tabatiere de l’Empereur (1995), Le Masque de Jade (1995), Miracle a l’Eldorado (1997), Le Blanc et le Rouge (2000), and L’Evangile selon Aime (2005).
LERRO, ROCCO Italian stuntman and actor Rocco Lerro died in Italy on August 21, 2005. Lerro worked as a stuntman on numerous films from the late 1960s. He appeared in small roles or performed stunt work in such films as Between God, the Devil and a Winchester (1968), Have a Good Funeral, My Friend ... Sartana Will Pay (1970), Heads I Kill You, Tails You’re Dead! They Call Me Hallalujah (1971), Sting of the West (1972), And They Smelled the Strange, Exciting, Dangerous Scent of Dollars (1973), The Citizen Rebels (1974), Watch Out, We’re Mad (1974), The Loves and Times of Scaramouche (1975), Crime Busters (1976), Django Rides Again (1976), Cipolla Colt (1976), The Con Artists (1976), Drug Street (1977), Counterfeit Commandos (1977), The Cynic, the Rat and the Fist (1977), Emanu-
Rocco Lerro (left, with director Enzo Castellari and actor Fabio Testa)
elle and the Girls of Madame Claude (1978), The Humanoid (1979), The Shark Hunter (1979), From Corleone to Brooklyn (1979), The House by the Edge of the Lake (1979), Dr. Butcher, M.D. (1980), Day of the Cobra (1980), 1990: The Bronx Warriors (1982), Atilla (1982), The Raiders of Atlantis (1983), Hercules (1983), Deadly Impact (1984), Taureg: The Desert Warrior (1984), Light Blast (1985), Brothers in Blood (1986), The Secret of the Sahara (1987), and Leviathan (1989).
LESBERG, JACK Jazz bassist Jack Lesberg died of complications from Alzheimer’s disease at the Lillian Booth Actor’s Home in Englewood, New Jersey, on September 17, 2005. He was 85. Lesberg was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on February 14, 1920. He played in numerous local clubs from the 1930s and was a survivor the fire at the Cocoanut Grove nightclub there that killed nearly 500 people in 1942. Lesberg moved to New York in 1943, where he performed with such artists as Eddie Condon, Benny Goodman, and Earl “Fatha” Hines. He began playing with Louis Armstrong’s orchestra in the late 1940s, and toured with the Armstrong All Stars. He also performed with the New York City Symphony Orchestra under Leonard Bernstein. Lesberg was heard on the soundtracks for several films including Funny Girl (1968), Silent Movie (1976), and Everyone Says I Love You (1996). • Los Angeles Times, Oct. 6, 2005, B11; New York Times, Oct. 5, 2005, B10; Times (of London), Oct. 13, 2005, 70.
Jack Lesberg (right, with Jack Teagarden)
227 LESHAY, JEROME Television producer and director Jerome Leshay died of respirator failure in Los Angeles on December 8, 2005. He was 79. Leshay was born in New York City on February 28, 1926. He began his career in television at CBS, where he worked on such series as The Judy Garland Show, The Jack Benny Show, The George Gobel Show, Playhouse 90, and Art Linkletter’s House Party. Leshay was also assistant director for the 1970 drama A Storm in Summer starring Peter Ustinov. He produced the British television series Let There Be Love in the 1970s, and directed episodes of Fernwood 2Night, America 2Night, and the daytime soap opera The Days of Our Lives. Leshay was also a composer whose songs include “The Sands of Time” and “Nice Girls Don’t Stay for Breakfast.” He was a director for NBC Studios in Burbank during the 1980s before his retirement in 1990. • Variety, Jan. 2, 2006, 36. LESSER, JULIAN “BUD” Film producer Julian “Bud” Lesser died of cancer in Rancho Mirage, California, on March 22, 2005. He was 90. He was born in San Francisco, California, on January 18, 1915, the son of producer Sol Lesser. The younger Lesser was an assistant producer on his father’s 1948 film Tarzan and the Mermaids, and produced several films in the 1940s and 1950s including Michael O’Halloran (1948), Massacre River (1949), Whispering Smith Vs. Scotland Yard (1951), Jungle Headhunters (1951), Death of an Angel (1952), and The Saint’s Girl Friday (1953). He also produced the 1956 television series Bold Journey. • Los Angeles Times, Mar. 24, 2005, B11.
2005 • Obituaries
was a voice performer in the 1970 tele-film Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town. Health problems forced her retirement from the voice field in the 1970s.
LEVENTHAL , HAROLD Folk music promoter and producer Harold Leventhal died at a New York City hospital on October 4, 2005. He was 86. Leventhal was born in Ellenville, New York, on May 24, 1919. He began working as a music promoter in the 1950s, showcasing the Weavers and Woody Guthrie. He also promoted Bob Dylan’s early concerts, and worked with Arlo Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Johnny Cash, Joan Baez, Harry Belafonte, Peter, Paul and Mary, and the Mamas and the Papas. He was an associate producer for Arlo Guthrie’s 1969 film Alice’s Restaurant, and produced the 1976 Oscar-nominated film biography of Woody Guthrie, Bound for Glory. He was also producer of the documentaries The Weavers: Wasn’t That a Time (1982), Woody Guthrie: Hard Travelin’ (1984), and We Shall Overcome (1989). Leventhal earned a Grammy Award for producing the 1989 album Folkways: A Vision Shared — A Tribute to Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly. • Los Angeles Times, Oct. 7, 2005, B11; New York Times, Oct. 6, 2005, B10; Time, Oct. 17, 2005, 27; Times (of London), Oct. 7, 2005, 77.
LESTER , ROBIE Singer and actress Robie Lester died of cancer in a Burbank, California, hospital on June 14, 2005. She was 75. Lester worked as a Disneyland Story Reader on Disney’s seven-inch book and record sets for seven years. She performed on numerous recordings including the title song of the 1964 film The Three Lives of Thomasina, and the Sandpipers’ hit recording, “Guantanamera,” in 1966. She was the voice of Polly Plum in the 1963 cartoon series The Funny Company, and was a voice performer in the series Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo and Devlin. She was the singing voice for Eva Gabor for the Disney films The Aristocats (1970) and The Rescuers (1977), and
LEVEY, STAN Jazz drummer Stan Levey died of complications from surgery for jaw cancer in a Van Nuys, California, hospital on April 19, 2005. He was
Robie Lester
Stan Levey
Harold Leventhal
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79. Levey was born on April 5, 1926. He began performing with Dizzy Gillespie’s band in Philadelphia in the early 1940s. He later moved to New York where he performed with Oscar Pettiford. Levey also played in bands headed by Woody Herman and Benny Goodman, and spent two years with Stan Kenton’s orchestra in the early 1950s. He settled in Los Angeles in 1954, where he worked as a studio musician on numerous albums, and film and television soundtracks. • Los Angeles Times, Apr. 22, 2005, B9; New York Times, May 15, 2005, 35; Times (of London), Apr. 27, 2005, 65.
LEVI -TANAI , SARA Israeli choreographer Sara Levi-Tanai died in a Ramat Gan, Israel, hospital on October 3, 2005. She was 94. She was born in Jerusalem in 1911. She worked as a music teacher and organized holiday pageants during World War II. She began training Jewish refugees from Yemen later in the decade and formed the Sara Levi-Tanai company in 1949. The company soon became known as the Inbal Dance Theater, which toured Europe and the United States in the 1950s. The troupe incorporated Yemenite rituals and folk customs in its performances. She continued to lead Inbal until 1991, when her frequent quarrels with political officials led to her ouster as artistic director. Levi-Tanai continued her career as a teacher and lecturer and her notable works, including Yemenite Wedding and The Story of Ruth, were often staged. • New York Times, Oct. 6, 2005, B10.
Sara Levi-Tanai
Mariana Levy
LEWINE, RICHARD Television producer and Broadway composer Richard Lewine died in New York City on May 19, 2005. He was 94. Lewine was born on July 28, 1920. He composed music for Broadway productions dating back to the 1930s including The Fireman’s Flame (1937), Naughty Naught ’00 (1939), Make Mine Manhattan (1948), and The Girls Against the Boys (1959). Lewine also produced the 1959 Broadway play Look to the Lillies. He joined CBS as vice-president in charge of color in 1957, producing Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella with Julie Andrews. He also produced television productions of Aladdin and several specials featuring Noel Coward including Together with Music, Blithe Spirit, and This Happy Breed. He also produced the network’s The Young People’s Concerts with Leonard Bernstein. Lewine became an independent producer in the early 1960s, and produced the ABC music series Hootenanny in 1963. He earned an Emmy Award for producing Barbra Streisand’s first television special My Name Is Barbra in 1965. His other television productions include 1965’s The Dangerous Christmas of Robin Hood starring Liza Minnelli, Rick Nelson’s On the Flipside and the musical tribute Rodgers and Hart Today. Lewine was also the author of the reference work The Encyclopedia of Theater Music: A Comprehensive Listing of More Than 4,000 Songs from Broadway and Hollywood. • Los Angeles Times, May 25, 2005, B14; New York Times, May 26, 2005, C18; Variety, May 30, 2005, 44.
LEVY, MARIANA Mexican television actress Mariana Levy died of a heart attack on a Mexico City street when an assailant attempted to steal her watch. She was 39. Levy was born in Mexico City on April 22, 1965, the daughter of news personality Talina Fernandez. She began her career as a singer in the 1980s and soon became a leading actress on Mexican television. She appeared in numerous series including Vivir Enamorada (1982), Martin Garatuza (1986), En Came Propia (1991), La Ultima Esperanza (1995), Leonela (1997), La Casa en la Playa (2000), Nuestra Casa (2002), and Amor Real (2003). She also appeared in several films including Rapunsell (1986), Sonata de Luna (1992), and Loving Ghosts (1994). Richard Lewine
229 LEWIS , LEONARD British television producer and director Leonard Lewis died in England on December 2, 2005. He was 78. Lewis was born in Tottenham, North London, on November 29, 1927. He began his career in the theater before joining the BBC in 1957. He worked with BBC Scotland until coming to London in 1963, where he directed such series as Z Cars, Softly Softly, Barlow at Large, and Adam Adamant Lives!. He also produced and directed the 1973 miniseries Jack the Ripper and the 1976 series Where the Boat Comes In. He moved to Yorkshire Television in 1979 where he produced the historical drama series Flamards. He also worked freelance, producing The Good Companions, EastEnders, and Rockliffe’s Babies, and directing productions of The Wilde Alliance (1978), Tales of the Unexpected (1979), Juliet Bravo (1980), The Good Companions (1980), The Chinese Detective (1981), The Prisoner of Zenda (1984), Brat Farrar (1986), and The Franchise Affair (1988). LICHFIELD, EARL OF Lord Lichfield, England’s photographic chronicler of the Swinging 60s and official photographer of the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana in 1981, died of complications of a stroke in a London hospital on November 11, 2005. He was born Thomas Patrick John Anson on April 25, 1939. His mother, Princess Anne of Denmark, was the first cousin of Queen Elizabeth. He inherited the title of Lord Lichfield, becoming the 5th Earl after the death of his grandfather in 1960. He had an avid interest in photography from an early age and began working for Life and Queen magazines in the early 1960s. He was noted for numerous portraits of such celebrities as Mick Jagger, Roman Polanski, Margaret Thatcher, and Duke and Duchess of Windsor. He also photographed scantily clad models for calenders and did fashion photography for Vogue. Lichfield produced many photographic albums including The Most Beautiful Women (1981), A Royal Album (1982), and Hot Foot to Zabriskie Point (1985). His autobiography, Not the Whole Truth, was published in 1986. • Los Angeles Times, Nov. 12, 2005, B17; New York Times, Nov. 12, 2005, A13; Time, Nov. 21, 2005, 27; Times (of London), Nov. 12, 2005, 75.
2005 • Obituaries
LI-LI LI Veteran Chinese actress Li-li Li died in Beijing, China, on August 7, 2005. She was 90. Lili Li was born Qian Zhenzhen in Zhejiang, China, on June 2, 1915. She made her film debut at the age of 11 in a small role in The Hidden Hero of Yan Mountains (1926). She moved to Shanghai in 1927 and trained as a dancer. She was a leading actress in Chinese films in the 1930s, appearing in Volcano in the Blood (1932), Small Toys (1933), Daybreak (1933), The Big Road (1934), The Wolf Hill (1936), and Fight to the Last (1938). After her film career ended she became a teacher at the Beijing Film Academy.
Li-Li Li
LINDERT, CHRISTOPH German actor Christoph Lindert died in Germany on August 28, 2005. He was 67. Lindert was born in Dortmund, Germany, on July 10, 1938. He was a leading actor in film and television in Germany from the 1970s. Lindert appeared in the films The Willi Busch Report (1979), The Edge of Darkness (1983), Der Schlaf der Vernunft (1984), Making Contact (1985), Justiz (1993), and FotoSynthese (2005). He also appeared in television productions of Spare Parts (1979), Barriers (19870), Stella (1982), Tatort— Der Pott (1989), Die Schnelle Gerdi (1989), Todiches Alibi (1997), and Der Gerade Weg (1999).
Christoph Lindert Earl of Lichfield
LINDTNER, LOTHAR Norwegian actor Lothar Lindtner died in Bergen, Norway, on April 14,
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Lothar Lindtner
Reggie “The Crusher” Lisowski
2005. He was 87. Lindtner was born in Bergen on July 22, 1917. He made his debut on stage at the age of eight in 1925. He performed primarily on the Norwegian stage from the 1930s, appearing with the Trondelag Theater. He also appeared in a handful of films during his career including The Stranger (1951), Millionaer for en Aften (1960), Hans Nielsen Hauge (1961), Bussen (1961), Exit (1970), The Witch Hunt (1981), and Kalle Och Anglama (1993). He also starred as Hjalmar Mjelde in the television series Offshore from 1999 to 2000.
tle while serving in the U.S. Army during World War II. He made his professional wrestling debut in November of 1949. He wrestled from the 1950s through the 1980s, often teaming with Dick the Bruiser. He captured championships throughout the United States and Canada. He defeated Verne Gagne for the AWA Title in July of 1963, but lost the belt back to Gagne in a rematch later in the month. He again won the AWA belt over Gagne in November of 1963, but Gagne reclaimed the belt the following month. Crusher teamed with Dick the Bruiser to capture the AWA World Tag Title from Ivan and Karol Kalmikoff in August of 1963. They were defeated for the belt by Verne Gagne and Moose Evans in February of 1964. They reclaimed the title later in the month and held the belts until their defeat by Larry Hennig and Harley Race in January of 1965. He teamed with Verne Gagne to take the belts back from Hennig and Race in July of 1965, but they lost a rematch the following month. Crusher defeated Mad Dog Vachon for the AWA Title in August of 1965. He was defeated by Vachon for the championship in November of 1965. Crusher reteamed with Dick the Bruiser for another successful championship bid against Hennig and Race in May of 1966. They lost the belts in a rematch in January of 1967. They held the WWA Tag Team Title several times in 1967. They were again AWA champions following their defeat of Mitsu Arakawa and Dr. Moto in December of 1968. They were defeated for the belts by Mad Dog and Butcher Vachon in August of 1969. Crusher replaced the late Hercules Cortez as Red Bastien’s partner in August of 1971, and they remained AWA World Tag Team champions until their defeat by Nick Bockwinkel and Ray Stevens in January of 1972. Crusher teamed with Billy Robinson in July of 1974 to beat Bockwinkel and Stevens for the title, but lost the rematch in October of 1974. Crusher again paired with Dick the Bruiser to beat Bockwinkel and Stevens in August of 1975. They held the belts until their defeat by Blackjack Lanza and Bobby Duncum in July of 1976. Crusher teamed with Tommy Rich to briefly hold the NWA Georgia Tag Team Title in September of 1979. Crusher made his final successful bid for the AWA tag belts with Baron Von Raschke in May of 1984, defeating Jerry Blackwell and Ken Patera for the belts. They relinquished the
LISKI, PAAVO Finnish actor Paavo Liski died in Helsinki, Finland, on November 8, 2005. He was 66. Liski was born in Vuoksela, Finland, on July 4, 1939. He was active in films from the late 1970s, appearing in such features as Poet and Muse (1978), The Unknown Soldier (1985), Petos (1988), The Champion (1992), Aapo (1994), Good Deeds (1997), Gold Fever in Lapland (1999), Puu Kulkee (2000), The Life of Aleksis Kivi (2002), Sibelius (2003), Joensuun Elli (2004), and Shadow of the Eagle (2005).
Paavo Liski
LISOWSKI , REGGIE “THE CRUSHER ” Reggie Lisowski, who was one of professional wrestling’s greatest brawlers, the Crusher, died of complications from surgery to remove a brain tumor in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on October 22, 2005. He was 79. Lisowski was born on July 11, 1926. He learned to wres-
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title to the Road Warriors in August of 1984. Crusher suffered from a heart attack in September of 1991, but recovered. • Los Angeles Times, Nov. 1, 2005, B9.
LITTLE MILTON Blues signer and musician Little Milton Campbell died of complications from a stroke in a Memphis, Tennessee, hospital, on August 4, 2005. He was 70. He was born James Milton Campbell in Inverness, Mississippi, on September 7, 1934. The son of a musician, Big Milton Campbell, he learned guitar at an early age. He was discovered by Ike Turner in the 1950s, who sent him to Sam Phillips at Sun Records. His early songs didn’t produce any hits, but he had a popular success with “I’m a Lonely Man” in 1958. His combination of R&B, blues and soul, led to other hits in the 1960s including “We’re Gonna Make It,” “Who’s Cheating Who,” “Grits Ain’t Groceries,” and “Feel So Bad.” He signed with Stax Records in 1971, and performed at the Wattstax concert in Los Angeles in 1972. He also recorded “Walking the Back Streets and Cryin’“ and “That’s What Love Will Make You Do” before the label went bankrupt in 1976. He continued to record under the Malaco label in the 1980s, producing over a dozen albums including the 2000 Grammy Award nominee Welcome to Little Milton. • Los Angeles Times, Aug. 6, 2005, B16; New York Times, Aug. 5, 2005, B7; Times (of London), Aug. 9, 2005, 48; Variety, Aug. 15, 2005, 48.
Goffredo Lombardo
Gustavo Lombardo, the founder of Titanus Films, and silent film star Leda Gys. He succeeded his father as head of Titanus and also produced numerous films in the 1950s and 1960s. His film credits include Africa Under the Seas (1953), The Naked Maja (1959), Rocco and His Brothers (1960), The Angel Wore Red (1960), The Golden Arrow (1962), Family Diary (1962), The Last Days of Sodom and Gomorrah (1962), Arturo’s Island (1962), The Four Days of Naples (1962), The Shortest Day (1962), The Fiances (1963), Luchino Visconti’s The Leopard (1963), Tiko and the Shark (1964), and Malamondo (1964). Lombardo worked primarily in television from the 1980s, producing such television productions as Maria: Daughter of Her Son (2000) and Anna (2000). • Times (of London), Mar. 18, 2005, 79; Variety, Feb. 14, 2005, 55.
LOPES DIAS, EMMY Dutch television actress Emmy Lopes Dias died in Laren, the Netherlands, on March 25, 2005. She was 85. Lopez Dias was born in Hilversum, the Netherlands, on August 4, 1919. She was a familiar face on Dutch television from the 1950s, starring in numerous series including Swiebertje (1955), De Kleine Waarheid (1970), Q en Q (1974), and Spanning in Slagharen (1988). Little Milton
LOHIKOSKI, ARMAND Finnish film director Armand Lohikoski died in Helsinki, Finland, on March 20, 2005. He was 93. Lohikoski was born in Astoria, Oregon, on January 3, 1912. He began his career as an actor in the early 1940s, appearing in several Finnish films including Synnin Puumerkki (1942) and Varjoja Kannaksella (1943). Lohikoski began directing and writing films with 1953’s Me Tulemme Taas. He was best known for directing over ten films the series of Pekka at Patka comedies in the 1950s starring Esa Pakarinen and Masa Niemi. He also directed documentaries and shorts through the 1960s. LOMBARDO, GOFFREDO
Italian film producer Goffredo Lombardo died in a hospital in Rome on February 2, 2005. He was 84. Lombardo was born in Naples, Italy, on May 15, 1920. He was the son of
Emmy Lopes Dias
LOPEZ , MARGA Argentine-born Mexican actress Marga Lopez died of complications from a heart attack in a Mexico City hospital on July 4, 2005. She
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Marga Lopez
was 81. She was born Catalina Margarita Lopez Ramos in San Miguel, Argentina, on June 21, 1924, and came to Mexico in her teens. She became a leading actress in Mexican cinema in the 1940s, appearing in such films as Mama Ines (1946), Las Colegialas (1946), Los Tres Garcia (1947), Soledad (1947), Midnight (1949), Callejera (1949), Love for Love (1950), Arrabalera (1951), Tres Hombres en mi Vida (1952), Un Rincon Cerca del Cielo (1952), Mi Adorada Clementina (1953), A Doll’s House (154), The Delivery (1954), After the Storm (1955), Arm in Arm Down the Street (1956), The Third Word (1956), Boy’s Town (1957), Beneath the Sky of Mexico (1958), My Wife Understands Me (1959), Nazarin (1959), My Mother Is Guilty (1960), Behind the Clouds (1962), When It Finishes the Night (1964), Sinful (1965), Time to Die (1966), Youth Without Law (1966), Crown of Tears (1968), Agony to Be a Mother (1969), Mothers’ Day (1969), and The Book of Stone (1969). She continued to appear often in films and television productions in character roles during her later career. She was seen in the films The Professor (1971), Rosario (1971), Dona Macabra (1972), La Carcel de Laredo (1985), and Reclusorio (1997), and in such television series as El Juramento, Anoranza, Alondra, The Bonds of Love, The Privilege of Loving, La Casa en la Playa, Carita de Angel, Aventuras en el Tiempo, El Manantial, and 2003’s Bajo la Misma Piel. • Times (of London), July 19, 2005, 2005, 48; Variety, July 18, 2005, 48.
LORING, ANN Actress Ann Loring died of complications from a stroke in New York City on July 10, 2005. She was 91. Loring was born in New York City on January 17, 1914. She appeared in several films in the 1930s including The Robin Hood of El Dorado (1936) and Absolute Quiet (1936). She performed on numerous radio productions and was featured in an episode of the television science fiction series Tales of Tomorrow in 1951. Loring starred as Tammy Forrest in the daytime soap opera Love of Life from 1956 to 1970. She earned Emmy Awards for her work in the series in 1961, 1962, and 1963. • Variety, July 18, 2005, 48. LORING, RICHARD Songwriter Richard Loring died of cancer in a Los Angeles hospital on August 28, 2005. He was 88. Loring was born in Chicago, Illinois, on July 23, 1917. He began his career at NBC
Ann Loring (with Robert Allen from television’s Tales of Tomorrow)
before joining the music depart at Paramount. Loring was co-writer of the popular 1940s song “Deacon Jones.” He later moved to Universal where he was a voice coach for such actors as Rock Hudson and Burt Lancaster. Often working with lyricist Diane Lampert, he wrote songs for several films including the animated Snow Queen (1957), The Perfect Furlough (1958), Operation Petticoat (1959), The Wild and the Innocent (1959), and Disney’s Toby Tyler (1960). Loring also wrote the theme song for William Castle’s 1959 horror film House on Haunted Hill. • Los Angeles Times, Sept. 8, 2005, B8; Variety, Sept. 12, 2005, 81.
Richard Loring
LOUDERMILK, SHERMAN Film and television art director Sherman Loudermilk died of complications from Alzheimer’s disease in an Escondido, California, convalescent home on April 30, 2005. He was 92. Loudermilk was born in Leon, Texas, on October 4, 1912. He moved to California in 1934 where he studied art. He served as a marine combat artist during World War II. After the war he began working in television as an art director for the local KTLA television station, building sets for early television productions. In the late 1940s Loudermilk also took an on air role at the station, hosting a Western children’s show as Cowboy Slim. Loudermilk was art director for the game show The Newlywed Game in the 1960s. He also worked
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Sherman Loudermilk
Klara Luchko
on the films Moving Violation (1976) and One on One (1977), and the tele-films Love Is Not Enough (1978), The Last Convertible (1979), and The Secret War of Jackie’s Girls (1980). His other television credits include the series Centennial (1978), Galactica 1980, Simon & Simon, and The A-Team.
popular film star from the late 1940s and was featured in such movies as Three Encounters (1948), The Young Guard (1948), Cossacks of the Kuban (1949), Miners of the Don (1950), Vashili’s Return (1952), Hostile Whirlwinds (1953), A Big Family (1954), Close to Us (1957), Life in Your Hands (1959), A Snowy Fairy Tale (1959), Four Winds of Heaven (1962), State Offender (1964), Year as Long as Life (1965), The Mistaken (1966), Dream of an Uncle (1966), The Loves of Liszt (1970), Country House (1973), Gnev (1974), There, Beyond the Horizon (1975), Don’t Leave Your Lovers (1979), The Casket of Maria Medici (1980), Carnival (1981), Before We Part (1984), A Game Called Death, Or The Intruder (1991), Am I Guilty... (1992), Eyes (1992), and Solnechny Udar (2003). She also starred in numerous television productions including We, the Undersigned (1981), Investigator by Profession (1982), Return of Budulai (1985), The Unlike (1985), and Voydi v Kazhdyy Dom (1990).
LOZANO , MARIO Argentine actor Mario Lozano died in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on November 30, 2005. He was 91. Lozano was born in Buenos Aires on December 13, 1913. He appeared in numerous films from the late 1940s including La Dama del Collar (1948), Maria de los Angeles (1948), Mercado Negro (1953), The Sacred Call (1954), Descent into Hell (1954), La Noche de Venus (1955), Baccara (1955), El Dinero de Dios (1959), La Potranca (1960), El Asalto (1960), La Calesita (1963), Un Sueno y Nada Mas (1964), The Escaped (1964), Savage Pampas (1966), Muhair (1968), Amalio Reyes, un Hombre (1970), Los Drogadictos (1979), The Unpredictable Guy (1980), The South (1988), Martin Fierro (1989), Gatica, el Mono (1993), A Shadow You Soon Will Be (1994), and The Call of the Oboe (1998).
LUDWIG, IRVING Disney film executive Irving Ludwig died at his home in Santa Monica, California, on November 26, 2005. He was 95. Ludwig was born in Lutck, Russia, on November 3, 1910, and came to the United States in 1920. He began working as an usher at the Rivole Theatre in the late 1920s and rose to become manager of the theater. He began working for the Walt Disney Co. in 1940 and was instrumental in managing the distribution of the animated classic Fantasia. Ludwig also helped launch such Dis-
Mario Lozano
LUCHKO, KLARA Leading Russian actress Klara Luchko died in Moscow on March 26, 2005. She was 79. Luchko was born in Chutovo, Ukraine (then part of the Soviet Union) on July 1, 1925. She was a
Irving Ludwig
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ney features as The Absent Minded Professor, The Shagg y Dog, The Parent Trap, Mary Poppins, and The Love Bug. He was also instrumental in the creation of Disney’s distribution company, Buena Vista, serving as president from 1959 until his retirement in 1980. • Variety, Dec. 5, 2005, 65.
LUFT, SID Film producer Sid Luft, who was married to Judy Garland, died of a heart attack in Santa Monica, California, on September 15, 2005. He was 89. Luft was born in New York City on November 2, 1915. He produced several films in the late 1940s including Kilroy Was Here (1947) and French Leave (1948). Luft became involved with Judy Garland after she had been released from her MGM contract in 1950 and her career was on the decline. He and Garland married in 1952, and he produced her comeback film, A Star Is Born, in 1954. Garland earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for her role opposite James Mason. Luft also produced television specials for Ms. Garland on General Electric Theater and Ford Star Jubilee in the 1950s. Luft and Garland had two children during their marriage, singer Lorna and Joey. The couple were often separated during their turbulent 13-year marriage, which ended in divorce in 1965. Luft later married Patti Hemingway in 1970, which also ended in divorce. He married actress Camille Keaton in 1993. • Los Angeles Times, Sept. 17, 2005, B17; New York Times, Sept. 17, 2005, A16; People, Oct. 3, 2005; 89; Times (of London), Sept. 21, 2005, 68; Variety, Sept. 26, 2005, 71.
Tamara Lund
Sommarflickan became a television series in 1976. Lundgren also wrote the Swedish television mini-series Bombi Bitt and Me (1968), Frida och Hennes Van (1970), Pojken med Guldbyxoma (1975), Skanska Mord (1986), and Torntuppen (1996). His novel Dubbelspel was adapted as the film Capricciosa in 2003.
Max Lundgren
LUNN, NINA Socialite and former film starlet Nina Lunn Black died of congestive heart failure at her home in Washington, D.C., on March 1, 2005. She was 80. Lunn was born in Wheeling, West Virginia, on March 15, 1924. She had a brief film career in the 1940s, Sid Luft (with Judy Garland)
LUND, TAMARA Finnish singer and actress Tamara Lund died of cancer in Turku, Finland, on July 21, 2005. She was 64. Lund was born in Turku on January 6, 1941. A leading operetta singer, Lund performed often in Germany during her career. She was featured in several films including Kun Tuomi Kukkii (1962), Paamaja (1970), Rosemaries Tochter (1976), Casanova (1981), and Victoria and Her Hussar (1982). LUNDGREN , MAX Swedish novelist and screenwriter Max Lundgren died in Sweden on May 27, 2005. He was 68. Lundgren was born in Landskrona, Sweden, on March 22, 1937. He adapted his novel A Stranger Came by Train for film in 1974 and his novel
Nina Lunn
235 appearing in the 1947 George S. Kaufman comedy The Senator Was Indiscreet. She had a small role in the drama film Up in Central Park the following year. She also worked as Kaufman’s assistant for several years. Lunn became a leading hostess and social figure in Washington in the 1950s and 1960s. She subsequently lived in Palm Springs, Florida, and Scottsdale, Arizona, before her return to Washington in 1992.
LUPINO, RICHARD Actor and writer Richard Lupino died on non–Hodgkin’s lymphoma in New York City on February 19, 2005. He was 75. He was the son of actor Wallace Lupino and cousin of famed actress and director Ida Lupino. Richard Lupino was born in New York City in on October 29, 1929, and raised in England. He attended the London Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. He made his film debut as a child actor in 1940’s Just William. He later appeared in such films as That Forsyte Woman (1949), Kim (1950), Royal Wedding (1951), Rhapsody (1954), Strategic Air Command (1955), The Marauders (1955), Never So Few (1959), and Midnight Lace (1960). He also performed often on stage, appearing in numerous regional productions and on Broadway in such plays as Home Is the Hero, Sherlock Holmes, Conduct Unbecoming, and Amadeus. He also appeared on television in episodes of The 20th Century–Fox Hour, Four Star Playhouse, Shirley Temple’s Storybook, One Step Beyond, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Twilight Zone, Swamp Fox, Thriller, Storyboard, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, The New Phil Silvers Show, The Lux Video Theatre, The Great Adventure, Spyforce, Boney, Over There, Number 96, Three Men of the City, and Ryan. • New York Times, Mar. 10, 2005, A25.
2005 • Obituaries
LUX, EVA Adult actress Eva Lux died in Los Angeles of a drug overdose on September 18, 2005. She was 32. Lux was born Felicia Blake on May 3, 1973. She was a fetish model and was featured in numerous adult films over the past several years including Doctor’s Orders and Teacher’s Pet.
Eva Lux
LUX, LILLIAN Yiddish actress and singer Lillian Lux died of congestive heart failure in a Manhattan hospital on June 11, 2005. She was 86. She was born Lillian Lukashefsky in Brooklyn, New York, on June 20, 1918. She began performing with the Yiddish Art Theater as a child. She met actor Pesach Burstein in 1935 and went on tour with him in South America. The two were married in 1938. She and Burstein performed throughout the world, notably in the operetta A Village Wedding. The couple also performed with their two children as the Four Bursteins. They were the subject of a 2002 documentary, The Komediant, which was narrated by Lux. She also starred in the stage production, The Megilla of Itzik Manger, a musical version of the Biblical tale of the Book of Esther, which was performed on Broadway in a Yiddish-English production in 1968. She continued to perform on stage after her husband’s death in 1986. • Los Angeles Times, June 17, 2005, B10; New York Times, June 15, 2005, C20.
Richard Lupino
LUTHER, BARBARA Author Barbara Luther died of pneumonia in an Annandale, Maryland, health facility on August 27, 2005. She was 94. Luther was born in Newport, Rhode Island, on July 6, 1911. She moved to Washington, D.C., in the late 1940s, where she was active in the Democratic Party. Luther was also a writer and poet. Her short story, Moonwalk, which was originally published in Ladies Home Journal, was adapted for film as A Ticklish Affair with Shirley Jones and Gigi Young in 1963.
Lillian Lux
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LYKES , JOHN Character actor John Lykes died on February 19, 2005. He was 59. Lykes was born on June 2, 1945. The burly, bald performer was seen in such films as Prime Risk (1984), Beyond the Doors (1984), Moving Violations (1985), and Tapeheads (1988). He was also featured in episodes of such television series as Alice, Night Court, Fame, Hunter, Murder, She Wrote, Good Grief, MacGyver, and Home Improvement.
Moura Lympany
Times, Apr. 6, 2005, C20; Times (of London), Mar. 31, 2005, 58.
John Lykes
LYMBURN , GEORGE George Lymburn, a bomber pilot and prisoner of war during World War II who became a film and television actor, died of complications from cancer and a stroke in a Oakland, California, retirement home on April 7, 2005. He was 81. Lymburn was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on October 20, 1923. He joined the Army Air Force during World War II, and commanded a B-24 bomber. Lymburn’s plane was shot down over Berlin in March of 1944 and he remained a prisoner of war in Germany for over a year. After his return to the United States he studied acting and appeared on television in episodes of Playhouse 90, The Fugitive, and Bewitched. He also worked in community theater in Southern California as an actor, director, and producer. He also produced and directed numerous educations and corporate films. Lymburn authored a book, That’s My B-24! and produced a video, Just Trying to Stay Alive, about his experiences during the war. He also worked as an extra in several films including The Natural, Mrs. Doubtfire, Basic Instinct, and The Rock, where he was a double for Sean Connery. LYMPANY, MOURA British concert pianist Moura Lympany died in Menton, France, on March 28, 2005. She was 88. She was born Mary Gertrude Johnstone in Saltash, Cornwall, England, on August 18, 1916. She began playing the piano at an early age and made her concert debut under conductor Basil Cameron at the age of 12. She continued to study in Vienna and London, and began an international concert career after World War II. She was noted for her interpretations and recordings of such composers as Rachmaninoff, Khachaturian, Alan Rawsthorne, and Cyril Scott. Lympany continued her career through her life. She authored her autobiography in 1991. • New York
LYNDS , DENNIS Mystery writer Dennis Lynds died of septic shock brought on by bowel necrosis and multiorgan failure in a San Francisco hospital on August 19, 2005. He was 81. Lynds was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on January 15, 1924. A chemist, he edited several technical publications for the chemical industry from the late 1940s. He began writing mystery and detective stories in the early 1960s. He was soon hired by Belmont Books to ghost-write eight novels in Walter Gibson’s pulp hero series The Shadow. Lynds, under the pen name Michael Collins, created the hard-boiled one-armed detective Dan Fortune, who was the hero of over twenty of his novels from 1965’s Act of Fear through 2000’s Fortune’s World. The series earned the author an Edgar Award in 1968. Lynds then used the name of William Arden to author industrial espionage thrillers and entries in the juvenile series Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators. He also created private eye Paul Shaw under the name Mark Sadler. Writing as John Crowe, he also created a series of mysteries set in the fictional Buena Vista County in California. Other pseudonyms he wrote under included John Douglas, Carl Dekker, and Walter Dallas. Lynds also wrote adaptations of the television series Alfred Hitchcock Presents and Man from U.N.C.L.E., and authored the novelization of the tele-film Charlie Chan
Dennis Lynds
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2005 • Obituaries
Returns in 1974. He also wrote numerous books in the Nick Carter series, and such notable novels as Triple Cross (1976), White Death (1985), Mercenary Mountain (1986), and Blood of the Falcon (1987). • Los Angeles Times, Aug. 25, 2005, B10; New York Times, Aug. 24, 2005, C16.
MACCLOY, JUNE Actress and singer June MacCloy died in Sonoma, California, on May 25, 2005. She was 95. She was born in Sturgis, Michigan, on June 2, 1909. She began her career on the New York stage performing in George White’s ninth Scandals in 1928. She appeared in several vaudeville shows before signing a career with Paramount Pictures to make short films. She made her film debut in United Artists’ Reaching for the Moon (1930) with Bebe Daniels and Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. She also appeared in the films June Moon (1931) with Jack Oakie and The Big Gamble (1931). MacCloy also appeared in numerous short films in the early 1930s including several of The Gay Girls comedy shorts, which starred Marion Shilling and Gertrude Short and some of which were directed by scandalized comedian Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle under the name William Goodrich. They included June First (1931), Take ’Em & Shake ’Em (1931), Easy to Get (1931), Only Men Wanted (1932), Gigolettes (1932), and Niagara Falls (1932). She also appeared in the shorts Laugh It Off (1932), Foolish Forties (1932), and Good Morning, Eve (1934) with Leon Erroll. She subsequently returned to New York, where she performed in Florenz Ziegfeld’s last production, Hot-Cha in 1932. She was briefly married to trumpeter Otts Whiteman in the 1930s before resuming her film career in 1940’s Glamour for Sale. She made her final film performance in 1940’s Go West as Groucho Marx’s seductress Lulubelle. She then retired from acting after her marriage to architect Neal Wendell Butler. She is survived by her two children, Newton and Neala Butler. • Los Angeles Times, May 15, 2005, B14; Variety, May 23, 2005, 52.
Gilbert Mack
vaudeville and was heard on radio in such series as Inner Sanctum and Dick Tracy. He also appeared on Broadway in the 1944 production of Bell for Adano, and was featured as the frog footman in the Hallmark Hall of Fame television version of Alice in Wonderland in 1955. He also appeared in episodes of Naked City and Car 54, Where Are You? Mack was the voice of Johnny Jupiter in the 1950s children’s television series. He was also the voice of Mr. Pompus in the Japanese animated series Astro Boy in the early 1960s. Mack’s voice was also heard in dubbed versions of several Godzilla films and the animated Gigantor in the 1960s.
MACNAIR, SUSAN Film and stage producer Susan MacNair died after a long illness on August 31, 2005. She was 65. MacNair was born on December 2, 1939. She earned a Tony Award for producing the 1978 Broadway musical Ballroom. She also produced the Broadway plays Social Security (1986) and Death and the Maiden (1992). She worked as an assistant to director Mike Nichols on the films Heartburn (1986) and Working Girl (1988). She was an associate producer on Nichols films Postcards from the Edge (1990) and Regarding Henry (1991). • Variety, Oct. 3, 2005, 76. MACQUARRIE, MELANIE MORSE Canadian actress Melanie Morse MacQuarrie died of a heart attack in Montague, Prince Edward Island, Canada, on February 1, 2005. She was 59. She was born in London
June MacCloy (with Groucho Marx)
MACK, GILBERT Actor Gilbert Mack, who began his career on the vaudeville stage and radio and became a leading voice actor in films and cartoons, died on December 5, 2005. He was 93. Mack was born on November 3, 1912. He performed in New York in
Melanie Morse MacQuarrie
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on June 13, 1945, the daughter of actors Barry Morse and Sydney Sturgess. She accompanied her family when they emigrated to Canada in 1951, and performed with her parents and brother, Hayward Morse, in numerous theatrical and television productions. She appeared in a 1952 television production of Noises in the Nursery, and performed on stage in Peter Pan and Much Ado About Nothing. Morse attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, and joined the faculty of the Ryerson University drama department in Toronto in the early 1970s. She appeared in several films including Prom Night (1980) and Murder by Phone (1982), and guest starred in the Canadian television series Street Legal in 1988.
MADISON, BRITNEY Adult film actress Britney Madison was killed in an automobile accident in Las Vegas, Nevada, on April 30, 2005. She was 21. Madison was born Stacey Pfeiffer in Las Vegas on March 22, 1984. She had worked in the adult film industry for the past several years, appearing in numerous productions including Just Over 18 9 (2003), Teen Calender Girls (2004), Real College Girls 12 (2004), Proud to Be a Baby Doll (2004), and Built for Filth (2005).
Magni was born in Milan on July 28, 1906. She began her career on stage in the 1920s, appearing in numerous productions. She was also seen in several films including Paprika (1932), Il Presidente della Ba, Ce, Cre, Mi. (1933), The Song of the Sun (1934), The Serpent’s Fang (1935), Lo Smemorato (1936), and The Teacher from Vigevano (1963).
MAHIPAL Veteran Indian Hindi actor Mahipal Bhandari died of cardiac arrest at his home near Churchgate, India, on May 15, 2005. He was 85. Mahipal was born in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India, on November 24, 1919. He began performing on stage as a child. He appeared in numerous films from the 1940s including Nazrana (1942), Mali (1944), Banwasi (1948), Jai Mahalaxmi (1951), Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp (1952), Lal Pari (1954), Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves (1954), Mast Qalandar (1955), Aan Baan (1956), Dr. Z (1959), Zabak (1961), Kan Men Bhagwan (1963), Brave Bhimsen (1964), Ram Bharat Milan (1965), Rani Aur Lalpari (1975), Do Chehere (1977), and Razia Sultan (1983). He had suffered from heart problems for the past decade, having undergone bypass surgery in 1995. • Variety, May 23, 2005, 52.
Mahipal Britney Madison
Italian actress Eva Magni died in Milan, Italy, on February 11, 2005. She was 98.
MAKI, PAUL Japanese comedian Paul Maki leaped to his death from his ninth-floor Tokyo apartment on April 22, 2005. He was 63. Maki was born
Eva Magni
Paul Maki
MAGNI, EVA
239 Kazumichi Hanzawa in Japan on June 2, 1941. He was a popular comic actor in Japan from the 1980s, appearing in several films including Tattoo Art (1982), AHomansu (1986), Fusen (1990), and Private Lessons II (1993).
MALHOTRA, HARMESH Indian film director and producer Harmesh Malhotra died of cardiac arrest in Mumbai, India, on November 22, 2005. He was 69. Malhotra was born in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India, on June 14, 1936. He directed numerous films from the 1960s including Beti (1969), Lafange (1975), Phaansi (1978), Choron Ki Baraat (1980), Raaz (1981), Poonam (1981), Nagina (1986), Sherni (1988), Amiri Garibi (1990), Banjaran (1991), Paapi Devata (1995), Kismat (1995), Delhe Raja (1998), and Khullam Khulla Pyaar Karen (2005).
Harmesh Malhotra
2005 • Obituaries
the 1975 film Fore Play and the 1980 tele-film The Heartbreak Winner. He was best known as the director of Sylvester Stallone’s 1981 action film Nighthawks and Steven Seagal’s 1990 thriller Hard to Kill. Malmuth also directed the films The Man Who Wasn’t There (1983), Where Are the Children? (1986), and Pentathalon (1994). He also directed episodes of the new Twilight Zone and Beauty and the Beast for television. Malmuth also appeared in small roles in several films, notably as the ring announcer in The Karate Kid (1983) and The Karate Kid, Part II (1986). He was also seen in the films The Man Who Wasn’t There (1983), Where Are the Children? (1986), Happy New Year (1987), Lean on Me (1989), and Pentathlon (1994). • Variety, July 11, 2005, 46.
MALTEN, FEE German actress Fee Malten died in Los Angeles on December 31, 2006. She was 94. Malten was born in Berlin, Germany, on December 2, 1911. She began her career as Felicitas Malten in films produced in Germany by Universum Film AG (UFA). She was seen in such films as At the Edge of the World (1927), Die Frau im Schrank (1927), The Mystic Mirror (1928), Whirl of Youth (1928), Diary of a Coquette (1929), A Tango for You (1930), Fake Field Marshal (1930), Die Frau— Die Nachtigall (1931), Express 13 (1931), and The Soaring Maiden (1931). She came to the United States in the late 1930s where she continued her film career in Hollywood. Malten was seen in Foreign Agent (1941), Hitler — Dead or Alive (1942), The Seventh Cross (1944), Arch of Triumph (1948), Sealed Verdict (1948), and Young Bess (1953). She subsequently retired from the screen, but continued to perform at charity events through the 1970s.
MALMUTH, BRUCE Film director Bruce Malmuth died of esophageal cancer in a Los Angeles hospital on June 28, 2005. He was 71. Malmuth was born in Brooklyn, New York, on February 4, 1934. He began making documentary films while serving in the U.S. Army. After his discharge he worked as director for the New York Yankee baseball games for a New York radio station. He directed a number of Clio Award– winning commercials for such products as Excedrin and Fresca before making his film debut. He directed
Fee Malten
Bruce Malmuth
MALTINE, OVO German transvestite performer Ovo Maltine died of lymph cancer and complications from AIDS in Berlin, Germany on February 8, 2005. He was 38. He was born Christoph Josten in Rech an der Ahr, Germany on April 16, 1966. He was a leading stage and cabaret performer from the 1990s and appeared in several films such as I Am My Own Woman (1992), Neurosia — Fifty Years of Perversion (1995), Queens Don’t Cry (2002), and Phooey, Rosa (2002). Maltine was also a leading AIDS activist involved in German politics.
Obituaries • 2005
240
Ovo Maltine
Robert Manitopyes
MANGELSDORF , ALBERT German jazz trombonist and bandleader Albert Mangelsdorf died after a long illness in Frankfurt, Germany, on July 25, 2005. He was 76. Mangelsdorf was born in Frankfurt on September 5, 1928. He learned jazz from his older brother, Emil, in the underground Frankfurt Hot Club during World War II when jazz was banned by the Nazi regime. After the war Mangelsdorf played the violin and guitar in several big bands before learning the trombone in the late 1940s. He performed with Hans Koller’s New Jazz Stars in the early 1950s, and began recording under his own name in 1955. He made his United States debut in Marshal Brown’s international band at the 1958 Newport Festival. He continued to perform and record throughout the world, joining with such artists as Ravi Shankar and John Lewis. • Times (of London), Aug. 1, 2005, 43.
MANNING, PAUL Television writer and producer Paul Manning died of colorectal cancer at his home in Sherman Oaks, California, on January 2, 2005. He was 45. Manning was born in Madison, Wisconsin, on December 3, 1959. He was a story consultant for the L.A. Law television series in the 1980s. He was one of the original writers and supervising producers for the series ER for the first three seasons. He earned an Emmy Award for his work on the series. He subsequently moved to Warner Bros. Manning served as an executive consultant for the 2004 series Clubhouse. MANNINO, FRANCO Italian film composer Franco Mannino died of complications from surgery in a Rome hospital on February 1, 2005. He was 80. Mannino was born in Palermo, Sicily, Italy, on April 24, 1924. He composed numerous musical works during his career including over 100 film scores. Mannino worked with such directors as Luchino Visconti, John Huston, and Mario Bava, scoring the films Beat the Devil (1953), Empty Eyes (1953), The Wayward Wife (1953), Woman of Rome (1954), Riccardo Freda’s I Vampiri (aka The Devil’s Commandment) (1957), Morgan, the Pirate (1961), Seven Swords for the King (1962), Seven Seas to Calais (1962), Gold for the Caesars (1963), The Ghost (1963), Live in Four Dimensions (1964), Hercules, Prisoner of Evil (1964), The Revolt of the Seven (1964), Mademoiselle de Maupin (1966), Identikit (1974), Con-
Albret Mangelsdorf
MANITOPYES , ROBERT Canadian actor Robert Manitopyes died suddenly in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, on January 16, 2005. He was 34. Manitopyes was born in Canada on November 29, 1970. He began performing on stage while in college and made his television debut in 2001. He appeared in small roles in episodes of Stargate SG-1 and Da Vinci’s Inquest, and appeared in the 2004 mini-series Human Cargo. Manitopyes was also seen in the films The Core (2003) and Are We There Yet? (2005).
Franco Mannino
241 versation Piece (1974), The Innocent (1976), A Man on His Knees (1978), A Simple Heart (1978), and Murder Syndrome (1981).
MAPP, JIM Character actor Jim Mapp died of complications from a stroke in Pomona, California, on November 16, 2005. He was 81. Mapp was born in Jonesboro, Georgia, on August 20, 1924. He was active in films and television from the early 1970s. Mapp was featured in the films Trick Baby (1973), Enemy Mine (1985), Kandyland (1987), Homer and Eddie (1989), Secret Agent Double-O Soul (1990), Life Stinks (1991), Speed (1994), No More Baths (1998), and Dance with Me (1998). He also appeared on television in episodes of Hill Street Blues, Frank’s Place, The Fresh Prince of BelAir, The Wayans Bros., Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper, ER, Clueless, and The District.
Jim Mapp
2005 • Obituaries
band in 1975, remaining as featured soloist with the group until Rich’s death in 1987. • Los Angeles Times, Sept. 29, 2005, B10; New York Times, Sept. 30, 2005, C16; Times (of London), Oct. 5, 2005, 72.
MARIN, RUSS Character actor Russ Marin died on March 6, 2005. He was 70. Marin was born on May 1, 1934. He appeared in numerous film and television productions from the early 1970s. His film credits include Kansas City Bomber (1972), Slaughter’s Big Rip-Off (1973), If You Don’t Stop It ... You’ll Go Blind!!! (1975), Capone (1975), Lifeguard (1976), An Enemy of the People (1978), The Dark (1979), Seed of Innocence (1980), Mommie Dearest (1981), The Sword and the Sorcerer (1982), Body Double (1984), Stitches (1985), and Deadly Friend (1986). He also appeared in the tele-films Harold Robbins’ 79 Park Avenue (1977), The Critical List (1978), From Here to Eternity (1979), The Ordeal of Patty Hearst (1979), Fast Friends (1979), She’s Dressed to Kill (1979), The Five of Me (1981) Golden Gate (1981), The Ratings Game (1984), Wes Craven’s Chiller (1985), Tales from the Hollywood Hills: The Old Reliable (1988), and Runaway Father (1991). Marin also guest-starred in episodes of Mannix, The Most Deadly Game, Bonanza, Search, Banacek, Planet of the Apes, Isis, Kojak, The Streets of San Francisco, Little House on the Prairie, Wonder Woman, The Waltons, Starsky and Hutch, Battlestar Galactica, Lou Grant, Archie Bunker’s Place, Bret Maverick, Falcon Crest in the recurring role of Dr. Cook, Hart to Hart, Trauma Center, Fame, Cheers, Night Court, The Twilight Zone, Highway to Heaven, Starman, L.A. Law, Murder, She Wrote, and Doogie Houser, M.D. Marin largely retired from the screen in the early 1990s.
MARCUS , S TEVE Jazz saxophonist Steve Marcus died at his home in New Hope, Pennsylvania, on September 25, 2005. He was 66. Marcus was born on September 18, 1939. He played tenor and soprano saxophone with such artists as Herbie Mann, Woody Herman, and Stan Kenton. Marcus was an innovator of the blending of jazz and rock into a music form that became known as fusion. Marcus headed several bands himself, and recorded several albums in the late 1960s including Tomorrow Never Knows, Count’s Rock Band, and The Lord’s Prayer. He joined Buddy Rich’s jazz
Russ Marin
Steve Marcus
MARLEN, TRUDE German actress Trude Marlen, one of the last surviving stars of pre–World War II German cinema, died in Vienna, Austria, on June 9, 2005. She was 92. Marlen was born in Graz, Austria, on November 7, 1912. She was a leading star in films from the 1930s, appearing in such features as Love Conquers (1934), Playing with Fire (1934), Matrimonial Strike (1935), The Unrecognized Man of the World (1936), A Hoax (1936), The Favorite of the Empress (1936), Sherlock Holmes (1937), Romance (1937),
Obituaries • 2005
242 Shadow of a Doubt (1995), Dead Man’s Gun (1997), Principal Takes a Holiday (1998), The Inspectors 2: A Shred of Evidence (2000), Deadlocked (2000), They Nest (2000), Love Lessons (2000), Video Voyeur: The Susan Wilson Story (2002), and The Secret Life of Zoey (2002). Marsh also starred as Ken Larsen in the 1960 television series Cariboo Country. His numerous television credits also include guest roles in such series as MacGyver, Wiseguy, Mom P.I., Nightmare Cafe, Highlander, The Commish, The X Files, The Outer Limits, Sliders, Poltergeist: The Legacy, Maybe It’s Me, Two, First Wave, Seven Days, Da Vinci’s Inquest, Cold Squad, The Chris Isaak Show, and The Dead Zone.
Trude Marlen
Bachelor’s Paradise (1939), I Am Sebastian Ott (1939), Operetta (1940), Trip Into Adventure (1943), Leckerbissen (1948), and I and My Wife (1953). She made a few rare appearances in films from the 1960s in Whispering in the Hayloft (1967) and Borderline (1988). She was the widow of German actor Wolf Albach-Retty.
MARSH, WALTER Character actor Walter Marsh died on September 17, 2005. He was 83. Marsh appeared in numerous films from the 1960s including The Trap (1966), A Name for Evil (1973), Malone (1987), Shoot to Kill (1988), Distant Thunder (1988), Immediate Family (1989), Pure Luck (1991), Bingo (1991), Knight Moves (1992), Unforgiven (1992), Gunfighter’s Moon (1995), Dangerous Intentions (1995), Exquisite Tenderness (1995), Man of the House (1995), and Here’s to Life! (2000). He was also featured in such tele-films as Ski Life to Death (1978), Huckleberry Finn and His Friends (1979), A Piano for Mrs. Cimino (1982), Packin’ It In (1983), Blackout (1985), Hands of a Stranger (1987), Assault and Matrimony (1987), Deep Dark Secrets (1987), Nightmare at Bitter Creek (1998), Matinee (1990), The Girl from Mars (1991), Diagnosis Murder (1992), To Grandmother’s House We Go (1992), Heads (1993), The Amy Fisher Story (1993), Morning Glory (1993), Whose Child Is This? The War for Baby Jessica (1993), A Stranger in the Mirror (1993), Snowbound: The Jim and Jennifer Stolpa Story (1994), One More Mountain (1994), Sin & Redemption (1994), Jack Reed: One of Our Own (1995),
Walter Marsh
MARSHAK, ROBERT Photographer Robert Marshak died of pancreatic cancer in Topanga, California, on February 14, 2005. He was 53. Marshak was born in New York City on April 19, 1951. He began working as a photographer in the 1970s, taking photos for numerous Broadway productions including Les Miserables and The Phantom of the Opera. He began working with film director John Sayles as a still photographer in 1983. He also worked with such directors as Steven Soderbergh, Rob Cohen and James Brooks. Marshak was a still photographer on the sets of such films as The Brother from Another Planet (1984), Forever, Lulu (1987), Matewan (1897), Call Me (1988), Eight Men Out (1988), Her Alibi (1989), Miss Firecracker (1989), Navy SEALS (1990), Green Card (1990), Queens Logic (1991), Out for Justice (1991), Thousand Pieces of Gold (1991), Dogfight (1991), City of Hope (1991), The Gun in Betty Lou’s Handbag (1992), Passion Fish (1992), That Night (1992), Naked in New York (1993), Striking Distance (1993), Fresh (1994), Terminal Velocity (1994), Barcelona (1994), Roommates (1995), Mad Love (1995), White Man’s Burden (1995), Home for the Holidays (1995), The Arrival (1996), Bad Day on the Block (1997), Nothing to Lose (1997), Money Talks (1997), The Red Violin (1998), Rush Hour (1998), No Code of Conduct (1998), The Big Brass Ring (1999), The Limey (1999), Erin Brockovich (2000), Traffic (2000), The Fast and the Furious (2001), Good Advice (2001), Ocean’s Eleven (2001), Full Frontal (2002), xXx (2002), Solaris (2002), Something’s Gotta Give (2003), Mona Lisa Smile (2003), Silver City (2004), Ocean’s Twelve (2004), and Spanglish (2004). • Variety, Mar. 14, 2005, 54. MARSHALL, JAY Magician and ventriloquist Jay Marshall died of a heart attack in a Chicago hospital on May 10, 2005. He was 85. Marshall was born in Abington, Massachusetts, on August 29, 1919. He studied magic and ventriloquism as a young boy and embarked on a career in show business on the vaudeville stage. Marshall often performed with a ventriloquist’s dummy named Henry before being called upon to entertain troops in the Pacific with the USO during World War II. Tiring of carrying Henry to a series of remote locations, Marshall outfitted his left hand in a white glove and rabbit ears and dubbed him Lefty. With an occasional assist from his other hand, Righty, Marshall continued to entertain audiences over the next six decades. He appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show over
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2005 • Obituaries
tempt (1981), Peacetime in Paris (1981), The Living Dead Girl (1982), Until September (1984), I Hate Actors (1986), Eye of the Widow (1989), The French Revolution (1989), Mister Frost (1990), Fifi Martingale (2001), and The American (2004).
Jay Marshall
a dozen times and was the first entertainer to open for Frank Sinatra in the Las Vegas debut. Marshall was also a historian of stage magic and author of several books, and was the dean of the Society of American Magicians. • Los Angeles Times, May 14, 2005, B19; New York Times, May 13, 2005, C13; Time, May 23, 2005, 25; Times (of London), May 18, 2005, 62; Variety, May 23, 2005, 52.
MARSHALL , MIKE Actor Mike Marshall died of cancer in a hospital in Caen, Normandy, France, on June 2, 2005. He was 60. Marshall was born in Los Angeles on September 13, 1944, the son of actor and producer William Marshall and French actress Michele Morgan. He began his film career in a small role in the 1961 science fiction film produced by his father, The Phantom Planet. He appeared in nearly fifty films in both the United States and France over the next forty years. His film credits include Friend of the Family (1964), The Two Orphans (1965), Fortuna (1966), Is Paris Burning? (1966), Don’t Look Now —We’re Being Shot At (1966), The Sweet Sins of Sexy Susan (1967), Death Rides Along (1967), I’ll Sell My Skin Dearly (1968), Dirty Dolls in Kathmandu (1969), HelloGoodbye (1970), Some Too Quiet Gentlemen (1973), The Edifying and Joyous Story of Colinot (1973), A Little Romance (1978), the 1979 James Bond film Moonraker, Lady Oscar (1980), Alistair MacLean’s The Hostage Tower (1980, Umbrella Coup (1990), Assassination At-
MARTELL, GREGG Character actor Gregg Martell died of complications from Parkinson’s disease in Los Angeles on September 22, 2005. He was 87. Martell was born in Chicago, Illinois, on May 23, 1918. The burly actor appeared frequently in films from the late 1940s, including credits in Kiss of Death (1947), The Red Menace (1949), The Story of Molly X (1949), Undertow (1949), Borderline (1950), Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town (1950), I Was a Shoplifter (1950), Sierra (1950), Winchester ’73 (1950), South Sea Sinner (1950), Shakedown (1950), Under the Gun (1950), Double Crossbones (1950), Leave It to the Marines (1951), Affair in Trinidad (1952), The World in His Arms (1952), Stars and Stripes Forever (1952), The Glory Brigade (1953), Devil’s Canyon (1953), Masterson of Kansas (1954), Big House, U.S.A. (1955), Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956), Between Heaven and Hell (1956), This Could Be the Night (1957), Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957), Don’t Go Near the Water (1957), Space Master X-7 (1958), The Brothers Karamazov (1958), Tonka (1958), Alaska Passage (1959), Return of the Fly (1959), Blue Denim (1959), Dinosaurus! (1960) as the Caveman, Cage of Evil (1960), Swingin’ Along (1961), Valley of the Dragons (1961), The Sergeant Was a Lady (1961), The Three Stooges Meet Hercules (1962), The Cincinnati Kid (1965), and A Patch of Blue (1965). He was also seen often on television in episodes of such series as Superman, The Restless Gun, Bonanza, Law of the Plainsman, Rawhide, Wild Wild West, The Addams Family, The Virginian, It Takes a Thief, and Mission: Impossible.
Gregg Martell (as a caveman from Dinosaurus!)
Mike Marshall
MARTIN, BARNEY Character actor Barney Martin, who was best known for his recurring role as Jerry Seinfeld’s father, Morty, on the television sit-com Seinfeld in the 1990s, died of cancer in Los Angeles on March 21, 2005. He was 82. Martin was born in New York City on March 3, 1923. He served in the U.S. Air Force as a pilot during World War II and became a
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Barney Martin
Jimmy Martin
New York City policeman after the war. He began his acting career on stage in the 1950s, appearing in Broadway productions of South Pacific and Chicago. Martin appeared in over a dozen films during his career including The Wrong Man (1956), Love with the Proper Stranger (1963), The Producers (1968), Charly (1968), Twinky (1969), Movie Movie (1978), Hot Stuff (1979), Arthur (1981) and Arthur 2: On the Rocks (1988) as Liza Minelli’s father, Deadly Weapon (1989), Pucker Up and Bark Like a Dog (1990), and Hero (1992). He was also seen in the tele-films It Happened One Christmas (1977), McGurk (1979), This Year’s Blonde (1980), Moviola: The Silent Lovers (1980), For Love or Money (1984), Killer in the Mirror (1986), Splash, Too (1988), Us (1991), and I Married a Monster (1998). Martin was a regularly performer on the television variety series Kraft Music Hall Presents the Dave King Show in 1959, and was featured as Jack Terwilliger in The Tony Randall Show in 1976. He also appeared as Horace Batterson in the short-lived series Number 96 in 1980 and was Napa in the 1983 comedy series Zorro and Son. Martin was Ray in the 1990 series Sydney and replaced actor Phil Bruns as Jerry’s dad in the second season of Seinfeld in 1991, and remained a recurring character until the series finale in 1998. His numerous television credits also include episodes of True Story, Car 54, Where Are You, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, The Odd Couple, Happy Days, Mrs. Columbo, Hart to Hart, Barney Miller, Archie Bunker’s Place, Benson, Trapper John, M.D., At Ease, Hill Street Blues, Night Court, St. Elsewhere, Diff ’rent Strokes, the new Twilight Zone, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Punky Brewster, Hotel, Highway to Heaven, Murder, She Wrote, 21 Jump Street, Mama’s Family, Murphy Brown, The Golden Girls, Life Goes On in a recurring role as Stan Baker, Full House, Sisters, The Wonder Years, The Wayans Bros., George & Leo, and Promised Land. • Los Angeles Times, Mar. 24, 2005, B10; New York Times, Mar. 25, 2005, B11; People, Apr. 11, 2005, 81; Variety, Mar. 28, 2005, 57.
Grass Boys in 1949, helping produce what became known as bluegrass’s “high lonesome sound.” Martin sang with Monroe’s group on such classics as “The Little Girl and the Dreadful Snake,” “I’ll Meet You in Church Sunday Morning,” and “Uncle Pen.” In the early 1950s he recorded such songs as “She’s a Cute Thing,” “Chalk Up Another One,” and “Save It! Save It!” with the Osborne Brothers. He formed his own band, The Sunny Mountain Boys, in 1955, and they performed on the WJR Barn Dance in Detroit, Michigan, for several years. Over the next decade he and the Sunny Mountain Boys recorded such popular tunes as “Freeborn Man,” “20/20 Vision,” “Hit Parade of Love,” and “Sunny Side of the Mountain.” He also performed with the Louisiana Hayride in Shreveport, Louisiana, for several years and the WWVA Wheeling Jamboree in the early 1960s. Martin also performed as a guest artist on numerous Grand Ole Opry shows. He recorded with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in the 1970s, performing on the hit album Will the Circle Be Unbroken. Martin continued to perform throughout his life and he was the subject of a 2003 documentary film, King of Bluegrass: The Life and Times of Jimmy Martin. • Los Angeles Times, May 16, 2005, B9; New York Times, May 17, 2005, D8; Times (of London), July 19, 2005, 48.
MARTIN, JIMMY Bluegrass singer and musician Jimmy Martin died of bladder cancer in a Nashville, Tennessee, hospice on May 15, 2005. He was 77. Martin was born in Sneedville, Tennessee, on August 10, 1927. He began performing with Bill Monroe’s Blue
MARTINEZ, LINDA Composer and musician Linda Martinez committed suicide in Los Angeles on
Linda Martinez
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May 19, 2005. She was 29. Martinez was born in Orange County, California, in 1976. She was a child prodigy on the piano and performed with such jazz artists as Wynton Marsalis, Ernie Watts, and Phil Woods. She attended the University of Southern California and joined The Keenen Ivory Wayans Show as a keyboardist after her graduation. She began touring with Destiny’s Child in 2000, and composed scores for several films including Lives of the Pharaohs (2001) and Catching Kringle (2004). She also composed for several music programs on the History Channel including Bomber Benn, The XY Factor, and Muhammad, God’s Prophet. She also worked as an orchestrator on the Steven Spielberg’s 2002 television mini-series Taken.
MARTINO, DONALD Pulitzer Prize–winning modernist composer Donald Martino died of complications from diabetes and cardiac arrest while traveling on a cruise to Antigua in the Caribbean on December 8, 2005. He was 74. Martino was born in Plainfield, New Jersey, on May 16, 1931. He studied music from an early age and earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from Princeton in 1954. He then spent two years studying in Italy with composer Luigi Dallapiccola. He became a leading teacher and composer, with notable works including Notturno, a short chamber work that earned him the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1974, and Fantasies and Impromptus (1981), a work for piano divided into nine movements. He taught music at Harvard University from 1983 until his retirement in 1993 to work full time as a composer. • Los Angeles Times, Dec. 16, 2005, B13; New York Times, Dec. 12, 2005, A24.
Jack Mathis
ing the course of his research and interviews, which included gaining access to the studio’s film library and files, the project grew to over 450 pages. The lavishly bound and illustrated result, Valley of the Cliff hangers, which provided extensive information about each of the studios’ 66 serials, was released in 1975. The book soon became a highly prized collectors’ item. Mathis produced Valley of the Cliff hangers Supplement in 1995. He also wrote and published the first two volumes of a trilogy, Republic Confidential: The Players in 1992 and Republic Confidential: The Studio in 1999. He was had nearly completed the third volume, Republic Confidential: The Films, at the time of his death. • Los Angeles Times, Oct. 24, 2005, B9.
MATSUMURA, TATSUO Japanese character actor Tatsuo Matsumura died of heart failure in a Tokyo hospital on June 18, 2005. He was 90. Matsumura was born in Kanagawa, Japan, on December 18, 1914. Matsumura began his career in a theatrical troupe before moving to films and television in the late 1950s. He was featured in such films as The Secret of the Telegian (1960), The Twilight Story (1960), The Human Vapor (1960), Eternity of Love (1961), The Diplomat’s Mansion (1961), Challenge to Live (1961), Blood on the Sea (1961), The Crimson Sky (1962), Irresponsible Era of Japan (1962), King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962), Young Season (1962), My Hobo (1962), Sensation Seekers (1963), The Miad Story (1963), Army Nakano School: Dragon #3
Donald Martino
MATHIS, JACK Jack Mathis, the advertising executive who was the author of several landmark volumes on Republic Pictures, died at his home in South Barrington, Illinois, on October 13, 2005. He was 73. Mathis was born on November 27, 1931. He was the founder of Jack Mathis Advertising in Chicago in 1956, which specialized in industrial advertising. Mathis had been a fan of the Republic serials and westerns as a child in the 1930s and 1940s and began revisiting them in the 1960s by way of 16-millimeter film. He decided produce a series of brochures about the serials, but dur-
Tatsuo Matsumura
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Directive (1967), The Private Police (1967), Zatoichi’s Spurting Blood Road (1967), Broken Swords (1969), Bravo, Young Guy (1970), and Dodes’ka-den (1970). He was best known for his role as Ryuzo Kuruma, an uncle of Tora-san in the popular film series It’s Tough Being a Man from 1972 to 1974, including Tora-san’s Dear Old Home (1972), Tora-san’s Dream-Come-True (1972), Tora-san’s Forget Me Not (1973), Tora-san Loves an Artist (1973), and Tora-san’s Lovesick (1974). His other film credits include Ordinary Darkness (1972), Guillotine Island (1977), Foster Daddy, Tora! (1980), Suspicion (1982), Children on the Island (1987), War and Youth (1991), My Sons (1991), Not Yet (1993), 47 Ronin (1994), and When the Rain Lifts (1999). He also appeared on television in the series Alumni Reunion in 1993, and the tele-film Hiroshima as Prime Minister Suzuki in 1995.
MATSUSUKE, ONOE, VI
Leading Japanese Kabuki actor Onoe Matsusuke, VI, died of cancer in a Tokyo hospital on December 26, 2005. He was 59. He was born Shinichi Inoue in Japan on July 13, 1946. He made his debut as a Kabuki performer under the name Onoe Rokuya in 1954, appearing in productions of Genji Monogatari and Nanbanji Monzen with the Kabukiza. He also starred in the television drama series Akado Suzunosuke as a child. He took the stage name of Onoe Shokaku II in May of 1971, and became known as Onoe Matsusuke VI in May of 1990. He starred in such Kabuki dramas as Yoshinobu Inochi Goi, Meiboku Sendai Hagi, and Koharu Nagi Okitsu Shiranami.
Monty Matthews
sequently reformed without the Matthews brothers and were later inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
MATTSON , DENVER Stuntman Denver Mattson died in Los Angeles on September 24, 2005. He was 68. Mattson was born on July 12, 1937. He began working in television in the 1960s, working as a stuntman in the Irwin Allen science fiction series Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Time Tunnel, and Land of the Giants. He also was a stuntman for the series Star Trek, Wild Wild West, Little House on the Prairie, and Walker, Texas Ranger. He was performed stunts and appeared in small roles in such films as Flareup (1969), Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972), The Poseidon Adventure (1972), Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973), Cleopatra Jones (1973), Earthquake (1974), The Towering Inferno (1974), The Master Gunfighter (1975), The Hindenburg (1975), Death Weekend (1976), Mr. Billion (1977), The Domino Principle (1977), Movie Movie (1978), 1941 (1979), The Main Event (1979), Under the Rainbow (1981), Aces Go Places (1982), John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982), My Favorite Year (1982), Aces Go Places II (1983), Bad Boys (1983), Police Academy (1984), Avenging Angel (1985), Choke Canyon (1986), Raw Deal (1986), Tough Guys (1986), Critters (1986), Maximum Overdrive (1986), Slam Dance (1987), The Monster Squad (1987), Cop (1988), Far North (1988), Cat Chaser (1989), Mobsters (1991), Sleepwalkers (1992), Unlawful
Onoe Matsusuke, VI
MATTHEWS, MONTY Gospel singer Monty Matthews, who was a founding member of the Jordanaires vocal group, died in a Springfield, Missouri, nursing home on April 5, 2005. He was 77. He was born Warren Matthews in Pulaski, Kentucky, on August 25, 1927. He began performing with his brothers as the Matthews Brothers Quartet and also played with the Foggy River Boys. He teamed with his brother, Bill Matthews, and singers Culley Holt and Bob Hubbard to form the Jordanaires in 1948. They performed with Red Foley in Nashville for several years before returning to Missouri in the early 1950s. The Jordanaires sub-
Denver Mattson
247 Entry (1992), Universal Soldier (1992), Joshua Tree (1993), Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993), Wagons East (1994), Stuart Saves His Family (1995), Set It Off (1996), Lethal Weapon 4 (1998), and The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle (2000). Mattson also worked on several tele-films including Lost Flight (1969), Stunt Seven (1979), Case Closed (1988), The Courtyard (1995), Hard Time (1998), Hard Time: The Premonition (1999), and Hard Time: Hostage Hotel (1999).
MAUFETTE, GUY Canadian actor, director and radio announcer Guy Maufette died in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on June 29, 2005. He was 90. Maufette was born in Montreal in 1915. He worked with CBC Radio, Canada’s French network, from 1936 until his retirement in the 1970s. Maufette was also seen in several films including Le Pere Chopin (1945), Le Cure de Village (1949), Lights of My City (1950), and Fugitive from Montreal (1950).
2005 • Obituaries
Ashton including the Red Queen in Checkmate, Odette in Swan Lake, Swanilda in Coppelia, and Princess Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty. She starred with fellow Sadler’s Wells ballerinas Margot Fonteyn and Moria Shearer in Ashton’s 1946 neo–Classical ballet Symphonic Variations. A knee injury led her to withdraw from active ballet in 1952, though she continued to appear in mime and character roles with Sadler’s Wells (which became the Royal Ballet in 1956), until her retirement in 1982. She also was a leading dance instructor with the ballet from 1954 until 1977. • Los Angeles Times, June 16, 2005, B10; New York Times, June 11, 2005, B7.
MAY, PAMELA British ballerina Pamela May died in London on June 6, 2005. She was 88. She was born Doris May in San Fernando, Trinidad, on May 30, 1917. She was trained by Ninette de Valois and made her professional debut with the Sadler’s Wells Ballet (then called the Vic-Wells Ballet) in 1934. She appeared on film in the 1934 ballet Lily of Killarney (aka Bride of the Lake). May performed in numerous productions choreographed by de Valois and Frederick
MAYO, VIRGINIA Virginia Mayo, the lovely blonde leading lady in films from the 1940s, died of complications of pneumonia and heart failure in a Thousand Oaks, California, nursing home on January 17, 2005. She was 84. Mayo was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on November 30, 1920. She began her career in films as a chorus girl in the films Follies Girl (1943) and Up in Arms (1944), but soon moved to leading lady status. Mayo continued to appear in such films as Jack London (1943), Seven Days Ashore (1944), The Princess and the Pirate (1944) with Bob Hope, Wonder Man (1945) with Danny Kaye, The Kid from Brooklyn (1946), The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), Out of the Blue (1947), The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947), Smart Girls Don’t Talk (1948), A Song Is Born (1948), Flaxy Martin (1949), Colorado Territory (1949), The Girl from Jones Beach (1949) with Ronald Reagan, White Heat (1949) with James Cagney, Red Light (1949), Always Leave Them Laughing (1949), Backfire (1950), The Flame and the Arrow (1950), The West Point Story (1950), Captain Horatio Hornblower (1951), Along the Great Divide (1951), Painting the Clouds with Sunshine (1951), She’s Working Her Way Through College (1952) again with Reagan, The Iron Mistress (1952), She’s Back on Broadway (1953), South Sea Woman (1953), Devil’s Canyon (1953), King Richard and the Crusaders (1954), The Silver Chalice (1954), Pearl of the South Pacific (1955), Great Day in the Morning (1956), The Proud Ones (1956), Congo Crossing (1956), The Big Land (1957), The Story of Mankind (1957) as Cleopatra, The Tall Stranger (1957), Fort Dobbs (1958), Westbound (1959), Jet Over the Atlantic (1960), Revolt of the Mercenaries (1960), Young Fury (1965), Castle of Evil (1966),
Pamela May
Virginia Mayo
Guy Maufette
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Fort Utah (1967), Fugitive Lovers (1975), Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976), French Quarter (1977), The Haunted (1979), Evil Spirits (1990), Midnight Witness (1993), and The Man Next Door (1997). Mayo also appeared on television in episodes of Wagon Train, Letter to Loretta, Lux Playhouse, Burke’s Law, The Outsider, Rod Serling’s Night Gallery, Police Story, Murder, She Wrote, Remington Steele, The Naked Truth, and the daytime soap opera Santa Barbara. • Los Angeles Times, Jan. 18, 2005, B10; New York Times, Jan. 18, 2005, A18; Time, Jan. 31, 2005, 21; Times (of London), Jan. 19, 2005, 57; Variety, Jan. 24, 2005, 55.
MAYURI Indian Tamil actress Mayuri was found dead of suicide by hanging at her home in India on June 15, 2005. She had left a note saying “I have lost faith in life.” She was 22. Mayuri had appeared in films for several years, with such Tamil language credits as Kumbakonam Gopalu (1998), the 2003 horror slasher film Whistle, Manmadan (2004), and 7/G Rainbow Colony (2004). She also appeared in some Malayalam and Kannada language films.
(1996), and The Butcher Boy (1997). She was also set decorator for the tele-films The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax (1999), Yesterday’s Children (2000), David Copperfield (2000), and The Magnificent Ambersons (2002).
MCAVOY, ALEX Scottish actor Alex McAvoy died in Glasgow on June 16, 2005. He was 78. McAvoy was best known for his role as deckhand Sunny Jim in the popular television series The Vital Spark from 1965 to 1975. The late actor Roddy McMillan starred in the series as Para Handy. McAvoy also appeared as the Teacher in the 1982 cult film Pink Floyd The Wall. His other film credits include Country Dance (1970), Venus Peter (1989), and Strictly Sinatra (2001). He also appeared in television productions of Did You See Una? (1967), The Haggard Falcon (1974), and Oliver Twist (1999). His other television credits include episodes of Suspense, Z Cars, Menace, Dad’s Army, The Standard, and Minder.
Alex McAvoy (from Pink Floyd’s The Wall )
Mayuri
MCAVIN, JOSIE Irish film set decorator Josie McAvin died in Monkstown, Ireland, on January 26, 2005. She was 85. She worked as a stage manager and set designer in the 1950s and began working in films later in the decade. Her numerous film credits include Shake Hands with the Devil (1959), The Night Fighters (1960), The Mark (1961), Tom Jones (1963) for which she earned her first of three Oscar nominations, Psyche ’59 (1964), The Seventh Dawn (1964), The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1965) garnering another Academy Award nomination, A Man for All Seasons (1966), The Sailor from Gibraltar (1967), Hannibal Brooks (1969), A Walk with Love and Death (1969), Wuthering Heights (1970), Ryan’s Daughter (1970), Inserts (1975), Brannigan (1975), Silver Bears (1978), Cry of the Innocent (1980), Heaven’s Gate (1980), Educating Rita (1983), The Dresser (1983), Cal (1984), Sydney Pollack’s Out of Africa (1985) which earned her an Academy Award, Eat the Peach (1987), The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne (1987), John Huston’s The Dead (1987), Lionheart (1987), Da (1988), Diary of a Madman (1990), Hello Stranger (1992), Far and Away (1992), Michael Collins
MCAVOY, EDWARD T. Film and television art director Edward T. McAvoy died in Temple City, California, on May 4, 2005. He was 55. McAvoy was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, on July 23, 1949. He began working in films as a scenic artist for such features as The Towering Inferno (1974), Young Frankenstein (1974), All the President’s Men (1976), Blade Runner (1982), Always (1989), and A Midnight Clear (1992). He served as assistant art director for Arachnophobia
Edward T. McAvoy
249 (1990), The Rocketeer (1991), Honey I Blew Up the Kid (1992), The Distinguished Gentleman (1992), Last Action Hero (1995), and Outbreak (1995). He moved up to art director for Airheads (1994), The Rock (1996), and Con Air (1997). McAvoy also served as production designer for the films Wild Things (1998), Office Space (1999), Whatever It Takes (2000), Ghost World (2000), Sorority Boys (2002), The United States of Leland (2003), Deliver Us from Eva (2003), Monster (2003), and The Prize Winner of Defiance Ohio (2005). He also was production designer for the tele-films Lansky (1999), and the series Push, Nevada, Nip/Tuck, and The D.A. • Los Angeles Times, May 23, 2005, 53.
MCBAIN, ED see HUNTER, EVAN MCCABE , J OHN John McCabe, a film scholar and authority on the works of Laurel and Hardy, died of congestive heart failure in a Petoskey, Michigan, hospital on September 27, 2005. He was 84. McCabe was born in Detroit, Michigan, on November 14, 1920. A Shakespearean scholar and longtime professor at Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, McCabe published the landmark work Mr. Laurel and Mr. Hardy in 1961. Several years later he founded the long running fan association dedicated to the comics, The Sons of the Desert. The group, that grew to over 200 chapters worldwide, was instrumental in the continued interest in Laurel and Hardy’s works. His other works about the duo include The Comedy World of Stan Laurel, Laurel and Hardy, and Babe: The Life of Oliver Hardy. McCabe also cowrote James Cagney’s autobiography, Cagney by Cagney, in 1976, and authored the biographies, George M. Cohan: The Man Who Owned Broadway (1973), Charlie Chaplin (1978), and Cagney (1997). McCabe was married to ballet teacher Vija Valda Zarina from 1958 until her death in the early 1980s. He subsequently married Rosina Lawrence, the leading lady in the Laurel and Hardy film Way Out West, whom he had met at a Sons of the Desert convention. They were together for a decade until her death in 1997.
2005 • Obituaries
82. McCallister was born in Los Angeles on April 17, 1923. He studied acting, singing and dancing from early childhood and made his film debut in a small role in 1936’s Romeo and Juliet. He was featured in numerous films over the next decade including Let’s Sing Again (1936), Internes Can’t Take Money (1937), Stella Dallas (1937), Souls at Sea (1937), Make a Wish (1937), The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938), Judge Hardy’s Children (1938), Lord Jeff (1938), That Certain Age (1938), Little Tough Guys in Society (1938), The Spirit of Culver (1939), Confessions of a Nazi Spy (1939), Angels Wash Their Faces (1939), Babes in Arms (1939), First Love (1939), Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President (1939), High School (1940), Susan and God (1940), Henry Aldrich for President (1941), That Other Woman (1942), Dangerously They Live (1942), Always in My Heart (1942), Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942), Spy Ship (1942), Night in New Orleans (1942), Gentleman Jim (1942), Quiet Please: Murder (1942), The Meanest Man in the World (1943), and Over My Dead Body (1943). His performance as California Jack Gilman in 1943’s Stage Door Canteen brought him larger roles, often playing quiet young men from the country. He continued to appear in such films as Home in Indiana (1944), Winged Victory (1944), The Red House (1947) with Edward G. Robinson, Thunder in the Valley (1947), Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay! (1948), The Big Cat (1949), The Story of Seabiscuit (1949) as jockey Ted Knowles, The Boy from Indiana (1950), A Yank in Korea (1951), Montana Territory (1952), and Combat Squad (1953). He also guest starred in several television series in the 1950s including Suspense, Lux Video Theatre, Tales of Tomorrow, Ford Television Theatre, Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, and The Rebel. McCallister retired from films in the 1950s to become a successful real estate investor. • Los Angeles Times, June 18, 2005, B18; New York Times, June 22, 2005, A17; Variety, June 20, 2005, 44.
Lon McCallister
John McCabe
MCCALLISTER , LON Lon McCallister, a leading juvenile actor from the 1930s, died of heart failure in Lake Tahoe, California, on June 11, 2005. He was
MCCALMAN , MACON Character actor Macon “Sonny” McCalman died of complications from a series of strokes at his home in Memphis, Tennessee, on November 29, 2005. He was 72. McCalman began his career on the local stage in Memphis before making his film debut as Deputy Queen in the 1972 feature Deliverance. He went on to appear in numerous
Obituaries • 2005
250 MCCANN, ROBERT Make-up artist and hair stylist Robert McCann was found dead at his New York apartment on June 12, 2005. He was 47. He did makeup for the films Deadly Advice (1993), Trainspotting (1996), When Saturday Comes (1996), The Leading Man (1996), Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut (1999), and Mission: Impossible II (2000), and for the television productions of Lorna Doone (1990), Double Vision (1992), Hamish Macbeth (1995), and Truth or Dare (1996). McCann worked frequently with Nicole Kidman for the past five years as her makeup artist on the films The Others (2001), Dogville (2003), The Human Stain (2003), Cold Mountain (2003), The Stepford Wives (2004), and Birth (2004). He was also Jodie Foster’s makeup artist for the 2002 film Panic Room.
