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Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2007
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Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2007 Film, Television, Radio, Theatre, Dance, Music, Cartoons and Pop Culture by
HARRIS M. LENTZ III
McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers Jefferson, North Carolina, and London
On the front cover, clockwise from top left: Ann Hovey, Merv Griffin, Anna Nicole Smith, Ike Turner.
ISSN 1087-9617
/
ISBN-13: 978-0-7864-3481-7
softcover : 50# alkaline paper
©2008 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 2007 — Gene Bursi, Eleanore Kyle, Fred Wiseman, Dr. Leona Demere “Sissy” Dwyer, Ernest Biscio, Louis Berretta, Norman Ricci, Betty Jane Thurman, Ronnie Clark and Teddy Infuhr, Eleanore Stewart, Nicholas Worth, Robert Jordan
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Don and Elaine Kerley, Mark Webb, Wally Traylor, Letsie Axmaker, Jerry Van Hausen, Michael Roberts, Jennifer Eggleston, Lance Freemon, Darryl and Amy Wheeler, Grace Garcia, Daniel Dixon, Kevin Britt, Jordan Lacina, Steve Tines, Ronnie McAfee, Mark Ledbetter, Dennis Traylor, Gwen Beatley, John Anglin, Brian Theros, Jimmy Sowell, Reggie Johnson, Tony Mace, Marvin Massey, Bob Baldwin, Kira Christensen, Shannon Carrico, Heather Rich, Katie Brittney Peyton, Steve Montgomery, Keith Prince, Laura Crofcheck, Travis Williams, Derek Williams, Richard Dillingham, Bridgette Newman, Jessica Housley, Timothy Cleary, Josh Cleary, Tracy Long, Keith Lindley, Rebecca Hanson, Tina Bryant, Chad Wray, Holli and Nick Ayleward, Lane and Drew Lester, Kurt Carlsen, Suzanne and Flannigan Clifford, Mandy Lancaster, Jeff Eddy, Candace Bell, Jerry Warloh, Hayden, 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, Emma Brown, 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, John Beifuss, Ray Neilson, John Whyborn, Boyd Magers, Larry Tauber, Andrew “Captain Comics” Smith, Jimmy Walker, Tony Pruitt, Greg Bridges, Bobby Mathews, Kent Nelson, George and Leona Alsup, Betty Alsup, Toni Cerritto, 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, the folks at VoyForums: Celebrity Obits (especially Barbara, Peggy, Rocket, Loren, Greg, Chronicler, Danny), Joy Martin, Denise Tansil, Blaine Lester, Louis and Carol Baird, Carlin and Renee Stuart, Melanie Pinson, Marlene Taylor, Greg Bridges, Maggie Hernandez, Dia Barbee, “Doc,” Dave Ramsey, Ray and Judy Herring,
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgments vi Introduction ix Reference Bibliography xiii The 2007 Obituaries
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INTRODUCTION The year 2007 saw the passing of a host of celebrities, both great and small, whose talents in film, television, song, dance, literature, and other endeavors entertained, enlightened, and sometimes provoked us. From Oscar-, Grammy-, Tony- and Emmy-winning performers, to cult actors, one-hit wonders, and denizens of the animal kingdom, this volume reports on 1272 individuals who contributed to the performing arts and popular culture in the United States and throughout the world. Notable losses include Oscar-winner and former Mrs. Ronald Reagan, Jane Wyman; singer turned actor turned talk show host turned game show impresario Merv Griffin, and Broadway star turned game show panelist Kitty Carlisle. Internationally renowned opera singer Luciano Pavarotti and the leading lady of American opera, Beverly Sills, joined daredevil stuntman Evel Knievel and Playboy centerfold Anna Nicole Smith in the year’s passings. Two titans of international cinema, Ingmar Bergman and Michelangelo Antonioni, perished on the same day. Legendary Broadway actor and singer Robert Goulet and celebrated mime Marcel Marceau were also forever silenced. Deborah Kerr, who steamed the screen in From Here to Eternity, and Dick Wilson, who as Mr. Whipple steamed when customers squeezed his Charmin, also passed on. Two of America’s greatest literary figures, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., and Norman Mailer, are found within these pages, as is popular novelist and I Dream of Jeannie creator Sidney Sheldon. The literary father of Rosemary’s Baby, Ira Levin, and The Mephisto Waltz’s author, Fred Mustard Stewart, departed the mortal plane along
with televangelists Tammy Faye Bakker, Jerry Falwell, and Rex Humbard. The year also saw the passing of the last of the Rat Pack, comic Joey Bishop, late night talk show host Tom Snyder, pioneering rock singer and musician Ike Turner, baseball announcer Phil Rizzuto, Enola Gay bomber pilot Paul Tibbets, and astronaut Wally Schirra. Match Game icons Charles Nelson Reilly and Brett Somers were also reunited in death’s domain. Exotic film leading lady Yvonne DeCarlo, who gained even greater fame as television’s Lily Munster, and singer and actress Betty Hutton, who starred as Annie Oakley in the musical Annie Get Your Gun, both passed on in 2007. Two screen Tarzans, Bruce Bennett and Gordon Scott, took a final bow, along with Hercules actor and bodybuilder Reg Park, and Kerwin Mathews, who starred on screen as Sinbad, Gulliver, and Jack the Giant Killer. Barry Nelson, who starred as the first James Bond in a 1954 television production, John Gardner, who took up Ian Fleming’s torch as writer of the James Bond book series, and Lois Maxwell, who carried a torch for Agent 007 as the everhopeful Miss Moneypenny in 14 of the Bond films, all died during the past year. Frankie Laine, who sang the memorable television theme Rawhide, and Bobby “Boris” Pickett, who created “The Monster Mash,” join “Yakety Sax” musician Boots Randolph and leading country singers Porter Wagoner and Hank Thompson in this volume. Other notable passings include Scooby-Doo creator Iwao Takamoto, Jack Valenti, who headed the Motion Picture Association of America and
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Obituaries • 2007 created the film ratings system; Oscar-winning choreographer Michael Kidd; jazz legend Oscar Peterson; Pulitzer Prize–winning composer Gian Carlo Menotti, whose opera Amahl and the Night Visitors became a modern classic; Tommy Newsom, the occasional leader of Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show band; Russian ballet choreographer Igor Moiseyev; adult film pioneer Jim Mitchell; veteran character actor Charles Lane; film and television comedian Tom Poston; and Italian film producer and husband of Sophia Loren, Carlo Ponti. Don Herbert, who made science fun for several generations of children as television’s Mr. Wizard, film critic Joel Siegel, Flying Burrito Brothers steel guitarist turned film special effects designer Sneaky Pete Kleinow, and Oscar-winning make-up artist William Tuttle, also perished in 2007. Other losses include film noir scriptwriter A.I. Bezzerides; humorist Art Buchwald; Howdy Doody puppeteer Velma Dawson; Pulitzer Prize– winning journalist David Halberstam; Bob Clark, the director of the modern holiday classic The Christmas Story; veteran horror film director and Oscar-winning cinematographer Freddie Francis; and the Oscar-winning helmer of Marty, Delbert Mann. Other passings include leading voice performer Walker Edmiston, Oscar-winning special effects designer Peter Ellenshaw, and advertising executive Philip Dusenberry, whose commercial set Michael Jackson’s hair on fire. The intelligent parrot Alex, the one-eyed albino rat Jiminy, and Meerkat matriarch Flower were among the year’s nonhuman losses. The Hollywood firmament was further dimmed by the loss of such stars as Oscar-winner Miyoshi Umeki, George Grizzard, Janet Blair, Jean-Claude Brialy, Percy Rodrigues, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Laura Devon, Calvin Lockhart, Mala Powers, Ian Richardson, Moira Lister, and Eleonora Rossi Drago. Character actors Nicholas Worth, Roy Jenson, Alice Backes, Jeanne Bates, Robert Symonds, Lee Bergere, Eddie Firestone, Maurice Marsac, Paul Reed, Floyd Red Crow Westerman will also be missed, as will comedians Stanley Myron Handleman, Richard Jeni, and Pudgy. Other film and television icons whose passings are noted within include The Mod Squad ’s Captain Greer — Tige Andrews; Barney Miller’s
x Officer Carl Levitt — Ron Carey; Dr. Kildare’s Nurse Mary Lamont — Laraine Day; David Letterman’s comic foil Larry “Bud” Melman — Calvert DeForest; Bewitched ’s ditzy witch Esmerelda — Alice Ghostley; Little House on the Prairie’s Rev. Alden — Dabbs Greer; The New Avengers Mike Gambit — Gareth Hunt; Are You Being Served?’s Mr. Humphries — John Inman; The Dirty Dozen’s Tassos Bravos — Al Mancini; and Shaka Zulu star Henry Cele. Charles B. Griffith, who scripted such Roger Corman cult film classics as Little Shop of Horrors and Attack of the Crab Monsters, died in 2007. Other cult film figures who passed on include Crazy Fat Ethel star Priscilla Alden, Friday the 13th actress Laurie Bartram, Beyond the Valley of the Dolls star Michael Blodgett, The Thing with Two Heads director Lee Frost, Bride of the Monster leading lady Loretta King, Day of the Triffids scripter Bernard Gordon and co–star Kieron Moore, Raw Force leading lady Jillian Kesner, Attack of the Giant Leeches director Bernard Kowalski, Liane, Jungle Goddess star Marion Michael, Journey to the Center of the Earth’s HansPeter Ronson, It’s Alive father John P. Ryan, Night of the Living Dead antagonist Karl Hardman, T&A director Andy Sidaris, Tigon Films producer Tony Tenser, The Strangler director Burt Topper, and Last House on a Dead End Street filmmaker Roger Watkins. The death toll also claimed child performers Sonny Bupp, Teddy Infuhr, Marcia Mae Jones, Bobby Mauch, and Ashleigh Aston Moore, stuntmen Bill Catching and Bob Miles, glamour girls Jeanne Carmen and Liz Renay, and Playboy centerfold Phyllis Sherwood. Family members of celebrities who were accomplished figures in their own rights are also to be found within these pages. Included within are Osmond family patriarch George, Art Linkletter’s son Jack, Sir Winston Churchill’s daughter Arabella, Lucille Ball’s brother Fred, George Burns and Gracie Allen’s son Ronnie, Frank Capra’s son Frank Jr., Buddy Ebsen’s sister Velma, Buster Keaton’s son Buster Jr., Martin Luther King’s daughter Yolanda, Spencer Tracy’s son John, and Sharon Osbourne’s father Don Arden. The world of music suffered major loses during the year. Popular singers Theresa Brewer, Dan Fogelberg, Luther Ingram, and Barbara McNair;
xi rock musicians Brad Delp of Boston and Kevin DuBrow of Quiet Riot; rockabilly artist Janis Martin, who was billed as the female Elvis; and “These Boots Are Made for Walking” songwriter Lee Hazlewood all passed on. Along with Pavarotti and Sills, such opera stars as Rose Bampton, Regine Crespin, and Jerry Hadley also were silenced. Other musical losses include the rappers Pimp C, Big Moe, and Stacks Bundles, South African reggae performer Lucky Dube, Aborigine singer George Rrurramba, Hawaiian crooner Don Ho, Irish singer Tommy Makem of the Clancy Brothers, and Werner von Trapp of the Trapp Family Singers. The realm of sports entertainment was stunned with wrestling superstar Chris Benoit’s murder of his wife, fellow wrestling personality Nancy “Woman” Benoit and their young son, and Benoit’s subsequent suicide. The year also saw the passing of such major professional wrestling figures as Bam Bam Bigelow, The Fabulous Moolah, Sensational Sherry Martel, Bryan “Crush” Adams, Mike Awesome, Eliminator John Kronus, Ernie Ladd, and Bad News Brown. Science fiction and fantasy authors Robert Jordan, Madeleine L’Engle, Sterling Lanier, Fred Saberhagen, and Robert Anton Wilson died during the year. Cartoonist Johnny Hart, creator of the B.C. comic, and Brant Parker, who co–created The Wizard of Id comic strip with Hart, both died in 2007. Paul Norris, creator of the superhero Aquaman, and Arnold Drake, who created the superhero team The Doom Patrol, also passed on, as did leading comic artists Marshall Rogers and Mike Wieringo and Archie Comics executive Richard Goldwater. 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 con-
2007 • Obituaries tain pertinent details of deaths including date, place and cause, of 1272 celebrities. Biographical information and career highlights and achievements are also provided. I have also included a complete-as-possible filmography for film and television performers. I have discontinued the practice of including citations with individual entries, as more often than not I have utilized online sources for much of the information. Both print and online resources used are listed below and in the bibliography. 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/2006obituaries), and the Internet Movie Database, Ltd. (http://us.imdb.com/ ).
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REFERENCE BIBLIOGRAPHY Books
Finch, Yolande. Finchy. New York: Wyndham, 1981. Fischer, Dennis. Horror Film 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, PA: 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, 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. 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: Zoetrope, 1986. _____. Encyclopedia of Television Series, Pilots and Specials, 1974–1984. New York: Zoetrope, 1986.
The Academy Players Directory. Beverly Hills, CA : Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, 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, 1987. Brown, Les. The New York Times Encyclopedia of Television. New York: Times, 1977. Bushnell, Brooks. Directors and Their Films. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 1993. Chilton, John. Who’s Who of Jazz. Philadelphia, PA: Chilton, 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. Two volumes. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow, 1967. 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.
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Obituaries • 2007 Walker, John, ed. Halliwell’s Filmgoer’s and Video Viewer’s Companion, 10th ed. 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. _____. 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, 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, 1958–2001.
Internet References NEWSPAPERS AND PERIODICALS Arizona Central — http://www.azcentral.com/ BBC News — http://news.bbc.co.uk/ Commercial Appeal (Memphis, Tennessee) http:// www.commercialappeal.com/ Der Standard — http://derstandard.at/ Guardian Unlimited — http://www.guardian.co.uk/ Hollywood Reporter — http://www.hollywoodreporter. com/hr/index.jsp The Independent — http://news.independent.co.uk/ International Herald Tribune — http://www.iht.com/ La Repubblica — http://www.repubblica.it/ Los Angeles Times — http://www.latimes.com/ The Nation — http://www.nationmultimedia.com/ New York Times — http://www.nytimes.com/ Online Newspapers — http://www.onlinenewspapers. com/ Playbill — http://www.playbill.com/news/ RTE Entertainment — http://www.rte.ie/ Seattle Post-Intelligence — http://seattlepi.nwsource. com/
xiv The Stage — http://www.thestage.co.uk/ Sar Tribune (Minneapolis–St. Paul, Minnesota)— http://www.startribune.com/ Telegraph — http://www.telegraph.co.uk/ Time — http://www.time.com/ Times of India — http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/ TimesOnline — http://www.guardian.co.uk/ Variety — http://www.variety.com/ Xinhua-Chinan View — http://news.xinhuanet.com/ english/ Yonhap News — http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/Eng news/
OTHER SITES 1WrestlingLegends — http://www.1wrestlinglegends. com/ alt.obituaries — http://groups.google.com/group/alt. obituaries/ Bruisermania — http://bruisermania.com/ Caskets on Parade — http://www.msu.edu/~daggy/ cop/bkofdead/ Caratteristi e Protagonisti Della Commedia Italina Anni ’70 e ’80— http://www.caratteristi.it/ Cauliflower Alley Club — http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/ Celebrity Deathwatch — http://slick.org/deathwatch/ mailarchive/maillist.html Celebrity Obits — http://www.voy.com/60649/ Classic Horror Film Board — http://pub20.ezboard. com/bmonsterkidclassichorrorforum Dead People Server — http://dpsinfo.com/dps/ Dead Porn Stars — http://www.rame.net/faq/dead porn/ Dead Rock Stars Club — http://thedeadrockstarsclub. com/ Entertainment Insiders — http://www.einsiders.com/ Find a Grave — http://www.findagrave.com/ Gary Will: Deceased Pro Wrestlers — http://www.garywill.com/wrestling/decwres Internet Movie Database — http://www.imdb.com/ Last Link on the Left — http://lastlinkontheleft.com/finalcredits.html Legacy.com — http://www.legacy.com/Obituaries Life in Legacy — http://www.lifeinlegacy.com/ Memphis Film Festival — http://www.memphisfilm festival.com/ Outpost Gallifrey — http://gallifreyone.com/ Social Security Death Index — http://ssdi.genealogy. rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/ssdi.cgi Toonopedia — http://www.toonopedia.com/index.htm Wikipedia — http://en.wikipedia.org/ Young Hollywood Hall of Fame — http://www.young hollywoodhof.com/
OBITUARIES IN THE PERFORMING ARTS, 2007 worked frequently with Andrew Lloyd Webber, training singers for his productions of Cats, Evita, and Starlight Express. Adam hosted his own BBC television show I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing in 1989. He also worked on Kenneth Branagh’s 2000 film adaptation of Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost, and was featured onscreen as a singing coach in the 2006 film Confetti. Adam was coaching Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter for their roles in Tim Burton’s film adaptation of the Stephen Sondheim musical Sweeney Todd at the time of his death.
ABERNATHY, FRANKIE Frankie Abernathy, who starred in the MTV reality television series Real World: San Diego in 2004, died at her mother’s home in Shorewood, Wisconsin, on June 10, 2007. She was 25. She had suffered from cystic fibrosis since she was a child. Abernathy was born in Blue Springs, Missouri, on December 21, 1981. She appeared as a moody punk rocker on the show, with numerous tattoos and piercings. She left before the series ended because of conflicts with her housemates and her desire to be reunited with her boyfriend.
ADAMS, BRYAN Bryan Adams, a professional wrestler who was known as Crush in the WWE and was half of the tag team KroniK in the WCW, died at his home in Tampa, Florida, of an accidental overdose of pain killers and anti-depressants on August 13, 2007. He was 44. Adams was born in Kona, Hawaii on January 31, 1963. He began wrestling in 1986 with Pacific Northwest Wrestling in Oregon. Known as the American Ninja, he teamed with Len “the Grappler” Denton to capture the tag team title. He also held the Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship in 1990. He came to the World Wrestling Federation (now known as the WWE) as Crush, the third member of the tag team Demolition, with Ax and Smash. Demolition held the WWE tag team belts several times before disbanding in 1991. He returned to the Pacific Northwest area where he teamed with Steve Doll to win the tag team championship. He also captured the heavyweight belt in 1991 before returning to the WWE in 1992. Sometimes billed as the Hawaiian surfer Kona Crush, Adams feuded with such wrestlers as Doink the Clown, Barry “Repo Man” Darsow (who was his former Demolition partner Smash), and Randy Savage. Crush was terminated by the WWE following his arrest at his home in Kona, Hawaii, for possession of illegal steroids in early 1995. He returned to the WWE the following year where he briefly joined Faarooq’s Nation of Domination. He then formed the biker team called the Disciples of Apocalypse (DOA) to battle Faarooq’s team and the Hispanic gang Los Boricuas. He left the WWE for World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1998, where he became part of the New World Order (nWo), teaming with Scott Norton, Vincent, Horace Hogan and Stevie Ray. He briefly appeared in the WCW as the KISS Demon before being replaced by Dale Torberg. Adams reemerged in the WCW teaming with Bryan Clarke as part of the tag team KroniK. The formidable team held the WCW tag titles several times. They were briefly signed with the WWE when WCW folded in 2001. After a feud with the Undertaker, Adams was sent to the developmental territory Heartland Wrestling Association in Ohio before being released later in the year. He and Clarke reunited as KroniK in the World Wrestling All-Stars in February of 2002. They also wrestled in Japan where they captured the All Japan
Frankie Abernathy
ADAM, IAN British vocal coach Ian Adam died in a London hospital after a brief illness on May 10, 2007. He was 76. Adam was born in Fontrose, on the Black Isle in Scotland, on March 14, 1931. He began his career as a singer with the Scottish Opera before becoming a voice teacher. He worked with actor Michael Crawford for the 1973 musical Billy, and Crawford continued to train with him during his rise to become a leading musical star with 1986’s The Phantom of the Opera. He
Ian Adam
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Obituaries • 2007 Tag Team Title in July of 2002. He planned to abandon wrestling for boxing in 2002, but his first bout was cancelled due to a shoulder injury. An attempted comeback to wrestling the following year was ended by a spinal injury to forced his retirement from the ring.
Bryan Adams (left, with Bryan Clarke)
ADEEB, ABDEL HAY Egyptian screenwriter Abdel Hay Adeeb died in Switzerland after a long illness on June 11, 2007. He was 82. He was one of Egypt’s best known screenwriters who wrote over 120 films during his career. He was best known for scripting Youssef Chahine’s 1958 film Cairo Station. He also wrote A Woman on the Road (1958), Omar Sharif ’s The Revolt of the Mamalukes (1965), Kenouz (1966), A Wife from Paris (1966), Shabab Magnoun Geddan (1967), El Aris el Thani (1961), Akhtar Ragol fil Alam (1967), Hawaa Wal Kerd (1968), Baba Ayez Keda (1968), and Ines Al Deghleidy’s controversial 2001 film Mothakerat Morahkah. His survivors include his sons, filmmakers Emad and Adel Adeeb. AGUILAR, GUSTAVO Mexican actor Gustavo Aguilar Tejada died of renal failure in Mexico City on September 24, 2007. Aguilar, who was also known as Manotas, appeared frequently on screen and television from the 1980s. His film credits include El Escuadron de la Muerte (1985), Caceria Humana (1987), Taquito do Ojo (1988), Breed of Snakes (1988), Sante Sangre (1989), Infierno en la Frontera (1990), Jack el Vigilante (1990), Domingo Tragico (1991), Traicion (1991), Pueblo de Malditos (1993), Adela Despierta (1997), Policia de Narcoticos 2 (1999), Cabezas Rapadas (2000), La Fiera de la Montana (2001), The Mexican (2001), El Marneluco de mi Compadre (2003), and El Cara de Chango 2 (2005). Aguilar also appeared on television in episodes of Al Derecho y al Derbez, Esmeralda, and Aventuras en el Tiempo, and the 2001 mini-series Navidad sin Fin (2001). AGUILAR, TONY Mexican actor and singer Tony Aguilar died of complications from pneumonia and heart disease in a Mexico City hospital on June 19, 2007. He was 88. He was born Pascual Antonio Aguilar Barraza in Villanueva, Zacatecas, Mexico, on May 17, 1919. He became a leading performer of ranchera music with such hits as “Triste Rescuerdo,” “Gabino Barrera,” and “Un Puno de Tierra.” He made his film debut in
2 1952 and starred in numerous movies including Un Rincon Cerca del Cielo (1952), Yo Fui una Callejera (1952), Amor de Locura (1953), La Mujer Desnuda (1953), Reventa de Esclavas (1954), Una Gallega en La Habana (1955), Musica, Espuelas y Amor (1955), El Rayo Justiciero (1955), La Barrance ce la Muerte (1955), El Gavilan Vengador (1955), Tierra de Hombres (1956), La Sierra del Terror (1956), La Huella del Chacal (1956), Cien Muchachas (1957), La Pantera Negra (1957), La Justicia del Gavilan Vengador (1957), Fiesta en el Corazon (1958), La Venganza de Heraclio Bernal (1958), Los Muertos no Hablan (1958), El Fin de un Imperio (1958), Los Santos Reyes (1959), The Soldiers of Pancho Villa (1959), La Sombra del Caudillo (1960), Two Disobedient Sons (1960), Ah, Love Is Beautiful (1960), Stray Bullet (1960), Vacations in Acapulco (1961), La Joven Mancornadora (1961), My Son, the Hero (1961), Rumbo a Brasilia (1961), The Important Man (1962), Flaming Sun (1962), The White Horse (1962), El Justiciero Vengador (1962), Cazadores de Asesinos (1962), If I Were a Millionaire (1962), La Emboscada Mortal (1962), Yo el Mujeriego (1963), Vuelve el Norteno (1964), El Revolver Sangriento (1964), El Padre Diablo (1965), Gabino Barrera (1965), El Hijo de Gabino Barrera (1965), La Vida de Pedro Infante (1966), El Alazan y el Rosillo (1966), Los Cuatro Juanes (1966), Juan Colorado (1966), The Two Rivals (1966), Los Alegres Aguilares (1967), Lucio Vazquez (1968), El Caballo Bayo (1969), and Lauro Punales (1969). Aguilar was featured as Juarista General Rojas in the 1969 Hollywood film The Undefeated starring John Wayne. He also starred in the title role in the 1970 biographical film Emiliano Zapata about the Mexican leader. His film credits also include La Captura de Gabino Barrera (1970), La Venganza de Gabino Barrera (1971), They Call Him Marcado (1971), Valente Quintero (1973), La Muerte de Pancho Villa (1974), Peregrina (1974), Simon Blanco (1975), Don Hercurlano Enamorado (1975), El Rey (1976), Sabor a Sangre (1977), Mi Caballo el Cantador (1977), El Moro de Cumpas (1977), Volver, Volver, Volver (1977), La Muerte de un Gallero (1977), Los Triunfadores (1978), Benjamin Argumedo el Rebelde (1979), Albur de Amor (1980), El Anima de Sayula (1982), Viva el Chubasco (1983), The Madcap Who Performed Miracles (1984), El Rey de Oros (1984), Astucia (1986), Contrabando y Muerte (1986), Zapata en Ehinameca (1987), Lamberto Quintero (1987),
Tony Aguilar
3 Domingo Corrales (1988), El Hijo de Lamberto Quintero (1990), Triste Recuerdo (1991), El Chivo (1992), and La Sangre de un Valiente (1993) as Pancho Villa. Aguilar also remained a popular singer and musician, performing throughout Mexico and the United States. He was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2000.
AHNERT, GERLIND German television personality Gerlind Ahnert died in Rosenheim, Germany, on September 12, 2007. She was 73. Ahnert was born in Chemnitz, Saxony, Germany, on April 26, 1934. She was featured in such films as Ehesache Lorenz (1959), Ware fur Katalonien (1959), Reportage 57 (1959), Seilergasse 8 (1960), Die Liebe und der Co-Pilot (1961), Drei Kapitel Gluck (1961), Das Verhexte Fischerdorf (1962), and Meine Freundin Sybille (1967). She also appeared in television productions of Kater Lampe (1967), Alchimisten (1968), and Tater Unbekannt (1972). She was an announcer on East German television for over two decades through the early 1980s.
2007 • Obituaries Ravina (1958), E Eles Nao Voltaram (1960), Samba (1965), and A Espia Que Entrou em Fria (1967). He was best known in Brazil for his numerous television performances, appearing in such series as O Desconhecido (1964), Coracao (1965), Eu Compro Esta Mulher (1966), A Sombra de Rebeca (1967), Demian, o Justiceiro (1968), A Ponte dos Suspiros (1969), Pai Heroi (1979), Dona Beija (1986), Novo Amor (1986), Tudo ou Nada (1986), Kananga do Japao (1989), Sonho Meu (1993), Tocaia Grande (1995), Xica da Silva (1996), Mandacaru (1997), Os Maias (2001), and Chocolate com Pimenta (2003). Alberto was married to actress Yona Magalhaes.
ALBRECHT, CARTER Dallas musician Jeffrey Carter Albrecht was shot to death in Dallas, Texas, on September 3, 2007. He allegedly attacked his girlfriend and attempted to break in the door of a neighbor. The neighbor, asleep at the time, thought he was a burglar and fired a shot through the door, causing a fatal head wound. Albrecht was 34. He was born in Cartersville, Georgia, on June 23, 1973. Albrecht became the keyboardist for the New Bohemians in 1999 and played guitar, keyboard and sang for the local Dallas band Sorta. He also played with such musicians as Paul Simon and Charlie Sexton. Albrecht was working on a solo album at the time of his death.
Gerlin Ahnert
ALBERTO, CARLOS Brazilian actor Carlos Alberto Soares died of cancer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on May 6, 2007. He was 81. Alberto was born in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, on June 11, 1925. He began his film career in the early 1950s, appearing in Carnaval Atlantida (1952), O Craque (1953), Rua Sem Sol (1954),
Carlos Alberto
Carter Albrecht
ALDEN, PRISCILLA Over-sized character actress Priscilla Alden died in San Francisco, California, on August 24, 2007. She was 68. Alden was born in San
Priscilla Alden (as Crazy Fat Ethel )
Obituaries • 2007 Francisco on June 27, 1939. She was a frequent performer on the local stage before making her film debut as the larger than life homicidal maniac Ethel Janowski in the 1975 cult classic Criminally Insane (aka Crazy Fat Ethel ). She reprised her role in the 1987 sequel Crazy Fat Ethel 2. She racked up more victims as Nurse Edith Mortley in the films Death Nurse (1987) and Death Nurse 2 (1988). Alden also appeared in small roles in the films Birdy (1984), Quest of the Delta Knights (1993), Nine Months (1995), and The Turn of the Screw (2003). She appeared on television in the tele-film Stolen: One Husband and an episode of Midnight Caller in 1990.
ALEX Alex, a highly intelligent African Grey parrot who was the subject of a 30-year experiment into the understanding of the avian brain, was found dead in his cage of natural causes at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, on September 6, 2007. Alex, whose name was an acronym for Avian Learning Experiment, was purchased from a pet store by animal psychologist Irene Pepperberg in 1973. He initially resided at the University of Arizona, later at Harvard and finally at Brandeis University. Alex was able to identify 50 objects, differentiate colors, count to six and could even express frustration during repetitive scientific trails. He provided over 30 years of scientific research towards understanding of the bird brain. Alex also showed off his skills on various BBC and PBS nature programs on television, and appeared with Alan Alda on the PBS series Look Who’s Talking.
Alex
ALEXANDER, LLOYD
Fantasy author Lloyd Alexander died of cancer at his home in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, on May 17, 2007. He was 83. Alexander was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on January 30, 1924. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II, and worked in counterintelligence in Paris after the war. He returned to the United States in 1947, where he worked in advertising and as a cartoonist. His first book, And Let The Credit Go, was published in 1955. He wrote several other novels including My Five Tigers (1956), August Bondi: Border Hawk (1958), Aaron Lopez: The Flagship Hope (1960), and Fifty Years in the Doghouse (1963). Alexander wrote the popular 1963 children’s novel Time Cat: The Remarkable Journeys of Jason and Gareth. He began his best-selling fantasy series, The Chronicles of Prydain, with 1964’s The Book of Three. The second book in the series, The Black Cauldron (1965), earned Alexander a Newbery Honor, and both were adapted for the
4 1985 animated film The Black Cauldron. Subsequent books in the series included The Castle of Llyr (1966), Taran Wanderer (1967), The High King (1968) which won the Newbery Medal, and The Foundling and Other Tales from Prydain (1970). He also penned The Westmark Trilog y, which included Westmark (1981), The Kestrel (1982), and The Beggar Queen (1984), and The Vesper Holly Series, consisting of The Illyrian Adventure (1986), The El Dorado Adventure (1987), The Drackenderg Adventure (1988), The Jedera Adventure (1989), The Philadelphia Adventure (1990), and The Xanadu Adventure (2005). His other novels include The Truthful Harp (1967), The Marvelous Misadventures of Sebastian (1970), The King’s Fountain (1971), The Four Donkeys (1972), The Cat Who Wished to Be a Man (1973), The Wizard in the Tree (1974), The First Two Lives of Lukas-Kasha (1978), The Remarkable Journey of Prince Jen (1991), The Fortune-Tellers (1992), The Arkadians (1995), The House Gobbaleen (1995), The Iron Ring (1997), Gypsy Rizka (1999), How the Cat Swallowed Thunder (2000), The Gawgon and the Boy (2001), The Rope Trick (2002), and Dream-of-Jade: The Emperor’s Cat (2005). His final book, The Golden Dream of Carlo Chuchio, was published in 2007. Alexander was married to Janine Denni from 1946 until her death a month prior to his own.
Lloyd Alexander
ALGREN, ERIC Special effects artist Eric Algren died in Marina del Rey, California, on May 25,
Eric Algren
5 2007. He was 32. Algren was born in Narragansett, Rhode Island, on August 22, 1974. He began his career in films as a visual effects artist in the 1990s, working on such features as Dante’s Peak (1997), The Fifth Element (1997), Titanic (1997), and Armageddon (1998). He worked with such companies as Hydraulx, Digital Domain, and Creo, specializing as a flame artist. His film credits also include Hostage (2005), The Fog (2005), Aeon Flux (2005), Failure to Launch (2006), X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), Little Man (2006), 3000 (2006), Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), and The Invasion (2007).
ALLEN, MARIT Costume designer Marit Allen died of a brain aneurism in Sydney, Australia, on November 26, 2007. She was 66. Allen was born in Cheshire, England, on September 17, 1941, and was educated at the University of Grenoble in France. She began working in fashion in the early 1960s, writing for Queen Magazine. She moved to British Vogue in 1963 and spent the next decade covering the British fashion scene. Allen served as a fashion consultant for the 1966 film Kaleidoscope and, credited as Marit Lieberson, designed Julie Christie’s wardrobe for Nicholas Roeg’s 1973 film Don’t Look Now. During her subsequent career, Allen worked frequently with director Roeg and later with Ang Lee. Her film credits include Bad Timing (1980), Richard’s Things (1980), An Unsuitable Job for a Woman (1982), The Hit (1984), Eureka (1984), Deja Vu (1985), Dream Lover (1986), Little Shop of Horror (1986), White Mischief (1987), Manifesto (1988), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988), Who’s Harry Crumb? (1989), The Rachel Papers (1989), Eat a Bowl of Tea (1989), The Witches (1990), Mermaids (1990), A Kiss Before Dying (1991), Shining Through (1992), Wind (1992), The Secret Garden (1993), Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), Dead Man (1995), Smilla’s Sense of Snow (1997), Snow White: A Tale of Terror (1997), Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut (1999), Ride with the Devil (1999), Forever Mine (1999), The Weight of Water (2000), K-19: The Widowmaker (2002), Hulk (2003), Thunderbirds (2004), Nomad (2005), Brokeback Mountain (2005), All the King’s Men (2006), La Mome (aka Edith Piaf) (2007), and Love in the Time of Cholera (2007). Allen was twice nominated for an Emmy Award for her work in television, which included credits for the tele-
Marit Allen
2007 • Obituaries films Nelly’s Version (1983), Florence Nightingale (1985), Stalin (1992), and Scarlett (1994). She was working with director George Miller on the forthcoming feature film version of the DC Comic Justice League of America at the time of her death.
ALMIRANTE, ENRIQUE Cuban actor Enrique Almirante died in Havana, Cuba, on October 1, 2007. He was 77. Almirante was born in Havana on February 7, 1930. He began his career on radio in the early 1950s. He was soon appearing in films and became a leading television performer in Cuba. Almirante was featured in such films as Our Man in Havana (1959), Santo vs. the Evil Brain (1961), The Baptism (1968), Tupac Amaru (1984), A Time to Die (1985), El Socio de Dios (1987), Mascaro, Hunter of the Americas (1992), Pata Negra (2001), Black (2003), The Galindez File (2003), and Dreaming of Julia (2003). He was seen in numerous Cuban television series, most recently starring as a boxing trainer in a television soap opera.
Enrique Almirante
ALONSO, ALBERTO Cuban ballet dancer and choreographer Alberto Alonso died at his home in Gainesville, Florida, on December 31, 2007. He was 90. Alonso was born in Havana, Cuba, on May 22, 1917. He studied dance in Paris, and joined the Ballets Russes de Colonel de Basil in 1936. He toured with the company for five years, performing in productions of La Boutique
Alberto Alonso
Obituaries • 2007 Fantasque, Les Femmes de Bonne Hurneur, and Aurora’s Wedding. He returned to Cuba for several years in the early 1940s before joining his brother, Fernando, and Fernando’s wife, Alicia, at New York’s Ballet Theatre in 1943. He was featured in numerous character roles over the next two years, and danced in Jerome Robbins’ production of Fancy Free. He and his family returned to Cuba in 1948 and the three founded what became the National Ballet of Cuba. Alonso created such works as Antes del Alba (1948), Rapsodia Negra (1953), Espacio y Moviemiento (1966), Un Retablo Para Romeo y Julieta (1970), and Cumbres Borrascosas (1982), a ballet adaptation of Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights. Sister-in-law Alicia Alonso often performed in leading roles. He also choreographed Carmen Suite for the Bolshoi Ballet, which debuted starring Maya Plisetskaya in 1967. Alonso left Cuba for the United States in 1993, and settled in Florida.
ALONSO, ERNESTO Mexican actor Ernesto Alonso, who became a pioneer producer and director of Mexican telenovelas, died of complications from pneumonia at his home in Mexico City on August 8, 2007. He was 90. He was born Ernesto Ramirez Alonso in Aquascalientes, Mexico, on February 28, 1917. He began his career in films as an actor in the late 1930s, and became a popular leading man over the next two decades. Alonso’s many film credits include Sugar Daddy (1939), The Cackling Hen (1941), Historia de un Gran Amor (1942), The Saint That Forged a Country (1942), El Padre Morelos (1943), El Jorobado (1943), The Balloon of Cantoya (1943), La Corte del Faraon (1944), Marina (1945), El Monje Blanco (1945), La Pajarera (1945), Bodas Tragicas (1946), Crimen en la Alcoba (1946), El Gallero (1948), Price of Glory (1949), La Dama del Velo (1949), San Felipe de Jesus (1949), Jewels of Sin (1950), Luis Bunuel’s The Young and the Damned (1950), El Puerto de los Siete Vicios (1951), Trotacalles (1951), Un Principe de la Iglesia (1952), La Cobarde (1953), Reportaje (1953), A Doll’s House (1954), Bunuel’s 1954 adaptation of Wuthering Heights, Un Mujer en la Calle (1955), Maternidad Imposible (1955), Bunuel’s The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz (1955) starring in the title role, Con Quien Andan Nuestras Hijas? (1956), and La Tore de Marfil (1958). He moved to television in 1959, joining Televisa as a producer. He produced, and sometimes directed, hundreds of telenovelas, or soap operas, during his career. His first production was The House of Hate in 1960, and a steady procession followed, with Alonso sometimes appearing onscreen in character roles. His television credits include El Otro (1960), La Mujer Dorada (1960), Divorciadas (1961), Las Gemelas (1961), La Brujula Rota (1961), Estafa de Amor (1961), Niebla (1961), La Leona (1961), La Gloria Quedo Atras (1962), La Actriz (1962), Prisionera (1962), Borrasca (1962), Janina (1962), Las Momias de Guanajuato (1962), La Cobarde (1962), Adios, Amor Mil (1962), Dona Macabra (1963), Las Modelos (1963), Grandes Ilusiones (1963), Mexico 1900 (1964), Historia de un Cobarde (1964), Apasionada (1964), Cumbres Borrascosas (1964), Marina Lavalle (1965), Secreto de Confesion (1965), El Refugio (1965), Una Mujer (1965), La Mentira (1965), Valeria (1965), Maximiliano y Carlota
6 (1965), El Abismo (1965), La Busqueda (1966), La Razon de Vivir (1966), Cristina Guzman (1966), El Patio de Tlaquepague (1966), Mas Fuerte que tu Amor (1966), El Despertar (1966), Lo Prohibido (1967), Deborah (1967), Frontera (1967), Leyendas de Mexico (1968), El Padre Guernica (1968), Los Caudillos (1968), El Retrato de Dorian Gray (1969), El Diario de una Senorita Decente (1969), La Constitucion (1970), El Derecho de los Hijos (1971), Las Mascaras (1971), Las Fieras (1972), La Hiena (1973), El Chofer (1974), El Milagro de Vivir (1975), Paloma (1975), Manana sera Otro Dia (1976), Pacto de Amor (1977), Cartas Para una Victima (1978), Una Mujer Marcada (1979), El Enemigo (1979), Muchacha de Barrio (1979), Yara (1979), Bella y Bestia (1979), Al Final del Arco Iris (1980), Secret de Confesion (1980), Del Derecho de Nacer (1981), Extranos Caminos del Amor (1981), Angelica (1982), Bodas de Odio (1983), La Traicion (1983), El Maleficio (1983), Encadenados (1986), Cursed Inheritance (1986), La Trampa (1988), Atrapada (1988), De Pura Sangre (1988), Yo Compro esa Mujer (1990), Un Rostro en mi Pasado (1990), Lo Blanco y lo Negro (1992), Triangulo (1992), La Sonrisa del Diablo (1996), El Vuelo del Aguila (1996), La Antorcha Encendida (1997), Desencuentro (1997), Laberintos de Pasion (1999), El Precio de tu Amor (2000), La Otra (2002), My Love, My Sin (2004), Barrera de Amor (2005), and Sor Juana ines de la Cruz (2006).
Enrique Alonso
ALPERT, HOLLIS Author and film critic Hollis Alpert died in Naples, Florida, on November 18, 2007. He was 91. Alpert was born in Herkimer, New York, on September 24, 1916. He served as fiction editor for The New Yorker magazine from 1950 to 1956. He also wrote film reviews for Saturday Review and Woman’s Day, and was a book reviewer for The New York Times. Alpert also contributed articles and essays about films and film personalities to Playboy, Cosmopolitan, and Esquire, and was chief editor of American Film Magazine. He and Pauline Kael were co-founders of the National Society of Film Critics in 1966. Alpert was also author of several books including Broadway! 125 Years of Musical Theatre, The Life and Times of Porg y and Bess, Burton about actor Richard Burton, Fellini: A Life, and The Barrymores. He scripted an episode of the television series Johnny Staccato in 1959. (See photograph on page 7.)
7
2007 • Obituaries AMALIO LOPEZ, PEDRO Spanish television director Pedro Amalio Lopez died in Madrid, Spain, on June 25, 2007. He was 82. Amalio Lopez was born in Madrid in 1925. He produced, directed, and scripted the 1969 Spanish television series El Conde de Monte Cristo. He also directed such series as Silencio, Vivimos (1962), Novela (1962), Primera Fila (1962), De 500a 500.000 (1963), Platea (1963), Las Doce Caras de Juan (1967), Al Filo de lo Imposible (1970), Obra Completa (1971), Todo es Posible en Domingo (1974), La Saga de los Rius (1976), and La Comedia (1983).
Hollis Alpert
ALVAREZ, IRMA Argentine-Brazilian actress Irma Alvarez died of lung cancer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on January 8, 2007. She was 73. Alvarez was born in Saliguelo, Argentina, on November 21, 1933. She began her career in films in Argentina in 1950, where she appeared in Cinco Locos en la Pista (1950), Del Otro Lado del Puente (1953), and De Noche Tambien se Duerme (1955). Alvarez relocated to Brazil later in the decade and continued her career in such films as Massagista de Madame (1958), Os Dois Ladroes (1960), Nordeste Sangrento (1962), Porto das Caixas (1962), A Morte em Tres Tempos (1964), Encontro com a Morte (1965), 22-2000 Cicade Aberta (1965), Engracadinha Depois dos Trinta (1966), Onde a Terra Comeca (1966), Todas as Mulheres do Mundo (1967), O Sabor do Pecado (1967), Anguished Land (1967), O Homem Nu (1968), A Doce Mulher Amada (1968), A Virgem Prometida (1968), The Night of My Love (1968), How Are You? Well? (1969), Vampire’s Dream (1969), The Girl Watchers (1969), A Cama Ao Alcance de Todos (1969), This Is Simonal (1970), Pra Quem Fica, Tchau (1971), Caingangue (1973), A Estrela Sobe (1974), Blablabla (1975), Ana, a Libertina (1975), O Dia Marcado (1977), Pra Frente, Brasil (1982), Aguenta, Coracao (1984), Rockmania (1986), and O Viajante (1999). Alvarez also appeared on Brazilian television in such series as Carinhoso, O Semideus, Sem Lenco, Sem Documento, Ciranda, Cirandinha, Pai Heroi, and Setimo Sentido.
Irma Alvarez (with shaved head from ¡960’s Cavalo de Oxumare)
Pedro Amalio Lopez
AMARA, BLANQUITA Cuban singer and dancer Blanquita Amara died of a heart attack in a Miami, Florida, hospital on March 15, 2007. She was 83. Amara was born in San Antonio de los Banos, Cuba, on June 30, 1923. She began performing at an early age and made her film debut in Havana Scenes in 1939. She continued to star in such films as Profugos (1940), Scandal of Stars (1944), Summer Hotel (1944) with Tin Tan, Una Noche en el Ta-Ba-Rin (1949), The Seducer (1950), Buenos Aires a la Vista (1950), A la Habana me Voy (1951), Una Cubana en Espana (1951), Barbara Atomica (1952), Bella, la Salvaje (1953), and Casada y Senorita (1954). Amara left Cuba for Panama during the revolution in 1959, where she hosted a daily television program for a decade. She moved to Miami, Florida, in 1968, where
Blanquita Amaro
Obituaries • 2007 she hosted the television programs The Blanquita Amara Show and Say It in Mime. She also hosted several radio programs and performed often on stage. She made her final film appearance in 1980’s How Hot Miami Is!
AMES, JOE Singer Joe Ames, the eldest member of the singing Ames Brothers, died of a heart attack in a hospital near Mainz, Germany, on December 22, 2007. He was 86. He was born Joseph Urick in Malden, Massachusetts, on May 3, 1921. He and his three younger brothers began singing in the Boston area as the Urick Brothers in the 1940s. As they became more successful, they changed their name to the Ames Brothers. They were one of the leading quartets in the 1950s, recording such hits as “The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane,” “Sentimental Me,” “Rag Mop,” and “My Bonnie Lassie.” They hosted their own series, The Ames Brothers Show, in 1955. The Ames Brothers musical success included eight gold records and frequent performances on television and in Las Vegas. The group disbanded in the early 1960s, though younger brother, Ed, had a successful career as a solo singer and actor. Joe, and brothers, Gene and Vic, reunited for several albums and a local television program in Houston, before Joe moved to Germany in 1965. He continued to work in music as a producer and manager, and developed musical programming for the German public television station ZDF, until his retirement in the early 1990s. His survivors include his brother Ed. Vic was killed in an automobile accident in 1978, and Gene died in 1997.
8 appeared on television in such productions as Bayard (1964), Comment ne Pas Epouser un Milliardaire (1966), Judith (1969), Docteur Caraibes(1973), Histoires Etranges (1980), and Le Sequestre (1980). Aminel also provided the French dubbing voice Darth Vader and such American actors as Yul Brynner and Louis Gossett, Jr. He was also a voice actor for the films Tarzoon: Shame of the Jungle (1976), Droles de Zebres (1977), and B.C. Rock (1980).
Georges Aminel
ANDERSON, CLETUS Production designer Cletus Anderson, who was best known for his work with horror filmmaker George Romero, died of cancer at his home in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on March 16, 2007. He was 69. Anderson was born on February 10, 1938. He and his wife designed sets and costumes for many local productions in the Pittsburgh area. They were also drama teachers at Carnegie Mellon from the late 1960s, and wrote the popular text Costume Design. Anderson began working with George Romero in the early 1980s, serving as production designer on the films Knightriders (1981), Creepshow (1982), Day of the Dead (1985), Monkey Shines (1988), Two Evil Eyes (1990), the 1990 remake of Night of the Living Dead, and The Dark Half (1993).
Joe Ames
AMINEL, GEORGES French actor Georges Aminel died in Paris on May 20, 2007. He was 84. Aminel was born in Clichy, France, on October 11, 1922. He began his acting career in the 1940s and became the first Black actor to perform with the Comedie-Francaise in 1967. He was a leading performer on stage and screen, appearing in such films as Le Cabaret du Grand Large (1946), Tournant Dangereux (1955), The Little Rebels (1955), Love in Jamaica (1957), The Gates of Paris (1957), Illegal Cargo (1958), Sahara on Fire (1961), Ame qui Vive (1962), Action Man (1967), Popsy Pop (1971), The Lonely Killers (1972), Gates of Fire (1972), Le Grande Recre (1976), Parisian Life (1977), Mama Dracula (1980) as the narrator, and Jean Galmot, Adventurer (1990). He also
Cletus Anderson
ANDERSON, JOHN B. Effects animator John B. Anderson died suddenly on December 11, 2007. He was 39. Anderson was born in Fort Worth, Texas, on
9 August 13, 1968. He began in working in animation in the late 1990s as a shading artist for A Bug’s Life (1998) and Toy Story 2 (1999). He continued to serve as a shader writer and effects animator for such films as The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings (2001), It’s a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (2002), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (2003), House of Wax (2005), Madagascar (2005), Mee-Shee: The Water Giant (2005), Moongirl (2005), and Surf ’s Up (2007). Anderson worked at Jim Henson’s Creature Shop and was employed at Sony Pictures Imageworks in recent years.
John B. Anderson
ANDERSSON, INGVAR Swedish actor Ingvar Andersson died in Skane Ian, Sweden, on July 31, 2007. He was 80. Andersson was born in Skane Ian on January 13, 1927. A leading performer on stage and screen, he was featured in such films as Sven klangs Combo (1976), The Call-Up (1979), The Simple-Minded Murder (1982), Jim and the Pirates (1987), Murder at the Savoy (1993), Roseanna (1993), Sommarmord (1994), and 7 Miljonarer (2006). Andersson also appeared on television in productions of Ashojdens BK (1985), August Palms Aventyr (1985), and Hemvarnets Glada Dagar (2006).
2007 • Obituaries tective series The Mod Squad, died of cardiac arrest at his home in Encino, California, on January 27, 2007. He was 86. Andrews was born in Brooklyn, New York, on March 19, 1920. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II and was wounded in action in Sicily. After the war he attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. He made his stage debut in a production of The Threepenny Opera in 1955. He also appeared on Broadway in Mister Roberts, and reprised the role of Wiley in John Ford’s 1955 film version. His other film credits include The Wings of Eagles (1957), Until They Sail (1957), China Doll (1958), Imitation General (1958), Onionhead (1958), and A Private Affair (1959). Andrews was also a frequent performer on television from the 1950s, appearing in episodes of Kraft Television Theatre, ABC Album, Armstrong Circle Theatre, Inner Sanctum, The Phil Silvers Show, U.S. Marshal, Playhouse 90, The Grand Jury, Zorro, The Lawless Years, The Best of the Post, Adventures in Paradise, The Dick Powell Show, Alcoa Premiere, Ensign O’Toole, and Sam Benedict. He starred as Lt. Russo on the series The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor from 1959 to 1962, and guest-starred in episodes of Mr. Novak, Dr. Kildare, Ben Casey, Slattery’s People, Twelve O’Clock High, Jericho, Run for Your Life, The Big Valley, The Fugitive, The F.B.I., Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, Dundee and the Culhane, Star Trek as the Klingon Kras in the “Friday’s Child” episode, Premiere, Gunsmoke, and Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. in the recurring role of Chief Petty Officer Simpson. Andrews also appeared in the 1968 film In Enemy Country before beginning his beginning his five year stint as Captain Greer in The Mod Squad in 1968. He earned an Emmy nomination for his role as mentor to the young undercover cops played by Clarence Williams III, Michael Cole, and Peggy Lipton. He reprised the role in the 1979 reunion tele-film Return of the Mod Squad. He was also seen in the films The Last Tycoon (1976) and Gypsy Angels (1980), and the tele-films Skyway to Death (1974), The Werewolf of Woodstock (1975) as the werewolf, and Raid on Entebbe (1977) as Shimon Peres. His other television credits include episodes of Marcus Welby, M.D., Amy Prentiss, Barbary Coast, Police Story, Police Woman, Good Heavens, Kojak, Vega$, CHiPs, Quincy, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Hawaiian Heat, Street Hawk, Misfits of Science, Sledge
Ingvar Andersson
ANDREWS, TIGE Actor Tige Andrews, who starred as Captain Adam Greer on the cult television de-
Tige Andrews
Obituaries • 2007 Hammer!, and Murder, She Wrote. Andrews was married for 46 years to Norma Thornton, a dancer featured frequently on The Ed Sullivan Show, until her death in 1996.
ANGEL AZTECA Masked Mexican wrestler Angel Azteca, died of a heart attack after competing in a match in Campeche, Mexico, on March 18, 2007. He was 43. He began wrestling in the early 1980s and became known as Angel Azteca in 1988. He was a popular star in the early 1990s, wrestling with CMLL and AAA. He held the NWA Middleweight Championship and the Mexican Welterweight title and teamed with Atlantis and Volador to capture the Mexican Tag Team belts. He also teamed with Hijo de Santo and Super Muneco to hold the Mexican National Trios Title. He lost his mask in a match against Arkangel de la Muerte in 2003. He continued to work in the ring as a referee and competed on the independent circuit until his death.
10 all (1960), ...Und du, Mein Schatz, Bleibst Heir (1961), Im Schwarzen Rossl (1961), The Bandit and the Princess (1962), Das Ist die Liebe der Matrosen (1962), Ohne Krimi Geht die Mimi nie ins Bett (1962), Rote Lippen Soll Man Kussen (1963), Im Singenden Rossel am Konigssee (1963), Liebesgrusse aus Tirol (1964), Murder by Proxy (1964), Die Grosse Kur (1964), Ruf der Walder (1965), and Happyend in St. Gilgen (1966). By the mid–1960s Antel was primarily directing ribald sex comedies, many under the pseudonym Francois Legrand. He helmed The Sweet Sins of Sexy Susan (1967), The Lucky Strike (1967), Tower of Screaming Virgins (1968), Sexy Susan Sins Again (1968), House of Pleasure (1969), The Viking Who Became a Bigamist (1969), Wild, Willing & Sexy (1969), The Hostess Exceeds All Bounds (1970), Sexy Susan Knows How...! (1970), My Father, the Ape and I (1971), Cutting Loose at the Wolfgangsee (1972), Was Geschah auf Schloss Wildberg (1972), Naughty Nymphs (1972), The Countess Died of Laughter (1973), Das Wandern ist Herm Mullers Lust (1973), When Girls Trumpet for Manuevers (1974), Trinity Plus the Clown and a Guitar (1975), Naughty Roommates (1975), As of Tomorrow (1976), Casanova & Co. (1977), Love Hotel in Tyrol (1978), and Traumbus (1979). Antel earned international acclaim for his film adaptation of Ulrich Becher and Peter Preses’ anti–Fascist play Der Bockerer in 1981. Three sequels followed, Der Bockerer 2 (1996), Der Bockerer III — Die Brucke von Andau (2000), and Der Neue Bockerer — Prager Fruhling (2003). His later credits also include the film Johann Strauss: The King Without a Crown (1987), and the television productions Die Kaffeehaus-Clique (1990) and My Friend, the Lipizzaner (1993).
Azteca Angel
ANTEL, FRANZ Austrian film producer and director Franz Antel died in Vienna, Austria, on August 11, 2007. He was 94. Antel was born in Vienna on June 28, 1913. He began working in films as a producer in the mid–1930s, with such credits as Immortal Melodies (1936), Millinenerbschaft (1937), Narren im Schnee (1938), Das Ehesanatorium (1938), and Meine Tochter Lebt in Wien (1940). He became noted as a director and writer of film comedies and musicals after World War II. Antel helmed, and often scripted, such films as The Singing House (1948), Kleiner Schwindel am Wolfgangsee (1949), Der Alte Sunder (1951), Eva Inherits Paradise (1951), Hello Dienstmann (1952), Der Mann in der Wanne (1952), Ideal Woman Sought (1952), Ein Tolles Fruchtchen (1953), Der Obersteiger (1953), Heute Nacht Passiert’s (1953), The Emperor Waltz (1953), Die Sussesten Fruchte (1954), Rosen aus dem Suden (1954), Kaisermanover (1954), Loving Couples (1954), Ja, So Ist Das Mit der Liebe (1955), Spionage (1955), Homeland (1955), Congress Dances (1955), Symphonie in Gold (1956), Lumpazivagabundus (1956), Kaiserball (1956), Roter Mohn (1956), Heimweh ... Dort Wo die Blumen Bluh’n (1956), Das Gluck Liegt auf der Strasse (1957), Vier Madels aus der Wachau (1957), Solang’ die Stern Gluh’n (1958), Ooh ... Diese Ferien (1958), Liebe, Madchen und Soldaten (1958), Der Schatz vom Toplitzsee (1959), Glocken Lauten Uber-
Franz Antel
ANTONIONI, MICHELANGELO Italian film director Michelangelo Antonioni died at his home in Rome on July 30, 2007. He was 94. Antonioni was born in Ferrara, Italy, on September 29, 1912. He studied economics at the University of Bologna, where he also wrote and directed several plays. He moved to Rome in 1940, where he worked as a film critic and studied at the Institute of Experimental Filmmaking. He also scripted several films including The Return of the Pilot (1942) with Roberto Rossellini. He made his debut as a director with the 1943 documentary People of Po Valley about the lives of the local fishermen. Much of the footage was de-
11
2007 • Obituaries
stroyed during the German occupation. He continued to write film criticism and direct documentaries after World War II, with such credits as Roma Montevideo (1948), Oltre l’Oblio (1948), Nettezza Ubrana (1948), Superstition (1949), Seven Reeds One Suit (1949), Ragazze in Bianco (1949), Bomarzo (1949), and Lies of Love (1949). Antonioni began directing more ambitious features in the 1950s with The Funicular of Mount Faloria (1950), The Villa of Monsters (1950), Story of a Love Affair (1950), The Lady Without Camelias (1953), Youth and Perversion (1953), a segment of Love in the City (1953), The Girlfriends (1955), The Cry (1957) the first of several films starring actress Monica Vitti, and Sign of the Gladiator (1959). Antonioni next directed what is considered his masterpiece, L’Avventura (The Adventure) (1960), which further explored the themes of alienation present in many of his films. L’Avventura and his next two films, La Notte (The Night) (1961) starring Marcello Mastroianni, and L’Eclisse (The Eclipse) (1962) were meant by the director to form a trilogy. He examined a woman’s descent into madness in his first color film Red Desert (1964) starring Richard Harris and Monica Vitti, and helmed the “Il Provino” segment of Three Faces of a Woman in 1965. He made his next film for MGM in English, and scored his biggest commercial hit. Blow Up starred David Hemmings as a photographer whose pictures may contain evidence of a murder. Vanessa Redgrave also starred in the feature set in London in the Swinging 60s. Antonioni filmed his 1970 homage to the student protest movement, Zabriskie Point, in the United States, though it was largely a critical and commercial failure. His career recovered with 1975’s The Passenger, starring Jack Nicholson as a reporter who takes the identity of a gunrunner. He also directed The Mystery of Oberwald (1981) and Identification of a Woman (1982). He suffered a stroke in 1985 that left him partially paralyzed and unable to speak clearly. Largely inactive for nearly a decade, he was lured from retirement to direct the 1995 film Beyond the Clouds. German film director Wim Wenders assisted Antonioni in the filming because of his infirmities and was credited as co-director. He was also awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences at the 1995 Academy Awards ceremony. Antonioni’s final credits include the 2004 short film Michelangelo Eye to Eye and the 2004 trilogy Eros,
made with Steven Soderbergh and Wong Kar-wai. Antonioni was married to Letizia Balboni from 1942 to 1954, and to actress Enrica Fico from 1986 until his death.
Michelangelo Antonioni
Don Arden
ARDEN, DON Rock music entrepreneur Don Arden, who was noted for his often violent and heavyhanded management style which earned him the nickname the “Al Capone of Pop” and “The English Godfather,” died after a long illness in Los Angeles, California, on July 21, 2007. He was 81. He was born Harry Levy in Cheetham Hill, Manchester, England, on January 4, 1926, and left school at the age of 13 to pursue a career in entertainment. He changed his name to Don Arden in 1944, and set out as a stand-up comic and singer, entertaining the troops during World War II. After the war, he continued to perform on the vaudeville circuit until deciding there was more money to be made in promoting. In the late 1950s Arden began a career that spanned 60 years, promoting and managing some of the biggest names in pop music, including American Gene Vincent, the Animals, the Small Faces, ELO (Electric Light Orchestra), and legendary heavy metalist Ozzy Osbourne. Arden became known for his ill temper and brutal, often illegal, methods for dealing with any conflicts of interests included legal battles, threats, and physical violence. In 1963, Arden led the British beat band the Animals to the top of the charts with a #1 hit, “House of the Rising Sun,” though the partnership ended in dispute a short time later. He managed the Nashville Teens and the group made the Top Ten with the single “Tobacco Road” but the association quickly ended when monetary conflicts led to physical confrontation with the band’s pianist. Arden signed the mod band Small Faces in the mid–1960s and they achieved great success with their debut album Whatcha Gonna Do About It, though he admitted to manipulating the system by paying off chart fixers. A lengthy legal battle with the band ensued over money owed to the group, eventually ending in 1977. During this time Arden went on to manage the Electric Light Orchestra, which sold millions of albums internationally, and later followed the group’s band leader, Roy Wood, in the formation of Wizzard in the mid– 1970s. His son, David, ran his UK record company Jet and his daughter, Sharon, managed such acts as former
Obituaries • 2007 Black Sabbath frontman, Ozzy Osbourne during the 1980s. Sharon married Ozzy Osbourne in 1982 and an extensive dispute ensued when she took over management of her husband’s works, signing him with Epic Records. Arden once again made headlines in 1986 when he and son, David, were charged with the blackmail and false imprisonment of fellow music associate Harshad Patel. Arden fled to his Los Angeles home, though was eventually extradited and acquitted of all charges in 1987. His son was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment. The feud between Arden and Sharon continued in the public eye for more than 20 years, and the two finally reconciled in 2002. He was seen in a 2002 episode of Intimate Portrait with Sharon Osbourne and made an appearance on the reality show The Osbournes in 2003. His biography, entitled Mr. Big: Ozzy, Sharon and My Life as the Godfather of Rock, was published in 2004.
ARDOIN, BOIS SEC Alphonse “Bois Sec” Ardoin, a Louisiana Creole singer and accordion player, died in a Eunice, Louisiana, nursing home on May 16, 2007. He was 91. Ardoin was born in Duralde, Louisiana, on November 16, 1915. He learned to play the accordion as a child, and joined with fiddler Canray Fontenot as the Duralde Ramblers in the 1940s. Their zydeco style was popular at local dancehalls and on the radio, and they were featured at the Newport Folk Festival in 1966. They subsequently recorded their first album, Les Blues du Bayou, and continued to perform at various concerts and folk festivals until Fontenot’s death in 1995. Ardoin was joined by his sons, Morris, Lawrence, and Gustave, to form the Ardoin Family Orchestra in the 1970s, and he also toured and recorded with Cajun fiddler Dewey Balfa.
12 People (1962), La Murga (1963), Circe (1964), A Nation with Me (1967), Amor Libre (1969), Nino (1972), In the Driver’s Seat (1972), La Mary (1974), Las Procesadas (1975), Los Orilleros (1975), What’s Autumn? (1977), From the Abyss (1980), Las Barras Bravas (1985), and Las Lobas (1986). Argibay’s numerous television credits include such productions as Simplemente Maria (1969), El Hombre que Volvio de la Muerte (1969), El Monstruo no ha Muerto (1970), Alta Comedia: El Avaro (1971), El Tobogan (1971), El Regresso (1974), La Zarpa (1974), Andrea Celeste (1980), El Solitario (1980), Un Latido Distinto (1981), El Teatro de Irma Roy (1983), Amor Gitano (1983), and Coraje Mama (1985). Argibay largely retired from the screen because of poor health in the mid–1980s, though he made a final performance in the film Los Ratones in 1998.
Alberto Argibay
ARMSTRONG, ROGER Comic artist Roger Armstrong, who illustrated Bugs Bunny and The Flintstones during his long career, died of cardiac arrest in a Mission Viejo, California, hospital on June 7, 2007. He was 89. Armstrong was born in Los Angeles on October 12, 1917. He began drawing for a advertising agency while in his teens and was hired by Western Publishing in 1941. He was assigned to draw the new Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies Comics starring Bugs Bunny. He also assisted Clifford McBride on the Napoleon and Uncle Elby comic
Bois Sec Ardoin
ARGIBAY, ALBERTO Argentine actor Alberto Argibay died in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on September 10, 2007. He was 74. Argibay was born in Santa Cruz, Argentina, on October 25, 1932. He made his film debut in Mario Soffici’s 1958 feature Isla Brava. He remained a popular performer in films and on television over the next three decades. His other film credits include I Was Born in Buenos Aires (1959), La Patota (1960), Three Times Ana (1961), Alias Big Shot (1961), Los Inconstantes (1962), Mi Buenos Aires Querido (1962), The Young Old
Roger Armstrong
13 strip, and took over as artist after McBride’s death in 1950. He also illustrated comic strips featuring Bugs Bunny, Ella Cinders, Little Lulu, and Scamp. He continued to work for Western Publishing on such titles as Donald Duck, Woody Woodpecker, Porky Pig, The Flintstones, Scooby Doo, The Pink Panther, Super Goof, and The Beagle Boys. Most of these titles were published by Dell, and later Gold Key comics. Armstrong was also the author of the 1990 book How to Draw Comic Strips.
ARNALL, DICK British animator Dick Arnall died of pneumonia and complications from a brain tumor in London on February 6, 2007. He was 62. Arnall was born in Sunderland, England, on July 14, 1944. His early interest in animation led to him organizing several animated film festivals in the 1960s. He worked with George Dunning on the animated Beatles film Yellow Submarine in 1968. He continued to work in animation with Halas and Bachelor through the early 1970s, when he married Finnish animator Marjut Rimminen. After taking time off to raise their child, Arnall returned to film production as producer of his wife’s award-winning I’m Not a Feminist but... in 1986. He continued to produce such animated classics as Tim Webb’s A Is for Autism (1992), Ruth Lingford’s Death and the Mother (1997), and Robert Bradbrook’s Home Road Movies (2001). His other animated credits include Exten. 21 (2003), Flight (2005), Sweet Salt (2005), Rabbit (2005), Careful (2005), Anime TV (2005), Yours Truly (2006), Purple Grey (2006), Proximity (2006), and From Nose to Mouth (2006).
2007 • Obituaries Bade Dil Wala (1983), Today’s Voice (1984), Saaheb (1985), Balidaan (1985), Sandak Chhap (1987), Purani Haveli (1989), The Final Scream (1991), Geetanjali (1993), and Indian Babu (2003). He also appeared in such television productions as Ramayan (1986), Lakeerein (2001), and Talaash (2001). Arora had also worked as a cinematographer for the past decade, photographing such films as Aai (1995), The Reality (1999), Jungle (2000), Tera Mera Saath Rahen (2001), Tum Bin ... Love Will Find a Way (2001), Rakht (2004), Struggler (2005), It Was Raining That Night (2005), Vaah! Life Ho Toh Aisi! (2005), Naksha (2006), and Deha (2006).
Vijay Arora
ARTIS, TOM Comic artist Tom Artis died of complications from diabetes at his home in Springfield, Illinois, on May 1, 2007. He was 51. Artis was born on January 3, 1956. He worked for most of the major comic companies, illustrating Aliens vs. Predator for Dark Horse, She-Hulk for Marvel, and Green Arrow, The Spectre and Justice Society of America for DC. Artis also cocreated the DC mini-series Tailgunner Jo, with writer Peter Gillis.
Dick Arnall
ARORA, VIJAY Indian actor Vijay Arora, who was best known for starring in the 1973 hit film Yaadon Ki Baraat, died of complications from an intestinal ailment at his home in Mumbai, India, on February 2, 2007. He was 62. Arora was born in India on December 27, 1944. He attended the Film and Television Institute of India, graduating in 1971. He embarked on a successful career in film and television, appearing in over 100 features. His film credits include Samadhi (1972), My Brother (1972), Justice (1973), 36 Ghante (1974), Natak (1975), The Bandit (1975), The Heart and the Wall (1978), Sargam (1979), Gautam Govinda (1979), Sannata (1981), Yeh To Kamaal Ho Gaya (1982), Ek Din Bahu Ka (1983),
Tom Artis (his comic creation Tailgunner Jo)
Obituaries • 2007 ASENDORF, CHARLOTTE German actress Charlotte Asendorf died in Darmstadt, Germany, on July 21, 2007. She was 88. Asendorf was born in Bremen, Germany, in 1919. She was featured in the films Odipussi (1988), Pappa ante Portas (1991), and Hausmanner (1991). She also appeared the in 2005 tele-film Die Dieben & der General, and in episodes of such series as Polizeiruf 110 and Tatort.
14 the Clown on Toronto television before hosting his own children’s series, The Uncle Bobby Show, from 1964. Assisted by the Singing Policeman and Bimbo the Birthday Clown, Ash hosted several incarnations of the show over the next two decades.
Bobby Ash
Charlotte Asendorf
ASFARI, ROSY Bangladeshi actress Rosy Afsari died of kidney failure in a Birdem, Bangladesh, hospital on March 9, 2007. She was 60. She began her film career in 1964 in what was then East Pakistan. Afsari appeared in over 2000 films during her career including Eito Jibon, Sangam, Joarbhata, Etotuku Asha, Neel Akasher Nichey, Lathial, Bela Shesher Gaan, Oshikkhito, Protikar, Jibon, Theykeneya, Shurjo Grahan, Shurjo Shangram, and Titas Ekti Nadir Naam. She also produced and directed a number of films during her career.
ASHTON, AL HUNTER British actor Al Hunter Ashton was found dead of heart failure at his home in Guinions Road, High Wycombe, England, on April 27, 2007. He was 49. Ashton was born in Birmingham, West Midlands, England, on June 26, 1957. He was best known for his role as Pitbull in the ITV television drama London’s Burning and as Ray Grice in Crossroads. Ashton also appeared in the television mini-series The 10th Kingdom (2000) and King of Bandit Jing (2002), and guest starred in episodes of Urban Gothic, Murder in Mind, Doctors, and Wire in the Blood. He was also featured in several films including Gladiator (2000) with Russell Crowe, The Wedding Tackle (2000), From Hell (2001), and Mr. In-Between (2001). Ashton also began writing for television in the mid–1980s, scripting episodes of the soap-opera EastEnders. He also wrote the television productions The Firm (1990), Alive and Kicking (1991), Safe (1993), and White Goods (1994), and scripted the BBC series The Broker’s Man (1997).
Rosy Asfari
ASH, BOBBY Canadian children’s entertainer Bobby Ash, who was known to several generations of youngsters as Uncle Bobby, died of a heart attack in Elliot Lake, Ontario, Canada, on May 20, 2007. He was 82. Ash was born to a theatrical family in Staffordshire, England, in 1924. He worked as a circus clown in England before relocating to Canada. He starred as Kiddo
Al Hunter Ashton
15 ASMODI, HERBERT German playwright and screenwriter Herbert Asmodi died of a stroke in Munich, Germany, on March 3, 2007. He was 83. Asmodi was born in Heilbronn, Germany, on March 30, 1923. His play, Nachsaison, was adapted for German television several times in the 1960s. Asmodi also scripted the 1966 film adaptation of Young Torless, and was featured in the film as Torless’ father. He also wrote such television productions as Palace-Hotel (1969), Eine Unwurdige Existenz (1971), Die Frau in Weiss (1971), Der Rote Schal (1973), Du Land der Lieb (1974), Der Monddiamant (1974), Frag Nach bei Casanova (1975), Die Affare Lerouge (1976), Onkel Silas (1977), Lady Audleys Geheimnis (1978), Der Eiserne Gustav (1978), Treu und Redlichkeit (1979), Konsul Mollers Erben (1983), and Das Totenreich (1986).
2007 • Obituaries screen role was as Geoff Noble in “The Runaway Bride” episode of Doctor Who in 2006.
AUTRAN, PAULO Brazilian actor Paulo Autran died of complications from lung cancer in a Sao Paulo, Brazil, hospital on October 12, 2007. He was 85. Autran was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on September 7, 1922. He studied law and diplomacy before embarking on a stage career in the late 1940s. He appeared in numerous theatrical productions over the next fifty years, and was also seen frequently in films and television productions. Autran’s film credits include Apassionata (1952), Veneno (1952), Destiny in Trouble (1954), E Probido Beijar (1954), As Sete Evas (1962), Le Tout Pour le Tout (1963), Cronica da Cidade Amada (1964), Mar Corrente (1967), Earth in Trance (1967) as Porfirio Diaz, O Menino Arco-Iris (1983), Vertige (1985), O Pais dos Tenentes (1987), Fogo e Paixao (1988), Felicidade E... (195), Oriundi (1999), Tiradentes (1999), Artificios (2001), A Maquina (2005), The Year My Parents Went on Vacation (2006), and The Past (2007). He also starred in the television mini-series Hilda Furacao in 1998.
Herbert Asmodi
ATTFIELD, HOWARD British character actor Howard Attfield died in England on October 31, 2007. He was 60. Attfield appeared frequently on television from the 1980s in episodes of such series as Minder, The Optimist, Rumpole of the Bailey, The Darling Buds of May, One Foot in the Grave, Lexx, ChuckleVision, and Rosemary & Thyme. He also appeared in the 1980 television production of Cream in My Coffee (1980) and in the films Leon the Pig Farmer (1993), Ever After (1998), Lighthouse (2000), and Brothers of the Head (2005). His final on-
Howard Attfield
Pedro Autran
AWESOME, MIKE Mike Alfonso, who wrestled professionally under the name Mike Awesome, was found dead of an apparent suicide by hanging at his home in Tampa, Florida, on February 17. 2007. He was 42. Alfonso was born in Tampa on January 24, 1965. He attended Steve Keirn’s wrestling school in Florida and made his professional debut in February of 1989. In 1990, wrestling as the Gladiator, he teamed with Mr. Pogo to win the Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling (FMW) Tag Team Title. He continued to wrestle in Japan in the early 1990s, often teaming with Big Titan and Mr. Pogo. Awesome defeated Wing Kanemura for the Independent World Heavyweight Title in December of 1996. He entered the ECW in the fall of 1999, where he was managed by Judge Jeff Jones. He captured the ECW World Heavyweight Title in September of 1999 in a three-way match against Taz and Masato Tanaka. He lost the belt to Tanaka in December 1999, but regained the title in a rematch six days later. He also briefly held the ECW tag team belts with Raven in March of 2000. Awesome subsequently joined the WCW, dropping the ECW belt to Tazz in April 2000, before feuding with Hulk Hogan
Obituaries • 2007 and Diamond Dallas Page at WCW. Later in the year Awesome became “that 70’s guy,” hosting the “Lava Lamp Lounge” in WCW. With his Awesome Bomb finishing maneuver, he defeated such competitors as Jeff Jarrett, Vampiro and Bam Bam Bigelow. In March of 2001, Awesome’s contract was acquired by the WWE after the purchase of WCW. He debuted with the WWE in June of 2001, defeating Rhyno for the WWE Hardcore belt. He subsequently joined Paul Heyman’s ECW faction in the ECW/WCW invasion angle. A major injury in November of 2001 sidelined Awesome for several months. In the spring of 2002 he competed while rehabilitating from his injuries with the WWE affiliate Heartland Wrestling Association (HWA). Awesome returned briefly to compete with the WWE before he was released from his contract in September of 2002. He continued to compete on the independent circuit in the United States and Japan and made several appearances with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). Awesome made one of his final ring appearances at ECW One Night Stand in 2005, again facing Tanaka.
16 with lead guitarist and vocalist Paul Samson, singer Bruce Brice (later know as Bruce Dickinson), and drummer Thunderstick (Barry Graham) on the group’s early albums Survivors (1979), Head On (1980), Shock Tactics (1981), Before the Storm (1982), and Don’t Get Mad, Get Even (1984). He also appeared with the band in the 1980 short film Biceps of Steel. Aylmer left the band in 1985, though he continued to perform on occasion with members of the group. The band attempted a reunion tour in 1999 and played in several venues before Samson’s death from cancer in 2002.
BAAU HON LAM Hong Kong character actor Baau Hon Lam died in London, England, on July 12, 2007. He was 92. Baau portrayed elderly Chinese in such films as Lin Ya Zhen (1978), The Story of a Refugee (1980), Working Class (1985), Year of the Dragon (1985), Passion (1986), My Days Inside the Underworld (1989), God of Gamblers (1989), A Killer’s Blues (1990), The Ultimate Trickster (1991), God of Gamblers II (1991), Dances with the Dragon (1991), Gambling Respect (1991), Party of a Wealthy Family (1991), God of Gamblers’ Return (1994), and Tristar (1996). He was also featured in such television productions as Dynasty (1980), Fatherland (1980), Rise of Great Wall — Emperor Qin Shi Huang (1986), and The Fragile Heart (1996).
Mike Awesome
AYLMER, CHRIS British rock musician Chris Aylmer died in England after a long battle with throat cancer on January 9, 2007. He was 49. Aylmer began working with the band Samson as a soundman in 1977, but soon joined the group as their bassist. He performed
Chris Aylmer
Baau Hon Lam
BACKES, ALICE Character actress Alice Backes died in her sleep at her home in Virginia Beach, Virginia, on March 15, 2007. She was 83. Backes was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, on May 17, 1923. She served in the WAVES during World War II and went to Hollywood after the war to embark on an acting career. She appeared frequently on television from the 1950s, guest starring in episodes of such series as Gang Busters, Dragnet, Medic, Bachelor Father, M Squad, Lux Playhouse, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, Law of the Plainsman, The Rifleman, Startime, Goodyear Theatre, Hennesey, Thriller, Ben Casey, Leave It to Beaver, The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor, General Electric Theater, The Virginian, The Andy Griffith Show, My Favorite Martian, Wagon Train, Hazel, The Rogues, Burke’s Law, The Munsters, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Gunsmoke, The Donna Reed Show, The Farmer’s Daughter, Bewitched, The Big Valley, The Outsider, Dragnet, Lancer,
17 Mayberry R.F.D., Mannix, Ironside, Adam-12, Maude, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Baretta, Welcome Back, Kotter, Barnaby Jones, Barney Miller, The Greatest American Hero, Knight Rider, and Mr. Belvedere. She was also seen several films during her career including the sci-fi comedy The Twonky (1953), I Want to Live! (1958), It Started with a Kiss (1959), That Touch of Mink (1962), The Glory Guys (1965), Snowball Express (1972), The Man from Independence (1974), Gable and Lombard (1976) as Hedda Hopper, The Cat from Outer Space (1978), and Half a House (1979). Backes other television credits include the tele-films Snowball Express (1972), Columbo: Negative Reaction (1974), Winner Take All (1975), Fear on Trial (1975), Kate Bliss and the Ticker Tape Kid (1978), The Best Place to Be (1979), and Columbo: A Trace of Murder (1997).
2007 • Obituaries Sally Jessy Raphael after the hoax was discovered, where she condemned them for making a mockery of television talk shows.
BAITZEL, EDGAR Edgar Baitzel, the chief operating officer of the Los Angeles Opera, died of cancer in Los Angeles on March 11, 2007. He was 51. Baitzel was born in Koblenz, Germany, on May, 17, 1955, and later studied at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt. In 1978 he became assistant manager of the Bavarian State Opera in Munich until a promotion to head dramaturge in 1983. He oversaw productions of the complete works of Robert Wagner in 1983 and Richard Strauss in the following year. He was also assistant manager and artistic director at the Karlsruhe Opera in Germany, artistic director of the Bonn Opera and artistic consultant for the Opera de Nice in France. Baitzel was recruited to the Los Angeles Opera by Placido Domingo as director of operation in 2001. The following year, he became the artistic director and was appointed chief operating officer in 2006. During his six year career at the Los Angeles Opera he oversaw the creation of such productions as Puccini’s Turandot (2002), Deborah Drattell’s Nicholas and Alexandra (2003) and Elliot Goldenthal’s Grendel (2006).
Alice Backes
BAILEY, WES Wes Bailey, a Chicago actor who caused a scandal in television talk shows when he impersonated guests in 1988, died of lung cancer in Chicago on November 8, 2007. He was 52. Bailey performed frequently on the local stage, appearing for several years in Cannibal Cheerleaders on Crack at the Torso Theater. He and fellow performer Tani Freiwald posed as guests on Sally Jessy Raphael and Geraldo, with Freiwald pretending to be a sex therapist and Bailey was an impotent young married man on one and a rescued male virgin on the other. The two were later invited to return to
Wes Bailey
Edgar Baitzel
BAKER, ELLIOTT Elliott Baker, who was best known for writing the novel and screenplay for the Sean Connery film A Fine Madness, died of cancer in Los Angeles on February 9, 2007. He was 84. He was born Elliot Cohen in Buffalo, New York, on December 15, 1922. He began writing for television in the 1950s, scripting episodes of Robert Montgomery Presents, Look Up and Live, Armchair Theatre, The Kaiser Aluminum Hour, Way Out, Great Ghost Tales, and Zero Hour. He wrote his first novel, a dark comedy entitled A Fine Madness, in 1964. He adapted his novel for the film version two years later. He also adapted Murray Schisgal’s play Luv for the screen in 1967. Baker also scripted the films Viva Max! (1969) and Breakout (1975), and the tele-films The Entertainer (1976), Malibu (1983), Lace (1984), Lace II (1985) and To Be the Best (1992). Baker scripted several episodes of the television series Adderly. His other novels include The Penny Wars (1968), Pocock and Pitt (1971), Klynt’s Law (1976), And We Were Young (1979) and Unhealthful Air (1988).
Obituaries • 2007 BAKKER, TAMMY FAYE Tammy Faye Bakker Messner, the mascara encrusted televangelist who cohosted the PTL Club with her former husband, Jim Bakker, died of cancer on July 20, 2007. She was 65. She was born Tamara Faye LaValley in International Falls, Minnesota, on March 7, 1942. She “found God” during a service at an Assembly of God church at the age of ten according to her 1996 autobiography, Tammy: Telling It My Way. She met Bakker while attending bible college and married him in April of 1961. She and her new husband left school to become itinerant preachers in the South. Their services included a puppet show that brought them to the attention of Pat Robertson. He incorporated the Bakkers into his newly formed Christian Broadcasting Network in 1965. They created a popular children’s television show for the network and Jim soon became host of the first Christian talk show The 700 Club. The Bakkers broke with Robertson in 1972 and helped form the rival Trinity Broadcasting Network in 1973. Jim and Tammy Faye began co-hosting the PTL Club (PTL standing for “Praise the Lord,” or by critics as “Pass the Loot”) in 1975. By the end of the decade, they were raking in millions upon millions from the faithful around the world. Tammy Faye became a cultural icon, noted for her lavish use of make-up and on screen dramatics that often ended in tears. The Bakker empire was brought down in 1977, initially with allegations that Jim Bakker had a sexual encounter with his former secretary, Jessica Hahn, earlier in the decade. He resigned as leader of the PTL ministry with Jerry Falwell taking the reigns. Later that year, Tammy Faye was treated for prescription drug dependency, and her husband was indicted on federal charges of fraud and conspiracy regarding the ministries finances. Jim was convicted on all counts in 1989 and served four and one half years in prison. Tammy Faye divorced him mid-way through his prison term and married former PTL contractor Roe Messner in 1993. Her second husband also ended up in jail, serving more than two years for federal bankruptcy fraud later in the decade. Tammy Faye appeared frequently on television despite the scandals. She made cameo appearances in episodes of Roseanne and The Drew Carey Show and guest appearances on The Roseanne Show, The Sharon Osbourne Show, Hollywood Squares, The Anna Nicole Show and Larry King Live. She co-hosted a short lived talk
18 show The Jim J. and Tammy Faye Show in 1996 with comedian Jim J. Bullock, and was one of the fading celebrities to star in the WB reality show The Surreal Life in 2003. Her support for gay civil rights made her a popular figure in the homosexual community. She was the subject of a sympathetic documentary film, The Eyes of Tammy Faye in 2000, and her on-going fight with cancer was recorded in the 2005 documentary film, Tammy Faye: Death Defying.
BALDI, FERDINANDO Italian film director and screenwriter Ferdinando Baldi, who was noted for his spaghetti westerns in the 1960s, died in Italy on November 12, 2007. He was 90. Baldi was born in Cava dei Tireeni, Salerno, Italy, on May 19, 1917. He began making films in Italy in the early 1950s with Il Prezzo dell’Onore (1952), Assi Alla Ribalta (1954), Ricordami (1955), Amarti e il Mio Destino (1957), and Due Selvaggi a Corte (1959). Baldi was co-director for the 1960 film David and Goliath starring Orson Welles, and also directed Welles in the 1961 film The Tartars. Baldi continued to direct, and often script, such films as The Tyrant of Castile (1964), Son of Cleopatra (1964), Goodbye Texas (1966), Sex Service (1966), Suicide Mission to Singapore (1966), In the Shadow of the Eagles (1966), Rita of the West (1967), Massacre in the Black Forest (1967), Django, Prepare a Coffin (1968), Hate Thy Neighbor (1968), Gunman of Ave Maria (1969), The Corsairs (1971), Blindman (1971), The Sicilian Connection (1972), Long Lasting Days (1973), Carambola (1974), Geometra Primetti Selvaggiamente Osvaldo (1976), Get Mean (1976), Nine Guests for a Crime (1977), L’Inquilina del Piano di Sopra (1978), Terror Express (1979), La Compagna di Viaggio (1980), the 3-D film Comin’ at Ya! (1981), Treasure of the Four Crowns (1983), Warbus (1985), Ten Zan — Ultimate Mission (1988), and Just a Damned Soldier (1988).
Ferdinando Baldi
Tammy Faye Bakker
BALINT, STEPHAN Hungarian avant garde theatrical figure Stephan Balint died in Budapest, Hungary, on October 11, 2007. He was 64. Balint was born in Budapest on July 11, 1943. He began his career on stage in Budapest in the 1970s, where his stage productions brought the displeasure of the communist regime. He and his theatrical troupe were forced to leave Hungary and settled in New York City, where they formed the
19 Squat Theater in 1977. Balint would frequently write, direct and star in many of the company’s plays, which included Andy Warhol’s Last Love, Mr. Dead and Mrs. Free and Pig, Child, Fire! He also wrote and appeared in Robert Frank’s 1989 film Hunter, and played Hungarian physicist Eugen Wigner in the 1989 tele-film about the construction of the atomic bomb, Day One. He also appeared in the 1990 film The Golden Boat. Balint returned to Hungary after the collapse of the communist government in 1991, where he continued his theatrical endeavors.
2007 • Obituaries 1975. Her second novel, Imaginary Crime, was released in 1982 and was a semi-autobiographical account of her childhood. It was adapted into a 1994 film, starring Harvey Keitel and Fairuza Balk. She also published as short story collection, Life on Earth, in 1988.
Sheila Ballantyne
Stephan Balint
BALL, FRED Fred Ball, the younger brother of comedienne Lucille Ball, died at his home in Cottonwood, Arizona, on February 5, 2007. He was 91. Ball was born in Jamestown, New York, on July 17, 1915. He often accompanied his brother-in-law Desi Arnaz’s band while they toured in the 1940s and 1950s. He also worked at Lucy and Desi’s Desilu Productions in Hollywood.
BALLIETT, WHITNEY Jazz critic Whitney Balliett died of cancer at his home in Manhattan, New York, on February 1, 2007. He was 80. Balliett was born in Manhattan on April 17, 1926. He served in the U.S. Army in the late 1940s and joined The New Yorker in 1951. He worked in various editorial jobs until gaining his own column on jazz in 1957. Bringing a strong literary style to his columns, Balliett often incorporated interviews and biographical profiles of the musicians he covered. He remained with The New Yorker until 2001, and many of his essays were collected in a series of seventeen books.
Whitney Balliett Fred Ball (with sister Lucille Ball)
BALLANTYNE, SHEILA
Novelist Sheila Ballantyne died of a degenerative neurological disease at her home in Berkeley, California, on May 2, 2007. She was 70. She was born Sheila Caroline Weibert in Seattle, Washington, on July 26, 1936, and later wrote her books under her mother’s maiden name, Ballantyne. Her first novel, Norma Jean, the Termite Queen, was released in
BALMUTH, BERNARD Television editor Bernard Balmuth died on December 6, 2007. He was 89. Balmuth was born in Youngstown, Ohio, on May 19, 1918. He worked as an editor for such television series as I Dream of Jeannie, The Monkees, The Partridge Family, The Waltons, Taxi, and Palmerstown, U.S.A., which earned him an Emmy nomination in 1981. He also edited the tele-films The Last Hurrah (1977), Dal-
Obituaries • 2007 las Cowboys Cheerleaders II (1980), Kenny Rogers as The Gambler: The Adventure Continues (1983), and Flight 90: Disaster on the Potomac (1984).
20 William Barber in Hornell, New York, on May 21, 1920, and began playing the tuba while in high school. He studied at Juilliard before joining the Army during World War II, where he performed with the Army band. After the war, he moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and played with the Kansas City Philharmonic. He moved to New York in the late 1940s and joined Claude Thornhill’s big band. He recorded arrangements with Miles Davis and Gil Evans throughout the 1950s, producing several albums which include Birth of the Cool, Miles Ahead, Sketches of Spain and Porg y and Bess. He also performed on John Coltrane’s big-band album, Africa/Brass. He later earned a master’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music and became a high school music teacher. He remained active, performing with the Goldman Band and releasing a new rendition of Birth of the Cool with the band in 1992.
Bernard Balmuth (with his wife)
BAMPTON, ROSE Opera singer Rose Bampton, who performed as both a mezzo-soprano and soprano, died in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, on August 21, 2007. She was 99. Bampton was born in Lakewood, Ohio, on November 28, 1907. She made her operatic debut as Siebel in Gounod’s Faust with the Chautauqua Opera in 1929. She performed as a mezzo-soprano with the Philadelphia Grand Opera, and debuted with the Met as Laura in La Gioconda in 1932. She continued to perform as a mezzo-soprano with the Met until 1937, when she sang the soprano role of Leonora in Verdi’s Trovatore. She performed the role of Leonore in a radio broadcast of Beethoven’s Fidelio with the NBC Symphony Orchestra led by Arturo Toscanini in 1944. She also starred in productions of Mozart’s Don Giovanni as Donna Anna, Wagner’s Die Walkure as Sieglinde, and Verdi’s Aida before her retirement in 1950. Bampton was married to Met conductor Wilfrid Pelletier from 1937 until his death in 1982.
Bill Barber
BARCELONA, DANNY Jazz drummer Danny Barcelona, who earned international fame as a member of the band Louis Armstrong and His All Stars, died of cancer in San Gabriel, California, on April 1, 2007. He was 77. Barcelona was born in Hawaii on August 23, 1929. He formed the Hawaiian Dixieland All Stars in the early 1950s, and joined Louis Armstrong’s All Stars in 1958. They had such hits as “Hello, Dolly!” and “What a Wonderful World.” Barcelona was also seen on
Rose Bampton
BARBER, BILL Bill Barber, who was a pioneer tuba jazz player, died of heart failure in Bronxville, New York, on June 18, 2007. He was 87. He was born John
Danny Barcelona (right, on drums, with Louis Armstrong)
21 film, appearing as himself in 1959’s Die Nacht vor der Premiere and 1960’s Jazz on a Summer’s Day. He was also seem with the All Stars in the film When the Boys Meet the Girls in 1965. The group disbanded after the death of Armstrong in 1971.
BARDA, ART Motorcycle racer Art Barda died of prostate cancer on January 23, 2007. He was 70. Barda was born in Chicago, Illinois, on December 5, 1936. He began racing motorcycles in the late 1950s. He also worked in films as a stunt rider in the 1978 feature Deathsport, the semi-sequel to the Death Race 2000. He retired from racing in the 1970s, though he continued to remain active in the industry.
Art Barda
BARDOTTI, SERGIO Italian composer Sergio Bardotti died in Rome, Italy, on April 11, 2007. He was 68. Bardotti was born in Pavia, Italy, on February 14, 1939. He composed the song “Spiral Waltz,” which was heard in the 1965 science fiction film The Tenth Victim. He also composed scores for such films as Summertime Killer (1972), The Big Showdow (1972), and Os Saltimbancos Trapalhoes (1981).
2007 • Obituaries 2007. She was 80. Barnes was born in Newman, Georgia, on July 24, 1927, and studied journalism at the University of Georgia. In 1976 she published Murder in Coweta County, which told the story of a wealthy white landowner who was sentenced to death on the testimony of two black field hands after he killed a sharecropper. The book won the Edgar Allan Poe Award and was adapted into a tele-film in 1983, which starred Johnny Cash and Andy Griffith. She published The Tragedy and the Triumph of Phenix City, Alabama in 1998, which examined the 120-year reign of crime in Alabama’s Russell County. Barnes’ memoir, A Buzzard Is My Best Friend, was published in 1981.
Margaret Barnes
BARR, SANDY Professional wrestler and promoter Sandy Barr died of a heart attack in Portland, Oregon, on June 2, 2007. He was 69. Barr was born on January 21, 1938. He began wrestling professionally in 1957, competing primarily in the Pacific Northwest region. During the 1960s Barr worked frequently as referee and began promoting wrestling matches in the Oregon area with Don Owen. His older son, Jesse Barr, had a successful career as a wrestler, often teaming with Terry and Dory Funk under the name Jimmy Jack Funk. Barr’s younger son, Art Barr, became a leading wrestler in Portland and Mexico under the names Beetlejuice and the American Love Machine before his death in 1994. Sandy
Sergio Bardotti
BARNES, MARGARET ANNE Award-winning author Margaret Anne Barnes, whose books recounted landmark events in Southern history, died of emphysema at an Atlanta, Georgia, hospital on October 11,
Sandy Barr
Obituaries • 2007 Barr also trained the wrestlers Matt Borne, Velvet McIntyre, and Princess Victoria. He later operated a popular flea market in Portland, where he was working at the time of his death.
BARTER, SYLVIA British character actress Sylvia Barter died at Denville Hall, the British actors’ retirement home in Northwood, London, in March of 2007. She was 94. Barter was born in England on April 13, 1912. She studied to be a singer at the Royal College of Music, but abandoned her career for marriage and a family. She returned to the stage in the early 1960s, performing at repertory theatres throughout England. She also appeared frequently on television, starring as Daisy Penfold in the series Crossroads in 1964. She was also featured in episodes of Softly Softly, Play for Today, Helen: A Woman of Today, When the Boat Comes In, ITV Playhouse, Secret Army, Jemima Shore Investigates, Ladies in Charge, Casualty, KYTV, Forever Green, Love Hurts, and Lovejoy. Barter also appeared in television productions of Separate Tables (1983), Blott on the Landscape (1985), Absolute Hell (1991), and Emma (1996). She was also featured in several films during her career including Where Angels Fear to Tread (1991), The Countess Alice (1992), and Shadowlands (1993).
22 She was 49. She was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on May 16, 1958. Trained as a ballet dancer, she began her acting career in the early 1970s, appearing in several episodes of the television series Emergency! She was featured in a small role in the 1974 horror film The House of Seven Corpses, and was Karen Campbell in the daytime soap opera Another World in 1978. Bartram was best known for her final film, appearing as camp counselor Brenda, who was gruesomely slain by the psychotic killer in Friday the 13th (1980).
BASTABLE, TONY British television personality Tony Bastable died of pneumonia in a Redhill, Surrey, England, hospital on May 29, 2007. He was 62. Bastable was born in Hexham, Northumberland, England, on October 14, 1944. He began working in television in the early 1960s as a children’s program host for Southern Television. He soon moved to ATV, and ended up at Thames Television in 1968. He became host of the popular children’s program Magpie, and served as the series’ producer from 1972. He also served as host of the consumer affairs series Money-Go-Round, the paranormal investigative series Mind Over Matter, and the programs Drive-In and Database. He also was featured frequently as a panelist on various radio shows. He also narrated documentaries for the Profiles of Nature series and was the author of several children’s books and biographies.
Sylvia Barter
BARTRAM, LAURIE
Actress Laurie Bartram died of cancer in Lynchburg, Virginia, on May 25, 2007.
Laurie Bartram
Tony Bastable
BATCHELDER, WARREN Animator Warren Batchelder, who worked on numerous Warner Bros. and Pink Panther cartoons, died in Malibu, California, on February 12, 2007. He was 89. Batchelder was born in Los Angeles on April 18, 1917. He began working in films in 1936 and became an animator at Warner in 1958. He worked on several Foghorn Leghorn and Bugs Bunny cartoons before moving to De Patie Freleng in the early 1960s. He was animator for the title sequence for the 1963 film The Pink Panther and served as animator for the many subsequent cartoons featuring the character. Batchelder also animated segments of Linus! The Lion Hearted, The Road Runner Show, The Ant and the Aardvark, Here Comes the Grump, Doctor Dolittle, The Houndcats, The Barkleys, Super President, The Oddball Couple, Bagg y Pants and Nitwits, What’s New, Mr. Magoo? and The Sylvester and Tweety Show. He served as an anima-
23 tion director at Marvel Productions in the early 1980s, where he worked on the series Dungeons & Dragons, Transformers and G.I. Joe. Batchelder also worked on such animated television productions as The HooberBloob Highway (1975), Bug Bunny’s Easter Special (1977), A Pink Christmas (1978), Bugs Bunny’s Looney Christmas Tales (1979), Pink Panther and the Olym-pinks (1980), Daffy Duck’s Easter Show (1980), Pontoffel Pock, Where Are You? (1980), and The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat (1982). He was also involved in the theatrical compilation features The Looney, Looney, Looney Bugs Bunny Movie (1981), Bugs Bunny’s 3rd Movie: 1001 Rabbit Tales (1982), and Daffy Duck’s Movie: Fantastic Island (1983). He was also sequence director for the 1985 video release Big Foot and the Muscle Machines.
2007 • Obituaries of such series as The Range Rider, Gunsmoke, My Friend Flicka, The Lone Ranger, The Restless Gun, Wagon Train, Perry Mason, Buckskin, Tales of Wells Fargo, Have Gun Will Travel, Cimarron City, One Step Beyond, Sky King, Rawhide, Bonanza, Tales of Wells Fargo, Riverboat, Zane Grey Theater, The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, Bourbon Street Beat, 77 Sunset Strip, Laramie, Outlaws, The Twilight Zone, Mannix, The Saint, Mayberry, R.F.D., Family Affair, Marcus Welby, M.D., Cannon, The Chisholms, Barnaby Jones, The Rockford Files, Charlie’s Angels, Wonder Woman, Wings, Hard Time on Planet Earth, Sister, Sister, and That ’70s Show.
Jeanne Bates Warren Batchelder (right, with animator Virgil Ross)
BATES, JEANNE Actress Jeanne Bates died at the Motion Picture Hospital in Woodland Hills, California, on November 28, 2007. She was 89. Bates was born in Berkeley, California, on May 21, 1918. She began her career in radio, performing in soap operas and the mystery series Whodunit. She also performed on stage before signing a contract with Columbia Pictures in 1942. She made her film debut the following year, appearing in such features as The Chance of a Lifetime (1943), The Phantom (1943), The Return of the Vampire (1944), The Racket Man (1944), Hey Rookie (1944), Sundown Valley (1944), The Black Parachute (1944), She’s a Soldier Too (1944), Shadows in the Night (1944), Soul of a Monster (1944), Sergeant Mike (1944), Tonight and Every Night (1945), The Mask of Diijon (1946), Trouble In-Laws (1951), Death of a Salesman (1951), Paula (1952), Sabaka (1954), Back from the Dead (1957), Trooper Hook (1957), Guns Don’t Argue (1957), Blood Arrow (1958), Vice Raid (1959), The Strangler (1964), Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came? (1970), Gus (1976), David Lynch’s Eraserhead (1977), Die Hard 2 (1990), Silent Night, Deadly Night 4: Initiation (1990), Mom (1990), Grand Canyon (1991), Wild Orchid II: Two Shades of Blue (1992), Dream Lover (1994), and Lynch’s Mulholland Dr. (2001). Bates was featured as Nurse Wills in the television medical drama Ben Casey in the early 1960s. She also appeared in the tele-films The Stranger (1973), Getting Married (1978), and From the Dead of Night (1989). Her numerous television credits also include guest roles in episodes
BATISTE, ALVIN Clarinetist Alvin Batiste, who toured with Ray Charles, recorded music with Branford Marsalis, and was a leading musical instructor, died of a heart attack in New Orleans on May 6, 2007. He was 74. Batiste was born in New Orleans on November 7, 1932. He went on to become a dedicated teacher at the Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he created his own jazz institute. He also taught jazz at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, educating such students as Branford Marsalis, Henry Butler, Kent Jordan, Donald Harrison, Michael Ward, Charlie Singleton and Woodie Douglas. He wrote music for and toured with such artists as Billy Cobham, Cannonball Adderley and Ray Charles. Batiste recorded with the group Clarinet Summit in the 1980s, producing such
Alvin Batiste
Obituaries • 2007 albums as Bayou Magic (1988), Late (1993) and Songs, Words and Messages, Connections (1999). Early in 2000 Marsalis performed and recorded the album Marsalis Music Honors Alvin Batiste. Batiste became considered one of the founders of New Orleans’ modern jazz scene, remaining an active performer until the day of his passing.
BAXTER, CHARLIE Charles Morrison Baxter, who was best known as Florida’s horror movie host M.T. Graves in the late 1950s and early 1960s, died in a Tennessee nursing home on October 3, 2007. He was 82. Baxter was born on March 29, 1925. He began working in radio after World War II in the Detroit and Chicago areas. He moved to Florida in the 1950s where he became a popular radio and television personality. He was host of the children’s show The Fun Club before creating the ghoulish M.T. Graves for station WCKT in 1957. Graves was host of The Dungeon and hosted the weekly Saturday afternoon horror film program. He carried on through the early 1960s, later adding a football helmet to his costume and billing himself as M.T. Space. Later in the 1960s, he briefly hosted Captain Kid’s Secret Island before retiring from television.
24 on June 15, 2007. He was 73. He was born Arlington Billie Beatty in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, on February 11, 1934, and taught himself how to play guitar as a teenager. Known for his flashy and flamboyant suits and matching shoes, he played with such groups as the Divine Travelers and the Victory Stars, often inciting his audience into a spiritual frenzy. He joined with the Queens of Faith and performed with them for over 40 years. Beatty was a honored member of the Coalition of Black Gospel Artist and the Washington Metropolitan Quartet Association.
BEEK, RICHARD German actor Richard Beek died in Munich, Germany, on August 17, 2007. He was 83. Beek was born in Ulm, Germany, on February 17, 1924. He was best known for his work on stage, performing with the Munich Kammerspiele from 1955 to 2001. Beek also appeared in such films as Knife in the Back (1975), A Lost Life (1976), Der Morder (1979), Stern Ohne Himmel (1980), Peaceful Days (1984), Cascadeur (1998), Requiem for a Romantic Woman (1999), Gigantics (1999), Ants in the Pants (2000), Strange Date with Herself (2000), and About the Looking for and the Finding of Love (2005). He was also featured frequently on television from the 1970s, appearing in such productions as Pizza-Express (1988), Florian (1990), Mit den Clowns Kamen die Tranen (1990), Der Tod kam als Freund (1991), Tasilo — Ein Fall fur Sich (1991), Konig Lear (1992), Doktor Knock (1996), Calculated Risk (1997), Cymbelin (2000), Ein Unmoglicher Mann (2001), and Der Kaufmann von Venedig (2004). His other television credits include episodes of Tatort, Forsthaus Falkenau, Polizeiruf 110, Der Bergdoktor, and Bella Block.
Charlie Baxter (as horror host M.T. Graves)
BEATTY, BILLIE Gospel guitarist Billie Beatty, who spent more than four decades jamming for Jesus, died of a heart attack at a hospital in Washington, D.C.,
Richard Beek
Billie Beatty
BEGARY, MARYSE French trapeze artist Maryse Begary died in Evansville, Illinois, on October 25, 2007. She was 81. Begary was born in Paris in 1926 and began performing in the circus at an early age. By the late 1940s she had become one of the leading aerialists in Europe, performing in routines high above the ring with her husband, Franz. She made her U.S. debut with the Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey Circus in 1958. She performed with most other major American circuses over the next several decades, preferring to work her act without a net. Begary was Gina Lollobrigida’s stunt double
25 in the 1956 film Trapeze, with Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis. In 1958 she performed Rita Hayworth’s aerial sequences for the film Circus World, with John Wayne. She was also featured in an episode of The Ed Sullivan Show in 1962. She retired from performing in the mid–1980s.
Maryse Begary
BEGOLLI, FARUK Kosovo Albanian actor and director Faruk Begolli died of cancer in Pristina, Serbia, on August 23, 2007. He was 63. Begolli was born in Pec, Serbia (then Yugoslavia) on January 24, 1944. He studied at the Academy of Drama in Belgrade and appeared in numerous films and theatrical productions from the 1960s. Begolli’s film credits include Looking into the Eyes of the Sun (1966), The Dream (1966), The Morning (1967), Wolf of the Mountain (1968), Operacija Beograd (1968), Noon (1968), Brat Doktora Homera (1968), My Part of the World (1969), The Battle of the River Neretva (1969), Dear Irena (1970), Last Rampage (1970), Sam (1973), Biografija Jozefa Sulca (1973), The Dervish and Death (1974), Crveni Udar (1974), Pavle Pavlovic (1975), The Peaks of Zelengore (1976), Meduza Sejana (1976), Beach Guard in Winter (1976), Destines (1978), Arrive Before Daybreak (1978), Battle of the Eagles (1979), 13. Jul (1982), Timocka Buna (1983), Dih (1983), Opasni Trag (1984), Azra (1988), Kuca Pored Pruge (1988), The Cartier Operation (1991), The Love in Damned Mountain (1997), Metropolet (2005), and Kosova: Desperate Search (2006). Begolli was a professor at Pristina University in Kosovo
Faruk Begolli
2007 • Obituaries from the late 1980s and was director of the local Dodona theatre.
BEHM, MARC Novelist and screenwriter Marc Behm died in France on July 12, 2007. He was 82. Behm was born in Trenton, New Jersey, on January 12, 1925. He served in the military in Europe during World War II and remained there after his discharge. After an unsuccessful attempt at a career in acting, Behm turned to writing. He and Peter Stone co-authored the 1961 story “The Unsuspecting Wife,” which was adapted for a popular 1963 film, Charade, starring Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn. He also began writing for film, scripting the 1961 German feature The Return of Dr. Mabuse and the ill-fated The Party’s Over in 1965. Behm was best known for writing the Beatles’ second film appearance, the fantasy comedy Help, in 1965. His other film credits include the films Trunk to Cairo (1966), The Twelve Chairs (1969) directed by Mel Brooks, Someone Behind the Door (1971), The Mad Bomber (1973), Piaf (1974), Lady Chatterley’s Lover (1981) starring Sylvia Kirstel, Nana (1982), and Hospital Massacre (aka X-Ray) (1982). Behm was also noted for his novels, which included Queen of the Night (1977), The Ice Maiden (1982), and Afraid to Death (1990). His 1980 novel, The Eye of the Beholder was adapted for the French film Deadly Circuit in 1983 and for a British rendition under its original title in 1999. He also wrote the 1999 tele-film Past Imperfect, and several other novels that were only published in France.
Marc Behm
BEHR, EDWARD British foreign correspondent and writer Edward Behr died in Paris, France, on May 27, 2007. He was 81. Behr was born in Paris on May 7, 1926. He covered conflicts around the globe for such publications as Newsweek during his lengthy career as a foreign correspondent. He authored several books of his experiences, including The Algerian Problem (1961), Anyone Here Been Raped and Speaks English? (1981), The Last Emperor (1987), Hirohito: Behind the Myth (1989), Kiss the Hand You Cannot Bite: The Rise and Fall of the Ceausescus (1991), and The Artful Eater (1992). Behr was featured in a cameo role in the 1975 film Rosebud. His novel Half Moon Street was adapted for film in 1986, and his 1996 book Prohibition: Thirteen Years That Changed America was adapted for a television documentary in
Obituaries • 2007 1997. Behr’s other works include the thriller Getting Even (1981), The Complete Book of Les Miserables (1990), and The Story of Miss Saigon.
Edward Behr
BEJART, MAURICE French choreographer Maurice Bejart died of heart and kidney problems in a Lausanne, France, hospital on November 22, 2007. He was 80. He was born Maurice Jean Berger in Marseille, France, on January 1, 1927. He began dancing in Marseille in the early 1950s and founded the Ballet de l’Etoile in 1954. He achieved acclaim for his choreography for Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring with Belgium’s Monnaie Theater in 1959. He formed the Ballet of the 20th Century in Brussels the following year. He left Brussels after a clash with the theater management, and formed the Bejart Ballet Lausanne in Switzerland in 1987. He choreographed dances for such works as Ravel’s Bolero, Beethoven’s Ode to Joy, and Berlioz’s Romeo and Juliet. His choreography was showcased in several films including Bhakti (1969), Je t’Aime, tu Danses (1977), Bolero (1981), Babilee ’91 (1992), Ballet for Life (1997), The Nutcracker (2000), and Etoiles: Dancers of the Paris Opera Ballet (2001). He also choreographed such television productions as Salome (1973), Les Plaisirs de l’Ile Enchantee (1981), Six Personnages en Quete d’un Chanteur (1981), A Force de Patir, je Suis Reste Chez Moi (1990), and Schnelle Fusse, Rascher Mut (1993).
26 BELL, CAREY Carey Bell, an acclaimed Chicago blues harmonica player, died of heart failure in Chicago, Illinois, on May 6, 2007. He was 70. He was born Carey Bell Harrington in Macon, Mississippi, on November 14, 1936, and began playing the harmonica by the age of eight. He moved to Chicago with his godfather, pianist Lovie Lee, in September of 1956 and was soon performing professionally. Bell studied under such artists as Little Walter, Hound Dog Taylor, Sonny Boy Williamson II, and Big Walter Horton. Delmark released Carey Bell’s Blues Harp in 1961 and the following year he began playing with Muddy Waters, performing with his band on the 1971 album London Sessions. He worked with Willie Dixon’s Chicago Blues All-Stars throughout the 1970s. He performed with Big Walter, releasing Big Walter Horton with Carey Bell in 1972 and can be heard on such albums as Last Night (1973) and Heartache and Pain (1977). Bell was featured on the 1978 Grammy nominated album Living Chicago Blues and recorded the albums Goin’ on Main Street (1983) and Harpslinger (1988). He teamed with Junior Well, James Cotton and Billy Branch to release Harp Attack in 1990, which became one of Alligator Record’s best selling albums. His other credit during this time include Dynasty! (1990), Mellow Down Easy (1991), Harpmaster (1994), Carey Bell & Spike Ravenswood (1995), Deep Down (1995) and Good Luck Man (1997). In 2004, he and his son, blue guitarist and vocalist Lurrie Bell, recorded the album Second Nature. Bell was awarded the Blues Music Award for Traditional Male Artist of the Year in 1998. He worked with a band consisting of Lurrie Bell’s guitarist Scott Cable, Kenny Smith, Bob Stroger and Joe Thomas to produce his final work, Gettin Up: Live at Buddy Guy’s Legends Rosa’s, in 2007.
Carey Bell
Maurice Bejart
BELL, RICHARD Canadian musician and songwriter Richard Bell died of cancer in a Toronto hospital on June 15, 2006. He was 61. Bell was born in Toronto on March 5, 1946. He began playing the piano at an early age and played with Ronnie Hawkins’ band, the Hawks, in the 1960s. He joined Janis Joplin’s Full Tilt Boogie Band in 1970, and was featured on Joplin’s album Pearl that was released after her death. Bell also worked as a studio musician, performing with such artists as Bob Dylan, Joe Walsh, Bonnie Raitt, and Judy
27 Collins. He subsequently joined The Band in the 1990s and played keyboard on the albums Jericho, High on the Hog, and Jubilation. He played with the Pork Bellies Futures, a jazz and blues band from Toronto, in recent years.
Richard Bell
BELLO, NAIR Brazilian actress Nair Bello died of complications from a series of heart attacks in a Sao Paulo, Brazil, hospital on April 17, 2007. She was 75. Bello was born in Sao Paulo on April 27, 1931. She began her career on radio in 1949, and made her film debut in Liana, the Sinner in 1951. She was also seen in the films Simon the One-Eyed (1952), Os Apavorados (1962), To na Tua, O Bicho (1971), Heart and Guts (1982), and Fogo e Paixao (1988). Bello also performed on stage but was best known for her roles in television series. She was Cininha in the A Viagem series in 1994, and appeared as Santinha in the comedy series Zorra Tota in 1999. She was also seen in the television productions Sossega Leao (1976), Joao Brasileiro, O Bom Baiano (1978), Olhai os Lirios do Campo (1980), Dona Santa (1981), Casa de Irene (1982), Maca do Amor (1983), Perigosas Peruas (1992), O Mapa da Mina (1993), Voce Decide (1994), Malhacao (1995), Vira Lata (1996), Sai de Baixo (1997), Era Uma Vez... (1998), Torre de Babel (1998), Uga (2000), Brava Gente (2001), O Quinto dos Infernos (2002), and A Grande Familia (2004). Bello also starred as Dolores in the series Kubanacan from 2003 to 2004, and was Leona
2007 • Obituaries Lake in Bang in 2006 until suffering a heart attack in November of that year.
BELTRAN, NELLY Argentine comic actress Nelly Beltran died in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on December 2, 2007. She was 82. Beltran was born in Argentina on August 29, 1925. She was a popular star in films from the mid–1950s, with such credits as Para Vestir Santos (1955), Rosaura at 10 O’Clock (1958), El Rufian (1960), Dos Tipos Con Suerte (1960), El Televisor (1962), Propiedad (1962), Pelota de Cuero (1963), Pajarito Gomez (1964), Conjugal Pleasures (1964), Canuto Canete, Detective Privado (1965), Vivir es Formidable (1966), La Gorda (1966), La Buena Vida (1966), Villa Carino (1967), Coche Cama Alojamiento (1968), Destino Para Dos (1968), La Vida Continua (1969), La Sonrisa de Mama (1972), El Picnic de los Campanelli (1972), Autocine mon Amour (1972), Crimen en el Hotel Alojamiento (1974), A World of Love (1975), Don Carmelo il Capo (1976), El Profesor Erotico (1976), El Divoricio esta de Moda — de Comun Acuerdo (1978), You Tambien Tengo Fiaca (1978), Abierto dia y Noche (1981), La Magia de Los Parchis (1982), La Gran Aventura de Los Parchis (1982), Los Fierecillos Indomables (1982), Los Fierecillos se Divierten (1983), Los Colimbas se Divierten (1986), Rambito y Rambon Primera Mision (1986), Los Colimbas al Ataque (1987), and There Are No Men Left (1991). She was also featured in television productions of El Vendedor de Ilusiones (1971), Manana Puedo Morir (1979), Un Beso muy Peligroso (1982), Coraje Mama (1985), La Banda del Golden Rocket (1991), and The Angels Don’t Cry (1996). She was married to actor Maurice Jouvet until his death in 1999. Survivors include their children, actor Maurice Jouvet and actress Monica Jouvet.
Nelly Beltran
Nair Bello
BELTRAN, PEDRO Spanish actor Pedro Beltran died of a heart attack in Madrid, Spain, on March 9, 2007. He was 79. Beltran was born in Cartaqgena, Spain, on April 20, 1927. He was a popular film actor in Spain from the early 1950s, appearing in such features as Under the Sky of Spain (1953), Encuentro en la Ciudad (1956), The Rocket from Calabuch (1956), The Tenant (1957), Miracles of Thursday (1957), Messengers of Peace (1957), Aquellos Tiempos del Cuple (1958), El Hincha (1958), 15 Bajo la Lona (1959), Dias de Feria (1960), La
Obituaries • 2007 Estatua (1961), The Daughters of Helena (1963), Not on Your Life (1969), Vamos por la Parejita (1969), Life Size (1974), What’s a Girl Like You Doing in a Place Like This? (1978), Yo que Se (1980), National Heritage (1981), The Heifer (1985), Voyage to Nowhere (1986), Scent of a Crime (1988), Long Life Together (1994), Pintadas (1996), Casting (1998), and Desalmados (2005). He also appeared in television productions of Juan Soldado (1973), El Picaro (1974), Cervantes (1980), and La Huella del Crimen: El Crimen de la Calle Fuencarral (1984). Beltran also wrote several films including Strange Voyage (1964), The Moment of Truth (1965), The Wise Monkey (1977), and Mambru Went to War (1986).
Pedro Beltran
BENES, SVATOPLUK Czech actor Svatopluk Benes died in Prague, the Czech Republic, on April 27, 2007. He was 89. Benes was born in Raudnitz, AustriaHungary (now Roudnice, Czech Republic) on February 24, 1918. A leading performer on the Czech stage, film, and television, he began his film career in the 1930s. Benes was featured in such films as Studentska Mama (1935), History of Philosophy (1937), Karel Hynek Macha (1938), Zborov (1938), Fiery Summer (1939), Povod’s Rubensem (1940), Cekanky (1940), Pacientka Dr. Hegla (1940), Minulost Jany Kosinove (1940), Nocturnal Butterfly (1941), Pereje (1941), From the Czech Mills (1941), The Guest House (1942), Nevideli Jste Bobika? (1944), Spring Song (1944), The Magic of the River (1946), A Kiss from
Svatopluk Benes
28 the Stadium (1948), Mikolas Ales (1952), Youthful Years (1953), The Secret of Blood (1953), Ezpres z Norimberka (1954), Komedianti (1951), The Unconquered (1956), Nezlob Kristino (1956), Dedecek Automobil (1957), Posiusne Hlasim (1958), Alibi na Vode (1965), Slecny Prijdou Pozdeji (1966), I Killed Einstein, Gentlemen (1970), Slecna Golem (1972), Drahe Tety a Ja (1974), The Quiet American in Prague (1977), Tomorrow I’ll Wake Up and Scald Myself with Tea (1977), Maiden’s War (1977), Postaveni Mimo Hru (1979), Concert at the End of Summer (1979), Jak Napalit Advokata (1980), Ma Laska s Jakubem (1982), The Wanderings of Jan Amos (1983), Clovek Proti Zkaze (1989), Kacenka a Zase ta Strasidla (1992), Kacenka a Strasidla (1992), and Zelary (2003). Benes also appeared on Czech television in productions of Byl Jednou Jeden Dum (1974), Nemocnice na Kraji Mesta (1977), Arabela (1979), Les Affinites Electives (1982), Bambinot (1984), and Where Stars Fall (1996).
BENNETT, BRUCE Olympic athlete Herman Brix, who had a long career as a Hollywood star under the name Bruce Bennett, died of complications from a broken hip in a Los Angeles hospital on February 24, 2007. He was 100. He was born Harold Herman Brix in Tacoma, Washington, on May 19, 1906. A leading athlete in high school, he attended the University of Washington in Seattle where he played football and participated in track and field events. He earned the silver medal for the shot put at the Olympics in 1928. The following year he moved to Los Angeles where his friendship with actor Douglas Fairbanks led to a screen test at Paramount. He made his film debut in a small role as a football player in the 1931 film Touchdown. Brix broke his shoulder while making the film, which cost him a spot in the 1932 Olympics as well as the chance to play Tarzan in the 1932 MGM film Tarzan the Ape Man, a role that made a star of Johnny Weismuller. Brix continued to appear in small roles in such films as Million Dollar Legs (1932), Madison Square Garden (1932), College Humor (1933), Meet the Baron (1933), You Can’t Buy Everything (1934), Riptide (1934), Death on the Diamond (1934), and Student Tour (1934). He eventually got the opportunity to portray Edgar Rice Burrough’s jungle hero in the 1935 film The New Adventures of Tarzan (aka Tarzan and the Lost Goddess). Brix was chosen by Burroughs himself to play Tarzan in the independent film, and many considered his dignified and articulate portrayal to be more in keeping with the vision of the jungle lord found in the original novels. He continued his career in Hollywood, largely in action roles in films and serials. His credits include Shadow of Chinatown (1936), Silks and Saddles (1936), Blake of Scotland Yard (1937), A Million to One (1937), Flying Fists (1937), Sky Racket (1937), Million Dollar Racket (1937), Two Minutes to Play (1937), Danger Patrol (1937), Amateur Crook (1937), The Lone Ranger (1938), Land of Fighting Men (1938), Fighting Devil Dogs (1938), Hawk of the Wilderness (1938), and Daredevils of the Red Circle (1939). Brix realized that Hollywood’s identification with him in the role of Tarzan was limiting his acting career, and decided to change his professional name to Bruce Bennett in 1939. He continued acting under the name Bennett for the remainder of
29 his long career, with such film credits as Blondie Brings Up Baby (1939), Five Little Peppers and How They Grew (1939), My Son Is Guilty (1939), Invisible Stripes (1939), Cafe Hostess (1940), His Bridal Fright (1940), Convicted Woman (1940), Five Little Peppers at Home (1940), The Heckler (1940), Blazing Six Shooters (1940), The Man with Nine Lives (1940), The Man from Tumbleweeds (1940), The Lone Wolf Meets the Lady (1940), Escape to Glory (1940), Island of Doomed Men (1940), Boobs in the Woods (1940), Babies for Sale (1940), The Taming of the Snood (1940), Girls of the Road (1940), How High Is Up? (1940), The Secret Seven (1940), Before I Hang (1940), The Spook Speaks (1940), Glamour for Sale (1940), So You Won’t Talk (1940), No Census, No Feeling (1940), West of Abilene (1940), A Bundle of Bliss (1940), The Lone Wolf Keeps a Date (1941), So Long Mr. Chumps (1941), The Phantom Submarine (1941), Dutiful but Dumb (1941), Two Latins from Manhattan (1941), The Officer and the Lady (1941), Three Girls About Town (1941), Honolulu Lu (1941), Tramp, Tramp, Tramp (1942), Submarine Raider (1942), Atlantic Convoy (1942), Sabotage Squad (1942), Underground Agent (1942), The More the Merrier (1943), Murder in Times Square (1943), Frontier Fury (1943), Sahara (1943), There’s Something About a Soldier (1943), U-Boat Prisoner (1944), I’m from Arkansas (1944), Mildred Pierce (1945) as Joan Crawford’s first husband, Bert Pierce, Danger Signal (1945), Beer Barrel Polecats (1946), A Stolen Life (1946), The Man I Love (1947), Nora Prentiss (1947), Cheyenne (1947), and Dark Passage (1947). Bennett was featured as James Cody, a gold prospector whose offer to assist Humphrey Bogart’s Fred C. Dobbs and his two partners for a share of their mine, led to his death by bandits in John Huston’s 1948 classic film The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. He continued to appear in such films as To the Victor (1948), Silver River (1948), Smart Girls Don’t Talk (1948), The Younger Brothers (1949) as Jim Younger, Task Force (1949), The House Across the Street (1949), The Doctor and the Girl (1949), Without Honor (1949), Undertow (1949), Mystery Street (1950), Shakedown (1950), The Second Face (1950), The Great Missouri Raid (1951) as Cole Younger, The Last Outpost (1951), Angels in the Outfield (1951), Sudden Fear (1952), Dream Wife (1953), Dragonfly Squadron (1954), The Big Tip Off (1955), Strategic Air Command (1955), Robbers’ Roost (1955), Hidden Guns (1956), The Bottom of the Bottle (1956), The Three Outlaws (1956), Daniel Boone, Trail Blazer (1956) as Daniel Boone, Love Me Tender (1956) with Elvis Presley, Three Violent People (1957), and Flaming Frontier (1958). Bennett was featured in the cult science fiction films The Alligator People and The Cosmic Man in 1959, and scripted and starred in the 1961 feature Fiend of Dope Island. He was also seen in the films The Outsider (1961), Lassie: Well of Love (1970), Deadhead Miles (1972), and The Clones (1973). Bennett also appeared frequently on television from the 1950s, gueststarring in episodes of such series as Letter to Loretta, The Ford Television Theatre, Stories of the Century, Lux Video Theatre, Cavalcade of America, Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, Damon Runyon Theater, The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse, Crossroads, Science Fiction Theatre, West Point, Playhouse 90, Tales of Wells Fargo, Panic!, The Texan, 77 Sunset Strip, Laramie, The Case of the Dangerous Robin, Kraft Suspense
2007 • Obituaries Theatre, Perry Mason, Branded, The Virginian, and O’Hara, U.S. Treasury. He retired from acting in the early 1970s to work in the food service industry in Los Angeles, becoming sales manager for the West Coast. He subsequently had a successful real estate career before retiring in the mid–1980s. Bennett cooperated in Mike Chapman’s 2001 biography Please Don’t Call Me Tarzan: The Life Story of Herman Brix/Bruce Bennett.
Bruce Bennett
BENNETT, EARL Hanna-Barbera animation editor Earl Bennett, who appeared with Spike Jones and His City Slickers as comedian Sir Frederick Gas, died in Woodland Hills, California, on October 4, 2007. He was 87. Bennett was born in Kansas City, Kansas, on November 5, 1919. He began his career on stage, appearing in the Ken Murray revue Blackouts. He also appeared in several films including The Egg and I (1947), Sarge Goes to College (1947), and Champagne for Two (1947) before joining Spike Jones’ ensemble as Sir Frederick Gas. Bennett’s ability to belch and create a comedic Yiddish accent made him a featured player with Jones’ group. He was frequently heard on the popular Jones Radio broadcasts in the late 1940s, and stared in The Spike Jones Show on television in the early 1950s. He also appeared with the band in the 1954 film Fireman Save My Child. His Yiddish accent was used to good effect on several of their popular tunes, including comic renditions of “Ghost Riders in the Sky” and “Tennessee Waltz.” He left
Earl Bennett (as Sir Frederick Gas)
Obituaries • 2007 Jones’ group in 1954 and joined the UPA editing staff as a commercial voice-over artist. He also worked as a sound effects specialist on several Mister Magoo cartoons. He began working with Hanna-Barbera in the 1960s as an editor for such animated productions as Frankenstein Jr. and the Impossibles, Fantastic Four, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, Help! ... It’s the Hair Bear Bunch!, C.B. Bears, The Cattanooga Cats, Speed Bugg y, Where’s Huddles?, and Scooby’s Laff-A-Lympics.
BENOIT, CHRIS Chris Benoit, a leading professional wrestler with the WWE, committed suicide by hanging himself from a cable of a weight machine in his home in Fayetteville, Georgia, on June 24, 2007. He was 40. Benoit’s body was found the following day along with those of his wife, Nancy, and seven-year-old son Daniel. Nancy, who had been a wrestling valet under the name Woman in WCW, had been strangled and Daniel had been suffocated by Benoit over the weekend before he took his own life. Benoit was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, on May 21, 1967. He was trained by Stu Hart and made his ring debut in December of 1985 with Calgary Stampede Wrestling. He teamed with Keith Hart to hold the Stampede International Tag Team Title in May of 1986. He went to Japan to wrestle the following year, where he became a popular star. He recaptured the Calgary Stampede International tag belts in 1988 and 1989, teaming with Lance Idol and Biff Wellington. Benoit was injured in an automobile accident in Canada in July of 1989. After recovering from a knee injury he wrestled as the Pegasus Kid in Japan and Mexico, holding several championship titles. He wrestled in ECW in 1994, where he often teamed with Dean Malenko. He entered the WCW in September of 1995. Benoit joined with Ric Flair, Arn Anderson and Brian Pillman as the new Four Horsemen in 1995. He engaged in a lengthy feud with Kevin Sullivan that resulted in Sullivan’s wife, Woman, siding with Benoit. The in-ring storyline soon became reality as Nancy left Sullivan and moved in with Benoit. The couple married in 2000. In 1998 Benoit competed in a series of bouts against Booker T., and was instrumental in the reformation of the Four Horsemen in 1998 with Dean Malenko joining the group. He and Malenko often teamed, capturing the WCW tag team belts from Barry Windham and Curt Hennig in March of 1999. Benoit held tag and singles championship several more times and defeated Sid Vicious for the vacant WCW Heavyweight Title on January 16, 2000. He was stripped of the belt the following day and left the WCW for the WWE soon afterwards. Fellow defectors Perry Saturn, Dean Malenko and Eddie Guerrero entered the WWE as the Radicalz. Benoit became known as “the Rabid Wolverine” and won numerous matches utilizing his dangerous submission hold, the Crippler Crossface. Benoit defeated Kurt Angle and Chris Jericho in a three-way match for the WWE Intercontinental Title in April of 2000. He held the belt several more times over the next year before he was sidelined for nearly a year after undergoing neck surgery in June of 2001. He returned to the ring in May of 2002, where he partnered with Eddie Guerrero. Benoit defeated Rob Van Dam for the WWE Intercontinental
30 Title in July of 2002, and soon joined with Kurt Angle for another tag team championship. He won the 2004 Royal Rumble and defeated Triple H at WrestleMania XX in March of 2004 to become the WWE Heavyweight Champion. He won several rematches with Triple H before losing the title to Randy Orton in August of 2004. Over the next several years Benoit feuded with such stars as Eddie Guerrero, Edge, JBL, and Booker T. Benoit was scheduled to compete in an ECW championship match against C.M. Punk the weekend of his death.
Chris Benoit
BENOIT, NANCY “WOMAN” Nancy Benoit, the wife of wrestler Chris Benoit who had worked as a wrestling valet in the WCW under the name Woman, was strangled to death by her husband on June 22, 2007, before he also killed their seven-year-old son Daniel and himself. She was 43. She was born Nancy Toffoloni on May 21, 1964, and was briefly married to Jim Daus before becoming involved in wrestling. She began her career in wrestling as a model for the magazine Wrestling All Stars. She also appeared as Para in some of the “Apartment Wrestling” features before meeting wrestler Kevin Sullivan. Sullivan introduced her to the ring as his valet, Fallen Angel, and the two were later married in 1985. Nancy joined the NWA (later WCW) as Robin Green, a fan of Rick Steiner, who eventually turned on him and cost the Steiner Brothers a match. She reemerged as Woman, the manager of the masked tag
Nancy “Woman” Benoit
31 team on Ron Simmons and Butch Reed known as Doom. After leaving the WCW she briefly managed the Sandman in ECW in 1994. She returned to the WCW in late 1995, often accompanying Ric Flair to the ring. Sullivan, who was working as a writer and booker for the WCW, orchestrated a storyline that involved Nancy leaving him for Benoit. The storyline soon took on a life of its own, when she left Sullivan for Benoit in reality. She made her last appearance with the WCW in May of 1997 and divorced Sullivan soon afterwards. She gave birth to son Daniel Christopher Benoit on February 23, 2000, and she and Chris Benoit married the following November. She later filed for divorce in 2003, but subsequently dropped the suit.
BERG, JOHN Character actor John Berg was found dead at his home in Van Nuys, California, of an apparent suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning on December 16, 2007. He was 58. Berg was born in Wichita Falls, Texas, on April 5, 1949. He was best known for his roles on television, appearing in episode of Law & Order, The Guardian, The Practice, The Handler, The Division, Summerland, The Bold and the Beautiful, House, Kitchen Confidential, Boston Legal, Navy NCIS, Brothers & Sisters, and Monk. He also appeared in the 2007 tele-film Supreme Courtships. Berg was featured in several films during his career including Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) as a Senator, Hold the Rice (2004), and The Hope Chest (2007).
2007 • Obituaries Hitchcock Hour, The Addams Family, My Favorite Martian, Man from U.N.C.L.E., Burke’s Law, Hogan’s Heroes, Get Smart, T.H.E. Cat, Amos Burke, Secret Agent, Jericho, Mission: Impossible, Pistols ’n’ Petticoats, Mr. Terrific, Wild Wild West, Mannix, Run for Your Life, Death Valley Days, Star Trek as Abraham Lincoln in the 1969 episode “The Savage Curtain,” It Takes a Thief, The Young Lawyers, Emergency!, Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law, Maude, Wonder Woman, All in the Family, Soap, WKRP in Cincinnati, The Love Boat, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, and Murder, She Wrote. Bergere appeared as George in the short-lived comedy series Hot L Baltimore in 1975, and was Joseph Arlington Aynders in the prime-time soap opera Dynasty from 1981 to 1983. He also appeared as Justin Nash in the series Falcon Crest in 1989. He was also seen in the tele-films and mini-series Sullivan’s Empire (1967), Incident at Vichy (1973), Evening in Byzantium (1978), North and South (1985) as Nicholas Fabray, and Dream West (1986). Bergere was featured in several films during his career including Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969) and Time Trackers (1989).
Lee Bergere (as Abraham Lincoln in Star Trek)
John Berg
BERGERE, LEE Veteran character actor Lee Bergere died in a nursing facility in Fremont, New Hampshire, on January 31, 2007. He was 88. Bergere was born in Brooklyn, New York, on April 10, 1918. He served in the military in North Africa during World War II, where he was in charge of entertaining the soldiers. He began his career on stage after the war, appearing in Broadway productions of Lady in the Dark (1943), Mrs. McThing (1952), and the 1972 revival of Man of La Mancha. He was a familiar face on television from the 1950s, appearing in episodes of Studio One, Robert Montgomery Presents, Aloca Theatre, The Alaskans, One Step Beyond, Wanted: Dead or Alive, The Law and Mr. Jones, The New Breed, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Bonanza, Wagon Train, Perry Mason, McHale’s Navy, The Munsters, The Alfred
BERGMAN, INGMAR Legendary Swedish film director Ingmar Bergman died at his Faro Island home off the coast of Sweden on July 30, 2007. He was 89. Bergman was born in Uppsala, Sweden, on July 14, 1918. His father was a Lutheran clergyman and he was raised in a strict and severe environment. He broke with his family in the late 1930s, leaving Stockholm University before graduation to work in amateur theatre. He soon became involved in films, and was hired as an assistant scriptwriter by the Swedish Film Industry in 1942. His original screenplay for Torment was filmed by director Alf Sjoberg in 1944, with Bergman also serving as assistant director. The film received the Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Bergman made his directorial debut in 1946, directing Crisis and Man with an Umbrella. He also began a long association with the Royal Dramatic Theater in Stockholm and other theaters as a stage director in the mid–1940s. He became a popular filmmaker in Sweden with such credits as A Ship Bound for India (1947), Night Is My Future (1948), Port of Call (1948), The Devil’s Wanton (1949), Thirst (1949), To Joy (1950), High Tension (1950), Illicit Interlude (1951), Secrets of Women (1952), Monika, the Story of a Bad Girl (1953),
Obituaries • 2007 The Naked Night (1953), A Lesson in Love (1954), and Dreams (1955). He earned international acclaim for his 1955 romantic comedy Smiles of a Summer Night. His next work was the classic allegory The Seventh Seal (1959), starring Max von Sydow as a crusader on a search for God in plague-infested Europe. The film included a memorable scene of Von Sydow’s knight playing chess with the shrouded figure of Death. He closed out the decade with several more memorable films including Wild Strawberries (1957), which earned him an Academy Award nomination for best screenplay, Brink of Life (1958), and The Magician (1958). He also directed several productions for Swedish television including Mr. Sleeman Is Coming (1957), The Venetian (1958), Rabies (1958), and The Storm (1960). His 1960 film The Virgin Spring, a tale of rape and vengeance in Medieval times, and Through a Glass Darkly (1961), the story of a mentally ill woman who believes that she was visited by God, each won the Oscar for Best Foreign Film, with the latter gaining Bergman another nomination for best screenplay. He also directed and scripted the films The Devil’s Eye (1960), Winter Light (1962), The Silence (1963), All These Women (1964), Persona (1966), and the “Daniel” segment of Stimulantia (1967). Bergman worked frequently with the same group of actors and his films made international stars of many of them. His repertory company included Max von Sydow, Liv Ullman, Gunnar Bjornstrand, Erland Josephson, Ingrid Thulin, Harriett Andersson, and Bibi Andersson. He also utilized the services of acclaimed cinematographer Sven Nykvist on a regular basis. His reputation as an auteur continued with such films as Hour of the Wolf (1968), Shame (1968), The Passion of Anna (1969), and The Touch (1971). He was the recipient of the Irving Thalberg Memorial Award at the Academy Award presentations in 1971. His 1972 film Cries and Whispers, the story of three sisters, earned Oscar nominations for best picture, director, and original screenplay. Scenes from a Marriage starring Liv Ullman followed in 1973. His later films include Face to Face (1976) which garnered him another Academy Award nomination for best director, The Serpent’s Egg (1977), Autumn Sonata (1978). which starred his unrelated namesake actress Ingrid Bergman and earned him another Oscar nomination for best screenplay, and From the Life of the Marionettes (1980). His final theatrical film, Fanny and Alexander, was released in 1982 and earned him nominations for best director and screenplay. The film received four Academy Awards, including that for Best Foreign Film. Bergman also frequently directed productions for Swedish television including A Dream Play (1963), Don Juan (1965), The Rite (1969), Faro Document (1970), The Misanthrope (1974), the 1975 adaptation of Mozart’s opera The Magic Flute, Faro Document 1979 (1979), Hustrukolan (1983), Karin’s Face (1984), After the Rehearsal (1984), De Tva Saliga (1986), Markisinnan de Sade (1992), Back Anterna (1993), The Last Gasp (1995), In the Presence of a Clown (1997), and Bila Makarma (2000). His final director’s credit was 2003’s Saraband starring Liv Ullman and Erland Josephson, revisiting the characters from his film Scenes from a Marriage thirty years later. Bergman also continued to direct plays on a regular basis for Sweden’s Royal Dramatic
32 Theater, and directed several productions at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. He was the author of three novels including The Best Intentions, about his parents, which was adapted as a film by director Bille August in 1991. His son Daniel directed a 1992 television adaptation of his second novel Sunday’s Children, and his frequent leading lady Liv Ullman, directed an adaptation of the third, Private Confessions, in 1996. He also wrote a 1987 memoir of his life, The Magic Lantern. Bergman had spent much of his time at his home on Faro Island off the Baltic coast of Sweden since the 1960s. He left Sweden for Germany for nearly a decade after accusations of tax evasion in 1976. He was later absolved of the charges and returned to Sweden. Bergman was married to dancer and choreographer Else Fisher from 1943 to 1945, and to choreographer and director Ellen Lundstrom from 1945 to 1950. He was married to journalist Gun Grut from 1951 to 1959, and to concert pianist Kabi Laretei from 1959 until 1969. He was married to Ingrid von Rosen from 1971 until her death in 1995. A son, theatrical director Jan Bergman, predeceased him in 2000. His survivors include at least eight children, including actress Lena Bergman, director Eva Bergman, actress Anna Bergman, actor Mats Bergman, airline captain Ingmar Bergman, Jr., director Daniel Bergman, and author Maria von Rosen. He also had a daughter, novelist Linn Ullman, from his lengthy relationship with Liv Ullman. Considered the world’s greatest living filmmaker by Time magazine in 2005, he had a great influence on other directors including Woody Allen and Robert Altman.
Ingmar Bergman
BERTOLA, CLODY Romanian actress Clody Bertola died in Romania on December 27, 2007. She was 94. Bertola was born in Bucharest, Romania, on August 12, 1913. She was a leading stage actor who made frequent appearances with the Bulandra Theatre, the Comedy Theatre, and the National Theatre of Bucharest. She was noted for her roles in productions of Saint Joan, The Three-Penny Opera, Elisabeth 1, The Sea-Gull, and A Streetcar Named Desire. She was also featured in several films during her career including Ciulinii Baranganului (1958), Facerea Lumii (1971), Felix si Otilia (1972), Ciprian Porumbescu (1972), and The Prophet, the Gold, and the Transylvanians (1978). (See photograph on page 33.)
33
2007 • Obituaries novel Thieves’ Market, Sirocco (1951), On Dangerous Ground (1952), Holiday for Sinners (1952), Beneath the 12Mile Reef (1953), Track of the Cat (1954), A Bullet for Joey (1955), Kiss Me Deadly (1955) based on Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer novel, The Angry Hills (1959), and The Jayhawkers! (1959). Bezzerides also wrote for television from the 1950s, scripting episodes of The 20th Century– Fox Hour, Screen Directors Playhouse, and The O. Henry Playhouse. He also wrote for such western series as Bonanza and The Virginian, and co-created of the 1965 series The Big Valley. Bezzerides was married to screenwriter Silvia Richards until her death in 1999.
Clody Bertola
BERTRAND, MARCHELINE Actress and model Marcheline Bertrand, who was the mother of actress Angelina Jolie, died of cancer in a Los Angeles hospital on January 27, 2007. She was 56. Bertrand was born in Chicago, Illinois, on May 9, 1950. She married actor Jon Voight in 1971, and the couple had two children, Jolie and her older brother, James Haven. Bertrand and Voight separated in 1976 and divorced two years later, and she raised both of the children. Bertrand studied acting under Lee Strasberg, and was featured in an episode of Ironside on television in 1971. She later appeared in small roles in the films Lookin’ to Get Out (1982) and The Man Who Loved Women (1983).
Marcheline Bertrand (with former husband Jon Voight)
BEZZERIDES, A.I. Screenwriter A.I. “Buzz” Bezzerides, who penned such film noir classics as Kiss Me Deadly and On Dangerous Ground, died in Los Angeles after a brief illness on January 1, 2007. He was 98. Albert Isaac Bezzerides was born in Samsun, Turkey, on August 9, 1908, and came to the United States with his parents as a child. He began writing stories while attending the University of California at Berkeley. He adapted his 1938 novel Long Haul for Warner Bros in 1940, which became the film They Drive by Night starring Humphrey Bogart and George Raft. He continued to write novels and films during the 1940s and 1950s, with such credits as Juke Girl (1942), Action in the North Atlantic (1943), Desert Fury (1947), Thieves’ Highway (1949) based on his
A.I. Bezzerides
BHASKARAN, P. Indian film director P. Bhaskaran died of a heart attack in Thiruvananthapuram, India, on February 25, 2007. He was 82. Bhaskaran was born in Cranganur, India, on April 21, 1924. He began his career working at All India Radio in the 1940s. He first worked in films as a lyricist, writing songs for S.S. Vasan’s 1949 film Apoorvasahodararkal. He made his directorial debut several years later with 1954’s Neelakkuyil (aka The Blue Cuckoo), also appearing in the film. He continued to direct over 50 Malayalam language films during his career including Citizen Rarichan (1956), Tiger by the Tail (1958), Laila Majnu (1962), Lucky Horoscope (1962), Ammaye Kaanaan (1963), First Rays of the Sun (1964), Shyamalachechi (1965), The Soul of Darkness (1966), The Test (1967), Futile Search (1967), A Wife Devoted to Her Husband (1968), The Millionaire (1968), Wild Monkey (1968), The Criminal (1968), Capital (1969), Chellamma the Thief (1969), The Unopened Door (1970), Woman (1970), The Battlefield (1970), Black Sparrow (1970), Dove in the Temple (1970), Vithukal (1971), The Purchased Veena (1971), Ummachu (1971), Grandmother (1971), Moonupukkal (1971), Open the Eye of Love (1972), Owner of Six Measures of Land (1972), Dawn (1973), Dawn Once Again (1973), Rakkuyil (1973), Nephew Chandu of Thachali (1974), One Handful of Rice (1974), Half Thief ThreeQuarter Thief (1974), The Second Seetha (1975), Resting Spot (1975), Vazhi Vilakku (1976), The Holy Bhagwat Geeta (1976), Grandfather (1976), World Teacher Sankaran (1977), The Lamp and the Light (1978), Enikku Visakkunu (1983), Lord Krishna (1984), The Ballad of Guruvayoor (1984), Nattarangu (1987), Soaring About (1989), and New Horizons (1989). Bhaskaran was fea-
Obituaries • 2007 tured in the 1979 film Ezhamkadalinakkare, which he also wrote songs for. He continued his career as a lyricist through the 1990s, penning songs for such films as Ariyappedatha Rahasyam (1981), Rugma (1983), Sunil Vayassu 20 (1986), Vilambaram (1987), Loose Arappiri Loose (1986), Kadathanadan Ambadi (1990), and Rektha Sakshikal Zindabad (1998).
34 name Crusher Yircov in 1985, holding the Southern Heavyweight Title and the World Class Television Title over the next year. He soon became known as Bam Bam Bigelow, the Beast from the East, and wrestled in the WWE, USWA and New Japan. He returned to the WWE in the early 1990s, where he was managed by Ted DiBiase and accompanied to the ring by Luna Vachon. He lost a bout to football star Lawrence Taylor at WrestleMania XI in April of 1995. Bigelow subsequently became a fan favorite, and feuded against members of DiBiase’s stable. Bigelow wrestled in the ECW in the late 1990s, briefly holding the ECW Television Title. He entered the WCW in November of 1998, where he briefly feuded with Goldberg. He competed in the WCW’s Hardcore Division before joining with Diamond Dallas Page and Kanyon as the Triad. The trio briefly held the WCW Tag Tame Title on several occasions. Bigelow subsequently turned on Page and engaged in a feud with his former partner. He was sidelined from wrestling in the summer of 2000 after suffering burns while rescuing children from a forest fire. He recovered to resume his wrestling career, competing in independent promotions until retiring in 2004.
P. Bhaskaran
BIERLICH, STINE Danish actress Stine Bierlich died in Denmark on February 20, 2007. She was 40. Bierlich was born in Denmark on February 14, 1967. She began her film career as a child in the late 1970s in such features as Children of Agony (1977) and The Heritage (1977). She was also featured in the films Ofelia Kommer til Byen (1985), Ballerup Boulevard (1986), Jorden er Giftig (1988), Lykken er en Underlig Fisk (1989), and Letter to Jonas (1992). Bierlich also starred as Rita in the 1987 television series Once a Cop....
Bam Bam Bigelow
BIG MOE Rap singer Big Moe, who was known for his unique lyrical blend of rap and song called rapsinging, died from complications of a heart attack on October 14, 2007. He was 33. He was born Kenneth
Stine Bierlich
BIGELOW, BAM BAM Professional wrestler Bam Bam Bigelow was found dead at his home in Hudson, Florida, on January 20, 2007. He had reportedly been suffering from diabetes and infections. He was 45. He was born Scott Bigelow in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, on September 1, 1961. The imposing 6'2", 400 pound Bigelow was noted for his agility and size, and tattoos of flames lacing his bald scalp. He began wrestling under the
Big Moe
35 Moore in a poverty stricken section of Houston, Texas, on June 27, 1974. He attended the University of Houston, earning a degree in political science, before embarking on a career as a singer. Sometimes known as Big Moe the Chef for his lyrical flavoring of rap singing, he also performed under the names Barr Baby, MoYo, and Motorola. He began his career freestyling on DJ Screws’ mix tapes before going to Wreckshop Records, who released his debut album City of Syrup in 2000. His second album, Purple World, was widely distributed by Priority Records in 2002. Big Moe was soon appearing on MTV and performing with such rap stars Mike Jones, Z-Ro, Lil’O, Walter Cooper, Southside Playaz, and Big Pokey. His other albums include Moe Life (2003), Classics: Vol. 1 (2004), and his final release, Moe Life Swishahouse Chopped & Skrewed, in 2006.
2007 • Obituaries chid (1983), The Parade (1984), and Bridge Across Time (1985), before retiring in the early 1990s.
BINYON, CLAUDE, JR. Assistant director and production manager Claude Binyon, Jr., died in Bellevue, Washington, on January 27, 2007. He was 76. He was born in Los Angeles, California, on July 13, 1930, the son of Hollywood screenwriter Claude Binyon. The younger Binyon began his career in television in the late 1950s, working as an assistant director for such series as Hawaiian Eye, Maverick, Surfside 6, The Gallant Men, Lawman, and 77 Sunset Strip. He also served as assistant director for several films in the 1960s including Black Gold (1962), Sergeant Deadhead (1965), Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine (1965), Spinout (1966), Double Trouble (1967), and Clambake (1967). He was production manager and assistant director for numerous episodes of the science fiction anthology series The Outer Limits from 1963 to 1965, and also served as assistant director for the comedy spy series Get Smart and the original Star Trek series. Binyon also served as assistant director for the films Cold Turkey (1971), B.S. I Love You (1971), What’s the Matter with Helen? (1971), Westworld (1973), and That’s Entertainment! (1974), and the tele-films Gargoyles (1972), A Brand New Life (1973), The Virginia Hill Story (1974), and Fight for Life (1987). He was also a production manager for the films Santee (1973), Win, Place or Steal (1975), The Deer Hunter (1978), Things Are Tough All Over (1982), and Cold Dog Soup (1990). He also worked on the tele-films The Hatfield and the McCoys (1975), Someone I Touched (1975), Girls of the White Or-
BISHOP, JOEY Comedian Joey Bishop, who was the last surviving member of Frank Sinatra’s legendary Rat Pack, died after a long illness at his home in Newport Beach, California, on October 17, 2007. He was 89. He was born Joseph Abraham Gottlieb in the Bronx, New York, on February 3, 1918. He began performing as a teenager, forming a music and comedy act in Philadelphia. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II and returned to his career as a comic in 1945. Bishop caught the attention of Frank Sinatra in the early 1950s and was hired as the singer’s opening act. His association with Sinatra led to him being a part of the legendary quintet known as the Rat Pack, which also included Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Peter Lawford. They dominated the Las Vegas entertainment scene in the early 1960s. Bishop also appeared in a handful of films, including The Deep Six (1958), The Naked and the Dead (1958), Onionhead (1958), the original Ocean’s Eleven (1960) as Mushy O’Connors, Pepe (1960), Sergeants Three (1962), Johnny Cool (1963), Texas Across the River (1966), A Guide for the Married Man (1967), Who’s Minding the Mint? (1967), Valley of the Dolls (1967), The Delta Force (1986), the 1987 tele-film Glory Years, Betsy’s Wedding (1990), and Mad Dog Time (1996). Bishop appeared frequently on television from the early 1950s, making appearances in such series as Cavalcade of Bands, Frankie Laine Time, The Dinah Shore Chevy Show, The Frank Sinatra Show, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Jack Paar Tonight Show, Here’s Hollywood, The Jack Benny Program, The Andy Williams Show, Richard Diamond, Private Detective, The Dick Powell Show, Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In, The Hollywood Palace, Get Smart, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, The Barbara McNair Show, Playboy After Dark, The Dean Martin Show, Chico and the Man, Tony Orlando and Dawn, The Jacksons, Dinah!, The Merv Griffin Show, Trapper John, M.D., Hardcastle and McCormick, and Murder, She Wrote. Bishop was a guest panelist on several game shows including Keep Talking, What’s My Line?, The Hollywood Squares, Celebrity Sweepstakes, Match Game, and Break the Bank. He was also featured in the 1960 production of Heaven Can Wait on the DuPont Show of the Month.
Claude Binyon, Jr.
Joey Bishop
Obituaries • 2007 Bishop starred as Joey Barnes in the television sit-com The Joey Bishop Show from 1961 through 1965. He headlined a late night talk show, The Joey Bishop Show, from 1967 to 1969, with Regis Philbin as his sidekick. The ABC series was designed to compete with NBC’s Tonight Show but lasted only two seasons. He was later an occasional guest host for Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show in the early 1970s. Bishop has largely retired to the upscale Newport Bay area of Newport Beach. He was married to the former Sylvia Ruzga from 1941 until her death in 1999. His survivors include his son, actor and director Larry Bishop.
BLACK, EUNICE British character actress Eunice Black died in England on August 27, 2007. She was 92. Black was born Eunice Holden in London in 1915. She began performing on stage with the Unity Theatre in London in 1937. She continued to appear on stage in repertory theatre, and was a drama and English teacher during the 1940s. Black made her film debut in 1961’s A Taste of Honey. She was also featured in character roles in such films as Arriverderci, Baby! (1966), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968), Love Is a Splendid Illusion (1969), On the Buses (1971), Holiday on the Buses (1973), Sex Play (1974), and Bullseye! (1990). She was a familiar face on television, appearing in television productions of Martin Chuzzlewit (1964) and The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1981), and in episodes of The Wednesday Play, ITV Playhouse, The Liver Birds, Doctor at Large, On the Buses, It’s Murder but Is It Art, Father Dear Father, The Benny Hill Show, and George and Mildred.
36 Zombies (1962), Santo in the Hotel of Death (1963), El Senor Tormenta (1963), Las Lobas del Ring (1965), Aranas Infernales (1968), Blue Demon Versus the Infernal Brains (1968), Santo and Blue Demon vs. the Monsters (1970), The Champions of Justice (1971), Los Leones del Ring (1974), Los Leones del Ring Contra la Cosa Nostra (1974), and Noche de Muerte (1975). He largely retired from the ring during the 1970s due to injuries and poor health.
Black Shadow
BLACKTON, CHARLES STUART Silent film child actor Charles Stuart Blackton died on April 21, 2007. He was 92. He was born in New York City, the son of pioneering film producer J. Stuart Blackton and actress Paula Blackton, on October 27, 1914. He made his film debut as an infant in his father’s film The Battle Cry of Peace (1915). At the age of three, he was appearing with his sister, Violet Virginia Blackton, in his mother’s Country Life films. Blackton was seen onscreen in The Collie Market (1917), A Spring Idyl (1917), The Little Strategist (1917), Satin and Calico (1917), The Fairy Godfather (1917), The Diary of a Puppy (1917), The Common Cause (1919), The Littlest Scout (1919), A House Divide (1919), The Moonshine Trail (1919), Passers-By (1920), and The Glorious Adventure (1922). His film career ended by the time he was eight years old. Blackton later graduated from the University of California in Los Angeles. He served in Naval Intelligence during World War II, and became a history professor at Colgate College after the war.
Eunice Black
BLACK SHADOW Alejandro Cruz Ortiz, who wrestled in Mexico under a mask as the Black Shadow, died of pneumonia in Mexico City on March 8, 2007. He was 85. Cruz was born in Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico, on May 3, 1921. He began wrestling as Jungla Cruz in 1942 and became the Black Shadow in May of 1947. A masked wrestler, he lost a mask vs. mask bout to Santo in November of 1952. During the 1950s he often teamed with fellow masked wrestler Blue Demon, claiming they were brothers. The Black Shadow was featured in numerous films from the late 1950s including Furias Desatada (1957), Ladron de Cadaveres (1957), Tigers of the Ring (1960), El Torneo de la Muerte (1960), Invasion of the
Charles Stuart Blackton
37 BLAIR, JANET Actress Janet Blair died of complications from pneumonia in a Santa Monica, California, hospital on February 19, 2007. She was 85. Blair was born Martha Janet Lafferty in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on April 23, 1921. She began singing with Hal Kemp’s band in the early 1940s and was offered a contract with Columbia Pictures shortly after Kemp’s death in a traffic accident. She appeared in small roles in the films Three Girls About Town (1941), Blondie Goes to College (1942), and Two Yanks in Trinidad (1942). She was cast in the title role of Eileen Sherwood in the 1942 comedy My Sister Eileen with Rosalind Russell. She continued to appear in such films as Broadway (1942) with George Raft, Something to Shout About (1943), Once Upon a Time (1944) opposite Cary Grant in a fantasy about a dancing caterpillar, Tonight and Every Night (1945), Tars and Spars (1946), Gallant Journey (1946), The Fabulous Dorseys (1947) with bandleaders Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey, I Love Trouble (1948), The Fuller Brush Man (1948) with Red Skelton, and The Black Arrow (1948). She left Hollywood for the stage in the late 1940s, starring in the touring version of the musical South Pacific. She also appeared frequently on television from the late 1940s in episodes of such series as The Ford Theatre Hour, The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre, The Philco Television Playhouse, Armstrong Circle Theatre, The Elgin Hour, The U.S. Steel Hour, Goodyear Television Playhouse, Lux Video Theatre, Climax!, Front Row Center, Ford Television Theatre, Screen Director’s Playhouse, Alcoa Theatre, The Chevy Mystery Show, Shirley Temple’s Storybook as Aunt Polly in the episode Tom and Huck, and The Chevy Show. She starred as Sandy in a television production of A Connecticut Yankee (1955), and was the goddess Venus in One Touch of Venus (1955). She starred in the title role of the 1960 tele-film Around the World with Nellie Bly. Blair appeared regularly as a performer in the television variety series Caesar’s Hour in 1956. She also was featured on the variety and quiz shows Leave It to the Girls, The Jimmy Durante Show, Producer’s Showcase, What’s My Line?, The Dinah Shore Chevy Show, The Ed Sullivan Show, and The Bell Telephone Hour. She returned to the screen in the 1957 film Public Pigeon No. 1. She appeared in several more films over the next two decades including the supernatural thriller Burn, Witch, Burn (1962), Boys’ Night Out (1962), The One and Only, Genuine,
2007 • Obituaries Original Family Band (1968) with Fred MacMurray, and Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976). She was seen frequently on television during that period in episodes of such series as Pantomime Quiz, The Outer Limits, Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, Destry, Burke’s Law, Ben Casey, Marcus Welby, M.D., Switch, Fantasy Island, and The Love Boat. She starred as Betty Smith opposite Henry Fonda in the short-lived drama series The Smith Family in the early 1970s. Her final role was in an episode of Murder, She Wrote in 1991.
BLAKE, JEREMY Digital artist Jeremy Blake was reported missing on July 17, 2007, when he left his clothes on a beach and walked into the ocean in the Rockaways in Queens, New York. His body was found by a fisherman off Sea Girt, New Jersey, on July 22, 2007. He was 35. Blake left a note that indicated his suicide was connected to the suicide of his longtime companion, filmmaker Theresa Duncan, a week earlier. Blake was born in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, on October 4, 1971. He became a noted digital artist in the late 1990s, creating images that combined photographic realism with abstract imagery. He and Duncan teamed together to create the 1999 animated film The History of Glamour, a spoof on the world of fashion. His video documentary trilogy about the mysterious Winchester house was exhibited in 2005 at the San Francisco Museum of Natural Art. He was involved in the design of the video game Grand Theft Auto 2, and his art was featured in the 2002 film Punch-Drunk Love, starring Adam Sandler. He was collaborating with musician and designer Malcolm McLaren on an exhibition entitled Glitterbest at the time of his death.
Jeremy Blake (with Theresa Duncan)
Janet Blair
BLAKELEY, JAMES E. Film actor turned editor James E. Blakeley died of heart-related problems in Los Angeles on January 30, 2007. He was 96. He was born in London on February 18, 1910, the son of actor James Blakeley. The younger Blakeley began working in films as an actor in the early 1930s, appearing in Perfectly Mismated (1934), Broadway Bill (1934), Fugitive Lady (1934), Mills of the Gods (1934), Paris in Spring (1935), Two for Tonight (1935), She Couldn’t Take It (1935), The Gay Desperado (1936), Exclusive (1937), Small Town Boy (1937), The Shadow Strikes (1937), Prison Train (1938),
Obituaries • 2007
38
and Private Affairs (1940). Blakeley joined the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II, serving as manager of a training school for pilots and ground crew. After the war he assisted Elizabeth Arden in establishing her cosmetics empire. Blakeley returned to Hollywood in 1950 where he was trained in film editing by Grant Whytlock. He worked on such films as Les Miserables (1952), Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), Monkey on My Back (1957), and Patton (1970). He was also active in television as an editor for such series as Lassie, Rawhide, Peyton Place, Batman, and The Green Hornet. He was a longtime member of the Motion Pictures Editors Guild, and served as head of post-production at 20th Century–Fox, where he worked for nearly 50 years. Blakeley is survived by his wife, actress Mary Carlisle, whom he married in 1942.
(1974) and Disco Fever (1978), and episodes of such television series as Family Affair, To Rome with Love, Rod Serling’s Night Gallery, Ironside, Marcus Welby, M.D., Barnaby Jones, Barbary Coast, Electrawoman and DynaGirl, and Isis. Blodgett abandoned his acting career to try his hand as an author in the 1970s. His somewhat traumatic publishing experiences resolved favorably when his first two novels, Captain Blood and Hero and the Terror, were published in 1982 and became best sellers. He co-wrote a screen version of Hero and the Terror, which starred Chuck Norris, in 1988. Teaming with Dennis Shryack, he also scripted the films Rent-a-Cop (1987) and Turner & Hooch (1988), starring Tom Hanks. Blodgett also scripted the 1991 film Run, and the 1992 tele-film Revenge on the Highway. He adapted his novel, The White Raven, for the screen in 1988.
James E. Blakeley
Michael Blodgett
BLODGETT, MICHAEL Actor and writer Michael Blodgett, who was best known for starring in the cult classic Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, died of a heart attack at his home in Los Angeles on November 14, 2007. He was 67. Blodgett was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on September 26, 1939. He moved to Los Angeles in the early 1960s, where he appeared in small roles in such television series as McHale’s Navy, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Never Too Young, The Munsters, Daniel Boone and Bonanza. He also appeared in television productions of Macbeth (1961) as Malcolm, Man in the Square Suit (1966) and Meet Me in St. Louis (1966). Blodgett hosted the local Los Angeles television teen music series Groovy in 1967. The following year, he hosted the Michael Blodgett Show, a talk series with celebrity guests. He also began appearing in films in the mid–1960s, with such credits as A Swingin’ Summer (1965), 40 Guns to Apache Pass (1967), The Trip (1967), and Catalina Caper (1967). He starred as Lance Rocke in Russ Meyer’s Beyond the Valley of the Dolls in 1970. The cult classic X-rated film about an all girl rock-n-roll band, a transvestite killer, and a Nazi war criminal was scripted by film critic Roger Ebert. He also starred as outlaw Coy Cavendish, whose brutal whipping was the highlight of the 1970 western prison film There Was a Crooked Man, and was Lee Ritter in Stephanie Rothman’s 1971 feminist vampire film The Velvet Vampire. His other credits include the films The Carey Treatment (1972), The Ultimate Thrill
BLOW, ISABELLA British fashion editor Isabella Blow died of ovarian cancer in Gloucester, England, on May 7, 2007. She was 48. She was born Isabella Delves Broughton in London on November 19, 1958. She began working for British Vogue as an assistant to editor Anna Wintour in the early 1980s. She eventually became the fashion editor of the British magazine Tatler, where she championed such designers as Alexander McQueen, John Galliano, and Jun Takahashi. Noted for her own Surreal fashion sense, Blow was a striking figure in British society. She also appeared in the cameo
Isabella Blow
39 role of Antonia Cook in Wes Anderson’s 2004 film The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.
2007 • Obituaries the Golden Goose (1979), The Little Dragons (1980), and Force: Five (1981).
BOAZ, CHARLES Actor Charles Boaz, who was featured as Corporal Dixon in the 1950s television series Mackenzie’s Raiders, died in Charleston, South Carolina, on April 2, 2007. He was 87. Boaz was born in Massena Springs, New York, on June 19, 1919. He appeared in several films in the 1950s including The Search for Bridey Murphy (1956), My Gun Is Quick (1957), The Saga of Hemp Brown (1958), Don’t Give Up the Ship (1959), and The Jayhawkers! (1959). He appeared in Mackenzie’s Raiders from 1958 to 1959, and guest starred in episodes of The Loretta Young Show and Bat Masterson. He also appeared in a production of The Land of Oz on Shirley Temple’s Storybook in 1960. BODANYA, NATALIE Operatic soprano Natalie Bodanya died in Santa Barbara, California, on March 4, 2007. She was 98. She was born Natalie Bodanskaya in Manhattan, New York, on August 23, 1908. She studied at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, and made her debut with the Metropolitan Opera as Micaela in Carmen in 1936. She continued to perform at the Met in such operas as Carmen, La Boheme and Parsifal before leaving the stage to have a son in 1941. She returned to perform with the New York City Opera in 1944, and was also a featured singer in nightclubs and on radio. Bodanya also recorded several duets with Mario Lanza. After retiring from the stage she became a voice teacher in California.
Bong Soo Han
BONO, JERRY Costume designer Jerry Bono died in Sherman Oaks, California, on August 31, 2007. He was 65. Bono was born in Illinois on December 27, 1941. He studied at the Pasadena Playhouse in California before serving in the U.S. Army. After his discharge he began working as a wardrober for films and television. He served as a key costumer on the Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine series. He also worked on the television series Airwolf, Voyagers, and BJ and the Bear, and the films Switched at Birth (1991), The Vanishing (1993), Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993), and Speechless (1994). BOOTY, KASMA Leading Malaysian actress Kasma Booty died of complications from pneumonia in a Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, hospital on June 1, 2007. She was 75. She was born Kasmah Abdullah in Kiasaran, Sumatra, in 1931. She began her career in films at the age of fifteen and became a leading star in Malaysian cinema. Known as the Elizabeth Taylor of Malaysia, Booty’s numerous film credits include Cempaka (1947), Pisau Berachun (1948), Noor Asmara (1949), Rachun Dunia (1950), Bakti (1950), Bewi Murni (1950), Sejoli (1951), Juwita (1951), Manusia (1951), Mahsuri (1958), Keris Sempena Riau (1961), Selendang Merah (1962), Siti Payung
Natalie Bodanya
BONG SOO HAN Bong Soo Han, the leading exponent of the Korean martial arts discipline of Hapkido, died at his home in Santa Monica, California, on January 8, 2007. He was 75. Han was born in On Chun, South Korea, on August 25, 1931. He began studying martial arts as a child, and trained in Hapkido under its founder Yong Sul Choi from the early 1950s. Han opened his first school in Los Angeles in 1967 and soon became involved in the film industry. He trained actor Tom Laughlin in Hapkido, and served as fight coordinator for Laughlin’s 1971 film Billy Jack. He also worked with Laughlin on the 1974 sequel The Trial of Billy Jack, and appeared in the film as Master Han. He was also seen in the films The Kentucky Fried Movie (1977), Kill
Kasma Booty
Obituaries • 2007 (1962), Ratapan Ibu (1962), Tangkap Basah (1963), Anak Manga (1963), Ragam P. Ramlee (1965), and Damak (1967).
BORG, ARIANE French actress Ariane Borg died in Couilly-Pont-Aux-Dames, France, on April 16, 2007. She was 91. Borg was born in Roubaix, Nord, France, on August 24, 1915. She began her career in films in the early 1930s under the name Olga Muriel, appearing in From Top to Bottom (1933), Jeanne (1934), L’Hotel du Libre Echange (1934), Famille Nembreuse (1934), and Tovaritch (1935). She continued to appear in a handful of films over the next decade as Ariane Borg including Dede (1935), Girls in Distress (1939), The Phantom Wagon (1939), La Valse Blanche (1943), Bifur 3 (1945), Father Serge (1945), and La Cabane aux Souvenirs (1947).
40 cracker, and Balanchine’s Frankie and Johnny. She also choreographed the ballets Cirque de Deux (1947) and Quelques Fleurs (1948), before leaving the Ballet Russe in 1950. She choreographed a ballet number for the Broadway revue Two on the Aisle in 1951, and soon began working with the New York City Ballet. Boris choreographed Cakewalk (1951), Bayou (1952), Kaleidoscope (1952), and Will o’ the Wisp (1953). She and her husband, dancer Frank Hobi, led their own touring company from 1954 to 1956. Her dance career ended due to hip surgery in the late 1950s, though she continued to teach and served on the faculty at the University of Washington in Seattle from 1965 to 1983. Widowed in 1967, Boris occasionally returned to choreography, creating Ragtime to Scott Joplin’s music for the Houston Ballet in 1975.
BORISOV, YURI Russian film director Yuri Borisov died of myocardial infarction in Moscow on November 16, 2007. He was 50. He was the son of leading actor Oleg Borisov. Yuri wrote and directed the 1993 television production Devil, I’m Bored.
Ariane Borg
BORIS, RUTHANNA Ballet dancer and choreographer Ruthanna Boris died of cancer at her home in El Cerrito, California, on January 5, 2007. She was 88. Boris was born in Brooklyn, New York, on March 17, 1918. She studied at the Metropolitan Opera Ballet School and the School of American Ballet. She performed on stage with George Balanchine’s American Ballet in 1935, the Ballet Caravan from 1936 to 1937, and the Metropolitan Opera Ballet from 1937 to 1942. She joined the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo in 1942, where she starred in such productions as Swan Lake, The Nut-
BOROWIEC, KAZIMIERZ Polish actor Kazimierz Borowiec died in Krakow, Poland, on December 24, 2007. He was 68. Borowiec was born in Ruda, Soviet Union, on January 15, 1939. A leading stage actor, he also appeared frequently in films from the early 1960s. Borowiec’s film credits include Reality (1961), The Last
Ruthanna Boris
Kazimierz Borowiec
Yuri Borisov
41 Days of Peace (1963), Matthew’s Days (1967), Hubal (1973), From Nowhere to Nowhere (1975), Enlightment (1976), The Scent of Earth (1978), The Constant Factor (1980), From a Far Country: Pope John Paul II (1981), The Colors of Loving (1988), Death as a Slice of Bread (1994), and Julie Walking Home (2002).
BORTNIKOV, GENNADI Russian actor Gennadi Bortnikov died of heart failure in Moscow on March 24, 2007. He was 67. Bortnikov was born in Moscow on April 1, 1939. He appeared frequently on the Russian stage and was seen in several films from the early 1960s. His film credits include Grown-Up Children (1961), Song Over Moscow (1963), Our House (1965), The Centaurs (1978), and Urod (1993). He also appeared on television in productions of 20-e Dekabrya (1981) and Experts Are Investigating: Mafia (1989).
2007 • Obituaries BOURNE, ST. CLAIR Documentary filmmaker St. Clair Bourne died in Manhattan on December 15, 2007. He was 64. Bourne was born in Harlem in New York City on February 16, 1943. He studied journalism and filmmaking and began his career as an assistant producer on the PBS black public affairs series Black Journal in the late 1960s. He formed his own production company, which became known as Chamba Mediaworks, in 1971. He went on to produce and direct numerous documentary films over the next 36 years. Some of his early credits include Something to Build On (1971), Ourselves (1971), Nothing but Common Sense (1972), A Piece of the Block (1972), Pusher Man (1972), Let the Church Say Amen! (1974), and A Nation of Common Sense (1975). He produced and directed the 1983 documentary The Black and the Green, about a trip by American civil rights activists to Northern Ireland. Bourne also produced and directed the 1989 documentary Making “Do the Right Thing,” about Spike Lee’s film. He directed the 1996 documentary John Henrik Clarke: A Great and Mighty Walk, and the two-part American Masters production of Paul Robeson: Here I Stand for PBS in 1999. Bourne also directed the 2001 tele-film Dr. Ben.
Gennadi Bortnikov
BOTHA, HANNAH South African stage, film and television actress Hannah Botha died after a brief illness in a Johannesburg, South Africa, hospital on April 16, 2007. She was 84. Botha was born in the small village of Dwarsderbos, South Africa, on January 17, 1923. She worked in the government Department of Revenue for over 40 years before retiring in the late 1980s. She performed occasionally in films and on radio but began acting career in earnest in 1988. She was best known for her role as Elsa du Plessis Pienaar in the television soap opera Egoli: Place of Gold from 1992 until her death.
Hannah Botha
St. Clair Bourne
BRACEWELL, DAME JOYANNE Dame Joyanne Bracewell, a former child actress who became a British High Court judge, died of cancer in England on January 9, 2009. She was 72. Bracewell was born in
Joyanne Bracewell
Obituaries • 2007 Manchester, England, on July 5, 1934. She was an actress in her teens, appearing in several films including Holidays with Pay (1948) and Cup-Tie Honeymoon (1948). She studied law and was called to the bar in 1955. She worked in the courts and became a judge in 1983. Bracewell was instrumental in drafting the Children’s Act in the late 1980s. She was named a High Court judge and Family Division liaison judge in 1990. Bracewell oversaw many high profile cases involving juveniles and was considered to conduct proceedings in the interests of the child’s best welfare.
BRAID, HILDA British actress Hilda Braid, who starred as Nana Moon in the popular television soap opera EastEnders, died in a hospital in Brighton, East Sussex, England, on November 6, 2007. She was 78. Braid was born in Gravesend, Kent, England, on March 3, 1929. She studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and appeared frequently on stage. She was also a familiar face on British television, with guest role in episodes in such series as No Hiding Place, Suspense, Crossroads, Softly Softly, ITV Playhouse, The Wednesday Play, The Borderers, Z Cars, Catweazle, Play for Today, Thirty-Minute Theatre, The Onedin Line, The Organisation, Emmerdale Farm, The View from Daniel Pike, So It Goes, Man About the House, Play of the Month, The Crezz, Doctor on the Go, BBC 2: Play of the Week, In Loving Memory, Citizen Smith in the recurring role of Florence Johnson, Robin’s Nest, Dick Turpin, L for Lester, They Came from Somewhere Else, Juliet Bravo, Brookside, The Bright Side, Campion, You Rang, M’Lord?, Teenage Health Freak, Press Gang, One Foot in the Grave, The 10 Percenters, Goodnight Sweetheart, Dangerfield, The Bill, Midsomer Murders, Bodger and Badger, Time Gentlemen Please, ChuckleVision, Doctors, My Family, Casualty, and Ultimate Force. She was also featured in television productions of Angel Pavement (1967), Sons and Lovers (1981), Oliver Twist (1985), Kiss and Tell (1996), and Cold Enough for Snow (1997). Braid also appeared in a handful of films during her career including For the Love of Ada (1972), Killer’s Moon (1978), The Wildcats of St. Trinian’s (1980), 101 Dalmatians (1996), Mrs. Dalloway (1997), and Romeo Thinks Again (1998). She starred as Nana Moon in the popular soap opera EastEnders from 2002 through 2005, when failing health forced her retirement.
42 BRANCKAERTS, SJAREL Belgian actor Sjarel Branckaerts died in Brussels, Belgium, on June 10, 2007. He was 59. Branckaerts was born in Turnhout, Belgium, on September 11, 1947. He was a familiar face on Belgian television from the late 1960s, appearing in such productions as Wij, Heren van Zichem (1969), A Girl’s Best Friend (1971), De Vierde Man (1972), Trijntje Cornelis (1972), De Vorstinnen van Brugge (1972), Magister Maesius (1974), De Neus van Cleopatra (1974), Baas Gansendonck (1974), De Danstent (1976), In Perfecte Staat (1977), Le Mur Italien (1977), The Wedding Feast (1978), Het Testament (1978), De Onweersvogel (1979), Secret Army (1979), Place Saint Catherine (1979), Filumena (1979), De Paradijsvogels (1979), A Song of Europe (1985), Hard Labeur (1985), Semi-Detached (1987), Samson en Gert (1988), Romeo en Julia (1991), The Bubbles (1991), Lili & Marleen (1994), Thuis (1995), Plankenkoorts: Het Verhoor (1999), Make My Day (2002), De Kavjaks (2005), and Grappa (2006). He also appeared in recurring roles in such series as Aspe as Burgemeester Moens, Spoed as Geert, Witse as Walter Adriaensen, Flikken as Gilbert Van Luchene, Ut het Leven Gegrepen: Katt & Co. as Rene Segers, and Mega Mindy as Commissaris Migrain in 2007. Branchaerts also appeared in several films during his career including Na de Liefde (1983), Diary of a Mad Old Man (1987), Gaston en Leo in Hong Kong (1988), Kurrel & Co. (1999), Blinker (1999), Blinker en het Bagbag-Juweel (2000), Don’t Cry Germaine (2000), The Publishers (2000), De Frigo (2001), Olivettti 82 (2001), Dead Man’s Hand (2002), Hop (2002), and Plot in de Stad (2006).
Sjarel Branckaerts
Hilda Braid
BRANDENBURG, OTTO Danish singer and actor Otto Brandenburg died in Copenhagen, Denmark, on March 1, 2007. He was 72. Brandenburg was born in Hegnsvig, Denmark, on September 4, 1934. He began his career in music as a member of the Four Jacks in 1957, and appeared with them in the film Stymrmand Karlsen (1958) before leaving the group to embark on a solo career. He became a popular rock and roll performer in Denmark and sang the other worldly closing theme to the 1962 science fiction film Journey to the Seventh Planet. Brandenburg appeared in numerous films including Somand I Knibe (1960), Mine Tossede Drenge (1961), Don Olsen Kommer til Byen (1964), The Mad Dane (1969),
43 Sunny Bech Revolution (1971), Gold for the Tough Guys of the Prairie (1971), Bedside Dentist (1971), Love Me Darling (1971), Lenin, You Rascal, You (1972), Oh, to Be on the Bandwagon! (1972), Mor, Jeg Har Patienter (1972), Me and the Mafia (1973), In the Sign of the Taurus (1974), Prince Piwi (1974), Justine and Juliette (1975), Girls at Arms (1975), The Goldcabbage Family (1975), Danish Escort Girls (1976), Ghost Train (1976), Blind Is Beautiful (1976), Bedside Sailors (1976), Cop (1976), The Office Party (1978), Mind Your Back, Professor (1977), The Golden Cauliflower Family Gets the Vote (1977), Havoc (1977), Me and Charly (1978), The Thralls (1978), Did Somebody Laugh? (1978), Children of the Warriors (1979), Next Stop Paradise (1980), The Last Detail (1981), Langturschauffor (1981), Har du Set Alice? (1981), Rubber Tarzan (1981), Thorvald og Linda (1982), Kidnapping (1982), Three Angels and Five Lions (1982), Ballerup Boulevard (1986), Emma’s Shadow (1988), Kaerlighed Uden Stop (1989), Black Harvest (1993), Max (2000), and Beyond (2000). Brandenburg was also featured on television in productions of Muld Og Marv (1973), Tillokke Herbert! (1974), Stykvis (1974), Fiskerne (1977), Mor er Major (1985), Skibet i Skilteskoven (1992), Opdagelsesrejsen (1993), Jul i Juleland (1993), Riget (aka The Kingdom) (1994), Bryggeren (1996), and Riget II (1997). He was also a voice actor in the films Ogginoggen (1997), Circleen: City Mouse (1998), Circleen: Mice and Romance (2000), Proop and Berta (2000), and The Boy Who Wanted to Be a Bear (2002).
2007 • Obituaries tet in 1979. He also worked as a production assistant on Altman’s films HealtH (1980) and Popeye (1980), and was seen in the latter as fighter Oxblood Oxheart. He was a set dresser for David Cronenberg’s 1981 science fiction classic Scanners, and worked as a production manager on the films Quest for Fire (1981), The Bay Boy (1984), Keeping Track (1985) which also featured him in a small role, and The Boy in Blue (1986). He was also a production executive on the tele-films Louisiana (1984), Hitting Home (1987), Teamster Boss: The Jackie Presser Story (1992) which also saw him in the role of the Animal, Treacherous Beauties (1994), Dead Silence (1997), Breach of Faith: Family of Cops II (1997), and The Hunchback (1997). Bray served as a producer for the television series Bordertown, Due South, Wild Card, G-Spot, and The Best Years. He also was a producer for the films The Art of War (2000), Blacktop (2000), and Interstate 60 (2002), and the tele-films A Change of Place (1994), Broken Lullaby (1994), Family of Cops (1995), Joan of Arc (1999) which earned him an Emmy Award nomination, Crossed Over (2002), and Riverworld (2003).
Peter Bray
Otto Brandenburg
BRANNON, CYNTHIA Actress and stuntwoman Cynthia Brannon died in Los Angeles on March 4, 2007. She was 55. Brannon was born on October 10, 1951. She was active in films from the 1980s, performing stunts for such features as The Terminator (1984), A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), and America 3000 (1986). BRAY, PETER Film and television producer Peter Bray died in Toronto, Canada, on October 17, 2007. He was 59. Bray was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on February 5, 1948. He began his career working as a road manager for rock bands in Canada during the 1970s. He began working with director Robert Altman as a transportation coordinator for the film Quin-
BRECKER, MICHAEL Prolific saxophonist and composer Michael Brecker, who earned 13 Grammy awards and was one of the most influential jazz musicians from the 1960s, died of leukemia in a New York City hospital on January 13, 2007. He was 57. Brecker was born into a musical family in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on March 19, 1949, and began playing various instruments at an early age. He studied at the Indiana University before embarking upon a career in music and moved to New York at the age of 19. He worked with his brother, trumpeter Randy Brecker, to form the jazz rock band Dreams and his first album Score was released in 1969. The two formed the Brecker Brothers Band, one of the most innovative and successful jazz-funk fusion bands of the decade. They performed from 1975 to 1982, producing such albums as East River, Out of the Loop, which earned him a Grammy, Return of the Brecker Brothers, Straphangin’, Detente, Heavy Metal Be-Bop, Blue Montreux, Don’t Stop the Music, Back to Back, The Brecker Brothers, The Collection, Vol. 1 and The Collection, Vol. 2. During this time, Brecker continued to be a popular soloist, recording with such pop and rock artists as Frank Zappa, Aerosmith, James Brown, Paul Simon, Joni
Obituaries • 2007 Mitchell, Lou Reed, Funkadelic, Steely Dan, John Lennon, Elton John and James Taylor. He also recorded or performed with leading jazz figures such as Chick Corea, Pat Metheny, Chet Baker, Elvin Jones, and Herbie Hancock. He was became a member of NBC’s Saturday Night Live band in the early 1980s and went on to perform with the band Steps Ahead in the mid–1980s, producing such albums as Live in Tokyo, Magnetic, Modern Times, Steps Ahead, Paradox, Step by Step, and Smokin’ in the Pit. Brecker released his first self-named album as a leader in 1989. He earned a Grammy the following year for his album, Don’t Try This at Home and earned a second Grammy for his 1997 release Tales from the Hudson. His other lead credits include Two Blocks from the Edge, Time Is of the Essence, Wide Angels, Nearness of You, and Now You See It ... Now You Don’t. Brecker made his final public performance in June of 2006 playing with Herbie Hancock at Carnegie Hall. His final recording, Pilgrimage, consisted entirely of his original compositions and featuring Herbie Hancock, Brad Mehldau, Pat Metheny, John Patitucci and Jack DeJohnette, was released to great acclaim in May of 2007. Michael Brecker was awarded two posthumous Grammy awards for his involvement on his brother Randy’s 2005 album, Some Skunk Funk, on February 11, 2007, bringing his Grammy total to 13. His discography contains more than 900 albums.
Michael Brecker
BREWER, TERESA Singer Teresa Brewer, who topped the hit parade during the 1950s, died of a rare degenerative brain disease at her home in New Rochelle, New York, on October 17, 2007. She was 76. She was born Theresa Breuer in Toledo, Ohio, on May 7, 1931. She began singing at an early age and was frequently featured on radio’s Major Bowes’s Amateur Hour in the early 1940s. She became a star while in her teens with the novelty song “Music! Music! Music!” She also recorded such hits as “Ricochet,” “Till I Waltz Again with You,” and “Choo’n Gum.” Known as “the little girl with the big voice,” she performed frequently on television in the 1950s in such series as Songs for Sale, The Colgate Comedy Hour, Frankie Laine Time, The Big Record, Summertime U.S.A., The United States Steel Hour, The Perry Como Show, The Steve Allen Show, The Ed Sullivan Show, and The Jackie Gleason Show. She also starred in the 1953
44 film Those Redheads from Seattle as Pat Edmonds. Brewer expanded her musical range in the 1970s, recording jazz, country, swing and pop tunes, recording nearly 600 songs in her lengthy career. She made several appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and appeared on a 1977 episode of The Muppet Show.
Theresa Brewer
BREYER P’ORRIDGE, LADY JAYE Lady Jaye Breyer P’Orridge died suddenly of an undiagnosed heart condition in New York City on October 9, 2007. She was 38. She was born Jacqueline Breyer on July 1, 1969. She worked as a nurse in New York, caring for incurable children, before meeting avant garde musician Genesis P’Orridge (originally known as Neil Megson). Breyer and P’Orridge married in 1993 and merged their identities into what they claimed was a single entity. They went from dressing in identical attire to the extreme of undergoing cosmetic surgery to have features aligned. Genesis and Lady Jaye even underwent dual breast implants to celebrate their 10th anniversary. They coined the term “pandrogyny” to describe their lifestyle. She was instrumental in reviving Genesis’ musical career with the bands Thee Majesty and Throbbing Gristle. She joined him as a keyboardist and singer with Psychic TV, which recorded the 2006 album Hell Is Invisible ... Heaven Is Her/e.
Lady Jaye Breyer P’Orridge (left, with husband Genesis P’Orridge)
45 BRIALY, JEAN-CLAUDE French film star Jean-Claude Brialy died at his home in Paris after a long illness on May 30, 2007. He was 74. Brialy was born in Aumale (now Sour El-Ghozlane), Algeria, on March 30, 1933, the son of a French Colonial stationed there. He settled in Paris in 1954, where he became friends with such cinematic innovators as Jean-Luc Godard, Jacques Rozier, and Claude Chabrol. He soon embarked on a career in films, making his debut in Jacques Rivette’s short Fools Mate and Jean Renoir’s Elena and Her Men in 1956. Brialy appeared in nearly two hundred subsequent films over the next forty years, starring in many of France’s early New Wave features. His numerous film credits include A Friend of the Family (1957), Young Girls Beware (1957), Nude in His Pocket (1957), The Tricyclist (1957), Everybody Wants to Kill Me (1957), Bitter Reunion (1958), Les Surmenes (1958), Frantic (1958), Illegal Cargo (1958), School for Coquettes (1958), Et ta Soeur (1958), The Lovers (1958), Love Is When You Make It (1959), Claude Chabrol’s The Cousins (1959) with Gerard Blain, The 400 Blows (1959), All the Boys Are Called Patrick (1959), Way of Youth (1959), Bad Girls Don’t Cry (1959), Eyes of Love (1959), Rivette’s Paris Belongs to Us (1960), The Gigolo (1960), The Army Game (1960), Three Faces of Sin (1961), A Story of Water (1961), Wise Guys (1961), Godard’s A Woman Is a Woman (1961), The Lions Are Loose (1961), Famous Love Affairs (1961), Cleo from 5 to 7 (1961), La Banda Casaroli (1962), Adieu Philippine (1962), A Very Private Affair (1962), The Burning Court (1962), The Seven Deadly Sins (1962), Hitch-Hike (1962), Lessons in Love (1962), The Devil and the Ten Commandments (1962), Arsene Lupin vs. Arsene Lupin (1962), Love at Sea (1963), The Sword and the Balance (1963), People in Luck (1963), Carom Shots (1963), Nutty, Naughty Chateau (1963), Careless Love (1964), Tonio Croeger (1964), Male Hunt (1964), Roger Vadim’s Circle of Love (1964), Comment Epouser un Premier Ministre (1964), Male Companion (1964), The Real Bargain (1965), How Not to Rob a Department Store (1965), The Mandrake (1965), I Knew Her Well (1965), I Nostri Marti (1966), King of Hearts (1966), Lamiel (1967), Shock Troops (1967), The Oldest Profession (1967), Operation St. Peter’s (1967), Dear Caroline (1968), Francois Truffaut’s The Bride Wore Black (1968), Manon 70 (1968), Don’t Be Blue (1969), Eric Rohmer’s Claire’s Knee (1970), Una Stagione all’Inferno (1970), The Ball of Count Orgel (1970), Gang War (1971), A Murder Is a Murder ... Is a Murder (1972), A Rare Bird (1973), Loving in the Rain (1974), Like a Pot of Strawberries (1974) The Phantom of Liberty (1974), Catherine & Co. (1975), The 11,000 Sexes (1975), The Judge and the Assassin (1976), Nudez de Alexandra (1976), Scrambled Eggs (1976), Holy Year (1976), Barocco (1976), Julie Gluepot (1977), The Accuser (1977), For Clemence (1977), Focal Point (1977), Double Murders (1977), Robert et Robert (1978), The Song of Roland (1978), Le Maitre-nageur (1979), Jacko and Lise (1979), His Master’s Eye (1980), The Woman Banker (1980), Within Memory (1981), That Night in Varennes (1982), The Girl from Trieste (1982), Cap Canaille (1983), Deadly Circuit (1983), Demon of the Island (1983), Edith and Marcel (1983), Sarah (1983), Stella (1983), Cover Up (1983), Papy Fait de la Resistance (1983), Pinot Simple Flic (1984), Marriage of the Century
2007 • Obituaries (1985), The Telephone Always Rings Twice (1985), The Fourth Power (1985), Charlotte and Lulu (1985), Grand Guignol (1986), Inspecteur Lavardine (1986), Follow My Gaze (1986), A Man and a Woman: 20 Years Later (1986), The Debutante (1986), The Field Agent (1987), Levy and Goliath (1987), Maschenka (1987), Malady of Love (1987), The Innocents (1987), Summer Interlude (1989), There Was a Castle with Forty Dogs (1990), My New Partner at the Races (1990), Forgery and the Use of Forgeries (1990), No Fear, No Die (1990), August (1991), Tous les Garcons (1992), Queen Margot (1994), The Monster (1994), A Hundred and One Nights (1995), A French Woman (1995), Beaumarchais the Scoundrel (1996), Unpredictable Nature of the River (1996), Shadow Play (1996), Man of My Life (1999), Kennedy and I (1999), Tribute to Alfred Lepetit (2000), Actors (2000), To the Extreme (2000), Unfair Competition (2001), South Kensington (2001), Girls Can Get Away Anything (2002), Special Delivery (2002), The Car Keys (2003), People (2004), Quartier V.I.P. (2005), and Mon Dernier Role (2006). Brialy also directed a handful of feature films and television productions during his career including Eglantine (1971), Closed Shutters (1973), A Rare Bird (1973), Loving in the Rain (1974), La Nuit de l’Ete (1979), Les Malheurs de Sophie (1981), Cingmars (1981), Un Bon Petit Diable (1983), Vacances Bougeoises (1996), Georges Dandin de Moliere (1997), La Dame aux Camelias (1998), and Les Parents Terribles (2003). He also performed frequently on the stage, appearing in such productions as Georges Feydeau’s A Flea in Her Ear (1968), Hotel Paradiso (1974), Sacha Guitry’s Desire (1984), The Illusionist (1989), and Jealousy (1992). Brialy made numerous appearances on French television, appearing in Cheri (1962), Anna (1967), Soiree Courteline (1974), Dancing Star (1977), Arsene Lupin Joue et Perd (1980), Cing-mars (1981), L’Accompagnateur (1982), Mozart (1982), Les Uns et les Autres (1983), Pere Noel et Fils (1983), Die Schone Wilhelmine (1984), L’Herbe Rouge (1985), Colpo di Coda (1993), Lucas (1993), Vacances Bougeoises (1996), Les Heritiers (1997), La Grande Beke (1998), The Count of Monte Cristo (1998), Nos Jolies Colonies de Vacances (2000), The Blue Bicycle (2000), Elisabeth (2000), Les Filles a Papa (2001), Nana (2001), On ne Choisit pas sa Famille (2002), Le Hasard fait bien les Choses (2002), and Les Rois Maudits (2005). He appeared regularly as Eric Ferbac in the French television
Jean-Claude Brialy
Obituaries • 2007 series Ferbac from 1991 through 1994, and was Guillaume Ferrare in Le President Ferrare from 2004. Brialy’s final role was as poet Max Jacob in the 2006 television production of Monsieur Max.
BRIGHTMAN, LUCY Character actress Lucy Brightman died in Bethesda, Maryland, on April 9, 2007. She was 88. Brightman was born on November 15, 1918. She appeared frequently on the local stage in Maryland. She was also featured in several films including He Said, She Said (1991) and Falling to Peaces (1999). She starred as Hilary Stevens in the 2004 film Mrs. Stevens Hears the Mermaids Singing.
46 Me (1956), and Das Liebesleben des Schonen Franz (1956). He also appeared onscreen in the films I and My Wife (1953) and Die Schone Lugnerin (1959), and was featured in a small role in the 1983 television mini-series Wagner. During the course of his career Bronner composed or contributed to more than 2,500 songs. He remained an active part of Austria’s theatrical life, making his final stage performance several weeks before his death.
BROOKS, DONNIE Singer Donnie Brooks died of a heart attack in Burbank, California, on February 23, 2007. He was 71. He was born John Dee Abohosh in Dallas, Texas, on February 6, 1936, and took the name John Faircloth when he was adopted by his stepfather as a teenager. He began singing in the late 1950s, recording under several names including Johnny Jordan, Dick Bush, and Johnny Faire. He became known as Donnie Brooks in 1959 with the song “Lil’ Sweetheart,” and had his first hit with the 1960 song “Mission Bell.” He was featured in cameo roles in several films in the 1960s including Get Yourself a College Girl (1964) singing “Sloppy Sue,” A Swingin’ Summer (1965) singing “Penny the Poo,” and The Love-Ins (1967). He also appeared in an episode of the television sit-com Our Man Higgins. Brooks continued to record through the 1970s, playing Jesus Christ in the 1971 rock opera Truth of Truths which featured Jim Backus as the voice of God. Brooks performed in several oldies revival concerts in recent years.
Lucy Brightman
BRONNER, GERHARD Austrian cabaret artist and composer Gerhard Bronner died of complications from a stroke in Vienna, Austria, on January 19, 2007. He was 84. Bronner was to a Jewish family born in Vienna on October 23, 1922. He fled Austria after the Nazis took control of the country in the 1930s and eventually settled in Palestine. He performed there as a pianist entertaining British troops during the war. Bronner returned to Vienna in 1948 where he transformed a nightclub into a small theatre. Bronner wrote and composer for the stage there, and often performed comedy routines with Helmut Qualtinger. He also composed music for films and television productions in the 1950s including the features Wienerinnen (1952), And Who Is Kissing
Gerhard Bronner
Donnie Brooks
BROOKS, JOE Joe Brooks, who was featured as Trooper Vanderbilt in the 1960s comedy western sit-com F-Troop died in California on December 5, 2007. He was 83. Brooks made his film debut in a small role in John Wayne’s 1944 feature The Fighting Seabees. He served in the merchant marine during World War II, and returned to Hollywood to work as a film extra after leaving the service in 1948. He appeared in small roles in the films East of Eden (1955), Tall Man Riding (1955), The Enemy Below (1957), Rock-a-Bye Baby (1958), Born Reckless (1958), The Young Philadelphians (1959), Blue Denim (1959), Flaming Star (1960), Bachelor Flat (1962), Robin and the 7 Hoods (1964), and Advance to the Rear (1964). He was best known for his role as F Troop’s blind Trooper Vanderbilt from 1965 to 1967. He was a stunt driver in the 1971 cult classic Vanishing Point, and appeared in the
47 films Bite the Bullet (1975), The Bad New Bears (1976), The Big Bus (1976), Gremlins (1984) as Santa Claus, Vendetta (1986), and Eye of the Tiger (1986). Brooks was also featured in the tele-films The Brotherhood of the Bell (1970), Pursuit (1972), and Exo-Man (1977). His other television credits include episodes of Cheyenne, Rawhide, Bewitched, The Munsters, Slattery’s People, I Dream of Jeannie, Batman, The Six Million Dollar Man, and The Fall Guy.
2007 • Obituaries State Trooper, One Step Beyond, Ben Casey, The Dick Powell Show, The Great Adventure, The Fugitive, and Slattery’s People. Brophy also appeared in several films during her career including Storm Center (1956), The Green-Eyed Blonde (1957), and The Children’s Hour (1961). Brophy married writer and television host George J. W. Goodman, who was better known as Adam Smith, in 1961. She retired from the screen in 1965 when she and her husband moved to Princeton. She taught theater for over 20 years at nearby Rider College and directed student productions at Princeton University.
BROPHY, SALLIE Actress Sallie Brophy died of non–Hodgkin’s lymphoma in a Princeton, New Jersey, hospital on September 18, 2007. She was 78. Brophy was born in Phoenix, Arizona, on December 14, 1928. She studied in London at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, graduating in 1950. She began acting on stage and television in New York in the early 1950s. Brophy starred as Julie Fielding in the 1953 drama series Follow Your Heart. She starred as Montana territory boarding house proprietor Annie O’Connell in the western series Buckskin in 1958. Her other television credits include episodes of Eye Witness, Fireside Theatre, The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse, Medic, The Lone Wolf, Producer’s Showcase, The Millionaire, Cavalcade of America, Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, Studio 57, Climax!, Jane Wyman Presents the Fireside Theatre, Frontier, Matinee Theatre, United States Steel Hour, Lux Video Theatre, The Alcoa Hour, The Kaiser Aluminum Hour, Wagon Train, Suspicion, General Electric Theater,
BROSSET, CLAUDE French actor Claude Brosset died in Pontoise, Val d’Oise, France, after a long illness on June 25, 2007. He was 63. Brosset was born in Juvisy-Sur-Orge, Essonne, France, on December 24, 1943. He was a popular performer in French films and television productions from the early 1960s. Heavy-set with red hair, Brosset appeared in supporting and character roles in such films as Shock Troops (1967), La Desirade (1969), One Is Always Too Good to Women (1971), The Fighting Cock (1971), Nothing to Report (1973), The Edifying and Joyous Story of Colinot (1973), The French Detective (1975), Hunter Will Get You (1976), Body of My Enemy (1976), The Barricade at Point du Jour (1978), Out of It (1978), Cop or Hood (1979), I’ve Got You, You’ve Got Me by the Chin Hairs (1979), A Little Romance (1979), La Flambeuse (1981), Putain d’Histoire d’Amour (1981), Scratch (1982), Le Crime de’Amour (1982), The Outsider (1983), Kill the Referee (1984), My New Partner (1984), Cayenne Palace (1987), Maldonne (1988), France Images d’Une Revolution (1989) as King Louis XVI, No Time for Justice (1990), L 627 (1992), La Braconne (1993), The Raft of the Medusa (1994), Turkish Passion (1994), Le Dur Metier de Policier (1996), Captain Conan (1996), The Three Kings (2001), OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies (2006), and Gomez vs. Tavares (2007). He was also seen in numerous television productions including Ambrose Pare (1968), Fortune (1969), Les Cousins de la Constance (1970), Dossiers de Me Robineau: Main Basse sur la Campagne (1972), Raboliot (1972), Les Rois Maudits (1972), Les Coqs de Minuit (1973), L’Education Sentimentale (1973), Histoire Vraie (1973), Un Humme, Une Ville (1973), Un Certain Richard Dorian (1973), Cadoudal (1974), Le Port (1974), Aredchois-Coeur-Fidele (1974), Die Unfreiwilligen
Sallie Brophy (with Mike Road from Buckskin)
Claude Brosset
Joe Brooks (from F Troop)
Obituaries • 2007 Reisen des Moritz August Benjowski (1975), Le Berthe (1975), La Filere (1978), Le Dernier Regard de l’Aigle (1979), La Servante (1979), Le Comte de Monte-Cristo (1980), Raspail ou La Passion de la Republique (1981), Histoire Contemporaine (1981), An Orphan Tale (1981), Rioda (1981), Le Village sur la Colline (1982), Adios, Antoinette (1982), Le Truqueur (1982), Jupiter 81 (1982), Les Chardons de la Colline (1983), La Groupie (1984), Tout Comme un Homme (1984), Un Aventurier Nomme Godin (1985), Felicien Greveche (1986), Les Nuits Revolutionnaires (1989), Le Dejeuner de Sousceyrac (1990), L’Alerte Rouge (1991), Evasion (1992), Emma Zunz (1992), Prat et Harris (1993), A Year in Provence (1993), Ma Petite Mimi (1993), Le Jour du Serpent (1994), La Riviere Esperance (1995), Une Femme Explosive (1996), Flairs Ennemis (1996), Credit Bonheur (1996), Le Bois du Pardoux (2000), L’Aine des Ferchaux (2001), Night Squad (2001) as Nounors, and La Rohnde des Flandres (2004).
BROSSET, COLETTE French actress Colette Brosset died in Paris on March 1, 2007. She was 85. Brosset was born in Paris on February 21, 1922. She began performing on stage and in films while in her teens. Brosset appeared in such films as Un Coup de Rouge (1937), Therese Martin (1939), Star Without Light (1946), Master Love (1946), Are You Quite Sure? (1947), Les Aventures des Pieds-Nickeles (1948), I Like Only You (1949), Branguignol (aka Crazy Show) (1949), Bernard and the Lion (1951), L’Amour n’est pas un Peche (1952), Peek-A-Boo (1954), The American Beauty (1961), Allez France! (aka The Counterfeit Constable) (1964) which she also wrote, Public School (1965), Is Paris Burning? (1966), Don’t Look Now, We’re Being Shot At (1966), The Mad Adventures of the Bouncing Beauty (1967) which she also scripted, Three Men on a Horse (1969), and Shut Up, Gulli (1974). She also starred as the grandmother in the 1987 television mini-series Qui c’est ce Garcon?
48 came a leading competitor in Stu Hart’s Stampede Wrestling in the 1980s where he was known as Bad News Allen. He entered the WWF (now WWE) as Bad News Brown in 1988, where he feuded with Randy Savage, Rowdy Roddy Piper, and Jake ‘the Snake’ Roberts. He also challenged Hulk Hogan for the WWF championship before leaving the promotion in 1990. He continued to compete in independent promotions until retiring from the ring due to knee injuries in 1998.
Bad News Brown
BROWN, BOOGIE WOOGIE Delance Clifford Wright, who wrestled professionally as Boogie Woogie Brown, died of complications from lupus on June 23, 2007. He was 54. Wright was born in Wilmington, Delaware, on November 1, 1952. He began wrestling professionally in the early 1990s, and competed frequently with the East Coast Wrestling Alliance (ECWA). He teamed with Danny “Inferno Kid” Gimondo to hold the ECWA Tag Team Titles, and was ECWA MidAtlantic Champion twice during the decade.
Colette Brosset Boogie Woogie Brown
BROWN, BAD NEWS Allen Coage, who wrestled in the WWE in the late 1980s as Bad News Brown, died of a heart attack in a Calgary, Alberta, Canada, hospital, on March 6, 2007. He was 63. Coage was born in New York City on October 22, 1943. A student of judo, he earned a bronze medal at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal. He began wrestling professionally in 1978, and be-
BROWN, BUCK Robert “Buck” Brown, the cartoonist who created the naughty “Granny” cartoons for Playboy magazine, died of complications from a stroke in Chicago, Illinois, on July 2, 2007. He was 71. Brown was born in Morrison, Tennessee, on February 3, 1936. He began working as an artist in the 1950s and his
49
Buck Brown
first cartoon appeared in Playboy in 1962. He created the popular Granny character in 1966. Playboy printed more than 600 of Brown’s cartoons over the next forty years. His work was also seen in the pages of Esquire, Ebony, and Jet. A leading black artist, Brown also produced numerous artworks which he termed “soul genre painting.”
Buck Brown (his cartoon creation Granny)
BROWNE, GEORGE Trinidadian Calypso singer George Browne, who was known as Young Tiger, died in London on March 23, 2007. He was 86. Browne was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad, on May 4, 1920.
George Browne
2007 • Obituaries He went to London in 1941 after serving in the merchant marine, and was soon singing in clubs. He composed the popular song “Christmas Calypso” in 1943, and formed the band Three Just Men in 1947. The group performed in Paris before breaking up in 1950. Browne recorded “Single Man” in 1951, and the popular “I Was There (at the Coronation”) following the crowning of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. He continued to record and perform over the next decade, experimenting with forms of music other than calypso. He also appeared as the storyteller in several episodes of the children’s television series Jackanory, and recorded the album A Folk Evening with George Browne in 1967. He also performed onstage with the National Theatre and the Stratford Theatre Royal in the late 1960s. He largely retired from show business in 1970, but returned to performing several years before his death.
BROWNE, ROSCOE LEE Stage, film and television star Roscoe Lee Browne, who was noted for his rich, distinctive voice, died of cancer in a Los Angeles hospital on April 11, 2007. He was 81. Browne was born in Woodbury, New Jersey, on May 2, 1925. He graduated from Lincoln University, where he later taught French and comparative literature. Brown was also a leading track star, winning the world championship in the 800yard dash in 1951. He worked as a sales representative for a wine and liquor import business for several years before embarking on an acting career in 1956. He made his stage debut in a production with the New York Shakespeare Festival, and remained a frequent performer with the festival over the years. He was part of the original cast of the Off-Broadway production of Jean Genet’s The Blacks in 1961, and starred as the mutinous slave Babu in the production of Robert Lowell’s Benito Careno in 1964. He also appeared in several short-lived Broadway productions in the 1960s including Edward Albee’s adaptation of Carson McCuller’s Ballad of Sad Cafe and A Hand Is on the Gate: An Evening of Negro Poetry and Folk Music, which he also directed. He made his film debut in 1962’s The Connection (1962), and became a familiar face in films and television. He was featured in such films as Terror in the City (1964), Black Like Me (1964), Graham Greene’s The Comedians (1967) as Petit Pierre, Up Tight! (1968), Me and My Brother (1969), Alfred Hitchcock’s Topaz (1969), The Liberation of L.B. Jones (1970) as L.B. Jones, The Cowboy (1972) with John Wayne, The Ra Expeditions (1972) as the narrator, Cisco Pike (1972), The World’s Greatest Athlete (1973), Super Fly T.N.T. (1973), Uptown Saturday Night (1974), Logan’s Run (1976) as the cyborg Box, Twilight’s Last Gleaming (1977), Double Take (1979), Nothing Personal (1980), Legal Eagles (1986), Jumpin’ Jack Flash (1986), Night Angel (1989), Moon 44 (1990), Eddie Presley (1992), The Mambo Kings (1992), Naked in New York (1993), The Beast (1995), Babre (1995) as the Narrator, Last Summer in the Hamptons (1995), Muppet Treasure Island (1996), The Pompatus of Love (1996), Dear God (1996), Forest Warrior (1996), Judas Kiss (1998), Babe: Pig in the City (1998) reprising his role as the narrator, Morgan’s Ferry (1999), Sweet Deadly Dreams (2002), and Behind the Broken Words (2003). He also narrated the films Garfield: A Tail
Obituaries • 2007 of Two Kitties (2006) and Epic Movie (2007). He was also seen in the tele-films Rex Harrison Presents Stories of Love (1974), The Big Rip-Off (1975), King (1978), Dr. Scorpion (1978), The Haunting of Harrington House (1981), For Us the Living: The Medgar Evers Story (1983), James Michener’s Space (1985), Stuck with Each Other (1989), Lady in the Corner (1989), Columbo: Rest in Peace, Mrs. Columbo (1990), Open Window (1991), You Must Remember This (1992), Hard Time: The Premonition (1999), Hamlet (2000) as Polonius, and The Notorious 7 (1997). Browne starred as Gideon Gibbs in the television series McCoy from 1975 to 1976, and was Harold Nelstadter in the short-lived comedy series Miss Winslow and Son in 1979. He became Saunders, the butler, on the sit-com Soap from 1980 to 1981 after Robert Guillaume’s Benson received his own show. He was also featured as Rosemont in the evening soap opera Falcon Crest in 1988. He also guest-starred in episodes of such television series as East Side/West Side, That Was the Week That Was, Espionage, Mannix, The Invaders, The Outcasts, The Flip Wilson Show, The Name of the Game, Insight, Bonanza, Sanford and Son, The Streets of San Francisco, All in the Family, Good Times, Planet of the Apes, Barney Miller, Starsky and Hutch, Maude, Once Upon a Classic, Benson, Hart to Hart, Magnum, P.I., Head of the Class, 227, The Cosby Show and A Different World in the recurring role of Dr. Barnabus Foster, Highway to Heaven, Father Dowling Mysteries, Baby Talk, SeaQuest DSV in the recurring role of Dr. Raleigh Young, The John Larroquette Show, New York Undercover, CBS Schoolbreak Special, Cosby, ER, Hope Island, The Proud Family, The Shield, Law & Order, and Will & Grace. Browne was the voice of Merklyn and Reekon in the children’s series Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light in 1987. He was also a voice actor in the animated films Oliver & Company (1988) and Treasure Planet (2002), and such cartoon series as Foofur, Ring Raiders, The Real Ghost Busters, Batman: The Animated Series, Freakazoid!, Spider-Man as the Kingpin, The Wild Thornberrys, and Static Shock. Browne returned to Broadway in Tommy Tune’s hit production of My One and Only in 1983, and he earned a Tony Award nomination for his role in August Wilson’s Two Trains Running in 1992. He also performed spokenword works with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Boston Pops, and various other orchestras.
50 BRUCE, CAROL Actress and singer Carol Bruce, who was featured as Mama Carlson in the television comedy series WKRP in Cincinnati, died of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at the Motion Picture and Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California, on October 9, 2007. She was 87. She was born Shirley Levy in Great Neck, New York, on November 15, 1919. She began her career as a singer in nightclubs in Montreal in 1937. Her sultry voice led to a career on stage, and she made her Broadway debut in the 1940 musical comedy Louisiana Purchase. She signed a contract with Universal in the early 1940s, appeared in several films including This Woman Is Mine (1941), Keep ’Em Flying (1941), and Behind the Eight Ball (1942). She starred on Broadway as Julie in the 1946 revival of Showboat, and appeared in the musical revue Along Fifth Avenue in 1949. She also appeared on such television series as The Silver Theater, Musical Comedy Time, Studio One, Curtain Call, and Armstrong Circle Theatre in the 1950s. She continued to perform on the New York stage, and also appeared in the television soap opera Love of Life as Amanda Randolph in 1969 and 1970. She was featured in several films in the 1980s including American Gigolo (1980) and Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987). She starred as matriarch Mama Carlson on WKRP in Cincinnati from 1979 to 1982, and appeared in episodes of Charlie’s Angels, Diff ’rent Strokes, The Twilight Zone, Knots Landing in the recurring role of Annette Cunningham, Our House, Rags to Riches, Marblehead Manor, Perfect Strangers, Hooperman, Doogie Howser, M.D., The Golden Girls, Jake and the Fatman, Equal Justice, Live Shot, Party of Five, Diagnosis Murder, Pacific Palisades, Profiler, and That’s Life. She also voiced the role of the Old One in the 1996 animated film The Land Before Time IV: Journey Through the Mists.
Carol Bruce
Roscoe Lee Browne
BRUZZO, ALICIA Argentine actress Alicia Bruzzo died of lung cancer in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on February 13, 2007. She was 51. Bruzzo was born in Buenos Aires on September 29, 1955. She began her career on stage in a production of The Witches of Salem in the late 1960s. She became a popular film and television star in the 1970s, appearing in such movies as Me Enamore sin Darme Cuente (1972), Pano Verde (1973), Las Venganzas de Beto Sanchez (1973), Los Chantas (1975), I
51 Ragazzi della Roma Violenta (1976), Crazy Women (1977), The Island (1979), El Bromista (1981), Sentimental (1981), The Conquest of Paradise (1981), Esperame Mucho (1983), Nightmare’s Passengers (1984), La Rosales (1984), A Shadow You Soon Will Be (1994), De mi Barrio con Amor (1996), El Che (1997), and La Mitad Negada (2005). She starred as Luisa in the popular 1981 television series El Rafa. She also appeared in television productions of El Monstruo no ha Muerto (1970), Un Extrano en Nuestras Vidas (1972), Mama Linda (1979), La Pobre Clara (1984), Libertad Condicionada (1985), Vendedoras de Lafayette (1988), Endless Summer (1999), and The Desire (2004).
Alicia Bruzzo
BUCHHEIM, LOTHAR-GUENTHER German author Lothar-Guenther Buchheim, who was best known for writing the German war novel Das Boot, died in Berlin on February 22, 2007. He was 89. Buchheim was born in Weimar, Germany, on February 6, 1918. He served in the German Navy during World War II, and based several of his later novels on his experiences. His 1971 novel Das Boot was set aboard a war-time submarine. It was adapted into a six-hour film by director Wolfgang Petersen in 1981. Buchheim was also a noted art collector and author of books about such artists as Max Beckmann, Otto Mueller, and Pablo Picasso.
2007 • Obituaries Washington, D.C., on January 17, 2007. He was 81. Buchwald was born in Mount Vernon, New York, on October 20, 1925. He left high school to join the U.S. Marines at the start of World War II. After the war he attended the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, where he edited the campus humor magazine. He continued his studies in Paris, where he began writing for the European edition of the Herald Tribune. His column, “Paris After Dark,” gained popularity in the early 1950s and was soon syndicated internationally. Buchwald’s stay in Paris ended in 1962, when he relocated his sometimes biting humor to Washington, D.C. He remained a popular figure in the social scene there, as he had previously been in Paris. Buchwald wrote his first novel, A Gift from the Boys, in 1958. The novel, about a deported mob boss who is given a girl as a parting gift by his mob, was adapted for a 1960 film, Surprise Package, starring Yul Brynner. He wrote a comic play, Sheep on the Runway, which was produced on Broadway in 1970. His second novel, The Bollo Caper, was published in 1974, and was adapted as a tele-film in 1985. Buchwald sued Paramount Pictures in the late 1980s, alleging that the hit Eddie Murphy film Coming to America was based on a script idea he had written. The Superior Court of California ruled in his favor in 1990. His memoir, I’ll Always Have Paris, was published in 1996. Buchwald suffered from kidney failure in February of 2006, and was only given several weeks to live by doctors after he refused dialysis. He continued to write his column, visited with friends, gave numerous, interviews, and wrote a final book, Too Soon to Say Goodbye, over the next year.
Art Buchwald
Lothar-Guenther Buchheim
BUCHWALD, ART
Satirical columnist Art Buchwald died of kidney failure at his son’s home in
BUNDLES, STACK Rising young rap singer Stack Bundles was shot to death outside his home in Queens, New York, on June 11, 2007. He was 24. He was born Rayquon Elliot in Far Rockaway, New York, in 1983. He worked with such artists as Fabolous and DJ Clue and was affiliated with Cam’ron and Jim Jones’ Diplomat Brydgang rap groups. The rapper also led his own Riot Squad crew and released a myriad of solo mixtapes. (See photograph on page 52.) BUPP, SONNY Child actor Moyer “Sonny” Bupp, who was best known for his role as young Charles Foster Kane III in the 1941 film classic Citizen Kane, died
Obituaries • 2007
52 ner (1940), Queen of the Mob (1940), Three Faces West (1940), Diamond Frontier (1940), Slightly Tempted (1940), She Couldn’t Say No (1940), Father’s Son (1941), Citizen Kane (1941) as Orson Welles’ young son, Sergeant York (1941), Bad Men of Missouri (1941), International Squadron (1941), One Foot in Heaven (1941), The Devil and Daniel Webster (aka All That Money Can Buy) (1941), West of Cimarron (1941), Code of the Outlaw (1942), Syncopation (1942), Wings for the Eagle (1942), The Loves of Edgar Allan Poe (1942), Tennessee Johnson (1942), and Eyes of the Underworld (1943). Bupp retired from films and later worked as an executive with the Ford Motor Company.