Macon McCalman
films including Lipstick (1976), Smokey and the Bandit (1977), Comes a Horseman (1978), The Concorde: Airport ’79 (1979), The Last Word (1980), The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1981), Dead and Buried (1981), Carbon Copy (1981), Rollover (1981), Timerider (1982), Honkytonk Man (1982), Fleshburn (1984), The Falcon and the Snowman (1985), Marie (1985), Cold Feet (1989), Valentino Returns (1989), Doc Hollywood (1991), Fried Green Tomatoes (1991), Falling Down (1993), The Client (1994), A Walk in the Clouds (1995), and Rosewood (1997). He also appeared in numerous tele-films including The Last of Mrs. Lincoln (1976), Captains and the Kings (1976), Roots (1977), The Strange Possession of Mrs. Oliver (1977), The New Maverick (1978), Harold Robbins’ The Pirate (1978), A Question of Love (1979), Friendly Fire (1979), The Ultimate Impostor (1979), Topper (1979), The Sky Is Gray (1980), Callie & Son (1981), Splendor in the Grass (1981), Life of the Party: The Story of Beatrice (1982), Kenny Rogers as The Gambler: The Adventure Continues (1983), The Winter of Our Discontent (1983), The Red-Light Sting (1984), Our Family Honor (1985), A Winner Never Quits (1986), The Deliberate Stranger (1986), Independence (1987), The Town Bully (1988), Jesse (1988), Separate But Equal (1991), Frankenstein: The College Years (1991), Scattered Dreams (1993), Murder Between Friends (1994), A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Grimacing Governor (1994), and See Jane Run (1995). McCalman starred as Mayor Fletcher in the television comedy series Best of the West in 1981. His other television credits include episodes of The Invisible Man, Starsky and Hutch, Emergency!, Harry O, Kojak, The Jeffersons, Maude, Barnaby Jones, The Bob Newhart Snow, Wonder Woman, Three’s Company, The Waltons, Hart to Hart, Soap, Lou Grant, Diff ’rent Strokes, Cheers, Remington Steele, Gloria, Emerald Point N.A.S., St. Elsewhere, Newhart, Knight Rider, Family Ties, The Wizard, The Bronx Zoo, Dallas, Murder, She Wrote, Hunter, L.A. Law, Designing Women, Perfect Strangers, Paradise, The Young Riders, Mancuso, FBI, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, The Wonder Years, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, The Adventures of Brisco County Jr., Sisters, Goode Behavior, and Sparks. McCalman retired to his home in Memphis after suffering a heart attack in 1997.
MCCARTHY, EUGENE J. Eugene J. McCarthy, the former U.S. Senator from Minnesota who ran for president as an opponent of the Vietnam War in 1968, died in his sleep of complications from Parkinson’s disease at an assisted living home in Woodville, Virginia, on December 10, 2005. He was 89. McCarthy was born in Watkins, Minnesota, on March 29, 1916. He was a teacher before turning to politics in the late 1940s. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat in 1948, and was elected to the Senate ten years later. An outspoken opponent of the War in Vietnam, McCarthy challenged incumbent president Lyndon B. Johnson in the New Hampshire primary. His strong showing in the primary resulted in Johnson’s subsequent withdrawal from the race. The turbulent election year saw the entry of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy into the race, and his assassination several months later. Vice-President Hubert Humphrey ultimately defeated McCarthy for the Democratic nomination, and was himself defeated by Republican Richard Nixon in the general election. McCarthy left the Senate in 1970 but remained an active participant in national politics. He ran for the presidency several more times, both for the Democratic nomination and as an independent, in 1972, 1976, 1988, and 1992. McCarthy was also noted as a poet and essayist whose works include The Limits of Power: America’s Role in the World (1967), The Year of the People: (1969), A Political Bestiary (1979) with James J. Kilpatrick, Up Til Now:
Eugene J. McCarthy
251 A Memoir (1987), Eugene J. McCarthy: Selected Poems (1997), 1968; War and Democracy (2000), Hard Years: Antidotes to Authoritarians (2001), and Parting Shots from My Brittle Brow: Reflections on American Politics and Life (2005). He also played himself in the 1984 nuclear television drama Countdown to Looking Glass. • Los Angeles Times, Dec. 11, 2005, A1; New York Times, Dec. 11, 2005, 1; Times (of London), Dec. 12, 2005, 50.
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lawyer, he was a regular performer on Australia’s ABC radio, and was moderator of the World Series Debating competition on television in the 1990s. He also guest starred in an episode of The Fat in 2003.
MCCOMAS, CAMPBELL Australian entertainer Campbell McComas died of leukemia in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, on January 8, 2005. He was 52. McComas was born in Melbourne on May 2, 1952. He was known for his impersonations, creating nearly 2000 characters during his career. A former
MCCORMICK, PAT Comic actor and writer Pat McCormick died of complications from a stroke at the Motion Picture and Television Hospital in Woodland Hills, California, on July 29, 2005. He was 78. McCormick was born in Lakewood, Ohio, on June 30, 1927. A graduate of Harvard University, he left Harvard Law School after a year to work in advertising in New York City in the early 1950s. He soon began writing comedy sketches for such comedians as Jonathan Winters, Henny Youngman, and Phyllis Diller. He also developed a stand-up comedy routine with partner Marc London. McCormick began writing full-time for The Jack Paar Show. During his career he also wrote television material for Danny Kaye, Red Skelton, and Merv Griffin, and scripted episodes of Get Smart. He was a frequent sketch performer on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, and appeared often on Candid Camera and The Gong Show. McCormick was a regular performer on the television comedy variety series The Don Rickles Show from 1968 to 1969, and appeared regularly on The New Bill Cosby Show variety series from 1972 to 1973. He was featured as Col. Mound in the western comedy series Gun Shy in 1983. He also guest-starred in episodes of The Bob Newhart Show, Sanford and Son, Laverne & Shirley, The Love Boat, Trapper John, M.D., the Faerie Tale Theatre version of The Princess and the Pea, Pryor’s Place, The Golden Girls, Cop Rock, and Grace Under Fire. McCormick was featured as Big Enos Burdette in Burt Reynolds’ action comedy films Smokey and the Bandit (1977), Smokey and the Bandit II (1980), and Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 (1983). He also appeared in the films The Phynx (1970), If You Don’t Stop It ... You’ll Go Blind!!! (1975), Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull’s History Lesson (1976) as President Grover Cleveland, The Shagg y D.A. (1976), A Wedding (1978), Hot Stuff (1979), Scavenger Hunt (1979), The Gong Show Movie (1980), Mel Brooks’ History of the World: Part I (1981), Under the Rainbow (1981) which he also scripted, Bombs Away (1985), Doin’ Time (1985), Rented Lips (1988), Scrooged
Campbell McComas
Pat McCormick
MCCARTY, CLIFFORD Film reference book writer Clifford McCarty died of emphysema at his home in Topanga, California, on August 13, 2005. He was 76. McCarty was born on June 13, 1929. He was a leading authority on film music and the author of the 1953 reference work Film Composers in America. He was also the author of the books Bogey: The Films of Humphrey Bogart (1965) and Published Screenplays: A Checklist (1971), and co-author of The Films of Errol Flynn (1969) and The Films of Frank Sinatra (1971). McCarty also wrote articles for such magazines as Film and TV Music, Down Beat, and Films in Review.
Clifford McCarty
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(1988), Nerds of a Feather (1990), Chinatown Connection (1990), and Ted and Venus (1991). McCormick was also seen in the tele-films Mr. Horn (1979), Rooster (1982), The Jerk, Too (1984), and Neil Simon’s Broadway Bound (1992). McCormick was forced to retire after suffering a paralytic stroke in 1998 that left him partially paralyzed and affected his speech. • Los Angeles Times, July 30, 2005, B16; New York Times, Aug. 2, 2005, C15; People, Aug. 15, 2005, 79; Times (of London), Aug. 26, 2005, 74; Variety, Aug. 8, 2005, 37.
MCELMURRAY, CHARLES Animator Charles McElmurray died in Santa Rosa, California, on December 5, 2005. He was 84. McElmurry was born in Iowa in 1921. He began his career at Disney Studioes in the early 1940s. Later in the decade he worked for several independent animation studios. He was an artist for the 1956 animated short Your Safety First and worked on a Mister Magoo cartoon. He was also graphic designer for 1969’s A Boy Named Charlie Brown.
Charles McElmurray
MCEWAN, COLIN Australian actor and comedian Colin McEwan died of cancer in a Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, hospital on August 21, 2005. He was 64. McEwan performed often on Australian radio and television, starring as Ocker Ramsay in the 1967 series Hey You, and as Miser Meanie and Fester Fumble in the children’s series Adventure Island in 1967.
He starred as Detective Cullen in the 1973 police series Ryan. He was a regular performer in the comedy series The Naked Vicar Show from 1977 to 1978, and was Bob Bulpitt in Kingswood Country from 1979 to 1984. He also appeared in the series And the Big Men Fly (1974), The Rise and Fall of Wellington Boots (1975), and Sam’s Luck (1980), and was Nick in 1983’s Brass Monkeys. He was also featured in television productions of The Last Bastion (1984), A Fortunate Life (1985), Tudawali (1987), The Boardroom (1988), Zucker (1989), Jackaroo (1990), and Day of the Roses (1998). McEwan’s other television credits include guest roles in the series The Long Arm, Homicide, Matlock Police, Division 4, and Bluey. He was also seen in several films during his career including The Great Gold Swindle (1984), Melvin, Son of Alvin (1984), Fran (1985), Nuclear Conspiracy (1986), and Daisy and Simon (1988).
MCGRORY , MATTHEW Matthew McGrory, the seven foot + actor who was featured as Karl the Giant in Tim Burton’s 2003 film Big Fish, died of natural causes at his home in Los Angeles on August 9, 2005. He was 32. McGrory was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania, on May 17, 1973. He first became involved in show business as a recurring guest on Howard Sten’s radio show in the 1990s. McGrory, who wore a size 29∂ shoe, was an imposing presence in several films including The Dead Hate the Living! (2000), Bubble Boy (2001), Men in Black II (2002), Rob Zombie’s House of 1000 Corpses (2003) and the sequel The Devil’s Rejects (2005) as Tiny Firefly, Big Time (2004), Planet of the Pitts (2004), Constantine (2005), and ShadowBox (2005). He also appeared as an Ogre in several episodes of Charmed, and guest-starred in episodes of Malcolm in the Middle and Carnivale. He was involved in the production of Andre: Heart of the Giant, a film about professional wrestler and actor Andre the Giant, at the time of his death. • Los Angeles Times, Aug. 11, 2005, B11; New York Times, Aug. 15, 2005, B7; People, Aug. 29, 2005, 115; Times (of London), Sept. 7, 2005, 62; Variety, Aug. 22, 2005, 42.
Matthew McGrory
Colin McEwan
MCGUIRE , MELANIE Actress Melanie McGuire died in Los Angeles on March 3, 2005. She was 42. McGuire was born on February 8, 1963. She
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starred as Suzi Uzi in the 2001 low-budget horror film Deadly Scavengers.
MCHARG, ALISTAIR Scottish singer Alistair “Scotty” McHarg died in Adelaide, Australia, on April 17, 2005. He was 79. McHarg was born in Ayr, Scotland, on August 10, 1925. He began playing the piano and singing during World War II, performing at music halls around the country. He was called to military service in 1945 and entertained the British troops with his singing. McHarg was cast in Wesley Ruggles’ 1946 musical film London Town. He performed six songs for the film, but most of his performance was cut from the final version of the film. He remained a popular performer on the British stage and television before retiring to Australia in recent years. MCKIBBON, AL
Jazz bassist Al McKibbon died on July 29, 2005, in Los Angeles. He was 86. McKibbon was born in Chicago on January 1, 1919. He began performing in local clubs at an early age and joined Lucky Millinder’s band in Detroit as a bassist in the early 1940s. After several years McKibbon signed on with Dizzy Gillespie’s big band. During the 1950s he played with George Shearing, introducing an AfroCuban rhythm to Shearing’s beat. Later in the decade he joined with Cal Tjader recording and playing Latin jazz. From the 1960s he worked primarily as a studio musician and was a member of the CBS and NBC orchestras. He recorded his first album as a group leader at the age of 80 in 1999. • Los Angeles Times, July 30, 2005, B16; New York Times, Aug. 6, 2005, C16; Times (of London), Aug. 5, 2005, 62.
Al McKibbon
MCLEAN, CLIVE Adult film director and photographer Clive McLean died of cancer on March 29, 2005. He was 60. McLean was born on October 27, 1944. He was a leading photographer for Larry Flynt’s Hustler magazine for nearly 30 years. McLean also directed numerous videos in Hustler’s Barely Legal series from 1999, and also directed adult videos in the Young Girls’ Fantasies, Campus Confessions, and Hot Showers series. He was also the subject of the American Movie Classic’s television show The AMC Project: I Want to Be Clive McLean.
Clive McLean
MCLEAN, MICHAEL LEE Film casting director Michael Lee McLean died of cancer in Los Angeles on May 14, 2005. He was 63. McLean was born on December 19, 1941. He began working in films in the 1960s, assisting in the casting department on such features as The Sound of Music (1965), The Boston Strangler (1968), Hard Contract (1969), Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), Patton (1970), Myra Breckinridge (1970, Vanishing Point (1971), The War Between Men and Women (1972), and Return to Macon County (1975). McLean served as casting director for numerous telefilms including The Nativity (1978), The Girls in the Office (1979), The Ordeal of Patty Hearst (1979), Mirror, Mirror (1979), When She Was Bad ... (1979), Make Me an Offer (1980), Angel on My Shoulder (1980), The Golden Moment: An Olympic Love Story (1980), Casino (1980), Marilyn: The Untold Story (1980), American Dream (1981), She’s in the Army Now (1981), The Violation of Sarah McDavid (1981), Scruples (1981), Cagney & Lacey (1981), Sizzle (1981), Thou Shalt Not Kill (1982), Portrait of a Showgirl (1982), Having It All (1982), Women of San Quentin (1983), My Mother’s Secret Life (1984), George Washington (1984), Victims for Victims: The Theresa Saldana Story (1984), Stark (1985), Lady Blue (1985), Beverly Hills Madam (1986), The Return of Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer (1986), and Police Story: The Freeway Killings (1987). He was also casting director for the films Hurricane (1979), Love at First Bite (1979), Rocky II (1979), The Baltimore Bullet (1980), Flash Gordon (1980), King of the Mountain (1981), Yellowbeard (1983), The Osterman Weekend (1983), Highlander (1986), and Best Seller (1987). McLean also served as a personal manager for such stars as Dennis Hopper, Paul Reubens, and John Phillips, and was instrumental in launching the Hollywood careers of such Australian stars as Nicole Kidman, Naomi Watts, Peta Wilson, and Jack Thompson. • Variety, July 18, 2005, 49. MCNULTY, FAITH Author Faith McNulty died after a long illness in Providence, Rhode Island, on April 20, 2005. She was 86. McNulty began her career as a journalist and reporter, working with The New York Daily News, Life magazine, and Audubon magazine. She was best known for his 1980 bestseller The
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254 and manager. • Los Angeles Times, Sept. 11, 2005, B14; Variety, Sept. 12, 2005, 81.
Faith McNulty
Burning Bed, which brought national attention to the problem of domestic violence. Her novel was adapted as a 1985 tele-film starring Farrah Fawcett as the wife who was acquitted of self-defense after setting afire her abusive husband’s bed while he slept. McNulty also wrote several children’s books including How to Dig a Hole to the Other Side of the World. • Los Angeles Times, Apr. 17, 2005, B14; New York Times, Apr. 17, 2005, 31.
MCQUEENEY , PATRICIA Patricia McQueeney, the long-time manager of actor Harrison Ford, died following a short illness in a Santa Monica, California, on September 4, 2005. She was 77. She was born Patricia Noonan in Bridgeport, Connecticut, on September 16, 1927. She married actor Robert McQueeney at the age of 17, and the couple had three children. They were divorced after twelve years and she began working as a model under the name Patricia Scott. She was a commercial spokesperson on television for such companies as Revlon and Eastman Kodak. In the late 1950s she joined Dave Garroway on the Today show, where she did interviews and features until 1964. She subsequently moved to California where she continued her career as a commercial actress. She began her own talent management company, McQueeney Management Inc., in 1970. Her early clients included Ford, Candy Clark, Cindy Williams, Teri Garr, and Frederic Forrest. As Harrison Ford’s career expanded she limited her firm to represent him exclusively as his talent agent
MEDIN, HARRIET WHITE Veteran character actress Harriet White Medin died after a long illness on May 20, 2005. She was 91. She was born in Somerville, Massachusetts, on March 14, 1914. She began her career on stage and performed with the USO during World War II. After the war she relocated to Italy, where she appeared in the films Paisan (1946), Genoveffa di Brabante (1947), Rapture (1950), Quo Vadis (1951), Ha da Veni ... Don Calogero! (1952), La Dolce Vita (19060), Riccardo Freda’s The Horrible Dr. Hichcock (1962), The Eye of the Needle (1963), Freda’s The Ghost (1963), Black Sabbath (1963), Mario Bava’s The Whip and the Body (aka What!) (1963) and Blood and Black Lace (1964), Your Turn to Die (1967), and The Murder Clinic (1967). She also worked as a dialogue coach on many films shot in Italy including Stranger on the Prowl (1951), Solomon and Sheba (1959), and It Happened in Athens (1962), and was coach and personal assistant to actress Gina Lollobrigida for many years. White returned to the United States and settled in California in the late 1960s. She continued her acting career, appearing in the films Squares (1972), John Landis’ Schlock (1973) under the pseudonym Enrica Blankey, George Romero’s Hungry Wives (aka Season of the Witch) (1973) as the Narrator, Death Race 2000 (1975) as President Thomasina Paine, The Bermuda Triangle (1979), Blood Beach (1981), The Terminator (1984), The Witches of Eastwick (1987), The Killing Time (1987), Daddy’s Boys (1988), All I Want for Christmas (1991), The Night Before Christmas (1994), and Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead (1995). She also appeared in the tele-films The Tenth Month (1979), Murder Can Hurt You (1980), Baby M (1988), False Arrest (1991), and Those Secrets (1992). She starred as the older Jessie in the 1991 television series My Life and Times, and guest starred in episodes of Bonanza, The Doris Day Show, The Colbys, Hunter, Quantum Leap, Who’s the Boss?, thirtysomething, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Northern Exposure, and JAG.
Harriet White Medin
Patricia McQueeney
MEEHAN, TONY British rock musician Tony Meehan, who was a member of the 1960s group the
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was 85. Melis was born in Havana, Cuba, on February 27, 1920. He began playing the piano at an early age and came to the United States at the age of 16. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II, and was conductor and musical arranger for the USO band. He met Jack Paar while in the army and joined him on the CBS Morning Show as his orchestra conductor. He remained with Paar at the CBS Afternoon Show and The Tonight Show. Melis also recorded numerous songs during his career and worked with such artists as Frank Sinatra and Tito Puente. He also appeared as himself in the 1958 film Senior Prom. • Los Angeles Times, Apr. 21, 2005, B11; New York Times, Apr. 18, 2005, B8; Time, May 2, 2005, 25.
MELIS, JOSE Musician and bandleader Jose Melis died in Sun City, Arizona, on April 7, 2005. He
MENDOZA-NAVA, JAIME Bolivian composer Jaime Mendoza-Nava died in Los Angeles on May 31, 2005. He was 79. Mendoza-Nava was born in La Paz, Bolivia, in 1925. He began his musical training at an early age and was considered a child prodigy. He studied at such institutions as New Yorks’ Juilliard School of Music, the Sorbonne in Paris, and the Royal Conservatory in Madrid. He conducted orchestras in Madrid and Lima before becoming music director and conductor of the Bolivian National Symphony Orchestra. Mendoza-Nava came to the United States in the 1950s where he joined Walt Disney Studios’ music department. He composed scores for such Disney television productions as The Mickey Mouse Club and Zorro. He subsequently became music director for United Productions of America, before heading an independent film post production company. Mendoza-Nava composed scores for numerous film and television productions over the next four decades. His film credits include many low-budget exploitation films and include The Quick and the Dead (1963), Marine Battleground (1963), No Man’s Land (1964), Handle with Care (1964), The Glass Cage (1964), Shell Shock (1964), Ballad of a Gunfighter (1964), Summer Children (1965), Angel’s Flight (1965), Org y of the Dead (1965), The Black Klansman (1966), The Talisman (1966), The Hostage (1967), High, Wild and Free (1968), Fever Heat (1968), Single Room Furnished (1968), Haiku (1969), The Female Bunch (1969), The Cut-Throats (1969), The House Near the Prado (1969), The Witchmaker (1969), The Undercover Scandals of Henry VIII (1970), The Savage Wild
Jose Melis
Jaime Mendoza-Nava
Tony Meehan (right, with Jet Harris, Hank Marvin, and Bruce Welch of the Shadows)
Shadows, died on November 28, 2005, of head injuries he received in a fall at his home in London. He was 62. Meehan was born in Hampstead, England, on March 2, 1943. He began playing drums as a child and was playing in dance bands while in his teens. He joined Cliff Richard’s band, the Drifters, in 1959. The group soon became known as the Shadows, and were heard on such hits as “Living Doll,” “Travellin’ Light,” “The Young Ones,” and “Please Don’t Tease.” He also appeared with Richard and the band in several films including Espresso Bongo (1960), The Young Ones (1961), and Just for Fun (1963). The Shadows began recording independently in the 1960, recording such hits as “Apache,” “Man of Mystery,” “The Stranger,” “KonTiki,” and “Frightened City.” He left the Shadows in 1961 to become a producer at Decca Records. He returned to recording in 1963, joining former Shadows bandmate Jet Harris on such hits as “Diamonds,” “Scarlett O’Hara,” and “Applejack.” He and Harris broke up after Harris was seriously injured in an automobile accident later in the year and he recorded the song “Song of Mexico” as the Tony Meehan Combo in 1964. He subsequently returned to producing, and was instrumental in writing and arranging Roger Daltrey’s 1977 album One of the Boys. • Times (of London), Nov. 30, 2005, 61.
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(1970), The Hard Road (1970), Brother, Cry for Me (1970), The Wild Scene (1970), The Midnight Graduate (1970), We, a Family (1971), Blood Legacy (1971), The Brotherhood of Satan (1971), Aegis-Orts (1973), Starbird and Sweet William (1973), The Legend of Bogg y Creek (1973), A Man for Hanging (1973), Thunder County (1974), Promise of Love (1974), Grave of the Vampire (1974), Garden of the Dead (1974), Adventure in Ventana (1974), Tears of Happiness (1974), Bootleggers (1974), The House on Skull Mountain (1974), Sons of Sassoun (1975), The Great Lester Boggs (1975), House of Terror (aka Scream Bloody Murder) (1975), Smoke in the Wind (1975), Aloha, Bobby and Rose (1975), A Boy and His Dog (1975), Mysteries from Beyond Earth (1975), The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976), Creature from Black Lake (1976), The Winds of Autumn (1976), Mule Feathers (1977), Rip-Off (1977), Father Kino: Padre on Horseback (1977), The Shadow of Chikara (1977), Jailbait Babysitter (1978), The Boys in Company C (1978), Grayeagle (1978), Death Force (1978), The Norseman (1978), Vampire Hookers (1979), The Evictors (1979), The Legend of Alfred Packer (1980), Psycho from Texas (1981), 40 Days of Musa Dagh (1982), Mauseoleum (1983), and Terror in the Swamp (aka Nutriaman: The Copasaw Creature) (1985). • Los Angeles Times, June 16, 2005, B10; Variety, June 27, 2005, 80.
MERCER, JANE British film researcher Jane Mercer died of cancer in England on November 11, 2005. She was 63. Mercer was born in Pretoria, South Africa, on November 11, 1942. She began working as a textbook editor before taking a job with Reader’s Digest in the research department. Her interests in film led to a job with the British Film Institute in 1970. She also worked as a film critic for the BBC and authored the 1975 book Great Lovers of the Movies (from Valentino to Redford and McQueen). From the 1980s Mercer served as a researcher for various television programs including Arthur C. Clarke’s Mysterious World and Clive James’ Fame in the Twentieth Century (1993). She began working with the Federation of Commercial Audiovisual Libraries International Ltd., becoming chairman, from 2000 to 2005, of the organization that represented the world’s archive libraries of film footage.
MERCHANT, ISMAIL Indian filmmaker who teamed with James Ivory to produce a host of classic costume dramas, died in a London hospital of complications from surgery for abdominal ulcers on May 25, 2005. He was 68. Merchant was born Noormohamed Abdul Rahman in Bombay, India, on December 25, 1936. He was educated in the United States, attending New York University, where he received a degree in business administration. He produced his first film, The Creation of Woman, in 1960 and it was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film. Merchant met documentary film producer James Ivory on route to the Cannes Film Festival in 1961 and the two decided to team up and make English-language films for India. They had mixed success with such films as The Householder (1963), Shakespeare-Wallah (1965), The Guru (1969), Bombay Talkie (1970), and the television production Adventures of a Brown Man in Search of Civilization (1972). They subsequently returned to the United States where they produced the allegorical Savages (1972), and 1975’s The Wild Party, based on events leading up to the trial of Roscoe ‘Fatty’ Arbuckle. Merchant-Ivory also produced Helen, Queen of the Nautch Girls (1973), Mahatma and the Mad Boy (1974) which Merchant directed, Autobiography of a Princess (1975), Sweet Sounds (1976), Roseland (1977), and Hullabaloo Over Georgie and Bonnie’s Pictures (1978). They produced their first period piece costume drama, adapting Henry James The Europeans for film in 1979. This was fallowed by Jane Austen in Manhattan (1980) and Quartet (1981). They were joined by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, who adapted her Booker Prize–winning novel Heat and Dust for the screen in 1983. They also produced acclaimed adaptations of Henry James’ The Bostonians (1982) and The Golden Bowl (2000), E.M. Forster’s A Room with a View (1985), Maurice (1989), and Howards End (1992), and Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day. A Room with a View, Howards End, and The Remains of the Day all earned Oscar nominations for Best Picture. Merchant-Ivory’s other film credits include My Little Girl (1986), Sweet Lorraine (1987), The Perfect Murder (1988), The Deceivers (1988), Slaves of New York (1989), Mr. & Mrs. Bridge (1990), The Ballad of the Sad Cafe (1991), Street Musicians of Bombay (1994), Feast of July (1995), Jefferson in Paris
Jane Mercer Ismail Merchant
257 (1995), Surviving Picasso (1996), The Tree (1998), Side Streets (1998), A Soldier’s Daughter Never Cries (1998), Cotton Mary (1999) which Merchant also directed, Refuge (2002), Merci Docteur Rey (2002), Le Divorce (2003), and Heights (2004). They had several films in production at the time of Merchant’s death including The White Countess and The Goddess starring Tina Turner. • Los Angeles Times, May 26, 2005, B12; New York Times, May 26, 2005, C18; People, June 13, 2005, 115; Time, June 6, 2005, 25; Times (of London), May 26, 2005, 67; Variety, May 30, 2005, 44.
MERRIMAN, RANDY Radio and television broadcaster Randy Merriman died of pneumonia in Boca Raton, Florida, on October 27, 2005. He was 93. Merriman was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on December 1, 1911. He began his show business career performing with the circus and on the vaudeville stage. He began working in radio in the early 1940s, hosting the Minnesota radio program Tavern Trouper. He soon worked with Bob Hope on USO shows entertaining the troops during World War II. Merriman returned to radio after the war, hosting the early television quiz show Fun for Your Money. He also hosted the early network television quiz show The Big Payoff with Bess Meyerson in the early 1950s. He returned to Minnesota in 1957, where he hosted such local radio and television productions as Honest to Goodness and Fan in the Stands.
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John starred as the globe-trotting redhead in a 1976 unsold television pilot, Brenda Starr. Another film version was released in 1989, starring Brooke Shields as Brenda and Timothy Dalton as Basil St. John. Messick also illustrated the Perry Mason comic strip in the early 1950s. She handed over the Brenda Starr strip to artist Ramona Fradon and writer Linda Sutter in the early 1980s. Artist June Brigman and writer Mary Schmich have worked on the strip, which remains a popular comic, since 1985. She later created a panel comic strip, Granny Glamour, for the local weekly Oakmont Gardens Magazine, which she illustrated until a stroke in 1998 forced her retirement. • Los Angeles Times, Apr. 8, 2005, B10; New York Times, Apr. 8, 2005, A25; People, Apr. 25, 2005, 91; Time, Apr. 18, 2005, 26.
Dale Messick
Randy Merriman
METHLING, SVEN Danish film director Sven Methling died in Copenhagen, Denmark, on August 7, 2005. He was 86. Methling was born in Denmark on September 20, 1918. He was a leading film director in Denmark for over fifty years. He began working in films in the early 1940s, directing Magic Lighter (1946), Kriminalsagen Tove Andersen (1953), Operation Camel (1960), Sorte Shara (1961), The Girl and the Press Photographer (1963), South of Tana River (1963), Pretty Boy and Rosa (1967), I Love Blue (1968), The Key to Paradise (1970), 1001 Danish Delights (1972), The Family with 1000 Children (1972), Three Angels and Five Lions
MESSICK, DALE Dale Messick, who created the long-running comic strip Brenda Starr, Reporter, died after a long illness in Penngrove, California, on April 5, 2005. She was 98. She was born Dalia Messick in South Bend, Indiana, on April 11, 1906. She began her career in the 1930s drawing for greeting card companies. Brenda Starr began running as a Sunday newspaper comic in The Chicago Tribune in June of 1940. A daily cartoon strip followed five years later. The intrepid reporter was one of the first females to star in an adventure strip. She maintained a three decade long romance with eye-patched mystery man Basil St. John, which culminated in the couples comic-strip marriage in 1976. Joan Woodbury starred in the 1945 film version of the strip, Brenda Starr, Reporter, and Jill St.
Sven Methling
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(1982), The Crumbs (1991), The Crumbs 2 (1992), The Rascal (1994), and The Crumbs 3: Dad’s Bright Idea (1994).
MEYLER , FINTAN Actress Fintan Meyler died of cancer in San Jose, California, on July 23, 2005. She was 75. Meyler was born in Ireland on December 14, 1929. The lovely brunette studied drama at the Gate Theatre in Dublin. She came to the United States after winning a beauty contest in Ireland. Meyler settled in Los Angeles where she did some stage work before making her television debut in an episode of Matinee Theater in the mid–1950s. She continued to appear in episodes of such series as Gunsmoke, Trackdown, Have Gun —Will Travel, State Trooper, Sugarfoot, The Donna Reed Show, Perry Mason, Peter Gunn, Wagon Train, Zorro, One Step Beyond, The Rebel, Adventures in Paradise, Hotel de Paree, Bonanza, Thriller with Boris Karloff, Alcoa Premiere, and Emergency! She was also featured in several films including The Abductors (1957), Zero Hour! (1957), and Showdown at Boot Hill (1958). Meyer retired from the screen in the early 1960s after the birth of her children. • Variety, Aug. 22, 2005, 42.
67. Mgcina was born in Germiston, South Africa, on May 9, 1938. She was a leading performer on the South African stage from the early 1960s. She starred in the jazz opera King Kong in 1960, and starred in both leading roles in The Journey of Poppie Nongena, also composing and directing the musical score. Mgcina was also seen in several films including Dingaka (1965), Cry Freedom (1987), A Dry White Season (1989), A Good Man in Africa (1994), and Zulu Love Letter (2004).
MICHELOT, PIERRE French jazz musician Pierre Michelot died of complications from Alzheimer’s disease in Paris on July 3, 2005. He was 77. Michelot was born in Saint Denis, France, on March 3, 1928. He trained as a classical pianist before taking up the bass while in his teens. He performed concerts to entertain U.S. troops stationed in Paris after World War II. Michelot performed with such jazz artists as Stan Getz, Django Reinhardt, Dizzy Gillespie, and Kenny Clarke in the 1950s. He also was music arranger for Chet Baker while he was in Paris in 1956 and 1957. Michelot played with Miles Davis on the soundtrack of Louis Malle’s film thriller Elevator to the Gallows in 1958. He performed with the jazz trio HUM for many years. He was also heard on the soundtracks for the films Beau Pere (1981) and Scarlet Fever (1983). Michelot also appeared in Bertrand Tavernier’s 1986 film ’Round Midnight, and was seen in The Housekeeper in 2002.
Fintan Meyler
MGCINA, SOPHIE THOKO South African singer and actress Sophie Thoko Mgcina died in South Africa of a heart attack on December 2, 2005. She was
Sophie Thoko Mgcina
Pierre Michelot
MILANI, FRANCISCO Brazilian actor Francisco Milani died of cancer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on August 13, 2005. He was 68. Milani was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on November 19, 1936. He began his career in the 1950s, appearing on Brazilian radio and television. A popular comedian, he was also active in Brazilian politics. A military coup took over the government of Brazil in 1964 and Milani’s career also suffered as a result. He was able to resume his career as an entertainer in the early 1970s. Milani was seen in such series as Selva de Pedra (1972), Cavalo de Aco (1973), Aritana (1978), Roda de Fogo (1978), Brilhante (1981), Elas por Elas (1982), Final Feliz (1982), Champagne (1983), Escolinha do Professor Raimundo (1990), Barriga de Aluguel (1990), Vamp (1991), Sex Appeal (1993), Cara e Coroa (1995), and Voce Decide (1998). He also starred
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MILLER, ARTHUR Arthur Miller, who was considered to be one of the foremost playwrights of the 20th Century, died of heart failure at his home in Roxbury, Connecticut, on February 10, 2005. He was 89. Miller was born in New York City on October 17, 1915. He attended the University of Michigan, where he refined his talents as a writer. His first play produced on Broadway, 1944’s The Man Who Had All the Luck, met with little success and closed after four performances. Despite this setback he continued to write, penning All My Sons, which won the New York Drama Critics’ Circle’s award for best play in 1947. Miller’s best known work, Death of a Salesman, was produced two years later and earned the playwright the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award in 1949. He also received acclaim for his 1953 play The Crucible, which used the backdrop of the Salem witch trials as a parable about the investigations of the House Committee on UnAmerican Activities which were going on at the time. This was followed by the drama A View from the Bridge in 1955. Miller was almost as famous for his marriage
to screen legend Marilyn Monroe in 1956. He scripted Monroe’s 1960 film The Misfits, which turned out to be the final film for Monroe and co-star Clark Gable. He and Monroe divorced in 1961 and she died the following year from an overdose of drugs and alcohol. Miller’s 1964 play, After the Fall, featured a character largely based on Monroe. This was followed by the 1968 production The Price. His autobiography, Timebends, was published in 1987. Miller opened his 1991 play in London rather than on Broadway. Three years later he returned to Broadway with Broken Glass, which garnered a Tony nomination. Many of his plays were adapted to film including All My Sons (1948) with Edward G. Robinson and Burt Lancaster, Death of a Salesman (1951) starring Fredric March, Jean Paul Sartre’s French adaptation of The Crucible (1957) starring Simone Signoret, his adaptation of Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People (1978) starring Steve McQueen, and Everybody Wins (1990) which he also scripted. His novel Homely Girl was adapted for the film Eden (2001), and Focus was also filmed in 2001. There were also numerous television productions of his works including All My Sons (1955), Death of a Salesman (1955), An Enemy of the People (1966), The Crucible (1967), Incident at Vichy (1973), A Memory of Two Mondays (1974), After the Fall (1974), Playing for Time (1980) which he scripted, The Crucible (1980), Death of a Salesman (1985), All My Sons (1986), An Enemy of the People (1990), Clara (1991), The Golden Years (1992), The American Clock (1993), Broken Glass (1996), Death of a Salesman (1996 & 2000), and The Ryan Interview (2000). Miller was married to Mary Grace Slattery before Monroe, and married Inge Morath in 1962. They were married for forty years before her death in 2002. • Los Angeles Times, Feb. 12, 2005, A1; New York Times, Feb. 12, 2005, A1; People, Feb. 28, 2004, 133; Time, Feb. 21, 2005, 72; Times (of London), Feb. 12, 2005, 76; Variety, Feb. 21, 2005, 41. MILLER, TRACEY Radio personality Tracey Miller died of brain cancer in a Glendale, California, hospital on October 7, 2005. She was 51. Miller was born in Santa Maria, California, on July 21, 1954. She began working in radio in the 1970s, serving as a news reporter in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Seattle, Washington. She returned to Los Angeles in the early
Arthur Miller
Tracey Miller
Francisco Milani
as Saraiva in the series Zorra Total from 1999 to 2004, and was Tio Juvenal in A Grande Familia in 2004. He also appeared in several films including O Ultime Malandro (1974), Pecado na Sacristia (1975), They Don’t Wear Black Tie (1981), Vento Sul (1986), O Misterio de Irma Vap (2005), Eliana em O Segredo dos Golfinhos (2005), and O Coronhel e o Lobisomem (2005).
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260
1980s, spending over a decade with KFI-AM. In 1990 she teamed with Terri-Rae Elmer as co-host of the allfemale morning show TNT in the Morning. She moved to KABC-AM in 1994, where she teamed with Peter Tilden. She later co-hosted the morning show Two Chicks on the Radio at KTZN-AM with Robin Abcarian in 1997. • Los Angeles Times, Oct. 11, 2005, B12; Variety, Oct. 17, 2005, 65.
MILLS, SIR JOHN Leading British stage and screen actor Sir John Mills died at his home in Denham, west of London, England, on April 23, 2005. He was 97. Mills was born Lewis Ernest Watts Mills in North Elmham, Norfolk, England, on February 22, 1908. He began his career on stage in the late 1920s, dancing and singing in music halls. He was widely praised a decade later for his role as George in the 1939 production of Of Mice and Men. Mills also began his long career in films in the early 1930s, appearing in Midshipmaid Gob (1932), Those Were the Days (1933), The Ghost Camera (1933), The First Offense (1933), Britannia of Billingsgate (1933), The River Wolves (1934), A Political Party (1934), The Lash (1934), Doctor’s Orders (1934), Blind Justice (1934), Charing Cross Road (1935), Car of Dreams (1935), Regal Cavalcade (1935), Born for Glory (1935), Tudor Rose (1936), You’re in the Army Now (1937), The Green Cockatoo (1937), Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939), Dangerous Comment (1940), All Hands (1940), The Big Blockade (1940), Now You’re Talking (1940), Old Bill and Son (1941), Cottage to Let (1941), The Black Sheep of Whitehall (1942), The Goose Steps Out (1942), Noel Coward’s In Which We Serve (1942), The Young Mr. Pitt (1942), We Dive at Dawn (1943), This Happy Breed (1944), Waterloo Road (1945), The Way to the Stars (1945), Land of Promise (1946), Great Expectations (1946) as Pip as a young man, The October Man (1947), So Well Remembered (1947), Scott of the Antarctic (1948) as Capt. Robert Scott, and The History of Mr. Polly (1949). Mills also continued to perform on stage in such productions as Men in Shadow (1942), Duet for Two Hand (1945), and The Uninvited Guest (1953). He made his Broadway debut as Lawrence of Arabia in Terence Rattigan’s Ross in 1961, earning a Tony Award nomination for best actor. He continued to star in such films as The Rocking Horse Winner (1950), Operation Disaster (1950), The Long Memory
Sir John Mills
(1952), Mr. Denning Drives North (1952), The Gentle Gunman (1952), Hobson’s Choice (1954), Escapade (1955), The Colditz Story (1955), The End of the Affair (1955), Above Us the Waves (1955), The Baby and the Battleship (1956), War and Peace (1956), Around the World in Eighty Days (1956), It’s Great to Be Young! (1956), The Vicious Circle (1957), Town on Trial (1957), I Was Monty’s Double (1958), Dunkirk (1958), Ice-Cold in Alex (1958), Summer of the Seventeenth Doll (1959), Tiger Bay (1959) with daughter Hayley Mills, Swiss Family Robinson (1960) as Father Robinson, Tunes of Glory (1960) as the troubled military martinet Colonel Basil Barrow, Flame in the Streets (1961), The Parent Trap (1961), The Singer Not the Song (1961), The Valiant (1962), Tiara Tahiti (1962), The Truth About Spring (1964), The Chalk Garden (1964), Operation Crossbow (1965), King Rat (1965), The Wrong Box (1966), The Family Way (1966), Africa —Texas Style (1967), Chuka (1967), A Black Veil for Lisa (1968), Emma Hamilton (1968), Oh! What a Lovely War (1969), Run Wild, Run Free (1969), Adam’s Woman (1970), David Lean’s Ryan’s Daughter (1970) in the role of Michael, the village idiot, which earned him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, Dulcima (1971), Lady Caroline Lamb (1972), Young Winston (1972) as Gen. Herbert Kitchener, Oklahoma Crude (1973), The Human Factor (1975), Trial by Combat (aka Dirty Knight’s Work) (1976), The Devil’s Advocate (1977), The Thirty-Nine Steps (1978), The Quatermass Conclusion (1978) as Professor Bernard Quatermass, The Big Sleep (1978), Zulu Dawn (1979), Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi (1982), Sahara (1983), The Masks of Death (1984) as Dr. Watson to Peter Cushing’s Sherlock Holmes, When the Wind Blows (1986) as the voice of Jim, Who’s That Girl? (1987), Deadly Advice (1993), The Big Freeze (1993), The Grotesque (1995), Shakespeare’s Hamlet (1996), Bean (1997), Bright Young Things (2003), and Snow Prince (2004). He also appeared in numerous television productions including the 1978 tele-film adaptation of the Marvel comic book Dr. Strange, the mini-series A Woman of Substance (1983), Agatha Christie’s Murder with Mirrors (1985), Hold the Dream (1986), the miniseries Spit MacPhee (1988), Ending Up (1989), The Lady and the Highwayman (1989), the mini-series Around the World in 80 Days (1989), A Tale of Two Cities (1989), Night of the Fox (1990), Harnessing Peacocks (1992), Frankenstein (1993), Martin Chuzzlewit (1994), the musical Cats (1998) as Gus the theater cat, and The Gentleman Thief (2001). Mills starred as Dundee in the 1967 television series Dundee and the Culhane, and was Capt. Tommy “The Elephant” Devon in 1974’s The Zoo Gang. He also starred as Albert Collyer in the 1980 series Young at Heart. His other television credits include appearances in the series Producers’ Showcase, The DuPont Show of the Week, Nanny and the Professor with his daughter Juliet Mills, The Love Boat, Roald Dahl’s Tales of the Unexpected, Hotel, and Perfect Scoundrels. He was named a Commander of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II in 1960, and was knighted in 1976. His autobiography, Up in the Clouds, Gentleman Please, was published in 1981. He was married to actress Aileen Raymond from 1927 until 1941. He subsequently mar-
261 ried playwright Mary Hayley Bell, who survives him. His other survivors include two daughters, actresses Juliet and Hayley Mills, and a son, writer and producer Jonathan Mills. • Los Angeles Times, Apr. 24, 2005, B14; New York Times, Apr. 25, 2005, B7; Time, May 2, 2005, 25; Times (of London), Apr. 25, 2005, 47; Variety, May 2, 2005, 84.
MILLS, ZEKE Character actor A.G. Zeke Mills died in Texas on January 20, 2005. He was 86. Mills was born on August 22, 1918. He appeared in small roles in several films including Scary Movie (1989), Oliver Stone’s JFK (1991), My Boyfriend’s Back (1993), Dazed and Confused (1993), The Newton Boys (1998), and Home Fries (1998).
2005 • Obituaries
Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974), The Mystery of Kaspar Hauser (1974), Everyone Dies in His Own Company (1975), Fox and His Friends (1975), Mother Kusters Goes to Heaven (1975), Satan’s Brew (1976), Chinese Roulette (1976), Adolf and Marlene (1977), The Woman Across the Way (1978), Fabian (1980), Lili Marleen (1981), Kamikaze 89 (1982), The Roaring Fifties (1983), Girl in a Boot (1985), and Willi and the Windsors (1996) as the Queen Mum. She starred as Tante Liddy in the 1963 television series Meine Frau Susanne and was Margarete Farber in the series Drei Damen vom Grill in 1977. She also starred in the 1980 mini-series Berlin Alexanderplatz, and such German television series as Unternehmen Koepenick (1986), Harald und Eddi (1987), Gute Zeiten, Schlechte Zeiten (1992), Winner Takes All (1993), and Kanzlei Burger (1995). • Variety, Mar. 28, 2005, 57.
MIRANDA, AURORA Brazilian actress and singer Aurora Miranda, the sister of actress Carmen Miranda, died on December 22, 2005. Miranda was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on April 20, 1915. She was a popular singing star in Brazil in the 1930s and appeared in such films as Alo, Alo, Brasil (1935), Estudantes (1935), Alo Alo Carnaval (1936), and Banana-daTerra (1939). She came to the United States in the 1940 and was featured in Richard Siodmak’s 1944 mystery Phantom Lady, where she sang the song “Chica-ChicaBoom-Boom.” She also performed in the films Brazil (1944) and Tell It to a Star (1945), and danced with Donald Duck in Disney’s The Three Caballeros in 1944. Zeke Mills (from J.F.K.)
MIRA, BRIGITTE Leading German actress and singer Brigitte Mira died in a Berlin hospital on March 8, 2005. She was 94. Mira was born in Hamburg, Germany, on April 20, 1910. She was a leading stage performer from the 1930s. She was also seen in numerous films and television productions. Her many film credits include The Ballad of Berlin (1948), Der Stern von Santa Clara (1958), The Tragedy of Silence (1962), Der Partyphotograph (1968), Hotel by the Hour (1970), Twenty Girls and the Teachers (1971), Eight Hours Are Not a Day (1972), The Tenderness of Wolves (1973), Aurora Miranda
Brigitte Mira
MISHULIN, SPARTAK Russian actor Spartak Mishulin died of heart failure in Moscow on July 17, 2005. He was 78. Mishulin was born in Moscow on October 22, 1926. He was active in films from the 1960s, appearing in White Sun of the Desert (1970), The Property of the Republic (1971), The Wizard of the City of Emeralds (1974), Goaway and Twobriefcases (1974), Car, Violin and Blot the Dog (1974), Talisman (1983), Be Careful, Vasilyok (1985), We’re Sitting Good! (1986), A Man from Boulevard des Capucines (1987), The Charming Traveller (1990), Private Detective, or Operation Cooperation (1990), Ladies Man (1990), Recruiter (1991), A Puppy from the Constellation of the Dog (1991),
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262 thored his memoirs, Flickering Shadows, in 1997. • Times (of London), Jan. 14, 2006, 79.
Spartak Mishulin
Air Pirates (1992), There’s Good Weather in Deribasovskaya, It’s Raining Again in Brighton Beach (1992), Master and Margareth (1994), A Boulevard Romance (1994), and Poor Sasha (1997). He also appeared often on Russian television.
MITCHELL, JOHN W. British film sound technician John W. Mitchell, who earned Academy Award nominations for his work on the films Diamonds Are Forever (1971) and A Passage to India (1984), died in England on November 21, 2005. He was 88. Mitchell was born in Yorkshire, England, on June 14, 1917. He began working at films at Ealing Studios while in his teens. He worked on hundreds of films during his career, beginning as a boom operator on such features as Rembrandt (1936), Elephant Boy (1937), Return of the Scarlet Pimpernel (1937), The Four Feathers (1939), Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939), Conquest of the Air (1940), and A Window in London (1940). He advanced to the position of sound recordist in the early 1940s, working on such films as Fame Is the Spur (1946), Great Expectations (1946), Odd Man Out (1947), Hamlet (1948), Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949), The Rocking Horse Winner (1950), Trio (1950), Cry, the Beloved Country (1951), The African Queen (1951), Genevieve (1953), A Day to Remember (1953), Doctor in the House (1954), An Alligator Named Daisy (1955), Moby Dick (1956), The Spanish Gardener (1957), The Prince and the Showgirl (1957), The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), Our Man in Havana (1959), The Battle of the Sexes (1959), The 39 Steps (1959), Sword of Sherwood Forest (1960), Conspiracy of Hearts (1960), Seven Keys (1961), Call Me Bwana (1963), From Russia with Love (1963), Agent 8∫ (1964), Mister Moses (1965), Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (1965), The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1965), Arabesque (1966), Casino Royale (1967), You Only Live Twice (1967), Billion Dollar Brain (1967), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968), On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969), Diamonds Are Forever (1971), Sleuth (1972), Live and Let Die (1973), The Black Windmill (1974), Shout at the Devil (1976), Jesus of Nazareth (1977), Valentino (1977), Death on the Nile (1978), Murder by Decree (1979), Raise the Titanic (1980), The Mirror Crack’d (1980), Evil Under the Sun (1982), The Bounty (1984), and Manhunter (1986). Mitchell au-
MITROVIC , ZIKA Serbian film director Zivorad “Zika” Mitrovic died in Belgrade, Serbia, on January 29, 2005. He was 83. Mitrovic was born in Belgrade, then Yugoslavia, on September 3, 1921. He began his career in cinema in 1946, directing a documentary about the National Army, Nove Pobede. He made a series of short films over the next several years including The First Lights (1949), The Soil Was Waiting for a Tractor (1951), and Images of Prizren (1952). Mitrovic subsequently directed over twenty feature films including Miss Stone (1958), Signal over the City (1960), Captain Leshi (1961), The Salonika Terrorists (1961), Thundering Mountains (1963), Before and After the Victory (1966), Witness Out of Hell (1967), Murder Committed in a Sly and Cruel Manner and from Low Motives (1970), Guns of War (1974), P.D.O. (1981), and Savamala (1982).
Zika Mitrovic
MIYATA, WAYNE Surfing pioneer Wayne Miyata died of esophagus cancer at his home in Hermosa Beach, California, on March 21, 2005. He was 63. Miyata, a native of Hawaii, was born on February 17, 1942. He was one of the first surfers to be filmed doing a tube ride — riding his surf board through a large wave that curls over him. The footage of his feat was in-
Wayne Miyata
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2005 • Obituaries
cluded in the 1966 Bruce Brown documentary, The Endless Summer, which introduced the general public to the sport of surfing. Miyata was later known for his custom handmade and painted surf boards. • Los Angeles Times, Mar. 24, 2005, B11; New York Times, Mar. 25, 2005, B11.
MOHNER, CARL Austrian actor Carl Mohner died of Parkinsons disease at his home in McAllen, Texas, on January 14, 2005. He was 88. Mohner was born in Vienna, Austria, on August 11, 1916. He began his career on stage in Austria and Germany until his World War II interrupted his acting career. He resumed his career after the war, and began appearing in films in Europe including Vagabonds (1949), Punktchen and Anton (1953), The Last Bridge (1954), Rififi (1955), He Who Must Die (1957), White Elder (1957), The Camp on Blood Island (1958), The Key (1958), Storm Over Jamaica (1958), Behind the Mask (1958), Moonwolf (1959), Sink the Bismarck! (1960) as Captain Lindemann, It Takes a Thief (1960), The Kitchen (1961), The Fall of Rome (1962), Cave of the Living Dead (1964), Last Gun (1964), Gold Train (1965), Killer with a Silk Scarf (1966), The Man Who Came to Kill (1966), Captain from Toledo (1966), Hell Is Empty (1966), Carmen, Baby (1967), Death and Diamonds (1968), Assignment K (1968), The Last Mercenary (1968), Swinging Wives (1971), Fraulein Without a Uniform (1973), Superbug, the Wild One (1973), Callan (1974), The Babysitter (1975), and A Woman at Her Window (1976). Mohner subsequently retired from the screen to become an artist and settled in Texas in 1978.
Carl Mohner
MOLCHAN, GEORGE George Molchan, the diminutive spokesman for the Oscar Mayer Co, who toured the country as Little Oscar in the company’s Wienermobile, died of complications from Alzheimer’s disease at his home in Hobart, Indiana, on April 12, 2005. He was 88. Molchan was born on June 5, 1916. The 44-inch tall Molchan was working as a bookkeeper in the early 1950s when The Wizard of Oz Munchkin Meinhardt Raabe suggested he interview for the job with Oscar Mayer. Molchan soon became one of the first Little Oscars, dressing in an all white chef ’s outfit and driving a vehicle shaped like a large hot dog. He
George Molchan
would travel on promotional tours at grocery stores, schools and hospital on behalf of Oscar Mayer products. He toured in the Weinermobile for twenty years, when the company largely retired the mobile unit. He subsequently became the official Little Oscar at the company’s restaurant at Disney World in 1971, where he remained until his retirement in 1987. • Los Angeles Times, May 2, 2005, B9; New York Times, Apr. 19, 2005, C17.
MONTANA, LOUISE Actress and rodeo performer Louise Montana, the widow of cowboy star Montie Montana, died in Northridge, California, on August 14, 2005. She was 88. She was born on August 31, 1916. When she was 17 she married Montana at the Los Angeles County Fair in a horseback wedding with Buck Jones as their best man. The couple performed with the Al G. Barnes Circus, where they performed in the Wild West Concert. The Montanas performed together in numerous rodeos and parades and she appeared in several films including A Star Is Born (1954) with Judy Garland and Cheyenne Autumn (1964) as Carroll Baker’s double. She was also featured in an episode of The Roy Rogers Show on television. • Variety, Sept. 12, 2005, 81. MONTGOMERY, MARTHA Martha Montgomery, one of the 1940s Goldwyn Girls, died at a nursing home in Pacific Palisades, California, on May 9, 2005. She was 84. Montgomery was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi, on December 5, 1920. She began her career as a New York model with the John Robert Powers Agency before signing a Hollywood contract with 20th Century–Fox. She appeared in a small role in the 1938 film Freshman Year. During the 1940s she worked with MGM as a Goldwyn Girl, appearing in films and touring throughout the United States and Europe on behalf of the studio and Hollywood. She also appeared in small parts in such films as Wonder Man (1945) with Danny Kaye, The Kid from Brooklyn (1946), The Inner Circle (1946), Possessed (1947), Something in the Wind (1947), The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947), Linda Be Good (1947), I Love Trouble (1948), One Touch of Venus (1948), A Song Is Born (1948), and Words and Music (1948). Her screen career ended after her marriage in 1947 to composer Alfred Newman, the winner of nine
Obituaries • 2005
264 his company in 1971 but continued to devise instruments for Moog Music and his subsequent company, Big Briar. • Los Angeles Times, Aug. 23, 2005, B10; New York Times, Aug. 23, 2005, C16; People, Sept. 5, 2005, 95; Time, Sept. 5, 2005, 27; Times (of London), Aug. 23, 2005, 47; Variety, Aug. 29, 2005, 85.
Martha Montgomery
Academy Awards and the head of the 20th Century– Fox music department. She and Newman had five children, Oscar-nominated composers Thomas and David Newman, violinist and composer Maria Newman, Lucy Whiffen and Fred Newman. They remained married until Alfred Newman’s death in 1970. • Los Angeles Times, May 11, 2005, B12.
MOON, MARJORIE Marjorie Moon, a leading xylophonist who performed throughout the world, died of injuries she received when she was truck by a car on the Gold Coast of Australia on September 1, 2005. She was 80. Moon was born in Leicester, England, on July 17, 1925. She began performing as a singer, dancer, and musician when she was a child. She took up the xylophone at age 13, and played concerts to entertain the troops during World War II. She was a leading performer in variety acts in England and Australia, and continued to appear in concerts until her death.
MOOG, ROBERT Engineer Robert Moog, who created the electronic music synthesizer named for him, died of an inoperable brain tumor at his home in Asheville, North Carolina, on August 21, 2005. He was 71. Moog was born in New York City on May 23, 1934. He studied electrical engineering at Columbia University, and earned a doctorate from Cornell University in engineering physics in 1965. Moog had become involved with electronic music in the 1950s, building and selling theremins, a device that created various pitches and tones by moving ones hands between two metal rods. In the mid–1960s he began developing synthesizer modules that became the Moog Synthesizer. His devices were employed by such rock groups as Yes, Tangerine Dream, and Emerson, Lake and Palmer, and composer such as Dick Hyman, Richard Teitelbaum, and Walter (Wendy) Carlos soon began writing music expressly for the synthesizer sound. Carlos’ SwitchedOn Bach helped to popularize the electronic sounds, which were also heard on the soundtracks of such films as Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange. Moog sold
MOORE, CONSTANCE Actress Constance Moore, who starred as Wilma Deering in the 1939 Buck Rogers serial, died in Los Angeles of heart failure after a long illness on September 16, 2005. She was 85. Moore was born in Sioux City, Iowa, on January 18, 1920. She began her film career in the late 1930s, appearing in Prescription for Romance (1937), Border Wolves (1938), Reckless Living (1938), The Crime of Dr. Hallet (1938), State Police (1938), The Last Stand (1938),
Robert Moog
Constance Moore
Marjorie Moon
265 Wives Under Suspicion (1938), Prison Break (1938), Letter of Introduction (1938), The Missing Guest (1938), Freshman Year (1938), Swing That Cheer (1938), You Cant Cheat an Honest Man (1938), Ex-Champ (1939), Mutiny on the Blackhawk (1939), When Tomorrow Comes (1939), Hawaiian Nights (1939), Laugh It Off (1939), and Charlie McCarthy, Detective (1939). She starred with Buster Crabbe in the 1939 serial Buck Rogers, and continue to appear in the films La Conga Nights (1940), Framed (1940), Ma, He’s Making Eyes at Me (1940), Argentine Nights (1940), I’m Nobody’s Sweetheart Now (1940), Las Vegas Nights (1941), I Wanted Wings (1941), Buy Me That Town (1941), Take a Letter, Darling (1942), Show Business (1944), Atlantic City (1944), Delightfully Dangerous (1945), Earl Carroll Vanities (1945), Mexicana (1945), In Old Sacramento (1946), Hit Parade of 1947 (1947), and The 13th Letter (1941). She starred as Chris Logan in the short-lived television series Window on Main Street with Robert Young in 1961, and was Irene Forsythe in the series The Young Marrieds in 1965. She also guest-starred on television in episodes of The Donna Reed Show, Laramie, Michael Shayne, and My Three Sons. She largely retired from the screen in the 1960s. • Los Angeles Times, Sept. 22, 2005, B10; Times (of London), Oct. 27, 2005, 75; Variety, Oct. 3, 2005, 76.
2005 • Obituaries
(1940), Youth Will Be Served (1940), A Very Young Lady (1941), Scattergood Rides High (1942), Broadway (1942), and Ladies Courageous (1944).
MOORE, MARY OLGA Singer Mary Olga Moore died of cancer in a Concord, Massachusetts, hospital on April 9, 2005. She was 54. Moore was born Mary Olga Troshkin in New York City on December 31, 1950. She began her career as a model and was performing as a singer in the early 1970s. She subsequently met and married Robin Moore, the author of the bestselling books The Green Berets and The French Connection. Robin Moore co-authored New York madam Xaviera Hollander’s autobiography, The Happy Hooker, and the book was adapted for a film starring Lynn Redgrave in 1975. Mary Olga Moore sang the title song, that was also written by her husband, for the film. She also performed in the small role of Rosie.
MOORE, DOROTHY Actress Dorothy Moore, who starred in films as Blondie’s younger sister, died on October 5, 2005. She was 86. She was born in Mattoon, Illinois, on January 12, 1919. She began her film career in the late 1930s, appearing in such features as On Again Off Again (1937), The Big Shot (1937), Quick Money (1937), Vivacious Lady (1938), Having Wonderful Time (1938), and Girls’ School (1938). She was best known for starring as Dot Miller, Blondie Bumstead’s younger sister, in the first two films in the Blondie series, Blondie (1938) and Blondie Meets the Boss (1939) starring Penny Singleton as Blondie and Arthur Lake as her husband, Dagwood. She also appeared with the Three Stooges in the short films Calling All Curs (1939) and Oily to Bed, Oily to Rise (1939). Moore continued to appear in the films Laugh It Off (1939), High School (1940), Star Dust (1940), Girl in 313 (1940), When the Daltons Rode (1940), I’m Nobody’s Sweetheart Now
MORDECAI , BENJAMIN Theatrical producer Benjamin Mordecai died of cancer in a New Haven, Connecticut, hospital on May 8, 2005. He was 60. Mordecai was born in New York City on December 10, 1944. He attended Eastern Michigan University and Indiana University and, in 1971, founded the Indiana Repertory Theatre in Indianapolis. He remained there for the next decade, staging productions of such plays as The House of Blue Leaves, Our Town, and Count
Dorothy Moore
Benjamin Mordecai
Mary Olga Moore
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Dracula. In the early 1980s Mordecai became managing director of the Yale Repertory Theatre. She was best known for his staging of August Wilson’s plays, moving such productions as Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (1984), Fences (1987), Joe Turner’s Come and Gone (1988), The Piano Lesson (1990), and Two Trains Running (1992) from Yale to Broadway. He earned two Tony Awards during his career, as a producer of Fences and Tony Kushner’s Angels in America. He also was involved in the production of the Broadway plays Blood Knot by Athol Fugard, Lee Blessing’s A Walk in the Woods, and the revivals of Eugene O’Neill’s Long Day’s Journey into Night and Ah! Wilderness. He also became the executive director for the Sageworks producing group, staging Broadway productions of Wilson’s Seven Guitars (1996) King Headley II (2001), and a revival of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2003). Mordecai was associate dean and chairman of the Yale School of Drama’s department of theater management, and producer of the Broadway production Brooklyn the Musical at the time of his death. • Los Angeles Times, May 11, 2005, B13; New York Times, May 10, 2005, A15; Variety, May 16, 2005, 66.
MORELLI , OSCAR Mexican actor Oscar Morelli died of heart and respiratory disease in Mexico on June 6, 2005. He was 69. Morelli was born in Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico, on February 4, 1936. He appeared frequently on Mexican television from the early 1960s, starring in such series as La Mesera (1963), La Familia Miau (1963), Juan Jose (1964), Secreto de Confesion (1965), Vertigo (1966), La Razon de Vivir (1966), Un Color Para tu Piel (1967), Felipa Sanchez, la Soldadera (1967), El Mariachi (1970), La Maestra (1971), Paloma (1972), La Hiena (1973), Pacto de Amor (1977), Leona Vicario (1982), Guadalupe (1984), Flor y Canela (1989), La Fuerza del Amor (1990), Maria Jose (1995), Para Toda la Vida (1996), La Culpa (1996), La Usurpadora (1998), Huracan (1998), Alma Rebelde (1999), Por un Beso (2000), and La Madrastra (2005). Morelli also appeared in several films during his career including Song of the Soul (1964), El Juicio de Arcadio (1965), Maria Isabel (1968), The Fifth Patio (1970), Yesenia (1971), Blue Demon en la Mafia Amarilla (1975), Longitud de Querra (1976), El Torito de Tepito (1982),
A Real Man (1983), El Gato con Gatas (1992), El Caporal (1997), and Reclusorio III (1999).
MORENO, EVA South American actress Eva Moreno died in Caracas, Venezuela, on October 10, 2005. She was 69. Moreno was featured in the films The Pink Pussy Cat: Where Sin Lives (1964), The Hot Bed (1965), Manon (1986), and Semos Peligrosos (1993). She appeared frequently in television productions from the 1970s including Rosangela (1979), Pobre Diabla (190), Ka Ina (1995), Todo pur tu Amor (1996), Amantes de Luna Llena (2000), and Las Gonzalez (2002).
Eva Moreno
MORGAN, STANLEY British character actor Stanley Morgan died in England on April 4, 2005. He was 75. Morgan was born in Liverpool, England, on November 10, 1929. He appeared in numerous films in the 1960s including The Clue of the Twisted Candle (1960), The Square Mile Murder (1961), The Silent Weapon (1961), Partners in Crime (1961), Hair of the Dog (1961), The Clue of the Silver Key (1961), Konga (1961), The Share Out (1962), the 1962 James Bond film Dr. No, The L-Shaped Room (1962), Doomsday at Eleven (1963), Seance on a Wet Afternoon (1964), Night Train to Paris (1964), and The Return of Mr. Moto (1965).
Stanley Morgan
Oscar Morelli
MORGAN, TERENCE British leading actor Terence Morgan, who was best known for starring in
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a Summer, and the films Quicker Than the Eye (1989) and Mutts (1996). His novel Singles was adapted for the screen as the 1982 French film Ma Femme s’Appelle Reviens.
Terence Morgan (as Sir Francis Drake with Jean Kent)
The Adventures of Sir Frances Drake television series in the early 1960s, died in Brighton, East Sussex, England, on August 25, 2005. He was 83. Morgan was born in London on December 8, 1921. He began his career on stage and made his West End debut in the early 1940s in a production of Robert E. Sherwood’s There Shall Be No Night. He subsequently co-starred with Vivien Leigh in Laurence Olivier’s theatrical production of Thornton Wilder’s The Skin of Our Teeth in 1945. He made his film debut in Olivier’s Hamlet (1948) as Laertes. He signed with the Rank Organization and became a leading film star in the 1950s. Morgan was seen in the films Shadow of the Past (1950), Captain Horatio Hornblower (1951), It Started in Paradise (1952), Encore (1952), Mandy (aka Crash of Silence) (1952) with Phyllis Calvert, The Steel Key (1953), Always a Bride (1953), Street Corner (1953), Turn the Key Softly (1953), Loves of Three Queens (1954), Forbidden Cargo (1954), Svengali (1954), They Can’t Hang Me (1955), March Hare (1955), Dance Little Lady (1955), It’s a Wonderful World (1956), Strange Affection (1957), Tread Softly Stranger (1958), The Flaming Sword (1958), The Shakedown (1959), and Piccadilly Third Stop (1960). Morgan moved to television in 1961 to star as the British seafaring adventurer Sir Francis Drake in the ITV series, with Jean Kent as Queen Elizabeth I. He also appeared in episodes of Out of the Unknown, The Persuaders!, and King & Castle. Morgan starred as Adam Beauchamp in the 1964 Hammer horror film The Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb, and was featured in the French films The Sea Pirate (1966) and The Return of the Sea Pirate (1967). He also starred in the 1967 thriller The Penthouse, and the films Hide and Seek (1972) and The Lifetaker (1975). He was largely retired from the screen in the 1970s to work as a property developer near his home in Hove, East Sussex. He made his final film appearance in The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1993). • Times (of London), Sept. 21, 2005, 68.
MORHAIM, JOE Screenwriter Joe Morhaim died in California on May 27, 2005. He was 79. Morhaim was born on December 6, 1925. He wrote the story for the 1957 film The Happy Road and wrote an episode of the 1960s television series The Saint. He also scripted the film Eye for an Eye (1971), and co-wrote George Pal’s 1975 fantasy Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze. He also wrote the 1979 film Laura, Shadows of
MORICONI, VALERIA Italian stage and film actress Valeria Moriconi died of cancer at her home in Jesi, Italy, on June 15, 2005. She was 73. Moriconi was born in Jesi on November 15, 1931. She began her career performing on the local stage at the age of 16. During the 1950s she was noted for her performances in the plays of Eduardo De Filippo. Moriconi also embarked on a film career in the 1950s, appearing in such features as Loves of Three Queens (1954), Riviera (1954), Poverty and Nobility (1954), Wild Love (1955), I Milirdari (1956), The Best Part (1956), Las Aeroguapas (1957), The Warrior and the Slave Girl (1958), Terror of Oklahoma (1959), Boys of the Parioli (1959), Le Cameriere (1959), Jail Break (1961), The Camp Followers (1965), Rose Spot (1970), The Profiteer (1974), the television mini-series Roots of the Mafia (1976), Improvviso (1979), The End Is Known (1993), and The Power of the Past (2002). She continued to perform on stage and was also a theatrical director until failing health forced her to curtail her activities earlier in the year.
Valeria Moriconi
MORITA, PAT Character actor Pat Morita, who earned an Academy Award nomination for his role as martial arts instructor Mr. Miyagi in the film The Karate Kid, died at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada, on November 24, 2005. He was 73. He was born Noriyuki Morita in Isleton, California, on June 28, 1932. He suffered from spinal tuberculosis and spent much time in the hospital during his youth. He and his family were interned with other Japanese-Americans during World War II. After the war he began working part time as a stand up comic. He began performing on television and in films in the 1960s. Morita’s film credits include Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967), The Shakiest Gun in the West (1968), Every Little Crook and Nanny (1972), Where Does It Hurt? (1972), Cancel My Reservation (1972), I Wonder Who’s Killing Her Now (1975), Midway (1976), When Time Ran Out... (1980), Full Moon High (1981), Slapstick (Of Another Kind) (1982), Savannah Smiles (1982), and Jimmy the Kid (1982). He
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Pat Morita
earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for teaching karate to Ralph Macchio in The Karate Kid in 1984, and reprised his role as Mr. Miyagi in the sequels The Karate Kid, Part II (1986), The Karate Kid, Part III (1989) with a young Hillary Swink, and The Next Karate Kid (1994). His other film credits include Night Patrol (1984), Captive Hearts (1987), Collision Course (1989), Lena’s Holiday (1991), Goodbye Paradise (1991), Do or Die (1991), Strawberry Road (1991), Miracle Beach (1992), Honeymoon in Vegas (1992), Auntie Lee’s Meat Pies (1993), Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1993), The Misery Brothers (1995), Captured Alive (1995), Timemaster (1995), American Ninja V (1995), Earth Minus Zero (1996), Bloodsport 2 (1996), Spy Hard (1996), Reggie’s Prayer (1996), Bloodsport III (1997), the animated Mulan (1998) as the voice of the Emperor of China, I’ll Remember April (1999), Los Gringos (1999), King Cobra (1999), Coyote Moon (1999), Hammerlock (2000), Talk to Taka (2000), House of Luk (2001), The Boys of Sunset Ridge (2001), The Center of the World (2001), Shadow Fury (2001), The Stoneman (2002), The Biggest Fan (2002), Cats and Mice (2003), Stuey (2003), Rice Girl (2003), Spymate (2003), 18 Fingers of Death (2004), Miss Cast Away (2004), The Karate Dog (2004), Elvis Has Left the Building (2004), The Number One Girl (2005), Genghis Khan (2005), and Down and Derby (2005). He was also featured in numerous telefilms including Evil Roy Slade (1972), A Very Missing Person (1972), Columbo: Etude in Black (1972), Brock’s Last Case (1973), Cops (1973), Punch and Jody (1974), Farewell to Manzanar (1976), Human Feelings (1978), For the Love of It (1980), The Vegas Strip War (1984), Blind Alleys (1985), Amos (1985), Alice in Wonderland (1985), Babes in Toyland (1986) as the Toymaker, Hiroshima: Out of the Ashes (1990), Mastergate (1992), Choose Your Own Adventure: The Case of the Silk King (1992), Extralarge: Ninja Shadow (1993), Greyhounds (1994), Singapore Sling: Road to Mandalay (1995), Hart to Hart: Secrets of the Hart (1995), and Gone to Maui (1999). Morita starred as Barney Cook in the shortlived television comedy series The Queen and I in 1969. He was Ah Chew on Sanford and Son with Redd Foxx from 1974 to 1975, and co-starred as Matsuo ‘Arnold’ Takahashi, owner of Arnold’s on Happy Days from 1975 to 1976. He left Happy Days to star as Taro Takahashi
in the short-lived comedy series Mr. T and Tina in 1976, and was Arnold in Blansky’s Beauties in 1977. He returned to Happy Days as Arnold for the 1982 through 1983 season. He starred as Lt. Ohara in the crime drama Ohara from 1987 to 1988, and was Grandpa Woo in the 1996 series The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo. His numerous television credits also include episodes of Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., The Woody Woodbury Show, Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, Blondie, The Outsider, The Courtship of Eddie’s Father, Nanny and the Professor, Love, American Style, The Bill Cosby Show, Green Acres, The Odd Couple, The Bob Newhart Show, Hawaii FiveO, M*A*S*H, Police Woman, Cannon, Kung Fu, Welcome Back, Kotter, Chico and the Man, The Love Boat, Starsky and Hutch, The Man from Atlantis, The Incredible Hulk, Laverne and Shirley, Magnum, P.I., Lou Grant, Pryor’s Place, What a Dummy, Good Grief, Space Rangers, Dave’s World, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Burke’s Law, Murder, She Wrote, One West Waikiki, Married ... with Children, Boy Meets World, Family Matters, The Outer Limits, Diagnosis Murder, Caroline in the City, The Hughleys, Baywatch in the recurring role of Hideki Tanaka, First Years, Son of the Beach, Body & Soul, and Yes, Dear. • Los Angeles Times, Nov. 26, 2005, B16; New York Times, Nov. 26, 2005, A13; People, Dec. 12, 2005, 79; Time, Dec. 5, 2005, 31; Times (of London), Dec. 9, 2005, 80; Variety, Dec. 5, 2005, 65.
MORRELL, CHUCK Football player turned actor Chuck Morrell died near Los Angeles of complications from a cerebral hemorrhage on February 10, 2005. He was 67. Morrell was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on March 10, 1937. A leading collegiate football player at Washington State, he briefly played in the pros with the Washington Redskins in 1959. He left the NFL to try his luck in Hollywood, signing with Warner Bros. Studio. He was featured in several films including This Above All (1960), Man-Trap (1961), Kisses for My President (1964), The Sting (1973), Midway (1976), TwoMinute Warning (1976), and Code Name: Zebra (1984). He also appeared in the tele-films Deadly Dream (1971) and Reunion (1980), and in episodes of The Gallant Men, Chase, Cannon, Banacek, Ironside, The F.B.I., Love Story, and McCloud. Morrell produced and appeared in the 1988 horror film Grotesque, starring Linda Blair. Morrell suffered from the heart disease known as hyper-
Chuck Morrell
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trophic cardiomyopathy, and underwent heart transplant surgery in 1995.
MORRIS, CHERRY British actress Cherry Morris died in England on July 21, 2005. She was 79. Morris began her career on stage and frequently performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company. She made her debut with the company in a production of Romeo and Juliet in 1961 and appeared in over twenty plays. She made her last performance with the National Theatre in a production of The House of Bernarda Alba shortly before her death. Morris also appeared often on British television, starring as Mrs. Halse in the Poldark series in the mid–1970s, and as Miss Carpenter in the 1978 television production of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. She also appeared as Withers in the 1985 series Mapp & Lucia, and guest-starred in episodes of Public Eye, Softly Softly, Headmaster, Tales of the Unexpected, Lovejoy, Casualty, Peak Practice, Rescue Me, Doctors, and Footballers’ Wives.
Cherry Morris
MORRIS, HOWARD Comic actor, who was best known for his recurring role as the hillbilly pest Ernest T. Bass on television’s The Andy Griffith Show, died in Los Angeles after a long illness on May 21, 2005. He was 85. Morris was born in New York City on September 4, 1919. He studied acting in college before joining the Army during World War II. While stationed in Hawaii Morris was cast as Rosencrantz in a touring version of Hamlet with Maurice Evans and a cast of G.I.s. The play opened on Broadway late in 1945. Morris continued to perform on stage, appearing in Broadway productions of Call Me Mister and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. He also worked in radio, joining Sid Caesar’s variety series Admiral Broadway Review in 1949. He subsequently joined Imogene Coca and Carl Reiner as regular performers on Caesar’s classic television comedy series Your Show of Shows from 1951 to 1954, and the 1954 series Caesar’s Hour. Morris was also seen on television in episodes of The Perry Como Show, Hallmark Hall of Fame’s production of Twelfth Night, Kraft Television Theatre, The Patrice Munsel Show, Wanted: Dead or Alive, Boris Karloff ’s Thriller, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Ensign O’Toole, The Twilight Zone, Alcoa Premiere, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Make Room
Howard Morris
for Daddy, and Insight. Morris played the rockthrowing, poetry-spouting rustic Ernest T. Bass who bedeviled the townsfolk of Mayberry in several episodes of The Andy Griffith Show from 1963 to 1965. He also appeared in small roles in several films including Riding Shotgun (1954), 40 Pounds of Trouble (1962), The Nutty Professor (1963) as Jerry Lewis’ father, Fluff y (1965), Way ... Way Out (1966), Don’t Drink the Water (1969), High Anxiety (1977), Mel Brooks’ History of the World: Part 1 (1981), Splash (1984), End of the Line (1988), Transylvania Twist (1990), Life Stinks (1991), Lasting Silents (1987), and The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit (1998). He also appeared in the tele-films The Munsters’ Revenge (1981), Portrait of a Showgirl (1982), Return to Mayberry (1986) reprising his role as Ernest T. Bass, and It Came from Outer Space II (1996). His other television credits include episodes of Love, American Style, The Ghost Busters, The Bob Newhart Show, Space Academy, Fantasy Island, Trapper John, M.D., The Yellow Rose, Murder, She Wrote, and Baywatch. Morris was also an accomplished voice actor, playing numerous characters in the cartoon series The Flintstones in the early 1960s. He also voiced Beetle Bailey and Gen. Halftrack in the cartoon series Beetle Bailey and His Friends, and worked on such shows as The Jetsons, Magilla Gorilla, Peter Potamus, The Mister Magoo Show, The Atom Ant Show as Atom Ant, Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree, The Archie Show as Jughead Jones, Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day, Sabrina and the Groovie Goolies as Franklin “Frankie” Frankenstein, Wolfgang “Wolfie” Wolfman and Orville Mummy, Mission: Magic!, My Favorite Martian, The Secret Lives of Waldo Kitty, The New Archie/Sabrina Hour, Legends of the Superheroes as Dr. Thaddeus Bodog Sivana, The 13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo, Galaxy High School, Bionic Six, Police Academy, Garfield and Friends, Duck Tales, Tale Spin, Gravedale High, Tom and Jerry: The Movie, Duckman, and Cow and Chicken as Flem. Morris also worked behind the camera as a director, helming the films Who’s Minding the Mint? (1967), With Six You Get Eggroll (1968), Don’t Drink the Water (1969), and Goin’ Coconuts (1978), and episodes of such series as The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Andy Griffith Show, The Bill Dana Show, Bewitched, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., Laredo, Hogan’s Heroes, Get Smart, Good Old Days, Love, Amer-
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ican Style, One Day at a Time, The Love Boat, Trapper John, M.D., and Private Benjamin. • Los Angeles Times, May 24, 2005, B10; New York Times, May 25, 2005, C18; Time, June 6, 2005, 25; Variety, May 30, 2005, 44.
MORRISON , PHILIP Nuclear physicist Philip Morrison, who was involved in the construction of the first atomic bomb as part of the Manhattan Project during World War II, died in his sleep at his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on April 22, 2005. He was 89. Morrison was born in Somerville, New Jersey, in 1915. He earned a doctorate in physics at the University of California at Berkeley, where he studied under Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer. He was recruited by Oppenheimer to work on the atomic bomb program. He was part of the team that drove the bomb’s plutonium core from the Los Alamos lab to the Trinity test site in Alamogordo, New Mexico, for detonation. He later was one of several physicists who was part of the team to assemble the atomic bomb on the island of Tinian that was dropped on Hiroshima. Morrison was later a leader in the scientific community opposing the use of atomic weapons and advocating international arms control. He was a founder of the Federation of American Scientists and a contributor to the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists. Morrison also was a consultant and narrator on Charles and Ray Eames short film Powers of Ten (1977). In the 1980s he hosted the PBS science series The Ring of Truth, and was a book reviewer for Scientific American. • Los Angeles Times, Apr. 26, 2005, B10; New York Times, Apr. 26, 2005, B9; Time, May 9, 2005, 28; Times (of London), Apr. 29, 2005, 74.
Laerte Morrone
MOSCHOLIOU, VIKI Greek singer Viki Moscholiou died of cancer in an Athens, Greece, hospital on August 16, 2005. She was 62. She was a leading performer for several decades, whose throaty voice helped popular Greek music in the 1960s. Her songs were heard in several Greek films including O Modistros (1967) and To Koritsi tis Orgis (1967).
Viki Moscholiou
MOSHAMMER, RUDOLPH German fashion designer Rudolph Moshammer was strangled to death in his Grunway, Germany, mansion by a male prosti-
Philip Morrison
MORRONE, LAERTE Brazilian actor Laerte Morrone died of a pulmonary embolism in a Sao Paulo, Brazil, hospital on April 5, 2005. He was 70. Morrone was born in Sao Paulo on July 16, 1934. He was a popular stage performer in Brazil and a leading television actor from the 1970s. He starred in numerous series on Brazilian television including Vila Sesamo (1972), Vila do Arco (1975), Marrom-Glace (1979), Elas por Elas (1982), A Gata Comeu (1985), Que Rei Sou Eu? (1989), Tocaia Grande (1995), Estrela de Fogo (1998), and Tiro & Queda (1999).
Rudolph Moshammer
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tute on January 14, 2005. He was 64. Moshammer was born in Munich, Germany, on September 27, 1940. He was a leading designer in Germany from the late 1960s, with a clientele that included many members of high society and show business including Arnold Schwarzenegger. He also appeared on German television in several episodes of the series Tatort. • Times (of London), Jan. 20, 2005, 70.
MOSS, JERRY Film property master Jerry Moss died on April 20, 2005. He was 49. Moss was born on June 29, 1955. He worked in films from the early 1980s, working with such leading directors as Steven Spielberg and Tim Burton. Moss handled props for such features as Somewhere in Time (1980), Continental Divide (1981), Thief of Hearts (1984), Mike’s Murder (1984), The River Rat (1984), Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986), The Whoopee Boys (1986), Critical Condition (1987), Burglar (1987), Jaws: The Revenge (1987), Clean and Sober (1988), Troop Beverly Hills (1989), Uncle Buck (1989), Bugsy (1991), A Few Good Men (1992), Jurassic Park (1993), North (1994), Congo (1995), Mars Attacks! (1996), The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), Amistad (1997), Small Soldiers (1998), Deep Blue Sea (1999), My First Mister (2001), A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001), Minority Report (2002), Star Trek: Nemesis (2002), Hulk (2003), Big Fish (2003), and Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004).
Jerry Moss
MUELLER , KARL Rock musician Karl Mueller died of throat cancer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on June 17, 2005. He was 41. Bassist Mueller joined with Dave Pimer and Dan Murphy as the group Loud Fast Rules in 1981. They evolved into Soul Asylum three years later and recorded the album Say What You Will Clarence ... Karl Sold the Truck. The had several popular hits with “Runaway Train” and “Black Gold.” They recorded four albums with Columbia in the 1990s, including the hit Grave Dancers Union in 1992. Soul Asylum’s most recent album was the 2004 live recording After the Flood: Life from the Grand Forks Prom June 28, 1998. Mueller recorded a final album with the group which was still awaiting release at the time of his death. • Los Angeles Times, June 19, 2005, B14; Variety, June 27, 2005, 80.
Karl Mueller
MUKHERJEE, SUBODH Indian film director Subodh Mukherjee died of leukemia in a Mumbai, India, hospital on May 21, 2005. He was 84. Mukherjee was born in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, India, on April 14, 1921. He was a leading director of Hindi language films from the 1950s, helming such popular films as Clerk (1955), Paying Guest (1957), Love Marriage (1959), Junglee (1961), April Fool (1964), Sound and Voice (1966), Abhinetri (1970), Teesri Aankh (1982), and Ulta Seedha (1985). • Variety, June 20, 2005, 44. MULLER, ERNO Leading Danish stage and film actor Erno Muller died in Denmark on July 26, 2005. He was 88. Muller was born in Denmark on April 25, 1917. He performed in numerous theatrical productions from the late 1930s and was seen in such films as How About Us? (1963), The New Toy (1977), The Brothers Lionheart (1977), Me and Charly (1978), Tree of Knowledge (1981), Topsy Turvy (1983), Europa (1991), and The Idiots (1998). He was also featured in numerous productions on Danish television. MUNK , HOLGER Danish actor Holger Munk died in Denmark on September 2, 2005. He was 81. Munk was born in Denmark on March 21, 1924. He appeared in numerous films and television productions from the 1950s. Munk’s film credits include Face of the Frog (1959), The Veterinarian’s Adopted Children (1968), 19 Red Roses (1974), Per (1975), Blind Is Beau-
Holger Munk
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tiful (1976), Topsy Turvy (1983), The Boy Who Disappeared (1984), and Stolen Spring (1993). He was also featured in television productions of Dimensionspigen (1970), Den Fine Mand (1971), Hotel Paradiso (1972), and Bryggeren (1996).
Stooges television program. Murphy taught his arrangement method, called the Equal Interval System, to hundreds of students in his later years. • Los Angeles Times, Aug. 13, 2005, B16; New York Times, Aug. 16, 2005, A13; Variety, Aug. 22, 2005, 42.
MUNTNER, SIMON Television writer Simon Muntner died of colon cancer in Marina del Rey, California, on November 3, 2005. He was 75. Muntner was born in Brooklyn, New York, on August 19, 1930. He wrote for numerous television series from the 1970s including M*A*S*H, Kung Fu, Barney Miller, Alice, The Love Boat, The Feather and Father Gang, Mork & Mindy, The American Girls, Diff ’rent Strokes, The Dukes of Hazzard, Mrs. Columbo, Darkroom, Private Benjamin, Hunter, Partners in Crime, Kung Fu: The Legend Continues, Freaky Stories. and Jake and Jill. Muntner also served as a producer on the series The American Girls, T.J. Hooker, and We Got It Made.
MURRAY, WILLIAM Mystery writer William Murray died of a heart attack in a New York City hospital on March 9, 2005. He was 78. Murray was born in New York city on April 28, 1926. He began his career working as a editor at The New Yorker magazine in 1956. He began writing the Letters from Italy column for the magazine in 1961. He continued to write the feature for the next thirty years. He was best known for writing a series of mystery novels set at the racetrack featuring Shifty Lou Anderson. His novel The Sweet Ride was adapted to film in 1968 and Malibu was adapted as a television mini-series in 1983. • Los Angeles Times, Mar. 11, 2005, B10; New York Times, Mar. 12, 2005, C11.
MURPHY, DENNIS Novelist and screenwriter Dennis Murphy died at his home in San Francisco, California on October 6, 2005. He was 73. He was born in Salinas, California on August 27, 1932. His father was a close friend of Nobel Prize winner John Steinbeck. Murphy’s first novel, The Sergeant, was published in 1958. A best seller, it was adapted for film starring Rod Steiger in 1968. Murphy also wrote the script for this psychological drama set in a French army camp in the aftermath of World War II. He also scripted the films Eye of the Devil (1967) and The Todd Killings (1971). He had recently completed a second novel, The Lions of Big Sur, shortly before his death. MURPHY, LYLE “SPUD” Composer Lyle “Spud” Murphy died of complications from surgery in a Hollywood hospital on August 5, 2005. He was 96. Murphy was born in Berlin, Germany on August 19, 1908, and came to the United States at the age of four. He began working at Columbia Pictures in the 1930s. He was a leading a composer and arranger and was instrumental in orchestrating several of Benny Goodman’s hits including “Jingle Bells” and “Get Happy.” He worked on numerous films in his career including You Were Never Lovelier (1942), Cigarette Girl (1947), and Glamour Girl (1948). He was best known for his arrangement of “Three Blind Mice” for the Three
MYERS, LOU Cartoonist and artist Lou Myers died of spindle cell carcinoma at his home in Cortlandt Manor, New York, on November 20, 2005. He was 90. Myers was born in Paris in on April 12, 1915, and came to the United States as an infant. He studied art in New York and worked as a movie poster illustrator in New York for 20th Century–Fox and Columbia Pictures in the 1930s. He served in the Navy during World War II, and was often called upon to paint officers’ portraits and combat scenes. He resumed his career as a poster artist after the war before moving to Paris in 1952. Myers began illustrating children’s books, and also drew illustrations for Art Buchwald’s book, Paris After Dark. He drew numerous ads and illustrations for such publications as Esquire, Holiday, Ramparts, and The New York Time. Myers’ cartoons were collected in the books Group Therapy (1962), A Psychiatric Glossary (1965), and Absent and Accounted For (1980). He also wrote and illustrated the children’s books Tutti-Frutti (1967), Ha Ha Hyenas (1971), and In Plenty of Time (1972). He wrote a series of autobiographical stories for The New Yorker which were collected in the 1990 volume When Life Falls It Falls Upside Down.
Lou Myers Lyle “Spud” Murphy
273 MYSLIKOVA, MILA Czech actress Mila Myslikova died of a heart attack in Prague, Czech Republic, on February 11, 2005. She was 71. Myslikova was born in Trebic, Czechoslovakia, on February 14, 1933. She was a leading actress on the Czech stage. She also appeared in numerous films from the 1950s including The Day the Tree Blooms (1961), Crime at the Girls School (1965), Private Torment (1967), Capricious Summer (1968), The Garden (1968), The Cremator (1968), Squandered Sunday (1969), The Girl on the Broomstick (1972), Three Wishes for Cinderella (1974), Who Looks for Gold? (1974), Our Gang (1976), Seclusion Near a Forest (1976), Maracek, Pass Me the Pen! (1976), What Would You Say to Some Spinach? (1977), Okay, Boss...! (1977), Long Live Ghosts! (1979), The Mysterious Castle in the Carpathians (1981), How the World Is Losing Poets (1981), Jara Cimrman Lying, Sleeping (1983), My Sweet Little Village (1985), Rosa Luxemburg (1986), Cuckoo in a Dark Forest (1986), How Poets Are Enjoying Their Lives (1987), and Skylarks on a String (1990).
Mila Myslikova
NAIR, SANKARAN Indian film director Sankaran Nair died at his home in Chennai, India, on December 18, 2005. He was 80. A journalist, Nair began working in films in the mid–1950s, joining Maryland Studios. He directed nearly 30 films in the Malayam language during his career including Avar Unarunnu (1956), Chattambi Kavala (1969), Vishnu Vijayam (1974), Sreedevi (1977), Give Me Another Life (1978), Thamburatti (1978), Veera Bhadran (1979), Lovely (1979), Swattu (1980), Kalki (1984), Cabaret Dancer (1986), Theruvu Narthaki (1988), and Agni Nilavu (1991). He is survived by his wife, actress Usharani. NAKAKITA, CHIEKO Japanese character actress Chieko Nakakita died in Japan on September 13, 2005. She was 79. Nakakita was born in Japan on May 21, 1926. She began her career in films in the early 1940s, appearing in Shutsujin (1944), The Most Beautiful (1944), Those Who Make Tomorrow (1946), Eleven Girl Students (1946), No Regrets for My Youth (1947), Akira Kurosawa’s One Wonderful Sunday (1947), Drunken Angel (1948), A Silent Duel (1949), White Beast (1950), Mother (1952), Lightning (1952), Husband and Wife (1953), Wife (1953), Adolescence Part II (1953),
2005 • Obituaries
Chieko Nakakita
Red-Light Bases (1953), Love Letter (1953), Sound of the Mountain (1954), Farewell Rabaul (1954), Love Makeup (1955), Floating Clouds (1955), Love Never Fails (1955), Cry-Baby (1955), The Tears of Geisha Konatsu (1955), Welcome (1955), Sudden Rain (1956), Vampire Moth (1956), A Wife’s Heart (1956), A Will o’ the Wisp (1956), Women in Prison (1956), The Storm (1956), Flowing (1956), Untamed Woman (1957), A Dangerous Hero (1957), A Geisha in the Old City (1957), A Bridge for Us Alone (1958), The Rickshaw Man (1958), The Spell of the Hidden Gold (1958), Life of an Expert Swordsman (1959), Desperate Outpost (1959), The Birth of Japan (1959), Dangerous Playing with Fire (1959), Get ’Em All (1960), Daredevil in the Castle (1961), Happiness of Us Alone (1961), The Last War (1961), Blood on the Sea (1961), Girl of Dark (1961), Home-Brewed Tatsu (1962), Irresponsible Era of Japan (1962), A Wanderer’s Notebook (1962), 47 Samurai (1962), Fangs of the Underworld (1962), Sensation Seekers (1963), A Woman’s Life (1963), Good Morning, My Baby (1964), Blood and Diamonds (1964), The Rabble (1964), Yearning (1964), The Loveable Tramp (1966), The Stranger Within a Woman (1966), Hit and Run (1966), Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster (1966), Black Comedy (1969), Ambush at Blood Pass (1970), and Forbidden Affair (1970). She was married for many years to Toho film producer Tomoyuki Tanaka until his death in 1997.
NAKANO , LANE Japanese-American actor and singer Lane Nakano died of emphysema in Sher-
Lane Nakano
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man Oaks, California, on April 28, 2005. He was 80. Nakano was born on March 16, 1925. He began acting in films in the late 1940s and appeared in such features as Tokyo Joe (1949), I Was an American Spy (1951), Go for Broke! (1951), No Questions Asked (1951), Peking Express (1951), Japanese War Bride (1952), Deep in My Heart (1954), and Three Weeks of Love (1965). He was also seen on television in episodes of Captain Midnight, Navy Log, and Hawaiian Eye. • New York Times, May 11, 2005, B10; Variety, May 23, 2005, 52.
NASH, DANNY Australian actor Danny Nash died on August 24, 2005. Nash was born in Australia on January 8, 1954. He was 51. He was active in film and television from the early 1980s. His film credits include The Clinic (1982), ...Almost (1990), and Danny Deckchair (2003). He was also seen in the tele-films Emerging (1985), Reprisal (1997), and Black Jack: In the Money (2005). Nash was also featured in episodes of Special Squad, Finders of Lost Loves, The Gerry Connolly Show, The Flying Doctors, Police Rescue, Big Sky, and Murder Call, and starred as Jim Corelli in the comedy series Snobs in 2003.
1945. He was a popular entertainer in Sweden from the 1970s, appearing in the films Taltet (1978) and Aldrig Mera Krig (1984). Naslund starred as Lennart in the 1984 television mini-series Taxibilder, and was Carl Miler in 1992 mini-series Blueprint. He also appeared in the 1997 film Vildangel.
NASU, HIROYUKI Japanese film director Hiroyuki Nasu died of liver cancer in a Tokyo hospital on February 27, 2005. He was 53. Nasu began directing films in the early 1980s. He was best known for the Bee Bop High School series of films. He also directed the live-action horror film Devilman in 2004. NEGAMI , JUN Japanese actor Jun Negami died of a stroke in a Tokyo hospital on October 24, 2005. He was 82. Negami was born in Tokyo on September 20, 1923, the son of violinist Otto Mori. He began working in films at Daiei in 1947 and starred in Three Mothers in 1949. Negami appeared in numerous films over the next forty years including Bitch (1951), Lightning (1952), Golden Demon (1953), It Happened in Tokyo (1955), A Girl Isn’t Allowed to Love (1955), The Teahouse of the August Moon (1956), Warm Current (1957), The Gaijin (1959), The Snow (1959), Afraid to Die (1960), Clear Weather (1961), A Wife Confesses (1961), Buddha (1961), A Family Matter (1962), Zero Fighters (1965), The Dragon’s Fangs (1966), When the Cookie Crumbles (1967), The Street of Desire (1984), Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985), and CompanySponsored Funeral (1989). Negami also starred as Captain Ryu Ibuki in the 1971 television series Return of Ultraman, and was Master Jin in the 1978 series Monkey Magic.
NASLUND, TORSTEN “TOTTA” Swedish actor and singer Torsten ‘Totta’ Naslund died in Gothenburg, Sweden, on June 19, 2005. He was 60. Naslund was born in Sandviken, Sweden, on April 1,
NEGRONI, JEAN French actor Jean Negroni died in Ile Rousse, France, on May 28, 2005. He was 84. Negroni was born in France on December 4, 1920. He began working in films in the early 1940s, appearing in Her First Affair (1941) and Strangers in the House (1942). Negroni also became a leading stage actor in France. He later appeared in the films Enclosure (1961), La Jetee (1962) as the narrator, The Queen of Spades (1965), The Glass Cage (1965), Is Paris Burning? (1966), Second Breath (1966), Hunter Will Get You (1976), Pourquoi? (1977), I as in Icarus (1979), Queen of the
Torsten “Totta” Naslund
Jean Negroni
Danny Nash
275 Night (1988), and Celeste (1991). Negroni also performed in the French television productions of Docteur Caraibes (1973), Richelieu (1977), Lenine (1982), Spartakus and the Sun Beneath the Sea (1985), Rahan (1987), and Le Clan (1988).
NEULAND , OLAV Estonian film director Olav Neuland was killed in a crash when he lost control of his plane while piloting his ultralight aircraft near Talilinn, Estonia, on May 21, 2005. He was 58. Neuland was born in Viljandi, Estonia, on April 29, 1947. He was best known for his 1979 film drama Nest of Winds, set in post–World War II Estonia. He also wrote and directed the films Corrida (1982), Reekviem (1984), and the television mini-series Nakimadalad (1989). Neuland was assistant director for the historical drama Names in Marble in 2002.
Olav Neuland
NEWMYER, ROBERT Film producer Robert F. Newmyer died on December 12, 2005, of a heart attack triggered by an asthma attack while working out at a Toronto, Canada, gym while on location supervising production for the film Breach. He was 49. Newmyer was born in Washington, D.C., in 1956. He began working in films in the 1980s as vice president of production and acquisitions at Columbia Pictures. Later in the decade he joined with Jeffrey Silver to form the independent film company Outlaw Productions.
Robert Newmyer
2005 • Obituaries
Outlaw’s first project was the successful indie feature sex, lies and videotape in 1989. Newmyer continued to produce such features as Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead (1991), Crossing the Bridge (1992), Mr. Baseball (1992), The Opposite Sex and How to Live with Them (1993), Indian Summer (1993), Wagons East (1994), The Santa Clause (1994) with Tim Allen, Don Juan DeMarco (1995), Addicted to Love (1997), How to Be a Player (1997), Dennis the Menace Strikes Again! (1998), Three to Tango (1999), Ready to Rumble (2000), Gossip (2000), the Oscar-winning Training Day (2001) with Denzel Washington, The Santa Clause 2 (2002), National Security (2003), If Only (2004), Mindhunters (2004), and The Thing About My Folks (2005). He was also producer of the upcoming release Phat Girlz and The Santa Clause 3. • Los Angeles Times, Dec. 13, 2005, B10; New York Times, Dec. 14, 2005, C17; Variety, Dec. 19, 2005, 69.
NICHOLSON, MEREDITH M. Cinematographer Meredith M. Nicholson died on August 18, 2005. He was 92. Nicholson was born on March 11, 1913. He served as director of photography on several horror and science fiction films in the late 1950s and early 1960s including She Demons (1958), Missile to the Moon (1958), Frankenstein’s Daughter (1958), Beyond the Time Barrier (1960), The Amazing Transparent Man (1960), and The Devil’s Hand (1962). He was also cinematographer for the films The Decks Ran Red (1958), Dangerous Charter (1962), and Escape from Hell Island (1963). Nicholson also worked often in television as a cinematographer on the tele-films Call Holme (1972) and Kiss Me, Kill Me (1976), and such series as The Blue Angels, My Three Sons, The Fugitive, Twelve O’Clock High, Get Smart, Batman, The Invaders, M*A*S*H, Here We Go Again, Get Christie Love!, Mork & Mindy, Who’s Watching the Kids, and The New Odd Couple. NICHOLSON, PHILIP see QUINNELL, A.J. N IKULIN , VALENTIN Russian character actor Valentin Nikulin died in Moscow on August 6, 2005. He was 72. Nikulin was born in Moscow on July 7, 1933. He was a leading stage and film performer in Russia from the 1950s. His numerous film credits include Leap Year (1961), Nine Days in One Year (1961),
Valentin Nikulin
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The Road to Berth (1962), The Big Ore (1964), Adventures of a Dentist (1965), Roll-Call (1965), Three Fat Men (1966), The Mysterious Wall (1967), The Brothers Karamazov (1969), The Ballad of Bering and His Friends (1970), The Lion’s Grave (1971), Failure of Engineer Garin (1973), He Was a Real Trumpeter (1973), The Balloonist (1975), The Retired Colonel (1975), Ivan and Marya (1975), Town People (1975), A Funny Dream, or Laughter and Tears (1976), A Wreath of Sonnets (1976), The Little Mermaid (1976), From Lopakhin’s Notes (1977), Schedule for the Day After Tomorrow (1978), Suspicious (1978), The Circus Boy (1979), Crazy Bullet (1980), The Sicilian Defense (1980), We Looked in the Death’s Face (1980), Clown (1980), Comrade Innokenti (1981), White Dance (1981), The Secret of Gretha Villa (1984), Fairies Autumn Gift (1984), Cancan in English Park (1984), A Million in a Wedding Basket (1986), Face to Face (1986), I Have Honour (1987), Tragedy, Rock Style (1988), American Artichokes (1988), Balcony (1988), Our Father in Heaven (1989), Mafia (1989), I Hope Without Hope (1989), Was There Karotin? (1989), Stalin’s Funeral (1990), Blown Kiss (1991), Sin: A Story of Passion (1993), Coffee with Lemon (1994), and Yana’s Friends (1999).
NILES , MYRNA Character actress Myrna Niles died on July 22, 2005. Niles was featured in the 1995 tele-film, and appeared in the films Reasons of the Heart (1996), The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle (2000), and Crazylove (2005). She was also seen on television in episodes of Sisters, Team Knight Rider, Providence, Dead Last, Strong Medicine, Scrubs, The Chronicle, Reba, A.U.S.A., Good Morning, Miami, and LAX.
David Nillo
Broadway production of Call Me Mister in 1946. Nillo danced in numerous subsequent Broadway productions including Great to Be Alive (1950), Out of This World (1950), Maggie (1953), and Goldilocks (1958). He was also see in the film version of The Vagabond King in 1956. He also assisted choreographer Hanya Holm with the original production of My Fair Lady. Nillo moved to Hollywood in the late 1970s where he taught dance and fitness.
NILSSON, BIRGIT Birgit Nilsson, a leading Swedish opera singer, died in Sweden on December 25, 2005. She was 87. Nilsson was born in Vastra Karup, Skane Ian, Sweden, on May 17, 1918. She began her career at the Stockholm Royal Opera, singing Agathe in Der Freischutz in 1946. She made her United States debut as the warrior Bruennhilde in Wagner’s Ring cycle with the San Francisco Opera in 1956, and made her Metropolitan Opera debut was Isolde in Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde in 1959. She was also noted for her performances in Richard Strauss’ Elektra and Puccini’s Turnadot. Nilsson also sang in the 1945 Swedish film The Happy Tailor, and starred in film productions of Tristan und Isolde (1974), Stars Among Stars (1977), and Elektra (1981). Her career continued until her retirement in 1984. • Los Angeles Times, Jan. 12, 2006, B10; New York Times, Jan. 12, 2006, A1; Time, Jan. 23, 2006, 21; Times (of London), Jan. 12, 2006, 67.
Myrna Niles
NILLO, DAVID Dancer David Nillo died in Hollywood on September 28, 2005. He was 87. Nillo was born in Goldsboro, North Carolina, on July 13, 1918. He studied ballet and performed with the PageStone Ballet in Chicago from the late 1930s. He moved to New York in 1939, where he joined the American Ballet Theater the following year. He was featured in such ballets as Giselle and Billy the Kid. After serving in the U.S. Maritime Service during World War II he resumed his career as a dancer, performing in the
Birgit Nilsson
277 NINCHI , ALESSANDRO Italian stage and film actor Alessandro Ninchi died in Rome, Italy, after a long illness on April 14, 2005. He was 69. He came from a family of renowned performers, with actor Carlo Ninchi as his father. Alessandro appeared in several films from the late 1950s including The Guilty (1957), Capito? (1962), and The Best of Enemies (1962) with Alberto Sordi. He also performed in numerous stage productions and directed the films Ombre d’Amore (1990) and Amore di Bambola (1990). NIWA, FUMIO Japanese writer Fumio Niwa died at his home in Musashino, Tokyo, Japan, on April 20, 2005. He was 100. His first novel, Sweetfish, about his mother, was published in the late 1920s. He wrote numerous novels, essays, and short stories during his career, including the works The Rape Plant, Threading the Way of Truth, Shinran, and The Hateful Age. His story Human Patterns was adapted for film in 1949, and his novel Koibumi was also adapted as a Japanese film in 1953.
2005 • Obituaries
And Angel Dreams Too (1951) a decade later. Nomura soon began directing films himself, helming over 80 features during his career. He was best known for his crime dramas and suspense thrillers. His film credits include Pigeon (1953), Dancing Girls of Izu (1954), Stakeout (1958), Zero Focus (1961), The Scarlet Camelia (1964), The Shadow Within (1970), The Castle of Sand (1974), Village of Eight Gravestones (1977), The Incident (1978), The Demon (1978), The Three Undelivered Letters (1979), Bad Sorts (1980), and Suspicion (1982). He continued to work as a producer of such films as Lake of Illusions (1982), Amagi Pass (1983), and Final Take: The Golden Age of Movies (1986). • Variety, Apr. 18, 2005, 44.
NORMAN, CHARLIE Swedish jazz musician and composer Charlie Norman died of cancer in Danderyd, Sweden, on August 12, 2005. He was 84. Norman was born in Ludvika, Sweden, on October 4, 1920. He learned the piano at an early age and was performing professionally by the age of 15. He led a jazz trio and toured throughout the country. He also composed music for several Swedish films including Kvinnan gor mig Galen (1949), The Long Search (1952), Going Up by the Green Lift (1952), The Vicious Breed (1954), Foreign Intrigue (1956), and Som Man Baddar... (1957).
Fumio Niwa
NOMURA, YOSHITARO Japanese film director Yoshitaro Nomura died of pneumonia in a Tokyo hospital on April 8, 2005. He was 85. Nomura was born in Tokyo on April 23, 1919, the son of director Hotei Nomura. He began working at Shochiku, a leading film studio, in the early 1940s and became an assistant director on such films as The Idiot (1951) and
Yoshitaro Nomura
Charlie Norman
NORMAN, LOULIE JEAN Soprano Loulie Jean Norman, who was best known for her vocals on the original Star Trek theme in the 1960s, died on August 2, 2005. She was 92. Norman was born in Birmingham, Alabama, on March 12, 1913. She began her career performing with Mel Torme in the 1940s. Norman was a soloist in the 1950 film The Big Hangover, and provided the singing voice for Diahann Carroll’s character, Clara, in the 1959 film version of Porg y and Bess. She also sang for Juliet Prowse in G.I. Blues (1960) and Stella Stevens in Too Late Blues (1961). She was part of a female backup group the sang with Elvis on the “Moonlight Swim” song on the Blue Hawaii soundtrack in 1961. Norman also collaborated with her husband, arranger Gordon Jenkins, on numerous albums. She also performed on the 1959 Spike Jones album In Stereo, portraying Vampira to Paul Frees’ Dracula in several horror movie song parodies. She was best known
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Loulie Jean Norman
Kathi Norris
for singing the eerie wordless vocals for the original Star Trek theme heard during the opening credits. She also was the voice of the shrieking Crazy Soprano Ghost in the Disney theme park exhibit The Haunted Mansion.
NORTH, JACK Actor Jack North died in Utah on December 26, 2005. He was 72. North appeared in supporting roles in a handful of films from the early 1980s including Revenge of the Ninja (1983), The Survivalist (1987), Halloween 5 (1989), Fast Getaway (1991), The Runner (1999), and Brigham City (2001). He also appeared in the tele-films Beyond Suspicion (1993) and Deadly Invasion: The Killer Bee Nightmare (1995), and guest starred in an episode of Touched by an Angel.
NORRIS, DALE Saxophonist Dale Norris died of lung cancer in Tuscon, Arizona, on June 28, 2005. He was 68. Norris was born in Manhattan, Kansas, on August 24, 1936. He earned a master’s degree in music at Kansas State University before joining the Stan Kenton Orchestra as an alto saxophonist in the early 1960s. He recorded with Kenton and the NBC Staff Orchestra in New York City. He also played with big bands led by Tommy Dorsey, Henry Mancini, and Buddy Morrow. Norris moved to Tucson in 1965, where he worked as a middle school band director. • Los Angeles Times, July 2, 2005, B19.
NORTH, SHEREE Actress Sheree North died of complications from surgery in a Los Angeles hospital on November 4, 2005. She was 72. She was born Dawn Bethel in Los Angeles on January 17, 1933. She began performing as a dancer at USO shows at an early age. She worked in nightclubs and theater chorus lines before making her film debut in Excuse My Dust in 1951. She performed a memorable dance number in the Broadway musical Hazel Flagg, and repeated her jitterbug in the 1954 Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis comedy film version of the stage show, Living It Up. She was signed by 20th Century–Fox and was groomed as a glamour girl to stand in for the sometimes unreliable Marilyn Monroe. She continued to appear in such features as How to Be Very, Very Popular (1955), The Lieutenant Wore Skirts (1956), The Best Things in Life Are Free (1956), The Way to the Gold (1957), No Down Payment (1957), In Love and War (1958), Mardi Gras
Dale Norris
NORRIS, KATHI Kathi Norris, who hosted one of the earliest television talk shows in the late 1940s, died in London on June 15, 2005. She was 86. Norris was born on June 1, 1919. She worked in television in the late 1940s, hosting The Kathi Norris Show on Dumont in 1948. She also hosted the series TV Shopper, Spin the Picture, Modern Romances, and True Story. Norris also hosted a segment of the Today Show, highlighting a woman’s view of the news, in the 1950s. Survivors include her daughter, actress Koo Stark. • Variety, Nov. 14, 2005, 61.
Sheree North
279 (1958), Destination Inner Space (1966), Madigan (1968), The Gypsy Moths (1969), and The Trouble with Girls (1969). She also appeared frequently on television from the 1950s, guest starring in episodes of Shower of Stars, Playhouse 90, The Untouchables, Ben Casey, Breaking Point, Gunsmoke, Burke’s Law, The Eleventh Hour, The Greatest Adventure, The Virginian, The Greatest Show on Earth, Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, The Fugitive, The Loner, Run for Your Life, Big Valley, The Iron Horse, Mannix, Here Come the Brides, The Name of the Game, The Most Deadly Game, The Smith Family, Medical Center, Alias Smith and Jones, Cannon, McMillan and Wife, Kung Fu, Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law, Hawkins, Hec Ramsey, Kojak, Hawaii Five-O, Barnaby Jones, Medical Center, Marcus Welby, M.D., Family, Baretta, Westside Medical, Hallmark Hall of Fame, and Fantasy Island. She also starred as Honey Smith in the 1975 comedy series Big Eddie, and was Edie McKendrick in the series I’m a Big Girl Now from 1980 to 1981. She was also seen as Lynn Holtz in the short-lived drama series The Bay City Blues in 1983. She was also featured in the tele-films The Came Bronson (1969), Vanished (1971), Rolling Man (1972), Trouble Comes to Town (1973), Snatched (1973), Maneater (1973), Key West (1973), Winter Kill (1974), The Whirlwind (1974), A Shadow in the Streets (1975), Most Wanted (1976), The Night They Took Miss Beautiful (1977), A Real American Hero (1978), Amateur Night at the Dixie Bar and Grill (1979), Women in White (1979), Portrait of a Stripper (1979), A Christmas for Boomer (1979), Marilyn: The Untold Story (1980) as Marilyn Monroe’s mother, Gladys Baker, Legs (1983), Scorned and Swindled (1984), Are You My Mother? (1986), Jake Spanner, Private Eye (1989), and Dead on the Money (1991). North also guest starred in The Mary Tyler Moore Show as Lou Grant’s girlfriend, Charlene, Archie Bunker’s Place as Dotty Wertz, Magnum, P.I., Trapper John, M.D., The Golden Girls as Blanche’s sister, Virginia Hollingsworth, Matlock, Murder, She Wrote, Freddy’s Nightmares, Hunter, and Seinfeld, as Kramer’s mother, Babs. North also continued her film career, graduating into character roles. She was seen in Lawman (1971), The Organization (1971), Charley Varrick (1973), The Outfit (1973), Breakout (1975), Survival (1976), The Shootist (1976) with John Wayne, Telefon (1977), Rabbit Test (1978), Only Once in a Lifetime (1979), Maniac Cop (1988), Cold Dog Soup (1990), Defenseless (1991), and Susan’s Plan (1998). • Los Angeles Times, Nov. 7, 2005, B11; New York Times, Nov. 8, 2005, A25; Time, Nov. 21, 2005, 27; Times (of London), Dec. 14, 2005, 61; Variety, Nov. 14, 2005, 61.
NORTON, ANDRE Science fiction writer Andre Norton, who was best known for her longrunning Witch World series of novels, died at her home in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, on March 17, 2005. She was 93. She was born Alice Mary Norton in Cleveland, Ohio, on February 17, 1912. She was the author of over 130 novels in a writing career that lasted for nearly 70 years. Her numerous works include the novels The Prince Commands (1934), Ralestone Luck (1938), Follow the Drum (1942), The Sword Is Drawn (1944), The
2005 • Obituaries
Andre Norton
Rogue Reynard (1947), People of the Crater (1947), Scarface (1948), The Gifts of Asti (1948), Huon of the Horn (1951), Bullard of the Space Patrol (1951), Star Man’s Son 2250 A.D. (1952), Living in 1980 Plus (1952), Star Rangers (1953), Space Service (1953), All Cats Are Gray (1953), At Swords’ Point (1954), Murders for Sale (1954), The Stars Are Ours! (1954), Space Pioneers (1954), Mousetrap (1954), Sargasso of Space (1955), Star Guard (1955), Yankee Privateer (1955), The Crossroad of Time (1956), Plague Ship (1956), Stand to Horse (1956), Space Police (1956), Sea Siege (1957), Star Born (1957), Star Gate (1958), The Time Traders (1958), By a Hair (1958), Galactic Derelict (1959), Secret of the Lost Race (1959), and Voodoo Planet (1959). Norton’s 1959 novel The Beast Master was loosely adapted for the 1982 film starring Marc Singer, and inspired the 1999 television series of the same name. Norton’s other books include Shadow Hawk (1960), The Sioux Spacemen (1960), Storm Over Warlock (1960), Catseye (1961), Ride Proud Rebel! (1961), Star Hunter (1961), The Defiant Agents (1962), Eye of the Monster (1962), Lord of Thunder (1962), Rebel Spurs (1962), Judgment on Janus (1963), and Key Out of Time (1963). Her best known series, The Witch World, began in 1963, spawning over thirty sequels including The Web of the Witch World (1964), Three Against the Witch World (1965), Year of the Unicorn (1965), Warlock of the Witch World (1967), Sorceress of the Witch World (1968), Ully the Piper (1970), The Crystal Gryphon (1972), Amber Out of Quayth (1972), Dragon Scale Silver (1972), Dream Smith (1972), Legacy from Sorn Fen (1972), The Toads of Grimmerdale (1973), Jargoon Pard (1974), Spider Silk (1976), Trey of Swords (1977), Sword of Unbelief (1977), Zarsthor’s Bane (1978), Falcon Blood (1979), Sand Sisters (1979), Changeling (1980), Gryphon of Glory (1981), Horn Crown (1981), ’Ware Hawk (1983), Gryphon’s Eyrie (1984), Gate of the Cat (1987), Tales of the Witch World (1987), Of the Shaping of Ulm’s Heir (1987), Tales of the Witch World 2 (1988), Tales of the Witch World 3 (1990), Port of Dead Ships (1991), Seakeep (1991), Exile (1992), Falcon Hope (1992), The Songsmith (1992), Falcon Magic (1994), We, the Women (1994), The Key of the Keplian (1995), The Way Wind (1995), The Mage Stone (1996), The Warding of the Witch World (1997), and Ciara’s Song (1998). Norton wrote numerous other novels including Night
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of Masks (1964), Ordeal in Otherwhere (1964), Quest Crosstime (1965), Steel Magic (1965), The X Factor (1965), Moon of Three Rings (1966), Victory on Janus (1966), The Boy and the Ogre (1966), Toymaker’s Snuffbox (1966), Octagon Magic (1967), Operation Time Search (1967), Wizard’s World (1967), Dark Piper (1968), Fur Magic (1968), Star Hunter & Voodoo Planet (1968), The Zero Stone (1968), Bertie and May (1969), Uncharted Stars (1969), Toys of Tamisan (1969), Dread Companion (1970), Ice Crown (1970), Long Live Lord Kor! (1970), Through the Needle’s Eye (1970), Android at Arms (1971), Exiles of the Stars (1971), Breed to Come (1972), Dragon Magic (1972), Artos, Son of Marius (1972), Garan of yu-Lac (1972), One Spell Wizard (1972), Forerunner Foray (1973), Here Abide Monsters (1973), Gates of Tomorrow (1973), London Bridge (1973), Iron Cage (1974), Lavender-Green Magic (1974), Small Shadows Creep (1974), The Long Night of Waiting (1974), Outside (1974), The Day of the Ness (1975), Knave of Dreams (1975), Merlin’s Mirror (1975), No Night Without Stars (1975), The White Jade Fox (1975), Red Hart Magic (1976), Wraiths of Time (1976), Baleful Beasts and Eerie Creatures (1976), Star Ka’at (1976), Nightmare (1976), Ship of Mist (1976), Spider Silk (1976), The Opal-Eyed Fan (1977), Velvet Shadows (1977), Quag Keep (1978), Yurth Burden (1978), Star Ka’at’s World (1978), Seven Spells to Sunday (1979), Snow Shadow (1979), Star Ka’at and the Plant People (1979), Iron Butterflies (1980), Voorloper (1980), Forerunner (1981), Maid at Arms (1981), Ten Mile Treasure (1981), Star Ka’at and the Winged Warriors (1981), Caroline (1982), Moon Called (1982), Moon Mirror (1982), Wheel of Stars (1983), House of Shadows (1984), Stand and Deliver (1984), Were Wrath (1984), Forerunner: The Second Venture (1985), Ride the Green Dragon (1985), Magic in Ithkar (1985), Magic in Ithkar 2 (1985), Flight in Yiktor (1986), Magic in Ithkar 3 (1986), Rider on the Mountain (1987), Serpent’s Tooth (1987), Magic in Ithkar 4 (1987), How Many Miles to Babylon? (1988), Imperial Lady (1989), Catfantastic (1989), and Noble Warrior (1989). In the past decade Norton continued a prolific output of novels, often co-writing with such collaborators as Mercedes Lackey, Robert Bloch, A.C. Crispin, P.M. Griffin, Sasha Miller, Patricia Matthews, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Sherwood Smith, Lyn McConchie, and Rosemary Edhill. Her later works include Black Trillium (1990), Dare to Go A-Hunting (1990), The Jekyll Legancy (1990), The Elvenbane (1990), Catfantastic II (1991), Hob’s Pot (1991), Exile (1992), The Mark of the Cat (1992), A Very Dickensy Christmas (1992), The Nabob’s Gift (1992), Brother to Shadows (1993), Empire of the Eagle (1993), Golden Trillium (1993), Redline the Stars (1993), Firehand (1994), The Hands of Lyr (1994), Catfantastic III (1994), Noble Warrior Meets with a Ghost (1994), That Which Overfloweth (1994), Elvenblood (1995), The Key of the Keplian (1995), Mirror of Destiny (1995), Tiger Burning Bright (1995), The Last Spell (1995), Catfantastic IV (1996), The Dowry of the Rag Picker’s Daughter (1996), No Folded Hands (1996), Noble Warrior, Teller of Fortunes (1996), Derelict for Trade (1997), Mind for Trade (1997), Auour the Deepminded (1997), Bard’s Crown (1997), Frog Magic (1997),
Nine Threads of Gold (1997), Ciara’s Song (1998), The Stonish Men (1998), The Scent of Magic (1998), Catfantastic V (1999), The Shadow of Albion (1999), Echoes in Time (1999), Wind in the Stone (1999), To the King a Daughter (2000), Leopard in Exile (2001), Knight or Knave (2001), The Mark of the Cat; Year of the Rat (2002), Beast Master’s Ark (2002), The Elvenborn (2002), A Crown Disowned (2002), and Atlantis Endgame (2002). Her final novel, Three Hands of Scorpio, was scheduled for release shortly after her death. • Los Angeles Times, Mar. 19, 2005, B17; New York Times, Mar. 18, 2005, B8.
NORWOOD , WARREN Science fiction writer Warren Norwood died of liver disease in Weatherford, Texas, on June 3, 2005. He was 59. Norwood was born on August 21, 1945. He was the author of over a dozen science fiction novels including The Windhover Tapes: The Planet of Flowers (1984), Shudderchild (1987), and True Jaguar (1988).
Warren Norwood
NOWAK, AMRAM Documentary filmmaker Amram Nowak died on June 6, 2005. He was 80. Nowak was born on May 12, 1925. He created several hundred documentary films during his career. His most notable work was the 1986 film Isaac in America: A Journey with Isaac Bashevis Singer, which nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. His other films including King Murray (1969), The Nashville Sound (1970), The Cafeteria (1984), and They Came for Good: A History of Jews in the United States (1997). NYE, LOUIS Comedian Louis Nye died of lung cancer at his home in Los Angeles on October 9, 2005. He was 92. Nye was born in Hartford, Connecticut, on May 1, 1913. He began his career performing on stage before moving to New York City to work in radio. He appeared in numerous radio productions, using a variety of voices and accents. Nye was best known for his role as Gordon Hathaway on The Steve Allen Show from 1956 to 1961, opening the show with the catchphrase “Hi, ho, Steverino!” Nye also starred as Sonny Drysdale, the son of banker Milburn Drysdale, in the first season of the hit comedy series The Beverly Hillbillies in the early 1960s. He starred as Dr.
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2005 • Obituaries
Marble. • New York Times, June 11, 2005, B7.
O’BRIEN , ROBERT Film and television writer Robert O’Brien died on November 7, 2005. He was 87. O’Brien was born on May 8, 1918. He scripted several films from the mid–1940s including Lady on a Train (1945), Fancy Pants (1950), The Lemon Drop Kid (1951), The Belle of New York (1952), By the Light of the Silvery Moon (1953), Lucky Me (1954), and Say One for Me (1959). He worked primarily in television in the 1960s, writing episodes of My Three Sons, 87th Precinct, and Wendy and Me.
Louis Nye
Delbert Gray in the comedy series The Ann Sothern Show from 1960 to 1961, and hosted the variety series Happy Days in the summer of 1970. He starred as Harry Kemp in the short-lived comedy series Needles and Pins with Norman Fell in 1973. He also guest starred in episodes of Naked City, Guestward Ho!, The Spike Jones Show, Make Room for Daddy, The Jack Benny Program, Alcoa Premiere, The Judy Garland Show, The Lieutenant, Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, Burke’s Law, The Munsters as horror host Zombo, The Jackie Gleason Show, That Was the Week That Was, Toast of the Town, The Andy Williams Show, Love, American Style, Laverne and Shirley, Starsky and Hutch, Police Woman, Fantasy Island, The Love Boat, Trapper John, M.D., St. Elsewhere, The Cosby Show, and Dolly. Nye also provided comic support in such films as Sex Kittens Go to College (aka Beauty and the Robot) (1960), The Facts of Life (1960), The Last Time I Saw Archie (1961), Zotz! (1962), The Stripper (1963), The Wheeler Dealers (1963), Who’s Been Sleeping in My Bed? (1963), Good Neighbor Sam (1964), A Guide for the Married Man (1967), Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976), Harper Valley P.T.A. (1978) as Kirby Baker, The Charge of the Model Ts (1979), Full Moon High (1981), Cannonball Run II (1984), and O.C. and Stiggs (1987). He was also seen in the tele-films The City That Forgot About Christmas (1974), Yes Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus (1974), I’ve Had It Up to Here (1982), and Alice in Wonderland (1985) as the Carpenter. He also provided various voices for the Inspector Gadget cartoon series. Nye’s final role was as Jeff Garlin’s dad in the HBO comedy series Curb Your Enthusiasm in the early 2000s. • Los Angeles Times, Oct. 11, 2005, B13; New York Times, Oct. 11, 2005, B9; People, Oct. 24, 2005, 93; Time, Oct. 24, 2005, 33; Variety, Oct. 17, 2005, 64.
O’BRIEN, CLARE LYNCH Children’s writer Clare Lynch O’Brien died of breast cancer at her home in Manhattan, New York, on June 9, 2005. She was 63. She was born in Manhattan on April 23, 1942. She began her career at Random House, where she became senior children’s editor. She also worked often with children’s television host Fred Rogers, co-writing Mr. Rogers Talks with Families About Divorce. O’Brien was also a consultant for the public television series Big Blue
O’HARE, JOHN MICHAEL Actor and playwright John Michael O’Hare died of heart failure in Pacific Palisades, California, on April 20, 2005. He was 82. O’Hare was born in La Junta, Colorado, on July 17, 1922. He began performing on stage in Pennsylvania often performing with actress June Lockhart in such productions as Sabrina Fair, Dulcie, and Claudia at Pennsylvania’s Bucks County Playhouse. He made his Broadway debut in a 1949 production of The Enchanted, and was also featured in The Long Days, The Pink Elephant, and The Bad Seed. O’Hare was also a playwright whose works include Pride and Joy, Once Over Nightly, and The Gentle Trap. He also appeared on television in the 1950s, guest starring in episodes of The Philco Playhouse, Chevrolet Hour, The Clock, Lights Out, Believe It or Not, The Web, Hands of Destiny, and Cameo Theater. O’HERLIHY, DANIEL Leading actor Daniel O’Herlihy, who earned an Oscar nomination for his starring role in 1954’s The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, died at his home in Malibu, California, after a long illness on February 17, 2005. He was 85. O’Herlihy was born in Wexford, Ireland, on May 1, 1919. He attended the National University of Ireland, where he earned a degree in architecture. He soon began appearing in small roles on stage with the Abbey Theatre in Dublin. O’Herlihy made his film debut in Carol Reed’s 1946 thriller Odd Man Out starring James Mason, and appeared in the films Hungry Hill (1947) and Larceny (1948). He came to the United States to play Macduff in Orson Welles’ 1948 production of Macbeth. He remained a leading performer in films, television and
Daniel O’Herlihy
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stage productions for the next fifty years. His numerous film credits include Kidnapped (1948), The Iroquois Trail (1950), Soldiers Three (1951), The Highwayman (1951), The Blue Veil (1951), At Sword’s Point (1952), Actors and Sin (1952), Operation Secret (1952), Invasion USA (1952), Sword of Venus (1953), The Black Shield of Falworth (1954) with Tony Curtis, Bengal Brigade (1954), The Purple Mask (1955), The Virgin Queen (1955), City After Midnight (1957), Home Before Dark (1958), Imitation of Life (1959), The Young Land (1959), A Terrible Beauty (1960), One Foot in Hell (1960), King of the Roaring 20’s —The Story of Arnold Rothstein (1961), The Cabinet of Caligari (1962), the nuclear thriller Fail-Safe (1964) as Brig. Gen. Warren Black, 100 Rifles (1969), The Big Cube (1969), Waterloo (1970), The Carey Treatment (1972), The Tamarind Seed (1974), MacArthur (1977) as President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982) as warlock Conal Cochran, the 1984 science fiction film The Last Starfighter as the alien Grig, The Whoopee Boys (1986), and The Dead (1987). He also appeared as the Old Man, the mysterious director of the multinational cyborg industry, in the 1987 film RoboCop, and the 1990 sequel RoboCop 2. O’Herlihy starred as Doc McPheeters in the television western The Travels of Jaimie McPheeteers from 1963 to 1964, and was Boss Will Varner in the series The Long, Hot Summer in 1966. He appeared regularly as the Director in the short-lived television spy drama A Man Called Sloane in 1977, and was Carson Marsh in the series Whiz Kids in 1984. O’Herlihy also starred as Andrew Packard in David Lynch’s cult mystery series Twin Peaks in 1990. He also appeared in television productions of The People (1972), Leon Uris’ QB VII (1974), Jennie: Lady Randolph Churchill (1974), Colditz (1972), Banjo Hackett: Roamin’ Free (1976), The Quest: The Longest Drive (1976), Good Against Evil (1977), Deadly Game (1977), Mark Twain: Beneath the Laughter (1979) as Twain, Death Ray 2000 (1981), Artemis 81 (1981), Nancy Astor (1982), The Last Day (1983), The Secret Servant (1984) as Prof. John Tyler, Dark Mansions (1986), A Waltz Through the Hills (1988), Love, Cheat & Steal (1993), and The Rat Pack (1998) as Joseph Kennedy. His numerous television credits also include guest roles in such series as Your Show Time, General Electric Theater, The United States Steel Hour, Lux Video Theatre, Stage 7, Schlitz Playhouse of the Stars, Climax!, Screen Directors Playhouse, Jane Wyman Presents The Fireside Theatre, Letters to Loretta, Cavalcade of America as the historical figures Nathaniel Hawthorne and Benedict Arnold, Studio 57, Playhouse 90, Kraft Television Theatre, On Trial, Zane Grey Theater, The DuPont Show with June Allyson, The Untouchables, Rawhide, Kraft Mystery Theater, The Americans, The Best of the Post, Adventures in Paradise, Target: The Corruptors, Route 66, Dr. Kildare, Checkmate, Bonanza, Sam Benedict, Empire, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Combat!, Ben Casey, Profiles in Courage, Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Defenders, The Road West, The Big Valley, Mission: Impossible, The High Chaparral, Hondo, Ironside, Hawaii Five-O, Serpico, The Quest, The Bionic Woman, The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, Charlie’s Angels, Battlestar Galactica, Barnaby Jones, Trapper John, M.D., Murder, She Wrote, Reming-
ton Steele, L.A. Law, The Ray Bradbury Theater, The Equalizer, and VR. 5. • Los Angeles Times, Feb. 19, 2005, B16; New York Times, Feb. 19, 2005, B9; People, Mar. 7, 2005, 103; Time, Feb. 28, 2005, 21; Times (of London), Mar. 18, 2005, 79; Variety, Feb. 28, 2005, 53.
OJALA, ARVO Arvo Ojala, the legendary fastdraw artist who lost a gunfight with Marshal Dillon every week in the opening credits of Gunsmoke, died in Gresham, Oregon, on July 1, 2005. He was 85. Ojala was born in Seattle, Washington, on February 21, 1920. He practiced his skills with firearms from an early age, and came to Hollywood in the early 1950s to work in the movie business. Ojala had designed a fast-draw holster with a steel liner that encircled the revolver’s cylinder. He patented the Hollywood Fast Holster and formed a company to produce and sell them. He also served as a technical advisor on many of the television western series of the 1950s and 1960s including Cheyenne, Sugarfoot, Maverick, Colt .45, Lawman, Gunsmoke, Have Gun —Will Travel, Bonanza, Maverick, Johnny Ringo, Wyatt Earp, and Lancer. Ojala was also a technical advisor, and appeared in small parts, on several films including Two-Gun Lady (1956), The Oregon Trail (1959), and More Dead Than Alive (1968). He was also gun coach on the films Zachariah (1971), Silverado (1985), Three Amigos! (1986), and Back to the Future Part III (1990).
Arvo Ojala
OKAMOTO, KIHACHI Japanese film director and writer Kihachi Okamoto died of cancer of the esophagus in Kawasaki, Japan, on February 19, 2005. He was 82. Okamoto was born in Yonago, Japan, on February 17, 1923. He began his career in film after serving in the Japanese army during World War II. After the war he became an assistant director for such films as Snow Trail (1947), The Blue Pearl (1951), and Beast Man Snow Man (1955). He began directing and writing features later in the decade. His numerous film credits include All About Marriage (1958), Young Daughters (1958), the crime drama The Big Boss (1959), One Day I... (1959), Desperate Outpost (1959), The Last Gunfight (1960), Westward Desperado (1960), Big Shots Die at Dawn (1961), Operation Sewer Rats (1962), Warring Clans (1963), Samurai Assassin (1965), Fort Grave-
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Yakuza (1975), Two in the Amsterdam Rain (1975), I Am a Cat (1975), The Fossil (1975), Children Drawing Rainbows (1975), Between Wife and Woman (1976), The Alaska Story (1977), To Hear the Song of Silktree (1977), Love and Faith (1978), The Bad News Bears Go to Japan (1978), Glowing Autumn (1979), The Lovers’ Exile (1980), Abandoned (1981), Southern Cross (1982), The Challenge (1982), All Right, My Friend (1983), Children of Nagasaki (1983), Family Without a Dinner Table (1985), Big Joys, Small Sorrows (1986), Hello, Kids! (1986), Father (1988), War and Youth (1991), Eriko (1994), I Love You (19990, I Love Friends (2001), and I Love Peace (2001).
Kihachi Okamoto
yard (1965), The Sword of Doom (1966), The Age of Assassins (1967), Japan’s Longest Day (1967), Kill (1968), The Human Bullet (1968), Red Lion (1969), Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo (1970), The Battle of Okinawa (1971), Battle Cry (1975), Dynamite Bang Bang (1978), Blood Type: Blue (1978), The Last Game (1979), At This Late Date, the Charleston (1981), Dixieland Daimyo (1986), Rainbow Kids (1991), East Meets West (1995), and Vengeance for Sale (2001).
OKAZAKI, KOZO Japanese cinematographer Kozo Okazaki died of cancer in Tokyo on January 13, 2005. He was 85. Okazaki served as director of photographer on numerous Japanese films from the 1940s including I Was a Prisoner in Siberia (1952), A Geisha in the Old City (1957), The Princess of Badger Palace (1958), Stray Cat (1958), Temptation on Glamorous Island (1959), Ichimatsu Travels with Ghosts (1959), The Poem of the Blue Star (1960), Master Fencer Sees the World (1960), The Man from the East (1961), Moonlight in the Rain (1961), Kill the Killer! (1961), Till Tomorrow Comes (1962), This Madding Crowd (1963), Madame Aki (1963), The Miad Story (1963), Sweet Sweat (1964), Dark the Mountain Snow (1965), River of Forever (1967), Happiness of Us Alone, Part II: Father and Child (1967), Our Silent Love (1967), Hymn to a Tired Man (1968), Official Gold (1969), The Scandalous Adventures of Buraikan (1970), At the Risk of My Life (1971), Rise, Fair Sun (1973), Senile Person (1973), Brotherhood of the
OKUN , CHARLES Film producer Charles Okun died of complications from cancer in Florida on July 3, 2005. He was 80. Okun was born on September 8, 1924. He began working in films in the 1950s as an electrician on documentaries and commercials. He moved up to assistant director in the early 1960s, working on such features as Diary of a Mad Housewife (1970), Such Good Friends (1971), Lovin’ Molly (1974), Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974), Death Wish (1974), Rancho Deluxe (1975), Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976), The Sentinel (1977), Fun with Dick and Jane (1977), Handle with Care (1977), The Deer Hunter (1978), The Legend of the Lone Ranger (1981), and Soup for One (1982). Okun was executive producer and production manager on Michael Cimino’s legendary flop Heaven’s Gate. He worked with director Lawrence Kasdan on several films, serving as executive producer and production manager on Silverado (1985), The Accidental Tourist (1988), I Love You to Death (1990), Grand Canyon (1991), Wyatt Earp (1994), French Kiss (1995), Mumford (1999) which he also appeared in a small role in, and Dreamcatcher (2003). • Variety, July 25, 2005, 57.
Charles Okun
Kozo Okazaki
OLIN , CHUCK Documentary filmmaker Chuck Olin died of complications from amyloidosis, a rare blood disease, in Stinson Beach, California, on January 20, 2005. He was 68. Olin was born in Chicago, Illinois, on January 11, 1937. He began working in films in the 1960s, assisting director Philip Kaufman on the film Fearless Frank starring Jon Voight.
Obituaries • 2005
284 Broadway plays. She was featured as the bride in the film Goodbye Columbus. She subsequently became involved in the civil rights movement and politics, severing as aide of New York Mayor John V. Lindsay.
Chuck Olin
Olin soon turned to documentary films, producing such social commentaries as The Murder of Fred Hampton and American Revolution II in the early 1970s. He subsequently formed his own production company, making the films Palette of Glass: The American Windows of Marc Chagall (1977) which won an Emmy Award, and Box of Treasures (1983). He also produced numerous educations and corporate films. His best known work was the 1998 documentary In Our Own Hands: The Hidden Story of the Jewish Brigade in World War II. • Los Angeles Times, Jan. 31, 2005, B7.
ORDUNG, WYOTT Actor turned writerdirector Wyott Ordung, who wrote the 1950s cult classic sci-fi film Robot Monster, died in California on August 28, 2005. He was 83. Ordung was born on May 23, 1922. He began his career as an actor in the early 1950s, appearing in small parts in the features Fixed Bayonets! (1951) and Dragon’s Gold (1954), and on television in episodes of Dick Tracy, Dangerous Assignment and Biff Baker, U.S.A. He wrote Phil Tucker’s 1953 cult classic Robot Monster, and also scripted the war film Combat Squad (1953) and the sci-fi thriller Target Earth (1954). Ordung wrote and directed, and appeared as Pablo, the superstitious fisherman, in Roger Corman’s first science fiction production, Monster from the Ocean Floor, in 1954. He also wrote and directed the 1956 thriller Walk the Dark Street starring Chuck Connors. Ordung also wrote the original story for the 1959 science fiction film First Man into Space, and was assistant director for several films including The Navy vs. the Night Monsters (1966), The Mummy and the Curse of the Jackals (1969), and A Whale of a Tale (1977).
OLLIVIER, JEAN Jean Ollivier, the writer of such French comic strips as Doctor Justice, died in France on December 29, 2005. He was 80. Ollivier was born in Paimpol, France, in 1925. He began writing for Vaillant magazine from its inception in 1945. He wrote for the magazine for nearly fifty years, scripting such series as Yves le Loup, Le Cormoran, P’tit Joc, Ragnar the Viking, Loup Noir, and Jacques Flash. He also wrote the Doctor Justice series, which was adapted for film in 1975. Ollivier took over the writing of the Barbe-Rouge series from Jean-Michel Charlier in 1991. Wyott Ordung
ORSTED PEDERSEN, NIELS -HENNING Leading Danish jazz bassist Niels-Henning Orsted Pe-
Jean Ollivier
OMMERLE , GAIL Actress Gail Ommerle Roberts died at her home in New Mexico on May 15, 2005. She was 61. She was born in New York City on October 3, 1943. She worked as a model and actress in the 1960s, appearing in several television series and Off-
Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen
285 dersen, died at his home in Ishoej, Denmark, on April 19, 2005. He was 58. He began performing in the early 1960s, performing with such jazz legends as Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, and Count Basie. He joined the Oscar Peterson Trio in 1973. He also recorded with such artists as Chet Baker, Toots Thielemans, and Martial Solal, and was a member of the Danish Radio Big Band from 1964 to 1982. • Los Angeles Times, Apr. 23, 2005, B16; New York Times, Apr. 21, 2005, A21; Times (of London), Apr. 22, 2005, 68.
OSCARD, FIFI Fernande Steinmetz, better known as Fifi Oscard, a leading artists’ representative, died in New York City on November 12, 2005. She was 85. Oscard was born on June 16, 1920. She worked as an agent for over fifty years and was founder of The Fifi Oscard Agency. She began her career representing playwright George S. Kaufman and worked with the Olga Lee-Stephen Draper Agency before founding her own agency in 1959. Her many clients included authors, directors, actors, and playwrights, such as Orson Welles, George Plimpton, Jack Palance, William Shatner, Alexander Scourby, and Art Buchwald. • Variety, Nov. 21, 2005, 73. O’TOOLE, MINDY Actress Mindy O’Toole died in a San Jose, California, hospital on July 1, 2005, several days after an accidental drowning in her home bathtub as a result of an epileptic seizure. She was 34. O’Toole was born in Los Gatos, California, on March 15, 1971. She worked as a model and actress while in her teens, appearing in numerous television commercials and the Huey Lewis music video for If This Is It. She also appeared in an episode of television’s Trapper John M.D., and starred in the 1982 television production of Smarkus and Company. OWEN, JAY Radio and television personality Jay Owen died in Houston, Texas, on June 27, 2005. He was 91. Owen was born in South Jacksonville, Florida, on October 22, 1913. He worked in radio and television in the Washington, D.C., and New York City areas in the 1940s and 1950s. Owen was announcer for The Kate Smith Radio Show in the 1940s. He was also the original host of the Doctor I.Q. television series from 1953 to 1954. OWENS, ELIZABETH Stage actress Elizabeth Owens died of breast cancer in the Bronx, New York, on March 8, 2005. She was 77. Owens was born in New York City on February 26, 1928. She appeared in Off-Broadway productions of Yerma and Dr. Faustus Lights before making her Broadway debut in Leslie Stevens’ 1956 production of The Lovers. She married Gene Feist in 1957 and the two worked together at the New Theater Nashville for several years. Feist founded the Roundabout Theater in 1965 and Owens appeared in numerous productions there. She also performed in national tours of The Sound of Music, Driving Miss Daisy, and The Winslow Boy. She was also seen in a handful of films including Music Box (1989), The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990), The Newcomers (2000), Mr. Deeds (2002), and Two Weeks Notice (2002). • Variety, Apr. 25, 2005, 69.
2005 • Obituaries
PACINO, SAL Sal Pacino, the father of Academy Award–winning actor Al Pacino, died of a heart attack in Covina, California, on January 12, 2005. He was 82. Pacino was born in New York City on February 16, 1922. He married Rose Gerard in the late 1930s, and their son, Al, was born the following year. The Pacinos subsequently divorced. Sal later became a successful restauranteur in the Covina area. He also made several small appearances in films including Younger and Younger (1993), Holy Hollywood (1999), Can’t Be Heaven (2000), and The Soldiers (2002). He also appeared in Richard Simmons’ exercise video Richard Simmons and the Silver Foxes: Fitness for Senior Citizens in 1986. • Los Angeles Times, Jan. 16, 2005, B15.
Sal Pacino
PACYNSKI, TOMASZ Polish science fiction writer Tomasz Pacynski died in Poland on May 30, 2005. He was 47. Pacynski was born in Warsaw, Poland, on February 4, 1958. He was the founder and editor of the internet science fiction fanzine Fahrenheit. He also had short fiction and articles published in such magazines as Science Fiction, SFera, and Fantasy. His first fantasy novel, Sherwood, based on the legend of Robin Hood, was published in 2001. Two subsequent volumes followed in this trilogy, and he also wrote the science fiction thriller September.
Tomasz Pacynski
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PAGET-BOWMAN, CICELY British actress Cicely Paget-Bowman died in England on May 23, 2005. She was 94. Paget-Bowman was born in Bedford Park, London, England, on December 13, 1910. She began her career on stage in the 1930s but her career was sidetracked during World War II when she served as a nurse and ambulance driver for the British Army. She returned to the stage after the war and also appeared in a handful of films including Conspirator (1949), The Miniver Story (1950), Isn’t Life Wonderful! (1953), The Man Who Never Was (1956), The Trials of Oscar Wilde (1960), and The Trygon Factor (1966). She also appeared in television productions of The Forsyte Saga (1967), W. Somerset Maugham’s The Door of Opportunity (1970), Sentimental Education (1970), and A.D.A.M. (1973). Paget-Bowman’s other television credits include episodes of Danger Man, Dixon of Dock Green, The Troubleshooters, Adam Adamant Lives!, Z Cars, and Hadleigh.
Orleans jazz pianists Isidor “Tuts” Washington, Henry “Professor Longhair” Roeland, and Allen Toussaint. He also produced several short films for television’s The Learning Channel, and was completing production on Songwriter, Unknown, a documentary feature on Toussaint. • Los Angeles Times, Dec. 29, 2005, B11.
PALMER -STOLL , JULIA German actress Julia Palmer-Stoll died of injuries she received in an accident in Murnau, Germany, when she was hit by a car as she tried to remove a hedgehog from a busy road on June 9, 2005. She was 21. Palmer-Stoll was born in Germany on January 15, 1984. She began her acting career as a youth in the mid–1990s, appearing in television productions of Tatort— Das Madchen Mit der Puppe (1996), Life Penalty (1997), and Natalie III: Babystrich Online (1998). She also appeared in several films including The Wedding Cow (1999), The Green Desert (1999), and The Devil Who Called Himself God (2002). Palmer-Stoll remained a familiar face on German television in productions of Lebenslugen (2000), Die Sitte (2001), Sperling und der Stumme Schrei (2002), and Unter Weissen Segeln — Kompass der Liebe (2004).
Cicely Paget-Bowman (from The Green Carnation)
PALFI, STEVENSON J. Documentary filmmaker Stevenson J. Palfi died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the New Orleans home of his former wife, Polly Waring, on December 14, 2005. He was 53. Palfi was reportedly deeply depressed over the loss of much of his property and possessions from Hurricane Katrina. Palfi was best known for his 1982 documentary film Piano Players Rarely Ever Play Together, about New
Stevenson J. Palfi
Julia Palmer-Stoll
PANCAKE, ROGER Film art director and character actor Roger Pancake died of esophageal cancer at his home in Canon City, Colorado, on September 10, 2005. He was 71. Pancake was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on August 15, 1934. He began working in films in the 1970s as a prop master on such features as Women Unchained (1974), Where the Red Fern Grows (1974), Seven Alone (1974), Raising Arizona (1987), and Midnight Run (1988). He also served as art director for the films Macon County Line (1974), Carnal Madness (1975), Creature from Black Lake (1976) also playing the role of the creature, Mansion of the Doomed (1976), and The White Lions (1981), and the tele-films The Outside Woman (1989) and False Witness (1989). Pancake was also seen in small roles in several films including A Field of Honor (1973), Where the Red Fern Grows (1974), Macon County Line (1974), Tender Loving Care (1974), Seven Alone (1974), The Amazing Dobermans (1976), I Wanna Hold Your Hand (1978), The Cat from Outer Space (1978), Dracula’s Dog (1978), The China Syndrome (1979), Spittin’ Image (1982), and the 1991
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the Jade Eyes (1977), The King of Naples (1989), and Roberto Benigni’s Pinocchio (2002).
Roger Pancake
tele-film Perry Mason: The Case of the Ruthless Reporter. He was also seen on television in episodes of Medical Center, Young Maverick, and The Dukes of Hazzard.
PANCAKE, WILLIAM A., JR. Special effects technician William A. Pancake, Jr., died on April 9, 2005. He was 43. Pancake was born on February 25, 1962. He was active in films from the mid–1990s, working on the special effects for the features Twister (1996), The Rock (1996), Swordfish (2001), and Showtime (2002). He also worked on the television series Alias and was involved with Steven Spielberg’s remake of War of the Worlds at the time of his death. PANI, CORRADO Italian actor Corrado Pani died in Rome on March 2, 2005. He was 68. Pani was born in Rome on March 4, 1936. He began his career in films in the early 1950s, appearing in numerous movies including City at Night (1956), To the South Nothing to Report (1957), White Nights (1957), Herod the Great (1959), Cleopatra’s Daughter (1960), Girl with a Suitcase (1960), Pleasures of Saturday Night (1960), Under Ten Flags (1960), Rocco and His Brothers (1960), Amazons of Rome (1961), A Queen for Caesar (1962), The Nun of Monza (1962), Run with the Devil (1963), Bora Bora (1968), Kill Him! (1970), The Sexy Virgin (1973), Secrets of a Call Girl (1973), Drama of the Rich (1974), The Cheaters (1974), La Minorenne (1974), The Cat with
Corrado Pani
PAPICH, STEPHEN Choreographer Stephen Papich died of cancer at his home in Los Angeles on December 16, 2005. He was 80. Papich was born in St. David, Illinois, in 1925. He studied dance as a child and studied with choreographer Katherine Dunham. He began working as a staff choreographer at 20th Century–Fox in 1951, where he was a choreographer on such films as Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954), The Eg yptian (1954), Desiree (1954), The Silver Chalice (1954), Untamed (1955), The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing (1955), and The Rains of Ranchipur (1955). He also produced and directed the Hollywood Bowl from 1955 through 1965, and produced several musical theatrical productions in the Los Angeles area. He appeared in a small role in the 1958 film version of the musical South Pacific. Papich also produced and directed many of Josephine Baker’s touring shows in the U.S. during the 1960s and early 1970s. His long relationship with the performer was the subject of his 1976 memoir, Remembering Josephine Baker. • Los Angeles Times, Jan. 18, 2006, B10; New York Times, Jan. 22, 2006. PARKER, JEAN Actress Jean Parker died of complications from a stroke at the Motion Picture and Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California, on November 30, 2005. She was 90. Parker was born Lois May Green in Deer Lodge, Montana, on August 11, 1915. She came to Hollywood in the early 1930s where she soon signed a contract with MGM. She appeared in numerous films over the next three decades, often performing in supporting roles. Parker’s film credits include Divorce in the Family (1932), Rasputin and the Empress (1932), The Secret of Madame Blanche (1933), Gabriel Over the White House (1933), What Price Innocence? (1933), Made on Broadway (1933), Storm at Daybreak (1933), Lady for a Day (1933), Little Women (1933) as Beth March, You Can’t Buy Everything (1934), Two Alone (1934), Lazy River (1934), Operator 13 (1934), Have a Heart (1934), Caravan (1934), A Wicked Woman (1934), Limehouse Blues (1934), Sequoia (1934), Princess O’Hara (1935), Murder in the Fleet (1935), The Ghost Goes West (1935), The Farmer in the Dell (1936), The Texas Rangers (1936), Life Begins with Love (1937), The Barrier (1937), Penitentiary (1938), Romance of the Limberlost (1938), The Arkansas Traveler (1938), Romance of the Redwoods (1939), Zenobia (1939), She Married a Cop (1939), Flight at Midnight (1939), Parents on Trial (1939), The Flying Deuces (1939) with Laurel and Hardy, Son of the Navy (1940), Beyond Tomorrow (1940), Knights of the Ranger (1940), Roar of the Press (1941), Power Dive (1941), The Pittsburgh Kid (1941), Flying Blind (1941), No Hands on the Clock (1941), Torpedo Boat (1942), The Girl from Alaska (1942), Hello, Annapolis (1942), I Live on Danger (1942), Hi, Neighbor (1942), Tomorrow We Live (1942), Wrecking Crew (1942), The Traitor Within (1942), High Explosive (1942), Alaska Highway (1943), Minesweeper (1943), The Deerslayer (1943), One Body Too Many (1944), The Navy Way (1944), Lady in the
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288 Longest Beer of the Night,” “With His Pants in His Hands,” “Cab Driver (Drive by Mary’s Place),” “Real True Lovin’“, and “Chapter One.” • Los Angeles Times, June 25, 2005, B19.
Jean Parker
Death House (1944), Detective Kitty O’Day (1944), Oh, What a Night (1944), Dead Man’s Eyes (1944) with Lon Chaney, Jr., Bluebeard (1944) with John Carradine, The Adventures of Kitty O’Day (1945), Rolling Home (1946), The Gunfighter (1950) with Gregory Peck, Toughest Man in Arizona (1952), Those Redheads from Seattle (1953), Black Tuesday (1954), A Lawless Street (1955), The Parson and the Outlaw (1957), and Apache Uprising (1966). She also appeared on television in the 1950s in such series as Starlight Theatre, Pulitzer Prize Playhouse, Suspense, Cowboy G-Men, Stories of the Century, Matinee Theatre, and Private Secretary. Parker worked primarily as an acting coach in the 1960s and 1970s. • Los Angeles Times, Dec. 10, 2005, B19; New York Times, Dec. 13, 2005, C18; Variety, Dec. 19, 2005, 68.
PARSA, NASRAT Afghan pop singer Nasrat Parsa was killed after being attacked and killed by disgruntled fans outside his hotel in Vancouver, Canada, on May 8, 2005. He was 36. Parsa was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, on February 22, 1969. He began singing at an early age, performing songs on Radio Kabul at the age of six. He performed with popular Afghan singer Ahmad Zahir and studied traditional Afghan music. He left Afghanistan for Pakistan during the Soviet occupation in 1981, going to Pakistan, India, and eventually settling in Frankfurt, Germany. He recorded his first album, Laanai-e-Eshq there in 1989. Though his songs were banned by the Taliban government he became one of his country’s most popular artists, recording and performing throughout the world. He had given a concert in Vancouver to promote his tenth album, Dil, the night of his death. He was tracked to his hotel by several fans who were upset that he had played traditional Afghan songs, rather than pop dance tunes. A fight commenced outside the hotel and Parsa was killed in the melee.
PARKS, CARSON Songwriter Carson Parks died of kidney failure at his home in St. Mary’s, Georgia, on June 23, 2005. He was 69. He was born Clarence Carson Parks, II, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on April 26, 1936. He began his career as a singer in the late 1950s as half of the folk-singing duo the Steeltown Trio. He also performed recorded with the groups the Easy Riders, the Southcoasters, the Greenwood Country Singers, Bud Dashiell and the Kinsmen, and Carson and Gaile. He was best known for writing the song, “Somethin’ Stupid,” who was hit recording for Frank Sinatra and his daughter, Nancy. Parks also wrote the songs “Open for Business as Usual,” “The
PARTAIN, PAUL A. Paul A. Partain, who appeared as the wheelchair bound victim of The Texas
Carson Parks
Paul A. Partain (from Texas Chainsaw Massacre)
Nasrat Parsa
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Chain Saw Massacre family in the 1974 horror classic, died of cancer in Austin, Texas, on January 27, 2005. He was 57. Partain was born in Austin on May 3, 1947. He appeared in local stage productions before Tobe Hooper cast him in the role of Franklin Hardesty in the cult horror film. Partain was also seen in the films Lovin’ Molly (1974), Race With the Devil (1975), Rolling Thunder (1977), and Burying Lana (1997). He also appeared in a small role in the 1994 sequel The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
PASCALI, TINO Argentine stage, film and television actor Tino Pascali died of a heart attack in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on May 20, 2005. He was 77. Pascali was born in Bueno Aires on February 21, 1928. He studied drama in Argentina and Italy and performed on stage from the 1950s. He made his film debut in the early 1960s, appearing in the features El Hombre de la Esquina Rosada (1962), Chronicle of a Lonely Child (1965), La Casa de Madame Lulu (1968), El Novicio Rebelde (1968), The Fiaca (1969), Somos Novios (1969), Amor Libre (1969), Long Live Life (1969), Vamos a Sonar Por el Amor (1971), El Picnic de los Campanelli (1972), Las Locuras del Profesor (1979), and Susana Quiere, el Negro Tambien (1987). Pascali was also a familiar face on Argentine television, starring in such series as Un Dia 32 en San Telmo (1980), Daniel y Cecilia (1980), La Tuerca (1982), Hola Papi! (1995), De Corazon (1997), Los Buscas de Siempre (2000), Maridos a Domicilio (2002), and Family Affairs (2003).
Raju Patel
Pinocchio (1996) and The New Adventures of Pinocchio (1999). His recent films include the Indian-American co-production Kaante (2002) and the independent feature 11:13 (2003). • Los Angeles Times, Oct. 12, 2005, B11; Variety, Oct. 17, 2005, 64.
PATRONI GRIFFI , GIUSEPPE Italian screenwriter and director Giuseppe Patroni Griffi died at his home in Rome on December 15, 2005. He was 84. Patroni Griffi was born in Italian on February 27, 1921. He began writing films in the early 1950s, scripting such features as Half of Century of Song (1952), Carnival of Song (1953), The Magliari (1959), Rita (1960), Girl with a Suitcase (1961), The Sea (1962) which he also directed, The Witches (1967), and More Than a Miracle (1967). He also wrote and directed the films Love Circle (1969), Tis Pity She’s a Whore (1971), The Driver’s Seat (1974) starring Elizabeth Taylor, Psychotic (1975), The Divine Nymph (1976), Dead Fright (1986), and La Romana (1988).
Tino Pascali
PATEL , RAJU Film producer and director Raju Patel died of cancer in Los Angeles on October 9, 2005. He was 45. Patel was born in Kenya in 1960, and came to Los Angeles in 1981 to distribute Amin: The Rise and Fall, a docu-drama about Ugandan dictator Idi Amin directed by his father, Sharad Patel. Patel soon developed the screenplay and produced the 1984 comedy film Bachelor Party starring Tom Hanks. He directed the action thriller In the Shadow of Kilimanjaro in 1986. He also produced the 1993 action film Cyborg 2. Patel teamed with Disney to produced the 1994 live action version of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book, and the 1997 sequel The Second Jungle Book: Mowgli & Baloo. He also produced The Adventures of
Giuseppe Patroni Griffi
PATTEN , EDWARD Edward Patten, who sang with Gladys Knight and the Pips, died of complications of a stroke in a Livonia, Michigan, hospital on February 25, 2005. He was 65. Patten was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on August 2, 1939. He began performing with his cousin, Gladys Knight, as a backup singer in 1959. The group became one of Motown’s biggest stars in the mid–1960s, earning four Grammy awards
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Edward Patten
and recording such songs as “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” “You’re the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me,” and “Midnight Train to Georgia.” Gladys Knight and the Pips recorded with Buddah Records from 1973 to 1977, and subsequently signed with CBS until their breakup in 1989. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. Patten was also a founder of Crew Records, often singing backup on the labels recordings. • Los Angeles Times, Feb. 26, 2005, B17; People, Mar. 14, 2005, 151; Times (of London, Mar. 7, 2005, 50; Variety, Mar. 28, 2005, 57.
PATTERSON, JOHN Television director John Patterson died of prostate cancer at his home in Los Angeles on February 7, 2005. He was 64. Patterson was born in Buffalo, New York, on April 4, 1940. He began working in films in the early 1970s, serving as an assistant director on the tele-film The Night That Panicked America (1975) and the film The Last of the Cowboys (1977). During the 1980s and 1990s Patterson helmed numerous episodes of such television series as Eight Is Enough, CHiPs, Project U.F.O., Hart to Hart, Knots Landing, Tenspeed and Brown Shoe, Magnum P.I., Hill Street Blues, Bret Maverick, Fame, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, The Mississippi, Emerald Point N.A.S., Scarecrow and Mrs. King, MacGyver, L.A. Law, Hooperman, Midnight Caller, Gideon Oliver, Law & Order, Profiler, Early Edition, The Practice, Sins of the City, Buddy Faro,
Vengeance Unlimited, The Invisible Man, Providence, Family Law, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Six Feet Under, The Guardian, and Carnivale. Patterson also directed 13 episodes of the HBO crime series The Sopranos, earning two Emmy Award nominations for the popular series. He also directed the films The Spring (1989) and Deadly Innocents (1990), and numerous telefilms during his career including Independence (1987), Deadline: Madrid (1988), A Deadly Silence (1989), Taken Away (1989), A Mother’s Courage: The Mary Thomas Story (1989), She Said No (1990), Sins of the Mother (1991), Marilyn and Me (1991), Grave Secrets: The Legend of Hilltop Drive (1992), Relentless: Mind of a Killer (1993), Darkness Before Dawn (1993), Love, Honor & Obey: The Last Mafia Marriage (1993), Robin Cook’s Harmful Intent (1993), See Jane Run (1995), Cagney & Lacey: The View Through the Glass Ceiling (1995), Never Say Never: The Deidre Hall Story (1995), Seduced by Madness: The Diane Borchardt Story (1996), Her Costly Affair (1996), and Survival on the Mountain (1997). • Los Angeles Times, Feb. 14, 2005, B9; New York Times, Feb. 11, 2005, C14; Variety, Feb. 14, 2005, 54.
PATTERSON, TOM Tom Patterson, the founder of the Stratford Festival of Canada which staged the works of William Shakespeare for its inception in July of 1953, died after a long illness in a Toronto, Canada, hospital on February 23, 2005. He was 84. Patterson was born in Stratford, Ontario, Canada, on June 11, 1920. A magazine journalist, he was instrumental in forming the festival in his home town of Stratford, and persuaded stage director Tyrone Guthrie to be the festival’s first artistic director. The festival evolved into the largest classical repertory theater in North America. • Los Angeles Times, Feb. 25, 2005, B11; New York Times, Feb. 25, 2005, A21; Variety, Mar. 7, 2005, 62.
Tom Patterson
John Patterson
PATTON, JOHN, JR. Singer and actor John Patton, Jr., died of a heart attack at his home in Richmond, California, on April 21, 2005. He was 75. Patton was born in Garland City, Arkansas, on February 18, 1930. He studied music at New York City’s Juilliard School and performed throughout the United States
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and Europe after graduating. He made his singing debut at Carnegie Hall in 1965. During his career Patton sang with the Hall Johnson Choir, the Wings Over Jordan choir, and the Jester Hairston Chorus. Patton also hosted a popular radio program in Los Angeles. He starred as the Preacher, Shug Avery’s father, in Steven Spielberg’s 1985 film The Color Purple. Patton also guest-starred in an episode of Hill Street Blues in 1987.
PAYN, GRAHAM Actor Graham Payn died in England on November 4, 2005. Payn was born in Pietermaritzburg, Natal, South Africa, and was educated there and in England. He was 87. He began his career on stage, appearing in a production of Peter Pan at the London Palladium at the age of 13. He also appeared in numerous musical productions until making an impact in Noel Coward’s postwar musical revue Sigh No More. He became Coward’s close friend and longtime companion, and the playwright wrote roles for him in his musicals Pacific 1860 (1946) and Ace of Clubs (1948). He continued to perform on stage, often playing character parts. He also appeared in several films including Boys in Brown (1949), The Astonished Heart (1949), Jigsaw (1962), and The Italian Job (1969). Payn remained a close companion to Coward until the author’s death in 1973. He subsequently co-wrote the biography Noel Coward and His Friends in 1979. He also co-edited The Noel Coward Diaries, which were published in 1982. • Los Angeles Times, Nov. 18, 2005, B9; New York Times, Nov. 14, 2005, A19; Times (of London), Nov. 8, 2005, 60.
Graham Payn
PECK, STEVEN Actor and dancer Steven Peck died of cancer at his home in Fullerton, California, on October 9, 2005. He was 76. Peck was born on January 2, 1929. He operated a dance studio in Los Angeles from the 1950s through the 1980s and was Tommy Sands’ choreographer for the 1958 film Some Came Running with Shirley MacLaine. He also played a small role in the film. Peck was also seen in the films Bells Are Ringing (1960), Freckles (1960), Two Weeks in Another Town (1962), and The Girl Who Knew Too Much (1969). He also appeared in the tele-film The Judge and Jake Wyler (1972), and episodes of The Lawless Years, Mike Hammer, Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse, The Deputy,
Steven Peck
and The Flying Nun. Peck opened Angelo’s and Vinci’s Ristorante in Fullerton, California, in 1971, which was noted for its pizza. In later years he appeared in Francis Ford Coppala’s The Godfather: Part II and was Sylvester Stallone’s father in the film Rhinestone. • Los Angeles Times, Oct. 20, 2005, B8.
PENNINGTON-RICHARDS, C.M. British cinematographer and director C.M. Pennington Richards died in Bognor Regis, England, on January 2, 2005. He was 93. Pennington-Richards was born in South Norwood, London, England, on December 17, 1911. He was a director of photography in films from the late 1930s, working on such films as Fires Were Started (1943), Out of Chaos (1944), Theirs Is the Glory (1946), The Woman in the Hall (1947), Sin of Esther Waters (1948), All Over the Town (1949), The Hidden Room (1949), Christ in Concrete (1949), The Wooden Horse (1950), White Corridors (1951), the 1951 version of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol (aka Scrooge), Tom Brown’s Schooldays (1951), The Magic Garden (1952), The Frightened Bride (1952), Treasure Hunt (1952), Something Money Can’t Buy (1952), Desperate Moment (1953), Star of India (1953), Always a Bride (1953), Forbidden Cargo (1954), Aunt Clara (1954), 1984 (1956), It’s Never Too Late (1956), Tarzan and the Lost Safari (1957), and The Reluctant Saint (1962). Pennington-Richards also directed a handful of films including The Horse’s Mouth (1953), Black Tide (1957), Hour of Decision (1957), Inn for Trouble (1960), Double Bunk (1961), Dentist on the Job (1961), Mystery Submarine (1963), Ladies Who Do (1963), A Challenge for Robin Hood (1967), and Sky Pirates (1977). He also helmed episodes of such television series The Buccaneers, Ivanhoe, The Invisible Man, Interpol Calling, Zero One, and Danger Man. • Times (of London), Feb. 9, 2005, 66. PERCIVAL, JOHN British television producer John Percival died of lung cancer in England on February 6, 2005. He was 67. Percival was born in England on May 25, 1937. He was a reporter for the British television series Man Alive in the mid–1960s. He subsequently made a series of anthropological documentaries including The Family of Man (1969), Rich Man, Poor Man (1972), and Living in the Past (1977). Percival be-
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John Percival
Marek Perepeczko
came producer of the series Gardener’s World in the 1980s and 1990s. He also produced the series Real Gardens for three seasons in the late 1990s.
(1966), Wolves’ Echoes (1968), Colonel Wolodyjowski (1969), Hunting Flies (1969), The Birch Wood (1970), Motordrama (1971), The Wedding (1973), Janosik (1974), Promotion (1974), Pictures from Life (1975), Darmozjad Polski (1997), Sara (1997), and Pan Tadeusz: The Last Foray in Lithuania (1997). He also starred in the 1975 television series Janosik, and was Komendant Wladyslaw in 1997’s 13 Posterunek.
PERDUE, FRANK Frank Perdue, the president of Perdue Farms, one of the nation’s largest chicken companies, died in Maryland after a brief illness on March 31, 2005. He was 84. Perdue was born in Salisbury, Maryland, on May 9, 1920. He took over the family business, becoming president of Perdue Farms Inc. in 1952. He became nationally known in the late 1960s when he began appearing in television, radio, and print ads advertising the company’s product. Perdue starred in over 200 commercials touting his chickens with such memorable lines as “It takes a tough man to make a tender chicken.” He had largely turned over the leadership of Perdue Farms to his son, Jim Perdue, in 1991, but remained chairman of the board of directors until his death. • Los Angeles Times, Apr. 2, 2005, B15; New York Times, Apr. 2, 2005, A12; People, Apr. 18, 2005, 92; Time, Apr. 11, 2005, 16.
PEREZ, MIGUEL, SR. Puerto Rican wrestling champion Miguel Perez died of a heart attack in the shower of his home in Puerto Rico on July 16, 2005. He was 68. Perez was born in Puerto Rico in 1937 and began his career in professional wrestling in the New York area in mid–1950s. Originally a villain, he soon began wrestling in white trunks and boots as a hero to the ethnic audiences for Capitol Sports, the predecessor of the WWE, in the New York area. He teamed with Italian wrestling star Antonio Rocca in 1957. The duo held the World Tag Team Title and competed against such teams as The Fargo Brothers, the Tolos Brothers, The Fabulous Kangaroos, and many others. The team of Perez and Rocca were undefeated for the next three years. In the early 1960s Perez remained a wrestler with the WWWE, usually competing on the undercard. He teamed with fellow Puerto Rican Victor Rivera for several months in 1968 before leaving the federation. Perez continued to wrestle in Puerto Rico, where he held the WWC Puerto Rican championship
Frank Perdue
PEREPECZKO, MAREK Polish actor Marek Perepeczko died of heart failure in Czestochowa, Poland, on November 17, 2005. He was 63. Perepeczko was born in Warsaw, Poland, on April 3, 1942. He was a leading performer in Polish films and television from the 1960s. He was featured in such films as The Ashes (1965), Alone in the City (1965), And All Will Be Quiet
Miguel Perez, Sr.
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on four occasions between 1974 to 1977. He also briefly reunited with Rocca in 1976, losing their final match together before Rocca’s death the following year. Perez is the father of Miguel Perez, Jr., who competed as one of the Los Boricuas in the WWF in the 1990s.
PERITO, NICK Composer and arranger Nick Perito died of pulmonary fibrosis at the Motion Picture and Television Fund Country House in Woodland Hills, California, on August 3, 2005. He was 81. Perito was born in Denver, Colorado, on April 7, 1924. He was an accomplished musician from an early age and moved to New York City during World War II. Perito served in the Army as a medic and also arranged music for the Army Band. After the war he studied music as Julliard and wrote such songs as “Stay with Me” and “We Are Love.” He began working with Perry Como in 1963, serving as music director and conductor for his many television Christmas specials and recording sessions. Perito scored the 1968 comedy film Don’t Just Stand There. He was also orchestra leader for the variety series The Hollywood Palace from 1969 to 1970, and for The Don Knotts Show in 1970. He also arranged music for specials featuring such stars as Andy Williams, Bing Crosby, Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme. He published a memoir, I Just Happened to Be There: Making Music with the Stars, in 2004. • Los Angeles Times, Aug. 15, 2005, B9; Variety, Aug. 22, 2005, 42.