Stack Bundles
in Henderson, Nevada, on November 1, 2007. He was 79. Bupp was born in New York City on January 10, 1928. He was the younger brother of actor Tommy Bupp, and the two siblings appeared together in several films. He began his onscreen career as a child in the early 1930s, appearing in such films and shorts as Kid Millions (1935), It Happened in New York (1935), Annie Oakley (1935), Our Gang Follies of 1936 (1935), Man Hunt (1936), Song and Dance Man (1936), Hearts and Bondage (1936), And Sudden Death (1936), San Francisco (1936), Star for a Night (1936), Rose Bowl (1936), What Becomes of the Children? (1936), We Who Are About to Die (1937), WomanWise (1937), The Great O’Malley (1937), Murder Goes to College (1937), Lost Horizon (1937), Michael O’Halloran (1937), Cash and Carry (1937), My Dear Miss Aldrich (1937), Love Is on the Air (1937) with Ronald Reagan in his first film role, Love on Toast (1937), Missing Witnesses (1937), Hollywood Hotel (1937), Swing Your Lady (1938), Hunted Men (1938), Penrod’s Double Trouble (1938), Men in Fright (1938), The Storm (1938), Angels with Dirty Faces (1938), Risky Business (1939), Boy Trouble (1939), Sudden Money (1939), Fixer Dugan (1939), On Borrowed Time (1939), Feathered Pests (1939), the 1939 Hopalong Cassidy film The Renegade Trail with William Boyd, When Tomorrow Comes (1939), The Day of Rest (1939), No Place to Go (1939), Emergency Squad (1940), Parole Fixer (1940), I Take This Woman (1940), Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1940) as Willie Lincoln, Little Orvie (1940), Half a Sin-
BURGWITZ, HANNA German actress Hanna Burgwitz died in Inzlingen, German, on April 14, 2007. She was 87. Burgwitz was born in Berlin, Germany, on May 18, 1919. She was a leading stage actress who also appeared frequently on television from the 1960s. She was featured in productions of A Christmas Carol in Prose, or, A Ghost Story of Christmas (1960) as Mother Cratchit, Hauptgewinn: 6 (1962), Die Feuertreppe (1962), Ostwind (1967), Die Hellseherin (1976), Zeit der Empfindsamkeit (1977), Nur fur eine Nacht (1997), Blutiger Ernst (1998), and Bis dass dein Tod uns Scheidet (2002). She also appeared in episodes of Der Kommissar, Tatort, Lindenstrasse, and Die Verbrechen des Professor Capellari. Burgwitz was also seen in several films during her career including O.K. (1970) and A Woman with Responsibilities (1978).
Hanna Burgwitz
Sonny Bupp
BURMESTER, LEO Character actor Leo Burmester died from complications from brain surgery and leukemia in New York City on June 28, 2007. He was 63. Burmester was born in Louisville, Kentucky, on February 1, 1944. He appeared on stage in Louisville and in productions of Marsha Norman’s Getting Out and James McLure’s Lone Star. He continued with the plays when they were produced in New York, becoming Burmester’s Off-Broadway and Broadway debuts, respectively. He was best known on stage for his roles in Les Miserables and Buried Child. He made his film debut in a small role in William Friedkin’s 1980 film Cruising. He also appeared in the films Honky Tonk Freeway (1981), Daniel (1983), The House of God (1984), Odd Jobs (1986),
53 Sweet Liberty (1986), Broadcast News (1987) as the father of Holly Hunter’s character, Big Business (1988), The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) as the Apostle Nathaniel, James Cameron’s The Abyss (1989) as decompression expert Catfish DeVries, Article 99 (1992), John Sayles’ Passion Fish (1992), Innocent Blood (1992), Fly by Night (1993), A Perfect World (1993), The Neon Bible (1995), Lone Star (1996), The Devil’s Advocate (1997), Switchback (1997), The Farmhouse (1998), River Red (1998), Dumbarton Bridge (1999), Getting to Know You (1999), Saturn (1999), Limbo (1999), The End of the Bar (2002), City by the Sea (2002), Out of These Rooms (2002), Martin Scorsese’s Gangs of New York (2002), Red Betsy (2003), Glengarry, Bob Ross (2003), American Brown (2004), Batch (2005), The Legend of Zorro (2005), The Partner (2006), Mercy (2007), and Aftermath (2007). He also appeared frequently on television, with roles in the tele-films Precious Blood (1982), Rattlesnake in a Cooler (1982), Sidney Sheldon’s Rage of Angels (1983), Chiefs (1983), George Washington (1984), George Washington 2: The Forging of a Nation (1986), True Blue (1989), Hamlet (1990), Hale the Hero (1992), Alex Hailey’s Queen (1993), The Great Elephant Escape (1995), Truman (1995), Mistrial (1996), William Faulkner’s Old Man (1997), ...First Do No Harm (1997), LIBERTY! The American Revolution (1997) as Gen. Nathaniel Greene, Shake, Rattle and Roll: An American Love Story (1999), Monday Night Mayhem (2002), and Carry Me Home (2004). His other television credits include episodes of Nurse, The Young Riders, Walker, Texas Ranger, Chicago Hope, You’re the One, Trinity, Baywatch, Law and Order: Criminal Intent, 100 Centre Street, Law and Order, and Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.
2007 • Obituaries Goodyear Television Playhouse, Suspense, Kraft Television Theatre, Letter to Loretta, Medic, The Millionaire, Climax!, Dragnet, General Electric Theater, Matinee Theatre, Official Detective, Wire Service, Navy Log, Jane Wyman Presents the Fireside Theatre, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Zane Grey Theater, The Walter Winchell File, M Squad, Frontier Justice, 77 Sunset Strip, State Trooper, One Step Beyond, Perry Mason, The Untouchables, The Man from Blackhawk, The Rebel, Wanted: Dead or Alive, COronado 9, Surfside 6, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Going My Way, Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone, Gunsmoke, The Great Adventure, McHale’s Navy, Convoy, The Loner, The F.B.I., Laredo, The Iron Horse The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Run for Your Life, Dragnet, The Bold Ones: The Lawyers, Daniel Boone, McCloud, The Smith Family, Banacek, Kojak, Kung Fu, Baretta, The Rockford Files, and Lou Grant. He was also featured in the tele-films Sole Survivor (1970), Do You Take This Stranger? (1971), Earth II (1971), The Snoop Sisters (1972), Columbo: Requiem for a Falling Star (1973), In Tandem (1974), Columbo: Playback (1975), The Blue Knight (1975), Helter Skelter (1976), Scott Free (1976), The Amazing Howard Hughes (1977) as Robert Maheu, and The Triangle Factor Fire Scandal (1979). Burns was also seen in numerous films during his career including Between Heaven and Hell (1956), Fear Strikes Out (1957) as Joe Cronin, Tall Story (1960), Seven Days in May (1964), Number One (1969), There Was a Crooked Man... (1970), The Iceman Cometh (1973), The Nickel Ride (1974), Seed of Innocence (1980), Frances (1982), Money to Burn (1983), Legal Eagles (1986), and Fear (1988).
Bart Burns Leo Burmester
BURNS, BART Character actor Bart Burns died at his home in West Hills, California, on July 11, 2007. He was 89. Burns was born George Joseph Burns in New York City on March 13, 1918. He served in the Marines during World War II and earned a Silver Star for heroism in the Pacific. He began his acting career after the war in 1947, and was a familiar face on television from the 1950s. Burns starred as Juror #6 in the Studio One production of Twelve Angry Men in 1954, and was Captain Pat Chambers on Mike Hammer from 1957 to 1959. He was also featured in episodes of Man Again Crime,
BURNS, FRED Comedian Fred Burns, who was born with spina bifida, died in his sleep while aboard the cruise ship Infinity in Puget Sound, near Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, on May 11, 2007. He was 49. He was born Frederick William Burns in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, on June 23, 1957. He moved to the United States and embarked upon a career in comedy, performing worldwide. Burns was a manager at the Comedy Store in La Jolla, California, for over a decade. He was seen in the 2003 film Stuck on You portraying a street comic and had a role in Fred, a documentary about his life, which was directed by Ron Ward. The film earned international acclaim and awards.
Obituaries • 2007
54 Compact, Undermind, The Power Game, The Baron, Mystery and Imagination, The Prisoner, The Saint, Spy Trap, The New Avengers, Secret Army, Play for Today, Cribb, Bergerac, Remington Steele, and Heartbeat. Burns’ final role was as the new bishop in the 2007 fantasy film Stardust.
Fred Burns
BURNS, MARK Veteran British character actor Mark Burns died in England of cancer on May 7, 2007. He was 71. Burns was born in Worchestershire, England, on March 30, 1936. He made his film debut in 1960 in a small role in Tunes of Glory. He was also seen in the films A Prize of Arms (1962), Take Me Over (1963), The Day and the Hour (1963), The System (1964), Death Is a Woman (1966), It! (1966), The Jokers (1967), I’ll Never Forget What’s’isname (1967), The Charge of the Light Brigade (1968), Roman Polanski’s A Day at the Beach (1970) starring as Bernie, The Adventures of Gerard (1970), The Virgin and the Gypsy (1970), A Time for Loving (1971), Death in Venice (1971), Ludwig (1972), House of the Living Dead (1973), Revolt of the City (1973), The Maids (1974), Juggernaut (1974), Rosebud (1974), A Long Return (1975), The Stud (1978), The Bitch (1979), Home Before Midnight (1979), Eyewitness (1981), The Wicked Lady (1983), Champions (1984), The Surrogate (1984), Keeping Track (1985), Destroying Angel (1988), Bullseye! (1990), Dirty Weekend (1993), Savage Hearts (1997), and The Clandestine Marriage (1999). Burns also appeared frequently on television, with roles in such productions as The Secret of the Nubian Tomb (1961), Saki (1962), Rupert of Hentzau (1964), Count Dracula (1977) as John Seward to Louis Jourdan’s vampire count, By the Sword Divided (1983), Wagner (1983), Passport to Murder (1993), and Sharpe’s Honour (1994). His other television credits include episodes of One Step Beyond, Studio Four, Z Cars,
Mark Burns
BURNS, RONNIE Ronnie Burns, the adopted son of comedy legends George Burns and Gracie Allen, died of cancer at his home in Pacific Palisades, California, on November 14, 2007. He was 72. He was born in Evanton, Illinois, on July 9, 1935, and was adopted when he was three months old. He joined his parents on numerous episodes of their popular television series The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show during the 1950s. He also appeared on television in episodes of Shower of Stars, The Honeymooners, Front Row Center, Playhouse 90, Panic!, The Jack Benny Program, Bachelor Father, The Steve Allen Show, General Electric Theater, The Millionaire, The Deputy, and Happy. Burns was also featured in the 1957 film Bernardine, and starred in the 1961 horror film Anatomy of a Psycho. He left acting in the early 1960s, but worked as a producer on his father’s 1964 television sit-com Wendy and Me. He was later a successful real estate investor.
Ronnie Burns
BURRUS, BOB Character actor Bob Burrus died in his Oklahoma home on January 3, 2007. He was
Bob Burrus
55 68. Burrus was born on September 14, 1938. He was featured in a small role in the film Southern Comfort (1981), and starred in the 2000 independent film Tully. He also appeared on television in the soap operas The Guiding Light and Search for Tomorrow. Burrus also performed frequently on the local stage in Louisville, Kentucky.
BURTON, DONALD British actor Donald Burton died at of emphysema his home in Cathedral City, California, on December 8, 2007. He was 73. Burton was born in Norwich, England, in 1934, and attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. He performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company from the 1960s, with roles in productions of Hamlet, The War of the Roses, and Henry IV Part 1. He was a popular performer on British television from the early 1960s, appearing in the recurring role of Detective Constable Little in Z Cars. He was Julius Karekin in the drama series Upstairs, Downstairs in 1973, and was Cmdr. Mark Nialls in the series Warship from 1973 to 1976, and was Augustus Trotter in The Duchess of Duke Street in 1976. Burton starred in the recurring role of Richard Kellie in Crown Court from 1975 to 1977, and was Harry Blaney in the science fiction series 1990 in 1978. His other television credits include episodes of Dixon of Dock Green, Big Breadwinner Hog, Roads to Freedom, Fraud Squad, Play for Today, The Adventurer, Jason King, Thirty-Minute Theatre, Softly Softly, The Protectors, Arthur of the Britons, Public Eye, Van der Valk, The Wilde Alliance, The Doombolt Chase, The Sweeney, Minder, The Sponge Man, The Onedin Line, Nanny, The Consultant, Jemima Shore Investigates, Bergerac, Storyboard, Jake and the Fatman, Perfect Strangers, and Murder, She Wrote. He also appeared in television productions of Man Who Hunting Himself (1972), War & Peace (1972), Silver Blaze (1977), The Talisman (1980), Sleeping Murder (1987), At Bertram’s Hotel (1987), and Shattered Image (1994). Burton was also featured in a handful of films during his career including Mohammed, Messenger of God (1976), Blue Chill (1989), Feminine Chemistry (1990), Hudson Hawk (1991) as Alfred. Burton was married to actress Carroll Baker for nearly 30 years.
2007 • Obituaries the name Frank Butcher, died in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, on August 22, 2007. He was 84. Garcia was born in Monterrey, Mexico, on February 12, 1923. He competed in the ring throughout Mexico and Spain during the 1940s and 1950s. He was also featured in the 1953 Mexican wrestling film Huracan Ramirez. Garcia moved to Canada in the early 1970s where he became a top competitor in Stu Hart’s Stampede Wrestling. He continued as a wrestler until 1977, though he remained active in the ring as a referee over the next decade.
Frank Butcher
BUTLER, KEN Actor Ken Butler died of lung cancer in Los Angeles on July 22, 2007. He was 55. Butler was born in New York City on August 18, 1951. He was featured in such films as King of the Gypsies (1978), Fast Break (1979), Voices (1979), Firepower (1979), All That Jazz (1979), Night of the Juggler (1980), The Pope of Greenwich Village (1984), The Orkly Kid (1985), The Beaver Trilog y (2001), Everest (2003), Mulberry Park (2005), Murder on the Yellow Brick Road (2005) also serving as associate producer, and Ken (2006). He was also seen in the television productions of The Nightmare Years (1989) and Prison Stories: Women on the Inside (1991), and episodes of Designing Women, WIOU, and Dark Justice. Butler produced the short-lived Broadway adaptation of Requiem for a Heavyweight, and starred as Maish Resnick in a recent Los Angeles production of Requiem. He is survived by his wife, singer Martha Harrer-Butler.
Donald Burton
BUTCHER, FRANK Mexican wrestler and actor Francisco Garcia, who competed in the ring under
Ken Butler
Obituaries • 2007 BYRD, BOBBY Bobby Byrd, who collaborated with legendary funk musician James Brown, died of cancer at his home in Loganville, Georgia, on September 12, 2007. He was 73. He was born Bobby Day in South Carolina on August 12, 1934. He met James Brown while serving time in a juvenile facility and during the early 1950s, he and his family sponsored James Brown’s parole from prison. Byrd formed the Gospel Starlighters in the late 1950s, and played with James Brown and Johnny Terry with the Gospel group the 3 Swanees. He and Earl Nelson recorded under the name Bob and Earl before disbanding to form the Avons, which later accepted James Brown into the group after he was released from prison. During the 1960s, the Avons underwent several name changes, first becoming The Flames, which soon became James Brown and the Famous Flames. Byrd earned his first hit in a duet with Anna King with “Baby Baby Baby” in 1964. He also released the songs “We Are in Love” and “I Need Help (I Can’t Do It Alone), which rose to the Top 20 and was heard on James Brown’s “Get Up (I Feel Like Being A Sex Machine).” His most recognized song, “I Know You Got Soul,” produced by James Brown, was released in 1971 and later became a popular single for the hip hop artists Eric B and Rakim in 1987. He released “If You Got a Love You Better Hang On to It” in 1972, and “Baby, I Love You.” Byrd left the James Brown line-up in 1973, though still performed regularly in Europe and the United States. In recent years, he toured with his wife and children, releasing the 1994 album On the Move. Byrd made his final performance at the Supernatural Festival in Holland in July of 2005. He is survived by his wife, Vicki Anderson, who was also a member of the James Brown band, and daughter, R & B singer Bonnie Byrd.
Bobby Byrd
CABOT, CHUCK Charles W. Cascales, who led an orchestra as Chuck Cabot in the 1940s and 1950s, died in Santa Monica, California, on December 27, 2007. He was 92. Cabot’s orchestra made its debut on The Fitch Bandwagon radio program in 1940. The band, which featured Beth Harmon on vocals, was popular in ballrooms from coast to coast. In the 1960s, Cascales worked as a booker for such musical acts as the Drifters, the Coasters, and the Shirelles.
56
Chuck Cabot (right, with his band and singer Jean Harmon)
CALLAHAN, JAMES T. Character actor James T. Callahan, who starred as Grandfather Walter Powell in the television sitcom Charles in Charge in the late 1980s, died of esophageal cancer at his home in Fallbrook, California, on August 3, 2007. He was 76. Callahan was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on October 4, 1930. He served in the U.S. Army in West Germany in the early 1950s and studied drama at the University of Washington later in the decade. He appeared in numerous films and television productions over the next 48 years. Callahan’s film credits include The Walking Target (1960), Experiment in Terror (1962), A Man Called Gannon (1968), Tropic of Cancer (1970), Lady Sings the Blues (1972), Outlaw Blues (1977), Cloud Dancers (1980), Inchon (1981), Hero (1992), Return of the Living Dead III (1993) as Colonel Peck, May Jean (1994), Midnight Man (1995), Return to Two Moon Junction (1995), Every Dog Has Its Day (1997), Extreme Honor (2001), The Standard (2006), and the 2007 horror film Born. He was also featured in such tele-films as Travis Logan, D.A. (1971), She Waits (1972), Mystery in Dracula’s Castle (1973), The Missiles of October (1974), McNaughton’s Daughter (1976), Studs Lonigan (1979), But Mother! (1979), Can You Hear the Laughter? The Story of Freddie Prinze (1979), The Haunting of Harrington House (1981), Rita Hayworth: The Love Goddess (1983), Little House: Look Back to Yesterday (1983), The Juggler of Notre Dame (1984), The Burning Bed (1984), A Bunny’s Tale (1985), Heart of a Champion: The Ray Mancini Story (1985), Barry Manilow’s Copacabana (1985), The Christmas Gift (1986), Prison for Children (1987), Plymouth (1991), The Last Chance Detectives: Mystery Lights of Navajo Mesa (1994) as Pop Fowler, A Part of the Family (1994), The Last Chance Detectives: Legend of the Desert Bigfoot (1995), The Last Chance Detectives: Escape from Fire Lake (1996), and Wild Hearts (2006). Callahan starred as George Callison in the television sit-com The Governor & J.J. from 1969 to 1970. He was cranky grandfather Walter Powell on Charles in Charge with Scott Baio from 1987 through 1990. The prolific performer also guest-starred in episodes of such series as The Californians, Dennis the Menace, Two Faces West, The Case of the Dangerous Robin, The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor, Perry Mason, Route 66, Have Gun —Will Travel, General Electric Theater, Stoney Burke, Combat!, Empire, The Eleventh Hour,
57 Grindl, The Richard Boone Show, The Twilight Zone, The Great Adventure, Dr. Kildare in the recurring role of Dr. Yates Atkinson, Ben Casey, My Favorite Martian, Wendy and Me, Convoy, Twelve O’Clock High, Time Tunnel, The Fugitive, Run for Your Life, The Invaders, The F.B.I., Adam-12, Cade’s County, Longstreet, Marcus Welby, M.D, M*A*S*H, Love, American Style, Barnaby Jones, Doctors’ Hospital, Cannon, Police Story, Holmes and Yo-Yo, The Rockford Files, ABC Weekend Specials, The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, Baa Baa Black Sheep, The Runaways, The Ropers, Bosom Buddies, Lou Grant, Benson, Alice, Simon & Simon, Quincy, Tales of the Gold Monkey, Remington Steele, Little House on the Prairie, Fame, Automan, The A-Team, Knight Rider, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Newhart, Highway to Heaven, The New Lassie, Dougie Howser, M.D., The Golden Girls, Picket Fences, Hope & Gloria, Caroline in the City, Cybill, Promised Land, The Practice, Chicken Soup for the Soul, ER, Body & Soul, and Medium.
2007 • Obituaries
Edith Campion
CANDEIAS, OSUALDO RIBEIRO Brazilian filmmaker Osualdo Ribeiro Candeias died of respiratory failure in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on February 8, 2007. He was 84. Candeias was born in Cajubi, Brazil on November 5, 1922. He served in the military and worked as a truck driver before embarking on a career in films in the 1950s. He was best known for making the 1967 film The Margin. He also wrote and directed a segment of Jose Mojica Marins’ 1968 horror film Trilog y of Terror. He also worked with Majins on the 1969 film Ritual of the Sadists. Candeias’ other film credits include A Heranca (1970), Zezero (1974), Cacada Sangrenta (1974), Women of the Violent Sex (1976), A Opcao (1981), Manelao, o Cacador de Orelhas (1982), A Freira e a Tortura (1983), As Belas da Billings (1987), and O Vigilante (1992).
James Callahan
CAMPBELL, GAR Actor and stage director Gar Campbell died of cancer in a Los Angeles hospital on December 20, 2007. He was 64. Campbell was born in Los Angeles in 1943. He began performing on stage while a student at the University of Southern California and was co-founder of the small Company Theater in 1967. He performed on stage and frequently directed productions there and at the Pacific Resident Theatre, which he joined in 1985. Campbell also appeared in small roles in several films including Glass Houses (1972), Dream On! (1981), Fright Night Part 2 (1988), and Joseph’s Reunion (1995). CAMPION, EDITH New Zealand writer and actress Edith Campion died at her home in Otaki, New Zealand, on September 16, 2007. She was 83. Campion was born in Wellington, New Zealand, on December 13, 1923. She was a leading stage actress in New Zealand in the 1950s. She was also the author of the book A Place to Pass Through and Other Stories (1977), and the novel The Chain (1979). She was featured in a small role in the 1989 film The Audition, directed by her daughter Anna Campion. She also made a cameo appearance in Angel at My Table, the first New Zealand film directed by daughter Jane Campion in 1990.
Osualdo Ribeiro Candeias
CANTER, STANLEY Film producer Stanley Canter died of complications from heart disease in Santa Monica, California, on October 12, 2007. He was 75. Canter was born in Plainfield, New Jersey, on July 15, 1932. He graduated from UCLA and began working in television as a studio page at CBS. He produced his first film, Hornets’ Nest starring Rock Hudson, in 1970. He also produced the 1974 film W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings, starring Burt Reynolds and the private eye thriller St. Ives (1976), with Charles Bronson. Canter was best known as producer of the 1984 film Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes, starring Christopher
Obituaries • 2007 Lambert. He also directed the 1998 sequel Tarzan and the Lost City, starring Casper Van Diem as the jungle hero.
CAPRA, FRANK, JR. Film executive Frank Capra, Jr., died of prostate cancer in a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, hospital on December 19, 2007. He was 73. He was born on March 20, 1934, the son of acclaimed director Frank Capra and his second wife, the former Lucille Rayburn Warner. He attended the California Institute of Technology and Pomona College, and worked at Hughes Tool Co. making film documentaries of the government research programs conducted there. He subsequently joined the U.S. Army, serving in the Signal Corps’ film unit. Capra worked as an assistant director for his father’s 1961 film Pocketful of Miracles. He also worked in television on such series as Dennis the Menace, Hazel, Zane Grey Theater, Wanted: Dead or Alive, The Rifleman, and Gunsmoke. Capra was associated producer for the 1969 space film Marooned, and three Planet of the Apes sequels —Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971), Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972), and Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973). He was also associate producer for Woody Allen’s 1972 film Play It Again, Sam and the 1973 musical adaptation of Tom Sawyer. He also served as president of Avco-Embassy Pictures in the 1970s. Capra produced the tele-film Trapped Beneath the Sea (1974), and the features Billy Jack Goes to Washington (1977), Born Again (1978), The Black Marble (1980), An Eye for an Eye (1981), Vice Squad (1982), The Seduction (1982), Firestarter (1984), Marie (1985), and Death Before Dishonor (1987). Capra became president of the North Carolina based studio EUE/Screen Gems in 1997. Such features as The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood and 28 Days were filmed at the studio. Capra was also executive producer of the films Waterproof (1999), Queen City Blowout (2004), and Two Headed Cow (2006).
Frank Capra, Jr.
CARDOSO, YOLANDA Brazilian actress Yolanda Cardoso died of complications from pneumonia in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 10, 2007. She was 78. Cardoso was born in Santa Teresa, Rio de Janeiro, on September 18, 1928. She was a popular performer in films and television in Brazil from the late 1950s. Her film credits include Uma Certa Lucrecia (1957), Crime no
58 Sacopa (1963), Paraiba, Vida e Morte de um Bandido (1966), Engracadinha Depois dos Trinta (1966), Adoravel Trapalhao (1967), Copacabana Fools Me (1968), How Are You? Well? (1969), Elas Sao do Baralho (1977), A Arvore dos Sexos (1977), A Noite dos Duros (1978), Mulheres do Cais (1979), Os Rapazes da Dificil Vida Facil (1980), Pedro Mico (1985), and Subway to the Stars (1987). Cardoso also starred in numerous television series including Anastacia, A Mulher Sem Destino (1967), Algemas de Ouro (1969), As Pupilas do Senhor Reitor (1970), Na Idade do Lobo (1972), A Volta de Beto Rockfeller (1973), Divanas & Maravilhosas (1973), A Barba-Azul (1974), O Sheik de Ipanema (1975), A Viagem (1975), Papai Coracao (1976), Tchan! A Grande Sacada (1976), O Profeta (1977), Coracao Alado (1980), O Amor E Nosso (1981), Setimo Sentido (1982), Bandidos da Falange (1983), Transas e Caretas (1984), Direito de Amar (1987), Decadencia (1995), and Sai de Baixo (1998).
Yolanda Cardoso
CAREY, RON Comic actor Ron Carey, who was best known as Officer Carl Levitt in the television sit-com Barney Miller, died of a stroke at a hospital in Los Angeles on January 16, 2007. He was 71. Carey was born Ronald Cicenia in Newark, New Jersey, on December 11, 1935. He began his career as a stand-up comic in New York, and gained recognition by his appearances on The Merv Griffin Show in 1966. The short, round-faced comedian was also seen on Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show, The Ed Sullivan Show, and The Jackie Gleason Show. He made his film debut as a cabbie in the 1970 version of Neil Simon’s The Out of Towners. He also appeared in the films Who Killed Mary What’s ’Er Name? (1971), Made for Each Other (1971), Dynamite Chicken (19720, Mel Brooks’ Silent Movie (1976), High Anxiety (1977) as the chauffeur Brophy, Fatso (1980), History of the World: Part 1 (1981), Johnny Dangerously (1984), The Night Before Christmas (1994), The Good Bad Guy (1997), and Food for Thought (1999). Carey appeared regularly on the 1972 variety series The Melba Moore–Clifton Davis Show, and starred as Frank Montesfusco in the 1975 comedy series The Montefuscos. He was seen on a regular basis as Officer Carl Levitt in the popular series Barney Miller from 1976 to 1982. He also starred as Father Vincent Paglia in the short-lived comedy series Have Faith in 1989, and was Joe Dalton in Lucky Luke in 1991. Carey’s other tel-
59 evision credits include episodes of Alice, Benson, and New Love, American Style.
Ron Carey
CARGILL, HENSON Country singer Henson Cargill, who had a popular hit with his 1968 recording of “Skip a Rope,” died of complications from surgery in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on March 27, 2007. He was 66. Cargill was born in Oklahoma City on February 5, 1941. He began performing in Oklahoma in the 1960s, and also recorded the country hits “None of My Business” and “The Most Uncomplicated Goodbye I’ve Ever Heard.” He also performed on television in episodes of The Porter Wagoner Show and The Johnny Cash Show in the late 1960s and early 1970s. A CD collection of his recordings, A Very Well Traveled Man, was released in 2005.
2007 • Obituaries Vanities. She also appeared in the films She Loves Me Not (1934) and Here Is My Heart (1934), both opposite Bing Crosby. She starred as Rosa Castaldi with the Marx Brothers comedy classic A Night at the Opera (1935). She also appeared in the films Larceny with Music (1943) and Hollywood Canteen (1944), and performed often on the Broadway stage from her debut in Champagne Sec. Carlisle married Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright Moss Hart, who’s works included You Can’t Take It with You and The Man Who Came to Dinner. She began a lengthy career as a panelist on the hit CBS game show To Tell the Truth in 1956. She was a frequent panelist throughout its network run in 1967 and in later syndicated versions of the show. She was also a guest panelist on the quiz shows I’ve Got a Secret, The Eyes Have It, What’s Going On?, Password, and What’s My Line? After Hart’s death in 1961, she continued to appeared in Broadway productions and made her operatic debut in the Metropolitan Opera production of The Fledermaus in 1967. Carlisle also starred in the title role of in the U.S.A. debut of Benjamin Britten Rape of Lucretia. In later years, she appeared in cameo roles in the films Radio Days (1987) and Catch Me if You Can (2002) and was featured as Mrs. Bannister in Six Degrees of Separation (1993). Carlisle was also a leading figure in New York’s social scene, serving on the New York State Council on the Arts from 1971 to 1996. She remained active until December of 2006 when she contracted pneumonia. Her survivors included her son, writer and director Christopher Hart, and daughter, Dr. Catherine Hart.
Kitty Carlisle
Henson Cargill
CARLISLE, KITTY Kitty Carlisle Hart, whose lengthy career spanned the Broadway stage, the Marx Brothers classic film A Night at the Opera, and the television quiz show To Tell the Truth, died at her New York home from complications of pneumonia on April 17, 2007. She was 96. She was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on September 3, 1910. She was educated at such prestigious institutions as the Sorbonne in Paris and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London. She made her film debut in the 1934 feature Murder at the
CARLSON, JIM Television writer Jim Carlson died of complications from heart problems at his home on August 25, 2007. He was 74. Carlson was born on August 29, 1932. He began working in television in the late 1960s writing comedy material for Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In. He also scripted episodes of such series as Emergency!, Gemini Man, The Love Boat, CHiPs, The Bionic Woman, Magnum, P.I., and Riptide. Carlson served as story editor for the 1978 science fiction series Battlestar Galactica, also writing several episodes. He also wrote frequently for ABC Weekend Specials in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Carlson wrote the animated features Dorothy Meets Ozma of Oz (1987) and Pound Puppies and the Legend of Big Paw (1988), and an episode of television’s X-Men in 1992.
Obituaries • 2007 CARMEN, JEANNE Jeanne Carmen, a pin-up girl and actress from the 1950s who claimed to be Marilyn Monroe’s closest friend, died of lymphoma at her home in Irvine, California, on December 20, 2007. She was 77. Carmen was born in Paragould, Arkansas, on August 4, 1930. She ran away from home at the age of 13 and headed to New York where she danced in burlesque shows while still a teenager. She worked as a pin-up model and appeared on television in Broadway Open House, Mike and Buff, and The Colgate Comedy Hour. She also began a career as a trick golfer, hustling money on the links with unusual golf shots. Carmen was soon in Hollywood appearing in a string of B-movies, including Striporama (1953), The Three Outlaws (1956), War Drums (1957), A Merry Mix-Up (1957), Untamed Youth (1957), Portland Expose (1957), I Married a Woman (1958), Too Much, Too Soon (1958), Born Reckless (1958), the cult horror film The Monster of Piedras Blancas (1959), and The Devil’s Hand (1962). Carmen also guest-starred in such television series as Riverboat, Have Gun —Will Travel, Tightrope, and The Dick Powell Show. She retired from the screen in the early 1960s. She embarked upon another career in the late 1980s, with her claims to have been an intimate friend of legendary actress Marilyn Monroe. Over the next 20 years she was a frequent guest on various programs and documentaries recounting her exploits with Monroe, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and the Kennedys. Despite allegations that not all of her revelations were accurate, her shocking exposés and still glamorous beauty made her a popular figure on television and at nostalgia conventions.
60 (1980) starring John Ritter, and The Secret of My Succe$s (1987) starring Michael J. Fox. Carothers also wrote the tele-films Goldilocks (1971), Miss Stewart, Sir (1972), Topper Returns (1973), Forever (1978), The Thief of Baghdad (1978), Summer Girl (1983), and Making of a Male Model (1983), and episodes of Nanny and the Professor and Goodbye, Beantown. Carothers also wrote speeches for such political figures as Nancy Reagan, and wrote the book for the 1996 stage musical Busker Alley.
CARRAS, ANTHONY Film editor Anthony “Tony” Carras died in California on August 15, 2007. He was 86. Carras was born in Detroit, Michigan, on November 23, 1920. He served as a bomber pilot during World War II. After the war, he attended the Pasadena Playhouse and began working in films as a sound editor in the 1950s. He was sound editor on the films Man with the Gun (1955), Runaway Daughters (1956), Flesh and the Spur (1957), and Hot Rod Gang (1958). He advanced to film editor later in the decade, working often for Roger Corman at American International Pictures in the 1960s. He edited such features as A Bucket of Blood (1959), Beast from Haunted Cave (1959), Blood and Steel (1959), Ski Troop Attack (1960), The Fall of the House of Usher (1960), Last Woman on Earth (1960), Master of the World (1961) which he also co-produced, The Pit and the Pendulum (1961), Tales of Terror (1962), Operation Bikini (1963) which he also directed, X —The Man with the X-Ray Eyes (1963), The Comedy of Terrors (1964) which he also produced, and Tarzan and the Great River (1967). Carras was best known for his role as a producer of many AIP’s Beach Party films in the 1960s. He was producer for Bikini Beach (1964) which he also served as second unit director on Pajama Party (1964), Beach Blanket Bingo (1965), How to Stuff a Wild Bikini (1965), Sergeant Deadhead (1965), Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine (1965), and The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini (1966). He also produced, directed, and scripted the 1971 film Rancho del Miedo (aka The Fearmaker).
Jeanne Carmen
CAROTHERS, A.J. Screenwriter A.J. Carothers died of cancer in Los Angeles on April 9, 2007. He was 75. Carothers was born in Houston, Texas, on October 22, 1931. He began his career in television as a story editor for the CBS series Studio One, and served as an associate producer for the series Playhouse 90 and G.E. Theater. He also scripted episodes of the series The Third Man, Bourbon Street Beat, My Three Sons, and The Dupont Show with June Allyson. He worked frequently for Disney in the 1960s, writing the films Miracle of the White Stallions (1963), Emil and the Detectives (1964), and The Happiest Millionaire (1967). He also scripted the films Never a Dull Moment (1968), Hero at Large
Anthony Carras
CARROLL, BOB, JR. Television writer Bob Carroll, Jr., who was co-creator of the legendary 1950s sit-com I Love Lucy, died in Los Angeles after a brief illness on January 27, 2007. He was 87. Carroll was born in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, on August 12, 1919, and was
61 raised in St. Petersburg, Florida, from an early age. He began writing while in his teens, and moved to Los Angeles to work for the CBS radio affiliate KNX. He began writing for CBS Radio in 1943, scripting such series as The Steve Allen Show and Hollywood Showcase with Hedda Hopper. He began teaming with Madelyn Pugh Davis in 1946, and first worked with Lucille Ball and producer Jess Oppenheimer for the CBS radio show My Favorite Husband in 1948. They worked together to create I Love Lucy as a comedy vehicle for Ball and her husband, Desi Arnaz, in 1951. Carroll and Pugh co-wrote all 180 episodes of the series through 1957. Carroll and Davis continued to work with Ball on such subsequent series as The Lucille Ball–Desi Arnaz Show, The Lucy Show, Here’s Lucy, and Life with Lucy. He also wrote the 1968 feature film Yours, Mine and Ours for Lucille Ball. His other television credits include the series Those Whiting Girls, The Tom Ewell Show, The Mothers-in-Law, The Paul Lynde Show, Alice, Dorothy, Mr. T and Tina, and Private Benjamin.
2007 • Obituaries He became a leading author on horseracing, writing such works as Ainslie’s Complete Guide to Thoroughbred Racing, The Compleat Horseplayer, and Ainslie’s Encyclopedia of Thoroughbred Handicapping under the pseudonym Tom Ainslie. He also authored a biography of polio vaccine developer Jonas Salk, Breakthrough, and co-wrote baseball player Curt Flood’s memoir, The Way It Is.
CARVALHINHO Brazilian comic actor Carvalhinho died of heart failure in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on March 1, 2007. He was 79. Rodolfo Carvalho was born in Recife, Brazil, on May 24, 1927. He was a popular performer on the Brazilian stage, films and television from the 1940s. He was featured in such films as Caidos do Ceu (1946), Entrei de Gaiato (1959), Dona Xepa (1959), Essa Gatinha e Minha (1966), Chegou a Hora, Camaradas! (1969), O Ladrao de Quem se Fala (1969), Uma Garota em Maus Lencois (1970), Amante Muito Louca (1973), Robin Hood, O Trapalhao da Floresta (1974), Ela, Ela, Quem? (1977), A Virgem Camuflada (1979), O Cinderelo Trapalhao (1979), Quanto Mais Pelada ... Melhor (1979), Vamos Cantar Disco Baby (1979), Bububu no Bobobo (1980), A Boca do Prazer (1984), and Irma Vap—O Retorno (2006). Carvalhinho also appeared in television productions of Deus Nos Acuda (1992), Agosto (1993), Torre de Babel (1998), and Da Cor do Pecado (2004).
Bob Carroll, Jr. (with Lucille Ball)
CARROLL, FRANCINE Television writer Francine Carroll, who created the series Amy Prentiss, died in Tarzana, California, on November 9, 2007. She was 83. She was born Francine Epstein in New York City in 1924. She began her career writing detective fiction for such publications as Black Mask. She worked frequently in television from the 1960s, scripting episodes of The Virginian and Ironside. She wrote the pilot episode for Amy Prentiss, a detective series starring Jessica Walter, in 1974. Carroll was nominated for a Writer’s Guild award for writing segments of the Showtime series Rescuers: Stories of Courage in 1998. She was married for 52 years to producer Cy Chermak, who survived her. CARTER, RICHARD Author and horse racing expert Richard Carter died in New York City on September 2, 2007. He was 89. Carter was born on January 24, 1918. He began his career as a journalist and earned a George Polk Award for a series of articles he wrote about corruption and racketeering on the New York waterfront for The New York Compass. He co-authored the memoirs of Manhattan assistant district attorney William Keating for a book entitled The Man Who Rocked the Boat, which was adapted for the 1957 film Slaughter on Tenth Avenue.
Carvalhinho
CASARES, ANA Leading Argentine actress Ana Casares died in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on March 13, 2007. She was 77. She was born Ana Urman in Stanislawow, Poland (now Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine) in 1929, and fled with her family to Argentina during World War II. She began her career on stage in the early 1950s, performing in a production of La Tia de Carlos in 1952. She made her film debut in a small role in 1951’s El Complejo de Felipe, and starred in Lucas Demare’s El Ultimo Perro in 1956. She continued her film career in such features as El Tango en Paris (1956), The Model (1958), The Boss (1958), Campo Virgen (1959), Aguello que Amamos (1959), Dos Tipos con Suerte (1960), and Viva Quien sabe Querer! (1960). Casares moved to Spain in the early 1960s where she continued her career in European films. She was featured in Top Secret— C’est pas Tojours de Caviar (1961), Buscando a Monica (1962), Three Fables of Love
Obituaries • 2007 (1962), El Diablo en Vacaciones (1963), El Juego de la Verdad (1963), Beach of Formentor (1964), Two Gangsters in the Wild West (1965), El Marques (1965), Up the MacGregors (1967), A Thousand and One Nights (1968), Red Lips (1969), Adios Cordera (1969), and Kiss Me, Monster (1969). She returned to Argentina by the end of the decade, where she appeared in the films La Vida Continua (1969) and Kid Head (1975). She also appeared in the television productions Una Luz en la Ciudad (1971) and Trampa Para un Sonador (1980) before retiring from the screen.
Ana Casares
CASE, E. THOMAS Film makeup artist E. Thomas Case died on August 10, 2007. He was 80. Case was born on April 3, 1927. He began working in films in the 1950s on Around the World in Eighty Days (1956). He also worked in television from the 1960s on the series Ben Casey and That Girl, and the tele-films No Place to Run (1972), Free to Be ... You and Me (1974), Just Me and You (1978), Nobody’s Child (1986), Ultimate Betrayal (1994), Reunion (1994), and Two Against Time (2002). He worked frequently with actresses Marlo Thomas, Kathleen Turner, and Goldie Hawn during his career. His other film credits include Jenny (1970), Brute Corps (1972), Shampoo (1975), Thieves (1977), Foul Play (1978), Promises in the Dark (1979), Chapter Two (1979), Private Benjamin (1980), Seems Like Old Times (1980), Only When I Laugh (1981), Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid (1982),
E. Thomas Case
62 Best Friends (1982), The Man with Two Brains (1983), Romancing the Stone (1984), Swing Shift (1984), The Karate Kid (1984), Prizzi’s Honor (1985), Pegg y Sue Got Married (1986), Heartbreak Ridge (1986), Overboard (1987), Everybody’s All-American (1988), The Doors (1991), Career Opportunities (1991), W.I. Warshawski (1991), HouseSitter (1992), Death Becomes Her (1992), Undercover Blues (1993), Serial Mom (1994), The First Wives Club (1996), and Playing Mona Lisa (2000).
CASSEL, JEAN-PIERRE French actor JeanPierre Cassel died in Paris after a long illness on April 19, 2007. He was 74. Cassel was born Jean-Pierre Crochon in Paris on October 27, 1932. He began his career in films in the early 1950s, appearing in small roles in The Road to Happiness (1953), Act of Love (1953), The Happy Road (1957), La Peau de l’Ours (1957), On Foot, on Horse, and on Wheels (1957), Crazy in the Noodle (1957), Les Surmenes (1958), The Night Affair (1958), Sacree Jeunesse (1958), Love Is My Profession (1958), and La Marraine de Charley (1959). He gained fame from his starring roles in several comedy films by director Philippe de Broca including The Joker (1960) and The Game of Love (1960). Cassel continued to appear in over 100 films over the next five decades including Candide (1960), Napoleon II, l’Aiglon (1961), Five Day Lover (1961), Goodbye Again (1961), The Dance (1962), The Seven Deadly Sins (1962), The Elusive Corporal (1962), Arsene Lupin vs. Arsene Lupin (1962), Nothing Ever Happens (1963), High Infidelity (1964), The Beautiful Swindlers (1964), Cyrano and d’Artagnan (1964) as d’Artagnan, Male Companion (1964), Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (1965), The Lace Wars (1965), Is Paris Burning? (1966), The Killing Game (1967), Anyone Can Play (1968), The Bear and the Doll (1969), Oh! What a Lovely War (1969), Army in the Shadows (1969), The Break Up (1970), Malepertuis (1971), The Boat on the Grass (1971), The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972) as Senechal, Il Magnate (19873), Baxter! (1973), Richard Lester’s The Three Musketeers (1973) and The Four Musketeers (1974) as King Louis XIII, Love at the Top (1974), Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express (1974), No Time for Breakfast (1975), That Lucky Torch (1975), Scrambled Eggs (1976), The Twist (1976), Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? (1978), The Meetings of Anna (1978), From Hell to Victory (1979), Grandison (1979), I’ve Got You, You’ve Got Me by the Chin Hairs (1979), La Ville des Silences (1979), Face to the Sun (1980), 5% de Risques (1980), Superman II (1980), Portrait of a Woman, Nude (1981), La Vie Continue (1981), Alice (1982), Ehrengard (1982), La Guerillera (1982), The Trout (1982), Vive la Sociale! (1983), Slices of Life (1985), Vado a Riprendermi il Gatto (1987), Mangeclous (1988), Chouans! (1988), Young Toscanini (1988), The Return of the Musketeers (1989) as Cyrano de Bergerac, Mister Frost (1990), Vincent and Theo (1990), The Maid (1991), The Favour, the Watch and the Very Big Fish (1991), Between Heaven and Earth (1992), Coup de Jeune (1993), Petain (1993), Cha Forte com Limao (1993), L’Oeil Escarlate (1993), Love and Tiny Toes (1993), Cafe au Lait (1993), Hell (1994), Blue Helmet (1994), Robert Altman’s Pret-a-Porter (1994), Valse Nocturne (1995), A Judgment in Stone (1995), Amores que Matan (1996), Les Bidochon
63 (1996), The Ice Rink (1998), Influence Peddling (1999), The Happiest Place on Earth (1999), Sade (2000), The Crimson Rivers (2000), The Woode Camera (2003), Michel Vaillant (2003), Narco (2004), Dans tes Reves (2005), Virgil (2005), Bunker Paradise (2005), Judas (2006), Congorama (2006), Call Me Agostino (2006), Fair Play (2006), Bad Faith (2006), Gone for a Dance (2007), Counter Investigation (2007), Acteur (2007), J’ai Plein de Projets (2007), and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007). Cassel also appeared on television in productions of La Nuit de Tom Brown (1959), The Marriage of Figaro (1961), La Double Inconstance (1968), L’Oeil de l’Autre (1977), The Green Jacket (1979), Love in a Cold Climate (1980), Il Caso Graziosi (1982), Dernier Banco (1984), Nel Gorgo del Peccato (1986), L’Ete 36 (1986), La Methode Rose (1986), Emma, Quattro Storie di Donne (1987), A Matter of Convenience (1987), Sentimental Journey (1987), The Secret of the Sahara (1987), Casanova (1987) as King Louis XV, La Chaine (1988), La Misere des Riches (1989), Piege Infernal (1989), Disperatamente Giulia (1989), The Phantom of the Opera (1990) as Inspector Ledoux, The Fatal Image (1990), Mountain of Diamonds (1991), Cave of the Golden Rose (1991), Blood and Dust (1992), Notorious (1992), Lieutenant Lorena (1992), Warburg: A Man of Influence (1992), Deshabilles Fatals (1992), Le Secret d’Elissa Rhais (1993), The Secret of Coach 13 (1993), Le Coeur Etincelant (1995), Le Fils de Paul (1995), L’Embellie (1996), Flairs Ennemis (1996), Le President et la Garde-Barriere (1997), Heart and Sword (1998), Mai con i Quadri (1999), Les Montagnes Bleues (1999), Le Coup du Lapin (2000), Rastignac ou les Ambitieux (2001), Double Emploi (2001), Mediterranee (2001), La Memoria e il Perdono (2001), Un Citronnier pour Deux (2001), La Chanson du Macon (2002), La Fauxs (2003), The House by the Canal (2003), Une Deuxierne Chance (2003), Menteur! Menteuse! (2004), La Femme Coquelicot (2005), and Le Vrai Coupable (2007). Cassel was also featured on television in episodes of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, Alice Nevers: Le Juge est une Femme, Tatort, Les Cordier, Juge et Flic, Crimes en Serie, and Fabien Cosma.
2007 • Obituaries red light. He was 28. Fellow film executive Rhiannon Meier, who was a passenger in Cassel’s car, was also killed in the crash. Cassel was born in Alexandria, Virginia, on June 21, 1979. He began working with Scott Rudin in 2001 and served as an assistant chief executive officer before advancing to vice president. He worked with Rudin on such recent films as The Queen, The Hours, Team America, Notes on a Scandal, and No Country for Old Men.
Sam Cassel
CASSETTI, ERICA Animation artist and modeler Erica Cassetti died in Chandler, Arizona, on April 21, 2007. She was 35. Cassetti was born in Houston, Texas, on November 18, 1971. She began her career working on the polar bear Coca Cola commercials as a computer animator. She also worked as a modeler on several Disney films including The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), Hercules (1997), Tarzan (1999), and Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001), and Dreamworks Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003).
Erica Cassetti Jean-Pierre Cassel
CASSEL, SAM Film executive Sam Cassel, a vice president with Scott Rudin Productions, was killed in Hollywood in the early hours of December 8, 2007, when his car was struck by another vehicle which ran a
CASSINGHAM, J. LAWRENCE J. Lawrence Cassingham, a radiation expert who lent his expertise to science fiction films in the 1950s, died in Northern California, on December 23, 2007. He was 89. Cassingham was born in Carlsbad, New Mexico, on December 22, 1918. He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps as a mete-
Obituaries • 2007 orologist during World War II. After the war, Cassingham developed and marketed a portable Geiger counter called the Detectron. During the 1950s, when radiation was a frequent plot device in films and television productions, Cassingham served as technical advisor. He worked on the films Zombies of the Stratosphere (1952), The Magnetic Monster (1953), The Atomic Kid (1954), and The Brain from Planet Arous (1957). Though he retired in the late 1960s, Cassingham later served as a consultant on the manufacturing of computer chips.
J. Lawrence Cassingham
CATCHING, J.P. “BILL” Stuntman and actor J.P. “Bill” Catching died at his home in Somerton, Arizona, on August 24, 2007. He was 81. Catching was born in Bexar County, Texas, on June 16, 1926. He worked in films from the late 1940s, performing stunt work for the 1948 western The Man from Colorado. Catching was Leo Carillo’s stunt double for the 1950s television series The Cisco Kid. He also performed stunt work and performed in small roles for such series as Highway Patrol, Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok, Sky King, The Roy Rogers Show, Brave Eagle, The Adventures of Jim Bowie, Death Valley Days, Gunsmoke, Zane Grey Theater, Tales of Wells Fargo, Jefferson Drum, The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, Tombstone Territory, Wanted: Dead or Alive, The Rifleman, Mackenzie’s Raiders, The Rough Riders, Northwest Passage, Laramie, Johnny Ringo, The Untouchables, Law of the Plainsman, Wichita Town, The Brothers Brannagan, The Case of the Dangerous Robin, Sea Hunt, Bonanza, Whispering Smith, The Outer Limits, The Virginian, Burke’s Law, The Andy Griffith Show, Honey West, Branded, The Big Valley, Wild Wild West, The Name of the Game, The F.B.I., Star Trek, Apple’s Way, Kung Fu, McCloud, Wonder Woman, The Quest, and The Fall Guy. Catching also worked on numerous films including The Nebraskan (1953), War Paint (1953), They Rode West (1954), 5 Against the House (1955), The Man from Laramie (1955), The Beast from Hollow Mountain (1956), Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest (1959), Spartacus (1960), Sergeants 3 (1962), Six Black Horses (1962), Ride the High Country (1962), Gunfight at Comanche Creek (1963), 4 for Texas (1963), Seven Days in May (1964), Major Dundee (1965), Operation C.I.A. (1965), The Great Race (1965), Return of the Seven (1966), Ride Beyond Vengeance (1966), A Time for
64 Killing (1967), The Last Challenge (1967), Day of the Evil Gun (1968), Guns for San Sebastian (1968), Support Your Local Sheriff ! (1969), Impasse (1969), Run, Angel, Run (1969), Heaven with a Gun (1969), The Great Bank Robbery (1969), Macho Callahan (1970), The Phynx (1970), Flap (1970), The Cowboys (1972), The Great Northfield, Minnesota Raid (1972), The Poseidon Adventure (1972), Mean Streets (1973), Westworld (1973), Dirty Mary Crazy Larry (1974), Earthquake (1974), The Hindenburg (1975), Two-Minute Warning (1976), Avalanche (1978), Mean Dog Blues (1978), The Man with Bogart’s Face (1980), Motel Hell (1980), Timerider (1982), Salvador (1986), and Moon Over Parador (1988). He also worked on the telefilms Ordeal (1973), The Hanged Man (1974), Fer-deLance (1974), Sky Heist (1975), Mayday at 40,000 Feet! (1976), The Hostage Heart (1977), and Stagecoach (1986). He largely retired from films in the late 1980s.
CATHCART, DARRELL Cinematographer Darrell Cathcart died of cancer in Greensboro, North Carolina, on October 21, 2007. He was 72. Cathcart was born in High Point, North Carolina, on July 14, 1935. He began his career as a cinematographer and made his film debut in 1972 with the film The Marshal of Windy Hollow. His other film credits include Spook! (1972), Seabo (1978), Wolfman (1979), The Last Game (1980), Lady Grey (1980), Living Legend: The King of Rock and Roll (1980), Carnival Magic (1981), Final Exam (1981), Death Screams (1982) and A Rare Breed (1984). Cathcart also appeared in small roles in the films Dark Sunday (1978) and Trucker’s Woman (1975), on which he was also cinematographer.
Darrell Cathcart (right, with Jerry Whittington)
CAVANDOLI, OSVALDO Italian animator Osvaldo Cavandoli died in Milan, Italy, on March 3, 2007. He was 87. Cavandoli was born in Maderno, Italy, on January 1, 1920. He was best known as the creator of the animated character La Linea, which starred in a popular television series in the early 1970s. (See photograph on page 65.) CELE, HENRY South African actor Henry Cele, who starred as Shaka in the 1986 television miniseries Shaka Zulu, died of complications from a chest infection in a Durban, South Africa, hospital on November 2, 2007. He was 58. Cele was born in Durban in
65
Osvaldo Cavandoli
1949. He was a professional soccer player known as the Black Cat before becoming an actor. He made his screen debut as Shaka in the television mini-series and the 1987 film version. He also appeared in such films as Rage to Kill (1987), Blind Justice (1988), Mercenary Fighters (1988), Light in the Jungle: The Story of Dr. Albert Schweitzer (1990), The Rutanga Tapes (1990), The Last Samurai (1990), In the Name of Blood (1990), Curse III: Blood Sacrifice (1991), Point of Impact (1993), and The Ghost and the Darkness (1996).
Henry Cele (as Shaka Zulu)
CHAPMAN, LONNY Stage and screen actor Lonny Chapman died of heart disease in a North Hollywood hospital on October 12, 2007. He was 87. Chapman was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on October 1, 1920. He served in the Marines in the South Pacific during World War II, and studied drama at the University of Oklahoma after the war. He graduated in 1947 and hitchhiked to New York with his college friend, actor Dennis Weaver. He began his career on the New York stage and made his Broadway debut in a small role in The Closing Guard in 1949. He was featured as Turk in the Broadway production of William Inge’s Come Back, Little Sheba in 1950. He continued to perform frequently on the New York stage during the 1950s, appearing in such productions as The Ladies of the Corridor, Marathon ’33, and Horton Foote’s The Chase. He also appeared in episodes of such early television series as Starlight The-
2007 • Obituaries atre, Danger, Goodyear Television Playhouse, The Philco Television Playhouse, Robert Montgomery Presents, Studio One, Harbourmaster, and The Investigator. He made his film debut in 1954’s Young at Heart, and appeared in a small role in East of Eden in 1955. He was also featured as Rock in Baby Doll in 1956. Chapman moved to Los Angeles in the early 1960s, where he helped form a branch of the Actors Studio. He became a founding member and artistic director of a theatre company known as the Group, which later took his name as the Lonny Chapman Group Repertory Theatre. He also continued his career in film and television, appearing in episodes of One Step Beyond, The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor, The Americans, Outlaws, Everglades, Naked City, Armstrong Circle Theatre, The Nurses, The DuPont Show of the Week, The Rifleman, The Wide Country, The Lloyd Bridges Show, Ben Casey, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Perry Mason, Brenner, The Defenders, For the People, Slattery’s People, Laredo, The Loner, The Fugitive, Gunsmoke, Hawk, The Road West, Death Valley Days, The Iron Horse, Dundee and the Culhane, The Big Valley, The Mod Squad, The Guns of Will Sonnett, Judd for the Defense, The Name of the Game, The Outcasts, The Virginian, Bonanza, Storefront Lawyers, The Young Lawyers, The Bold Ones: The New Doctors, The Interns, Mission: Impossible, Rod Serling’s Night Gallery, Longstreet, Cade’s County, Mannix, Doc Elliot, Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law, Kodiak, Planet of the Apes, Lucas Tanner, Ironside, The Rookies, The Family Holvak, several episodes of McCloud with his old friend Dennis Weaver, The Streets of San Francisco, Medical Center, Medical Story, Kojak, Bronk, The Blue Knight, Nashville 99, The Oregon Trail, Richie Brockelman, Private Eye, Police Story, The Runaways, The American Girls, Charlie’s Angels, The Eddie Capra Mysteries, The Incredible Hulk, Vega$, Simon & Simon, Quincy, Knight Rider, Trapper John, M.D., The Yellow Rose, Matt Houston, Hotel, The Fall Guy, Riptide, The A-Team, Stingray, Jake and the Fatman, Matlock, Murder, She Wrote, L.A. Doctors, and NYPD Blue. Chapman was featured as Deke Carter, the diner cook, in Alfred Hitchcock’s film classic The Birds in 1963. He was also seen in such films as A Covenant with Death (1967), Hour of the Gun (1967) as Turkey Creek Johnson, The Stalking Moon (1968), Woody Allen’s Take the Money and Run (1969), The Reivers (1969), I Walk the Line (1970), The Cowboys (1972) with John Wayne, Welcome Home, Soldier Boys (1972), Run, Cougar, Run (1972), Cotter (1973), Running Wild (1973), Where the Red Fern Grows (1974) as the Sheriff, Earthquake (1974), the psychological thriller The Witch Who Came from the Sea (1976), Moving Violation (1976), The Bad News Bears Go to Japan (1978), Norma Rae (1979), Running Scared (1980), When Time Ran Out (1980), The Border (1982), 52 Pick-Up (1986), Nightwatch (1997), Reindeer Games (2000), and The Hunted (2003). Chapman also appeared in such tele-films and mini-series as The Dangerous Days of Kiowa Jones (1967), Marriage: Year One (1971), The Screaming Woman (1972), Visions... (1972), Hunter (1973), The Whiz Kid and the Mystery at Riverton (1974), Big Rose: Double Trouble (1974), Hurricane (1974), Return of the Big Cat (1974), The Last Survivors (1975), Alexander: The Other Side of Dawn (1977), Black Beauty (1978),
Obituaries • 2007 King (1978) as Memphis Fire Chief Frank Holloman, Terror Out of the Sky (1978), Hanging by a Thread (1979), Blind Ambition (1979) as F.B.I. Director L. Patrick Gray, Lawman Without a Gun (1979), The Steeler and the Pittsburgh Kid (1981), The Rainmaker (1982), Who Will Love My Children? (1983), Cave-In! (1983), Baby M (1988), The China Lake Murders (1990), and The Rape of Doctor Willis (1991). Chapman’s survivors include his wife of 65 years, Erma Dean, and their son Wyley Dean Chapman.
66 CHATURVEDI, SHAIL Indian character actor Shail Chaturvedi died of complications from renal failure at his home in Mumbai, India, on October 29, 2007. He was 71. He was a leading Hindi poet and humorist who taught at Allahabad University. He also appeared in character roles in numerous films from the 1970s including Uphar (1971), My Brother (1972), Honeymoon (1973), Heart Stealer (1976), Naiyya (1979), The Tinkling of Anklets (1980), Jazbaat (1980), Without You (1982), Sun Sajna (1982), Chameli’s Marriage (1986), Narasimha (1991), Dhanwaan (1993), Paappi Devataa (1995), Kareeb (1998), and Jahan Turn Le Chalo (1999).
Lonny Chapman
CHATTERJEE, SUBHENDU
Indian Bengali actor Subhendu Chatterjee died of complications from heart and lung disease in a Kolkata, India, hospital on July 5, 2007. He was 71. Chatterjee began his film career in the mid–1960s, and was best known for his roles in several films by director Satyajit Ray. He graduated to character roles later in his career. Chatterjee was seen in such films as Up on the Clouds (1965), The Zoo (1967), Hangsa-Mithun (19680, Chowringhee (1968), Days and Nights in the Forest (1970), Disguised (1971), Anindita (1972), Chorus (1974), An Enemy of the People (1989), Red Door (1997), Crossfire (1997), Desh (2002), and In the Forest ... Again (2003). Chatterjee was also a successful stage actor, appearing in the play Bilkish Begum in the 1980s. He was also a doctor, and his son, Saswata Chatterjee, also appeared in films.
Subhendu Chatterjee
Shail Chaturvedi
CHEF TELL Friedman Paul Earhardt, a German born cook and restaurateur known to television audiences as Chef Tell, died of heart failure and complications from diabetes at his home in Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania, on October 26, 2007. He was 63. Earhardt was born in Stuttgart, Germany, on November 5, 1943, and trained as a master chef in Europe. After a successful career, dazzling diners with his culinary acumen in Europe he came to the United States in the early 1970s. He served as head chef at the Marriott Hotel in Philadelphia and became a popular local television personality with a cooking spot on Evening Magazine. Known as Chef Tell, a nickname he earned as a youth while playing William Tell in a school play, he soon became a national celebrity with appearances on such programs as
Chef Tell
67 Regis and Kathy Lee. His gregarious personality and thick German accent also led to skits on Saturday Night Live as well as immortality as the inspiration for the Muppet’s Swedish chef.
CHEGWIDDEN, ANN British film and television editor Ann Chegwidden died in England on September 6, 2007. She was 86. Chegwidden was born in Hampstead, north London, on April 27, 1921. She broke into films as an assistant sound editor for the 1949 film The Perfect Woman. She was an assistant editor for the films Seven Days to Noon (1950) and Innocents in Paris (1953). Chegwidden advanced to editor for various television productions including the series The Scarlet Pimpernel, The New Adventures of Charlie Chan, and The Veil. She served as supervising editor for the late 1960s hit espionage series The Avengers and for Dick Tupin from 1979 to 1982. Chegwidden’s numerous film credits as editor include Kill Me Tomorrow (1957), The Tommy Steele Story (1957), Petticoat Pirates (1961), The Dock Brief (1962), The Home-Made Car (1963), Roger Corman’s 1964 adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death, Crooks in Cloisters (1964), the 1966 Doctor Who film Daleks’ Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D., Two a Penny (1967), Rocket to the Moon (1967), And Soon the Darkness (1970), The Last Grenade (1970), Wuthering Heights (1970), Black Beauty (1971), The Hiding Place (1975), and Bloody Ivory (1978). Chegwidden also edited the 1973 television production Jane Goodall and the World of Animal Behavior: The Wild Dogs of Africa.
2007 • Obituaries Gold Diggers (1965), A Pink Dream (1965), Romantic World (1965), The Jade Bow (1966), Ying Ku (1967), Spring Thunder (1967), Stormy Pearls (1968), Love Song of Twins (1968), The Love Tide (1968), Unicorn Fortress (1968), Redress (1969), The Filial Girl at the Icy Valley (1970), I Don’t Want to Divorce (1970), and The Ghost’s Revenge (1971). She largely retired from the screen in the early 1970s, but made a brief comeback in the 1980 feature The Warrant of Assassination.
CHEN XIAOXU Chinese actress Chen Xiaoxu died of breast cancer in Shenzhen, China, on May 13, 2007. She was 41. Chen was born in Anshanb, Liaoning, China, in October of 1965. She was a popular performer on Chinese television, starring as Lin Daiyu in the 1987 series Dreams of the Red Chamber. Chen later retired from acting to become a Buddhist nun.
CHEN, SISI Hong Kong actress Sisi Chen died of pancreatic cancer in a Shanghai, China, hospital on October 7, 2007. She was 69. Chen was born in Shanghai in 1938. She was a popular performer in Hong Kong cinema from the 1950s, with such film credits as She Swallowed Her Sorrows (1956), Suspicion (1957), The Lone Woman (1957), The Brigade (1957), Ming Feng (1957), The Shadow (1957), Miss Fragrance (1958), The Nature of Spring (1958), Affairs of Kitty (1958), The Outsider (1958), The Golden Beauty (1959), Wonderful Thoughts (1959), Love Affairs of a Confirmed Bachelor (1959), Girl on the Front Page (1960), Come on, Everybody! (1960), A Dazzling Trap (1961), The Lady Racketeer (1961), Red Bat Apartment (1962), Treasure Island (1964), the acclaimed San Xiao (aka Three Charming Smiles) (1964) as Qiu Xiang,
CHIMARAS, YANIS Venezuelan television actor Yanis Chimaras was stabbed to death in Caracas, Venezuela, on April 24, 2007, when he interrupted a robbery at the home of his daughter’s friend. He was 51. Chimaras was born in Caracas on August 1, 1955. He was a popular performer in telenovelas in Venezuela from the early 1980s, with such credits as Elizabeth (1980), Rosa Campos, Provinciana (1980), Marielena (1981), Kapricho S.A. (1982), Bienvenida Esperanza (1983), Azucena (1984), La Salvaje (1984), Mi Amada Beatriz (1987),
Sisi Chen
Yanis Chimaras
Chen Xiaoxu
Obituaries • 2007
68
La Revancha (1989), Piel (1992), Sol de Tantacion (1996), El Perdon de los Pecados (1996), Contra Viento y Marea (1997), El Pais de las Mujeres (1998), Toda Mujer (1999), Amantes de Luna Llena (2000), Mas Que Amor, Frenesi (2001), Mambo y Canela (2002), Lejana Como el Viento (2002), Las Gonzalez (2002), Enganada (2003), Cosita Rica (2003), and El Amor las Vuelve Locas (2005). He also appeared in several films during his career including Homicidio Culposo (1983), Reten de Catia (1984), Colt Comando 5.56 (1986), Rosa de Francia (1995), Sucre (1996), Amanecio de Golpe (1998), and El Caracazo (2005).
CHINNOCK, BILL Instrumentalist, singer and songwriter Bill Chinnock, who was an original member of the band that evolved into Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, committed suicide at his home in Yarmouth, Maine, on March 7, 2007. He had been suffering from Lyme disease. He was 59. Chinnock was born in Newark, New Jersey, on November 12, 1947. He led a band that included many musicians that later played with Springsteen including Danny Federici, Vini Lopez, and Garry Tallent. He moved to Maine in the early 1970s and recorded 13 albums on such labels as Paramount, Atlantic, and Backstreet, and well as his own independent label. His albums include Badlands, Alive at the Loft, Dime Store Heroes, Livin’ in the Promised Land, and Out on the Borderline. Chinnock also composed music for film and television, earning an Emmy Award in 1987 for musical direction and composition for the theme song for the daytime soap opera The Edge of Night. He later recorded a duet with Roberta Flack of the theme song for The Guiding Light soap opera.
Bill Chinnock
CHMIELNIK, JACEK Polish actor Jacek Chmielnik died in Poland of an accidental electrocution on August 22, 2007. He was 54. Chmielnik was born in Lodz, Poland, on January 31, 1953. He appeared in several films from the 1980s including Hit the Bank (1981), Point of No Return (1985), The Invitation (1986), On the Banks of the Niemen (1987), Between (1987), King Size (1988), The Colors of Loving (1988), and Close Encounters with the Jolly Devil (1989). He also performed frequently on stage and television, with recent appearances in such series as Na Dobre i na Zie, Warto Kochac, and Lokatorzy.
Jacek Chmielnik
CHONG, PHILIP Stuntman and actor Philip Chong died of a heart attack on March 3, 2007. He was 70. Chong was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, on December 29, 1936. He moved to California in 1969 and his friend, actor Kenny Endoso, helped him get his start in films. Chong was an expert horseman and made his film debut as a Mongolian rider in the 1973 remake of The Lost Horizon. He became the first Asian-American to become a member of the Stuntmen’s Association of Motion Pictures. Chong performed stunts and appeared in small roles in numerous film and television productions. His film credits include Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977), Go Tell the Spartans (1978), Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979), The In-Laws (1979), The Exterminator (1980), Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen (1981), Bustin’ Loose (1981), Inchon (1981), Force: Five (1981), I, the Jury (1982), The Sword and the Sorcerer (1992), Hysterical (1993), Breathless (1983), Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone (1983), The Man Who Wasn’t There (1983), Get Crazy (1983), Girls of the White Orchid (1983), Uncommon Valor (1983), Code Name: Zebra (1984), Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984), Bachelor Party (1984), The Wild Life (1984), Avenging Angel (1985), Missing in Action 2: The Beginning (1985), Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985), To Live and Die in L.A. (1985), John Carpenter’s Big Trouble in Little China (1986), Firewalker (1986), The Golden Child (1986), Nightforce (1987), Wanted: Dead or Alive (1987), Fatal Beauty (1987), The Hanoi Hilton (1987), Extreme Prejudice (1987), The Running Man (1987), The Presidio (1988), Waxwork (1988), Caddyshack (1988), They Life (1988), Criminal Act (1989), Black Rain (1989), W.B., Blue and the Bean (1989), DMZ (1990), Vietnam, Texas (1990), Loose Cannons (1990), Joe Versus the Volcano (1990), Another 48 Hrs. (1990), RoboCop 2 (1990), Come See the Paradise (1990), Death Warrant (1990), Predator 2 (1990), The Rookie (1990), Wishman (1991), Flight of the Intruder (1991), The Perfect Weapon (1991), Showdown in Little Tokyo (1991), The Naked Gun 21 ⁄ 2: The Smell of Fear (1991), Past Midnight (1992), Deep Cover (1992), Unlawful Entry (1992), Rapid Fire (1992), Live Wire (1992), Candyman (1992), Leather Jackets (1992), Sidekicks (1992), Nemesis (1993), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (1993), Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993), Freaked (1993), American Yakuza (1993), On Deadly Ground (1994), In
69 the Army Now (1994), Color of Night (1994), The Glass Shield (1994), Double Dragon (1994), Drop Zone (1994), Top Dog (1995), A Walk in the Clouds (1995), Batman Forever (1995), Mallrats (1995), Dog Watch (1996), For Better or Worse (1996), Escape from L.A. (1996), High School High (1996), Set It Off (1996), Mars Attacks! (1996), Beverly Hills Ninja (1997), Dante’s Peak (1997), National Lampoon’s Vegas Vacation (1997), Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997), The Game (1997), Red Corner (1997), Lethal Weapon 4 (1998), Overnight Delivery (1998), Godzilla (1998), Blade (1998), Durango Kids (1999), Inspector Gadget (1999), Me, Myself & Irene (2000), Bedazzled (2000), Traffic (2000), Swordfish (2001), Joy Ride (2001), The Wedding Planner (2001), Slackers (2002), Clockstoppers (2002), Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), Daredevil (2003), The Italian Job (2003), The Last Samurai (2003), Criminal (2004), and Memoirs of a Geisha (2005). Chong also worked on the tele-films and mini-series War and Remembrance (1988), El Diablo (1990), The O.J. Simpson Story (1995), Here Come the Munsters (1995), and The Cherokee Kid (1996), and the television series Kung Fu, Hawaii Five-O, Bring ’Em Back Alive, The Fall Guy, Fortune Dane, Hooperman, Tour of Duty, Nash Bridges, and She Spies.
2007 • Obituaries rect, and often write, such films as Hammer or Anvil (1972), The Last Summer (1974), A Tree Without Roots (1974), Cyclops (1976), Against the Wind (1977), The Barrier (1979), The Truck (1980), A Woman at Thirty-Three (1982), Question of Time (1984), Reference (1985), Test ’88 (1989), Dum Spiro Spero (1995), and Sulamit (1997). He also worked in television, directing Megapolis (1982), Kendzo Tange (1982), Hovanshtina (1989), Don Carlos (1989), Attila (1989), and 9: Figure of the Cobra (1989). Christov was the chairman of the Union of Bulgarian Film Workers from 1974 to 1982.
Christo Christov
Philip Chong
CHOWDHURY, ANJAN Indian film director Anjan Chowdhury died of complications from heart bypass surgery in a Kolkata, India, hospital on February 21, 2007. He was 63. Members of Chowdhury’s family and fellow Bengali film celebrities accused the private hospital of negligence in regard to the director’s death. Chowdhury was noted as the director for the Bengali-language films Shatru, Guru Dakshina, and Mejo Bou in the 1980s. CHRISTOV, CHRISTO Bulgarian film director Christo Christov died in Sofia, Bulgaria, on April 16, 2007. He was 81. Christov was born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, on April 11, 1926. He studied medicine, earning a degree in 1952. He subsequently attended the Higher Institute of Theatrical Arts in Sofia. He worked as a stage director and designer at the Povdiv Theater from 1958 to 1966 before serving a year as an apprentice director at Mosfilm Studios. He made his film debut as a director with 1969’s The Altarpiece Maker. He continued to di-
CHURCHILL, ARABELLA Arabella SpencerChurchill, the iconoclastic granddaughter of British statesman Winston Churchill and a founder of the Glastonbury Rock Festival, died of pancreatic cancer at her home in Glastonbury, England, on December 20, 2007. She was 58. She was born in London on October 31, 1949, the daughter of Sir Winston’s son Randolph. Arabella was a debutante in 1967, but was soon alienating the more staid members of her family by adapting a hippie lifestyle and espousing leftist causes. After a brief stint working as a model, she married professional juggler, Ian “Haggis” McCloud. She and her husband’s carnival friends became involved in creating a festival celebrating the summer solstice in the small country town of Glastonbury in the early 1970s. The initial attempt was a failure but later in the decade she teamed with local farmer,
Arabella Churchill
Obituaries • 2007 Michael Eavis, to organize what became known as the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Arts. The festival was attracting over half a million people by the 1990s, and became known as Britain’s Woodstock. Arabella was also involved in the charity foundation for disabled children, Children’s World.
CLARE, NATALIA American ballet dancer Natalia Clare, who performed with the Ballet Russes during the 1940s and 1950s, died of a stroke in Redondo Beach, California, on April 8, 2007. She was 87. Born in Los Angeles, California, on September 3, 1919, she often performed under her maiden name, Natalia Conlon. Her father, Paul H. “Scoop” Conlon, was a prominent publicist and reporter for the Los Angeles Times. She studied dance under the tutelage of the noted choreographer Bronislava Nijinska and made her debut at the Hollywood Bowl in 1940. Clare made her international debut performing with Col. W. de Basil’s Ballets Russes from 1942 until returning to America in 1947 to perform with the Markova-Dolin Ballet. In 1949 Clare joined the Ballet Russes de Monte Carlo and remained with the troupe until 1952. She subsequently moved to Los Angeles, where she opened her own studio and founded the Ballet la Jeunsse in 1958. Her husband, composer and pianist Michael Liotweizen, died in 1995.
70 of his films, was killed along with his father in an automobile crash in Pacific Palisades, California, on April 4, 2007. He was 22. The younger Clark was born in Monterey County, California, on November 23, 1984. He appeared as a child in several films directed by his father including It Runs in the Family (1994), I’ll Remember April (1999), and Baby Geniuses (1999).
CLARK, ARIEL Ariel Clark, the son of film director Bob Clark who appeared in small roles in several
CLARK, BOB Film director Bob Clark, who directed the teen sex comedy Porky’s and the modern Christmas classic A Christmas Story, was killed in Pacific Palisades, California, when his car collided head-on with another vehicle on April 4, 2007. He was 67. Clark’s 22year-old son Ariel Hanrath-Clark, also died in the crash. The driver of the other vehicles, which reportedly was traveling in the wrong lane, was charged with driving without a license and driving while intoxicated. Clark was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on August 5, 1939. He began working in films in the mid–1960s, serving as assistant director on the 1967 exploitation film Shanty Tramp, and directing and writing She Male (1967). Clark was involved in the production of several cult horror films in the 1970s, producing, directing, and scripting Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things in 1972, and producing Deranged in 1974. He also produced and directed Dead of Night (aka Deathdream) (1974), the holiday horror classic Black Christmas (aka Silent Night, Evil Night) (1974), and Murder by Decree (1979) starring Christopher Plummer as Sherlock Holmes, squaring off against Jack the Ripper. He also produced and directed the 1976 thriller Breaking Point and directed the drama Tribute (1980). Clark scored a major success with the 1982 comedy Porky’s, and the 1983 sequel, Porky’s II: The Next Day, which he produced, directed and scripted. He also adapted Jean Shepherd’s childhood memoir A Christmas Story to film in 1983. The tale of young Ralphie, whose desire for a Red Ryder air rifle for Christmas is met with the constant rebuke from adults that “You’ll shoot your eye out, kid,” became a seasonal classic. Peter Billingsley starred as Ralphie, and Darren McGavin and Melinda Dillon were featured as his parents. A later sequel, It Runs in the Family (1994), proved less successful. Clark also directed the films Rhinestone (1984) starring Sylvester Stallone and Dolly Parton, Turk 182! (1985), From the Hip (1987), Loose Cannons (1990), I’ll Remember April (1999), Baby Geniuses (1999), Now and Forever
Ariel Clark
Bob Clark
Natalia Clare (with Oleg Tupine)
71 (2002), The Karate Dog (2004), and SuperBabies: Baby Geniuses 2 (2004). He also directed the tele-films Arthur Miler’s The American Clock (1993), Fudge-A-Mania (1995), Stolen Memories: Secrets from the Rose Garden (1996), The Ransom of Red Chief (1998), Catch a Falling Star (2000), and Maniac Magee (2003). He also helmed an episode of Steven Spielberg’s television series Amazing Stories in 1985. Clark appeared in cameo roles in several of his films including roles as Officer Ted in Dead of Night (1974), the creepy phone voice in Black Christmas (1974), and Swede in A Christmas Story (1983). Clark also produced the 1991 horror film Popcorn, and was executive producer of the 2000 tele-film The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood. He was also executive producer of the 2006 remake of Black Christmas, and was involved in pre-production for a remake of Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things at the time of his death.
CLARK, JOHN British film art director John Clark died of heart failure in London on December 12, 2007. He was 73. Clark was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, on September 3, 1934. He was trained as an architect before working in films as a set designer in the mid–1960s. He was soon working as art director or production designer for the film Secret Ceremony (1968), Performance (1970), The Railway Children (1970), A Severed Head (1970), The Offence (1972), Jesus Christ Superstar (1973), Inserts (1974), Callan (1974), and Ken Russell’s film adaptation of The Who’s rock opera Tommy (1975). Clark also was production designer for the telefilms Mrs. Wilson’s Diary (1969) and Catholics (1973).
2007 • Obituaries married and divorce twice, to big band singer Imogene Lynn and Kathy Lennon of the Lennon Sisters.
Mahlon Clark
CLARK, MILTON, JR. Actor and singer Milton Clark, Jr., died of a heart attack in a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, hospital on May 31, 2007. He was 48. Clark was active on the local stage in Pennsylvania before moving to Los Angeles in the early 1980s. He was featured as Miles on the cable children’s television show Gerbert. He also appeared in several films including Hairspray (1988), The Prince of Tides (1991), and Younger and Younger (1993).
Milton Clark, Jr. John Clark
CLARK, MAHLON
Musician Mahlon Clark, who played the clarinet with Lawrence Welk’s band during the 1960s, died on September 20, 2007. He was 84. Clark was born in Portsmouth, Virginia, on March 7, 1923. He began performing in vaudeville as a child and later worked as a musician for big bands led by Ray McKinley, Dean Hudson, and Will Bradley. After serving in the armed forces during World War II, Clark worked as a studio musician at Paramount. He worked on many film soundtracks and was featured onscreen in the 1960 film The Rat Race. He joined Welk’s Music Makers in 1962 and played the clarinet, saxophone, and flute on The Lawrence Welk Show from 1968. Clark was
CLAY, PHILIPPE French actor and singer Philippe Clay died of heart failure in Paris on December 13, 2007. He was 80. Clay was born Philippe Mathevet in Paris on March 7, 1927. He began his career on stage in 1945, appearing in a production of Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. He became a popular singer and actor in the early 1950s, appearing in such films as Le Crime du Bouif (1952), French Cancan (1954), Life Is Beautiful (1956), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1956) as Clopin Trouillefou, Nathalie (aka The Foxiest Girl in Paris) (1957), Toto in Paris (1958), En Bordee (1958), Bell, Book and Candle (1958), The Road to Shame (1959), The Bureaucrats (1959), La Nuit des Traques (1959), Musketeers of the Sea (1960), Riff-Raff (1960), Lay Off Blondes (1960),
Obituaries • 2007 Dans l’Eau qui Fait des Bulles (1961), Man from Cocody (1965), Next Time I’ll Kill You (1966), The Hotheads (1969), Pour un Sourire (1970), Not Dumb, the Bird (1972), Les Joyeux Lurons (1972), Deadly Sting (1973), Shanks (1974) with Marcel Marceau, The Three Musketeers (1974) as the voice of Cardinal Richelieu, Quarter to Two Before Jesus Christ (1982), Un Bon Petit Diable (1983), Die Wildnis (1993), Krim (1995), The Freelancers (1998), Toulouse-Lautrec (1998), Tuvalu (1999), and Above the Clouds (2003). Clay starred as Father Christmas in the 1971 tele-film La Pere Noel est en Prison, and was featured in television productions of La Sainte Farce (1972), La Canne (1972), L’Affaire Miller (1977), La Marechale d’Ancre (1979), Novgorod (1981), Ubu Cocu ou l’Archeopteryx (1981), Febre Martin (1981), Au Bon Beurre (1981), La Nuit du General Boulanger (1982), Marianne, Une Etoile pour Napoeon (1983), L’Herbe Rouge (1985), Catherine (1986), Le Gerfaut (1987), Le Chevalier de Pardaillan (1988), L’Homme a Tout Faire (1988), Anges et Loups (1988), Le Ravissement de Scapin (1988), La Comtesse de Charny (1989), Le Gang des Tractions (1991), Un Flic Pourri (1992), Le Gourou Occidental (1993), Mort d’un Gardien de la Paix (1994), La Riviere Esperance (1995), Pasteur, Cinq Annees de Rage (1995), Les Anneaux de la Gloire (1996), Les Allumettes Suedoises (1996), La Guerre des Moutons (1996), La Parenthese (1997), La Cite des Alouettes (1997), La Grande Beke (1998), Marceeel!!! (1998), Le Comte de Monte Cristo (1998), La Maison d’Alexina (1999), Le Bimillionnaire (2000), Le Causse d’Aspignac (2000), Des Croix sur la Mer (2001), Amour, Embrouille et Balade (2002), and Dombais et Fils (2007).
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Gilles Cloutier
2007. He was 84. Clymer was born in Davenport, Iowa, on December 29, 1922. He began working as a production designer for television in the 1950s. He received an Emmy nomination in 1957 for his work on the program Frontiers of Faith, and won Emmys for Hallmark Hall of Fame in 1964 and The Holy Terror in 1965. His other television credits include productions of Kiss Me, Kate (1958), The Turn of the Screw (1959), The Labyrinth (1962), Pygmalion (1963), Barefoot in Athens (1966), Lamp at Midnight (1966), Gideon (1971), F. Scott Fitzgerald & The Last of the Belles (1974), The People vs. Jean Harris (1981), and Stone Pillow (1985). He also designed sets for the gameshows Jackpot (1974) and Blankety Blanks (1975), and the 1974 adaptation of Carl Sandburg’s Lincoln. Clymer also worked on several films during his career including Alice’s Restaurant (1969), Where’s Poppa (1970), A New Leaf (1971), Rivals (1972), and The Godfather (1972).
Philippe Clay
CLOUTIER, GILLES Canadian comedian and actor Gilles Cloutier died of cancer in Varennes, Quebec, Canada, on July 6, 2007. He was 63. Cloutier starred as Vincent Gilbert in the Scoop television series from 1992 to 1995. He was also seen in the television productions Le Paradis Terrestre (1968), Une Vie (1982) as Marc Grenier, and Lance et Compte 4 (2002) as Sarrazin. Cloutier also appeared in several films including Souvenirs Intimes (1999), The Orphan Muses (2000), and Father and Sons (2003). CLYMER, WARREN Emmy Award–winning television art director Warren Clymer died on July 16,
Warren Clymer
COAN, OLAIR Brazilian television actor Olair Coan was killed in an automobile accident on a Brazilian highway en route to Porto Feliz on December 30, 2007. He was 48. Coan was born in Porto Feliz on January 7, 1959. He began his career on stage in the 1980s. He acted and directed numerous theatrical productions. He was featured as Padre Emilio in the television series As Pupilas do Senhor Reitor in 1995. Coan was also seen in the films Satanic Attraction (1990) and Desmundo
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2007 • Obituaries
(2002). He starred in a radio adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula in 2007.
the syndicated talk shows Live with Regis and Kathie Lee and Live with Regis and Kelly.
Olair Coan
Claudia Cohen
COBDEN, RYAN
Filmmaker Ryan Cobden died of undisclosed causes on January 2, 2007. He was 32. Cobden was born on September 25, 1974. He worked in production in 2001 on Philip Seymour Hoffman’s political documentary Last Party 2000, and on the films Poster Boy and Mind the Gap, in which he was also seen on-screen as a rapist. Cobden also worked as a second unit director on the science fiction short 30:13 in 2003.
COHEN, HARVEY R. Emmy Award–winning composer and orchestrator Harvey R. Cohen died of a heart attack en route to a hospital in Agoura Hills, California, on January 14, 2007. He was 55. Cohen was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, on September 13, 1951. A pianist and composer, he began working in films as an orchestrator in the late 1980s. His film credits include In the Mood (1987), DeepStar Six (1989), All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989), Hudson Hawk (1991), Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991), Naked Gun 331 ⁄ 3: The Final Insult (1994), The Return of Jafar (1994), Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994), Forget Paris (1995), Doug’s 1st Movie (1999), Bicentennial Man (1989), South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut (1999), Diamonds (1999), The Kid (2000), The Patriot (2000), Little Nicky (2000), The Animal (2001), Murder by the Numbers (2002), The Master of Disguise (2002), Adam Sandler’s Eight Crazy Nights (2002), Envy (2004), Team America: World Police (2004), Peter Jackson’s King Kong (2005), Rumor Has It... (2005), The Shagg y Dog (2006), and Mission: Impossible III (2006). Cohen earned Emmy Awards for his work as a composer for the animated television series The Adventures of Batman and Robin and Disney’s Aladdin. He also composed music for the cartoon series Casper, Superman: The Animated Series, and The New Batman Adven-
Ryan Cobden
COHEN, CLAUDIA Celebrity gossip columnist Claudia Cohen died of ovarian cancer in Manhattan, New York, on June 15, 2007. She was 56. Cohen was born in Englewood, New Jersey, on December 16, 1950. She began her career in journalism, working with the progressive journal More in 1972. She worked as a reporter for the New York Post column “Page Six” from 1977 and was its editor from 1978 to 1980. She began writing the gossip column “I, Claudia” for New York’s The Daily News in the early 1980s. Cohen’s marriage to billionaire businessman Ronald Perelman in 1985 and subsequent divorce in 1994 made her the subject of many other gossip columns. In recent years Cohen was entertainment reporter for WABC’s The Morning Show, and
Harvey Cohen
Obituaries • 2007 tures, and the animated features Santa vs. the Snowman (1997) and Belle’s Magical World (1998).
COIMBRA, CARLOS Brazilian film director Carlos Coimbra died of an aortic aneurysm in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on February 14, 2007. He was 81. Coimbra was born in Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil, in 1925. He began working in films as an extra in the 1940s. He made his directoral debut with 1955’s Armas da Vinganca, which he also scripted. He continued to direct and write such films as Dioguinho (1957), Crepusculo de Odios (1958), The End of the Cancageiros (1961), Lampiao, O Rei do Cangaco (1964), O Santo Milagroso (1966), Cangaceiros de Lampiao (1967), A Madona de Cedro (1968), Coirisco, O Diabo Loiro (1969), Se Meu Dolar Falasse (1970), Independencia ou Morte (1972) about Brazil’s first emperor Pedro I, O Signo de Escorpiao (1974), O Homem de Papel (1976), Iracema, a Virgem dos Labios de Mel (1979), and Os Campeoes (1982). After over a decade in retirement he returned to directed the remake of Os Campeoes in 1997, but poor health forced him off the project.
74 role of the 1977 film John Hus. He was also seen in the films The Gumball Rally (1976), A Change of Season (1980), Yes, Giorgio (1982), Frances (1982), Frankenstein’s Great Aunt Tillie (1984), and Torchlight (1985). Colbin was also featured in the tele-films To Kill a Cop (1978), Anatomy of a Seduction (1979), Rape and Marriage: The Rideout Case (1980), Ghost Dancing (1983), and Little House The Last Farewell (1984). His other television credits include episodes of Sanford and Son, Marcus Welby, M.D., Matt Helm, The Invisible Man, Harry O, The Jeffersons, Alice, The Ropers in the recurring role of Hubert Armbrewster, Quincy, Harper Valley P.T.A., Flo, Sanford, Three’s Company, The Greatest American Hero, Barney Miller, Remington Steele, Hardcastle and McCormick, The A-Team, Gimme a Break!, and the new Twilight Zone.
COLEMAN, ABE Professional wrestler Abe Coleman, who was a leading ring competitor from the 1930s, died of kidney failure in a Queens, New York, nursing home on March 28, 2007. He was 101. He was born Abba Kelmer in Zychlin, Poland, on September 20, 1905. He came to the United States in 1925 and began wresting professionally later in the decade. He was of diminutive height at 5'4", but of stocky build at over 200 pounds, and was known in the ring as the Jewish Tarzan and the Hebrew Hercules. He was known in the ring as “the Kangaroo” for his “kangaroo dropkick” maneuver, and competed against such opponents as Man Mountain Dean, Jim Londos, and George Temple, brother of screen star Shirley Temple. He also worked as a promoter and referee in the 1950s, and appeared twice on television’s The Jackie Gleason Show.
Carlos Coimbra
COLBIN, ROD Actor and fencing master Rod Colbin died of complications from a series of strokes in Denver, Colorado, on February 4, 2007. He was 83. Colbin was born in New Haven, Connecticut, on December 23, 1923. A leading fencer, he was a founding member of the Society of American Fight Directors, and trained such stars as Marlon Brando, James Dean, and Jimmy Durante in the use of a sword for their acting roles. Colbin also worked as an actor, starring in the title Abe Coleman
Rod Colbin
COLEMAN, CHRISTINE D. Character actress Christine D. Coleman died at her home in Los Angeles on October 2, 2007. She was 93. Coleman was born in Crawford County, Kansas, on September 5, 1914. She worked in the Los Angeles City Clerk’s Office for over thirty years before retiring in 1980. She subsequently embarked on an acting career, appearing in commercials and music videos for such artists as Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, and Marilyn Manson. She was also seen in the films Being John Malkovich (1999) and Meet the Fockers (2004), and in such television series as Seinfeld, Will and Grace, and Grey’s Anatomy.
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Christine D. Coleman
COLEMAN, LEROY Film set designer and art director Leroy Coleman died in Oceanside, California, on June 2, 2007. He was 92. Coleman was born in Chappell, Nebraska, on May 7, 1915. He apprenticed at an architectural firm before joining MGM as a set designer in 1938. He moved to television in the 1950s, where he served as art director such series as Philip Marlowe, Matinee Theater, The Thin Man, and Please Don’t Eat the Daisies. He was also art director on the Sam Peckinpah films Ride the High Country (1962) and The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970). His other film credits include The Venetian Affair (1967), For Singles Only (1968), Speedway (1968), A Time to Sing (1968), and Support Your Local Sheriff! (1969). He joined R. Duell and Associates as a theme park designer in 1970, and became the company’s president in 1973. Coleman was lead designer for Nashville’s Opryland before retiring in 1980.
2007 • Obituaries hicans (1971), The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club (1972), Clouds of Witness (1972), The Top Secret Life of Edgar Briggs (1974), Days of Hope (1975), Churchill and the Generals (1979), Kim (1984), and Bermuda Grace (1994). His other television credits include episodes of such series as Lux Video Theatre, Emergency —Ward 10, The Adventures of Robin Hood, The Buccaneers, Captain Pugwash, Invisible Man, ITV Play of the Week, Z Cars, The Big Pull, No Hiding Place, Man of the World, Suspense, Dixon of Dock Green, The Spies, The Revenue Men, The Avengers, Virgin of the Secret Service, Doctor Who as General Smyth in “The War Games” episode, Play for Today, Doctor at Large, Sykes, Emmerdale Farm, The Adventures of Black Beauty, The Regiment, Happy Ever After, The Duchess of Duke Street, Mind Your Language, Terry and June, Fairly Secret Army, The Monocled Mutineer, The New Statesman, Red Dwarf, Chancer, Land of Hope and Gloria, Lovejoy, and The Detectives.
COLEMAN, NOEL British character actor Noel Coleman died in England on October 12, 2007. He was 87. Coleman was born in Leicester, England, on November 26, 1919. He was a frequent performer on stage, film, and television from the 1950s. He was featured in such films as You Can’t Escape (1956), Now and Forever (1956), The Silken Affair (1956), Our Miss Fred (1972), Burke and Hare (1972), Edge of Sanity (1989), and Under Suspicion (1991). Coleman was also seen in such television productions as Ivanhoe (1970), The Last of the Mo-
COLL, JOSE LUIS Spanish comedian Jose Luis Coll died of multiple organ failure in a Madrid, Spain, hospital on March 6, 2007. He was 75. Coll was born in Cuence, Spain, on May 23, 1931. He began his career as a writer and host of television and radio productions. He formed a partnership with fellow comic Luis Sanchez Pollack in the 1960s, and the duo were known as Tip y Coll. The two wore noted for the stage attire, with Coll sporting a bowler hat and Sanchez Pollack wearing a top hat. Their absurdist humor was on view in numerous film and television productions in Spain. Coll’s film credits include La Corista (1960), The Sadistic Baron Von Klaus (1962), Not on Your Life (1963), Operacion Plus Ultra (1966), Monica Stop (1967), Los Chicos con las Chicas (1967), Operation Mata Hari (1968), A Devil Under the Pillow (1968), We’re Not Made of Stone (1968), Why Does Your Husband Deceive You? (1969), Carola de Dia, Carola de Noche (1969), Cuatro Noches de Boda (1969), Johnny Raton (1969), Los Siete Vidas del Gato (1970), En un Lugar de la Manga (1970), El Astronauta (1970), Las Casa de los Martinez (1971), La Garbanza Negra, que en paz Descanse... (1972), Love Doll (1974), The Adulteress (1975), El Chiste (1976), Tales of the White Sheets (1977), Pepito Piscina (1978), ...And the Third Year, He Resuscitated (1980), A Tope (1984), and Moors and Christians (1987). Coll and Sanchez Pollack continued to work to-
Noel Coleman
Jose Luis Coll
Obituaries • 2007 gether until the latter’s death in 1999. Coll continued to perform on stage and television, and appeared in the films Isi & Disi — Amor a lo Bestia (2004) and Isi & Disi, Alto Voltaje (2006)
76 two other sons, saxophonist Oran Coltrane, and drummer John Coltrane, Jr., who died in an automobile accident in 1982.
COLTON, RITA Actress and model Rita Colton died of lung cancer in Chicago, Illinois, on August 28, 2007. She was 79. Colton was born in New York City on October 23, 1927. She began working as a model in the mid–1940s, and was soon acting in film and television productions. She was featured on the cover of a 1948 Life magazine as a Hollywood starlet, and appeared in the 1949 film Project X. She also appeared in a 1950 television production of Richard III, and was featured in episodes of Men Against Crime, General Electric Theater, and The Honeymooners, before abandoning her acting career in the mid–1950s. Alice Coltrane
Rita Colton
COLTRANE, ALICE Jazz pianist, organist and composer Alice Coltrane, who was the widow of legendary saxophonist John Coltrane, died of respiratory failure at a West Hills hospital in Los Angeles, California, on January 12, 2007. She was 69. She was born Alice McLeod in Detroit, Michigan, on August 27, 1937, and began studying classical piano at the age of seven. She began her professional career playing jazz with her own trio in Detroit before moving to New York and joining with bandleader Terry Gibbs in the early 1960s. She became the pianist for jazz superstar John Coltrane and his band in 1965, and the two wed the following year. Alice played with the Coltrane band until her husband’s death in 1967, and recorded for Impulse! Records from the late 1960s through the early 1970s, with albums such as A Monastic Trio and Ptah and the El Daoud. She continued to perform with her own groups, specializing in meditational music and converting to Hinduism. Coltrane moved to California in 1972 and established the Vedantic Center in 1975. She changed her name to Turiyasangitananda in the late 1970s and was later named spiritual director of the Veldantic’s Malibu, California, Center. Her work saw a renewed interest in the 1990s and she released the compilation Astral Meditations and a 2004 comeback album, Translinear Light. In 2006, she joined with her son, saxophonist Ravi Coltrane, for a concert in San Francisco, California. She and John Coltrane had
COMENCINI, LUIGI Italian film director Luigi Comencini died in Rome after a long illness on April 6, 2007. He was 90. Comencini was born in Salo, Lombardy, Italy, on June 8, 1916. He worked as a film critic before making his debut as a director with the 1946 documentary film Children in the City. He directed, and often scripted, numerous films over the next fifty years. Comencini’s film credits include Guaglio (1948), The Emperor of Capri (1949), Behind Closed Shutters (1950), Heidi (1952), Girls Marked Danger (1953), Bread, Love and Dreams (1953), 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), The Dolls (1965), Six Days a 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), Strange Occasion (1976), The Sunday Woman (1976), The Cat (1978), Goodnight, Ladies and Gentlemen (1978), Traffic Jam (1979), Eugenio (1980), Looking
Luigi Comencini
77 for Jesus (1982), The Boy from Calabria (1987), La Boheme (1988), Merry Christmas ... Happy New Year (1989), and Miracle of Marcellino (1991). He also directed the acclaimed 1972 television mini-series adaptation of The Adventures of Pinocchio, and the tele-films Catherine’s Wedding (1982), Heart (1985), History (1986), and The Cowboy and the Frenchman (1988).
COMPTON, RICHARD Actor turned director Richard Compton, who helmed such cult classic films as Macon County Line, died on August 11, 2007. He was 69. Compton was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on March 2, 1938. He began his career as an actor in the mid–1960s, appearing in episodes of Felony Squad and the original Star Trek. He also appeared in several films including Wanda, the Sadistic Hypnotist (1969) under the pseudonym Dick Dangerfield, Run, Angel, Run (1969) which he also scripted, The Fabulous Bastard from Chicago (1969), and Diamond Stud (1970). He wrote and produced the 1968 film Like Mother Like Daughter, and directed and appeared in a small role in the 1970 biker flick Angels Die Hard. He directed 1972’s Welcome Home, Soldier Boys, and directed and co-wrote with Max Baer, Jr., the 1974 cult classic Macon County Line. He also directed the 1975 sequel Return to Macon County, and helmed the films Maniac! (aka The Ransom) (1977), and Ravagers (1979). He began working primarily in television from the late 1970s, directing the tele-films Deadman’s Curve (1978) about rock ’n’ rollers Jan and Dean, Wild Times (1980), Desperado: Avalanche at Devil’s Ridge (1988), Kojak: Fatal Flaw (1989), Kojak: It’s Always Something (1990), The Keys (1992), and Home for the Holidays (2005). He directed numerous episodes of such television series as T.J. Hooker, Hotel, Hill Street Blues, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Street Hawk, Otherworld, The Equalizer, Kay O’Brien, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Baywatch, Miami Vice, Super Force, Over My Dead Body, Home Improvement, The Commish, L.A. Law, Babylon 5 which he also co-produced, M.A.N.T.I.S., Hawkeye, Diagnosis Murder, Pointman, The Burning Zone, Soldier of Fortune, Inc., Players, The Sentinel, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Profiler, Sliders, Get Real, Charmed, The Fugitive, The District, The X Files, The Lone Gunmen, Peacemakers, and JAG. Compton was the husband of actress Veronica Cartwright.
2007 • Obituaries CONLEY, DARLENE Actress Darlene Conley, who starred as the larger-than-life fashion house owner Sally Spectra on The Bold and the Beautiful soap opera, died of stomach cancer at her home in Los Angeles on January 14, 2007. She was 72. Conley was born in Chicago, Illinois, on July 18, 1934. She began her career on stage in a touring company production of The Heiress at the age of 15. She continued to appear in numerous theatrical productions including the revival of Night of the Iguana and David Merrick’s musical The Baker’s Wife on Broadway. She made her film debut as a waitress in Alfred Hitchcock’s horror classic The Birds. She also appeared in the films Valley of the Dolls (1967), Faces (1968), Captain Milkshake (1970), Minnie and Moskowitz (1971), Lady Sings the Blues (1972), Play It as It Lays (1972), Gentle Savage (1973), and Tough Guys (1986). She appeared frequently on television from the 1970s, guest-starring in episodes of Ironside, The Name of the Game, The Bill Cosby Show, Gunsmoke, Longstreet, Ghost Story, Mary Tyler Moore, The Jeffersons, Little House on the Prairie, Cagney & Lacey, Murder, She Wrote, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, and Highway to Heaven. She was also featured in the television productions The President’s Plane Is Missing (1973), Get Christie Love! (1974), Return Engagement (1978), the animated The Stingiest Man in Town (1978) as the voice of Mrs. Cratchit, the animated Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July (1979) as the voice of Mrs. Santa Claus, The Choice (1981), The Nashville Grab (1981), The Fighter (1983), I Want to Live (1983), and Robert Kennedy & His Times (1985). Conley was best known for her roles as colorful dames in television soap operas. She starred as the conniving Rose DeVille on The Young and the Restless from 1979 to 1980, and again from 1986 to 1987. She was Edith Baker in Days of Our Lives in 1983, Trixie Monahan in General Hospital in 1984, and Louise in Capitol in 1984. She began playing Sally Spectra, the head of Spectra Fashions, on The Bold and the Beautiful in 1988. She was twice nominated for Daytime Emmy Awards for her performance, and continued in the role of Sally Spectra until her death.
Darlene Conley
Richard Compton
CONNOLLY, MARK Stuntman Mark Connolly died of pancreatic cancer in Sydney, Australia, on December 14, 2007. He was 45. He began working in films as a stuntman in the late 1990s, with such credits
Obituaries • 2007 as Doom Runners (1997) and Babe: Pig in the City (1998). Connolly worked as a stunt extra for the film Mission Impossible II. As gate guard #1, he was seriously injured in Sydney, Australia, in June of 1999 when a motorcycle jumping over him in an action sequence for the film crashed into him. Connolly broke his forearm and collarbone, and restricted movement ended his stunt career. He sued Billy Burton, the Paramount Pictures second unit director in charge of the action sequence, and won a judgment of over $1 million in a negligence case. Connolly died within hours of learning of his victory.
Mark Connolly
CONWAY, SHIRL Actress Shirl Conway, who starred as head nurse Liz Thorpe on the television drama The Nurses in the mid–1960s, died in Shelton, Washington, on May 7, 2007. She was 90. She was born in Franklinville, New York, on June 13, 1916. Conway began her career as a model with the John Robert Powers Agency and performed a singer in nightclubs. She also appeared in several films in the late 1940s including Helter Skelter (1949) and You Can’t Fool an Irishman (1949). She also appeared on Broadway in productions of Banjo Eyes with Eddie Cantor, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and Plain and Fancy. Conway starred as Dolly Armstrong in the 1955 television series Joe and Mabel. She also appeared in episodes of Ceasar’s Hour, The Ed Sullivan Show, Route 66, The Defenders and Naked City. She starred in The Nurses from 1962 to 1965 and was nomi-
78 nated for an Emmy for her performance. She moved to Washington state in the early 1970s, where she continued to perform on stage in local productions.
COPELAND, JACK L. Filmmaker Jack L. Copeland died at his home in Northridge, California, on October 7, 2007. He was 80. Copeland was born Hollywood, California, on September 8, 1927. He served in the U.S. Army as a combat photographer toward the end of World War II. He formed Jack Copeland Productions in the early 1950s and wrote, produced and directed the 1958 film Hell’s Five Hours, starring Vic Morroh. He also produced the documentary Decision at Delano about the California grape pickers strike in the 1960s. He created National Education Media, Inc., in 1966, where he produced over a 100 industrial training films. COREN, ALAN British humorist and writer Alan Coren died of cancer at his home in London on October 18, 2007. He was 69. Coren was born in London on June 27, 1938. He began his career as a journalist, writing articles for Punch magazine. He became literary editor at Punch in 1966, and served as editor from 1978 to 1987. Coren also wrote television reviews and humor columns for other publications. He became a regular panelist on the BBC radio comedy quiz show The News Quiz, remaining on the program until his death. He was a regular participant on the Call My Bluff television show from 1996 to 2005. He was also featured in such series as Through the Keyhole, Masterchef, Have I Got News for You, TV on Trial, and Grumpy Old Men. He also wrote numerous books including The Dog It Was That Died (1965), The Sanity Inspector (1974), The Lady from Stalingrad Mansions (1978), Rhinestone as Big as the Ritz (1979), A Year in Crickelwood (1991), A Bit on the Side (1995), The Cricklewood Dome (1998), and 69 for One (2007).
Alan Coren
Shirl Conway (with Richard Derr)
CORFMAN, CARIS Stage and film actress Caris Corfman, who created a one-woman show, Caris’s Peace, about her struggles with short-term memory loss, died of a stroke at her apartment in Rockville, Maryland, on January 13, 2007. She was 51. Corfman was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on May 18, 1955. She studied drama at Yale and embarked on an acting career on the
79 New York stage in the 1980s. She was featured on Broadway in the original production of Amadeus and in numerous Off-Broadway plays. She also appeared in several films including DreamChild (1985), No Mercy (1986), Funny Farm (1988), and The Pickle (1993), and was featured on television in an episode of Tales from the Darkside. She underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor in 1993 that resulted in damage to the short-term memory center of her brain. After years of rehabilitation, medication, and additional surgeries, Corfman created a onewoman show about her experiences. She was able to remember lines from plays she had learned decades earlier, but was unable to recall events from one hour to the next.
2007 • Obituaries COTTON, PAMELA Television producer Pamela Cotton died of a heart attack aboard a flight from Los Angeles to Fort Walton Beach, Florida, on June 23, 2007. She was 52. She was born on February 21, 1955, and raised in Fort Walton Beach. She began working in television for Spelling Productions in the late 1980s. She worked on such series as The Love Boat, Savannah, Safe Harbor, Beverly Hills 90210, and Charmed. In recent years, Cotton served as producer for the television series 7th Heaven. COWBOY LANG Harry “Cowboy” Lang, a leading midget wrestling star from the 1970s, died in Portland, Oregon, on January 4, 2007. He was 56. Lang was born in Saskatchewan, Canada, in 1950. He began training as a wrestler from Lord Littlebrook while in his teens. He began a popular ring performer throughout Canada, the United States, and the world for nearly 30 years. He also competed in tag team action with such partners as Little Eagle, the Haiti Kid, and Coconut Willie. Lang was also featured in the 1977 film Black Samurai. He largely retired from the ring in the late 1980s. Lang had fallen on hard times during the decade before his death, living on the streets and in homeless shelters.
Caris Corfman
COSTIGAN, JAMES Television writer James Costigan was found dead at his home on Bainbridge Island, Washington, on December 19, 2007. He was 81. Costigan was born in Los Angeles on March 31, 1926. He began his career appearing in small roles on the New York stage. He was also seen on television in episodes of Kraft Television Theatre, The Web, and Campbell Playhouse in the early 1950s. He was soon writing for television in the 1950s, penning episodes of Studio One, Kraft Television Theatre, The United States Steel Hour, and General Electric Theater. He also wrote such television productions as A Wind from the South (1955), Anne of Green Gables (1956), The Lark (1957), Withering Heights (1958), A Doll’s House (1959), and The Turn of the Screw (1959). Costigan won an Emmy Award for his 1958 original teleplay Little Moon of Alban, which was adapted for a Broadway play in 1960. His other Broadway credits include the 1963 musical The Beast in Me and the 1964 comedy Baby Want a Kiss. He also scripted a handful of tele-film in the 1970s including A War of Children (1972), F. Scott Fitzgerald and ‘the Last of the Belles’ (1974), In the House of Brede (1975), Love Among the Ruins (1975), Eleanor and Franklin (1976) which earned him a second Emmy Award, F. Scott Fitzgerald in Hollywood (1976), Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years, and S.O.S. Titanic (1979). Costigan also wrote the screenplays for the feature films The Hunger (1983), King David (1985), and Mr. North (1988). He subsequently retired to Bainbridge Island, where he lived a reclusive life until he died.