Forrest Perrin
PESHAK, TED Educational filmmaker Ted Peshak died at his home in Lake Forest, Illinois, on October 9, 2005. He was 87. Peshak was born in Plymouth, Iowa, on December 22, 1917. He served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps during World War II. He began making films for Coronet Educational Films after the war, producing over 300 shorts that were distributed to schools throughout the country. His output included Shy Guy (1947), Are You Popular? (1947), Everyday Courtesy (1948), Friendship Begins at Home (1949), Family Life (1949), Dating: Do’s and Don’ts (1949), Choosing Your Occupation (1949), Are You a Good Citizen? (1949), Act Your Age (1949), The Solar System (1950), How Do You Know It’s Love? (1950), Good Sportsmanship (1950), Earning Money While Going to School (1950), Control Your Emotions (1950), Appreciating Your Parents (1950), What to Do on a Date (1951), Improve Your Personality (1951), How Billy Keeps Clean (1951), Good Table Manners (1951), Going Steady? (1951), High School: Your Challenge (1952), Date Etiquette (1952), Choosing Your Marriage Partners (1952), Clothes and You: Line and Proportion (1954), and Citizenship and You (1959). He subsequently formed his own company, Peshak Films, working with his son, Skip, on numerous industrial and training films for such clients as McDonald’s and the American Health Care Association.
Nick Perito
PERRIN, FORREST Pianist and band leader Forrest Perrin died of pneumonia in a New York City hospital on May 27, 2005. He was 88. Perrin was born in Elberton, Georgia, on May 29, 1916. He began playing the piano at an early age and worked as an accompanist for Rudy Vallee after serving in the Army Air Force during World War II. Perrin performed in Atlanta in the 1950s before moving to New York, where he and his sister, Margaret, performed at nightclubs. They also hosted the ABC Radio program Piano Playhouse in the 1950s. After his sister left New York later in the decade Perrin teamed with his wife, composer and lyricist Lesley Davison, to produce society and fashion events. • New York Times, June 2, 2005, A23.
Ted Peshak
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PETERS, BROCK Actor Brock Peters, who starred as the innocent defendant in the racially charged rape trial in the Oscar-winning 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird, died of pancreatic cancer at his home Los Angeles on August 23, 2005. He was 78. Peters was born George Fisher in New York City on July 2, 1927. He began his film career in 1954’s Carmen Jones as Sergeant Brown, and was featured as Crown in Otto Preminger’s 1959 musical Porg y and Bess with Sidney Poitier and Dorothy Dandridge. He starred as accused rapist Tom Robinson, who was defended by Gregory Peck’s Atticus Finch in the classic film version of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird in 1962. He also appeared in the films The L-Shaped Room (1962), Heavens Above! (1963), The Pawnbroker (1964) with Rod Steiger, Major Dundee (1965), The Incident (1967), Ace High (1968), P.J. (1968), Daring Game (1968), The McMasters (1970), Black Girl (1972), the 1973 science fiction classic Soylent Green with Charlton Heston, Slaughter’s Big Rip-Off (1973), Lost in the Stars (1974), Framed (1975), Two-Minute Warning (1976), Abe Lincoln: Freedom Fighter (1978), and The Million Dollar Dixie Deliverance (1978). Peters starred as Admiral Cartwright in two films in the Star Trek series, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991). He returned to the Star Trek universe as Joseph Sisko, father of Captain Sisko, on several episodes of television’s Star Trek: Deep Space Nine from 1996 to 1998. His other film credits include Alligator II: The Mutation (1991), The Importance of Being Earnest (1992), Ghosts of Mississippi (1996), Two Weeks from Sunday (1997), Park Day (1998), The Last Place on Earth (2002), and No Prom for Cindy (2002). He also appeared in numerous tele-films including Welcome Home, Johnny Bristol (1972), Seventh Avenue (1977), SST: Death Flight (1977), Black Beauty (1978), A Bond of Iron (1979), The Incredible Journey of Doctor Meg Laurel (1979), Roots: The Next Generation (1979) as Ab Decker, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1981) as Jim, Denmark Vessey’s Rebellion (1982), Agatha Christie’s A Caribbean Mystery (1983), Broken Angel (1988), To Heal a Nation (1988), Polly (1989), The Big One: The Great Los Angeles Earthquake (1990), You Must Remember This (1992), Highway Heartbreaker (1992), The Secret (1992), Cosmic Slop (1994), An Element of
Truth (1995), The Baron (1996), The Locket (2002), and 10,000 Black Men Named George (2002). Peters starred as Frank Lewis in the daytime soap opera The Young and the Restless from 1982 to 1989. He also guest starred in episodes of Adventures in Paradise, Sam Benedict, The Great Adventure, The Eleventh Hour, The Nurses, Daniel Boone, Rawhide, The Loner, The Trials of O’Brien, Run for Your Life, Mission: Impossible, Judd for Defense, It Takes a Thief, Felony Squad, The Outcasts, Gunsmoke, Mannix, The Virginian, Longstreet, The Bold Ones: The New Doctors, Night Gallery, O’Hara: U.S. Treasury, The Streets of San Francisco, McCloud, Baretta, Medical Center, Police Story, The Bionic Woman, Quincy, Battlestar Galactica, Faerie Tale Theatre’s production of Puss in Boots, Magnum, P.I., Murder, She Wrote, Cagney & Lacey, The Commish, and The Pretender. His distinctive bass voice also was heard in numerous animated series including Challenge of the GoBots, Gaitar and the Golden Lance, Wildfire, Gravedale High as Boneyard, Captain Planet and the Planeteers, Pirates of Darkwater, Swat Kats: The Radical Squadron, Batman: The Animated Series as Lucius Fox, The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest, Spicy City, Aaahh!!!! Real Monsters, Samurai Jack, Static Shock, and the 2002 animated feature The Wild Thornberrys Movie as Jomo. • Los Angeles Times, Aug. 24, 2005, B8; New York Times, Aug. 24, 2005, C16; Time, Sept. 5, 2005, 27; Times (of London), Aug. 25, 2005, 60; Variety, Aug. 29, 2005, 85.
Brock Peters
Ray Peterson
PETERSON, RAY Singer Ray Peterson died of cancer in Smyrna, Tennessee, on January 25, 2005. He was 65. Peterson was born in Denton, Texas, on April 23, 1939. He began singing professionally in the late 1950s and had a hit with his 1959 recording of “The Wonder of You.” Peterson was best known for the 1960 hit song “Tell Laura I Love Her.” He soon began his own record label, Dunes, and, with producer Phil Spector, recorded a popular version of “Corrina Corrina.” His other songs included “Missing You,” “I Could Have Loved You So Well,” and “Give Us Your Blessing.” Though his popularity diminished during the 1960s, Peterson continued to tour and record for the next forty years. • Los Angeles Times, Jan. 28, 2005, B10; New York Times, Jan. 29, 2005, B7; Times (of London), Jan. 29, 2005, 76.
295 PEYSER, SEYMOUR M. Entertainment lawyer and film executive Seymour M. Peyser died of pneumonia in Sarasota, Florida, on October 14, 2005. He was 90. Peyser was born in New York City on December 29, 1914. He attended Harvard University and the Columbia Law School. Peyser specialized in entertainment and copyright law at the firm of Phillips, Nizer for sixty years. He joined with partners Arthur Krim and Robert Benjamin in taking control of United Artists in 1951. He served as general counsel of United Artists through the early 1960s.
Seymour M. Peyser
PHILIPSEN, PREBEN Danish film producer and distributor Preben Philipsen died in Klampenborg, Denmark, on September 21, 2005. He was 95. Philipsen was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, on January 18, 1910. He founded the Danish film distribution company, Rialto, in 1933, and later created Denmark’s first movie theater chain, which was also called Rialto. He was a producer on numerous films including several Edgar Wallace mysteries from Constantin Film in Germany. His credits include We Want a Child! (1949), Nalen (1951), Call Girls (1957), That Won’t Keep a Sailor Down (1958), Face of the Frog (1959), The Red Circle (1960), The Terrible People (1960), Jetpiloter (1961), Harry and the Butler (1961), Weekend (1962), I, Too, Am Only a Woman (1962), How About Us? (1963), The In-
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dian Scarf (1963), The Sinister Monk (1965), Three Men in Search of a Troll (1967), Creature with the Blue Hand (1967), They Are Not Oranges, They Are Horses (1967), The Liar (1970), Noedebo Vicarage (1974), Skipper & Co. (1974), and The Son from Vingaarden (1975).
PHILLIPS, HELEN Soprano Helen Phillips, who was the first black singer to perform on the Metropolitan Opera stage, died of heart failure in New York City on July 27, 2005. She was 85. Phillips was born on December 8, 1919. She broke the unwritten color barrier at the Met in 1947 when she sang as an extra with the choir. Seven years later Marian Anderson became the first Black to sing a leading role with the Met in Verdi’s A Masked Ball. Phillips continued to perform as a soloist, singing with orchestras in New York, Madrid and St. Louis, where she also performed with the St. Louis opera. She starred as Queen in a production of Show Boat in 1954 at New York’s City Center. She later worked as a vocal coach and teacher. • New York Times, Aug. 12, 2005, A17. PIERCE, DON Country music pioneer Don Pierce died in Hendersonville, Tennessee, on April 3, 2005. He was 89. Pierce was born in Ballard, Washington, on October 10, 1915. He began working as a sales manager with Four Star Records after serving in the military during World War II. He became involved with Starday Records in 1953, rising to become president of the company. He relocated to Nashville in 1957, where he began recording musical acts from old time artists and bluegrass performers. His label also released early recordings by such stars as George Jones, Roger Miller, Dottie West, Willie Nelson and Jimmy Dean. He sold Starday in 1968, and later worked as a real estate developer in Nashville.
Don Pierce
Preben Philipsen
PIERREUX , JACQUELINE French actress Jacqueline Pierreux died in Salins, Seine-et-Marne, France, on March 10, 2005. She was 81. Pierreux was born in Rouen, France, on January 15, 1924. He was a leading star of the French screen from the 1940s appearing in such films as Dawn Devils (1946), The Ideal Couple (1946), One Does Not Die That Way (1946), Six Hours to Lose (1947), Noah’s Ark (1947), Vertiges (1947), Scandazle (1948), Rome-Express (1949), Between Eleven
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and Midnight (1949), L’Amore di Norma (1950), Three Sinners (1950), Malavita (1951), Of Love and Bandits (1951), The Turkey (1951), Are We All Murderers? (1952), Top of the Form (1953), Dangerous Agent (1953), Il Seduttore (1954), After You Duchess (1954), Amour Tango Mandoline (1955), The Infiltrator (1955), O.S.S. 117 Is Not Dead (1956), Mannequins of Paris (1956), Afternoon of the Bulls (1956), Hi Doc (1957), Family Adventure (1958), The Vendetta (1961), Toto, Peppino and La Dolce Vita (1961), Three Penny Opera (1962), The Reunion (1963), Mario Bava’s horror classic Black Sabbath (1963) as Nurse Helen in The Drop of Water segment, and Violette Noziere (1978). She was the mother of French actor Jean-Pierre Leaud.
Jacqueline Pierreux (with director Mario Bava)
PILAVIN, BARBARA Actress Barbara Pilavin died of complications from a stroke at a Los Angeles hospital on January 2, 2005. She was 81. The European-born actress began her film career in the late 1960s and was featured in Vittorio de Sica’s 1970 Oscarwinning Foreign Film The Garden of the Finzi-Continis. Her numerous film credits also include Dirty Weekend (1973), The Sexy Virgin (1973), The Voyage (1974), A Spiral of Mist (1978), Vice Squad (1982), Frightmare (1982), 10 to Midnight (1983), Good-Bye Cruel World (1983), Miami Vendetta (1987), Listen to Me (1989), Homer and Eddie (1989), A Taste of Hemlock (1989), I Don’t Buy Kisses Anymore (1992), A League of Their Own
(1992), Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence (1993), Love Is Like That (1993), Life Among the Cannibals (1996), Sweet Jane (1998), Waking Up Horton (1998), Picking Up the Pieces (2000), and Mockingbird Don’t Sing (2001). She also appeared in the tele-films Magic Carpet (1972), The Choice (1981), Evita Peron (1981), Seduced (1985), Crossings (1986), and Late Last Night (1999), and in episodes of such series as Return of the Saint, Cagney and Lacey, Simon & Simon, Eerie, Indiana, Murder, She Wrote, The Adventures of Brisco County Jr., Red Shoes Diaries, NYPD Blue, Seinfeld, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Charmed, Encore! Encore!, The Division, Dead Last, First Monday, Philly, and Just Shoot Me! • Variety, Jan. 24, 2005, 55.
PILLER, MICHAEL Michael Piller, who was a producer and writer for Star Trek: The Next Generation, died at his home in Los Angeles after a long battle with head and neck cancer on November 1, 2005. He was 57. Piller was born in Portchester, New York, on May 30, 1948. He began working in television in the early 1980s as a writer and producer on such series as Cagney & Lacey, Simon & Simon, Miami Vice, Probe, and Hard Time on Planet Earth. He began writing episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1989, and soon became a staff writer on the program. He also served as executive producer of the show from 1990 to 1994. Piller also produced and wrote the subsequent series in the Star Trek franchise, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine from 1993 to 1995, and Star Trek: Voyager from 1995 to 1996. He also wrote and served as co-producer for the 1998 feature film Star Trek: Insurrection. Piller was creator and producer of the science fiction western series Legend in 1995. He joined with his son, Shawn, to form the production company Piller2 Inc., and created the series The Dead Zone, based on Stephen King’s novel, for the USA Network in 2002. They also created the ABC Family series Wildfire in 2005. • Los Angeles Times, Nov. 3, 2005, B10.
Michael Piller
Barbara Pilavin
PIRKLE, ESTUS W. Estus W. Pirkle, the fireand-brimstone Baptist preacher who appeared in several evangelistic films in the early 1970s, died in Tupelo, Mississippi, on March 3, 2005. He was 74. He was born on March 12, 1930. The Reverend Pirkle teamed
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The Guardian, and in episodes of Seeing Things, Adderly, and Robocop.
Estus W. Pirkle
with exploitation director Ron Ormond to produce films to be shown in Southern churches to show the evils of Communism and encourage the flock to repent and accept Jesus. Pirkle wrote and appeared in the films If Footmen Tire You, What Will Horses Do? (1971), Believers Heaven (1972), and The Burning Hell (1974). A clip from one of Pirkle’s sermons was later included in the punk band Negativland’s 1987 song “Christianity Is Stupid.”
PITTMAN, BARBARA Rock and roll singer Barbara Pittman died in Memphis, Tennessee, on October 29, 2005. She was 67. Pittman was born in Memphis on April 25, 1938. She began singing in the mid– 1950s, and recorded the songs “I Need a Man” and “No Matter Who’s to Blame” for Sun Studios in 1956. Her other songs include “Sentimental Fool,” “Everlasting Love,” “Handsome Man,” and “Two Young Fools in Love.” Pittman briefly dated Elvis Presley in the late 1950s, and toured with such artists as Jerry Lee Lewis and the Righteous Brothers. She also performed as lead singer with the groups Barbara and the Visitors and the Thirteenth Committee in the 1960s. Pittman also sang the them song for the 1966 Vincent Price film Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs.
PITOSCHIA, LOUIS Canadian actor Louis “Big Lou” Pitoschia died in Canada on July 28, 2005. He was 76. Pitoscia was born in Toronto, Canada, on November 11, 1928. He began his career as professional wrestler in the 1940s, competing as an in-ring villain. He made his film debut in as small role in the 1951 comedy My Favorite Spy with Bob Hope and Hedy Lamarr after being invited to Hollywood by fellow wrestler-turned-actor Mike Mazurki. Pitoschia retired from wrestling in the early 1950s and was soon playing gangsters and tough guys in comedy routines with the Canadian comic duo Johnny Wayne and Frank Shuster on CBC television. Pitoschia also appeared in the films Find the Lady (1976), All in Good Taste (1983), Mrs. Soffel (1984), Overdrawn at the Memory Bank (1985), Mr. Nice Guy (1987), Moonstruck (1987), Smokescreen (1988), Baby on Board (1991), The Don’s Analyst (1997), Snow on the Skeleton Key (2003), and Moss (2004). He was also featured in the 1984 tele-film
PLASHKES , OTTO Film producer Otto Plaschkes died of heart failure in London on February 14, 2005. He was 75. Plaschkes was born in Vienna, Austria, on September 13, 1929. He worked as an assistant director on Otto Preminger’s 1960 epic Exodus. He began producing films in the early 1960s with such features as Bungala Boys (1961), Georg y Girl (1966), The Bofors Gun (1968), A Separate Peace (1972), Butley (1976), The Sailor’s Return (1978), Hopscotch (1980),
Louis Pitoschia
Otto Plashkes
Barbara Pittman
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The Holcroft Covenant (1985), and Shadey (1985). He also produced several British Sherlock Holmes films for television in the 1980s including productions of The Hound of the Baskervilles (1983) and The Sign of Four (1983). • Los Angeles Times, Feb. 18, 2005, B12; New York Times, Feb. 17, 2005, C15; Times (of London), Mar. 7, 2005, 51; Variety, Feb. 21, 2005, 41.
POENITZ, KLAUS German actor Klaus Poenitz died at his home in Berlin, Germany, of cardiac failure attributed to acute alcohol syndrome. His body was found several days after his death. He was 65. Poenitz was born in Dresden, Germany, in 1940. He was best known for his role as Commissioner Gunther Sawatzki in the German television series Wolffs Revier from 1993 to 1999. He also appeared in the films The Actress (1988), Der Fall O. (1991), and Trillertrine (1991), television productions of Tandem (1991) and Das Schwein — Eine Deutschke Karriere (1995), and episodes of Ein Fall fur Zwei and Balko.
and served as a consultant for the History Channel’s Civil War Journal. He served as an adviser and military coordinator on several films including Glory (1989), Gettysburg (1993) where he also appeared in the role of Brig. Gen. Alexander S. Webb, the tele-film The Day Lincoln Was Shot (1998), Gods and Generals (2003), and Cold Mountain (2003). • New York Times, July 4, 2005, B6.
POIER, DON Sportscaster Don Poier died of a heart attack in a Denver, Colorado, hotel room on January 21, 2005. He was 53. Poier was born on February 24, 1951. He began his career as a sports announcer on radio and television, and announced Pac10 Conference football and basketball games for over 20 years. He became the voice of the NBA Grizzlies team from their beginning in Vancouver, Canada, in 1995. He remained with the team when they moved to Memphis, Tennessee, in 2001, serving as radio play-byplay announcer. He also announced for television over the past three seasons.
Klaus Poenitz Don Poier
POHANKA, BRIAN
Civil War historian and film adviser Brian C. Pohanka died of cancer at his home in Alexandria, Virginia, on June 15, 2005. He was 50. Pohanka was born in Washington, D.C., on March 20, 1955. He became interested in the Civil War at an early age and was an active Civil War reenactor. He worked as senior researcher, writer and adviser on Time-Life Books 27-volume series on the Civil War,
Brian Pohanka
POIRIER, HENRI French actor Henri Poirier died in France on February 8, 2005. He was 72. Poirier was born in France on March 21, 1932. He was a leading actor on stage, films and television from the early 1950s. His numerous film credits include The Vanquished (1953), Head Against the Wall (1959), The Chasers (1959), Paris Is Ours (1960), Any Number Can Win (1963), Banana Peel (1963), Your Money or Your Life (1966), Order of the Daisy (1967), Pillaged (1967), The Big Wash (1968), The Horse (1970), Solo (1970), The Cop (1970), Don’t Deliver Us from Evil (1970), Dearest Heart (1971), On the Lam (1971), Chut! (1972), Diary of a Suicide (1972), Nothing to Report (1973), A Slightly Pregnant Man (1973), The Down-in-the-Hole Gang (1974), The Nada Gang (1974), Mad Enough to Kill (1975), It Is Raining on Santiago (1976), The French Woman (1977), Le Maestro (1977), La Carapate (1978), The Girl from Lorraine (1981), Is There a Frenchman in the House (1982), Sandy (1983), Saint-Tropez Vice (1987), Poker (1988), and Jean and Mr. Alfred (2000). Poirier also appeared in television productions of Vidocq (1967), Madame Bovary (1974), Oh Archibald (1977), Claudine in Paris (1978), Lethal Exposure (1993),
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Henri Poirier
The Dreyfus Affair (1995), and Jean Moulin (2002). He was also a voice actor in several Asterix animated films, and appeared in an episode of television’s The Ray Bradbury Theater.
POITRENAUD, JACQUES French film director Jacques Poitrenaud died in France on April 5, 2005. He was 82. Poitrenaud was born in Lille, France, on May 22, 1922. He began working in films in the early 1950s as an editor on such movies as Dream Ballerina (1950), Alone in the World (1952), and Paris Is Always Paris (1952). He also worked as an assistant director on the films That Naughty Girl (1956), It Happened in Aden (1956), No Sun in Venice (1957), La Parisienne (1957), Roger Vadim’s Dangerous Liaisons (1959), and Come Dance with Me! (1959). He subsequently began writing and directing films including The Door Slams (1960), Paris Loves (1961), Tales of Paris (1962), Stranger from Hong Kong (1963), Sweet Skin (1963), Trouble Among Widows (1964), A Mouse with the Men (1964), An Ace and Four Queens (1966), The Marriage Came Tumbling Down (1967), and Beggars and Proud Ones (1971). In later years Poitrenaud appeared in small roles as a character actor in such films as A Sunday in the Country (1984), Three Men and a Cradle (1985), ’Round Midnight (1986), Mama, There’s a Man in Your Bed (1989), La Belle Verte (1996), and Chaos (2001).
2005 • Obituaries
POLLOCK, DEE Actor Dee Pollock died in Chico, California, on December 27, 2005. He was 68. Pollock was born in Alhambra, California, on September 24, 1937. He began his acting career as a child, and was seen in such films as The Blue Veil (1951), The Old West (1952), Beware, My Lovely (1952), Park Row (1952), It Grows on Trees (1952), Mister Scoutmaster (1953), the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Carousel (1956) as Enoch Snow, Jr., The Lineup (1958), Take a Giant Step (1959), The Legend of Tom Dooley (1959), and The Plunderers (1960). Pollock also appeared frequently on television often playing roles in western series. He appeared regularly as Billy Urchin in the shortlived series Gunslinger in 1961. His other television credits include episodes of The Adventures of Kit Carson, The Lone Ranger, The Gene Autry Show, Dragnet, Wagon Train, Law of the Plainsman, Johnny Ringo, The Westerner, Wanted: Dead or Alive, The Rebel, Tales of Wells Fargo, Margie, Laramie, Rawhide, Bonanza, The Outer Limits in the acclaimed two-part episode “The Inheritors,” The Fugitive, Twelve O’Clock High, Combat!, Gunsmoke, Perry Mason, The Virginian, Shane, and The Mod Squad. He also appeared in the tele-film The Doomsday Flight (1966). He largely retired from the screen in the early 1970s after appearing in the features Kelly’s Heroes (1970) and Embassy (1972).
Dee Pollock
PONCE, EDGAR Mexican television actor Edgar Ponce died in a Mexico City hospital on May 5, 2005, of injuries he received when the motorcycle he was riding was hit by a car while filming an unauthorized commercial. Ponce was a popular performer in Mexican telenovelas, starring in such productions as Nunca te Olvidare (1999), Mujeres Enganadas (1999), Cuento de Navidad (1999), Alma Rebelde (1999), Atrevete a Olvidarme (2001), Amigas y Rivales (2001), and Salome (2001).
Jacques Poitrenaud
PORTEOUS, PETER British actor Peter Porteous died in Denville Hall, the retirement/nursing home for actors in Northwood, Middlesex, England, on August 12, 2005. He began his career on stage in London in the early 1960s. He made his film debut in Otto Preminger’s St. Joan (1957) with Jean Seburg. Porteous was also seen in the films Man in the Middle (1964),
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300 POTTER, LUCE Diminutive entertainer Luce Potter died in Rancho Mirago, California, on November 21, 2005. She was 90. Potter was born in Chihuahua, Mexico, on December 15, 1914. She was featured as the bizarre globed Martian Intelligence in the 1953 science fiction classic Invaders from Mars. She was also seen in the films The Greatest Show on Earth (1952), Houdini (1953) and The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957).
Edgar Ponce
Psyche ’59 (1964), Traitor’s Gate (1964), The Idol (1966), The Shuttered Room (1967), Joanna (1968), Brannigan (1975), Venom (1982), the 1983 James Bond film Octopussy, Lifeforce (1985), and The Living Daylights (1987). Porteous was also seen on television in episodes of The Avengers, Z Cars, Paul Temple, New Scotland Yard, The New Avengers, and Space: 1999 in the recurring role of Petrov. Luce Potter (as the Martian Intelligence from Invaders)
Peter Porteous
POTTER , JAMES Film editor and postproduction supervisor James Potter died in Calabasas, California, on December 14, 2005. He was 78. Potter was born in Ross, California, on September 15, 1927. He began working in the RKO mailroom while in his teens and was soon working in the art department. He left RKO for Four Star Pictures in 1955, where he was assistant manager of the editorial department. Potter edited the tele-films Sweet, Sweet Rachel (1971) and Twin Detectives (1976), and the films Welcome to Arrow Beach (1974) and The Amazing Dobermans (1976). He headed up Marstar Productions post production department from 1976, where he supervised the films Movie Movie (1978), The Muppet Movie (1979), Raise the Titanic (1980), Hard Country (1981), On Golden Pond (1981), Barbarosa (1982), Sophie’s Choice (1982), The Evil That Men Do (1984), and Where the Boys Are ’84 (1984). He subsequently joined TriStar Pictures as a senior vice-president before retiring.
POUSSE, ANDRE French actor Andre Pousse died in La Garde-Freinet, France, of injuries he received in an automobile accident on September 9, 2005. He was 85. Pousse was born in Paris on October 20, 1919. He appeared in numerous films from the early 1960s including Where Are You From, Johnny? (1964), Let’s Not Get Angry (1966), Idiot in Paris (1967), Sorrel Flower (1968), Leontine (1968), Catherine (1968), Pasha (1968), Hurrah for Adventure! (1969), A Golden Widow (1969), The Sicilian Clan (1969), Too Small My Friend (1970), Countdown (1971), The Black Flag Waves Over the Scow (1971), She No Longer Talks She Shoots (1972), Dirty Money (1972), Some Too Quiet Gentlemen (1973), Deadly Sting (1973), Profession: Adventurers (1973), OK Patron (1974), Kisses Till Monday (19874), Cop Story (1975), From Hong Kong with Love (1975), Let’s Make a Dirty Movie (1976), Forget Me, Mandoline (1976), The Seventh Company Outdoors (1977), The
Andre Pousse
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Sewers of Paradise (1979), Quarter to Two Before Jesus Christ (1982), Like a Fish Out of Water (1999), and Le Plein des Sens (2004). Pousse also appeared often on French television, appearing as M. Robert in the series Paparoff from 1988 to 1991, and as Colonel Mustard in Cluedo in 1993. He also appeared in television productions of The Return of Lemmy Caution (1989), Operation Bugs Bunny (1997), and Frank Riva (2003).
PRACHAR, ILJA Czech character actor Ilja Prachar died in Prague, Czech Republic, on August 10, 2005. He was 81. Prachar was born in Malenovice u Zlina, Czechoslovakia, on April 30, 1924. He appeared in numerous Czech films from the 1950s including Bomba (1957), Kral Sumavy (1959), Fetters (1961), Transport from Paradise (1962), Don’t Take Shelter from the Rain (1962), ...and the Fifth Horseman Is Fear (1964), Golden Queen (1965), Sign of the Virgin (1965), The White Lady (1965), Life on Wheels (1966), Never Strike a Woman ... Even with a Flower (1967), All My Compatriots (1968), The Cremator (1968), Witches’ Hammer (1969), Miss Silver’s Past (1969), Lekce (1971), A Girl Fit to Be Killed (1975), Shadows of a Hot Summer (1977), Shadow of a Flying Bird (1977), The Moravian Land (1977), The Medal (1980), Dobre Svetlo (1986), and The Fortress (1994).
Ilja Prachar
PRATT, CHARLES Film producer Charles A. Pratt, Sr., died of lung cancer at his home in Encino, California, on April 27, 2005. He was 81. Pratt was born in Chicago on October 17, 1923. He worked for Cox Communications and became involved in film production in the early 1970s. Pratt was executive producer on the 1971 horror classic Willard about a disturbed young man who uses rats as his instruments of revenge. He also produced the 1972 sequel, Ben, noted for the title song by Michael Jackson. Pratt produced the 1973 film biography of Tennessee sheriff Buford Pusser, Walking Tall, and the sequels Walking Tall Part II (1975) and Final Chapter: Walking Tall (1977). Pratt’s other film credits include Terror in the Wax Museum (1973), Arnold (1973), W (1974), The Reincarnation of Peter Proud (1975), Mean Dog Blues (1978), and The Great Santini (1979). He also produced the tele-films A Real American Hero (1978) and Confessions of a Mar-
Charles Pratt
ried Man (1983), and the 1983 television series The Hamptons. • Variety, May 9, 2005, 68.
PREISS, BYRON Author and publisher Byron C. Preiss died of injuries he received in an automobile accident in East Hampton, New York, on July 9, 2005. He was 52. Preiss was born in Brooklyn, New York, on April 11, 1953. He was the founder and president of Byron Preiss Visual Publications, and a pioneer in CDROM and electronic books. He was the author of several novels including Dragonworld (1979), The Little Blue Brontosaurs (1983), The Microverse. (1989), and The Vampire State Building (1992). He also edited the acclaimed graphic science fiction and fantasy series Weird Heroes in the 1970s, and edited the anthology series that included The Ultimate Dinosaur (1991), The Ultimate Dracula (1991), The Ultimate Frankenstein (1991), The Ultimate Werewolf (1991), The Ultimate Witch (1993), The Ultimate Zombie (1993), The Ultimate Alien (1995), and The Ultimate Dragon (1995). He also edited several books on fantasy illustration, The Art of Leo and Diane Dillon and The Art of Moebius, and edited the best-seller The Dinosaurs, written by William Service and illustrated by William Stout. Preiss also published works by such celebrity authors as Billy Crystal, Jay Leno, LeAnn Rimes, and Jerry Seinfeld. • New York Times, July 11, 2005, B7.
Byron Preiss
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PRESCOTT, NORMAN Norman Prescott, who was co-founder and executive producer at Filmation Studios, died in Los Angeles on July 2, 2005. He was 78. Prescott was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on January 31, 1927. He began his career in radio there, becoming program director at station WORL in the late 1940s. He went to work for Joseph E. Levine’s Embassy Pictures Corp. in 1959, serving as vice president of music, merchandising and post-production. He and Lou Scheimer formed Filmation in 1965. Prescott produced the 1965 animated film Pinocchio in Outer Space, and was producer for such animated series as The New Adventures of Superman, Fantastic Voyage, The Batman/ Superman Hour, The Archie Show, The Hardy Boys, Will the Real Jerry Lewis Please Sit Down?, Sabrina and the Groovie Goolies, Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, The Brady Kids, Lassie’s Rescue Rangers, My Favorite Martians, The US of Archie, The New Adventures of Gilligan, and The Original Ghostbusters. Prescott produced and directed the 1973 animated film Treasure Island, and produced and wrote 1974’s Journey Back to Oz which featured Liza Minnelli as the voice of Dorothy. Filmation produced the popular Star Trek animated series in 1973, and was a voice performer in the show. They also produced the live-action series Shazam!, Isis, Ark II, and Space Academy. Prescott also was producer for the cartoon series The Secret Lives of Waldo Kitty, Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle, The Space Sentinels, The New Animated Adventures of Flash Gordon, The New Adventures of Mighty Mouse and Heckle and Jeckle, The Tom and Jerry Comedy Show, Blackstar, Sport Billy, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, She-Ra: Princess of Power, and BraveStarr. • Los Angeles Times, July 7, 2005, B10; Variety, July 11, 2005, 46.
Rod Price
PRINS, CHRISTOPHER British costumer Christopher Prins died in London on September 8, 2005. He was 56. Prins was born in Bangalore, India, on May 9, 1949. He began making theatrical costumes in the early 1970s at John Bright’s Cosprop. He produced costumes for such television period dramas as The Pallisers and A Tale of Two Cities. He also was a costumer on numerous films including A Room with a View (1985), Mountain of the Moon (1990), Howards End (1992), The Remains of the Day (1993), Jefferson in Paris (1995), Sense and Sensibility (1995), Mrs. Dalloway (1997), Shadow of the Vampire (2000), and Onegin (1999). PRIWIEZIENCEW, EUGENIUSZ Polish actor Eugeniusz Priwieziencew died in Warsaw, Poland, on July 8, 2005. He was 58. Priwieziencew was born in Gdansk, Poland, on August 17, 1946. He was active in the Polish cinema from the early 1970s, appearing in the films How I Unleashed World War II (1970), Five and Half of Pale Joe (1971), Brunet Will Call (1976), The Shadow Line (1976), Camouflage (1977), Spiral (1978), What Will You Do When You Catch Me? (1978), The Contract (1980), The Constant Factor (1980), Teddy Bear (1981), Imperative (1981), Sophie’s Choice (1982), For Those I Loved (1983), Yalta (1984), American Dreamer (1984), Bluebeard (1984), Power of Evil (1985), Pirates (1986), Train to Hollywood (1987), To Kill a Priest
Norman Prescott
PRICE, ROD Rock guitarist, who was a founding member of the 1970s rock band Foghat, died of injuries he suffered from falling down the stairs of his home in Wilton, New Hampshire, on March 22, 2005. He was 57. Price was born in London on November 22, 1947. Price performed with the popular group on the hit songs “Fool for the City” and “Slow Ride.” Foghat guitarist and lead singer Lonesome Dave Peverett died of cancer in February of 2000. • Los Angeles Times, Mar. 29, 2005, B9; Times (of London), Apr. 12, 2005, 57.
Eugeniusz Priwieziencew
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(1988), Wherever You Are... (1988), Sequence of Feelings (1992), The Touch (1992), Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List (1993), Colonel Kwiatkowski (1995), At Full Gallop (1996), Happy New Year (1997), The Dark Side of Venus (1998), With Fire and Sword (1999), Amok (1999), Quo Vadis? (2001), and Insatiability (2003). Priwieziencew also wrote and directed the 1998 film Prostytutki.
PROVENDIE, ZINA Actress and drama coach Zina Provendie died of complications from pneumonia in Tarzana, California, on May 15, 2005. She was 91. Provendie was born in Norwich, Connecticut, in 1913. She began her career on the New York stage in the early 1930s and appeared in several hundred stage productions over the next two decades. She was head drama coach for Metro Goldwyn Mayer from 1957 to 1966. She was also seen in episodes of several television series including The Ford Television Theatre, The Real McCoys, Studio 57, Richard Diamond, Private Detective, Gunsmoke, and Kraft Television Theater, and 77 Sunset Strip. She also had small roles in the films The Badlanders (1958) and All the Fine Young Cannibals (1960). PRYOR , RICHARD Comedian Richard Pryor, whose groundbreaking comedy routines shocked and entertained audiences from the 1960s, died of a heart attack in a Los Angeles hospital on December 10, 2005. He was 65. He had been suffering from multiple sclerosis for many years. Pryor was born in Peoria, Illinois, on December 1, 1940. He began performing professionally after high school and two years’ service in the U.S. Army. He performed in small clubs throughout the country and was appearing regularly on television by the mid–1960s. He was noted for the vulgar language used in his comedy routines, which was shocking by the standards of the time. He gueststarred in such variety series as On Broadway Tonight, Toast of the Town, Away We Go, The Kraft Summer Music Hall, and The Tonight Show. He made his film debut in a small role in the 1967 comedy The Busy Body. He was also featured in the films Wild in the Streets (1968), The Phynx (1970), Lady Sings the Blues (1972) as Piano Man opposite Diana Ross, Dynamite Chicken (1972), The Mack (1973), Hit! (1973), Some Call It Loving (1973), Wattstax (1973), Uptown Saturday Night (1974), Adios Amigo (1976), Car Wash (1976), and The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings (1976). He was also seen in the tele-films The Young Lawyers (1969) and Carter’s Army (1970). He also appeared on television’s The Flip Wilson Show, The Mod Squad, Wild Wild West, and The Partridge Family, and write for the series Sanford and Son and The Flip Wilson Show. He wrote and performed with Lily Tomlin in the 1973 television special Lily, and starred in his own series, The Richard Pryor Show, in 1977. He also co-hosted the Academy Awards in 1977. He appeared in the first of several films with comic actor Gene Wilder, Silver Streak, in 1976. The two also teamed up for Stir Crazy (1980), See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989), and Another You (1991). Pryor’s other film credits include Which Way Is Up? (1977), Greased Lightning (1977), Blue Collar (1978), the 1978 film version of the musical The
Richard Pryor
Wiz as the Wiz, California Suite (1978), The Muppet Movie (1979), Wholly Moses! (1980), In God We Tru$t (1980), Bustin’ Loose (1981), Some Kind of Hero (1982), The Toy (1982), Superman III (1983) with Christopher Reeve, Brewster’s Millions (1985), Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (1986) which he also produced, directed and wrote, Critical Condition (1987), Moving (1988), Harlem Nights (1989), The Three Muscatels (1991), Mad Dog Time (1996), and Lost Highway (1997). Pryor had problems with drug and alcohol addiction throughout his career, and nearly died when he caught fire while freebasing cocaine at his home in 1980. Pryor later incorporated the near tragedy into his comedy routines. He continued to perform during the 1990s after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and he earned an Emmy nomination as best guest actor in a drama series for his role as a bitter multiple sclerosis patient in an episode of Chicago Hope in 1995. He was also featured in episodes of Martin, Malcolm & Eddie, and The Norm Show. • Los Angeles Times, Dec. 11, 2005, A1; New York Times, Dec. 11, 2005, 61; People, Dec. 26, 2005, 66; Times (of London), Dec. 12, 2005, 51; Time, Dec. 19, 2005, 35; Variety, Dec. 19, 2005, 68.
PULFORD, ERIC British poster artist Eric Pulford died in England on July 30, 2005. He was 89. Pulford was born in Leeds, England,on August 8, 1915. He trained as an artist and began drawing film posters in the early 1940s, creating artwork for such titles as
Eric Pulford
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Gaslight (1940), The Blue Bird (1940), and The Thief of Baghdad (1940). He began working with Rank Organization in 1943, designing for Downtons Advertising. Over the next 50 years Pulford designed over 1,000 movie posters for such films as Henry V (1944), Odd Man Out (1947), Oliver Twist (1948), and many of the Carry On films in the 1960s. He earned an international poster award for his design for the 1973 Disney film Island at the Top of the World. Pulford’s final design was for the 1987 film The Last Emperor. • Times (of London), Sept. 12, 2005, 59.
PULLEN, EMMA Filmmaker and journalist Emma Pullen died of breast cancer in a Raleigh, North Carolina, hospital on July 20, 2005. She was 52. Pullen was born in Warren County, North Carolina, on May 25, 1953. She worked as a reporter for the Washington Post and The Times in Los Angeles. She subsequently embarked on a mission to document the history and culture of African Americans. Pullen wrote the teleplay And the Children Shall Lead about racism in the South. It was aired on the PBS Wonderworks series in 1985. She was a producer for the 1997 documentary Colors Straight Up that earned an Academy Award nomination. She also produced the short documentary Marching Into the Millennium.
Emma Pullen
PURI, AMRISH Indian character actor Amrish Puri, who was best known in the United States for his role as the bald high priest Mola Ram in 1984’s Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, died of a brain hemorrhage he received in a fall in Mumbai, India, hospital on January 12, 2005. He was 72. Puri was born in India on June 22, 1932. His older brother was a leading film character actor, Madan Puri. Amrish Puri began his film career in the 1971 film Reshma and Shera. Often playing villainous roles, he was seen in over 200 Indian films over the next three decades. His numerous credits include Silence! The Court Is in Session (1971), Forest (1973), Night’s End (1975), The Churning (1976), The Role (1977), Sage from the Sea (1978), Beloved Enemy (1979), The Machine Age (1980), Depth (1980), Cry of the Wounded (1980), Destiny (1981), We Five (1981), Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi (1982), Conquest (1982), Johnny I Love You (1982), Ashanti
Amrish Puri (from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom)
(1982), Hero (1983), Half Truth (1983), The Torch (1984), Love (1985), Anguish (1985), The Sultanate (1986), Ricky (1986), Mr. India (1987) as the evil Mr. Mogambo, Dance Dance (1987), Criminal (1989), The Law of the Jungle (1991), Bad People (1991), Seventh Horse of the Sun’s Chariot (1993), Gundaraj (1995), The Big-Hearted Will Win the Bride (1995), Reality (1995), Conquest (1996), China Gate (1998), Love Stories (2000), Censor (2001), Mutiny: A Love Story (2001), Cherished Memories (2001), My Heart Became a Stranger (2003), Taarzan: The Wonder Car (2004), and Hulchul (2004). • Los Angeles Times, Jan. 14, 2005, B9; Time, Jan. 24, 2005, 21; Times (of London), Jan. 17, 2005, 51; Variety, Jan. 17, 2005, 45.
PURPURA, CHARLIE Screenwriter Charlie Purpura died of natural causes in Massapequa, New York, on March 20, 2005. He was 59. Purpura was born in Brooklyn, New York, on September 14, 1945. He was a rock musician with the band The Front Porch in the 1960s before becoming a film writer. He scripted the 1985 film about students at a Catholic high school, and earned a Director’s Guild of America Award for writing the 1985 tele-film The Day the Senior Class Got Married. He also scripted the 1988 film Satisfaction, which featured Julia Roberts in an early role as a rock band member. Purpura also taught screenwriting at New York University. • Variety, Mar. 28, 2005, 56.
Charlie Purpura
305 QUESADA , MENCHU Argentine actress Menchu Quesada died in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on November 26, 2005. She was 91. Quesada was born in Buenos Aires in 1914. She was seen often in films and television from the 1950s, appearing in such features as Los Problemas de Papa (1954), Los de los Mesa 10 (1960), Reencuentro con la Gloria (1962), La Muchachada de a Bordo (1967), El Caradura y la Millonaria (1971), El Picnic de los Campanelli (1972), My Fiancee the Transvestite (1975), La Mama de la Novia (1978), Unlikely Roommates (1980), Los Fierecillos se Divierten (1983), and Camarero Nocturno en Mar del Plata (1986). She was also featured in such television series as Mi Nombre es Larass (1983), Mi Nombre es Coraje (1988), Friends Will Be Friends (1989), Gino (1996), and Como pan Caliente (1996).
Menchu Quesada
QUINNELL , A.J.
Philip Nicholson, who wrote novels under the pen name A.J. Quinnell, died at his home in Gozo, Malta, on July 10, 2005. He was 65. He was born in Nuneaton, England, on June 25, 1940. He was best known for his 1980 novel, Man on Fire, about the Mafia kidnapping of a young girl and her bodyguard’s attempt to rescue her. The novel was filmed in 1987 with Scott Glenn as Creasy, the bodyguard, and Jade Malle as the young girl. It was remade in 2004 by director Tony Scott, with Denzel Washing-
A.J. Quinnell
2005 • Obituaries
ton and Dakota Fanning. Quinnell’s other novels include the thrillers Snap Shot (1982) and Message from Hell (1996). • Times (of London), Aug. 20, 2005, 67.
QUIRK, DANIEL “SPIDER” Professional wrestler Daniel Quirk, who competed on the independent circuit as Spider, died in an accident during the match in Taunton, Massachusetts, on May 28, 2005. He was 22. Quirk attempted to catch his wrestling opponent from a dive over the top rope. He was knocked off his feet and slammed his head into the floor. He was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead due to extensive head injuries. Quirk was born on July 19, 1982. He had been a leading competitor with the Ultimate Championship Wrestling promotion.
Daniel “Spider” Quirk
RAINEY, FORD Veteran character actor Ford Rainey died in a Los Angeles hospital of complications from a series of strokes on July 25, 2005. He was 96. Rainey was born in Mountain Home, Idaho, on August 8, 1908. He studied drama from high school and worked at numerous odd jobs while trying to begin his career. He performed on stage in Connecticut in the 1930s and made his Broadway debut in a production of Dostoevsky’s Possessed in 1939. He also starred in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night in 1941 and toured with King Lear. Rainey served in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II. After the war he appeared in the 1957 Broadway play The Wanhope Building, and was a founder of The Ojai Valley Players. He made his film debut in a small role in James Cagney’s 1949 crime thriller White Heat. He continued to appear in such features as Perfect Strangers (1950), The Robe (1953), The Human Jungle (1954), 3:10 to Yuma (1957), The Badlanders (1958), The Last Mile (1959), and John Paul Jones (1959). Rainey also returned to Broadway in 1956 to appear in Long Day’s Journey Into Night. He also appeared frequently on television from the early 1950s, guest-starring in episodes of Cowboy G-Men, Ramar of the Jungle, Hallmark Hall of Fame, Studio One, Danger, Kraft Television Theatre, Robert Montgomery Presents, Goodyear Television Playhouse, Frontiers of Faith, The Tall Man, Bonanza, Rawhide, The Brothers Brannagan, Dr. Kildare, The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor,
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Ford Rainey
Checkmate, Gunsmoke, Stoney Burke, Perry Mason, The Untouchables, The Nurses, Daniel Boone, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea in the recurring role of President McNeil, The Outer Limits, Mr. Novak, Profiles in Courage, Lassie, The Virginian, Slattery’s People, Lost in Space, The Long, Hot Summer, Dr. Kildare, The Wackiest Ship in the Army, The Big Valley, Get Smart, The Fugitive, Wild Wild West, The Time Tunnel, Insight, The Iron Horse, The F.B.I., The Invaders, Cimarron Strip, The Guns of Will Sonnett, Run for Your Life, Mannix, Dundee and the Culhane, Daniel Boone, Judd for the Defense, Mary Tyler Moore, The Mod Squad, The Bold Ones: The Lawyers, The Young Lawyers, The Immortal, Alias Smith and Jones, Storefront Lawyers, Night Gallery, The Rookies, Kung Fu, Cannon, Barnaby Jones, Mannix, Doc Elliot, The Rockford Files, Petrocelli, Little House on the Prairie, The Streets of San Francisco, Sara, Baa Baa Black Sheep, The Waltons, How the West Was Won, Charlie’s Angels, M*A*S*H, St. Elsewhere, Remington Steele, Newhart, Falcon Crest, Matlock, Moonlighting, Wiseguy, China Beach, Picket Fences, and ER. Rainey starred as Lloyd Ramsey in the television comedy series Window on Main Street from 1961 to 1962, and was a regular performer in the anthology drama series The Richard Boone Show from 1963 to 1964. He was also seen as Dr. Barnett in the action series Search in 1972, and was James Barrett in the drama series The Manhunter from 1974. to 1975. Rainey starred as Jim Elgin, step-father to Lindsay Wagner in The Bionic Woman from 1976 to 1977. He was also seen in the daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives as Frank Evans from 1977 to 1978. He also appeared as Nate in the comedy series Ned and Stacey from 1995 to 1997, and was Mickey in the sit-com The King of Queens from 1999 to 2003. Rainey was also seen in the films Flaming Star (1960), Dead to the World (1961), Parrish (1961), Two Rode Together (1961), Ada (1961), Claudelle Inglish (1961), 40 Pounds of Trouble (1962), Kings of the Sun (1963), Gunpoint (1966), Johnny Tiger (1966), The Sand Pebbles (1966), The Gypsy Moths (1969), The Traveling Executioner (1970), The Naked Zoo (1971), The Andromeda Strain (1971), My Old Man’s Place (1971), Cotter (1973), Sixteen (1973), The Parallax View (1974), Guardian of the Wilderness (1976) as Abraham Lincoln, Halloween II (1981), The Cellar (1990), Bed & Breakfast (1992), The Politics of Desire
(1998), Coyote Moon (1999), and Purgatory Flats (2002). He was also seen in the tele-films D.A.: Murder One (1969), My Sweet Charlie (1970), The Andersonville Trial (1970), A Howling in the Wind (1971), Linda (1973), Key West (1973), The Stranger Who Looks Like Me (1974), The Story of Pretty Boy Floyd (1974), Strange New World (1975), Babe (1975), The New Daughters of Joshua Cabe (1976), The Last of Mrs. Lincoln (1976), Captains and the Kings (1976) as Abraham Lincoln, Our Town (1977), A Family Upside Down (1978), Backstairs at the White House (1979), Friendly Fire (1979), Strangers: The Story of a Mother and Daughter (1979), Gideon’s Trumpet (1980), Life of the Party: The Story of Beatrice (1982), Who Is Julia? (1986), J. Edgar Hoover (1987), Amerika (1987), There Was a Little Boy (1993), and Marshal Law (1996). He was married to former actress Sheila Hayden from the mid–1950s until his death. • Los Angeles Times, July 26, 2005, B10; Times (of London), Aug. 26, 2005, 74; Variety, Aug. 1, 2005, 32.
RAINIER III, PRINCE
OF
MONACO
Prince Rainier III, the ruling monarch of the tiny European principality of Monaco whose marriage to film star Grace Kelly in 1956 was dubbed the “Wedding of the Century,” died of heart, kidney and breathing problems in a Monaco hospital on April 6, 2005. He was 81. He was born Rainier Louis Henri Maxrence Bertran on May 31, 1923, the son of Prince Pierre, Comte de Polignac and Louise-Juliette, the illegitimate daughter of Prince Louis II of Monaco. He was groomed to succeed his grandfather to the throne from an early age, as the principality was required to be governed by a male Grimaldi heir or would otherwise be absorbed by France. Rainier was educated in Great Britain, Switzerland and France. He joined the Free French Army during World War II as Lieutenant Grimaldi, and served with distinction in the Alsatian campaign. Rainier, who succeeded to the throne after the death of his grandfather on May 4, 1949, was forced to abandon a romantic involvement with French actress Gisele Pascal when it was learned that she was infertile and could not provide Monaco with an heir. He first met Grace Kelly, a favorite of director Alfred Hitchcock and the leading lady of such films as High Noon (1952), Dial M for
Rainier III, Price of Monaco (with Princess Grace Kelly)
307 Murder (1954), Rear Window (1954), To Catch a Thief (1955), and High Society (1956), in Cannes in 1955. The two were married on April 19, 1956, following a whirlwind courtship. Their first child, Princess Caroline, was born the following year. A son, Prince Albert, and another daughter, Princess Stephanie, soon followed. Rainier was instrumental in reviving Monaco’s failing economy, with the financial assistance of Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis. The international publicity following the prince’s union with the Hollywood film star also rekindled Monaco’s reputation as a destination for the jet set, providing an influx of revenue for the state-run casino in Monte Carlo. The storybook romance ended on September 14, 1982, when Princess Grace was killed in an automobile accident. The country’s economy suffered during the decade with income from tourism and gambling declined, though the prince attempted to diversity Monaco’s economic base. The various romantic entanglements of the Grimaldi children also became the fodder for tabloid headlines. As Rainier health continued to fade in recent years, his son and heir, Prince Albert, took on more responsibilities and succeeded his father to the throne upon his death. • Los Angeles Times, Apr. 6, 2005, A6; New York Times, Apr. 7, 2005, B11; People, Apr. 25, 2005, 85; Time, Apr. 18, 2005, 26; Times (of London), Apr. 7, 2005, 58.
RAITT, JOHN Broadway musical star John Raitt died of complications from pneumonia at his home in Pacific Palisades, California, on February 20, 2005. He was 88. Raitt was born in Santa Ana, California, on January 10, 1917. He made his professional debut as a singer in 1940 in a production of HMS Pinafore at the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera. He also performed in productions of The Barber of Seville and Carmen. He was briefly under contract with MGM and appeared in small roles in several films in the early 1940s including Little Nellie Kelly (1940), Flight Command (1940), Billy the Kid (1941), H.M. Pulham, Esq. (1941), Joe Smith, American (1942), and Ship Ahoy (1942). He was cast by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, II, for the role of Curly in the road company production of Oklahoma! in 1944. The following year he starred on Broadway as Billy Bigelow in the hit
2005 • Obituaries
musical Carousel. He also starred in productions of Magdalena, Three Wishes for Jamie, and Carnival in Flanders. He reprised his Broadway role as Sid Sorokin in The Pajama Game in the 1957 film version starring Doris Day. He also starred in a 1957 television production of Annie Get Your Gun. Raitt also performed on television in episodes of Pulitzer Prize Playhouse, The Web, The Motorola Television Hour, Shirley Temple’s Storybook, General Electric Theater, Death Valley Days, and The Bell Telephone Hour. He toured in summer stock musicals from 1959 until 1984, starring in productions of Annie Get Your Gun, Destry Rides Again, Kismet, Man of La Mancha, and Oklahoma! He also toured with the one man show An Evening with John Raitt, and occasionally performed with his daughter, blues and rock singer Bonnie Raitt. He was also seen on television in episodes of 3rd Rock from the Sun, The X Files, and Dead Man’s Gun. • Los Angeles Times, Feb. 21, 2005, B9; New York Times, Feb. 21, 2005, A17; People, Mar. 7, 2005, 103; Time, Mar. 7, 2005, 27;Times (of London), Apr. 5, 2005, 54; Variety, Feb. 28, 2005, 53.
RAJ, ANJU GILL Indian actress Anju Gill Raj committed suicide in India by setting herself on fire with kerosene. She died of her burns the following day on October 8, 2005. She was 30. Raj was reportedly upset over an alleged affair involving her husband, producer Damodaran Mudaliar. Raj began her screen career in the action feature Zakmi Dil. She was also seen in the adult film Jungle Beauty.
Anju Gill Raj
John Raitt
RAND, TED Children’s book illustrator Ted Rand died of cancer at his home on Mercer Island, Washington, on March 12, 2005. He was 89. Rand was born on December 26, 1915. He began his career as a portrait artist and advertising illustrator. He joined with children’s book writer Bill Martin, Jr., to illustrate the 1985 story The Ghost-Eye Tree. He soon began collaborating with his wife, Gloria Rand, writing and illustrating the children’s books Salty Dog (1989), Willie Takes a Hike (1996), Fighting for the Forest (1999), Sailing Home: A Story of a Childhood at Sea (2001), Mary Was a Little Lamb (2004), and 2005’s A Pen Pal for Max. Other recent works include the 2004 illustrations of haiku poems by Jack Prelutsky, If Not for the Cat. • New York Times, Mar. 18, 2005, B8.
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Ted Rand
Ron Randell
RANDELL, RON Leading actor Ron Randell died of complications from a stroke in Mar Vista, Alabama, on June 11, 2005. He was 86. Randell was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, on October 8, 1918. He began his career on radio in Australia, and was soon appearing in theatrical productions. He appeared in several wartime propaganda films including 100,000 Cobbers (1942) before being cast as Australian aviation pioneer Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith in the 1946 film Smithy (aka Pacific Adventure). His performance led to a contract in Hollywood, where he appeared in such films as A Son Is Born (1946), It Had to Be You (1947), The Sign of the Ram (1948), The Mating of Millie (1948), The Loves of Carmen (1948), Make Believe Ballroom (1949), and Omoo Omoo the Shark God (1949). Randell was cast by Monogram in two films in the popular Bulldog Drummond detective series —Bulldog Drummond at Bay (1947) and Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back (1947). He also starred as Michael Lanyard in 1949’s The Lone Wolf and His Lady. Randell continued to appear in such films as Tyrant of the Sea (1950), Counterspy Meets Scotland Yard (1950), Lorna Doone (1951), China Corsair (1951), The Brigand (1952), Captive Women (1952), The Triangle (1953), The Girl on the Pier (1953), The Mississippi Gambler (1953), Kiss Me Kate (1953) as Cole Porter, One Just Man (1954), Three Cornered Fate (1955), The Hostage (1955), Final Column (1955), Count of Twelve (1955), I Am a Camera (1955), Desert Sands (1955), Quincannon — Frontier Scout (1956), Bermuda Affair (1956), The She Creature (1956), Beyond Mombasa (1956), Morning Call (1957), The Girl in Black Stockings (1957), The Story of Esther Costello (1957), Davy (1957), Most Dangerous Man Alive (1961), King of Kings (1961), The Phony American (1961), The Longest Day (1962), and Follow the Boys (1962). He made several films in Europe in the 1960s including Gold for the Caesars (1963), Legend of the Gunfighter (1964), and Savage Pampas (1966). After returning to the United States he was featured in To Chase a Million (1967), Whity (1971), The Seven Minutes (1971), and Exposed (1983) with Nastassja Kinski. Randell hosted the television drama series The Vise from 1954 to 1955, and was Capt. Frank Hawthorn in the spy series O.S.S. in 1957. He also starred as Richard Cushing in the comedy series Lovers and Friends in 1977. His numerous
television credits also include episodes of Kraft Television Theatre, My Little Margie, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Presents, Cavalcade of America, Crusader, The 20th Century–Fox Hour, Code 3, Gunsmoke, Adventures in Paradise, One Step Beyond, The Millionaire, Overland Trail, Checkmate, Espionage, Perry Mason, The Outer Limits, The Farmer’s Daughter, Bewitched, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Bonanza, Rawhide, Wild Wild West, Man in a Suitcase, Mission: Impossible, The Mod Squad, Mannix, The Rovers, The Long Arm, Delta, The Protectors, and The F.B.I. He was largely inactive on television and films from the 1970s, but continue to perform on stage through the 1990s, appearing in theatrical productions of Sherlock Holmes, No Man’s Land, The World of Susie Wong, and Bent. He was married to German actress Laya Raki, his co-star in Savage Pampas, from 1957 until his death. • Los Angeles Times, June 18, 2005, B18.
RANFT, JOE Pixar animator Joe Ranft was killed in an automobile accident when the car he was a passenger in veered off the road in Mendocino County, California, and plunged 130 feet into the ocean. He was 45. Ranft was born in Pasadena, California, on March 13, 1960. He studied animation at the California Institute of the Arts and began working as a story artist at Walt Disney Studios in 1980. At Disney he worked on the animated films Oliver & Company (1988), Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988), The Rescuers Down Under (1990), Beauty and the Beast
Joe Ranft
309 (1991), The Lion King (1994), and Fantasia 2000 (2000). He was also co-writer and supervising animator for The Brave Little Toaster (1987) as well as supplying the voice for Elmo St. Peters. He also worked as a title designer on the 1991 film Drop Dead Fred, and was a storyboard supervisor on Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) and James and the Giant Peach (1996). Ranft moved to Pixar to work as story supervisor on John Lasseter’s Toy Story in 1995, sharing an Academy Award nomination for best original screenplay. He also worked on the films Toy Story 2 (1999), Monsters, Inc. (2001), and Cars (2005). Ranft voiced Heimlich the Bavarian caterpillar for the 1998 film A Bug’s Life, and was the voice of Wheeezy the Penguin for Toy Story 2 (1999) and Streetsquash Rabbit for Monkeybone (2001). He also performed voices for Monsters, Inc. (2001), Finding Nemo (2003), and The Incredibles (2004). He also served as an executive producer on Tim Burton’s The Corpse Bride (2005). • Los Angeles Times, Aug. 18, 2005, B11; New York Times, Aug. 19, 2005, C13; Time, Aug. 29, 2005, 21; Times (of London), Sept. 16, 2005, 74; Variety, Aug. 22, 2005, 43.
RANGEELA Pakistani comic actor Rangeela died of renal failure after a long illness in Lahore, Pakistan, on May 23, 2005. He was 68. He was born Saeed Khan in Peshawar in 1936. He took the name Rangeela, which means “a colorful character” when he began appearing in films in the early 1960s. He starred in several hundred Urdu and Punjabi-language films during his career including Gehra Daagh (1964), Diya Aur Toofan (1969), Rangeela (1970), Dil Aur Duniya (1971), Friendship (1971), Kubra Ashiq (1973), Do Tasweerain (1974), Aurat Raj (1979), International Guerillas (1990), and Hero (1992). He also produced, directed, and scripted some of his films before kidney problems forced his retirement in the early 1990s.
2005 • Obituaries
Alfredo Rastelli
Rastelli’s clown act and also became a talented musician, playing two trumpets and the drums simultaneously. He also appeared on several British television shows including It’s a Knockout. He was also noted for performing in the clown act, Chocolate and Company, co-starring with the black Brazilian acrobat nicknamed Negrito. • Times (of London), May 18, 2005, 62.
RATTO, GIANNI Italian actor and stage designer Gianni Ratto, who was a leading figure in Brazilian theater, died of cancer in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on December 30, 2005. He was 89. Ratto was born in Milan, Italy, on August 27, 1916. He was a founder of the Piccolo Theater of Milan before coming to Brazil in the early 1950s. He was instrumental in the stage of numerous productions in Brazil over the fifty years. Ratto was also seen in several films including Society em BabyDoll (1965), O Pica-Pau Amarelo (1973), Um Homem Celebre (1974), Sabado (1995), and Por Tras do Pano (1999), and was Nono in the 1984 television mini-series Anarquistas Gracas a Deus.
Gianni Ratto Rangeela
RASTELLI, ALFREDO Circus performer Alfredo Rastelli died on May 1, 2005. He was 81. Rastelli was born to a circus family in Paris on December 2, 1923. He joined with his family in a clown act while as a child. He continued to perform as part of the
RAVENSCROFT, THURL Singer and actor Thurl Ravenscroft, who was best known as the voice of Kellogg’s cereal mascot Tony the Tiger, died of prostate cancer in Santa Ana, California, on May 22, 2005. He was 91. Ravenscroft was born in Norfolk, Nebraska, on February 6, 1914. He moved to California in 1933 and soon began performing on the radio.
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Thurl Ravenscroft (with Tony the Tiger)
Don Ray
He joined the Paul Taylor Choristers, singing backup to Bing Crosby on The Kraft Music Hall. The group later became known as the Sportsmen Quartette. He performed with the quartet in several films in the early 1940s including Puddin’ Head (1941) and Lost Canyon (1942). Ravenscroft served in the military during World War II and resumed his career after the war. He soon became involved with another singing group, The Mellomen, performing with them on radio, television and in films. He was a singer and voice performer in numerous Disney films including Cinderella (1950), Alice in Wonderland (1951), Peter Pan (1953), Lady and the Tramp (1955), Sleeping Beauty (1959), One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961), The Sword and the Stone (1963), Mary Poppins (1964), The Man from Button Willow (1965), and The Aristocats (1970). He also performed in other films including The Glenn Miller Story (1953), Rose Marie (1954), South Pacific (1958), The Music Man (1962), and It Happened at the World’s Fair (1963). He also appeared on television in episodes of Wagon Train, General Electric Theater, and The Beverly Hillbillies. Ravenscroft became the voice of Tony the Tiger in 1952, roaring “Grrrrrrreeeat!” to promote Kellogg’s cereal products. He was also involved in numerous Disneyland projects from the mid–1950s, narrating such attractions as “Adventure Through Inner Space,” “Submarine Voyage,” “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “The Haunted Mansion,” and “The Enchanted Tiki Room.” He also provided the singing voice of the Grinch in Dr. Seuss and Chuck Jones’ animated production of How the Grinch Stole Christmas on television in 1966. He also performed in the Dr. Seuss projects Horton Hears a Who (1970) and The Cat and the Hat (1971). Ravenscroft was also the voice of a Goblin in the 1977 animated version of J.R.R. Tolkein’s The Hobbit and was the voice of Kirby in the films The Brave Little Toaster (1987), The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars (1998), and The Brave Little Toaster to the Rescue (1999). • Los Angeles Times, May 25, 2005, B14; New York Times, May 25, 2005, C18; People, June 6, 2005, 97; Time, June 6, 2005, 25.
Santa Monica, California, on June 7, 1926. He attended the University of California in Los Angeles, where he studied music. He began working for CBS television in 1956, and served as staff conductor for the network from 1959 to 1963. He was involved in the music composition for such series as General Electric Theater, Playhouse 90, Twilight Zone, and Rawhide. He earned an Emmy Award nomination for his work on the series Hawaii Five-O. Ray left CBS in 1986. He also frequently served as a guest conductor and numerous orchestras in the Los Angeles area. • Los Angeles Times, Apr. 22, 2005, B8.
RAY, DON
Television composer and conductor Don Ray died of an infection in a Los Angeles hospital on April 16, 2005. He was 78. Ray was born in
RAYSON, BENJAMIN Stage and film actor Benjamin Rayson died on June 11, 2005. Rayson was featured in Broadway productions of the musicals A Little Night Music (1973) and Happy End (1977). He also appeared in several films including Woody Allen’s Stardust Memories (1980), Lovesick (1983), Unfaithfully Yours (1984), and The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985). He was featured as Charlemagne in the television production of Pippin: His Life and Times in 1981, and had a small role in the 1985 mini-series Kane & Abel.
Benjamin Rayson (from the Broadway musical Happy End)
RECORD, EUGENE Singer Eugene Record, who performed with the singing group the Chi-Lites in the 1970s, died of cancer on July 22, 2005. Record was born on December 23, 1940. He was a founding
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Eugene Record
Katharine Clark Reilly
member of a doo-wop group, the Chaunteurs, in 1958. The group changed their name to the Hi-Lites in 1960, and became the Chi-Lites in 1964. They scored a R&B hit with the song “Give It Away” in 1968. They had numerous hits in the early 1970s, many written by Record, with such songs as “(For God’s Sake) Give More Power to the People,” “Oh Girl,” “A Letter to Myself,” “Have You Seen Her?,” and “There Will Never Be Any Peace (Until God Is Seated at the Conference Table).” Record left the Chi-Lites in 1976 and recorded three solo albums. He returned to the group in 1980, performing on the hit singles “Hot on a Thing (Called Love)” and “Bottom’s Up.” Record shared a Grammy Award with Beyonce Knowles for the 2003 song “Crazy in Love,” which included a sample of his horn fanfare from the Chi-Lites song “Are You My Woman? (Tell Me So).” Record continued to perform with various incarnations of the Chi-Lites, and appeared with the group in the 2002 documentary film Only the Strong Survive. • Los Angeles Times, July 25, 2005, B9; New York Times, July 23, 2005, B20.
she managed and taught actors, and produced theatrical productions. She moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, in the 1990s, where she formed the Emily Company, named for poet Emily Dickinson. She produced many productions and starred as Dickinson in the onewoman play The Belle of Amherst. Reilly also appeared in the 1999 tele-film Anya’s Bell, and was featured in an episode of Everwood in 2003.
REED, FINETTE Actress Finette Reed, the widow of actor Alan Reed, died in Los Angeles on October 15, 2005. She was 96. She was born Finette Walker on June 10, 1909. She appeared on stage in the early 1930s and was featured in the original Broadway production of Anything Goes in 1934. She subsequently married actor Alan Reed, and moved with him to Beverly Hills in 1943. She and Reed had three sons before his death in 1977.
REINECKE, HANS -PETER German actor Hans-Peter Reinecke died in Berlin, Germany, after a long illness on November 20, 2005. He was 64. He was born in Magdeburg, Germany, on May 16, 1941, the son of playwright Horst Reinecke and actress Charlotte Reinecke. He was a leading stage performer in Berlin and was also featured in such films as The White Doe (1960), Christine (1963), Traces of Stones (1966), Hammer or Anvil (1972), Jacob the Liar (1975), Tambari (1977), and Taubenjule (1983). Reinecke also appeared frequently on German television in such productions as Brennende Ruhr (1967), Gevatter Tod (1980), Mensch, Oma! (1984), Jorinde und Joringel (1986), Kikolaikirche (1995), and Der Kapitan — Den Tod im Nacken (1997).
REICH, WILLIAM G. Film producer William G. Reich died of heart disease in Williams Island, Florida, on June 12, 2005. He was 91. Reich was born in Budapest, Hungary, on May 21, 1914. He worked in films and was producer of the 1975 Italian horror film The Night Child (aka The Cursed Medallion). REILLY, KATHARINE CLARK Actress Katharine Clark Reilly died of ovarian cancer in Bend, Oregon, on October 24, 2005. She was 54. Reilly was born in Kansas City, Missouri, on December 9, 1950. She began her career on stage in New York, and was also featured in such soap operas as The Guiding Light and Another World. She spent time in Los Angeles, where
Hans-Peter Reinecke
REKHA Leading Indian actress Rekha was killed when the Jeep she was riding in while working on a film in Visakhapatnam, India, overturned on August 7, 2005. She and the driver were killed and sev-
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Rekha
Rauha Rentola
eral members of the crew were injured. Rekha was born Bhanurekha Ganesan, the daughter of actors Gemini Ganesan and Pushpavalli, in Madras, India, on October 10, 1954. She was plump and unmemorable in her first screen roles in the early 1970s, but soon underwent a startling metamorphosis that transformed her into one of India’s loveliest screen icons. Her numerous films include Sawan Bhadon (1970), Elaan (1971), Ek Bechara (1972), The Ungrateful (1973), Lust (1974), Zorro (1975), The Holy Year (1975), Two Unknown (1976), Blood Sweat (1977), Large-Hearted (1977), The Sworn Promises (1978), The Heart and the Wall (1978), Home (1978), Moqabla (1979), Beloved Enemy (1979), Victim of Love (1979), and Sign of Marriage (1979). She often co-starred with leading actor Amitabh Bachchan onscreen and also romantically linked with him offscreen. She remained a leading star in the 1980s, appearing in Ram and Belram (1980), Beautiful (1980), The Machine Age (1980), Agreement (1980), The Tinkling of Anklets (1981), Shield Against the Evil Eye (1981), Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1981), The Affair (1981), Conquest (1982), My Beloved (1982), The Festival (1984), Baazi (1984), Distances (1985), The Net (1986), Locket (1986), Guest (1987), Clerk (1989), Daughter-in-Law (1989), Aye Auto (1990), Time Machine (1992), Madam X (1994), Players of the Game (1996), Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love (1996), Aastha in the Prison of Spring (1997), The Fort (1998), Mother (1999), Censor (2001), Save Me from My Wife (2001), The Shame (2001), My Heart Is Yours (2002), Ghost House (2003), I Found Someone (2003), and Parineeta (2005). She was appearing in the film Vajrala Veta at the time of her death.
RENZI, EVA German actress Eva Renzi died of cancer in Berlin on August 16, 2005. She was 60. Renzi was born Evelyn Renziehausen in Berlin on November 3, 1944. She began her career on the Berlin stage and was featured in numerous films from the 1960s. Her film credits include Playgirl (1966), Funeral in Berlin (1966) with Michael Caine, The Big Softie (1967), A Woman Needs Loving (1968), My Bed Is Not for Sleeping (1968), The Pink Jungle (1968), Taste of Excitement (1969), Dario Argento’s horror classic The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970), The Night of the Assassins (1970), Bite Me, Darling (1970), Death Occurred Last Night (1970), The Prodigal Daughter (1981), and Manuel (1986). She starred as Toni Hayden in the 1971 television adventure series Primus. She also appeared often on German television, appeared as Jenny in Papa Poule from 1980 to 1982 and as Edith von Meerungen in Das Erbe der Guldenburgs from 1989 to 1990.
RENTOLA, RAUHA Finnish character actress Rauha Rentola died in Helsinki, Finland, on July 20, 2005. She was 86. Rentola was born in Kuhmoinen, Finland, on February 4, 1919. She performed on stage and in Finnish films from the 1930s. Her numerous film credits include Dynamite Girl (1944), Countess for a Night (1945), The Ways of Sin (1946), Light Melody (1946), The Sixth Commandment (1947), Devastation (1947), Tree Without Fruit (1947), Princess Ruusunen (1949), Hallin Janne (1950), Kolmiapila (1953), Paksunahka (1958), Oksat pis... (1961), Me (1861), Turkasen Tenava! (1963), and Liian iso Keikka (1986).
Eva Renzi
REUTER, WALTER German photographer Walter Reuter died of renal failure in Cuernavaca, Mexico, on March 20, 2005. He was 99. Reuter was born in Berlin in 1905, and worked as a photographer in the 1930s. He fled Germany during the Nazi regime and settled in Mexico in 1942. Reuter produced, directed and photographed several documentary films in the 1950s including Toreros Mexicanos (1952), Tierra de Esperanza (1952), El Hombre de la Isla (1952), Guerra al
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Walter Reuter
Rick Rhodes
Paludismo (1952), Corazon de la Ciudad (1952), La Brecha (1952), El Botas (1952), and Historia de un Rio (1954). He was also cinematographer for the films Roots (1955), Fury of the Jungle (1959), Little Giants (1960), The Time and the Touch (1962), and La Guera Xochitl (1971).
and The Tonight Show. Rhodes often worked with his wife, Vivian, producing the songs “Let’s Be Lovers Again” and “Fasten Your Seat Belts.” He also served as a music supervisor on several films including True Lies, Mars Attacks, The Mighty Ducks, and Freddy Got Fingered. • Variety, Nov. 28, 2005, 73.
REZAYEE, SHAIMA Shaima Rezayee, who had been a host on the Afghan music television channel Tolo TV until conservative Islamic clerics forced her removal in March of 2005, was shot to death at her home in the Char Gala District of Kabul, Afghanistan, on May 18, 2005. She was 24. Rezayee was the only female host of the music program Hop and her western style of dress angered fundamentalist critics including the chief justice of the Afghan Supreme Court. It was believed that her murder was related to her role on the show and two members of her family were arrested in connection with the slaying.
RICE, JOHN E. John E. Rice, a 2'10" actor who was listed with his brother Greg in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s shortest living twins, died suddenly at a West Palm Beach, Florida, hospital on November 5, 2005. He was 53. Rice was born on December 3, 1951. The twins were prominent real estate developers whose successes led to motivation speaking engagements with their company, Think Big Inc. They soon began working on television appearing in the program That Quiz Show and co-starring in the 1981 short-lived television sit-com Foul Play as Beau and Ben. They were also seen in Jerry Lewis’s 1980 film Hardly Working. The brothers starred in numerous television commercials for the Hulett Environmental Service television station. • Los Angeles Times, Nov. 24, 2005, B10.
Shaima Rezayee
RHODES, RICK Emmy Award–winning television composer Rick Rhodes died of brain cancer in Oak Park, California, on November 2, 2005. He was 54. Rhodes was born on July 28, 1951. He toured with his band Wonder before he began working in television. Rhodes earned six Emmy Awards for his work on the soap operas Santa Barbara, The Guiding Light, and Another World. He also composed for such series as Friends, Malcolm in the Middle, Saturday Night Live,
John E. Rice
RICHARD, SALLY ANN Actress Sally Ann Richard died of lung cancer in Austin, Texas, on August 9, 2005. She was 58. Richard was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1947. She appeared in several episodes of I Dream of Jeannie in the late 1960s, and was
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Sally Ann Richard
Lucy Richardson
featured in an episode of The Courtship of Eddie’s Father. She also appeared in the 1970 tele-film The Movie Murderer.
tures as Castaway (1986), The Princess Bride (1987), The Sheltering Sky (1990), King Ralph (1991), and Blame It on the Bellboy (1992). She worked for George Lucas as an art director for his 1992 television series The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. She was also production manager for the horror anthology series The Hunger in 1997. Richardson served as art director for the films Splitting Heirs (1993), The Browning Version (1994), The Secret of Roan Irish (1994), Restoration (1995), The Saint (1997), Elizabeth (1998), The Golden Bowl (2000), Chocolat (2000), Spider (2002), The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2004), and Ella Enchanted (2004). She again worked for Lucas in the art department for the 1999 feature Star Wars: Episode 1—The Phantom Menace.
RICHARDS, STAN British television actor Stan Richards died of complications from emphysema in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England, on February 11, 2005. He was 74. Richards was born in Barnsley on December 8, 1930. He was best known for his role as Seth Armstrong in the Yorkshire Television soap opera Emmerdale. He appeared in the series for over 25 years, joining the soap in 1978. Richards also had a small part in the 1979 film Agatha, and guest starred in episodes of Coronation Street and All Creatures Great and Small. • Times (of London), Feb. 15, 2005, 53.
RICKARDS, JOCELYN Stage and film costume designer Jocelyn Rickards died in London on July 7, 2005. She was 80. Rickards was born in Australia on July 29, 1924. She came to London in 1949, where she soon began a three year relationship with famed philosopher A.J. Ayer. After her relationship with Ayer ended, she had a lengthy affair with author Graham Greene. She also began dabbling in costume design. She assisted Roger Furse on his designs for the 1956 film The Prince and the Showgirl starring Laurence Olivier and Marilyn Monroe. She was costume designer for the film versions of John Osborne’s plays Look Back in Anger (1958) and The Entertainer (1960), also becomStan Richards
RICHARDSON, LUCY Lucy Richardson, a film art director who was reportedly the inspiration for The Beatles’ hit song “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” died of breast cancer in Weybridge, Surrey, England, on June 1, 2005. She was 47. Though several years older than John Lennon’s son, Julian, she was the subject of a drawing by the four year old. The picture inspired Lennon to write the lyrics to the 1967 hit. Though the song was widely believed to have been an anthem to the psychedelic drug LSD, Lennon refuted the rumors in an interview in 1975. Richardson went on to work in films as an art director. She began her career in the mid–1980s, working in the art department on such fea-
Jocelyn Richards
315 ing romantically involved with the playwright. Rickards also designed costumes for the films From Russia with Love (1863), Rattle of a Simple Man (1964), The Knack ... and How to Get It (1965), Morgan: A Suitable Case for Treatment (1966) which earned her an Academy Award nomination, Mademoiselle (1966), Michelangelo Antonioni’s Blow-Up (1966), The Sailor from Gibraltar (1967), Wonderwall (1968), Interlude (1968), The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom (1968), and Laughter in the Dark (1969). She became involved with director Clive Donner while working on his film Alfred the Great in 1968. She worked on the films David Lean’s Ryan’s Daughter (1970), and Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971) before retiring after marrying Donner in 1972. Rickards wrote her autobiography, The Painted Banquet in 1987. • Los Angeles Times, Aug 27, 2005, B16; Times (of London), July 30, 2005, 72.
RILLA, WOLF British film and television director and writer Wolf Rilla died in England on October 19, 2005. He was 85. Rilla was born in Berlin, Germany, on March 16, 1920, the son of actor Walter Rilla. He came to England with his family when Hitler came to power in the 1930s. He began working for the BBC in 1942, and remained there for a decade. In the early 1950s he began directing such films as Glad Tidings (1952) which he also wrote, Noose for a Lady (1953), Roadhouse Girl (1953), The Long Rope (1953), The End of the Road (1954), The Blue Peter (1954), The Black Rider (1954), Stock Car (1955), Pacific Destiny (1956), Strange Affection (aka The Scamp) (1957) which he also scripted, Bachelor of Hearts (1958), Witness in the Dark (1959), Piccadilly Third Stop (1960), and The Angry Young Men (1960). He was best known as the writer and director of Village of the Damned, the 1960 screen adaptation of John Wyndham’s science fiction classic The Midwich Cuckoos. He also directed 1961’s Watch It, Sailor!, and wrote and directed The World Ten Times Over in 1963. Rilla also helmed the films Cairo (1963), Pax? (1968), Secrets of a Door-to-Door Salesman (aka Naughty Wives) (1973), and Bedtime with Rosie (1975). Rilla also directed episodes of The Scarlet Pimpernel and Zero One, and wrote the film Money-Go-Round (1967) and episodes of Paul Temple. Rilla also wrote several novels including The Dispensable Man, Greek
Wolf Rilla
2005 • Obituaries
Chorus, The Chinese Consortium, and Movie. He also wrote the filmwriting text, A–Z of Movie Making in 1970. • Times (of London), Dec. 3, 2005, 76.
RINGLE, JILLINE Actress and singer Jilline Ringle died of cancer in a New Jersey hospital on February 28, 2005. She was 40. Ringle was born on June 8, 1964. She was a popular performer on the Philadelphia stage, appearing in productions of Merrily We Roll Along, Godspell, and Vaudeville for the Holidays as Mae West. She also created and starred in the cabaret stage show Mondo Mangia, and musical autobiographical memoir that included her cooking a dish of pasta onstage and sharing the meal with the audience. She also starred in the one-woman show La Dolce Vita: Movie Songs of the 1960s.
Jilline Ringle
RITTMANN, TRUDE Dancer and musical arranger Trude Rittmann died of respiratory failure in a Lexington, Massachusetts, hospital on February 22, 2005. She was 96. She born Gertrud Rittmann in Mannheim, Germany, in 1908. She came to the United States in the late 1930s where she worked as a pianist with George Balanchine’s American Ballet Caravan. She served as musical director of the troupe through the early 1940s. She then began working with choreographer Agnes DeMille and served as dance arranger for her Broadway musical One Touch of Venus in 1943. She
Trude Rittmann
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remained a dance and music arranger on Broadway for the next three decades where she was involved in the production of over fifty musicals including South Pacific, Carousel, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, Gigi, Camelot, My Fair Lady, and Brigadoon. She was also ballet arranger for the 1956 film version of The King and I, and was music arranger for the 1963 television production of Peter Pan and the 1967 film Camelot. • New York Times, Mar. 10, 2005, A25.
ROA BASTOS, AUGUSTO Paraguayan novelist Augusto Roa Bastos died on April 26, 2005, of complications from surgery after suffering a fall at his home in Asuncion, Paraguay, the previous week. He was 87. Roa Bastos was born in Iture, Paraguay, on June 13, 1917. A former journalist, he was best known for his historical novel I the Supreme, about 19th Century Paraguayan dictator Jose Gaspar Rodriguez de Francia. Roa Bastos also wrote the short story collection Son of Man (1960), and the novel El Baldio (1966). Several of his works were adapted for films including Thunder Among the Leaves (1956), Put Up or Shut Up (1958), Shunko (1960), La Sed (1961), Alias Big Shot (1961), The Terrorist (1962), Demon in the Blood (1964), La Boda (1964), Punishment to the Traitor (1966), Soluna (1969), and La Madre Maria (1974). Roa Bastos had lived in exile for over forty years before returning to Paraguay in the mid–1990s. • Times (of London), May 9, 2005, 50.
Julie Robbins
ROBERTS, ANTHONY “KAL” Actor and photographer Anthony Kalani “Kal” Roberts died of prostate cancer in Phoenix, Arizona, on March 21, 2005. He was 65. Roberts was born on July 14, 1939. He worked as an actor in the 1960s, appearing in the 1965 horror film Monster from the Surf (aka The Beach Girls and the Monster). He began working as a photographer in the early 1970s and earned the 1974 Pulitzer Prize for spot news photography for his pictures of an attempted abduction of a woman in a Hollywood parking lot that ended in the assailant’s death. He continued to work as a free-lance news photographer, and was a still photographer for film and television productions. He moved to Nashville in the 1980s, where he served as a photographer for numerous country music stars. Roberts also appeared in small roles in the tele-films The Last Days of Frank and Jesse James (1986) and Stagecoach (1986) with Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash.
Augusto Roa Bastos
ROBBINS, JULIE Adult film actress Julie Robbins died of injuries she received in an accident when her car ran off the road in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and smashed into a utility pole. She was trapped in the burning vehicle. She was 26. Robbins was born Brandy Dayle Koonts in Charlotte, North Carolina, on September 17, 1979. Robbins had worked as an exotic dancer and model, and adult film actress for the past several years. She appeared in numerous films including Pandora’s Box (2002), Ten Little Piggies 2 (2003), Public Enemy #1 (2003), The Naked Truth (2003), Love Bullets (2003), Incredible Gulp (2003), Be Gentle It’s My First Time (2003), Angelique (2003), Trinity and Friends (2004), Jackie and Jill (2004), Emotions (2004), Blond and Blonder (2004), Blonde Factory (2005), and Silver Label (2005).
Anthony “Kal” Roberts
ROBERTS, ROCKY Rocky Roberts, a former boxer turned singer in Italy, died of lung cancer in Rome on January 14, 2005. He was 63. Roberts was born Charlie Roberts in Miami, Florida, on August 23, 1941. He was a professional boxer in the 1950s and early 1960s until an injury ended his ring career. He subsequently went to Italy where he had a major hit song with Stasera Mi Butto (aka I Will Try Tonight) in 1967. He also starred in a film of the same title later in the
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Aires Querido (1962), Chronicle of a Lonely Child (1965), To Hell with This Priest! (1967), The ABC of Love (1967), El Derecho a la Felididad (1968), La Vida Continua (1969), Um Caipira em Bariloche (1973), Count to Ten (1985), The Official Story (1985), and Juego Limpio (1996). Robledo was married to actor Pedro Aleandro from 1932 until his death in 1985. She is survived by their children, actresses Norma Aleandro and Maria Vaner.
Rocky Roberts
year. Roberts was also seen in the films The Wild, Wild World of Jayne Mansfield (1968) and Mattino (1968). He continued to record and perform in Italy over the next four decades, but never achieved his earlier success. • Los Angeles Times, Jan. 16, 2005, B15.
ROBINSON, RUTHI Ruth E. Poe, who, as Ruthi Robinson, performed as a child actress in the late 1950s and early 1960s, died suddenly in Hemet, California, on November 15, 2005. She was 55. She was born in Portland, Maine, in 1950. She appeared in several films including The True Story of Jesse James (1957), Gidget (1959), Tall Story (1960), Backstreet (1961), and The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm (1962) as Little Red Riding Hood. She was also seen on television in episodes of Tombstone Territory, Jane Wyman Presents the Fireside Theatre, Shirley Temple’s Storybook, and Ben Casey. ROBLEDO, MARIA LUISA Argentine actress Maria Luisa Robledo died of a heart attack in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on October 26, 2005. She was 93. Robledo was born in Madrid, Spain, on September 28, 1912. She was a popular performer in films from the 1940s, appearing in Los Hijos del Otro (1947), Ragged Football (1948), Maria de los Angeles (1948), Mi Noche Triste (1951), Isla Brava (1958), Rosaura at 10 O’Clock (1958), I Was Born in Buenos Aires (1959), Mi Buenos
Maria Luisa Robledo (left, with daughter Norma Aleandro)
ROCHBERG, GEORGE American composer George Rochberg died of complications from surgery in a Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania on May 29, 2005. He was 86. Rochberg was born in Paterson, New Jersey on July 5, 1918. He was considered one of the leading exponents of atonality in music during his early career, producing such works as his Symphony No. 2. He abandoned modernistic compositions for more traditional works in the mid–1960s. During his career he wrote six symphonies, seven string quartets, numerous chamber works, and the opera The Confidence Man. Rochberg served as chairman of the music department at the University of Pennsylvania in the 1950s and 1960s and continued to teach there until 1983. His memoir, The Aesthetics of Survival: A Composer’s View of 20th Century Music, was published in 1984. • Los Angeles Times, June 1, 2005, B10; New York Times, June 1, 2005, B9.
George Rochberg
ROCKET, CHARLES Comedian Charles Rocket, who was best known as the Weekend Update anchor of television’s Saturday Night Live who was fired after saying the “F” word on air in 1981, committed suicide by slicing his throat in the backyard of his home in Connecticut on October 7, 2005. He was 56. He was born Charles Claverie in Bangor, Maine, on August 24, 1949. He attended the Rhode Island School of Design and formed his own band, the Fabulous Motels. He also worked as a newscaster in Colorado Springs and Nashville under the name Charles Kennedy before joining the cast of Saturday Night Live in 1980. After his firing Rocket continued his career in films and television. He was featured in the films Fraternity Vacation (1985), Miracles (1986), Down Twisted (1987), Earth Girls Are Easy (1988), How I Got Into College (1989), Honeymoon Academy (1990), Dances with Wolves
Obituaries • 2005
318 His film credits include Incident (1949), Sideshow (1950), A Modern Marriage (1950), Sierra Passage (1951), Navy Bound (1951), I Was an American Spy (1951), Sea Tiger (1952), Torpedo Alley (1953), The Tall Texan (1953), Racing Blood (1954), Outlaw’s Daughter (1954), Hidden Guns (1956), Raiders of Old California (1957), Sabu and the Magic Ring (1957), Johnny Rocco (1958), A Lust to Kill (1959), Angel Baby (1961), When the Girls Take Over (1962), Fluffy (1965), and The Night Visitor (1971). Roeca also wrote often for television, scripting episodes of Annie Oakley, The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, 26 Men, Rawhide, The Alaskans, Daniel Boone, Lancer, Wide Country, Twelve O’Clock High, Mission: Impossible, The Outer Limits, Hawaii Five-O, The Magician, Nichols, and Land of the Lost.
Charles Rocket
(1990) as Lt. Elgin, Delirious (1991), Hocus Pocus (1993), Short Cuts (1993), Brain Smasher ... A Love Story (1993), Charlie’s Ghost Story (1994), Wagons’ East (1994), It’s Pat (1994), Dumb & Dumber (1994), Steal Big Steal Little (1995), Tom and Huck (1995) as Judge Thatcher, The Killing Grounds (1997), Murder at 1600 (1997), Fathers’ Day (1997), Dry Martini (1998), Carlo’s Wake (1999), Tex, the Passive-Aggressive Gunslinger (2000), the animated Titan A.E. (2000) as a voice actor, New Suit (2002), Bleach (2002), and Shade (2003). Rocket also appeared in the tele-films The Outlaws (1984), The Steel Collar Man (1985), and California Girls (1985), and was featured in the recurring role of Richard Addison in Moonlighting from 1986 to 1989. He was featured Grossberg in the science fiction series Max Headroom in 1987, and starred as Victor Beaudine in the 1988 comedy series Murphy’s Law. He was featured as Captain Midian Knight in the 1992 series Tequila and Bonetti, and was Stitch in the futuristic mini-series Wild Palms in 1993. He was also seen in the series Flying Blind as Dennis Lake in 1993, and was Judge Gil Fitzpatrick in The Home Court in 1995. Rocket was also featured as Danny in the short-lived series Normal, Ohio in 2000. His numerous television credits also include guest roles in episodes of Hawaiian Heat, Remington Steele, Hardcastle and McCormick, Miami Vice, thirtysomething, Doctor Doctor, Murder, She Wrote, Quantum Leap, Parker Lewis Can’t Lose, Wings, Touched by an Angel in the recurring role of Adam, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Picket Fences, The Pretender, Jenny, Grace Under Fire, Cybill, Tracey Takes On..., Star Trek: Voyager, The X Files, 3rd Rock from the Sun, and Law and Order: Criminal Intent. Rocket was also a voice actor for such animated series as The Adventures of Hyperman, Batman: Gotham Knights, Men in Black: The Series, Superman, Batman Beyond, The Zeta Project, Steel Angel Kurumi, and Static Shock. • Los Angeles Times, Oct. 18, 2005, B8; New York Times, Oct. 20, 2005; People, Oct. 31, 2005, 107; Variety, Oct. 24, 2005, 40.
ROECA, SAMUEL Film and television writer Samuel Roeca died in Placerville, California, on June 17, 2005. He was 85. Roeca began writing for films in the late 1940s, scripting numerous B-films and westerns.
ROFFI, CARLOS Argentine actor Carlos Roffi died in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on December 31, 2005. He was 62. Roffi was born in Buenos Aires on August 1, 1943. He appeared in many films from the 1960s including Mosaico (1970), The People in Buenos Aires (1974), Days in June (1985), Poor Butterfly (1986), Love Is a Fat Woman (1987), Secret Wedding (1989), The Act in Question (1994), Eva Peron (1996), Buenos Aires Vice Versa (1996), La Cruz (1997), The Impostor (1997), Wind with the Gone (1998), Burning Money (2000), A Night with Sabrina Love (2000), Animal (2001), Manhunt (2002), Valentin (2002), and A Less Bad World (2004). Roffi also appeared on television in such productions as Champions of Life (1999), Four Friends (2001), Brigade 099 (2002), Tombers (2002), Family Affairs (2003), Hostage TV (2004), and The Roldans (2004).
Carlos Roffi
ROGERS, TOM Advertising copywriter Tom Rogers, who created the Starkist mascot Charlie the Tuna in 1961, died at his son’s home in Charlottesville, Virginia, when he drowned while swimming alone in the backyard pool on June 24, 2005. He was 87. Rogers was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on April 29, 1918. He went to Hollywood in the late 1930s where he worked as a script doctor on films. He moved to New York in the 1940s where he wrote for radio and scripted comedy sketches for comedians. He began working for a Minneapolis advertising agency in 1953, and joined
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the Leo Burnett Co. in Chicago in 1960. The following year he created the Charlie the Tuna mascot. Charlie, who wore a beret and sunglasses, tried to convince Starkist he was of their quality, but his attempts ended with the voice-over “Sorry, Charlie. Starkist wants tuna that tastes good, not tuna with good taste.” Actor Herschel Bernardi supplied the hipster voice to Charlie. Rogers also worked on various ad campaigns designed by others that featured the Keebler Elves and Morris the Cat. He retired from the Burnett Agency in 1980.
ROLFE , ALAN Veteran British actor Alan Rolfe died in England on December 29, 2005, of complications from injuries he suffered in a fall. He was 97. Rolfe was born in London on April 5, 1908. A stage actor, Rolfe performed with the Entertainments National Service Association to entertain the troops during World War II. He appeared in a handful of films during his career including Glory at Sea (1952), Norman Conquest (1953), Three Stops to Murder (1953), The Harassed Hero (1954), Pursuit of the Graf Spee (1958), Gideon of Scotland Yard (1958), Inn for Trouble (1960), and Michael Powell’s Peeping Tom (1960). He also appeared on television in episodes of O.S.S., Dial 999, The Third Man, Dixon of Dock Green, Jacks and Knaves, Suspense, Z Cars, The Avengers, Call the Gun Expert, and Detective.
2005 • Obituaries
ROMANO, TONY Musician Tony Romano, who played guitar in bands for Bob Hope and Frances Langford, died of heart failure in a Santa Ana, California, rest home on March 5, 2005. He was 89. Romano was born in Madera, California, on September 26, 1915. He began his career as a singer, performing on Al Pearce’s radio program Your Hit Parade in the 1930s. He also appeared in small roles in several films including A Woman Rebels (1936) and Garden of the Moon (1938). He joined Bob Hope’s musical group, which also included comedian Jerry Colonna and actress Frances Langford, in the early 1940s. He remained involved with Hope as a musician and music arranger for the next four decades, often touring with him at military facilities throughout the world. Romano was featured in several more films including The Man I Love (1947), South of St. Louis (1949), Purple Heart Diary (1951), and Robbers’ Roost (1955). He also sang with the Tommy Dorsey Band, and performed in a Cole Porter show on Broadway. He was musical director of the television variety show The Frances Langford–Don Ameche Show in the early 1950s, and guest starred in several television series including The Gale Storm Show, Maverick, Lawman, and 77 Sunset Strip.
Tony Romano (left, with Bob Hope)
ROMERO PEREIRO, BERNARDO Columbian television director and writer Bernardo Romero Pereiro died of a respiratory disease in Bogota, Columbia, on August 4, 2005. He was 61. Romero worked on numerous television productions in Columbia from the late 1970s including El Cuento del Domingo (1980), La Potra Zaina (1993), Momposina (1995), Mirada de Mujer (1997), Las Juanas (1997), Hilos Invisibles (1998),
Alan Rolfe Bernardo Romero Pereiro
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Tentaciones (1998), Amores (2001), Las Juanas (2004), and Lorena (2005).
ROSE, LETITIA Dancer Letitia “Tish” Rose died of a stroke in Carmel, California, on October 16, 2005. She was 86. Rose was born on December 6, 1918. She performed as Mignon in the ballroom dance team of Manor and Mignon during the early 1940s. She and her partner, Nicky Manor, performed in nightclubs throughout the United States. She retired in the mid– 1940s, and Manor continued the act with another partner.
ROSENFIELD, MAURICE Lawyer and film producer Maurice Rosenfield died of heart failure in Glencoe, Illinois, on October 30, 2005. He was 91. Rosenfield was born on July 8, 1914. A leading attorney, he represented Playboy in censorship cases during the 1950s, and represented comedian Lenny Bruce, winning him an acquittal on obscenity charges in Illinois in a landmark First Amendment case in 1964. He and his wife, Lois Rosenfield, produced the 1973 film Bang the Drum Slowly starring Robert DeNiro, and was executive producer for the 1983 science fiction film Wavelength. The also produced numerous Broadway productions including Barnum (1980), the revival of The Glass Menagerie (1983), Singin’ in the Rain (1986), Falsettos (1992), and The Song of Jacob Zulu (1993). • Los Angeles Times, Nov. 8, 2005, B11; New York Times, Nov. 8, 2005, A25.
Letitia Rose (dancing with Nicky Manor)
ROSEMAN , RALPH Broadway producer Ralph Roseman died in a New York City hospital on March 16, 2005. He was 80. Roseman was born Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on October 7, 1924. He became active as a theatrical manager in the 1950s, supporting Philadelphia’s Hedgerow Theater. He worked on numerous productions there and on Broadway, serving as general manager for such shows as Coco, Shadowlands, State Fair, Goodtime Charley, The Cocktail Hour, and Do You Turn Somersaults? He was also a partner in Producing Managers Company and Theatre Now, Inc., which were leading theatrical managing firms. His most recent credit as general manager on Broadway was 1997’s Dream.
Maurice Rosefield
ROSS, GLYNN Opera director Glynn Ross died at his Tuscon, Arizona, home of complications from a stroke on July 21, 2005. He was 90. Ross was born in Omaha, Nebraska, on December 15, 1914. He began his professional career directing the opera Faust in Los Angeles in 1940. He served in the U.S. Army in Italy during World War II. After the war he remained in Naples where he became the first American to direct an opera in a major Italian venue. He returned to the
Ralph Roseman Glynn Ross
321 United States in 1948 and subsequently became the director for the Los Angeles Opera Theater. He directed there and at the San Francisco Opera throughout the 1950s. He founded the Seattle Opera in 1963 and the Pacific Northwest Ballet in 1972. Ross remained the director of the Seattle Opera until the early 1980s. He later served as general director of the Arizona Opera from 1983 until his retirement in 1998.
ROSSI, LUCIANO Italian actor Luciano Rossi died in Rome on May 29, 2005. He was 70. Rossi was born in Rome on November 28, 1934. He was featured in numerous Italian films from the mid–1960s, sometimes billed under the names Edwin G. Ross and Lou Kamante. Rossi’s film credits include Sheriff with the Gold (1966), Django (1966), Halleluja for Django (1967), Return of Django (1967), Django Kills Softly (1967), The Rover (1967), Date for a Murder (1967), LSD Flesh of Devil (1967), Death Sentence (1968), The Last Chance (1968), The Falling Man (1968), Django, Prepare a Coffin (1968), Big Gundown 2 (1968), Agente End (1968), The Adventures of Ulysses (1968), Django the Bastard (1969), Five into Hell (1969), Forgotten Pistolero (1969), Boot Hill: Trinity Rides Again (1969), Chuck Moll (1970), The Conformist (1970), I Am Sartana, Trade Your Guns for a Coffin (1970), A Man Called Sledge (1970), Heads I Kill You, Tails You’re Dead! They Call Me Hallalujah (1971), They Call Me Trinity... (1971), Return of Sabata (1971), Death Walks on High Heels (1971), The Tormenter (1972), A Place Called Trinity (1972), Watch Out Gringo! Sabata Will Return (1972), Deaf Smith and Johnny Ears (1972), Confessions of a Sex Maniac (1972), Death Walks at Midnight (1972), The Sicilian Connection (1972), The Bloody Hands of the Law (1973), Heroes in Hell (1973), Hospitals: The White Mafia (1973), Death Smiles on a Murderer (1973), Violent Professionals (1973), White Fang to the Rescue (1974), Silence the Witness (1974), Love Angels (1974), Kiss of a Dead Woman (1974), The Sewer Rats (1974), Violent Rome (1975), Emanuelle’s Revenge (1976), Crime Busters (1976), Madam Kitty (1976), Violent Naples (1976), Free Hand for a Tough Cop (1976), Gangsters (1977), I Am Afraid (1977), The Red Nights of the Gestapo (1977), The Naples Connections (1980), The Gates of Hell (1980), Hotel Paradiso (1980), The Sword
Luciano Rossi
2005 • Obituaries
of the Barbarians (1983), Savage Island (1985), and Long Live the Lady! (1987).
ROSSNER, JUDITH Novelist Judith Rossner, who was best known for writing the 1975 best-seller Looking for Mr. Goodbar, died in a New York City hospital on August 9, 2005. She was 70. Rossner was born on March 1, 1935. Her first novel, To the Precipice, was published in 1966, and was followed by Nine Months in the Life of an Old Maid (1969), and Any Minute I Split (1972). She based Looking for Mr. Goodbar on the 1973 murder of a New York City schoolteacher who frequented singles bars. A film starring Diane Keaton and Tuesday Weld was made from the novel in 1977. Rossner also wrote the novels Attachments (1977), Emmeline (1980), His Little Women (1990), Olivia (1994), and Perfidia (1997). She was seen in a cameo role in the 1988 movie Crossing Delancey. • Los Angeles Times, Aug. 11, 2005, B10; New York Times, Aug. 11, 2005, C17; Times (of London), Aug. 12, 2005, 56.
Judith Rossner
ROWLANDS, PATSY British comic actress Patsy Rowlands who starred in several of the popular Carry On films, died of breast cancer in Hove, East Sussex, England, on January 22, 2005. She was 71. Rowlands was born in London on January 19, 1934. She performed on the London stage before making her film debut in the early 1960s. She appeared in the films Over the Odds (1961), Operation Snafu (1861), In the Doghouse (1961), A Kind of Loving (1962), The Brain (1962), Tony Richardson’s bawdy comedy Tom Jones (1963), A Stitch in Time (1963), and Dateline Diamonds (1965). She made her debut in the Carry On film series with 1969’s Carry On Again Doctor, and appeared in nine films in the series including Carry On Henry VIII (1970), Carry On Loving (1970), Carry On At Your Convenience (1971), Carry On Matron (1972), Carry On Abroad (1972), Carry On Girls (1973), Carry On Dick (1974), and Carry On Behind (1975). Her other film credits include Please Sir! (1971), Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1972) as Cook, Bless This House (1972), Sammy’s Super T-Shirt (1978), Tess (1979), Dangerous Davies —The Last Detective (1981). Rowlands also appeared in television productions of The Memorandum (1967), State of the Union (1968), Pere Griot (1968), Fa-
Obituaries • 2005
322 Gleason Show. Roy was best known as tough nightclub owner Claire Bridgeman on the daytime soap opera Love of Life from 1967 to 1970. • Los Angeles Times, Aug. 4, 2005, B11; Variety, Aug. 15, 2005, 48.
Patsy Rowlands
thers and Sons (1970), A Touch on the Casanovas (1975), Raven (1977), Little Lord Fauntleroy (1980), A Little Princess (1986), Imaginary Friends (1987), When We Are Married (1987), Femme Fatale (1993), and Vanity Fair (1998). Rowlands was Miss Twitty in the 1971 comedy series Tottering Towers and was Sgt. Bryant in 1974’s Follow That Dog. She was also a regular performer in the series The Squirrels (1974), Break in the Sun (1981), Hallelujah! (1981), Kinvig (1981), Legacy of Murder (1982), Rep (1982), Get Well Soon (1997), and The Cazelets (2001) as Miss Millament. Her numerous television credits also include guest roles in such series as Danger Man, Out of the Unknown, The Avengers, Z Cars, Doctor at Large, Not on Your Nellie, Carry On Laughing!, Dawson’s Weekly, Two’s Company, Murder Most English: A Flaxborough Chronicle, George and Mildred, Cribb, Can We Get On Now, Please?, Robin’s Nest, Juliet Bravo, In Loving Memory, Zorro, Bottom, and Peak Practice. • Los Angeles Times, Feb. 3, 2005, B9; New York Times, Jan. 30, 2005, 35; Times (of London), Jan. 25, 2005, 58; Variety, Feb. 7, 2005, 92.
ROY, RENEE Actress and model Renee Roy died of colon cancer in a New York City hospital on July 30, 2005. She was 74. Roy was born in Buffalo, New York, on January 2, 1931. She worked as a model and was seen in numerous television commercials from the 1970s. She was also featured as a model on the quiz show The Big Payoff, and was a dancer on The Jackie
Renee Roy
RUDNICK, FRANZ German actor Franz Rudnick died in Munich, Germany, on October 13, 2005. He was 69. He appeared frequently in German films and television from the early 1960s. His film credits include Operation Hurricane: Friday Noon (1965), The Last Battalion (1967), Tower of Screaming Virgins (1968), Love Is Only a Word (1971), Paganini (1972), The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of (1972), Lacombe, Lucien (1974), The Net (1975), and Marianne and Juliane (1981). He was also featured in television productions of Commemoration Day (1970), Tatort— Ein Ganz Gewohnlicher Mord (1973), Pinocchio (1976), 21 Hours at Munich (1976), Reinhard Heydrich — Manager des Terrors (1977) as Heinrich Himmler, Le Temps des As (1978), Tatort— 30 Liter Super (1979), Caleb Williams (1980), La Conquete du Ciel (1980), Suddenly at Home (1983), Buro, Buro (1983), Hitler’s Final Solution: The Wannsee Conference (1984), The Black Forest Clinic (1985) as Dr. Gerd Wolter, Die Bombe (1987), Tatort— Die Bruder (1988), and Hotel Mama 2 (1997). He also appeared in episodes of Der Alte, Lutz & Hardy, and Hallo, Onkel Doc!, was seen regularly as Dr. Dietl in SOKO 5113 in the late 1990s.
Franz Rudnick
RUIZ , MACLOVIA Mexican ballet dancer and choreographer Maclovia Ruiz died of complications from pneumonia in San Francisco, California, on December 31, 2005. She was 95. Ruiz was born in Guadalajara, Mexico, in 1910, and moved to San Francisco with her family as a child. She began dancing at an early age and became the first Hispanic dancer to be hired by a major ballet company when she joined the San Francisco Opera’s company in 1933. She was soon starring in productions of Carmen and Aida. She also performed in George Balanchine’s production of Carmen for the Metropolitan Opera in 1936. She was featured as a dancer in the 1936 film Ramona and appeared in the musical The Goldwyn Follies two years later. She was a leading flamenco and Spanish dancer in the 1940s, but largely retired later in the decade after
323
Maclovia Ruiz
marriage. In her later years she returned to dance as a teacher.
RUPPRECHT , ANTON Special effects designer Anton Rupprecht committed suicide in Santa Clarita, California, on March 27, 2005. He was 42. Rupprecht was born on November 9, 1962. He worked with The Character Shop, and was involved in special effects design for such horror films as Friday the 13th: The New Beginning (1985), House (1986), Night of the Creeps (1986), Dead Heat (1988), The Puppet Masters (1994), and Bride of Chucky (1998). RUSPOLI, DADO Italian nobleman and actor Dado Ruspoli died in Rome on January 11, 2005. He was 79. He was born to a wealthy family in Rome in December of 1925. Ruspoli was known as an eccentric and travelled in circles of high society and artistic achievements. He began acting later in life, starring in Marco Ferreri’s 1988 film The House of Smiles. He had a small part in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1990 film The Godfather, Part III, and appeared in the stage and screen version of Antonello Agliotti’s production of The Cherry Orchard (1992). He was also seen in the 2002 documentary Just Say Know directed by his son Tao Ruspoli and dealing with the Ruspoli family’s drug addictions.
2005 • Obituaries
RUSSELL, NIPSEY Comedian and actor Nipsey Russell died of cancer in a New York City hospital on October 2, 2005. He was 80. Russell was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on October 13, 1924. A popular comic from the 1950s, Russell performed frequently on stage and recorded numerous comedy albums. He was also noted for his humorous poetry recitations. He was also seen in several variety films including Rock ’n’ Roll Revue (1955), Rhythm and Blues Revue (1955), and Basin Street Revue (1956). He was featured as Officer Anderson on the television comedy series Car 54, Where Are You? from 1961 to 1962, and frequently guest starred on such variety series and game shows as Toast of the Town, Missing Links, The Ed Sullivan Show, Personality, The Jackie Gleason Show, Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, The Dean Martin Show, What’s My Line?, To Tell the Truth, Match Game, Masquerade Party, and Hollywood Squares. Russell appeared as Honey Robinson in the 1970 comedy television series Barefoot in the Park, and guest starred in episodes of Police Woman, The Love Boat, 227, and Spin City. He starred as the Tinman in the 1978 musical The Wiz, and was Vinny in the 1978 telefilm Fame. Russell hosted the television game show Juvenile Jury in 1983. He was also seen in the films Nemo (1984), Wildcats (1986), and Posse (1993). He reprised his role as Dave Anderson, now a Captain, in the movie version of Car 54, Where Are You? in 1994. • Los Angeles Times, Oct. 4, 2005, B10; New York Times, Oct. 4, 2005, C19; People, Oct. 17, 2005, 100; Time, Oct. 17, 2005, 27; Times (of London), Dec. 3, 2005, 76; Variety, Oct. 10, 2005, 93.
Nipsey Russell
Dado Ruspoli
RYON, REX Actor Rex Ryon died on April 19, 2005. He was 52. Ryon was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on April 5, 1953. He was active in films from the early 1980s, appearing in the features My Tutor (1983), Hollywood Hot Tubs (1984), Growing Pains (1984), Beverly Hills Cop (1984), Blue City (1986), P.I. Private Investigations (1987), You Talkin’ to Me? (1987), Jack’s Back (1988), Feds (1988), American Samurai (1996), The Man in the Iron Mask (1998) as Porthos, and Malevolent (2002). Ryon was also seen in the tele-films Fatal Vision (1984) and Triplecross (1986), and guest-starred in episodes of Cheers, Remington Steele, Matt Houston, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Magnum, P.I., The Fall Guy,
Obituaries • 2005
324
Rex Ryon
Eddie Saeta
The A-Team, MacGyver, Matlock, Outlaws, Mama’s Family, Day by Day, Blossom, Empty Nest, Renegade, Bodies of Evidence, The Watcher, ER, Weird Science, Pacific Blue, Profiler, and Crusade.
West Begins (1938), The Painted Trail (1938), Land of Fighting Men (1938), Man’s Country (1938), Gun Packer (1938), Wild Horse Canyon (1938), Feud of the Range (1939), Drifting Westward (1939), Smoky Trails (1939), Mesquite Buckaroo (1939), Riders of the Sage (1939), Port of Hate (1939), The Pal from Texas (1939), One Dark Night (1939), El Diablo Rides (1939), Wild Horse Valley (1940), The Invisible Ghost (1941), Swamp Woman (1941), and Today I Hang (1942). Saeta served in the Army Signal Corps during World War II. He returned to Columbia after the war where he resumed his career as assistant director on such films Oh Say Can You Sue (1953), Drums of Tahiti (1954), Two April Fools (1954), Fling in the Ring (1955), Of Cash and Hash (1955), Call 2455 Death Row (1955), Jungle Moon Men (1955), Creature with the Atom Brain (1955), Teen-Age Crime Wave (1955), Husbands Beware (1956), Creeps (1956), Jubal (1956), 20 Million Miles to Earth (1957), Life Begins at 17 (1958), Apache Territory (1958), Man on a String (1960), The Three Stooges in Orbit (1962), and The Interns (1962). He moved over to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in the early 1960s where he worked on such films as Get Yourself a College Girl (1964), Your Cheatin’ Heart (1964), Zebra in the Kitchen (1965), When the Boys Meet the Girls (1965), the 1965 Elvis Presley film Harum Scarum, and This Property Is Condemned (1966). He also served as location manager for the 1971 James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever. He worked in television as an assistant director on The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, Circus Boy, The Travels of Jamie McPheeters, and Manhunt. He also directed episodes of several television series including The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Hondo, and produced and directed the 1973 horror film Dr. Death, Seeker of Souls. He continued to work in film and television as a production manager on the telefilm Brian’s Song (1971), and the films Lady Sings the Blues (1970), Against a Crooked Sky (1975), Baker’s Hawk (1976), The Choirboys (1977), and ...All the Marbles (1981). • Variety, May 9, 2005, 68.
SAADIAH, DATIN Singapore actress Datin Saadiah died of complications for diabetes and lung disease at her home in Taman Melawati, Singapore, on February 26, 2005. She was 68. Saadiah was born Satya Baharom in Singapore on August 10, 1936. She was a leading actress in Malay language films from the 1950s, appearing in such features as The Trishaw Man (1956), Antara Dua Darjat (1960), and Mambang Moden (1964). She was featured with her late husband, actor Datuk Ahmad Daud, and her daughter, actress Fauziah Ahmad Daud, in the 1975 film Permintaan Terakhir. Saadiah also directed her daughter in the 1979 feature Ceritaku Ceritamu.
Datin Saadiah
SAETA, EDDIE Veteran film assistant director Eddie Saeta died in Woodland Hills, California, on March 26, 2005. He was 90. Saeta was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1915. He moved to Los Angeles with his family at an early age. He began working in films as a messenger at Columbia Pictures in the early 1930s before becoming an assistant director there and at Monogram. He worked on numerous films including God’s Country and the Man (1937), Stars Over Arizona (1937), Romance of the Rockies (1937), Where the
SAGAR, RAMANAND Indian filmmaker Ramanand Sagar died at his home in Bombay, India, after a long illness on December 11, 2005. He was 87. Sagar was born in Lahore, Pakistan (then India), on December 29, 1917. He made over 50 Hindi-language films
325
2005 • Obituaries
Ramanand Sagar
Guylaine St.-Onge
in India from the early 1950s including Mehmaan (1953), Bracelet (1954), Ghunghat (1960), Love in Kashmir (1965), The Eyes (1968), The Song (1970), Charas (1976), Victim of Love (1979), The Rebellion (1982), Romance (1983), and Salma (1983). Sagar was best known for his work in television, creating a tapestry of Hindu gods doing battle with demons in adaptations of such epics as Ramayan, Sri Krishna, Luv Kush, and Vikram Aur Vetaal in the 1980s. • Variety, Dec. 26, 2005, 37.
dian television in the 1980s. She starred in the 1987 drama series Mount Royal as Stephanie Valeur, and was Marie Joan Jacquard in the action series Lightning Force from 1991 to 1992. St.-Onge was also seen as Nicole Chandler in the 1997 series Fast Track, and appeared as the murderous and alluring alien Juda in the science fiction series Gene Roddenberry’s Earth: Final Conflict from 2001 to 2002. She also appeared in several films including Montreal Sextet (1991), Operation Golden Phoenix (1993), No Exit (1995), Full Frontal (2000), Dead By Monday (2001), Angel Eyes (2001), and One Way Out (2002), and Highwaymen (2003). St.-Onge was also featured in the tele-films Virtual Mom (2000), Largo Winch: The Heir (2001), Year of the Lion (2003), and Do or Die (2003), and guest starred in episodes of War of the Worlds, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Neon Rider, Counterstrike, Matrix, Kung Fu: The Legend Continues, The Outer Limits, Foolish Heart, La Femme Nikita, Code Name: Eternity, and Mutant X.
SAHAG, JOHN Hair stylist John Sahag died of cancer in a Bronx, New York, hospital on June 15, 2005. He was 53. Sahag was born in Beirut, Lebanon, on January 2, 1952. He was raised in Australia and settled in Paris at the age of 18. He began styling hair there before moving to New York in 1985. Sahag appeared as a hairdresser in the 1978 film Eyes of Laura Mars (1978). He also worked as a hair style designer for the films Year of the Dragon (1985) and Nadja (1994). Sahag designed Demi Moore’s hair style for the 1990 film Ghost, and created styles for actresses Jennifer Aniston and Debra Messing. • New York Times, June 26, 2005, 33.
John Sahag
ST.-ONGE , G UYLAINE Canadian actress Guylaine St.-Onge died in Canada after a long illness with cervical cancer on March 3, 2005. She was 39. St.Onge was born in Montreal, Canada, in 1965. She began performing as a dancer on stage and on Cana-
SAKURA, MUTSUKO Japanese character actress Mutsuko Sakura died of lung cancer in Tokyo, Japan, on January 23, 2005. She was 83. Sakura was born in Tokyo on February 15, 1921. She appeared in numerous Japanese films over the past fifty years including Shonenki (1951), Home Sweet Home (1951), Tokyo Story (1953), Equinox Flower (1958), Good Morning (1959), Floating Weeds (1959), Late Autumn (1960), Snow Country (1965), Sumo Do, Sumo Don’t (1992), Maborosi (1995), Give It All (1998), A Class to Remember 4: Fifteen (2000), Getting Off the Boat at Her Island (2003), and Swing Girls (2004). SALABERRY, ZILKA Brazilian actress Zilka Salaberry died of a urinary infection in Brazil on February 15, 2005. She was 87. Salaberry was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on May 31, 1917. She began her career on stage. She also appeared in several films from the 1930s including Cicade-Mulher (1936), Direito de Pecar (1940), No Trampolim da Vida (1945), Aguenta o Rojao (1958), and Maria 38 (1959). Salaberry was also a leading Brazilian television actress from the 1960s, starring in such series as A Morta Sem Espelho (1963), Vitoria (1964), O Acusador (1964), Sangue e Areia (1968), A Ponte dos Suspiros (1969), Imaos Coragem (1970), O Homem Que Deve Morrer (1971), O Bofe
Obituaries • 2005
326 Naufragos (2002), House of the Dead (2003), The Bone Snatcher (2003), Alone in the Dark (2005), and Bloodrayne (2005).
Zilka Salaberry
(1972), Supermanoela (1975), Memorias de um Gigolo (1986), Vale Tudo (1988), Araponga (1990), Pecado Capital (1998), and Esperanca (2002).
SALAMAN , ESTHER Operatic mezzosoprano Esther Salaman died on August 30, 2005. She was 91. Salaman was born in England on March 21, 1914. She attended the Royal Academy of Music in the late 1930s. She appeared in several productions of The Beggar’s Opera with the English Opera Group and an early television production of The Wooing of Anne Hathaway in 1938. She had difficulties as a performer but became noted as a teacher and lecturer. She authored the influential textbook Unlocking Your Voice — Freedom to Sing in 1989. • Times (of London), Oct. 27, 2005, 75.
SALVERSON, GEORGE Canadian television writer George Salverson died in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, of complications from injuries he suffered from a fall on April 9, 2005. He was 88. Salverson was born in St. Catherines, Ontario, Canada, on April 30, 1916. The son of novelist Laura Goodman Salverson, George worked at CBC Radio for many years writing radio scripts and serving as drama editor. Among the numerous plays he brought to the station was a 1949 adaptation of Dracula starring Lorne Greene, Alan King, and Lister Sinclair. Salverson also scripted several films from the 1950s including Raw Material (1955), Woman Alone (1956), Le Retour (1956), Night Children (1956), Go to Blazes (1956), The Trap Thief (1957), The Happy Fugitive (1957), Encounter at Trinity (1957), The Barrier (1957), John A. Macdonald: The Impossible Idea (1961), Time to Live (1964), and Marie Ann (1978). He also wrote for television, scripting episodes of the series The Forest Rangers, Hatch’s Mill, Strange Paradise, and Royal Suite. SAM Sam, the hairless dog with crooked teeth that was the three time holder of the World’s Ugliest Dog championship, was euthanized in Santa Barbara, California, on November 22, 2005, because of a failing heart. He was approaching his 15th birthday. Sam was adopted by Susie Lockheed six years earlier. He was crowned World’s Ugliest Dog for three years running at the Sonoma-Marin Fair. Sam was a guest on The Carson Daly Show, and made television appearances throughout the world.
Esther Salaman
SALES, DANIEL Film producer Daniel Sales died in his sleep in Marina Del Rey, California, on May 27, 2005. He was 46. Sales was born in West Palm Beach, Florida, on June 23, 1958. He began working in films in the 1980s, producing the 1984 independent feature The Way It Is starring Steve Buscemi and Rockets Redglare. He subsequently relocated to Los Angeles, where he founded Cinequanon Pictures. Sales was executive producer of such films as Skinner (1995), Legion of the Night (1995), Dilemma (1997), She’s Too Tall (1998), Ed Wood’s I Woke Up Early the Day I Died (1998), Woundings (1998), Facade (2000), Stranded:
Sam
SANDERS, SANDY Actor and stuntman Sandy Sanders died in California on January 2, 2005. He was 85. Sanders was born in Deaf Smith County, Texas, on May 23, 1919. He worked in films from the 1940s as a stuntman and was often a stunt double for western stars Gene Autry and Clayton Moore. Sanders performed stunt work and appeared in small roles in numerous films and serials including Smoky River Serenade (1947), The Last Round-Up (1947), Loaded Pistols (1948), Frontier Revenge (1948), Outlaw Country
327 (1949), Son of a Badman (1949), Rim of the Canyon (1949), The Fighting Redhead (1949), Riders in the Sky (1949), Sons of New Mexico (1949), Mule Train (1950), Cow Town (1950), Beyond the Purple Hills (1950), Desperadoes of the West (1950), Indian Territory (1950), Flying Disc Man from Mars (1950), The Blazing Sun (1950), Texans Never Cry (1951), Don Daredevil Rides Again (1951), Silver Canyon (1951), The Hills of Utah (1951), Valley of Fire (1951), The Old West (1952), Smoky Canyon (1952), The Frontier Phantom (1952), Night Stage to Galveston (1952), Outlaw Women (1952), Barbed Wire (1952), Wagon Team (1952), Son of Geronimo: Apache Avenger (1952), Prince of Pirates (1953), Phantom from Space (1953), Son of Belle Starr (1953), Crime Wave (1954), Masterson of Kansas (1954), A Bullet for Joey (1955), The Harder They Fall (1956), Missile Monsters (1958), and The Legend of Tom Dooley (1959). Sanders also worked often in television on such series as The Lone Ranger, The Gene Autry Show, The Range Rider, The Roy Rogers Show, The Adventures of Kit Carson, Hopalong Cassidy, The Cisco Kid, My Little Margie, Corky and White Shadow, Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok, Buffalo Bill Jr., Tales of the Texas Rangers, The Restless Gun, Whispering Smith, and Wagon Train.
SANER , H ULKI Turkish filmmaker Hulki Saner died in Istanbul, Turkey, of respiratory failure, on July 20, 2005. He was 82. Saner was born in Istanbul on February 14, 1923. He produced, directed, and scripted numerous films from the late 1950s. His many film credits include The Love Dream (1959), Nilufer, the Jungle Flower (1960), First Love (1960), The Night Bird (1960), A Bunch of Jasmines (1961), Sweet Sin (1961), Aysecik: Naughty Kid (1962), Two Marriages (1962), Aysecik: My Dearest (1963), Bitter Love (1963), Omer the Tourist (1964), Aysecik: Pretty Girl (1964), Aysecik: Naughty Lady (1964), Horoz Nuri (1965), Aysecik: Empty Cradle (1965), The Clown (1965), Omer the Tourist in Germany (1966), Police Station of Cibali (1966), I’ll Tell Demirel (1967), Marko Pasa (1967), Berdus (1969), and Omer the Tourist in Star Trek (1973).
2005 • Obituaries
Yuri Sarantsev
tober 7, 1928. He was a prolific performer in Russian films from the early 1950s with such credits as On the Steppe (1951), State Eye (1953), True Friends (1954), Roads and Destinies (1955), Road to Life (1955), Different Fortunes (1956), Three Tales of Chekhov (1959), the 1962 science fiction films Planet of Storms with footage that was incorporated into the 1965 U.S. release Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet and the 1968 film Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women, Your Son and Brother (1965), 33 (1965), Little Fugitive (1966), Song About Manshuk (1969), Four Men in a Boxcar (1970), Only Old Men Are Going to Battle (1973), Poem of Kovpak: Snow-Storm (1975), The Aquanauts (1979), Sailors Have No Questions (1980), The Last Escape (1980), Earth This Is Your Son (1980), Where You, Love? (1981), One True Love (1982), Auction (1983), The Kidnapping (1984), Ruthless Romance (1984), The Favorite (1985), Testament (1986), Kites Don’t Share Their Prey (1988), Two and One (1988), Love and Privileges (1989), The Ghosts of the Green Room (1991), Rats, or Night Mafia (1991), Back in the U.S.S.R. (1992), Breakfast with a View to the Elbrus Mountains (1993), An Adventure (1995), Jermak (1996), and The Return of the Battleship (1996).
SARGENT, HERB Television writer and producer Herb Sargent died in New York City on May 6, 2005. He was 81. Sargent was born on July 15, 1923, and was raised in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II. After the
Hulki Saner
SARANTSEV, YURI Russian actor Yuri Sarantsev died in Moscow on August 26, 2005. He was 76. Sarantsev was born in Melik, Soviet Union, on Oc-
Herb Sargent
Obituaries • 2005
328
war he moved to Los Angeles, where he attended UCLA. He began writing for radio in New York in the late 1940s before becoming involved with television. He wrote for such popular series as Fred Allen’s Colgate Comedy Hour, The Victor Borge Show, The Tonight Show with Steve Allen, The Perry Como Show, That Was the Week That Was, and The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. He was best known for his work was a writer and producer for Saturday Night Live for nearly twenty years between 1975 and 1995. Sargent also wrote the screenplay for the 1968 film Bye Bye Braverman, and worked on television specials for such stars as Sammy Davis Jr., Perry Como, Bing Crosby, Milton Berle, Burt Bacharach, Dennis Miller, and Barbra Streisand. He was the recipient of six Emmy Awards and six Writers Guild Awards during his career. • Los Angeles Times, May 7, 2005, E1; New York Times, May 7, 2005, B7; Time, May 16, 2005, 25; Variety, May 16, 2005, 66.
SARKISIAN, JOHN Character actor John Sarkisian died of cancer in Los Angeles on April 20, 2005. He was 55. Sarkisian was born on August 11, 1949. He was featured in a handful of films from the 1990s including Back to Back: American Yakuza (1996), Falling Words (1997), ESP: Extra Sexual Perception (1998), SixString Samurai (1998), Night All Day (2000), and Unbound (2004). He also appeared in an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer on television. SCARPA, ROMANO Italian Disney comic artist and writer Romano Scarpa died in Malaga, Spain, on April 23, 2005. He was 77. Scarpa was born in Venezia, Italy, on September 27, 1927. He began working as an animator in the 1940s, and soon formed his own studio in Venice. He produced several commercials and the animated short La Piccola Fiammiferaia (1953), based on Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Match Girl. He began working for Disney’s Italian publisher, Arnoldo Mondadori, in 1953. He created many new characters to populate the Disney universe including Uncle Scrooge’s sometimes girlfriend Brigitta McBridge, Scrooge’s brother, newspaper editor Gideon McDuck, Donald Duck’s deranged cousin Kildare Coot, and Black Pete’s crime accomplices Plottigat and Trudy. During the 1960s Scarpa largely quit writing and concentrating on working as a illustrator. He re-
Romano Scarpa
turned to writing in the 1970s, and also created the animated television productions Ainhoo Degli Icebergs (1972) and The Fourth King (1977). Scarpa also created the 2002 animated series The Adventures of Marco and Gina.
SCHALL, EKKEHARD German actor Ekkehard Schall died in Buckow, Germany, on September 3, 2005. He was 75. Schall was born in Magdeburg, Germany, on May 29, 1930. He began performing on stage with Bertolt Brecht’s Berliner Ensemble in 1952. He remained with the theatrical group until 1995. Schall was a leading stage actor in East Germany. He also appeared in several films including Senora Carrar’s Rifles (1953), Schlosser und Katen (1957), Berlin — Ecke Schonhauser (1957), Maibowle (1959), The Opportunists (1960), Mother Courage and Her Children (1961), The Condemned of Altona (1962), and In the Dust of the Stars (1976). Schall also appeared on Germany television, and was featured as Franz Liszt in the 1983 mini-series Wagner. • Times (of London), Sept. 8, 2005, 68.
Ekkehard Schall
SCHECHTER , ALAN Film producer Alan Schechter died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at his home in Los Angeles on August 14, 2005. He was 40. Schechter was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on August 4, 1965. He began working in films in the mid–1980s as a production assistant at Cannon Films. He served as an assistant to director Joel Silver on the 1991 film The Last Boy Scout, and worked with Silver on such films as Predator 2, Ricochet, The Last Boy Scout, Die Hard 2, and Lethal Weapon 3. Schechter began producing action films shortly thereafter, with such credits as Showdown (1993), Double Dragon (1994), Fair Game (1995), Double Tap (1997), Renegade Force (1998) which he also wrote, Made Men (1999), Proximity (2001). He also produced the tele-films Jane Doe (2001) and Bet Your Life (2004). Schechter was also a producer and judge on the 2004 television reality show Next Action Star. SCHELL, MARIA Leading Austrian actress Maria Schell died in her sleep at her home in her hometown of Preitenegg, Austria, on April 26, 2005. She was 79. Schell was born in Vienna, Austria, on January 15, 1926. She began her career in films in the early 1940s,
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Maria Schell
Chris Schenkel
making her film debut in 1942’s The Quarry. After the war she appeared in such German-language features as Mares! (1948), The Angel with the Trumpet (1948), After the Storm (1948), Die Letzte Nacht (1949), Angel with a Trumpet (1950), A Day Will Come (1950), The Magic Box (1951), Affairs of Dr. Holl (1951), So Little Time (1952), As Long as You’re Near Me (1953), Dreaming Lips (1953), The Diary of a Married Woman (1953), The Heart of the Matter (1953), Master Over Life and Death (1954), The Last Bridge (1954), Napoleon (1955), The Rats (1955), The Sins of Rose Bernd (1956), Gervaise (1956), Love (1956), White Nights (1957), End of Desire (1958), and Due in the Forest (1958). She received acclaim for her role as Grushenka in Richard Brooks’ film adaptation of The Brothers Karamazov in 1958. She subsequently starred in the western films The Hanging Tree (1959) and Cimarron (1960). She continued to appear in the films As the Sea Rages (1960), The Mark (1961), Das Riesenrad (1961), I, Too, Am Only a Woman (1962), The Murderer Knows the Score (1963), Whiskey and Soda (1963), The Provocation (1969), 99 Women (1969), The Devil by the Tail (1969), Night of the Blood Monster (1970), Chamsin (1972), Dust in the Sun (1973), The Odessa File (1974), Change (1975), The Twist (1976), Voyage of the Damned (1976), Superman (1978) as Kryptonian Vond-Ah, Just a Gigolo (1979), The First Polka (1979), The Passerby (1982), King Thrushbeard (1984), and 1919 (1985). She starred as Mother Maria in the 1979 tele-film Christmas Lilies of the Field and was Anna Lustig in the 1980 mini-series adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s The Martian Chronicles. Schell also appeared in television productions of Inside the Third Reich (1982) as Albert Speer’s mother, Samson and Delilah (1984), Le Dernier Mot (1991), and Der Clan der Anna Voss (1994). She also starred as Maria Behringer in the 1987 series Die Gluckliche Familie. She also appeared on television in episodes of Playhouse 90, Der Kommissar, Assignment Vienna, Kojak, and Derrick. She was the brother of leading actor Maximilian Schell, and was the subject of his 2002 film about her, My Sister Maria. • Los Angeles Times, Apr. 28, 2005, B12; New York Times, Apr. 28, 2005, C18; Time, May 9, 2005, 28; Times (of London), Apr. 29, 2005, 75; Variety, May 2, 2005, 84.
ana, hospital on September 11, 2005. He was 82. Schenkel was born in Bippus, Indiana, on August 21, 1923. He began working on radio in Richmond, Indiana, before he began his career in television in Providence, Rhode island. He began announcing Harvard University football games in 1947, and joined CBS in 1952 as announcer for New York Giants football. Schenkel began working for ABC Sports in 1965. During his career he covered most major sports competitions including a long association with the Indianapolis 500. He also covered the Masters Tournament, championship boxing, and numerous Olympics competitions. Schenkel earned an Emmy Award for Lifetime Achievement in 1993. He appeared in cameo roles as himself in several films including Maurie (1973), Dreamer (1979), Greedy (1994), and Kingpin (1996). • Los Angeles Times, Sept. 12, 2005, B9; New York Times, Sept. 12, 2005, A19; Time, Sept. 26, 2005, 21; Variety, Sept. 19, 2005, 84.
SCHENKEL , CHRIS Sportscaster Chris Schenkel died of emphysema in an Indianapolis, Indi-
SCHERMERHORN, KENNETH Conductor Kenneth Schermerhorn died of non–Hodgkin’s lymphoma in Nashville, Tennessee, on April 18, 2005. He was 75. Schermerhorn was born Schenectady, New York, on November 20, 1929. He studied music from an early age, playing the violin and trumpet. He attended the New England Conservatory, and joined the trumpet section of the Boston Symphony Orchestra after his graduation in 1950. He studied conducting
Kenneth Schermerhorn
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under Leonard Bernstein later in the decade, and served as Bernstein’s assistant at the New York Philharmonic from 1959 to 1960. He went on to conduct several regional orchestras including the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra from 1963 to 1968, and the Milwaukee Symphony from 1968 to 1980. He also served as musical director of the American Ballet Theater during much of the 1960s. Schermerhorn became conductor of the Nashville Symphony in 1983, where he transformed it into a major orchestra over the next two decades. They had recently been recording a series of American music for the Naxos label, which earned a Grammy Award for their rendition of Elliott Carter’s Symphony No. 1. • Los Angeles Times, Apr. 21, 2005, B11; New York Times, Apr. 19, 2005, C17.
SCHIAVELLI, VINCENT Veteran character actor Vincent Schiavelli died of lung cancer in the Sicillian village of Generosa, Italy, where he resided on December 26, 2005. He was 57. Schiavelli was born in Brooklyn, New York, on November 10, 1948. He attended New York University’s School of the Arts and made his film debut in the early 1970s. His unusual features, with droopy eyes and unruly tufts of hair, made him ideal for eccentric character roles. He appeared in small roles in the films Taking Off (1971), The Great Gatsby (1974), For Pete’s Sake (1974), and The Happy Hooker (1975). Schiavelli was featured as Frederickson, one of Jack Nicholson’s fellow mental patients, in 1975’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. He continued to appear in such films as Next Stop, Greenwich Village (1976), Angels (1976), Another Man, Another Chance (1977), An Unmarried Woman (1978), Butch and Sundance: The Early Days (1979), The Frisco Kid (1979), The Return (1980), The Gong Show Movie (1980), Seed of Innocence (1980), the animated American Pop (1981) as the voice of the theater owner, Chu Chu and the Philly Flash (1981), Night Shift (1982), Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) as Mr. Vargas, KidCo (1984), The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai: Across the 8th Dimension (1984) as the alien John O’Connor, Amadeus (1984) as Salieri’s valet, Better Off Dead (1985), Time Out (1988), Cold Feet (1989), Homer and Eddie (1989), Valmont (1989), Playroom (1990), Mister Frost (1990), Ghost (1990) as the ghost on the subway, Waiting for the Light
Vincent Schiavelli
(1990), Ted and Venus (1991), Another You (1991), Miracle Beach (1992), Batman Returns (1992) as the Penguin’s organ grinder, Painted Desert (1993), Cultivating Charlie (1994), H.P. Lovecraft’s Lurking Fear (1994), 3 Ninjas Knuckle Up (1995), A Little Princess (1995), Clive Barker’s Lords of Illusion (1995), Two Much (1995), The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996), The Beautician and the Beast (1997), the 1997 James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) as Dr. Kaufman, Love Kills (1998), Dry Martini (1998), La Cena Informale (1998), Restons Groupes (1998), Casper Meets Wendy (1998), Rusty: A Dog’s Tale (1998), Milo (1998), Coyote Moon (1999), Treehouse Hostage (1999), Man on the Moon (1999), The Prince and the Surfer (1999), American Virgin (2000), 3 Strikes (2000), American Saint (2001), Death to Smoochy (2002) as Buggy Ding Dong, Solino (2002), The 4th Tenor (2002), Beggage (2003), How to Get the Man’s Foot Outta Your Ass (2003), Gli Indesiderabili (2003), The Cost of Bread (2004), and Miracle in Palermo! (2005). Schiavelli was also featured in numerous tele-films including Rescue from Gilligan’s Island (1978), Escape (1980), White Mama (1980), Nightside (1980), Miss Lonelyhearts (1983), The Ratings Game (1984), Lots of Luck (1985), Bride of Boogedy (1987), The Courtyard (1995), Brothers’ Destiny (1995), Escape to Witch Mountain (1995), The Whipping Boy (1995), Back to Back: American Yakuza 21 (1996), The Pooch and the Pauper (1999), Heat Vision and Jack (1999), Snow White: The Fairest of Them All (2001), Ferrari (2003), Maximum Surge Movie (2003), and the Italian miniseries La Bambina dalle Mani Sporche (2005). Schiavelli reprised his role as Mr. Vargas in the short-lived television spin-off of Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Fast Times, in 1986, and was Leonard in several of Tim Conway’s Dorf videos, including Dorf on Golf (1987) and Dorf and the First Games of Mount Olympus (1988). He was also a voice actor in several animated films including Hey Arnold: The Movie (2002), and such video games as Blade Runner and Emperor: Battle for Dune. He was also a voice actor in the animated series Aaaghh!!! Real Monsters, Batman as the magician Zatara, and Family Guy. Schiavelli also guest starred in episodes of numerous television series including Starsky and Hutch, Charlie’s Angels, WKRP in Cincinnati, Hart to Hart, Young Maverick, Taxi in the recurring role of Reverend Gorky, Cagney and Lacey, Trapper John, M.D., the Faerie Tale Theatre production of Pinocchio, Night Court, Otherworld, Hardcastle and McCormick, Moonlighting, Who’s the Boss, Shadow Chasers, The Fall Guy, Remington Steele, Head of the Class, MacGyver, Shell Game, Matlock, The Bronx Zoo, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Knots Landing, Miami Vice, Married People, Tales from the Crypt, Parker Lewis Can’t Lose, Eerie, Indiana, Highlander, Matrix, Melrose Place, M.A.N.T.I.S., The X Files, Bone Chillers, Baywatch Nights, Perversions of Science, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dharma & Greg, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, and Dead Last. Schiavelli was also an accomplished chef and the author of several cookbooks on Sicilian cuisine. He had resided in Italy in recent years, where he performed and directed on stage and television. • Los Angeles Times, Dec. 27, 2005, B11; New York Times, Dec. 29,
331 2005, A25; People, Jan. 9, 2006, 109; Time, Jan. 9, 2005, 19; Variety, Jan. 2, 2005, 36.
SCHIFFER, ROBERT J. Hollywood makeup artist Robert J. Schiffer died in Los Angeles of complications from a stroke on April 26, 2005. He was 88. Schiffer was born in Seattle, Washington, on September 4, 1916. He began working in films at RKO in the early 1930s, and was makeup artist on hundreds of films during his lengthy career. His numerous credits include Horse Feathers (1932), The Merry Widow (1934), The Gay Divorcee (1934), The Informer (1935), Becky Sharp (1935), She (1935), Top Hat (1935), The Last Days of Pompeii (1935), Mutiny on the Bounty (1935), A Night at the Opera (1935), Annie Oakley (1935), Trouble for Two (1936), The Great Ziegfeld (1936), The Devil Doll (1936), The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936), After the Thin Man (1936), Pennies from Heaven (1936), The Good Earth (1937), Captains Courageous (1937), Maytime (1937), The Awful Truth (1937), Boys Town (1938), Only Angels Have Wings (1939), Blondie Takes a Vacation (1939), Coast Guard (1939), The Wizard of Oz (1939), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939), Blondie Brings Up Baby (1939), Boom Town (1940), Arizona (1940), Angels Over Broadway (1940), Adam Had Four Sons (1941), Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941), The Magnificent Ambersons (1942), Cover Girl (1944), Tonight and Every Night (1945), Gilda (1946) starring Rita Hayworth, Talk About a Lady (1946), The Jolson Story (1946), The Corpse Came C.O.D. (1947), The Lady from Shanghai (1947), The Fuller Brush Man (1948), Kiss the Blood Off My Hands (1948), Adventures of Don Juan (1948), Knock on Any Door (1949), The Undercover Man (1949), We Were Strangers (1949), The Secret of St. Ives (1949), Anna Lucasta (1949), South of Death Valley (1949), All the King’s Men (1949), Bodyhold (1949), Blondie’s Hero (1950), The Good Humor Man (1950), On the Isle of Samoa (1950), The Torch (1950), The Fuller Brush Girl (1950), The Killer That Stalked New York (1950), The Brave Bulls (1951), Lorna Doone (1951), An American in Paris (1951), Ten Tall Men (1951), The Barefoot Mailman (1951), Death of a Salesman (1951), Affair in Trinidad (1952), Salome (1953), The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T (1953), From Here to Eternity (1953), Miss Sadie Thompson (1953), The Caine Mutiny (1954), Apache
Robert J. Schiffer
2005 • Obituaries
(1954), Vera Cruz (1954), The Long Gray Line (1955), Marty (1955), Kiss Me Deadly (1955), Mister Roberts (1955), My Sister Eileen (1955), Picnic (1955), The Harder They Fall (1956), The Eddy Duchin Story (1956), Storm Center (1956), The Solid Gold Cadillac (1956), Attack (1956), Around the World in Eighty Days (1956), Forty Guns (1957), Crime of Passion (1957), The Bachelor Party (1957), Fury at Showdown (1957), Sweet Smell of Success (1957), 3:10 to Yuma (1957), Operation Mad Ball (1957), Pal Joey (1957), The Amazing Colossal Man (1957), Run Silent, Run Deep (1958), Gigi (1958), Separate Tables (1958), Auntie Mame (1958), The Devil’s Disciple (1959), Elmer Gantry (1960), Ocean’s Eleven (1960), The Wackiest Ship in the Army (1960), The Young Savages (1961), The Devil at 4 O’Clock (1961), Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), The Music Man (1962), Birdman of Alcatraz (1962), What Ever Happened to Baby Jane (1962) with Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, Freud (1962), A Child Is Waiting (1963), The Leopard (1963), Cleopatra (1963), 4 for Texas (1963), Flight from Ashiya (1964), Robin and the 7 Hoods (1964), Ensign Pulver (19640, My Fair Lady (1964) with Audrey Hepburn, Hush ... Hush ... Sweet Charlotte (1964), The Hallelujah Trail (1965), Cat Ballou (1965), The Trouble with Angels (1966), Cast a Giant Shadow (1966), The Fortune Cookie (1966), The Professionals (1966), Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mama’s Hung You in the Closet and I’m Feeling So Sad (1967), How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1967), The Legend of Lylah Claire (1968), Castle Keep (1969), The Gypsy Moth (1969), The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969), The Boatniks (1970), The Wild Country (1971), The Barefoot Executive (1971), Scandalous John (1971), The Million Dollar Duck (1971), Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971), The Biscuit Eater (1972), Napoleon and Samantha (1972), Now You See Him, Now You Don’t (1972), Snowball Express (1972), One Little Indian (1973), Charley and the Angel (1973), The Island at the Top of the World (1974), The Castaway Cowboy (1974), The Bears and I (1974), The Strongest Man in the World (1975), Escape to Witch Mountain (1975), No Deposit, No Return (1976), Treasure of Matecumbe (1976), Gus (1976), The Shagg y D.A. (1976), Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977), Pete’s Dragon (1977), Hot Lead and Cold Feet (1978), Return from Witch Mountain (1978), The Cat from Outer Space (1978), The North Avenue Irregulars (1979), The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again (1979), The Black Hole (1979), Midnight Madness (1980), The Last Flight of Noah’s Ark (1980), Herbie Goes Bananas (1980), Tron (1982), Tex (1982), Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983), Country (1984), Splash (1984), Tim Burton’s short Frankenweenie (1984), Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend (1985), and Tough Guys (1986). Schiffer also worked often in television, serving as a makeup artist for the tele-films My Dog, the Thief (1969), Secrets of the Pirates’ Inn (1969), Menace on the Mountain (1970), Wacky Zoo of Morgan City (1970), Mystery in Dracula’s Castle (1973), The Whiz Kid and the Mystery at Riverton (1974), Hog Wild (1974), Return of the Big Cat (1974), The Whiz Kid and the Carnival Caper (1976), The Young Runaways (1978), The Kids Who Knew Too Much (1980), The Ghosts of Buxley Hall (1980), Tales of the Apple
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Dumpling Gang (1982), The Adventures of Pollyanna (1982), and I-Man (1986). • Los Angeles Times, May 1, 2005, B15; New York Times, May 8, 2005, 31; Times (of London), May 6, 2005, 70; Variety, May 9, 2005, 68.
SCHLEGEL, JEAN Swiss actor Jean Schlegel died of a heart attack in Geneva, Switzerland, on December 17, 2005. He was 58. Schlegel was born in Geneva on May 25, 1947. He began his career on stage in the 1970s. He also appeared in the films Jonah Who Will Be 25 in the Year 2000 (1976), Federico Fellini’s And The Ship Sails On (1983), Signe Renart (1984), In the Eyes of the Snake (1994), Three Colours: Red (1994), Black for Remembrance (1995), and Cronos & Rhea (2004). SCHMELING, MAX German heavyweight boxing champion Max Schmeling died at his home in Hollenstedt, Germany, on February 2, 2005. He was 99. Schmeling was born in Brandenburg, Germany, on September 28, 1905. He became the first European World Heavyweight Champion on June 12, 1930, when he defeated Jack Sharkey by disqualification. He lost his title two years later in a rematch with Sharkey. He returned to the championship, becoming the first man to knock out Joe Louis in a match on June 19, 1936. Louis knocked Schmeling out in the first match of a return bout in New York’s Yankee Stadium on June 22, 1938. He was also seen in the German films Love in the Ring (1930) and The Stars Shine (1938). Though often at odds with the Nazi government of Germany, Schmeling served in the German army during World War II and was badly injured. After the war he returned to the ring, but retired from the ring after a 1948 loss. Investing in a Coca-Cola franchise in Germany, he became a successful businessman. He also appeared in cameo roles in the films Wonderful Times (1950) and The Affairs of Julia (1957). He remained a personal friend of Joe Louis and paid for his former ring foe’s funeral in 1981. Schmeling was married to Czech actress Anny Ondra from 1932 until her death in 1987. • Los Angeles Times, Feb. 5, 2005, B16; New York Times, Feb. 5, 2005, A15; People, Feb. 21, 2005, 97; Time, Feb. 14, 2005, 19; Times (of London), Feb. 5, 2005, 63.
SCHMIDT, GISELE Canadian actress Gisele Schmidt died in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on January 30, 2005. She was 83. She appeared often in productions on the Canadian stage. She also starred in the television series Le Paradis Terrestre in 1968 as Irene Damphousse, and was Gertrude Germain in 1974’s La Petite Patrie. She was also seen in the films The Tin Flute (1983), Des Amis Pour la Vie (1988), and Nenette, and was featured in the 1992 television series Montreal P.Q.
Gisele Schmidt (with Guy Provost)
SCHNEEBAUM , TOBIAS Tobias Schneebaum, an artist, writer, and cannibal cohort, died of complications from Parkinson’s disease in Great Neck, New York, on September 20, 2005. He was 84. Schneebaum was born Theodore Schneebaum in Manhattan on March 25, 1921, but changed his name to Tobias as a young man. He trained as a painter and achieved some success with his abstracts. Feeling displaced from American society in the 1950s because of his homosexuality and Jewish faith, Schneebaum began to travel. He landed in Peru in 1955 where he sought out an obscure tribe known as the Arakmbut near the edge of the rain forest. Schneebaum wandered into the rain forest alone, vanishing for over six months. Presumed dead, he shocked all by emerging, naked and covered in body paint, with a wild tale of his exploits with the primitive tribe. He told of being accepted by the natives and
Max Schmeling Tobias Schneebaum
333 eventually accompanying them on a massacre of another tribe and dining on the victims. Dismayed by the menu Schneebaum eventually fled his tribal companions. He wrote a book, Keep the River on Your Right, based on his experiences. He also wrote several other memoirs including Wild Man (1979), Where the Spirits Dwell (1988), and Secret Place; My Life in New York and New Guinea (2000). Doubts about Schneebaum’s tale abounded until filmmakers David and Laurie Shapiro accompanied the aged explorer on a reunion with the Arakmbut tribe. The elders recognized him and welcomed him warmly though they refused to speak of their dining proclivities. The filmed results of this reunion were seen in the 2000 documentary Keep the River on Your Right; A Modern Cannibal Tale. • New York Times, Sept. 25, 2005, 44; Times (of London), Oct. 6, 2005, 67.
SCHULTES, WILLY Veteran German character actor Willy Schultes died in Munich, Germany, on November 19, 2005. He was 85. Schultes was born in Munich on January 28, 1920. He appeared in numerous films from the late 1930s including Der Katzensteg (1937), Les Risque-tout (1940), Jagerblut (1957), Mein Madchen ist ein Postillion (1958), The Doctor of Stalingrad (1958), Taiga (1958), Paprika (1959), ...Und Keiner Schamte Sich (1960), The Turkish Cucumber (1962), The Pastor with the Jazz Trumpet (1962), Bavaria Is Not Texas (1966), Up the Establishment! (1969), Prostitution Heute (1970), Jonathan (1970), O Happy Day (1970), Nurses Report (1972), Chetan, Indian Boy (1973), Sex-Traume-Report (1973), Love Bavarian Style (1973), Confession of a Sexy Photographer (1974), Special Section (1975), The Expulsion from Paradise (1977), Drei Schwedinnen in Oberbayem (1977), Die Jugendstreiche des Knaben Karl (1977), and The Nasty Girl (1990). Schultes also appeared often on German television from the 1960s, appearing in productions of Tatort— Munchner Kindl (1972), Plonk (1972), Munchner Geschichten (1974), Swickelbach & Co. (1976), Die Munze (1979), Der Millionenbauer (1979), Anton Sittinger (1979), Tatort— Ende der Vorstellung (1979), Krelling (1980), Politik und Fuhrerschein (1985), Schaf kopfrennen (1986), Tatort— Gebrochene Bluten (1988), Heidi und Erni (1990), Im Schatten der Gipfel (1992), Ein Hund fur alle
Willy Schultes
2005 • Obituaries
Falle (2002), and Der Zweite Fruhling (2003), and in such series as Der Kommissar, Der Alte, Derrick, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Cafe Meineid, and Siska.
SCHULTHIES, CHARLES Special effects designer Charles R. Schulthies died on April 28, 2005. He was 82. Schulthies was born in Ferdanand, Indiana, on October 28, 1922. He was best known as for his work as production designer on the science fiction film Westworld in 1973. He also designed special effects for such films as Ambush Bay (1966), Diner (1982), My Favorite Year (1982), and Teachers (1984), and the 1977 television mini-series How the West Was Won.
Charles Schulthies
SCHWALM, TOM British film and television editor Tom Schwalm died in England on October 9, 2005. He was 62. Schwalm was born in Germany on May 9, 1943. He was a founder of Films of Record in the early 1970s. He worked as an editor on the films The London Rock and Roll Show (1973), The Battle of Billy’s Pond (1976), Glitterball (1977), Babylon (1980), Killing Heat (1981), Monty Python’s The Secret Policeman’s Other Ball (1982), White Elephant (1983), Forbidden (1984), and The Fantasist (1986). He was also editor of the television productions Monty Python Meets Beyond the Fringe (1976), Nelly’s Version (1983), A Father’s Revenge (1988), Mary Higgins Clark’s Terror Stalks the Class Reunion (1982), and Chalemagne (1993). He also worked on the television series Robin of Sherwood.
Tom Schwalm
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SCHWIDDE, JESS T. Jess T. Schwidde, a doctor, anthropologist, and occasional actor, died at his home in Billings, Montana, on December 9, 2005. He was 89. Schwidde was born in Shenandoah, Iowa, on December 4, 1916. He frequently appeared as an extra in films shot in Minnesota including Little Big Man and Missouri Breaks. He also had speaking roles in several films including A River Runs Through It (1992) as Mr. Sweeney the mailman, and Holy Matrimony (1994).
South, F/X: The Series, PSI Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal, La Femme Nikita, Relic Hunter, Total Recall 2070, Code Name: Eternity, Queer as Folk, Blue Murder, Mutant X, Witchblade, Adventure Inc., Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye, and 1–800-Missing.
SCOTT, CAROL Television producer and director Carol Scott Caramadre died of cancer in Studio City, California, on June 24, 2005. She was 56. Scott was born in Ebensburg, Pennsylvania, in 1948. She began working in television in the early 1970s as a production assistant to Roone Arledge at ABC. She worked as an associate director on such television sitcoms as True Colors, The Stockard Channing Show, Night Court, Champs, and Day by Day. She worked on the daytime soap opera General Hospital as a camera director, line producer, co-producer, editorial supervisor, and producer for a dozen years since 1993. She had earned four daytime Emmy Awards for her work on the show. • Los Angeles Times, June 30, 2005, B11; Variety, July 11, 2005, 45.
SCOREN, JOSEPH Canadian character actor Joseph Scoren died of a heart attack in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on August 9, 2005. He made his film debut, billed as Joseph Scorsiani, in David Cronenberg’s 1991 adaptation of William Burrough’s Naked Lunch. He was also seen in such films as Dream Lover (1994), The Donor (1995), Boy Meets Girl (1998), Chasing Cain (2001), Who Is Cletis Tout? (2001), Cypher (2002), Partners in Action (2002), Chicago (2002), Owning Mahowny (2003), Detention (2003), and Direct Action (2004). He also appeared in the television mini-series Conspiracy of Silence (1991), and the telefilms Citizen Cohn (1992), Between Love and Honor (1995), The Android Affair (1995), Killer Deal (1999), Almost America (2001), and Torso: The Evelyn Dick Story (2002). Scoren starred as Elder Balaam in the 1999 television series Peter Benchley’s Amazon, and guest starred in episodes of Katts and Dog, The Hidden Room, Due
SCOTT, DEBRALEE Actress Debralee Scott, who starred in such television sit-coms as Welcome Back, Kotter and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, and the Police Academy film series, died at her home in Amelia Island, Florida, on April 5, 2005. She was 52. Scott was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, on April 2, 1953. She moved to California in the early 1970s and was seen in small roles in the films Dirty Harry (1971), American Graffiti (1973), Our Time (1974), The Crazy World of Julius Vrooder (1974), Earthquake (1974), The Reincarnation of Peter Proud (1975), Incoming Freshmen (1979), Just Tell Me You Love Me (1980), Pandemonium (1982), and Misplaced (1989). She also appeared in the tele-films Lisa, Bright and Dark (1973), A Summer Without Boys (1973), Senior Year (1974), and Death Moon (1978). She appeared regularly as Evie Martinson in the short-lived television drama series Sons and Daughters in 1974. She played female Sweathog Rosalie “Hotsy” Totsy in the television comedy series Welcome Back, Kotter in 1975, and starred as Cathy Shumway in the sit-com classics Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman in 1976 and Forever Fernwood in 1977. Scott starred as Marie Falco in the comedy series Angie in 1979, and guest starred in such series as Isis and The Love Boat.
Joseph Scoren
Debralee Scott
Jess T. Schwidde
335 She was also a frequent panelist on game shows in the 1970s including Match Game, The $20,000 Pyramid, Chain Reaction, Password Plus, and Get Rich Quick. Scott starred as Mrs. Fackler in the 1984 film comedy Police Academy in 1984, and reprised the role in the 1986 sequel Police Academy 3: Back in Training. • Los Angeles Times, Apr. 9, 2005, B15; Variety, Apr. 18, 2005, 44.
SCOTT, GENE Television evangelist Dr. Gene Scott died of complications from a stroke in Los Angeles on February 21, 2005. He was 75. Scott was born in Buhl, Idaho, on August 14, 1929. He attended Stanford University in the 1950s, where he earned a doctorate in philosophies of education. He became pastor of the Los Angeles University Cathedral in the 1970s, and began a series of late night television broadcasts during the decade. The cigar-smoking minister, often wearing a cowboy hat, would address his audience on Bible history and teachings. He was also the author of over 20 books. • Los Angeles Times, Feb. 23, 2005, B8; New York Times, Mar. 6, 2005, 44; Variety, Feb. 28, 2005, 54.
2005 • Obituaries
the Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind in 1936, where he met Clarence Fountain and Jimmy Carter. They formed a singing group in 1939 with Scott also accompanying on guitar. They became a popular gospel act throughout the 1940s and 1950s. They attracted a new generation of fans in recent years and recorded with such artists as Lou Reed, Abrahim Ferrer, and Ben Harper. The Blind Boys of Alabama earned their fourth consecutive Grammy Award earlier in 2005 for an album they recorded with Harper. Scott’s booming baritone was also heard in his final album with the group, Atom Bomb, released after his death. • Los Angeles Times, Mar. 11, 2005, B10; New York Times, Mar. 12, 2005, C11; Time, Mar. 28, 2005, 20.
SCOTT, GEORGE George Scott, a founder of the gospel singing group Blind Boys of Alabama, died in his sleep in his home in Durham, North Carolina, on March 9, 2005. He was 75. Scott was born in Notasulga, Alabama, on March 18, 1929. He was sent to
SCOTT, MARGARETTA British actress Margaretta Scott died in England on April 15, 2005. She was 93. Scott was born in London on February 13, 1912. She began her career on stage at the age of 14 appearing in a small role in a production of Romeo and Juliet. She became a leading star of stage, film and television in a career that spanned over 70 years. She starred in numerous films from the early 1930s including Dirty Work (1934), The Private Life of Don Juan (1934), Peg of Old Drury (1935), the 1936 adaptation of H.G. Wells’ science fiction classic Things to Come as Roxana and Rowena, Action for Slander (1937), Return of the Scarlet Pimpernel (1937), Quiet Wedding (1941), Girl in the News (1941), Sons of the Sea (1941), Sabotage at Sea (1942), Fanny by Gaslight (1944), The Man from Morocco (1945), Mrs. Fitzherbert (1947), The Story of Shirley Yorke (1948), Idol of Paris (1948), Counterblast (1948), Calling Paul Temple (1948), The First Gentleman (1948), Landfall (1949), Where’s Charley (1952), The Last Man to Hang? (1956), The Scamp (1957), Town on Trial (1957), Woman Possessed (1959), An Honourable Murder (1960), Crescendo (1970), and Percy (1971). She starred as Portia in a 1947 television adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, and starred in the 1957 production of A Tale of Two Cities. She was also featured in television productions of Elizabeth R (1971), Days of Hope (1975), The Racing Game (1979), Lord Peter Wimsey (1987), The Woman He Loved (1988), and Catherine Cookson’s The Moth (1997). Scott also starred as Mrs. Pumphrey in the popular British television series All Creatures Great and Small from 1978
George Scott
Margaretta Scott
Gene Scott
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through the mid–1980s. Her other television credits include guest roles in such series as Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Presents, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Cheaters, Studio Four, The Saint, Richard the Lionheart, Ryan International, Upstairs, Downstairs, The Adventurer, The Duchess of Duke Street, Bergerac, and Lovejoy. She also remained active on stage through the 1990s, co-starring with Leo McKern in a production of Hobson’s Choice in 1995. Scott was married to composer John Wooldridge until his death in a car crash in 1958. Her survivors include her daughter, actress Susan Wooldridge, and her son, director Hugh Wooldridge. • Times (of London, Apr. 21, 2005, 64.
SCOTT, MICKEY Makeup artist Mickey Scott died in Las Vegas on August 30, 2005. She was 76. Scott was born in New York City of April 25, 1929. She began working in films in the early 1970s as a makeup artist for Oh! Calcutta!. She worked on numerous films during the 1980s including They All Laughed (1981), The Big Chill (1983), Falling in Love (1984), Prizzi’s Honor (1985), Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins (1985), The Money Pit (1986), Violets Are Blue... (1986), Brighton Beach Memoirs (1986), The Believers (1987), Hello Again (1987), Big (1988), Second Sight (1989), Stanley & Iris (1990), and Mermaids (1990). SEABOURNE, PETER British film editor and director Peter Seabourne died on July 27, 2005. Seabourne began his career as an assistant to his father, editor John Seabourne, Sr., on such films as The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943), The Woman in the Hall (1947), and Esther Waters (1948). He worked as a sound editor on several films including Fools Rush In (1949), Dear Mr. Prohack (1949), and The Assassin (1952), and edited the features The Wooden Horse (1950), Trouble in Store (1953), Roadhouse Girl (1953), The Dog and the Diamonds (1953), Death Goes to School (1953), and Devil’s Harbor (1954). Seabourne also edited the 1950s television series The Adventures of Robin Hood. Seabourne wrote and directed the films Countdown to Danger (1967) and Escape from the Sea (1968) for the Children’s Film Foundation. He also produced and directed television versions of several Gilbert and Sullivan works in the early 1970s including The Yeomen of the Guard (1972), H.M.S. Pinafore (1972), The Gondoliers (1972), Ruddigore (1972), The Pirates of Penzance (1972), The Mikado (1972), and Iolante (1972). SEAGO, TERRY D. Actor Terry D. Seago died on March 25, 2005. He was 55. Seago was born on November 11, 1949. He appeared in several films from the 1980s including Eagle Island (1986), Nightmare at Noon (1988), Public Enemies (1996), and Holy Tortilla (1998). He was also featured in the 1985 telefilm Code of Vengeance, and appeared in episodes of television’s L.A. Law and Walker, Texas Ranger. SEARLE, FRANK Cryptozoologist Frank Searle, who spent decades searching for the Loch Ness monster, died in the town of Fleetwood, Lancashire, England, on March 26, 2005. He was 84. Searle was born in Staines, Middlesex, England, on March 18,
Terry D. Seago
1921. He began his interest in Loch Ness in the late 1960s and sought for the next two decades to photograph the elusive creature rumored to exist there. Searle produced 20 photographs he claimed to be the beast, but most critics believed the pictures to have been faked. He authored the story of his quest in 1976, Nessie: Seven Years in Search of the Monster. Searle was a suspect in a fire-bombing on a rival Loch Ness researcher in 1985. He fled to avoid questioning, and his whereabouts remained unknown until his death. • Times (of London), May 30, 2005, 45.
Frank Searle
SEEGER, HAL Animator Hal Seeger died in Paramus, New Jersey, on March 13, 2005. He was 87. Seeger was born on May 16, 1917. He began his career as an assistant animator with Fleischer Studios in the late 1930s. He was an animator on the cartoons A Kick in Time (1940), Popeye Meets William Tell (1940), Hoppity Goes to Town (1941), and others. In the 1940s he also directed the live-action documentary film Hands Tell the Story, and scripted several black audience films for Josh Binney’s All-American Productions including Hi-De-Ho (1947) with Cab Calloway, Boarding House Blues (1948), and Killer Diller (1948). He formed Hal Seeger Productions in New York City in the late 1950s, producing numerous commercials and such popular cartoons as Out of the Inkwell (1962), The Milton the Monster Show (1965), and Batfink (1966). He also pro-
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Hal Seeger
John Seitz
duced the opening animation sequences for Warner Bros.’s The Porky Pig Show in 1964.
(1991), Out of the Rain (1991), Oliver Stone’s JFK (1991), Pajeczarki (1993), The Frog King (1994), The Hudsucker Proxy (1994), Blood and Wine (1996), Fool’s Paradise (1997), Night Falls on Manhattan (1997), G.I. Jane (1997), Weekend Getaway (1998), Sheer Passion (1998), The Confession (1999), Ten Hundred Kings (2001), The Bread, My Sweet (2001), Chelsea Walls (2001), and The Next Big Thing (2001). He was also seen in the telefilms Ephraim McDowell’s Kentucky Ride (1981), A Deadly Business (1986), Day One (1989), Darrow (1991), Citizen Cohn (1992), and Perfect Murder, Perfect Town: JonBenet and the City of Boulder (2000). Seitz also starred as Zack Hill in the daytime soap opera Another World in 1983, nd was featured in episodes of Spenser: For Hire, Crime Story, The Equalizer, Law & Order, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. • New York Times, July 20, 2005, A21.
SEGAL, JACK Songwriter Jack Segal died at his home in Tarzana, California, on February 10, 2005. He was 86. Segal was born on October 19, 1918. He was lyricist on the popular song “When Sunny Gets Blue” with co-writer Marvin Fisher. He also wrote the hit tunes “Scarlet Ribbons” and “When Joanna Loved Me” with collaborator Bob Wells. He and Wells also wrote the Frank Sinatra hit “Here’s to the Losers.” • Los Angeles Times, Feb. 14, 2005, B9.
Jack Segal
SEKIGUCHI, HIDEAKI “BILLY” Japanese musician Hideaki ‘Billy’ Sekiguchi, who performed as Bass Wolf with the rock group Guitar Wolf, died of a heart attack in New Orleans, Louisiana, on March 31, 2005. He was 38. Sekiguchi was born in Japan on January 8, 1967. He formed the band Guitar Wolf with lead singer and guitarist Seiji in the early 1990s. Their albums include Wolf Rock, Missile Me, and Jet Generation. The group performed regularly in Memphis, Tennessee, and were featured in local filmmaker John Michael McCarthy’s bizarre science fiction film The
SEITZ, JOHN Character actor John Seitz died in Baltimore, Maryland, on July 4, 2005. He was 67. Seitz was born on November 16, 1937. The bald, barrelchested performer was a veteran of numerous stage productions. He was a veteran of twenty seasons with the Eugene O’Neill National Playwrights Conference, and performed on Broadway in productions of The Merchant (1977), Frankenstein (1981), Solomon’s Child (1982), and No Man’s Land (1994). He also appeared in numerous off–Broadway productions including Samuel Beckett’s Krapps Last Tape, Mud, End Game, The Merchant of Venice, and Barbarians. Seitz also appeared in numerous films including The Outsider (1979), The Prowler (1981), Hard Choices (1985), Five Corners (1987), Call Me (1988), Talk Radio (1988), Forced March (1989), Presumed Innocent (1990), A Rage in Harlem
Hideaki “Billy” Sekiguchi
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Sore Losers (1997). He and Seiji subsequently starred in Tetsuro Takeuchi’s zombie horror film Wild Zero in 2000.
SEREBRYAKOV, NIKOLAI Russian animator Nikolai Serebryakov died in Moscow on August 9, 2005. He was 76. Serebryakov was born in Leningrad on December 14, 1928. He studied art and worked in theatrical design in the 1950s. He joined Soyuzmultifilm, the Moscow animation studio, in 1960. Serebryakov began his career as a filmmaker collaborating with Vadim Kurchevsky on the puppet animation films I Want to Be Brave (1963), Little Lazybones (1964), and Neither God Nor Devil (1965). He earned acclaim for his award-winning animated short, Ball of Wool, in 1968. Serebryakov worked with his wife, designer Alina Speshneva, through the 1970s until her death in an accident in 1984. He continued to make films at Soyuzmultifilm, including the award-winning Actor in 1989. He also worked on the Welsh-Russian co-production, Shakespeare: The Animated Tales in 1992, directing animated versions of Macbeth and Othello.
Nikolai Serebryakov
SERGAVA, KATHARINE Ballet dancer and actress Katharine Sergava, who starred as Laurey in the dream ballet sequence in the original Broadway production of Oklahoma! in the 1940s, died at her home in Manhattan, New York, on November 26, 2005. She was 95. Sergava was born in Tblisi, Georgia, Russia, on July 30, 1910, and came went to London with her family during the Russian Revolution. She studied ballet in London and Paris before coming to the United States. She performed in New York with the Mordkin Ballet, the American Ballet Theater, and the Ballet Russe. She appeared in several films in the 1930s including Hi, Nellie! (1934), Bedside (1934), Wonder Bar (1934), and This Woman Is Mine (1935). She performed the role Laurey in Agnes de Mille’s choreographed ballet in Oklahoma! on Broadway from 1943 to 1947. She subsequently starred in the Broadway production of Look Ma, I’m Dancing, and replaced Lotte Lenya in The Threepenny Opera in 1956. Sergava also appeared in productions of Dial M for Murder and Jean Cocteau’s The Typewriter, and was seen on television in such series as Star Tonight, Armstrong Circle Theatre, and The
Katharine Sergava
DuPont Show of the Week. • New York Times, Dec. 6, 2005, C19.