Cowboy Lang
COX, FRANK Frank Cox, who with his identical twin brother Fred, was a leading entertainer in England for decades, died in England on November 10, 2007. He was 86. Cox was born in Cardiff, Wales, on December 4, 1920. The Cox Twins began touring as specialty clog dancers with a boys’ choir at the age of 12. They later performed in a variety act with singer Dorothy Squires. Noted for their frizzy black hair and colorful attire, they entertained the troops while serving in the Royal Air Force. After the war, they returned to the stage, singing, dancing and performing acrobatic routines. The two were wed on the same day to Estelle and Pauline Miles, another set of identical twins, who often joined them on stage. The duo also appeared in several films during their careers, including the 1965 comedy Up Jumped a Swagman and Francois Truffaut’s 1966 adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. They were also seen as Tweedledee and Tweedledum in 1972’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and appeared with Jerry Lewis
Obituaries • 2007 in the comedy Funny Bones in 1995. Frank’s wife, Estelle, died in 1984 and they continued their stage act as the Cox Twins and Pauline for the remained of their careers.
80 tations of Carmen, Tosca, and Sieglinde and Brunnhilde in Wagner’s Die Walkure. She made several classic operatic recordings including Georg Solti’s recording of Der Rosenkavalier and Die Walkure for Decca. She performed on television in two episodes of The Bell Telephone Hour in the mid–1960s, and starred in a 1980 French television production of La Grande-Duchesse de Gerolstein in 1980. She retired from the stage in 1989, but remained active as a teacher. Her memoirs, On Stage, Off Stage: A Memoire, was published in French in 1982, with an expanded English version released in 1997.
Frank Cox (with twin brother Fred)
CRAIN, GENE Theatrical director Gene Crain died in a Memphis, Tennessee, nursing facility after a long illness on January 21, 2007. He was 79. Crain was born on December 20, 1927. He was a drama teacher and director at White Station High School for many years, where he trained such students as Oscar-winning actress Kathy Bates and Rhodes College drama professor Julia “Cookie” Ewing. He also directed numerous productions at local community theaters and at Circuit Playhouse. He was a founder of the theatrical company Playwrights Forum.
Regine Crespin
CRICHTON, JUDY Network television news producer Judy Crichton, who won national acclaim for the PBS history series American Experience, died of complications from leukemia in Manhattan, New York, on October 14, 2007. She was 77. Crichton was born in Manhattan on November 25, 1929, and had graduated from high school by the age of 15. She began her career working on the CBS game show I’ve Got a Secret as writer and producer in the 1950s. She began working for CBS’s documentary unit in 1974, producing such series as Caution: Drinking Water May Be Dangerous to Your Health and wrote, directed and produced The Nuclear Battlefield, which won three Emmys in 1981. Crichton became the executive producer of the PBS history television series, American Experience, in 1988 and oversaw the production of over 100 documentaries. During her lengthy career
Gene Crain
CRESPIN, REGINE French operatic soprano Regine Crespin died of liver cancer in Paris on July 5, 2007. She was 80. Crespin was born in Marseilles, France, on February 23, 1927. She studied voice at the Paris Conservatory and made her operatic debut in a production of Wagner’s Lohengrin for a regional opera company in Mulhouse, France, in 1950. She performed frequently with the Paris Opera over the next six years. She achieved international acclaim for her performance as Kundry in Wagner’s Parsifal at the 1958 Bayreuth Festival. She performed at leading opera houses around the world and made her Metropolitan Opera debut in Der Rosenkavlier in 1962. She was also noted for her interpre-
Judy Crichton
81 with the series it was awarded seven Emmys, six Peabody Awards, five Writers Guild Awards, and two Alfred I. duPont–Columbia Journalism Awards. Some of her other documentaries include Indians, Outlaws and Angie Debo, who researched historical evidence that proved that Indian tribes had been robbed of their land, Midnight Ramble, which was an examination of Hollywood’s stereotypical role of blacks in film, and 1994’s America and the Holocaust, that presented evidence that the U.S. State Department had knowledge of the Nazi persecution of Jews. She continued to produce series for American Experience until 1998, and was executive producer of the television series New York: A Documentary Film, in 1999. President Bill Clinton awarded Crichton the National Humanities Medal in 2006.
CROPPER, ANNA British actress Anna Cropper died in Tangmere, West Sussex, England, on January 22, 2007. She was 68. Cropper was born in Brierfield, Lancashire, England, on May 13, 1938. She began her career on stage in the 1950s and made her television debut in a production of Josef and Karel Capek’s “The Insect Play” for Twentieth Century Theatre. She continued to perform frequently on British television for the next four decades. Cropper was seen in productions of The Birth of a Private Man (1963), Silas Marner (1964), In Two Minds (1967) as a young schizophrenic, Angel Pavement (1967), Pere Goriot (1968), Imperial Palace (1969), Before the Party (1969), Robin Redbreast (1970), Gun Play (1971), Dead of Night: The Exorcism (1972), Lord Peter Wimsey: The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club (1972), The Moonstone (1972), Schmoedipus (1974), J.M. Barrie and the Lost Boys (1978), Praying Mantis (1982), Where Is Betty Buchus? (1982), The Jewel in the Crown (1984), Ann of the Five Towns (1985), Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple: Nemesis (1987), Nativity Blues (1989), A Day in Summer (1989), Murderers Among Us: The Simon Wiesenthal Story (1989), Ruth Rendell Mysteries: A New Lease of Death (1991), Memento Mori (1992), The Old Devils (1992), The Marshal (1993), Midnight Movie (1994), Prisoners in Time (1995), Castles (1995), The Affair (1995), and September (1996). Her other television credits include episodes of Coronation Street, The Odd Man, Sherlock Holmes, The Troubleshooters, The Spies, The First Lady, Z Cars, Country Matters, Spy Trap, Dial
2007 • Obituaries M for Murder, Softly Softly, Emmerdale Farm as Nan Wheeler, 1990, Shoestring, Maybury, Nanny in the recurring role of Antonia Rudd, Call Me Mister, Worlds Beyond, Chancer, Boon, Van der Valk, Casualty, Moon and Son, Poirot, Alleyn Mysteries, Heartbeat, Kavanagh QC, and Midsomer Murders. Cropper also appeared in several films during her career including All Neat in Black Stockings (1968), Footsteps (1974), Nanou (1986), and The Child Eater (1989).
CURIE, EVE Writer Eve Curie Labouisse, who was best known for penning the biography of her mother, scientist Marie Curie, died at her home in Manhattan, New York, on October 22, 2007. She was 102. Curie was born in Paris on December 6, 1904. Her father, Pierre Curie, was killed two years after her birth when he fell under the wheels of a horse-drawn wagon in 1906. Her father and mother had both earned the Nobel Prize in physics in 1903, and her mother earned a second Nobel in chemistry in 1911 for the discovery of the radioactive elements radium and polonium. Eve helped nurse her mother through her final bout with leukemia that ended her life in 1934. She authored the 1937 biography of her mother, Madame Curie, which was adapted for film in 1943, starring Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon as her parents. Eve Curie went to England and later the United States during World War II, where she was strong supporter of the Free French against the Nazis. A noted lecturer, she also authored a 1943 book about her wartime travels, Journey Among Warriors. She married American diplomat Henry Labouisse in 1954 and the couple remained wed until his death in 1987. Labouisse was the executive director of UNICEF and had accepted the Nobel Peace Prize for the organization in 1965. Eve’s older sister, Irene Joliot-Curie, and her husband, Fredric Joliot, had also been Nobel laureates, earning the award for chemistry in 1935. Irene, like her mother before her, died of leukemia, likely caused by her exposure to radioactive materials, in 1956. Despite her own laurels, Eve Curie often joked of being the only member of her family not to have received a Nobel Prize.
Eve Curie
Anna Cropper
CURNOCK, RICHARD Actor Richard Curnock died in a Stratford, Ontario, Canada, hospital on February 6, 2007. He was 84. Curnock was born in Lon-
Obituaries • 2007 don, England, on May 9, 1922. He began his stage career as a child, appearing in productions in London’s West End for over twenty years. He came to the New York stage with the play Oh, What a Lovely War! in the late 1960s, and toured in productions throughout North America. He joined the Stratford Shakespearean Festival in Canada in 1970, and performed with them for the next two decades. He made his final bow there in a production of The Winter’s Tale in 1998. Curnock also appeared in several films including Dublin Nightmare (1958), Paradise (1982), and The Wars (1983), and the television productions Much Ado About Nothing (1987) and The Return of Eliot Ness (1991). He appeared on television in England in the 1960 mini-series The Days of Vengeance, and in episodes of Z Cars, Moonstrike, Armchair Theatre, Public Eye, Haunted, and The Avengers. After relocating to Canada he continued to perform on television in such series as Street Legal, TekWar, Peter Benchley’s Amazon, and Relic Hunter.
82 Warrior (1999). Curtis was also featured in the tele-films Hands of a Stranger (1987), The Trial of the Incredible Hulk (1989), Sky High (1990), Payoff (1991), Moment of Truth: To Walk Again (1994), Y2K (1999), and Voyage of the Unicorn (2001). His other television credits include episodes of Danger Bay, The Hitchhiker, Neon Rider, Wiseguy, MacGyver, Street Justice, Cobra, M.A.N.T.I.S., Lonesome Dove: The Series, Madison, Stargate SG-1, The Net, Dead Man’s Gun, Viper, The Outer Limits, The Collector, Cold Squad, and Masters of Horror.
CUTLER, BUNTY Actress Bunty Cutler died in Newport Beach, California, on March 12, 2007. She was 87. Cutler was born in New York City on September 17, 1919. She appeared in a handful of films in the 1940s including New Moon (1940), This Time for Keeps (1942), Possessed (1947), The Unsuspected (1947), The Voice of the Turtle (1947), and It’s a Great Feeling (1949) before retiring later in the decade. CUTTER, NATHAN Nathan Thomas Cutter, who was a contestant on television reality series Paradise Hotel 2 scheduled for airing in February of 2008, died of injuries he received in a climbing accident in Amarillo, Texas, on October 12, 2007. He was 26. Clutter was one of the participants of the steamy reality series for MyNetworkTV and Fox Reality Channel. He died several weeks after completing production of the series.
Richard Curnock
CURTIS, JOHN BEAR Actor John Bear Curtis died after a long illness on December 18, 2007. He was 59. Curtis was born on April 28, 1948. He was active in films and television from the late 1970s. His film credits include Up River (1979), Showdown at Williams Creek (1991), Leaving Normal (1992), Stay Tuned (1992), North of Pittsburgh (1992), Arctic Blue (1993), Crackerjack (1994), The NeverEnding Story III (1994), and The 13th
John Bear Curtis
Nathan Cutter
D’AMICO, LUIGI FILIPPO Italian film director Luigi Filippo D’Amico died in Rome on April 28, 2007. He was 82. D’Amico was born in Rome on October 9, 1924. He began working in films in Italy as an assistant director after World War II, sometimes billed as Filippo Mercati. He worked on such films as Flesh Will Surrender (1947), Crossroads of Passion (1948), Father’s Dilemma (1950), Marriage (1954) and House of Ricordi (1954) both of which he also scripted, and Native Drums (1955). D’Amico also wrote the films Times Gone By (1952), Eager to Live (1953), and Bravissimo (1955). He began directing films in the early 1960s, helming Akiko (1961), Mariti a Congresso (1961), Desert War (1962), Complexes (1965), I Nostri Mariti (1966), Il Presidente del Borogorsso Football Club (1970), Amore e Ginnastica (1973), Football Crazy (1974), Il Domestico (1974), and Sex for Sale (1976). He worked primarily in television from
83 the early 1980s, directing such productions as Vestire gli Ignudi (1980) and In Silenzio (1981). D’Amico also wrote and appeared in the 1999 documentary Luchino Visconti about the famed director.
DANIEL, FRED Gospel singer Fred Daniel, who performed with the Sunshine Boys, died of heart failure in Conyers, Georgia, on November 6, 2007. He was 82. Daniel served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, and began his singing career after his discharge. He joined the Sunshine Boys in 1949, and performed with the group when they backed Red Foley on his hit song “Peace in the Valley” in 1951. The Sunshine Boys were featured in a handful of B-western films from the 1940s with Eddie Dean, Charles Starrett, and Lash LaRue. Daniel appeared with the group as a singing cowhand in 1951’s Durango Kid feature Prairie Roundup. Daniel later performed with such groups as the Happy Four, the Harmoneers, and the Blue Ridge Quartet.
2007 • Obituaries Awards during his career, and received six additional nominations.
Stan Daniels
DARNELL, BILLY Billy Darnell, a leading professional wrestler in the 1940s and 1950s, died in New Jersey on September 6, 2007. He was 81. Darnell was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on February 25, 1926. He began wrestling in the early 1940s, often wearing a leopard skin into the ring. He engaged in a notable match against Buddy Rogers in 1947 and remained a popular wrestler in the 1950s and 1960s. He was also billed as being the brother of Buddy Rogers, but the two grapplers were actually only friends. Darnell teamed with Bill Melby to hold the World Tag Team Title in Chicago in 1954. He retired from the ring shortly after earning his Doctor of Chiropractic degree in 1961. Fred Daniel
DANIELS, STAN Emmy Award–winning television writer and producer Stan Daniels, who worked on such landmark series as Taxi and The Mary Tyler Moore Show, died of heart failure in Encino, California, on April 6, 2007. He was 72. Daniels was born in Toronto, Canada, on July 31, 1934. He studied at Oxford in England, where he began writing for television. He returned to Canada where he wrote sketches for the CBC comedy series This Hour Has Seven Days in the 1960s. He was soon writing for such shows as The Dean Martin Show and The Bill Cosby Show. He was a writer and producer for the hit show The Mary Tyler Moore Show in the 1970s. He was also co-creator and writer of the spinoff series Phyllis series starring Cloris Leachman. Daniels also wrote the tele-films Lily (1974) and Cindy (1978), and co-created the popular series Taxi in 1978. He wrote, produced and directed the series during its five seasons. He also wrote and produced the series The Associates in 1979, and the tele-films Glory! Glory (1989), Getting There (1990), For Richer, for Poorer (1992), The Substitute Wife (1994), and The Kid (2001). Daniels wrote the 1984 feature film The Lonely Guy, and directed episodes of such television series as Best of the West, Mr. Smith, Dear John, Flying Blind, Partners, Almost Perfect, High Society, Sparks, and The Good News. He earned eight Emmy
Billy Darnell
DARROW, HARRY Film and television art director Harry Darrow died of lung cancer at his home in Pelham, New York, on December 30, 2007. He was 57. He was born Harry Silverglat in Dallas, Texas, on July 20, 1950. He began his career as a scenic designer for theatrical productions, including such Broadway shows as Les Miserables, Cats, and Phantom of the Opera. He began working in films in the mid–1990s, serving as art director for Heavy Weights (1995), The Big Green (1995), D3: The Mighty Ducks (1996), Meet the Deedles (1998), En-
Obituaries • 2007 tropy (1999), and Spike Lee’s Bamboozled (2000). He was also art director for the 1995 Stephen King tele-film The Langoliers, and for such series as The Sopranos and Law & Order: Criminal Intent.
DARVAS, IVAN Hungarian actor Ivan Darvas died in Hungary on June 3, 2007. He was 87. Darvas was born in Belye, Hungary, on May 24, 1920. A leading performer on stage and screen from the 1940s, he was featured in such films as Forro Mezok (1949), Diszmagyar (1949), Erkel (1952), The Rising Sea (1953), Fourteen Lives (1954), Rokonok (1954), Gazolas (1955), Ward No. 9 (1955), Dollarpapa (1956), A Sunday Romance (1957), Drama of the Lark (1963), Yes (1964), New Gilgames (1964), Why Hungarian Films Are Bad (1964), The Golden Head (1964), The Corporal and Others (1965), Cold Days (1966), Karpathy Zoltan (1966), The Widow and the Police Officer (1967), Boys in the Street (1967), Frozen Flashes (1967), Three Nights of Love (1967), Windows of Time (1969), Adrift (1969), You Were a Prophet, My Dear (1969), Az Orokos (1969), The Toth Family (1969), Love (1971), Hold on to the Clouds (1971), Napraforgo (1974), Szines Tintakrol Almodorn (1980), Death in Shallow Water (1994), The Last Days of Switzerland (1999), Jakob the Liar (1999), Film (2000), The Bridgeman (2002), Szent Ivan Napja (2003), and A Long Weekend in Pest and Buda (2003). Darvas also appeared on television in productions of Vivat, Benovsky! (1975), Sakt, Kempelen Ur! (1976), Vendegseg (1980), Ha Mar Itt a Tel (1991), Mary, Mother of Jesus (1999), Hoeses a Vizivarosban (2004), and Micimacko (2005).
84 numerous science fiction cons for many years. He was a close friend of Forrest J Ackerman, the founder and editor of Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine, and took numerous photographs the appeared within its pages. Daugherty also held a doctorate in anthropology and was an expert on King Tut, giving lectures on the subject at museums, schools, and organizations.
Walter Daugherty
DAUMAN, PASCALE French film producer Pascale Dauman died in Paris on March 18, 2007. She was 70. She began her career as an actress, appearing in several films including Stolen Kisses (1968), Merry-GoRound (1981), and Hotel du Paradis (1986). She was married to producer Anatole Dauman, and served as an associate producer for the 1984 film Paris, Texas. Dauman continued to work in films, producing Empty Quarter: A Woman in Africa (1985), The Sky Above Berlin (1987), The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover (1989), Captive of the Desert (1990), Falstaff on the Moon (1993), Caught in the Acts (1994), and Paris (1998). DAVIDSON, JENNIFER Jennifer Davidson, the Cartoon Network’s senior vice-president of programming, died of a sudden illness in Atlanta, Georgia, on December 1, 2007. She was 38. Davidson was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1969. She began working with the Cartoon Network at the time of its launch in 1992. She served as vice-president of marketing and was
Ivan Darvas
DAUGHERTY, WALTER Walter “Doc” Daugherty, a pioneering member of science fiction fandom, died at his home in Santa Maria, California, on June 14, 2007. He was 90. Daugherty was born in Oklahoma City on December 18, 1916. During his life he worked at numerous occupations including private detective, photographer, museum curator, and film standin and stuntman for such stars as Red Skelton, Robert Hutton, and Cary Grant. An avid science fiction fan, Daugherty was a founding member of the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society. He was chairman of the Pacificon World Science Fiction Convention in 1946. He published fanzines and was a guest of honor and emcee and
Jennifer Davidson
85 instrumental in the establishment of the network’s Adult Swim program block in September 2001. She was promoted to senior vice-president of programming in September 2007.
2007 • Obituaries Doody and his fellow marionettes in 1948 and maintained them throughout the popular children’s television show’s run.
DAWSON, VELMA WAYNE Velma Wayne Dawson, who created The Howdy Doody Show marionettes, was found dead at her home in Palm Desert, California, on September 26, 2007. She was 95. Dawson was born on May 30, 1912. She created Howdy
DAY, LARAINE Actress Laraine Day, who starred as Nurse Mary Lamont in the Dr. Kildare film series, died at her daughter’s home in Utah on November 10, 2007. She was 87. She was born Laraine Johnson to a leading Mormon family in Roosevelt, Utah, on October 13, 1920. She began her film career in the late 1930s and made her debut in a small role in 1937’s Stella Dallas. She also appeared in the films Scandal Street (1938), Border G-Men (1938), Painted Desert (1938), and Arizona Legion (1939) before changing her screen name to Laraine Day. She starred as Nurse Mary Lamont opposite Lew Ayres in the 1939 film Calling Dr. Kildare, and continued in the role in the sequels The Secret of Dr. Kildare (1939), Dr. Kildare’s Strange Case (1940), Dr. Kildare Goes Home (1940), Dr Kildare’s Crisis (1940), and The People vs. Dr. Kildare (1941), before her character was killed off in an automobile accident in Dr. Kildare’s Wedding Day (1941). Day also appeared in the films Sergeant Madden (1939), Tarzan Finds a Son (1939), Think First (1939), I Take This Woman (1940), My Son, My Son! (1940), And One Was Beautiful (1940), Alfred Hitchcock’s Foreign Correspondent (1940) opposite Joel McCrea, The Trial of Mary Dugan (1941), The Bad Man (1941), Unholy Partners (1941), Kathleen (1941), A Yank on the Burma Road (1942), Fingers at the Window (1942), Journey for Margaret (1942), Mr. Lucky (1943), The Story of Dr. Wassell (1944), Bride by Mistake (1944), Keep Your Powder Dry (1945), Those Endearing Young Charms (1945), The Locket (1946), Tycoon (1947), My Dear Secretary (1949), I Married a Communist (1949), Without Honor (1949), The High and the Mighty (1954), The Toy Tiger (1956), and Three for Jamie Dawn (1956). Day was married to baseball manager Leo Durocher from 1947 until their divorce in 1960. She also began appearing frequently on television in the 1950s, hosting one of the early talk shows, The Laraine Day Show. She also appeared in episodes of Nash Airflyte Theatre, Your Show of Shows, General Electric Theater, Double Play, The Jack Benny Program, Screen Directors Playhouse, Celebrity Playhouse, Lux Video Theatre, The Ford Television Theatre, Climax!, Schlitz Playhouse of the Stars, The Loretta Young
Velma Wayne Dawson
Laraine Day (as Nurse Lamont from Dr. Kildare)
DAVIS, JAMES B., SR.
James B. Davis, Sr., who founded the gospel band the Dixie Hummingbirds, died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on April 17, 2007. He was 90. Davis was born in Greenville, South Carolina, on June 6, 1916. He founded the Dixie Hummingbirds at the age of 12 and the group had their first record release in 1939. The group moved to Philadelphia in 1942, where they had a daily radio show and briefly changed their name to the Jericho Quintet. They played alongside such legendary musicians as Billie Holliday, Paul Robeson, and the Golden Gate Quartet. In 1973, the Dixie Hummingbirds collaborated with singer Paul Simon on “Love Me (Like a Rock)” and won a Grammy Award for their rendition of the song. The Hummingbirds continued to tour for many years, influencing such singer as Jackie Wilson and Stevie Wonder.
James B. Davis (top right, with The Dixie Hummingbirds)
Obituaries • 2007 Show, Pursuit, Playhouse 90, Checkmate, Follow the Sun, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Burke’s Law, Wagon Train, The Name of the Game, The F.B.I., The Sixth Sense, Medical Center, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Lou Grant, Airwolf, and Hotel. She was also featured in the tele-films Murder on Flight 502 (1975) and Return to Fantasy Island (1978). Day made her final television appearance in a two-part episode of Murder, She Wrote in 1986. She was married to producer Michel Grillkhes from 1960 until his death earlier in 2007.
DAYDODGE, BILLY Native America actor William “Billy” Daydodge died of bone cancer in a Loma Linda, California, hospital on December 20, 2007. He was 78. A member of the Ojibwa Tribe, Daydodge was born in Twin Lakes, Minnesota, on September 18, 1929. He worked as a mechanical engineer in Hemet, California, before his retirement in 1991. He was also a noted artist and served as a consultant for Hemet’s Ramona Pageant from the mid–1990s. He provided voice-overs for various Indian chiefs for the Arts & Entertainment Network’s Real West series. Daydodge was also seen in such films as North (1994), Wagons East (1994), Navajo Blues (1996), Almost Heroes (1998), Grizzly Adams and the Legend of Dark Mountain (1999), Pennyman (2002), Nate and the Colonel (2003), The Reawakening (2004), and 3:52 (2005). He was featured in the tele-films My Indian Summer (1995) and Santa and Pete (1999), and guest starred in episodes of Mr. Show with Bob and David and Son of the Beach. He also appeared in the recurring role of an Arapaho Elder in Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman from 1996 to 1997.
Billy Daydodge
DE ARMOND, CHARLOTTE Charlotte De Armond, an advocate for adoption who earned an Academy Award for producing a short film on the subject in 1979, died of complications from surgery in a Los Angeles hospital on January 31, 2007. She was 87. De Armond was born in Chicago, Illinois, on February 25, 1919. A community activist who was instrumental in protecting Griffith Park from commercial development, she also worked with the private adoption agency, Children’s Home Society, for three decades. De Armond produced Taylor Hackford’s live action short film Teenage Father, which received an Academy Award in 1979. She was also
86 the author of the 1984 text The Changing Picture of Adoption.
Charlotte De Armond
DECARLO, YVONNE Yvonne DeCarlo, the dark-haired leading lady who starred as exotic beauties in films of the 1940s and 1950s, but became best known for her role as Lily Munster in the ghoulish television sit-com The Munsters in the 1960s, died of heart failure at the Motion Picture and Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California, on January 8, 2007. She was 84. DeCarlo was born Peggy Yvonne Middleton in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on September 1, 1922. She began her career on stage as a dancer in nightclubs while in her teens. She made her film debut in the early 1940s, appearing in small roles in such films as Harvard, Here I Come! (1941), The Kink of the Campus (1941), This Gun for Hire (1942), Road to Morocco (1942), Youth on Parade (1942), Rhythm Parade (1942), Lucky Jordan (1942), The Crystal Ball (1943), Salute for Three (1943), So Proudly We Hail! (1943), For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943), Let’s Face It (1943), Deerslayer (1943), True to Life (1943), Standing Room Only (1944), Kismet (1944), The Story of Dr. Wassell (1944), Rainbow Island (1944), Practically Yours (1944), Here Come the Waves (1944), and Bring on the Girls (1945). She starred in the title role in the 1945 film Salome, Where She Danced and, often playing exotic characters, continued to appear in such films as Frontier Gal (1945), Song of Scheherazade (1947), Brute Force (1947), Slave Girl (1947), Black Bart (1948), Casbah (1948), River Lady (1948), Criss Cross (1949), Calamity Jane and Sam Bass (1949), The Gal Who Took the West (1949), Buccaneer’s Girl (1950), The Desert Hawk (1950), Tomahawk (1951), Hotel Sahara (1951), Silver City (1951), The San Francisco Story (1952), Scarlet Angel (1952), Hurricane Smith (1952), Sea Devils (1953), The Captain’s Paradise (1953), Sombrero (1953), Fort Algiers (1953), Borer River (1954), Happy Ever After (1954), Passion (1954), The Contessa’s Secret (1954), Shotgun (1955), Flame of the Islands (1955), Raw Edge (1956), Magic Fire (1956), The Ten Commandments (1956), Death of a Scoundrel (1956), Band of Angels (1957), The Sword and the Cross (1958), Timbuktu (1959), McLintock (1963), A Global Affair (1964), and Law of the Lawless (1964). DeCarlo starred as Lily Munster in the horror sit-com The Munsters on television from 1964 to 1966. Co-star-
87
2007 • Obituaries Broadway in the musical Follies in 1971. DeCarlo married stuntman and actor Robert Morgan in 1955, and they had two sons. Morgan lost a leg when he was crushed under a train while filming How the West Was Won in 1962. She and Morgan’s sometimes turbulent marriage ended in divorce in 1974. Her autobiography, Yvonne, was published in 1987. DeCarlo’s son Michael died in 1997, and she suffered a stroke the following year. She is survived by her other son, Bruce.
Yvonne DeCarlo (as Lily Munster)
ring with Fred Gwynne as Herman Munster, DeCarlo also played the vampiric matriarch in the 1966 feature film Munster, Go Home. She continued to appear in such films over the next three decades, often lending class to low-budget efforts. Her later film credits include Hostile Guns (1967), George Pal’s The Power (1968), Arizona Bushwhackers (1968), The Seven Minutes (1971), The Delta Factor (1971), Blazing Stewardesses (1975), It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time (1975), Black Fire (1975), Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976), House of Shadows (1976), Satan’s Cheerleaders (1977), Nocturna (1979), Guyana: Cult of the Damned (1980), Silent Scream (1980), The Man with Bogart’s Face (1980), Liar’s Moon (1981), National Lampoon’s Class Reunion (1982), Vultures (1983), Play Dead (1985), Flesh and Bullets (1985), Cellar Dweller (1988), American Gothic (1988), Mirror, Mirror (1990), Oscar (1991), The Naked Truth (1992), Desert Kickboxer (1992), and The Sorority House Murders (1993). She was also featured in the tele-films The Girl on the Late, Late Show (1974), The Mark of Zorro (1974), The Munsters’ Revenge (1981) reprising her role as Lily Munster, and A Masterpiece of Murder (1986). DeCarlo’s television credits also include guest roles in episodes of such series as Lights Out, Screen Directors Playhouse, Bonanza, Adventures in Paradise, Death Valley Days, The Virginian, Burke’s Law, The Girl from U.N.C.L.E., Custer, The Name of the Game, Fantasy Island, Murder, She Wrote, Dream On, and Tales from the Crypt. She also starred on
Yvonne DeCarlo
DEE, TOMMY Country music promoter and producer Tommy Donaldson, who produced a tribute song to Buddy Holly under the name Tommy Dee, died in Nashville, Tennessee, on January 26, 2007. He was 73. Donaldson was born on July 15, 1933. A disc jockey with KXFM in San Bernadino, California, he became best known for his 1959 tribute song to legendary rock and roll stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper shortly after their fatal plane crash. Teaming with Carol Kay and the Teen-Aires, Tommy Dee provided a narrative voice-over for the song, “Three Stars,” which hit the charts at #11 in May 1959. He subsequently worked as a country music producer and promoter for three decades.
Tommy Dee
DEFOREST, CALVERT Comic actor Calvert DeForest, who was known for his frequent appearances as Larry “Bud” Melman on David Letterman’s late night television shows, died in a Long Island, New York, hospital after a long illness on March 19, 2007. He was 85. DeForest was born in Brooklyn, New York, on July 23, 1921. A short, balding performer with thick blackrimmed glasses, he worked on stage and in independent films in New York in the 1970s. He was featured in the films While the Cat’s Away (1972), Apple Pie (1976), Blond Poison (1979), and Waitress! (1982). He was the first face seen when Letterman’s show premiered on NBC on February 1, 1982. Under the nom-de-plum of Larry “Bud” Melman he became a familiar and popular presence on the show, often adding a surreal effect by his mere appearance. DeForest parlayed his popularity into cameo roles in such films as The First Time (1983), Nothing Last Forever (1984), Heaven Help Us (1985), Leader of the Band (1987), My Demon Lover (1987), Identity Crisis (1989), Freaked (1993), Mr. Write (1994), and Encino Woman
Obituaries • 2007 (1996). He also appeared on television in episodes of Saturday Night Live, Pee-wee’s Playhouse, and Wings. When Letterman left NBC for CBS in 1994, DeForest remained with the show, but could no longer use the Larry “Bud” Melman name due to an intellectual property dispute with the network. He made his final appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman on his 81st birthday in 2002.
88 (1978), The Journalist (1979), The Highest Honor (1982), Undercover (1983), Molly (1983), Kokoda Crescent (1989), and Dead Sleep (1990). De Grey was featured as the Minister in the 2001 film Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles, and was the older John “Curley” Foster in the 2001 television mini-series Changi.
DE GRUYTER, DOMIEN Belgian actor Domien De Gruyter died in Wommelgem, Flanders, Belgium, on August 16, 2007. He was 86. De Gruyter was born in Antwerpen, Flanders, Belgium, on August 3, 1921. He made his debut on stage in 1943 in Antwerp, and was a popular performer and director until his retirement in 1986. He also appeared frequently in Belgian television productions from the 1950s including Muiterij op de Caine (1957), Een Stok in Het Wiel (1960), Het Proces van Andersonville (1962), Noah (1964), Willem van Saeftinghe (1964), De Moordenaar Gods (1965), De Midvoor (1966), Lieutenant Tenant (1968), One Night ... a Train (1968), Six Characters in Search of an Author (1971), Play Strindberg (1973), and Rubens, Schilder en Diplomaat (1977). He was also featured as Professor Neys in the 1972 series De Vorstinnen van Brugge, and was Oskar Dias in De Kat in 1973.
Calvert DeForest (Larry “Bud” Melman)
DE GREY, SLIM Australian actor and comedian Slim de Grey died of complications of a heart condition in a Gold Coast, Australia, hospital on May 20, 2007. He was 88. De Grey was born in Lytham, England, in 1919. He was a popular stand-up comedian in Australia, and appeared frequently on television from the 1960s. He starred as Mick “Patto” Patterson in the 1967 television series You Can’t See ’Round Corners and the 1969 feature film version of the same name. He was also featured in television productions of Love and War (1967), Scales of Justice (1983), Shout! The Story of Johnny O’Keefe (1985), and I Own the Racecourse (1986), and appeared in episodes of Skippy, Woobinda, Animal Doctor, The Rovers, Homicide, Dead Men Running, The Spoiler, Boney, Silent Number, Matlock Police, Chopper Squad, Young Ramsay, and Bellamy. De Grey also appeared in a handful of films during his career including They’re a Weird Mob (1966), Age of Consent (1969), Demonstrator (1971), Wake in Fright (1971), Stone (1974), Newsfront
DE HARTOGH, LEO Dutch actor Leo de Hartogh died in The Hague, The Netherlands, on October 5, 2007. He was 91. De Hartogh was born in Rot-
Slim DeGrey (right, with Eddie Hepple from Skippy)
Leo de Hartogh (with Tilly Perin-Bouwmeester)
Domien de Gruyter
89 terdam, The Netherlands, on June 2, 1916. He was a leading performer on the Dutch stage and in films from the 1930s. De Hartogh appeared in several films in the 1930s including Zomerzotheid (1936), Young Hearts (1936), Rubber (1936), Klokslag Twaalf (1936), and De Man Zonder Hart (1937). He was a popular performer on Dutch television from the 1960s, appearing in such productions as Suiker (1960), Arme Bitos (1962), Het Diplomat (1963), Bloemen voor de President (1963), De Vlucht van de Duif (1964), Dit is Het Einde (1965), De Arme Dieven (1966), Een Beeld van een Meisje (1966), Lucelle (1968), Een Mens van Goede Wil (1973), De Receptie (1974), Hof van Holland (1976), and Mata Hari (1981). He also appeared in the 1978 film Meneer Klomp.
DE HETRE, KATHERINE Actress Katherine De Hetre died of injuries she received in an automobile accident in Compton, California, on December 29, 2007. She was 61. De Hetre was born in Compton on September 18, 1946. She began her career on stage and appeared on Broadway in the short-lived production of The Love Suicide at Schofield Barracks in 1972. She was an understudy for the 1975 revival of Death of a Salesman. De Hetre was featured in several films in the late 1970s and early 1980s including The Promise (1979), the allstar disaster epic Meteor (1979), Being There (1979) with Peter Sellers, Joni (1980) and Looker (1981). She also appeared in the tele-films Callie & Son (1981) and M.A.D.D.: Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (1983), and in episodes of Quincy, The Six Million Dollar Man, and Murder, She Wrote.
2007 • Obituaries de Dios (1987), Attack at Dawn (1988), Mascaro, Hunter of the Americas (1992), Banderas, the Tyrant (1993), Vertical Love (1997), Mambi (1998), The Sea Wolf (2001), and Hijo de Tigre (2004). He also starred in such television productions as Cabinda (1987) and Avanti (1994).
Rene de la Cruz
DELAHOUSSAYE, MIKE Cameraman and cinematographer Mike Delahoussaye died of multiple myeloma in Los Angeles on November 8, 2007. He was 58. Delahoussaye was born in Houston, Texas, on October 20, 1949. He began working as a cameraman at KPRC-TV in Texas in the 1970s. He was soon shooting commercials and independent films in the area. He served as cinematographer for the features Murder Rap (1987) and They Still Call Me Bruce (1987). He was involved in filming numerous Playboy videos during the 1990s, including the 1993 spotlight on Anna Nichole Smith. He also served as cameraman or cinematographer for such films as Chill Factor (1990), Across the Tracks (1991), Inner Sanctum (1991), Indecent Behavior (1993), Dunston Checks In (1996), Midnight Blue (1997), U.S. Marshals (1998), and Deuce Bigelow: Male Gigolo (1990), and the tele-films Hardtime: Hostage Hotel (1999) and Secret Santa (2003).
Katherine De Hetre (crushed under rubble in Meteor) DE LA CRUZ, RENE Cuban actor and Rene de la Cruz Solares died in Havana, Cuba, on June 26, 2007. He was 76. De la Cruz was born in Sancti Spiritus, Cuba, on January 3, 1931. He began working as an actor on Cuban radio in the 1950s, and soon moved into television and films. He made his film debut in Carol Reed’s 1959 adaptation of Graham Greene’s Our Man in Havana. He was also featured in the films Realengo 18 (1961), Transito (1964), La Decision (1964), Papeles son Papeles (1966), La Odisea del General Jose (1968), Memories of Underdevelopment (1968), Mella (1976), The Teacher (1977), That Long Night (1979), Leyenda (1982), Mr. President (1983), Wild Dogs (1984), Baragua (1985), El Socio
Mike Delahoussaye
DELANY, PAULINE Irish actress Pauline Delany died in London on January 15, 2007. She was 81. De-
Obituaries • 2007 lany was born in Dublin, Ireland, on June 8, 1925. She began her acting career on the stage there in the 1950s, performing with the Globe Theatre Company. She made her film debut in the late 1950s, appearing in such films as Rooney (1958), Innocent Sinners (1958), A Question of Suspense (1961), Ambush in Leopard Street (1962), The Quare Fellow (1962), Nothing but the Best (1964), Young Cassidy (1965), Percy (1971), The Love Ban (1973), Brannigan (1975), Trenchcoat (1983), and Circle of Friends (1995). She also was seen frequently on British television appearing in the 1974 production of The Playboy of the Western World, and starring as Mrs. Mortimer in the series Public Eye in the early 1970s. She also appeared in such series as The Villains, Theatre 625, The Wednesday Play, The Avengers, Softly Softly, Dixon of Dock Green, New Scotland Yard, Z Cars, Shoestring, Maybury, Bergerac, The Bill, Bluebirds, Rumpole of the Bailey, and Casualty. Delany was featured in the Hammer House of Horror production of The Two Faces of Evil in 1980, and the 1988 mini-series A Taste for Death.
90 Vicio do Dr. Cornelio (1975), Elke Maravilha Contra o Homem Atomico (1978), As Taradas Atacam (1978), As 1001 Posicoes do Amor (1979), Bonitas e Gostosas (1979), Padre Pedro E a Revolta das Criancas (1984) which he also produced and wrote, As Aventuras de Sergio Malandro (1985), A Mafia Sexual (1986), and Amocoes Sexuais de Um Cavalo (1986).
DELGADO, LUIS MARIA Spanish film director Luis Maria Delgado died in Celorio, Asturias, Spain, on June 11, 2007. He was 80. He was born in Madrid, Spain, on September 12, 1926, the son of director Fernando Delgado. He began working in films as an assistant director in the early 1940s and directed his first feature, Love and Desire, in 1952. Delgado also helmed such films as That Man from Tangier (1953), Manicomio (1954), La Estrella del Rey (1957), The Italians They Are Crazy (1958), Diferente (1962), Monica Stop (1967), Hamelin (1969), Dele Color al Difunto (1970), Aventura en las Islas Cies (1972), Onofre (1974), Un Curita Canon (1974), Las Obsesiones de Amando (1974), Senoritas de Uniforme (1976), Los Hijos de... (1976), Suave, Canno, Muy Suave (1978), Pepito Piscina (1978), El Nino de su Mama (1980), El Alcalde y la Politica (1980), Mirame con Ojos Pornograficos (1980), La Tia de Carlos (1981), Profesor Eroticus (1981), Onofre el Virgo (1982), Loca por el Circo (1982), Cuando Almanzor Perdio el Tambor (1984), and Ni se te Ocurra... (1990).
Pauline Delany DE LARA, PEDRO Brazilian television and radio humorist Pedro de Lara died of prostate cancer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on September 13, 2007. He was 82. De Lara was born in Maceio, Alagoas, Brazil, on February 25, 1925. He was best known as the star of the television programs Show de Calouros and Gente que Britha. De Lara was also seen in such films as O Estranho
Pedro de Lara
Luis Maria Delgado
DELP, BRAD American musician Brad Delp, who was best known as the lead singer of the rock band Boston, committed suicide at his home in Atkinson, New Hampshire, on March 9, 2007. The official cause of death was determined to be carbon monoxide poisoning. He was 55. Delp was born in Danvers, Massachusetts, on June 12, 1951, and began playing the guitar and performing with bands while in high school. He auditioned for fellow guitarist, Tom Scholz, and the two formed the American rock band Boston in 1969. They spent several years performing in clubs and making basement recordings before releasing their self-titled debut album, Boston, in 1976. Guitarist Barry Goudreau, bassist Fred Sheehan, and drummer Sib Hashian, soon joined the duo to produce the 1978 album, Don’t Look Back. The band had a unique sound, with multi-layered tracks
91 and overdubbed group harmonies that can be heard on such singles as “More Than a Feeling” and “Let Me Take You Home Tonight.” Delp left Boston in the early 1980s, working with Hashian, to lend lead vocals to Goudreau’s self-titled solo debut album the following year. He and Goudreau performed together and released the album Orion the Hunter in 1984. Delp rejoined Boston to release Third Stage in 1986. During the early 1990s Mr. Cosmo replaced him as the lead singer for Boston, while Delp and Goudreau formed RTZ, and released the album Return to Zero in 1991. Delp once again returned to Boston in 1994, and shared vocals with Cosmo for their 1997 release Greatest Hits (Boston). He remained with the band thereafter, touring and performing lead vocals on their 2002 release, Corporate America. From 1995 until 2007 Delp also played in a Beatles tribute band called Beatlejuice and performed with Goudreau on an album release in 2006, titled Delp and Goudreau. On October 16, 2007, Barry Goudreau released one final song with Delp on vocals entitled “Rockin’ Away.” Recorded in the summer of 2006, it is an autobiography of Delp’s music career.
Brad Delp
DELPORTE, YVAN
Belgian comic writer and editor Yvan Delporte, who wrote some of the early adventures of The Smurfs, died in Brussels, Belgium, on March 5, 2007. He was 78. Delporte was born in Brussels on June 24, 1928. He began working for the weekly
Yvan Delporte
2007 • Obituaries comic magazine Spirou after World War I, and rose to become editor in 1956. He was instrumental in persuading Smurf artist Peyo to continue the adventures of the characters after they were created for a one-shot in 1958. The on-going strip debuted the following year with Delporte contributing scripts for their adventures. He also created the character of Smurfette, and was involved in writing the animated films The Adventures of the Smurfs (1965) and The Smurfs and the Magic Flute (1976). He also collaborated with Jean Roba on Boule et Bill and Andre Franquin with Gaston Lagaffe. He stepped down as editor of Spirou in 1968, but continued to write comic scripts for numerous artists. Delporte became editor of the magazine Schtroumpf in 1990.
DEMAREST, JIM Jim Demarest, who starred as Mr. Checkers on Hawaii’s Checkers and Pogo television series in the 1970s, died in Chicago, Illinois, after a long illness on June 12, 2007. He was 80. Demarest was born on June 20, 1926. He starred in Checkers and Pogo from 1968 to 1979. He was also seen in several episodes of Hawaii Five-O and Magnum, P.I., and in the films Bullitt (1968) and Hawaiian Dream (1987).
Jim Demarest (left, as Mr. Checkers, with Morgan White as Pogo chatting with a young fan)
DEMING, LAWSON Lawson Deming, who hosted horror films on Detroit television as the comic vampire Sir Graves Ghastly, died at his home in Ohio
Lawson Deming (as Sir Graves Ghastly)
Obituaries • 2007 on April 24, 2007. He was 94. Deming was born on April 23, 1913. He began his career in radio in Cleveland, Ohio, in the early 1930s. He later worked as a puppeteer on the Cleveland children’s television program Woodrow the Woodsman, which brought him to Detroit in the mid–1960s. He was asked to host the local horror film showcase there in 1967, which became known as Sir Graves Big Show, with Deming decked out in ghoulish attire and makeup. He also played the other characters that would sometimes join the show including Reel McCoy, who would unearth the old films to be shown, the Glob, an upside down mouth that would sing in the corner of the screen, and the off beat Tillie Trollhouse. Deming became a popular fixture on the local scene, making numerous personal appearances while his program ran on station WJBK through 1983.
DEMPSEY, JACK British wrestler Thomas Moore, who competed in the ring as Jack Dempsey, died in a Poolstock, England, nursing home on November 20, 2007. He was 87. He was born in Newtown, England, in 1920, and began training at Riley’s Gym in Scholes while working as a coal miner. He began wrestling professionally in 1937. He became a popular ring competitor under the name of Jack Dempsey, and defeated Tony Lawrence for the British Welterweight Championship in 1953. He held the title for several years before losing it to Mick McManus in 1957. He again captured the belt in a rematch the following year. He competed frequently in televised matches during the early 1960s, feuding with Jackie Pallo, Jon Cortez, and Vic Faulkner. He was forced to retired from wrestling and vacate the championship because of poor health in October of 1966. During the 1970s he worked as an instructor and trainer at Riley’s Gym. He was the subject of a television documentary in 1995.
92 He also appeared in several films including Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), The Manhattan Project (1986), and Last Ball (2001). Dempster directed many of the plays produced at the Ensemble Studio Theater, and was also author of several of them.
Curt Demster DE POMES, ISABEL Spanish actress Isabel de Pomes died in Barcelona, Spain, on May 31, 2007. She was 83. De Pomes was born in Barcelona on April 10, 1924, the daughter of actor Felix de Pomes. She began her career on stage in the late 1930s, and made her film debut in the early 1940s. She was seen in such films as Los Millones de Polichinela (1941), La Madre Guapa (1941), La Culpa del Otro (1942), Simepre Mujeres (1942), A Sight of Light (1943), Mi Vida en tus Manos (1943), Noche Fantastica (1943), El Abanderado (1943), I Want You for Myself (1944), La Torre de los Siete Jorobados (1944), The Black Siren (1947), La Muralla Feliz (1947), Luis Candelas, el Ladron de Madrid (1947), Crossroads (1948), Boton de Ancla (1948), El Centauro (1948), Las Casa de las Sonrisas (1948), Poker de Ases (1948), El Correo del Rey (1951), Luna de Sangre (1952), Vida en Sombras (1952), El Alcalde de Zalamea (1954), North Wind (1954), The Miracle of Marcelino (1955), Los Ojos en las Manos (1956), Nunca es Demasiado Tarde (1956), Thunderstorm (1956), L’Amore piu Bello (1957), Whom God Forgives (1957), The Man Who Wagged His Tail (aka An Angel Over Brooklyn) (1957), La Noche y el Alba (1958), Leap to Fame (1959),
Jack Dempsey
DEMPSTER, CURT Theatrical director and actor Curt Dempster died at his home in New York City on January 19, 2007. He was 71. Dempster was born in Detroit, Michigan, on November 1, 1935. He was best known as the co-founder of New York’s Ensemble Studio Theater in 1971, that showcased new plays and playwrights. Dempster was an actor in the Off-Broadway production of Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge.
Isabel de Pomes
93 Poison at 2:30 (1959), Ama Rosa (1960), El Secreto de los Hombres Azules (1961), Story of a Night (1963), and El Puente de la Ilusion (1965).
DESIO, ALFRED Broadway dancer and choreographer Alfred Desio, who invented a form of electronically enhanced tap dancing called Tap-Tronics, died of complications from bladder cancer at a Los Angeles hospital on February 14, 2007. He was 74. Desio was born in Geneva, New York, on August 29, 1932, and began performing at an early age. He performed on Broadway in such hit productions as West Side Story, Fiddler on the Roof, and Man of La Mancha. He worked with Katharine Hepburn on the musical Coco and relocated to California while on tour with the production. In the 1980s Desio created Tap-Tronics, a musical concept in which microphones embedded in a dancer’s shoes relay sounds to various electronic equipment. This form of electronic tap was featured in the 1989 film Tap, starring Gregory Hines. In recent years Desio directed a tapdancing program for children and worked with his wife in operating the Los Angeles Choreographers & Dancers Dance Company.
2007 • Obituaries British television from the 1970s, with roles in productions of Through the Night (1975), Bill Brand (1976), Ladies (1980), The Flipside of Dominick Hide (1980), The Haunting of Cassie Palmer (1982), and The Return of Sherlock Holmes: The Hound of the Baskervilles (1988). She also guest-starred in such series as Softly Softly, The Professionals, Oh Happy Band Nanny, Juliet Bravo, Angels, Three Up, Two Down, Just Good Friends, and One Foot in the Grave. Devenish also appeared in several films during her career including Time Bandits (1981), Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life (1983), Runners (1983), Tug of Love (1983), Terry Gilliam’s Brazil (1985), and Return to Waterloo (1985).
DEVON, LAURA Actress Laura Devon died of heart failure at her home in Beverly Hills, California, on July 19, 2007. She was 76. Devon was born in Chicago, Illinois, on May 23, 1931. She began her career as a nightclub singer before moving to California in the early 1960s. She was active in film and television throughout the decade. She was a regular member of the ensemble cast for the anthology television series The Richard Boone Show from 1963 to 1964. She also appeared in the recurring role of Sister Benjamin in the medical drama Dr. Kildare in 1965. Devon’s other television credits include episodes of The New Breed, The Wide Country, Route 66, The Gallant Men, The Twilight Zone, Stoney Burke, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Rawhide, Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, The Rogues, Bonanza, I Spy, The Fugitive, T.H.E. Cat, The Big Valley, and The Invaders. She made her film debut in director Vincente Minnelli’s 1964 comedy Goodbye Charlie. She was also seen in the films Red Line 7000 (1965), Chamber of Horror (1967), A Covenant with Death (1967), and Gunn (1967) with Craig Stevens as detective Peter Gunn. Devon was briefly married to actor Brian Kelly in the early 1960s. She married film composer Maurice Jarre later in the decade and retired from the screen. Her survivors include their son, screenwriter Kevin Jarre.
Alfred Desio (left, with Fayard Nicholas)
DEVENISH, MYRTLE British character actress Myrtle Devenish died in Paignton, Devon, England, on January 21, 2007. She was 93. Devenish was born in Ebbw Vale, Wales, in 1913. She appeared frequently on
Laura Devon
Myrtle Devenish
DIAK, RODNEY British actor Rodney Diak died of cancer in London on October 6, 2007. He was 83. He was born David Rodney Jones in Harrow, England, on June 15, 1924. Diak began his career on stage in the early 1940s and made his West End debut in a
Obituaries • 2007 production of Shakespeare’s Love’s Labours Lost, with the Old Vic company. He remained with the Old Vic in the early 1950s, before making his film debut in the science fiction flick Fire Maidens From Outer Space in 1956. He also appeared in the films Carry On Admiral (1957), Dunkirk (1958), Mr. Topaze (1961), and The Flesh and Blood Show (1972). He also appeared on television in such series as The Makepeace Story, The Troubleshooters, Z Cars, People Like Us, and Barlow at Large. Diak remained a popular performer on stage with long runs in such West End hits as Goodnight Mrs. Puffin and Busybody.
DIBDEN, MICHAEL British mystery writer Michael Dibden died in Seattle, Washington, after a brief illness on March 30, 2007. He was 60. Dibden was born in Wolverhampton, England, on March 21, 1947. He began writing mysteries in the late 1970s, pitting Sherlock Holmes against Jack the Ripper in The Last Sherlock Holmes Story in 1978. Poet Robert Browning was the protagonist for his second novel, A Rich Full Death, in 1986. Dibden was best known for creating the character of Italian police detective Aurelio Zen. Zen was featured in 10 novels including Ratking (1988), Vendetta (1990), Cabal (1992), Dead Lagoon (1994), Cosi Fan Tutti (1996), A Long Finish (1998), Blood Rain (1999), And Then You Die (2002), Medusa (2003), Back to Bologna (2005), and End Games (2007). He also wrote a handful of other crime novels including The Tryst (1989), Dirty Tricks (1991), The Dying of the Light (1993), Dark Spectre (1995), and Thanksgiving (2000).
94 end of World War II. DiLeo performed in several productions with the New London Opera Company in the late 1940s, and sang occasional roles in the 1950s. She was seen onscreen as Jasefa in the 1961 film The Singer Not the Song, and was featured as Senora Zumara in the 1961 Hammer horror film The Curse of the Werewolf starring Oliver Reed. She also appeared in an episode of the British science fiction television series Out of the Unknown in 1965.
Serafino diLeo
DINCEL, SAVAS Turkish actor Savas Dincel died of internal hemorrhaging in Istanbul, Turkey, on December 20, 2007. He was 65. Dincel was born in Istanbul in 1942. A stage, film and television actor from the 1970s, Dincel was best known for his role as Firinci Nusrettin in the television series Ekmek Teknesi from 2002 until his death. He was also featured as Gen. Ismet Pasa in the 1994 mini-series Kurtulus, and played former Turkish president Ismet Inonu in the film Cumhuriyet in 1998. Dincel was also seen in the films Lyckliga vi... (1980), Bye, Crazy Class (1981), Asik Oldum (1985), Cholera Street (1997), Offside (2000), The Fall of Abdulhamit (2003), Home Coming (2006), and There Is Another Possibility (2007). His other television credits include productions of Three Faces of Istanbul (1983), Azmi (1995), Sevda Cicegi (2006), Esir Kalpler (2006), and Can (2007).
Michael Dibdin
DILEO, SERAFINO Opera singer and actress Serafina DiLeo died in Bognor Regis, West Sussex, England, on October 23, 2007. She was 95. DiLeo was born in New York City on May 7, 1912, the daughter of Sicilian immigrants. She began studying opera in Italy with the assistance of singer Giovanni Martinelli and his wife in 1927. DiLeo made her operatic debut in Verdi’s Il Trovatore at La Scala in Milan in 1930. She returned to the United States the following year, where she performed with the Chicago Civic Opera. She returned to Italy in 1932, where she continued to perform in such operas as Aida, Tosca, and Cavalleria Rusticana She married British officer Adrian Fitzpatrick Cooke near the
Savas Dincel
95 DI REDA, JOSEPH Character actor Joseph di Reda died in a Worcester, Massachusetts, hospital of cancer on June 16, 2007. He was 78. Di Reda was born in Worcester on September 16, 1928. He moved to New York after briefly serving in the Navy during World War II. He was featured in a touring company production of the play Tea and Sympathy, which brought him to Hollywood in the early 1950s. He began a long career in films and television, appearing in such features as Gaby (1956), Screaming Eagles (1956), Love Me Tender (1956) with Elvis Presley, The True Story of Jesse James (1957), Time Limit (1957), The Enemy Below (1957), Juvenile Jungle (1958), Imitation General (1958), The Black Orchid (1958), In Love and War (1958), The Big Fisherman (1959), Flight from Ashiya (1964), 36 Hours (1965), The Sand Pebbles (1966), The Andromeda Strain (1971), Cactus in the Snow (1971), Emperor of the North Pole (1973), The Parallax View (1974), The Hindenberg (1975), and Special Delivery (1976). He was also seen in the tele-films Lock, Stock and Barrel (1971), If I Love You, Am I Trapped Forever? (1974), Returning Home (1975), The Ordeal of Patty Hearst (1979), Joe Dancer: The Big Trade (1981), and Murder One, Dancer 0 (1983). His other television credits include appearances in episodes of such series as You Are There, Matinee Theatre, Zane Grey Theater, Climax!, M Squad, Navy Log, Mike Hammer, Frontier Justice, Steve Canyon, The Texan, The Ann Sothern Show, Colt .45, The Alaskans, The Man from Blackhawk, Wanted: Dead or Alive, Dan Raven, Bonanza, The Roaring 20’s, Perry Mason, 87th Precinct, The Untouchables, The Dakotas, Combat!, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Andy Griffith Show, Rawhide, Batman, The Invaders, The Green Hornet, Felony Squad, Gunsmoke, The F.B.I., The Rookies, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Streets of San Francisco, M*A*S*H, The Incredible Hulk, The ATeam, and Cagney & Lacey. He was also featured for seven years as Angel Moran in the daytime soap opera General Hospital.
2007 • Obituaries into the hairstyling business, earning her cosmetology license in 1933. She worked as United Artists and Paramount before moving to Universal in the 1940s, where she became head of hairstyling. She worked closely with makeup artist Jack Pierce. Her numerous film credits include The Return of Sophie Lang (1936), Foreign Correspondent (1940), This Love of Ours (1945), House of Dracula (1945), Frontier Gal (1945), Scarlet Street (1945), Terror by Night (1946), Idea Girl (1946), Little Giant (1946), The Spider Woman Strikes Back (1946), The Cat Creeps (1946), Dressed to Kill (1946), She Wrote the Book (1946), The Runaround (1946), Her Adventurous Night (1946), Lover Come Back (1946), Danger Woman (1946), Canyon Passage (1946), Black Angel (1946), Wild Beauty (1946), The Time of Their Lives (1946), Lawless Breed (1946), The Killers (1946), Little Miss Big (1946), Rustler’s Round-Up (1946), Gunman’s Code (1946), The Brute Man (1946), Magnificent Doll (1946), I’ll Be Yours (1947), Song of Scheherazade (1947), The Egg and I (1947), Smash-Up: The Story of a Woman (1947), Buck Privates Come Home (1947), Time Out of Mind (1947), The Web (1947), Ivy (1947), Brute Force (1947), Slave Girl (1947), Something in the Wind (1947), Ride the Pink Horse (1947), The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap (1947), The Lost Moment (1947), A Double Life (1947), The Senator Was Indiscreet (1947), Secret Beyond the Door (1948), A Woman’s Vengeance (1948), Black Bart (1948), The Naked City (1948), All My Sons (1948), Are You with It? (1948), Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948), Casbah (1948), Another Part of the Forest (1948), River Lady (1948), Up in Central Park (1948), Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), Feudin,’ Fussin’ and A-Fightin’ (1948), Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid (1948) designing Ann Blyth’s underwater coiffure, Tap Roots (1948), One Touch of Venus (1948), For the Love of Mary (1948), Larceny (1948), Rogues’ Regiment (1948), The Saxon Charm (1948), Kiss the Blood Off My Hands (1948), The Countess of Monte Cristo (1948), An Act of Murder (1948), Mexican Hayride (1948), The Fighting O’Flynn (1949), Criss Cross (1949), Family Honeymoon (1949), Ma and Pa Kettle (1949), City Across the River (1949), The Life of Riley (1949), Red Canyon (1949), Calamity Jane and Sam Bass (1949), Arctic Manhunt (1949), The Reckless Moment (1949), Dakota Lil (1950), The Vicious Years (1950), The Iroquois Trail (1950), Two Lost Worlds (1951), Tales of Robin Hood
Joseph di Reda
DIRIGO, CARMEN Film hair stylist Carmen Dirigo died in Van Nuys, California, on July 25, 2007. She was 99. She was born Daisy Obradowits in New York City on December 30, 1907. She moved to Hollywood with her mother in the 1920s, where she began performing on stage as dancer. She followed her mother
Carmen Dirigo (left, with Frances Dee)
Obituaries • 2007
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(1951), The Big Night (1951), Highway Dragnet (1954), The Vampire (1957), I Mobster (1958), The Proud Rebel (1958), Diary of a Madman (1963), and Nightmare in the Sun (1965). Dirigo also worked frequently in television from the 1950s, serving as hairstylist for such series as Schlitz Playhouse of the Stars, You Are There, Screen Directors Playhouse, The Andy Griffith Show, and Petticoat Junction. Her final screen credits were for the 1971 telefilm A Taste of Evil and the 1972 film musical 1776. She subsequently retired to Van Nuys, California.
DISESSO, MOE Moe DiSesso, who was one of Hollywood’s leading animal trainers, died on July 2, 2007. He was 83. DiSesso was born on April 20, 1924. He began his career as a stunt rider, working on the television series The Cisco Kid, and the films The Ten Commandments and The Conqueror. He began training animals for films the early 1960s, supplying the trained raven for Roger Corman’s comedy horror film The Raven. He also trained Arnold Ziffle, the porcine prodigy in the Green Acres television series, and a horde of rats for the films Willard (1971) and Ben (1972). He provided the trained German Shepherds for Wes Craven’s 1977 horror film The Hills Have Eyes and the title pooch for the 1978 tele-film Devil Dog; The Hound of Hell. DiSesso also trained animals for the films Used Cars (1980), Annie (1982) including the dog Sandy, My Stepmother Is an Alien (1988) and Scissors (1991), and such television series as Seinfeld and Will & Grace. He was the recipient of 11 Patsy Awards for his animal training expertise. DiSesso appeared on screen as Mr. Doodles in the 1979 tele-film Fast Friends.
Moe DiSesso (sharing an award with Ben the rat)
DLOUHY, MARY JANE CLARK
Mary Jane Clark Dlouhy, who starred as Miss Mary Jane in the Chicago children’s television series Treetop House, died in a Skokie, Illinois, hospital on March 7, 2007. She was 74. She was born in Chicago on June 30, 1932. She was working as a local model in the Chicago area when she was selected as hostess of WGN’s children’s series Treetop House. As Miss Mary Jane, she and her marionette friend Mr. Widgin entertained Chicago children from 1960 to 1962. She also did several television specials for WGN in the early 1960s. Dlouhy later formed the women’s employment agency, Mademoiselle.
Mary Jane Clark Dlouhy
DOLAN, JOE Irish pop singer Joe Dolan collapsed at his home in Dublin, Ireland, on December 25, 2007, and died in a hospital there the following day. He was 68. Dolan was born in Mullingar, County Westmeath, Ireland, on October 16, 1939. He began performing in the early 1960s in a poplar show band with his brother Ben. His biggest hit was his 1969 recording of “Make Me an Island.” He recorded such other popular songs as “I Love You More and More Every Day” (1965), “The Westmeath Bachelor” (1968), “You’re Such a Good Looking Woman” (1970), “Sister Mary” (1976) a duet with Kelly Marie, and “I Need You” (1977). Dolan continued to tour and record regularly, but had recently canceled a Christmas tour because of exhaustion.
Joe Dolan
DOMMARTIN, SOLVEIG French actress Solveig Dommartin, who starred in Wim Wenders’ 1987 fantasy film Wings of Desire, died of a heart attack in Paris on January 11, 2007. She was 45. Dommartin was born in Paris on May 16, 1961. She began her acting career on stage, and worked in films as an assistant to director Jacques Rozier. She worked as an editor on Wenders’ 1985 documentary Tokyo-Ga. Dommartin made her feature film debut in Wings of Desire as Marian, a lonely circus trapeze artist who becomes the object of affection of an angel played by Bruno Ganz. She also appeared in and co-scripted Wenders’ film Until the End of the World in 1991, and the 1993 sequel to Wings of De-
97 sire, Faraway, So Close! Her other film credits include The Prisoner of St. Petersburg (1989), Je t’ai dans la Peau (1990), No Fear, No Die (1990), I Can’t Sleep (1994), and Eiffel Tower Trilog y: Height, Weight and Gravity (1997). She also directed the 1998 short film It Would Only Take a Bridge.
Solveig Dommartin
DONEV, DONYO Bulgarian cartoonist and animator Donyo Donev died in Sofia, Bulgaria, after a long illness on November 28, 2007. He was 78. Donev was born in Berkovitza, Bulgaria, on June 27, 1929. He was a noted political caricaturist and began drawing for animated films in the early 1960s. He was best known for his cartoon creations The Three Fools, who made their debut in the 1970 cartoon of the same name. They were also stars of the animated productions Three Fools as Hunters (1972), The Three Fools and the Cow (1974), The Three Fools and the Tree (1977), The Three Fools and the Fool Woman (1978), Three Fools as Athletes (1979), Three Fools as Pedagogues (1980), Three Fools as Fishermen (1982), The Three Fools in the Restaurant (1989), and Three Fools Non-Stop (1990). Donev’s other cartoon credits include Circus (1962), Shooters (1967), Cow Which... (1967), The Friends of Gosho Elephant (1968), Happy End (1969), The Little One and the Big One (1970), Adventure in the Woods (1970), Clever Village (1972), De Facto (1973), The Music Tree (1976), We Call Them Montagues and Capulets (1985), Wolf ’s Suite (1988), and Concert at
Donyo Donev
2007 • Obituaries Home (1990). Donev continued to draw his caricatures and was a teacher at the National Academy of Arts in his later years.
DONFELD Film costume designer Donfeld, who earned four Academy Award nominations during his career, died at his brother’s home in Temple City, California, after a brief illness on February 3, 2007. He was 72. He was born Donald Lee Feld in Los Angeles on July 3, 1934. He began his career at Capitol Records designing album covers in the early 1950s. He began designing costumes for film and television later in the decade. One of his earliest assignments was designing wardrobe for production numbers in the Academy Awards shows. He earned his first Oscar nomination early in his career for his work on Days of Wine and Roses in 1962. He also received Academy Award nominations for costume design for They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? (1969), Tom Sawyer (1973), and Prizzi’s Honor (1985). Donfeld also worked on the films Sanctuary (1961), Return to Peyton Place (1961), Wild in the Country (1961), The Second Time Around (1961), Bachelor Flat (1962), State Fair (1962), Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation (1962), Hemingway’s Adventures of a Young Man (1962), Island of Love (1963), Under the Yum Yum Tree (1963), Dead Ringer (1964), Viva Las Vegas (1964), Robin and the 7 Hoods (1964), The Outrage (1964), Dear Heart (1964), Joy in the Morning (1965), The Great Race (1965), The Cincinnati Kid (1965), The Chase (1966), Hombre (1967), Double Trouble (1967), Don’t Make Waves (1967), Luv (1967), Fitzwilly (1967), The April Fools (1969), The Phynx (1970), The Grasshopper (1970), Walk in the Spring Rain (1970), the 1971 James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever designing costumes for Jill St. John, Lady Ice (1973), Huckleberry Finn (1974), Rafferty and the Gold Dust Twins (1975), Lipstick (1976), Fun with Dick and Jane (1977), One on One (1977), First Love (1977), Rabbit Test (1978), Who’ll Stop the Rain (1978), Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? (1978), The China Syndrome (1979), Ichon (1981), Class (1983), Brainstorm (1983), Spaceballs (1987), Next of Kin (1989), Gladiator (1992), and Father Hood (1993). Donfeld also designed costumes for the Wonder Woman television series in the mid–1970s, and worked on the tele-films Harold Robbins’ The Pirate (1978), The Star Maker (1981), The Cartier Affair (1984), and Choices (1986). DORN, JOEL Record producer Joel Dorn, who worked at Atlantic Records in the 1960s and 1970s, died of a heart attack in New York City on December 17, 2007. He was 65. Dorn was born on April 7, 1942, and was raised in Philadelphia. He began working in radio as a disk jockey in the early 1960s. He joined Atlantic as co-founder Neushi Ertegun’s assistant in 1963 and was soon producing albums. He initially worked primarily with such jazz artists as Herbie Mann, Rahsaan Roland Kirk and Eddie Harris. He moved into pop and rock later in the decade, producing hits for Roberta Flack, Bette Midler and the Allman Brothers. He left Atlantic in 1974 but continued to work as an independent producer for artist as Leon Redbone, Don McClean and Lou Rawls. As CDs revolutionized the music industry, Dorn worked as a consultant for such labels as Rhino
Obituaries • 2007 and Columbia and helped create the companies 32 Records and Hyena Records to release albums of historical importance. He remained active until his death, working for Sirius Satellite Radio’s Pure Jazz channel.
98 (1967), Catherine (1969), Castle Keep (1969), Potatoes (1969), Rum Runners (1971), The Day the Clown Cried (1972), The Big Shots (1972), Deadly Sting (1973), The Four Charlots Musketeers (1974), Call Me Savage (1975), Special Section (1975), Black and White in Color (1976), Ham from the Ardennes (1977), Gloria (1977), You Won’t Have Alsace-Lorraine (1977), the 1979 James Bond film Moonraker, Malevil (1981), and The Roaring Forties (1982). Douy also designed sets for such television productions as Joseph Balsamo (1973), Speciale Demiere (1982), Le Divan (1982), and Par Ordre du Roy (1983).
Joel Dorn
DOTRICE, KAY British actress Kay Dotrice died of a heart attack in Los Angeles on August 2, 2007. She was 78. She was born Katherine Newman in 1929. She was noted for her roles in plays by William Shakespeare in English repertory productions. She was also featured on the British television series Crossroads as Deborah Crisp in 1964, and appeared in episodes of The Wednesday Play. She was also seen in the 1984 comedy film Cheech & Chong’s The Corsican Brothers. She was the wife of actor Roy Dotrice, and mother of actresses Karen, Michele, and Yvette Dotrice. DOUY, MAX French set designer Max Douy died in Nogent-sur-Marne, Val-de-Marne, France, on July 2, 2007. He was 93. Douy was born in Issy-lesMoulineaux, Hauts-de-Seine, France, on June 20, 1914. He began his career in films working as an assistant to Meerson Trauner in the 1930s. He soon became a leading film art director and production designer in France. His numerous film credits include The Rules of the Game (1939), Adieu Leonard (1943), Fire Nicolas (1943), The Sky Is Yours (1944), Paris Frills (1945), Ladies of the Park (1945), Petrus (1946), Queen’s Necklace (1946), Devil in the Flesh (1947), Jenny Lamour (1947), The Mystery of the Yellow Room (1949), Keep an Eye on Amelia (1949), Adventures of Captain Fabian (1951), The Red Inn (1951), Matrimonial Agency (1952), Good Lord Without Confession (1953), The Game of Love (1954), On Trial (1954), Scarlet and Black (1954), Only the French Can (1954), Bad Liaisons (1955), Marguerite of the Night (1955), This Is the Dawn (1956), Four Bags Full (1956), He Who Must Die (1957), Tamango (1958), Love Is My Profession (1958), The Gambler (1958), The Chasers (1959), The Green Mare (1959), The Regattas of San Francisco (1960), Thou Shalt Not Kill (1961), The Count of Monte Cristo (1961), Phaedra (1962), The Seven Deadly Sins (1962), Josefa’s Loot (1963), Enough Rope (1963), Friend of the Family (1964), Topkapi (1964), Death Travels Too Much (1965), Fantomas Strikes Back (1965), A New World (1966), The Oldest Profession (1967), Fantomas Against Scotland Yard
Max Douy
DRABBLE, PHIL British television personality Phil Drabble died at his home in Abbots Bromley, Staffordshire, England, on July 29, 2007. He was 93. Drabble was born in Staffordshire on May 13, 1914. He began writing about life in the country in the early 1940s. He was a writer for BBC Midland Radio later in the decade, and began writing for television in 1953. He also wrote over 20 books including My Beloved Wilderness (1971), It’s a Dog’s Life (1983), and his 1991 autobiography, A Voice in the Wilderness. Drabble was best known as the host of the popular television series One Man and His Dog from 1976 to 1994, which depicted sheepdog trials. He also appeared on television in such series as Getaway, Country Game, and In the Country.
Phil Drabble
99 DRAGUN, CHARMINE Australian newscaster Charmine Dragun was found dead in Sydney, Australia, after jumping from a popular tourist spot, The Gap, in an apparent suicide on November 2, 2007. She was 29. Dragun was born in Western Australia in 1978, and began her career in Perth, Australia, as a radio journalist. She joined the news desk of Network Ten in 1999 and became a popular television newscaster.
Charmaine Dragun
DRAKE, ARNOLD Comic book writer Arnold Drake, who was co-creator of The Doom Patrol and Deadman and scripted the 1964 cult classic film The Flesh Eaters, died of pneumonia and septic shock in a New York city hospital on March 12, 2007. He was 83. Drake was born in New York City on March 1, 1924. He began writing comics in the 1940s, and worked for most of the major publishers during his career. Drake co-wrote one of the first graphic novels, It Rhymes with Lust, in 1950. He also wrote The Adventures of Jerry Lewis series for DC. Drake co-created The Doom Patrol, which made its debut in My Greatest Adventure #83 in 1963. He also cocreated Deadman for Strange Adventures, and the Stanley and His Monster humor series. Drake scripted the 1963 nudie film 50,000 B.C. (Before Clothing ) (aka Nudes on the Rocks), and the 1965 thriller Who Killed Teddy Bear. He also wrote and produced the 1964 horror film The Flesh Eaters starring Martin Kosleck.
Arnold Drake
2007 • Obituaries DREW, GEORGE W. Costume designer George W. Drew died of cancer on July 8, 2007. He was 80. Drew was born on February 18, 1927. He studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and began his career as an actor. He appeared in a Broadway production of The Relapse in 1950. He also performed with a mime company and an acrobatic trio before he began designing costumes. Drew was wardrobe coordinator for Patty Duke for her television series The Patty Duke Show and her 1965 film Billie. He also designed for the television shows The Trials of O’Brien and Not for Women Only, and was nominated for an Emmy Award for his work on the daytime soap opera One Life to Live. DUBE, LUCKY South African reggae musician Lucky Philip Dube, who recorded more than 22 albums in English, Zulu, and Afrikaans, was shot to death in a carjacking attempt while dropping his children off at the home of a family member in Rosettenville, a suburb in Johannesburg, South Africa, on October 18, 2007. He was 43. Dube was born in Ermelo, Johannesburg, South Africa, on August 3, 1964, and was given his name due to his fortunate birth. He formed his first band, The Skyway Brothers, while still a child in school and later joined his cousin’s band, The Love Brothers, at the age of 18. Playing a form of Zulu pop music known as mbaqanga, the group went on to produce several albums in the early 1980s under the name Lucky Dube and the Supersoul, though the name was later changed to Lucky Dube. His mbaqanga musical releases include such albums as Lengane Ngeyethu (1981), Kudala Ngikuncenga (1982), Kukuwe (1983), Abathakathi (1984), Ngikwethemba Na? (1985), and Umadakeni (1987). He also released the Afrikaans album Help My Krap in 1986. During the mid–1980s, Dube became increasingly vocal in his opposition to the apartheid government and switched from traditional South African music to Jamaican reggae. He applied reggae’s socio-political messages in his songs as an expression of his anger at the white-minority regime. His first reggae album, Rastas Never Die, was released in 1984 and was banned by the government the following year in an effort to suppress anti-apartheid activism. He received international acclaim with the release of his second album, Think About the Children (1985), and went on to produce the increasingly successful albums Slave (1987) and Together as One (1988). Dube won four OKTV Awards for his 1989 album, Prisoner (1989), another one for Captured Alive (1990), and two more for House of Exile (1991). His 1993 album, Victims, sold over one million copies worldwide and his 1995 release, Trinity, secured him with an international contract with Motown. In 1996, Dube released a compilation album, Serious Reggae Business, marking the 10th anniversary of his career. He won the South African Music Award for his next three albums, Taxman (1997), The Way It Is (1999), and Soul Taker (2001), and released The Other Side in 2003. His final album, Respect, was released earlier in 2007. Throughout his 25 year musical career Dube and his touring band, The Slaves, performed with such artists as Maxi Priest, Sinead O’Connor, Peter Gabriel, Michael Jackson, Seal, Ziggy Marley, Celine Dion, and Sting. He also appeared in the feature films Getting Lucky,
Obituaries • 2007
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Lucky Strikes Back and 1990’s Voice in the Dark, starring actor John Savage.
when they reclaimed the Quiet Riot moniker. Their 1983 album, Metal Health, contained their rendition of “Cum on Feel the Noize,” which became a huge hit for the group. They released another album, Condition Critical, in 1984, though sales were disappointing. The band continued to perform and record over the next twenty years with varying line-ups. DuBrow left the group in 2004 to make a solo album, In for the Kill, but soon returned to the group. His final album with Quiet Riot was 2006’s Rehab.
Lucky Dube
DUBOIS, RICHARD Bodybuilder Richard DuBois died in a Santa Monica hospital on September 26, 2007. He was 74. DuBois was born on March 4, 1933. He was a leading bodybuilder and physique model from the 1950s. He was featured under the name Richard Sabre in the 1954 musical comedy film Athena, starring Debbie Reynolds. He also toured with Mae West’s stage act as one of her muscular attendants. DuBois won the Amateur Athletic Union Mr. America bodybuilding contest in 1954 and was named Mr. USA in 1957. He continued to pose for various muscle mags through the 1960s, before becoming an evangelist.
Kevin DuBrow
DUESO, ALBERT Spanish actor Albert Dueso died in Barcelona, Spain, on November 30, 2007. He was 55. He began his career on stage, co-founding a leading theatrical company in Barcelona in 1970. He was also a founder of the Association of Professional Actors and Directors of Catalonia. Dueso made his film debut in the early 1980s, appearing in La Desnuda Chica del Relax (1981), Moon Child (1989), Cena de Asesinos (1989), La Teranyina (1990), Ni un Pam de Net (1993), Tres Dias de Libertad (1996), Platillos Volantes (2003), Lo Mejor que le Puede Pasar a un Cruasan (2003), Unconscious (2004), Centenario (2004), and El Triunfo (2006). He also appeared in television productions of Sara (2003), Amb el 10 a l’Esquena (2003), L’Ombre d’un Crime (2005), Viure de Mentides (2005), and Rumors (2007), and was Senor Molins in the series Abuela de Verano in 2005.
Richard DuBois (with Mae West)
DUBROW, KEVIN Rock singer Kevin DuBrow, who led the heavy metal band Quiet Riot, was found dead at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada, on November 25, 2007. He was 52. DuBrow was born in Hollywood, California, on October 29, 1955. He was selected by Randy Rhoads, along with bassist Kelly Garni and drummer Drew Forsyth, to form the original lineup of Quiet Riot in the late 1970s. Rhoads left the group to join Ozzy Osbourn’s band in 1979 and DuBrow became the group’s leader. The band’s name was changed to DuBrow for several years until Rhoads’ death in 1982
Albert Dueso
101 DUKE, STAN Los Angeles sportscaster Stan Duke died of a heart attack in Santa Barbara, California, on March 14, 2007. He was 70. Duke was born in Portland, Oregon, on May 9, 1936. He began working in radio in Oregon before moving to Los Angeles in the 1960s. He was hired as a sportscaster at KNXT-TV in 1966, becoming one of the first blacks in local television news. He was also seen in cameo roles in the 1968 Disney film The Love Boat, and on television in episodes of Cowboy in Africa, Bracken’s World, and Joe Forrester. Duke’s career came to an end in February of 1971 when he shot his estranged wife’s lover to death. He was convicted of second degree murder and sentenced to five years in prison. He was paroled in 1974, but was unable to get another job in broadcasting.
Stan Duke
DUKES, DANNY Adult film actor and agent Danny Dukes died of a drug overdose in San Fernando Valley, California, on December 3, 2007. He was 33. Dukes was born Daniel Salas, Jr., on January 28, 1974. He was active in adult films from the early 2000s, with such credits as Pop That Cherry 2 (2003), Pornstar Popstar (2004), Jack’s Playground 18 (2004), and American Sex (2004).
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born in Copenhagen, Denmark, on July 11, 1936, and raised in Beverly Hills, California. He was active on stage, film, and television from the late 1950s. Duncan was featured in such films as High Time (1960), The Magic Sword (1962) as Sir James of Scotland, Stay Away, Joe (1968) as Elvis Presley’s brother, What’s So Bad About Feeling Good? (1968), The Young Runaways (1968), Marlowe (1969), Simon, King of the Witches (1971), Sweet Sugar (1973), How to Seduce a Woman (1974), Half a House (1979, ...And Justice for All (1979), Going Ape! (1981), Separate Ways (1981), Another Chance (1989), Street Crimes (1992), and The Real Howard Spitz (1998). Duncan was also featured in numerous telefilms including Hunters Are for Killing (1970), Savage (1973), Judgment: The Trial of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg (1974), The Shaman’s Last Raid (1975), Sex and the Married Woman (1977), Aspen (1977), Waikiki (1980), Fatal Friendship (1991), and Shattered City: The Halifax Explosion (2003). He starred as Dr. Tony Romano in the daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives from 1968 to 1969. His many television credits also include guest roles in episodes of such series as Peter Gunn, Men into Space, Wichita Town, The Loretta Young Show, The Twilight Zone, Bewitched, It Takes a Thief, Mission: Impossible, Adam-12, Mary Tyler Moore, McCloud, The Courtship of Eddie’s Father, Alias Smith and Jones, Medical Center, Love, American Style, Gunsmoke, Barnaby Jones, Baretta, The Streets of San Francisco, The Blue Knight, Holmes and Yo-Yo, Quincy, Starsky and Hutch, The Rockford Files, The Feather and Father Gang, The Next Step Beyond, The Incredible Hulk, Hart to Hart, Mork and Mindy, The Phoenix, Dynasty, Hill Street Blues, Airwolf, Hunter, MacGyver, Crazy Like a Fox, Night Court, General Hospital, Starman, Knots Landing, and Family Matters.
Angus Duncan
Danny Dukes
DUNCAN, ANGUS Actor Angus Duncan died of cancer on March 22, 2007. He was 70. Duncan was
DUNCAN, THERESA Video game designer and filmmaker Theresa Duncan committed suicide in the East Village, New York, apartment that she shared with longtime companion and artistic partner Jeremy Blake on July 10, 2007. She died of an overdose of medication and alcohol. She was 40. Duncan was born in Lapeer, Michigan, on October 26, 1966. She began designing video games that targeted the female audience in the late 1990s. The story-based games included Chop
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Suey, Smarty, and Zero and were released as CDROMs. She and Blake teamed together to create the 1999 animated film The History of Glamour, a spoof on the world of fashion. Her suicide was believed to be the catalyst that led to Blake’s subsequent suicide a week later.
Theresa Duncan
DUNCAN, VICTOR Cinematographer Victor Duncan died at his home in Frisco, Texas, on September 18, 2007. He was 82. Duncan was born in Texas on October 5, 1924. He served in the US Navy during World War II. He began working in film as a cameraman on Charles Guggenheim documentaries, including The Monument to a Dream. He served as director of photography for the 1959 feature film The Great St. Louis Bank Robbery. Duncan directed the 1966 film Second Fiddle to a Steel Guitar and was cinematographer for 1969s Cry for Poor Wally. He was also the owner and operator of a leading motion picture equipment sales and rental company in Dallas.
series as One Step Beyond, Bonanza, Have Gun, Will Travel, Riverboat, The Virginian, Slattery’s People, The Time Tunnel, The Iron Horse, Custer, Lost in Space, Land of the Giants, and The Immortal. They also scripted the 1962 film Black Gold, and wrote documentary films and numerous books. The two remained married until Robert Duncan’s death in 1999.
DUSENBERRY, PHILIP Advertising executive Philip Dusenberry, who orchestrated the 1984 Pepsi commercial that accidentally ignited pop icon Michael Jackson’s hair, died of lung cancer at his home in Manhattan, New York, on December 29, 2007. He was 71. Dusenberry was born in Brooklyn, New York, on April 28, 1936. He began working in radio as a disk jockey and was soon writing ad copy for the station. He joined the advertising firm of Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborn (BBDO) and created a popular ad campaign for Gillette Right Guard in the 1960s. He rose to executive creative director with BBDO in the 1980s. Dusenberry created a series of ads for Pepsi that included such celebrities as Madonna, Michael J. Fox, Geraldine Ferraro, and Lionel Richie. Michael Jackson was burned when a special effect went awry and briefly hospitalized while taping one of Dusenberry’s Pepsi commercials in 1984. He also created campaign commercials for Ronald Reagan in the 1980s. Dusenberry co-scripted the 1973 political satire film Hail!, and wrote Robert Redford’s 1984 film The Natural. He oversaw the team that created The New York Miracle public service spots in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attack in 2001. He authored his memoirs Then We Set His Hair on Fire: Insights and Accidents from a Hall-of-Fame Career in Advertising in 2005.
Philip Dusenberry
Victor Duncan
DUNCAN, WANDA Television writer Wanda Duncan died in Norman, Oklahoma, on June 16, 2007. She was 81. She was born Wanda Louise Scott in Minco, Oklahoma, on July 27, 1925. She married writer Robert L. Duncan in 1949 and the two became a successful writing team. They scripted episodes of such
EARLLE, FREDDIE British comic actor Freddie Earlle died in southern Spain after a long illness on July 7, 2007. He was 83. Earlle was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in May of 1924. He began performing on stage as a comedian, often performing at music halls with a partner as Mundy and Earle. He appeared on television from the early 1960s, and was seen in such series as Alfred Marks Time, Silent Evidence, Sherlock Holmes, Counterstrike, Paul Temple, Roads to Freedom, Six Dates Barker, Clochemerle, Comedy Playhouse, Black
103 and Blue, The Liver Birds, The Brothers, Dad’s Army, Z Cars, My Brother’s Keeper, Hunter’s Walk, Yanks Go Home, Seven Faces of Woman, Going Straight, The Wilde Alliance, It Ain’t Half Hot Mum, Room Service, Doctor Who, Robin’s Nest, Yes Minister, Bergerac, Hi-De-Hi!, C.A.T.S. Eyes, One by One, The Paradise Club, Taggart, Coronation Street in the recurring role of Sam Owens, and Backup. He was also seen in television productions of Not at All (1962), Red Monarch (1983), and The Bourne Identity (1988). Earlle also appeared in a handful of films during his career including The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom (1968), the Hammer science fiction film Moon Zero Two (1969), The Magic Christian (1969) with Ringo Starr, Praise Marx and the Pass the Ammunition (1970), The Love Box (1972), Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1972) as Guinea Pig Pat, All I Want Is You ... and You ... and You... (1974), It Could Happen to You (1975), I’m Not Feeling Myself Tonight (1976), The Ritz (1976), Living Doll (1990), and Bullseye! (1990). He subsequently retired to the south of Spain.
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(1989), Silent Cries (1993), Wet (1995), The Shooter (1995), Tales of Erotica (1996), The Watcher (2000), and Joshua (2002). He also worked in television as a production designer on the tele-films The Missiles of October (1974), F. Scott Fitzgerald in Hollywood (1976), Lucan (1977), A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (1989), Blood River (1991), Fatal Deception: Mrs. Lee Harvey Oswald (1993), and Judith Krantz’s Dazzle (1995).
Brian Eatwell
Freddie Earle
EATWELL, BRIAN Production designer Brian Eatwell, who worked on Richard Lester’s 1973 film version of The Three Musketeers, died in Los Angeles after a short illness on January 20, 2007. He was 67. Eatwell was born in London in 1939. He began working in films as an art director in the mid–1960s, designing Her We Go Round the Mulberry Bush (1967), The Shuttered Room (1967), Just Like a Woman (1968), 30 Is a Dangerous Age, Cynthia (1968), The Strange Affair (1968), I Start Counting (1969), Walkabout (1971), Madame Sin (1972), and Godspell (1973). He served as set designer for the cult horror films The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971) and Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972) starring Vincent Price, and was nominated for a BAFTA Award for his work on The Three Musketeers (1973). He also designed Lester’s 1974 sequel The Four Musketeers. Eatwell’s other film credits include Nicholas Roeg’s The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976), The Last Remake of Beau Geste (1977), Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978), Butch and Sundance: The Early Days (1979), The Onion Field (1979), Savage Harvest (1981), White Dog (1982), Exposed (1983), American Dreamer (1984) where he also appeared onscreen in the role of Malcolm, Morons from Outer Space (1985), Wired
EBSEN, VILMA Dancer Vilma Ebsen, who performed on Broadway with her brother, Buddy Ebsen, died in her sleep at the Thousand Oaks Health Care Center in California on March 12, 2007. She was 96. Ebsen was born in Belleville, Illinois, on February 1, 1911. She and her family moved to Orlando, Florida, later in the decade, and Vilma helped teach at her father’s dance studio while in high school. After graduating she joined her brother, Buddy, in New York, where he was already a stage performer. He helped her get a role in the chorus of the musical Whooppee in 1929. The following year she joined Buddy on stage while he was performing in Atlantic City, and the duo’s lively dance routines proved a big hit. The team of Vilma and Buddy Ebsen were featured in the hit stage revue Broadway Stars of the Future. They also performed on Broadway in the musicals Flying Colors from 1932 to 1933, and 1934’s Ziegfeld Follies. She and Buddy went
Vilma Ebsen (dancing with brother Buddy)
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to Hollywood in 1935 to appear in the MGM musical Broadway Melody of 1936. Though Buddy remained in Hollywood to pursue a film career, Vilma returned to New York, where she appeared on Broadway in Between the Devil in 1937 to 1938. She moved to Pacific Palisades, California, in the early 1940s where she joined with her sister, Helga, to operate the Ebsen School of Dancing. The School continued to operate until the mid–1990s. She and her brother, who went on to fame in television starring as Jed Clampett in The Beverly Hillbillies, remained close until his death in 2003.
EDMISTON, WALKER Walker Edmiston, a leading character actor and voice performer, died of complications from cancer at his home in Woodland Hills, California, on February 15, 2007. He was 81. Edmiston was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on February 6, 1926. He moved to Los Angeles in 1947 and studied acting at the Pasadena Playhouse. He began his career as a voice actor on the children’s series Time for Beany in the early 1950s. He starred as William Shakespeare Wolf in the 1954 cartoon series Willy the Wolf. He also hosted a local children’s program, The Walker Edmiston Show, in Los Angeles in the 1950s and early 1960s. He created and voiced the show’s puppet characters Kingsley the Lion, Calli the Cat, and Ravenswood the Buzzard. Edmiston was also the voice of the duck in the 1961 comedy fantasy Everything’s Ducky with Mickey Rooney and Buddy Hackett. He also voiced several roles in the original Star Trek television series in the 1960s, and worked frequently on productions by Sid and Marty Krofft. He was the voice of Freddy the gold flute, Dr. Blinkey, Orson Vulture, and others for H.R. Pufnstuf, Big Daddy Ooze for Sigmund and the Sea Monsters, and Enik the Sleestak on Land of the Lost. Edmiston was also featured in the 1965 horror film The Beach Girls and the Monster (aka Monster from the Surf), as well as writing and performing the title song. He created the weird voice of the Zuni fetish doll in the 1975 classic horror tele-film Trilog y of Terror with Karen Black. His many television credits also include episodes of Maverick, Have Gun —Will Travel, The Flintstones, Boris Karloff ’s Thriller, The Virginian, Kraft Suspense Theatre, Daniel Boone, The Rounders, Pistols ’n’ Petti-
Walker Edmiston
coats, Green Acres, Petticoat Junction, Get Smart, Batman, The Monkees, Wild Wild West, The Big Valley, Then Came Bronson, Mannix, The Name of the Game, Bonanza, Cannon, Mission: Impossible, Griff, Gunsmoke, Harry O, Adam-12, The Lost Saucer, Shazam!, Mary Tyler Moore, The Bob Newhart Show, Fantasy Island, Barnaby Jones, Dallas, Quincy, The Waltons, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Flamingo Road, Little House on the Prairie, The Dukes of Hazzard, Falcon Crest, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Street Hawk, Riptide, Stingray, and Knots Landing. Edmiston also worked on the films Stagecoach (1966), The Green Berets (1968), Bullitt (1968), Start the Revolution Without Me (1970), Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971) as the dubbed voice of Gunter Meisner, One More Train to Rob (1971), The Andromeda Strain (1971), Wholly Moses! (1980) as the voice of God, Loose Shoes (1980), Scared to Death (1981), The Bear (1984), Fat Man and Little Boy (1989), and Dick Tracy (1990), and the tele-films The Silent Gun (1969), Short Walk to Daylight (1972), Columbo: Dagger of the Mind (1972), A Man for Hanging (1973), Columbo: Any Old Port in a Storm (1973), Live Again, Die Again (1974), The Night That Panicked America (1975), The Oregon Trail (1976), The Loneliest Runner (1976), Mad Bull (1977), Will Rogers: Champion of the People (1978), Some Kind of Miracle (1979), Tom Edison; The Boy Who Lit Up the World (1979), Scruples (1980), Attica (1980) as the voice of Governor Nelson Rockefeller, Sizzle (1981), Grace Kelly (1983) as director Fred Zinnemann, Dempsey (1983), Why Me? (1984), J. Edgar Hoover (1987) as Harry S Truman, War and Remembrance (1988) as Gen. Douglas MacArthur, and Goodbye, Miss 4th of July (1988). Edmiston was also a voice performer in numerous animated productions including Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, Smurfs, The Adventures of the Little Prince, Pandamonium, Monchhichis, Dumbo’s Circus, The Gummi Bears, Jem, and Runaway Ralph. He also voiced Inferno in Transformers, and aging super-hero the Whizzer for Spider-Man in 1997. Edmiston performed the role of Tom Rile on the radio series Adventures in Odyssey for nearly 20 years. He had also voiced Ernie the Elf in Keebler commercials in recent years.
EDWARDS, JOE Comic artist Joe Edwards died after a long illness on February 8, 2007. He was
Joe Edwards
105 85. Edwards was born on December 6, 1921. He began working in comics in the late 1930s, illustrating funny animal comics from Dell and Timely. He moved to Archie Comics in 1942 where he worked on such funny animal series as Squoimy the Woim, Cubby the Bear, and Judge Owl’s Fables. He created the character Li’l Jinx, a mischievous young girl in pigtails, in 1947. He also began drawing for books featuring Archie and his pals in the 1940s. Edwards continued to work at Archie through the late 1980s.
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Memphis after the war, where he worked in accounting and raised a family. He also performed in choir with acclaimed singer James Hyter.
EINSTEIN, CHARLES Sportswriter and author Charles Einstein died in Michigan City, Indiana, on March 7, 2007. He was 80. Einstein was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on August 2, 1926. His father was comedian Harry Einstein, who performed under the name Parkyakarkus, and his half brothers were director and actor Albert Brooks and comic Bob Einstein, better known as Super Dave Osborne. Charles graduated from the University of Chicago , before joining the International News Service as a sports editor. He was the sports reporter for The San Francisco Examiner from 1958 to 1965 and for The San Francisco Chronicle from 1965 to 1970. Einstein was the editor of the four volume work The Fireside Book of Baseball, and wrote a popular career biography about baseball star Willie Mays, Willie’s Time: Baseball’s Golden Age in 1979. He also worked with Mays on the books Born to Play Ball and My Life In and Out of Baseball. Einstein wrote an episode of television’s Lou Grant series in 1978, and his novel The Blackjack Highjack was adapted for the 1978 tele-film Nowhere to Run.
Joe Edwards (his cartoon creation Li’l Jinx)
EGGLESTON, MERRILL World War II aviator Merrill Eggleston died in Memphis, Tennessee, on February 11, 2007. He was 86. Eggleston was born in South Dakota on June 6, 1920. He attended the University of South Dakota and worked as a school teacher before serving in the U.S. Army during World War II. Eggleston was the navigator aboard a B-17 bomber that flew over Normandy on D-Day. Based out of Staffordshire, England, they completed 35 missions between May and August of 1944. The Memphis Belle, which was the subject of William Wyler’s 1944 documentary Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress, and a 1990 feature, completed 25 missions. After Eggleston and his crew were replaced, the plane was shot down in September of 1944 and all hands were lost. He earned a Distinguished Flying Cross Medal and a Purple Heart for his service during the war. Eggleston settled in
Merrill Eggleston
Charles Einstein
EKINS, BUD Motorcyclist and stuntman Bud Ekins died in Los Angeles on October 6, 2007. He was 77. Ekins was born in Hollywood, California, on May 11, 1930. He was a leading motorcycle racer in the 1950s and was one of the first Americans to compete in Europe’s World Championship Motorcross Grand Prix. He earned four gold medals in the International Six Day Trial. Ekins became acquainted with actor Steve McQueen in the early 1960s and served as McQueen’s stunt double for the classic scene of the attempt to jump a motorcycle over a German prison camp’s barbed wire fence for the film The Great Escape in 1963. He also worked with McQueen in the films The Cincinnati Kid (1965) and Bullitt (1968). He continued to perform stunt work in films over the next four decades, with such credits as How to Stuff a Wild Bikini (1965), Speedway (1968), The Love Bug (1968), Hell’s Angels ’69 (1969), Flap (1970), Angel Unchained (1970), Chrome and Hot Leather (1971), the 1971 James Bond film Di-
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amonds Are Forever, Bunny O’Hare (1971), The Thing with Two Heads (1972), Electra Glide in Blue (1973), Earthquake (1974), The Towering Inferno (1974), The Front Page (1974), Race with the Devil (1975), Dixie Dynamite (1976), Scorchy (1976), Sorcerer (1977), Return from Witch Mountain (1978), National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978), Movie Movie (1978), Hughes and Harlow: Angels in Hell (1978), Zero to Sixty (1978), Fast Charlie ... the Moonbeam Rider (1979), Steven Spielberg’s 1941 (1979), Sogg y Bottom, USA (1980), The Blues Brothers (1980), Megaforce (1982), Jekyll and Hyde ... Together Again (1982), Deadly Force (1983), City Heat (1984), Black Moon Rising (1986), Mac and Me (1988), Pacific Heights (1990), Extreme Justice (1993), The Next Karate Kid (1994), The Specialist (1994), and National Lampoon’s Vegas Vacation (1997). Ekins also worked on the tele-films Death Screams (1975) and The Ransom Red Chief (1998). After retiring from stunt work he continued to operate a small motorcycle shop in the Hollywood area.
Bud Ekins
EL FARY Spanish singer Jose Luis Cantero, who was known on stage as El Fary, died of lung cancer in Madrid, Spain, on June 19, 2007. He was 69. Cantero was born in Madrid on August 20, 1937. He worked at a series of jobs while attempting to establish himself as a singer. During the 1970s he gained a following as a singer of light ballads known as coplas. He
El Fary
recorded numerous hits over the next decade, including his best known song “El Toro Guapo” (“The Handsome Bull”). El Fary became a popular television star in 1996, starring in the drama series Menudo es Mi Padre. He was also involved with Santiago Segura’s 1998 film Torrente —The Dumb Arm of the Law, and its two sequels, composing the theme song Apatrullando la Ciudad (Patrolling the City).
ELLENSHAW, PETER Oscar-winning special effects artist Peter Ellenshaw died at his home in Santa Barbara, California, on February 12, 2007. He was 93. Ellenshaw was born in London on May 24, 1913. He became an avid artist at an early age and began working in films as an assistant matte artist in 1935. He worked on such films as The Ghost Goes West (1935), Things to Come (1936), Rembrandt (1936), The Man Who Could Work Miracles (1936), Fire Over England (1937), Storm in a Teacup (1937), Elephant Boy (1937), Victoria the Great (1937), The Drum (1938), The Four Feathers (1939), The Thief of Bagdad (1940), Major Barbara (1941), A Matter of Life and Death (aka Stairway to Heaven) (1946), Black Narcissus (1947), Idol of Paris (1948), and The Red Shoes (1948). Ellenshaw served in the Royal Air Force during World War II and returned to films after the war. He began his lengthy association with Walt Disney Studios in the late 1940s, painting mattes for the live-action film Treasure Island (1950). He also worked as a matte artist for the films Captain Horatio Hornblower (1951), Quo Vadis (1951), The Story of Robin Hood (1952), The Sword and the Rose (1953), and Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue (1953). Disney brought him to California in 1953 to work on their production of Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954). He continued to create painted illusions for the films Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier (1955), The Great Locomotive Chase (1956), Davy Crockett and the River Pirates (1956), Westward Ho the Wagons! (1956), Johnny Tremaine (1957), Old Yeller (1957), The Light in the Forest (1958), The Sign of Zorro (1958), Tonka (1958), Third Man on the Mountain (1959), Darby O’Gill and the Little People (1959), Kidnapped (1960), Toby Tyler (1960), Pollyanna (1960), Spartacus (1960), The Absent-Minded Professor (1961), In Search of the Castaways (1962), Son of Flubber (1963), Summer Magic (1963), Mary Poppins (1964) which earned him an Academy Award for his special effects work, Lt. Robinson Crusoe, U.S.N. (1966), The Fighting Prince of Donegal (1966), The Happiest Millionaire (1967), Monkeys, Go Home (1967), The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin (1967), The Gnome-Mobile (1967), Blackbeard’s Ghost (1968), and The Love Bug (1968). He also worked on the Disney television productions Zorro and Texas John Slaughter, and assisted on the designs of several rides and attractions at Disneyland. Ellenshaw was nominated for an Academy Award for his work as art director for the 1971 fantasy film Bedknobs and Broomsticks, and received another Oscar nomination as production designer and special effects artist for the adventure film The Island at the Top of the World (1974). He subsequently moved to Ireland for several years where he concentrated on painting. He returned to Califor-
107 nia to work as a production designer and effects artist for the Disney science fiction film The Black Hole (1979), again sharing an Oscar nomination for best visual effects. He largely retired in the late 1970s, though he did supply some matte work for the films Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987) and Dick Tracy (1990). He is survived by his son, Harrison Ellenshaw, and daughter, Lynda Ellenshaw Thompson, both of whom are also film visual effects artists.
Peter Ellenshaw
ELLIS, SIDNEY Television writer Sidney Ellis died in Beverly Hills, California, on September 6, 2007. He was 89. Ellis was born in New York City on September 5, 1918. He began working in television in the 1950s, scripting episodes of I Spy, Captain Grief, and The Verdict Is Yours. He moved to Los Angeles in the early 1960s, where he continued to work in television. He scripted episodes of Hong Kong, The Fugitive, The Outer Limits, Combat!, Death Valley Days, Bonanza, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Then Came Bronson, Matt Lincoln, McCloud, B.J. and the Bear, and The Mississippi. Ellis also served as story editor and associate producer for the series Baretta, The A-Team, and Hunter.
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2007. He was 78. He began wrestling in 1945, and captured the Mexican Middleweight Championship in 1950. He often teamed in the ring with his brother, who was known as Gold Rogers and El Enfermero. El Satanas retired from the ring in 1956. He opened a wrestling school in Los Angeles in 1974 and trained youngsters in the sport for the next twenty years.
EMMANUEL, IVOR Welsh singer Ivor Emmanuel died in Malaga, Spain, on July 20, 2007. He was 79. Emmanuel was born in Margam, Wales, on November 7, 1927. He began singing locally at an early age, though worked as a coal miner while in his teens. He lost both parents along with other members of his family in 1941 when an Allied plane accidentally bombed his home while perusing a German bomber. After the war, Emmanuel traveled to London where he embarked upon a career as a singer. He became a popular stage performer, singing in productions of South Pacific, The King and I and Damn Yankees in the 1950s. He became a leading television star in Wales, headlining the musical program Land of Song with Sian Hopkins from 1958 to 1965. He continued to perform on the stage and made his Broadway debut in a musical version of How Green Was My Valley in 1966. Emmanuel was best known for his role as Private Owen, who led the British defenders of Rorke’s Drift in song while facing an overwhelming hoard of Zulu warriors in the 1963 film Zulu. Emmanuel left show business later in the 1960s and retired to Spain.
EL SATANAS Mexican wrestler Enrique Navarro Camargo, who competed in the ring in Mexico and California as El Satanas, died on November 8, Ivor Emmanuel
El Satanas
ENDERS, ROBERT Film producer and director Robert Enders died in Los Angeles on September 7, 2007. He was 84. Enders was born in Pennsylvania on March 29, 1919, and raised in Texas and New Jersey. He began his career in advertising and directed radio programming. He formed his own production company in the 1950s to produce television programs and industrial films. He also produced the 1960 television anthology series The Best of the Post. He produced several films including A Thunder of Drums (1961), the Rowan and Martin comedy The Maltese Bippy (1969), How Do I Love Thee? (1970), and Zigzag (1970). Enders subsequently went to England where he wrote and produced the 1973 suspense film Voices, starring David
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Hemmings. He became a partner in Glenda Jackson’s production company Bowden Prods., and scripted and produced the 1974 film version of Jean Genet’s The Maids. He also wrote 1975’s Conduct Unbecoming, and produced Jackson’s film Hedda (1975). He wrote and produced 1977’s Nasty Habits, and produced Stevie in 1978. He produced, directed, and scripted the children’s television production The Princess and the Goblin in the early 1980s, and adapted and served as executive producer for the 1988 tele-film Strange Interlude.
EPPER , GARY Stuntman and actor Gary Epper died on December 1, 2007. He was 62. Epper was born in Los Angeles on December 31, 1944, the son of stuntman, John Epper. His brothers, Tony and Andy, and sister, Jeannie, also worked in films as stunt performers. Gary began working in films as a child with 1952’s The Story of Will Rogers. He appeared frequently on television from the 1950s on such series as Lassie, Fury, The Gallant Men, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Rat Patrol, The Mod Squad, Here Come the Brides, Hawaii Five-O, Wild Wild West, Starsky and Hutch, The Rockford Files, Vega$, Wonder Woman, 240-Robert, Charlie’s Angels, The Fall Guy, Voyagers!, Hart to Hart, Automan, Airwolf, Domestic Life, Magnum, P.I., T.J. Hooker, Moonlighting, Paradise, and Tales from the Crypt. Epper performed stunts and appeared in small roles in numerous films during his career including It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963), A Man Called Gannon (1968), Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970), The Omega Man (1971), The Cowboys (1972), Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972), The Poseidon Adventure (1972), Soylent Green (1973), Magnum Force (1973), Blazing Saddles (1974), Earthquake (1974), The Towering Inferno (1974), Rollerball (1975), The Hindenburg (1975), Futureworld (1976), Bound for Glory (1976), Eaten Alive (1977), Return from Witch Mountain (1978), Hooper (1978), Tilt (1979), Nightwing (1979), Delta Fox (1979), Steven Spielberg’s 1941 (1979), When Time Ran Out... (1980), The Blues Brothers (1980), The Ninth Configuration (1980), In God We Tru$t (1980), The Hand (1980), Deathtrap (1982), Blade Runner (1982), Megaforce (1982), Disney’s TRON (1982), The Beastmaster (1982), The Man with Two Brains (1983), Scarface (1983), Code Name: Zebra (1984), Bachelor Party (1984), Witness (1985), Into the Night (1985), Warning Sign (1985), The Naked Cage (1986), Top Gun (1986), Back to School (1986), The Untouchables (1987), The Squeeze (1987), Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise (1987), Police Academy 5: Assignment: Miami Beach (1988), Shakedown (1988), Rambo III (1988), Caddyshack II (1988), The Blob (1988), The Seventh Sign (1988), John Carpenter’s They Live (1988), The Magic Boy’s Easter (1989), All’s Fair (1989), The ’burbs (1989), Dead Bang (1989), K-9 (1989), Roadhouse (1989), Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), Captain America (1990), Cold Dog Soup (1990), The Hunt for Red October (1990), The Last of the Finest (1990), Days of Thunder (1990), Die Hard 2 (1990), Pacific Heights (1990), Howling VI: The Freaks (1991), V.I. Warshawski (1991), Hook (1991), The Rocketeer (1991), Basic Instinct (1992), Unlawful Entry (1992), Extreme Justice (1993), Jurassic Park (1993), De-
molition Man (1993), American Yakuza (1993), Father Hood (1993), Jailbait (1994), The Hidden II (1994), Night of the Running Man (1994), Speed (1994), Shadow (1994), The Mask (1994), In the Army Now (1994), Sudden Death (1995), 3 Ninjas Knuckle Up (1995), Money Train (1995), Eye for an Eye (1996), Looking for Richard (1996), Eraser (1996), Star Trek: First Contact (1996) as the Borg-assimilated Ensign Lynch, Broken Arrow (1996), L.A. Confidential (1997), The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), Armageddon (1998), and Wild Wild West (1999). Epper also performed stunts in such tele-films as Kill Me if You Can (1977), Kentucky Woman (1983), Airwolf (1984), Gladiator (1986), The Big One: The Great Los Angeles Earthquake (1990), Night of the Hunter (1991), Doorways (1993), Reform School Girl (1994), The Enemy Within (1994), Jonathan Stone: Threat of Innocence (1994), and Crazy Horse (1996).