SETTLE, MARY LEE Novelist Mary Lee Settle died of lung cancer at her home in Ivy, Virginia, on September 27, 2005. She was 87. Settle was born in Charleston, West Virginia, on July 29, 1918. She worked as a model and actress in the late 1930s and reportedly tested for the role of Scarlett O’Hara for the film Gone with the Wind. She lived in England during World War II, serving with the British Women’s Auxiliary Air Force, and working with the London office of the U.S. Office of War Information. She wrote for magazines and newspapers after the war and was also seen in the 1953 film The Pleasure Garden. Her first novel, The Love Eaters, was published in 1954. She began her acclaimed Beulah Quintet with the novel O Beulah Land in 1956. Subsequent volumes included Know Nothing (1960), Prisons, The Scapegoat, and 1982’s The Killing Ground. Settle received the National Book Award for Fiction for her 1978 novel Blood Tie. Settle was a founder of the annual PEN/Faulkner Award (PEN standing for poets, editors and novelists), whose recipients were chosen by a panel of fellow writer. The first award was first presented in 1981. She remained a member of the PEN/Faulkner board until her death. • Los Angeles Times, Oct. 2, 2005, B12; New York Times, Sept. 29, 2005, B9.
Mary Lee Settle
339 SEZER, METE Turkish actor Mete Sezer died of liver failure in Ankara, Turkey, on August 3, 2005. He was 70. Sezer was born in Unye, Turkey, in 1935. He was featured in such films as Bahtimin Yildizi (1960), Hanende Melek (1975), The Bad Spirits of the Euphrates (1977), and Gol Krali (1980).
Mete Sezer
2005 • Obituaries
(1990), Problem Child (1990), Air America (1990), Darkman (1990), Mr. Destiny (1990), Dances with Wolves (1990), Look Who’s Talking Too (1990), White Fang (1991), Flight of the Intruder (1991), Eve of Destruction (1991), The Doors (1991), Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead (1991), Rover Dangerfield (1991), Child’s Play 3 (1991), Universal Soldier (1992), Honey I Blew Up the Kid (1992), Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992), Army of Darkness (1993), RoboCop 3 (1993), So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993), Hard Target (1993), Look Who’s Talking Now (1993), Ghost in the Machine (1993), Wagons East (1994), Stargate (1994), Dumb and Dumber (1994), The Quick and the Dead (1994), Don Juan DeMarco (1995), To Die For (1995), Mortal Kombat (1995), Last of the Dogmen (1995), Se7en (1995), Barb Wire (1996), Independence Day (1996), Bogus (1996), Jackie Chan’s First Strike (1996), Good Will Hunting (1997), Mr. Magoo (1997), Psycho (1998), In Dreams (1999), Message in a Bottle (1999), Idle Hands (1999), The Hurricane (1999), Finding Forrester (2000), Hannibal (2001), A Knight’s Tale (2001), Swordfish (2001), Rush Hour 2 (2001), Black Hawk Down (2001), The Order (2003), and The Great Raid (2005).
Caryn Shalita
SHAUGHNESSY, ALFRED British film and television writer and director Alfred Shaughnessy died in Plymouth, England, on November 2, 2005. He was 89. Shaughnessy was born in London on May 19, 1916. He began working as a theatrical manager in the late 1930s. After serving in the Grenadier Guards during World War II Shaughnessy began working as a script reader at Ealing Studios. He directed the 1952 film Brandy for the Parson, and wrote and produced the film Scotch on the Rocks in 1953. During the 1950s he also directed Suspected Alibi (1956), the 1957 horror film Cat Girl, 6.5 Special (1958), and The Impersonator (1960). He scripted such features as Room in the House (1955), The Hostage (1955), A Touch of the Sun (1956), High Terrace (1956), Light Fingers (1957), Just My Luck (1957), and Follow That Horse! (1960). Shaughnessy was also script editor and writer for such British television series as The Informer and Hadleigh, and scripted episodes of The Saint, Journey to the Unknown, Spyder’s Web, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, The Irish RM, and All Creatures Great and Small. He was script editor and principal writer for the popular series Upstairs,
SHARP, BURTON Voice actor Burton Sharp, who was founder of ADR Voice Services, died of cancer in Van Nuys, California, on September 25, 2005. He was 74. Sharp was born on November 8, 1930. He served in the U.S. Air Force in the early 1950s as a photographer and photo analyst. After leaving the service in 1954 he worked in advertising, representing Monsanto in Mexico. He returned to Los Angeles in the early 1980s where he formed an agency for handling voice talent in films and television productions. Sharp served as coordinator of voice talent on numerous films over the next two decades including The Delta Force (1986), Date with an Angel (1987), Wall Street (1987), Rambo III 1988), Gor (1988), Born on the Forth of July (1989), Rockula (1990), Flashback (1990), Solar Crisis
Alfred Shaughnessy
SHALITA, CARYN Actress Caryn Shalita died on November 26, 2005. She was 37. Shalita was seen in several films from the late 1990s including Thursday Afternoon (1998), The Dog People (1998), Road Dogs (2003), and Infidelity (in Equal Parts) (2004).
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Downstairs in the early 1970s. Shaughnessy also wrote the films Crescendo (1970), The Flesh and Blood Show (1972), and Tiffany Jones (1973), and such television productions as The Haunting of Cassie Palmer (1982), The Fourth Arm (1983), By the Sword Divided (1983), Afterward (1985), Ladies in Charge (1986), and The Last Seance (1986). He wrote his memoirs, Both Ends of the Candle in 1975, and a followup volume, A Confession in Writing in 1997. He also wrote several novels including 1991’s Dearest Enemy. Shaughnessy was married to actress Jean Lodge from 1948 until his death. • Times (of London), Dec. 26, 2005, 68.
SHAY, MILDRED Actress Mildred Shay died of complications from a stroke while visiting her daughter in Glendale, California, on October 15, 2005. She was 94. Shay was born in Syracuse, New York, on September 26, 1911. Her father was a studio lawyer and Shay began appearing in films in the early 1930s. She made her screen debut in a small role in The Age of Consent in 1932. She also dubbed Greta Garbo’s voice for the 1932 Academy Award winning film Grand Hotel. She continued to appear in such films as A Bill of Divorcement (1932), Roman Scandals (1933), Made for Each Other (1939), Missing Daughters (1939), The Women (1939), Balalaika (1939), All Women Have Secrets (1939), Rancho Grande (1940), And One Was Beautiful (1940), In Old Missouri (1940), Ride, Tenderfoot, Ride (1940), The Philadelphia Story (1940), Lucky Devils (1941), The Phantom Submarine (1941), Reap the Wild Wind (1942), I Married an Angel (1942), Flight from Folly (1945), and Forever Amber (1947). She appeared frequently in the Hollywood gossip columns of the 1930s and 1940s, reportedly fending off advances from such film luminaries as Louis B. Mayer, Errol Flynn and Johnny Weissmuller. She was dubbed “Hollywood’s Pocket Venus” by columnist Walter Winchell because of her 5'2" size. Shay left films in the late 1940s after her third marriage, to British Army captain Geoffrey Steele. Settling in London, they remained together until Steele’s death in 1987. Shay resumed her acting career in the late 1960s, appearing in character roles in such films as Star! (1968), Model Shop (1969), The Great Gatsby (1974), Valentino (1977), Candleshoe (1977), Funny Money (1982), Superman III (1983),
Mildred Shay (with Rudolf Nuryev)
Death Wish 3 (1985), Labyrinth (1986), Little Shop of Horrors (1986), Hidden Agenda (1990), Bullseye! (1990), and Parting Shots (1999). She also appeared in the television productions of Pollyanna (1973), Brief Encounter (1974), The History of Mr. Polly (1980), and The Rothko Conspiracy, and in episodes of Inspector Morse and Perfect Scoundrels. • Los Angeles Times, Oct. 24, 2005, B9; Times (of London), Oct. 25 2005, 67; Variety, Oct. 31, 2005, 73.
SHEARD, MICHAEL British character actor Michael Sheard, who played Admiral Ozzel in the 1980 Star Wars sequel The Empire Strikes Back, died of cancer at his home on the Isle of Wight, off the southern coast of England, on August 31, 2005. He was 65. Sheard was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, on June 18, 1940. He appeared in numerous films from the early 1970s including The McKenzie Break (1970), The Darwin Adventure (1972), Mafia Junction (1973), England Made Me (1973), Holiday on the Buses (1973), Adam and Nicole (1975), London Conspiracy (1976), Force 10 from Navarone (1978), The Riddle of the Sands (1979), Escape to Athena (1979), Aftermath (1980), Rough Cut (1980), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Green Ice (1981), High Road to China (1983), Murder Rap (1987), Doombeach (1989), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), and Another Life (2001). Sheard starred as teacher Maurice Bronson on the British television series Grange Hill from 1985 to 1989, and was Arthur Dabner on the long-running British soap opera Coronation Street in 1989. Sheard also appeared in numerous other television productions including Crossroads (1964), Nineteen Eighty Four (1965), Ransom for a Pretty Girl (1966), The Death of Adolf Hitler (1973) as Heinrich Himmler, Fall of Eagles (1974), Cloud Burst (1974), Lord Peter Wimsey: Five Red Herrings (1975), Rogue Male (1976), The Dancing Years (1976), Stones (1976), Lillie (1978), Law and Order (1978), Les Miserables (1978), All Quiet on the Western Front (1979), Take the High Road (1980), Fear of God (1980), Caught on a Train (1980), Maggie (1981), The Bunker (1981) again as Himmler, The Dark Side of the Sun (1983), The Outsider (1983), The Invisible Man (1984), Cold Warrior (1984), The Dirty Dozen: The Next Mission (1985) as Adolf Hitler,
Michael Sheard (as Admiral Ozzel from The Empire Strikes Back)
341 James Michener’s Space (1985) again as Himmler, Hitler of the Andes (2003), and The British UFO Files (2004) as the Narrator. His television credits also include guest-starring roles in such series as Suspense, Dixon of Dock Green, The Likely Lads, The Mask of Janus, Doctor Who, The Troubleshooters, Adam Adamant Lives!, Softly Softly, Z-Cars, The Borderers, The First Lady, Strange Report, My Partner, the Ghost, The Adventures of Don Quick, Paul Temple, Jason King, The Persuaders!, The Adventures of Black Beauty, Van der Valk, Colditz, On the Buses, Special Branch, Not on Your Nellie, Dial M for Murder, The Sweeney, Oil Strike North, Within These Walls, Space: 1999, Second Verdict, Beasts, The New Avengers, Mind Your Language, The Professionals, Hazell, All Creatures Great and Small, The Tomorrow People, The Famous Five, Danger UXB, Minder, Blake’s 7, Play for Today, Enemy at the Door, Tales of the Unexpected, Buccaneer, The Sandbaggers, Take a Letter Mr. Jones, Auf Wiedersehen, Pet as Herr Grunwald, Bulman, Happy Families, Hannay, Saracen, The Darling Buds of May, Press Gang, Allo Allo!, and Star Hyke. • Los Angeles Times, Sept. 1, 2005, B11; Times (of London), Sept. 2, 2005, 73.
2005 • Obituaries
film in 1983. Immortality Inc. also became the 1992 film Freejack starring Emilio Estevez and Mick Jagger. • Los Angeles Times, Dec. 20, 2005, B13; New York Times, Dec. 10, 2005, B8.
SHEPHERD, JEANNE Jeanne Reddick, who performed on stage and screen as Jeanne Shepherd, died in Greenbrae, California, on March 16, 2005. She was 84. Shepherd was born in Verona, New Jersey, on March 16, 1921. She began her career on stage in the 1940s and starred with Errol Flynn in the 1948 film Adventures of Don Juan. She also appeared in numerous television productions in the early 1950s for such series as NBC Presents, Armstrong Circle Theatre, Goodyear Television Playhouse, Robert Montgomery Presents, and Inner Sanctum. She also worked in commercials before starting a second career in real estate. She retired in 1992 after suffering from macular degeneration.
SHECKLEY, ROBERT Science fiction writer Robert Sheckley died of complications from a brain aneurysm in Poughkeepsie, New York, on December 9, 2005. He was 77. Sheckley was born in New York City on July 16, 1928. He sold his first short story in the early 1950s after serving in Korea with the U.S. Army. A collection of his short stories was published in 1954. He continued to write satirical tales of the future including such popular novels as Journey Beyond Tomorrow (1962) and Dimension of Miracles. Sheckley’s story Murder Club was adapted for television on Armchair Theatre in 1961 and his novel Escape from Hell Island was filmed in 1963. Sheckley’s best known short story, The Seventh Victim, was adapted for the Italian film The Tenth Victim starring Marcello Mastroianni and Ursula Andress in 1965. His story The People Trap was adapted for television’s ABC Stage ’67 in 1966. His novel Immortality, Inc. was adapted for television in England for the Out of the Unknown series in 1969. Sheckley’s novel The Game of X became the Disney film Condorman in 1981, and his novel The Prize of Peril was adapted for
SHORT, BOBBY Cabaret singer Bobby Short died of leukemia in a New York City hospital on March 21, 2005. He was 80. Short was born in Danville, Illinois, on September 15, 1924. He began performing on the piano at an early age and was playing professionally at the age of nine. Known as the “Miniature King of Swing,” he performed in Chicago and on the vaudeville circuit. He was playing regularly at Manhattan clubs and the Apollo Theater by the time he was 12
Robert Sheckley
Bobby Short
Jeanne Shepherd
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years old. After taking a four year hiatus to complete high school, Short played for several years in Los Angeles, then toured in London and Paris in the early 1950s. He also recorded an album for Atlantic Records. Performing classic songs by the likes of Duke Ellington, Cole Porter, George Gershwin and Harold Arlen, Short was a mainstay at New York’s Carlyle Hotel for over 35 years. He was also seen in several films including Call Me Mister (1951), Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), Blue Ice (1992), For Love or Money (1993), and Man of the Century (1999). He also appeared in the 1979 mini-series Roots: The Next Generation, and the tele-films Hardhat and Legs (1980), and A Night on the Town (1983). His other television credits include episodes of The Love Boat, In the Heat of the Night, Central Park West, Frasier, and 7th Heaven. Short wrote his autobiography, Black and White Baby, in 1970, and revised his memoirs with Bobby Short: the Life and Times of a Saloon Singer in 1995. • Los Angeles Times, Mar. 22, 2005, B8; New York Times, Mar. 22, 2005, C17; People, Apr. 4, 2005, 81; Time, Apr. 4, 2005, 19; Times (of London), Mar. 23, 2005, 62; Variety, Mar. 28, 2005, 56.
SILK, JACK British stunt driver Jack Silk died in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, on March 12, 2005. He was 82. Silk was born in London on September 10, 1922. He worked often in films and television from the 1950s performing stunt work in such films as A Night to Remember (1958), The Fast Lady (1962), The Wrong Arm of the Law (1963), Thunderball (1965), The Skull (1965), Arabesque (1966), Our Mother’s House (1967), Where Eagles Dare (1968), The Devil Rides Out (1968), Psychomania (1971), Alfred Hitchcock’s Frenzy (1972), Callan (1974), and What’s Up Superdoc! (1978). He also worked on the British television series UFO and The Protectors. SILVERMAN , STANLEY Television writer Stanley Silverman died at home in Sarasota, Florida, on May 9, 2005. He was 90. Silverman was born in Brooklyn on September 20, 1914. During the 1950s Silverman scripted numerous television episodes for Ziv Productions, writing for such series as Science Fiction Theatre, Sea Hunt, Lock Up, and Harbor Command. He also scripted the 1958 film Gun Fever and wrote episodes of the series Sky King, The New Adventures of Charlie Chan, the soap opera Secret Storm, Have Gun —Will Travel, Boris Karloff ’s The Veil, Behind Closed Doors, and Shotgun Slade. During the 1960s Silverman worked often with blacklisted writer Robert Lees, scripting episodes of The Farmer’s Daughter, Flipper, Land of the Giants, The Green Hornet, and The Second Hundred Years.
SICHEL, JOHN British television producer and director John Sichel died of a heart attack in Bubwith, North Yorkshire, England, on April 5, 2005. Sichel began directing for television in the 1960s, helming television productions of Twelfth Night (1969) and The Friendly Persuaders (1969), and episodes of Virgin of the Secret Service, The Friendly Persuaders, and Coppers End. He also directed the National Theatre company’s film version of Checkhov’s Three Sisters with Laurence Olivier in 1970. He also directed Olivier in Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice in 1973, and helmed a television production of H.M.S. Pinafore (1973). Sichel produced many of the tele-films for the British television film series Thriller, which were aired on U.S. television as part of the ABC Wide World of Mystery. Sichel also directed some of the films in the series including Someone at the Top of the Stairs (1973), Spell of Evil (1973), Kiss Me and Die (aka The Savange Curse) (1974), Coffin for the Bride (aka Kiss, Kiss, Kill, Kill) (1974), and Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are (1974). He also produced and directed the 1975 series The Siege of Golden Hill.
SIMEONE , HARRY Harry Simeone, who popularized the classic Christmas song “The Little Drummer Boy,” died in a Manhattan, New York, hospital on February 22, 2005. He was 93. Simeone was born in Newark, New Jersey on May 9, 1911. He attended the Juilliard School of Music and then went to work for CBS as an accompanist and arranger. He joined Fred Waring’s band in the 1930s before going to Hollywood in 1939. Simeone was a musical arranger on several films including the Musical Parade shorts Bonnie Lassie (1944), The Little Witch (1945), and Naughty Nanette (1946), and the features Out of This World (1945), The Affairs of Susan (1945), and The Blue Dahlia (1946). He rejoined Waring for several years in 1945 and served as choral arranger and conductor for tele-
John Sichel
Harry Simeone
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vision’s The Firestone Hour, from 1952 to 1959. He recorded the popular version of “The Little Drummer Boy” leading the Harry Simeone Chorale, in 1958. He and the Chorale had another hit with the 1962 Christmas song “Do You Hear What I Hear?” • Los Angeles Times, Mar. 1, 2005, B9; New York Times, Feb. 25, 2005, A21.
SIMON , CLAUDE French writer Claude Simon, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1985, died in Paris on July 6, 2005. He was 91. Simon was born in Antanarivo, Madagascar, in 1914, and was raised in southern France. His earlier works, which include The Swindler, The Wind, and The Grass, were sometimes daunting for their lack of a narrative flow, but instead leading from description to description. Simon himself answered his critics by stating, “Those who reproach my novels for having neither a beginning nor an end are perfectly correct.” His best known work, The Flanders Road, which described the collapse of the French military during World War II, included his own impressions, as he fought in the conflict with the French cavalry before becoming a captive of the German invaders. He was awarded literature’s highest award, the Nobel Prize, in 1985. The Nobel committee stated that his work combined “the poet’s and the painter’s creativeness with a deepened awareness of time in the depiction of the human condition.” Simon’s later works include the autobiographical The Jardin des Plantes, published in 1997. • Los Angeles Times, July 10, 2005, B14; New York Times, July 10, 2005, 23; People, Aug. 15, 2005, 79; Times (of London), July 11, 2005, 47; Variety, Aug. 1, 2005, 32.
Danny Simon (left, with brother Neil Simon)
cluding New Faces of 1956 and Catch a Star. He also wrote for such television shows as The Phil Silvers Show, My Three Sons, The Carol Burnett Show, The Mac Davis Show, The Kraft Music Hall, and Diff ’rent Strokes. Simon was also the inspiration for the Felix Ungar character in his brother’s hit play, The Odd Couple. After retiring from writing for television Simon taught comedy writing. • Los Angeles Times, July 28, 2005, B10; New York Times, July 28, 2005, A23; Time, Aug, 8, 2005, 21.
SIMON, SIMONE Leading French actress Simone Simon, who starred as the sexy feline Irena Dubrovna in Val Lewton’s suspense classics Cat People and The Curse of the Cat People in the 1940s, died in Paris on February 22, 2005. She was 94. Simon was born in Bethune, France, on April 23, 1910. She worked as a fashion model and cabaret singer before making her film debut in the 1931 film The Unknown Singer (1931). She appeared in small roles in the films Mam’zelle Nitouche (1931), A Son from America (1932), King of Hotels (1932), Mind the Paint (1932), The Chocolate Girl (1932), and The Sad Sack (1933). Simone’s starring roles in Marc Allegret’s 1934 film Ladies Lake with JeanPierre Aumont, and in 1935’s Dark Eyes led to a home to Hollywood and a contract with 20th Century–Fox. She starred in several films there including Girls’ Dormitory (1936), Ladies in Love (1936), Seventh Heaven (1937), Love and Hisses (1937), and Josette (1938). Dis-
Claude Simon
SIMON , DANNY Comedy writer Danny Simon died of heart failure in Portland, Oregon, on July 26, 2005. He was 86. Simon was born in The Bronx, New York, on December 18, 1918. He began writing for the stage in the 1940s and became a writer for Sid Caesar’s landmark comedy television series Your Show of Shows in 1950. Working with such comedy legends as Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner, and Woody Allen, Simon also brought his younger brother, Neil Simon, onboard the show’s writing staff. Danny Simon also wrote sketches for several Broadway productions in-
Simone Simon
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satisfied with her roles and salary at Fox, she returned to France to star in Jean Renoir’s Le Bete Humaine (aka The Human Beast), a film noirish classic opposite Jean Gabin. She also appeared in the French comedy Love Cavalcade (1940) before returning to Hollywood. She starred as demonic beauty Bella Dee in the 1941 Faustian feature The Devil and Daniel Webster (aka All That Money Can Buy). She subsequently appeared in Lewton’s Cat People (1942) and the fantasy sequel The Curse of the Cat People (1944), and the comedy Johnny Doesn’t Live Here Any More (1944). She starred as the heroic laundress in the 1944 adaptation of Guy de Maupassant’s Mademoiselle Fifi before returning to France after the conclusion of World War II. She continued to star in such films as Temptation Harbour (1947), Women Without Names (1949), Marcel Ophuls’ Roundabout (1950), Jacqueline Audrey’s Olivia (1950) (aka The Pit of Loneliness) (1950), House of Pleasure (1952), and A Double Life (1954). She retired from the screen following her role as a French film actress in the 1956 British feature The Extra Day. Though over fifty years have passed since her stardom, she still remains the epitome of screen sensuality to a generation of filmgoers. • Los Angeles Times, Feb. 25, 2005, B11; New York Times, Feb. 24, 2005, B11; People, Mar. 14, 2005, 151; Times (of London), Feb. 26, 2005, 71; Variety, Mar. 7, 2005, 62.
SINGERL, ERNI German singer and actress Erni Singerl died in Germany on July 30, 2005. He was 83. Singerl was born in Munich, Germany, on August 29, 1921. She was featured in numerous German films and television productions from the 1950s. Her film credits include Ehestreik (1953), Die Frohliche Wallfahrt (1956), Der Jager von Fall (1974), Das Schweigen im Walde (1976), Das Nurnberger Bett (1983), Tapetenwechsel (1984), and Pumuckl un Sein Zirkusabenteuer (2003). She also appeared in the television productions Die Pfingstorgel (1965), Babeck (1968), Witwen (1969), Der Bastian (1973), Die Reform (1974), Josef Filser (1974), Der Alte Feinschmecker (1978), Meister Eder und Sein Pumucki (1982), Jakob und Adele (1983), Monaco Franze — Der Ewige Stenz (1983), Stinkwut (1985), Kir Royal (1986), Heidi and Erni (1990), Die Perle Anna (1993), Frau Sonnenschein (1996), Die Wilde Auguste (1997), Die Power-Paula (1998), Unterholz (2002), and Mein Mann, Mein Leben und Du (2003).
SIVAD Watson Davis, who as the caped and fanged vampire, Sivad hosted the popular Fantastic Features series of films in the Memphis and Mid-South area from 1962 through the early 1970s, died of cancer in Stuttgart, Arkansas, on March 23, 2005. He was 92. He was born William Watson Davis on September 16, 1912. A generation of horror film fans still remember the Saturday evening in late September when Sivad first uttered the words “A-Gooooood eeeeevening. I am Sivad, your Monster of Ceremonies.” The ghoulish figure on the television screen soon became one of Memphis’ most familiar and best loved faces. Besides hosting the weekly (later twice weekly) horror films on Channel 13, WHBQ, he drew large crowds at fairs and parades, hosted film premiere at theaters, and even recorded several songs that became local hits. Beneath the vampire make-up and the top hat and tails was Watson Davis, the advertising director for the local Malco Theaters. Shortly after making his debut as Sivad, Davis was honored as showman of the year by the United Theatre Owners for his promotion of horror films. He also served as President of the Tri-State Theater Owners in 1967. While working for the Malco Theaters, Davis orchestrated numerous events coinciding with the opening of horror films in Memphis. Once he became Sivad, Davis often personally hosted the premieres of new films in character. He was also a local fixture at state fairs, carnivals, and parades throughout the Mid-South. On Fantastic Features and at personal appearances Sivad played several musical instruments including the ghoulaphone and the coffinola — instruments that Davis concocted. Davis described the coffinola as a “reproduction of an old style coffin with one string, and I played it with a bow and it’s amplified. Sometimes when I played with a rock band, I had to turn the amplifier up mighty high and it’s risky because my bow might squeak.” He insisted he really played tunes on the contraption. He also recorded the record “Sivad Buries Rock and Roll,” which featured “Dickey Drakeller” on its flip side. The show continued to air on Saturday evenings until September of 1966, when Fantastic Features was transformed into Fantastic Double Feature on late night Fridays. In September of the following year another episode was aired late nights on Saturday, giving fans three movies per week. The Fri-
Erni Singerl
Watson “Sivad” Davis without makeup
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day night show was cancelled in June of 1970, but Fantastic Features limped on as a double feature on Saturday nights for the next several years — mainly airing reruns until its ultimate cancellation in February of 1972. Davis, in a 1986 interview, recounted the reasons for Fantastic Features ultimate cancellation. “We were running out of pictures. All the horror-pictures we were getting were sexy and wild. And we really were a family show. I was just repeating pictures.” Following the cancellation of the show Davis continued to wear the Sivad outfit at local events. He later retired to a mobile home near a lake in Arkansas to fish and relax.
SKINNER, MARGO Actress Margo Skinner died of a heart attack in her sleep at her apartment in New York City on April 11, 2005. She was 55. Skinner was born in Middletown, Ohio, on January 3, 1950. She attended Boston University and began her career on stage. She performed in numerous regional productions and appeared Off-Broadway in The Perfect Party and The Dining Room. She also appeared in several films including Night School (1981), Seven Minutes in Heaven (1985), Longtime Companion (1990), and Quick Change (1990). Skinner was also featured in the telefilms The House of Mirth (1981), Summer Switch (1984), The Return Ticket (1988), and I Never Sang for My Father (1988), and in episodes of Visions, Law & Order, and Chappelle’s Show. She was appearing in a stage production of Moonlight and Magnolias at the time of her death. • Variety, Apr. 18, 2005, 44.
Robert F. Slatzer
confirmation that the marriage occurred as the certificate was destroyed. Seltzer also wrote another book on Monroe, The Marilyn Files, and the books Duke: The Life and Times of John Wayne and Bing Crosby: Hollow Man. He also worked in films writing and directing the exploitation films The Hellcats (1967) and Bigfoot (1970), and directing 1970’s No Substitute for Victory. He was also an advisor on the 1991 tele-film Marilyn and Me, and had a small part in the production as a studio manager. • Variety, Apr. 25, 2005, 69.
SLICK THE BUTCHER Peter Smith, who wrestled professionally as Slick the Butcher, died of heart failure in Florida after a long bout with cancer on June 11, 2005. He was 42. Smith was born on November 12, 1962. The massive wrestler competed on the independent circuit in Florida for over seven years.
Margo Skinner
SLATZER, ROBERT F. Writer and director Robert F. Slatzer, who authored two books on Marilyn Monroe who he claimed was briefly his wife, died after a long illness in a Los Angeles hospital on March 28, 2005. He was 77. Slatzer was born in Marion, Ohio, on April 4, 1927. He began working as a journalist and reporter before coming to Hollywood in 1946. In his 1974 book The Life and Curious Death of Marilyn Monroe, Slatzer claimed that he married the iconic actress in Mexico in October of 1952, but that 20th Century–Fox head Darryl F. Zanuck ordered the marriage ended three days later, fearing that it would damage the actress’s career. There was no independent
Slick the Butcher
SLOMAN , ROBERT British television and stage writer Robert Sloman died in England on October 24, 2005. He was 79. Sloman was born in Devon, England, on July 18, 1926. He performed on stage before taking a job in the circulation department with The Sunday Times. Sloman wrote several plays including The Golden Rivet and The Tinker, the later of which was filmed as The Wild and the Willing in 1962. Sloman also wrote several episodes of the British television science fiction series Doctor Who. • Times (of London), Dec. 12, 2005, 52.
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Robert Sloman
Eddie Smith
SMART, BILLY, JR. British circus showman Billy Smart, Jr., died in England on May 23, 2005. He was 70. Smart was born on October 15, 1934, the son of circus owner Billy Smart. He worked with his father and two brothers, Ronald and David, to make Billy Smart’s New World Circus one of Europe’s most successful entertainment empires. He performed in the circus from his teens, appearing in the equestrian act as Cowboy Billy with his pony Rajah. In the 1950s Smart became the trainer and presenter of the elephant act. He was often conduct the “Elephant Walk of Death” over such celebrities as Jayne Mansfield, Hattie Jacques and Vera Day at performances and charity events. Smart was also seen in three films with a circus setting, Circus of Horrors (1959), Berserk (1967), and Circus of Fear (1967). The traveling circus closed in 1971 but Smart and his brothers continued to produce circus shows for BBC and Thames television through the early 1980s. • Times (of London), May 24, 2005, 53.
on Stanley Kramer’s 1963 comedy It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World, Smith noticed the a white stuntman was being made up as a black to double for actor Eddie ‘Rochester’ Anderson. When Smith asked the director about the situation, he was informed that there were no black stuntmen available. Smith took it upon himself to remedy that problem by contacting Henry Kingi, a member of the all-black U.S. 10th Cavalry Unit reenactors. They were joined by other extras and former athletes to form the Black Stuntmen’s Association. Smith performed stuntwork and appeared in small roles in numerous films from the late 1960s including A Time for Killing (1967), M*A*S*H (1970), Halls of Anger (1970), Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970), Dirty Harry (1981), Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972), Unholy Rollers (1972), Across 110th Street (1972), Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973), the 1973 James Bond film Live and Let Die, Cleopatra Jones (1973), Mel Brooks’ Blazing Saddles (1974), Dirty Mary Crazy Larry (1974), Earthquake (1974), Black Belt Jones (1974), Truck Turner (1974), Drum (1976), Dr. Black, Mr. Hyde (1976), Which Way Is Up? (1977), New York, New York (1977), Youngblood (1978), The Dogs of War (1981), The Sword and the Sorcerer (1982), White Dog (1982), Rocky III (1982), The Man Who Wasn’t There (1983), Under Fire (1983), Scarface (1983), D.C. Cab (1983), Swing Shift (1984), Fast Forward (1985), The Karate Kid, Part II (1986), Harlem Nights (1989), Do the Right Ting (1989), Secret Agent OO Soul (1990), House Party (1990), Predator 2 (1990), Jason’s Lyric (1994), Steal Big Steal Little (1995), A Family Thing (1996), and Eddie Murphy’s The Nutty Professor (1996). Smith was also a stunt coordinator on the landmark 1977 television miniseries Roots and the 1989 tele-film The Women of Brewster Place. He retired from stunt work in 1996, but continued to work in films and television in the casting of extras. • Los Angeles Times, July 9, 2005, B16; Variety, July 18, 2005, 49.
Billy Smart, Jr.
SMITH, EDDIE Stuntman Eddie Smith, who was the co-founder of the Black Stuntmen’s Association in 1967, died after a long illness in a Culver City, California, nursing home on June 24, 2005. He was 81. Smith was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on October 25, 1923. He came to Hollywood in the 1950s and began working in films as an extra. While working as an extra
SMITH, JIMMY Jazz organist Jimmy Smith died in Scottsdale, Arizona, on February 8, 2005. He was 79. Smith was born in Norristown, Pennsylvania, on December 8, 1925. He began playing the organ in the early 1950s and recorded with Blue Note Records as a solo artist. He had success with the album Pioneer-
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Jimmy Smith
ing Talent. He also recorded the albums The Sermon, Back at the Chicken Shack, and Midnight Special. He also performed with such artists as Kenny Burrell, Tina Brooks, and Lee Morgan in the 1950s and 1960s. He and the Jimmy Smith Trio performed in the 1964 film Get Yourself a College Girl. • Los Angeles Times, Feb. 10, 2005, B10; New York Times, Feb. 10, 2005, C17; Time, Feb. 21, 2005, 21; Variety, Feb. 14, 2005, 55.
SMITH, LANE Lane Smith, who starred as Perry White in the 1990s television series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, died at his Los Angeles home of complications from Lou Gehrig’s disease on June 13, 2005. He was 69. Smith was born in Memphis, Tennessee on April 29, 1936. He studied in New York at the Actors Studio after serving two years in the U.S. Army, and made his stage debut Off-Broadway in 1959. He made an impact on stage starring as Randle Patrick McMurphy in the Off-Broadway production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest in the late 1960s. He appeared in numerous plays throughout his career and won a Drama Desk Award for his role in David Mamet’s play Glengarry Glen Ross in 1984. He appeared in supporting and character roles in many films from the early 1970s including the features Norman Mailer’s Maidstone (1970), The Last American Hero (1973), Cops and Robbers (1973), Man on a Swing (1974), Rooster Cogburn (1975) with John Wayne, Network (1976), Between the Lines (1977), The Bad News Bears in Break-
Lane Smith
2005 • Obituaries
ing Training (1977), Blue Collar (1978), On the Yard (1978), Over the Edge (1979), Sogg y Bottom, USA (1980), On the Nickel (1980), Honeysuckle Rose (1980) with Willie Nelson and Amy Irving, Resurrection (1980), Prince of the City (1981), Frances (1982) with Jessica Lange, Purple Hearts (1984), and Places in the Heart (1984). He also appeared in the tele-films Valley Forge (1975), The Displaced Person (1976), A Death in Canaan (1978), Crash (1978), The Solitary Man (1979), Disaster on the Coastliner (1979), City in Fear (1980), Gideon’s Trumpet (1980), A Rumor of War (1980), The Georgia Peaches (1980), Mark, I Love You (1980), Dark Knight of the Scarecrow (1981), The Member of the Wedding (1982), Prime Suspect (1982), Thou Shalt Not Kill (1982), Special Bulletin (1983), Chiefs (1983), and Something About Amelia (1984). Smith starred as Mayor Bates in the latter-day Cold War paranoia film Red Dawn in 1984, and was alien-apologist Nathan Bates in the science fiction television series V from 1984 to 1985. He also appeared as Dr. Robert Moffitt in the short-lived television series Kay O’Brien in 1986. Smith also appeared in the films Native Son (1986), Weeds (1987), Prison (1988) as the Warden, Night Game (1989), Race for Glory (1989), Air America (1990), My Cousin Vinny (1992) as the District Attorney, The Mighty Ducks (1992), The Distinguished Gentleman (1992), Son in Law (1993) with Pauly Shore, The Flight of the Dove (1994), The Scout (1994), The War at Home (1996), Getting Personal (1998), Why Do Fools Fall in Love (1998), The Hi-Lo Country (1998), The Caprice (2000), and The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000). Smith also starred in the tele-films Beverly Hills Cowgirl Blues (1985), Bridge Across Time (1985), Dress Gray (1986), If Tomorrow Comes (1986), A Place to Call Home (1987), Killer Instinct (1988), The Final Days (1989) earning a Golden Globe nomination for his critically acclaimed performance as President Richard M. Nixon, Challenger (1990), Blind Vengeance (1990), False Arrest (1991), Duplicates (1992), Alien Nation: The Udara Legacy (1997), Inherit the Wind (1999), and WW3 (2001). He appeared regularly as R.J. Rappaport in the television series Good Sports in 1991, and was Harlan Shell in the short-lived series Good & Evil in 1991. He starred with Dean Cain and Terry Hatcher in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, playing their boss, Daily Planet editor Perry White, from 1993 to 1996. He was featured as Emmett Seaborn in the 1998 HBO mini-series From the Earth to the Moon in 1998, and was Frank in the 2003 mini-series Out of Order. Smith’s television credits also include guest appearances in such series as Kojak, The Rockford Files, Dallas, Hart to Hart, Lou Grant, Quincy, Hill Street Blues, and Stephen Spielberg’s Amazing Stories. He starred as Professor Joseph Fitzgerald, a descendant of President John Kennedy, who travels back in time to prevent his assassination in one of the best of the new Twilight Zone episodes, “Profile in Silver,” in 1986. He was also seen in episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, In the Heat of the Night, Murder, She Wrote, Murphy Brown, Dweebs, Clueless, The Outer Limits, Walker, Texas Ranger, Bull, King of the Hill, JAG, The Practice, and Judging Amy. • Los Angeles Times, June 15, 2005, B10;
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People, July 4, 2005, 83; Time, June 27, 2005, 23; Variety, June 20, 2005, 44.
SMITH , SAMMI Country singer Jewel “Sammi” Smith died at her home in Oklahoma City on February 12, 2005. She was 61. Smith was born in Orange, California on August 5, 1943. She was singing at local clubs while in her teens and moved to Nashville in the mid–1960s. Signed by Columbia Records she had a hit with her first single “So Long, Charlie Brown, Don’t Look for Me Around” in 1968. Moving to Mega Records in 1970 she recorded the hit single “He’s Everywhere.” She was best known for her duet with Kris Kristofferson, “Help Me Make It Through the Night,” which earned them a Grammy Award in 1971. She also recorded the hits the “New Walk In” and “Today I Started Loving You Again” in the 1970s. She married Willie Nelson’s guitar player Jody Payne soon after. Their son, Waylon Payne, made his debut solo album in 2004, and made a guest appearance with his mother on the Grand Ole Opry later that year. • Los Angeles Times, Feb. 18, 2005, B12.
popular tunes including “Manana Zarpa un Barco” and “Pan.” During the 1950s he also performed with orchestras led by Mariano Mores and Astor Piazzolla. Sobral also appeared in numerous popular films in the 1960s including El Dinero de Dios (1959), Don Frutos Gomez (1961), Buenos Noches, Buenos Aires (1964), Hotel Alojamiento (1966), Dos Quijotes Sobre Ruedas (1966), Las Locas del Conventillo (1966), Ritmo, Amor y Juventud (1966), and Che OVNI (1968). Sobral continued to perform and record in the Americas and Europe until his death.
SOKHULU, SIBONGILE South African Zulu newscaster Sibongile Sokhulu died of complications from breast cancer in a Johannesburg, South Africa, hospital on October 6, 2005. She was 43. Sokhulu was born in Durban, South African, on May 25, 1962. She competed in numerous beauty pageants in the 1980s and was featured as Nomcoba in the 1986 television miniseries Shaka Zulu. Later in the decade she began working as a newscaster for the SABC Nguni news bulletin.
Sibongile Sokhulu Sammi Smith
SOBRAL, JORGE Jorge Sobral, a leading Argentine singer who helped popularize tango music, died in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on April 10, 2005. He was 73. Sobral was born in Buenos Aires on August 25, 1931. He began his career in the early 1950s performing with Mario Demarco’s orchestra. He recorded several
Jorge Sobral
SOLDEVILA, CARLOTA Spanish actress Carlota Soldevila died of a respiratory infection in a Barcelona, Spain, hospital on February 9, 2005. She was 77. Soldevila was active on stage from the 1950s. She was also featured in character roles in several films including The Diary of Lady M (1993), Tic Tac (1997), and Two for Tea (2000).
Carlota Soldevila
349 SOTO, FREDDY Comedian Freddy Soto died in his sleep in Los Angeles on July 10, 2005, shortly after performing at The Laugh Factory comedy club. He was 35. He was born Alfredo Soto in El Paso, Texas, on June 22, 1970. He came to Los Angeles in the early 1990s to try and break into comedy. He worked for Richard Pryor as a limo driver before meeting the owner of The Laugh Factory, who encouraged his career. Soto became a popular comedian on the West Coast, sometimes teaming with fellow comics Carlos Mencia and Pablo Francisco as The Three Amigos. He was also seen in several films including Night Canvas (1995), Deadly Swarm (2003), and Spanglish (2004), and performed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Comedy Central’s Premium Blend. He also made sitcom pilots for UPN and CBS, and toured the United States in 2001 and 2002. • Los Angeles Times, July 13, 2005, B10; Variety, July 18, 2005, 48.
Freddy Soto
SPENCER, JOHN Actor John Spencer, who starred as White House Chief of Staff to Martin Sheen’s President Bartlett on the television political drama The West Wing, died suddenly of a heart attack in Los Angeles on December 16, 2005. He was 58. Spencer was born John Speshock in New York City on December 20, 1946. He studied acting at the Professional Children’s School in New York while in his teens and made his television debut as Henry Anderson, Patty Duke’s beau, on The Patty Duke Show from 1964 to 1965. He performed in many theatrical productions in the 1960s and 1970s, and earned an Obie Award for his role in the Off Broadway play Still Life in 1981. Spencer began appearing regularly in films in the early 1980s, with roles in such features as Echoes (1983), Cocaine and Blue Eyes (1983), WarGames (1983), The Protector (1985), Key Exchange (1985), The Verne Miller Story (1987), Hiding Out (1987), Far from Home (1989), Sea of Love (1989), Black Rain (1989), Simple Justice (1990), Presumed Innocent (1990) co-starring as Detective Dan Lipranzer with Harrison Ford, Green Card (1990), Cafe Society (1995), Forget Paris (1995), The Rock (1996), Albino Alligator (1996), Cop Land (1997), Cold Around the Heart (1997), Lesser Prophets (1997), Twilight (1998), O.K. Garage (1998), The Negotiator (1998), and Ravenous (1999). He was also seen in several tele-films includ-
2005 • Obituaries
John Spencer
ing In the Arms of a Killer (1992), When No One Would Listen (1992), From the Files of Joseph Wambaugh: A Jury of One (1992), and A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Grimacing Governor (1994). Spencer was featured as Mr. Julian in the daytime soap opera Another World in 1988, and starred as Tommy Mullaney on the drama series L.A. Law from 1990 to 1994. He was featured as Simon McCallister in the short-lived series Trinity in 1998. His other television credits include episodes of Miami Vice, Spenser: For Hire, H.E.L.P., Law & Order, Touched by an Angel, F/X: The Series, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Tracey Takes On..., Early Edition, L.A. Doctors, and The Outer Limits. He starred as crusty presidential aide Leo McGarry on the popular television drama The West Wing from 1999. His character left his position as White House Chief of Staff last season after suffering a heart attack. McGarry recovered and was running mate to Democratic presidential nominee Matt Santos, played by Jimmy Smits, in the series current season. • Los Angeles Times, Dec. 17, 2005, B18; New York Times, Dec. 17, 2005; People, Jan. 9, 2006, 109; Time, Dec. 26, 2005, 35; Times (of London), Dec. 19, 2005, 46; Variety, Dec. 26, 2005, 37.
SPENCER, ROBERT “SUNNY” Singer and musician Robert “Sunny” Spencer, who performed with the western music group the Sons of the Pioneers from 1984, died in Tucson, Arizona, on February 5,
Robert “Sunny” Spencer
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2005. He was 75. Spencer was born in Winchester, Kentucky, on November 20, 1929. He began performing in the 1950s, playing such instruments as guitar, banjo, saxophone, trumpet, fiddle, clarinet and jug. He performed with such artists as Al Hirt, Pete Fountain, and Spike Jones during his career. Sons of the Pioneers leader Dale Warren invited Spencer to replace Rusty Richards in the group in 1984. He performed with the group for the next 21 years, playing in Branson, Missouri, and at the Roy Rogers–Dale Evans Museum. He was best known for his trademark song “Mamma Don’t Allow No Music Playin’ Round Here.” • Los Angeles Times, Feb. 12, 2005, B17.
SPERBER , RICHARD Musician and film sound editor Richard Alton Sperber died in Los Angeles on June 21, 2005. He was 88. Sperber was born in Winthrop, Massachusetts on January 22, 1917. He began his career playing bass with a big band while in his teens. He began working in the film and television business in the mid–1950s. He served as sound editor at 20th Century–Fox on numerous films including Fantastic Voyage (1966), The Omen (1976), Next Stop, Greenwich Village (1976), Alex and the Gypsy (1976), Damnation Alley (1977), The World’s Greatest Lover (1977), High Anxiety (1977), Damien: Omen II (1978), The Boys from Brazil (1978), Norma Rae (1979), Brubaker (1980), Modern Problems (1981), Making Love (1982), All the Right Moves (1983), Rhinestone (1984), and The Man with One Red Shoe (1985). He was also sound editor on such tele-films as Mrs. Sundance (1974), Pray for the Wildcats (1974), Men of the Dragon (1974), Good Against Evil (1977), and A Guide for the Married Woman (1978). SPERBER, WENDIE JO Actress Wendie Jo Sperber died of complications from breast cancer at her home in Sherman Oaks, California, on November 29, 2005. She was 47. Sperber was born in Hollywood, California, on September 15, 1958. She began working in films in the late 1970s, appearing in such comedies as I Wanna Hold Your Hand (1978), Corvette Summer (1978), Steven Spielberg’s 1941 (1979), and Used Cars (1980). She was best known for her role as Amy Cassidy in the television comedy series Bosom Buddies from 1980 to 1982, co-starring with Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari who dressed in drag to live in an inexpensive allgirl hotel in New York. Sperber also starred as Private Stacy Kouchalakas in the Private Benjamin television series from 1982 to 1983, and was Pam in Women in Prison from 1987 to 1988. She starred as Charlene Gilbert in the comedy series Babes from 1990 to 1991, and was Mavis Davis in Hearts Afire with John Ritter and Billy Bob Thornton from 1992 to 1993. She was also seen in the films The First Time (1983), Bachelor Party (1984), Moving Violations (1985), Back to the Future (1985) and the sequel Back to the Future Part III (1990) as Linda McFly, Stewardess School (1986), Delta Fever (1987), Mr. Write (1994), Love Affair (1994), Big Packages (1996), Desperate But Not Serious (1999), Pissed (2000), Sorority Boys (2002), and My Dinner with Jimi (2003). Sperber was featured in the tele-films Dinky Hocker (1979) and The Return of Hunter (1995), and
Wendie Jo Sperber
guest-starred in episodes of Marblehead Manor, Designing Women, Who’s the Boss?, Married ... with Children, Parker Lewis Can’t Lose, Dinosaurs, Kirk, You Wish, Murphy Brown, Unhappily Ever After, Will & Grace, Home Improvement, Bette, JAG, Touched by an Angel, and 8 Simple Rules ... for Dating My Teenage Daughter. Sperber was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1997 and founded the nonprofit weSPARK Cancer Support Center in Sherman Oaks several years later. • Los Angeles Times, Dec. 2, 2005, B10; People, Dec. 19, 2005, 126; Variety, Dec. 5, 2005, 65.
SPOLETINI , GUGLIELMO Italian actor Guglielmo Spoletini, who appeared in numerous Italian films and “spaghetti westerns” under the name William Bogart, died in Italy on March 12, 2005. Spoletini was featured in the films White Voices (1964), The Amazing Doctor G (1965), 30 Winchesters for El Diablo (1965), River of Dollars (1966), Kill Johnny Ringo (1966), Last of the Badmen (1967), The Sailor from Gibraltar (1967), For a Few Extra Dollars (1967), Death Rides a Horse (1968), One Against One ... No Mercy (1968), Rattler Kid (1968), Mafia Mob (1969), They Paid with Bullets: Chicago 1929 (1969), Death Knows No Time (1969), Night of the Serpent (1970), Sartana Kills Them All (1971), They Call Him Veritas (1972), The Senator Likes Women (1972), Young Lucrezia Borgia (1974), Carambola (1974), The Omen (1976), and Don Giovanni (1979).
Guglielmo Spoletini
351 SPRY, ROBIN Canadian film producer and director Robin Spry was killed in an automobile accident in Montreal, Canada, on March 28, 2005. He was 65. Spry was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on October 25, 1939. He began working in films with the National Film Board of Canada in 1964. He was best known for the 1974 documentary Action: The October Crisis of 1970. He also wrote and directed the documentaries Miner (1965), Illegal Abortion (1966), Change in the Maritimes (1966), Ride for Your Life (1967), Flowers on a One-Way Street (1967), Prologue (1970), Reaction: A Portrait of Society in Crisis (1973), Downhill (1973), Face (1975), One Man (1977), Drying Up the Streets (1978), Suzanne (1980), and Keeping Track (1985), and the tele-films Hitting Home (1987) and A Cry in the Night (1992). Spry was president of the Telescene production house in the 1980s and 1990s, producing the movies and tele-films You’ve Come a Long Way, Ladies (1988), Straight for the Heart (1988), Malarek (1989), An Imaginary Tale (1990), A Cry in the Night (1992), The Myth of the Male Orgasm (1993), Witchboard III: The Possession (1995), Midnight Man (1995), Hiroshima (1995), Windsor Protocol (1996), Jack Higgins’ On Dangerous Ground (1996), Thunder Point (1998), Escape from Wildcat Canyon (1998), Going to Kansas City (1998), Nightmare Man (1999), Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1999), Matthew Blackheart: Monster Smasher (2002), and Student Seduction (2003). He was also a producer for the television series The Hunger, Student Bodies, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World, Live Through This, Seriously Weird, and Charlie Jade. • Variety, Apr. 4, 2005, 80.
2005 • Obituaries
Gene Stanlee
73. Starr was born in England on March 31, 1932. With a background in amateur theatrics he became a prominent member on the London drag scene in the early 1960s. Starr performed in music halls and cabarets over the next four decades. He and his partner, Perry, also operated the Two Brewers pub where Starr often headlined. He and fellow drag performer David Raven teamed in numerous production of Arsenic and Old Lace.
Phil Starr
STEELE, TROY Adult film actor Troy Steele died of complications from AIDS in a Palm Springs, Robin Spry
STANLEE, GENE Professional wrestler Gene “Mr. America” Stanlee died in Los Angeles on September 22, 2005. He was 83. He was born Eugene Stanley Zygowski in Chicago, Illinois, on January 1, 1922. He was a weight-lifter, boxer and amateur wrestler in his youth. He served in the Navy during World War II, where he captured the Navy wrestling title. After the war he achieved great popularity in professional wrestling. He wrestled as Mr. America and was one of the sport’s leading competitors in the late 1940s and 1950s. STARR, PHIL Comedian and drag entertainer Phil Starr died in England on October 18, 2005. He was
Troy Steele
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352
California, hospital on September 26, 2005. He was 43. Steele was born Scott Saunders in 1962. He began performing in adult gay films in the 1990s, appearing in numerous videos for Jet Set Productions and Oh Man! Studios. His films include Spare the Rod (1995), Leather Training Center (1995), Wear It Out (1995), Goodfellas/Bad Fellas (1996), Code of Silence (1996), Black Brigade (1998), and Military Issue #3 (1998). In recent years he had been active with the Aid for AIDS group in Los Angeles.
near her South Yorkshire, England, on May 21, 2005. She was 17. She had been reported missing by her family two days earlier after not returning from a bike ride. Stephenson and her family — father John, mother Liz, and younger brother Tyler, had taken part in a History Channel reality television series Colony which was aired in Australia earlier in the year and was scheduled to air in England shortly after her death. Several families went to Australia where they lived the life of early convict families who settled the area.
STEPHENS, PERRY Perry Stephens, who starred as Jack Forbes in the daytime soap opera Loving from 1983 to 1989, died in a Hemet, California, hospital on September 8, 2005. He was 47. Stephens was born in Frankfurt, Germany, on February 14, 1958. He was a member of the original cast of Loving, and also appeared as Steve Brown in The Bold and the Beautiful in 1987. Stephens guest starred in episodes of Wings, Frasier, High Tide, City Guys in the recurring role of Mr. Anderson, Family Matters, and L.A. Heat. He starred as John F. Kennedy in the 1996 tele-film Norma Jean & Marilyn, and appeared in the films Two Bits and Pepper (1995), Grizzly Mountain (1997), and The Godson (1998). He also starred as Jack Sweeney in the 1999 television series The Lot.
STEWART, BRUCE New Zealand television writer Bruce Stewart died on September 29, 2005. He was 80. Stewart began his career on the Australian stage and was featured in the radio series Dossier on Demetrius in the 1940s, starring as Major Gregory Keen of MI5. He came to England in the early 1950s, where he acted briefly in television before turning to writing. Stewart scripted episodes of such series as Out of This World, Out of the Unknown, Sergeant Cork, Sanctuary, Timeslip, The Onedin Line, Secret Army, Sherlock Holmes, and Elephant Boy. He also wrote the 1966 horror film Beast of Morocco (aka The Hand of Night). He returned to performing onscreen in the 1984 Australian mini-series Bodyline.
Perry Stephens
STEWART, JOHNNIE Johnnie Stewart, who produced the popular British music television series Top of the Pops in the 1960s and early 1970s, died in England on April 29, 2005. He was 87. He was born Lorn Alastair Stewart in Tonbridge, Kent, England, on November 7, 1917. He began working in the sound effects department of BBC radio in the late 1930s. After military service during World War II Stewart returned to the network where he produced the music programs Sing It Again and BBC Jazz Club. He moved to BBC Television in 1958 where he produced Juke Box Jury. He was the original producer for the long-running program Tops of the Pops, which first aired on January 1, 1964. He continued to oversee the program for the next ten year. In the late 1970s Stewart produced the television quiz show Cheggers Plays Pop before he retired. • Times (of London), May 5, 2005, 67.
STEPHENSON, CARINA Carina Louise Stephenson was found dead from suicide in the woods
Johnnie Stewart Carina Stephenson
STIGLER, BARRY Barry Stigler, who was a voice actor in numerous animated series and video
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games, died on March 1, 2005. He was 56. Stigler, who was sometimes credited as Gil Starberry, was heard in the animated films They Were 11, Perfect Blue, Ninku the Movie, Black Jack The Movie, Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro, Mobile Suit Gundam —The Movie Trilog y, Armageddon, and Armitage III: Polymatrix. He was also a voice actor in the English language version of the Japanese animated series The Legend of Black Heaven, The Big O, Serial Experiments Lain, Rurouni Kenshin, Outlaw Star, Gate Keepers, El Hazard: The Wanderers, Cyborg 009: The Cyborg Soldier, Cowboy Bebop, Vampire Princess Miyu, Transformers: Car Robots as Scourge, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, and Carried by the Wind: Tsukikage Ran.
STILLMAN, R. SPARKLE Character actress R. Sparkle Stillman died in Los Angeles on October 6, 2005. She was 90. Stillman was born on April 14, 1915. Sometimes billed simply as Sparkle, she was featured as elderly women in such films as Troop Beverly Hills (1989), Suburban Commando (1991) with Hulk Hogan, What’s Love Got to Do with It (1993), The Beautician and the Beast (1997), Family Jewels (2000), Big Fat Liar (2002), Serial Killing 4 Dummys (2004), Man on Fire (2004), Dirty Deeds (2005), and Wedding Crashers (2005). She was also featured on television in episodes of Northern Exposure, The Nanny, True Colors, Becker, Yes, Dear, and What I Like About You.
Sparkle Stillman
Ian Stirling
was born Harold Hochstein to a theatrical family in New York City on March 13, 1913. He made his stage debut at the age of six with his father in a Yiddish play. He returned to the stage during the Depression and made his Broadway debut in 1939’s The World We Make. He was featured in several more Broadway plays before making his debut in films in 1946’s The Blue Dahlia. Stone appeared in numerous films and television productions over the forty years, often portraying villainous characters. His many film credits include The Harder They Fall (1956), Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956), Back from Eternity (1956), Slander (1956), The Wrong Man (1956), Man Afraid (1957), The Garment Jungle (1957), House of Numbers (1957), The Invisible Boy (1957), These Thousand Hills (1959), Spartacus (1960), The Chapman Report (1962), Showdown (1963), Roger Corman’s X —The Man with the X-Ray Eyes (1963), The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), Girl Happy (1965) with Elvis Presley, Don’t Forget to Wipe the Blood Off (1966), The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre (1967) as gangster Frank Nitti, Jerry Lewis’ The Big Mouth (1967), The Olsen Gang in a Fix (1969), Which Way to the Front? (1970), The Seven Minutes (1971), Pickup on 101 (1972), The Photographer (1975), The Wild McCullochs (1975), Mitchell (1975), and Hardly Working (1980). He also appeared in the tele-films Breakout (1970), The Werewolf of Woodstock (1975), and The Legend of Valentino (1975). A familiar face on television,
STIRLING, IAN British television personality Ian Stirling died in France on June 30, 2005. He was 64. He began working in television as a Westward TV announcer in the mid–1970s. He remained continuity announcer with the station when it was acquired by TSW in 1982, and by Westcountry Television in 1993. He retired to Northern France in 2003. Stirling also appeared in several films during his career including Nightmare (1972) and Finding Fortune (2003), and was seen on television in episodes of The Borderers, Budgie, The Guardians, The Befrienders, Helen: A Woman of Today, and Dial M for Murder. STONE, HAROLD J. Veteran character actor Harold J. Stone died at the Motion Picture and Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California, on November 18, 2005. He was 92. Stone
Harold J. Stone
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354
Stone starred as the Handyman in the television comedy series The Hartmans in 1949, and was Jake Goldberg on The Goldbergs fin 1952. He was Lt. Hauser in the drama series The Walter Winchell File in 1957, and was John Kennedy in The Grand Jury from 1958 to 1959. He starred as Hamilton Greeley in the comedy series My World and Welcome to It with William Windom from 1969 to 1970, and was Sam Steinberg in the sit-com Bridget Loves Bernie from 1972 to 1972. His numerous television credits also include roles in such series as The Man Behind the Badge, You Are There, Star Tonight, Armstrong Circle Theatre, Cavalcade of America, Telephone Time, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Gunsmoke, Have Gun —Will Travel, Zane Grey Theater, Cheyenne, Trackdown, The Court of Last Resort, The Restless Gun, Suspicion, Alcoa Theatre, Goodyear Theatre, Tales of Wells Fargo, The Frank Sinatra Show, The Rifleman, Cimarron City, Sugarfoot, 77 Sunset Strip, Zorro, Texas John Slaughter, Bat Masterson, Naked City, The Alaskans, Overland Trail, Wanted: Dead or Alive, The Untouchables, The Tall Man, Laramie, Rawhide, The Islanders, Stagecoach West, The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, Hong Kong, Route 66, Surfside 6, Michael Shayne, The Barbara Stanwyck Show, The Twilight Zone, The New Breed, Cain’s Hundred, Target: The Corruptors, Cheyenne, 87th Precinct, The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor, The Defenders, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Rawhide, Empire, Ben Casey, Dr. Kildare, Arrest and Trial, The Greatest Show on Earth, Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, Breaking Point, Kraft Suspense Theatre, The Nurses, The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters, Bonanza, Daniel Boone, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Mr. Novak, Gilligan’s Island, Run for Your Life, The Trials of O’Brien, The Virginian, The Big Valley, Get Smart, A Man Called Shenandoah, The Legend of Jesse James, Mr. Terrific, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., I Spy, The Iron Horse, Felony Squad, Ironside, Hawaii Five-O, Mannix, Hogan’s Heroes, The Name of the Game, The F.B.I., It Takes a Thief, Medical Center, The Bold Ones: The New Doctors, Longstreet, Cade’s County, Griff, Hec Ramsey, The Rockford Files, The Rookies, Harry O, Police Woman, Kojak, Welcome Back, Kotter, Charlie’s Angels, Barney Miller, Vega$, Three’s Company, Trapper John, M.D., Lou Grant, Simon & Simon, and Highway to Heaven. • Los Angeles Times, Nov. 19, 2005, B17; Variety, Nov. 28, 2005, 73.
STOVIN, JERRY Actor Jerry Stovin died in Canada on September 10, 2005. He was 82. Stovin was born in Unity, Saskatchewan, Canada, on October 11, 1922. He began his career on stage in Canada in the early 1950s. He left Canada for England later in the decade, where he had some success in films and television. Stovin was featured in the films After the Ball (1957), Hell Drivers (1957), Floods of Ear (1959), Why Bother to Knock (1961), Solo for Sparrow (1962), Stanley Kubrick’s Lolita (1962), The War Lover (1962), The Revolutionary (1970), and The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976). He also performed on television in productions of The Secret of the Nubian Tomb (1961), Hurricane (1961), Watch the Birdies (1966), and the 1974 series The Pallisers as Mr. Boncassen. His other televi-
Jerry Stovin
sion credits include episodes of O.S.S., Studio Four, Out of This World, Dixon of Dock Green, Zero One, The Saint, Danger Man, The Wednesday Play, The Troubleshooters, Out of the Unknown, The Troubleshooters, The Baron, The Rat Catchers, Codename, and Brett.
STRETTON, ROSS Australian ballet dancer Ross Stretton died of melanoma in Melbourne, Australia, on June 16, 2005. He was 53. Stretton was born in Canberra, Australia, on June 6, 1952. He began studying ballet while in his teens and joined the Australian Ballet in 1972. He became a principal dancer with the company in 1976. Stretton came to the United States later in the decade, where he danced with the Joffrey Ballet and the American Ballet Theater. He performed in productions of Joffrey’s Postcards, Frederick Ashton’s Monotones II, Merce Cunningham’s Duets, and Swan Lake. He retired from performing in 1990 to become an assistant director of the American Ballet Theater. He became artistic director of the Australian Ballet in 1997. He remained there until 2001, when he briefly served as artistic director of the Royal Ballet in London. • Los Angeles Times, June 18, 2005, B18; New York Times, June 17, 2005, A25.
Ross Stretton
STROBYE, AXEL Danish character actor Axel Strobye died in Copenhagen, Denmark, on July 12, 2005. He was 77. Strobye was born in Denmark on February 22, 1928. He began his career on stage at The
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Axel Strobye
Herbert L. Strock
Royal Danish Theater. Best known for his comic roles, he made his film debut in 1951’s The Needle. He appeared in numerous films over the next fifty years including Karen, Maren og Mette (1954), Be Dear to Me (1957), The Poet and the Little Mother (1959), Faith, Hope and Witchcraft (1960), The Last Winter (1960), Crazy Paradise (1962), The Girl and the Press Photographer (1963), Bussen (1963), Syd for Tana River (1963), School for Suicide (1964), Gertrud (1964), It’s Nifty in the Navy (1965), The Girl and the Millionaire (1965), I, a Lover (1966), Three Men in Search of a Troll (1967), Love Thy Neighbour (1967), The Veterinarian’s Adopted Children (1968), Me and You (1969), I’ll Take Happiness (1969), Take a Little Sunshine (1969), Bedroom Magic (1970), The Tar Salesman (1971), My Sisters Children Go Astray (1971), 1001 Danish Delights (1972), Danish Bed and Board (1972), Bedside Highway (1972), The Torndal Cousins (1973), The Olsen Gang Runs Amok (1973) as Inspector Jensen, Me, Too, in the Mafia (1974), The Last Exploits of the Olsen Gang (1974), The Olsen Gang on the Track (1975), The Goldcabbage Family (1975), Flaming Fire Chief (1976), It All Adds Up (1976), Ghost Train (1976), The Olsen Gang Sees Red (1976), The Goldcabbage Family Breaks the Bank (1976), The Olsen Gang Outta Sight (1977), The Golden Cauliflower Family Gets the Vote (1977), Havoc (1977), The Olson Gang Goes to War (1978), Tradition: Up Yours! (1979), The Olsen Gang Never Surrenders (1979), Otto Is a Rhino (1983), Topsy Turvy (1983), Rainfox (1984), Babette’s Feast (1987), Pelle the Conqueror (1987), The Girl in the Swing (1988), Camping (1990), Hayfever (1991), and Prop and Berta (2000). He also starred as lawyer Skjold Hansen in the 1978 television series Matador.
stars for Fox Movietone News. Strock became an assistant editor at MGM after graduating from the University of Southern California, and served as an assistant editor on the film Gaslight (1944). He worked in television later in the decade as producer and director for the early television series The Cases of Eddie Drake starring Don Haggerty and Patricia Morison. Strock also directed such series as Sky King, I Led Three Lives, Meet Corliss Archer, Science Fiction Theater, Cheyenne, Highway Patrol, The Man Called X, Maverick, Colt .45, The Veil, Sea Hunt, 77 Sunset Strip, Bonanza, Men into Space, and The Alaskans. He worked uncredited as a director of several science fiction films in the early 1950s including The Magnetic Monster (1953), Donovan’s Brain (1953) starring Lew Ayres and Nancy Davis Reagan, and Riders to the Stars (1954). Strock also directed the films Gog (1954), Battle Taxi (1955), I Was a Teenage Frankenstein (1957), Blood of Dracula (1957), How to Make a Monster (1958), Devil’s Messenger (1961), Rider on a Dead Horse (1963), and The Crawling Hand (1963). Strock later wrote and directed the drama film Brother on the Run in 1973 and the horror film Monster in 1979. He produced the documentary films UFO Journals (1978) and UFO Syndrome (1980). Strock also served as an editor for the films So Evil, My Sister (1974), Witches’ Brew (1980), Night Screams (1987), Summer Seductions (1988), You Snooze You Loose (1995), Statues of Limitations (1999), and Distance (2003). • Los Angeles Times, Dec. 4, 2005, B14; New York Times, Dec. 6, 2005, C19; Variety, Dec. 12, 2005, 67.
STROCK, HERBERT L. Film and television director Herbert L. Strock, who was best known as the director of such 1950s cult horror films as I Was a Teenage Frankenstein and How to Make a Monster died of heart failure in a Moreno Valley, California, hospital following an automobile accident on November 30, 2005. He was 87. Strock was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on January 13, 1918. He began working in films while in his teens, directing segments featuring Hollywood gossip columnist Jimmy Fidler’s visits with
STRUCHKOVA , RAISA Russian ballerina Raisa Struchkova died in Moscow on May 2, 2005. She was 79. Struchkova was born in Moscow on October 5, 1925. She attended the Bolshoi school and joined the ballet in 1944. She received acclaim for her classical dancing style in such productions as Cinderella and Giselle. She also performed numerous duets with her husband, Aleksandr Lapauri, until his death in 1975. Struchkova subsequently retired from dancing to teach and coach at the Bolshoi. She was also the founding editor of the magazine Ballet from 1981 to 1995. • New York Times, May 4, 2005, C16; Times (of London), May 9, 2005, 50.
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Raisa Struchkova
Enzo Stuarti
STUART, ROY Character actor Roy Stuart, who was best known for his role as Cpl. Boyle in the television sitcom Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. in the 1960s, died of complications from cancer at the Motion Picture and Television Fund hospital in Woodland Hills, California. He was 79. Stuart was born in New York City on July 17, 1935. He began his career on the New York stage, and was featured on Broadway in productions of Curtain Going Down and Cafe Crown. He appeared in Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. as Sgt. Carter’s aide, Cpl. Chuck Boyle, from 1965 to 1968. Stuart was also seen in several films including The Love God? (1969) with Don Knotts, Girls U.S.A. (1980), Fascination (1980), The Budding of Brie (1980), Roommates (1981), Pandora’s Mirror (1981), Neon Nights (1981), Prime Risk (1985), and Eye of the Stranger (1993). He also appeared in the tele-films Three’s a Crowd (1969), How to Break Up a Happy Divorce (1976), and Sex and the Married Woman (1977). His other television credits include episodes of Mister Ed, Bewitched, Please Don’t Eat the Daisies, Gidget, The Mothers-in-Law, Room 222, Love, American Style, Marcus Welby, M.D., The Lost Saucer, Sanford and Son, One Day at a Time, CHiPs, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, The Golden Girls, and Mama’s Family. • Los Angeles Times, Dec. 31, 2005, B15.
on December 16, 2005. He was 80. Stuarti was born Lorenzo Scapone in Rome, Italy, on March 3, 1925. He came to the United States in 1934 and served in the Merchant Marines during World War II. After returning to Italy for several years he settled in the United States in 1951. Stuarti appeared frequently on Broadway from the early 1950s, initially using the stage names Larry Laurence and Larry Stuart before becoming Enzo Stuarti. He was featured in productions of As the Girls Go, Two on the Aisle, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Me and Juliet, By the Beautiful Sea, and Cole Porter’s Around the World in 80 Days. He was also noted for his appearances in Ragu spaghetti sauce commercials, which ended with the tagline “That’s-a nice!” Stuarti performed often on television from the 1950s in such series as Toast of the Town, The DuPont Show of the Week, The Hollywood Palace, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, The Mike Douglas Show, Playhouse 90, Ironside, and Mannix.
STURGESS, ROSIE Australian character actress Rosie Sturgess died in Australia on February 3, 2005. She was 84. Sturgess was born on June 21, 1920. She was best known for her roles on Australian television, starring as Dot Cook in the series The Last of the Australians from 1975 to 1976 and as Mrs. Devlin in Prisoner in 1979. She also appeared in television productions of You Too Can Have a Body (1960), Bellbird (1967), And the Big Men Fly (1974), The Rise and Fall
Roy Stuart
STUARTI, ENZO Operatic tenor Enzo Stuarti died of congestive heart failure in Midland, Texas,
Rosie Sturgess
357 of Wellington Boots (1975), I Can Jump Puddles (1981), Nevil Shute’s The Far Country (1986), The Henderson Kids II (1987), The Shiralee (1987), and Miracle Down Under (1987). She also appeared in a handful of films including Country Town (1971), the 1979 horror film Thirst, and The Efficiency Expert (1992). Her other television credits include episodes of Homicide, Division 4, Five Mile Creek, and The Flying Doctors.
SUCHARIPA , LEOS
Czech character actor Leos Sucharipa died of a heart attack in Prague, Czech Republic, on June 14, 2005. He was 73. Sucharipa was born in Varnsdorf, Czechoslovakia, on February 16, 1932. He was a popular performer on the Czech stage and screen, and appeared in numerous films from the 1960s. His credits include Five Girls Around the Neck (1967), Jara Cimrman Lying, Sleeping (1983), The Very Late Afternoon of a Faun (1983), Komediant (1984), How Poets Are Losing Their Illusions (1984), Apolonia’s Secret (1984), Vracenky (1990), Skylarks on a String (1990), Tender Barbarian (1990), The Inheritance (1993), Boomerang (1997), Eeny Meeny (2000), and Out of the City (2000). His survivors include his son, actor David Sucharipa.
2005 • Obituaries
sions of The Fantastics and The Sound of Music. She was also featured in several films during her career including Canjere (1957), Adoravel Trapalhao (1967), O Sexo das Bonecas (1974), 24 Horas no Rio (1974), O Vampiro de Copacabana (1976), and Os Noivos (1979). She also starred in the television series Senhora in 1975, and was Sagrada in the 1977 television series Nina.
SUGERMAN, DANNY Danny Sugerman, the manager of the legendary rock band The Doors, died of lung cancer in West Hollywood, California, on January 5, 2005. He was 50. Sugerman was born in Los Angeles on October 11, 1954. He began working for The Doors when he was 13 years old, answering the band’s fan mail. He later became the band’s comanager in the 1970s. He wrote the 1981 best-selling biography on Doors lead singer Jim Morrison, No One Here Gets Out Alive. She also two other books on rock ’n’ roll, Wonderland Avenue, which was adapted for film in 2001, and a book on Guns ’N’ Roses. Sugerman served as technical advisor for Oliver Stone’s 1991 film The Doors. His survivors include his widow, the former Fawn Hall, who was secretary to Col. Oliver North during the Iran-Contra hearings. • Times (of London), Jan. 13, 2005, 67; Variety, Jan. 17, 2005, 45.
Leos Sucharipa
SUELY, NORMA
Leading Brazilian singer Norma Suely died of cancer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on June 14, 2005. Suely performed in numerous musicals in the 1950s and 1960s, starring in Brazilian ver-
Norma Suely
Danny Sugerman
SUGIMURA, NOBORU Japanese video game writer Noboru Sugimura died in Tokyo, Japan on February 25, 2005. He was 56. Sugimura co-created the gaming company Flagship with Yoshiki Okamoto in 1997. He scripted story lines to numerous video games including Resident Evil, Dino Crisis, Biohazard, Clock Tower, and the Oninusha series. Sugimura also wrote for the Japanese television series Kamen Rider Zo and Ninja Sentai Kaku-Ranger. SULOCHANA Indian actress and singer Sulochana died of cardiac arrest at her home in Kayamkulam, India, on April 17, 2005. She was 67. She began performing on stage in the early 1950s with the cultural activist group, the Kerala People’s Arts Club, or KPAC. She was best known for her stage performances in such musicals as Ningalenne Kammunistakki and Aswamedham. She also appeared in numerous films including The Married Woman (1954), Untouchable Girl (1959), The Unexpected (1959), Bahaana (1960), The Silk Hand-
Obituaries • 2005
358 and Ann Reinking. She worked often on Broadway and designed makeup for such films as Slow Dancing in the Big City (1978), The Fan (1981), and So Fine (1981). She also worked in television, and was a make up artist for the tele-films The Adams Chronicles (1976), Uncommon Women ... and Others (1979), Broadway Plays Washington (1982), Medea (1983), and Alice in Wonderland (1983).
Sulochana
kerchief (1961), The Stubborn Girl (1964), Flowers for Worship (1964), The Flag (1965), Night and Day (1967), Desire (1968), The Man (1968), Brother and Sister (1969), Year of the Cricket (1969), The Husband’s House (1971), Food, Clothing, and Shelter (1974), The Runaways (1975), The Holy Year (1975), Free (1978), The Jewelled Lamp (1979), Beloved Enemy (1979), The Flame (1981), Homelife (1986), and Justice (1986).
SULTAN, GRETE Pianist Grete Sultan died in a New York City hospital on June 6, 2005. She was 98. She was born Johanna Margarete Sultan in Berlin, Germany, on June 21, 1906. Raised in a musical family, Grete’s concert career was interrupted by the Nazi rise to power in the 1930s. She and her family were Jewish and she was forced to flee to the United States in 1941. She began teaching music after her arrival and became mentor to modernist composer John Cage. She also continued her concert career throughout her life, exhibiting equal dexterity with both classical and modern compositions. In 1996 a CD set of her works was released in honor of her 90th birthday.
SUSSKIND, STEVE Actor Steve Susskind was killed in an automobile accident in Sunland, California, on January 21, 2005. He was 62. Susskind was born on October 3, 1942. He began his career as a singer, performing with the Doo Wop group The Roomates on such songs as “Please Love Me Forever” and “Band of Gold.” The group disbanded in 1964. Susskind later had a career as an actor in films and on television. He was featured in the films Friday the 13th Part 3 (1982), House (1985), Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989), A Gnome Named Gnorm (1992), Round Trip to Heaven (1992), Sandman (1998), and Dog Gone Love (2004). He also appeared in the tele-films In the Arms of a Killer (1992) and Witch Hunt (1994). His other television credits include episodes of Archie Bunker’s Place, The Facts of Life, The Jeffersons, Cagney & Lacey, Married ... with Children in the recurring role as Barney, Knots Landing, Alien Nation, Tales from the Crypt, Cheers, Weird Science, Wings, NewsRadio as Milos the Janitor in several episodes, Roseanne, Melrose Place, Seinfeld, Grace Under Fire, Teen Angel, Mr. Show, The Love Boat: The Next Wave, Get Real, Jack & Jill, Friends, According to Jim, Scrubs, and Frasier. Susskind was also a voice actor in the series Challenge of the GoBots in 1984 and was villain Maxie Zeus in Batman: The Animated Series in 1993. He was also heard in the animated films Ping! (2000), The Emperor’s New Groove (2000), Osmosis Jones (2001), and Monsters, Inc. (2001). • Los Angeles Times, Feb. 21, 2005, B9; Variety, Mar. 7, 2005, 62.
Steve Susskind Grete Sultan
SUNSHINE , MARGARET
Stage and film make-up artist Margaret Sunshine died in New York City on January 26, 2005. She was 89. Sunshine was born on May 7, 1915. She worked as a personal makeup designer for such stars as Bette Davis, Barbara Harris, Meryl Streep, Joanne Woodward, Lauren Bacall,
SUTHERLAND, DAVID Fantasy illustrator David Sutherland, who was a pioneer artist on the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing games from the 1970s, died of chronic liver failure at his home in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, on June 6, 2005. He was 56. Sutherland was born on April 4, 1949. He began working as an artist for role-playing games in 1974, produc-
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ing illustrations for historical, sci-fi, and fantasy games. He was the cover artist of the first Dungeons & Dragons boxed set, and illustrated the covers for Dungeon Masters Guide and Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual. Sutherland also designed for M.A.R. Barker’s Tekumel, and was artistic director at TSR.
SVANKMAJEROVA, EVA Czech art director Eva Svankmajerova died in Prague, Czech Republic, on October 20, 2005. She was 65. Svankmajerova was born in Kostelec nad Cernymi Lesy, Bohemia and Moravia, on September 25, 1940. She went to Prague, Czechoslovakia, in the late 1950s where she studied design. A painter and ceramicist, she was a member of the Czech and Slovak Surrealist Group from the 1970s. She was married to Czech filmmaker Jan Svankmajer, and worked with him as a production designer on his films The Ninth Heart (1978), The Pit, the Pendulum and Hope (1983), Alice (1988), Faust (1994), Conspirators of Pleasure (1996), Greedy Guts (2000), and Sileni (2005).
Eva Svankmajerova
SWEENEY, JOAN Writer Joan Sweeney died of Lou Gehrig’s disease at her home in Manhattan Beach, California, on January 22, 2005. She was 68. Sweeney was born on December 22, 1936. A former writer and editor at the Los Angeles Times, Sweeney also wrote Regency romance novels under the penname Marlene Suson. She published 17 novels during her career including Midnight Lord, The Lily and the Hawk, Scarlet Lady, Midnight Bride, and Devil’s Bargain. • Los Angeles Times, Jan. 23, 2005, B15. SWIFT, BRENT Film and television production designer Brent Swift died of liver cancer in North Hollywood, California, on April 18, 2005. He was 60. Swift was born in San Mateo, California, on June 1, 1944. He began working in films as a designer on the 1973 feature Cinderella Liberty. He worked as an art director or production designer on the films Seed of Innocence (1980), Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone (1983), Subterfuge (1996), and the tele-film The Perfect Daughter (1996). He also worked on such television series as Soldier of Fortune, Bonanza: The Next Generation, Alien Nation, and Weird Science and the HBO special Billy Crystal’s Midnight Train to Moscow. • Variety, May 9, 2005, 68.
Brent Swift
TABORI, NORA Hungarian actress Nora Tabori died in Budapest, Hungary, on November 23, 2005. She was 77. Tabori was born in Timisoara, Romania, on June 15, 1928. She was a leading performer on stage and screen from the late 1940s. Tabori was featured in such films as Danse Macabre (1957), Pillar of Salt (1958), A Cozy Cottage (1962), Stars of Eger (1968), Talking Caftan (1969), A Tanevzaro (1975), On the Sideline (1976), Effect-Hunter (1983), The Philadelphia Attraction (1985), Dragon and Slippers (1989), The Bachelor (1991), Professor Albeit (1998), Smouldering Cigarette (2001), The Last Blues (2002), and It’s Summer at Long Last (2002). She was also seen often on Hungarian television, starring in productions of The Black Diamond (1976), Death of a Juror (1995), Kavehaz (2001), Gaspar (2004), and Micimacko (2005). TADIC, LJUBA Serbian actor Ljhuba Tadic died in Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro, on October 28, 2005. He was 76. Tadic was born in Urusevac, Serbia, Yugoslavia, on May 31, 1929. He was a leading performer on the Yugoslavian stage and cinema from the 1950s, appearing in such films as I Was Stronger (1953), The Girl and the Oak :(1955), Cursed Money (1956), It Was Not Useless (1957), Aleksa Dundic (1958), Mamula Camp (1959), Fury Is a Woman (1961), The Prem (1961), Strange Girl (1962), The Steppe (1962), Inspektor (1965), The Dream (1966), Cat on the Rails (1966), The Morning (1967), Bomb at 10:10 (1967), The Girl in the Park
Ljuba Tadic
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(1968), Wolf of Prokletija (1968), Before the Truth (1968), Noon (1968), The Tough Ones (1968), Bekstva (1968), The Walled In (1969), Times Without War (1969), Bloody Tale (1969), Cross Country (1969), Father by Force (1969), The Way to Paradise (1970), A Day Longer Than a Year (1971), The Master and Margherite (1972), Girl from the Mountains (1972), The Battle of Sutjeska (1973), Fear (1974), Pavle Pavlovic (1975), Four Days to Death (1976), Fragrance of Wild Flowers (1977), Manhunt (1977), The Coach (1978), Breakdown (1978), Black and White Like Day and Night (1978), The Partizan’s Squadron (1979), Special Treatment (1980), Kiklop (1982), Remington (1988), Bunker Palace Hotel (1989), Ulysses’ Gaze (1995), Cabaret Balkan (1998), and Poljupci (2004). He also appeared in numerous television productions including Pesma (1975), Nikola Tesla (1977), Tomo Bakran (1978), Vuk Karadzic (1987), and Time of Miracles (1989).
TAFUR , ROBERT Character actor Robert Tafur died on June 6, 2005. He was 89. Tafur was born on September 30, 1915. The Cuban-born actor was featured in numerous films from the 1940s including For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943), Going My Way (1944), Once Upon a Time (1944), The Conspirators (1944), Who’s Guilty? (1945), Gilda (1946), Dressed to Kill (1946), The Woman from Tangier (1948), The Gallant Blade (1948), We Were Strangers (1949), Crisis (1950), Harem Girl (1952), Border River (1954), Secret of the Incas (1954), Green Fire (1954), The Three Outlaws (1956), Viva Knievel! (1977), and Evilspeak (1981). Tafur was dialogue coach for Orson Welles’ 1958 film Touch of Evil. He also appeared frequently on television, guest-starring in episodes of Death Valley Days, Four Star Playhouse, Soldiers of Fortune, The Adventures of Jim Bowie, Perry Mason, Superman, The Third Man, Border Patrol, Peter Gunn, One Step Beyond, The Aquanauts, The Tall Man, The Twilight Zone, My Three Sons, Branded, Gunsmoke, T.H.E. Cat, Bearcats!, Cannon, and Charlie’s Angels.
Robert Tafur
TAL, OMER Film editor Omer Tal died of cancer on September 11, 2005. He was 51. Tal was born on January 8, 1954. He worked in films as an editor from the late 1980s, cutting such movies as Moon in Scorpio (1987), Mercenary Fighters (1988), Double Cross
(1992), Mikey (1992), Dark Tide (1993), Lady in Waiting (1994), Shootfighter II (1995), Hard Justice (1995), Street Gun (1996), Operation Delta Force (1997), Breaking the Silence (1998), Armstrong (1998), and Operation Delta Force 4: Deep Fault (2001). Tal was a marketing and promotion executive at Bold Film, where he was involved with the company’s recent projects Slingshot (2005), Mini’s First Time (2005), and Come Early Morning (2005). • Variety, Sept. 26, 2005, 72.
TALBERT, TOM Jazz composer and arranger Tom Talbert died of a severe stroke in a Los Angeles hospital on July 2, 2005. He was 80. Talbert was born in Crystal Bay, Minnesota, on August 4, 1924. He came to Los Angeles in the 1940s and led an orchestra that toured with singer Anita O’Day. He relocated to New York in 1950 where he was a music arranger for such jazz legends as Buddy Rich, Claude Thornhill, and Stan Kenton. He also released two albums in the 1950s, Bix Duke Fats and Wednesday’s Child with singer Patty McGovern. He returned to Los Angeles in 1975 and composed music for the soundtracks for various television series including Serpico and Emergency! He continued to perform and record through the 1990s.
Tom Talbert
TALBOT, PAUL Television executive Paul Talbot died in Brewster, Massachusetts, on July 6, 2005. He was 86. He was born Paul McGrath in Cape Cod on December 16, 1918. He began working in radio in the 1930s and a performer in the soap operas The Adventures of Henry Aldrich and Aunt Jenny’s Real Life Stories. He served in the military during World War II, and after the war wrote the exploits of comic book heroes Superman and Batman. He founded Fremantle Corp. in 1952 and was an innovator in distribution of American television programming to an international audience. He began syndicating programs such as Hopalong Cassidy and You Are There to foreign markets. He soon began producing locally based versions of such popular game shows as Family Feud, The Newlywed Game, The Dating Game, and others in over 25 different countries. He also produced locally made versions of the popular children’s series Romper Room. He also pioneered the television barter syndication business, syndicating the daytime cooking program The Galloping Gourmet in the late 1960s with advertising already in-
361 cluded. Talbot also kept Baywatch in production after it was canceled in 1989, using international sales to finance the series that became the most-watched television program in the world. • Variety, July 18, 2005, 48.
TAWNEY, CYRIL British singer and songwriter Cyril Tawney died in Exeter, England, after a long illness on April 21, 2005. He was 74. Tawney was born in Gosport, Hampshire, England, on October 12, 1930. He joined the Royal Navy in the mid–1940s, and made his radio debut while still in the Navy in 1957. He performed the song “Sing Christmas and the Turn of the Year” on Alan Lomax’s radio show. Tawney was soon performing weekly on the program Watch Aboard. He remained a popular folk singer for the next forty years and was founder of the West of England Folk Centre. He also wrote such popular tunes as “Chicken on a Raft.” He also authored the book Grey Funnel Lines: Traditional Song and Verse of the Royal Navy 1900 to 1970 in 1987. • Times (of London), Apr. 29, 2005, 75.
2005 • Obituaries
ident for talent in 1959, where he was responsible for bringing such stars as Michael Landon, Dean Martin, and James Garner to the network. Tebet pushed for Johnny Carson to replace Jack Paar on The Tonight Show in 1962, and he became one of Carson’s closest associates. He subsequently left NBC to become vice president of Johnny Carson Productions when Carson bought The Tonight Show. Tebet was married to actress Nanette Fabray from 1947 until 1951. • Los Angeles Times, June 8, 2005, B11; Variety, June 13, 2005, 56.
TERZO, NINO Italian actor Nino Terzo died in Italy on May 8, 2005. Terzo was born in Palermo, Sicily, Italy, on May 22, 1923. He was 81. He appeared in numerous films from the 1950s, often in comic roles, including The Four Monks (1962), The Shortest Day (1962), Hunchback Italian Style (1962), Those Two in the Legion (1962), Two Colonels (1962), Toto vs. the Four (1963), The Four Musketeers (1963), The Swindlers (1963), Two Escape from Sing Sing (1964), 00–2 Most Secret Agents (1964), The Amazing Doctor G (1965), How We Got into Trouble with the Army (1965), Perdono (1966), Two Sergeants of General Custer (1966), Two Sons of Ringo (1967), Zum Zum Zum (1968), Better a Widow (1968), Franco and Ciccio and the Pirates of Barbanera (1969), The Clowns (1971), The Viking Who Came from the South (1971), Fellini’s Roma (1972), Il Caso Pisciotta (1972), Farfallon (1974), The Lady Medic (1976), Sex for Sale (1976), Emanuelle in the Country (1978), Cafe Express (1980), Amiche Mie (1982), and Cinema Paradiso (1989) as Peppino’s Father.
Cyril Tawney
TEBET, DAVID W. David W. Tebet, the television executive who was instrumental in Johnny Carson becoming the host of NBC’s The Tonight Show, died of complications from a stroke at his home in Coronado, California, on June 7, 2005. He was 91. Tebet was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on December 27, 1913, and was raised in Philadelphia. He began his career in show business as a publicist, moving to New York to publicize Broadway plays. He became involved with television in the 1950s as a publicist on Sid Caesar’s Your Show of Shows. He became NBC’s vice pres-
David W. Tebet (left, with William B. Williams and Frank and Barbara Sinatra)
Nino Terzo
THAYER, LORNA Actress Lorna Thayer, who was best known for her role as the waitress in Five Easy Pieces who shares the chicken-salad sandwich scene with Jack Nicholson, died in Woodland Hills, California, on June 4, 2005. She was 86. Thayer was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on March 10, 1919. She attended college in California, and began her career on stage in San Francisco. She appeared in productions of Street Scene, Berkeley Square, and What Every Woman Knows. She appeared in character roles in films from the early 1950s, appearing in such features as Texas City (1952), The Lusty Men (1952), Jennifer (1953), Women’s Prison (1955), Roger Corman’s Beast with a Million Eyes (1956), I’ve Lived Before (1956), The Women of Pitcairn
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Lorna Thayer
Carl Thayler
Island (1956), I Want to Live! (1958), Freckles (1960), Police Nurse (1963), and Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round (1966). She was also seen on television in episodes of Medic, The Star and the Story, Soldiers of Fortune, Studio 57, The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, Captain Midnight, Dragnet, Jane Wyman Presents The Fireside Theatre, Cavalcade of America, The Adventures of Jim Bowie, Circus Boy, Dragnet, Letter to Loretta, The Californians, The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, Black Saddle, Have Gun —Will Travel, The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor, The Rebel, Johnny Ringo, The Untouchables, Bonanza, The Tall Man, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Garrison’s Gorillas, It Takes a Thief, and CHiPs. She was largely inactive on the screen in the late 1960s before her role in Five Easy Pieces in 1970. She continued to appear in the films The Traveling Executioner (1970), The Andromeda Strain (1971), Glass Houses (1972), Cisco Pike (1972), Skyjacked (1972), Rhinoceros (1974), The Gravy Train (1974), Alice Goodbody (1974), Smoke in the Wind (1975), Revenge of the Cheerleaders (1976), Buddy Buddy (1981), Nothing in Common (1986), and Frankie and Johnny (1991). Thayer was also featured in the telefilms Night Chase (1970), Dead Men Tell No Tales (1971), Mrs. Sundance (1974), The Family Kovack (1974), It Couldn’t Happen to a Nicer Guy (1974), Flatbed Annie & Sweetiepie: Lady Truckers (1979), and The Aliens Are Coming (1980). • Los Angeles Times, June 17, 2005, B11; Time, June 27, 2005, 23; Variety, June 20, 2005, 44.
actor was born in Massachusetts on April 22, 1919. He served in the military during World War II and worked as a stage manager for Elia Kazan after the war. He worked on Kazan’s Broadway productions of Tennessee William’s plays Camino Real, Sweet Bird of Youth, and A Streetcar Named Desire. He also worked in front of and behind the cameras on several of Kazan’s films. He worked as a dialogue supervisor on the features On the Waterfront (1954), East of Eden (1955), and War and Peace (1956). Thomajan appeared in character roles in such films as Kazan’s Boomerang! (1947), Miracle on 34th Street (1947) as Lou the postal worker, House of Strangers (1949), Panic in the Streets (1950) with Jack Palance and Zero Mostel, The Breaking Point (1950), Viva Zapata! (1952), and The Pink Panther (1963). Thomajan went to Rome in 1964 to direct the film The Ex-Americans. He also directed a Broadway production of Harbor Lights, and several operas for New York’s Civic Theatre. He retired to North Florida in the 1980s.
THAYLER, CARL Actor and poet Carl Thayler was found dead at his home in Madison, Wisconsin, on November 6, 2005. He was 72. Thayler was born on April 29, 1933. He appeared in a handful of films in the 1950s, playing supporting roles in Man from Del Rio (1956), The True Story of Jesse James (1957) as Robert Ford, The Abductors (1957), High School Confidential! (1958), and Party Girl (1958). He was also featured on television in episodes of The Walter Winchell File, The Texan, and Letter to Loretta. Thayler abandoned in the 1960s, and published his first collection of poetry, The Drivers, in 1969. He continued to write poetry for small press journals throughout his life. THOMAJAN , GUY Character actor Edd “Guy” Thomajan died at his home in Monticello, Florida, on June 28, 2005. He was 86. The diminutive
Guy Thomajan
THOMAS, SHIRLEY Television personality and writer Shirley Thomas died of cancer at her home in Hollywood on July 21, 2005. She was 85. Thomas was born in Glendale, California, in 1920. She was married to Walter White, Jr., from 1949 to 1952. The couple owned Commodore Productions, which pro-
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THOMPSON , HARRY Harry Thompson, who produced numerous comedies for British television, died of lung cancer in London on November 7, 2005. He was 45. Thompson was born in London on February 6, 1960. He began working in radio and television in the early 1990s, producing such series as Have I Got News for You, Newman and Baddiel in Pieces, Harry Enfield and Chums, They Think It’s All Over, and Never Mind the Buzzcocks. Thompson and Andrew Newman co-created the series The 11 O’Clock Show in 1998, introducing Sacha Baron Cohen as Ali G. Da Ali G Show followed in 2000, with Thompson producing and writing. He also created the animated series Monkey Dust in 2003. Thompson also wrote several books
including biographies of Richard Ingrams, Herge, and Peter Cook. His novel, The Thing of Darkness, was released earlier in 2005. • Times (of London), Nov. 9, 2005, 67. THOMPSON, HUNTER S. Writer Hunter S. Thompson, who’s “Gonzo-style” of journalism energized his coverage of social and political issues in the 1970s, died at his home in Woody Creek, Colorado, after shooting himself in the head on February 20, 2005. He was 67. Thompson was born in Louisville, Kentucky on July 18, 1937. He served in the United States Air Force after high school, where he began working as a journalist as a sports reporter for the Air Force newspaper. After leaving the service, honorably, in 1958 he continued to write for newspapers for small towns around the country. Thompson achieved national prominence for his 1967 book Hell’s Angels; A Strange and Terrible Saga in which he debunked the myths surrounding the outlaw biker gang after spending over a year in their midst. His erratic and obscenity laden writing style shocked his critics and landed him a job with Rolling Stones as a political columnist in the early 1970s. His coverage of the tumultuous 1972 presidential election that pitted Republican incumbent Richard M. Nixon against Liberal Democratic insurgent Sen. George McGovern resulted in the best-selling book, Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail. His previous book, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1972) created his drug-fueled alter ego Raoul Duke and chronicled a semi-autobiographical account of his journey from Los Angeles to Vegas with fellow reprobate, the lawyer, Dr. Gonzo. This book served as the basis for a movie of the same name over 25 years later in 1998, starring Johnny Depp as Thompson’s character. He had been portrayed on screen by Bill Murray in the 1980 film Where the Buffalo Roam which was based on his collection of stories The Banshee Screams for Buffalo Meat and Strange Rumblings in Aztlan. Thompson was also known as the cartoon character Uncle Duke in Garry Trudeau’s comic strip Doonesbury from the early 1980s. His familiar visage, balding and sporting aviator glasses with a cigarette clinched tightly between his lips, and his drug-injesting, guntoting style, typified an era that had passed him by in favor of congealed sameness. • Los Angeles Times, Feb.
Harry Thompson
Hunter S. Thompson
Shirley Thomas
duced several radio programs including Hopalong Cassidy. Thomas also did radio broadcasts for Voice of America in the 1950s. She was a red-carpet interviewer for NBC television from 1952 to 1956, and hosted CBS’s Rose Parade coverage. She became interested in the space program during the decade and began a writing project that took over a decade to complete. She was author of the Men of Space series, with eight volumes published between 1960 and 1968. The series profiled numerous individuals who were involved in the space program, from scientists and administrators, to the astronauts who piloted the missions. Thomas taught writing at the University of Southern California from the 1970s.
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22, 2005, A1; New York Times, Feb. 22, 2005, B9; People, Mar. 7, 2005, 79; Time, Mar. 7, 2005, 27; Times (of London), Jan. 22, 2005, 55; Variety, Feb. 28, 2005, 53.
THOMPSON, JIMMY British stage and screen performer Jimmy Thompson died in York, England, on April 21, 2005. He was 80. Thompson was born in Halifax, Yorkshire, England, on October 30, 1924. He began his career on the British stage in Yorkshire, appearing in productions of The Corn Is Green and Tobias and the Angel. He starred in and directed numerous theatrical plays in England. He also appeared often on British television from the 1950s, starring in the series Here and Now, Pinky and Perky, and The Very Merry Widow, and guest starring in episodes of Six More Faces of Jim, The Jazz Age, The Benny Hill Show, and George and Mildred. Thompson also appeared in such films as The Whole Truth (1958), The Man Who Liked Funerals (1959), Roommates (1961), Carry on Regardless (1961), Band of Thieves (1962), Carry on Cruising (1962), Carry on Jack (1963), Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (1965), and Doctor in Trouble (1970).
Jimmy Thompson
THOMPSON, LUCKY Jazz saxophonist Lucky Thompson died in Seattle, Washington, on July 30, 2005. He was 81. Thompson was born Eli Thompson in Columbia, South Carolina, on June 16, 1924. He moved to Detroit with his family as a child. He began
performing professionally in the early 1940s, joining with Erskine Hawkins’ band. He moved to New York in 1943, where he became a member of Lionel Hampton’s band. He also played briefly with Billy Eckstine’s band, and joined the Count Basie Orchestra in 1944. He moved to Los Angeles the following year where he performed with Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. He also recorded as a sideman for such stars as Dinah Washington, Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, and Stan Kenton, and recorded the albums Tricotism (1956) and Lucky Strikes (1964) under his own name. He resided in Paris from 1957 to 1962, where he recorded with the pianist Martial Solal. Thompson abandoned music in 1974, and spent much of his later years as a derelict. • Los Angeles Times, Aug. 8, 2005, B9; New York Times, Aug. 5, 2005, B7; Times (of London), Aug. 9, 2005, 48.
THOMSON, MARGARET British documentary filmmaker Margaret Thomson died on December 30, 2005. She was 95. Thomson was born in Australia on June 10, 1910, and raised in Wellington, New Zealand. She moved to London in 1934, where she soon began making education documentaries on Britain’s ecology and natural environment. She was best known for her work with the Realist Film Unit, directing a series of public information films made to assist amateur farmers during World War II including Making a Compost Heap (1942), Clamping Potatoes (1942), Making Grass Silage (1943), and Clean Milk (1944). She remained with the unit after the war, where she made two films for the Ministry of Education, Children Learning by Experience (1946) and Children Growing Up with Other People (1947). Thomson also directed and adapted the 1953 feature film Child’s Play. During the 1950s she also worked as a casting agent and coach for children, assisting on such films as 1953’s The Kidnappers. Later in the decade she and her husband, Bob Ash, formed a production company to create industrial films until her retirement in 1977. THRANE, EDITH Danish actress Edith Thrane died in Aalborg, Denmark, on May 9, 2005. She was 87. Thrane was born in Denmark on October 18, 1917. She appeared in numerous theatrical productions in Denmark and was seen in the films Ballad of Carl-Henning (1969), Thorvald og Linda (1982), and Portland (1996). She was also featured in television productions of Hvor er Viggo? (1973) and JAP (1973). THRELKELD, BUDGE Actor and comedian Budge Threlkeld died in Orlando, Florida, after a long illness on June 11, 2005. He was 59. Threlkeld was born in Pueblo, Colorado, on March 17, 1946. He began performing on radio in Denver, forming the comedy troupe High Street. He also entertained at Disney World in Orlando for over 15 years. Threlkeld appeared in several films in the 1980s including Nobody’s Fool (1986), Terror Squad, and Two Idiots in Hollywood (1988), and guest starred in episodes of Hunter. He also wrote an episode of the 1987 comedy series Trying Times.
Lucky Thompson
TIEN MIAO Chinese character actor Tien Miao died in lymphatic cancer in Taipei, Taiwan, on
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She worked as a puppeteer for several Jim Henson productions including Fraggle Rock, and was head puppeteer for the 1993 television special The Land of I. She was best known for her performance as the Mime Lady on the 1980s children series Today’s Special. She also performed on the television series Cucumber (1972), Math Patrol (1977), and Gerbert (1989), and the 1985 film Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird. Tilroe also performed the Snuggles the Fabric Softener Bear in numerous television commercials.
Budge Threlkeld
February 19, 2005. He was 79. Tien Miao was born in China on December 6, 1925. He appeared in numerous films from the 1960s including Dragon Gate Inn (1966), A Touch of Zen (1969), The Dowager Empress (1975), The Last Tempest (1976), The Grand Passion (1982), Rebels of the Neon God (1992), The River (1997), The Hole (1998), What Time Is It There? (2001), and The Missing (2003).
TIMMERMANN, HANS German actor Hans Timmermann died on November 3, 2005. He was 79. Timmermann was born in Flensburg, Germany, on February 20, 1926. He was active on the German stage, and appeared in film and television productions from the early 1960s. He appeared in television productions of Der Bund der Haifsche (1961), Intercontinental-Express (1965), Ein Sarg fur Mr. Holloway (1968), and several Tatort episodes in the 1970s. He also appeared in the tele-films Bleibt alles in der Familie (1983), Unsere Mutter wird’ne Diva (1996), and Hamburger Bier (2000). Timmermann also directed television productions from the early 1980s including Spatge Lieber geht ins Geld (1981), Schone Aussichten (1985), Die Spanische Fliege (1990), and Die Lokalbahn (1994).
Miao Tien (from The River)
TILROE , NIKKI Canadian puppetry performer Nikki Tilroe died on September 1, 2005. She toured as a mime throughout North America and created the Mimi & Toto puppet show in the early 1970s.
TIMPSON, JOHN British radio and television broadcaster John Timpson died in Kings Lynn, Nor-
Nikki Tilroe
John Timpson
Hans Timmermann
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folk, England, on November 19, 2005. He was 77. Timpson was born in Harrow Middlesex, England, on July 2, 1928. He began working as a journalist with Wembley News in 1945. He worked as a reporter for the Eastern Daily Press in the 1950s, and joined the BBC news staff in 1959. He worked as a radio reporter before moving to television as host of the Newsroom program for BBC Two. He had a long-standing partnership with Brian Redhead, and also hosted the BBC programs Tonight and Today. He also hosted the Any Question radio series. Timpson wrote several books about his work in radio and television including Today and Yesterday (1976), The Lighter Side of Today (1983), and The Early Morning Book (1986). He was also author of a series of travel books beginning with Timpson’s England in 1987. • Times (of London), Nov. 21, 2005, 52.
TOLOS, CHRIS
Canadian professional wrestler Chris Tolos died of cancer in a Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, hospital on August 13, 2005. He was 75. Tolos was born in Hamilton on December 5, 1929. He and his brother, John Tolos, began wrestling in the 1950s. Known as the Canadian Wrecking Crew, they defeated Killer Kowalski and Gorilla Monsoon for the WWWF U.S. Tag Team Title in December of 1963. They subsequently captured the NWA World Tag Team Title in Florida, and held the Canadian Tag Team Title several times in 1967. Chris Tolos remained in Canada when John relocated to the United States in the 1970s. He continued to wrestle through the early 1980s.
Chris Tolos (right, with his brother John)
TOMBLIN, DAVID British film and television director David Tomblin, who was co-creator and producer of the 1967 cult series The Prisoner, died in England on April 4, 2005. He was 74. Tomblin worked as an assistant director from the 1950s on such television series as The New Adventures of Charlie Chan, Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans, The Invisible Man, and One Step Beyond. He was also assistant director on the films Scream of Fear (1961), I Thank a Fool (1962), The Haunting (1963), Night Must Fall (1964), Murder Ahoy! (1964), Murder Most Foul (1964), The Liquidator (1965), and The Alphabet Murders (1965). He first worked with actor Patrick McGoohan on the British spy series Danger Man and Secret Agent. He teamed with McGoohan to create The Prisoner in 1967, and Tomblin also directed and scripted several episodes of the series. He also wrote and directed episodes of the science fiction series U.F.O., and directed the 1971 film
David Tomblin
Baleia! Baleia!, and episodes of The Protectors and Space: 1999. Tomblin also continued his career as an assistant director and second unit director, working on the films A Warm December (1973), Shaft in Africa (1973), The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes’ Smarter Brother (1975), Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon (1975), The Omen (1976), A Bridge Too Far (1977), Superman (1978), Zulu Dawn (1979), The Prisoner of Zenda (1979), George Lucas’ Star Wars (1980), Superman II (1980), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Ivanhoe (1982), Gandhi (1982), Return of the Jedi (1983), Never Say Never Again (1983), Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), King David (1985), Out of Africa (1987), Empire of the Sun (1987), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), Havana (1990), Chaplin (1992), The Three Musketeers (1993), Braveheart (1995), Hearst Castle: Building the Dream (1996), The Man in the Iron Mask (1998), Ever After (1998), and Beyond the Horizon (2005).
TOMME, RON Soap opera star Ron Tomme died at his home in New York City after a long illness on January 29, 2005. He was 73. Tomme was born in Chicago on October 24, 1931. He starred as Bruce Sterling in the daytime television soap opera Love of Life for over twenty years from 1959 to 1980. He also appeared as Crimmins in Ryan’s Hope in 1981. Tomme also appeared often on stage in such productions as Bell, Book and Candle, Cactus Flower, and Plaza Suite.
Ron Tomme
367 TOMPKINS, JOAN Actress Joan Tompkins died at her home in Orange County, California, on January 29, 2005. She was 89. Tompkins was born in New York on July 9, 1915. She began her career on stage in the 1930s and appeared on Broadway in productions of My Sister Eileen, Pride and Prejudice, and others. She also starred as Nora Drake in the popular radio series of the 1940s. Tompkins segued into television in the 1950s, appearing in episodes of Kraft Television Theatre, Goodyear Theatre, The Californians, The Donna Reed Show, Bachelor Father, Maverick, One Step Beyond, Boris Karloff ’s Thriller, Hawaiian Eye, Adventures in Paradise, Bus Stop, Perry Mason, Hazel, Route 66, Dr. Kildare, Make Room for Daddy, The Eleventh Hour, The Lieutenant, The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters, The Eleventh Hour, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., Lassie, The Fugitive, Profiles in Courage, Slattery’s People, ABC Stage 67, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Mission: Impossible, Bewitched, Ironside, Bonanza, I Dream of Jeannie, The Brady Bunch, Mayberry R.F.D., Rod Serling’s Night Gallery, Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law, Mary Tyler Moore, The Bob Newhart Show, Barnaby Jones, The Streets of San Francisco, Little House on the Prairie, Emergency!, and Eight Is Enough. She also appeared regularly as Trudy Wagner in the 1962 series Sam Benedict, and was Mrs. Brahms on the 1966 sit-com Occasional Wife. She was also seen as Elizabeth Maynard in the daytime soap opera General Hospital in 1977. Tompkins also appeared in the tele-films The Harness (1971), The Scarecrow (1972), Set This Town on Fire (1973), Crime Club (1973), The Awakening Land (19780, and The Night the City Screamed (1980). She was also featured in several films during her career including Popi (1969), The Christine Jorgensen Story (1970), Zigzag (1970), I Love My Wife (1970), and The Critical List (1978). Tompkins was married to actor Karl Swenson, who starred as Lars Hanson on TV’s Little House on the Prairie, from the 1940s until his death in 1978. She subsequently retired from acting to start a writing group.
2005 • Obituaries
also seen in small roles in the films Kismet (1955) and The Ten Commandments (1956). He appeared on Broadway in such productions as Milk and Honey, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, The Sound of Music, The Happiest Girl in the World, and Peter Pan.
TOONDER, MARTEN Leading Dutch comic artist and animator Marten Toonder died in his sleep in Larens, The Netherlands, on July 27, 2005. He was 93. Toonder was born in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, on May 2, 1912. He began drawing comics in the early 1930s, working on the short-lived strips Bram’s Avonturen and Tobias. Later in the decade he co-founded Geesink-Toonder Productions in Amsterdam with Joop Geesink. They worked together on comics and animations until 1943. Toonder created the popular Tom Puss and Mr. Bumble comic series in 1941, which ran for over 45 years. He also created the long-running strips Cappy, Panda, and Olle Kapoen. Some of his works were adapted for the 1983 animated film Dexter the Dragon and Bumble the Bear. Toonder continued drawing strips until his retirement in 1985.
Marten Toonder
TOONE, GEOFFREY Leading British character actor Geoffrey Toone died at the actors’ rest home, Denville Hall, in Middlesex, England, on June 1, 2005. He was 94. Toone was born in Dublin, Ireland, on November 15, 1910. He began his career on the English
Joan Tompkins
TOOKOIAN, ARTHUR Broadway performer Arthur Tookoian died on August 19, 2005. He was 82. Tookoian was featured as a pirate in the 1960 television production of Peter Pan with Mary Martin. He was
Geoffrey Toone
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stage in 1931 and soon appeared as Fortinbras in a production of Hamlet with John Gielgud, Alec Guinness and Anthony Quayle. He also appeared with Gielgud in his production of Romeo and Juliet. He also appeared in several films in the late 1930s including Sword of Honour (1938), Pirates of the Seven Seas (1938), Night Journey (1938), North Sea Patrol (1939), Poison Pen (1940), and Mad Men of Europe (1940). Toone served in the Royal Artillery during World War II before he was discharged because of injuries. He returned to the stage, appearing in productions of Watch on the Rhine, Hamlet, and Lady Windemere’s Fan. He made his debut on Broadway as Banquo in Michael Redgrave’s production of Macbeth in 1948. He remained a popular performer on stage over the next two decades. Toone was also seen in such films as Hell Is Sold Out (1951), The Woman’s Angle (1952), The Great Game (1953), The Man Between (1953), Captain Lightfoot (1955), Diane (1956), Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The King and I (1956) as Sir Edward Ramsay, Johnny Tremain (1957), Zero Hour! (1957), Murder at Site 3 (1959), Once More, with Feeling (1960), The Entertainer (1960), Terror of the Tongs (1961), Dr. Crippen (1962), Echo of Diana (1963), Blaze of Glory (1963), Captain Sinbad (1963), The River Line (1964), Personal and Confidential (1965), and Dr. Who and the Daleks (1965). Toone also appeared often on British and U.S. television from the 1950s, appearing in episodes of Hallmark Hall of Fame, Studio 57, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The United States Steel Hour, Letter to Loretta, Crusader, Playwrights ’56, On Trial, The Alcoa Hour, Cheyenne, Kraft Television Theatre, Ivanhoe, The Westerner, One Step Beyond, Z Cars, Zero One, Codename, The Troubleshooters, The Persuaders!, Doctor Who, Colditz, Sutherland’s Law, Warship, The New Avengers, All Creatures Great and Small, Yes, Minister, Lady Killers, Only Fools and Horses, Jeeves and Wooster, Casualty, and The High Life. He starred as Sergeant Baines in the 1965 series 199 Park Lane, and was Von Gelb in the series Freewheelers in the late 1960s. He also appeared as Sir Neville Johnson in the 1983 series The Consultant. Toone was seen in several tele-film and mini-series including Contract to Kill (1965), Death Is a Good Living (1966), The Ventures (1972), Fall of Eagles (1974), Anna Karenina (1977), The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982), War and Remembrance (1988), and Robert Ludlum’s The Apocalypse Watch (1997).
Rigo Tovar
a model and actress in New York City. She was featured in small roles in several films in the late 1940s including Julia Misbehaves (1948), Moonrise (1948), The Kissing Bandit (1948), Words and Music (1948), and Act of Violence (1948). She also co-starred with Humphrey Bogart in the 1949 film Knock on Any Door under the name Susan Perry. Toxton was married three times — to singer Mel Torme, actor Hal March, and graphic designer Jerome Gould.
Candy Toxton (from Knock on Any Door)
TRABAUD, PIERRE French actor Pierre Trabaud died in Versailles, France, on February 26, 2005.
TOVAR, RIGO Mexican singer Rigo Tovar died of a heart attack in Mexico City on March 27, 2005. He was 58. Tovar was born in Matamoros, Mexico, on March 29, 1946. He was a popular singer and performer from the 1970s, known for such hits as “Matamoros Querido” and “Sirenita.” He was an innovator in the cumbia and grupero style of tropical music popular in Mexico. Tovar also appeared in several films in the 1980s including Vivar Para Amar (1980), Rigo es Amor (1980), El Gran Trikunfo (1981), and Memorias de un Mojado (1988). TOXTON, CANDY Actress Candy Toxton died at her home in Rancho Mirage, California, on December 28, 2005. She was 80. She was born Florence Tockstein in Vienna, Missouri, in 1925. She worked as
Pierre Trabaud
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He was 80. Trabaud was a leading performer on the French stage and screen from the 1940s. He appeared in numerous films including Open for Inventory Causes (1946), Antoine and Antoinette (1947), Rendezvous in July (1949), Endless Horizons (1953), The Unfrocked One (1954), The Window to Luna Park (1956), What a Team! (1957), The Desert of Pigalle (1958), Tonight We Kill (1959), War of the Buttons (1962) as the school teacher, Shame of the Jungle (1975), ’Round Midnight (1986), and Life and Nothing But (1989). Trabaud was also noted for his voice work in cartoons in France, voicing the animated characters Popeye, Daff y Duck, and Lucky Luke’s opponent Joe Dalton.
TRACY , BILL Singer Bill Tracy, who sang with the Robert Mitchell Boy Choir in his youth and the Modernaires in his senior years, died of complications from heart surgery in a Scottsdale, Arizona, hospital on November 20, 2005. He was 72. Tracy was born in Detroit, Michigan, on June 3, 1933. He was a member of the Robert Mitchell Boy Choir in the 1940s and early 1950s, appearing with the group in such films as Bells of Rosarita (1945), Song of Arizona (1946), The Jolson Story (1946), and The Bishop’s Wife (1947). He recorded several hit songs in the 1950s and 1960s. Tracy teamed with comedian Jackie Curtiss from 1969, and spent the next decade performing at nightclubs and appearing on such television shows as Tonight and The Merv Griffin Show. Tracy joined the singing quartet the Modernaires in 1987, becoming a member of the group that had included many singers since it was formed fifty years earlier. He remained with the Modernaires until suffering a heart attack earlier in the year.
Gyula Trebitsch
to Him Who Loves (1951), Columbus Discovers Krahwinkel (1954), The Devil’s General (1955) with Curt Jurgens, Two Blue Eyes (1955), Marriage of Dr. Danwitz (1956), the Oscar-nominated The Captain from Kopenick (1956), The Affairs of Julie (1957), At Green Cockatoo by Night (1957), The Heart of St. Pauli (1957), Dr. Crippen Lives! (1958), Duel in the Forest (1958), Mrs. Warren’s Profession (1960), and The Liar (1961). Trebitsch also produced numerous productions for German television including Heidi (1968), Ida Rogalski (1968), Hamburg Transit (1970), and Kinderheim Sasener Chaussee (1972). • Variety, Jan. 2, 2005, 36.
TREMBLAY, KAY Scottish actress Kay Tremblay died in Stratford, Ontario, Canada, on August 9, 2005. She was 91. Tremblay was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1914. She appeared frequently on stage, film and television in Canada from the 1960s. Tremblay was seen in the films Phoebe (1964), Flesh Feast (1970), Oh Heavenly Dog (1980), Shadow Dancing (1988), Renegades (1989), Sam and Me (1991) Love and Murder (1991), The Shower (1992), National Lampoon’s Senior Trip (1995), First Degree (1996), Lulu (1996), The Real Howard Spitz (1998), and Who Is Cletis Tout? (2001). She was also featured in the tele-films The Cuckoo Bird (1985), Mary Higgins Clark’s Remember Me (1995), Moonlight Becomes You (1998), Happy Christmas, Miss King (1998), Stephen King’s Storm of the Century (1999), and Santa Who? (2000). Tremblay was best
Bill Tracy
TREBITSCH, GYULA German film producer Gyula Trebitsch died in Hamburg, Germany, on December 12, 2005. He was 91. Trebitsch was born in Budapest, Hungary, on November 3, 1914. He began working in films in the early 1930s with Germany’s UFA studio in Budapest. He lost his job after Hitler’s rise to power and was persecuted during the Holocaust because of his Jewish heritage. After the war Trebitsch relocated to Hamburg and formed Real-Film, which later became Studio Hamburg, with Walter Koppel. He produced numerous films in the post-war era including Katchen fur Alles (1949), Gabriela (1950), Woe
Kay Tremblay
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known for her role as Great Aunt Eliza in the popular television series Road to Avonlea from 1989. She was also seen in the series The Beachcombers, Street Legal, Friday the 13th, Diamonds, Katts and Dog, The Hitchhiker, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Dog House, and Wind at My Back.
TREVANIAN Rodney Whitaker, who was best known for his novels written under the pen name Trevanian, died of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the West Country of England on December 14, 2005. He was 74. Whitaker was born in Tokyo, Japan, on June 12, 1931. He was best known for the best-seller thriller The Eiger Sanction, published in 1972, which was adapted for a film starring Clint Eastwood in 1975. He also wrote the novels The Loo Sanction (1973) and Shibumi (1979) under the name Trevanian. He also wrote the 1970 book The Language of Film under his own name, and authored the medieval tale 1339 ... or So: Being an Apolog y for a Peddler (1975) and Rude Tales and Glorious: The Account of Diverse Feats of Brawn and Bawd Performed by King Arthur and His Knights of the Table Round (1983) under the name Nicholas Seare. A short story written as Trevanian was adapted for the 2004 film Hot Night in the City. • Los Angeles Times, Dec. 19, 2005, B9; New York Times, Dec. 17, 2005; Time, Dec. 26, 2005, 35.
Roger Treville
tius Pilate (1962), How to Steal a Million (1966), and Dead Run (1967). He also appeared on French television in productions of L’Image (1972) and A Vous de Jouer Milord (1974).
TRIPP, JACK British pantomime comedian Jack Tripp died in Brighton, England, on July 10, 2005. He was 83. Tripp was born in Plymouth, England, on February 4, 1922. He performed as a tap dancer as a teen and appeared in small theatrical productions before serving with the Royal Engineers during World War II. He organized shows to entertain the troops during his service, and after the war became a popular comic actor and eccentric dancer. He was featured in the hit revue Such Is Life in 1955 and was performing as Douglas Byng’s son in pantomime productions from the 1950s. He became one of England’s leading pantomime dames, playing such characters as Mrs. Crusoe, Widow Twankey, and Mother Goose. He often performed with his partner, singer and dancer Allen Christie, until the latter’s death in the 1990s. Tripp also teamed with Roy Hudd, starring in a Saddler’s Wells production of Babes in the Wood in 1994. • Times (of London), July 12, 2005, 54.
Trevanian (with his wife)
TREVILLE, ROGER French actor Roger Treville died in France on September 27, 2005. He was 102. Treville was born in France on November 17, 1902. He began has career in films during the silent era in the 1920s. His numerous film credits include The Rotters (1921), Married Live (1921), Sinister Street (1922), Cousine de France (1927), The Parisian (1930), His Highness Love (1931), Beauty Spot (1931), Durand Contre Durand (1931), You Will Be My Wife (1932), Abduct Me (1932), Bach Millionaire (1933), Slipper Episode (1934), Runaway Ladies (1934), Midnight, Place Pigalle (1934), Le Champion de ces Dames (1935), Speak to Me of Love (1936), Les Maris de ma Femme (1936), Jacques et Jacotte (1936), Maxim’s Porter (1939), Valse Brillante (1948), Le Passe-Muraille (1951), The Green Glove (1952), Escale a Orly (1955), Her Bridal Night (1956), The Happy Road (1957), Paris Holiday (1958), The Gambler (1958), Rue de Paris (1959), The Pavements of Paris (1961), Pon-
Jack Tripp
TROFIMOV, NIKOLAI Russian actor Nikolai Trofimov died of heart failure in St. Petersburg, Russia, on November 7, 2005. He was 85. Trofimov was born in Sevastopol, Soviet Union, on January 21,
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cidental music, scoring such films and tele-films as The Gunfighters (1987), The Swordsman (1993), Mary Higgins Clark’s Remember Me (1995), While My Pretty One Sleeps (1997), Let Me Call You Sweetheart (1997), Moonlight Becomes You (1998), All-American Girl: The Mary Kay LeTourneau Story (2000), Loves Music, Loves to Dance (2001), Pretend You Don’t See Her (2002), Lucky Day (2002), Haven’t We Met Before? (2002), and All Around the House (2002). He also worked on numerous series including Night Heat, Hot Shots, Diamonds, Top Cops, Counterstrike, and Secret Service.
Nikolai Trofimov
1920. He began performing on stage, appearing at the Comedy Theater in Moscow. He appeared in numerous theatrical productions, and was featured in such films as Tiger Girl (1954), Did We Meet Somewhere Before (1954), Striped Trip (1960), Kain XVIII (1963), Rasplyuev’s Days of Fun (1966), Trembita (1968), The Diamond Arm (1968), War and Peace (1968), The Tobacco Captain (1972), With Fun and Courage (1973), Eleven Hopes (1975), Story of an Unknown Actor (1976), Enemies (1977), The Steppe (1977), About the Little Red Riding Hood (1977), Blokada 2 (1977), The Nightingale (19797), Summer Tour (1979), Rassledovaniye (1980), The Circus Princess (1982), Fathers and Grandfathers (1982), Free Wind (1983), My Elected (1984), Old Times Pranks (1986), Extensions of the Family (1988), Storm Over Russia (1992), Angelica’s Passion (1993), Kumparsita (1993), To Survive (1993), and Shizofreniya (2001).
TROIANO, DOMENIC Canadian guitarist Domenic Troiano died of cancer in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on May 25, 2005. He was 59. Troiano was born in Mondugno, Italy, in 1946. He was raised in Toronto and became a naturalized Canadian citizen in 1955. He was a leading guitarist on the music scene from the 1960s, playing with such groups as The Mandala, Bush, The Guess Who, and The James Gang. He also performed on recordings with artists Joe Cocker, Diana Ross, Ronnie Hawkins, and many others. Troiano also composed numerous television themes and in-
Domenic Troiano
TRONGARD, RON Wrestling announcer Ron Trongard died of liver cancer on July 16, 2005. He was 72. Trongard began working as a radio announcer in Minnesota in 1953. He later moved to television where he announced the sports and news. Trongard was the announcer for the American Wrestling Association (AWA) under Verne Gagne in the 1970s and 1980s. He also worked briefly for the WWF in the 1980s.
Ron Trongard
TUBER, RICHARD Television writer Richard Tuber died of a heart attack in Los Angeles on June 18, 2005. He was 74. Tuber was born in Pennsylvania on November 4, 1930. He worked often for television producer Ivan Tors from the 1950s. He scripted episodes of several television series including Science Fiction Theater, Flipper, and Daktari. He was head of Tors’ scientific underwater research team on the 1966 film Around the World Under the Sea. He also was a second-unit director in Africa for the Daktari series. • Variety, July 18, 2005, 49. TUCKETT , RITA Canadian actress Rita Tuckett died in Toronto, Canada, on December 27, 2005. She was 96. Tuckett began her career on stage in Ontario, Canada, before appearing in films in character roles from the early 1980s. She was seen in the features Utilities (1981), Love (1982), Agnes of God (1985), One Magic Christmas (1985), Police Academy 3: Back in Training (1986), Pushing Tin (1999), and Where the Money Is (2000). She also appeared as Martha Clarendon in the 1999 television mini-series Stephen King’s Storm of the Century, and appeared in television productions of Spearfield’s Daughter (1986) and The Moving of Sophia Myles (2000). Her other television cred-
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its include episodes of Seeing Things, Friday the 13th, War of the Worlds, Street Legal, and Wind at My Back.
TURANLI, GANI Turkish cinematographer Gani Turanli died in Istanbul, Turkey, on May 6, 2005. He was 78. Turanli was born in Istanbul on June 18, 1926. He worked in films as a director of photography from the early 1960s on such features as ...And God Created Fools (1960), Woman Came from the Street (1961), The Armless Doll (1961), The Thorny Rose (1961), Arzu (1961), The Love Stairs (1962), Devil’s Sword (1962), The False Marriage (1962), The Bad Seed (1963), The Young Girls (1963), The Struggle to Live (1964), The Lions of Gallipoli (1964), Love and Grudge (1964) Horrible Revenge (1965), My Husband’s Fiancee (1965), Blood of the Earth (1966), The Death Field (1966), O Beautiful Istanbul (1966), A Mountain Tale (1967), Bride of the Earth (1968), The Hopeless Ones (1971), The Father (1971), The Wounded Wolf (1972), Eleg y (1972), The Bride (1973), The Wedding (1973), The Suffering Ones (1975), and Tired Warrior (1979).
tender, committed suicide by shooting himself in the head while sitting in a parked car with his girlfriend. He was 23. Turpin was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on December 19, 1981. He was one of the boxers hoping to get a title fight through Mark Burnett’s reality series, which starred Rocky actor Sylvester Stallone.
TYLER , BEVERLY Leading actress Beverly Tyler died in Reno, Nevada, on November 23, 2005. She was 77. Tyler was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, on July 5, 1928. She began performing as a singer and dancer on stage at an early age and made her film debut billed as Beverly Jean Saul in The Youngest Profession in 1943. She was also featured in the films Best Foot Forward (1943), Bathing Beauty (1944), The Green Years (1946), My Brother Talks to Horses (1947), The Beginning or the End (1947), The Palomino (1950), The Fireball (1950) with Mickey Rooney, The Battle at Apache Pass (1952), Night Without Sleep (1952), Voodoo Island (1957) with Boris Karloff, Chicago Confidential (1957), Hong Kong Confidential (1958), and Toughest Gun in Tombstone (1958). Tyler starred as Lorelei Kilbourne in the television drama series Big Town from 1953 to 1954. She also appeared in episodes of such series as The Silver Theater, Dangerous Assignment, Schlitz Playhouse of the Stars, Shower of Stars, Death Valley Days, The Ford Television Theatre, Bronco, Tales of Wells Fargo, Tightrope, Shotgun Slade, Bonanza, The Andy Griffith Show, and Hazel. Tyler retired from the screen in the early 1960s following her marriage to comedy writer Jim Jordan, Jr., the son of the star of the radio comedy series Fibber McGee and Molly. • Los Angeles Times, Dec. 15, 2005, B11; Variety, Dec. 19, 2005, 68.
Gani Turanli
TURNER, ED Screenwriter Ed Turner died of a heart attack in Arizona on April 7, 2005. He was 54. Turner was born in Leonardtown Maryland, on June 16, 1950. He scripted the 1986 film Winners Take All, and wrote the 1988 holiday film Ernest Saves Christmas. TURPIN , NITRO Najai “Nitro” Turpin, a contestant on the NBC boxing reality show The Con-
Beverly Tyler
Nitro Turpin
ULYANOVA, INNA Leading Russian character actress Inna Ulyanova died in Moscow on June 9, 2005. She was 70. Ulyanova was born in Moscow on June 30, 1934. She appeared in numerous films including Belated Flowers (1969), Step Over the Threshold (1970), Slave of Love (1976), When I Will Become a Giant (1978), Be Careful, Vasilyok (1985), Where Is Enohp Located? (1987), Requiem to Filet (1988), The Drayman and the King (1989), Our Country House (1990), When You’re Late for Wedding... (1991), Our
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Inna Ulyanova
American Borya (1992), Monsieur Robina (1994), Burnt by the Sun (1994), Go! (1995), and Vovochka (2002). She also appeared in Russian television productions of Seventeen Moments of Spring (1973), To Whom Singing Canary Flown... (1980), Pokrov Gates (1982), Penkola (1984), and Cafe Strawberry (1997).
UPPMAN, THEODOR American operatic baritone Theodor Uppman died in his Manhattan, New York, apartment on March 17, 2005. He was 85. Uppman was born in San, Jose, California, on January 12, 1920. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II and engaged in a singing career after the war. He starred in Debussy’s Pelleas et Melisande with the San Francisco Symphony in 1947 and made his debut with the New York City Opera the following year. Uppman was best known for creating the role of Billy Budd in Benjamin Britten’s opera based on Herman Melville’s story in 1951. The opera opened in London’s Covent Garden and Uppman also performed the role in an NBC television broadcast. He mad his debut with the Metropolitan Opera in 1953, performing in productions of Mozart’s Papageno, Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos, and La Perichole. He also starred in Carlisle Floyd’s Passion of Jonathan Wade with the New York City Opera in 1962, and Thomas Pasatieri’s Black Widow in Seattle in 1972. • New York Times, Mar. 19, 2005, A13; Times (of London), Mar. 23, 2005, 61.
Theodor Uppman
2005 • Obituaries
VADIM, ANNETTE Danish film actress Annette Stroyberg, a former wife of French director Roger Vadim, died of cancer in Copenhagen, Denmark, on December 12, 2005. She was 71. She was born on the island of Fyn, in Denmark, on December 12, 1934. She went to Paris in her late teens where she worked as a fashion model. She soon met Roger Vadim, who was recently separated from his wife, Brigitte Bardot. Stroyberg and Vadim married in June of 1958 and he cast her alongside Jeanne Moreau and Gerard Philipe in his 1959 version of Dangerous Liaisons as Marianne Tourvel. The following year she starred as the vampiress Carmilla in Vadim’s adaptation of Sheridan Le Fanu’s erotic horror tale, Blood and Roses. She and Vadim separated soon after, though she continued her career in films for several years, appearing in such features as The Testament of Orpheus (1960), Il Carabiniere a Cavallo. (1961), Anima Nera (1962), Beach Casanova (1962), Agent of Doom (1963), The Eye of the Needle (1963), and Lo Scippo (1965). She retired from the screen in the mid–1960s. • Times (of London), Dec. 17, 2005, 64.
Annette Vadim
VAINER, ARKADY Russian author and playwright Arkady Vainer died of heart failure in Moscow on April 24, 2005. He was 74. Vainer was born in Moscow on January 13, 1931. A leading mystery writer, he wrote several films including I’m a Detective (1973), The Cure Against Fear (1978), Can’t Change the Meet-
Arkady Vainer
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ing Place (1979), Vertical Races (1983), The Victims Have No Grievance (1986), Visit to Minotaur (1987), and Entrance to Labyrinth (1989).
VALE , MICHAEL Veteran character actor Michael Vale, who was best known for his 15 year stint as Fred, the early-rising baker, in Dunkin’ Donut commercials, died of complications from diabetes in a New York City hospital on December 24, 2005. He was 83. Vale was born in Brooklyn, New York, on June 28, 1922. He studied at New York’s The Dramatic Workshop and performed on Broadway in such plays as the short-lived The Egg and The Impossible Years. Vale was featured in several films during his career including Guerrilla Girl (1953), A Hatful of Rain (1957), Marathon Man (1976), The Psychic Parrot (1977), Looking Up (1977), and the tele-film Seasons in the Sun (1986). He was featured on television in several episodes of Car 54, Where Are You? and East Side/West Side in the 1960s. He was also seen as Soapy Suds in the children’s educational program 3-2-1 Contact in 1980, and in an episode of The Cosby Show. He became Dunkin’ Donuts’ spokesman in 1982, stating his catchphrase “It’s time to make the donuts” in over 100 commercials. He retired with honor in 1997 and was given the title of Dunkin’ Diplomat by the company as ambassador to Dunkin’ Donuts charitable programs. • Los Angeles Times, Dec. 28, 2005, B8; New York Times, Nov. 29, 2005; People, Jan. 16, 2006, 75; Time, Jan. 9, 2005, 19; Variety, Jan. 2, 2005, 36.
Mario Valgoi
Estonian newspapers in the early 1940s until the Soviet Union occupied the country. After several years in a displaced persons camp in Germany he emigrated to the United States in 1949 and settled in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1951. He began drawing editorial cartoons for The Hartford Times, often penning caricatures of Communist figures from the Cold War era including Nikita Khrushchev and Fidel Castro. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning in 1962. He continued to work for The Hartford Times until his retirement in 1975. • Los Angeles Times, Jan. 16, 2005, B14.
Edmund Valtman Michael Vale
VALGOI, MARIO Italian actor Mario Valgoi died in Feltre, Italy, on July 17, 2005. He was 64. Valgoi was born in Milan, Italy, on August 6, 1940. Active in films from the 1960s, he was seen in LSD Flesh of Devil (1967), The Italian Job (1969), A Man Called Sledge (1970), and Trinity Is Back Again (1975). Valgoi also dubbed such actors as Gene Hackman (for The French Connection) and Donald Sutherland (for Space Cowboys) into Italian. VALTMAN , EDMUND Pulitzer Prize– winning editorial cartoonist Edmund S. Valtman died in a Bloomfield, Connecticut, retirement home on January 12, 2005. He was 90. Valtman was born in Tallinn, Estonia, on May 31, 1914. He was drawing cartoons for
VANCE, TOMMY British radio disc jockey Tommy Vance died of complications from a stroke in a hospital in Kent, England, on March 6, 2005. He was 61. Vance was born in Oxford, England, on July 11, 1943. He began working in radio in the United States with Los Angeles’ KHJ before returning to England to work at the pirate station Radio Caroline. He subsequently joined the BBC’s Radio 1. Vance also hosted the television music series Top of the Pops from 1978 to 1983. He also appeared in small roles in the films Flame (1975) and Pressure (1975). His other television credits include the series The 11 O’Clock Show (1998), Dumber and Dumber (2003), and Hell’s Kitchen (2004). • Times (of London, Mar. 7, 2005, 50. VAN DER GRUN, MAX German author Max van der Grun died in Dortmund, Germany, on April
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Tommy Vance
Deon van der Wait
7, 2005. He was 78. Van der Grun was born in Bayreuth, Germany, May 25, 1926. A writer and poet from the 1950s, he was best known for his novel about a children’s street gang, Die Vorstadkrokodile, in 1976, which was adapted by Wolfgang Becker as a German tele-film the following year. Several of van der Grun’s other works were adapted for television including Schichtwechsel (1968), Ostende (1968), Stellenweise Glatteis (1975), Flachenbrand (1981), and Friedrich und Friederike (1988).
genie en Tauride (2001). • Times (of London), Dec. 1, 2005, 73. VAN DE
SANDE BAKHUYZEN , WILLEM
Dutch film and television director Willem van de Sande Bakhuyzen died of cancer in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on September 27, 2005. He was 47. Van de Sande Bakhuyzen was born in Amheim, the Netherlands, on November 13, 1957. He began his career working as a stage director in the mid–1990s, but soon moved to television where he directed such series as Old Monkey (1998) and The Enclave (2002). He also directed several films including Family (2001), Cloaca (2003), Lepel (2005), and Live (2005). He had recently completed a screenplay for the film A Thousand Kisses before his death. • Variety, Oct. 3, 2005, 76.
Max van der Grun VAN DER WAIT, DEON South African operatic tenor Deon van der Wait was shot to death at his estate near Paarl, South Africa, by his father on November 29, 2005, who then committed suicide. He was 47. Van der Wait was born in Kapstadt, South Africa, on July 28, 1958. He made his operatic debut in Beethoven’s Fidelio at the Kapstadt Opera House while studying at the University of Stellenbosch. He subsequently traveled to Europe where he performed in productions in Stuttgart and Zurich. He made his Covent Garden debut in London in 1985’s The Barber of Seville. He continued to perform at leading opera houses throughout the world and was considered on the leading singers of the works of Mozart. Van der Walt also starred in several televised operatic productions including The Abduction from the Seraglio (1987), Linda di Chamounix (19906), La Belle Helene (1996), and Iphi-
Willem van de Sande Bakhuyzen
VANDROSS , LUTHER Rhythm and blues singer Luther Vandross died of complications from a stroke in a Edison, New Jersey, hospital on July 1, 2005. He was 54. Vandross was born in New York City on April 20, 1951. He began writing and performing songs at an early age and a song he wrote, “Everybody Rejoice,” was featured in the soundtrack to the Broadway musical The Wiz in 1972. Vandross subsequently was a back-up singer and arranger for such artists as David Bowie, Bette Midler and Barbra Streisand. His solo debut, Never Too Much, was released in 1981 and he continued to record such popular albums as Forever, for
Obituaries • 2005
376 VAN NUTTER, RIK Actor Rik Van Nutter died of a heart attack in West Palm Beach, Florida, on November 12, 2005. He was 75. Van Nutter was best known for his role as James Bond’s CIA agent friend Felix Leiter in the 1965 film Thunderball with Sean Connery. He was also seen in the films My Uncle the Vampire (1959), The Passionate Thief (1960), We Like It Cold (1960), Assignment Outer Space (1960), Romanoff and Juliet (1961), Colossus and the Huns (1962), The Revenge of Ivanhoe (1965), Seven Hours of Gunfire (1965), The Suez Intrigue (1966), Dynamite Joe (1968), Operation Foxbat (1977), and Pacific Inferno (1979).
Luther Vandross
Always, for Love, Any Love, and Busy Body. He also recorded the 1991 album Power of Love and recorded with such stars as Janet Jackson and Mariah Carey. Vandross won several Grammy Awards in the 1990s, and won four Grammys in 2004, including best song “Dance with My Father.” Vandross also appeared in a small role in the 1993 comedy film The Meteor Man, and played cameo roles on such television series as 227, New York Undercover, Beverly Hills 90210, and Touched by an Angel. He had suffered a stroke in April of 2003 from which he had never fully recovered. • Los Angeles Times, July 2, 2005, B18; New York Times, July 2, 2005, C16; People, July 18, 2005, 80; Time, July 11, 2005, 21; Times (of London), July 4, 2005, 50; Variety, July 11, 2005, 45.
VAN DUSSCHOTEN, FRANS Dutch comedian and voice actor Frans Van Dusschoten died of a tumor in Castricum, the Netherlands, on October 25, 2005. He was 72. Van Dusschoten was born in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on August 6, 1933. He performed frequently on Dutch television as a voice actor in the series De Fabeltjeskrant, playing numerous roles throughout the 1970s and 1980s. He also performed in several films including Andre van Duin’s Pretfilm (1976), Ik ben Joep Meloen (1981), and De Ep Oorklep Show (1987).
Rik Van Nutter
VATEL, FRANCOISE French actress Francoise Vatel, who appeared in films by such directors as JeanLuc Godard and Claude Chabrol, died in Paris on October 24, 2005. She was 67. Vatel was born on November 28, 1937. She began her film career while in her teens, making her debut in 1955’s The First Insults. She was also seen in the films Dangerous Promises (1956), The Cheaters (1958), Chabrol’s The Cousins (1959), Night Dance Hall (1959), Jules’ Breadwinner (1960), Capitol (1962), Secret File 1413 (1962), How to Keep the Red Lamp Burning (1965), Jean-Luc Moulet’s Brigitte and Brigitte (1966), The Smugglers (1967), Thursday We Shall Sing Like Sunday (1967), Paint My Heart Red (1976), The Comedy of Work (1987), and Sound and
Frans Van Dusschoten Francoise Vatel
377 Fury (1988). She also appeared on French television in L’Image (1972), L’Enfant de l’automne (1973), Le Sage de Sauvenat (1982), and Rue Carnot (1984). Her final film appearance was in Moulet’s 2002 feature Shipwrecked on Route D 17.
VEGA , PASTOR Cuban film director and writer Pastor Vega died in Cuba on June 2, 2005. He was 65. Vega was born in Havana, Cuba, on February 12, 1940. He began working as an assistant director on documentary films in the 1950s and made his debut as a director with the 1961 documentary The War. He worked in films and on stage for over forty years, directing such features as Portrait of Teresa (1979), Habanera (1984), Amor en Campo Minado (1987), On the Air (1988), Parallel Lives (1993), Las Profecias de Amanda (1999), and Solamente una Vez (2002). Vega was married to Cuban actress Daisy Granado, who he often worked with on stage. • Los Angeles Times, June 5, 2005, B12.
2005 • Obituaries
ing the 1941 romantic ballad “Besame Mucho.” Her other songs include “Amar y Vivir,” “Verdad Amarga,” “Franquez,” and “Cachito.” Her works were recorded by hundreds of artists including Nat “King” Cole, Sammy Davis, Jr., Placido Domingo, and the Beatles. • Los Angeles Times, Jan. 26, 2005, B8; New York Times, Jan. 30, 2005, 36; Time, Feb. 7, 2005, 23; Variety, Jan. 22, 2005, 69.
VELIMIROVIC, ZDRAVKO Montenegran film writer and director Zdravko Velimirovic died in Montenegro on February 7, 2005. He was 74. Velimirovic was born in Cetinje, Yugoslavia (now Serbia and Montenegro) on October 11, 1930. He wrote and directed numerous films from the early 1950s including Man and Water (1954), A Touch from the Battlefield (1958), For Today, for Tomorrow (1959), In Memory of Glorious Sailors (1959), Between Two Kings (1959), The Fourteenth Day (1960), Your Birthday (1961), Rade, Son of Tom (1964), Lux Aeterna (1965), Mount of Lament (1968), Ostrog (1970), The Dervish and Death (1974), The Peaks of Zelengore (1976), Battle for the Railway (1978), Veselnik (1980), and Vreme Leoparda (1985).
Pastor Vega
VELAZQUEZ, CONSUELO Mexican songwriter Consuelo Velazquez died of respiratory problems in a hospital in Mexico City on January 22, 2005. She had been hospitalized after suffering a fall in November of the previous year. Velazquez was born in Ciudad Guzman, Mexico, on August 29, 1924. She played the piano from an early age and wrote numerous songs from the 1940s. She was best known for writ-
VELZY, DALE Surf board maker Dale Velzy, who was instrumental in making surfing a leading pastime on the California coast in the post–World War II era, died of lung cancer in San Clemente, California, on May 26, 2005. He was 77. Velzy was born in Oak-
Consuelo Velazquez
Dale Velzy
Zdravko Velimirovic
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378
land, California, on September 23, 1927. He began surfing as a boy and was designing and building boards in the 1940s. He opened his first surf shop in 1950, and was soon manufacturing custom boards. Velzy also funded Bruce Brown’s early surfing documentary Slippery When Wet in 1958. By the end of the decade Velzy’s five stores were selling several hundred surf boards a week. The characters of Phil in the 1964 film Ride the Wild Surf and of Bear in John Milius’ Big Wednesday (1978) were largely based on Velzy. In recent years he created handmade reproductions of vintage surf boards, selling them to wealthy collectors for thousands of dollars. • Los Angeles Times, May 30, 2005, B15; New York Times, June 5, 2005, 44.
VERNON, JOHN Veteran Canadian character actor John Vernon, who starred as Dean Vernon Wormer in the 1978 comedy film National Lampoon’s Animal House, died at his home in Los Angeles on February 1, 2005. He was 72. Vernon was born Adolphus Agopsowicz in Zehner, Saskatchewan, Canada, on February 24, 1932. He studied acting in Canada and at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. He began his career on stage in the 1950s and appeared in several films in Canada including The Harvest (1957), GeorgesEtienne Cartier: The Lion of Quebec (1962), Alexander Galt: The Stubborn Idealist (1962), Nobody Waved GoodBye (1964), and John Cabot: A Man of the Renaissance (1964). Vernon starred as Dr. Steve Wojeck in the 1966 television series Wojeck, and was also heard in the 1966 animated series based on the exploits of Marvel Comics superheroes, voicing Iron Man, The Sub-Mariner, and Hulk nemesis Maj. Glenn Talbot. Vernon was soon making films in Hollywood as well as Canada, appearing in such features as Point Blank (1967), Justine (1969), Alfred Hitchcock’s Topaz (1969), Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here (1969), One More Train to Rob (1971), Face-Off (1971), Clint Eastwood’s Dirty Harry (1971) as the Mayor, Journey (1972), Fear Is the Key (1972), Charley Varrick (1973), Sweet Movie (1974), W (1974), The Black Windmill (1974), Brannigan (1975), The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976), A Special Day (1977), The Uncanny (1977), Golden Rendezvous (1977), Angela (1978), Fantastica (1980), Herbie Goes Bananas (1980), It Rained All Night the Day I Left (1980), the animated Heavy Metal (1981) as the voice of the Prosecutor, The
John Vernon
Kinky Coaches and the Pom Pom Pussycats (1982), Airplane II: The Sequel (1982), Curtains (1983), Chained Heat (1983) as the vicious warden, The Blood of Others (1984), Jungle Warriors (1984), Savage Streets (1984), Fraternity Vacation (1985), Doin’ Time (1985), Ernest Goes to Camp (1987), Terminal Exposure (1987), Blue Monkey (1987), Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988) as Officer Mooney, I’m Gonna Git You Sucka (1988) as Mr. Big, Hostile Takeover (1988), Dixie Lanes (1988), Deadly Stranger (1988), Afghanistan: The Last War Bus (1989), W.B., Blue and the Bean (1989), Object of Desire (1990), Mob Story (1990), The Naked Truth (1992), Malicious (1995), Stage Ghost (2000), Sorority Boys (2002), Warrior Angels (2002), and Welcome to America (2002). Vernon also appeared in numerous telefilms including Trial Run (1969), Escape (1971), Cool Million (1972), Hunter (1973), The Questor Tapes (1974), Mousey (1974), The Virginia Hill Story (1974), The Impostor (1975), The Swiss Family Robinson (1975), Barbary Coast (1975), Matt Helm (1975), Mary Jane Harper Cried Last Night (1977), The Blue and the Gray (1982) as Secretary of State Seward, Fuzz Bucket (1986), Nightstick (1987), Two Men (1988), The Woman Who Sinned (1991), Wojeck: Out of the Fire (1992) reprising his starring role from the 1960s television series, You Me + It (1993), The Fire Next Time (1993), Janek: The Forget-Me-Not Murders (1994), Hostage for a Day (1994), Sodbusters (1994), Paris or Somewhere (1994), Family of Cops (1995). Vernon reprised his role as Dean Wormer in the short-lived television sit-com based on Animal House called Delta House in 1979. He also starred as Gen. Hannibal Stryker in the 1985 comedy series Hail to the Chief and was Mr. Smith in the espionage adventure series Acapulco H.E.A.T. from 1993 to 1994. He also was narrator of the 1993 series Matrix and was the voice of villainous Rupert Thorne on Batman: The Animated Series in the 1990s. He also returned to the world of Marvel comics, voicing the villain Doctor Doom on The Fantastic Four, sorcerer supreme Doctor Strange in Spider-Man, and General Thunderbolt Ross in The Incredible Hulk, animated series in the 1990s. Vernon’s numerous television credits also include episodes of Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans, The Unforeseen, The Forest Rangers, The F.B.I., Coronet Blue, Tarzan, Felony Squad, Bonanza, Mission: Impossible, The High Chaparral, Hawaii Five-O, The Name of the Game, Mannix, Storefront Lawyer, Bearcats!, The Bold Ones: The New Doctors, Cannon, Search, Barnaby Jones, Petrocelli, Kung Fu, Police Woman, Gunsmoke, The Invisible Man, S.W.A.T., McMillan and Wife, Cannon, The Oregon Trail, Quincy, The Littlest Hobo, Vega$, The Phoenix, CHiPs, The Greatest American Hero, The Fall Guy, Hart to Hart, The A-Team, the Faerie Tale Theatre production of Little Red Riding Hood, T.J. Hooker, Knight Rider, Automan, Call to Glory, McGyver, Murder, She Wrote, Airwolf, Knight Rider, Sledge Hammer!, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, War of the Worlds, Father Dowling Mysteries, Poirot, Dark Justice, Dinosaurs, The Ray Bradbury Theater, Tales from the Crypt, Renegade, In the Heat of the Night, Doogie Howser, M.D., Legend, Walker, Texas Ranger, The New Adventures of Robin Hood, Heartbeat, and The Stranger-
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2005 • Obituaries
ers. • Los Angeles Times, Feb. 4, 2005, B10; New York Times, Feb. 6, 2005, 32; People, Feb. 21, 2005, 97; Time, Feb. 14, 2005, 19; Variety, Feb. 14, 2005, 54.
VERVIL , NICOLE French actress Nicole Vervil died in Coutances, Manche, France, on February 26, 2005. She was 84. Vervil was born in Paris on October 31, 1920. She was featured in such films as Les Livreurs (1961), The Gendarme of St. Tropez (1964), The Mad Adventures of the Bouncing Beauty (1967), The Gendarme Gets Married (1968), The American (1969), The Confession (1970), The Gendarme Takes Off (1970), On the Lam (1971), Forbidden to Know (1973), and The Twelve Tasks of Asterix (1976) as a voice actor. Giancarlo Vigorelli
vision talk shows as The Merv Griffin Show and The Mike Douglas Show. Villa also appeared in the films They Call Me Bruce? (1982), Heat (1986), and Eternity (1989), and the tele-films Tenspeed and Brown Shoe (1980) and The Entertainers (1991). He moved to Las Vegas in 1990 where he headlined an act in Splash! at the Riviera for nearly a decade.
Nicole Vervil
VICTOR, TERESA E. Teresa E. Victor, who was assistant to Leonard Nimoy for nearly twenty years, died in Santa Monica, California, after a long illness on December 29, 2005. She was 62. Victor was born in New York in 1943. She worked as an actress on television, appearing in episodes of Mission Impossible and CHiPs, and the soap opera General Hospital. She worked as an assistant to Star Trek’s Mr. Spock, Leonard Nimoy, from the 1980s, and had small roles in several Star Trek films. She was the computer voice in 1982’s Star Trek The Wrath of Khan and Star Trek III: The Search for Spock in 1984. She also was seen as an usher in 1986’s Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. VIGORELLI, GIANCARLO Italian writer and critic Giancarlo Vigorelli died in Milan, Italy, on September 16, 2005. He was 92. Vigorelli was born in Italy on June 21, 1913. He was best known for his writings on the life and works of Alexander Manzoni. Vigorelli also wrote several films including The Machine That Kills Bad People (1952) and Sul Ponte dei Sospiri (1952). He also appeared as a Judge in the 1952 film The Greatest Love. VILLA, JOEY Comedian Joey Villa died of complications from a stroke in Las Vegas, Nevada, on December 19, 2005. He was 68. Villa was born in New York City in 1937. He began his career as a stand-up comedian, performing at venues throughout the country. He worked as an opening act for such stars as Nat King Cole, Diana Ross and the Supremes, and the Pointer Sisters, and was a frequent guest on such tele-
Joe Villa
VILLANI, FRED Actor Fred Villani died on June 8, 2005. He was 78. Villani was born on June 8, 1927. He was featured in the 1957 film The Pajama Game. He also appeared on television in episodes of The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, Surfside 6, Mission: Impossible, Land of the Giants, Wild Wild West, Family Affair, Bronk, Quincy, McMillan and Wife, and Switch. VILLERET , JACQUES French comic actor Jacques Villeret died of an internal hemorrhage in Evreux, France, on January 28, 2005. He was 53. Villeret was born in Loches, France, on February 6, 1951. The rotund comedian was a popular stage performer and was featured in numerous films from the early 1970s. His many film credits include Nothing to Report (1973), Loving in the Rain (1974), The Mouth Agape (1974), And Now My Love (1974), Serious As Pleasure (1975), The Common Man (1975), The Good Guys and the Bad Guys (1976), If I Had to Do It All Over Again (1976), The Castaways of Turtle Island (1976), Nono Nenesse (1976), Another Man, Another Chance
Obituaries • 2005
380 Championship. He teamed with Jack Curtis to hold the NWA Southern Tag Team Title on several occasions in 1960. He often teamed with Eddie Graham and Pat O’Connor in the 1960 before retiring to Tampa Bay, Florida.
Jacques Villeret
(1977), Robert and Robert (1978), My First Love (1978), Mountain Pass (1978), Heart to Heart (1979), An Adventure for Two (1979), Dumb but Disciplined (1979), Out of Whack (1979), Malevil (1981), Bolero (1981), The Big Brother (1982), Danton (1983), Effraction (1983), Edith and Marcel (1983), First Name: Carmen (1983), Waiter! (1983), Hold-Up (1985), La Galette du Roi (1986), Last Summer in Tangiers (1987), Keep Up Your Right (1987), Mangecious (1988), Trois Annees (1990), Les Secrets Professionnels du Dr. Apfelgluck (1991), The Favour, the Watch and the Very Big Fish (1991), The Son of the Mekong (1991), Mother (1993), Wacko (1994), Golden Boy (1996), The Dinner Game (1998) in the role her originated on stage of Parisian socialite Francois Pignon, Mookie (1998), The Children of the Marshland (1999), Actors (2000), A Crime in Paradise (2001), One Way Ticket (2001), Strange Gardens (2003), Malabar Princess (2004), Viper in the Fist (2004), and L’Antidote (2005). • Los Angeles Times, Feb. 1, 2005, B9; Times (of London), Mar. 14, 2005, 52; Variety, Feb. 7, 2005, 92.
VILLMER, RAY Ray Villmer, a leading professional wrestler from the 1930s through the 1960s, died on January 9, 2005. He was 92. Villmer was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on April 22, 1912. He wrestled throughout the NWA, holding various titles including the Pacific Coast Championship, the NWA Central States Championship, the NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship, and the NWA Gulf Coast
Ray Villmer
VIVERITO, VINCE Actor Vince Viverito died of complications from brain cancer in Chicago on May 16, 2005. He was 62. Viverito was born on February 18, 1943. He was a popular performer on the Chicago stage. He also appeared in a handful of films during his career including Delta Fever (1987), The Untouchables (1987), Rent-a-Cop (1988), Above the Law (1988), Claire Makes It Big (1999), Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999), Standard Time (2002), and Mail Order Bride (2003). He was also seen on television in episodes of Crime Story, Hill Street Blues, Hunter, Law & Order, The Untouchables, and The Sopranos.
Vince Viverito
VOGELER, VOLKER German film and television director Volker Vogeler died in Hamburg, Germany, on April 16, 2005. He was 74. Vogeler was born in Polzin, Germany (now Poland), on June 27, 1930. He began directing for television in the 1960s, writing and directing productions of Jaider, the Lonely Hunter (1971), Luftwaffenhelfer (1980), and Zielscheiben (1985). He also directed several feature films including Yankee Dudler (1975) and Valley of the Dancing Widows (1975). He also wrote episodes of Der Alte and directed a segment of Tatort in 1982. VOLTER, PHILIPPE Actor Philippe Volter committed suicide in Paris, France, on April 13, 2005. He was 45. Volter was born in France in 1960, the son of director Claude Volter and actress Jacqueline Bir. He began performing in films in the mid–1980s, appearing in Les Roses de Matmata (1986), Macbeth (1987), The Music Teacher (1988), Dark Woods (1989), The Van Gogh Wake (1990), Cyrano de Bergerac (1990), The Double Life of Veronique (1991), A Mere Mortal (1991), Aline (1992), Blue (1993), Abracadabra (1993), The Case (1994), Night of Destiny (1997), The Five Senses (1999), and Resistance (2003). He also appeared in numerous television productions in the 1990s including L’Affaire Dreyfus (1995), Docteur Semmelweis (1995), Le Pantalon (1997), Madame Sans-Gene (2002), and Napoleon (2002).
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2005 • Obituaries
1948. Wallace was best known for his starring role as boxer Joe Louis in the 1953 film The Joe Louis Story. He also played Louis in 1980s Raging Bull. Wallace appeared in several other films as well including Carib Gold (1957) and Rooftops (1989). • New York Times, Feb. 1, 2005; Times (of London), Jan. 18, 2005, 63.
Philippe Volter
WALKER, CARD E. Cardon Walker, who served as chief executive of the Walt Disney Co. from 1971 to 1983, died of congestive heart failure at his home in La Canada Flintridge, California, on November 28, 2005. He was 89. Walker was born in Rexburg, Idaho, on January 9, 1916. He began working in the mail room at Disney in the late 1930s after graduating from the University of California at Los Angeles. He rose through the ranks, working in the story department, advertising, sales and marketing. He succeeded Walt’s brother, Roy Disney, as president of the company in 1971. He also became chief executive officer in 1976, and chairman of the board in 1980. During his tenure Disney began the development of Tokyo Disneyland and launched the Epcot Center at Walt Disney World in Florida. Walker was also involved in the formation of the cable television network the Disney Channel. • Los Angeles Times, Dec. 1, 2005, B10; New York Times, Dec. 2, 2005, A25; Variety, Dec. 5, 2005, 65.
Card Walker
WALLACE, COLEY Boxer turned actor Coley Wallace died of heart failure in a Manhattan, New York, hospital on January 30, 2005. He was 77. Wallace was born on April 5, 1927. He was a leading contender in the late 1940s and early 1950s, and was the only man to defeat Rocky Marciano, beating him in a New York Golden Gloves tournament as an amateur in
Coley Wallace
WALLACE, GEORGE D. Actor George D. Wallace, who starred as rocketman Commando Cody in the 1952 serial Radar Men from the Moon, died in a Los Angeles hospital on July 22, 2005, of complications from injuries he suffered in a fall while vacationing his Pisa, Italy. He was 88. Wallace was born in New York City on June 8, 1917. He moved to West Virginia while in his teens and worked in a coal mine. Wallace joined the U.S. Navy in 1936, and served during World War II. He was also an accomplished boxer who was light heavyweight champion of the Pacific Fleet during the war. After the war Wallace worked as a bartender in Hollywood, where celebrity columnist Jimmie Fidler helped him get into movies. He appeared in supporting roles in the films Inside the Walls of Folsom Prison (1951) and The Fat Man (1951), before starring in the Radar Men from the Moon serial in 1952. In the film Wallace donned a rocket pack over his leather jacket and wore a arched silver helmet to fight alien invaders. Actor Tris Coffin had first worn the outfit in the 1949 serial King of the Rocketmen, and Judd Holdren wore the rocket pack in 1952’s Zombies of the Stratosphere. Radar Men from the Moon was reedited as a film for television under the title Retik, the Moon Menace in the 1960s. Wallace continued to appear in films over the next fifty years. His many credits include Submarine Command (1952), Japanese War Bride (1952), Ghost Buster (1952), Meet Danny Wilson (1952), Sally and Saint Anne (1952), Back at the Front (1952), Kansas City Confidential (1952), Million Dollar Mermaid (1952), The Great Adventures of Captain Kidd (1953), The Lawless Breed (1953), Star of Texas (1953), Pardon My Wrench (1953), The Homesteaders (1953), Francis Covers the Big Town (1953), Arena (1953), Vigilante Terror (1953), Border River (1954), The French Line (1954), Drums Across the River (1954), The Human Jungle (1954), Destry (1954), Man Without a Star (1955), Rage at Dawn (1955), Strange Lady in Town (1955), Soldier of Fortune (1955),
Obituaries • 2005
382
George D. Wallace (as Commando Cody)
The Second Greatest Sex (1955), the science fiction classic Forbidden Planet (1956) as the Bosun, and Great Day in the Morning (1956). During the 1950s Wallace’s baritone voice led him to the Broadway stage. He made his Broadway debut in the 1955 musical Pipe Dream by Rodgers and Hammerstein. He replaced John Raitt in The Pajama Game in 1957 and starred in the musical New Girl in Town from 1957 to 1958. Wallace suffered a broken back while filming an episode of Swamp Fox for television in 1960 and was sidelined for nearly a year of recovery. After resuming his career he performed opposite Mary Martin in Jennie in 1963, and toured in productions of Camelot and The Man of La Mancha. He met actress Jan A. Johnston while performing in the musical The Most Happy Fella at the Long Beach Civic Light Opera in 1963. They soon married and performed together in several other musicals. Wallace also continued to appear in character roles in films including Six Black Horses (1962), Dead Heat on a Merry-GoRound (1966), Texas Across the River (1966), Skin Game (1971), The Swinging Cheerleaders (1974), The Towering Inferno (1974), Lifeguard (1976), Billy Jack Goes to Washington (1977), The Stunt Man (1980), Protocol (1984), Just Between Friends (1986), Native Son (1986), Prison (1988), Hot to Trot (1988), Punchline (1988), Bert Rigby, You’re a Fool (1989), Postcards from the Edge (1990), Defending Your Life (1991), Diggstown (1992), Almost Dead (1994), My Girl 2 (1994), Schemes (1994), Multiplicity (1996), Meet Wally Sparks (1997), Deal of a Lifetime (1999), Forces of Nature (1999), Bicentennial Man (1999) with Robin Williams, Nurse Betty (2000), and Steven Spielberg’s Minority Report (2002) with Tom Cruise. Wallace was also featured in numerous tele-films including In Search of America (1971), The Six Million Dollar Man (1973), Return to Earth (1976), Deadman’s Curve (1978), How the West Was Won (1978), A Death in California (1985), Fresno (1986) as Judge Henry Bejajian, Nutcracker: Money, Madness and Murder (1987), Terrorist on Trial: The United States vs. Salim Ajami (1988), People Like Us (1990), Working Tra$h (1990), The Boys (1991), The Haunted (1991), Child of Rage (1992), Miracle Child (1993), In the Heat of the Night: Who Was Geli Bendl? (1994), and Seduced by Madness: The Diane Borchardt Story (1996). Wallace starred as Dr. Leo Gault in the daytime soap opera The
Edge of Night in 1980. He was featured as Grandpa Hank Hammersmith in the television series Sons and Daughters in 1991. His numerous television credits also include episodes of Hopalong Cassidy, Dragnet, Stories of the Century, The Adventures of Kit Carson, Studio 57, Four Star Playhouse, The Man Behind the Badge, Fireside Theatre, Cheyenne, Gunsmoke, The Millionaire, Zane Grey Theater, Bronco, Lawman, Tales of Wells Fargo, The Alaskans, Black Saddle, Texas John Slaughter, Disneyland, Maverick, Overland Trail, Sugarfoot, Death Valley Days, The Rifleman, Bourbon Street Beat, Surfside 6, The Deputy, The Tall Man, Rawhide, The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp in the recurring role of outlaw Frank McLowery, The Rebel, 77 Sunset Strip, The Barbara Stanwyck Show, Laramie, The Virginian, The Defenders, Perry Mason, The F.B.I., The Road West, Daniel Boone, The Christophers, Premiere, Bonanza, Ghost Story, The Brady Bunch, Dusty’s Trail, Emergency!, Planet of the Apes, The Rookies, Cannon, The Waltons, The Streets of San Francisco, Kojak, The Bionic Woman, Barnaby Jones, Fantasy Island, Little House on the Prairie, Remington Steele, Bare Essence, Hill Street Blues in the recurring role of Judge Milton Cole, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Newhart, Night Court, Cagney & Lacey, Knots Landing, St. Elsewhere, Hotel, Dynasty, Moonlighting, Monsters, L.A. Law, Mancuso, FBI, Nurses, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Civil Wars, Picket Fences as Father Joe Lyons, Walker, Texas Ranger, Mad About You, Cybill, JAG, Alright Already, Early Edition, The Martin Short Show, Chicago Hope, The Practice, The X Files, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Mister Sterling, Joan of Arcadia, and Pet Star. • Los Angeles Times, July 27, 2005, B10; New York Times, Aug 15, 2005, B7; Variety, Aug. 1, 2005, 32.
WALSH, ANTHONY Lawyer and actor Anthony “Tony” Walsh died of a heart attack at his home in Cleveland, Ohio, on March 12, 2005. He was 64. Walsh was born in Cleveland on October 25, 1940. A lawyer from the early 1970s, he was also active on the local stage in Cleveland, appearing in productions of The Grapes of Wrath, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and King Lear. He was also featured in the 1992 HBO movie Citizen Cohn, appearing as Senator Karl Mundt.
Anthony Walsh
383 WALSH, GEORGE George Walsh, who was announcer for the Gunsmoke radio series in the 1950s, died of congestive heart failure in a Monterey Park, California, hospital on December 5, 2005. He was 88. Walsh was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on November 29, 1917. He served in the Army Air Forces during World War II, and worked with the Armed Forces Radio during the war. After the war he remained in radio, serving as program director on a station in Roswell, New Mexico. He broke the story of a supposed UFO crash landing in Roswell in June of 1947. Though the Air Force later reported the UFO was actually a radar target, reports of UFOs and captured aliens at Roswell have continued to thrive as urban legends. Walsh subsequently went to Los Angeles, where he was an announcer and newscaster for KNX-AM from 1952 to 1986. He introduced the landmark western series Gunsmoke to radio audiences for nearly a decade until the show, which starred William Conrad as Marshal Matt Dillon, ended in 1961. Walsh also served as announcer for the television version of Gunsmoke from 1955. He also appeared in the 1978 film Remember My Name as a newscaster. • Los Angeles Times, Jan. 11, 2006, B10.
2005 • Obituaries
of Sister George, Little Foxes, Another Part of the Forest, and Grandma Sylvia’s Funeral. Walsh also appeared as Mrs. George Marshall in the 1999 tele-film War of China’s Fate, and appeared in the films The Two Henrys (2000) and Crutch (2004). She also appeared in an episode of television’s Ed in 2002.
WALSH, JUANITA Stage and screen actress Juanita Walsh, died on April 7, 2005. She was a popular performer in off–Broadway productions, appearing in American Gothics, Doves on a Lark, The Killing
WALSH, KAY British actress Kay Walsh died in London on April 16, 2005. She was 93. Walsh was born in London on August 27, 1911. She began her career as a chorus dancer in musical revues before making her film debut in the 1934 musical How’s Chances? She became a popular performer in such films as Get Your Man (1934), Smith’s Wives (1935), Secret of Stamboul (1936), If I Were Rich (1936), The Luck of the Irish (1936), The Last Adventurers (1937), Keep Fit (1937) with George Formby, All That Glitters (1937), Meet Mr. Penny (1938), I See Ice (1938), The Mind of Mr. Reeder (1939), and Sons of the Sea (1939). Walsh became the second of director David Lean’s six wives in 1940. She also continued to appear in such films as The Missing People (1940), All at Sea (1940), The Chinese Bungalow (1940), The Second Mr. Bush (1940), The Middle Watch (1940), Noel Coward’s In Which We Serve (1942) and This Happy Breed (1944), The October Man (1947), and Vice Versa (1948). Walsh assisted Lean with the writing of the screen adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations (1946). She also starred as Nancy in Lean’s adaptation of Oliver Twist in 1948. She and Lean divorced the following year. She continued her film career over the next three decades, becoming a leading character actress. Her numerous film credits also include Alfred Hitchcock’s Stage Fright (1950), The Magnet (1950), Last Holiday (1950) with Alec Guinness, The Magic Box (1951), Encore (1952), Hunted (1952), Meet Me Tonight (1952), Young Bess (1953), Gilbert Harding Speaking of Murder (1954), The Rainbow Jacket (1954), Lease of Life (1954), Now and Forever (1955), Cast a Dark Shadow (1957), The Horse’s Mouth (1958) again with Guinness, Tunes of Glory (1960), Lunch Hour (1961), Greyfriars Bobby (1961), Reach for Glory (1962), The L-Shaped Room (1962), 80,000 Suspects (1963), The Beauty Jungle (1964), The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh (aka Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow) (1964), Circus World (1964), the 1965 Sherlock Holmes film A Study in Ter-
Juanita Walsh
Kay Walsh
George Walsh
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ror, He Who Rides a Tiger (1965), The Devil’s Own (1966), Bikini Paradise (1967), Taste of Excitement (1969), Connecting Rooms (1970), The Virgin and the Gypsy (1970), Scrooge (1970), and The Ruling Class (1972). She made her last film appearance in 1981’s Night Crossing. She also appeared on television in episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Human Jungle, Gideon’s Way, The Baron, ABC Stage ’67, and Journey to the Unknown. • New York Times, Aug. 30, 2005, B9; Times (of London), Apr. 28, 69; Variety, May 9, 2005, 68.
side Medical, Charlie’s Angels, Hart to Hart, Tenspeed and Brown Shoe, Little House on the Prairie, The Incredible Hulk, Quincy, The Greatest American Hero, Lou Grant, The Fall Guy, The Phoenix, Falcon Crest, Tales of the Gold Monkey, The A-Team, The Dukes of Hazzard, St. Elsewhere, Cagney & Lacey, Murder, She Wrote, Trapper John, M.D., Hardcastle and McCormick, Steven Spielberg’s Amazing Stories, Simon & Simon, Hill Street Blues, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Rags to Riches, Family Ties, Jake and the Fatman, Night Court, California Dreams, Seinfeld as Pop Lazzari, JAG, and Malcolm in the Middle in the recurring role of Logger Pete.