Gary Epper (as a Borg from Star Trek: First Contact)
ERDMAN, PAUL Paul Erdman, an economist noted for his novels of financial fiction, died of cancer at his ranch in Healdsburg, California, on April 23, 2007. He was 74. Erdman was born in Stratford, Ontario, Canada, on May 19, 1932. He earned a doctorate in economics from the University of Basel in Switzerland in 1958, and in 1965 became the first American to open a private bank in Switzerland. When his bank collapsed in 1970 due to losses on the speculation marked, he was arrested and held in a 17th cen-
Paul Erdman
109 tury Swiss prison for eight months. During his incarceration he began writing a novel, assisted by the expertise of a French safecracker sharing a neighboring cell. His first book, The Billion Dollar Sure Thing, earned him the Mystery Writers of America’s Edgar Award in 1974. Released on bail, he returned to the United States, where he remained despite being convicted in absentia in Switzerland and receiving a nineyear sentence. Erdman’s subsequent novel, The Silver Bears, was adapted to film in 1978 starring Michael Caine and Cybill Shepherd. His other novels include the best-sellers The Crash of ’79 and The Panic of ’89. His final novel, The Great Game, was scheduled for publication in 2007.
ERDOSS, PAL Hungarian film director Pal Erdoss died after a brief illness in Budapest, Hungary, on February 15, 2007. He was 60. Erdoss was born in Budapest on February 9, 1947. He began his career working as an assistant director and location manager for Hungarian State Television in the mid–1960s. He also served as assistant director for such films as Horizon (1971), Petofi ’73 (1973), Kakuk Marci (1973), Wait a Minute (1973), Dreaming Youth (1974), Hajduk (1975), The Prize Trap (1975), Bread and Cigarettes (1975), Peter and Paul (1978), and Bekeido (1980). He made his directoral debut with The Princess (1982), which earned him the Golden Camera Award for best first film at the Cannes Film Festival. Erdoss also directed the films Countdown (1986), Tolerance (1986), Homo Novus (1991), Lazos de Sangre (1992), A LightSensitive Story (1993), Last Seen Wearing a Blue Skirt (1997), The Whistler (1998), and Uvegfal (2005). His final film, Lads of Budakeszi, was released in 2006.
2007 • Obituaries
Kings (1927), The Wedding March (1928), and City Lights (1931) with Charles Chaplin. He also was a popular radio performer, working on such programs as Amos and Andy, Lum and Abner, Big Town, Calling All Cars, I Was There, Joe Penner, The Jack Benny Show, Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy, and Burns and Allen. He also sang in the films Harold Teen (1934) at Warner and Roy Rogers’ Guns and Guitars (1936) at Republic. Other film credits include The Affairs of Jimmy Valentine (1942), Criminals Within (1943), The Story of Seabiscuit (1949), and The Lady Takes a Sailor (1949). He worked frequently for CBS television from the 1950s, doing sound effects for such series as The Buster Keaton Show, The Carol Burnett Show, The Danny Kaye Show, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, Sonny and Cher, and The Red Skelton Show. He also provided animal voices for the Crusader Rabbit cartoons and the 1967 film Doctor Dolittle. Erlenborn was also the voice of the Rabbit for the Winnie the Pooh cartoons. He retired from CBS in 1977, but continued to perform in local stage productions.
Ray Erlenborn
ERLICH, NORMAN Actor and comedian Norman Erlich died in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on November 7, 2007. He was 75. Erlich was born in Buenos Aires on March 7, 1934. He began his career in the Yiddish theatre in Buenos Aires, in the 1950s. He was featured in numerous theatrical performances
Pal Erdoss
ERLENBORN, RAY Sound effects artist and voice actor Ray Erlenborn died of complications from a bacterial infection in West Hills, California, on June 4, 2007. He was 92. Erlenborn was born in Denver, Colorado on January 21, 1915. He began performing as a singer on the vaudeville stage at an early age. He appeared in the Winnie Winkle silent short comedies as Spike of the Rinkeydink Gang. He also appeared in small roles in the silent films Safety Last! (1923), BenHur (1925), Tell It to the Marines (1926), The King of
Norman Erlich
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throughout South America. He also appeared in films and television productions from the 1970s. His film credits include Las Munecas que Hacen Pum (1979), El Poder de la Censura (1983), Todo o Nada (1984), Brigada Exposiva (1986), Mujer — Mujer (1987), Feel the Heat (1987), La Clinica Loca (1988), The Plague (1992), Corrupt Police (1996), Cohen vs. Rosi (1998), Lost Embrace (2004), and Palermo Hollywood (2004). Erlich also appeared in the television series Senoras y Senores (1997), Los Iturralde (2000), and Fashion Vip (2002).
ERZISNIK, NELA Leading Croatian actress Nela Erzisnik died in Zagreb, Croatia, on August 14, 2007. She was 83. She was born Nevenka Maras in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina, on June 18, 1924. She was a leading film star in the former Yugoslavia from the 1950s, with such credits as Sinji Galeb (1953), Koncert (1954), Jubilej Gospodina Ikla (1955), My Son Don’t Turn Round (1956), Svoga Tela Gospodar (1957), Only People (1957), H-8 (1958), Signal Over the City (1960), Martin in the Clouds (1961), and The Birch Tree (1967). She performed frequently on television from the 1960s, appearing in comic roles. She was best known for her humorous portrayal of cleaning lady Marcia Hrdalo in many comedy skits.
Uruguay, on March 10, 2007. He was 82. Espalter was born in Maldonado, Uruguay, on April 14, 1924. He appeared frequently in films and television in Uruguay from the early 1960s. His film credits include La Industria del Matrimonio (1965), How to Seduce a Woman (1967), Quiero Besarlo Senor! (1973), Los Irrompibles (1975), The Film (1975), La Noche del Hurto (1976), Toto Paniagua, el Rey de la Chatarra (1980), Los Taxistas del Humor (1987), La Pandilla Aventurera (1990), The Dirigible (1994), Gardel: Ecos del Silencio (1997), and In This Tricky Life (2001). Espalter also appeared on the television series Telecataplum, Jaujarana, Hupumorpo, Hiperhumor, and Son de Diez.
ESTEBANEZ, NATATCHA Puerto Rican filmmaker Natatcha Estebanez died of complications from a sarcoma that metastasized on March 15, 2007. She had also suffered from breast cancer and Hodgkin’s disease. She was 45. Estebanez was born in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, on August 8, 1961, and came to the United States to attend college. She began working in television in the 1990s, and earned four New England Emmy Awards for her work on La Plaza, a series about the Latino culture. She also produced the children’s series Postcards from Buster, about the travels of an animated bunny. She also produced and directed a series of short films for the PBS Favorite Poem Project, and several films for The Discovery Channel. Estebanez produced and wrote the independent film The Blue Diner about the Latino experience in the United States, which debuted in 2001.
Nela Erzisnik
ESPALTER, RICARDO Uruguayan actor Ricardo Espalter died of kidney trouble in Montevideo, Natatcha Estebanez
Ricardo Espalter
ETCHEVERRY, ROBERT French actor Robert Etcheverry died in France on November 21, 2007. He was 80. Etcheverry was born in Colombes, Hautsde-Seine, France, in 1937. He appeared frequently in films and on television from the early 1960s. His film credits include La Fille du Torrent (1961), Sex Is Beautiful (1973), Arpad — Zwei Teufelskerle Raumen Auf (1975), Military Coup in Kolwezi (1980), A Captain’s Honor (1982), Terminate with Extreme Prejudice (1983), and Chateauroux District (1987). He was also seen in television productions of Le Rouge et le Noir (1961), Le Golem (1967), Isabelle (1970), Les Fosses de Vincennes (1972), Arpad le Tzigane (1973), Le Deuil Sied a Electre
111 (1974), Fachoda (1977), Charles Clement, Canut de Lyon (1979), L’Aeropostale, Courrier du Ciel (1980), Les Ferrailleurs des Lilas (1984), and La Chaine (1988). His other television credits include such series as L’Inspecteur Leclerc Enquete, The Flashing Blade, Agence Interim, Poly, Les Mohicans de Paris as Salvator de Valgeneuse from 1973 to 1975, La Vie des Autres, and Commissaire Moulin.
Robert Etcheverry
EVANS, CHARLES Fashion executive and film producer Charles Evans died of complications from pneumonia in Manhattan, New York, on June 2, 2007. He was 81. Evans was born in New York City on May 13, 1926. He became interested in women’s fashion after serving in the Army in the mid–1940s. He teamed with his father’s tailor, Joseph Picone, to form the women’s sportswear firm Evan-Picone in 1949. The successful operation continued until Revlon purchased the company in 1962. Evans subsequently formed a successful real estate firm, Evans Partnership. He also became involved in films in the early 1980s after purchasing the screenplay for the film Tootsie. He served as executive producer for the successful comedy starring Dustin Hoffman in 1982. He also produced the horror film Monkey Shines (1988) and Showgirls (1995). His brother, Robert Evans, was a prominent film executive who headed Paramount Studios.
2007 • Obituaries
EVANS , MICHAEL British character actor Michael Evans died in a Woodland Hills, California, nursing home on September 4, 2007. He was 87. Evans was born in Sittingbourne, Kent, England, on July 27, 1920. He served in the Royal Air Force during World War II and embarked on a career as an actor on stage in London in the late 1940s. He made his Broadway debut in the comedy Ring Round The Moon in 1950 and starred as Gaston opposite Audrey Hepburn in the original Broadway production of Gigi in 1951. In the late 1950s, Evans starred as Professor Henry Higgins in the touring production of My Fair Lady for several years. He was featured in a handful of films from the early 1950s, including No Trace (1950), The Six Men (1951), Appointment with Venus (1951), the musical comedy Bye Bye Birdie (1963) as Claude Paisley, The Plainsman (1966), Riot on the Sunset Strip (1967), The LoveIns (1967), The Thousand Plane Raid (1969), Time After Time (1979), The Sword and the Sorcerer (1982) as King Ludwig, Olivia (1983), and Return Home (1990). Evans also appeared in the tele-films U.M.C. (1969), The Challengers (1970), Death Among Friends (1975), and Goliath Awaits (1981). Evans was best known for his long-running role as Colonel Douglas Austin, confidant for ruthless businessman Victor Newman, on the daytime soap opera The Young and the Restless from 1980 to 1995. His other television credits include episodes of Eye Witness, Kraft Television Theatre, Appointment with Adventure, Producer’s Showcase, Dr. Kildare, G.E. True, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Combat!, Laredo, The Rat Patrol, Pistols ’n’ Petticoats, I Spy, Run for Your Life, Mannix, The Outsider, The New Perry Mason, The Tony Randall Show, The Bob Newhart Show, Charlie’s Angels, Hart to Hart, Hunter, and Capitol.
Michael Evans
Charles Evans
EVANS , RAY Songwriter Ray Evans, who teamed with Jay Livingston to create a string of popular songs that included three Academy Award winners, died of a heart attack in a Los Angeles hospital on February 15, 2007. He was 92. Evans was born in Salamanca, New York, on February 4, 1915. He met Jay Livingston while the two were attending the University of Pennsylvania, and the two began working together in bands at parties and on cruise ships. They went to New York in the late 1930s where they began
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a songwriting collaboration that would last for more than sixty years. Evans usually provided the lyrics and Livingston the melody. They created songs for the comedy team of Olsen and Johnson and, had a hit with “G’Bye Now” in 1941. The moved to Hollywood several years later to work in films. Their songs were heard in such movies as Private Snuffy Smith (1942), Secrets of a Co-Ed (1942), Crime, Inc (1945), On Stage Everybody (1945), Why Girls Leave Home (1945), which earned them an Oscar nomination for the song “The Cat and the Canary,” The Stork Club (1945), and Monsieur Beaucaire (1946). The duo had a major hit with their title song for the 1946 film To Each His Own, which was recorded by such artists as Eddy Howard, Tony Martin, Freddy Martin, the Modernaires, and the Ink Spots. They continued in films, writing songs for such stars as Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour, Lucille Ball and Rosemary Clooney. Other film credits include My Favorite Brunette (1947), Golden Earrings (1947), Rose of Santa Rosa (1947), Smooth Sailing (1947), Imperfect Lady (1947), Easy Come, Easy Go (1947), Champagne for Two (1947), Big Sister Blues (1948), The Paleface (1948), which earned them their first Academy Award for the song “Buttons and Bows,” Whispering Smith (1948), Isn’t It Romantic? (1948), Hazard (1948), Streets of Laredo (1949), Sorrowful Jones (1949), The Heiress (1949), Song of Surrender (1949), The Great Lover (1949), My Friend Irma (1949), Captain Carey, U.S.A. (1959) which gained them a second Oscar for the song “Mona Lisa,” made famous by Nat King Cole, My Friend Irma Goes West (1950), Sunset Boulevard (1950) which included an onscreen appearance in a cameo role, The Furies (1950), Copper Canyon (1950), Here Comes the Groom (1951), My Favorite Spy (1951), The Lemon Drop Kid (1951) including the popular Christmas song “Silver Bells,” Rhubarb (1951), Aaron Slick from Punkin Crick (1952), Son of Paleface (1952), What Price Glory (1952), The Stars Are Singing (1953), Those Redheads from Seattle (1953), Off Limits (1953), Here Come the Girls (1953), Red Garters (1954), Casanova’s Big Night (1954), The Second Greatest Sex (1955), Lucy Gallant (1955), The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) gaining them another Oscar for Doris Day’s popular hit “Que Sera, Sera,” The Scarlet Hour (1956), Tammy and the Bachelor (1957) earning an Oscar nomination for the
EXTON, CLIVE British television writer Clive Exton died in London on August 16, 2007. He was 77. He was born Clive Brooks in London on April 11, 1930. He began his career on stage in the mid–1950s with aspirations of being an actor. His career soon shifted backstage, becoming a stage manager and writer. His first two plays, No Fixed Abode and The Silk Purse, were produced for ITV television in 1959. He subsequently joined ITV, scripting eight segments of the series Armchair Theatre in the early 1960s. Exton made his debut as a film screenwriter with the 1963 No Place to Go. The following year, he adapted Emlyn Williams’ suspense drama Night Must Fall. His other film credits include Three Faces of a Woman (1965), Georg y Girl (1966) doing an uncredited re-write of the script, the 1968 biographical film of dancer Isadora Duncan, Isadora, the 1970 adaptation of Joe Orton’s The Entertaining Mr. Sloane, 10 Rillington Place (1971) about British serial killer John Christie, Doomwatch (1972) based on the television series of the same name, The House in Nightmare Park (1974) which he also produced, The Awakening (1980), and Red Sonja (1985). Exton remained best known for his work on television, scripting productions of Kipps (1960), I’ll Have You to Remember (1961), Hold My Hand, Soldier (1963), The Close Prisoner (1964), Land of My Dreams (1965), The Big Eat (1965), Prenociste (1966), The Human Voice (1966), The Boundary (1975), Stigma (1977), A Guilty Thing Sur-
Ray Evans
Clive Exton
title song “Tammy,” Omar Khayyam (1957), Saddle the Wind (1958), Raw Wind in Eden (1958), Once Upon a Horse... (1958), Houseboat (1958) receiving an Academy Award nomination for the song “Almost in Your Arms,” Girls on the Loose (1958), A Private Affair (1959), Take a Giant Step (1959), Please Don’t Eat the Daisies (1960), Dear Heart (1964) whose title song received another Oscar nomination, Never Too Late (1965), This Property Is Condemned (1966), What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? (1966) and Foxtrot (1975). Livingston and Evans also composed music for television, writing the themes to such popular series as Bonanza, Mr. Ed (“A horse is a horse, of course, of course...”), and Lawman. They created songs for Francis Ford Coppola’s 1990 film Godfather, Part III, and continued to write songs together until Livingston’s death in 2001.
113 prised (1988), Shake Hands Forever (1988), and The Infinite Worlds of H.G. Wells (2001). His other television credits include episodes of The World of Tim Frazer, Out of This World, Theatre 625, The Wednesday Play, Thirteen Against Fate, Play of the Month, Out of the Unknown, Conceptions of Murder, Play for Today, Survivors, Shades of Greene, Killers, The Crezz, Dick Barton: Special Agent, and ITV Playhouse. He scripted the first segment of The Ruth Rendell Mysteries series in 1987, and wrote many episode of Jeeves and Wooster from 1990 to 1993, based on P.G. Wodehouse’s comic stories. He served as lead writer for the series Poirot, featuring Agatha Christie’s famed Belgian detective played by David Suchet, from 1989 to 2001. His most recent credit was scripting episodes of the mystery series Rosemary & Thyme from 2003 to 2006.
EYTLE, TOMMY Actor and singer Tommy Eytle died in Reading, Berkshire, England, on June 19, 2007. He was 81. Eytle was born in Georgetown, Guyana, on June 16, 1926. He came to England in the early 1950s to work as a surveyor, but had soon formed his own band, Tommy Eytle’s Calypso Band. He and his group performed the song “Narrative Calypso” for the 1957 film The Tommy Steele Story (aka Rock Around the World), and Eytle was soon acting in such features as Naked Fury (aka The Pleasure Lovers) (1959), The Criminal (1960), The Hi-Jackers (1963), and Where Has Poor Mickey Gone (1964). He also performed frequently on BBC radio plays including The Barren One (1958), The Riverman (1958), and Milk with Coffee (1975), and became a familiar face on British television in episodes of Drama ’61, Corrigan Blake, Danger Man, The Spies, Adam Adamant Lives!, Softly Softly, The Saint, Out of the Unknown, The Troubleshooters, ITV Playhouse, Born Free, Quiller, Play for Today, Rumpole of the Bailey, Johnny Jarvis, Call Me Mister, Casualty, Never Say Die, and Storyboard. Eytle also appeared in the films On the Game (1974) and Bob’s Weekend (1996), and the 1981 television mini-series Wolcott. He was best known for his role as Jules Tavernier in the popular television series EastEnders from 1990 to 1996.
Tommy Eytle
FAHEY, BRIAN British musician and composer Brian Fahey died at his home in Worthing, Sus-
2007 • Obituaries
sex, England, on April 4, 2007. He was 87. Fahey was born in Margate, Kent, England, on April 24, 1919. He began playing the piano and cello as a child, and became interested in composing and arranging music in his teens. Fahey served in the British Army during World War II. He was wounded and captured by the Germans, and survived a brutal massacre of many of his fellow captives. He spent the next five years in German POW camps, where he practiced his musical skills. After the war he performed in several bands as a pianist, and worked as an arranger for signers and orchestras during the 1950s. He wrote the popular songs “Fanfare Boogie,” “At the Sign of the Swingin Cymbal,” and “The Creep.” He also composed the scores for several films including The Break (1963), Curse of the Voodoo (1965), The Plank (1967), and Rhubarb (1969). Fahey was musical director for singer Shirley Bassey from 1967 to 1972, and was conductor for the BBC Scottish Radio Orchestra from 1972 to 1981. He continued to work for the BBC and was guest conductor for orchestras around the world through the 1980s. Fahey was married to singer Audrey Watkins from 1946 until her death in November of 2006.
Brian Fahey
FALWELL, JERRY Jerry Falwell, a Southern Baptist preacher who became a leading televangelist and the founder of the conservative political movement known as the Moral Majority, died of congestive heart failure at his office at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, on May 15, 2007. He was 73. Falwell was born Lynchburg on August 11, 1933. The son of a Prohibition-era bootlegger, Jerry became a Christian in 1952. He attended Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Missouri, and began preaching as a youth pastor. He returned to his hometown to form a congregation in 1956. His Thomas Road Baptist Church grew from a congregation of 35 to over 22,000 over the next five decades. Falwell became a leading voice for evangelical Christians and founded Lynchburg Baptist College (later University) in 1971. He was at the forefront of politicizing his evangelical followers into a ultra-conservative movement known as the Moral Majority. Falwell and his flock were actively involved in the election of Ronald Reagan to the Presidency in 1980. He exercised political influence over the next decade as the Re-
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publicans ascended to power. In the early 1980s, Falwell became involved in a bitter dispute with Larry Flint, the publisher of Hustler magazine. Hustler ran a fake interview that alleged Falwell admitted to incest with his mother. Falwell sued, alleging the parody damaged his reputation and caused him emotional distress. Flint eventually won the suit on an appeal to the Supreme Court. The episode was related in the 1996 film The People vs. Larry Flint, with rotund comic Richard Paul in the role of Falwell. He briefly took over Jim Bakker’s PTL ministry in 1987 after the founder was forced to resign in disgrace. He departed after several months when he was unable to salvage the scandal ridden organization. Falwell hosted The Old Time Gospel Hour on television throughout the nation from the 1980s and supplied commentary for hundreds of radio stations in support of his political and religious agenda. He became an increasingly controversial figure as his extreme views led to outlandish statements. He declared that the children’s television show Teletubbies supported a homosexual lifestyle because the purple androgynous character Tinky Winky was gay. He caused more controversy while appearing on Pat Robertson’s The 700 Club after the 9/11 terrorist attack should be blamed on pagans, abortionists, feminists, gays and the ACLU. He was later forced to apologize for his choice of words. Falwell appeared on television in such programs as Politically Incorrect and The O’Reilly Factor, and made a guest appearance in a 2002 episode of First Monday. Despite his divisive rhetoric and combative demeanor, Falwell remained an important voice of the political right, particularly in the Republican Party, for the remainder of his life.
FEENEY, BILL Actor Bill Feeney died in Los Angeles on July 8, 2007. He was 70. Feeney was born in Chicago, Illinois, on March 8, 1937. He moved to Los Angeles in the 1950s, where he worked as a CPA for nearly fifty years. Feeney also acted in films and on television, with such credits as the film Patty Hearst (1988), and the tele-films Getting Up and Going Home (1992), Cooperstown (1993), and The Heart of Justice (1993). He also appeared on television in episodes of Hunter and L.A. Law.
Bill Feeney
FEHEREGYHAZI, TIBOR Hungarian actor Tibor Feheregyhazi died of prostate cancer in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, on July 10, 2007. He was 75. Feheregyhazi was born in Budapest, Hungary, on February 14, 1932. He was a leading radio star in Hungary as a child and was later featured in several films including The Hospital Ward No. 9 (1955) and Az Elet Hidja (1956). He was active in the Hungarian revolution against the Communist regime in 1956, and fled to Canada when the rebellion was crushed. He worked there as a drama teacher and theatrical director. He was also seen on television in an episode of Street Legal and in the 2000 tele-film Murder Seen.
Jerry Falwell
FARIAS, DANIEL Latin American telenovela director Daniel Farias died in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on August 10, 2007. He was 74. Farias was born in Cuba in 1933, and moved to Venezuela in the late 1950s. He appeared as an actor in the television series The Failure in the 1960s, and was featured in the 1986 film From Woman to Woman. He was best known as the director of the popular telenovela Cristal in 1986 and 1987. He also produced and directed episodes of La Dama de Rosa. Farias moved to Florida in 2000 where he worked as a consultant on several Telemundo productions.
Tibor Feheregyhazi
FELDMAN, KRYSTYNA Polish actress Krystyna Feldman died of lung cancer in Poznan, Poland,
115 on January 24, 2007. She was 86. Feldman was born in Lvov, Poland (now Ukraine), on March 1, 1920. She began her career on stage with the Lvov Town Theatre in the late 1930s. She remained a leading figure on the Polish stage for over sixty years. She made her film debut in the early 1950s, and appeared in numerous features, usually in character roles, including The Bus Leaves at 6:20 (1954), Celullose (1954), The Hours of Hope (1955), Mr. Anatol’s Hat (1957), King Matthew I (1958), Free City (1958), Mr. Anatol’s Inspection (1959), Wedding Night (1959), Argument About Basia (1959), One Room Tenants (1960), A Place on Earth (1960), The Knave of Spades (1960), The Oil (1961), Battle of the Goat’s Manor (1962), Comediants (1962), The Voice from Beyond (1962), The Penthouse (1963), Yokmok (1963), Codename Nectar (1963), Hour of a Crimson Rose (1964), Adam’s Two Ribs (1964), Interrupted Flight (1964), The Holy War (1965), The Lodger (1966), A Cure for Love (1966), Hell and Heaven (1966), Stall on Salvador (1967), Weekend with a Girl (1968), The Doll (1968), The Red and the Gold (1969), The Woodpecker (1970), Abel, Your Brother (1970), Troublesome Visitor (1971), Palace Hotel (1977), Killing Auntie (1985), Yesterday (1985), Train to Hollywood (1987), Burial of a Potato (1990), Flying Machines Against Mr. Motor Car (1991), By the River Nowhere (1991), Two Moons (1993), A Gentle Woman (1995), Horror in Happy Swamp (1996), With Fire and Sword (1999), It’s Me, the Thief (2000), Edges of the Lord (2001), and Ubu the King (2003). She also performed frequently on Polish television in such productions as Sedziowie, Tragedya (1974), Rzeka Klamstwa (1989), Stella Stellaris (1994), and Plebania (2003) as Gienia. Feldman had her first leading role in films in 2004, playing the male primitive painter Nikifor in Krzysztof Krauze’s film My Nikifor. She made her final film appearance in Dublerzy as Grandma Gambini in 2006.
2007 • Obituaries
Pretty Poison (1968). Fellows worked primarily in England from the 1970s, with such film credits as Trick Baby (1973), The Spikes Gang (1974), Inside Out (1975), Spy Story (1976), The Omen (1976), Death Play (1976), Twilight’s Last Gleaming (1977), Valentino (1977), License to Love and Kill (1979), The London Connection (1979), Superman II (1980), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) as Colonel Musgrove, Eye of the Needle (1981), Who Dares Wins (1982), Enigma (1983), Electric Dreams (1984), Riders of the Storm (1986), Haunted Honeymoon (1986), Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987), Velvet Goldmine (1998), Horseshoe (1998) as the voice of Charles, and The Man Who Cried (2000). Fellows also appeared in television productions of Mousey (1974), The Naked Civil Servant (1975), Lillie (1978), One Fine Day (1979), Ike (1979) as Gen. Carl Spaatz, Inside the Third Reich (1982), The Citadel (1983), The Dirty Dozen: The Next Mission (1985), Wallenberg: A Hero’s Story (1985), Reunion at Fairborough (1985), The Last Days of Patton (1986) as Lt. Gen. Walter Bedell Smith, The Beiderbecke Tapes (1987), Intrigue (1988), The Nightwatch (1989), The Price of the Bride (1990), and Clinton: His Struggle with Dirt (1998). His other television credits include episodes of Dial M for Murder, You’re on Your Own, Spy Trap, Space: 1999, Z Cars, Wodehouse Playhouse, Play of the Month, Raffles, ITV Playhouse, BBC 2 Play of the Week, Tales of the Unexpected, The Sandbaggers, The Gentle Touch, The Bill, Chance in a Million, Great Performances, Jeeves and Wooster, Inspector Morse, and Kavanagh Q.C.
Don Fellows
Krystyna Feldman
FELLOWS, DON Character actor Don Fellows died in London on October 21, 2007. He was 84. Fellows was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, on December 2, 1922. He began his career on stage in the 1950s, and appeared on television in episodes of Studio One, The Philco Television Playhouse, and Mr. Broadway. He also appeared in the films The Detective (1968) and
FELMY, HANSJOERG German actor Hanjoerg Felmy died at his home in Bavaria, Germany, after a long illness on August 27, 2007. He was 76. Felmy was born in Berlin on January 31, 1931. He began his acting career on stage after World War II, and became a leading film star in the 1950s. Felmy’s film credits include The Star of Africa (1957), Sharks and Little Fish (1957), The Heart of St. Pauli (1957), The Ripper (1958), The Muzzle (1958), Aren’t We Wonderful? (1958), The Restless Night (1958), The Man Who Sold Himself (1959), People in the Net (1959), Duel with Death (1959), the 1959 adaptation of Thomas Mann’s The Buddenbrooks as Thomas Buddenbrook, The Day That Will Never End (1959), The Angry Young Man (1960), Brainwashed (1960), The Ambassadress (1960), Sacred Waters (1960), The Marriage of Mr. Mississippi (1961), Defiant Daugh-
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ters (1961), The Last Chapter (1961), The Happy Years of the Thorwalds (1962), Station Six-Sahara (1962), The Mad Executioners (1963), The Fogg y Night Murderer (1964), The Monster of London City (1964), Pirates of the Mississippi (1954), The Racetrack Murders (1964), When the Grapevines Bloom on the Danube (1965), Alfred Hitchcock’s Torn Curtain (1966), The Dead One in the Thames River (1971), and Attempted Flight (1976). Felmy worked primarily in television from the late 1960s, appearing in productions of Flucht ohne Ausweg (1967), Alexander Zwo (1972), Meine Frau Erfahrt kein Wort (1982), Abgehort (1984), and Affaire Nachtfrost (1988). He starred as Kommissar Haferkamp in the popular Tatort television detective series from 1974 to 1980, and was Charlie Kapitzky in the Abenteuer Airport series in 1990. He was also featured in episodes of Sonderdezemat K1, Klimbin, Ein Fall fur Zwei, Unternehmen Kopenick, Die Wilsheimer, Die Manner vorn K3, Hagedorns Tochter, and Faust. Felmy was often the German dubbing voice for such actors as Jack Nicholson, Steve McQueen, and Roy Scheider.
Hansjoerg Felmy
FERNAN -GOMEZ, FERNANDO Spanish film director and actor Fernando Fernan-Gomez died in Madrid, Spain, of complications from heart disease on November 21, 2007. He was 86. He was born in Lima, Peru, on August 28, 1921, while his mother, actress Carola Fernan-Gomez, was on tour in Latin America. He began working in the theater in the early 1940s, directing and writing numerous productions. He also began acting in films, amassing numerous credits over his 60 year career. Fernan-Gomez’s film credits include Autumn Roses (1943), A Palace for Sale (1943), Turbante Blanco (1943), Cristina Guzman (1943), Noche Fantastica (1943), La Chica del Gato (1943), Empezo en Boda (1944), Una Chica de Opereta (1944), Mi Enemigo y Yo (1944), Espronceda (1945), El Destino se Disculpa (1945), El Camino de Babel (1945), Bambu (1945), Domingo de Carnaval (1945), The Black Siren (1947), La Muralla Feliz (1947), Embrujo (1947), The Harvest Is Rich (1948), Crossroads (1948), The Last Horse (1950), Saturday Night (1950), Reckless (1951), Captain Poison (1951), El Sistema Pelegrin (1952), I Want to Marry You (1952), Los Ojos Dejan Huellas (1952), Vida en Sombras (1952), Voice of Silence (1953), The
Happy Couple (1953), Aeropuerto (1953), Nobody Will Know (1953), Manicomio (1954), Rebeldia (1954), Morena Clara (1954), La Otra Vida del Capitan Contreras (1955), El Guardian del Paraiso (1955), Congreso en Sevilla (1955), El Mensaje (1955), The Bachelor (1955), La Gran Mentira (1956), El Malvado Carabel (1956), Honeymoon (1956), The Tenant (1957), The Girls in Blue (1957), Faustina (1957), Un Marido de Ida y Vuelta (1957), Los Angeles del Volante (1957), Life Ahead (1958), Life Around Us (1959), Soledad (1959), Bombas Para la Paz (1959), La Ironia del Dinero (1959), Solo Para Hombres (1960), La Vida Privada de Fulano de Tal (1960), Three Etc.’s and the Colonel (1960), Crimen Para Recien Casados (1960), La Venganza de Don Mendo (1961), Goodbye Mimi Pompon (1961), Fantasmas en la Casa (1961), Rififi en la Ciudad (1963), Benigno Hermano Mio (1963), La Becerrada (1963), Un Vampiro para Dos (1965), Life Goes On (1965), Ninette y un Senor de Murcia (1965), La Mujer de tu Projimo (1966), Mayores con Reparos (1966), La Vil Seduccion (1968), Carola de Dia, Carola de Noche (1969), Un Adulterio Decente (1969), Furnished Studio 2.P. (1969), El Triangulito (1970), Crimen Imperfecto (1970), Como Casares en 7 Dias (1971), Las Ibericas F.C. (1971), The Roosters of Dawn (1971), Vera, a Cruel Story (1973), Don Quixote Rides Again (1973), La Leyenda del Alcalde de Zalamea (1973), Anna and the Wolves (1973), The Spirit of the Beehive (1973), I Saw Her First (1974), The Love of Captain Brando (1974), Sensualidad (1975), Pim, Pam, Pum ... Fire! (1975), Jo, Papa (1975), The Mistress (1976), La Plaza (1976), Bruja, Mas que Bruja (1976), The Anchorite (1976), Las Cuatro Novias de Augusto Perez (1976), Imposible Para unaz Solterona (1976), The Carrot Queen (1977), The Girl in the Yellow Pajamas (1977), Mas Fina que las Gillinas (1977), Binge (1977), Chely (1977), Hail Hazana (1978), The Remains from the Shipwreck (1978), Gulliver (1979), Mama Turns 100 (1979), Yo que Se (1980), Maravillas (1981), We Had Better Call It a Day (1981), Copia Cero (1982), Besame, Tonta (1982), Soldados de Plomo (1983), Interior Roig (1983), Juana la Loca ... de Vez en Cuando (1983), Feroz (1984), The Stilts (1984), The Most Beautiful Night (1984), De Hombre a Hombre (1985), Stico (1985), Bohemian Nights (1985), Requiem por un Campesino Espanol (1985), The Court of the Pharaoh (1985), Hot Spot (1985), Half of Heaven (1986), Poor Butterfly (1986), Mambru Went to War (1986), Voyage to Nowhere (1986), Delirios de Amor (1986), El Gran Serafin (1987), Silver-Beet Face (1987), My General (1987), Moors and Christians (1987), Esquilache (1989), The Sea and the Weather (1989), El Rio que nos Lleva (1989), Offisdes (1991), The Dumbfounded King (1991), Miracle of Marcellino (1991), Chechu y Familia (1992), The Age of Beauty (1992), Cartas Desde Huesca (1993), On Earth As It Is in Heaven (1995), Pintadas (1996), Pesadilla Para un Rico (1996), Tramway to Malvarrosa (1997), La Hermana (1997), El Sueno de los Heroes (1997), The Grandfather (1998), All About My Mother (1999), Pepe Guindo (1999), Plenilunio (1999), Buterfly Tongues (1999), Voz (2000), Visionaires (2001), The City of No Limits (2002), The Shanghai Spell (2002), Bibliofrenia (2003), Tiovivo c. 1950 (2004), Para que no me Olvides (2005), Medea 2 (2006), and
117 Mia Sarah (2006). Fernan-Gomez also appeared in such television productions as Juan Soldado (1973), El Picaro (1974), Fortunata y Jacinta (1980), Los Desastres de la Guerra (1983), and A su Servicio (1993). He starred as Don Anselmo in the series Los Ladrones van a la Oficina from 1993 to 1995, and was Don Venancio in Cuentame from 2001 to 2002. Fernan-Gomez was also a leading film director and writer from the early 1950s helming such productions as Manicomio (1954), El Mensaje (1955), El Malvado Carabel (1956), Life Ahead (1958), Life Around Us (1959), Solo Para Hombres (1960), La Venganza de Don Mendo (1961), Los Palomos (1964), El Extrano Viaje (1964), Life Goes On (1965), Ninette y un Senor de Murcia (1965), Mayores con Reparos (1966), Crimen Imperfecto (1970), Como Casarse en 7 Dias (1971), I Saw Her First (1974), The Mistress (1976), Bruja mas que Bruja (1976), My Daughter Hildegart (1977), Five Forks (1979), Mambru Went to War (1986), Voyage to Nowhere (1986) which he adapted from his novel, The Sea and the Weather (1989), Offsides (1991), Long Life Together (1994), Pesadilla para un Rico (1996), A Porta do Sol (1998), and Lazaro de Tormes (2001).
2007 • Obituaries
A Bomba (2001), Maria E as Ouras (2004), and Skin (2006). Ferrer was also seen on television in productions of Miguel Bombarda (1985), Resposta a Matilde (1986), Roman Holiday (1987), Passerelle (1988), Topaze (1988), A Mala de Cartao (1988), O Corrijidor (1988), Casino Royal (1989), A Danca da Morte (1989), Mon Dernier Reve Sera Pour Vous (1989), Adieu Mes Jolies (1991), Retrato de urna Familia Portuguese (1991), Les Amants du Tage (1992), Agui De’El Rei! (1992), A Visita da Velha Senhora (1994), Une Femme dans la Tourmente (1995), Primeiro Amor (1995), Flics de Choc: Le Derniere Vague (1996), La Vie a Trois (1997), O Fusivel (1997), The Vanishing Mr. Owen (1997), A Lenda de Garca (1999), Anniversario (2000), Lourdes (2001), Ruy Blas (2002), Une Ville Pour Deux (2003), Lagardere (2003), and Julie, Chevalier de Maupin (2004). Ferrer also starred as Antonio in the television series Medico de Familia from 1998 to 2000, and was Manuel Constancio in Bocage in 2006.
Filipe Ferrer
Fernando Fernan-Gomez
FERRER, FILIPE Portuguese actor Filipe Ferrer died of cancer in Lisbon, Portugal, on June 26, 2007. He was 70. Ferrer was born in Faro, Portugal, on August 25, 1936. He was a popular stage performer in Portugal, and was seen frequently in films and television from the early 1980s. His many film credits include No Speaking (1983), Notre Mariage (1984), The Satin Slipper (1985), Duma Vez por Todas (1986), Azul, Azul (1986), O Barao de Altamira (1986), O Querido Lilas (1987), Reporter X (1987), La Brute (1987), The Beggars (1988), Mensagem (1988), President’s Target (1989), Street of No Return (1989), Rendezvous in Lisbon (1990), The King’s Trial (1990), 1867 (1990) as the Emperor Maximilian, The Milky Life (1992), Vertigern (1992), Cha Forte com Limao (1993), D’Artagnan’s Daughter (aka Revenge of the Musketeers) (1994), Taxi to Portugal (1994), Ao Sul (1995), Paradise Lost (1995), Cargo Infernal (1996), According to Pereira (1996), La Leyenda de Balthasar el Castrado (1996), Les Bidochohn (1996), News from the Good Lord (1996), The Jew (1996), Isle of Contempt (1996), O Segredo (2000), Camarate (2001),
FIELDS, FREDDIE Hollywood film producer and agent Freddie Fields died of lung cancer in his home in Beverly Hills, California, on December 11, 2007. He was 84. He was born Fred Feldman in Ferndale, New York, on July 12, 1923. His father operated a Catskills resort and his brother, Shep Fields, was a leading bandleader. Freddie grew up in the entertainment business and began working as a booking agent in New York in the 1940s. He worked with the talent agency Music Corporation of America, becoming vice president in 1946. He left MCA in 1960 to form his own agency, Creative Management Associates. CMA merged with International Famous Agency to form International Creative Management in the mid–1970s. Fields’ numerous clients included such Hollywood legends as Fred Astaire, Barbra Streisand, Henry Fonda, Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Woody Allen, Jack Nicholson and Steven Spielberg. He also managed Judy Garland and was executive producer of her television variety show in 1962. Fields was also a leading executive at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in the 1980s. He served as producer for such films as Lipstick (1976), Handle with Care (1977), Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977), American Gigolo (1980), Wholly Moses! (1980), Victory (1981), Fever Pitch (1985), Poltergeist II:
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The Other Side (1986), American Anthem (1986), Crimes of the Heart (1986), Millennium (1989), and Glory (1989). Fields also served as executive producer of the syndicated talk show starring Montel Williams in the 1990s. Fields’ second marriage to actress Polly Bergen ended in divorce, as did his previous one. His survivors include his third wife, the former Miss Universe Corinna Tsopei.
evision productions of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1958) as Hermia, For Tea on Sunday (1963), Marriage Lines (1963), and Night Train to Surbiton (1965). Finn was featured as the voices of Tin-Tin Kyrano, Grandma Tracy, and other characters on the marionette television series Thunderbirds from 1965 to 1966, and was Peggy Davidson in Dr. Finlay’s Casebook from 1967 to 1969. Her other television credits include episodes of Gideon’s Way, Scales of Justice, Dixon of Dock Green, Adam Adamant Lives!, Detective, and Paul Temple.
Freddie Fields
FINCH, BRIAN British television writer Brian Finch died in Wigan, Lancashire, England, on June 27, 2007. He was 70. Finch was born in Wigan on July 25, 1936. He began working as a journalist in the 1950s and later joined the BBC as a press officer. His first televised play, Rodney, Our Intrepid Hero aired on The Wednesday Play in 1966. He moved to Granada Television several years later where he became one of the most prolific script writers for the popular soap opera Coronation Street in the 1970s and 1980s. Finch also scripted episodes of such series as Thirty-Minute Theatre, The Tomorrow People, Hunter’s Walk, The Chinese Puzzle, The Life of Riley, Potter’s Picture Palace, Strangers, Fallen Hero, Park Ranger, The Gentle Touch, Saturday Night Thriller, Juliet Bravo, The Fourth Arm, Dramarama, Murphy’s Mob, Flying Lady, All Creatures Great and Small, Bergerac, The Bill, Wavelength, Hetty Wainthropp Investigates, The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne, Captain Scarlet, and Heartbeat. He also wrote numerous television productions including Arztin in Angst (1995), Mein Freund, der Bulle (1998), the 1999 adaptation of Goodnight, Mister Tom for Masterpiece Theatre, Back Home (2001), Goodbye, Mr. Chips (2002), Heidi (2005), and The Shell Seekers (2006). FINN, CHRISTINE British actress Christine Finn died in Guildford, Surrey, England, on December 5, 2007. Finn was born and raised in India and went to England in 1946. She studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and made her professional debut in the 1949 film The Romantic Age. She also performed frequently on the London stage. She appeared in small roles in the films The Long Rope (1953) and Value for Money (1955), and starred as Barbara Judd in the classic science fiction television miniseries Quatermass and the Pit. She was also seen in tel-
Christine Finn
FINN, MALI Film and television casting director Mali Finn of died melanoma in Sonoma, California, on November 28, 2007. She was 69. She was born Mary Alice Mann in Danville, Illinois, on March 3, 1938. Finn taught English and Drama for over a decade before moving to Los Angeles in 1981. She began working as an assistant to casting directors Dodie McLean and Lynn Stallmaster. She made her debut as lead casting director for the 1987 film The Untouchables. She went on to cast such films as Outrageous Fortune (1987), Lady in White (1988), Split Decisions (1988), Shadow of China (1990), Flatliners (1990), Pacific Heights (1990), Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael (1990), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Hot Shots! (1991), That Night (1992), Super Mario Bros. (1993), House of Cards (1993), The Air Up There (1994), True Lies (1994), The Client (1994), The Little Dead (1995), The Cure (1995), Batman Forever (1995), Eye for an Eye (1996), A Time to Kill (1996), Mission: Impossible (1996), Foxfire (1996), The Chamber (1996), Sunday (1997), L.A. Confidential (1997), Batman & Robin (1997), the Oscarwinning Titanic (1997), Your Friends & Neighbors (1998), 8 MM (1999), The Matrix (1999), Best Laid Plans (1999), The Love Letter (1999), Eye of the Beholder (1999), The Wood (1999), Flawless (1999), The Green Mile (1999), Return to Me (2000), Wonderboys (2000), Reindeer Games (2000), The Next Best Thing (2000), Where the Heart Is (2000), The King Is Alive (2000), The Weight of Water (2000), Tigerland (2000), Manic (2001), Joy Ride (2001), High Crimes (2002), Max (2002), K-19: The Widowmaker (2002), Never Get Outta the Boat (2002), 8 Mile (2002), Phone Booth (2002), All the Real Girls (2003), The Matrix Reloaded
119 (2003), Elephant (2003), Out of Time (2003), The Matrix Revolutions (2003), Blessing (2004), The Big Bounce (2004), The Girl Next Door (2004), Undertow (2004), The Assassination of Richard Nixon (2004), Raising Helen (2004), Around the Bend (2004), Where the Truth Lies (2005), Dark Water (2005), North Country (2005), Walker Payne (2006), Serephim Falls (2006), Running with Scissors (2006), The Number 23 (2007), Shooter (2007), Lucky You (2007), The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007). Finn also worked in television, earning an Emmy nomination for the 1995 tele-film Indictment: The McMartin Trial, and receiving the Emmy Award for 61* in 2001. Her other television credits include American Harvest (1987), Running Mates (2000), the 2000 series Gideon’s Crossing, The It Factor: Los Angeles (2003), Independent Lens (2003), and 2004’s Wonderfalls. Her final film credits include the 2008 films Dirty Hands and 10,000 B.C.
FIRESTONE, EDDIE Character actor Eddie Firestone died of respiratory and heart failure at his home in Sherman Oaks, California, on March 1, 2007. He was 86. Firestone was born in San Francisco, California, on December 11, 1920. He began his career on radio, performing in such series as Halls of Ivy and Suspense. He soon moved on to films and television, where he was often cast in genial supporting roles. He was seen in such films as The Jackpot (1950), With a Song in My Heart (1952), We’re Not Married (1952), One Minute to Zero (1952), Call Me Madam (1953), Good Morning, Miss Dove (1955), The Revolt of Mamie Stover (1956), The Great Locomotive Chase (1956), The Brass Legend (1956), Joe Butterfly (1947), Bailout at 43,000 (1957), The Law and Jake Wade (1958), The Mountain Road (1960), Angel Baby (1961), Two for the Seesaw (1962), The Destructors (1968), Panic in the City (1968), A Man Called Gannon (1969), Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came? (1970), The Todd Killings (1971), Pickup at 101 (1972), Play It As It Lays (1972), The Stone Killer (1973), Invisible Strangler (1976), and W.C. Fields and Me (1976). He was also featured in the tele-films Scalplock (1966), Ironside (1967), Steven Spielberg’s Duel (1971), Murdock’s Gang (1973), Cry Panic (1974), Honky Tonk (1974), A Matter of Wife ... and Death (1976), How the West Was Won (1977), Standing Tall (1978), and I Take These Men (1983). Firestone starred as Eddy Coleman in the early television drama series Mixed Doubles in 1949. He remained a familiar face, appearing in numerous of episodes of such series as Dragnet, Four Star Playhouse, Justice, The Millionaire, The 20th Century–Fox Hour, Medic, Playhouse 90, Studio One, Steve Canyon, Black Saddle, Peter Gunn, One Step Beyond, The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor, The Donna Reed Show, The Untouchables, Bonanza, Disneyland, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Follow the Sun, Death Valley Days, Tales of Wells Fargo, Ben Casey, Perry Mason, Temple Houston, Dr. Kildare, The Legend of Jesse James, Hogan’s Heroes, Rawhide, Gunsmoke, I Dream of Jeannie, Dragnet 1967, Dundee and the Culhane, The Big Valley, Cimarron Strip, Mannix, The Big Valley, The High Chaparral, The Guns of Will Sonnett, Wild Wild
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West, Here Come the Brides, Hawaii Five-O, The Silent Force, Mayberry R.F.D., The Virginian, Mannix, Cade’s County, Cannon, The Streets of San Francisco, Barnaby Jones, Kung Fu, Griff, Shazam!, The Rockford Files, Petrocelli, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Lucas Tanner, Ellery Queen, Kojak, The Invisible Man, Logan’s Run, Charlie’s Angels, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Galactica 1980, Quincy, and Knight Rider. Firestone largely retired from the screen in the early 1980s.
Eddie Firestone
FISCUTEANU , IOAN Romanian stage and film actor Ioan Fiscuteanu died of colon cancer in Bucharest, Romania, on December 8, 2007. He was 70. Fiscuteanu was born in Bistrirta, Transylvania, Romania, on November 19, 1937. He began his career on stage in Bucharest, and appeared frequently in films from the early 1980s. Fiscuteanu’s film credits include A Cloudless Vacation (1968), Forest Fruit (1983), Glissando (1985), Radio Romania Keeps Broadcasting (1985), A Morning Song (1988), Jacob (1988), Somewhere in the East (1991), The Oak (1992), The Earth’s Most Beloved Son (1993), Asphalt Tango (1996), Too Late (1996), Humanitarian Aid (2002), and The Manipulation (2004). Fiscuteanu was best known to international audiences for his starring role in Crisi Puiu’s award-winning 2005 film The Death of Mr. Lazarescu.
Ioan Fiscuteanu
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FISHMAN, HAL Los Angeles newscaster Hal Fishman died of colon cancer at his home in Brentwood, California, on August 7, 2007. He was 75. Fishman was born in Brooklyn, New York, on August 25, 1931. He taught political science at Cal State LA during the 1950s and was hired as a political commentator at station KCOP-TV in 1960. He moved to KTLATV in 1965, and worked at several other stations before returning to KTLA as the evening news anchor in 1975. He remained anchor of the KTLA Prime News until shortly before his death. Fishman also appeared in cameo roles in several films including Black Sunday (1977), the tele-film When Hell Was in Session (1979), Wisdom (1986), Jimmy Hollywood (1994), Joe Dirt (2001), Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles (2001), National Security (2003), Malibu’s Most Wanted (2003), One Six Right (2005), and Spider-Man 3 (2007).
theatrical productions during her career and also appeared frequently on television. She was seen in such series as Yo Compro esta Mujer (1968), Ella, la Gat (1968), Una Vida para Amarte (1970), Malevo (1972), La Historia de Celia Piran (1972), Las 24 Hrs (1981), Amada (1983), Momento de Incertidumbre (1985), and El Camionero y la Dama (1985).
Golde Flami
Hal Fishman
FLAMI , GOLDE Argentine actress Golde Flami died in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on July 20, 2007. She was 89. She was born Golda Flon in the Ukraine, on February 10, 1918, and came to Argentina with her family at an early age. She began her career on stage in Yiddish theater in Buenos Aires. She made her film debut in a small role 1942’s En el Viejo Buenos Aires, and starred in The Two Rivals in 1944. She continued to appear in such films as A Woman of No Importance (1945), Albergue de Mujeres (1946), Un Marido Ideal (1947), El Barco sale a las Diez (1948), Rodriguez, Supernumerario (1948), The Name Was Carlos Gardel (1949), The Marihuana Story (1950), Lejos del Cielo (1950), Madre Alegria (1950), Volver a la Vida (1951), La Picara Cenicienta (1951), Dishonor (1952), Del Otro Lado del Puente (1953), El Juramento de Lagardere (1955), Los Hampones (1955), Simiente Humana (1959), Male and Female Since Adam and Eve (1961), Amorina (1961), Maternidad sin Hombres (1968), La Videlidad (1970), La Mary (1974), People in Buenos Aires (1974), Las Procesadas (1975), Jewish Gauchos (1975), Brigada en Accion (1977), Con mi Mujer no Puedo (1978), Crazy Love (1979), Nightmare’s Passengers (1984), Anibal Di Salvo’s Atrapadas (aka Condemned to Hell ) (1984), Las Barras Bravas (1985), Revancha de un Amigo (1987), Hector Olivera’s Two to Tango (1988), Traicion (1990), and Chiquilines (1991). Flami was featured in over 100
FLANAGAN, WALTER P. Actor Walter P. Flanagan died in Houston, Texas, on July 25, 2007. He was 78. Flanagan was born in Houston on October 4, 1928. He moved to New York to pursue a career in acting after graduating from the University of Houston. He appeared on stage throughout the United States during his career. He also appeared on television in an episode of Five Fingers in 1959. Flanagan appeared in several films including The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight (1971), Shakedown (1988), Ghostbusters II (1989), and The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990). He also appeared in an episode of ABC Afterschool Specials in 1989 before retiring to Houston.
Walter P. Flanagan
FLAX, PHYLLIS Actress Phyllis Flax died of cancer in Venice, California, on May 26, 2007. She was 85. Flax was born in London, England, on July 19, 1921. She began performing at an early age under the name Phyllis Oliver and was lead dancer at the London Palladium in the mid–1930s. She moved to the United States after a stint as an ambulance driver during World War II. She performed on the amateur stage in California while raising a family, waiting until later
121 in life to embark upon a professional career in films and television. Flax guest-starred in such series as Wonder Woman, Mrs. Columbo, Newhart, The Wonder Years, Parker Lewis Can’t Lose, NYPD Blue, Angel, Frazier, and ER. She also appeared in the films Black Magic Woman (1981) and Loved (1997), and the tele-films Deadly Care (1987) and Nightmare on the 13th Floor (1990).
Phyllis Flax
FLEMMING, BILL Sportscaster Bill Flemming, who was one of the original announcers for ABC’s Wide World of Sports, died of prostate cancer in Petoskey, Michigan, on July 20, 2007. He was 80. Flemming was born in Chicago, Illinois, on September 3, 1926. He attended the University of Michigan where he became the sports director at the campus radio station. He moved to Detroit in 1953 where he became head of the sports department of the NBC television affiliate, WWJ-TV. He made his network debut as a replacement sportscaster on the Today show and was soon announcing for the U.S. Open golf tournament later in the 1950s. Flemming moved to ABC when that network began the new sports anthology series Wide World of Sports in 1961. He covered more than 600 events over the next four decades from football to auto racing to chess championships, and 11 Olympics.
2007 • Obituaries
FLINN, DENNY MARTIN Broadway performer and writer Denny Martin Flinn, who scripted the 1991 film Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country, died of complications from cancer in Woodland Hills, California, on August 24, 2007. He was 59. Flinn was born in San Francisco, California, on December 21, 1947. He began his career as a dancer in San Francisco before moving to New York. He performed on Broadway in the musical Sugar, and in revivals of Pal Joey and Hello, Dolly! with Pearl Bailey. He also appeared in OffBroadway productions and in the national tour of A Chorus Line. He wrote and directed the musical Groucho, which played Off-Broadway, and choreographed rock video sequences for the soap operas Another World and Search for Tomorrow. Flinn also choreographed sequences of the feature films The Deceivers (1988) and Ghost (1988). He was the author of a book about the musical A Chorus Line entitled What They Did for Love. He also wrote two mystery novels featuring Sherlock Holmes’ grandson, San Francisco Kills and Killer Finish. Flinn co-scripted Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country with Nicholas Meyer. He also wrote radio adaptations of Don Quixote and Meyer’s The Seven-Per-Cent Solution for BBC radio. Flinn’s other books include Musical! A Grand Tour —The Rise, Glory and Fall of an American Institution, How Not to Write a Screenplay, and the Star Trek novel The Fearful Summons. FLOWER Flower, the matriarch of Meerkat Manor on the popular Animal Planet documentary series, was killed by a cobra while protecting her family in the Kalahari desert on March 6, 2007. Flower’s demise was witnessed by viewers of the television series on September 28, 2007, in the episode entitled Journey’s End.” The series depicted the life of the Whiskers clan including Flower, her mate Zaphod and a host of furry four-legged children. Cambridge University sponsored the Kalahari Meerkat Project, which documented the trials and tribulations of life in the desert for the nearly anthropomorphisized stars. Adding to the tragedy, Flower’s daughter, Mozart, was found dead in the desert, likely the victim of a jackal attack. Viewers learned of Mozart’s untimely demise on the October 26, 2007, program, when her lifeless body was shown. In a previous season, the family also lost a son,
Bill Flemming Flower
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Shakespeare, who vanished and was presumed dead. The deceased and most of the survivors of the Whiskers clan will be seen in a 2008 feature film highlighting Flower, Queen of the Kalahari.
FLYNN, BILL South African actor Bill Flynn died of a heart attack in Cape Town, South Africa, on July 11, 2007. He was 58. Flynn was born in Cape Town on December 13, 1948. He performed on stage, film and television from the early 1970s. Flynn’s film credits include House of the Living Dead (1973), Kill and Kill Again (1981), City Lovers (1982), Prisoners of the Lost Universe (1983), Funny People II (1983), Magic Is Alive, My Friend (1985), Saturday Night at the Palace (1987), Kwagga Strikes Back (1990), Die Prince van Pretoria (1993), Kalahari Harry (1994), Human Timebomb (1996), Heels Against the Head (1999), Oh Shucks ... I’m Gatvol (2004), and Running Riot (2006). Flynn was also featured in the tele-films A Private Life (1989), Guns of Honor (1994), and Krakatoa: The Last Days (2006). He starred in the title role in the 1986 television series Senor Smith, which he also scripted. He wrote, directed, and starred as Quentin Carruthers II in the 2000 series The Carruthers Brothers, and was Captain Boki Basson in the 2004 series Jozi Streets.
April 4, 2007. He was 75. Flynn was born in Chicago, Illinois, on March 14, 1932. He began working in films in the mid–1960s, serving as assistant director for the comedy John Goldfarb, Please Come Home (1965). He was best known for directing the 1977 revenge thriller Rolling Thunder starring William Devane. Flynn also directed the films The Sergeant (1968), The Jerusalem File (1972), The Outfit (1973) which he also adapted from Richard Stark’s novel, Defiance (1980), Touched (1983), Best Seller (1987), Lock Up (1989), Out for Justice (1991), Brainscan (1994), and Protection (2001). He also helmed the tele-films Marilyn: The Untold Story (1980), Nails (1992), Scam (1993), and Absence of the Good (1999).
FOGELBERG, DAN Singer and songwriter Dan Fogelberg, who had such soft-rock hits as “Leader of the Band” and “Same Old Lang Syne,” died of prostate cancer at his home in Maine on December 16, 2007. He was 56. Fogelberg was born in Peoria, Illinois, on August 13, 1951. He began performing with a band while in his teens, and recorded two singles with the Coachmen in 1967. He performed as a solo acoustic player in the early 1970s and was soon working as a session musician. His debut album, Home Free, was released in 1972 and his second album, Souvenirs, was released two years later. It contained the hit song “Part of the Plan,” and Fogelberg became a leading recording star. He continued to release such hits as “Longer” (1979), “Same Old Lang Syne” (1980), “Leader of the Band” (1981), “Run for the Roses” (1982), “Missing You” (1982), and “Make Love Stay” (1983). He also recorded the album Twin Sons of Different Mothers with Tim Weisberg in 1978. He recorded the bluegrass album High Country Snows in Nashville in 1984, and released the studio album River of Souls in 1993. He recorded an album of Christmas songs, First Christmas Morning, in 1999. Fogelberg’s final album, Full Circle, was released in 2003. He was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer the following year, and was forced to cancel a concert tour.
Bill Flynn
FLYNN, JOHN Film and television director John Flynn died in Pacific Palisades, California, on
Dan Fogelberg
John Flynn
FONTANARROSA, ROBERTO Argentine cartoonist and writer Roberto Fontanarrosa died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in Rosario, Argentina, on
123 July 19, 2007. He was 62. Fontanarrosa was born in Rosario on November 25, 1944. He began his career writing comic strips, creating such popular titles as Inodoro Pereyra and Boogie el Aceitoso. He also wrote short stories, novels, and several plays including Aryentians, Uno Nunca Sabe, and Boogie el Aceitoso. Several of his works were also adapted for film including La Planicie de Yothosawa (1991), Una Historia de Tango (2000), El Vuelo de la Oca (2004), Tomalo con Calma (2005), and El Amor a las Cuatro de la Tarde (2005). He also scripted the 2007 film Fierro.
2007 • Obituaries
FONTENAY, CHARLES Journalist and science fiction writer Charles Fontenay died in a Memphis, Tennessee, hospital after a long illness on January 27, 2007. He was 89. Fontenay was born on March 17, 1917. He served in the U.S. Air Corps during World War II. He embarked on a career in journalism, working at papers in Union City and Johnson City, Tennessee. He spent forty years with the Nashville newspaper The Tennessean, serving as a reporter and assistant city editor, before his retirement in the late 1980s. Fontenay, who often covered the political beat, also wrote Estes Kefauver: A Biography (1980) about the former Tennessee U.S. Senator. He was also a writer of science fiction, having penned such novels as Twice Upon a Time (1958), Rebels of the Red Planet (1961), The Day the Oceans Overflowed (1964), Kipton and the Tower of Time (1996), Kipton in Wonderland (1996), Kipton and the Ovoid (1996), Kipton and the Android (1997), Target: Grant, 1862 (1999), and Modal (2000)
Roberto Fontanarrosa
FONTANE, CHAR Actress Char Fontane died of cancer in Marietta, Georgia, on April 1, 2007. She was 55. She was born in Los Angeles on January 12, 1952, the daughter of singer Tony Fontane and actress Kerry Vaughn. She embarked on an acting career in the late 1970s, starring as Valerie Sweetzer in the shortlived television sit-com Joe and Valerie in 1978. She also appeared in the tele-films Pearl (1978) and The Night the Bridge Fell Down (1983). Fontane also guest-starred in episodes of Love, American Style, Barnaby Jones, Supertrain, and The Love Boat. She also appeared in several films during her career including Too Much (1987) and The Punisher (1989), before retiring in the late 1980s.
Charles Fontenay
FORD, LARKIN Actor Larkin Ford, who was the last surviving member of the cast of the original television production of Twelve Angry Men in 1954, died in New York City on January 13, 2007. He was 86. Ford was born in California on January 30, 1920. He attended Harvard University and performed on stage with the Brattle Theatre Company for seven years. He began working in television in the early 1950s under the
Char Fontane Larkin Ford
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name Will West III, and appeared as Juror #12 in the acclaimed drama Twelve Angry Men on Studio One in 1954. Other members of the cast included Robert Cummings, Franchot Tone, and Edward Arnold. After changing his name to Larkin Ford, he continued his career in such series as Zane Grey Theater, The Third Man, Have Gun —Will Travel, Black Saddle, The Untouchables, and Cannon. He was also featured in Larry Cohen’s 1982 cult horror film Q (aka The Winged Serpent).
topoulos was born in Kalamata, Greece in 1934. He began his career as a designer for stage productions for the Greek National Opera House, the State Theatre of Northern Greece, and other venues in Europe and the United States. Fotopoulos worked uncredited designing sets for Elia Kazan’s 1963 film America America. He was also art director for Francis Ford Coppola’s feature You’re a Big Boy Now in 1966.
FORSBERG, GRANT Actor Grant E. Forsberg died in Studio City, California, on July 17, 2007. He was 47. Forsberg was born in Holden, Massachusetts, on July 22, 1959. He was featured in several films including My Man Adam (1985), Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987), and Bloodhounds of Broadway (1989). He also appeared on television in the tele-film Old Friends (1984), and an episode of the series L.A. Law. Forsberg was also the author of the book Lost Boys Never Say Die.
Vassilis Fotopoulos
Grant Forsberg
FORWOOD, GARETH British actor Gareth Forwood died in London on October 16, 2007. He was 62. He was born in London on October 14, 1945, the son of actress Glynis Johns and her first husband, Anthony Forwood. He made his debut on films in 1968’s The Bofors Gun, as the young Lt. Packering. He appeared frequently on British television from the late 1960s, with roles in such series as Detective, The Jazz Age, The Wednesday Play, Doctor at Large, Crown Court, The Pallisers, Armchair Thriller, and The Bill. His other television credits include such productions as The Piano Player (1972), Where Adam Stood (1976), Blade on the Feather (1980), Mother Love (1989), Never Come Back (1990), The Cinder Path (1994), Prime Suspect 4: Inner Circles (1995), and Bomber (2000). Forwood was also seen in a handful of films including Birth of the Beatles (1979), Priest of Love (1981), Gandhi (1982), King Ralph (1991) with John Goodman, and Electric Moon (1992). FOTOPOULOS, VASSILIS Greek art director Vassilis Fotopoulos, who received an Academy Award for his work on the 1964 film Zorba the Greek, died in Athens, Greece, on January 14, 2007. He was 72. Fo-
FRACTION, KAREN Actress Karen E. Fraction died of breast cancer in Largo, Florida, on October 30, 2007. She was 53. Fraction was born in Flint, Michigan, in 1954. She trained as a dancer and made her Broadway debut in Tap Dance Kid. She was also seen on Broadway in productions of Cabaret, Anything Goes, and Oh Kay! in the 1980s. She moved to Florida in the early 1990s where she continued her career as an actress on television. She was featured in an episode of Swamp Thing and starred as Jennifer Parker in the Nickelodeon sit-com My Brother and Me from 1994 to 1995. She was also featured in the recurring role of Dr. Perry in the sci-fi series SeaQuest DSV in 1995 and 1996, and guest-starred in episodes of Walker, Texas Ranger, Taina, and Sheena. Fraction also appeared in the tele-film Our Son, the Matchmaker (1996), and the feature films Palmetto (1998) and The First of May (1999).
Karen Fraction
125 FRANCA, CELIA Canadian dancer and choreographer Celia Franca died after a long illness in an Ottawa, Canada, hospital on February 19, 2007. She was 85. She was born Celia Franks in London, England, on June 25, 1921. She studied dance as a child and was performing professionally by the age of 14. She joined Marie Rambert’s ballet company in 1936, and performed with Sadler’s Wells from 1941. Franca joined the Metropolitan Ballet in 1947, where she choreographed the ballets Eve of St. Agnes and Dance of Salome for BBC Television. She went to Canada in the early 1950 to form a new ballet company in Toronto, creating the National Ballet of Canada in 1951. She directed and starred in numerous ballets throughout the decade, and co-founded the National Ballet School of Canada in 1959. She remained artist director of the National Ballet through 1974. Rudolf Nureyev starred in a production of The Sleeping Beauty with the company in 1972, which performed at the Metropolitan Opera House and on CBC-TV in Canada. Franca performed the role of Carabosse in the ballet. After a hiatus of several years Franca returned to the National Ballet as a frequent guest character dancer, and oversaw the Christmas production of The Nutcracker.
Celia Franca
FRANCIS Francisco Garcia Escalante, who was a popular transvestite performer in Mexico, died of complications from respiratory problems in a Mexico
Francis
2007 • Obituaries
City hospital on October 10, 2007. He was 49. Francis was born in Campeche, Mexico, on April 6, 1958. He began his career as an entertainer in local clubs and became a popular performer impersonating leading Latin female singers. Francis appeared frequently on Mexican television from the 1990s, with roles in such series as Mujer, Casos de la Vida Real, Vivo por Elena, Desde Gayola, Hospital el Paisa, and La Fea Mas Bella. Francis was also featured as Tania in the 2003 film My Father, Rua Alguem 5555.
FRANCIS, FREDDIE Oscar winning British cinematographer Freddie Francis, who was also a celebrated director of horror and science fiction films, died in London on March 17, 2007. He was 89. Francis was born in Islington, London on December 22, 1917. He began working in films as a still photographer at Shepherds Bush Studios in 1934. He worked at the studio in various capacities and was making short films for the British Army by World War II. After the war, he continued his career working as a camera operator on such features as The Macomber Affair (1947), Mine Own Executioner (1947), Night Beat (1947), The Small Back Room (1949), The Elusive Pimpernel (1950), Golden Salamander (1950), Gone to Earth (1950), The Tales of Hoffmann (1951), Affair in Monte Carlo (1952), Outcast of the Islands (1952), Angels One Five (1952), The Wild Heart (1952), Moulin Rouge (1952), Twice Upon a Time (1953), Beat the Devil (1953), Knave of Hearts (1954), and The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (1955). He served as second unit director of photography for John Huston’s classic adaptation of Moby Dick in 1956. Francis continued to work as a cinematographer on such films as A Hill in Korea (1956), The Scamp (1957), Time Without Pity (1957), Virgin Island (1958), Next to No Time (1958), Room at the Top (1959), The Battle of the Sexes (1959), Never Take Candy from a Stranger (1960), Sons and Lovers (1960) which earned him his first Academy Award, Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960), The Innocents (1961), and Night Must Fall (1964). Francis made his directorial debut filming sequences for the 1962 science fiction feature The Day of the Triffids. Over the next two decades he directed numerous films, including many cult horror and science fiction classics from Hammer and Amicus. His credits as director include Two and Two Make Six (1962), The Brain (1962), Paranoiac (1963), Nightmare (1964), The Evil of Frankenstein (1964), Traitor’s Gate (1964), Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors (1965), Hysteria (1965), The Skull (1965), The Psychopath (1966), Torture Garden (1967), The Deadly Bees (1967), They Came from Beyond Space (1967), The Intrepid Mr. Twigg (1968), Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968), Girly (1969), Trog (1970), The Vampire Happening (1971), Tales from the Crypt (1972), The Creeping Flesh (1973), Tales That Witness Madness (1973), Son of Dracula (1974), Craze (1974), Legend of the Werewolf (1975), The Ghoul (1975), and Golden Rendezvous (1977). Francis also worked frequently in television from the late 1960s, helming episodes of Man in a Suitcase, The Champions, The Saint, The Adventures of Black Beauty, and Star Maidens. He had largely retired from films by the late 1970s,
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but emerged from retirement in 1980 to serve as cinematographer for director David Lynch’s black and white film The Elephant Man. He continued to work in film and television as a cinematographer, photographing such features as The French Lieutenant’s Woman (1981), The Jigsaw Man (1983), Memed My Hawk (1984), Lynch’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s science fiction classic Dune (1984), Return to Oz (1985), Codename: Emerald (1985), Clara’s Heart (1988), Her Alibi (1989), Brenda Starr (1989), Glory (1989) which earned him another Oscar, The Man in the Moon (1991), Cape Fear (1991), School Ties (1992), Calliope (1994), Princess Cariboo (1994), Rainbow (1996), and The Straight Story (1999). He also was cinematographer for the tele-films The Executioner’s Song (1982), The Plot to Kill Hitler (1990), and A Life in the Theater (1993). Francis also directed the films The Doctor and the Devils (1985) and Dark Tower (1987), the latter under the pseudonym Ken Barnett, and helmed episodes of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson and HBO’s Tales from the Crypt. Francis also co-authored the books Light ’Em Up: A Gaffer Remembers a Lifetime Making Movies (1996) and Inside Hammer (2001). He had recently completed his autobiography before suffering a stroke in December of 2006.
May 11, 2007. He was 82. He was born Norman James Fetrod in Manhattan, New York, on February 17, 1925. Frank served in the Army Air Corps in the Pacific theater during World War II. He worked in advertising after the war, and was soon involved with television. He produced and directed the CBS series Star of the Family in 1950. He also produced the documentary series Wide Wide World starring Dave Garroway, and produced and sometimes directed the NBC comedy variety series The Jonathan Winters Show. Frank remained active in public relations, and was involved with the New York City’s police union in the 1960s. He also made an unsuccessful attempt to run for mayor of New York City in 1969.
FRANKLIN, GARY Film critic Gary Franklin died of complications from a series of strokes in Los Angeles on October 2, 2007. He was 79. Franklin was born in Leipzig, Germany, on September 22, 1928. He and his family fled from the Nazis in 1938 and settled in New York City. He studied film at New York City College and began working in broadcasting in the early 1950s in Virginia. He joined California radio station KFWB-AM in 1972 as a reporter. Franklin moved to television in 1981, becoming a movie and entertainment critic for several stations over the next decade. He was noted for the “Franklin Scale” of critiquing films by using a 1 through 10 numerical score. Franklin was seen on screen in small roles in several films including Rollercoaster (1977) and An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn (1998).
Freddie Francis
FRANK, NORMAN Television and advertising executive Norman Frank died in Miami, Florida, on Gary Franklin
Norman Frank
FRANKLIN, RICHARD Australian film director Richard Franklin, who was best known for helming such thrillers as Road Games and Psycho II, died of prostate cancer in Melbourne, Australia, on July 11, 2007. He was 58. Franklin was born in Melbourne on July 15, 1948. He attended college in the United States where he studied film and became particularly influenced by the works of Alfred Hitchcock. Franklin directed several shorts and television productions before producing, directing and scripting his first feature, The True Story of Eskimo Nell in 1975. He directed the adult exploitation film Fantasm in 1976, and produced and directed the horror film Patrick in 1978. Franklin pro-
127 duced, directed and wrote the thriller Road Games starring Jamie Lee Curtis in 1981, which was the most expensive film produced in Australia at the time. He subsequently came to Hollywood, where he helmed Psycho II, the 1983 sequel to Hitchcock’s classic, with Anthony Perkins reprising his role as homicidal maniac Norman Bates. He also directed the films Cloak & Dagger (1984), Link (1986), F/X2: The Deadly Art of Illusion (1991), and Running Delilah (1995), and episodes of television’s Beauty and the Beast and A Fine Romance. He returned to Australia in the 1990s to produce, direct, and script acclaimed film adaptations of the plays Hotel Sorrento (1995) by Hannie Rayson and Brilliant Lies (1996) by David Williamson. His later credits also include the 1997 tele-film One Way Ticket and the pilot episode of the 1999 television production of Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World. He also helmed an episode of Flatland and the 2003 feature Visitors.
2007 • Obituaries
Neptune in the children’s television series Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue.
Harry Frazier
FRENCH , KATY Irish model Katy French died in a Navan, County Meath, Ireland, hospital on December 6, 2007, after collapsing at a friend’s home several days earlier. She was 24. French was born in Switzerland on October 31, 1983, and moved to Ireland with her family as a child. She began working with Assets Modeling Agency and became one of Ireland’s leading models. French’s engagement and bombastic breakup with wealthy restaurateur Marcus Sweeney in January of 2007 kept her in the public eye. She also made guest appearances on Irish television in such RTE series as Celebrities Go Wild, The Podge and Rodge Show, and Tubridy Tonight. Richard Franklin
FRAZIER, HARRY Character actor Harry Frazier, whose full white beard led to his performance as Santa Claus on numerous productions, died of complications from diabetes at the Motion Picture and Television Hospital in Woodland Hills, California, on May 26, 2007. He was 77. Frazier was born in Elk County, Pennsylvania, on July 30, 1929. He began performing on the regional stage in the late 1950s before moving to California. He performed frequently at the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum in Topanga, California. He was seen in numerous Shakespeare productions, and often played the role of the rotund Falstaff. Frazier also appeared in film and television from the 1960s, with roles in such films as McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971), The Christian Licorice Store (1971), Eat My Dust (1976), and An Enemy of the People (1978). He guest starred on television in episodes of Batman, Hill Street Blues, Wildside, Hunter, Cheers and Lifestories. He also appeared as Van Ripper in an 1987 adaptation of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow on Tall Tales and Legends. Frazier’s resemblance to Santa Claus gained him numerous roles as St. Nick. He brought Christmas cheer to episodes of Cheers, Night Court, and Knots Landing. He also played Santa the 1992 film Deep Cover, and the tele-films The Elf Who Saved Christmas (1992) and The Elf and the Magic Key (1993). Frazier appeared as King
Katy French
FRIENDLY , ED Television producer Ed Friendly, who was instrumental in creating the series Laugh-In and Little House on the Prairie, died of cancer at his home in Rancho Santa Fe on June 17, 2007. He was 85. Friendly was born in New York City on April 8, 1922. He served in the U.S. Army in the Pacific during World War II and began working in advertising after the war. He became a sales executive at ABC in 1949 and worked as a producer at CBS in the 1950s. He joined NBC in 1959 as vice president of special
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programs. Friendly partnered with George Schlatter in 1967 to form an independent production company. The following year they had a huge hit producing the comedy variety series Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In. Friendly’s wife and teenage daughter were instrumental in bringing his attention to Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House on the Prairie books. He secured the screen rights for the novels and produced the subsequent television adaptation, starring Michael Landon as the Ingalls’ patriarch. Little House on the Prairie was aired on NBC from 1974 to 1983, and spawned several tele-films sequels. Friendly returned to the original stories in 2005 to produce a mini-series for ABC. During his career, Friendly also produced the 1976 tele-film Young Pioneers, and subsequent 1978 series. He earned Emmy nominations for the 1977 tele-film Peter Lundy and the Medicine Hat Stallion and the 1979 mini-series Backstairs at the White House. His other production credits in the tele-films The Flame Is Love (1979) and The Ladies (1987).
lar jazz standard “Detour Ahead” during that period, which was recorded by such stars as Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughn. He also wrote the songs “I Told Ya I Love Ya, Now Get Out!” and “Hey, Hey, Holy Mackerel.” He worked as a studio musician on commercials and backing such singers as Frank Sinatra, Dinah Washington, and Julie Andrews from the late 1940s through the 1970s. He began playing the jazz violin in the 1980s, performing with Monty Alexander, Ray Brown, and Herb Ellis on the 1987 recordings Triple Treat II and Triple Treat III. He appeared several times on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson after taking up the violin.
FRIGO, JOHNNY Jazz violinist and bassist Johnny Frigo died after a long battle with cancer at a Chicago, Illinois, hospital on July 4, 2007. He was 90. Frigo was born in Chicago on December 27, 1916. He performed as a bassist with the U.S. Coast Guard band during World War II, and toured with Jimmy Dorsey’s orchestra from 1945 to 1947. He also wrote the popu-
FROST, LEE Lee Frost, who directed numerous exploitation films in the 1960s and 1970s, died on May 25, 2007. He was 71. Frost was born in Globe, Arizona, on August 14, 1935. He began directing films in the early 1960s, often under the name R.L. Frost. Most of his works were low budget, drive-in fare, that included the cult nudie horror film House on Bare Mountain (1962). His other 1960s exploitation credits include Surftide 77 (1962), Hollywood’s World of Flesh (1963), Love Is a 4-Letter Word (1964), The Defilers (1965), The Forbidden (1966), Mondo Freudo (1966), Mondo Bizarro (1966), The Animal (1968), Hot Spur (1968), The Pick-Up (1968), The Scavengers (1969), and Love Camp 7 (1969). Frost continued his career through the 1970s, often using such pseudonyms as Franklin G. Perl, Elov Peterssons, Leoni Valteentin, David Kayne, and Carl Borcht. Frost directed, and often scripted, the features Zero In and Scream (1970), Ride Hard, Ride Wild (1970), Witchcraft ’70 (1970), Surftide Female Factory (1971), Chrome and Hot Leather (1971), Chain Gang Women (1971), Two for the Money (1972), Slaves in Cages (1972), the cult horror classic The Thing with Two Heads (1972), Policewomen (1974), The Erotic Adventures of Poor Cecily (1974), The Black Gestapo (1975), A Climax of Blue Power (1976), Dixie Dynamite (1976), The Boob Tube Strikes Again! (1977), Sweet Captive (1979), and Sweet Dreams Suzan (1980). Frost also scripted the satanic horror film Race with the Devil (1975) starring Peter Fonda and Warren Oates. He also appeared in several films directed by himself or friends, including The Scavengers (1969), The Thing with Two
Johnny Frigo
Lee Frost (from The Black Gestapo)
Ed Friendly
129 Heads (1972), Sweet Jesus, Preacherman (1973), Garden of the Dead (1974), The Black Gestapo (1975), and Dixie Dynamite (1976). Frost was later an executive producer for Hell Riders (1984), and directed, scripted, and appeared in the psychological thriller Private Obsession in 1995.
FRYER, FRITZ Fritz Fryer, lead guitarist for the British 1960s pop band the Four Pennies, died from pancreatic cancer in Lisbon, Portugal, on September 2, 2007. He was 62. He was born David Roderick Carney Fryer in Oldham, Lancashire, England, on December 6, 1944. He began playing in bands in the late 1950s, teaming with Mike Wilson as the guitar duo, the Fables. He and Wilson joined with vocalist Lionel Morton and drummer Alan Buck to form the Four Pennies in the early 1960s. They performed several hit songs including “Black Girl,” “Juliet,” “Until It’s Time for You to Go,” and “No More Sad Songs for Me” before breaking up in 1966. Fryer subsequently formed the group Fritz, Mike and Mo. He later worked as a record producer for such hard rock bands as Motorhead and Stackridge.
2007 • Obituaries
(1960), Bonchi (1960), The Woman Who Touched the Legs (1960), A False Student (1960), The Age of Marriage (1961), A Lustful Man (1961), Ten Dark Women (1961), Onna no Kunsh (1961), Ghost Story of Kakui Street (1961), Kodachi o Tsukau Onna (1961), A Family Matter (1962), Onnakeizu (1962), Stolen Pleasure (1962), The Outcast (1962), The Black Test Car (1962), Being Two Isn’t Easy (1962), The Graceful Brute (1962), Fred Tattoo (1963), The Money Dance (1963), An Actor’s Revenge (1963), Lies (1963), Modern Fraudulent Story: Racoon (1964), Modern Fraudulent Story: Cheat (1964), Kizudarake no Sanga (1964), All Mixed Up (1964), Black Express (1964), Forest of No Escape (1965), and Obi o Toku Natsuko (1965). He starred as Dr. Hidaka in the first Gamera film in 1965, and was Dr. Shiga in the later epic of the giant flying turtle Gamera vs. Guiron (aka Attack of the Monsters) in 1969. His other films include Freezing Point (1966), The Great White Tower (1966), The Litte Runaway (1966), Ambassador Ramen (1967), Yoru no Wana (1967), When the Cookie Crumbles (1967), The Smell of Poison (1967), The Ghostly Trap (1968), Army Nakano School: War Broke Out Last Night (1968), Blind Beast (1969), Thousand Cranes (1969), Tora-san’s Rise and Fall (1975), and Seinen no Ki (1977). Funakoshi largely retired from the screen in the late 1970s.
Fritz Fryer (left, with the Four Pennies)
FUNAKOSHI, EIJI Japanese actor Eiji Funakoshi died of a stroke in Japan on March 17, 2007. He was 84. Funakoshi was born in Tokyo, Japan, on March 17, 1923. He began his career in films with Daiei in 1947 and made his film debut in Beautiful Enemy (1948). Funakoshi continued to appear in such films as Himitsu (1952), Older Brother, Younger Sister (1953), Golden Demon (1953), Aru Onna (1954), Shunkin Monogatari (1954), Hotaru no Hikari (1955), A Girl Isn’t Allowed to Love (1955), Bridge of Japan (1956), Odoriko (1957), Nagasugita Haru (1957), Leaves of Night (1957), Hole in One (1957), Warm Current (1957), The Loyal 47 Ronin (1958), Woman of Osaka (1958), Akasen No Hi Wa Kiezu (1958), A Daring Man (1958), Yoru no Sugao (1958), Undutiful Street (1958), Goodbye, Hello (1959), Sasameyuki (1959), The Most Valuable Wife (1959), Yoru no Tog yo (1959), Flood (1959), and Jirocho Fuji (1959). Funakoshi received acclaim for his performance as Tamura in Kon Ichikawa’s Fires on the Plain in 1959. He continued his career in such films as The Love of a Friend (1960), A Woman’s Testament (1960), The Wandering Princess (1960), Afraid to Die
Eiji Funakoshi
FUX, HERBERT Austrian actor Herbert Fux died in Salzburg, Austria, after a long illness on March 13, 2007. He was 79. Fux was born in Hallein, Austria, on March 25, 1927. He was a frequent performer on stage, film and television from the early 1960s. Fux’s many film credits include Everyman (1961), Mann im Schatten (1961), The Bandit and the Princess (1962), Lulu (1962), Der Rote Rausch (1962), Adorable Julia (1962), The Invisible Terror (1963), The Black Cobra (1963), Is Geraldine an Angel? (1963), Condemned to Sin (1964), Killer’s Carnival (1966), Das Madchen mit dem Sechsten Sinn (1966), The Quiller Memorandum (1966), Funeral in Berlin (1966), Pension Clausewitz (1967), Kommissar X — Drei Grune Hunde (1967), Dead Run (1967), House of 1,000 Dolls (1967), Operation St. Peter’s (1967), Beyond the Law (1968), The Long Day of Inspector Blomfield (1968), Assignment K (1968), Moment’s Caress (1968), The Gorilla of Soho (1968), Andrea the Nympho (1968), Hate Is My God (1969), Three-Cornered Bed
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(1969), Deadly Shots on Broadway (1969), Island of Lost Girls (1969), The Castle of Fu Manchu (1969), Angels of the Street (1969), Mark of the Devil (1970), The Erotic Adventures of Hansel and Gretel (1970), Gentlemen in White Vests (1970), Eugenie ... The Story of Her Journey into Perversion (1970), Bite Me, Darling (1970), Michel Strogoff (1970), Konig Drosselbart (1971), Tante Trude aus Buxtehude (1971), Ore di Terrore (1971), Lady Frankenstein (1971), War Is Hell (1972), Bandera Bandits (1972), The Sex Shop (1972), Little Funny Guy (1973), Night Flight from Moscow (1973), View from the Loft (1974), Hey Marie, I Need More Sleep (1974), Der Teufel in Miss Jonas (1974), Undine 74 (1974), Mundl — You Can’t Bring a Good Viennese Man Down (1975), Trinity Plus the Clown and a Guitar (1975), The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum (1975), Jack the Ripper (1976), Rosemaries Tochter (1976), The Elixirs of the Devil (1976), Chinese Miracle (1977), Love Letters from a Portuguese Nun (1977), Woman in Hospital (1977), The Expulsion from Paradise (1977), Drei Schwedinnen in Oberbayern (1977), The Serpent’s Egg (1978), Son of Hitler (1978), Lady Dracula (1978), Uranium Conspiracy (1978), Popcorn and Ice Cream (1978), Love ’n’ Leather Pants (1979), Iron Hand (1979), Himmel, Scheich und Wolkenbruch (1979), Cola, Candy, Chocolate (1979), Werner Herzog’s Woyzeck (1979), Traumbus (1979), Why Do the UFOs Steal Our Lettuce (1980), Gentle, but Sassy Like Oskar (1980), What a Mess (1982), Happy Weekend (1983), Plem, Plem — Die Schule Brennt (1983), Big Mac (1985), Three Crazy Jerks (1987), Bavaria Blue (1990), German Guy Sexy! The Story of Ilona and Kurti (1991), Night on Fire (1993), The Three Musketeers (1993), An Ideal Candidate (1994), You Drive Me Crazy (1994), Black Flamingos — Sie Lieben Euch zu Tode (1998), Asterix and Obelix vs. Caesar (1999), Professor Niedlich (2001), and Silentiunm (2004). Fux also appeared on television in productions of Das Messer (1971), Der Illegale (1972), Harte 10 (1974), 21 Hours at Munich (1976), Exil (1981), The Mysterious Stranger (1982), Das Schone irre Judenmadchen (1984), Die Schwarzen Bruder (1984), The Ox War (1987), Holleisengretl (1995), Stockinger (1996), Ein Idealer Kandidat (1997), A Heavenly Gamble (2002), Paradies in den Bergen (2004), Ein Paradies fur Tiere (2005), and Ein Paradies for Pferde (2006), and in episodes of Das
Kriminalmuseum, Dem Tater auf der Spur, Tatort, Der Kleine Doktor, Munchner Geschichten, Der Anwalt, SOKO 5113, Der Alte, Schwqarz Rot Gold, Der Schwammerlkonig, Kaisermuhlen Blues, Cluedo — Das Morderspiel, Zwei Munchner in Hanburg, Der Bulle von Tolz, Die Wache, SOKO Kitzbuhel, Pfarrer Braun, and SOKO Donau. Fux was also active in Austrian politics, serving on the Salzburg local council, and as a national delegate for the Green Party.
GAAL, ISTVAN Hungarian film director Istvan Gaal died in Hungary after a long illness on September 25, 2007. He was 74. Gaal was born in Salgotarjan, Hungary, on August 25, 1933. He studied at Budapest’s Academy Theater and Film Art, graduating in 1957. He directed several shorts and documentaries, and wrote and edited Sandor Sara’s 1962 documentary Gypsies. A leader of Hungary’s New Wave cinema, he directed his first feature film, Sodrassban (Current) in 1963. He continued to direct and write such films as Green Years (1965), Kronika (1967), Baptism (1968), Tiz eves Kuba (1969), and Bartok Bela: Az Ejszaka Zeneje (1970). He earned international acclaim for his 1970 film The Falcons, receiving a Jury Prize from the Cannes Film Festival. His other film credits include Dead Landscape (1972), Legato (1978), Cserepek (1980), Ejszaka (1998), and Romai Szonata (1996). He also worked in television, directing such productions as Unalmukban (1976), L’Autre Rive (1976), Naponta ket Vonat (1977), Halaltanc (1981), Orpheus and Eurydice (1986), Peer Gynt (1988), and Kerala (2005).
Istvan Gaal
GABRIEL, LAWRENCE Actor Lawrence V. Gabriel, Jr., died in San Gabriel, California, on July 13, 2007. He was 70. Gabriel was born on May 22, 1937, and raised in Totowa Boro, New Jersey. He began his career on stage in New Jersey and moved to Los Angeles in 1966. He also taught English and drama there for the next 35 years. He appeared in several films from the 1970s including Truck Turner (1974), Video Vixens (1975), Jim the World’s Greatest (1976), Trackdown (1976), The Muppet Movie (1979), and Cavegirl (1985). In recent years Gabriel served as executive producer of the films The Job (2003), The Hard Easy (2005), and Vacuuming the Cat (2007). Herbert Fux
131 GAGNON, BERTRAND Canadian actor Bertrand Gagnon died in Quebec, Canada, on March 2, 2007. He was 80. Gagnon appeared in numerous film and television productions in Quebec from the 1950s. He was featured in the films Delivrez-nous du Mal (1966), Exile (1972), L’Apparition (1972), A Few Acres of Snow (1972), Trois fois Passera (1973), Bingo (1974), Lies My Father Told Me (1975), Beat (1976), Cordelia (1980), Yesterday (1981), and Lucien Brouillard (1983). Gagnon was also featured in such television productions as Bien dans sa Peau (1976), Duplessis (1977), As, Les (1977), Au Jour le Jour (1980), and Une Vie (1982).
2007 • Obituaries
GAINES, LEONARD Actor and producer Leonard Gaines died at his home in West Hollywood, California, on February 15, 2007. He was 84. Gaines was born on October 13, 1922. He worked as a comedy writer for the Sid Caesar Show in the 1950s and produced musical revues. During the 1960s he wrote and produced several comedy records and produced early televised heavyweight boxing championship bouts. Gaines made his screen debut in Martin Scorsese’s 1978 film Blue Collar. He served as executive producer on the 1979 comedy film Going in Style, and continued acting in small roles in such films as Hardcore (1979), Rocky II (1979), Where the Buffalo Roam (1980), The Idolmaker (1980), The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai: Across the 8th Dimension (1984), For the Boys (1991), and Scent of a Woman (1992). He was also seen in the 1981 telefilm The Two Lives of Carol Letner, and an episode of Fame.
Bertrand Gagnon
GAI, CLAUDE Canadian actor and comedian Claude Gai died in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on February 2, 2007. He was 70. Gai was born in Montreal on August 13, 1936. He was a popular performer from the 1970s, appearing in such films as Once Upon a Time in the East (1974), Eliza’s Horoscope (1975), The Head of Normande St. Onge (1975), The Late Blossom (1977), Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang (1978), Amuse-Gueule (1984), Heads or Tails (1997), The Seat of the Soul (1997), and Hochelaga (2000). Gai was also featured in television productions of Les Anglais sont Arrives (1976), A Cause de Mon Oncle (1977), Les Fils de la Liberte (1981), Les Tisserands du Pouvoir (1988), Super Sans Plomb (1989), and Bunker, le Cirque (2002).
GALATIKOVA , VERA Czech actress Vera Galatikova died of lung cancer in Kladno, Czech Republic, on December 21, 2007. She was 69. Galatikova was born in Zlin, Czechoslovakia, on August 19, 1938. She was active in films from the late 1960s, appearing in All My Compatriots (1968), Valley of the Bees (1968), Nudity (1970), Leto s Kovbojem (1976), Smoke on the Potato Fields (1976), Shadow of a Flying Bird (1977), Jakub (1977), Kam Nikdo Nesmi (1979), Julek (1980),
Claude Gai
Vera Galatikova
Leonard Gaines
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La Chanson du Mal Aime (1981), Laska s Vuni Pryskyrice (1984), Clovek Proti Zkaze (1989), Skylarks on a String (1990), Return to Paradise Lost (1999), Landscape (2000), Angel Exit (2000), and Wild Flowers (2000). Galatikova was also featured as the Dispatcher in the 1984 television series Sanitka, and was Perinova in Cetnicke Humoresky in the early 2000s. Her other television credits include such productions as My Vsichni Skolou Povinni (1984), Cizi Holka (1984), Vlak Detstvi a Nadeje (1989), Gambit (2000), and Karlinska Balada (2001).
GANNON, BEN Australian stage, film and television producer Ben Gannon died of cancer in Tanarama, New South Wales, Australia, on January 4, 2007. He was 54. Gannon was born in Maffra, Victoria, Australia, on September 23, 1952. He began his career in films in the early 1980s, serving as an associate producer for Peter Weir’s war drama Gallipoli. He started View Films in 1984, producing such features as Travelling North (1987), The Girl Who Came Late (1991), Sweet Talker (1991), Hammers Over the Anvil (1993), The Heartbreak Kid (1993), and The Man Who Sued God (2001). He also produced such television productions as Shout! The Story of Johnny O’Keefe (1985) and Shadow of the Cobra (1989), and the series Heartbreak High, Wildside, and Head Start. He was best known for developing and producing the stage musical The Boy from Oz, about Australian singer Peter Allen. It premiered in Sydney in 1998 and had a successful run on Broadway in 2003, starring Hugh Jackman.
Ruby Garcia
GARDNER, JOHN Writer John Gardner, who was best known as successor to Ian Fleming on the James Bond series, died in Basingstoke, Hampshire, England, on August 3, 2007. He was 80. Gardner was born in Seaton Delaval, Northumberland, England, on November 20, 1926. After varied careers as an Anglican priest, Marine commando and stage magician he began working as a drama critic in the late 1950s. His 1964 novel The Liquidator introduced the character of cowardly secret agent Boysie Oakes. He continued to write over 50 thrillers, resurrecting Sherlock Holmes’ arch-nemesis Professor Moriarty in 1974’s The Return of Moriarty and introducing Big Herbie Kruger in 1979’s The Nostradamus Traitor. His novel A Complete State of Death was adapted to film as The Stone Killer in 1973. Gardner achieved his greatest fame when he was selected by the literary copyright owners of secret agent James Bond to further his adventures in a series of novels. The first new Bond novel Licence Renewed was published in 1981. Thirteen subsequent Bond tales followed including Nobody Lives Forever (1986), When, Lose, or Die (1989) and The Man from Barbarossa (1991). Gardner moved to the United States in 1989, where medical problems including a bout with esophageal cancer left him nearly bankrupt less than a decade later. Returning to England, Gardner resumed his writing career, creating the new character World War II heroine Suzie Montford. A fifth volume of her adventures
Ben Gannon
GARCIA, RUBY Actress Ruby Correa, who performed under the stage name Ruby Garcia, was found dead in her apartment in Sunnyvale, California, on August 25, 2007. She was 40. She and her husband, David Garcia, were both found when neighbors reported a foul smell to the police. The deaths remained a subject of investigation by the local police, but it appeared that the two had died of an overdose of drugs and alcohol several weeks before the discovery of their bodies. Garcia was featured in the 2007 camp horror film Pocahauntus, about the spirit of an Indian maiden seeking vengeance for her tribe’s massacre.
John Gardner
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The Human Enemy was slated for publication later in 2007, and his final work The Redemption of Moriarty was completed shortly before his death.
GASCOINE, PHIL British comic artist Phil Gascoine died after a brief illness in England in August 2007. He was 73. Gascoine was born in England on June 8, 1934. He began working as a commercial artist in the late 1950s, drawing such British titles as Bunty and School Friend, Jinty and The Sarge. Gascoine also worked as an illustrator with Marvel UK on The Punisher, and drew or inked such DC titles as The Unknown Soldier, Tank Girl: Apocalypse, Eg ypt, and Shade, the Changing Man for the U.S. market. Wolfgang Gasser
Phil Gascoine
GASSER, WOLFGANG Austrian actor Wolfgang Gasser died in Vienna on May 20, 2007. He was 79. Gasser was born in Wolfsberg, Austria, on May 31, 1927. He began his career on stage in Baden, Austria, performing in operas in the mid–1950s. He became a leading stage performer in Vienna later in the decade. Gasser also appeared frequently in films and television productions from the early 1960s. His film credits include Everyman (1961), Der Verschwender (1964), Third of November 1918 (1965), Situation (1973), Parapsycho — Spektrum der Angst (1975), To the Bitter End (1975), Mein Seliger Onkel (1977), The Inheritors (1982), Eine Kleine Erfischung (1994), Poet’s Princess (1994), Deadly Love (1995), and My Mother’s Courage (1995). Gasser also appeared on television in productions of Ostwind (1967), Kaiser Karls letzte Schlacht (1971), Theodor Kardinal Innitzer (1971), Es Begann bei Tiffany (1979), Ringstrassenpalais (1980), Das Dorf an der Grenze (1982), Heisse Tage im Juli (1984), Morning Terror (1985), Der Vierte Mann (1988), Heldenplatz (1989), Anna und Anna (1989), Lenin: The Train (1990), Der Schwierige (1991), Tonino and Toinette (1994), A Perfect Scoundrel (1994), Lovers (1995), Geschafte (1995), Night of Nights (1997), Clarissa (19980, Emilia Galotti (2003), Dinner for Two (2003), Zuckeroma (2004), Don Carlos, Infant von Spanien (2005), Mord auf Rezept (2006), and Konig Ottokars Gluck und Ende (2006). His other television credits include episodes of Der Kommissar, Der Alte, and Polizeiruf 110.
GATES, TUDOR British screenwriter Tudor Gates, who scripted the Hammer horror films The Vampire Lovers and Twins of Evil, died of heart disease in Birchington, Kent, England, on January 12, 2007. He was 76. Gates was born in Hoxton, London, England, on January 2, 1930, and was raised in London’s East End. He began his career in the theater as a stage manager and made his debut as a writer with The Guv’nor in 1955. He was soon writing for television, scripting episodes of such series as Ghost Squad, Sir Francis Drake, Man of the World, The Sentimental Agent, The Villains, Vendetta, Strange Report, and The Sweeney. Gates also wrote the films Dateline Diamonds (1966), Danger: Diabolik! (1968), and Better a Widow (1969), and was one of several scripters to work on Roger Vadim’s 1968 science fiction film Barbarella. He wrote a trilogy of female vampire films for Hammer in the early 1970s loosely based on Sheridan le Fanu’s Gothic classic Carmilla. The films included The Vampire Lovers (1970) starring Ingrid Pitt and Peter Cushing, Lust for a Vampire (1971) starring Yutte Stensgaard and Ralph Bates, and Twins of Evil (1971) starring Peter Cushing and twin Playboy Playmates Madelaine and Mary Collinson. He also scripted the 1971 thriller Fright, and the drama The Optimists of Nine Elms (1973) starring Peter Sellers. Gates also scripted several British sex comedies, usually using the pseudonyms Teddy White and Edward Hyde. They included The Love Box (1972)
Tudor Gates
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which he also directed, The Sex Thief (1973), Three for All (1975), Intimate Games (1976) which he also directed, and Confessions of the Naughty Nymphos (1980). His plays, Who Killed Agatha Christie?, The Kidnap Game, and Who Saw Him Die? had successful runs in the West End. He also wrote for the 1980 television series Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson.
GAY, GIT Swedish actress and singer Git Gay died in Malmo, Sweden, on July 2, 2007. She was 85. She was born Birgit Agda Holmberg in Karlshamn, Sweden, on July 13, 1921. She began her career performing in revues in the late 1940s. She remained a popular stage performer in Sweden over the next two decades. She was also seen in such films as Lattjo med Boccaccio (1949), Spoke pa Semester (1951), The Exploits of Private Karlsson (1951), Blondie, Biffen, och Bananen (1952), Skrattbomben (1954), Dreams (1955), Flottans Overman (1958), Only a Waiter (1959), Lejon pa Stan (1959), Oss Atomforskere i Mellom (1961), Haj du Glada Sommar!!! (1965), and Daddy, Why Are You Angry (1968). She was the creator of the modern restaurant performances in Sweden with The Git Gay Show in Gothenburg in 1960. In recent years she was featured on television hosting revues.
adise, Bonanza, and Combat! He produced and directed 1957’s The James Dean Story, and wrote and produced the 1961 film The Two Little Bears. He also produced the films Pretty Polly (1967), Twisted Nerve (1968), Night Watch (1973), Naughty Schoolgirls (1976), Rich Kids (1979), and My Dinner with Andre (1981). George made his Broadway producing debut with the Tony-nominated play Dylan in 1964. He produced eight subsequent Broadway productions including the hits Any Wednesday, Ben Franklin in Paris, and Bedroom Farce.
George W. George
Git Gay
GEORGE, GEORGE W. Screenwriter turned Broadway producer George W. George died in New York City on November 7, 2007. He was 87. George was born in New York on February 20, 1920. He began working in films in the late 1940s, writing Robert Altman’s 1948 feature Bodyguard. George also wrote the films I Married a Communist (1949), The Nevadan (1950), Pegg y (1950), Experiment Alcatraz (1950), Mystery Submarine (1950), Red Mountain (1951), Week-End with Father (1951), Thunder Bay (1953), City of Bad Men (1953), The Rocket Man (1954), Big House, U.S.A. (1955), Smoke Signal (1955), Desert Sands (1955), Uranium Boom (1956), The Halliday Brand (1957), Fort Dobbs (1958), Apache Territory (1958), and The Son of Robin Hood (1958). George also worked frequently in television from the mid–1950s, often collaborating with his wife, Judy George, on episodes of The Loretta Young Show, My Friend Flicka, Alcoa Theatre, The Rifleman, Wanted: Dead or Alive, Hong Kong, Adventures in Par-
GERBER, ROY Talent agent Roy Gerber, who served as the inspiration for the character of Oscar Madison in Neil Simon’s comedy The Odd Couple, died of complications from a brain tumor at his home in Beverly Hills, California, on August 21, 2007. He was 82. Gerber was born in the Bronx, New York, on July 23, 1925. He began his career in show business as a trumpet player, and entertained troops with the special services during World War II. After the war he began working as a theatrical agent in New York, and joined with Music Corp. of America (MCA) in 1953. He headed up MCA’s office in Las Vegas for most of the decade, booking such stars as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Betty Grable, and Victor Borge. He joined Genera Artists Corp. in the early 1960s where he represented such popular performers as the Beatles, the Mamas and the Papas, Tom Jones, and Richard Pryor. After Gerber’s divorce from his first wife in the early 1960s, he and comedy writer Danny Simon, the brother of playwright Neil, moved in together. The sloppy, womanizing Gerber and the neat and fastidious Simon inspired the equally ill-matched pair of Oscar and Felix for Neil Simon’s hit Broadway play. A hit feature film starring Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon followed, as did a popular television series with Jack Klugman and Tony Randall. Gerber continued to work as a talent agent, forming Roy Gerber and Associates in 1978. He managed such stars as Diahann Carroll, Sid Caesar, Shirley Jones, and Arsenio Hall until his retirement in 2002. GERLACH , VIRGIL CALVIN Writer and filmmaker Virgil Calvin Gerlach died in a Ventura, California, hospital on January 14, 2007. He was 82.
135 Gerlach was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on December 1, 1924. He became interested in making films as a child and made his first short movie, King of the West, at the age of 12. He also produced several other early films including Redcoat Dispatch, The Swamp Fox, and Disputed Territory. He moved to Hollywood in the late 1940s where he became a story editor, and worked at Disney Studios as a free-lance writer. Several of his scripts were produced as episodes of the television western series Death Valley Days in the early 1960s. He also authored the original story for the 1967 European western film I Crudeli (aka The Cruel Ones).
GHOSTLEY, ALICE Veteran character actress Alice Ghostley died of cancer at her home in Studio City, California, on September 21, 2007. She was 81. Ghostley was born in Eve, Missouri, on August 14, 1926. She began her career on stage in the early 1950s and appeared on Broadway in the variety revue New Faces of 1952. A decade later, she earned a Tony nomination for her performance in S.J. Perelman’s The Beauty Part in 1963. She received a Tony for best supporting actress in 1965 for her role in Lorraine Hansberry’s The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window. She was also a frequent performer on television from the 1950s. She appeared in a 1957 production of Cinderella as a Wicked Stepsister, and was featured in the 1960 version of Shangri-La. She also appeared in episodes of Freedom Rings, The Best of Broadway, Playwrights ’56, Dow Hour of Great Mysteries, The Tom Ewell Show, Hallmark Hall of Fame, Play of the Week, Car 54, Where Are You?, The United States Steel Hour, Pantomime Quiz, Naked City, The Trials of O’Brien, Hollywood Squares, Please Don’t Eat the Daisies, The Farmer’s Daughter, Captain Nice, Get Smart, The Mothers-in-Law, The Queen and I, It Takes a Thief, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, The Odd Couple, Mayberry R.F.D., Hogan’s Heroes, Nichols, The Julie Andrews Hour, Temperatures Rising, Ghost Story, Here We Go Again, Love, American Style, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Big Eddie, Maude, Monster Squad, What’s Happening!!, Good Times, CHiPs, Police Woman, Family, One Day at a Time, Chico and the Man, Gimme a Break!, Trapper John, M.D., Tales from the Darkside, Highway to Heaven, Stir Crazy, What’s Happening Now!, Simon & Simon, Punky Brewster, The Golden Girls, Small Wonder, B.L. Stryker, Daddy Dearest, Cobra, Diagnosis Murder, The Client, Touched by an Angel, Cybill, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, and Dharma & Greg. She was also a voice actor in the animated series Rugrats and Disney’s Hercules. Ghostley was perhaps best known for her role as the ditzy witch Esmeralda on the classic sit-com Bewitched from 1966 to 1972, and as wacky friend Bernice Clifton on Designing Women from 1986 to 1993. She also appeared in the recurring role of Ima Wallingsford in Evening Shade with Burt Reynolds from 1992 to 1994, and was Matilda Matthews on the supernatural soap opera Passions in 2000. Her other television credits include the tele-films Two on a Bench (1971), Katmandu (1980), The Hoboken Chicken Emergency (1984), Perry Mason: The Case of the Silenced Singer (1990), and Izzy’s Quest for Olympic Gold (1995). Ghostley made her film debut as Aunt Stepha-
2007 • Obituaries
nie Crawford in the Oscar-winning 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird. She was also featured in such films as My Six Loves (1963), The Flim-Flam Man (1967), The Graduate (1967), With Six You Get Eggroll (1968), Viva Max! (1969), Ace Eli and Rodger of the Skies (1973), Blue Sunshine (1976), Gator (1976), Record City (1978), Rabbit Test (1978), the hit musical Grease (1978) as Mrs. Murdock, Not for Publication (1984), The Odd Couple II (1998), Addams Family Reunion (1998) as Granny, Palmer’s Pick Up (1999), and Mothers and Daughters (2002).