WARD, SANDY Veteran character actor Sandy Ward died on March 6, 2005. He was 78. Ward was born on July 12, 1926. He appeared in numerous film during his career including The Velvet Vampire (1971), Terminal Island (1973), Executive Action (1973), Earthquake (1974), Cornbread, Earl and Me (1975), The Hindenburg (1975), F.I.S.T. (1978), The Onion Field (1979), The Rose (1979), Being There (1979), Wholly Moses (1980), Fast-Walking (1982), Some Kind of Hero (1982), Airplane II: The Sequel (1982), Stephen King’s Cujo (1983), Tank (1984), Movers & Shakers (1985), Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment (1985), Delta Force 3: The Killing Game (1991), Blue Desert (1991), Who Killed the Baby Jesus (1992), Under Siege (1992), Lightning Jack (1994), Switchback (1997), The Perfect Storm (2000), and Finding Home (2003). He was also featured in such tele-films as Shirts/Skins (1973), The Morning After (1974), The Execution of Private Slovik (1974), The Law (1974), The Kansas City Massacre (1975), Mallory: Circumstantial Evidence (1976), Captains and the Kings (1976), The Disappearance of Aimee (1976), Good Against Evil (1977), Aspen (1977), Ruby and Oswald (1978), Lacy and the Mississippi Queen (1978), Sergeant Matlovich vs. the U.S. Air Force (1978), The Solitary Man (1979), The Golden Gate Murders (1979), Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story (1980), Twirl (1981), Cocaine: One Man’s Seduction (1983), On Fire (1987), The Town Bully (1988), and Man Against the Mob: The Chinatown Murders (1989). Ward was seen as Jeb Ames in the television series Dallas from 1978 to 1979, and guest starred in such series as Ironside, Alias Smith and Jones, Mannix, Medical Center, Hawkins, The Rockford Files, Ellery Queen, Kate McShane, The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, The Bionic Woman, West-
WARE, HERTA Character actress Herta Ware died at her home in Topanga, California, on August 15, 2005. She was 88. Ware was born in Wilmington, Delaware, on June 9, 1917. She began her career as an actress on stage in New York City in the 1930s, and appeared on Broadway in productions of Let Freedom Ring (1935), Bury the Dead (1936), 200 Were Chosen (1936), Journeyman (1938), and Six O’Clock Theatre (1948). She met stage actor Will Geer and the two were married in 1934. She and Geer often performed together on stage. The moved to Los Angeles in the early 1940s when Geer began a career in films and the couple had three children together, Kate, Thad, and Ellen. Geer’s film career was derailed in 1951 when he was blacklisted after taking the 5th Amendment rather than give testimony to the House Un-American Activities Committee. They opened a theater in Topanga Canyon where they produced and performed plays. She and Geer divorced later in the decade and she married actor David Marshall, with whom she had a daughter, Melora. She and Marshall divorced in the 1970s and Ware returned to Topanga Canyon. After Geer’s death in 1978 the theater they founded became known as the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum, and Ware continued to perform in numerous productions there. She also began a career in films and television late in life, appearing in the features The Black Marble (1980), Dr. Heckyl and Mr. Hype (1980), 2010 (1984), Cocoon (1985) as Rosie Lef kowitz, Promised Land (1987), Dirty Laundry (1987), Slam Dance (1987), Critters 2: The Main Course (1988), Cocoon: The Return (1988), Dakota (1988), Soapdish (1991), Lonely Hearts (1991), When Jesus Was a Kid (1993), Top Dog (1995), Species (1995), St. Patrick’s Day (1997), The
Sandy Ward
Herta Ware
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Politics of Desire (1998), Practical Magic (1998), Desperate But Not Serious (1999), Cruel Intentions (1999), Held Up (1999), and Beautiful (2000). Ware was also seen in the tele-films Child’s Cry (1986), Crossings (1986), Miracle Landing (1990), Crazy in Love (1992), Alien Nation: Millennium (1996), and Co-Ed Call Girl (1996). Her other television credits include episodes of Knots Landing, Wildside, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Amazing Stories, Crime Story, Star Trek: The Next Generation as Maman Picard, Cagney and Lacey, The Golden Girls, Just the Ten of Us, The Munsters Today, Eerie, Indiana, Civil Wars, and ER. • Los Angeles Times, Aug. 19, 2005, B11; Variety, Aug. 29, 2005, 85.
WARNEKE, LOTHAR German film director Lothar Warneke died in Potsdam, Brandenburg, Germany, on June 5, 2005. He was 68. Warneke was born in Leipzig, Germany, on September 15, 1936. He studied film at the university in Leipzig in the early 1960s and began directing, and often writing, films later in the decade. His film credits include Mit mir Nicht, Madam! (1969), Medical Doctor Sommer the Second (1970), It Is an Old Story (1972), Life with Uwe (1974), The Incorrigible Barbara (1977), Our Short Life (1981), Apprehension (1982), A Strange Love (1984), Blonder Tango (1986), and Einer Trage des Anderen Last (1988).
Lothar Warneke
WARONKER, SIMON Simon Waronker, the founder of the pop music label Liberty Records, died at his home in Beverly Hills, California, on June 7, 2005. He was 90. Waronker was born in Los Angeles on March 4, 1915. He worked in Hollywood as a musician on film soundtracks for Paramount musicals including 1936’s Anything Goes. He subsequently joined the 20th Century–Fox studio orchestra, where he worked on such films as Chaplin’s Modern Times (1936). He founded the Liberty Records label in the mid–1950s. The label had a major hit with the 1958 recording of “The Chipmunk Song,” by the fictional group Alvin and the Chipmunks, created by Ross Bagdasarian. Julie London’s torch song “Cry Me a River” and Eddie Cochran’s “Summertime Blues” and “C’mon Everybody” were also hits for the label. Waronker sold Liberty to the electronics corporation Avent in 1963
Simon Waronker
after suffering several strokes. • Los Angeles Times, June 9, 2005, B11; New York Times, June 10, 2005, A19; Time, June 20, 2005, 23; Variety, June 20, 2005, 44.
WARRICK , RUTH Actress Ruth Warrick, who starred with Orson Welles in the 1941 film classic Citizen Kane, and was Phoebe Tyler Wallingford in the daytime soap opera All My Children from 1970, died of complications from pneumonia at her Manhattan, New York, home on January 15, 2005. She was 89. Warrick was born in St. Joseph, Missouri, on June 29, 1915. She began her career on the New York stage with Orson Welles’ Mercury Theater, and came with Welles to Hollywood to make her film debut as Emily Kane in 1941’s Citizen Kane. She continued to appear in such films as The Corsican Brothers (1941), Obliging Young Lady (1942), Forever and a Day (1943), Journey into Fear (1943), Petticoat Larceny (1943), The Iron Major (1943), Mr. Winkle Goes to War (1944), Secret Command (1944), Guest in the House (1944), China Sky (1945), Perilous Holiday (1946), Song of the South (1946), Swell Guy (1946), Driftwood (1947), Daisy Kenyon (1947), Arch of Triumph (1948), Make Believe Ballroom (1949), The Great Dan Patch (1949), Beauty on Parade (1950), Second Chance (1950), Let’s Dance (1950), One Too Many (1950), Three Husbands (1951), and Roogie’s Bump (1954). Warrick began appearing on television soap operas in the 1950s, starring as Janet Johnson on The Guiding Light from 1953 to 1954, and as Edith Hughes
Ruth Warrick
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Frye on As the World Turns from 1956 to 1960. She also starred as Ellie Banks in the television series Father of the Bride in 1961, and was Hannah Cord in the nighttime soap opera Peyton Place from 1965 to 1967. She was also seen on television in episodes of Gruen Guild Playhouse, Cavalcade of America, Your Jeweler’s Showcase, Broadway Television Theatre, Studio One, Your Play Time, Robert Montgomery Presents, Perry Mason, Gunsmoke, Daniel Boone, and The Love Boat. She made several more film appearances in the 1960s in Ride Beyond Vengeance (1966), How to Steal the World (1968), and The Great Bank Robbery (1969). She began her thirtyfive year run as Phoebe in the soap opera All My Children in 1970. Warrick also appeared in the films The Returning (1983) and Deathmask (1984), and reprised her role as Hannah Cord in the 1985 tele-film Peyton Place: The Next Generation. She was given a Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award for her long career in television in 2004. • Los Angeles Times, Jan. 18, 2005, B11; New York Times, Jan. 18, 2005, A19; People, Jan. 31, 2004, 85; Time, Jan. 31, 2005, 21; Times (of London), Jan. 22, 2005, 85; Variety, Jan. 24, 2005, 55. WASSERMAN, AL Documentary filmmaker Al Wasserman died of lung cancer in a Manhattan, New York, hospital on March 31, 2005. He was 84. Wasserman was born in The Bronx, New York, on February 9, 1921. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and began working in films as a freelance writer after the war. He was co-author of the NBC News series Wide, Wide World, and wrote the Oscar-winning 1947 documentary, First Steps, about physical therapy for disabled children for the United Nations Division of Films and Visual Education. Wasserman was a producer, director and writer with CBS television from 1955 to 1960, and worked on films for the early television documentary series The Search. He moved to NBC in 1960, where he was producer of NBC’s White Paper series. He produced the 1960 documentary about the civil rights movement, Sit In, and 1966’s The Age of Kennedy. He also produced specials for DuPont Show of the Week. He left NBC in 1967 and formed an independent film company, producing a film version of Theodore H. White’s The Making of the President 1972. Wasserman was a producer for the CBS news series 60 Minutes from 1976 to 1986. • New York Times, Apr. 10, 2005, 31. WATKINS, GEORGE C. George C. Watkins, a Navy pilot who held numerous aviation records, died of a heart attack in Lompoc, California, on September 18, 2005. He was 84. Watkins was born in Alhambra, California, on March 10, 1921. He served in the military for thirty years, including tours of duty during the Korean and Vietnam Wars. He set records for speed, altitude, and aircraft carrier landings during the 1950s and 1960s. Watkins was also social aide at the White House under presidents John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Richard Nixon. He also served as director of air operations for the 1970 film about the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, Tora! Tora! Tora! WATT, STAN Actor Stan Watt died of cancer in Rumson, New Jersey, on January 2, 2005. He was
George C. Watkins
74. Watt was born in Quincy Massachusetts, on January 23, 1930. He began his acting career after serving in the U.S. Army, and appeared on Broadway in productions of A Taste of Honey, Jennie, and The Next President. Watt also appeared as Charles Lamont in the daytime soap opera Love of Life in 1966, and was featured in the 1972 horror film The Possession of Joel Delaney. Watt worked often as a narrator and voice actor in numerous television commercials and for documentaries for the Discovery Channel and National Geographic. He also narrated the A&E History Channel’s The Great Blunders of the 20th Century and Great Spy Stories of the 20th Century. • Variety, Jan. 17, 2005, 45.
WAXMAN, ROBERT Film sound effects editor Robert Waxman died in Las Vegas, Nevada, on February 25, 2005. He was 57. Waxman was born in Los Angeles on September 14, 1947. He worked in films as a sound editor in the 1980s, with such credits as Marie (1985), the animated feature Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealers (1985), Jumpin’ Jack Flash (1986), The Witches of Eastwick (1987), Throw Momma from the Train (1987), Satisfaction (1988), and Catchfire (1990). WEBB, BUNTY Canadian character actress Bunty Webb died in Port Perry, Ontario, Canada, on January 10, 2005. She was 73. Webb was born on January 29, 1931. She was active on the stage in Canada and also appeared in several films including Utilities
Bunty Webb
387 (1981), Deadline (1981), Deadly Eyes (1982), Curtains (1983), American Nightmare (1983), Bedroom Eyes (1984), Overdrawn at the Memory Bank (1985), Mr. Nice Guy (1987), High Education (1987), Sing (1989), Trapped in Paradise (1994), Tommy Boy (1995), Sabotage (1996), and A Simple Wish (1997). The hefty character performer was also seen in the tele-films Murder By the Book (1987), The Kidnapping of Baby John Doe (1987), Murder Times Seven (1990), Mark Twain and Me (1991), Ghost Mom (1993), Johnny and Clyde (1995), Fight for Justice: The Nancy Conn Story (1995), Double Jeopardy (1996), and Losing Chase (1996). Her other television credits include episodes of King of Kensington, Seeing Things, The Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Maniac Mansion, Class of ’96, and The Mighty Jungle.
WEBER , DAMON DANIEL
Young actor Damon Daniel Weber died of a post-transplant infection in a New York City hospital on March 30, 2005, following a lifelong battle with heart disease. He was 16. He performed on stage in elementary and high school, attending Brooklyn Tech. He made his television debut in an episode of the HBO series Deadwood which aired a few weeks before his death.
2005 • Obituaries
Joan Weidman
films as The Other Half of the Sky: A China Memoir (1975), SPFX: The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Goldy: The Last of the Golden Bears (1984), Broken Rainbow (1985), and Goldy 2: The Saga of the Golden Bear (1986). She was a producer for several films including Crack House (1989), The Giant of Thunder Mountain (1991), and Natural Causes (1994). She later served as president of the industry’s top completion bond company, overseeing such projects as Wes Craven’s Wishmaster (1997), Suicide Kings (1997), and Permanent Midnight (1998). • Variety, Feb. 14, 2005, 54.
WEGMAN, DOROTHY Dorothy Wegman Raphaelson, one of the last surviving Ziegfeld Girls, died at her New York City home on November 7, 2005. She was 100. She was born in New York City on November 27, 1904, and began performing on stage as a dancer in the early 1920s. She joined the Ziegfeld Follies in 1934, and also appeared in Ziegfeld’s productions of Big Boy and Rio Rita in 1927. She subsequently met and married playwright Samson Raphaelson and abandoned her career on stage. She authored the novel Glorified in 1930, and a book on her experiences as a Ziegfeld Girl, Morning Song, in 1948. She and Raphaelson remained wed until his death in 1983. • Los Angeles Times, Nov. 16, 2005, B9; New York Times, Nov. 12, 2005, A12.
WEINER, JUDITH Film and television casting director Judith Weiner died of ovarian cancer on April 5, 2005. She was 58. Weiner was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on March 23, 1947. She began working as a casting director in the 1970s, and was involved in casting the feature films The Howling (1981), Jekyll and Hyde ... Together Again (1982), Some Kind of Wonderful (1987), K-9 (1989), and Gross Anatomy (1989). She worked often in television, casting the tele-films Torn Between Two Lovers (1979), In the Custody of Strangers (1982), High School U.S.A. (1983), A Winner Never Quits (1986), Right to Die (1987), Weekend War (1988), Double Standard (1988), Dance ’Til Dawn (1988), Disaster at Silo 7 (1988), Danielle Steel’s Fine Things, For Richer, for Poorer (1992), Black Widow Murders: The Blanche Taylor Moore Story (1993), Caught in the Act (1993), Moment of Truth: Cradle of Conspiracy (1994), Moment of Truth: Caught in the Crossfire (1994), Beyond Betrayal (1994), While Justice Sleeps (1994), Danielle Steel’s The Ring (1996), True Women (1997), The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1998), The Staircase (1998), and The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax (1999). She was also involved in casting for such television series as Soap, Family Ties, The Golden Girls, American Dreamer, Brooklyn Bridge, The Practice, and Ally McBeal. She had worked in the casting department at UPN network from 1999, where she oversaw casting on all of the networks comedy and dramatic series. • Variety, Apr. 18, 2005, 44.
WEIDMAN , JOAN Cinematographer Joan Weidman died of cancer in Los Angeles on February 6, 2005. She was 54. Weidman was born on October 31, 1950. She worked as director of photography on such
WEINSTEIN, ARNOLD Poet and playwright Arnold Weinstein died in a Manhattan hospital on September 4, 2005. He was 78. Weinstein was born in New York City on June 10, 1927. He teamed with com-
Damon Daniel Weber
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WELLES, MEL Mel Welles, who starred as flower shop owner Gravis Muchnik in Roger Corman’s 1960 cult classic The Little Shop of Horrors, died of heart failure in a Norfolk, Virginia, hospital on August 19, 2005. He was 81. Welles was born Ira Meltcher in New York City on February 17, 1924. He worked as a clinical psychologist and a radio disc jockey before moving to Hollywood in the early 1950s after some stage experience. He made his film debut in 1953’s Appointment in Honduras, and went on to appear in such features as The Golden Blade (1953), Gun Fury (1953), Appointment in Honduras (1953), Wyoming Renegades (1954), Jesse James vs. the Daltons (1954), Yankee Pasha (1954), Massacre Canyon (1954), Pushover (1954), Bengal Brigade (1954), The Silver Chalice (1954), The Racers (1955), Pirates of Tripoli (1955), The Racers (1955), Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955), Spy Chasers (1955), Duel on the Mississippi (1955), Kismet (1955), The Big Knife (1955), Hold Back Tomorrow (1955), The
Fighting Chance (1955), Meet Me in Las Vegas (1956), Outside the Law (1956), Calling Homicide (1956), Flight to Hong Kong (1956), Hold That Hypnotist (1957), Designing Woman (1957), The 27th Day (1957), Hell on Devil’s Island (1957), and Tip on a Dead Jockey (1957). Welles wrote, directed and appeared in the 1957 film Code of Silence (1957). He also starred in Corman’s Attack of the Crab Monsters (1957) as Jules Deveroux and The Undead (1957) as Smolkin, the gravedigger. He was featured as Sir Bop in the 1957 film Rock All Night and wrote the “Unabridged Hiptionary” to promote the film in helping the audience understand the dialogue. He continued to appear in such films as The Brothers Karamazov (1958), High School Confidential! (1958), and was the voice of the Wizard for the animated Panda and the Magic Serpent (1958). After his role in Little Shop of Horrors, Welles was seen in The Red Sheik (1962), Hemingway’s Adventures of a Young Man (1962), The Reluctant Saint (1962), The Keeler Affair (1963), and Panic Button (1964). He went to Europe in the 1960s, where he continued to work in films as an actor, director and writer. He was featured in the horror film Revenge of the Blood Beast (1966), and directed and appeared in Hello Glen Ward, House Dick (1968), and The Last Mercenary (1968). He also directed the horror films Island of the Doomed (aka Man Eater of Hydra) (1967) and Lady Frankenstein (1971), and directed and starred in 1977’s Joyride to Nowhere. He returned to the United States in the 1980s and appeared in character roles in Dr. Heckyl and Mr. Hype (1980), Body and Soul (1981), The Last American Virgin (1982), Homework (1982), Chopping Mall (1986), Commando Squad (1987), Rented Lips (1988), Invasion Earth: The Aliens Are Here (1988), Wizards of the Lost Kingdom II (1989), and Raising Dead (2002). He was a voice actor in 1981’s Wolfen and the animated tele-film Faeries. He also did other voice-over work and worked as a script supervisor. • Los Angeles Times, Aug. 26, 2005, B11. WELSH , JONATHAN Canadian character actor Jonathan Welsh died following a brief illness in Belleville, Ontario, Canada, on January 27, 2005. He was 57. Welsh was born in Toronto, Canada, in 1947. He began his career on stage, working with the Shaw Festival in the 1960s. He was featured in the Canadian debut of the musical Hair in 1969, and was soon ap-
Mel Welles (from Little Shop of Horrors)
Jonathan Welsh
Arnold Weinstein
poser William Bolcom to create the 1964 anti-war satire Dynamite Tonight. He and Bolcom also worked together on several volumes of cabaret songs and the opera McTeague. They also created the operas A View from the Bridge with Arthur Miller and A Wedding with Robert Altman. Weinstein also adapted Ovid’s Metamorphoses for Broadway in 1971. He teamed with Larry Rivers for the 1999 book What Did I Do? The Unauthorized Autobiography.
389 pearing in films and television productions. Welsh’s film credits include Second Wind (1976), Starship Invasion (1977), City on Fire (1979), Nothing Personal (1980), Agency (1980), All in Good Taste (1983), The Surrogate (1984), Switching Channels (1988), Thick as Thieves (1991), and Young Again (1995). Welsh was a familiar face on television, starring as Glenn Olsen in the series Sidestreet from 1976 to 1978, and appearing as Melville Greenspan in the series Adderly in 1986. He also appeared as Eric MacFarlane in the 1989 series E.N.G. . Welsh was also featured in the tele-films Escape from Iran: The Canadian Caper (1981), Mafia Princess (1986), Unnatural Causes (1986), Hitler’s Daughter (1990), In Defense of a Married Man (1990), The Diamond Fleece (1992), Spenser: The Silent Betrayal (1994), A Father for Brittany (1998), Total Recall 2070 (1999), Hard Time: The David Milgaard Story (1999), If You Believe (1999), and Santa Who? (2000). His other television credits include episodes of The Littlest Hobo, Street Legal, Diamonds, War of the Worlds, Dracula: The Series, Maniac Mansion, Kung Fu: The Legend Continues, The Hidden Room, PSI Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal, and Earth: Final Conflict.
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in the series Die Braute Meiner Sohne (1965), Rivalen der Rennbahn (1989) as Tante Ella, Forstinspektor Buchholz (1989), the 2000 tele-film Scene of the Crime: Bitter Almonds, and the 2001 mini-series Hitler’s Women. She also appeared in the 1990 film Die Hallo-Sisters.
WESTERGAARD, LOUISE Broadway producer Louise Westergaard O’Neil died of leukemia in New York City on May 6, 2005. She was 67. She was born Louise Arnold in Manhattan on September 2, 1937. She began working in theater as artistic director of the Theater of the Open Eye in New York. She was best known as a producer of the popular musical Sophisticated Ladies, based on the music of Duke Ellington, in 1981. She also produced the Broadway productions Say Goodnight, Gracie in 2002 which starred Frank Gorshin as George Burns, and the musical revues Stardust (1987) and Dream (1997). • Los Angeles Times, May 23, 2005, 53; New York Times, May 13, 2005, C13.
WERNER, ILSE German actress Ilse Werner died in Lubeck, Germany, on August 8, 2005. She was 84. She was born Ilse Charlotte Still in Batavia, Dutch East Indies (now Jakarta, Indonesia), on July 11, 1921. She returned with her family to Germany in 1930. She later trained at Max Reinhardt’s acting school in Vienna, and made her theatrical debut in a 1937 production of Gluck. She began her career in films the following year, appearing in such features as The Restless Girls (1938), Frau Sixta (1938), Bel Ami (1939), Fraulein (1939), Three Fathers for Anna (1939), Her First Experience (1939), Request Concert (1940), The Way to Freedom (1941), The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1943), and Great Freedom No. 7 (1944). She was prohibited from appearing onscreen for several years after the end of World War II, due to her participation in propaganda films during the war. She resumed her career later in the decade, appearing in Mysterious Shadows (1949), Good Night, Mary (1950), Epilog (1950), The Bird Seller (1953), Reaching for the Stars (1955), and Die Herrin vom Solderhof (1955). Werner primarily performed on television from the 1960s, appearing
WESTHEIMER , DAVID Novelist David Westheimer died of heart failure in a Los Angeles hospital on November 6, 2005. He was 88. Westheimer was born in Houston, Texas, on April 11, 1917, and began working as a journalist at The Houston Post in the late 1930s. During World War II he served as a bomber navigator for the Army Air Force. He was shot down in 1942 and spent over two years as a prisoner of war
Ilse Werner
David Westheimer
Louise Westergaard
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in Italian and German POW camps. He wrote his first novel, Summer on the Water, in 1948. He was best known for his World War II novel Von Ryan’s Express, which was adapted for an Oscar-nominated film starring Frank Sinatra in 1965. Westheimer also wrote the novel My Sweet Charlie, which was adapted as a Broadway play and a tele-film in 1970, which earned Patty Duke and Emmy Award for her performance. He also wrote the tele-films Campo #44 (1967), Trouble Comes to Town (1973), and A Killer Among Us (1990), and scripted an episode of Airwolf. His later works include his 1992 memoir about his experiences during the war, Sitting It Out, and his final work, the 2002 novel Delay on Route.
WEXLER, SY Documentary and educational filmmaker Sy Wexler died of cancer and a neurological disease in Los Angeles on March 10, 2005. He was 88. Wexler was born in New York City on October 6, 1916. He served in the Army Signal Corps during World War II, where he worked as a cameraman for director Frank Capra on the documentary series Why We Fight. Wexler and Bob Churchill formed Churchill-Wexler Films in Hollywood after the war. When Churchill left the company in 1961, he continued with Wexler Film Productions. Many of the films he created were for use in the classrooms of the 1950s and 1960s, helping educate a generation of students. His films had such titles as How a Hamburger Turns into You, Squeak the Squirrel, Wondering About Things, The Great Rights, Tell Me Where to Turn, Smoking and Heart Disease, Venereal Disease: Why Do We Still Have It?, and Happy Family Planning. From the 1960s he primarily concentrated producing medical films including Clinical Applications of Microporous Tape, Complete Dentures, and The Case of a Persian Student with Painless Hemoptysis. • Los Angeles Times, Mar. 18, 2005, B10; New York Times, Mar. 15, 2005, C20; Time, Mar. 28, 2005, 20.
Candy to hold the Mid-America Tag Team Title in 1977, and held the ICW U.S. Tag Team Title with Rip Rogers in 1982 He held the NWA Southern Title in Florida several times in 1984. He wrestled as villainous Shaska Whatley in the World Championship promotion in the mid–1980s, where he feuded with Jimmy “The Boogie Woogie Man” Valiant. He teamed with Tiger Conway as the Jive Tones in the late 1980s. Whatley was later an instructor with WCW’s Power Plant.
“Pistol” Pez Whatley
WHEELER, BERNELDA Canadian Aboriginal author and actress Bernelda Wheeler died of cancer in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, on September 11, 2005. She was 68. Wheeler was born of Cree, Assiniboine, and Saulteaux heritage in Saskatchewan, Canada, on April 8, 1937. She began working on radio as a disc jockey in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, in 1954. She soon became an influential journalist for numerous newspapers and magazines. She was producer, writer, and host of the CBC radio program Our Native Land in Winnipeg from 1972 until 1982. She was also seen in the television mini-series Big Bear in 1998, and the films The Strange Case of Bunny Weequod (1999), Christmas at Wapos Bay (2001), and Now and Forever (2002). She also guest starred in an episode of MythQuest. WHITE, BOB Comic artist Bob White died of complications from a heart ailment on October 21, 2005. He was 77. White was born on June 18, 1928. He worked as an artist at Archie Comics in the 1950s and 1960s, and was creator of the short-lived comic science fiction series Cosmo the Merry Martian. He also drew such Archie series as Jughead, Pureheart the Powerful, and The Fly, and the Tippy Teen series at Tower Comics.
Sy Wexler
WHATLEY, ‘PISTOL” PEZ Professional wrestler “Pistol” Pez Whatley died of heart failure on January 18, 2005. He was 54. He was born Pezavan Whatley on January 10, 1951, and raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He began wrestling professionally in the Tennessee area and competed in numerous territories in the South and Southwest. He teamed with Ray
WHITE, CHARLES Character actor Charles White died in Sarasota, Florida, on June 20, 2005. He was 84. White was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, on August 29, 1920. He was the younger brother of character actress Ruth White. He attended Rutgers University and served in the military during World War II. After the war he studied acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York under Sanford Meisner. The rotund White performed on Broadway in The Front Page as Sheriff Hartman. He also appeared in
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Charles White
Onna White
several films including The Troublemaker (1964), The Hot Rock (1972), Child’s Play (1972), Serpico (1973), The Super Cops (1974), Airport 1975 (1974), The Wizard of Loneliness (1988), and Above Freezing (1998). White appeared on television in a production of The Iceman Cometh in 1960, and appeared in The Enchanted Nutcracker in 1961. He was also seen in a version of Inherit the Wind on Hallmark Hall of Fame in 1965. He played the Undertaker on the daytime soap-opera The Edge of Night in 1967, and starred as Alex Caldwell in Love of Life from 1971 to 1980. He also appeared in the tele-films Between Time and Timbuktu (1972), The Law (1974), and The Day the Women Got Even (1980). His other television credits include episodes of Studio One, The Defenders, The Nurses, DuPont Show of the Week, Route 66, The Patty Duke Show, The Defenders, The Nurses, Maude, Hot L Baltimore, One Day at a Time, Kojak, and Spin City. • Variety, June 27, 2005, 80.
Whoop-Up (1958), Take Me Along (1959), Irma La Douce (1960), Half a Sixpence (1965), Mame (1966), Ilya Darling (1967), and I Love My Wife (1977). She was given an honorary Oscar for her work choreographing the film Oliver! in 1969. Her other film credits include The Music Man (1962), Bye Bye Birdie (1963), The Great Waltz (1972), 1776 (1972), Mame (1974), and Pete’s Dragon (1977). • Los Angeles Times, Apr. 11, 2005, B9; New York Times, Apr. 11, 2005, B8; Variety, Apr. 18, 2005, 44.
WHITE, FRANK Actor Frank White died of throat cancer in Los Angeles, California, on August 13, 2005. He was 84. White was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1920. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. After the war he settled in Los Angeles where he appeared in films and television. White was featured in the movies Natchez Trace (1960) and Rosemary’s Baby (1968), and the tele-film No Place to Run (1972). He also guest-starred in episodes of St. Elsewhere and Hill Street Blues on television. White became involved in yoga in the 1980s after years of smoking and drinking had left him in poor health. He was soon teaching classes at the Center for Yoga and was featured in the 2003 documentary film The Fire of Yoga. WHITE, ONNA Oscar-winning choreographer Onna White died at her home in West Hollywood, California, on April 8, 2005. She was 83. White was born on Prince Edward Island, Canada, on March 24, 1922. She began her career as a dancer with the San Francisco Opera Ballet before moving to Broadway where she performed in Finian’s Rainbow, Silk Stockings, and Guys and Dolls. She began choreographing as an assistant to Michael Kidd and earned her first Tony nomination for her work on Meredith Willson’s The Music Man in 1958. She was nominated for seven subsequent Tony Awards for choreographing the musicals
WHITE, SAILOR Edward J. White, who wrestled professionally as Sailor White and as Moondog King, died of heart failure in St. John’s Newfoundland, Canada, on August 25, 2005. He was 56. White was born in Canada on May 18, 1949. He began wrestling professionally in Canada in 1972, where he was known as Sailor White. He also competed in South Africa in the late 1970s as Big John Strongbo. White feuded with such stars as Dino Bravo and Rick Martel. He wrestled as King in the Moondogs with Rex in the WWF, and they captured the WWF Tag Team Title in March of 1981. He was soon replaced by Moondog Spot when he was caught at the Canadian border with drugs and was not allowed to returned to the United States. He continued to wrestle in Canada, where he held several titles before drug and alcohol problems forced his retirement in the late 1980s.
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WHITE, THELMA Actress Thelma White, who starred in the 1936 cult classic Reefer Madness, died of pneumonia at the Motion Picture and Television Hospital in Woodland Hills, California, on January 11, 2005. She was 94. She was born Thelma Wolpe in Lincoln, Nebraska, on December 4, 1910. Her parents were carnival performers and she began performing at an early age. She sang and danced on the vaudeville stage as part of The White Sisters, and appeared in Earl Carroll revues and the Ziegfeld Follies in the 1920s. She began appearing in films at RKO later in the decade. She appeared in over thirty films and shorts during the 1930s and 1940s including Ride ’Em Cowboy (1930), Sixteen Sweeties (1930), One Way Out (1930), A Night in a Dormitory (1930), Seasons Greeting (1931), Hot Sands (1931), Hey, Nanny Nanny (1933), What Price Jazz (1934), Susie’s Affairs (1934), Never Too Late (1935), Two in the Dark (1936), The Moon’s Our Home (1936), Forgotten Faces (1936), and Wanted by the Police (1938). She starred as Mae Colman, who lured teenagers into drugs and depravity in the 1938 film Tell You Children, which achieved infamy over thirty years later when it was re-released as the cult classic Reefer Madness. She was featured in a handful of films in the 1940s including A Man’s World (1942), Pretty Dolly (1942), Spy Train (1943), Bowery Champs (1944), and Mary Lou (1948). A serious illness she contracted near the end of World War II while performing in a USO show largely ended her acting career. She recovered from her illness and began work as an agent for such performers as Robert Fuller, Robert Blake, and James Coburn. • Los Angeles Times, Jan. 13, 2005, B10; Times (of London), Jan. 22, 2005, 85; Variety, Jan. 17, 2005, 45.
Phillip Whitehead
remained in Parliament until losing his seat in the 1983 general elections. He returned to television and journalism, writing a column for The Times. Whitehead also produced such television mini-series as Stalin (1990), The Churchills (1996), Timewatch (1996), and Queen Victoria’s Empire (2001). He was elected to the European Parliament in 1994, and served as chairman of the European Parliamentary Labor Party from 1999 to 2004. He was chairman of the Parliament’s internal marked committee at the time of his death. • Times (of London), Jan. 4, 2006, 55.
WHITELEY , RICHARD British television host Richard Whiteley died of complications from pneumonia and heart surgery in a Leeds, England, hospital on June 26, 2005. He was 61. Whiteley was born in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, on December 28, 1943. He began working in television as a news reporter with Yorkshire Television in 1965. He soon became anchorman of the regional news magazine program Calendar in 1968. Whiteley was best known as the host of the popular word game show Countdown from 1982.
Thelma White
WHITEHEAD, PHILLIP British television producer turned politician Phillip Whitehead died of a heart attack in Brussels, Belgium, on December 31, 2005. He was 68. Whitehead was born in Matlock, Derbyshire, England, on May 30, 1937. He began working at the BBC in the early 1960s, becoming a producer. Whitehead worked on the Panorama series there before moving to Thames Television in 1967. He was editor of the news program This Week. He became active in politics in the late 1960s and was elected to Parliament as a member of the Labor Party in 1970. He
Richard Whiteley
WHITFIELD, VANTILE Playwright and stage director Vantile Whitfield died of complications from Alzheimer’s disease in Washington, D.C., on January 9, 2005. He was 74. Whitfield was born in Washington on September 8, 1930. After serving the US Air
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moved to Germany where he scored the film Pigs Will Fly and recorded the albums War Crime Blues (2004) and 2005’s Soft Dangerous Shores. • Los Angles Times, Nov. 24, 2005, B11; New York Times, Nov. 24, 2005, A31; People, Dec. 12, 2005, 124; Time, Dec. 5, 2005, 31; Times (of London), Nov. 29, 2005, 60.
Vantile Whitfield
Force he worked as a cosmetologist at this mother’s beauty salon in the 1950s. He studied theater at Howard University before moving to Los Angles where he was a founder of The American Theatre of Being in 1963 and The Performing Arts Society in 1964. Whitfield also appeared on television in a 1964 production of Great Gettin’ Up Mornin’ and guest starred in an episode of Tarzan in 1966. He later worked in local Los Angeles television, leading a team that covered the Watts riots in 1967. He also created and hosted the Daily News segment From the Inside Out. He relocated to Washington in the 1970s where he was active in creating numerous theatrical productions including Changes, Don’t Leave Go My Hand and East of Jordan. He was co-founder of The D.C. Black Repertory Company, and earned many awards for his works.
WHITNER, DANIEL Actor Daniel Whitner died of pancreatic cancer on September 22, 2005. He was 53. Whitner was born in Newark, New Jersey, on January 17, 1952. He began his career on stage and studied with Stella Adler. Whitner began his career in films in the 1980s, appearing in small roles in Nighthawks and Fort Apache, the Bronx. He was featured as Frank the Security Guard in the 2000 film The Family Man with Nicholas Cage. He also appeared in the 2002 film People I Know, and was featured on television in episodes of NYPD Blue, Law & Order, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and Third Watch. Whitner also performed voice-over work for commercials, video games, and books on tape.
WHITLEY , CHRIS Singer and songwriter Chris Whitley died of lung cancer in Houston, Texas, on November 20, 2005. He was 45. Whitley was born in Houston on August 31, 1960. He was known for his versatile musical styles, recording rock, blues and alternative rock numbers. He made his recording debut with 1991’s album Living with the Law, after a decade as a performer and back up musician. His song “Kick the Stones” was included on the soundtrack for the film Thelma and Louise. Ten more albums followed including Din of Ecstasy (1995), Terra Incognita (1997), Dirt Floor (1998), and Rocket House (2001). He subsequently
WIENER, JACK Film producer Jack Wiener died of a heart attack in a Los Angeles hospital on December 26, 2005. Wiener, who had also suffered from cancer, was 79. He was born in Paris, France, in 1926. He came to the United States in 1949 and began working in films in the publicity department at MGM. He moved to Columbia Pictures in the early 1960s and be-
Chris Whitley
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came a production executive there. Wiener formed Kelso Productions in 1973, where he produced such films as Old Dracula (aka Vampira) (1974), The Eagle Has Landed (1976), Escape to Athena (1979), Green Ice (1981), F/X (1986), and F/X 2 (1991). • Los Angeles Times, Dec. 29, 2005, B11.
WIESENTHAL, SIMON Simon Wiesenthal, who survived concentration camps during the Holocaust and spent the remainder of his life tracking down Nazi war criminals, died in his sleep at his home in Vienna, Austria, on September 20, 2005. He was 96. Wiesenthal was born in Buczacz, Austria-Hungary (now Ukraine) on December 31, 1908. He was an architect before being sent to a concentration camp in 1941. He narrowly escaped death on numerous occasions before being liberated from the Mauthausen death camp in May of 1945. He made it his mission to bring to justice the Nazis that had been involved in the Holocaust. Working from his cramped apartment and the small Vienna office of his Jewish Documentation Center, Wiesenthal was responsible for the capture of numerous war criminals. He was instrumental in supplying information to the Israelis that captured SS leader Adolf Eichmann in 1960. He also tracked down Austrian police officer Karl Silberbauer, who was thought to have arrested Dutch teenager and concentration camp martyr Anne Frank. He was the author of several books including his memoirs, The Murderers Among Us (1967). He also wrote The Sunflower, which was adapted as a short film, The Nazi, in 2002. His novel Max and Helen was adapted as a tele-film in 1990, with Martin Landau appearing as Wiesenthal. Wiesenthal also appeared as himself in several documentaries including Memorandum (1965), Murderers Among Us (1967), and the tele-film Simon Wiesenthal: Freedom Is Not a Gift from Heaven (1995). He served as an advisor for the 1974 film The Odessa File which featured actor Shmuel Rodensky as Wiesenthal, and Laurence Olivier played Herr Lieeberman, a character largely based on Wisenthal, in the 1978 thriller The Boys from Brazil. • Los Angeles Times, Sept. 20, 2005, B10; New York Times, Sept. 21, 2005, A1; People, Oct. 3, 2005; 87; Time, Oct. 3, 2005, 27; Times (of London), Sept. 21, 2005, 67; Variety, Sept. 26, 2005, 71.
Simon Wiesenthal
WILDE , TOM Actor Tom Wilde died of complications from a stroke in Sacramento, California, on January 22, 2005. He was 88. Wilde was born on March 13, 1916. He began his career on stage after serving as a bomber pilot in the Pacific during World War II. During the 1950s he appeared often on television in such series as Panic!, Navy Log, Sea Hunt, Harbor Command, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, World of Giants, and Trackdown. He was also featured in the 1958 science fiction film Space Master X-7. Wilde’s acting career ended after an automobile accident in 1964 that crushed his throat. He later worked as a drama teacher at a Sacramento high school.
Tom Wilde
WILLIAMS, BROOK British actor Brook Williams died in England on April 29, 2005. He was 67. Williams was born in England on January 22, 1938, the son of playwright and actor Emlyn Williams and younger brother of novelist Alan Williams. Brook Williams began performing on stage in the late 1950s, appearing in productions of Paul Tabori’s Brouhaha (1958), the musical Joie de Vivre, and a 1964 revival of his father’s The Corn Is Green. A close friend of actor Richard Burton, Williams began his own film career after serving as Burton’s personal assistant on the set of Cleopatra (1962). Williams appeared in small roles in over 100 films during his career. His larger screen credits include The V.I.P.s (1963), Agent 8∫ (1964), The
Brook Williams
395 Heroes of Telemark (1965), the Hammer horror classic The Plague of the Zombies (1966) as Dr. Peter Thompson, The Jokers (1967), Where Eagles Dare (1968), Anne of a Thousand Days (1969), The Raging Moon (1971), Raid on Rommel (1971), Villain (1971), Hammersmith Is Out (1972), The Fifth Offensive (1973), Massacre in Rome (1973), Brief Encounter (1974), The Wild Geese (1978), The Medusa Touch (1978), Absolution (1978), ffolkes (1980), The Sea Wolves (1980), Pascali’s Island (1988), Testimony (1988) as H.G. Wells, and England, My England (1995). He also appeared in an episodes of the popular British television series The Avengers in 1969. • Times (of London), May 17, 2005, 54.
WILLIAMS, CLIFFORD British theatrical director Clifford Williams died in London on August 20, 2005. He was 78. Williams was born in Wales on December 30, 1926. He began working in theater at the age of 15, assisting actors with their costumes. He worked on stage productions to entertain the troops during World War II. He continued his stage career after the war, and founded the Mime Theater Company in London in 1950. He directed various productions during the 1950s and joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1961. He was noted for his productions of Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors in 1963. He also directed such plays as Rolf Hochhuth’s The Representative (1963) and Soldiers (1968), and the controversial Oh! Calcutta in London in 1970. Williams directed Sleuth in 1970, which opened in London and later earned him a Tony Award nomination after moving to Broadway. He earned another Tony nomination for the 1987 production Breaking the Code. • Times (of London), Aug. 22, 2005, 40.
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WILLIAMS, JOHN British documentary film producer John Williams died of a heart attack while filming in northern Iraq on September 22, 2005. He was 60. Williams was born in Lampeter, Wales, on January 20, 1945. He began working at the BBC in 1967 as an editor of the current affairs series Panorama, 24 Hours, Nationwide, and The Money Programme. In recent years he produced several films about the bloody legacy of the Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq including Saddam’s Secret Time-Bomb for Channel 4 and Saddam’s Deadly Legacy for the U.S. Public Broadcasting Service. He also made the film The Taking of Sanski Bridge about the Bosnian war, and produced the 1992 historical documentary Columbus and the Age of Adventure for the BBC. Williams was also director of the Watercolour Challenge television series. He was working on another film about Iraq at the time of his death. • Times (of London), Oct. 22, 2005, 77. WILLOCK, COLIN British documentary filmmaker and wildlife writer Colin Willock died on March 26, 2005. He was 86. Willock was born in London on January 13, 1919. He began working in television with the current affairs program This Week, but soon found himself involved with Anglia’s Survival nature program. Willock write and directed many of the early segments of the series in the 1960s. Willock was also the author of over 30 books including non-fiction Wildfight, the thriller The Skeleton Coast, and Dudley: The Worst Dog in the World, an account of the adventures of his pet terrier. WILSON, AUGUST Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright August Wilson died of liver cancer in a Seattle, Washington, hospital on October 2, 2005. He was 60. Wilson was born Frederick August Kittel in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on April 27, 1945. Born to an often absent white German immigrant and a black mother, Wilson dropped out of high school at the age of 15 and was largely self educated. He tried his hand at writing poetry and plays from the late 1960s, but had little success until his 1978 play Jitney, about gypsy cabdrivers. He received acclaim for his 1984 play about black jazz musicians of the 1920s, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Wilson received the Pulitzer Prize for his 1987 play Fences, about a former baseball player’s conflict
Clifford Williams
WILLIAMS, JERRY LYNN Songwriter Jerry Lynn Williams died of kidney and liver failure on the island of St. Martins in the French West Indies on November 25, 2005. He was 57. He began his career touring with Little Richard’s band in the 1960s. He was best known as a songwriter, penning such hits as Eric Clapton’s “Running on Faith,” B.B. King’s “Standing on the Edge of Love,” and Bonnie Raitt’s “Real Man.” He also wrote Clint Black’s tune “The Hard Way” and Delbert McClinton’s hit “Givin’ It Up for Your Love.” • Los Angeles Times, Dec. 15, 2005, B11.
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with his family while working as a trash collector. Fences also won the Tony Award for its Broadway production. Wilson earned another Pulitzer for 1990’s The Piano Lesson. He also produced the 1995 television version of The Piano Lesson. His other productions included Joe Turner’s Come and Gone (1988), Two Trains Running (1992), Seven Guitars (1996), King Hedley II (2001), and Gem of the Ocean (2004). He had completed another play, Radio Golf, shortly before his death. • Los Angeles Times, Oct. 3, 2005, A1; New York Times, Oct. 3, 2005, A1; People, Oct. 17, 2005, 114; Time, Oct. 17, 2005, 27; Times (of London), Oct. 4, 2005, 61; Variety, Oct. 10, 2005, 93.
WILSON , FRANK Australian actor Frank Wilson died of complications from diabetes at his home in Sydney on October 24, 2005. He was 81. Wilson was born in Northcote, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, in 1924. He made his film debut in 1959’s Summer of the Seventeenth Doll (aka Season of Passion). He appeared frequently on television in the 1960s, starring in the series Lola Montez (1962), Bellbird (1967) as Howard Bates, Division 4 (1969), And the Big Men Fly (1974), Marion (1974), The Bluestone Boys (1976), The Truckies (1978) as Wally, and Doctor Down Under (1979) as Professor Norman Beaumont. He also guest-starred in episodes of Homicide, Ryan, Bluey, Glenview High, Prisoner, The Flying Doctors, Police Rescue, Big Sky, Sea Change, Blue Heelers, Water Rats, and Welcher & Welcher. Wilson’s film credits also include Alvin Purple Rides Again (1974), The Great McCarthy (1975), the television mini-series Power Without Glory (1976), the 1978 horror film Patrick, Money Movers (1978), and The Journalist (1979). Wilson starred as Dr. Johnson in the 1980 feature Breaker Morant, and was Jock Riley in David Williamson’s The Club in 1980. He also appeared in the films Fatty Finn (1980), Going Sane (1986), Nuclear Conspiracy (1986), Empire of Ash II (1988), Black Robe (1991), Ultimate Desires (1992), The Well (1997), and Crackerjack (2002). Wilson was also seen in television productions of Holiday Island (1981) as Banjo Paterson, Scales of Justice (1983), Golden Pennies (1985), The Great Bookie Robbery (1986), Tudawali (1987), Dearest Enemy (1989), and Changi (2001). • Variety, Oct. 31, 3005, 73.
Frank Wilson
WILSON , ROWLAND B. Cartoonist and animator Rowland B. Wilson died of heart failure at an Encinitas, California, hospital on June 28, 2005. He was 74. Wilson was born in Dallas, Texas, on August 3, 1930. He began his career in the early 1950s drawing cartoon gags for such publications as Collier’s, Look, True, and Saturday Evening Post. Later in the decade he became a regular cartoonist with Esquire and had his works published in The New Yorker. He began drawing cartoons for Playboy exclusively in the 1960s, and continued to work for that publication until his death. He was named Playboy’s Cartoonist of the Year in 1982. Wilson also worked in animation, earning a daytime Emmy Award for his work on HELP! Dr. Henry’s Emergency Lessons for People for ABC. He also did animation for the educational series Schoolhouse Rock. Wilson was also a visual developer and layout designer for Walt Disney Feature Animation, working on the animated films The Little Mermaid, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Tarzan. He was also illustrator of several children’s books in the 1970s, Tubby and the Lantern and Tubby and the Poo-Bah, and created the short-lived comic strip Noon in 1967. • Los Angeles Times, July 11, 2005, B9; New York Times, July 10, 2005, 23; Time, July 25, 2005, 19.
Rowland B. Wilson
WIMBUSH, MARY British character actress Mary Wimbush died of a stroke, at the BBC’s studios in Birmingham, England, shortly after taping an episode of the radio series The Archers on October 31, 2005. She was 81. Wimbush had starred as Julia Pargetter-Carmichael on The Archers from the early 1990s. Wimbush was born in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, England, on March 19, 1924. She appeared in several films during her career including Oh! What a Lovely War (1969), Fragment of Fear (1970), and the Hammer horror film Vampire Circus. She also appeared in television productions of Lady Killer (1973), Country Matters (1974), Fall of Eagles (1974), Poldark (1975) as Prudie Paynter, Sons and Lovers (1981), K-9 and Company (1981), Skorpion (1983), Who, Sir? Me, Sir? (1985), The Country Boy (1989), Never Come Back (1990), and Century Falls (1993). She was also featured in episodes of Thirty-Minute Theatre, Z Cars, The Wilde Alliance, All Creatures Great and Small, Juliet Bravo, Jeeves and
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Wooster in the recurring role of Aunt Agatha Gregson, Wycliffe, Midsomer Murders, Doctors, Heartbeat, and Casualty. • Times (of London), Nov. 2, 2005, 65.
WINANS, RONALD Gospel singer Ronald Winans, who performed with his family in the Grammy-winning group the Winans, died of heart disease in Detroit, Michigan, on June 17, 2005. He was 48. Winans and his brothers, Marvin, Carvin and Michael, where discovered by gospel legend Andrae Crouch and recorded their first album, Introducing the Winans, in 1981. His sisters, BeBe and CeCe, also became popular gospel artists. The Winans earned Grammy Awards for five of their albums. He suffered a heart attack in 1997, though he continued to perform. He sang with his family on the 2005 CD, Ron Winans Family and Friends: A Celebration. • New York Times, June 18, 2005, Variety, June 27, 2005, 80.
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radio program in the early 1940s. He made his television debut in the 1947 variety series Show Business Inc., and hosted the variety series The Bigelow Show from 1948 to 1949. Joined by bow-tied dummy Jerry Mahoney and others he hosted the prime time series The Paul Winchell–Jerry Mahoney Show from 1950 to 1954, and hosted a daytime children’s program for over a decade. He was also a regularly performer on the variety show Circus Time and the quiz program Keep Talking in the late 1950s. Winchell was also appearing on such programs as Toast of the Town, Your Show of Shows, What’s My Line, and The Ed Sullivan Show. In the 1960s he also became a leading voice-over actor for animated shows including The Jetsons, Wacky Races voicing Dick Dastardly, The Banana Splits Adventure Hour, The Perils of Penelope Pitstop, and Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines. He first voice Tigger in 1968 for the Oscar-winning animated short film Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day. He remained the voice of Tigger for the next thirty years in such productions as Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too! (1974), The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977), Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore (1983), Winnie the Pooh & Christmas Too (1991), Winnie the Pooh Un-Valentine’s Day (1995), A Winnie the Pooh Thanksgiving (1998), and Winnie the Pooh: Seasons of Giving (1999). Jim Cummings, the voice of Pooh, took over as the voice of Tigger in recent years. Winchell also appeared on television in episodes of The Beverly Hillbillies as Grandpa Homer Winch, 77 Sunset Strip, Perry Mason, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Lucy Show, Rowan & Martin’s LaughIn, The Virginian, Love American Style, Nanny and the Professor, The Brady Bunch, McMillan and Wife, and Ghost Story. He also appeared in the film Which Way to the Front? (1970) and the 1975 tele-film Adams of Eagle Lake. Winchell also performed as a voice actor in such film and television productions as The Aristocats (1970), Tabitha and Adam and the Clown Family (1972), Dr. Seuss on the Loose (1973), Goober and the Ghost-Chasers (1973), These Are the Days (1974), Hong Kong Phooey, The Oddball Couple, The Man from Clover Grove (1975), The Three Robonic Stooges as Moe, Fred Flintstone and Friends, The Skatebirds, The C.B. Bears, Yogi’s Treasure Hunt, Casper and the Angels, The Fox and the Hound, Spider-Man, The Smurfs, Heathcliff, Meatballs and
Ronald Winans
WINCHELL, PAUL Ventriloquist Paul Winchell, who entertained children on television in the 1950s with his dummies Jerry Mahoney and Knucklehead Smiff and later as the voice of Tigger in Disney’s Winnie the Pooh, died in his sleep at his Moorpark, California, home on June 24, 2005. He was 82. He was born Paul Wilchen in New York City on December 21, 1922. He began practicing ventriloquism as a child to overcome his stuttering. He won radio’s Amateur Hour at the age of 13, and was hosting his own
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Spaghetti, The Gummi Bears, and Yogi Bear and the Magical Flight of the Spruce Goose. Winchell was also an inventor with over 30 patents. He built an early artificial heart in 1963 which he donated to the University of Utah for research. The first implanted artificial heart, the Jarvik-7, was created by Dr. Robert Jarvik and other University of Utah doctors in the early 1980s. Winchell also invented a flameless cigarette lighter, an invisible garter belt, and an early disposable razor. He was also the author of an autobiography, Winch. • Los Angeles Times, June 26, 2005, B12; People, July 11, 2005, 83; Time, July 11, 2005, 21; Variety, July 11, 2005, 46.
WING, GUS Aerial cinematographer Albert “Gus” Wing, III, was seriously injured in a skydiving mishap when he collided with the left wing of the airplane he had jumped from near the DeLand, Florida, Airport, on April 23, 2005. His legs were sheared off at the knees, though he still managed to land with his parachute. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died of his injuries. He was 50. Wing was born on December 4, 1954. He had been a skydiving instructor for many years, and was the owner of the production company, Flying Wings Production. He had worked on several films as an aerial cameraman including Navy SEALS (1990) and Cutaway (2000).
Gus Wing
WISE, ROBERT Oscar-winning film director Robert Wise died of heart failure in a Los Angeles hospital on September 14, 2005. He was 91. Wise was born in Winchester, Indiana, on September 10, 1914. He went to Hollywood in the early 1930s where he got a job at RKO as a messenger at the studio. He soon began working as an assistant sound effects editor on films including Of Human Bondage (1934). He served as sound effects editor on the films The Gay Divorcee (1934), The Informer (1935), and Top Hat (1935). He soon became a film editor, working on such features as Bachelor Mother (1939), 5th Ave. Girl (1939), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939), My Favorite Wife (1940), and Dance, Girl, Dance (1940). He was hired by Orson Welles as editor for the film classic Citizen Kane in 1941, which earned him an Oscar nomination. The following year RKO had Wise severely cut Welles’ The Magnificent Ambersons when audiences gave the film a poor
Robert Wise
reception in previews. Welles was bitter over the studio’s action and for Wise’s part in it. Wise was also editor of the films The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941), Seven Days’ Leave (1942), Bombardier (1943), The Fallen Sparrow (1943), and The Iron Major (1943). He made his directoral debut for producer Val Lewton with the film The Curse of the Cat People (1944) when director Gunther von Fritsch was unable to meet the production schedule. Wise completed the film, and also directed A Game of Death (1945) and The Body Snatcher (1945) for Lewton. Wise also directed the films Mademoiselle Fifi (1944), Criminal Court (1946), Born to Kill (1947), Mystery in Mexico (1948), Blood on the Moon (1948), The Set-Up (1949), Two Flags West (1940), Three Secrets (1950), and The House on Telegraph Hill (1951). He directed the science fiction classic The Day the Earth Stood Still in 1951. He also helmed the films The Captive City (1952), Something for the Birds (1952), Destination Gobi (1953), So Big (1953), Executive Suite (1954), Helen of Troy (1956), Tribute to a Bad Man (1956), Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956), This Could Be the Night (1957), Until They Sail (1957), Run Silent, Run Deep (1958), I Want to Live! (1958) which earned him an Academy Award nomination, and Odds Against Tomorrow (1959). Wise produced and co-directed the 1961 film adaptation of the Broadway musical West Side Story, winning the Oscar for Best Director and Best Picture. He continued to direct the films Two for the Seesaw (1962) and the horror classic The Haunting (1963). Wise again received the Oscar as producer and director of the 1965 musical The Sound of Music with Julie Andrews. He also produced and directed The Sand Pebbles (1966) The Andromeda Strain (1971), Two People (1973), and The Hindenberg (1975). He was director of Star! (1968), Audrey Rose (1977), Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979), Rooftops (1989), and the 2000 tele-film A Storm in Summer. • Los Angeles Times, Sept. 15, 2005, B10; New York Times, Sept. 15, 2005, A29; People, Oct. 3, 2005; 89; Time, Sept. 26, 2005, 21; Times (of London), Sept. 16, 2005, 74; Variety, Sept. 19, 2005, 84.
WOLF, HANS Conductor Hans Wolf died in Seattle, Washington, of a heart attack on August 5, 2005. He was 92. Wolf was a refugee from the Nazi
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(1999), Children of the Living Dead (2001), and HellBent (2004). • Variety, Oct. 17, 2005, 64.
Hans Wolf
regime in Germany in the 1930s. He conducted the Tonkunstier Orchestra in Vienna after the war. He returned to the United States in 1950, where he served as music director and conductor for Remington Records. He was involved in recording some of the first stereo records. He also conducted operas and symphonies for radio and television, including productions of Carmen and Aida. He moved to Seattle in 1969, where he directed the Seattle Opera. He later served as artistic director and conductor of the Tacoma Opera from 1981 to 1996. • Los Angeles Times, Aug. 11, 2005, B11.
WOLFF, GERRY German actor Gerry Wolff died in Oranienburg, Brandenburg, Germany, on February 16, 2005. He was 84. Wolff was born in Bremen, Germany, on June 23, 1920. He appeared in numerous films in his fifty year film career from the early 1950s including Ernst Thaelmann (1955), Emilia Galotti (1958), Midnight Review (1962), At a French Fireside (1962), Naked Among Wolves (1963), Now and In the Hour of My Death (1963), Prelude Eleven (1964), The Ancient Coin (1965), Shots Under the Gallows (1968), Osceola (1971), Tecumseh (1972), Apachen (1973), Elective Affinities (1974), Orpheus in the Underworld (1974), Beethoven — Days in a Life (1976), Little Alexander (1981), Your Unknown Brother (1982), The Dancer (1989), Lover Your Neighbour! (1990), and Now or Never (2000). Wolff also appeared in numerous television productions in the 1980s and 1990s including Martin Luther (1983), Franziska (1985), Babuschka (1996), and Der Coup (1997).
WOLF, JOSEPH Joseph Wolf, who produced numerous classic horror films from the late 1970s including the original Halloween, died of complications from fall in a Los Angeles hospital on September 22, 2005. He was 78. Wolf was born on May 18, 1927. He was executive producer for the 1976 action film High Velocity. He was also involved in the production of John Carpenter’s 1979 horror classic Halloween, and was executive producer for the 1981 sequel Halloween II. Wolf was also a producer for the films Roller Boogie (1979), Fade to Black (1980), Blood Beach (1981), Hell Night (1981), The Seduction (1982), Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982), 1984’s A Nightmare on Elm Street which introduced horror icon Freddy Krueger, Heated Vengeance (1985), The Check Is in the Mail (1986), New York Cop (1993), Don’t Do It (1994), Cosa Nostra: The Last Word (1995), Final Vendetta (1996), Powerplay
WOLFSON, RICHARD Filmmaker and musician Richard Wolfson died in England of a ruptured aortic aneurysm on February 1, 2005. He was 49. Wolfson was born in Solihull, Warwickshire, England, on April 25, 1955. He and Andy Saunders formed the band
Joseph Wolf
Richard Wolfson
Gerry Wolff
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Towering Inferno in 1985. A multimedia group, Towering Inferno created the operatic Kaddish in the late 1980s. The also wrote soundtracks for several films and television documentaries. Wolfson and Saunders recently completed another project together, The Other Side.
WOODE, JIMMY Bassist Jimmy Woode died at his home in Lindewold, New Jersey, on April 23, 2005. He was 76. Woode was born in Philadelphia on September 23, 1928. He studied piano and bass as a youth, and formed a band after serving in the military during World War II. He played bass with such artists as Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and Nat Pierce. Woode joined Duke Ellington’s band in 1955, and helped resurrect the band’s fortunes over the next five years. He left for Europe in 1960, where he soon joined an orchestra with Kenny Clarke and Francy Boland. He remained with that group until the early 1970s. He remained in Europe over the next two decades, where he performed with visiting musicians, and performed as a studio musician on many radio and television productions. He returned to the United States in the mid– 1990s where he toured with Lionel Hampton’s Golden Men of Jazz before retiring. • Los Angeles Times, May 1, 2005, B15; New York Times, Apr. 30, 2005, B9; Times (of London), May 9, 2005, 51.
Jimmy Woode
WOODS, ALMA New Zealand actress Alma Woods died on October 24, 2005. She immigrated to New Zealand in 1952 and soon began performing on stage in Auckland. She appeared in numerous plays, and was a co-host of the 1970s television series Chicaboom. Woods also appeared in several films during her career including Runaway (1964), Don’t Let It Get You (1966), Strange Behavior (1981), and Ruby and Rata (1990). WRAY, LINK Rockabilly guitarist Link Wray died of heart failure at his home in Copenhagen, Denmark, on November 4, 2005. He was 76. Wray was born in Dunn, North Carolina, on May 2, 1929. He began performing with his brothers Doug and Vernon in the 1950s. He led his band, the Ray Men, recording numerous instrumental hits in the late 1950s and early 1960s. His best known tune, “Rumble,” was released in
Link Wray
1958. Other songs include “Raw-Hide,” “Ace of Spades,” “The Swag,” and “Jack the Ripper.” Wray moved to Denmark in 1980, but returned to prominence in the 1990s when his music was heard on the soundtracks of such films as Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction and Robert Rodriguez’s Desperado. • Los Angeles Times, Nov. 22, 205, B8; New York Times, Nov. 22, 2005, B9; Time, Dec. 5, 2005, 31; Times (of London), Nov. 22, 2005, 62; Variety, Nov. 28, 2005, 73.
WRIGHT , HERBERT J. Television writer and producer Herbert J. Wright died of bone cancer in Woodland Hills, California, on August 25, 2005. He was 58. Wright was born on November 9, 1946. He began his career in television in the 1970s as an associate producer on the series Night Gallery and McCloud. He also served as producer, scripter, and second unit director for the 1976 supernatural film Shadow of the Hawk, and produced the tele-films Locusts (1974), Puzzle (1978), and Through the Magic Pyramid (1981), several of which he also scripted. Wright was also a writer and producer on the series Hunter, Stingray, Star Trek: The Next Generation, War of the Worlds, Space Rangers, and Flipper. He also directed and scripted the film Supertanker (1980), and directed Big Country (1994) and Mars and Beyond (2000). His survivors include his widow, actress Elaine Giftos. • Variety, Oct. 24, 2005, 40.
Herbert J. Wright
401 WRIGHT, RICHARD K. Film prop master Richard K. Wright died of complications from a brain aneurysm in Glendale, California, on March 31, 2005. He was 65. Wright was born on September 22, 1939. He was best known for his work with the Farrelly brothers, Bobby and Peter, on such films as Dumb & Dumber (1994), Kingpin (1996), There’s Something About Mary (1998), Me, Myself & Irene (2000), Shallow Hal (2001), and Stuck on You (2003). Wright was also property master on the films A Sinful Life (1989), Nowhere to Run (1989), Edgar Allan Poe’s Masque of the Red Death (1989), Wedding Band (1990), Watchers II (1990), Transylvania Twist (1990), Hard to Die (1990), Streets (1990), Brain Dead (1990), The Haunting of Morella (1990), Body Chemistry (1990), The Rain Killer (1990), Corporate Affairs (1990), Sorority House Massacre II (1990), Dead Space (1991), 976-EVIL 2: The Astral Factor (1991), The Unborn (1991), Driving Me Crazy (1991), Future Kick (1991), Bloodfist III: Forced to Fight (1992), Double Trouble (1992), Poison Ivy (1992), 3 Ninjas (1992), Sins of Desire (1993), Bank Robber (1993), A Gift from Heaven (1994), Threesome (1994), Lady in Waiting (1994), Cover Me (1995), Albino Alligator (1996), Beverly Hills Ninja (1997), 8 Heads in a Duffel Bag (1997), Best of the Best: Without Warning (1998), Music from Another Room (1998), Ringmaster (1998), Gun Shy (2000), Say It Isn’t So (2001), Osmosis Jones (2001), Buying the Cow (2002), Jeepers Creepers II (2003), Carolina (2003), and The Kid & I (2005). He also worked on the television series Land of the Lost in the early 1990s, Harts of the West, Frank Leaves for the Orient, Undressed, Son of the Beach, Strip Mall, Rude Awakening, and Medical Investigation, and the tele-film Woman Undone (1996). Wright was working on the film Peaceful Warrior at the time of his death. • Variety, Apr. 11, 2005, 59.
Richard K. Wright
WRIGHT, ROBERT Tony Award–winning songwriter and lyricist Robert Wright died at his home in Miami, Florida, on July 27, 2005. He was 90. Wright was born in Daytona Beach, Florida, on September 25, 1914. He began playing the piano at an early age, and was leading his own orchestra when he was a teen. He soon began a long-standing partnership with George “Chet” Forrest. He and Forrest performed a cabaret act
2005 • Obituaries
Robert Wright
across the country before being hired to write music and lyrics for films at MGM. Some of they’re best known songs include “The Donkey Serenade,” “Sands of Time,” “Willow, Willow, Willow,” “Night of My Nights,” and “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad.” The duo earned three Academy Award nominations for best song for penning “Always and Always” for Mannequin (1938), “It’s a Blue World” for Music in My Heart (1940), and “Pennies for Peppino” for Flying with Music (1942). They also wrote songs for such films as Mama Steps Out (1937), Madame X (1937), The Firefly (1937), Saratoga (1937), Maytime (1937), The Good Old Soak (1937), Vacation from Love (1938), Three Comrades (1938), Sweethearts (1937), The Girl Downstairs (1937), Men of Steel (1938), The Girl Downstairs (1938), Let Freedom Ring (1939), Balalaika (1939), Kit Carson (1940), South of Pago Pago (1940), Blondie Goes Latin (1941), I Married an Angel (1942), Dudes Are Pretty People (1942), and Crazy House (1943). They also wrote the hit Broadway musical Song of Norway in 1944, based on the music of Edvard Grieg. It was adapted as a film in 1970. They earned Tony Awards for the score for the 1953 musical Kismet, based on the music of Russian composer Alexander Borodin. They musical contained such hit songs as “Stranger in Paradise” and “Baubles, Bangles and Beads.” It was adapted as a film in 1955. They’re other Broadway musicals include Magdalena, Gypsy Lady, Andya, and Timbuktu! They earned another Tony nomination for they’re final Broadway collaboration, Grand Hotel, in 1989. Wright and Forrest continued to work together until Forrest’s death in 1999. • Los Angeles Times, July 30, 2005, B16; New York Times, Aug. 2, 2005, C15; Variety, Aug. 8, 2005, 37.
WRIGHT, TERESA Teresa Wright, who received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Green Garson’s daughter-in-law in 1942’s Mrs. Miniver, died of a heart attack at a New Haven, Connecticut, hospital on March 6, 2005. She was 86. She was born Muriel Teresa Wright in New York City on October 27, 1918. She began performing on stage in the late 1930s and appeared on Broadway in 1939’s Life with Father. She was signed to a Hollywood contract by producer Samuel Goldwyn who was impressed with her performance in the play. She made her film debut
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402 Time, The Good Mother (1988), The Red Coat (1993), and the 1997 adaptation of John Grisham’s The Rainmaker. • Los Angeles Times, Mar. 9, 2005, B8; New York Times, Mar. 8, 2005, A21; People, Mar. 21, 2005, 101; Time, Mar. 21, 2005, 25; Times (of London), Mar. 10, 2005, 68; Variety, Mar. 14, 2005, 64.
Teresa Wright
as Bette Davis’ daughter in 1941’s The Little Foxes. The role earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for her role as Lou Gehrig’s wife opposite Gary Cooper in The Pride of the Yankees in 1942, the same year she earned the Supporting Actress Oscar for Mrs. Miniver. She continued to star in such major films including Alfred Hitchcock’s Shadow of a Doubt (1943), Casanova Brown (1944), The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), Pursued (1947), The Imperfect Lady (1947), The Trouble with Women (1947), and Enchantment (1948). Goldwyn ended Wright’s contract in a public conflict with the actress over what he felt was her disdain for publicity and promotion of her films. She continued her career, appearing in the features The Capture (1950), The Men (1950) with Marlon Brando, Something to Live For (1952), California Conquest (1952), The Steel Trap (1952), Count the Hours (1953), The Actress (1953), Track of the Cat (1954), The Search for Bridey Murphy (1956), Escapade in Japan (1957), The Restless Years (1958), Hail, Hero! (1969) and The Happy Ending (1969). Wright also performed often on television from the early 1950s, appearing in episodes of Lux Video Theatre, Robert Montgomery Presents, Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, The Ford Television Theatre, The United States Steel Hour, Climax!, Four Star Playhouse, General Electric Theater, Henry Fonda Presents the Star and the Story, The Elgin Hour, Letter to Loretta, Hallmark Hall of Fame, The Alcoa Hour, The 20th Century-Fox Hour’s 1955 adaptation of The Miracle on 34th Street, Screen Directors Playhouse, Studio 57, The Christophers, Undercurrent, Adventures in Paradise, Sunday Showcase’s presentation of The Margaret Bourke White Story, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Bonanza, The Defenders, Lancer, Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law, Hawkins, Grandpa Goes to Washington, The Love Boat, Morningstar/Eveningstar, Murder, She Wrote, Dolphin Cove, and Picket Fences. She also appeared in the telefilms Crawlspace (1972), The Elevator (1974), Flood! (1976), The Rocking Chair Rebellion (1979), The Golden Honeymoon (1980), Bill: On His Own (1983), Perry Mason: The Case of the Desperate Deception (1990), and Lethal Innocence (1991). She also continued to perform on stage and the occasional film including Roseland (1977), the 1980 science fiction romance Somewhere in
XERXES, MALCOLM British actor and stuntman Malcolm Xerxes died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Toronto, Canada, on September 13, 2005, while he being sought by the police as a suspect in the shooting of his girlfriend. He was 40. Xerxes as born in Salford, Manchester, England, on January 31, 1965. He appeared in small roles in several films from the early 1990s including Operation Golden Phoenix (1993), Nothing to Lose (1994), When the Bullet Hits the Bone (1995), Haunted (2001), The Art of Woo (2001), Cyher (2002), and Nigel’s Fingerprints (2003). He was also seen in the tele-films Perfects Strangers (2004) and H2O (2004), and episodes of Once a Thief, Traders, La Femme Nikita in the recurring role of Owen Tell, Twitch City, Relic Hunter, Soul Food, Witchblade, Leap Years, Veritas: The Quest, Degrassi: The Next Generation, Slings and Arrows, Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye, and 1-800Missing.
Malcolm Xerxes
YABLONSKY, YABO Screenwriter and playwright Yabo Yablonsky died of cancer in Los Angeles on February 10, 2005. He was 73. Yablonsky was born in New York City on April 7, 1931. He wrote and directed the 1971 film The Manipulator. He also scripted the films Portrait of a Hitman (1977), Jaguar Lives! (1979), and Victory (1981), and the tele-films Revenge for a Rape (1976) and Lena: My 100 Children (1987). Yablonsky also wrote for the 1986 television series Crime Story, and authored the plays Jews Without Money and The Leopard, about the final days of author Ernest Hemingway. YEVDOKIMOV, MIKHAIL Russian comedian turned politician Mikhail Yevdokimov was killed in an automobile accident near the city of Barnaul, Russia, on August 7, 2005, when his driver ran off the road and hit a tree while trying to avoid a collision with another car. The driver and bodyguard were also killed in the accident. He was 47. Yevdokimov was born
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Mikhail Yevdokimov
Harrison Young (from Saving Private Ryan)
in Novokuznetsk, Russia, on December 6, 1957. He was a popular comedian and entertainer in Russia from the 1990s, appearing in several films including The Parrot Speaking Yiddish (1990), Bitter Smoke of Autumn (1997), and Old Hags (2000). Yevdokimov subsequently entered politics and was elected governor of the Altai krag region of Russia in April of 2004. He defeated the incumbent governor, who had the backing of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Yevdokimov faced numerous attempts to oust him from office and was under increasing pressure to resign at the time of his death.
Ho-tep (2002) as Elvis’ Roommate Bull Thomas, Demon Under Glass (2002), Trance (2002), Ken Park (2002), First Watch (2003), House of 1000 Corpses (2003), Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang (2005), One More Round (2005), Inheritance (2005), and The Pleasure Drivers (2005). He was also seen in the tele-films A Child Lost Forever: The Jerry Sherwood Story (1992), Roger Corman’s Humanoids from the Deep (1996), Witness Protection (1999), and The Last Cowboy (2003). Young was featured as President Eisenhower in the 2001 television series The Korean War. He was also seen in episodes of Down Home, Reasonable Doubts, ER, Erotic Confessions, Ned and Stacey, Boston Common, Butterscotch, Law & Order, Total Security, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Beverly Hills, 90210 as Grandpa Ed Taylor, Sliders, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Work with Me, Providence, The Norm Show, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation in the recurring role of Judge Cohen, The West Wing, 7th Heaven, and The Lyon’s Den. He also starred as Palmer Harper in the daytime soap opera Passions in 2001.
YOSSIFFOVA, ISKRA Bulgarian actress and director Iskra Yossiffova died of cancer in Sofia, Bulgaria, on September 14, 2005. She was 51. Yossiffova was born in Cherven Bryag, Bulgaria, on February 26, 1954. She attended the National Academy of Theatre and Film Art in Sofia and began working at the Boyana film company in 1979. She was featured in several films including Advantage (1977), The Swap (1978), Measure for Measure (1981), and AkaTaMuS (1988). She also directed such films as A Journey (1980), Tri (1986), Love Therapy (1987), The Wall (1988), Cruel and Innocent (1990), Settlers (1991), Bolgrad’s Highschool (1992), and The Heart, Divided in Two (1993). YOUNG, HARRISON Actor Harrison Young, who was featured as the older Pvt. Ryan in Steven Spielberg’s hit film Saving Private Ryan, died on July 3, 2005. He was 69. Young was born in Port Huron on April 23, 1936. He began performing in local productions in the late 1950s. He moved to New York in 1973, where he performed in several productions on Broadway, and various Off-Broadway plays. He relocated to Hollywood in the 1980s and appeared in such films as Waxwork II: Lost in Time (1992), Guncrazy (1992), Marilyn, My Love (1994), Second Skin (1996), Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering (1996), Six, Lies & Politics (1997), The Night That Never Happened (1997), Madam Savant (1997), True Vengeance (1997), The Game (1997), Running Woman (1998), Primary Colors (1998), The Opposite Sex (1998), Ugly Naked People (1999), Durango Kids (1999), Blast from the Past (1999), Yonggary (aka Reptilian) (1999), Blue Shark Hash (2000), The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle (2000), Crocodile (2000), Starforce (2000), Red (2001), Bubba
ZAKI , AHMAD Leading Egyptian actor Ahmad Zaki died of lung cancer in a hospital near Cairo, Egypt, on March 27, 2005. He was 55. Zaki was born in Zaqazeeeq, Egypt, on November 18, 1949. He began his career on the Egyptian stage in the early 1970s and made his film debut soon after with 1974’s Children of Silence. He appeared in over fifty films during his career including Alexandria ... Why? (1978), The
Ahmad Zaki
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Bird of the Road (1981), A Dinner Date (1981), Love on the Pyramids Plateau (1984), The Beginning (1986), Four on an Official Mission (1987), The Wife of an Important Man (1987), Dreams of Hind and Camilia (1989), Against the Government (1992), Mr. Karate (1993), Hysteria (1996), Land of Fear (1999), and His Excellency the Minister (2003). He was best known for his roles as two of Egypt’s revered former presidents, starring as Gamal Abdul Nasser in 1996’s Nasser 56, and as Anwar El Sadat in 2001’s Days of Sadat. Zaki, who had been diagnosed with lung cancer in January of 2004, had been working on Haleem, a film biography of 1950s Egyptian singer and actor Abd al-Haleen Hafidh at the time of his death.
ZANOTTO, JUAN Argentine comic creator and artist Juan Zanotto died on April 13, 2005. He was 69. Zanotto was born in Turin, Spain, on September 26, 1935. He moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina, with his family in his early teens. He began working as a comic artist in 1953, drawing numerous western stories. He and writer Alfredo Grassi created the Ric de la Frontera series in 1955. The following year he created El Mundo del Hombre Rojo. He worked for the Codex and Ediciones Record publishing houses, where he created such series as Henga, Wakantanka, Barbara, and Cronicas del Tiempo Medio in the 1960s and 1970s. Zanotto was also co-creator of the comic Yor, which was adapted for film in 1983 as Yor, the Hunter from the Future. Several of his series were reprinted by Eclipse Comics in the United States in the 1980s. Zanotto also drew the Warman comic at Marvel Comics in 1991.
String (1990), Every Man for Yourself (1994), Kolya (1996), Cosy Dens (1999), Helluva Good Luck (1999), Wild Flowers (2000), Autumn Spring (2001), and Max, Sally and the Magic Phone (2001).
ZEKLEY, ZEKE Cartoonist Zeke Zekley died after a long illness at his home in Beverly Hills, California, on April 28, 2005. He was 90. Zekley was born in Chicago on February 11, 1915. He began working as a cartoonist for The Detroit Mirror in the early 1930s. After briefly moving to California to work for Disney, he became George McManus’s assistant on the popular Bringing Up Father comic strip in 1935. Zekley continued to work with McManus until the artist’s death in 1954. King Features Syndicate bypassed Zekley and chose Vernon Greene to continue the strip. Zekley worked on several other strips during his career including Dud Dudley, Paps Younger, Popsie, and Peachy Keen.
ZAZVORKOVA, STELLA Czech actress Stella Zazvorkova died of a heart attack at her home in Prague, Czech Republic, on May 18, 2005. She was 83. Zazvorkova was born in Prague on April 14, 1922. She was a leading performer on stage and in films from the 1950s. Her numerous film credits include Music from Mars (1954), The Bear (1961), The Cassandra Cat (1963), The Oriental Carpet (1964), Lemonade Joe (1964), Ninety Degrees in the Shade (1965), Happy End (1966), I Killed Einstein, Gentlemen (1970), The Girl on the Broomstick (1972), This Is How Love Begins (1975), What Would You Say to Some Spinach? (1977), The Hit (1980), The End of the Good Old Days (1989), Skylarks on a
ZETTERLUND , MONICA Swedish actress and singer Monica Zetterlund died in a fire at her apartment in Stockholm, Sweden, on May 12, 2005. She was 67. Zetterlund was born Monica Nilsson in Hagfors, Sweden, on September 20, 1937. She began her career in the early 1960s as a jazz singer. She also appeared in several films including Swedish Portraits (1964), Docking the Boat (1965), Night Games (1966), The Emigrants (1971) with Liz Ullman and Max von Sydow, The Apple War (1971), The New Land (1972),
Stella Zazvorkova
Monica Zetterlund
Zeke Zekley
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The Butt (1974), Guttersnipes (1974), Battle of Sweden (1980), and The Children of Blue Lake Mountain (1980). Zetterlund also appeared often on Swedish television in such productions as Spader Madame (1970), Katizi (1979), Time Out (1982), Kulla-Gulla (1986), and Morsarvet (1993). She was forced to retire from performing because of failing health in the late 1990s. • Los Angeles Times, May 14, 2005, B19; New York Times, May 14, 2005, A13; Variety, May 23, 2005, 52.
ZHZHENOV , GEORGY Russian stage and film actor Georgy Zhzhenov died in a Moscow hospital of complications from a broken hip on December 8, 2005. He was 90. Zhzhenov was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, on March 22, 1915. He began his film career in the early 1930s, appearing in The Road to Life (1931), Chapayev (1934), and City of Youth (1938). His acting career came to an end in 1938 when he was charged by the Soviet secret police as an American spy and sentenced to five years in a prison camp. He was rearrested several times and sentenced to internal exile in Siberia before his rights were restored in 1955. Zhzhenov returned to his career in films and theater. He was featured in such films as Other People’s Relatives (1955), The Storm (1957), The Night Guest (1958), Baltic Skies (1960), Storm Planet (1962) which provided footage for the U.S. releases Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet in 1965 and Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women in 1968, The Third Missile (1963), Quiet (1964), The Big Ore (1964), The Man I Love (1966), Beware of the Car (1966), Spring on the Oder (1967), The Road to Saturn (1967), Doktor Vera (1967), A Little Crane (1968), The End of Lyubavins (1971), Choice of Purpose (1974), The Ocean (1974), Looking for My Destiny (1974), The Cure Against Fear (1978), Air Crew (1980), The City of Brides (1985), The Time of Sons (1986), and Enclosure (1987). Zhzhenov received numerous awards during his later career and was named People’s Artist of the Soviet Union in 1980.
was also seen in numerous films from the early 1950s including The Magic Sword (1950), The Red Flower (1950), Kala (1955), I’ll Be Back (1957), Five Minutes of Paradise (1959), X-25 Reports (1960), Enclosure (1961), Amandus (1966), Oxygen (1970), The Scene of the Crash (1971), Girl from the Mountains (1972), Damon: True Friendship (1972), Parlog (1974), Fear (1974), The Written Off Return (1976), Idealist (1976), Occupation in 26 Pictures (1978), Journalist (1979), Cin (1980), Zedj (1981), How I Was Systematically Destroyed by an Idiot (1983), Miss (1986), Heretic (1986), The Harms Case (1987), P.S.— Post Scriptum (1988), and Say Why Have You Left Me (1993). He also performed frequently on television in Yugoslavia and Serbia.
Georgy Zhzhenov
ZIMMERLING, ROBERT German television actor Robert Zimmerling died in Germany on March 14, 2005. He was 80. Zimmerling was born in Bremerhaven, Germany, on August 30, 1924. He starred as Karl Hawermann in the 1978 television series Onkel Brasig, and was Hubert Koch on the long running series Lindenstrasse from 1988 to 1996. Zimmerling also appeared as Oskar Huckstreter in the series Der Landarzt in 1989. He was also seen in the tele-films Die Bertinis (1989) and Das Gestohlene Leben (2000), and episodes of Tatort, Die Wache, and Die Rettungsflieger. Zimmerling also appeared in the 1986 feature film Novemberkatzen.
ZIGON, STEVO Yugoslavian stage and film star Stevo Zigon died in Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro, on December 28, 2005. He was 79. Zigon was born in Ljubljana, Slovenia, on December 8, 1926. He was involved as actor and director in numerous theatrical productions with the Yugoslav Drama Theatre. He
Stevo Zigon
ZIMM, MAURICE Maurice Zimring, who wrote the original screen story for the 1954 horror film classic Creature from the Black Lagoon under the pen name Maurice Zimm, died at his home in Westwood, California, on November 17, 2005. He was 96. Zimring was born in Waterloo, Iowa, on June 19, 1909. He moved to Los Angeles in the 1930s and began his career as a writer in radio, scripting mystery and suspense plays for Hollywood Star Playhouse and other programs. His radio play was adapted for the 1953 film Jeopardy starring Barbara Stanwyck. He also wrote the films The Prodigal (1955), Affair in Havana (1957), and Good Day for a Hanging (1959), and scripted episodes of The Web and Perry Mason for television. He left Hollywood to work in real estate development in Hilo, Hawaii, in 1960. • Los Angeles Times, Nov. 24, 2005, B11.
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406 ZUSHI, TAKAO Japanese character actor Takao Zushi died of pancreatic cancer in Tokyo on April 1, 2005. He was 58. Zushi was born in Osaka, Japan, on June 25, 1946. He began his film career as a child in the 1950s and continued to appear in such films as The Child Writers (1958), The Dangerous Kiss (1960), The Makioka Sisters (1983), Akira Kurosawa’s Ran (1985), Shaso (1989), Kurosawa’s final film, Madadayo, (1993), and Tom Cat Holmes’ Deduction (1996).
Robert Zimmerling
ZULLO , GIANNI Italian musician Gianni Zullo, who was a founding member of the 1960s pop group the Brutos, died after a long illness with cancer in Pianello Valtidone, Italy, on May 17, 2005. He was 79. Zullo was born in Naples in 1926. He and the Brutos were seen in the 1964 Italian film Magnificent Brutes of the West. Zullo also appeared in the films Velvet Hands (1979) and Christmas Vacation ’91 (1991). He continued to appear on Italian television until the past year.
Gianni Zullo
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