Alice Ghostley
GIANCARLO , LUCIANO Actor Luciano Giancarlo Guizzardi died of complications from pneumonia and cancer on July 16, 2007. He was 36. He was born in Morristown, New Jersey, on April 13, 1971, and raised in Bologna, Italy. He returned to the United States in the early 1990s where he embarked on an acting career. He was featured in the 2001 film Gypsy Rose, and appeared on television in episodes of What I Like About You, Will & Grace, Arrested Development, Gilmore Girls, and Out of Practice.
Luciano Giancarlo
GIBSON, LOIS Film writer Lois Gibson died in Malibu, California, after a long illness on May 6, 2007. She was 77. Gibson was born in New York City on January 21, 1930. She began her career in the late 1940s working as an editor and translator for the Ballan-
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tine paperback book company. She moved to Los Angeles in the 1950s where she worked at CBS Television in the story department. She worked on such series as The Untouchables, Shirley Temple Storybook, The Fugitive, The Invaders, Quincy, and Kay O’Brien. Gibson also wrote the story for the 1973 horror film Crypt of the Living Dead (aka Young Hannah, Queen of the Vampires).
GILBERT, PEGGY Musician Peggy Gilbert, who led the first all-female jazz band from the early 1920s, died of complications from hip surgery in a Burbank, California, hospital on February 19, 2007. She was 102. Gilbert was born Margaret “Peggy” Knechtges in Sioux City, Iowa, on January 17, 1905. She took her mother’s maiden name when she began to perform professionally. She led the female jazz band, the Melody Girls, after graduating from high school in 1923. Gilbert moved to Los Angeles in 1928 and continued to perform at local night spots. She and her band also performed in several films including The Wet Parade (1932), Melody for Two (1937), and The Great Waltz (1938). She became leader of KMPC Radio’s all-woman band, the Early Girls, in 1938, and led CBS’s Victory Belles band in the early 1940s. During the 1950s and 1960s she worked with the musician’s union in various secretarial capacities. She retired from the union in 1970, and formed a new group, the Dixie Belles, four years later at the age of 69. She and the band performed on such television variety shows as The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and appeared in episodes of the sit-coms The Golden Girls, Dharma & Greg, Married with Children, and The Ellen Show. Musicologist Jeannie Pool recently completed a documentary about her career, Pegg y Gilbert and Her All-Girl Band, narrated by Lily Tomlin.
George Giles (from Doctor Who)
a familiar face on British television from the late 1950s, appearing in episodes of Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, Barnaby Rudge, You Can’t Win, Maigret, Barbara in Black, William, The Avengers, The Saint, Swizzlewick, Dr. Finlay’s Casebook, Dixon of Dock Green, Softly, Redcap, The Baron, Quick Before They Catch Us, King of the River, Orlando, Doctor Who, The First Lady, Paul Temple, Virgin of the Secret Service, Play of the Month, The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes, Public Eye, Z Cars, Van der Valk, Special Branch, Microbes and Men, Angels, Two’s Company, ITV Playhouse, Roald Dahl’s Tales of the Unexpected, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Juliet Bravo, Campion, All Creatures Great and Small, Maigret, The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, Ruth Rendell Mysteries, and Crime Traveler. He also appeared in television productions of The Government Inspector (1958), A Wedding (1961), David Copperfield (1974) as Mr. Chillip, To Serve Them All My Days (1980), The Life and Times of David Lloyd George (1981) as Lord Curzon, I Remember Nelson (1982), Swallows and Amazons Forever!: Coot Club (1984), and After Pilkington (1987). Gill was also seen in a handful of films during his long career including This Sporting Life (1963), Night Must Fall (1964), Privilege (1967), The Whistle Blower (1986), and The Land Girls (1998).
Peggy Gilbert
GILES, GEORGE British actor George Giles died in England on August 17, 2007. Giles appeared frequently on British television during the 1970s, with roles in such series as The Wednesday Play, The Troubleshooters, Z Cars, Paul Temple, Bless This House, and Doctor Who. GILL, JOHN British character actor John Gill died in England on March 29, 2007. He was 94. Gill began his career on stage in the early 1930s. He became
John Gill
GILLIES , GREG Canadian professional wrestler Greg Gillies, who competed under such names as Mr. Gillis and Doby Gillis, died of a heart attack at
137 his home in British Columbia, Canada, on December 23, 2007. He was 44. Gillies was born in Coronach, Saskatchewan, Canada, on June 14, 1963. He began wrestling professionally in 1985, and was a popular star in Canada and the Pacific Northwest. Gillies also competed in Puerto Rico as the Lion, Mexico as Mr. Atlas, and the Kansas City area as Greg Montana. He was the Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Champion in 1998.
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of the popular soap The Young and the Restless in 1973. He spent nine years helming segments of The Young and the Restless and also was involved with the creation of its sister program The Bold and the Beautiful in 1987. Glen also directed the tele-films The Suicide Club (1973), House of Evil (1974), and After Hours from Janice, John, Mary and Michael, with Love (1976). He also helmed a segment of the 1976 television mini-series The Adams Chronicles.
GLYNN, JEANNE DAVIS Actress and television writer Jeanne Davis Glynn died of cancer in a New Fairfield, Connecticut, healthcare center on June 8, 2007. She was 75. Glynn was born in Chicago, Illinois, on April 13, 1932. She performed on stage as an actress and director before becoming a script writer for television soap operas in the 1980s and 1990s. She earned five Emmy nominations for her work on such series as Guiding Light, General Hospital, As the World Turns, One Life to Live, and Port Charles. She won a Writer’s Guild of America Award for her work on Search for Tomorrow in 1984.
GLEN, BILL Television soap opera director Bill Glen died at his home in Palm Springs, California, on June 11, 2007. He was 74. Glen was born in Ottawa, Canada, on May 17, 1933. He began his career on stage while in his teens, performing with the Canadian Repertory Theatre. He later directed children’s programs for the Canadian Broadcasting Co. He went to New York in the late 1960s, where he directed the soap opera Where the Heart Is. He subsequently relocated to Los Angeles, where he was one of the original directors
GOLDER, SYD Syd Golder, a British bank robber turned actor and theatrical producer, died in London, England, on March 22, 2007. He was 83. Golder was born in South London on August 28, 1923. He embarked on a life of crime from an early age. He served several prison sentences including eight years for armed robbery in the 1960s. After his release he took a job as a handyman at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where he became interested in the theatre. He was soon working with theatrical troupes as a stage manager before forming his own company, The Elephant Theatre, in the late 1970s. His company produced over twenty lunchtime productions a year, with Golder serving as artistic director. The heavyset performer also began appearing in films and television. He was seen in the tele-films The Old Curiousity Shop (1979) and The Long Firm (2004), and in episodes of Angels, Objects of Affection, Minder, Dempsey and Makepeace, Silent Witness, and My Hero. He was also featured in the films Nil by Mouth (1997), Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998), The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999), and Skin Deep (2001). Golder wrote a somewhat fanciful autobiography, Ducking and Diving, in 2005.
Bill Glen
Syd Golder
Greg Gillies
GLAESER, HENRI French film director Henri Glaeser died in France on July 23, 2007. He was 78. Glaeser was born in Paris on June 18, 1929. He wrote and directed several films in the 1960s and 1970s including The Hand (1969), L’Homme aux Chats (1969), A Tear in the Ocean (1973), Andrea (1976), and 500 Grammes de Foie de Veau (1977).
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GOLDWATER, RICHARD Richard H. Goldwater, the president and publisher of Archie Comics, died of cancer in Greenwich, Connecticut, on October 2, 2007. He was 71. Goldwater was born on July 25, 1936. He was the son of John Goldwater, the cofounder of MLJ Comics, that later became better known as Archie Comic Publications. Richard joined his father’s company after college and rose to become president and co-publisher with Michael Silberkleit, son of another co-founder. The comic company was best known for the character of Archie, his girls and friends. The companies characters spawned several animated television series including Archie, Sabrina, and Josie and the Pussycats. Goldwater served as a consultant on the live action television series Sabrina the Teenage Witch which aired from 1996 to 2002. He was also the executive producer of Josie and the Pussycats feature film in 2001. Archie Comics also published such licensed properties as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Sonic the Hedgehog.
Richard Goldwater
GOLLARD, JEROME Radio and television writer Jerome Gollard died in Las Vegas, Nevada, on October 8, 2007. He was 93. Gollard was born in Brooklyn, New York, on June 14, 1914. He worked in radio from the 1940s, writing for such programs as Duffy’s Tavern and The Shadow. He also wrote several films including Jinx Money (1948) and Inner Sanctum
Jerome Gollard
(1948). He moved to television in the 1950s, where he worked on such series as The Fugitive, Checkmate, 77 Sunset Strip, Hawaiian Eye, King of Diamonds, and Mr. Lucky. Gollard was also the author of the 1953 mystery novel The Seventh Chasm.
GOMEZ, SERGIO Mexican singer Sergio Gomez, who was the lead singer of the popular group K-Paz de la Sierra, was found dead in Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico, on December 3, 2007. He was 34. He had been tortured and strangled to death and his body left along a highway. Gomez had been abducted the previous day after performing a concert in Morelia. Gomez was noted for his up-beat style known as “Pasito Duranguense,” recording such popular songs as “Volvere,” “Pero Te Vas A Arrepentir,” “Procuro Olvidarte,” and “Mi Credo.” Though Gomez was not thought to be involved in the drug trade, his death was believed to have been carried out by members of Mexico’s warring drug cartels.
Sergio Gomez (center, with members of his band)
GONZAGA, CASTRO Brazilian actor Castro Gonzaga died of multiple organ failure in Petropois, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on October 2, 2007. He was 89. Gonzaga was born in Cravinhos, Sao Paulo, Brazil, on January 28, 1918. He was a leading film and television performer in Brazil from the 1950s. Gonzaga’s film credits include Rio 100 Degrees F. (1955), Essa Gatinha e Minha (1966), Mineirinho Vivo ou Morto (1967), A Marcha (1971), O Poderoso Machao (1974), Contos Eroticos (1977), O Inferno Comeca Agui (1982), and Os Trapalhoes na Serra Pelada (1982). Gonzaga’s numerous television credits include such productions as O Tempo e o Vento (1967), Os Diabolicos (1968), O? Direito dos Filhos (1968), Dez Vidas (1969), Toninho on the Rocks (1970), O Semideus (1973), Mulher (1974), Gabriela (1975), O Grito (1975), Saramandaia (1976), Dona Xepa (1977), Gina (1978), Os Gigantes (1979), O Homem Probido (1982), Grande Sertao: Veredas (1985), Dona Bejia (1986), Memorias de um Gigolo (1986), Mania de Querer (1986), Chapadao do Bugre (1988), Republica (1989), Felicidade (1991), Tereza Batista (1992), Anos Rebeldes (1992), Quem E Voce? (1996), Malhacao (1995), Labirinto (1998), O Cravo e a Rosa (2000), Brava Gente (2001), Kubanacan (2003), Alma Gernea (2005), Bang Bang (2005), and O Profeta (2006).
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Sonhadora (2001), Marisol (2002), Mulheres Apaixonadas (2003), and Belissima (2005). Gonzalez also appeared frequently in Brazilian films with such credits as The Evil Angel (1971), Incesto (1976), Os Indecentes (1980), Convite ao Prazer (1980), Bare Behind Bars (1980), O Inseto do Amor (1980), As Prostitutas do Dr. Alberto (1981), Eros, O Deus do Amor (1980), Sexo, Sua Unica Arma (1981), Retrato Falado de uma Mulher Sem Pudor (1982), Sexo as Avessas (1982), Estranho Desejo (1983), S.O.S. Sex-Shop (1984), Mulher ... Sexo ... Veneno (1984), Satanic Attraction (1990), and Acquariaz (2003).
Castro Gonzaga
GONZALEZ, BECKY Actress Becky Gonzalez Herrier died in Los Angeles on January 5, 2007. She was 51. Gonzalez was born on September 14, 1955. She appeared in several films including Young Doctors in Love (1982) and Night Shift (1982). She performed on television as a member of the Mighty Carson Art Players on The Tonight Show. She was also seen in episodes of Laverne and Shirley, The White Shadow, and Hart to Hart. Serafim Gonzalez
Becky Gonzalez
GONZALEZ, SERAFIM Brazilian actor Serafim Gonzalez died of heart failure in Santos, Sao Paul, Brazil, on April 29, 2007. He was 72. Gonzalez was born in Sertaozinho, Brazil, on May 19, 1934. He was a popular performer in Brazilian films and television from the 1960s. Gonzalez was featured in such television series as Sublime Amor (1967), O Pequeno Lord (1967), Legiao dos Esquecidos (1968), Os Estranhos (1969), Editora Mayo, Born Dia (1971), Os Inocentes (1974), Idolo de Pano (1974), Ovelha Negra (1975), A Viagem (1975), Um Sol Maior (1977), Aritana (1978), Roda de Fogo (1978), Gaivotas (1979), Fernando de Gata (1973), Jogo do Amor (1985), Memorias de um Gigolo (1986), Sampa (1988), A Historia de Ana Raio E Ze Trovao (1990), Felicidade (1991), Mulheres de Areia (1993), Tocaia Grande (1995), Antonio Alves, Taxista (1996), Dona Flor e Seus Dois Maridos (1998), A Hiostoria de Ester (1998), Aquarela do Brasil (2000), Picara
GOORNEY , H OWARD British character actor Howard Goorney died in England on March 29, 2007. He was 85. Goorney was born in Manchester, England, on May 11, 1921. He began his career on stage in Joan Littlewood’s production of The Good Soldier Schweik in 1938. He was a co-founder of Littlewood’s Theatre Workshop two years later, and continued to perform with the company for the next thirty years. Goorney was featured in numerous stage productions, and began appearing frequently in films and television in the late 1950s. His film credits include the Hammer horror feature The Evil of Frankenstein (1964), The Hill (1965) with Sean Connery, Berserk! (1967) with Joan Crawford, Bedazzled (1967) as the deadly sin Sloth, Where’s Jack? (1969), Crucible of Horror (1970), You Can’t Win ’Em All (1970), Take a Girl You Like (1970), Blood on Satan’s Claw (1971), Fiddler on the Roof (1971), The Offence (1972), Innocent Bystanders (1972), Savage Messiah (1972), To the Devil ... a Daughter (1976), Fanny Hill (1983), Little Dorrit (1988), and Blackball (2003). He also appeared on television in productions of The Possessed (1969), The Six Wives of Henry VII (1970) as Will Somers, Four Idle Hands (1976), King Cinder (1977), Peter and Paul (1981), Private Schulz (1981), Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra (1981), Othello (1981), The Borgias (1981), The Wall (1982), The Last Days of Pompeii (1984), Freud (1984), Jamaica Inn (1985), Bramwell II (1996), and Pat and Mo: Ashes to Ashes (2004). Goorney was also featured on television in episodes of Fair Game, The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre, Z Cars, Suspense, Moonstrike, The Avengers,
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Crane, The Indian Tales of Rudyard Kipling, The Wednesday Play, No Hiding Place, Secret Agent, Dixon of Dock Green, The Saint, Man in a Suitcase, Sherlock Holmes, Counterstrike, Special Branch, My Partner, the Ghost, Follyfoot, Ace of Wands, The Adventurer, The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes, Leap in the Dark, Into the Labyrinth, All Creatures Great and Small, Only Fools and Horses, The Bill, Peak Practice, Rescue Me, Waking the Dead, and EastEnders.
(1971), Pancho Villa (1972) and Horror Express (1973) starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. His final film credit was as scripter for the 1981 feature Surfacing. His on-screen credits were restored to many of the films which he worked on under pseudonyms or fronts when the Writer’s Guild of America began correcting the inequities of the blacklist in the 1980s. Gordon remained politically involved throughout his life and was an outspoken critic of the decision to award an honorary Oscar to blacklist collaborator Elia Kazan in 1999. He was also the author of two memoirs, Hollywood Exile, or How I Learned to Love the Blacklist and The Gordon File: A Screenwriter Recalls Twenty Years of F.B.I. Surveillance.
Howard Goorney
GORDON, BERNARD Screenwriter Bernard Gordon, whose career was interrupted by the Hollywood blacklist in the 1950s, died after a long battle with cancer in Los Angeles, on May 11, 2007. He was 88. Gordon was born in New Britain, Connecticut, on October 29, 1918. He began his career in Hollywood in the early 1950s, where his first screen credit was as the writer of the boxing film Flesh and Fury, starring Tony Curtis, in 1952. He also scripted the films The Lawless Breed (1953) and Crime Wave (1954) before his career came to an abrupt halt when allegations of his former membership in the Communist Party were revealed to the House Un-American Activities Committee. Gordon continued to work in Hollywood under assumed names, penning Columbia’s The Law vs. Billy the Kid under the pseudonym John T. Williams. Writing as Raymond T. Marcus, Gordon also scripted or cowrote the films Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956), Zombies of Mora Tau (1957), The Man Who Turned to Stone (1957), Hellcats of the Navy (1957) starring Ronald Reagan, Chicago Confidential (1957), Escape from San Quentin (1957), and The Case Against Brooklyn (1958). He also wrote the screen adaptation of John Wyndman’s classic science fiction tale of ambulatory maneating plants The Day of the Triffids (1962). Producer Phillip Yordin fronted for Gordon on the film, and received credit for the screenplay. Yordin was also Gordon’s front for Circus World (1964) and Battle of the Bulge (1965). Gordon was again allowed to receive credit under his own name with 1963’s 55 Days at Peking. He also scripted Cry of Battle (1963), The Thin Red Line (1964), Custer of the West (1967) and Krakatoa, East of Java (1969). Gordon produced several films in Spain in the early 1970s, including Bad Man’s River
Bernard Gordon
GORDON , BRUCE Disney Imagineer and historian Bruce Gordon died at his home in Glendale, California, on November 6, 2007. He was 56. Gordon was born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, on April 18, 1951, and was raised in California. He began his career at Disney as a model designer in 1980, constructing props for the Journey into Imagination exhibit at Walt Disney World’s Epcot Center. He also contributed to such popular Disney theme park attractions as Splash Mountain, Tarzan’s Treehouse, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, and “Finding Nemo” Submarine Voyage. Gordon was co-author of the 1998 book Disney-
Bruce Gordon
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land: The Nickel Tour, which told the history of the park through postcards. He was also the author of the books The Art of Disneyland, Disneyland: Then, Now and Forever, Walt Disney World: Then, Now and Forever, The Art of Walt Disney World, Ellenshaw Under Glass about special effects artist Peter Ellenshaw, and A Brush with Disney about illustrator Herb Ryman. He stepped down as project director at Walt Disney Imagineering in 2005 to become producer and creative consultant for the Walt Disney Family Museum.
GOSIENGFIAO , DIREK JOEY Philippine film director and producer Direk Joey Gosiengfiao died of a heart attack in Queson City, the Philippines, on March 16, 2007. He was 66. Gosiengfiao began directing films in the early 1970s, often with Regal Films. He helmed such features as Takbo Vilma Dali (1972), Fly, Darna, Fly! (1973), The Stupid Boyfriend (1976), Ang Kambal sa Uma (1979), Underage (1980), Bomba Star (1980), Bedspacer (1980), Nympha (1980), Katorse (1980), Temptation Island (1981), Blue Jeans (1981), 14 Going Steady (1984), When I Fall in Love (1986), Rape of Virginia P. (1989), and The Nights of Serafina (1991). Gosiengfiao worked mainly as producer from the 1990s, with such film credits as Dobol Dribol (1992), Bala at Lipstick (1994), Moises Arcanghel: Sa Guhit ng Bala (1996), Woman on a Tin Roof (1998), The Criminal of Barrio Concepcion (1998), Pahiram Kahit Sandali (1998), Sisa (1999), Fetch a Pail of Water (1999), Hope of the Heart (2000), Halik ng Sirena (2001), Xerex (2003), and Forever My Love (2004).
Direk Joey Gosiengfiao
GOSSETT, RONNIE P. Wrestling manager Ronnie P. Gossett died of colon cancer in a Nashville, Tennessee, hospital on July 24, 2007. He was 63. Gossett was born on May 19, 1944. He began working in wrestling as a ring announcer at events in the Chattanooga area from the late 1970s. He began managing wrestling villains in Memphis’ USWA promotion in 1989, and was appeared frequently at local events and on the weekly television program. He managed such wrestlers as Jerry “the King” Lawler and the Dirty White Boys. GOSTELOW , G ORDON British character actor Gordon Gostelow died in London on June 3,
Ronnie P. Gossett
2007. He was 82. Gostelow was born in Wellington, New Zealand, on May 14, 1925. He was raised in Australia and studied economics and mathematics at Sydney University. He was also active on stage and traveled to England in 1950 to pursue a career as an actor. He toured with small companies for several years and worked with the Ipswich Repertory Theatre. Gostelow made his debut in the West End in a production of Tennessee Williams’ Camino Royal in the late 1950s. He remained a popular performer on the English stage and was soon appearing in films and television as well. Gostelow became a familiar character actor on British television with roles in such productions as David Copperfield (1960) as Barkis, An Age of Kings (1960), As You Like It (1963), The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh (1963), Esther Waters (1964), Nicholas Nickleby (1968) as Newman Noggs, Elizabeth R (1971), Dominic (1976), Anna Karenina (1977), Crime and Punishment (1979), Shakespeare’s Henry IV (1979) as Bardolph, The Day Christ Died (1980) as Nicodemus, The Critic (1982), The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982), The Merry Wives of Windsor (1982), Squaring the Circle (1984), Pericles, Prince of Tyre (1984), Merlin of the Crystal Cave (1991), and Wives and Daughters (1999). Gostelow’s other television credits include roles in episodes of such series as Maigret, Suspense, Espionage, The Indian Tales of Rudyard Kipling, Gideon’s Way, Sherlock Holmes, Cluff, R3, Softly Softly, The Saint, The Wednesday Play, Mr. Aitch, Man in the Suitcase, The Railway Children, Something to Hide, Thirty-Minute Theatre, Doctor Who, Jackonary, The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes, Z Cars, The Pallisers, Shadows, Boy Dominic, Just William, Return of the Saint, Play for Today, Last of the Summer Wine, County Hall, Lady Killers, Play of the Month, Shelley, The All Electric Amusement Arcade, Tripper’s Day, The Return of Sherlock Holmes, Capstick’s Law, All Creatures Great and Small, Never the Twain, Bergerac, Tygo Road, Rumpole of the Bailey, and Midsomer Murders. Gostelow also appeared in a handful of films during his career including The Idol (1966), The Spy with the Cold Nose (1966), In Search of Gregory (1969), Wuthering Heights (1970), Nicholas and Alexandria (1971), and How to Get Ahead in Advertising (1989). Gostelow is survived by his wife of 43 years, actress Vivian Pickles. (See photograph on page 142.)
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Gordon Gostelow
GOTCH, KARL Karl Gotch, a leading professional wrestler from the late 1950s, died in Tampa, Florida, on July 28, 2007. He was 82. He was born Karl Istaz in Hamburg, Germany, on August 3, 1924. He began his career as an amateur wrestler and competed in the 1948 Olympics for Belgium. He soon began wrestling professionally in Europe under the name Karl Krauser. He moved to the United States in the late 1950s where he took the name Karl Gotch. He held the AWA Ohio Heavyweight Title for 1962 to 1964. A backstage altercation with NWA heavyweight champion Buddy Rogers damaged Gotch’s career in the United States. Gotch teamed with Rene Goulet to hold the WWWF Tag Team Titles from December of 1971 to February of 1972. He subsequently moved to Japan, where he was wrestler, booker and trainer for New Japan wrestling in the 1970s and 1980s. Gotch was known as “Kamisama” or “the God of Pro Wrestling” in Japan. He was inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in May of 2007.
youth in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He began performing professionally as a singer while in his teens. He became a popular stage performer in Canada and soon began appearing on television in such variety series as Showtime, Cross-Canada Hit Parade and The Leslie Bell Singers. He achieved fame in the Unites States in Lerner and Loewe’s hit musical Camelot, starring with Julie Andrews and Richard Burton in nearly 900 performance during the early 1960s. Goulet’s rendition of the song “If Ever I Would Leave You” brought the cast album to the top of the charts. He quickly became one of the premier singers of the period, earning a Grammy Award for best new artist in 1962 after recording the album’s Always You and Two of Us. He also recorded the hit-single “What Kind of Fool Am I,” and had nearly 20 albums hit the charts during the 1960s. He was also a frequent performer on television, appearing in several specials and on such variety shows as The Jack Paar Tonight Show, The Jack Benny Program, The Jerry Lewis Show, The Joey Bishop Show, the quiz show What’s My Line?, The Mike Douglas Show, The Dean Martin Show, The Andy Williams Show, The Lucy Show, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Hollywood Palace, Jimmy Durante Presents the Lennon Sisters, The Is Tom Jones, Playboy After Dark, The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, The Julie Andrews Hour, The Bell Telephone Hour, Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, The Flip Wilson Show, The Merv Griffin Show, Dinah!, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, and The Tony Danza Show. Goulet also starred in television productions of The Enchanted Nutcracker (1961), Brigadoon (1966), Carousel (1967), and Kiss Me Kate (1968). His popularity on stage also led to roles in such feature films as Honeymoon Hotel (1964), I’d Rather Be Rich (1964), I Deal in Danger (1966), and Underground (1970). He was also the voice of Jaune-Tom in the animated film Gay Pur-ee in 1962, and was the Singer in The Daydreamer in 1966. By the 1970s, Goulet’s style of music had largely fallen out of fashion, though he continued to be a popular performer on stage and in Vegas nightclubs. He even occasionally took to parodying his own image in film and television comedies. Goulet’s numerous television roles include episodes of such series as Kraft Suspense Theatre, The Patty Duke Show, Blue Light, The Big Valley, The Name of the Game, The Hon-
Karl Gotch
GOULET, ROBERT Famed Broadway performer Robert Goulet, who created the role of Lancelot in the original 1960 production of Camelot, died of complications from lung disease while awaiting a transplant in a Los Angeles hospital on October 30, 2007. He was 73. Goulet was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts on November 26, 1933, and spent much of his
Robert Goulet
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eymooners, Mission: Impossible, Cannon, Police Woman, Police Story, The Love Boat, Flying High, Alice, Police Squad, Matt Houston, Fantasy Island, Murder, She Wrote, Finder of Lost Loves, Mr. Belvedere, The New WKRP in Cincinnati, In the Heat of the Night, the new Get Smart, Boy Meets World, Burke’s Law, George & Leo, Just Shoot Me!, Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place, Nikki, Las Vegas, and The King of Queens. He was also in the telefilms The Dream Merchants (1980), Acting Sheriff (1991), and Based on a Untrue Story (1993). Goulet made a cameo appearance in Louis Malle’s 1980 film Atlantic City, and guest starred as himself in the 1988 comic adaptation of A Christmas Carol, Scrooged starred Bill Murray. He was featured as Maxie Dean in Tim Burton’s fantasy classic Beetlejuice in 1988, and appeared in the spoof The Naked Gun 21 ⁄ 2: The Smell of Fear in 1991. His other film credits include Mr. Wrong (1996), The Last Producer (2000), and G-Men from Hell (2000). Goulet also supplied the singing voice for Wheezy the Penguin for the animated film Toy Story in 1999, and was Mikey’s singing voice in the Recess television series and subsequent films. He was also a voice performer in episodes of The Simpsons and Gary the Rat. Goulet first marriage, to Louise Longmore, ended in divorce in early 1963. He married fellow singer, Carol Lawrence, later in the year. They made a popular performing duo until their divorce in 1981. His survivors include his third wife, the former Vera Novak, a daughter from his first marriage and a two sons from his second.
aters as the Royal Opera House, London’s Covent Garden, and the English National Opera. He made his U.S. debut directing Britten’s Owen Wingrave at the Santa Fe Opera in 1974. He joined the Opera Theatre of St. Louis as director of productions in 1978, and became their artistic director in 1985. Graham staged nearly 50 new productions in St. Louis, until his death. During his career he also wrote the libretto for several operas including Britten’s The Golden Vanity, Richard Rodney Bennett’s Penny for Song, Stephen Paulus’ The Postman Always Rings Twice, Minoru Miki’s Joruri and The Tale of Genji, Bright Sheng’s Madame Mao, and David Carlson’s Anna Karenina.
GRAHAM, CLIVE British actor Clive Graham died at his home in Chiswick, England, on June 11, 2007. He was 70. Graham was born in Wales in 1937. He studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in 1959 and made his professional stage debut two years later. He appeared frequently on stage, film and television from the 1960s. He appeared in the films Blunderball (1966), Hamlet (1969) as Guilderstern with Nicol Williamson as Shakespeare’s Danish prince, The Brute (1977), Loophole (1981), and Johnny English (2003). Graham was featured in numerous television productions including Shotgun (1966), The Three Musketeers (1966), Middlemarch (1968), Ivanhoe (1970), Foreign Exchange (1970), Sentimental Education (1970), Lord Peter Wimsey: Five Red Herrings (1975), and The Office (1996). He was also seen in episodes of United!, Out of the Unknown, Theatre 625, Bat Out of Hell, Boy Meets Girl, Detective, The Avengers, The Wednesday Play, Journey to the Unknown, Play of the Month, Emmerdale Farm, Play for Today, Who, Sir? Me, Sir?, Call Me Mister, and Boon. He was a semi-regular on the Scottish soap opera Take the High Road, starring as Douglas Dunbar from 1980 until 1983.
Colin Graham
GRAHAM, COLIN Stage director Colin Graham, who was the artistic director at the Opera Theatre of St. Louis for nearly 30 years, died of respiratory and cardiac arrest in a St. Louis, Missouri, hospital on April 6, 2007. He was 75. Graham was born in Hove, England, on September 22, 1931. He began a long association with the composer Benjamin Britten in the early 1950s, and staged most of Britten’s premieres. Over the next two decades, he worked with such the-
GRANBERY, DON Don Granbery, an actor and assistant director, died of a heart attack at his home in Texas on May 31, 2007. He was 62. Granbery began his career in films as an actor in the early 1970s, appearing in The Groundstar Conspiracy (1972), The Supreme Kid (1976), Death Weekend (1976), Blackout (1978), Star 80 (1983), Mrs. Soffel (1984), and Physical Evidence (1989). He was also seen on television in the tele-films Deep Dark Secrets (1987), Trucks (1997), and This Matter of Marriage (1998), and episodes of Night Heat and The Beachcombers. He began working behind the camera as a second assistant director on the 1976 film Mustang Country. He served as first assistant director on such films as The Last Chase (1981), Separate Vacations (1986), and Physical Evidence (1989). Granbery also worked on the television series Night Heat and The Hitchhiker, and the tele-films Payoff (1991), I Know My Son Is Alive (1994), David’s Mother (1994), Spenser: A Savage Place (1995), Falling for You (1995), Moonshine Highway (1996), Double Jeopardy (1996), The Deliverance of Elaine (1996), Lies He Told (1997), Mary Higgins Clark’s Let Me Call You Sweetheart (1997), The Waiting Game (1998), This Matter of Marriage (1998), and A Friday Night Date (2000). GRAND, MURRAY Veteran composer and cabaret musician Murray Grand died of emphysema in Santa Monica, California, on March 7, 2007. He was 87. Grand was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on August 27, 1919. He began his career playing in private clubs while in his teens. During World War II he served
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in the U.S. Army, where he accompanied such celebrities as Betty Grable, Gypsy Rose Lee and Beatrice Lillie while they toured with the USO. After the war he studied composition and piano at the Juilliard School in New York, and went on to perform at popular night clubs for the next several decades. Grand and Elisse Boyd collaborated on the song “Guess Who I Saw Today,” which was introduced in the hit Broadway revue Leonard Sillman’s New Faces of 1952. The song became a popular hit for such artists Eydie Gorme, Nancy Wilson, Carmen McRae, and Sarah Vaughan. He also composed such songs as “Hurry” and “April in Fairbanks” for the musical New Faces of 1956. Other popular works include the songs “Thursday’s Child,” “Not a Moment Too Soon,” and “Come by Sunday.” Grand was also featured as a pianist in several films including Tempest (1982) and Moscow on the Hudson. His most recent work was composing speciality music for the revival of James Kirkwood’s Legends starring Joan Collins and Linda Evans.
GRANIER-DEFFERE, PIERRE French film director Pierre Granier-Deffere died in a Paris hospital on November 16, 2007. He was 80. Granier-Deffere was born in Paris on July 22, 1927. He began working in films as an assistant director in the early 1950s with such credits as Terreur en Oklahoma (1951), Le Roi des Camelots (1951), The Night Is My Kingdom (1951), Chacun son Tur (1951), Allo ... je t’Aime (1952), She and Me (1952), Wonderful Mentality (1953), Air of Paris (1954), Papa, Mama, the Maid and I (1954), Magic Village (1955), The Fugitives (1955), On Foot, on Horse, and on Wheels (1957), A Legitimate Defense (1958), The Possessors (1958), Eyes of Love (1959), and Taxi for Tobruk (1960). Granier-Deffere made his directorial debut with 1962’s Le Petit Garcon de l’Ascenseur. He directed, and often scripted, numerous films over the next thirty years including The Adventures of Saladin (1963), Cloportes (1965), Paris in the Month of August (1966), The Big Softie (1967), The Horse (1970), The Cat (1971), The Widow Couderc (1971), The Son (1973), The Last Train (1973), Creezy (1974), The Cage (1974), The French Detective (1975), A Woman at Her Window (1976), The Medic Le Toubib (1979), Strange Affair (1981), The North Star (1982), A Friend of Vincent (1983), L’Homme aux
Pierre Granier-Deferre
Yeux d’Argent (1985), Cours Prive (1986), Widow’s Walk (1987), La Couleur du Vent (1988), L’Autrichienne (1990), La Voix (1992), and Archipel (1993). He also directed and scripted several tele-films featuring Georges Simenon’s Inspector Maigret in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
GRANT , MILT Milt Grant, who hosted a popular television dance show in Washington, D.C., in the 1950s, died of cancer at his home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on April 28, 2007. He was 83. Grant was born in New York City on May 13, 1923, and was raised in Plainfield, New Jersey. He began his career on radio in Washington as an announcer in the early 1950s. He began hosting what became The Milt Grant Show in 1956, which featured high school kids dancing to the latest hit records. Though the show was a huge hit for five years, it was abruptly cancelled in 1961 when new management took over the station. Grant subsequently began one of Washington’s earliest independent television stations, WDCA-TV, in 1966. He sold WDCA in 1979, and purchased stations in Dallas and Houston, Texas. His acquisitions of three independent stations in Chicago, Philadelphia, and Miami in 1986 forced Grant into bankruptcy. He returned later in the decade, buying stations in smaller television markets which he affiliated with the Fox network.
Milt Grant
GRANT, WARD Ward Grant, the longtime publicist for comedian Bob Hope, died of congestive heart failure at his home in Burbank, California, on January 11, 2007. He was 75. Grant was born in Denver, Colorado on April 21, 1931. He began working in Hollywood as a publicist, with such clients as Dorothy Lamour, Eva Gabor, and Fess Parker. He started working with Bob Hope in the early 1970s, and served as his director of media and public relations for over thirty years until the comic’s death in 2003. Grant was also co-author of Hope’s book Dear Prez, I Wanna Tell Ya. (See photograph on page 145.) GRAVELL, RAY Ray Gravell, a leading Welsh rugby player turned actor, died from complications from diabetes on October 31, 2007. He was 56. Gravell was born in Kidwelly, Carmarthenshire, Wales, on September 12, 1951. He began playing rugby in 1970
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Ward Grant
and competed for various teams in Wales and Britain over the next 15 years. Gravell retired from the field in early 1985 and embarked upon a second career as a broadcaster and actor. He was a popular talkshow host for the BBC in Wales and presented the weekly program I’ll Show You Mine. He was featured in a small role in Louis Malle’s 1992 film Damage and appeared in Peter O’Toole’s 1992 television production of Dylan Thomas’ Rebecca’s Daughters. Gravell also appeared in such films Darklands (1996), Up ’n’ Under (1998), What? (2002), and New Shoes (2003). His other television credits include such productions as The Cormorant (1993), Blood on the Dole (1994), Score (2001), and Very Annie Mary (2001).
2007 • Obituaries
Greeley’s hands were seen when the star, Tyrone Power, played the piano. He also composed scores and incidental music for the films Not Wanted (1949), Pirates of Tripoli (1955), Seminole Uprising (1955), Secret of Treasure Mountain (1956), The Peacemaker (1956), The White Squaw (1956), Rumble on the Docks (1956), The Guns of Fort Petticoat (1957), Hellcats of the Navy (1957) starring Ronald Reagan and his future wife Nancy Davis, Calypso Heat Wave (1957), No Time to Be Young (1957), the science fiction classic The 27th Day (1957) starring Gene Barry, Screaming Mimi (1958), Good Day for a Hanging (1959), and Comanche Station. His best known work, the theme for television’s My Favorite Martian, included the use of a theremin to give the music an other-worldly tone. Greeley also composed music for the television series My Living Doll and The Ghost and Mrs. Muir.
GREEN , SANFORD Songwriter and film composer Sanford Green died in New York on August 26, 2007. He was 93. Green was born in Hartford, Connecticut, on January 24, 1914. He began working in films at Brooklyn Vitaphone in 1934, creating songs for numerous musical shorts over the next four years. He provided original songs for such artists as Morton Downey, Hal LeRoy, Phil Harris, Georgie Price, and Olga Baclanova. His songs included “Bingo Crosbyana,” “Bermuda Buggy Ride,” “Do It for the Girl You Love,” “Do I Know What I’m Doing,” and “They Put a Top Hat on the Moon.” Green’s music was heard in such shorts as The Police Girl (1934), The Gem of the Ocean (1934), Soft Drinks and Sweet Music (1934), Main Street Follies (1935), Dublin in Brass (1935), The Love Department (1935), Rhythmitis (1936), and the Oscarnominated Double or Nothing (1936). He later contributed incidental music for several Warner films including Kid Galahad (1937), Alcatraz Island (1937), The Case of the Black Parrot (1941), Knockout (1941), and An Angel Comes to Brooklyn (1945). He continued to work as an arranger and music conductor for most of his life.
Ray Gravell
GREELEY, GEORGE Composer and pianist George Greeley, who wrote the theme for the television sitcom My Favorite Martian, died of emphysema in Sherman Oaks, California, on May 26, 2007. He was 89. Greeley was born in Westerly, Rhode Island, on July 23, 1917. He attended the Juilliard School of Music and worked as an arranger for big bands. He was part of Tommy Dorsey’s band and led the Air Force band during World War II. Greeley recorded a series of twenty-five albums of piano concertos for Warner Records. He also worked frequently in films and television from the 1950s. For the film The Eddy Duchin Story
Sanford Green
GREEN, SLIM Austin C. “Slim” Green, who made saddles for some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, died in Las Cruces, New Mexico, on December 22, 2007. He was 91. Green was born in Ravi, Oklahoma,
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on June 10, 1916. He moved to Texas with his family as a child, where he became a rodeo rider and roper. He learned to make saddles from Pop Bettes in the early 1930s and completed his first in 1936. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II and continued his career as a master saddle maker after the war. Green’s hand-tooled saddles were considered works of art and have been featured at the Smithsonian Institution and the Gene Autry National Western Heritage Museum. Many Hollywood stars had their saddles made by him, including John Wayne, Errol Flynn, Robert Redford, Robert Wagner, Jill St. John and Val Kilmer.
Slim Green
GREENBERG, ELIZABETH Casting director Elizabeth Greenberg died of pancreatic cancer in New York City on May 11, 2007. She was 45. Greenberg was born on August 12, 1961. She studied drama and began her career as a theatrical director in New York. She also served as resident stage manager at the Actor’s Studio during the 1980s. She appeared on television in small roles in the 1984 tele-film The Lost Honor of Kathryn Beck and an episode of Hey Dude. She was also seen in the films The Babe (1992) as Dorothy Ruth, Birth (2004), and National Treasure (2004), and was a voice performer for the animated film The Incredibles (2004). Greenberg began working in casting in the 1990s on the television series It’s True, Harsh Realm, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and The Lone Gunmen. She also cast such films as Godzilla (1998), The Patriot (2000), The Kiss (2001), Jersey Girl (2004), House of D (2004), Around the World in 80 Days (2004), Birth (2004), Open House (2004), National Treasure (2004), Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004), Forty Shades of Blue (2005), Dear Wendy (2005), Capote (2005), Brokeback Mountain (2005), Get Rich or Die Tryin’ (2005), All the King’s Men (2006), The Return (2006), Sunny & Share Love You (2007), and Summerhood (2007). GREER , DABBS Veteran character actor Dabbs Greer, who starred as the Rev. Robert Alden on television’s Little House on the Prairie, died of complications from kidney and heart disease in a Pasadena, California, on April 28, 2007. He was 90. He was born Robert William Greer in Fairview, Missouri, on April 2, 1917. Greer graduated from Drury University in 1939
and worked as a speech and drama teacher in Missouri for several years before moving to Pasadena in 1943. He taught at the Pasadena Playhouse school throughout the 1940s, where he also directed and performed in numerous plays. He made his film debut in 1949 in a small role in Reign of Terror. Over the next fifty years, he became a familiar face in films and television. His film credits include Hit the Deck (1955), Seven Angry Men (1955), An Annapolis Story (1955), The Seven Little Foys (1955), Foxfire (1955), The Scarlet Coat (1955), The McConnell Story (1955), At Gunpoint (1955), Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956), Meet Me in Las Vegas (1956), D-Day The Sixth of June (1956), The First Texan (1956), Hot Rod Girl (1956), Away All Boats (1956), The Young Guns (1956), Tension at Table Rock (1956), Hot Cars (1956), Chain of Evidence (1957), The Spirit of St. Louis (1957), Johnny Tremaine (1957), The Vampire (1957), Pawnee (1957), My Man Godfrey (1957), Young and Dangerous (1957), All Mine to Give (1957), Baby Face Nelson (1957), the cult sci-fi film It! The Terror from Beyond Space (1958) as Eric Royce, I Want to Live! (1958) as Susan Hayward’s prison guard, Lone Texan (1959), The Last Train from Gun Hill (1959), Day of the Outlaw (1959), Edge of Eternity (1959), Cash McCall (1960), Showdown (1963), Wives and Lovers (1963), Palm Springs Weekend (1963), Roustabout (1964) with Elvis Presley, and Shenandoah (1965). Greer appeared frequently on television from the 1950s. He was seen as Superman’s first rescue, when he was saved him from a fall from a dirigible in the pilot episode “Superman on Earth” in 1952. He appeared in the recurring role of storekeeper Wilbur Jonas on Gunsmoke from 1955 to 1960, was featured as Mr. Blandish in the television comedy series How to Marry a Millionaire in 1957. He also appeared as Norrie Coolidge on the fantasy comedy The Ghost and Mrs. Muir from 1968 to 1969. Greer guest-starred in hundreds of other television episodes in such series as Cavalcade of America, Father Knows Best, The Man Behind the Badge, The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, Frontier, General Electric Theater, Navy Log, Cheyenne, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Science Fiction Theatre, TV Reader’s Digest, The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, Lux Video Theatre, The New Adventures of Charlie Chan, Whirlybirds, Fury, Jane Wyman Presents the Fireside Theatre, Tombstone Territory, The Gray Ghost, Official Detective, The Court of Last Resort, State Trooper, Steve Canyon, Texas John Slaughter, Trackdown, The Restless Gun, Playhouse 90, The Rough Riders, Zane Grey Theater, Goodyear Theatre, Man Without a Gun, Troubleshooters, Tightrope, Bat Masterson, Law of the Plainsman, Wanted: Dead or Alive, Richard Diamond, Private Detective, Wichita Town, Black Saddle, Letter to Loretta, Death Valley Days, Johnny Ringo, The DuPont Show with June Allyson, Tales of Wells Fargo, Two Faces West, The Jack Benny Program, The Aquanauts, Adventures in Paradise, The Rifleman, Dr. Kildare, Bus Stop, Have Gun, Will Travel, Surfside 6, The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor, Follow the Sun, Checkmate, Laramie, Lawman, The Eleventh Hour, Empire, Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone, Stoney Burke, The Untouchables, I’m Dickens, He’s Finster, Temple Houston, Kraft Suspense Theatre, The
147 Greatest Show on Earth, Grindl, Destry, Arrest and Trial, The Rogues, The Outer Limits, The Andy Griffith Show, Lassie, Wendy and Me, Wagon Train, Rawhide, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Hank, Perry Mason, Laredo, The Invaders, Rango, The Fugitive, The Road West, The Virginian, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., Cimarron Strip, The Big Valley, Petticoat Junction, The Wild Wild West, Judd for the Defense, Mannix, The Brady Bunch, Lancer, Bracken’s World, The Interns, The Young Lawyers, Bonanza, The Bold Ones: The New Doctors, O’Hara, U.S. Treasury, Nichols, Ghost Story, The F.B.I., Barnaby Jones, Adam-12, Ironside, The Rookies, Chopper One, Chase, The Manhunter, Cannon, Shazam!, Saturday Night Live, The Rockford Files, The Streets of San Francisco, Emergency!, The Incredible Hulk, Charlie’s Angels, Matt Houston, and The Greatest American Hero. Greer also continued to appear in films and tele-films from the 1970s including The Cheyenne Social Club (1970), Two Boys (1970), The Boy Who Stole the Elephant (1970), Rage (1972), White Lightning (1973), God Bless Dr. Shagetz (1974), The Greatest Gift (1974), Green Eyes (1977), The Winds of Kitty Hawk (1978), Chu Chu and the Philly Flash (1981), Evil Town (1987), Two Moon Junction (1988), Pacific Heights (1990), Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat (1991), House IV (1991), Runaway Daughters (1994), Little Giants (1994), and Con Air (1997). Greer starred as Walnut Grove’s Reverend Robert Alden on the popular family series Little House on the Prairie from 1974 to 1984. He was also a man of the cloth in Picket Fences, playing Rev. Henry Novotny from 1992 to 1996. His later television credits also include episodes of Starman, Charles in Charge, Bonanza: The Next Generation, Roseanne, The Bradys, In the Heat of the Night, L.A. Law, Empty Nest, The Secret of Lost Creek, George and Leo, Ally McBeal, Spin City, Diagnosis: Murder, Family Law, and Lizzie McGuire. He appeared regularly as Grandpa Fred Stage in the comedy series Maybe It’s Me from 2001 to 2002. His final film appearance was as the old Paul Edgecomb, the character played by Tom Hanks, the film adaptation of Stephen King’s The Green Mile in 1999.
Dabbs Greer
GREGG, MARK Actor Mark Gregg was shot to death in Hollywood by Los Angeles police officers after attacking a neighbor with a knife on July 24,
2007 • Obituaries
2007. He was 25. Gregg reportedly refused orders by the officers to drop his butcher knife before being fired upon. Gregg was born in Solana Beach, California on September 25, 1981. He studied performing arts at the University of San Francisco and appeared in several stage productions. He also appeared in the 2007 film The Pacific and Eddy.
Mark Gregg
GREUTERT, ROBERTA Veteran animator Roberta Greutert died in Woodland Hills, California, on April 26, 2007. She was 93. Greutert was born in Tennessee in 1914. She began her career working at MGM as an animation painter in 1938. She worked as a background artist on several Tom and Jerry cartoon shorts including Timid Tabby (1957) and Happy Go Ducky (1958). When MGM closed she headed to Hanna-Barbera, serving as ink and paint supervisor. She worked on such cartoon series as Jonny Quest, Wacky Races, The Adventures of Gulliver, Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines, The Perils of Penelope Pitstop, Scooby Doo, Where Are You!, Where’s Huddles?, Harlem Globe Trotters, The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show, and Help! ... It’s the Hair Bear Bunch! GREY, LOREN Loren Grey, a psychology professor and the son of famed western author Zane Grey, died in Woodland Hills, California on February 2, 2007. He was 91. Grey was born in Middletown, New York, on November 20, 1915, and moved to California with his family as a child. Zane Grey died in 1939 while his son was attending the University of California at Los Angeles. Loren served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, and continued his education after the war. He began teaching educational psychology at Cal State Northridge in the early 1960s, and was the author of several books in the field including Discipline Without Fear: Child Training During the Early School Years (1974) and Alfred Ayer, the Forgotten Prophet: A Vision for the 21st Century (1998). Loren Grey also became the custodian of his father’s legacy as president of Zane Grey, Inc. He was the author of a 1985 book Zane Grey: A Photographic Odyssey, and a series of western novels based on his father’s character Lassiter from Riders of the Purple Sage where ghost-written and published under the name Loren Zane Grey.
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Loren Grey
GRIFFIN , JOHN PATRICK John Patrick Griffin, the father of comedian Kathy Griffin who appeared with his daughter in several of her television productions, died in Los Angeles on February 17. 2007. He was 90. Griffin was born in Chicago, Illinois, on October 29, 1916. He had small roles in several episodes of his daughter’s sit-com Suddenly Susan, and appeared regularly with her on the Bravo reality series My Life on the D List.
John Patrick Gri‡n (with daughter Kathy)
GRIFFIN, MERV Actor and singer Merv Griffin, who became a noted talk show host and the creator of the game shows Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!, died of prostate cancer in a Los Angeles hospital on August 12, 2007. He was 82. Griffin was born in San Mateo, California, on July 6, 1925. He broke into show business as a singer on radio in 1945. He became a regular on the nationally syndicated San Francisco Sketchbook, which soon became The Merv Griffin Show. His portly physique didn’t fit the network’s billing of him as a romantic singing star, and a humiliating episode with a fan led to a successful crash diet. Griffin joined Freddy Martin’s band as lead vocalist in 1948 and recorded several popular songs including “I’ve Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts” and “Never Been Kissed.” He was signed to a film contract with MGM in 1952 and he made his film debut with the western Cattle Town that same year. His other film credits in the 1950s
include By the Light of the Silvery Moon (1953), Trouble Along the Way (1953), The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953), So This Is Love (1953), Three Sailors and a Girl (1953), The Boy from Oklahoma (1954), and the 1954 horror film Phantom of the Rue Morgue as Georges Brevert. He left Hollywood in 1955 and moved to New York where he appeared in the comedy-musical Finian’s Rainbow on Broadway. He also embarked on a television career, appearing in such series as Songs for Sale, Look Up and Live, The Robert Q. Lewis Show, Summer Holiday, The Dupont Show of the Week and Hippodrome Show. He was also seen frequently as a panelist on game shows including I’ve Got a Secret, Talent Scouts, To Tell The Truth and What’s My Line? Griffin was soon hosting such quiz shows as Saturday Prom, Keep Talking and Play Your Hunch. He became a frequent guest host for The Tonight Show, often substituting for Jack Parr in 1962 before Johnny Carson took over the show later in the year. His success on the program led to his own daytime talk show on NBC, The Merv Griffin Show, which debuted in October of 1962. NBC cancelled the show the following year and Griffin returned to game shows as host of Word for Word, which was produced by his own company. The Merv Griffin Show returned to the air in 1965 as a syndicated daytime program. CBS aired the show on late night from 1969 to 1971. Merv returned to daytime television in 1972 continuing to host his show for the next 14 years. British character actor Arthur Treacher served as Griffin’s announcer and sidekick until his death in 1974. The program, which was the first to deal with such controversial subjects as homosexuality and incest, also counted amongst its guests such varied celebrities as Bette Davis, Woody Allen, Truman Capote, Andy Warhol, Salvador Dali, Martin Luther King, Jr., Richard Nixon and Robert F. Kennedy. Griffin also had great success as the creator of two of television’s most popular television game shows. He created Jeopardy! in 1964 and Wheel of Fortune in 1975, and composed the memorable theme music for both series. The shows were produced by Merv Griffin Enterprises, which was sold for $250 million to Coca-Cola in 1986. He continued his business endeavors as head of The Griffin Group, owning hotels, residential developments and a stable of thoroughbred race horses. He also remained active in film and television productions, serving as executive producer of the Dance Fever television series and the game shows Monopoly, Click and Crosswords. Griffin was a frequent guest on such television variety show as The Pet Set, Dinah’s Place, The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, Sammy and Company, Late Night with David Letterman, Saturday Night Live, Circus of the Stars, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The Rosie O’Donnell Show, The Daily Show, The Wayne Brady Show, The Late Show with Craig Kilborn, ALF’s Hit Talk Show, The View, The Tony Danza Show, The Apprentice: Martha Stewart, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The Megan Mullally Show, and The Late Show with Craig Ferguson. He also appeared in episodes of Sanford and Son, Newhart, The Golden Girls, Hope & Gloria, Fat Actress, and I Married a Princess, and in such television productions as Cin-
149 derella at the Palace (1978), Alice in Wonderland (1985), and Don Rickles: Rules the World (2005). Griffin also appeared in cameo roles in such films as Inside Daisy Clover (1965), Hello, Down There (1969), Two-Minute Warning (1976), The Seduction of Joe Tynan (1979), One Trick Pony (1980), Rich and Famous (1981), The Man with Two Brains (1982) as the elevator killer with Steve Martin, Slapstick (Of Another Kind) (1982), The Funny Farm (1983), and The Lonely Guy (1984). He was married to Julann Wright from 1958 until their divorce in 1976. He was the defendant in a palimony suit by a former employee in 1991 and was sued for sexual harassment by Dance Fever host Deney Terrio. Both suits were eventually dismissed. Griffin wrote his autobiography, Merv: Making The Good Life Last in 2003 and won a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Academy of Television Arts and Science in 2005.
Merv Gri‡n
GRIFFIN, VICTOR Stage actor, singer, and dancer Victor Griffin died in Syosset, New York, on February 3, 2007. He was 88. Griffin was born on February 22, 1918. He performed on Broadway from the early 1940s, appearing in such musicals as High Kickers (1941), Count Me In (1942), and Ziegfeld Follies of 1943 (1943). He served as assistant choreographer for the 1958 musical Oh Captain!, and was featured as Vincent in the original Broadway production of Follies in 1971. He also appeared in productions Ballroom (1978) and Amadeus (1983). Griffin was featured as Saunders in the 1982 film musical Annie, and appeared in a small role in the 1987 film Magic Sticks. He also performed on television in Sing Along with Mitch and the 1980 PBS production of Dorothy Parker’s Big Blond. GRIFFITH , CHARLES B. Screenwriter Charles B. Griffith, who scripted a string of cult classics for Roger Corman, died in San Diego, California, on September 28, 2007. He was 77. Griffith was born in Chicago, Illinois, on September 23, 1930. He came to Hollywood in the mid–1950s to assist his grandmother, vaudeville comic Myrtle Vail, break into television. Griffith met Corman through an actor friend and the two soon began working together. He wrote the tale of a Venusian invader, It Conquered the World, and the western, Gunslinger, in 1956. Griffith also appeared
2007 • Obituaries
in the small role of Dr. Pete Shelton in It Conquered the World. He continued to write low-budget fare for Corman and American International Pictures, often incorporating black humor in his scripts. Griffith’s film credits include Naked Paradise (1957), Flesh and the Spur (1957), Not of This Earth (1957), Attack of the Crab Monsters (1957) also serving as associate producer, directing underwater sequences and appearing in a small role, The Undead (1957), Rock All Night (1957), Teenage Doll (1957), Ghost of the China Sea (1958) which he also produced, Forbidden Island (1959) which also served as his directorial debut, A Bucket of Blood (1959), Beast from Haunted Cave (1959), and Ski Troop Attack (1960). His best known work was the comedy cult classic Little Shop of Horrors, about man-eating plant Audrey II. Griffith also served as second unit director and was onscreen in numerous small roles during the film, notably voicing the plant’s entreaties to “Feed me, Seymour!” Little Shop went on to become a popular musical in the early 1980s, which spawned another film version in 1986. He was writer, production manager, associate producer and bit actor in the 1961 muscleman epic Atlas. He also scripted the comedy horror Creature from the Haunted Sea (1961) and the biker flicks The Wild Angels (1966) and Devil’s Angels (1967). Griffith was an assistant director for the 1963 film The Young Racers, and second unit director for the 1966 horror film Revenge of the Blood Beast. His script for Corman’s The Trip was rejected by the director for his glorification of drugs. He scripted the 1975 classic Death Rays 2000, produced by Corman and directed by Paul Bartel. Griffith also served as second unit director on the film. The follow year, he appeared in a cameo role in the cult comedy Hollywood Boulevard. He also scripted The Swinging Barmaids in 1975, and wrote and directed 1976’s Eat My Dust starring Ron Howard. He directed 1979 underwater horror Up from the Depths, and wrote and directed a black comedy version of the horror classic with Dr. Heckyl and Mr. Hype in 1980. He directed 1981’s Smokey Bites the Dust, and made a cameo appearance in Paul Bartel’s 1982 black comedy Eating Raoul. Griffith’s final film credit was as director and screenwriter for the 1989 fantasy Wizards of the Lost Kingdom II, though his earlier scripts for Not of
Charles B. Gri‡th (left, with Mel Welles from Little Shop of Horrors)
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This Earth and A Bucket of Blood were recycled in the 1990s.
GRILLS, LUCKY Australian entertainer Lucky Grills, who was best known as the star of the television series Bluey in the mid–1970s, died at his home in Queensland, Australia, on July 27, 2007. He was 79. Grills was born in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, on May 26, 1928. A stage performer and comic, he was cast in the role of Det. Sgt. Bluey Hills in the Australian television series Bluey from 1976 to 1977. He was also featured as Johnno in the 1984 series A Country Practice. His other television appearances include roles in productions of People Like Us (1980), The Dismissal (1983), Vietnam (1987), The Last Crop (1990), and The Magicians (2001), and guest appearances in episodes of Matlock Police, Rush, Glenview High, Special Squad, Fire, and Mortified. Grills was also seen in a handful of films during his career including Caddy (1976), Money Movers (1978), Starstruck (1982), Molly (1983), Fast Talking (1984), and Outback Vampires (1987) as Humphrey. Grills continued to perform on stage until his death.
Lucky Grills
GRIZZARD, GEORGE Stage and screen actor George Grizzard died of complications of lung cancer in a New York City hospital on October 2, 2007. He was 79. Grizzard was born in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, on April 1, 1928. He began his career on stage in Washington, D.C., in the 1950s. He subsequently studied with Sanford Meisner in New York and made his Broadway debut in The Desperate Hours, with Paul Newman, in 1955. Grizzard earned a Tony nomination for best actor for his role in The Disenchanted in 1959. He earned a second Tony nomination in 1962 for Big Fish, Little Fish. He starred in the Broadway premiere of Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolff ? Grizzard was Nick, the foil of warring spouses George and Martha. He left the play after three months to star in Tyrone Guthrie’s production of Hamlet. He remained with the Guthrie Theater for two years, appearing in such productions as Henry V, Volpone, and St. Joan. Grizzard also appeared frequently on television from the mid–1950s, with roles in such series as Look Up and Live, Appointment with Adventure, Star Tonight, Justice, Playwrights ’56, The Kaiser Aluminum Hour,
Goodyear Television Playhouse, One Step Beyond, Playhouse 90, Startime, The Millionaire, The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor, Boris Karloff ’s Thriller, The United States Steel Hour, Play of the Week, Brenner, Bus Stop, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone, Espionage, Ben Casey, Dr. Kildare, Rawhide, The Nurses, Profiles in Courage, Hallmark Hall of Fame, Medical Center, The Interns, Ironside, Caribe, Hawaii 5O, Trapper John, M.D., Spencer: For Hire, The Cosby Show, You Again?, Murder, She Wrote, Studio 5-B, The Golden Girls, The 5 Mrs. Buchanans, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Touched by an Angel, and Law & Order in the recurring role of Arthur Gold from 1992 to 2000. Grizzard’s television credits also include roles in numerous tele-films and mini-series including A Case of Libel (1968), Teacher, Teacher (1969), The Front Page (1970), Travis Logan, D.A. (1971), Pueblo (1973), Indict and Convict (1974), The Country Girl (1974), A Memory of Two Mondays (1974), The Stranger Within (1974), Attack on Terror: The FBI vs. the Ku Klux Klan (1975), The Two Deaths of Sean Doolittle (1975), The Lives of Jennie Dolan (1975), The Adams Chronicles (1976) earning an Emmy nomination for his role as John Adams, The Night Rider (1979), Attica (1980) as journalist Tom Wicker, The Oldest Living Graduate (1980) winning an Emmy for his role of Floyd Kincaid, The Shady Hill Kidnapping (1982), Not in Front of the Children (1982), Robert Kennedy & His Times (1985) as journalist John Siegenthaler, Embassy (1985), International Airport (1985), Midas Valley (1985), Under Siege (1986), The Deliberate Stranger (1986), The Secret Sunday (1986), Perry Mason: The Case of the Scandalous Scoundrel (1987), David (1988), False Witness (1989), An Enemy of the People (1990), Caroline? (1990), Iran: Day of Crisis (1991) as President Jimmy Carter, Queen (1993), Not in My Family (1993), Triumph Over Disaster: The Hurricane Andrew Story (1993), Scarlett (1994), Sisters and Other Strangers (1997), and Haskett’s Chance (2006). Grizzard made his feature film debut in 1960’s From the Terrace. He was also seen in the films Advise and Consent (1962) as Senator Fred Van Ackerman, Warning Shot (1967), Kurt Vonnegut’s Happy Birthday, Wanda June (1971), Comes a Horseman (1978), Firepower (1979), Neil Simon’s Seems Like Old Times (1980), Wrong Is Right (1982) as President Rockwood, Bachelor Party
George Grizzard
151 (1984) with Tom Hanks, Wonder Boys (2000), Small Time Crooks (2000), and Flags of Our Fathers (2006) as John Bradley. Grizzard continued to appear frequently on stage throughout his career. He won a Tony Award in 1996 for his role in the revival of Edward Albee’s A Delicate Balance. He was also seen in productions of Seascape (2005) and Regrets Only (2006).
2007 • Obituaries
gulimala (1960), Sampoorna Ramayana (1961), Sangeet Samrat Tansen (1962), Veer Bhimsen (1964), Shree Ram Bharat Milap (1965), Purnima (1965), The Marriage of Tulsi (1971), In Praise of Mother Santoshi (1975), Nagin (1976), Jai Dwarkadheesh (1977), For Yolur Sake (1978), Tajurba (1981), Fifty-Fifty (1981), and Krishna-Krishna (1986).
GROSS, JACK, JR. Film and television writer Jack Gross, Jr., died in La Jolla, California, on December 14, 2007. He was 78. Gross was born in Fort Worth, Texas, on February 4, 1929. He began writing Mister Magoo cartoons in the late 1950s. He was best known for scripting television episodes from the 1960s with such credits as Gilligan’s Island, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Valentine’s Day, My Favorite Martian, Tarzan, Daniel Boone, and Diff ’rent Strokes. Gross also wrote the films Clay Pigeon (1971) and Welcome to Arrow Beach (1974). GUARRERA, FRANK Operatic baritone Frank Guarrera died on November 23, 2007. He was 83. Guarrera was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on December 3, 1923. He was trained by Richard Bonelli and made his professional debut with the New York City Opera in a production of I Pagliacci in 1947. He spent the next year studying in Italy and performing with La Scala before returning to the United States. He made his Metropolitan Opera debut in 1948 in a production of Carmen. He continued to perform with the Met for 28 seasons, through 1976, singing in such operas as Cosi Fan Tutte, Eugene Onegin and Lohengrin. He also sang the role Ford in Toscannini’s broadcast performance and recording of Verdi’s Falstaff in 1950.
Anita Guha
GURROLA, JUAN JOSE Mexican actor Juan Jose Gurrola died in Mexico City on June 1, 2007. He was 71. Gurrola was born in Mexico City on November 19, 1935. He began working in films in the early 1960s, directing several documentaries including Jose Luis Cuevas (1964), Vidcente Rojo (1965), and Alberto Gironella (1965). He produced, directed, and scripted the films Robarte el Arte (1972) and Landru (1973). Gurrola also appeared onscreen in such films as L Sunamita (1965), Amor, Amor, Amor (1965), Mariana (1967), the 1970 cult classic El Topo as Master #2, Aquilae non Caput Muscas (1971), Ensayos (1978), Llamenme Mike (1982), To Kill a Stranger (1985), and Carmina y Quetzalcoatl (1991). He also appeared as painter Diego Rivera in the 1986 film Frida, and the 1987 television series Senda de Gloria.
Frank Guarrera
GUHA , ANITA Indian actress Anita Guha died in a Mumbai, India, hospital of heart failure on June 20, 2007. She appeared frequently in films from the 1950s, often cast as a goddess in mythological features. Her film credits include Tangewali (1955), Society of Confirmed Bachelors (1956), Chhoo Mantar (1956), The Conman (1957), Sharada (1957), Gateway of India (1957), Ek Jhalak (1957), Dekh Kabira Roya (1957), Kavi Kalidas (1959), The Call of the Shehnai (1959), Chacha Zindabad (1959), Mud Ke Na Dekh (1960), An-
Juan Jose Gurrola
HADLEY, JERRY Operatic tenor Jerry Hadley died in a Poughkeepsie, New York, hospital on July 18,
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2007, when he was taken off life support a week after shooting himself in the head with an air rifle in a suicide attempt at his home on July 10, 2007. He was 55. Hadley was born in Princeton, Illinois, on June 16, 1952. He began his career performing with regional operas before making his debut with the New York City Opera in a production of Lucia di Lammermoor in the late 1970s. He performed frequently with such leading companies as the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, Covent Garden, and the Vienna State Opera. He was noted for his role of Tom Rakewell in Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress. He also performed in the debuts of such productions as Myron Fink’s The Conquistador, John Harbison’s The Great Gatsby, and Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Oratorio. He performed on television in productions of Candide (1989), Don Giovanni (1990), Handel: Messiah (1992), The Rake’s Progress (1994), Cosi Fan Tutte (1996), Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny (1998), and Die Fledermaus (2001). He also performed the voice of the Supreme Judge in Carlo Coloddi’s 1996 film The Adventures of Pinocchio. Hadley was also the recipient of three Grammy Awards for his recordings. He made his final performance in a production of Madame Butterfly with Opera Queensland in Australia in May of 2007.
Jerry Hadley
HAEFLIGER , ERNST Swiss operatic tenor Ernst Haefliger died of heart failure at his home in
Ernst Haefliger
Davos, Switzerland, on March 17, 2007. He was 87. Haefliger was born in Davos on July 6, 1919. He studied in Zurich, Geneva, and Vienna, and made his public debut in Bach’s St. John Passion in Geneva in 1942. He joined the Zurich Opera the following year, and was featured in the premiere of Carl Orff ’s Oedipus at the Salzburg Festival in 1949. He joined Berlin’s Stadische Oper in 1952, and continued to perform with the company until 1974. He made his U.S. debut with the Lyric Opera of Chicago in a production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute in 1966. He also performed at numerous recitals in the United States. He taught at the Music Hochschule fur Musik for many years and was the author of the 1983 book The Singing Voice.
HAINING, PETER Author and anthologist Peter Haining died of a heart attack in England on November 19, 2007. He was 67. Haining was born in Enfield, Middlesex, England, on April 2, 1940. He began his career working as a reporter in Essex in the 1960s. He soon joined the publishing house New English Library, becoming editorial director. He edited numerous anthologies of horror and fantasy stories from the late 1960s including The Evil People (1968), The Midnight People (1968), The Satanists (1969), The Unspeakable People (1969), The Ghouls: The Stories Behind the Classic Horror Films (1971), The Nightmare Reader (1973), Christopher Lee’s New Chamber of Horrors (1974), Great British Tales of Terror (1974), Everyman’s Book of Classic Horror Stories (1976), Tales of Unknown Horror (1978), and More Tales of Unknown Horror (1979). Haining wrote several reference books about the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, including Doctor Who: A Celebration: Two Decades Through Time and Space (1983), The Key to Time: A Year by Year Record (1984), The Doctor Who File (1986), and The Nine Lives of Doctor Who (1999). He also wrote the 1987 book about secret agent 007 James Bond: A Celebration, and The Television Sherlock Holmes (1991), looking at the small screen adventures of the master detective. His other works include The Edgar Allan Poe Scrapbook (1977), Mystery and Horrible Murders of Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1979), The Legend of Charlie Chaplin (1983), Goldie Hawn (1985), The Dracula Centenary Book (1987), Poltergeist: Tales of Deadly Ghosts (1987), Movie Monsters: Great Horror Film Stories (1988), Bob Hope: Thanks for the Memories (1989), The Legend of Garbo (1990), The Television Detectives’ Omnibus (1992), Masters of the Macabre (1993), The Frankenstein Omnibus (1994), Peter Cushing’s Monster Movies (1994), Agatha Christie’s Poirot: A Celebration of the Great Detective (1995), Space Movies: Classic Science Fiction Films (1995), Classic Westerns (1998), The Invasion Earth Companion (1998), The Mystery of Rommel’s Gold (2004), and Cannibal Killers: The Real Life Flesh Eaters and Blood Drinkers (2006). HALBERSTAM, DAVID Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and author David Halberstam was killed in an automobile accident in Menlo Park, California, on April 23, 2007, when the car he was a passenger in was broadsided by another vehicle and shoved into a third. Halberstam died at the scene. He was 73.
153 He was born in New York City on April 10, 1934. He graduated from Harvard in 1955 where he had been the editor of the campus newspaper The Crimson. He headed south after his graduation where he reported on the early days of the civil rights movement for such papers as Mississippi’s West Point Daily Times Leader and The Nashville Tennessean. He was hired by the New York Times in 1960, where he reported overseas from the Congo and Vietnam. His dispatches reflecting the corruption and ineptness of the South Vietnamese government and the problems faced by U.S. troops involved in the ground war made him an unpopular figure in the circles of power in Washington in the early 1960s, but earned him a Pulitzer Prize in 1964. Halberstam left the New York Times later in the decade and wrote a book about the decisions that led to the disastrous Vietnam War and the men that made them, The Best and the Brightest, in 1972. He went on to author twenty other books including The Unfinished Odyssey of Robert Kennedy (1968), The Coldest Winter about the Korean War, The Fifties (1997) about America during that decade, and The Powers That Be (2000) about the power of the press in the United States. He also authored several books about baseball including The Summer of ’49 (1989) and The Breaks of the Game. His book The Amateurs was filmed as Rowing Through in 1996, and The Fifties was adapted for a television miniseries in 1997. His book The Teammates: A Portrait of Friendship was also adapted for television in 2003. Halberstam’s recent books also include War in a Time of Peace: Bush, Clinton and the Generals (2001) critiquing American foreign police following the end of the Cold War, Firehouse (2002) about the fire crew of Engine 40, Ladder 35 during the terrorist attack on the Twin Towers on 9/11, and The Coldest Winter, a forthcoming work about the Korean War.
2007 • Obituaries
tured as Brooke English in All My Children in 1981. She also starred as Judy Maxwell in the short-lived comedy series What’s Up Doc in 1978. Hall also appeared in several films including Rush It (1976), Hit List (1989), and Relentless (1989). She was featured in the tele-films The Day the Women Got Even (1980), Born Beautiful (1982), The Witching of Ben Wagner (1987), and Foxfire (1987) with Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronyn. Though largely retired from the screen, she made a final appearance in an episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent in 2001.
Harriet Hall
HALL, JIMMY Jimmy Hall, who was scheduled to host the Discovery Channel’s Shark Week, was killed on May 9, 2007, while BASE jumping from mountains near Sam Fjord on Canada’s Baffin Island. He was 41. Hall was filming a documentary north of the Arctic Circle at the time of his death. Hall was the owner of Hawai’i Shark Encounters in O’ahu, Hawaii. He appeared on various television programs including Today Show, Inside Edition, and CNN newscasts. He was scheduled to swim with Great White Sharks at Australia’s Great Barrier Reef for Discovery’s Shark Week later in the summer.
David Halberstam
HALL, HARRIET Actress Harriet Hall died of a heart attack in Chatsworth, Georgia, on September 29, 2007. She was 58. Hall was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on October 18, 1948. She began her acting career performing in dinner theaters in the Chicago area. She starred on the NBC daytime soap opera Sommerset as Andrea Moore from 1972 to 1974 and was fea-
Jimmy Hall
HALL , TERRY British ventriloquist Terry Hall died of complications from Alzheimer’s disease in
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Earlsdon, Coventry, England, on April 4, 2007. He was 80. Hall was born in Chadderton, Oldham, England, on November 20, 1926. He began practicing ventriloquism as a child and was performing with the Carroll Levis Discoveries stage show from the age of 15. His best known puppet was Lenny the Lion, and they made their debut together on television on the variety show Dress Rehearsal with Eric Sykes in 1956. Hall starred in several of his own series, including The Lenny the Lion Show from 1957 to 1960, Lenny’s Den from 1959 to 1961, and Pops and Lenny from 1962 to 1963. Hall and Lenny were featured on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1958, and they released a popular record, Lenny’s Bath Time, in 1963. Hall was also featured on such television series as Big Night Out, The Blackpool Show, and Spatz. He and Lenny continued to work the variety circuit through the 1970s, and starred in the ITV children’s educational series Reading with Lenny from 1977 to 1980.
Terry Hall (with Lenny the Lion)
HAMANN, EVELYN German actress Evelyn Hamann died in Germany on October 29, 2007. She was 65. Hamann was born in Hamburg, Germany, on August 6, 1942. She began her career on stage in the late 1960s, and became a popular performer on German television in a series of comedy sketches in the 1970s. She was also seen on television in such series as Ida Rogalski, Pariser Geschichten, St. Pauli Landungsbrucken,
Felix und Oskar, Kontakt bite..., Abenteuer Bundesrepublik, Nesthakchen, Helga und die Nordichter, Berliner Weisse mit Schuss, Roncalli, Hessische Geschichten, Jakob und Adele, Tatort, Der Landarzt in the recurring role of Thea Abdoll, Gluckliche Reise, Der Alte, Der Millionenerbe, and Das Traumschiff. She also starred as Carsta Michaelis in the television series The Black Forest Clinic from 1986 to 1989. Hamann appeared in a handful of films during her career including The Pentecost Offering (1978), Piratensender Powerplay (1982), Wer Spinnt Denn da, Herr Doktor? (1982), Odipussi (1988), and Pappa ante Portas (1991). Hamann starred as Adelheid Mobius in the television series Adelheid und ihre Morder from 1993 until her death.
HAMMER, MARK Actor Mark Hammer died of complications from renal failure, diabetes, and sepsis in a Jersey City hospital on February 15, 2007. He was 69. Hammer was born in San Jose, California, on April 28, 1937. He attended Stanford University and Catholic University, where he earned a master’s degree in theater in 1962. He taught drama at Catholic from 1966 to 1989. He performed frequently on stage, acting in productions at Washington, D.C.’s, Arena Stage from 1973 to 1991. He also appeared often with the New York Shakespeare Festival in Central Park, and appeared on Broadway as King Creon in Medea with Diana Rigg. Hammer also appeared in several films including Being There (1979), Raise the Titanic (1980), Year of the Dragon (1985), The Imagemaker (1986), McBain (1991), The Silent Alarm (1993), Kiss of Death (1995), Magnetism (1999), Thinking Out Loud (2000), Meet the Parents (2000), Just Another Story (2003), It Runs in the Family (2003), and Jinnah — On Crime: White Knight, Black Widow (2003). He also appeared in television productions of Much Ado About Nothing (1973), Zalmen: or, The Madness of God (1975), and Darrow (1991), and episodes of 3 lbs. and Law & Order.
Mark Hammer
Evelyn Hamann
HANDFORD, PETER Academy Award–winning sound recordist Peter Handford died in Wickham Skeith, Suffolk, England, on November 6, 2007. He was 88. Handford was born in Four Elms, Kent, England, on March 21, 1919. He began working in films
155 at the age of 17 as an apprentice sound camera loader for London Films. He served with the British Expeditionary Forces during World War II and worked with the Army Film Unit. He returned to film work after the war and earned his first film credit with 1949’s Black Magic, starring Orson Welles. Handford became one of the leading sound recordists in British films over the next 40 years, with such credits as Maytime in Mayfair (1949), Alfred Hitchcock’s Under Capricorn (1949), Night and the City (1950), Odette (1950), Into the Blue (1950), Paris (1951), Calling Bulldog Drummond (1951), The Lady with the Lamp (1951), Curtain Up (1952), Derby Day (1952), Gift Horse (1952), Trent’s Last Case (1952), Folly to Be Wise (1953), The Beggar’s Opera (1953), Front Page Story (1954), Trouble in the Glen (1954), Seagulls Over Sorrento (1954), Lilacs in the Spring (1954), It’s a Great Day (1955), David Lean’s Summer Madness (1955), King’s Rhapsody (1955), Private’s Progress (1956), My Teenage Daughter (1956), Sailor Beware (1956), Dry Rot (1956), Three Men in a Boat (1956), Saint Joan (1957), Blue Murder at St. Trinian’s (1957), Happy Is the Bride (1958), The Key (1958), and Left Right and Centre (1959). Handford worked with Jack Clayton on the landmark British New Wave classic, Room at the Top, in 1959. Noted for his abilities to record sound on location shootings, he remained a leading sound recordist in the 1960s. His credits include Sons and Lovers (1960), The Entertainer (1960), Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960), Mysterious Island (1961), Billy Liar (1963), Tom Jones (1963), The Pumpkin Eater (1964), Darling (1965), Morgan: A Suitable Case for Treatment (1966), Mademoiselle (1966), Charlie Bubbles (1967), The White Bus (1967), The Railway Children (1970), The Go-Between (1970), Hitchcock’s Frenzy (1972), From Beyond the Grave (1973), Hitler: The Last Ten Days (1973), A Doll’s House (1973), Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express (1974), Akenfield (1974), The Romantic Englishwoman (1975), Joseph Andrews (1977), Julia (1977), The Chosen (1977), Absolution (1978), The Lady Vanishes (1979), Finders Keepers (1984), and Steaming (1985). Hartford received the Academy Award for Best Sound for his work on Sidney Pollack’s 1985 film Out of Africa. He continued to work on such films as Hope and Glory (1987), Gorillas in the Mist (1988), Dangerous Liaisons (1988), Clint
Peter Handford
2007 • Obituaries
Eastwood’s White Hunter, Black Heart (1990), and Pollack’s Havana (1990).
HANDLEMAN, STANLEY MYRON Comedian Stanley Myron Handleman died of a heart attack in a Panorama City, California, hospital on August 5, 2007. He was 77. Handleman was born in Brooklyn, New York, on November 21, 1929. He began performing in New York in the late 1950s. Bedecked in a flat cap with oversized glasses, Handleman was noted for his often intellectual comedy routines. He became well known for his regular role on the television variety series Dean Martin Presents the Goldiggers in the late 1960s. He also made frequent appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Merv Griffin Show, The Barbara McNair Show, The Flip Wilson Show and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Handleman was featured as Mookie in the 1965 film Harvey Middleman, Fireman and guest starred in an episode of Make Room for Granddaddy. He performed frequently on the stage in Las Vegas and often wrote material for fellow comedian Rodney Dangerfield.
Stanley Myron Handleman
HANICINEC, PETR Czech actor Petr Hanicinec died of cancer in Batronice, Czech Republic, on November 7, 2007. He was 77. Hanicinec was born in Pardubice, Czechoslovakia, on September 15, 1930. He was seen in numerous films from the late 1950s includ-
Petr Hanicinec
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ing All Our Enemies (1957), Tenkrat o Vanocich (1958), Sedmy Kontinent (1960), Evening (1962), Cerny vlk (1971), Horka Zima (1974), Pavlinka (1974), The Death of a Fly (1977), Shadow of a Flying Bird (1970), Svitalo Celou Noc (1980), Posledni Propadne Peklu (1982), A Bitter Autumn with a Scent of Mango (1984), Salar (1986), Time of the Servants (1989), and Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk (1992). Hanicinec was also featured in such television productions as Vlci Halir (1975), Mezicas (1981), Rozpaky Kuchare Svatopluka (1985), Synove a Dcery Jakuba Sklare (1986), Klement Gottwald (1986), Jaja a Paja (1987), Dlouha Mile (1989), and Adventure of Criminalistics (1990).
HANLEY, ELLEN Actress and singer Ellen Hanley died of a stroke following a long battle with cancer in a Norwalk, Connecticut, hospital on February 12, 2007. She was 80. Hanley was born in Lorain, Ohio, on May 15, 1926. A leading stage performer, she made her Broadway debut in Annie Get Your Gun in 1946. She also appeared in productions of Barefoot Boy with Cheek (1947), Two’s Company (1952), and First Impressions (1959). She was best known for her role as Fiorello LaGuardia’s first wife in the hit Broadway musical Fiorello! in 1959. Hanley also toured frequently in summer stock, and was featured in an episode of The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show on television. She was married to television writer Ronnie Graham from 1951 until their divorce in 1963.
(1962), Voyage to Danger (1962), The Pastor with the Jazz Trumpet (1962), Kali Yug, Goddess of Vengeance (1963), The Cavern (1964), Frozen Alive (1964), Gringos Do Not Forgive (1965), Diamond Walkers (1965), Mutiny in the South Seas (1965), X7 Operation Rembrandt (1966), Is Paris Burning? (1966), the 1967 Perry Rhodan science fiction film Mission Stardust, Assignment K (1968), Andrea the Nympho (1968), Unser Doktor ist der Beste (1969), The Brazen Women of Balzac (1969), The Bridge at Remagen (1969), Underground (1970), Popsy Pop (1971), First Time with Feeling (1974), The Old Gun (1975), A Woman at Her Window (1976), The Eagle Has Landed (1976), The Boys from Brazil (1978), Lucky Star (1979), Iron Hand (1979), Breakthrough (1979), and Palace (1985). Hansen was also seen in such television productions as Pakbo (1970), Operation Walkure (1971), Gasparone (1972), World on Wires (1973), Nora Helmer (1974), Les Faucheurs de Marguerites (1974), Harte 10 (1974), Heidi (1978), Anne of Green Gables (1985), My Secret Summer (1995), and Ein Mann fur Gewisse Sekunden (1999). Hansen was featured as Lt. Gen. Alfred Jodl in the mini-series The Winds of War (1983) and War and Remembrance (1988). His other television credits include episodes of Les Nouvelles Aventures de Vidocq, Tatort and Das Traumschiff.
Joachim Hansen
Ellen Hanley
HARDMAN , KARL Karl Hardman, who starred in George Romero’s landmark horror classic
HANSEN, JOACHIM German actor Joachim Hansen died of a brain hemorrhage in Berlin, Germany, on September 13, 2007. He was 77. Hansen was born in Frankfurt, Germany, on June 28, 1930. He began his career in films in the late 1950s and appeared in numerous features over the next forty years. Hansen’s film credits include The Star of Africa (1957), Escape from Sahara (1958), Laila (1958), Romarei, das Madchen mit den Grunen Augen (1958), Black Triangle (1959), Stalingrad: Dogs, Do You Want to Live Forever? (1959), Duel with Death (1959), Der Schatz vom Toplitzsee (1959), The High Life (1960), Devil’s Choice (1960), Heritage of Bjorndal (1960), Fountain of Life (1961), Via Mala (1961), Ramona (1961), The Secret of the Black Trunk (1962), Das Madchen und der Staatsanwalt
Karl Hardman
157 Night of the Living Dead, died of pancreatic cancer in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on September 22, 2007. He was 80. Hardman was born in Pittsburgh on March 22, 1927. He worked in radio in Pittsburgh as part of the cast of the popular program Cordic and Company from 1954 to 1965. He was the voice of such characters as Louie the Garbageman, Roquefort Q. LaFarge, and Mr. Murchison. He starred as ill-tempered Harry Cooper in the 1968 horror film Night of the Living Dead, which also featured his partner Marilyn Eastman, and their daughter, Kyra Schon, as his on-screen family. Hardman was also a producer of the film, and worked on makeup and sound effects. He returned to the screen three decades later in the 1996 horror film Santa Claws.
HARKIMO, OSMO Finnish cinematographer Osmo Harkimo died in Sipoo, Finland, on April 8, 2007. He was 83. Harkimo was born in Kymi, Finland, on October 7, 1923. He began working in films as an actor while in his teens, appearing in small roles in Lapseni on Minun... (1940), Tuomari Martta (1943), Toukokuun Taika (1948), Princess Ruusunen (1949), The Night Is Long (1952), and The Unknown Soldier (1955). He also began working as a camera operator in the late 1940s. Harkimo was soon serving as director of photography on such films as Aaltonen’s Missus Takes Charge (1949), Professor Masa (1950), Kaunis Veera eli Ballaadi Saimaalta (1950), Radio Tekee Murron (1951), The Night Is Long (1952), Gregory Peck Kavi Suomessa (1953), Sininen Viikko (1954), Pastori Jussilainen (1955), Sven Tuuva the Hero (1958), Pekka ja Patka Neekereina (1960), Toivelauluja (1961), Oksat Pois... (1961), Pahkahullu Suomi (1967), and Girl of Finland (1967).
2007 • Obituaries
complished poker player and served as a poker consultant for the ESPN television series Tilt in 2005.
John Harkness
HARNICK, JAY Jay Harnick, the founder of the children’s theater company Theaterworks/USA, died after a long illness in a Manhattan, New York, nursing home on February 27, 2007. He was 78. Harnick was born in Chicago, Illinois, on June 8, 1928. He moved to New York after graduating from the University of Illinois. He began his career on stage as a performer in small roles in such Broadway musicals as Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1949), Alive and Kicking (1950), and John Murray Anderson’s Almanac (1953). He was a founder of Theaterworks/USA in 1961 and served as its artistic director until his retirement in 2000. Theaterworks became the leading touring children’s theater group in the country, producing over 100 productions including an adaptation of The Velveteen Rabbit. Harnick was married to actress Barbara Barrie from 1964 until his death.
Osmo Harkimo
HARKNESS, JOHN Canadian film critic John Harkness died of a heart attack in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on December 18, 2007. He was 53. Harkness was born in Montreal, Canada, on August 7, 1954. He began writing film reviews for Now weekly in 1981, and also wrote articles for the publications Sight and Sound and Take One. Harkness was a founding member of the Toronto Film Critics Association. He was also the author of a popular reference book on the Oscars, The Academy Awards Handbook. Harkness was also an ac-
Jay Harnick
HARRINGTON, CURTIS Legendary director Curtis Harrington, noted for his horrifically elegant films, died of complications from a stroke at his home in Los Angeles, on May 6, 2007. He was 80. He was born in Los Angeles, on September 17, 1926. He studied film at the University of Southern California and
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the University of California at Los Angeles. He moved to Paris in the 1950s, where he wrote a book about filmmaker Josef von Sternberg. He became involved with other avante garde filmmakers, including Kenneth Anger, and appeared in his 1954 cult film Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome. Harrington began assisting producer Jerry Wald in the 1950s and worked as an assistant producer on the films The Harder They Fall (1956), The Eddy Duchin Story (1956), Peyton Place (1957), The Long, Hot Summer (1958), and Mardi Gras (1958). He rose to associate producer later in the decade, with the films Hound-Dog Man (1959), Return to Peyton Place (1961), and The Stripper (1963). In the early 1960s Harrington became a protege of Roger Corman and wrote and directed his first feature, a bizarre saga of a murderous mermaid, Night Tide, in 1961, starring Dennis Hopper. He directed the 1965 science fiction film Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet under the pseudonym John Sebastian, utilizing footage from Eastern European films to supply the special effects. He also directed and wrote the science fiction horror saga Queen of Blood (1966) and the off-beat psychological thriller Games (1967) starring James Caan. He continued with a series of Grand Guignol classics, including Who Slew Auntie Roo? (1971), What’s the Matter with Helen? (1971) starring Debbie Reynolds and Shelley Winters, and The Killing Kind (1973). He also directed the tele-films How Awful About Allan (1970), The Cat Creature (1973), Killer Bees (1974), The Dead Don’t Die (1975), and Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell (1978). He also directed episodes of The Legend of Jesse James, Baretta, Wonder Woman, Tales of the Unexpected, Logan’s Run, Vega$, Sword of Justice, Charlie’s Angels, Dynasty, Darkroom, The Colbys, and the new version of The Twilight Zone. He was displeased with his 1977 horror film Ruby when the ending was changed by the producers. His last feature film was Mata Hari in 1985. He largely retired from filmmaking in the mid–1980s, but appeared in a small role of a party guest in the 1998 bio-drama about the life of director James Whale, Gods and Monsters. His final film which he directed and starred in, Usher, based on Edgar Allen Poes The Fall of the House of Usher, was released in 2002 and screened at several film festivals.
Curtis Harrington
HARRIS, DENNY Award-winning commercial director Denny Harris died of cancer in Glenville, North Carolina, on March 5, 2007. He was 76. Harris was born on July 10, 1930. He also wrote and directed the 1980 horror film The Silent Scream, starring Rebecca Balding, Yvonne DeCarlo, and Barbara Steele.
Denny Harris (his film Silent Scream)
HARRIS, MARK Mark Harris, who was noted for writing such baseball novels as Bang the Drum Slowly, died of complications from pneumonia, a broken hip, and Alzheimer’s disease in a Santa Barbara, California, hospital on May 30, 2007. He was 84. Harris was born in Mount Vernon, New York, on November 19, 1922. His first novel, Trumpet to the World, was published in 1946. Harris penned over a dozen novels including the baseball books The Southpaw (1953), Bang the Drum Slowly (1956), A Ticket for a Seamstitch (1957), and It Looked Like Forever (1979). Bang the Drum Slowly, about a catcher dying of Hodgkin’s disease, was adapted for a 1973 film starring Robert De Niro and Michael Moriarty. Harris also wrote such non-fiction works as City of Discontent: An Interpretive Biography of Vachel Lindsay (1963), Mark the Glove Boy, or The Last Days of Richard Nixon (1964), and Saul Bellow: Drumlin Woodchuck (1980). His final work was a 1994 collection of baseball essays entitled Diamond.
Mark Harris
159 HART, JOHNNY Cartoonist Johnny Hart, who was a creator of the popular comic strips B.C. and The Wizard of Id, died of a stroke at his drawing board at his home in Endicott, New York, on April 7, 2007. He was 76. Hart was born in Endicott on February 18, 1931. He served in the U.S. Air Force and began drawing cartoons for the military publication Stars and Stripes. He left the military in 1954 and sold his first freelance cartoon to The Saturday Evening Post. Hart created the comic strip B.C., set in prehistoric times, in 1958. He later teamed with fellow cartoonist Brant Parker to create The Wizard of Id, about a diminutive tyrant and his court, in 1964. Both strips were hugely successful with B.C. appearing in over 1300 newspapers and The Wizard of Id appearing in over 1000. The Wizard of Id was adapted for an animated television special in 1969, and several B.C. animated television specials aired including B.C.: The First Thanksgiving (1973) and B.C.: A Special Christmas. Hart earned five awards from the National Cartoonists Society during his career.
Johnny Hart
HATCH, SIR DAVID Sir David Hatch, who served as managing director of BBC Radio from 1987 to 1993, died in Chalfont St. Giles, Buckinghamshire, England, on June 13, 2007. He was 68. Hatch was born in England on May 7, 1939. He began his career on stage performing in the revue shoe A Clump of Plinths
2007 • Obituaries
(aka Cambridge Circus) in the West End and Broadway in 1963. He was featured in the radio series I’m Sorry I’ll Read That Again in 1964. Hatch became a producer with the BBC in the mid–1960s, working on such series as Just a Minute, I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue, Hello Cheeky!, and Week Ending. He continued to work in radio, heading up Radio 2 and Radio 4 in the 1980s. He became managing director of BBC Radio in 1987. Hatch left the BBC in 1993, and served as Chairman of the National Consumer Council from 1996 to 2000. He headed the Parole Board for England and Wales from 2000 to 2004, and was knighted for his efforts in 2004.
HAWTHORNE, JIM Comic radio and television personality Jim Hawthorne died of congestive heart failure in Santa Barbara, California, on November 6, 2007. He was 88. Hawthorne was born in Victor, Colorado, on November 20, 1918. He began his career in radio in 1940 before joining the Army during World War II. After the war, he moved to Los Angeles and joined KXLA in 1943. He had achieved national recognition with his unpredictable, and often wacky, show by 1947. He also released several records during the late 1940s and 1950s, including “Serutan Yob” (1948), a hillbilly style parody of Nat King Cole’s popular song “Nature Boy.” In 1950 Hawthorne produced and starred on The Hawthorne Thing, a radio show that began at NBC’s Hollywood studio, and led him into a career in television. From 1950 to 1952, he hosted This Is Hawthorne, a late-evening talk show, and launched the comedic weather segment, Hawthorne Looks at the Weather. In 1965 he moved to Honolulu, where he created and was the original host of the popular children’s television show Checkers and Pogo. He moved to Denver in 1970 and served as promotion and program director at radio station KOA, and created, wrote, and hosted a daily news magazine for KOA-TV. He retired in 1985, though he continued to make appearances on radio. Hawthorne relocated to the Buena Vista Care Center in Santa Barbara, California, where he produced several local cable-access variety shows.
Jim Hawthorne
Sir David Hatch
HAYES, DREW Comic artist and writer Drew Hayes, who created the Poison Elves comic book, died
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of a heart attack while suffering from pneumonia in Bellingham, Washington, on March 21, 2007. He was 37. Hayes was born on July 20, 1969. He began selfpublishing the comic book series I, Lusiphur in 1991, and changed the title to Poison Elves after 20 issues. Sirius Entertainment began publishing the title in 1995. Hayes completed his final issue with #79 in September of 2004. Most of the titles run were collected in a series of 10 trade paperbacks.
Drew Hayes
HAZELHOFF ROELFZEMA , ERIK Erik Hazelhoff Roelfzema, a Dutch World War II hero whose exploits were the basis for the film Soldier of Orange, died of heart failure at his home in Ahualoa, Hawaii, on September 26, 2007. He was 90. Hazelhoff Roelfzema was born in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) on April 3, 1917. The son of a coffee plantation manager, he later accompanied his family back to the Netherlands. He left the Netherlands after the Nazi invasion during World War II and ended up in London where he worked with the British intelligence services Dutch section. Hazelhoff Roelfzema worked actively with the Dutch Resistance, undertaking numerous covert missions to his homeland during the war. He later flew reconnaissance missions over Germany with Britain’s Royal Air Force. He served as an aide-de-camp to the exiled Queen Wilhelmina upon her return to the Netherlands in 1945. He moved to the
United States in the early 1950s, where he became a citizen. He worked as a writer for NBC and Radio Free Europe. His wartime exploits received international recognition following the publication of his 1971 autobiography Soldier of Orange. His story was adapted by director Paul Verhoeven for a 1970 film, starring Rutger Hauer as the young hero.
HAZLEHURST, RONNIE Composer Ronnie Hazlehurst, who wrote and conducted the theme music for numerous BBC television productions, died in St. Peter Port, Guernsey, England, on October 1, 2007. He was 79. Hazlehurst was born in Duckinfield, Cheshire, England, on March 13, 1928. He began his career in music as a young man, performing with George Chambers’ band in the late 1940s. He worked with Granada TV in the 1950s, before moving on to the BBC. He composed the music for the series The Likely Lads and It’s a Knockout, and for the 1965 tele-play Vote, Vote, Vote for Nigel Barton. Hazlehurst became head of music for BBC’s light entertainment division in 1968. He went on to compose the themes and incidental music for numerous television productions, including The Two Ronnies, The Picnic, I Didn’t Know You Cared, The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin, Blankety Blank, To the Manor Born, Sink or Swim, Only Fools and Horses, Roger Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Yes Minister, Jack of Diamonds, The Magnificent Evans, Uncle of the Bride, Big Day at Dream Acres, Yes, Prime Minister, Wyatt’s Watchdogs, and Last of the Summer Wine.
Ronnie Hazlehurst
Erik Haelho› Roelfzema
HAZLEWOOD, LEE Songwriter Lee Hazlewood, who was best known for writing Nancy Sinatra’s hit song “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’,” died of renal cancer in Henderson, Nevada, on August 4, 2007. He was 78. Hazlewood was born in Mannford, Oklahoma, on July 9, 1929. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War and began working as a radio disc jockey after his discharge. He scored his first hit as a songwriter with rockabilly singer Sanford Clark’s recording of “The Fool” in 1956. Teaming with guitarist Duane Eddy, Hazlewood penned such hit songs as “Boss Guitar,” “Shazam!,” “Rebel Rouser,” and “40 Miles of Bad Road.” He produced the solo album “Trouble Is a Lonesome Town” in 1963. He soon began
161 working with Nancy Sinatra and wrote the #1 hit single “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’” in 1966. He also wrote the songs “How Does That Grab Ya, Darlin’” and “Sugar Town” for Nancy Sinatra, and performed with her on several duets including “Some Velvet Morning.” He also wrote the Dean Martin hit “Houston,” and appeared in several films including The Sweet Ride (1968), The Moonshine War (1970), and Smoke (1971). Hazlewood moved to Sweden in the early 1970s where he wrote and produced the television show Cowboy in Sweden. He was largely retired from show business until the 1990s, when a new generation of musicians discovered him and recorded covers of his songs. He returned to touring and recording himself, and released his final album, Cake of Death, earlier in 2007.
Lee Hazlewood
HEATH, LAURENCE Television writer and producer Laurence Heath died in Los Angeles on January 9, 2007. He was 78. Heath was born in the Bronx, New York, on February 19, 1928. He began working in television in the 1960s, scripting episodes of Mannix, The Invaders, and Hawaii Five-O. He was a writer, producer, and story consultant for the Mission: Impossible series in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Heath also wrote and produced the series The Magician (1973) and Khan! (1975), and the tele-film Call to Danger (1973). He also scripted the tele-films and mini-series Most Wanted (1976), Seventh Avenue (1977), Ski Lift to Death (1978), The Beasts Are on the Streets (1978), Steeletown (1979), Stunts Unlimited (1980), The Memory of Eva Ryker (1980), Code Red (1981), Jacqueline Susann’s Valley of the Dolls (1981), Christopher Columbus (1985), Sins (1986), and Judith Krantz’s Dazzle (1995). He also wrote the 1989 film Triumph of the Spirit, and scripted numerous episodes of Murder, She Wrote in the 1990s. HEFFRON, RICHARD T. Prolific television and film director Richard T. Heffron died in Seattle, Washington, on August 27, 2007. He was 76. Heffron was born in Chicago, Illinois, on October 6, 1930. He began working in television in the 1960s, helming episodes of The Bold Ones: The Lawyers, Banacek, The Rockford Files, and Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. He directed numerous tele-films and mini-series during his career including Do You Take This Stranger? (1971),
2007 • Obituaries
Toma (1973), Outrage (1973), The Morning After (1974), Newman’s Law (1974), The California Kid (1974), Locusts (1974), The Honorable Sam Houston (1975), I Will Fight No More Forever (1975), Death Scream (1975), Young Joe, the Forgotten Kennedy (1977), See How She Runs (1978), True Grit: A Further Adventure (1978), A Rumor of War (1980), A Whale for the Killing (1981), A Killer in the Family (1983), V: The Final Battle (1984), Anatomy of an Illness (1984), The Mystic Warrior (1984), North and South (1985), Samaritan: The Mitch Snyder Story (1986), Convicted: A Mother’s Story (1987), Guilty of Innocence: The Lenell Geter Story (1987), Napoleon and Josephine: A Love Story (1987) making a rare onscreen appearance in the role of Duchene, Broken Angel (1988), Pancho Barnes (1988), Tagget (1991), The Baron (1995), Deadly Family Secrets (1995), and Danielle Steel’s No Greater Love (1996). Heffron also directed a handful of feature films including the music documentary Fillmore (1972), Trackdown (1976), Futureworld (1977), Outlaw Blues (1977), Foolin’ Around (1980), the 1982 Mike Hammer thriller I, the Jury, and The French Revolution (1989) which he also scripted.
HEMMING, EVA Finnish dancer and actress Eva Hemming died in Turku, Finland, on January 15, 2007. She was 84. Hemming was born in Finland on January 12, 1923. She began appearing in films the late 1930s, with such credits as Syyllisiako? (1938), Poretta (1941), Jos Oisi Valtaa... (1941), Onnellinen Ministeri (1941), Katariina ja Munkkiniemen Kreivi (1943), Countess for a Night (1945), Pikajuna Pohjoiseen (1947), Haaviston Leeni (1948), Dancing on Graves (1950), and Kolmiapila (1953).
Eva Hemming
HENDERSON, BILLY Billy Henderson, cofounder of the R&B band the Spinners, died from complications of diabetes in a Daytona Beach, Florida, healthcare facility on February 2, 2007. He was 67. Henderson was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, on August 9, 1939. He and four of his high school friends formed the Spinners in the 1950s while living in Ferndale, Michigan, a Detroit suburb. The band first signed on with Motown and moved to Atlantic Records in 1972 where they scored such hits as “I’ll Be Around,” “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love,” “One of a Kind
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(Love Affair),” “Then Came You” and “The Rubberband Man.” The Spinners were also seen in the 1979 feature film The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh and on such television programs as Cher, The Mike Douglas Show, Bandstand, Disco ’77, Grease Day USA, Saturday Night Live and Laverne & Shirley. The Spinners were nominated for six Grammy Awards and continued to perform together until Henderson left the group in 2004 due to a legal dispute with the group’s corporation and business manager.
(1996), and This Is as Far as I Go (1999). His final album, Stories for Sale, was released in 2005. He had suffered in recent years from asbestosis, which was believed to have been the result of his construction work earlier in life.
HENRY, LES British comedian and harmonica player Les Henry died in England on January 12, 2007. He was 86. He was born Henry Leslie in England on October 20, 1920. He learned to play the harmonica as a child and led his own harmonica band in the late 1930s. He was featured as a solo act with Bryan Michie’s Radio Stars in 1939. Henry entertained the troops during World War II, and formed his own trio, The Three Monarchs, with Eric York and Jimmy Prescott after the war. He starred as Cedric in the comedy musical group, which performed at venues throughout Europe. They were also seen in the 1959 film Europe by Night, and appeared frequently on television during the 1960s and 1970s. The Three Monarchs disbanded in 1981, but Henry continued to entertain as a solo act for the remainder of his life. He was seen on television in episodes of Hi-De-Hi! and Tales of the Unexpected.
Billy Henderson
HENNESSY , CHRISTIE Irish singer and songwriter Christie Hennessy died of asbestosis in a London hospice on December 11, 2007. He was 62. Hennessy was born in Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland, on November 19, 1945. He was raised in a musical family and worked as a laborer on construction sites as a young man. Moving to London, he began playing in several bands and wrote his first song in 1968. He recorded The Green Album in 1972 and was soon performing regularly on John Peel’s radio program. As a songwriter, he scored a popular success when Christy Moore sang his “Don’t Forget Your Shovel” in 1983. “Jealous Heart” was a hit for Maire Brennan in 1992, and Frances Black recorded his “All The Lies That You Told Me” in 1995. Hennessy himself recorded a series of popular albums, including The Rehearsal (1992), A Year in the Life (1993), Lord of Your Eyes (1994), The Box
Christie Hennessy
Les Henry
HERALD, PETER V. Film producer and production manager Peter V. Herald died of complications from Parkinson’s disease at his home in Los Angeles on February 17, 2007. He was 86. Herald was born in Berlin, Germany, on December 20, 1920, and immigrated to the United States in 1937. He served in the U.S. Air Force during World War II, and worked with the U.S. military government in Germany through the early 1950s. Herald met Walt Disney while in Europe and worked as Disney’s production supervisor for Europe from 1960 to 1966. He was an associate producer on the Disney films Miracle of the White Stallions (1963) and Emil and the Detectives (1964). Herald moved to Los Angeles in 1967 where he continued to work in films. He served as production manager and sometimes producer on such films as There Was a Crooked Man... (1970), The Crazy World of Julius Vrooder (1974), W.C. Fields and Me (1976), Alex & the Gypsy (1976), Silver Streak (1976), Star Wars (1977), Foul Play (1978), Nightwing (1979), Doctor Detroit (1983), D.C. Cab
163 (1983), Stick (1985), Outrageous Fortune (1987), and Married to It (1991).
HERBERT, DON Don Herbert, who starred as 1950s television science guru Mr. Wizard, died of bone cancer at his home in Bell Canyon, California, on June 12, 2007. He was 89. Herbert was born in Waconia, Minnesota, on July 10, 1917. He was a pilot with the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II, and completed more than fifty bombing missions. After the war he worked on radio as an actor and writer. He began the series Watch Mr. Wizard in Chicago on NBC in 1951. Over the next 14 years he demonstrated scientific experiments to youngsters in the television audience. He was usually aided by young assistants on the show, which used common household objects to illustrate scientific principals. The program earned a Peabody Award in 1953 and continued to air on NBC through 1965. Herbert hosted several similar shortlived series in the 1960s including Experiment and How About. Watch Mr. Wizard was revived by NBC briefly in 1971, and Herbert returned to television with Mr. Wizard’s World on Nickelodeon in 1983.
2007 • Obituaries
frequently in German films and television productions from the 1950s. Hetterle was seen in the films Drei Madchen im Endspiel (1956), Thomas Muntzer (1956), Spur in die Nacht (1957), Maibowle (1959), Leute mit Flugeln (1960), Encounters in the Dark (1960), Ein Sommertag Macht Keine Liebe (1961), Das Rabaukenkabarett (1961), Das Zweite Gleis (1962), Geheimarchiv an der Elbe (1963), Solange Leben in Mir Ist (1965), Trotz Alledem! (1972), Einfach Blumen aufs Dach (1979), Antigone (1992), and Hans Warns: My 20th Century (1999).
HEWETT, CHRISTINE British actress and model Christine Hewett, who appeared as a space girl in the original Star Wars cantina sequence, died of cancer in England on September 18, 2007. She was 64. Hewett was born on August 11, 1943. She was featured in a small role in the film version of The Who’s rock opera Tommy in 1976, and guest-starred in episodes of Space: 1999 and Doctor Who. The blonde actress was outfitted with a black beehive hairstyle for her brief role in 1977’s Star Wars, playing a character later identified as Brea Tonnika. She was also seen in the films Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987), Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), Strike It Rich (1990), Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994), Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001), Die Another Day (2002), and De-Lovely (2004).
Don Herbert (Mr. Wizard)
HETTERLE, ALBERT German actor Albert Hetterle died in Berlin, Germany, on December 17, 2006. He was 88. Hetterle was born in Peterstal, Odessa, Ukraine, on October 31, 1918. He performed
Albert Hetterle
Christina Hewitt
HICKS, SIMON Judo expert and theatrical designer Simon Hicks died of complications from a
Simon Hicks
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brain tumor in Bristol, England, on March 7, 2007. He was 51. Hicks was born in Bristol on July 29, 1955. He studied stage design in London, and began the Video Casting Directory for actors in the late 1970s. Hicks was also an accomplished judo coach who had earned a 6th Dan Black Belt from the British Judo Association. He was the founder of Fighting Films in 1988, which created judo films featuring events in Olympic Games and Judo World Championships. He also made a series of technical films on the sport. Hicks served as a production designer for several films including Leon the Pig Farmer (1993), One More Kiss (1993), and Nectar (2006).
HILBERMAN , DAVID Animator David Hilberman died of complications from an infection in Stanford, California, on July 5, 2007. He was 95. Hilberman was born on December 18, 1911. He began working as a layout artist for Walt Disney Studios in the late 1930s. He worked on such animated films as Ugly Duckling (1939) and Bambi (1942). He was instrumental in organizing the animators’ strike at Disney in 1941 before leaving the studio. He subsequently joined the UPA animation studio. Hilberman was black-listed during the 1950s when he was denounced as a Communist by Disney. He left the United States for several decades, returning in the 1980s. He later worked as a layout artist for the carton series The Kwicky Koala Show and Smurfs, and the animated film Once Upon a Time (1993).
composition at several universities in the 1970s and 1980s. His later albums include Dusk (2001), A Beautiful Day (2002), and Time Lines (2006).
Andrew Hill
HILL, DAVID “TEX” World War II fighter pilot David Lee “Tex” Hill died at his home in Terrell Hills, Texas, of congestive heart failure on October 11, 2007. He was 92. Hill was born in Kwangju, Korea, on July 13, 1915, and was raised in Texas. He trained as a Naval aviator and joined the Flying Tigers in 1941. He fought with distinction with the volunteer group of aviator stationed in China during World War II. He was the recipient of such honors as the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit, the British Flying Cross, four Distinguished Flying Crosses, and six Chinese combat decorations. John Wayne’s character, Capt. Jim Gordon, in the 1942 film The Flying Tigers, was based on Hill. He returned to Texas after the war, where he became the commander of the Texas Air National Guard with the rank of brigadier general. He was contacted by former fellow Flying Tiger, film producer Merian C. Cooper, in 1948, and was persuaded to fly to Africa to capture a baby gorilla for use in Cooper’s 1949 film Mighty Joe Young. Hill was featured in interviews in the 2005 documentary I’m King Kong!: The Exploits of Merian C. Cooper. He retired from the Air National Guard in 1968, but continued to tour with airshows around the world. He also authored his autobiography, Tex Hill: Flying Tiger.
David Hilberman
HILL, ANDREW Jazz pianist Andrew Hill died of lung cancer at his home in Jersey City, New Jersey, on April 20, 2007. He was 75. Hill was born in Chicago, Illinois, on June 30, 1931. He began playing the piano at the age of 13 and studied under Paul Hindemith while in his teens. He performed as a sideman to such jazz stars as Charlie Parker and Miles Davis during the 1950s. He moved to New York in 1961 to perform with singer Dinah Washington. Hill began performing his own compositions in the early 1960s and made a series of recordings for Blue Note including the acclaimed “Point of Departure.” He worked with such artists as Bobby Hutcherson, Elvin Jones, Woody Shaw, and Eric Dolphy. He taught musical
David “Tex” Hill
165 HILL, HELEN Experimental filmmaker and animator Helen Hill was shot to death by an intruder during a break-in at her home in New Orleans, Louisiana, on January 4, 2007. She was 36. Her husband, Dr. Paul Gailunas, was also shot, but survived the attack. Hill was born in Columbia, South Carolina, on May 9, 1970. She studied experimental animation at the California Institute of Arts. She taught animation at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design after moving to Canada. She and her husband moved to New Orleans in 2001. Hill created the animated shorts Madame Winger, Mouseholes, and Bohemian Town. She also wrote the book Recipes for Disaster: A Handcrafted Filmmaking Cookbook.
2007 • Obituaries
Hearst (1988), Downtown (1990), and Happy Anniversary, Punk! (2007).
Maury Hill
Helen Hill (with husband Dr. Paul Gailunas and their child)
HILL, MAURY Maurice “Maury” Hill, who was a writer and performer in the 1950s sci-fi series Space Patrol, died of heart complications in Los Angeles on July 12, 2007. He was 89. Hill was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on March 1, 1918. He moved to New York after serving in the U.S. Army, and began performing in small theatrical productions. He made his Broadway debut in 1948 in a small role in Mr. Roberts. He also appeared in such early television productions as Kraft Television Theatre, Studio One, and Suspense. He went to Hollywood in the early 1950s to join the cast of Space Patrol as Captain Hayward. He also worked on the series as a writer. Hill was also seen in episodes of I Love Lucy, Dragnet, Soldiers of Fortune, Lux Video Theatre, How to Marry a Millionaire, Suspicion, Tales of Wells Fargo, Zorro, Miami Undercover, Vacation Playhouse, Get Smart, Alias Smith and Jones, McMillan and Wife, Shaft, Archer, Mannix, Serpico, Alice, Delvecchio, The Man from Atlantis, 240-Robert, Little House on the Prairie, A Man Called Sloane, Trapper John, M.D., Remington Steele, Crossroads Cafe, L.A. Heat, and Murder, She Wrote. His other television credits include roles in the tele-films The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case (1976), Terraces (1977), The Scarlett O’Hara War (1980), and Mark, I Love You (1980). He was also featured in several films during his career including Tobor the Great (1954), Bengazi (1955), The Lieutenant Wore Skirts (1956), Back from Eternity (1956), Glass Houses (1972), Airplane! (1980), Airplane II: The Sequel (1982), Patty
HINZE, MATTHIAS German actor Matthias Hinze died in Berlin, Germany, of a reported suicide on April 14, 2007. He was 38. Hinze was born in Berlin on February 7, 1969, the son of actor Lothar Hinze. He was featured on German television in such series as Klasse fur Sich, Eine, Teufels Grossmutter, Nordlichter, and Gute Zeiten, Schlechte Zeiten. He was also seen as Manfred Rommel in the U.S. mini-series War and Remembrance in 1988. Hinze was also a voice actor, dubbing such performers as Matt Damon, James Marsden, and Jason Behr for German audiences.
Matthias Hinze
HITCHING, SUSANNAH Actress and author Susannah Hitching died of breast cancer at her brotherin-law’s house in Spain on June 8, 2007. She was 43. Hitching was born in England on April 1, 1964. She attended drama school and began her career on stage in the 1980s, appearing in such productions as Amadeus, The Doll’s House, and Wind in the Willows. She also appeared on British television in such productions as Hit the Pitch (1989), Stanley and the Women (1991), and The Alchemists (1999), and in episodes of Inspector Morse, Drop the Dead Donkey, Ben Elton: The Man from Auntie, Hamish Macbeth, and Casualty. She retired from
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acting after her marriage to photographer Josh Barratt. Under the name Suzy Barratt, she and her young sister, Polly Beard, created the popular books I’m Bored and I’m Bored ... Again! as a guide to families wanting to play games together. The two sisters also began an advice column for The Times in 2005 on entertaining children.
Martin’s Laugh-In, The Brady Bunch, Sanford and Son, Charlie’s Angels, McCloud, Fantasy Island, The Fall Guy, Life Goes On, and One West Waikiki. He also appeared in the films Joe’s Apartment (1996) and First Daughter (1997), and was a voice performer in the animated feature Aloha, Scooby-Doo (2005). Ho remained a popular performer in Hawaii throughout his life, performing his final concert several days before his death.
HOBL, PAVEL Czech film director Pavel Hobl died in Prague, Czech Republic, on May 20, 2007. He was 71. Hobl was born in Prague on June 20, 1935. He began working in films in the early 1960s, and wrote and directed the 1960 short film Fantazie pro Levou Ruku a Lidske Svedomi. Hobl produced, directed, and scripted 1964’s Do You Keep a Lion at Home?, and also appeared on screen in a small role. His other film credits include The Borrowed Face (1965), The Great Unknown (1970), and 30 Panen a Pythagoras (1977).
Susannah Hitching
HO, DON Hawaiian singer Don Ho, who was noted for his rendition of “Tiny Bubbles,” died of heart failure in Honolulu, Hawaii, on April 14, 2007. He was 76. He had suffered from heart problems over the past several years and had received a pacemaker in the fall of 2006. Ho was born in Honolulu on August 13, 1930. He served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War and began performing at his family’s bar on Oahu, Honey’s, after his discharge. He became a very popular performer throughout Hawaii and appeared at the Coconut Grove in Hollywood in 1966. He was noted for his rendition of such songs as “Tiny Bubbles,” “With All My Love,” “Hawaiian Wedding Song,” and many others. He was soon playing nightclubs in Las Vegas and making appearances on such television variety shows as The Hollywood Palace, This Is Tom Jones, The Andy Williams Show, The Tonight Show, and Dinah. He hosted his own series, The Don Ho Show in 1976, and made cameo appearances on such series as Batman, I Dream of Jeannie, Hawaiian Eye, Rowan &
Don Ho
Pavel Hobl
HODGE, MAX Television writer Max Hodge died at the Motion Picture and Television Fund House in Woodland Hills, California, on July 17, 2007. He was 91. Hodge was born in Matherville, Illinois, in 1916. He served in the US Navy during World War II and studied at The Pasadena Playhouse after the war. He worked as a producer and writer for Oldsmobile’s lavish industrial shows in the 1950s. He began writing frequently for television in the 1960s, scripting episodes of such series as Valentine’s Day, Dr. Kildare, The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. on which he also served as associate producer from 1966 to 1967, Batman creating the character of bat-villain Mr. Freeze, Hondo, Wild Wild West, Mission: Impossible, Marcus Welby, M.D., Alias Smith and Jones, Cannon, Ironside, the animated The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan, Barbary Coast, The Waltons, Eight Is Enough, Police Woman, CHiPs, and Palmerstown, U.S.A. Hodge also scripted the 1973 telefilm A Dream for Christmas. HOFFMAN, LEE Author Lee Hoffman died on February 6, 2007. She was 74. She was the author of numerous western novels including 1967’s The Valdez Horses. The novel earned her the Spur Award and was adapted for a 1973 film starring Charles Bron-
167 son and Jill Ireland. She was also active in science fiction fandom, publishing the fanzines Quandry and Science-Fiction Five-Yearly from the 1950s. She also wrote several science fiction novels including 1969’s The Caves of Karst. She also wrote historical romances under the name Georgia York.
Lee Ho›man
HOLDEN , STANLEY British ballet dancer and choreographer Stanley Holden died of complications from heart problems and colon cancer in Thousand Oaks, California, on May 11, 2007. He was 79. He was born Stanley Waller in London on January 27, 1928. He joined the Sadler’s Wells Ballet, later known as the Royal Ballet, in 1944 at the age of 16. He performed as a character dancer in productions of The Sleeping Beauty (1946) as Puss in Boots, John Cranko’s Harlequin in April (1951), and Frederick Ashton’s La Fille Mal Gardee (1960). He was also featured in Ashton’s 1968 production of Enigma Variations before retiring from the Royal Ballet the following year. He moved to Los Angeles in 1970, where he taught at the Stanley Holden Dance Center until 2001. He also returned to the stage in ballets around the country, particularly in productions of La File Mal Gardee and Coppelia. Holden also choreographed the 1989 ballet Dmitri with a libretto by Woody Allen.
2007 • Obituaries
HOLDER, BOSCOE Trinidadian dancer and choreographer Boscoe Holder died in Newtown, Trinidad, on April 21, 2007. He was 85. He was born Arthur Aldwyn Holder in Port of Spain, Trinidad, on July 16, 1921. He learned the music, songs and dances of Trinidad at an early age and was producing shows there by the late 1930s. He was a founding member of the Trinidad Art Society in 1943, and entertained U.S. troops stationed there during World War II. He traveled to New York to teach at the Katherine Dunham School in 1947, and settled in London the following year after his marriage to dancer Sheila Clarke. He formed the dance troupe Boscoe Holder and His Caribbean Dancers, with his wife as the lead performer. They were featured in their own television series, Bal Creole, in 1950. Holder remained a popular performer in cabarets and on television over the next two decades. He starred as Emperor Jones in an Armchair Theatre production on television in 1958, and was featured in episodes of The Saint and Danger Man. He was also featured in several films including The Love Lottery (1954), Storm Over Jamaica (1958), Sapphire (1959), and Round Trip (1967). He choreographed calypso numbers for the 1959 film Tiger Bay starring Hayley Mills, and created voodoo rituals for the horror films Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors (1965) and Beast of Morocco (1966). Holder returned to Trinidad in 1970 where he became an acclaimed painter. He was the oldest brother of acclaimed actor and dancer Geoffrey Holder and appeared in the 2002 documentary about his brother, Geoffrey Holder: The Unknown Side.
Boscoe Holder
Stanley Holden
HOLLAND, TONY British television writer Tony Holland, who was best known as the co-creator of the popular soap opera EastEnders, died of complications from injuries he received in a fall in England on November 21, 2007. He was 67. Holland was born in Shoeburyness, England, on January 18, 1940. He began writing for television in the 1960s, working as a writer and script editor for the series Z Cars. He became closely associated with producer-director Julia Smith while working on the 1975 series Angels and the two created EastEnders in 1985. Holland also worked as a script editor on the series Life and Death of Penelope, Cold Warrior and The District Nurse. He and Smith left
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EastEnders after only four years, but returned to the BBC to create another soap set at a Spanish resort, Eldorado. The series premiered in July 1992 to universally bad reviews. Holland’s career was damaged from the failure of the series, though he later worked as a writer for the Swedish soap opera Snoken in the mid–1990s.
ing the 1960s, died of prostate cancer in a Nashville, Tennessee, hospital on January 13, 2007. He was 70. He was born Doyle Floyd Hendricks in Perks, Oklahoma on June 30, 1936. He was playing in small clubs in Bakersfield, California, when he was invited to take over Merle Haggard’s spot in Buck Owen’s band in 1963. He performed on many of Owen’s biggest hits including “Act Naturally,” “Love’s Gonna Live Here,” “Buckaroo,” and “Together Again.” He also backed Owens on the television series Hee Haw from 1969 until leaving the group in 1971. Holly subsequently embarked on a solo career, recording several hits including “Queen of the Silver Dollar” and “Lila.” He retired from touring in the 1980s to open a musical instrument shop near Nashville.
Tony Holland
HOLLWEG, WERNER German opera singer Werner Hollweg died of amyotropic lateral sclerosis in Breisgau, Germany, on January 1, 2007. He was 70. He was born in Solingen, Germany on September 13, 1936. He began training as a singer in the late 1950s, and made his debut with the Vienna Chamber Opera in 1962. He performed at opera houses throughout Germany over the next several years. He soon gained an international reputation performing Belmonte in operas in Vienna, Munich, Edinburgh, and Salzburg. He made his debut in London’s Covent Garden in La Clemenza di Tito in 1976. He was noted as a leading interpreter of Mozart’s operas through the 1980s. Hollweg also began directing operas, staging and starring in productions of Cherubini’s Medee (1986) and York Holler’s The Master and Margarita (1989) at the Paris Opera.
Doyle Holly
HOLT, WILLY French film production designer Willy Holt died in Paris on June 22, 2007. He was 85. Holt was born in Quincy, Florida, on November 30, 1921. He began his career in films in the 1950s, serving as an art director or production designer for such directors as Fred Zinnemann, Rene Clement, Luis Malle, John Frankenheimer, Roman Polanski, and Woody Allen. His numerous film credits include Les Quatre Mousquetaires (1953), The Train (1964), Up from the Beach (1965), Is Paris Burning? (1966) which earned him an Academy Award nomination, Two for the Road (1967), The Sergeant (1968), Staircase (1969), The Lady
Werner Hollweg
HOLLY, DOYLE Doyle Holly, who played bass guitar with Buck Owens and the Buckaroos dur-
Willy Holt
169 in the Car with Glasses and a Gun (1970), The Scarlet Buccaneer (1971), The Annuity (1972), The Day of the Jackal (1973), The Down-in-the-Hole Gang (1974), The Destructors (1974), Rosebud (1975), Love and Death (1975), The Gypsy (1975), Boomerang (1976), Maxim’s Porter (1976), Man in a Hurry (1977), Julia (1977), The Other One’s Mug (1979), An Almost Perfect Affair (1979), Dead Certain (1981), Le Pere Noel est une Ordure (1982), Five Days One Summer (1982), The Ruffian (1983), Tout le Monde Peut se Tromper (1983), A Friend of Vincent (1983), Les Enrages (1985), Target (1985), A State of Emergency (1986), Goodbye, Children (1987), May Fools (1990), La Pagaille (1991), Bitter Moon (1992), The Thirst for Gold (1993), and My Man (1996). Holt also appeared in small roles in several films including For a Cop’s Hide (1981), Woody Allen’s Zelig (1983), Place Vendome (1998), and The Ninth Gate (1999).
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and Laburnum Grove (1936), and starred as Constance, Mozart’s wife, in Dean’s 1936 film Whom the Gods Love. She next appeared in the film The Mill on the Floss in 1937. In the late 1930s she starred in several television productions including another version of The Constant Nymph (1938), Nine Till Six (1938), London Wall (1938), Cornelius (1939), and Magic (1939). She also remained a leading stage performer, starring in J.B. Priestley’s Johnson Over Jordan in 1939. Though divorced from Dean, she worked with him during World War II entertaining soldiers with the Entertainments National Service Association. She continued to perform on stage after the war, and starred in the short film Escape from Broadmoor in 1948. She made her final stage performance on the West End in the play Serious Charge in 1955. Hopper was married to actor Peter Walter from 1951 until his death.
HOLTZMAN , BOBBI Actress and director Roberta “Bobbi” Holtzman died in Los Angeles after a long illness on December 31, 2007. She was 81. Holtzman was born in Everett, Washington, in 1926. She attended college, where she earned a degree in theatre arts. She worked as an acting coach and served on the faculty at California State University in Northridge. She was also a founder and director of the Northridge Theatre Guild from the late 1960s. Holtzman directed numerous production at theaters throughout Southern California. She also appeared on stage on such plays as Awake and Sing (1982) and Eleemosynary (1996). She made several appearances on television, guest starring in episodes of NYPD Blue and Ally McBeal. Victoria Hopper
HORNE, RICHARD Richard Horne, a children’s author and illustrator known as Harry Horse, was found dead at his home in Sheltland, Scotland, on January 10, 2007. He was 46. He and his wife, Mandy, who suffered from multiple sclerosis, died in an apparent suicide pact. Horne was born in Coventry, England, on May 9, 1960. His first children’s book, Opopogo, My Journey with the Loch Ness Monster, was published in 1983. He also wrote a series of books that included The Last Polar Bears, which was adapted as a television carBobbi Holtzman
HOPPER, VICTORIA British actress Victoria Hopper died in New Romney, Kent, England, on January 22, 2007. She was 97. Hopper was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on May 24, 1909. She moved to England with her family in the early 1920s, and began studying acting and singing. She began her stage career in a production of Martine in 1933. Director Basil Dean cast her as Tess Sanger in his 1933 film adaptation of The Constant Nymph, and the following year she starred in Dean’s film Lorna Doone. Hopper married Dean after completion of the film. She appeared in the films The Lonely Road (1936)
Richard Horne
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toon in 2000. Horne was a political cartoonist for several newspapers including The Scotsman and Sunday Herald from the late 1980s. He also illustrated the centenary edition of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and the children’s book Magus the Lollipop Man. Horne designed and created the computer game Drowned God in 1993.
following year. Both singers chose other partners and continued to perform as Dale and Grace, with Connie Sattenfield teaming with Houston. The original duo briefly reunited in the mid–1980s.
HOSHIYAMA, HIROYUKI Japanese anime writer Hiroyuki Hoshiyama died in Japan on February 7, 2007. He was 62. Hoshiyama was born in Tokyo on May 13, 1944. He began working in anime in the late 1970s, writing for the Mobile Suit Gundam series. He also scripted such anime productions as Mobile Suit Gundam II: Soldiers of Sorrow (1981), Those Obnoxious Aliens (1981), Mobile Suit Gundam III: Encounters in Space (1982), Techno Police (1982), Megazone 23 (1985), Lily C.A.T. (1987), and Dirty Pair (1987). HOSSACK , G RANT British composer and arranger Grant Hossack died of cancer in England on January 6, 2007. He was 68. Hossack was born in England on November 28, 1938. He began working in London’s West End in the 1960s as a musical director for theatrical productions. He worked on such shows as They’re Playing Our Song, A Chorus Line, Fiddler on the Roof, and West Side Story. He was also conductor and orchestrator for the BBC Radio Orchestra’s series Songs from the Shows. Hossack was musical adviser for the series The Onedin Line in 1971, and composed the music for the television drama series Nanny in 1981.
Dale Houston (with Grace Broussard)
HOVEY, ANN Actress Ann Hovey died in Arizona on August 25, 2007. She was 95. Hovey was born in Mount Vernon, Indiana, on July 29, 1912. She headed to Hollywood in the early 1930s to embark upon a career in films. She made her debut in 1932’s The Kid from Spain with Eddie Cantor. Hovey also appeared in small roles in the films 42nd Street (1933), The Little Giant (1933), Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933), Private Detective 62 (1933), Mary Stevens, M.D. (1933), Wild Boys of the Road (1933), and Journal of a Crime (1934). She was named a WAMPAS Baby Star in 1934, and appeared with her twelve fellow “Baby Stars” in the films Kiss and Make-Up (1934) and Young and Beautiful (1934). Hovey was also seen in Circus Shadows (1935) with Kane Richmond and Behind the Headlines (1936). She subsequently signed a contract with RKO, where she starred in the 1936 western The Glory Trail. She remained at RKO for the films On Again Off Again (1937), Super-Sleuth (1937), Annapolis Salute (1937), and Danger Patrol (1937). She retired from films after appearing in the 1938 comedy Flirting with Fate with Joe E. Brown.
Grant Hossack
HOUSTON , DALE Singer Dale Houston, who was half of the vocal duo Dale and Grace that recorded several rock and roll hits in the 1960s, died in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, on September 27, 2007. He was 67. Houston was born in Seminary, Mississippi, on April 23, 1940. He began singing at an early age and had a modest hit with the song “Lonely Man” in 1958. After several years of writing such songs as “Bird with a Broken Wing” and “That’s What I Like About Us,” he teamed with singer Grace Broussard to record the #1 hit “I’m Leaving It Up to You” in 1963. The duo appeared on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand and toured with his Caravan of Stars. They scored another hit with “Stop and Think It Over” in 1964 before splitting the
Ann Hovey
171 HUBNER, KURT German theatrical director and actor Kurt Hubner died in Munich, Germany, on August 23, 2007. He was 90. Hubner was born in Hamburg, Germany, on October 30, 1916. He was theatrical manager and artistic director at the Bremen Theatre from 1962 to 1973. He subsequently managed the Freie Volksbuhne in Berlin until 1986. He continued to direct plays on a freelance basis and taught at Munich’s Theatre Academy. Hubner was also featured as an actor in the films I’m an Elephant, Madame (1969), Death Is My Trade (1977), and The Rosegarden (1989), and on television in productions of Old Shaky (1966), Die Messe der Erfullten Wunsche (1971), Phantasten (1979), Variation (1983), Das Zweite Leben (1990), Pappa ante Portas (1991), Die Rachegottin (1992), and Maus und Katz (1993).
Kurt Hubner
HUDSON, POOKIE Pookie Hudson, who was the lead singer of the doo wop group the Spaniels, died of complications of thymus cancer at his home in Capitol Heights, Maryland, on January 16, 2007. He was 72. He was born Thornton James Hudson in Des Moines, Iowa, on June 11, 1934. He began singing in church choir before putting the Spaniels together while in high school. Hudson wrote the group’s 1954 hit “Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight,” which was also a hit for the McGuire Sisters soon afterwards. The Spaniels also recorded the popular songs “Peace of
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Mind,” “Let’s Make Up,” and “Baby, It’s You.” Hudson left the group in the 1960s but was unsuccessful in a solo career. He fell on hard times for the next two decades. He returned to performing in the 1980s, touring with other survivors of the Spaniels on the nostalgia circuit. They recorded the album 40th Anniversary in 1991, and Hudson continued to perform until shortly before his death.
HUFFMAN, MYRNA KAY Film and television production coordinator Myrna Kay Huffman died in Bullhead City, Nevada, after a brief illness on February 7, 2007. She was 64. Huffman was born on August 17, 1942. She was production coordinator for the television series Moonlighting from 1985 to 1986. She also worked on the television series Werewolf and the tele-film Timestalkers in 1987. Huffman was also involved in the production of several films including Doc Hollywood (1991), All I Want for Christmas (1991), Gideon (1999), and Luckytown (2000). HUGHEY, JOHN Steel guitar player John Hughey, who toured with Conway Twitty and recorded with Elvis Presley, died of heart complications in Hendersonville, Tennessee, on November 18, 2007. He was 73. Hughey was born in Elaine, Arkansas, on December 27, 1933. He began his professional career in the early 1950s performing with Slim Rhodes and the Mother’s Best Mountaineers. He developed a playing style that emphasized the high tones of the steel guitar that gave it a crying sound. He toured with Conway Twitty for nearly 20 years, and recorded songs with such stars as Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson, Loretta Lynn, and the Allman Brothers. He also toured and recorded with Vince Gill for over a decade, and frequently performed with the Nashville-based Western swing band the Time Jumpers.
John Hughey
HUIJS, HARRIE Dutch actor Harrie Huijs died in Zuthphen, the Netherlands, on February 20, 2007. He was 51. Huijs was born in Tegelen, the Netherlands, on April 29, 1955. He was best known for starring as Dracula in the 2006 film Dracula’s Family Visit. He was also featured on Dutch television in the series De Hemelpaort in 2007. Pookie Hudson
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Harrie Huijs
Peter Hume
HUMBARD , REX Pioneering televangelist Rex Humbard died in a hospital in Atlantis, Florida, on September 21, 2007. He was 88. Humbard was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, on August 13, 1919. His parents were both Pentecostal evangelists and Rex followed in their footsteps. His Sunday services began being televised in the early 1950s, with the broadcasts called The Cathedral of Tomorrow. Humbard built a $4 million church in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, in 1958 from which he broadcast his ministry. His preaching was often accompanied by the gospel singing of his wife, Maude Aimee, and the Cathedral Quartet. His syndicated program was broadcast on more than 600 stations by the 1970s. His fans included Elvis Presley, and Humbard presided over the singer’s funeral in 1977. He largely retired from the air in the 1980s and moved his family ministry to Florida.
HUMPHREY, CAVADA Broadway actress Cavada Humphrey died on July 11, 2007. She was a leading Broadway performer from the 1940s, appearing in such productions as The House in Paris (1944), King Henry VIII (1946), What Every Woman Knows (1946), A Pound on Demand/Androcles and the Lion (1946), Alice in Wonderland (1947), As the Girls Go (1948), The Devil’s Disciple (1950), Time Remembered (1957), You Can’t Take It with You (1965), and Candida (1970). She also had a small role in the 1948 film The Naked City. Humphrey was married to actor and playwright Jerome Kilty from 1956. She appeared on television from the 1950s in such series as Robert Montgomery Presents, Studio One, Hallmark Hall of Fame, Kraft Television Theatre, Camera Three, NET Playhouse, and Under the Hammer. She was featured as Miss Flannery in the 1967 film musical Thoroughly Modern Millie, and was Psychic Investigator Janet Findley in several episodes of the Gothic soap opera Dark Shadows in 1968.
Rex Humbard
HUME , PETER Peter Hume, a Canadian wrestling champion who appeared in the 1979 comedy film Meatballs, died at his home in Mechanicville, New York, on October 22, 2007. He was 54. Hume was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on January 13, 1953. He was national university wrestling champion in 1977. He was featured as a character called The Stomach in the film Meatballs starring Bill Murray, and was remembered for shouting the line “What, no mustard?,” during a hotdog eating contest in the comedy.
HUNT, GARETH British actor Gareth Hunt, who starred as Mike Gambit in The New Avengers television series in the late 1970s, died of pancreatic cancer in England on March 13, 2007. He was 64. He was born Alan Leonard Hunt in London on February 7, 1943, and was the nephew of British character actress Martita Hunt. He began his career on British television in the early 1970s, appearing in episodes of such series as A Family at War, The Organization, Doctor Who, Bless This House, The Hanged Man, Softly Softly, and Space: 1999. Hunt was also seen in the 1972 film For the Love of Ada, and the 1975 tele-film The Brotherhood. He appeared regularly as Footman Frederick Norton on the popular British series Upstairs, Downstairs from 1974 to 1975. Hunt joined Patrick McNee and Joanna Lumley in the action series The New Avengers in 1976, starring for two seasons as secret agent Mike Gambit. He also appeared in the films Licensed to Love and Kill (aka The Man from S.E.X) (1979), The World Is Full of Married Men (1979), Funny Money (1982), Gabrielle and the Doodleman (1984), the horror spoof Bloodbath at the House of Death (1984), the Pet Shop Boys film It Couldn’t Happen Here (1987), A Chorus of Disapproval (1988), The Forgotten Wells (1990), Fierce Creatures
173 (1997), The Incredible Adventures of Marco Polo (1998), Parting Shots (1999), Two’s Company (2005), and The Riddle (2007). He was also featured in television productions of The House on Garibaldi Street (1979), The Business of Murder (1981), That Beryl Marston...! (1981) as Gerry Bodley, And the Wall Came Tumbling Down segment of Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense in 1987, A Hazard of Hearts (1987), The Lady and the Highwayman (1989), A Ghost in Monte Carlo (1990), The Castle of Adventure (1990), the sit-com Side by Side (1992) as Vince Tulley, and Harry and the Wrinklies (1999). His other television credits include episodes of Minder, The Detectives, The Hypnotic World of Paul McKenna, The New Adventures of Robin Hood, EastEnders, Night & Day, New Tricks, and Doctors. Hunt was also known in England for his Nescafe coffee commercials in the 1980s, and his numerous stage appearances. He had been in poor health since suffering a heart attack in 1999.
Gareth Hunt
HUNTER, JOE Joe Hunter, who led the Motown house band The Funk Brothers, died in Detroit, Michigan, on February 2, 2007. He was 79. Hunter was born in Jackson, Tennessee, on November 19, 1927. He moved to Detroit in his early teens, and was soon performing at local clubs. He was hired by Berry Gordy to lead the Motown studio band in 1958. The Funk Brothers contributed musically to such hit recordings
2007 • Obituaries
as Marv Johnson’s “Come to Me” (1959), Smokey Robinson and the Miracles’ “Shop Around” (1960), Martha and the Vandellas’ “Heatwave” (1963), and Marvin Gaye’s “Pride and Joy” (1963). Hunter left Motown in 1963 to work as a pianist and arranger for such stars as Aretha Franklin, Edwin Starr, Bobby “Blue” Bland, and Big Maybelle. He was playing piano at a Detroit lounge by the 1980s, when he and the band began to get overdue recognition for their role in Motown’s success. Hunter wrote his autobiography Musicians, Motown and Myself in 1996, ans was featured in Paul Justman’s 2002 documentary Standing in the Shadows of Motown. The Funk Brothers earned two Grammy Awards for the soundtrack album and were given a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004.
HUTT, WILLIAM Leading Canadian stage actor William Hutt died of leukemia in a Stratford, Ontario, Canada, hospital on June 27, 2007. He was 87. Hutt was born in Toronto, Canada, on May 2, 1920. He served as a field medic in Europe during World War II, and decided to become an actor after the war. He made his professional stage debut in Ontario in 1948. Hutt joined the Stratford Shakespeare Festival during its first year in 1953. He continued to perform with the Stratford for the next 52 years, starring in such productions as Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear, and The Tempest as Prospero. He also performed on stage in London and New York, and appeared on Broadway in Edward Albee’s Tiny Alice in 1964. He starred as Canadian Prime Minister John MacDonald on the television mini-series The National Dream in 1974. He was also seen in television productions of Macbeth (1960), Cyrano de Bergerac (1962), Henry V (1966), The Elephant Man (1982), Much Ado About Nothing (1987), Long Day’s Journey into Night (1996), Emily of New Moon (1998), and The Trojan Horse (2007). He also appeared in episodes of the series The Starlost and Twice in a Lifetime, and played the recurring role of Charles in Slings and Arrows in 2006. Hutt was also featured in several films including The Fixer (1968), The Shape of Things to Come (1979) as the voice of Lomax, The Wars (1983), Covergirl (1984), and The Statement (2003).
William Hutt Joe Hunter
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HUTTON, BETTY Singer and actress Betty Hutton, who starred in numerous film musical during the 1940s and 1950s, died of complications from colon cancer at her home in Palm Springs, California, on March 12, 2007. She was 86. She was born Elizabeth June Thornburg in Battle Creek, Michigan, on February 26, 1921. She and her sister, Marion, began singing while in their teens and Betty joined Vincent Lopez’s band as a singer in 1936. She performed with the band for several years, and was also featured in the 1940 Broadway revue Two for the Show. She went to Hollywood the following year, where she made her film debut in 1942’s The Fleet’s In. A dynamic blonde performer, she became noted for her brassy voice and energetic style. She continued to appear in such films as Star Spangled Rhythm (1942), Happy Go Lucky (1943), Let’s Face It (1943), The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek (1944) as Trudy Kockenlocker, a young woman who turns up pregnant after a whirlwind marriage and can’t remember who her husband is, And the Angels Sing (1944), Skirmish on the Home Front (1944), Here Come the Waves (1944), Incendiary Blonde (1945) as famed nightclub entertainer Texas Guinan, The Stork Club (1945), Cross My Heart (1946), The Perils of Pauline (1947) as silent film star Pearl White, Dream Girl (1948), and Red, Hot and Blue (1949). She starred as Annie Oakley in the film version of Irving Berlin’s hit musical Annie Get Your Gun in 1950, and was Holly in Cecil B. DeMille’s film circus spectacular The Greatest Show on Earth in 1952. She was also seen in Let’s Dance (1950), Sailor Beware (1952), Somebody Loves Me (1952) as singer Blossom Seeley, and Spring Reunion (1957). Hutton starred in a 1954 television production of Satins and Spurs. She starred in the self named The Betty Hutton Show, playing Goldie Appleby, from 1959 to 1960. She also guest starred in episodes of The Greatest Show on Earth, Burke’s Law, Gunsmoke, and Baretta. She was also seen briefly on Broadway in the musical Fade Out, Fade In in 1965. Addiction to pills and alcohol largely ended her career in the 1960s. Having lost her entire fortune by the 1970s, she took a job as cook and housekeeper at a Roman Catholic Church in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. With the help of the priest at St. Anthony’s Church Hutton was able to overcome her addictions and returned to performing in night clubs.
She also entered colldge where she earned a masters degree in psychology. She was a drama teacher at Emerson Collage at Boston in the late 1980s. She was also the subject of an lengthy interview by Robert Osborne for Private Screenings on Turner Classic Movies in 2000.
HUXLEY, LAURA Laura Huxley, the widow and biographer of Aldous Huxley, died of cancer at her home in Los Angeles on December 13, 2007. She was 96. She was born Laura Archera in Turin, Italy, on November 2, 1911. She came to the United States in 1937 as a concert violinist, performing at Carnegie Hall with the New York Women’s Symphony Orchestra. She remained in the United States during World War II, and became a student of psychology and alternative medicine. She met Aldous Huxley, the famed author of the futuristic novel Brave New World, and his wife, Maria, in the late 1940s when she was involved in a documentary film production. She became close to the Huxleys, and she and Aldous married in 1956, a year after the death of his wife. They remained together until Aldous Huxley’s death from cancer in November of 1963. She reportedly eased his passage by injecting him with LSD, at his request, as he was dying. She wrote a memoir of their years together, This Timeless Moment: A Personal View of Aldous Huxley, published in 1968. She was also the author of several self-help books, and was the founder of a foundation dedicated to the welfare of children in the late 1970s. Laura Huxley was also featured in several documentary films including Aldous Huxley: Darkness and Light (1993) and Drug-Taking and the Arts (1994).
Laura Huxley
Betty Hutton (from Annie Get Your Gun)
IDELSON, BILL Television actor and writer Bill Idelson died on December 31, 2007. He was 87. Idelson was born in Forest Park, Illinois, on August 21, 1920. He began his career as a juvenile actor on radio in Chicago in 1931 as Skeezix in Gasoline Alley. He starred in Vic and Sade, as the title character’s young son Rush, from 1932 to 1942. He left the series to serve in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He returned to radio after the war, appearing in One Man’s Family, The Truitts, Those Websters, and Woman in My House. He began working in television in the late 1940s, star-
175 ring as Bill Abbott in the 1949 series Mixed Doubles, and taking over the role of Cliff Barbour in the television version of One Man’s Family. He also appeared in episodes of Telephone Time, Steve Canyon, Dragnet, Peter Gunn, Leave It to Beaver, The Twilight Zone, Hennesey, Boris Karloff ’s Thriller, Zane Grey Theater, My Three Sons, The Jack Benny Program, The Virginian, Perry Mason, The Bill Dana Show, My Favorite Martian, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., The Dick Van Dyke Show in the recurring role of Sallie’s boyfriend Herman Glimscher, The Odd Couple, Happy Days, Suddenly Susan, Will & Grace, and The War at Home. He reprised his role as Herman Glimscher in the 2004 reunion telefilm The Dick Van Dyke Show Revisited. He also began scripting television episodes in the early 1960s, writing for such series as The Flintstones, The Twilight Zone, Lawman, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., The Andy Griffith Show, The Mothers-in-Law, Get Smart, Accidental Family, Bewitched, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, Love, American Style, Barefoot in the Park, The Odd Couple, Anna and the King, The Bob Newhart Show which he also produced, Happy Days, M*A*S*H, The Montefuscos, and Punky Brewster. He also wrote the tele-films Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1975) and Beans of Boston (1979). Idelson was featured in a small role in the 1961 film The Last Time I Saw Archie, and scripted the 1963 horror film The Crawling Hand. He authored several books including The Story of Vic and Sade about his radio days, and Gibby, a biography and war memoir. His daughter, television writer and producer Ellen Idelson, predeceased him in 2003.
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Un Trio de Tres (1960), House of the Frights (1963), Bring Me the Vampire (1963), Un Angel de mal Genio (1964), La Banda del Fantasma Negro (1964), El Rostro de la Muerte (1964), Un Padre a Todo Maquina (1964), Las Lobas del Ring (1964), The Coyness of Love (1965), Autopsy of a Ghost (1968), Diamantes, Oro, y Amor (1973), El Patrullero 777 (1978), Munecas de Medianoche (1979), Las Tentadoraqs (1980), Unos Granujas Decentes (1980), Burlesque (1980), El Gran Perro Muerto (1981), Las Glorias del Gran Puas (1984), La Banda del Golondrino (1988), Pancho el Sancho (1988), El Bar de los Nacos (1989), Papito Querido (1991), A Oscuras me da Risa (1995), and Que Bonita Familia: Papa 2000 (2000). Iglesias also starred in the television series Mi Secretaria (1975), El Hospital de la Risa (1986), Todo de Todo (1994), and Rencor Apasionado (1998).
Pompin Iglesias
IMBRIE, ANDREW Classical composer Andrew Imbrie died at his home in Berkeley, California, on December 5, 2007. He was 86. Imbrie was born in New York City on April 6, 1921. He played the piano from an early age, and later studied under Nadia Boulanger, Robert Casadesus, and Roger Sessions. After serving as a translator of Japanese in the later years of World War II, he earned a master’s degree from the University of California at Berkeley in 1947. He subsequently joined the faculty there, and also taught at Harvard, Brandeis, the University of Chicago, and Bill Idelson
IGLESIAS, POMPIN Mexican actor Pompin Iglesias died in Cuernavaca, Mexico, on March 3, 2007. He was 82. Iglesias was born in Bogota, Colombia, on December 9, 1924. He began performing in the 1940s, and was featured in such films as Cuando los Hijos Odian (1950), Retorno al Quinto Patio (1951), La Marquesa del Barrio (1951), Me Traes de un Ala (1953), Amor de Locura (1953), Las Carinosas (1953), The Thief (1954), La Gitana Blanca (1954), Al Diablo las Mujeres (1955), Serenade in Mexico (1956), Three and a Half Musketeers (1957), School for Mothers-in-Law (1958), El Aguila Negra vs. los Diablos de la Pradera (1958), My Wife Needs a Husband (1959), The Super-Sissy (1959),
Andrew Imbrie
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the San Francisco Conservatory. He composed Serenade for Flute, Viola and Piano in 1952, and wrote his first opera, Three Against Christmas (later renamed Christmas in Peebles Town) in 1964. He was best known for his lyrical 1976 opera Angle of Repose. Imbrie continued to teach through the 1990s, and completed his final composition, Sextet for Six Friends, earlier in 2007.
INFUHR, TEDDY Child actor Teddy Infuhr died in Thousand Oaks, California, on May 12, 2007. He was 70. Infuhr was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on November 9, 1936. He moved to Los Angeles with his family as an infant and made his film debut at the age of five in the 1942 comedy The Tuttles of Tahiti with Charles Laughton. He was seen in numerous films over the next dozen years, notably as Larry in the 1944 Sherlock Holmes feature The Spider Woman with Basil Rathbone and Gale Sondergaard, and Alfred Hitchcock’s Spellbound (1945) whose death as a child continues to haunt his brother, played by Gregory Peck. He also appeared as Benjamin Kettle in the Ma and Pa Kettle comedy film series. Infuhr was also featured in such films and shorts as Pardon My Sarong (1942), The Amazing Mrs. Holliday (1943), Hers to Hold (1943), The Iron Major (1943), Gildersleeve on Broadway (1943), The North Star (1943), She’s for Me (1943), Madame Curie (1943), The Kitchen Cynic (1944), Youth Runs Wild (1944), San Diego I Love You (1944), Heavenly Days (1944), The Unwritten Code (1944), Bowery to Broadway (1944), A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945), The Clock (1945), That’s the Spirit (1945), Dangerous Partners (1945), That Night with You (1945), The House I Live In (1945), Because of Him (1946), Gay Blades (1946), Roaring Rangers (1946), Sentimental Journey (1946), Song of Arizona (1946), The Virginian (1946), The Return of Rusty (1946), Till the End of Time (1946), Little Miss Big (1946), Three Wise Fools (1946), Follow That Blonde (1946), Sister Kenny (1946), The Strange Woman (1946), Affairs of Geraldine (1946), The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), My Brother Talks to Horses (1947), The Egg and I (1947), For the Love of Rusty (1947), Desperate (1947), The Son of Rusty (1947), Driftwood (1947), Her Husband’s Affairs (1947), The Bishop’s Wife (1947), Campus Honeymoon (1948), Phantom Valley (1948), The Bride Goes Wild (1948), My Dog Rusty (1948), They Live by Night (1948), Rusty Leads the Way (1948), The Return of October (1948), The Boy with Green Hair (1948), The Sun Comes Up (1949), Fighting Fools (1949), Ma and Pa Kettle (1949) as Benjamin Kettle, West of El Dorado (1949), Mr. Soft Touch (1949), Brimstone (1949), Madame Bovary (1949), Rusty’s Birthday (1949), And Baby Makes Three (1949), The Traveling Saleswoman (1950), Blondie’s Hero (1950), The Good Humor Man (1950), Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town (1950), The Underworld Story (1950), Summer Stock (1950), The Killer That Stalked New York (1950), California Passage (1950), Grounds for Marriage (1951), Gene Autry and the Mounties (1951), Cause for Alarm! (1951), Ma and Pa Kettle Back on the Farm (1951), David and Bathsheba (1951), The Hills of Utah (1951), Valley of Fire (1951), Too Young to Kiss (1951), Talk About a Stranger (1952), Scaramouche (1952), Ma and Pa Kettle
at the Fair (1952), The Juggler (1953), Mister Scoutmaster (1953), Men of the Fighting Lady (1954), and Blackboard Jungle (1955). Infuhr also appeared on television in episodes of The Gene Autry Show, The Cisco Kid, and The Abbott and Costello Show before retiring from acting in the mid–1950s. He subsequently worked as a chiropractor for nearly fifty years. Infuhr had been a popular guest at several Memphis Film Festivals in recent years.
Teddy Infuhr (left, with Gale Sondergaard and Basil Rathbone from the Sherlock Holmes film The Spider Woman)
INGLIS, ELIZABETH Elizabeth Inglis, who was sometimes billed as Elizabeth Earl in films in the 1930s and 1940s, died at her home in Santa Barbara, California, on August 25, 2007. She was 94. She was born Desiree Mary Lucy Hawkins in Colchester, England, in 1913. She was featured in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 thriller The 39 Steps, and starred as Adele Ainsworth in William Wyler’s 1940 drama The Letter. Her other film credits include Borrowed Clothes (1934), Landslide (1937), Thunder in the City (1937), Museum Mystery (1937), My Love Came Back (1940), River’s End (1940), and Tonight and Every Night (1945). Inglis later married NBC television executive Pat Weaver and was the mother of actress Sigourney Weaver. She appeared with her daughter in a small role in the 1986 sequel Aliens.
Elizabeth Inglis
177 INGRAM, GAIL Radio and television writer Gail Ingram Clement died of lung cancer at her home in San Diego, California, on April 13, 2007. She was 82. Clement was born in New York City on July 3, 1924. She began her career in radio in the late 1940s, working with her husband, writer and director Harry Ingram, on such series as The Shadow. She began writing for television in the 1950s, scripting episodes of such series as I Remember Mama, My Three Sons, Robert Montgomery Presents, The Millionaire, National Velvet, One Step Beyond, and Family Affair. She left television and moved with her family to San Diego in the late 1960s. INGRAM, LUTHER Legendary R&B singer Luther Ingram died of heart and kidney failure in Belleville, Illinois, on March 19, 2007. He was 69. Ingram was born in Jackson, Tennessee, on November 30, 1937. He was best known for his hit song “If Loving You Is Wrong (I Don’t Want to Be Right),” which topped the R&B charts at #1 in 1972. His other popular songs include “Ain’t That Loving You (For More Reasons Than One)” and “I’ll Be Your Shelter.” He also performed with Ike Turner, opened for Issac Hayes, and co-wrote the hit song “Respect Yourself ” for the Staple Singers. In 1972, Ingram appeared on the television programs Bandstand and Soul Train, and was also seen in the 1973 film Wattstax. He was also seen onscreen in the 2002 film Only the Strong Survive.
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turned. He remained Mr. Humphries until the series ended in 1985. He reprised the role in a follow-up series set in a hotel, Grace & Favour, in 1992 and 1993. Inman also made guest appearances in episodes of Take a Letter Mr. Jones, Rod and Emu’s Saturday Special, French and Saunders, Full Mountie, Doctors, and Revolver. He was also featured in cameo roles in the films The Tall Guy (1989) and The Mumbo Jumbo (2000). He continued to play pantomime dames on stage until illness ended his career in 2004.
John Inman
Luther Ingram
INZERELLA, JOHN Film make-up artist John Inzerella died of cancer on April 23, 2007. He was 70. Inzerella was born on June 18, 1936. He worked in films and television from the early 1970s, providing makeup on such film as Last of the Red Hot Lovers (1972), Tom Sawyer (1973), That’s Entertainment, Part II (1976), The Great Scout and Cathouse Thursday (1976), The Amazing Dobermans (1976), Woody Allen’s Annie Hall (1977), The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training (1977), Backfire (1987), and Mad Dog Time (1996). Inzerella was also makeup artist for the tele-films Murdock’s Gang (1973), Black Bart (1975), The Return of Captain Nemo (1978), Stunt Seven (1979), Father Damien: The Leper Priest (1980), Bare Essence (1982), Hunter (1984), A Walton Easter (1997), and Escape from Atlantis (1998). He also worked on such series as Bosom Buddies, ER, and Charlie Grace.
INMAN, JOHN British actor John Inman, who was best known for his role as the flamboyantly camp department store clerk Mr. Humphries in the popular television sit-com Are You Being Served?, died in a London hospital after a long illness with Hepatitis A, on March 8, 2007. He was 71. Inman was born in Preston, Lancashire, England, on June 28, 1935. He began his career as a window dresser in Manchester while in his teens. He also began performing on stage and excelled in pantomime productions. He began his long-running role as Wilberforce Clayborne Humphries, who became the comic focal point of Are You Being Served?, in 1972. Noted for his mincing walk and fluttering gestures, he also appeared in the 1977 film version of the show. He briefly left the series to star as Neville Sutcliffe in Odd Man Out in 1977 but soon re-
John Inzerella
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ISH, KATHRYN Actress Kathryn Ish died of heart failure in Santa Barbara, California, on December 31, 2007. She was 71. Ish was born in California on February 18, 1936. She was an active performer on stage during the 1950s, appearing in several Off Broadway productions. She married fellow actor, Richard Stahl, in 1959 and the two headed to San Francisco where they were part of the improvisational comedy group the Committee. She also appeared on television in episodes of such series as The Bob Newhart Show, Laverne and Shirley, and WKRP in Cincinnati. Ish also appeared in the tele-films The Love Boat (1976) and Death of Richie (1977). She was featured as the Secretary of Education in the 1996 film The American President. She and Stahl remained married until his death in 2006.
(1986), Don Matsugoro’s Big Adventure (1988), Ankou (1991), Kura (1995), Moonlight Jellyfish (2004), and Captain Tokio (2007).
ITO, JERRY Asian-American actor Jerry Ito died of complications from stomach cancer and pneumonia at his home in Los Angeles on July 7, 2007. He was 79. He was born Gerald Tamekichi Ito in New York City on July 12, 1927. He became a popular performer and master of ceremonies in Tokyo after World War II with his fluency in both English and Japanese, which led to roles in film and stage productions. He was best known for his performance as Clark Nelson, the villainous explorer whose kidnapping of the Fairie Twins from Infant Island brought the wrath of a giant moth down on Tokyo in Toho’s Mothra (1961). He was also featured in the films Hey Pineapple (1960), The Last War (1961), the cult horror film The Manster (1962) as Police Superintendent Aida, Interpol Code 8 (1963), Walleyed Nippon (1963), The Elegant Life of Mr. Everyman (1963), You Can Succeed, Too (1964), The Kowloon Assignmnet (1977), and the 1978 science fiction film Message from Space.
Kathryn Ish
ISHIDATE, TETSUO Japanese actor Tetsuo Ishidate died of an aneurysm at his home in Atami, Japan, on June 1, 2007. He was 64. Ishidate was born in Yokosuka, Japan, on July 31, 1942. He was active onscreen from the early 1960s, appearing in such films as Blood and Diamonds (1964), Shirotori (1965), Longing for Love (1966), Portrait of Chieko (1967), Our Dear Buddies (1970), To Love Again (1971), Go for It! Young Guy (1975), and Pink Lady’s Motion Picture (1978). Ishidate was also noted for his roles in the television dramas Wife Is 18 Years Old (1970) and Don’t Call Me Papa (1972). He also appeared in the films For Business
Jerry Ito (with the Fairy Twins, Emi & Yumi Ito, from Mothra)
Tetsuo Ishidate
Mario Jackson
JACKSON, MARIO Actor Mario Jackson was shot to death at a motorcycle club in South Los Angeles on May 6, 2007. He was 45. Jackson was born on
179 August 14, 1961. He began working in films in the late 1990s, appearing in Bullworth (1998) and Baby Boy (2001). He was recently featured on television in an episode of Bones.
JACKSON, MICHAEL British writer Michael Jackson, whose expertise on brewed beverages led him to be called the Beer Hunter, was found dead of a heart attack at his home in London on August 30, 2007. He was 65. Jackson was born in England on March 27, 1942. He was instrumental in inspiring interest in beers and brewing from the 1970s with his critiques of the amber elixirs. He was the author of several books on the subject including World Guide to Beer and The Great Beers of Belgium. He also hosted the Discovery Channel documentary series The Beer Hunter, which examined beers throughout the world.
2007 • Obituaries
James left the group when they became known as the Moody Blues and before they had their first major hit with “Go Now” in late 1964. He then formed a new band, the Nicky James Movement. That band became known as the Move when James left shortly before their big hit “Night of Fear.” During his career James also performed with such artists as Roy Wood, Tom Jones, Graham Nash, Carl Wayne, Mike Pender, and Bev Bevan.
JAMES, PETER Psychic investigator Peter James, who claimed to speak with the dead, joined them after suffering a heart attack on July 31, 2007. He was 71. James was born on September 24, 1935. He claimed to have encountered ghosts from an early age and began working in the field of psychic phenomena in earnest the late 1970s. He was best known for his regularly scheduled tours of the Queen Mary, a ship that he claimed was haunted by various restless spirits. The tours began in 1991 and continued until shortly before his death. James was also featured in numerous episodes of the Sci-Fi channel’s Sightings for eight seasons.
Michael Jackson
JAMES, NICKY Nicky James, a British pop star who performed in an early incarnation of the popular British band the Moody Blues, died in Tipton, England, after suffering from a brain tumor on October 15, 2007. He was 64. He was born Mick Nicholls in Tipton, England, on April 19, 1943, and later moved to Scarborough. He began performing in the early 1960s with Denny Laine in Denny and the Diplomats, and soon after sang with Ronny and the Senators. He subsequently joined Laine in the Moody Blues Five.
JAMESON, PAULINE British actress Pauline Jameson died in England after a long illness on April 8, 2007. She was 86. Jameson was born in Heacham, Norfolk, England, on June 5, 1920. She began her career on stage in the late 1930s and appeared in numer-
Nicky James
Pauline Jameson
Peter James
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ous productions over the next fifty years. She was also a frequent performer in British films and television, making her film debut in 1948’s Esther Waters. Her other film credits include Once a Jolly Swagman (1949), The Queen of Spades (1949), The Black Knight (1954), The Millionairess (1960), Two Living, One Dead (1961), Crooks Anonymous (1962), The Punch and Judy Man (1963), I Could Go on Singing (1963), Doctor in Distress (1963), Murder Most Foul (1964), Sky West and Crooked (1966), Night Watch (1973), Joseph Andrews (1977), and Full Circle (aka The Haunting of Julia) (1977). She was also featured in television productions of The Spoils of Poynton (1970), Lillie (1978), The Woman in White (1982), and Honour, Profit and Pleasure (1985). She was also seen on television in episodes of Armchair Theatre, One Step Beyond, Undermind, Public Eye, Callan, The Adventures of Don Quick, The Ten Commandments, Hadleigh, Pig in the Middle, Bulman, and Poirot.
JARRETT, BELLA Stage actress Bella Jarrett died at her home in Greenwich Village, New York, on October 19, 2007. She was 81. Jarrett was born in Adairsville, Georgia, on February 9, 1926. She began her acting career in the 1950s, performing with local theater groups in Atlanta, Houston, Boston and Washington D.C. She made her debut on Broadway in the 1970s, appearing in productions of Once in a Lifetime (1978) and Lolita (1981). She also appeared Off-Broadway in productions of Welcome to Andromeda (1973), Racine’s Phaedra (1993) and The Good Natur’d Man (1993). Jarrett appeared in small roles in such television soap operas as All My Children, Another World and One Life to Live. She was also seen in the films Hellfighters (1968), Arthur (1981), The Cotton Club (1984), and The Lonely Guy (1984). She was featured as Miss Klein in the 1980 film Jane Austen in Manhattan.
man (1993), Kadhalan (1994), and Indian (1996). He also served as cinematographer on the films Vaali (1999), Hera Pheri (2000), Kushi (2000), Yeh Teraa Ghar Yeh Meraa Ghar (2001), Hulchul (2004), Sandal Kozhi (2005), Sachein (2005), and Bhagam Bhag (2006). Jeeva also began directing films with 2001’s 12 B which he also scripted. He also helmed Run (2004), and wrote and directed Ullam Ketkumae (2005) and Unnale (2007).
Jeeva
JENI, RICHARD Comedian Richard Jeni died in a Los Angeles hospital from an apparent suicide attempt after shooting himself in his face at his home on the morning of March 10, 2007. He was 49. Jeni was born in Brooklyn, New York, on October 31, 1957. He began his career as a stand-up comic and first achieved national recognition with his Showtime special Richard Jeni: Boy from New York City in 1989. Subsequent specials included Richard Jeni: Platypus Man (1992), Richard Jeni: Crazy from the Heat (1995), and Richard Jeni: A Good Catholic Boy (1997). Platypus Man evolved into a UPN television series that lasted one season in 1995. He was a frequent guest on The Tonight Show with both Johnny Carson and Jay Leno, and was featured on the television gameshows Hollywood Squares and The Match Game. He was also seen in episodes of the sit-coms Married ... with Children and Everybody Hates Chris, and voiced characters for the animated Dr.
Bella Jarrett
JEEVA Indian Tamil film director and cinematographer died in Moscow, Russia, of a heart attack on June 26, 2007. He was 43. He was in Moscow directing the film Dhaam Dhoom at the time of his death. Jeeva was born in India on September 21, 1963. He began working in films as an assistant cameraman before becoming a cinematographer in the early 1990s. He worked with director Shankar on such films as Gentle-
Richard Jeni
181 Katz, Professional Therapist and Batman. Jeni was featured as Charlie Schumaker in the 1994 film The Mask starring Jim Carrey. He also appeared in the films Bird (1988), National Lampoon’s Dad’s Week Off (1997), An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn (1998), and The Aristocrats (2005). Jeni wrote comedy material for Chris Rock for the 2005 Academy award presentations. His most recent special, Richard Jeni: A Big Steaming Pile of Me, aired on HBO in 2005.
JENKINS, GEORGE Oscar-winning production designer George Jenkins died at his home in Santa Monica, California, on April 6, 2007. He was 98. Jenkins was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on November 19, 1908. He began his career in the 1930s designing sets for theatrical productions. He worked on Broadway as an assistant to designer Jo Mielziner, and served as sets and lighting designer for the 1944 comedy I Remember Mama. He earned three Tony nominations during his career for his work on Broadway. Jenkins was brought to Hollywood by Samuel Goldwyn the following year where he was art director for the film The Best Years of Our Lives (1946). He continued to work in films as an art director or production designer on such films as The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947), The Bishop’s Wife (1947), A Song Is Born (1948), Enchantment (1948), Roseanna McCoy (1949), At War with the Army (1950), The San Francisco Story (1952), The Miracle Worker (1962), Mickey One (1965), Up the Down Staircase (1967), Wait Until Dark (1967), No Way to Treat a Lady (1968), The Subject Was Roses (1968), Me, Natalie (1969), The Angel Levine (1970), The Pursuit of Happiness (1971), Klute (1971), 1776 (1972), The Paper Chase (1973), The Parallax View (1974), Funny Lady (1975), and Night Moves (1975). Jenkins earned an Academy Award for his work on Alan Pakula’s 1976 Watergate conspiracy thriller All The President’s Men. His later film credits include Comes a Horseman (1978), The China Syndrome (1979), Starting Over (1979), The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981), Rollover (1981), Sophie’s Choice (1982), the 1984 tele-film The Dollmaker, Dream Lover (1986), Orphans (1987), See You in the Morning (1989), and Presumed Innocent (1990). JENKINS, LEROY Free-jazz violinist and composer Leroy Jenkins, who became an acclaimed musician during the 1970s, died of lung cancer in Manhattan, New York, on February 24, 2007. He was 74. Jenkins was born on March 11, 1932, and grew up in Chicago’s South Side. He began playing the violin at the age of seven and was soon performing at churches in the city. He was often accompanied by young pianist Ruth Jones, who later went on to achieve her own success as singer Dinah Washington. While in high school, Jenkins was taught by the legendary jazz instructor Walter Dyett, and he studied numerous instruments while in college. He taught music in Mobile, Alabama, for four years, until returning to Chicago in 1964. He joined the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (A.A.C.M.) and formed the Creative Construction Company with fellow musicians Anthony Braxton, Steve McCall, and Leo Smith. The two organizations joined together to go international and toured
2007 • Obituaries
Paris from 1969 to 1970. Jenkins returned to the U.S. in 1970, and formed the Revolutionary Ensemble with bassist Sirone and drummer Jerome Cooper and the trio toured together for the next six years. In the mid– 1970s, Jenkins became a bandleader, wrote music for classical ensembles, led the group Sting, and recorded a series of albums. He also wrote musical compositions for the Brooklyn Philharmonic, the Kronos Quartet, and other ensembles. He gained recognition for such music-theater works as The Mother of Three Sons and The Negros Burial Ground, collaborating with Ann T. Green, Fresh Faust, a jazz hip-hop opera, and The Three Willies, a multimedia opera. In recent years, Jenkins worked with the Trio Interest with pianist Myra Melford and saxophonist Joseph Jarmin and reunited with the Revolutionary Ensemble in 2004.
Leroy Jenkins
JENSON, ROY Veteran character actor Roy Jenson, who was best known for his roles as rugged bad guys in film and television, died of cancer in Los Angeles on April 24, 2007. He was 80. Jenson was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, on February 9, 1927, and came to Los Angeles with his family when he was a child. Jenson served in the U.S. Navy, then played professional football before entering films as a stuntman. He appeared in small roles and performed stunts in numerous films from the early 1950s. Jenson’s film credits include Westward the Women (1952), Operation Secret (1952), The Caine Mutiny (1954), Saskatchewan (1954), River on No Return (1954), Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956), Operation Mad Ball (1957), Hell on Devil’s Island (1957), The Missouri Traveler (1958), Buchanan Rides Alone (1958), The Last Hurrah (1958), Ride Lonesome (1959), Al Capone (1959), Warlock (1959), Career (1959), These Thousand Hills (1959), The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond (1960), Bells Are Ringing (1960), 13 Ghosts (1960), Let No Man Write My Epitaph (1960), North to Alaska (1960), Flaming Star (1960), The Wackiest Ship in the Army (1960), The Fiercest Heart (1961), Atlantis, the Lost Continent (1961), Marines, Let Go (1961), The George Raft Story (1961), Confessions of an Opium Eater (1962), Five Weeks in a Balloon (1962), The Great Escape (1963), McLintock! (1963), Four for Texas (1963), How the West Was Won (1962), Law of the Lawless (1964), Stage to Thunder Rock (1964), Baby the
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182
Rain Must Fall (1965), 36 Hours (1965), Black Spurs (1965), The Rounders (1965), The Great Race (1965), Morituri (1965), Blindford (1965), Daniel Boone: Frontier Trail Rider (1966), Our Man Flint (1966), Harper (1966), Apache Uprising (1966), Red Tomahawk (1967), Hostile Guns (1967), Walterhole #3 (1967), The Bandits (1967), The Ambushers (1967), Will Penny (1968), The Thomas Crown Affair (1968), Jigsaw (1968), Five Care Stud (1968), A Stranger in the House (1968), Number One (1969), Paint Your Wagon (1969), Fools (1970), Halls of Anger (1970), Sometimes a Great Notion (1971), Big Jake (1971), Journey Through Rosebud (1972), Brute Corps (1972), Cry for Me, Billy (1972), The Getaway (1972), The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972), Nightmare Honeymoon (1973), Soylent Green (1973), Dillinger (1973), The Way We Were (1973), The Outfit (1973), Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974), Chinatown (1974) as Claude Mulvihill, the thuggish helper of knife-wielding Roman Polanski, 99 & 44 ⁄ 100% Dead (1974), Breakout (1975), The Wind and the Lion (1975), Framed (1975), Breakheart Pass (1975), The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox (1976), The Car (1977), Telefon (1977), The Gauntlet (1977), Every Which Way but Loose (1978), Tom Horn (1980), Foolin’ Around (1980), The Mountain Men (1980), Bustin’ Loose (1981), Demonoid (1981), Honkytonk Man (1982), Red Dawn (1984), Day of the Survivalist (1986), Cherry 2000 (1987), The Night Stalker (1987), Deadly Stranger (1988), W.B., Blue and the Bean (1989), Solar Crisis (1990), and The Set Up (1995). He was also seen frequently on television, appearing in the tele-films Powderkeg (1971), A Tattered Web (1971), Truman Capote’s the Glass House (1972), Kung Fu (1972), Call to Danger (1973), The Red Pony (1973), Hit Lady (1974), The Abduction of Saint Anne (1975), Force Five (1975), Rich Man, Poor Man (1976), Helter Skelter (1976), How the West Was Won (1977), King (1978), Nightside (1980), Last of the Great Survivors (1984), Kung Fu: The Movie (1986), Police Story; The Watch Commander (1988), and Hard Time: Hostage Hotel (1999). Jenson also guest-starred on television of episodes of The Restless Gun, Wagon Train, Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Five Fingers, Hong Kong, Adventures in Paradise, The Brothers Brannagan, Peter Gunn, Perry Mason, Cain’s Hundred, The Bob Cummings Show, Checkmate, The Rogues, Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, I
Roy Jenson
Spy, Honey West, Batman, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Twelve O’Clock High, Wild Wild West, The Monroes, The Fugitive, T.H.E. Cat, The Invaders, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Big Valley, Hondo, The Andy Griffith Show, I Spy, Felony Squad, Tarzan, Mission: Impossible, Star Trek as Cloud William in “The Omega Glory” episode, Cimarron Strip, The Virginian, The Outcasts, Daniel Boone, The High Chaparral, The F.B.I., The Silent Force, Sarge, Nichols, Cannon, Search, Kung Fu, The Magician, Chase, Mannix, The Streets of San Francisco, Baretta, Gibbsville, Little House on the Prairie, Kojak, The Rockford Files, Charlie’s Angels, How the West Was Won, Fantasy Island, Vega$, The Dukes of Hazzard, Father Murphy, Bret Maverick, The A-Team, Knight Rider, Magnum, P.I., and Simon & Simon.
JEONG DA-BIN South Korean actress Jeong Da-bin was found dead of an apparent suicide at the home of her boyfriend in Seoul, South Korea, on February 10, 2007. She was 26. Jeong was born in South Korea on March 4, 1980. She began acting in films and television in 2000, with such film credits as Moyuru Tsuki: The Legend of Gingko (2000), The Good Fellow (2003), and He Was Cool (2004). She also starred on television in New Non Stop (2002), Trio (2002), The Full Sun (2003), Non Stop 3 (2003), Rooftop Room Cat (2003), and My Sister in Law Is 19 (2004).
Jeong Da-bin
JETER, JAMES Character actor James Jeter died in Houston, Texas, on March 4, 2007. He was 85. Jeter was born in Houston on September 15, 1921. He was featured in such films as The Sand Pebbles (1966), Cool Hand Luke (1967), The Christian Licorice Store (1971), Oklahoma Crude (1973), The Four Deuces (1976), The Big Bus (1976), Bound for Glory (1976), Fun with Dick and Jane (1977), Black Sunday (1977), F.I.S.T. (1970), Matilda (1978), Fast Break (1979), The Hollywood Knights (1980), The Great Rock ’n’ Roll Swindle (1980), A Change of Season (1980), Brian DePalma’s Blow Out (1981), The Border (1982), Cohen and Tate (1989), and A Perfect World (1993). He also appeared frequently on television from the 1960s, with roles in such series as My Favorite Martian, Wild Wild West, I Spy, Batman, Land of the Giants, Nanny and the Professor, The High Chaparral, Mayberry R.F.D., Bonanza,
183 Dusty’s Trail, The Waltons, Gunsmoke, Apple’s Way, Harry O, Mary Tyler Moore, The Family Holvak, Switch, Delvecchio, Emergency!, Quincy, The Rockford Files, Family, CBS Library, Little House on the Prairie in the recurring role of blacksmith Hans Dorfler, Hart to Hart, Knots Landing, CHiPs, Father Murphy, The Fall Guy, The Dukes of Hazzard, and Hunter. Jeter also appeared in the tele-films The Young Country (1970), The Family Kovack (1974), Hurricane (1974), A Shadow in the Streets (1975), Delancey Street: The Crisis Within (1975), Death Scream (1975), Katherine (1975), The Night They Took Miss Beautiful (1977), A Woman Called Moses (1978), The French Atlantic Affair (1979), The Jayne Mansfield Story (1980), Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story (1980), Without Warning: The James Brady Story (1991), The Habitation of Dragons (1992), and Gambler V: Playing for Keeps (1994).
James Jeter
JEWELL, RICHARD Richard Jewell, a security guard who went from hero to bombing suspect to tragic victim of over-exuberant legal forces and the media in the wake of a bomb explosion during the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, died of complications from diabetes at his home in Woodbury, Georgia, on August 29, 2007. He was 44. Jewell was born in Danville, Virginia, on November 17, 1962. Jewell’s notoriety began in July of 1996 when he alerted police to an abandoned knapsack in Atlanta’s Centennial
2007 • Obituaries
Olympic Park while working as a security guard. His alertness and quick thinking helped clear the area and save lives before the knapsack exploded, killing one and injuring over 100. His heroic image was quickly tarnished when the FBI labeled him as their primary suspect. Jewell was subjected to continued torment by the justice department and the media over the following three months before being officially cleared of all charges. He sued several media outlets for the indignities he suffered and received some monetary settlements. Jewell made a cameo appearance in Michael Moore’s 1997 comedy documentary The Big One. He was also a guest on an episode of Saturday Night Live in 1997.
JIMINEZ, SERGIO Mexican actor and director Sergio Jimenez died of a heart attack in Mexico City on January 2, 2007. He was 69. Jimenez was born in Mexico City on December 17, 1937. He starred in numerous films and television productions from the 1960s including The Outsiders (1967) as El Gato, Crown of Tears (1968), Emiliano Zapata (1970), The Change (1971), La Generala (1971), The Two Brothers (1971), One Way (1973), Coronation (1976), The Black Widow (1977), The Rattlesnake (1977), En la Trampa (1979), Constelaciones (1980), La Pachanga (1981), Angel del Barrio (1981), The Flying Pony (1982), Acorralado (1984), Tona Machetes (1985), Mexicano Tu Puedes! (1985), Atrapados en la Coca (1990), Alarido del Terror (1991), El Extensionista (1991), Loose Hair (1991), Perdoname Todo (1995), and Reclusorio (1997). Jimenez was also featured on television in such productions as Puente de Amor (1969), Velo de Novia (1971), El Carruaje (1972), La Hiena (1973), Muchacha de Barrio (1979), El Derecho de Nacer (1981), El Maleficio (1983), La Traicion (1983), Cursed Inheritance (1986), Encadenados (1986), El Engano (1986), Senda de Gloria (1987), Baila Conmigo (1992), La Mundanza (1996), La Antorcha Encendida (1997), and De Pocas, Pocas Pulgas (2003). Jimenez began directing telenovelas in the 1980s, helming such popular series as Manana es Primavera (1983), El Engano (1986), La Mundanza (1996), Vivo por Elena (1998), Mujeres Enganadas (1999), and La Fea mas Bella (2006).
Sergio Jimenez Richard Jewell
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184
JIMINY JO Jiminy Jo, an albino rat who starred in the horror film Ratula, died of complications from a tumor on July 12, 2007. She was 41 ⁄ 2. Jiminy was trained by Aarin Prichard and appeared in several local television productions. One-eyed, and afflicted with an over-sized tumor on her neck, Jiminy appeared in the leading role in the 2005 independent feature Ratula.
by Gil Weston for their third album, Screaming Blue Murder. The band went on tour in America with such bands as Iron Maiden, Deep Purple, the Scorpions, and Blue Oyster Cult. Johnson left the band in 1984 after the release of their fourth album, Play Dirty, and moved to Los Angeles where she lived for the next ten years. She returned to Britain in 1993 where she rejoined Girlschool and recorded a live album in 1995. Her final recording, Not That Innocent: 21st Anniversary, was released in 2001. Johnson toured with the band until 2005 when poor health forced her to retire.
JOHNSTON, ALEX British actor Alex Johnston died in a London hospital on October 21, 2007. He was 69. Johnston was born in Fintray, near Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1937. He was trained as a pharmacist before turning to the stage as a member of the Swan Theater in Worcester, England. He continued to perform at theatrical venues throughout the country from the 1970s. Johnston also performed the role of Harry Booker in The Archers radio series for several years. He was featured on television in episodes of several series including Closing Ranks, Cribb, Coronation Street, Lady Killers, and Rumpole of the Bailey. Jiminy Jo
JOHNSON, KELLY Kelly Johnson, guitarist and founder of the British all-girl heavy metal band Girlschool, died from spinal cancer on July 15, 2007. She was 49. Johnson was born on June 20, 1958. She and schoolfriends Enid William, performing vocals and bass, and Kim McAuliffe, playing guitar and adding vocals, formed the band Painted Lady in 1975. The group added Denise Dufort on drums and changed their name to Girlschool in 1978. They released their first single, “Take It All Away,” in 1978 and was soon touring with noted heavy metal band Motorhead. The Girlschool released their debut album, Demolition, in 1980. Their wild guitar playing style and leather-clad outfits soon earned them a cult following and they recorded “The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre,” under the name Headgirls, in 1981. Their second album, Hit ’n’ Run, was also released that year and was followed by sold out tours with the bands Black Sabbath and Rush. Enid Williams left Girlschool in 1982 and was replaced
JOLLEY, ELIZABETH Australian writer Elizabeth Jolley died in Perth, Australia, after a long illness on February 13, 2007. She was 83. She was born Monica Elizabeth Knight in Birmingham, England, on June 4, 1923. She moved to Australia with her husband, librarian Leonard Jolley, in 1959. Her early efforts at writing fiction met with scant success with publishers until the late 1970s, when her collections Five Acre Virgin and The Traveling Entertainer were published. Her first novel, Palomino, was published in 1980. She wrote over a dozen novels during her career including Mr. Scobie’s Riddle (1984), Miss Peabody’s Inheritance (1984), Milk and Honey (1986), The Well (1987), The Sugar Mother (1988), My Father’s Moon (1989), Cabin Fever (1991), The Orchard Thieves (1995), and An Innocent Gentleman (2001). Many of her novels were darkly comic and were sometimes described as Australian Gothic. A television adaptation of her story The Last Crop aired in 1990 and her novel The Well was filmed in 1997.
Elizabeth Jolley Kelly Johnson
185 JONES, ARTHUR Adventurer and filmmaker Arthur Jones, who was best known for inventing the Nautilus exercise machine, died at his home in Ocala, Florida, on August 28, 2007. He was 80. Jones was born in Arkansas on November 22, 1926, and raised in Oklahoma. He served in the Navy during World War II, and began trafficking in wild animals after the war. His penchant for filming some of the animals resulted in a wildlife television show. He also produced, directed, and wrote the 1962 film Savage! (aka Mission to Hell ). Jones’ interest in fitness and exercise equipment led to the construction the Nautilus, originally called the Blue Monster, in the late 1960s. His invention revolutionized health clubs and made him a wealthy man. He sold his interest in the Nautilus in 1986.
Arthur Jones
JONES , BUCK Country singer Buck Jones died after being struck by an intoxicated motorist as he walked along an interstate service road in Greenville, Texas, on March 17, 2007. He was 33. He was born Adrian Neil Jones in Houston, Texas, on November 28, 1973. Jones was a resident of Nashville and released his debut album Lucky Star in 2005.
2007 • Obituaries
1910. He began his career on stage in the late 1920s, appearing in various West End productions. He made his Broadway debut in Margaret Kennedy’s Escape Me Never in the early 1930s. He remained a leading stage performer for the next seven decades. Jones also had a lengthy film career, appearing in such features as Money Talks (1932), Faithful Hearts (1932), Alexander Korda’s The Rise of Catherine the Great (1934) as Count Orlov, Leave It to Blanche (1934), Escape Me Never (1935), First a Girl (1935), Line Engaged (1935), The Mill on the Floss (1937), The Wife of General Ling (1937), Return of a Stranger (1937), A Yank at Oxford (1938), The Four Just Men (1939), Young Man’s Fancy (1940), Sons of the Sea (1941), So This Was Paris (1942), The Day Will Dawn (1942), Uncensored (1942), Henry V (1944) as the Earl of Salisbury, The Wicked Lady (1945), The Rake’s Progress (1945), They Made Me a Fugitive (1947), Miranda (1948) opposite Glynis Johns as a mermaid, Good Time Girl (1948), Look Before You Love (1948), Once Upon a Dream (1949), Honeymoon Deferred (1950), Star of My Night (1954), Scarlet Web (1954), The Sea Shall Not Have Them (1954) with Dirk Bogarde, Face in the Night (1957), Account Rendered (1957), The Truth About Women (1957), Not Wanted on Voyage (1957), Kill Her Gently (1957), Hidden Homicide (1959), The Crowning Touch (1959), Edgar Wallace’s Strangler’s Web (1965), and Decline and Fall ... of a Birdwatcher (1968). Jones appeared frequently on British television from the 1950s, with roles in productions of When in Rome (1959), By Invitation Only (1961), Freedom in September (1962), Blithe Spirit (1964), Boy Meets Girl: Love with a Few Hairs (1967), Black Arrow (1972), Fall of Eagles (1974), The Comedy of Errors (1978), Macbeth (1979) as Duncan, Scarf Jack (1981), The Three Sisters (1981), and The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (1982). He was also featured in episodes of The New Adventures of Martin Kane, Invisible Man, Maigret, No Hiding Place, Kraft Mystery Theater, International Detective, R3, Secret Agent, The Troubleshooters, Man in a Suitcase, Thirty-Minute Theatre, The Avengers, Strange Report, Doomwatch, Paul Temple, The Persuaders, The Lotus Eaters, Public Eye, and Spy Trap. Jones performed frequently with the Royal Shakespeare Company at Stratford from the mid–1970s until his retirement at the age of 90. He was widowed in 1985 with the death of his
Buck Jones
JONES , GRIFFITH British actor Griffith Jones died in England on January 30, 2007. He was 96. He was born Harold Jones in London on November 19,
Gri‡th Jones
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wife, Robin. He is survived by a daughter and son, actors Gemma Jones and Nicholas Jones.
JONES, MARCIA MAE Child actress Marcia Mae Jones died of pneumonia at the Motion Picture and Television Hospital in Woodland Hills, California, on September 2, 2007. She was 83. Jones was born to an acting family in Los Angles on August 1, 1924. She began her career in films as the age of two, appearing in Mannequin (1926), Smile, Brother, Smile (1927), The Bishop Murder Case (1930), King of Jazz (1930), Street Scene (1931), The Champ (1931), Birthday Blues (1932), Mush and Milk (1933), Doctor Bull (1933), Bombshell (1933), Imitation of Life (1934), A Dog of Flanders (1935), These Three (1936), Gentle Julia (1936), and The Garden of Allah (1936). Red-headed with freckles, Jones soon became noted for her roles as less than pleasant children such as Shirley Temple’s wheelchair-bound friend Klara Sesemann in 1937’s Heidi and Mary Sawyer in 1938’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Her other film credits include Two Wise Maids (1937), Mountain Justice (1937), The Life of Emile Zola (1937), Lady Behave! (1937), Mad About Music (1938), Barefoot Boy (1938), The Little Princess (1939), The Flying Irishman (1939), and Meet Dr. Christian (1939). During the 1940s Jones continued her career in films in more mature roles. She was seen in Dr. Kildare’s Strange Case (1940), Tomboy (1940), Anne of Windy Poplars (1940), Haunted House (1940), The Old Swimmin’ Hole (1940), Nice Girl? (1941), The Gang’s All Here (1941), Let’s Go Collegiate (1941), Secrets of a Co-Ed (1942), The Youngest Profession (1943), Nobody’s Darling (1943), Top Man (1943), Nine Girls (1944), Lady in the Death House (1944), Snafu (1945), The Fabulous Fraud (1948), Street Corner (1948), Trouble Preferred (1948), Tucson (1949), Arson, Inc. (1949), The Daughter of Rosie O’Grady (1950), Hi-Jacked (1950), The Star (1952), and Chicago Calling (1952). Jones also appeared in episodes of such early television series as Your Show Time, Life with Buster Keaton, and Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok before abandoning her career for over a decade to raise a family. She returned to acting in the mid–1960s, appearing on television in episodes of Mister Ed, Family Affair, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., My Three Sons, Cannon, Shazam!, The Streets of San Francisco, and Barnaby Jones.
Marcia Mae Jones
She also appeared in character roles in a handful of films including Rogues’ Gallery (1968), Live a Little, Love a Little (1968), the 1972 tele-film The Great American Tragedy, The Way We Were (1973) with Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford, and the 1974 horror film The Spectre of Edgar Allan Poe.
JONES, PATTIE DARCY Singer Pattie Darcy Jones died at her home in Hopatcong, New Jersey, on June 16, 2007. She was 54. She was born in Orange, New Jersey, in 1953. She was best known for her work as a backup singer, performing with Cher on tours and in the television productions Cher: Live in Concert from Las Vegas (1999) and Cher: The Farewell Tour (2003). She also toured with singers Petula Clark, Darlene Love, Joe Cocker, and Bette Midler, and was featured in a small role in Midler’s 1991 film For the Boys. She starred in the 1985 Broadway musical revue Leader of the Pack, and in the musical Smokey Joe’s Cafe from 1995 to 2000.
Pattie Darcy Jones
JORDAN , ROBERT Fantasy writer James Oliver Rigney, Jr., who wrote the bestselling series The Wheel of Time under the pen name Robert Jordan, died of the blood disease amyloidosis in Charleston, South Carolina, on September 16, 2007. He was 58. Rigney was born in Charleston on October 17, 1948. He served with distinction as an army helicopter gunner in Vietnam in the late 1960s. After his discharge, he earned a degree in physics at the Citadel and worked as a nuclear engineer. He began writing full-time in the late 1970s, penning three historical novels under the pseudonym Reagan O’Neal, The Fallon Blood (1980), The Fallon Pride (1981) and The Fallon Legacy (1982). He also continued the adventures of Robert E. Howard’s Conan the Barbarian in the early 1980s, and wrote the novelization for the film Conan the Destroyer in 1984. He was best known for his multi-volume series The Wheel of Time, which began with 1990’s The Eye of the World. The fantasy epic, which he published under the name Robert Jordan, included The Great Hunt (1990), The Dragon Reborn (1991), The Shadow Rising (1992), The Fires of Heaven (1993), The Love of Chaos (1994), A Crown of Swords (1996), The Path of Daggers (1998), Winter’s Heart (2000), Crossroads at Twilight (2003),
187 and Knife of Dreams (2005). A final volume, A Memory of Light, remained unfinished by him at the time of his death.
2007 • Obituaries
(1947), Les Maris de Leontine (1947), Le Furet (1949), Mystere a Shanghai (1950), Le Crime du Bouif (1952), Le Petit Jacques (1953), The Red and the Black (1954), Not Delivered (1958), The Gambler (1958), La Ligne de Mire (1960), and La Demoiselle de Coeur (1963). Jourdan was also an associate producer of the films Dark Journey (1962) and Hotel Paradiso (1966). He became a leading opera director, founding the Theatre Francais de la Musique and L’Association Pour le Theatre Imperial to promote French operas. He also directed film and television productions of numerous operas including Tristan and Isolde (1974), Aida (1977), Fidelio (1979), Ciboulette (1982), Manon Lescaut (1990), La Legende de Joseph en Eg ypte (1990), Henry VIII (1991), Christobal Colomb (1992), La Perichole (1995), Mignon (1996), Mede (1996), Les Noces de Figaro (1997), La Jolie Fille de Perth (1998), Pelleas et Melisande (1999), Les Diamants de la Couronne (1999), and Noe (2005).
Robert Jordan
JORDAN, RON Radio disk jockey and singer died of heart failure after being hospitalized for anaphylactic shock in a Hays, Kansas, hospital on September 17, 2007. He was 58. Jordan was born on March 26, 1949. He led the early ’60s band Ronnie and the Devilles, recording several local hits including “Oh Love” and “Cindy’s Carousel.” He was also active as a radio disk jockey in the Memphis area from 1963 through the early 1970s. The sometimes controversial Jordan also worked in radio in Indianapolis, Little Rock and San Diego over the next decade. Pierre Jourdan
JUMAILI, RASSIM AL- Iraqi comedian Rassim Al-Jumaili died in Syria of kidney failure on December 1, 2007. He was 69. Al-Jumaili was born in a poor district of Bagdad in 1938. He served in the army in the mid–1960s where he performed in the military theater. He became a popular stage performer by the early 1980s and was best known for his comedic roles. He was seen in stage, television and film production. Al-Jumaili fled Iraq in 2003 to escape the escalating vi-
Ron Jordan
JOURDAN, PIERRE French actor and opera director Pierre Jourdan died of cancer in Fleurines, France, on August 16, 2007. He was 74. He was born Pierre Gendre in Cannes, France, on September 21, 1932. The brother of actor Louis Jourdan, he began his film career as an actor in the early 1940s with such credits as La Femme que j’ai le Plus Aimee (1942), Le Mariage de Chiffon (1942), Midnight in Paris (1942), The Blue Veil (1942), The Benefactor (1942), The Count of Monte Cristo (1943), Immortal France (1943), Monsieur des Lourdines (1943), Lucrece (1943), Monsieur de Falindor
Rassim al-Jumaili
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olence in the country. He was featured in the 2003 television productions Zaman: The Man from the Reeds. His final role was in the series The Leader, playing a sarcastic dictator in a parody of the post–Saddam government.
JUSTICE , J IMMY Actor and singer Jimmy Justice died suddenly while performing on stage in Barcelona, Spain, on January 31, 2007. He was 75. Justice was born in Erie, Pennsylvania, on December 31, 1931. He studied theatre and opera at the Juilliard School of Music and performed on the local stage in Erie in productions of Showboat and Anything Goes. He was soon appearing on Broadway in such musicals as Hello Dolly with Pearl Bailey, Timbuktu, and Sweet Bird of Youth. Justice also starred in several films including Memorial Valley Massacre (1988) and Beverly Hills Brats (1989). He was also noted as a composer and musician for numerous stage productions. He was touring Europe performing Looking for Josephine Baker at the time of his death.
Riders (1994), Los Angeles Without a Map (1998), Highway Society (2000), Kuningas Hidaws (2000), Mel Gibson’s The Patriot (2000), Bait (2000), Proof of Life (2000), Tango Cabaret (2001), Hannibal (2001), Evolution (2001), Windtalkers (2002), Honey Baby (2003), Pelikaanimies (2004), Revolution (2006), Mystery of the Wolf (2006), and A Christmas Story (2007)
Paul Jyrala
KALT, JORG Austrian film director Jorg Kalt committed suicide in Vienna, Austria, on July 1, 2007. He was 40. Kalt was born in Suresnes, Hauts-de-Seine, France, on January 11, 1967. He studied at the University of Zurich and Prague’s film school FAMU in the early 1990s. He wrote and directed the short film Eternity Starts Here in 1993, and he attended the Vienna Film Academy from 1994 through 2001. He made his feature film debut writing and directing 2005’s Crash Test Dummies. He also scripted the 2007 film Immer nie am Meer. Jimmy Justice
JYRALA , PAUL Finnish sound editor Paul Jyrala died in Jarvenpaa, Finland, on July 12, 2007. He was 66. Jyrala was born in Espoo, Finland, on July 9, 1941. He was the recipient of five Jussi Awards, the national film award of Finland, for his work in sound editing and design. He worked on numerous films in Finland and, later in his career, Hollywood as well. His film credits include Girl of Finland (1967), Hot Cat? (1968), Black on White (1968), The Marvellous Adventures of a TV Man (1969), Portraits of Women (1970), Anna (1970), The Castle of Cloads (1970), The Shadow of a City (1971), The Count (1971), The Unhanged (1971), Poor Little Maria (1972), Age Class (1976), Lorna (1976), The Year of the Hare (1977), The Kiljunen Family (1981), Toto (1982), The King Without a Heart (1982), Jon (1983), Angela’s War (1984), The Clan Tale of the Frogs (1984), The White Dwarf (1986), The Snow Queen (1986), Helsinki-Naples All Night Long (1987), Plainlands (1988), The Moonlight Sonata (1988), The Winter War (1989), Nemesis (1993), When the Devil Rode Into the Blacksmith’s House and Gave the Blacksmith’s Wife a New Nose (1993), Knights (1993), Brain Smasher ... A Love Story (1993), The Romanov Stones (1993), Sunset
Jurg Kalt
KAMATA, TOR McRonald Kamaka, who wrestled professionally as the imposing ring villain Tor Kamata, died of complications from heart disease in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, on July 23, 2007. He was 70. Kamaka, though billed in the ring as being from Japan, was Hawaiian by birth. He was a leading mat heel from the mid–1960s, sometimes competing
189 under the name Mr. Moto. He held numerous wrestling titles including the Southern Tag Team belts with Tojo Yamamoto in 1965, the AWA Tag Team Title with Mitsu Arakawa in 1967 and 1968, and the NWA Central States Tag Team Title with Luke Brown in 1969. He held the Stampede North American Title in Calgary, Canada, several times in the early 1970s. Kamata wrestled in the WWWF in the early 1970s, where he was managed by Fred Blassie, and frequently battled Bob Backlund. He was noted for uttering his catchphrase “no chancee,” when he was interviewed by ring announcers. He captured the British Empire Title in New Zealand in 1982, wrestling as King Kamaka. He also held the Australasian Tag Team Title in New Zealand with Ox Baker in 1982 before retiring from the ring.
2007 • Obituaries
and short-story collections including the award-winning Kitney Pakistani in 2003. He also wrote numerous television series including Darpan, Chandrakanta, Ek Kahani, and Yug.
KANE, JEANNE Jeanne Kane, one of the singing Kane Triplets, died of a gunshot wound to the head in Pleasant Plains, New York, on January 30, 2007. Her husband, an ex–NYPD officer was later charged with her murder. She was 58. Jeanne and her sisters, Lucille and Maureen, were born on May 16, 1948. They began performing as children and continued to sing and record through the mid–1970s. The Kane Triplets appeared on such television series as The Ed Sullivan Show, The Jack Benny Show, The Tonight Show, The Perry Como Special, and Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts. They were best known for singing their own unique version of the Mission: Impossible theme song.
Tor Kamata
KAMLESHWAR
Indian Hindi writer Kamleshwar died of a heart attack after undergoing bypass surgery in New Delhi, India, on January 27, 2007. He was 75. Kamleshwar was born in Mainpuri, India, on January 6, 1932. He began his career writing screenplays for Doordarsham. His novel Storm was adapted to film in 1975. He also wrote such Hindi-language films as Mausam (1975), Ram and Belram (1980), Saajan Ki Saheli (1981), Souten (1983), Rang Birangi (1983), Yeh Desh (1984), Laila (1984), and Souten Ki Beti (1989). He was the author of more than thirty novels
Kamleshwar
Jeanne Kane (with fellow Kane Triplets Lucille and Maureen)
KANZE, HIDEO Japanese actor Hideo Kanze died of intestinal cancer in Tokyo, Japan, on June 8, 2007. He was 79. Kanze was born in Tokyo on August 3, 1927. He was active in the Noh dramatic circle from the 1950s, directing and preforming on stage in operas and musicals. Kanze also appeared frequently in films from the 1960s, with such credits as The Pitfall (1962), Ningen (1962), The Face of Another (1966), Violence at
Hideo Kanze
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Noon (1966), Lost Sex (1966), Libido (1967), The Black Cat (1968), Strong Women, Weak Men (1968), Shokkaku (1970), Evil Spirits of Japan (1970), Kanawa (1972), Summer Soldiers (1972), Under the Blossoming Cherry Trees (1975), The Life of Chikuzan (1977), The Strangling (1979), Edo Porn (1981), Rikyu (1989), A Last Note (1995), House of Sleeping Beauties (1995), and Will to Live (1999).
KAPP, COLIN British science fiction writer Colin Kapp died on August 3, 2007. He was 79. Kapp began writing short stories for such magazines as Analog, Galaxy, and New Worlds in 1958. His early stories included several in his Unorthodox Engineers series. His first novel, Transfinite Man, was published in 1964. He also wrote the popular Cageworld series that included the novels Search for the Sun! (1982), The Lost Worlds of Cronus (1982), The Tyrant of Hades (1984), and Star Search (1984). His other novels include The Patterns of Chaos (1972), The Wizard of Anharitte (1973), The Survival Game (1976), Menalone (1977), The Chaos Weapon (1977), The Ion War (1978), and The Timewinders (1980).
Natwarlal (1979), Dada (1979), Dhongee (1979), Destination (1979), Black Stone (1979), The Burning Train (1980), Red Rose (1980), Raksha (1981), Professor Pyarelal (1981), Destiny (1981), Nature (1981), Rocky (1981), Made for Each Other (1981), Johny I Love You (1982), Ashanti (1982), Dharam Kanta (1982), The Call (1983), Do Gulab (1983), Chor Police (1983), Souten (1983), Jeet Hamaari (1983), Justice Chaudhury (1983), Coolie (1983), Sharaabi (1984), Kaamyaab (1984), Duniya (1984), Divorce (1984), Laila (1984), Love Marriage (1984), Saaheb (1985), Zamana (1985), The Morning Train (1986), Lovelier Than Heaven (1986), Chameli’s Marriage (1986), Ages (1986), Dare (1987), Will Power and Hard Work (1987), Zalzala (1988), Mar Mitenge (1988), Tamacha (1988), Agnee (1988), Kanoon Apna (1989), Storms (1989), Touhean (1989), Jawani Zindabad (1990), Dil (1990), Fateh (1991), Pratikar (1991), Dharam Sankat (1991), Tirangaa (1992), The Heart Knows the Truth (1992), Sangram (1993), Insaniyat Ke Devta (1993), Badi Bahen (1993), Gopi Kishan (1994), The Honor of the House (1994), Raja (1995), We Two (1995), Reality (1995), Loafer (1996), Virasat (1997), Mere Sapno Ki Rani (1997), Hitler (1998), Mann (1999), Gair (1999), Khauff (2000), Chhupa Rustam: A Musical Thriller (2001), and Raja Bhaiya (2003). He made his final film appearance in Raman Kumar’s Sarhad Paar in 2006.
Colin Kapp
KAPPU , SATYEN Indian character actor Satyen Kappu died of massive cardiac arrest in Mumbai, India, on October 27, 2007. He was 76. Kappu began his career on stage with the Indian People’s Theatre Association in 1952. He appeared in numerous plays and became a popular character actor in films in the early 1960s. His many film credits include Kabuliwala (1961), Love Letter (1962), Khilona (1970), Kati Patang (1970), Immortal Love (1971), Seeta and Geeta (1972), Two Yards Under the Ground (1972), Your Country (1972), Anuraag (1972), The Madness of Youth (1972), Keemat (1973), An Oath on India (1973), Hanste Zakhm (1973), The Chain (1973), Discovery (1973), False Coins (1974), Honour (1974), Crazy Heart (1974), Dost (1974), Doosri Sita (1974), Bidaai (1974), The Nameless (1974), Imprisonment (1975), I’ll Die for Mama (1975), The Holy Year (1975), Flames of the Sun (1975), The Big Thief (1976), Jeevan Jyoti (1976), Fakira (1976), The Betrayal (1977), Dream Girl (1977), Immaan Dharam (1977), The Other Man (1977), Nalayak (1978), Bhola Bhala (1978), The Door (1978), Don (1978), Mr.
Satyen Kappu
KASZAS, ATTILA Hungarian actor Attila Kaszas died of a cerebral hemorrhage in Budapest, Hungary, on March 23, 2007. He was 47. Kaszas was born in Sala, Czechoslovakia, on March 16, 1960. He was a leading stage, film, and television actor from the early 1980s. Kaszas performed on stage with the Vigszinhaz Theater in Budapest from 1984 until 1999. He was featured in such films as Cha-Cha-Cha (1982), Az Elet Muziskaja — Kalman Imre (1984), Witches’ Sabbath (1984), Diary for My Children (1984), A Masik Ember (1987), Titania, Titania, Avag y a Dublorok Ejszakaja (1988), God Walks Backwards (1992), Prinzenbad (1993), School of Sensitivity (1996), Werckmeister Harmonies (2000) as the voice of the Prince, Uvegtigris (2001), The Bridgeman (2002), Hukkle (2002), A Long Weekend in Pest and Buda (2003), Uvegfal (2005), Sertett (2005), Pumpheads (2006), and 56 Drops of
191 Blood (2007). Kaszas starred as Tade in the television series Patika from 1994 to 1995. He also appeared in television productions of Feher Rozsda (1982), Macbeth (1982), Nyolc Evszak (1987), Tukorgomb (1990), Indian Nyar (2006), Fancsiko es Pinta (2006), Arpad Nepe (2006), and A Kisertes (2007).
2007 • Obituaries
cember 27, 2007. He was 85. Kawalerowicz was born in Gwozdziec, Poland (now Gvozdets, Ukraine) on January 19, 1922. He began his career in films as an assistant director in the late 1940s, working on such films as Forbidden Songs (1947), The Last Stop (1948), The Steel Hearts (1948) which also featured him in a small role as a German officer, and Devil’s Ravine (1950). He made his directorial debut with 1952’s The Village Mill. He also helmed such features as the two-part Celullose (1954) and Under the Phrygian Star (1954), Shadow (1956), Real End of the Great War (1957), Baltic Express (1959), Joan of the Angels (1961) about the alleged demonic possession of a convent in the French town of Loudun in the 17th Century, the epic Pharaoh (1966) which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film, The Game (1968), Maddalena (1971), Death of a President (1978), Chance Meeting on the Atlantic (1980), The Inn (1983), The Hostage of Europe (1989), Bronstein’s Children (1991), Why? (1996), and Quo Vadis (2001).
Attila Kaszas
KAUSLAND , G RETHE Norwegian actress and singer Grethe Kausland died of lung cancer in Norway on November 16, 2007. She was 60. Kausland was born in Norway on July 3, 1947. She began her career as a child actress at the age of five, often billed as Lille Grethe Nielsen. She had a hit recording with the 1955 song Teddyen Min. She was also seen in the films Smuglere I Smoking (1957), Far til Fire og Onkel Sofus (1957), Selv om de er Sma (1957), Far til Fire og Ulveungeme (1958), Ugler I Mosen (1959), and To pa Topp (1965). Kausland represented Norway in the 1972 Eurovision Song Contest. She remained a leading cabaret performer and actress. Kausland’s other film credits include Tut og Kjor (1975), Vi Spillopper (1979), and Stork Staring Mad (1994). She also appeared in the television productions Bernt (1996), Karl & Co (1998), Jul i Blafjell (1999), Jul pa Manetoppen (2002), and Bradrene Dal og Mysteriet med Karl XIIs Gamasjer (2005).
Jerzy Kawalerowicz
KAYE, MARY Jazz guitarist and singer Mary Kaye, who led the popular Las Vegas lounge act the Mary Kaye Trio in the 1950s and 1960s, died of heart and respiratory failure in a Las Vegas hospital on February 17, 2007. She was 83. She was born Mary Ka’aihue in Detroit, Michigan, on January 9, 1924. Her father was an entertainer who performed under the name
Grethe Kausland
KAWALEROWICZ, JERZY Polish film director Jerzy Kawalerowicz died in Warsaw, Poland, on De-
Mary Kaye (with brother Norman Kaye and Frank Ross)
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Johnny Ukulele. She began playing with her father’s band, the Royal Hawaiians, at the age of 12, but later left the group to form her own jazz trio. She adopted the name Mary Kaye after World War II when her brother, Norman, joined the trio. The group’s best known incarnation included the two siblings and comic Frank Ross as its members. The Mary Kaye Trio became one of the first groups to be billed as a lounge act, playing the 1–6 A.M. shift on a stage in the bar area for late night patrons. The trio recorded a dozen albums that included such popular tunes as “My Funny Valentine” and “April in Paris.” They also appeared in the films Cha-Cha-Cha-Boom (1956) and Bop Girl Goes Calypso (1956). The trio broke up in 1966 over business differences, though Mary Kaye continued to perform in a singles act through the 1970s.
KAYE, NORMAN Australian actor and entertainer Norman Kaye died in Sydney, Australia, after a long illness on May 29, 2007. He was 80. He was born in Melbourne, Australia, on January 17, 1927. Kaye began his career on stage in the early 1960s as a performer and composer after working many years as an elementary school music teacher. He began a longstanding collaboration with director Paul Cox in 1967 and the two men worked on numerous film and stage productions over the next forty years. Kaye also appeared frequently on Australian television from the late 1960s, appearing in episodes of such series as Hunter, Riptide, Ryan, Division 4, Shannon’s Mob, Homicide, The Bluestone Boys, Ride on Stranger, Prisoner, Winners, Dancing Daze, Call Me Mister, The Flying Doctors in the recurring role of William Randall, A Country Practice, Law of the Land, Water Rats, Good Guys Bad Guys, Wildside, and Murder Call. He was also seen in such television productions as Power Without Glory (1976), The Last Outlaw (1980), ..Deadline.. (1982), The Cowra Breakout (1984), I Own the Racecourse (1986), Tusitala (1986), Handle with Care (1986), The Riddle of the Stinson (1987), The Shiralee (1987), True Believers (1988), Bangkok Hilton (1989), Bordertown (1995), Frontier (1997), and Without Warning (1999). Kaye also appeared in numerous films during his career, with such credits as The Journey (1972), Mad Dog Morgan (1976), Inside Looking Out (1977), Kostas (1979), A Dangerous Summer (1981), The Killing of Angel Street (1981), Lonely Hearts (1982), Man of Flowers (1983), Buddies (1983), Careful, He Might Hear You (1983), Where the Green Ants Dream (1984), Unfinished Business (1985), Relatives (1985), Flight into Hell (1985), Cactus (1986), Frenchman’s Farm (1987), Hungry Heart (1987), Warm Nights on a Slow Moving Train (1988), Boundaries of the Heart (1988), Island (1989), Golden Braid (1990), A Woman’s Tale (1991), Turtle Beach (1992), The Nun and the Bandit (1992), Touch Me (1993), The Custodian (1993), The Nostradamus Kid (1993), Broken Highway (1993), Bad Boy Bubby (1994), Exile (1994), Lust and Revenge (1996), Heaven’s Burning (1997), Paws (1997), Oscar and Lucinda (1997), Innocence (2000), Moulin Rouge! (2001) as Nicole Kidman’s doctor, and Human Touch (2004). Kaye, who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2000, was the subject of the doc-
umentary The Remarkable Mr. Kaye made by his friend and collaborator Paul Cox in 2006.
Norman Kaye
KEATON, BUSTER, JR. Buster Keaton, Jr., the son of silent film comic Buster Keaton, died in Santa Ynez, California, on April 14, 2007. He was 84. He was born Joseph T. Keaton in Los Angeles on June 2, 1922, the son of Buster Keaton and actress Natalie Talmadge. He was seen as the infant Willie McKay, the character played by his father as an adult, in the 1923 film Our Hospitality.
Buster Keaton, Jr.
KELLOGG, DEWEY Actor Dewey Kellogg died in El Cajon, California, on June 17, 2007. He was 69. Kellogg was born in Iowa on August 10, 1937. He was featured in several films including Pontiac Moon (1994) and Dance with the Devil (1997). KELLY, BARBARA Actress Barbara Kelly, who was a regular panelist on the British version of the television quiz show What’s My Line? in the 1950s, died in London on January 15, 2007. She was 82. Kelly was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on October 5, 1924. She worked as a fashion model and was part of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s repertory company from the early 1940s. She married actor Bernard Braden in 1942 and came to England with him in 1949, where she continued her career as an actress.
193 After appearing with Vivien Leigh in a London production of A Streetcar Named Desire, she became a regular panelist on What’s My Line? in 1950. With moderator Eamonn Andrews and fellow panelist Gilbert Harding, she entertained television audiences throughout the decade. She also appeared with her husband on the radio variety shows Breakfast with Braden and Bedtime with Braden, and the television series An Evening at Home with Bernard Braden and Barbara Kelly in 1951. She also appeared in several films including The Desert Hawk (1950), A Tale of Five Cities (1951), Castle in the Air (1952), Love in Pawn (1953), Glad Tidings (1953), Jet Storm (1959), and The Flying Fontaines (1959). She remained a popular performer on British television through the 1960s, appearing on such programs as Kelly’s Eye, Criss Cross Quiz, and Leave Your Name and Number. She also starred with her husband and their daughter, Kim, in the sit-com B & B in 1968. She rejoined Eamonn Andrews for a short-lived new version of What’s My Line? in 1984. She joined her husband to form Prime Performers in the 1970s, which supplies speakers for commercial clients. She worked with Prime Performers until after her husband’s death in 1993, and formed a new company, Speakerpower, in 2000.
2007 • Obituaries
Ridge Hour, died of complications from heart disease at his home in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, on September 5, 2007. He was 76. Kennedy was born in Augusta, Georgia, on November 3, 1930. He worked as an Arthur Murray dance instructor before earning a doctorate in theology. He founded his congregation in 1959, and Kennedy’s use of radio and television expanded his following greatly. His Coral Ridge Hour aired for many years, with Kennedy pontificating on various issues from an evangelical Christian point of view. He joined with Jerry Falwell to form the Moral Majority in 1979, and supported the group’s extreme conservative political agenda. Kennedy was largely inactive after suffering from cardiac arrest in December of 2006.
KENT , RALPH Disney artist Ralph Kent, who spent decades as the administrator for Mickey Mouse merchandise, died of complications from esophageal cancer at his home in Kissimmee, Florida, on September 10, 2007. He was 68. He was born Ralph Kwiatowski in Buffalo, New York, on January 28, 1939. He studied art and served two years in the U.S. Army in the early 1960s, illustrating military training films. He began working for Disneyland in 1963 after his discharge. Kent produced marketing material for such attractions as the Jungle Cruise, the Enchanted Tiki Room and the Pirates of the Caribbean. He moved to Florida in the early 1970s to work at Walt Disney World. He designed souvenirs and collectibles and became the director of Walt Disney Imagineering East. Kent was also known as “the Keeper of the Mouse,” insuring that artists depicting the character kept up to standards. He was one of the few authorized to sign Mickey’s signature.
Barbara Kelly
KENNEDY, D. JAMES Evangelical Christian minister and broadcaster D. James Kennedy, who founded the pioneering television ministry The Coral
Ralph Kent
D. James Kennedy
KERR, DEBORAH Leading lady Deborah Kerr, who starred in such memorable films as The King and I and From Here to Eternity, died from complications of Parkinson’s disease in Suffolk, England, on October 16, 2007. She was 86. She was born Deborah Jane Kerr-Trimmer in Helensburg, Scotland, on September 30, 1921. She studied acting and dancing in England and began her career on stage in the late 1930s. She made her film debut in a small role in Michael Pow-
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Deborah Kerr
ell’s Contraband in 1940. Kerr continued her career on screen in England, appearing in such films as Major Barbara (1941), Love on the Dole (1942), Penn of Pennsylvania (1942), Hatter’s Castle (1942), The Day Will Dawn (1942), The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943) in three roles, Perfect Strangers (1945), and I See a Dark Stranger (1946). She received a New York Film Critics Award for her role as Sister Coldagh, a missionary nun in the Himalayas, in the 1947 film Black Narcissus. She subsequently came to Hollywood where she appeared opposite Clark Gable in the 1947 MGM film The Hucksters. Kerr remained a leading star in the United States, appearing in If Winter Comes (1947), Edward, My Son (1949) earning an Academy Award nomination for her role as Spencer Tracy’s alcoholic wife, Please Believe Me (1950), King Solomon’s Mines (1950) with Stewart Granger, Quo Vadis (1951) as Lygia, The Prisoner of Zenda (1952) as Princess Flavia, Thunder in the Beast (1952), Young Bess (1953) as Catherine Parr, Young Caeser (1953) as Portia, and Dream Wife (1953). Most of Kerr’s characters to date had been of the prim and proper type, but her screen image was transformed in her steamy role as an adulterous wife in 1953’s From Here to Eternity. She and Burt Lancaster were joined together in cinematic history by their steamy love scene on an ocean swept Hawaiian beach. She also starred opposite Yul Brynner in the 1956 film version of the popular Broadway musical The King and I, and was Cary Grant’s lover in the 1957 romance An Affair to Remember. Kerr’s other film credits in the 1950s and 1960s including The End of the Affair (1955), The Proud and Profane (1956), Tea and Sympathy (1956) reprising her Broadway performance, Heaven Knows,
Deborah Kerr (with Burt Lancaster in From Here to Eternity)
Mr. Allison (1957), Kiss Them for Me (1957), Bonjour Tristesse (1958), Separate Tables (1958) with David Niven, The Journey (1959), Count Your Blessing (1959), Beloved Infidel (1959), The Sundowners (1960) earning yet another Oscar nomination, The Grass Is Greener (1960), The Naked Edge (1961), the film adaptation of Henry James’ supernatural classic The Innocents (1961), The Chalk Garden (1964), The Night of the Iguana (1964), Marriage on the Rocks (1965), Eye of the Devil (1966), the 1966 James Bond spoof Casino Royale as Lady Fiona McTarry and Agent Mimi, Prudence and the Pill (1968), The Gypsy Moths (1969), and The Arrangement (1969). Kerr largely retired from the screen in 1969, moving to Switzerland and Spain. She made occasional stage performances and appeared in several television productions in the 1980s, including A Song at Twilight (1982), Witness for the Prosecution (1982), A Woman of Substance (1984), Reunion at Fairbrough (1985), and Hold the Dream (1986). She made her final film appearance in the 1985 feature The Assam Garden. Kerr’s survivors include her husband, author and screenwriter Peter Viertel, and two daughters.
KESNER, JILLIAN Actress Jillian Kesner died of complications from a staph infection in a hospital near her home in Rancho Mirage, California, on December 5, 2007. She was 57. Kesner was born in Portsmouth, Virginia, on November 17, 1950. She began working as an actress in the mid–1970s, appearing on television in an episode of S.W.A.T. She was featured in Gary Graver’s 1976 exploitation film The Student Body, and she and Graver later married. She continued to appear in such films as Starhops (1978), Cirio Santiago’s 1981 kickboxing film Firecracker, Raw Force (1982) which combined kung fu and zombies, Trick or Treats (1982), Moon in Scorpio (1987), Evil Town (1987), Beverly Hills Vamp (1988), Jaded (1989), Roots of Evil (1992), Subliminal Seduction (1996), and Inferno (1998). Kesner was also seen on television in episodes of The Blue Knight, Happy Days, The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, Co-Ed Fever, The Rockford Files, The Ropers, Three’s Company, Mork and Mindy, and T.J. Hooker. He also worked with her husband as a production coordinator on many of his films including Night Eyes 4 (1996), Sexual Roulette (1996), Bikini Traffic
Jillian Kessner (with husband Gary Graver)
195 School (1997), The Escort (1997), Masseuse 3 (1998), Black Widow Escort (1998), Angel in Training (1999), The Kid with X-Ray Eyes (1999), The Neighbor’s Wife (2001), and Murder on the Yellow Brick Road (2005). She and Graver remained married until his death in 2006.
KESTOWCICZ , ZYGMUNT Polish actor Zygmunt Kestowicz died in Warsaw, Poland, on March 14, 2007. He was 86. Kestowicz was born in Szaki, Lithuania, on January 24, 1921. He was active in films from the 1950s, appearing in such features as The Bus Leaves at 6:20 (1954), The Chase (1954), Shadow (1956), The Depot of the Dead (1959), Adam’s Two Ribs (1964), Mexico Tomorrow (1966), Paris–Warsaw Without Visa (1967), The Deluge (1974), In the Days Before Spring (1975), Rough Treatment (1978), Secret of Enigma (1979), and Korczak (1990). He was also noted for his work in children’s television series including Friday with Pankracy and Time for Telesfor. He starred as Wladyslaw Lubicz in the series Klan in the 1990s.
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known, W. Somerset Maugham, Catweazle, Worzel Gummidge, The Double Deckers, Crimewatch, Inspector Morse, Play for Today, On the Busses, The Onedin Line, Z Cars, Oh, Father!, Boy Dominic, The Good Life, Dominic, The Georgian House, The Howerd Confessions, How’s Your Father?, The Famous Five, Juliet Bravo, In Loving Memory, That’s My Boy, Roald Dahl’s Tales of the Unexpected, Paradise Postponed, All Creatures Great and Small, and Heartbeat. Kettlewell was long active in church activities and founded the church-based theatrical group, the St. Augustine’s Players, in the 1960s. She remained active as an actor and director with the group for most of the remainder of her life.
Ruth Kettlewell
Zygmunt Kestowicz
KETTLEWELL, RUTH British character actress, Ruth Kettlewell, died in London on July 17, 2007. She was 94. She was born Ruth Anne Berry in Worchester, England, on April 13, 1913. She served in the Woman’s Land Army during World War II and pursued a career on stage after the war. She initially performed with the Windsor Repertory Theatre and was appearing in West End productions by the late 1950s. Kettlewell made her film debut in 1959, appearing in small roles in Room at the Top and Friends and Neighbours. Her other film credits include Sons and Lovers (1960), The Yellow Teddybears (aka Gutter Girls) (1963), Oh! What a Lovely War (1969), Hope and Keen’s Crazy House (1970), No Blade of Grass (1970), Zeppelin (1971), Professor Popper’s Problem (1974), The Black Panther (1977), Adventures of a Private Eye (1977), Crystalstone (1988), Great Balls of Fire! (1989), and Funny Bones (1995). Kettlewell also performed frequently on television, often portraying portly matrons. She was featured in the 1991 tele-film Heading Home, and appeared in episodes of The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre, The Indian Tales of Rudyard Kipling, Comedy Playhouse, The Wednesday Play, All Gas and Gaiters, Detective, Out of the Un-
KHRENNIKOV, TIKON Russian composer and musician Tikon Khrennikov died in Moscow on August 14, 2007. He was 94. Khrennikov was born in Yelets, Russia, on June 10, 1913. He began playing musical instruments at an early age and studied at the Moscow Conservatory in the early 1930s. He soon wrote his first symphony and composed several popular song for a 1936 production of Much Ado About Nothing. He composed his first opera, Into the Storm based on Nikolai Virta’s novel Loneliness, in 1939. Khrennikov became celebrated for his musical score for the 1941 film They Met in Moscow, which included the popular “Song of Moscow.” He was awarded the Stalin Prize for his compositions, and was named Secretary of
Tikon Khrennikov
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the Union of Soviet Composers in 1948. He continued to work frequently in films throughout his career, scoring Six O’Clock in the Evening After the War (1944), The Train Goes East (1949), Miners of the Don (1950), Dream of a Cossack (1951), True Friends (1954), The Captain’s Daughter (1959), Ballad of a Hussar (1962), Tovarishch Arseni (1965), No Password Necessary (1967), Ruslan and Ludmila (1972), Afterthought Had Hit You, Congratulations! (1977), Lyubovyu za Lyubov (1983), and Dva Tovarishcha (2001). His numerous musical works also include ten operas, three symphonies, six ballets, and many other songs and chamber works.
KIDD, MICHAEL Legendary choreographer Michael Kidd died of cancer in New York City on December 23, 2007. He was 92. He was born Milton Greenwald in Brooklyn, New York, on August 12, 1915. He began studying dance in the mid–1930s and attended the School of American Ballet. He danced in the 1936 film Happy Days Are Here Again and served as choreographer for dance numbers for 1937’s Another Dawn. He performed in such ballets as Billy the Kid (1939) and Pocahontas (1939), and directed and performed in the 1942 revival of Billy the Kid. He was a dancer to Jerome Robbin’s choreography for the ballets Interplay (1945) and Fancy Free (1946). Kidd won the Tony Award for Best Choreography for the 1947 Broadway musical Finian’s Rainbow. He earned four subsequent Tonys for Guys and Dolls (1950), Can-Can (1953), Li’l Abner (1956), and Destry Rides Again (1959). He also received Tony nominations for the Broadway productions Subways Are for Sleeping (1961), Skyscraper (1965), The Rothschilds (1970), and The Goodbye Girl (1993). Kidd also worked in Hollywood, choreographing for such films as Where’s Charley? (1952), The Band Wagon (1953), Knock on Wood (1954), Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954) which earned him acclaim for his energetic dance numbers, Guys and Dolls (1955), Li’l Abner (1959). Kidd was featured as Angie Valentine in the 1955 film It’s Always Fair Weather, and directed and choreographed the 1958 musical comedy Merry Andrew, starring Danny Kaye. He choreographed the films Star! (1968) and Hello, Dolly! (1969), and the 1978 telefilm Actor, which also featured Kidd in the role of the adult Paul Muni. He also performed in the 1975 film
Michael Kidd
Smile, was featured as Pop Popchik in the 1978 comedy Movie Movie, and was Dr. Westford in Blake Edward’s 1989 comedy Skin Deep. Kidd was given an honorary Academy Award “in recognition of his services to the art of dance in the art of the screen” in 1996.
KIELTYKA , WILTOLD “VITEK ” Polish drummer Wiltold “Vitek” Kieltyka, who was a founding member of the death metal band Decapitated, was seriously injured when the band’s tour bus collided with a truck on route to Gomel, Belarus, on October 29, 2007. He suffered severe head injuries and was hospitalized in Novozybkov, Russia, where he died on November 2, 2007. He was 23. Kieltyka was born in Poland on January 24, 1984, the younger brother of fellow musician Waclaw “Vogg” Kieltyka. He joined Decapitated in 1996 at the age of 12 and performed on their albums The Eye of Horus (1998), Winds of Creation (2000), The First Damned (2000), Nihility (2002), The Negation (2004) and Organic Hallucinosis (2006). He also performed with the bands Dies Irae and Panzer X.
Wiltold Kieltyka
KIMATIAN, PAUL Film writer and producer Paul Kimatian died of cancer in Los Angeles on April 28, 2007. He was 61. Kimatian was born on December 24, 1945. He began his career in films working as a still photographer on such Martin Scorcese features as Taxi Driver (1976) and New York, New York (1977).
Paul Kimatian
197 He served as production manager and appeared in a small role in the 1978 science fiction action film Deathsport (1978) and was executive producer on the 1980 scifi film Without Warning. Kimatian was a producer and assistant director on the films Street Music (1981), Hot Dog ... The Movie (1984), and Never on Tuesday (1988). He wrote and produced the 1995 tele-film The Wharf Rat and the 2002 feature Deuces Wild. He also served as executive producer for the 2003 film The Great Gabble.
2007 • Obituaries
(1964), Don’t Forget to Wipe the Blood Off (1966), Don’t Let the Angels Fall (1969), Who Has Seen the Wind (1977), Shadow Dancing (1988), Last Night (1998), Picture Claire (2001), and A Promise (2002). King was married to actor Gordon Pinsent from 1962 until her death. She is survived by Pinsent and their daughter, actress Leah Pinsent.
KIM JOO-SEUNG Korean actor Kim JooSeung died of pancreatic cancer in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, hospital on August 13, 2007. He was 45. Kim was born in South Korea on September 3, 1961. He made his film debut in the early 1980s and was a leading actor over the next two decades appearing in such films as March of a Tomboy (1986) and Love Lesson on Campus (1988). Kim also produced dramas for film and television from the 1990s. His final credit was the 2005 series Ice Girl. Charmion King
Kim Joo-Seung
KING, CHARMION Canadian actress Charmion King, who was known as the Grand Dame of the Canadian Theatre, died in Canada on January 6, 2007. She was 81. King was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on July 25, 1925. She began her career on stage while attending the University of Toronto. She appeared regularly in plays by Shakespeare at the Stratford Festival and was noted for her roles in the works of Anton Chekhov. King made her only appearance on Broadway in a production of Robertson Davies’ Love and Libel in 1960. She also appeared frequently on television from the late 1950s, with roles in such series as The Adventures of Tugboat Annie, The Forest Rangers, Seaway, Room 222, McMillan and Wife, House of Pride as Mary Kirby, Katts and Dog, The Twilight Zone, The Hitchhiker, Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal, Traders, and Wind at My Back. She was also featured in television productions of Anne of Green Gables (1985) as Aunt Josephine, and 1987’s Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel, Broken Lullaby (1994), My Own Country (1998), and Jackie, Ethel, Joan: The Women of Camelot (2001). King also appeared in a handful of films during her career including Nobody Waved Good-Bye
KING, DONNA Donna King Conkling, one of the singing King Sisters, died of complications from asthma and cancer in Plano, Texas, on June 20, 2007. She was 88. She was born Donna Olivia Driggs in Sanford, Colorado, on September 3, 1918. Three of her sisters, Maxine, Luise and Alyce, began performing together in high school and made their radio debut in 1931. They soon changed their name from the Driggs Sisters to the King Sisters, and were performing in Los Angeles with bandleader Horace Heidt by 1934. Donna and sister Yvonne soon joined the group. They later sang with a band led by Alvino Rey, who had married Luise. They recorded several popular songs in the early 1940s including “In the Mood” and “Nighty Night.” They also performed in several films including Sing Your Worries Away (1942), Follow the Band (1943), Larceny with Music (1943), Meet the People (1944), On Stage Everybody (1945), and Cuban Pete (1946). Donna married recording executive James B. Conkling in 1943 and left the group later in the decade. She later appeared in
Donna King (second from left, with sisters Vonnie, Alyce and Luise)
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a small role in the 1959 horror film The Hideous Sun Demon, produced by her brother-in-law, actor Robert Clarke. She rejoined her sisters and other family members for The King Family television show in the mid–1960s. Donna was widowed when Conkling died in 1998. Her survivors include sisters Marilyn, Maxine, and Yvonne, five children, and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
KING , LORETTA Actress Loretta King Hadler, who starred in Ed Wood’s 1955 cult classic Bride of the Monster died at her home in Century City, California, on September 10, 2007. She was 90. She was born in Phoenix, Arizona, on August 20, 1917. She was cast as Janet Lawton in Wood’s Bride of the Monster starring Bela Lugosi and Tor Johnson. She also appeared in television in productions of Dr. Harvey W. Wiley and The Pirate and the Lawyer on Hallmark Hall of Fame in 1955. She resumed acting in the 1970s after her marriage to Herman Hadler, appearing in the films Johnny Tough (1974) and Joey (1977). She was also seen in the 1996 documentary The Haunted World of Edward D. Wood, Jr. King was portrayed by actress Juliette Landau in Tim Burton’s 1994 biographical film of the director, Ed Wood.
in a Boca Raton, Florida, hospital on December 8, 2007. He was 63. King was born in New Jersey in 1944, the son of Charles King, who founded the syndicated programming distribution company King World Productions Inc. in 1964. Roger King worked in newspaper sales and radio and television production before become chairman of King World in 1977. King World became a leading distributor of first-run syndicated programming, launching such popular series as The Oprah Winfrey Show, Dr. Phil, Martha Stewart Living, and Inside Edition. Syndicated versions of the game shows Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! were also produced, as well as the syndicated sale of reruns of such network programs as CSI: Crime Scene Investigations, Touched by an Angel, Everybody Loves Raymond, Survivor, and The Amazing Race. King World Productions merged with CBS Television in 2000, and King became chief executive officer of distribution at CBS.
KING, DAME THEA British classical clarinetist Dame Thea King died in London on June 26, 2007. She was 81. King was born in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, England, on December 26, 1925. She studied the piano and clarinet and worked as a teacher and chamber musician. She was principal clarinetist for the English Chamber Orchestra from 1964 to 1999, and also played with the Sadler’s Wells Opera Orchestra and the London Mozart Players during her career. King was professor of clarinet at the Royal College of Music from 1961 to 1987 and taught at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama from 1988 until her death. She was created a Dame of the British Empire in 2001.
Loretta King
KING, ROGER Television syndication executive Roger M. King died of complications from a stroke Dame Thea King
Roger M. King
KING, YOLANDA Yolanda King, the eldest child of the Rev. Martin Luther and Coretta King, who was an actress and motivational speaker, died of a heart condition in Santa Monica, California, on May 15, 2007. She was 51. King was born in Montgomery, Alabama, on November 17, 1955. She was committed to her father’s vision of nonviolent social change and justice from an early age. She was the founder of Higher Ground Productions, which orchestrated her motivational speaking appearances. She began her acting career playing Rosa Parks in the 1978 television mini-series about her father, King. She was also featured in the
199 films Hopscotch (1980), Fluke (1995), Ghosts of Mississippi (1996) as Reena Evers, Drive By: A Love Story (1997), and Odessa (2000). Yolanda also appeared in the tele-films Death of a Prophet (1981) as Malcolm X’s widow Betty Shabazz, No Big Deal (1983), America’s Dream (1996), Selma, Lord, Selma (1999), Funny Valentines (1999), and The Secret Path (1999). Her other television credits include episodes of JAG, Any Day Now, Liberty’s Kids: Est. 1776, and Strong Medicine.
2007 • Obituaries
KIRKWOOD, PAT British actress Pat Kirkwood died in a nursing home in Ilkley, West Yorkshire, England, on December 25, 2007. She was 86. Kirkwood was born in Pendleton, Manchester, England, on February 24, 1921. She began her professional career as a singer on BBC radio’s The Children’s Hour at the age of 14. She made her stage debut the following year in 1936 as the Schoolgirl Songstress. She was soon appearing in such films as Save a Little Sunshine (1938), Me and My Pal (1939), Come on George! (1939), Band Wagon (1940), and Flight from Folly (1945). She subsequently headed to Hollywood, where she starred in MGM’s No Leave, No Love (1946). The film’s lack of success led to a nervous breakdown and suicide attempt by Kirkwood. She recovered and resumed her career on stage in such musical productions as Starlight Roof (1947) and Noel Coward’s Ace of Clubs (1950). She was also seen in the films Once a Sinner (1950), Stars in Your Eyes (1956), and After the Ball (1957), and starred in the television variety series The Pat Kirkwood Show in 1954.
Yolanda King
KIRKVAAG, TROND Norwegian comic actor and writer Trond Kirkvaag died of colorectal cancer in Norway on November 16, 2007. He was 61. Kirkvaag was born in Norway on June 21, 1946. He began working at the Norwegian television network NRK in 1968, appearing on the series Smile to the Hidden Camera. He often worked with fellow comics Knut Lystad and Lars Mjoen, and created such programs as The Buffalo Bluff Wall-to-Wall International Tour (1973), the satirical news program Newnews (1976), The Dal Brothers (1979), Diplomatix (1985), MRK TeeVee (1988), KLMs After Play (1992), and The Rise and Fall of an Olympic Village (1994). He also wrote and appeared in the 1985 film Something Completely Different, and created the comedy programs Trotto Libre (1996) and a skit series for the Showtalk program in 2000.
Trond Kirkvaag
Pat Kirkwood
KITAMURA, KAZUO Japanese actor Kazuo Kitamura died of pneumonia in a Tokyo hospital on May 6, 2007. He was 80. Kitamura was born in Tokyo on March 11, 1927. He performed on stage with the Bungakuza theatrical troupe from the early 1950s. Kitamura also appeared frequently in films, including several by his longtime friend, director Shohei Imamura. His many film credits include Anyakoro (1959), Evening Stream (1960), Till Tomorrow Comes (1962), Heaven and Hell (1963), The Insect Woman (1963), Samurai Vagabond (1964), The Scent of Incense (1964), Intentions of Murder (1964), Akujo (1964), Yearning (1964), Kwaidan (1964) as Hoichi the Earless, The Procurer (1965), White Rose of Hong Kong (1965), Warm Current (1966), The Emperor and the General (1967), Flame and Women (1967), Women and Miso Soup (1968), The Most Corrupted (1968), The Profound Desire of the Gods (1968), The Militarists (1970), Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) as Foreign Minister Matsuoka, Summer Soldiers (1972), Dog Flute (1978), Taro the Dragon Boy (1979), Vengeance Is Mine (1979), White Love (1979), The Man Who Stole the Sun (1979), Why Not? (1981), Sailor Suit and Machine Gun (1981), Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp (1982),
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Lake of Illusions (1982), The Geisha (1983), Black Rain (1989), A Festival of Drams (1989), Kagero (1991), Amateur Singing Contest (1999), Darkness in the Light (2001), War Water Under a Red Bridge (2001), Shinobi: Heart Under Blade (2005), Henshin (2005), and Japan Sinks (2006).
Kazuo Kitamura
KLEINER, HARRY Screenwriter Harry Kleiner, who co-wrote the script for the 1966 science fiction classic Fantastic Voyage, died in Northbrook, Illinois, on September 17, 2007. He was 91. Kleiner was born in Tiflis, Russia (now Tbilissi, Georgia) on September 10, 1916. He came to Hollywood after World War II, where he began working in films as a writer. He wrote the story or script for such films as Fallen Angel (1945), The Street with No Name (1948), Red Skies of Montana (1952), Kangaroo (1952), Salome (1953), King of the Khyber Rifles (1953), Miss Sadie Thompson (1953), Carmen Jones (1954), The Violent Men (1955), and House of Bamboo (1955). Kleiner served as a writer and producer for several films later in the decade including The Garment Jungle (1957), The Rabbit Trap (1959), Cry Tough (1959), and Ice Palace (1960). He also worked in television in the 1960s, scripting episodes of such series as Bus Stop, Target: The Corruptors, The Virginian, and Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre. Kleiner continued to write such films as A Fever in the Blood (1961), The Final Hour (1962), Fantastic Voyage (1966), Bullitt (1968) starring Steve McQueen, Le Mans (1971), the 1974 tele-film Judgement: The Trial of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, Extreme Prejudice (1987), and Red Heat (1988). KLEINOW , SNEAKY PETE Sneaky Pete Kleinow, who played the steel guitar with the Flying Burrito Brothers and worked on special effects for such films as The Empire Strikes Back and The Terminator, died of complications from Alzheimer’s disease in a Petaluma, California, nursing facility on January 6, 2007. He was 72. Kleinow was born in South Bend, Indiana, on August 20, 1934. He moved to California in the early 1960s, where he began working as a stop-motion animator for Art Clokey’s Gumby and Davey and Goliath cartoons, and the films The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm (1962) and The Seven Faces of Dr.
Lao (1964). Kleinow was playing steel guitar in small country bands when musician Gram Parsons invited him to join his new group, The Flying Burrito Brothers, in 1968. He performed on the albums The Gilded Palace of Sin (1969), Burrito Deluxe (1969), and Flying Burrito Brothers (1971), and appeared with the band in the 1970 concert film Gimme Shelter before the group split up in the early 1970s. Kleinow was considered one of the leading steel guitarists in the music business, playing in sessions with such artists as John Lennon, the Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder, Joni Mitchell, Linda Ronstadt, Billy Joel, and Fleetwood Mac. He formed a new band, Cold Steel, in 1974, which soon evolved into another version of the Flying Burrito Brothers. He continued to play and record with the group throughout the decade, and recorded a solo album, Sneaky Pete, in 1978. He also continued his work in films as part of the special effects crew for such features as The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Caveman (1981), Gremlins (1984), Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone (1983), The Right Stuff (1983), The Terminator (1984), The Return of the Living Dead (1985), The Puppetoon Movie (1987), RoboCop 2 (1990), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Army of Darkness (1992), Nemesis (1993), Starship Troopers (1997), and Holes (2003). He also worked on the 1974 television series Land of the Lost, and the 1983 mini-series The Winds of War. Kleinow also remained active in music, recording the solo albums The Legend and the Legacy (1994) and Meet Sneaky Pete (2001). He was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2006 and had spent six months in a care home before his death.
Sneaky Pete Kleinow
KLEY, CHANEY Actor Chaney Kley Minnis died in Venice, California, on July 24, 2007. He was 34. Kley was born in Colorado on August 20, 1972. He majored in drama in college and embarked upon an acting career in the late 1990s. He was best known for his role as Kyle Walsh in the 2003 horror film Darkness Falls. He also appeared in the films Legally Blonde (2001), The Skin Horse (2003), Stephen King’s Gotham Cafe (2005), Jimmy and Judy (2006), Mr. Blue Sky (2007), and One Way to Valhalla (2007). Kley was also seen on television in episodes of Buff y the Vampire Slayer, Navy NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service,
201 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Las Vegas, and The Shield.
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derwent a liver transplant and numerous other surgeries that left him largely disabled, though he claimed till the end that he had no regrets about the way he lived his life.
Chaney Kley
KNIEVEL, EVEL Flamboyant motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel died of complications from diabetes and pulmonary fibrosis at his condominium in Clearwater, Florida, on November 30, 2007. He was 69. He was born Robert Knievel, Jr., in Butte, Montana, on October 17, 1938. He was frequently in trouble with authorities from an early age and picked up the nickname “Evel.” He worked at various occupations, both legal and illegal, through the mid–1960s when he opened a Honda dealership in Moses Lake, Washington. For publicity he formed a traveling stunt show, Evel Knievel’s Motorcycle Daredevils. He performed his first nationally noted stunt in Las Vegas in 1968, when he made an unsuccessful attempt to leap over the fountains in front of Caesars Palace. A bad landing resulted in massive injuries and numerous broken bones. He resumed his exploits after regaining consciousness a month later. His 150 foot and more motorcycles leaps over an ever expanding procession of cars brought him fame in the early 1970s. Knievel’s most spectacular attempt was to leap the Snake River Canyon in Idaho on a closed-circuit televised event in 1974. The leap was unsuccessful, though he survived the fall due to a parachute on his bike. His growing fame led to a feature film named after him, starring George Hamilton, in 1971. He was portrayed by Sam Elliott in the 1974 tele-film Evel Knievel. He himself appeared in cameo roles in the 1974 film Freebie and the Bean, and in episodes of The Sonny and Cher Show and The Bionic Woman. He starred as himself in the 1977 film Viva Knievel! Knievel continued to entertain crowds with leaps over double-decker buses and shark tanks. Frequent mishaps resulted in an ever growing list of injuries and broken bones. By the end of the decade, the daredevil’s financial fortunes had fallen and his son, Robbie, soon took over his father’s act. A decade of heavy drinking and bouts of depression took its toll on Evel but he made something of a comeback in the 1990s. He was featured in television commercials and made promotional appearances as a new generation of fans emerged. He contracted Hepatitis C due to blood transfusions required from his many accidents. He un-
Evel Knievel
KNIGHT, EVELYN Sultry songstress Evelyn Knight, who was a popular singer in the 1940s and 1950s, died of lung cancer at a nursing home in San Jose, California, on September 28, 2007. She was 89. She was born Evelyn Davis in Reedville, Virginia, on December 31, 1917, and began her career in Washington nightclubs under the name Honey Davis at the age of 16. She moved to New York in 1944, where, as Evelyn Knight, she headlined at top nightclubs. She released her debut single, “Dance with a Dolly (with a Hole in Her Stocking ),” the following year, which made the Top 10. In the late 1940s, Knight moved to Los Angeles, where she could be heard at hot celebrity nightclubs and sang alongside Tony Martin and Gordon MacRae. Between 1944 and 1951, she had 13 Top 40 hits, including “A Little Bird Told Me” and “Powder Your Face with Sunshine,” which both became #1 hits. Ms. Knight became known as the “The Lass with the Delicate Air.” During the early 1950s, she went on tour, appearing in top hotels and nightclubs throughout the country. She made her final hit, recording, “My Heart Cries for You,” a duet with country singer Red Foley, in 1951. She also recorded with Bing Crosby and
Evelyn Knight
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also performed on the television variety programs The Colgate Comedy Hour and The Ed Sullivan Show in the early 1950s. Knight returned to New York in the 1950s, working in the music publishing industry and was given a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame in 1961 without her knowledge. In 1967, she moved to Phoenix, Arizona, were she lived in obscurity.
KNIGHT , KEITH Canadian actor Keith Knight died of brain cancer at his home in Toronto, Canada, on August 22, 2007. He was 51. Knight was born in Sault Sainte Marie, Ontario, Canada, in 1956. He began his career performing in regional theater, making his professional debut with Theatre Ontario in 1978. He made his film debut in the 1979 comedy Meatballs, starring as camp counselor in training Larry Finkelstein, winner of the hot dog eating contest. Knight continued to appear in such films as Hog Wild (1980), the cult horror classic My Bloody Valentine (1981), Gas (1981), Class of 1984 (1982), Self Defense (1983), Of Unknown Origin (1983), Mr. Nice Guy (1987), Family Reunion (1988), Whispers (1989), Love & Murder (1991), Bar Life (2003), Owning Mahowny (2003), and Looking for Angelina (2005). Knight also appeared frequently on television, with roles in the telefilms Letting Go (1985), Whodunit (1986), The Prodigious Hickey (1987), Switching Goals (1999), and Lucky Day (2002). He was also seen in episodes of such series as Seeing Things, Katts and Dog, Street Legal, The Twilight Zone, War of the Worlds, Road to Avonlea, RoboCop, Liberty Street, Traders, Pecola, Queer as Folk, and Street Time. In recent years Knight worked frequently as a voice actor on such animated shows as The Care Bears Adventures in Wonderland, Beetlejuice, Redwall, The Dumb Bunnies, The Busy World of Richard Scarry, The Blazing Dragons, Ace Ventura, Rupert the Bear, Franklin, and Miss Spider’s Sunny Patch Friends.
came to the United States with his parents as a child. He worked as a New York City police officer until his retirement in 1969. He subsequently moved to California, where he began a second career impersonating Reagan after his wife entered him in a Reagan look-alike contest with the National Enquirer without his knowledge in 1980. Koch was soon making personal appearances as the president’s double. He was also seen in cameo roles as Reagan in several films including Back to the Future, Part II (1989), Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993), the tele-film Cosmic Slop (1994), and Panther (1995).
Jay Koch
KOCINIAK, JAN Polish actor Jan Kociniak died in Warsaw, Poland, on April 20, 2007. He was 69. Kociniak was born in Stryj, Poland (now Ukraine), on November 8, 1937. He began his acting career in the early 1960s and often performed on stage with the Atheneum Theatre in Warsaw. He appeared on screen in such films as A Place on Earth (1960), Dowry (1964), The Saragossa Manuscript (1965), Tank Force (1967), Love the Mermaids (1967), Paris–Warsaw Without Visa (1967), The Doll (1968), Troublesome Visitor (1971), Man —Woman Wanted (1973), Teddy Bear (1981), Lake of Constance (1986), Special Mission (1987), Controlled Conversations (1991), Ubu, the King (2003), and Rys (2007). He also appeared on Polish television productions of Trzy Mlyny (1984), Zlotopolscy (1998), Wiezy
Keith Knight
KOCH, JAY Jay Koch, who parlayed his resemblance to Ronald Reagan into a career impersonating the former president in films and personal appearances, died of heart failure after a lengthy battle with cancer at his home in Port Hueneme, California, on March 19, 2007. He was 81. He was born Julius Koch, Jr., in Rechnitz, Austria, on February 25, 1926, and
Jan Kociniak
203 Krwi (2001), Samo Zycie (2002), and Na Dobre i Na Zie (2005). Kociniak was also the Polish dubbing voice for Winnie the Pooh and other film and television productions.
KOKSHOORN, FRANS Dutch actor Frans Kokshoorn died in Oegstgeest, the Netherlands, on November 25, 2007. He was 87. Kokshoorn was born in The Hague, the Netherlands, on June 18, 1920. He was a leading stage, film and television performer from the 1960s. Kokshoorn was featured in such films as Hunted in Holland (1960), Fair in the Rain (1962), Rififi in Amsterdam (1962), No Panic (1973), Ciske the Rat (1984), and Flodder (1986). He also appeared on Dutch television in productions of Lijn Zonder Lengte (1961), Oorlogswinter (1975), Sil de Strandjutter (1976), and Pappie, Hier ben Ik (1991). He starred as BB in the series Bassie en Adriaan en de Diamant from 1979 to 1980. His other television credits include episodes of Floris, Barlow at Large, Q & Q as Vader Quarles van Ispen, Centraal Station, Hollands Glorie, Laden Maar, De Fabriek as Boer Voors, Dossier Verhulst as Accountant Weber, Rust Roest, Simon Winner, Unit 13, and Baantjer.
2007 • Obituaries
Peacemaker (1984), Mrs. vs. Miss (1985), Lemon Popsicle VI (1985), The Delta Force (1986), The Emperor’s New Clothes (1987), Beauty and the Beast (1987), Appointment with Death (1988), Hanna’s War (1988), Puss in Boots (1988), Hansel and Gretel (1988), Tongue in Cheek (1989), Banana Peel (1990) which he also scripted, A Man Called Sarge (1990), and Blink of an Eye (1992).
KONING, HANS Author Hans Koning died at his home in Easton, Connecticut, on April 13, 2007. He was 85. He was born Hans Koningsberger in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on July 12, 1921. He fought with the Dutch Resistance and the British Army during World War II. After the war he traveled the world before heading to Los Angeles in 1951. His first novel, The Affair, was published in 1958, and he soon began writing works of non-fiction as well. His 1961 novel A Walk with Love and Death was adapted to film by director John Huston in 1969, and starred Huston’s daughter Anjelica. Koning’s novel The Revolutionary was made into a film starring Jon Voight in 1970. Death of a Schoolboy was adapted for film in 1991, and The Petersburg-Cannes Express was filmed in Moscow in 2003. He was an active opponent of the Vietnam War during the 1960s, and a founder of the anti-war group Resist. Koningsberger, who shortened his name to Koning in the early 1970s, became a U.S. citizen in 1978. He was also the author of a controversial book about the discovery of America, Columbus: His Enterprise — Exploding the Myth, in 1976. He continued his attacks on Columbus in the followup work, The Conquest of America: How the Indian Nations Lost Their Continent, in 1993.
Frans Kokshoorn
KOL, ITZIK Israeli film and television producer Itzik Kol died of complications from pneumonia in a Kfar Saba, Israel, hospital, on July 8, 2007. He was 75. Kol was born in Petah Tikvah, Palestine, in 1932. He began working in films in 1960, assisting director Baruch Dienar on the feature They Were Ten. Kol worked as a stage director for several years before being named head of Herzliya Studios in the late 1960s. Kol served as a producer for such films as The Policeman (1970) which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film, The Provoation (1970), Peeping Toms (1972), Chamsin (1972), I Love You Rosa (1972), Big Eyes (1974), The Fox in the Chicken Coop (1978), and Sing Your Heart Out (1979). He also directed the 1977 film Save the Lifeguard, and produced the Israeli television series Zeh Hason Sheli, Sahek Ota, and Tesha Ba’ribu’a. He began working with Menachem Golan and Yoram Globus in the early 1980s, and eventually became CEO of their production company, Cannon Films. Kol was a producer for Dead End Street (1982),
Hans Koning
KONONOV, MIKHAIL Russian actor Mikhail Kononov died in Moscow on July 16, 2007. He was 67. Kononov was born in Moscow on April 25, 1940. He became a leading actor in films in the Soviet Union in the early 1960s. His numerous film credits include The First Trolleybus (1963), Goodbye, Boys (1964), Chief Chukotky (1966), No Crossing Under Fire (1967), At War as at War (1968), Andrei Rublev (1969), The Beginning (1970), Hold on to the Clouds (1971), Hello and Goodbye (1972), Almanzor’s Rings (1972), Finest, the Brave
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Falcon (1975), Kapitan Nemo (1975), Story of an Unknown Actor (1976), While the Clocks Are Ticking (1976), Twenty Days Without War (1976), Love and Fury (1978), The Fortress (1978), A Taiga Story (1979), Siberiade (1973), In Search of the Wind (1979), Vasili and Vasilisa (1981), A Railway Station for Two (1982), Goldfishes (1983), Alone and Unarmed (1984), Old Times Pranks (1986), First Encounter — Last Encounter (1987), She Has a Broom, He Has a Black Hat (1987), The Christians (1987), The Feasts of Valtasar, or The Night with Stalin (1989), The Royal Hunt (1990), Memento Mori (1991), The Inner Circle (1991), The Great Ants Way (1992), A Beautiful Stranger (1993), Assia and the Hen with the Golden Eggs (1994), and Nexnaika na Lune (1997) as the voice of Grizzl. He also appeared on television in productions of The Long Recess (1972), The Comedy of Errors (1978), Engineer Barkasov’s Crazy Day (1983), Guest from the Future (1985), and V Kruge Pervom (2006).
Guitar Alive (1967) and For Singles Only (1968), and was featured on television in an episode of Airwolf.
KORTE, CHASE Aspiring actor Chase Korte died of injuries he received in an automobile accident in Los Angeles involving a drunk driver on February 10, 2007. He was 24. Korte was born in Elk River, Minnesota, on September 6, 1982. He moved to Hollywood in 2005 to embark on a career in films. Korte was featured in commercials and in several independent films including Gigi 12x5 (2005), Asleep in the Deep (2005), TTYL (2005), and Tiny Explosions (2006). He was in production on the unfinished film Peace Walker at the time of his death.
Chase Korte
KORDA, MARIA Actress Maria Korda died in Burbank, California, on May 8, 2007. She was 66. She was born in Torun, Poland, on August 8, 1940. She and her mother survived Buchenwald concentration camp during World War II. After their liberation they came to the United States, initially settling in Chicago. Korda later went to Las Vegas, where she worked as an entertainer. She also toured with the USO. She appeared in several films in the 1960s including The Fastest
KOSEWICZ, CHERYL Cheryl Kosewicz, a contestant on the short-lived CBS reality series Pirate Master, was found dead at her home in Sparks, Nevada, of an apparent suicide on July 27, 2007. She was 35. She was reportedly having difficulty dealing with the suicide of her boyfriend two months earlier. Kosewicz had served as a deputy district attorney at the Clark County District Attorney’s Office in Las Vegas for over six years. She had recently relocated to Reno, Nevada. Kosewicz was born on November 11, 1971. She was the fourth contestant eliminated from the Mark Burnett reality series, which was cancelled prior to its conclusion due to poor ratings.
Maria Korda
Cheryl Kosewicz
Mikhail Kononov
205 KOSMO, WANDA Brazilian actress and director Wanda Kosmo died in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on January 27, 2007. She was 76. Kosmo was born in Sao Bento do Sapucai, Brazil, in July of 1930. She began her career under the name Vanda Nerina, appearing in the films Caraca, Porta do Ceu (1950) and O Pao Que o Diabo Amassou (1957). She was active in television from the 1960s, appearing in such series as Perludio, A Vida de Chopin (1963), Se o Mar Contasse (1964), Gutierritos, o Drama dos Humildes (1964), O Pecado de Cada Um (1965), and Algemas de Ouro (1969). She also worked as a director on several television series. Kosmo continued to perform in films and television over the next two decades, appearing in the films As Mulheres Amam por Conveniencia (1972), Sob o Dominio do Sexo (1963), The Bloody Exorcism of Coffin Joe (1974), O Sexualista (1975, A Praga (1980), Motel, Refugio do Amor (1980), Excitacao Diabolica (1983), and A Doutora e Boa Paca (1984). She also starred in the television productions Tilim (1970), Cara a Cara (1979), Roque Santeiro (1985), O Outro (1987), Ilha das Bruxas (1991), and Terez Batista (1992).
Wanda Kosmo
KOSSI, ENRIQUE Argentine actor Enrique Kossi died of a heart attack in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on July 23, 2007. He was 76. Kossi was born in Buenos Aires in 1931. He began his career in show business as an acrobat and ice skater and made his theatrical debut in a production of Los Invertidos in 1956. He began appearing in films soon after, with such credits as Fantoche (1957), In Burning Darkness (1958), El Hombre y su Noche (1958), Prisoner 1040 (1958), Rosaura at 10 O’Clock (1958), The Fall (1959), and Los Acusados (1960). He starred as a soccer player in 1960’s El Crack and was usually cast as a villain in later roles. Kossi continued his career in such films as Interpol Ilamando a Rio (1961), Rebelde con Causa (1961), Mate Cosido (1962), Lindor Covas, el Cimarron (1963), Aconcagua (1964), Ahorro y Prestamo. Para el Amos (1965), Juan Manuel de Rosas (1972), La Aventura Explosiva (1977), Los Superagentes y la Gran Aventura del Oro (1980), Luna Caliente (1985), La Bailanta (1988), Floating Island (1989), and Delito de Corrupcion (1991). He also appeared frequently on Argentine television in such series as Alta Comedia, El Gato, Yolanda Lujan, Alguien
2007 • Obituaries
Como Usted, Districto Norte, Operacion Cero, and Claudia Moran.
Enrique Kossi
KOTSEV, KONSTANTIN Bulgarian actor Konstantin Kotsev died of complications from Alzheimer’s disease in Sofia, Bulgaria, on August 4, 2007. He was 81. Kotsev was born in Istanbul, Turkey, on June 4, 1926. He studied at the K. Sarafov Film and Theater Academy and began his career on stage in the late 1950s. He performed with the State Satirical Theater from 1958 to 1984, and with the Sofia Theater from 1984 to 1990. Kotsev was also seen in numerous films during his career including Two Victories (1956), On a Small Island (1958), First Lesson (1960), A Investigation (1963), The Inspector and the Night (1963), The Chain (1964), Jesse James vs. Lokum Shekerov (1966), The Tied Up Balloon (1967), Swedish Kings (1968), The Penleve Case (1968), The White Room (1968), Little Secrets (1968), Birds and Greyhounds (1969), Armando (1969), Aesop (1970), There Is Nothing Finer Than Bad Weather (1971), Naked Conscience (1971), Hitchhiking (1972), The Quiet Fugitive (1972), Flight to the Ropotamo (1973), Eternal Times (1974), Houses Without Fences (1974), A Highway (1975), People from Afar (1977), Sunstroke (1977), Panteley (1978), Everybody and Nobody (1978), Warmth (1978), The Grand Piano (1979), Priest Vecherko’s Nights Wakefulness (1980), The Soloist (1980), Crime in Yellow (1981), Constantine the
Konstantin Kotsev
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Philosopher (1983), Black and White (1983), Balance (1983), Up in the Cherry Tree (1984), Question of Time (1984), Holy Week (1986), Time of Violence (1988), Homecoming (1989), Indian Games (1990), The Father of the Egg (1991), Pantudi (1993), and Rhapsody in White (2002).
KOURKOULOS, NIKOS Greek stage and film actor Nikos Kourkoulos died of cancer in Athens, Greece, on January 30, 2007. He was 72. Kourkoulos was born in Athens on December 5, 1934. He studied acting at the National Theatre of Greece and made his stage debut in a production of La Dame aux Camelias in 1958. He was also a popular film star from the late 1950s, appearing in such features as A Matter of Dignity (1957), Erotikes Istories (1959), Bouboulina (1959), Amaryllis (1959), I Kyria Dimarhos (1960), Katiforos (1961), Taxidi (1962), Orgi (1962), Lola (1964), Dipsa Gia Zoi (1964), Amfivolies (1964), Games of Desire (1964), Casablan (1964), Adistaktoi (1965), Koinonia, Ora Miden (1966), Katigoro Tous Anthropous (1966), Blood on the Land (1966), Assignment Skybolt (1968), Bandits in Rome (1968), Gymnol sto Dromo (1969), Oratotis Miden (1970), O Astrapoyannos (1970), Katahrisis Exousias (1971), Me Fovon Kai Pathos (1972), An Enemy of the Society (1972), Thema Syneidiseos (1973), The Trial of the Judges (1974), Smiling Afternoon (1979), Exodos Kindynou (1980), and To Fragma (1982). Kourkoulos was also a founder of the musical group Proskinio in the 1960s. He earned a Tony Award nomination for best supporting actor for his role in the 1967 Broadway musical Illya Darling with Melina Mercouri. He also performed on stage in productions of Arthur Miller’s View from the Bridge, Franz Kafka’s The Trial, and Bertold Brecht’s The Beggar’s Opera. He made his final stage appearance in the title role of Sophocles’ Philoktitis in 1991. Kourkoulos became the artistic director of the National Theatre of Greece in 1995.
a long association with fellow cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond. The two filmed much footage of the Hungarian Revolution and subsequent invasion by the Soviet Union in 1956. He and Zsigmond escaped from Hungary and came to the United States in 1957. He began working as a cameraman on such low-budget films as What’s Up Front! (1964), The Time Travelers (1964) and The Nasty Rabbit (1964). Kovacs soon became a cinematographer, working with Ray Dennis Steckler on the 1964 cult classic Z-Film The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies!!!? (which also featured Kovacs in a small role). He went on to serve as director of photography on such films as Kiss Me Quick! (1964), The Notorious Daughter of Fanny Hill (1966), A Smell of Honey, a Swallow of Brine (1966), Mondo Mod (1967), A Man Called Dagger (1967), Hells Angels on Wheels (1967), Mantis in Lace (1968), Psych-Out (1968), Peter Bogadnovich’s debut film Targets (1968) starring Boris Karloff, The Savage Seven (1968), Single Room Furnished (1968), A Day with the Boys (1969), Dennis Hopper’s landmark road film Easy Rider (1969), That Cold Day in the Park (1969), Blood of Dracula’s Castle (1969), Hell’s Bloody Devils (1970), The Rebel Rousers (1970), Getting Straight (1970), Bob Rafelson’s Five Easy Pieces (1970), Alex in Wonderland (1970), The Marriage of a Young Stockbroker (1971), The Last Movie (1971), Pocket Money (1972), What’s Up, Doc? (1972), The King of Marvin Gardens (1972), Steelyard Blues (1973), A Reflection of Fear (1973), Slither (1973), Paper Moon (1973), Huckleberry Finn (1974), For Pete’s Sake (1974), Freebie and the Bean (1974), At Long Last Love (1975), Shampoo (1975), Baby Blue Marine (1976), Harry and Walter Go to New York (1976), Nickelodeon (1976), New York, New York (1977), Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) assisting Zsigmond, F.I.S.T. (1978), The Last Waltz (1978), Paradise Alley (1979), Butch and Sundance: The Early Years (1979), The Rose (1979), The Runner Stumbles (1979), Heart Beat (1980), Inside Moves (1980), The Legend of the Lone Ranger (1981), Brian De Palma’s Blow Out (1981), Frances (1982), The Toy (1982) starring Richard Pryor, Crackers (1984), Ghostbusters (1984), Mask (1985) with Cher, Legal Eagles (1986), Little Nikita (1988), Say Anything... (1989), Shattered (1991), Radio Flyer (1992), Ruby Cairo (1993), Sliver
Nikos Kourkoulos
KOVACS, LASZLO Hungarian-American cinematographer Laszlo Kovacs died at his home in Beverly Hills, California, on July 22, 2007. He was 74. Kovacs was born in a village near Budapest, Hungary, on May 14, 1933. He attended the Academy of Drama and Film in Budapest in the early 1950s where he began
Laszlo Kovacs
207 (1993), Wayne’s World 2 (1993), the video Cyndi Lauper: 12 Deadly Cyns ... And Then Some (1994), The Next Karate Kid (1994), The Scout (1994), Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home (1995), Copycat (1995), Multiplicity (1996), My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997), Jack Frost (1998), Return to Me (2000), Miss Congeniality (2000), Two Weeks Notice (2002), and Torn from the Flag (2006), a feature documentary about the Hungarian Revolution of 1956.
KOWALSKI, BERNARD Film and television director Bernard L. Kowalski died in Woodland Hills, California, on October 26, 2007. He was 78. Kowalski was born in Brownsville, Texas, on August 2, 1929. He began working in television as a second assistant director for the series Medic in 1954. He was soon helming episodes of such series as Boots and Saddles, Broken Arrow, M Squad, The Rifleman, The Rebel, The Westerner, Perry Mason, The Untouchables, The Dick Powell Show, Rawhide, Wild Wild West, The Virginian, The Monroes, Mission: Impossible, Gunsmoke, and The Guns of Will Sonnett. Kowalski also began directing films in the late 1950s, with such screen credits as Hot Car Girl (1958), Night of the Blood Beast (1958), the 1959 cult classic Attack of the Giant Leeches, and Blood and Steel (1959). He was best known for his work in television, directing the tele-films Terror in the Sky (1971), Black Noon (1971), Women in Chains (1972), Two for the Money (1972), The New Healers (1972), The Woman Hunter (1972), In Tandem (1974), The Supercops (1975), Flight to Holocaust (1977), The Nativity (1978), Marciano (1979), Nick and the Dobermans (1980), Nightside (1980), Turnover Smith (1980), Miracle at Beekman’s Place (1988), and Nashville Beat (1990). He directed several more feature films including Krakatoa, East of Java (1969), Stiletto (1969), Macho Callahan (1970), and SSSSSSS (1973). Kowalski’s other television credits include episodes of such series as The Streets of San Francisco, Banacek, The Rockford Files, Columbo, Baretta, B.A.D. Cats, Shannon, Simon & Simon, CHiPs, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, The Devlin Connection, Whiz Kids, Blue Thunder, Airwolf, Knight Rider, Magnum, P.I., Jake and the Fatman, Thunder in Paradise, Baywatch Nights, and Diagnosis Murder.
2007 • Obituaries
KOZLOWSKI , STEVEN Actor Steven Kozlowski died suddenly in Brooklyn, New York, on August 23, 2007. He was 30. Kozlowski was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on April 22, 1977. He made his film debut in a small role in the 1997 feature Good Will Hunting, and appeared as Jimmy Quinn in Southie in 1998. He was also seen in the films The God Man’s Sin (1999), Thirteen (2003), Holes (2003), Collateral (2004), Neo Ned (2005), and Hero Wanted (2007). Kozlowski also appeared on television in episodes of The Practice, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, The Guardian, NYPD Blue, Dragnet, Line of Fire in the recurring role of Leon, and Close to Home. KRANTZ, STEVE Producer Steve Krantz, who was the husband of best-selling author Judith Krantz, died of complications from pneumonia in a Los Angeles hospital on January 4, 2007. He was 83. Krantz was born in Brooklyn, New York on May 20, 1923. A graduate of Columbia College, he served in the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II. He was introduced to Judith Tarcher by Barbara Walters, who was a high school friend of Tarcher’s, and the two married in 1954. Krantz worked in television from the 1950s, writing for Arthur Godfrey and Milton Berle. He also served as executive producer of Steve Allen’s The Tonight Show, and was head of creative development at Columbia. He was an associate producer on several cartoon series featuring Spider-Man and the Marvel super-heroes in the mid–1960s. Krantz produced the x-rated animated feature Fritz the Cat, based on the underground comic of Robert Crumb in 1972. He also produced the animated Heavy Traffic (1973) and the sequel The Nine Lives of Fritz the Cat (1974). He also produced the comedies Cooley High (1975), Which Way Is Up? (1977) starring Richard Pryor, and Swap Meet (1979), and wrote and produced the horror films Ruby (1977) and Jennifer (1977). After his wife became a best-selling novelist, he served as executive producer of tele-film and mini-series adaptations of her books, including Princess Daisy (1983), Mistral’s Daughter (1984), Sins (1986), Dadah Is Death (1988), Till We Meet Again (1989), Deadly Matrimony (1992), Torch Song (1993), House of Secrets (1993), Children of the Dark (1994), and Dazzle (1995). He also produced the series of tele-films featuring Jack
Bernard Kowalski Steve Krantz
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Reed, Jack Reed: Badge of Honor (1993), Jack Reed: A Search for Justice (1994), Jack Reed: One of Our Own (1995), and Jack Reed: Death and Vengeance (1997). Krantz also wrote several novels, including the 1979 best-seller Laurel Canyon.
KRAUSE, BRIGITTE German actress Brigitte Krause died in Berlin on April 29, 2007. She was 78. Krause was born in Berlin on March 9, 1929. She made her film debut in Die Buntkarierten in 1949. She was also featured in such films as Rotation (1949), Council of the Gods (1950), Einmal ist Keinmal (1955), Musterknaben (1959), Leute mit Flugeln (1960), Alwin der Letzte (1960), Das Verhexte Fischerdorf (1962), The Sons of Great Bear (1966), We Are Getting Divorced (1968), Verdacht auf Einen Toten (1969), Sleeping Beauty (1971), Sun Seekers (1971), Nelken in Aspik (1976), and Danke fur die Blumen (1988). Krause also appeared frequently on the German stage, and was seen on television in such series as Ferienheim Bergkristall and Polizeruf 110. She was married to actor Gerd Biewer and is survived by her daughter, actress Maxi Biewer.
Brigitte Krause
viding the German voice for such stars as Kelsey Grammer in Cheers, Eddie Murphy in Shrek, and Sam Waterston for Law & Order. Kronberg also dubbed such performers as Steve McQueen, Harrison Ford, Michael Landon, DeForest Kelley, and Jeremy Irons during his career. He was the voice of Mr. Mackey in South Park and Mayor Qimby and Sideshow Bob for The Simpson on German television. He also appeared in several German films including The Sinful Bed (1973), Hitler’s Gold (1975), Stern ohne Himmel (1980), and Scarmour (1997), and was featured on television in episodes of SOKO 5113, Lutz & Hardy, Der Alte, Derrick, Siska, and Macius.
KRONUS, JOHN George Caiazzo, who wrestled as John Kronus and was half of the ECW tag team champions The Eliminators, was found dead at his home in New Hampshire on July 18, 2007. He was 38. The 6'4" Caiazzo was born on January 13, 1969, and hailed from Cleveland, Ohio. He first teamed with Perry Saturn as the Eliminators in independent promotions in New England in the early 1990s. The competed in the USWA in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1994, and entered Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) the following year. The won the tag team titles on several occasions, feuding against such teams as the Dudley Boyz, the Gangstas, the Pitbulls, and Rob Van Dam and Sabu. They were noted for their finishing maneuver known as Total Elimination with Saturn kicking an opponent with a low leg sweep, and Kronus delivering a high kick. Saturn left the ECW in 1997, and Kronus briefly teamed with New Jack for another run at the titles. He remained with the company as a singles competitor until leaving in 1999. He subsequently wrestled in Rob Black’s XPW promotion in California and on the independent circuit. He had been largely inactive in recent years, though he returned to wrestle in several Hardcore Homecoming events at the ECW Arena in Philadelphia in 2005.
KRONBERG, RANDOLF German actor Randolf Kronberg died in Munich, Germany, on March 2, 2007. He was 64. Kronberg was born in Breslau, Germany (now Wroclaw, Poland) on September 23, 1942. He was best known as a voice actor and dubber, pro-
John Kronus (right, with Eliminators partner Perry Saturn)
Randolf Kronberg
KRSTULOVIC, VLADIMIR Croatian actor and singer Vladimir Krstulovic died in Zagreb, Croatia, on February 16, 2007. He was 79. Krstulovic was born in Zagreb on May 29, 1927. He began his career
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on stage after World War II, and was a popular comic actor from the 1950s. He was best known for his stage performance as the valet Stanley in the Croatian musical Jalta, Jalta, which he performed on hundreds of occasions. Krstulovic also appeared in such films as Revenge of the Mercenaries (1962), Thundering Mountains (1963), Apache Gold (1963), Cirkus Rex (1965), HokusPokus (1969), The Hellhounds of Alaska (1973), The Rat Savior (1976), Bravo Maestro (1978), Horvatov Izbor (1985), Red Dust (1999), Cetverored (1999), and Winter in Rio (2002). He also appeared in television productions of Mandrin (1972), Nikola Tesla (1977), Mathias Sandorf (1979), and Novo Doba (2002).
Prefecture on June 1, 1930. He began working in films at Nikkatsu studio in 1954 and wrote and directed many film from the early 1960s. Kumai’s film credits include Teigin Jiken: Shikeishu (1964), The Sands of Kurobe (1968), Apart from Life (1970), The Long Darkness (1972), Rise, Fair Sun (1973), Sandakan 8 (1974), Cape of North (1976), Love and Faith: Lady Ogin (1978), Ocean to Cross (1980), Willful Murder (1981), The Sea and Poison (1986), Death of a Tea Master (1989), Mt. Aso’s Passions (1990), Shiny Moss (1992), Deep River (1995), To Love (1997), and Darkness in the Light (2001). His final film, The Sea Is Watching (2002) was based on a script by Akira Kurosawa.
KUDOZOVIC, ELMIR, ZORICA LAZIC, and STEVAN ZECEVIC Elmir Kuduzovic, Zorica Lazic,
KUNEY, JACK Early television producer Jack Kuney died of heart failure in Bradenton, Florida, on November 7, 2007. He was 88. He was born Julius Harry Kuney in Chicago, Illinois, on July 24, 1919. He received a degree in communications and served with the U.S. Navy during World War II. After the war, he began his career as producer of television’s Play of the Week in 1960 and the children’s program 1,2,3 — Go. He also produced television’s Look Up and Live and a television production of Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot in 1961. Kuney produced Woody Allen’s 1971 mock documentary, Men of Crisis: The Harvey Wallinger Story, which starred Allen in the title role. A blatant spoof of then national security advisor Henry Kissinger’s rise to top aide to President Nixon, Men of Crisis was pulled from the PBS line-up before being aired. Kuney won several Emmys during his career and also held positions with the Westinghouse Broadcast Company, CBS, and NBC.
and Stevan Zecevic, who were contestants on Veliki Brat, the Serbian version of the television reality show Big Brother, were killed when their car skidded off a road, flipped over and landed in the Vukodraz River near Usce, Serbia, on December 28, 2007. Kuduzovic, 26, a native of Tuzla, Serbia, was the driver of the vehicle. He, Lazic, 24, from Zemun, and Zecevic, 24, from Novi Sad, were heading to an event connected with the show at the time of their deaths.
Elmir Kudozovic, Zorica Lazic and Stevan Zecevic
KUMAI , KEI Japanese film director Kei Kumai died in Japan of a brain hemorrhage on May 23, 2007. He was 76. Kumai was born in Japan’s Nagano
Jack Kuney
Kei Kumai
KURMANGALIEV , ERIK Russian singer Erik Kurmangaliev died in Moscow of a liver infection on November 13, 2007. He was 47. He was born Erik Salim-Meruet in Kazakhstan in 1960, and studied music in the capital city of Almata and at Moscow’s Gnesin Institute. A countertenor, he made his debut with the Leningrad Philharmonia in 1980. He was noted for his performances in Alfred Shnitke’s Second Symphony and Dr. Faust cantata, and in Roman Viktyuk’s staging of David Hwang’s M. Butterfly in the early 1990s. Kurmangaliev was also fea-
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tured in Rustam Khamdanov’s 2005 film Vocal Parallels.
Erik Kurmangaliev
KUSANAGI, KOJIRO Japanese actor Kojiro Kusanagi died of complications from pneumonia in a Tokyo hospital on November 11, 2007. He was 78. Kusanagi began his film career in the early 1950s, and earned acclaim for starring in the 1956 film Darkness at Midnight. He appeared in numerous films over the next fifty years including Tyuji the Gun Slinger (1960), Sleep of the Beast (1960), Kurenai no Kenju (1961), An Affair at Akitsu (1962), Alone on the Pacific (1963), Waka Oyabun o Kese (1967), The Spiders on Parade (1968), Sworn Brothers (1969), Umarekawatta Tamegoro (1972), Genshiryoku Senso (1978), Satsujin Yugi (1978), The Resurrection of the Golden Wolf (1979), The Man Who Stole the Sun (1979), Shokei Yugi (1979), Disciples of Hippocrates (1980), Farewell to the Land (1982), Dirty Hero (1982), Single Girl (1983), Hometown (1983), W’s Tragedy (1984), Bee Bob High School (1985) and the subsequent film series as Yamamoto, Shinshi Domei (1986), Forest of Little Bear (1987), Memories of You (1988), Bakayaro! I’m Plenty Mad (1988), The Passage to Japan (1991), Nowhere Man (1991), The Sun (2005), and The Vanished (2006). KUYKENDALL, KAREN Actress Karen Kuykendall died of complications from lung and spine can-
Karen Kuykendall
cer in Austin, Texas, on October 31, 2007. She was 69. She was born Karen Koock in Austin on November 19, 1937. She began performing on the local stage at an early age, and became a noted theatrical cabaret artist in the Austin area. Her numerous stage credits also include productions of Angels in America, Full Gallop, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. She was also featured in the 1996 film Deep in the Heart. Kuykendall was the narrator of the English-language version of the 1990 anime series Nadia in Wonder Ocean, and was the voice of Director Mutou in the U.S. version of the 1999 anime Dai Guard: Terrestrial Defense Corp. Her survivors include her young brother, actor Guich Koock.
LACKEY, JON Jon Lackey, an artist and musician who was active with Renaissance fairs and the Society of Creative Anachronists, died of cancer in Los Angeles on February 26, 2007. He was 68. Lackey was born on March 31, 1938. He designed the bizarre alien creature that devoured the residents of a small town in the Grade-Z horror film The Creeping Terror. He also appeared as an eccentric expert on torture devices on several episodes of television’s The Steve Allen Show in the early 1950s. He created effects for various Renaissance fairs and several Witchcraft and Sorcery Magazine conventions. He also performed on the Los Angeles radio program Janus Company Radio Theatre, and played the recorder and Irish harp.
Jon Lackey
LADD , ERNIE Ernie Ladd, a professional football player who became a leading wrestling villain in the 1970s, died of cancer in Franklin, Louisiana, on March 10, 2007. He was 68. Ladd was born in Rayville, Louisiana, on November 28, 1938. He was a college football star with Grambling State University when he was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in 1961. The 6'9", 315 pound, Ladd played with the Chargers through 1966, then spent a season with the Houston Oilers and another with the Kansas City Chiefs. He became a top wrestling villain after leaving football. Known as the Big Cat, he held championship titles throughout the country. He wrestled with the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF), now known as World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), from the late 1960s, where he often competed against heavyweight
211 champions Bruno Sammartino, Pedro Morales, and Bob Backlund. He was managed by the Grand Wizard during much of the 1970s, and engaged in a memorable feud with Andre the Giant. He also wrestled in the Mid-South territory and World Class in Texas in the early 1980s, where he feuded with Ray Candy, Junkyard Dog, and Paul Orndorff. Ladd also formed a tag team with Bad Leroy Brown before retiring in 1986. He was inducted into the WWE Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1995.
Ernie Ladd
LAGARDE, KARLOFF Carlos de Lucio Lagarde, who was a leading Mexican wrestler under the name Karloff Lagarde in the 1950s and 1960s, died of complications from a stroke on September 1, 2007. He was 79. Lagarde was born in Mexico on July 27, 1928. He began wrestling in June of 1955 and was half of a legendary tag team with Rene Guajardo. He held the Mexican National Welterweight Title several times in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He also appeared in several films in the 1960s including The Invisible Assassin (1965), The Possessed of the Ring (1966), The Hand That Forces (1966), and Santo on the Border of Terror (1969).
2007 • Obituaries
hospital on February 6, 2007. He was 93. He had been hospitalized there for a hip replacement. Laine was born Francisco Paolo LoVecchio in Chicago, Illinois, on March 30, 1913. He was singing professionally by his mid-teens, touring the country and performing in small clubs and cabarets. He got a break when songwriter Hoagy Carmichael helped him get a steady singing job at Billy Berg’s Vine Street Club in Hollywood. He had his first hit recording with “That’s My Desire” in 1946. Laine continued to record such popular hits as “Mule Train,” “On the Sunny Side of the Street,” “Ghost Riders in the Sky,” and “Jezebel.” He also had a hit with the theme song from High Noon (1952), though Tex Ritter’s version was used in the film. Laine was featured in a handful of musicals in the 1950s including Make Believe Ballroom (1949), When You’re Smiling (1950), Bring Your Smile Along (1955), Meet Me in Las Vegas (1956), and He Laughed Last (1956). His voice was also heard singing the themes to the films Blowing Wild (1953), Man Without a Star (1955), Strange Lady in Town (1955), Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957), 3:10 to Yuma (1957), and Bullwhip (1958). Laine also sang the theme songs to the television series Gunslinger, Rawhide, and Rango. He hosted several television variety shows in the 1950s including Frankie Laine Time and The Frankie Laine Show, and performed on The Colgate Comedy Hour, The Perry Como Show, The Nat King Cole Show, The Big Record, The Steve Allen Show, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Pat Boone Show, The Hollywood Palace, Shower of Stars, and Hee Haw. Laine also appeared on television in episodes of Mark Room for Daddy, Perry Mason, Rawhide, Bachelor Father, and Burke’s Law. He also sang the theme song to Mel Brooks’ western comedy film Blazing Saddles (1974). Laine was married to actress Nan Grey from 1953 until her death in 1993. He continued to perform until recent years, despite having undergone coronary bypass surgery twice.
Frankie Laine Karlo› Lagarde
LAINE , FRANKIE Singer Frankie Laine, whose hits include “Mule Train” and the theme from Rawhide, died of cardiovascular disease in a San Diego
LAMBERT, VERITY British film and television producer Verity Lambert died in London on November 22, 2007. She was 71. Lambert was born in London on November 27, 1935. She began her career in television with ITV in the early 1960s as assistant to Sydney Newman. She followed Newman to the BBC
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in 1963, where she served as the first producer for the Doctor Who television series from 1963 to 1966. She also produced the series Detective, Adam Adamant Lives!, and Take Three Girls for the BBC in the 1960s. She became head of drama programming at Thames Television in 1974. She left Thames in 1985 to become an independent film and television producer with her own company, Cinema Verity. During the course of her career Lambert was involved in the production of such television programs as W. Somerset Maugham, Budgie, Between the Wars, Couples, Rock Follies, ITV Playhouse, The Norman Conquest, Fox, The Nation’s Health, Minder, Coasting, Boys from the Bush, El Dorado, Rumpole of the Bailey, Class Act, A Perfect State, and The Cazalets. Her television credits also include the tele-films and mini-series Achiles Heel (1973), A.D.A.M. (1973), Shoulder to Shoulder (1974), Quentin Crisp’s The Naked Civil Servant (1975), Macbeth (1979), The Knowledge (1979), the science fiction classic The Quatermass Conclusion (1979), Charlie Muffin (1979), The Flames of Thika (1981), Widows (1983), Riley: Ace of Spies (1983), Saigon: Year of the Cat (1983), Sleepers (1991), G.B.H. (1991), Comics (1993), She’s Out (1995), Temp (1995), and P.G. Wodehouse’s Heavy Weather (1995). She also produced several feature films including The Sailor’s Return (1978), Morons from Outer Space (1985), DreamChild (1985), Link (1986), Clockwise (1986), American Roulette (1988), and Evil Angels (1988). She produced the series Jonathan Creek from 1998 through 2004, and ended her career as producer of Love Soup (2005) and Love Soup 2 (2007).
Verity Lambert
LANE, BEN Veteran film and television makeup artist Ben Lane died in Los Angeles on June 10, 2007. He was 95. Lane was born in Chicago, Illinois on January 23, 1912. He began his career in films working in the make-up department for the 1934 Oscar winner The Good Earth. He continued to work in Hollywood at most of the major studios and served as make-up artist on numerous features. He worked frequently with producer William Castle, supplying make-up for many of his cult horror films. Lane’s many film credits include Annie Get Your Gun (1950), Ground for Marriage (1951), Singin’ in the Rain (1952), Oklahoma (1955), Guys and Dolls (1955), The Man with the
Golden Arm (1955), Around the World in 80 Days (1956), Jeanne Eagles (1957), Pal Joey (1957), Bell, Book, and Candle (1958), Edge of Eternity (1959), The Gene Krupa Story (1959), Who Was That Lady? (1960), The Mountain Road (1960), 13 Ghosts (1960), Song Without End (1960), All the Young Men (1960), Pepe (1960), The Wackiest Ship in the Army (1960), Cry for Happy (1961), Underworld U.S.A. (1961), A Raisin in the Sun (1961), Gidget Goes Hawaiian (1961), Homicidal (1961), Two Road Together (1961), Mr. Sardonicus (1961), The Devil at 4 O’Clock (1961), Valley of the Dragons (1961), The Notorious Landlady (1962), Experiment in Terror (1962), 13 West Street (1962), Zotz! (1962), The Interns (1962), The Underwater City (1962), The Plot Thickens (1963), Bye Bye Birdie (1963), 13 Frightened Girls (1963), StraitJacket (1964), One Man’s Way (1964), The Best Man (1964), The Quick Gun (1964), The New Interns (1964), Good Neighbor Sam (1964), Ride the Wild Surf (1964), Love Has Many Faces (1965), Major Dundee (1965), Synanon (1965), Cat Ballou (1965), Ship of Fools (1965), King Rat (1965), The Silencers (1966), The Chase (1966), The Trouble with Angels (1966), Walk, Don’t Run (1966), Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round (1966), Alvarez Kelly (1966), Murderer’s Row (1966), Divorce, American Style (1967), The Big Mouth (1967), Luv (1967), A Time for Killing (1967), Who’s Minding the Mint? (1967), Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967), The Ambushers (1967), Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows (1968), Funny Girl (1968), The Wrecking Crew (1969), Model Shop (1969), Pendulem (1969), The Mad Room (1960), Hook, Line and Sinker (1969), Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969), The Comic (1969), The Liberation of L.B. Jones (1970), Getting Straight (1970), Watermelon Man (1970) where he transformed star Godfrey Cambridge from a black man to a white man, Happy Birthday, Wanda June (1971), Funny Lady (1975), and Annie (1982). Lane worked frequently in television from the 1950s, performing makeup chores for such series as The Lone Ranger, Gidget, I Dream of Jeannie, Bewitched, The Monkees, The Partridge Family, Ghost Story, Police Story, The Quest, Tabitha, Quark, and Filthy Rich. His other television credits include the tele-films Scalplock (1966), Black Noon (1971), Call Her Mom (1972), Jarrett (1973), The Girl on the Late, Late Show (1974), The Last Angry Man (1974), Cop on the Beat (1975), Matt Helm (1975), Collision Course: Truman vs. MacArthur (1976), The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case (1976), Banjo Hackett: Roamin’ Free (1976), Kiss Me, Kill You (1976), In the Glitter Palace (1977), Roger & Harry: The Matera Target (1977), Never Con a Killer (1977), Cover Girls (1977), Kill Me if You Can (1977), The Last Hurrah (1977), Last of the Good Guys (1978), Keefer (1978), To Kill a Cop (1978), Go West, Young Girl (1978), More Than Friends (1978), Institute for Revenge (1979), The Legend of the Golden Gun (1979), Undercover with the KKK (1979), Salem’s Lot (1979) which earned Lane an Emmy nomination, A Shining Season (1979), Goldie and the Boxer (1979), Detour to Terror (1980), To Find My Son (1980), and Goldie and the Boxer Go to Hollywood (1981).
LANE, CHARLES Veteran character actor Charles Lane, whose career in film and television
213 spanned more than 70 years, died at his home in Santa Monica, California, on July 9, 2007. He was 102. Lane was born in San Francisco on January 26, 1905. His angular features and curmudgeonly persona served him well in his numerous portrayals of put-upon bankers, lawyers and businessmen. He began his film career in the early 1930s, playing a desk clerk in many of his early films. Lane’s numerous film credits include Smart Money (1931), The Road to Singapore (1931), Blonde Crazy (1931), Manhattan Parade (1931), Union Depot (1932), The Mouthpiece (1932), Blessed Event (1932), Employee’s Entrance (1933), 42nd Street (1933), Grand Slam (1933), Blondie Johnson (1933), Central Airport (1933), Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933), Private Detective #62 (1933), She Had to Say Yes (1933), My Women (1933), The Bowery (1933), Broadway Through a Keyhole (1933), Advice to the Lovelorn (1933), Mr. Skitch (1933), The Show-Off (1934), Twenty Million Sweethearts (1934), Let’s Talk It Over (1934), A Wicked Woman (1934), and The Band Plays On (1934). Lane was featured as a henchman in Frank Capra’s 1934 film Broadway Bill, the first of Lane’s long-term affiliation with the noted director that spanned nine other films. He continued to appear in such features as One More Spring (1935), Princess O’Hara (1935), Ginger (1935), Woman Wanted (1935), Here Comes the Band (1935), Two for Tonight (1935), The Milky Way (1936), It Had to Happen (1936), Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936), Ticket to Paradise (1936), The Crime of Dr. Forbes (1936), The Bride Walks Out (1936), 36 Hours to Kill (1936), Two-Fisted Gentleman (1936), Lady Luck (1936), Come Closer, Folks (1936), Three Men on a Horse (1936), In Old Chicago (1937), Criminal Lawyer (1937), We’re on the Jury (1937), Sea Devils (1937), Internes Can’t Take Money (1937), Venus Makes Trouble (1937), Born Reckless (1937), One Mile from Heaven (1937), Bad Guy (1937), Fit for a King (1937), Trapped by G-Men (1937), Hot Water (1937), Danger — Love at Work (1937), Partners in Crime (1937), Ali Baba Goes to Town (1937), City Girl (1938), Joy of Living (1938), Cocoanut Grove (1938), The Rage of Paris (1938), Professor Beware (1938), You Can’t Take It with You (1938), Three Loves Has Nancy (1938), Always in Trouble (1938), Blondie (1938), Thanks for Everything (1938), Kentucky (1938), Boy Slaves (1939), Let Us Live! (1939), Inside Story (1939), Lucky Night (1939), Rose of Washington Square (1939), Unexpected Father (1939), Second Fiddle (1939), New Is Made at Night (1939), They All Come Out (1939), Miracles for Sale (1939), 5th Ave Girl (1939), Golden Boy (1939), Honeymoon in Bali (1939), Thunder Afloat (1939), Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), Television Spy (1939), Beware Spooks! (1939), The Cat and the Canary (1939), The Honeymoon’s Over (1939), Charlie McCarthy, Detective (1939), Parole Fixer (1940), Johnny Apollo (1940), It’s a Date (1940), Primrose Path (1940), Buck Benny Rides Again (1940), Edison, the Man (1940), The Crooked Road (1940), On Their Own (1940), You Can’t Fool Your Wife (1940), I Can’t Give You Anything but Love, Baby (1940), The Doctor Takes Wife (1940), Queen of the Mob (1940), We Who Are Young (1940), Rhythm on the River (1940), The Great Profile (1940), The Leather Pushers (1940), City for Conquest
2007 • Obituaries
(1940), A Little Bit of Heaven (1940), Blondie Plays Cupid (1940), Dancing on a Dime (1940), Ellery Queen, Master Detective (1940) in the recurring role of Dr. Prouty, The Texas Rangers Ride Again (1940), The Invisible Woman (1940), Back Street (1941), You’re the One (1941), Footlight Fever (1941), Ellery Queen’s Penthouse Mystery (1941), Repent at Leisure (1941), Barnacle Bill (1941), Sis Hopkins (1941), Blondie in Society (1941), The Big Store (1941), Sealed Lips (1941), Ellery Queen and the Perfect Crime (1941), Sing Another Chorus (1941), Buy Me That Town (1941), Three Girls About Town (1941), New York Town (1941), Birth of the Blues (1941), Appointment for Love (1941), I Wake Up Screaming (1942), Look Who’s Laughing (1941), Ball of Fire (1941), A Gentleman at Heart (1942), A Close Call for Ellery Queen (1942), Obliging Young Lady (1942), Ride ’Em Cowboy (1942), The Lady Is Willing (1942), Born to Sing (1942), What’s Cookin’? (1942), The Adventures of Martin Eden (1942), Yokel Boy (1942), About Face (1942), The Great’s Lady (1942), Home in Wyomin’ (1942), Broadway (1942), The Mad Martindales (1942), Tarzan’s New York Adventure (1942), They All Kissed the Bride (1942), Are Husbands Necessary? (1942), Thru Different Eyes (1942), Lady in a Jam (1942), Friendly Enemies (1942), Pardon My Sarong (1942), Flying Tigers (1942), Mission to Moscow (1943), and Arsenic and Old Lace (1944). He resumed his film career after World War II, appearing in A Close Call for Boston Blackie (1946), Just Before Dawn (1946), Murderous Intruder (1946), The Invisible Informer (1946), Swell Guy (1946), Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) as Lionel Barrymore’s rent collector, The Show-Off (1946), The Farmer’s Daughter (1947), It Happened on 5th Avenue (1947), Living in a Big Way (1947), Bury Me Dead (1947), Louisiana (1947), Roses Are Red (1947), Intrigue (1947), Call Northside 777 (1948), Smart Woman (1948), State of the Union (1948), Race Street (1948), The Gentleman from Nowhere (1948), Out of the Storm (1948), Moonrise (1948), Apartment for Pegg y (1948), Mother Is a Freshman (1949), You’re My Everything (1949), Mighty Joe Young (1949), The House Across the Street (1949), Miss Grant Takes Richmond (1949), Backfire (1950), Borderline (1950), The Yellow Cab Man (1950) Riding High (1950), Love That Brute (1950), The Second Face (1950), The Du Pont Story (1950), For Heaven’s Sake (1950), I Can Get It for You Wholesale (1951), Criminal Lawyer (1951), Here Comes the Groom (1951), The Sniper (1952), Three for Bedroom C (1952), The Juggler (1953), Remains to Be Seen (1953), The Affairs of Dobie Gillis (1953), The Birds and the Bees (1956), Top Secret Affair (1957), God Is My Partner (1957), Teacher’s Pet (1958), The Mating Game (1959), The 30 Foot Bride of Candy Rock (1959) with Lou Costello, But Not for Me (1959), The Music Man (1962) as Constable Locke, Papa’s Delicate Condition (1963), It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963), The Wheeler Dealers (1963), The Carpetbaggers (1964), The New Interns (1964), Good Neighbor Sam (1964), Looking for Love (1964), John Goldfarb, Please Come Home (1966), Billie (1965), The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966) with Don Knotts, The Ugly Dachshund (1966), Eight on the Lam (1967), The Gnome-Mobile (1967), What’s So Bad About Feeling Good? (1968), Did You Hear the One
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About the Traveling Saleslady? (1968), the animated The AristoCats (1970) as the voice of Madame’s Lawyer, Get to Know Your Rabbit (1972), and Movie Movie (1978). Lane also appeared frequently on television from the 1950s, starring as Mr. Fosdick on the sit-com Dear Phoebe from 1954 to 1955, and was Mr. Finch in Dennis the Menace from 1961 to 1962. He was featured as avaricious railroad man Homer Bedloe on Petticoat Junction From 1963 to 1968. He also appeared in the recurring roles of Foster Phinney in The Beverly Hillbillies and Ed Hotchkiss in Bewitched in the late 1960s. He was a familiar face as a guest star in such series as Topper, Willy, Jane Wyman Presents The Fireside Theatre, Screen Directors Playhouse, I Love Lucy, Star Stage, Whirlybirds, The People’s Choice, On Trial, The Real McCoys, The Thin Man, The Gray Ghost, Perry Mason, Richard Diamond, Private Detective, Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse, The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour, The Millionaire, The Ann Sothern Show, The Gale Storm Show, Goodyear Theatre, Bachelor Father, The Twilight Zone, The DuPont Show with June Allyson, Guestward Ho!, The Tab Hunter Show, The Bob Cummings Show, Surfside 6, Maverick, Lawman, The Comedy Spot, Mister Ed, McKeever and the Colonel, The Lucy Show in the recurring role of Mr. Barnsdahl, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, 77 Sunset Strip, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Burke’s Law, Make Room for Daddy, The Andy Griffith Show, Temple Houston, The Bing Crosby Show, The Smothers Brothers Show, The Farmer’s Daughter, Get Smart, Please Don’t Eat the Daisies, Honey West, The Munsters, The Pruitts of Southampton, F Troop, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, Love on a Rooftop, He and She, Wild Wild West, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., Judd for the Defense, Green Acres, The Flying Nun, The Debbie Reynolds Show, Nanny and the Professor, Temperatures Rising, The Sandy Duncan Show, The Odd Couple, Adam’s Rip, The Rookies, Rhoda, Karen, The Family Holvak, One Day at a Time, Family, Chico and the Man, Maude, Soap, Mork & Mindy, Lou Grant, Little House on the Prairie, Otherworld, Comedy Factory, Hunter, St. Elsewhere, L.A. Law, and the resurrected Dark Shadows. Lane also appeared in the telefilms My Dog, the Thief (1969), Hitched (1971), The Great Man’s Whiskers (1972), Love Nest (1975), Sybil (1976), The $1000 Bill (1978), The Return of the Bev-
erly Hillbillies (1981), the 1983 mini-series The Winds of War and the 1988 sequel War and Remembrance as Admiral William Standley, Sunset Limousine (1983), When the Bough Breaks (1986), Acting on Impulse (1993), and Disney’s The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1995). His later film credits included roles in the films The Little Dragons (1980), Strange Behavior (1981), Strange Invaders (1983), Murphy’s Romance (1985), Vanishing America (1986), and Date with an Angel (1987). Lane also narrated the 2006 production of The Night Before Christmas. He was recognized by cable’s TV Land station in honor his 100th birthday in 2005, and made a special mention that he was still available for work at the time. Lane was married to actress Ruth Covell from April of 1931 until her death in November of 2002.
LANGEN, INGE German actress Inge Langen died in Germany on November 23, 2007. She was 83. Langen was born in Dusseldorf, Germany, of May 21, 1924. She began her career on stage in the late 1940s. Langen also became a familiar face on German television from the 1950s, appearing in such productions as Der Korporal aus Java (1955), Das Lacheln der Gioconda (1958), Das Land der Verheissung (1960), Fahrten (1960), Die Kahle Sangerin (1961), Das Leben ein Traum (1963), Die Truhe (1964), Die Zofen (1964), Jennifer...? (1965), Der Trinker (1967), Mord im Pfarrhaus (1970), Das Geheimnis der Alten Mamsell (1972), and Frohe Ostern (1972). She was also seen in episodes of Hamburg Transit, Der Kurier der Kaiserin, and Der Kommissar. Langen appeared in several films during her career including Before Sundown (1956), Man Nennt es Amore (1961), Destination Death (1961), The Squeaker (1963), The Gorilla of Soho (1968), The Sex Adventures of a Single Man (1968), and Love Is Only a Word (1971). She largely retired from the screen in the 1970s.
Inge Langen
Charles Lane
LANGFORD -ROWE, G ORDON British character actor Gordon Langford-Rowe died of cancer in England on August 29, 2007. He was 71. LangfordRowe was born in Lancashire, England, in 1936. He worked as a primary school teacher for 30 years before taking up acting in 1992. Langford-Rowe appeared frequently on stage and television, appearing in episodes of In Suspicious Circumstances, All Quiet on the Preston
215 Front, Hetty Wainthropp Investigates, The Grand, Casualty, Cold Feet, Where the Heart Is, Midsomer Murders, Last of the Summer Wine, Heartbeat, The League of Gentlemen, Emmerdale Farm as Wally Edwards, The Royal, Coronation Street, Twisted Tales, and Doctors. LangfordRowe also appeared in television productions of The Falklands Play (2002), The Forsyte Saga (2002), and Longford (2006). He was also seen in several films during his career including The Hour of the Pig (1993), The Tichborne Claimant (1998), and Blow Dry (2001).
2007 • Obituaries
Brigadier Ffellowes (1986). His best known work was the 1975 post-apocalyptical novel Hero’s Journey, and its 1983 sequel, The Unforsaken Hero.
LANTZ, ROBERT Independent agent to the stars Robert Lantz died of heart failure in Manhattan, New York, on October 18, 2007. He was 93. Lantz was born in Berlin, Germany, on July 20, 1914, and moved with his family to London in 1935 after Hitler took power. He worked as a story editor for U.S. film companies before moving to New York in 1948, where he began his career as a talent agent to artists, authors and prominent public figures. He represented such actors as Richard Burton, Bette Davis, Elizabeth Taylor, Yul Brynner, Myrna Loy, Liv Ullmann, and Montgomery Clift, as well as authors James Baldwin, Lillian Hellman, and Carson McCuller. His entourage of clients also included film director Milos Forman, playwright Peter Shaffer, lyricist Alan Jay Lerner, artist Al Hirschfeld, photographers Arnold Newman and Richard Avedon, as well as Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist. Lantz, who had become close friends with many of his clients, was known as “old school,” eschewing e-mail and computers, and making business deals by handshakes rather than contracts.
Gordon Langford-Rowe
LANIER, STERLING Science fiction writer and editor Sterling E. Lanier died in Sarasota, Florida, on June 28, 2007. He was 79. Lanier was born in New York City on December 18, 1927. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II and graduated from Harvard University after the war. He spent much of the 1950s at the University of Philadelphia and at the Winterthur Museum as a researcher in archeology and anthropology. He wrote his first short story in 1961, before becoming an editor for the small publishing house Chilton Books. He was instrumental in arranging the publication of Frank Herbert’s classic novel Dune in 1965. Lanier also wrote the novels The War for the Lot (1969) and Menace Under Marswood (1983). He authored two books about the adventures of cryptozoologist Brigadier Ffellowes, The Peculiar Exploits of Brigadier Ffellowes (1972) and The Curious Quests of
Sterling Lanier
Robert Lantz
LARKIN, RYAN Canadian animator Ryan Larkin died of lung cancer in Montreal, Canada, on February 14, 2007. He was 63. Larkin was born in Montreal on July 31, 1943. He attended the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts School and began working in the animation field in the early 1960s. He worked with the National Film Board of Canada, and made the animated short films Syrinx (1965) and Cityscape (1966). He received acclaim, and an Oscar nomination, for the 1969 psychedelic animated short Walking. Larkin also created 1972’s Street Musique, and provided art and animation effects for Mort Ransen’s 1974 feature Running Time. He was plagued with problems with drug and alcohol abuse that virtually ended his career by the late 1970s. Larkin himself became the subject of an animated short with Chris Landreth’s Ryan, which received the Academy Award for best animated short from 2004. He was also featured in the subsequently documentary about the making of the film, Alter Egos. Larkin had
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been working with composer Laurie Gordon of the band Chiwawa in recent years on a new animated film, Spare Change, which remained uncompleted at the time of his death.
boxers as Sammy Angott, Jimmy Garrison, and Richie Lamos. After retiring from the ring, he continued in the sport of boxing as a referee for 35 years. He presided over such leading fights as Sugar Ray Robinson vs. Gene Fullmer and Muhammad Ali vs. Ken Norton. Latka was inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame as both a fighter and a referee. He was also featured in several films as a referee including Matilda (1978), the tele-film Ring of Passion (1978), Raging Bull (1980), Split Decisions (1988), and Birch Street Gym (1991).
Ryan Larkin
LASATER, CAROLYN Carolyn Lasater, who was Miss Utah in the 1962 Miss America competition, died in Salt Lake City, Utah, on November 10, 2007. She was 65. She was born in Salt Lake City on February 18, 1942, and began competing in beauty pageants while in her teens. She was second runner-up in the 1962 Miss America Pageant, and was winner of the talent competition. She subsequently moved to California to embark on an acting career. She appeared on television in the series Hawaiian Eye and The Red Skelton Show, and was featured in the 1964 film Diary of a Bachelor with Cary Grant. She left acting to raise a family after her marriage to John Aldous in 1964.
George Latka
LAUREN, ROD Roger Strunk, who appeared in films as Rod Lauren in the 1960s, was found dead in a parking lot of an inn in Tracy, California, after an apparent suicide jump from a second floor balcony on July 11, 2007. He was 68. Lauren was born in Fresno, California, on March 20, 1940. He began his career as a singer in the early 1960s, having several hit recordings and appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show. He was soon appearing in roles in such television series as Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Saints and Sinners, Going My Way, Kraft Suspense Theatre, Combat!, and Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. Lauren also starred in the cult horror films Terrified (1963), Black Zoo (1963) as Michael Gough’s mute assistant Carl, and The Crawling Hand (1963). His film credits include The Gunhawk (1963), The Young Swingers (1963), Law of the Lawless (1964), Once
Carolyn Lasater
LATKA, GEORGE Boxer George Latka died of a heart attack in Huntington Beach, California, on December 26, 2007. He was 93. Latka was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, on November 12, 1914. He was a Golden Gloves champion in Gary, Indiana, while an amateur boxer from 1934 to 1936. He subsequently moved to Los Angeles and turned pro, achieving a record of 26–7–9 in his professional career against such
Rod Lauren
217 Before I Die (1965), and Childish Things (1969). Lauren married Philippine actress Nida Blanca in 1979. He was implicated in the murder of his wife in November of 2001, when Blanca was stabbed to death in her car. Lauren returned to the United States before charges were filed against him and had resisted extradition in the case.
LAVELLE, BRADLEY Actor Bradley Lavelle died of a heart attack in London, England, on March 22, 2007. He was 48. Lavelle was born in Bristol, England, on March 31, 1958. He appeared frequently in films and television from the early 1980s. He was seen in the films Supergirl (1984), Going Home (1987), Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987), The Dressmaker (1988), Demon City Shinjuku (1988), Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988), Clive Barker’s Nightbreed (1990), Memphis Belle (1990), Waterland (1992), Judge Dredd (1995) as Chief Judge Hunter, Razor Blade Smile (1998), My Tumour and I (2005), and Alien Autopsy (2006). Lavelle was also featured in such television productions as World’s End (1981), Displaced Person (1985), The Last Days of Patton (1986), Words of Love (1989), Tailspin: Behind the Korean Airliner Tragedy (1989), A Long Way Home (1989), Hancock (1991), Fields of Gold (2002), The Last Dragon (2004), If ... the Oil Runs Out (2006), and Nuclear Secrets (2007). His other television credits include episodes of Robin of Sherwood, Roald Dahl’s Tales of the Unexpected, The Piglet Files, Bergerac, Heartbeat, Lovejoy, Space Precinct, Kavanagh QC, and Hollyoaks: In the City. Lavelle was also a voice actor for numerous video games and animated productions.
2007 • Obituaries
(1960), The Alive and the Dead (1964), Long Happy Life (1966), Soldiers Aren’t Born (1967), Touches on the Portrait (1967), Tchaikovsky (1969), The Brothers Karamazov (1969) which he also directed, A Move of a White Queen (1971), Taming of the Fire (1972), The Ocean (1974), Story of the Human Heart (1975), Trust (1976) as Lenin, Wrong Connection (1977), Yaroslavna, Queen of France (1978), A Hunting Accident (1978), Journey to Another Town (1979), Date with Your Youth (1982), Awakening (1983), Magistral (1983), From the Life of a Chief of the Criminal Police (1983), Echo of a Distant Blast (1983), Forbidden Zone (1988), Vladimir Dubrovsky, the Noble Robber (1989), Skin (1991), The Gentle Age (2001), and Leningrad (2006). He was also featured on television in such productions as A Glass of Water (1979), Dyadya Vanya (1987), Banditskiy Peterburg: Baron (2000), Vsyo Zoloto Mira (2005), and Master and Margaret (2005) as Pontius Pilate.
Kirill Lavrov
LAVROVA, TATYANA Russian actress Tatyana Lavrova died of a heart attack in a Moscow hospital on May 16, 2007. She was 68. Lavrova was born in Moscow on June 7, 1938, the daughter of film director Yevgeni Andrikanis. She studied drama in the late 1950s and soon made her debut on stage in a production of Chekhov’s The Seagull. She made her film debut in Song About Koitsov (1959), and earned acclaim for her role as Lyolya in Mikhail Romm’s 1962 film Nine Days in Bradley Lavelle
LAVROV, KIRILL Leading Russian actor Kirill Lavrov died at his home in St. Petersburg, Russia, after a long illness on April 27, 2007. He was 81. Lavrov was born in Leningrad, Soviet Union, on September 15, 1925. He served in the Russian army as an aviation mechanic from the early 1940s until 1950. After his discharge he began his career at the Russian Drama Theater in Kiev. He moved to the Bolshoi Drama Theater of St. Petersburg in 1955, where he remained for over fifty years. Lavrov also appeared frequently in films, starring in Honeymoon (1956), October Days (1958), Andreyka (1958), The Quarrel in Lukashi (1959), Domoy
Tatyana Lavrova
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One Year. She also appeared in the films Time, Forward! (1965), The Mysterious Wall (1967), Change a Dog for a Train (1975), Escape of Mr. McKinley (1975), Second Spring (1979), The Voice (1982), Tragedy, Rock Style (1988), Nipple System (1990), The Cherry Orchard (1993), Middle Age Crisis (1997), Cinema About Cinema (2002), and Metamorphosis (2002). Lavrova was also a popular television performer, starring as Sally Burk in the 1971 television production of All the King’s Men. Her other television credits include Flight Is Postponed (1974), Daylight Train (1976), and Active Zone (1979).
LAWLEY , LINDA Singer and songwriter Linda Lawley died of cancer in Woodland Hills, California, on November 24, 2007. She was 58. Lawley was born in Stillwater, Oklahoma, on April 18, 1949. She began her career as a folk singer in the Gulf Coast area before joining the rock group Eternity’s Children in the mid–1960s. She was featured in the counter-culture Broadway musical Hair in the early 1970s. Lawley teamed with Margaret Dorn to perform on tour with Petula Clark and B.J. Thomas. She joined the rock band Thieves later in the decade, and performed with the cabaret group Roommates in Los Angeles in the 1980s. She married composer Danny Pelfrey in 1991, and worked with her husband in establishing the music library Amusicom. She also served as an assistant music producer for the 1997 film Danger Zone.
Linda Lawley
LEASOR, JAMES British author James Leasor died in Wilkshire, England, on September 10, 2007. He was 83. Leasor was born in Erith, Kent, England, on December 20, 1923. He served in the military during World War II and wrote his first novel, Not Such a Bad Day, during his service. He was best known for a series of novels featuring Dr. Jason Love, a British doctor who is called upon to perform the duties of a secret agent. Love made his first appearance in the novel, Passport to Oblivion, which was filmed in 1965 as Where the Spies Are. Leasor also created the character of 19th century merchant Macpherson Gunn who had adventures in the Far East in a series of novels. Some of his tales were also written under the pseudonym Andrew MacAllan. His novel The One That Got Away was filmed in 1957 and Boarding Party was adapted for the
1980 film The Sea Wolves, starring David Niven. He also wrote the nonfiction account of the mysterious murder of a wealthy mining executive in the Bahamas, Who Killed Sir Harry Oaks? This book was adapted for the 1989 tele-film Passion in Paradise. His many other works include the ghost written autobiographies of actors Jack Hawkins and Kenneth Moore and deposed Albanian monarch King Zog.
James Leasor
LEDERER, RICHARD Film executive Richard Lederer died in California, on June 8, 2007. He was 90. Lederer was born in Far Rockaway, New York, on September 22, 1916. He served in the U.S. Army as a cryptographer during World War II. He began working in films in 1950, when he joined Warner Bros. He rose to the position of Executive Vice President of Worldwide Advertising and Publicity in the 1960s. Lederer orchestrated publicity campaigns for such films as My Fair Lady, Bonnie and Clyde, Dirty Harry and A Clockwork Orange. He was also a producer for the 1977 sequel Exorcist II: The Heretic and supplied the story and produced the 1980 film The Hollywood Knights. LEDUC, JENNY French actress Jenny Andree Howe, who appeared in films in the 1940s under the name Jenny LeDuc, died of breast cancer in Bethesda, Maryland, on July 27, 2007. She was 80. She was born in Mons, Belgium, on November 25, 1926, and moved
Jenny LeDuc
219 with her family to France in 1933. The began performing on the stage in France in the early 1940s and appeared in several films including Panic (1946), The Last Ride (1946), and The History of Song (1947). She married U.S. Navy Lt. Ray Howe in the early 1950s and moved to America to raise a family. She later worked for the Central Intelligence Agency from 1974 to 1989 as an operations analyst dealing with Soviet espionage.
LEE, DEBORAH Film producer Deborah Lee died in Los Angeles, California, on October 22, 2007. She was 58. Lee was born in Albany, New York, in 1949. She began her career in 1978, providing secretarial skills for the feature film The Greek Tycoon. She continued to work primarily as location manager for such films as Loveliness (1984), The New Kids (1985), and Prizzi’s Honor (1985), tele-films Izzy & Moe (1985) and Kojak: Ariana (1989), and an episode of the television series Law & Order. Lee became a production manager in the early 1990s, with such film credits as Cape Fear (1991), Mad Dog and Glory (1993), and the tele-film Running Mates (1992). She worked as both production manager and producer for the feature films Murder in the First (1995), Sudden Death (1995), and Great Expectations (1998). Lee’s later works include producing the film Scenes of the Crime (2002) and co-producing Imaginary Heroes in 2004. LEFF, HENRY Actor Henry Leff died in San Francisco, California, on August 12, 2007. He was 88. Leff was born in Brooklyn, New York on August 20, 1918. He served in the Army during World War II and began teaching broadcasting at San Francisco’s City College after the war. Leff starred as Lt. Mallard in the NBC radio detective series Candy Matson, Yukon 2-8209 in the late 1940s. He was best known for his role as Woody Allen’s father in the 1969 comedy film Take the Money and Run, unrecognizable in a pair of fake glasses with nose and mustache. He was also seen in the films They Call Me MISTER Tibbs! (1969), The Strawberry Statement (1970) and One Is a Lonely Number (1972). Leff also worked frequently for local television, including the public station KQED. He appeared in their series on communism The Red Myth in the 1960s.
Henry Le›
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LEIGH , RICHARD Writer Richard Leigh, whose book, The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail, was considered the inspiration for Dan Brown’s best selling novel The Da Vinci Code, died of complications from a heart conditions in London on November 21, 2007. He was 64. Leigh was born in New Jersey in 1943. He worked as a teacher before moving to Britain in the 1970s. His interests in the medieval order known as the Knights Templar led him to an association with fellow authors Michael Baigent and Henry Lincoln. The trio produced the speculative, non-fiction book that alleged that Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene married and had a child. The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail, published in 1982, also speculated that Christ’s bloodline continued to present day. He and Baigent also wrote several other books including The Messianic Legacy, The Dead Sea Scrolls Deception and Secret Germany, concerning a plot to assassinate Hitler. He and Baigent sued the publishers of The Da Vinci Code after it became a huge best seller. Their claims of plagiarism were dismissed in a court verdict in April of 2006. Leigh’s other works include a semi-autobiographical novel, Grey Magic and a collection, Erceldoune and Other Stories.
Richard Leigh
LEIGHTON, FRANCES SPATZ Writer and journalist Frances Spatz Leighton died of congestive heart failure in Arlington, Virginia, on April 6, 2007. She was 87. She was born Frances Ornstein on a dairy farm in Geauga County, Ohio, in 1919. She left Ohio State University to go to Washington, D.C., during World War II, where she began writing freelance articles for various publications. She became noted for chronicling the lives of the powerful and unusual in the nation’s capital. Leighton was best known for co-writing the 1961 book My Thirty Years Backstairs at the White House with the former longtime White House maid Lillian Rogers Parks. The book was adapted for a television mini-series, Backstairs at the White House, in 1979. Leighton also wrote a paperback novelization based on television The Patty Duke Show entitled Patty Goes to Washington in 1964. She wrote or co-wrote more than 30 books during her career including The Pat Nixon Cookbook (1960), My Life with Jacqueline Kennedy (1969) with her personal secretary Mary B. Gal-
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lagher, In the Footsteps of John Paul II (1980), June Allyson (1982) with the actress, and The Search for the Real Nancy Reagan (1987). Her book Stranger in My Bed was adapted for a tele-film in 1986.
LEMARCHAL , GREGORY French singer Gregory Lemarchal died of complications from cystic fibrosis in Paris on April 30, 2007. He was 23. Lemarchal was born in La Tronche, France, on May 13, 1983. He began performing locally while in his teens. He was selected to compete on the fourth season of the French televised talent showcase Star Academy in 2004, and won the contest in an overwhelming vote total. His debut single, “Ecris l’Histoire,” rose to number two on the French charts, and his debut album, Je Deviens Moi, was released successfully in 2005. A second album, Olympia 06 was released earlier in 2006.
but was best known for A Wrinkle in Time, which earned her the 1963 Newbery Medal for best American children’s book. A Wrinkle in Time was adapted for television in 2003. L’Engle followed this success with the similarly themed novels The Arm of the Starfish (1965), A Wind in the Door (1973), Dragons in the Waters (1976), A Swiftly Tilting Planet (1978), A House Like a Lotus (1984), Many Waters (1986), and An Acceptable Time (1989). Her 1980 novel A Ring of Endless Night was recognized as a Newbery Honor Book, and was adapted as a tele-film in 2002. She also wrote The Crosswicks Journals series in the 1970s and The Genesis Trilog y in the 1980s. She was married to actor Hugh Franklin from 1946 until his death in 1986.
LEONTYEVA, VALENTINA Russian television personality Valentina Leontyeva, who was one of the first television hosts in the Soviet Union, died in Ulyanovsk, Russia, on May 20, 2007. She was 83. Leontyeva was born in Petrograd, Soviet Union, on August 1, 1923. She began her career on stage after World War II, attending the Vakhtangov Theatre School in Moscow. She joined Soviet TV in 1954 as a director’s assistant and soon became a television host. She presented the popular television series From All the Soul, and hosted the New Year’s Eve variety program Blue Light. She became known as Aunt Valya hosting the children’s program Visit to Fairy Tales in the 1980s. She was awarded the title of People’s Artists of the USSR in 1982. Leontyeva retired from television in 1991.
Gregory Lemarchal
L’ENGLE, MADELEINE Madeleine L’Engle, who wrote the classic children’s science fiction novel A Wrinkle in Time, died in a Litchfield, Connecticut, nursing home on September 6, 2007. She was 88. She was born Madeleine L’Engle Camp in New York City on November 29, 1918. She worked for many years as a librarian and writer for the Episcopal Cathedral Church of St. John the Devine in New York City. Her first book, The Small Rain, was published in 1945. She wrote more than sixty other books during her career Valentina Leontyeva
Madeleine L’Engle
LERNER, MIMI Opera singer Mimi Lerner died of complications of a heart tumor in Oakland, Pennsylvania, on March 29, 2007. She was 61. She was born Emilia Lipczer in Poland on May 20, 1945. She immigrated to France, and later the Bronx, New York, with her family as a child. She trained as a music teacher and began singing in choirs and small productions in Pittsburgh in the late 1970s. She made her debut at the New York City Opera as Sextus in a production of La Clemenza Di Tito in 1979. She continued to perform with such operas as the Metropolitan Opera, the Teatro alla Scala, the Seattle Opera, and the Houston Grand Opera until poor health forced her retirement in the late 1990s.
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Ladies (1981). He shared a Tony Award for his choreography for 1989’s Black and Blue. He also choreographed dance numbers for Frances Ford Coppola’s 1984 film The Cotton Club and appeared onscreen as a dancer. Le Tang choreographed the 1989 film Taps starring Gregory Hines and earned an Emmy Award nomination for his work on the 2001 tele-film Bojangles. He retired to Las Vegas in the early 1990s.
Mimi Lerner
LESLIE, DON Leading carnival entertainer Captain Don Leslie, who performed as a sword-swallower and fire-eater, died on June 4, 2007. He was 69. Leslie was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on December 26, 1937. He ran away from home in his early teens and joined the circus. He trained to be a sword-swallower and fire-eater in the 1950s, training under Carlos Leal and Alex Linton. Leslie also performed in carnival freakshows as an escape artist and fakir, resting on beds of nails to entertain the audience. As the carnival circuit dwindled by the 1980s, Leslie continued to work as a street performer. The heavily tattooed artist also became a celebrity at tattoo conventions throughout the United States.
Captain Don Leslie
LE TANG, HENRY Tap dancer and choreographer Henry Le Tang died in Las Vegas, Nevada, on April 26, 2007. He was 91. Le Tang was born in Harlem, New York, on June 19, 1915. He began studying tap dancing as a child, and was performing on tour with entertainer Sophie Tucker by the age of 17. He soon opened his own dance studio in New York in the mid–1930s. Over the next sixty years he trained such entertainers as Harry Belafonte, Ben Vereen, Gregory and Maurice Hines, Debbie Allen, Bette Midler, and Savion Glover to tap dance. Le Tang was also a leading choreographer for Broadway productions, working on such musicals as Eubie! (1978) and Sophisticated
Henry LeTang
LEVIN, IRA Writer Ira Levin, who penned the best-selling novels Rosemary’s Baby, The Stepford Wives, and The Boys from Brazil, died of a heart attack at his Manhattan apartment on November 12, 2007. He was 78. Levin was born in New York City on August 27, 1929. He decided to become a writer while in his teens and wrote episodes of such television series as Lights Out and The United States Steel Hour in the early 1950s. His debut novel, A Kiss Before Dying, earned him an Edgar Award for best first novel in 1953. It was adapted for film in 1956 starring Robert Wagner and Joanne Woodward, and again in 1991 with Matt Dillon. His play No Time for Sergeants, adapted from Mac Hyman’s novel, was adapted for television in 1955 and as a film starring Andy Griffith in 1958. His stories were also adapted as episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents and General Electric Theater, and his play Critic’s Choice was filmed in 1963. Levin was best known for his 1967 novel about modern-day Satanists, Rosemary’s Baby. It was adapted to film the following year starring Mia Farrow as a young woman selected to bear Satan’s child. His next novel was a science fiction about a dystopian future entitled This Perfect Day (1970). Another of his plays, Dr. Cook’s Garden, became a tele-film in 1971, and his 1972 satirical fantasy about creating the perfect woman, The Stepford Wives, was adapted to a film starring Katharine Ross in 1975. Several tele-film sequels based on the novel followed including Revenge of the Stepford Wives (1980) and The Stepford Children (19870, and a remake starring Nicole Kidman was released in 2004. His 1976 thriller about a Nazi plot to clone Hitler, The Boys from Brazil, was filmed with Laurence Olivier and Gregory Peck in 1978. His 1978 play Deathtrap earned a Tony nomination for best play and became a film starring Michael Caine and Christopher Reeve in 1982. Levin’s 1991 thriller Sliver was adapted
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into a film in 1993 starring Sharon Stone. His final novel, Son of Rosemary, a sequel to Rosemary’s Baby, was published in 1997.
1950s as a sound editor. Lichtig worked with Erich Von Stroheim to restore the director’s silent film The Wedding March in 1954. She also worked with Jean Renoir to restore his 1937 masterpiece The Grand Illusion in 1958. Lichtig was a friend and collaborator with Henri Langlois, the founder of Cinematheque Francaise, and was active in the restoration of numerous classic films. She also edited such films as Picnic on the Grass (1959), The Elusive Corporal (1962), In the French Style (1963), FX-18 Superspy (1965), The Death of Alexandros (1966), The Day the Hot Line Got Hot (1968), Daddy, Darling (1970), A Murder Is a Murder ... Is a Murder (1972), Kamouraska (1973), The Heavenly Bodies (1973), Tell Me You Love Me (1974), The Big Delirium (1975), The 11,000 Sexes (1975), Fire’s Share (1978), Confused Feelings (1979), and The Investigation (1979).
Ira Levin
LEYDEN, LEO Actor Leo Leyden died in a Manhattan, New York, hospital on August 7, 2007. He was 78. Leyden was born in Ireland on January 28, 1929. He moved to Canada in the 1950s and appeared frequently in films and television productions. He was featured as Dr. Soames in the 1961 cult horror film The Mask. His other film credits include The Luck of Ginger Coffey (1964), 1776 (1972) as George Read, A Quiet Day in Belfast (1974), Deadly Harvest (1977), Circle of Two (1980), The Wars (1983), Reversal of Fortune (1990), and I.Q. (1994). Leyden was also featured in television productions of The Other Man (1963), Another Day, Another Dollar (1967), Tom Sawyer (1973), I Am a Hotel (1983), and Spearfield’s Daughter (1986). His other television credits include episodes of Armstrong Circle Theatre, No Hiding Place, Dixon of Dock Green, The Saint, The Starlost, Street Legal, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
Renee Lichtig
LIEDTKE, TANJA Australian ballet dancer and choreographer Tanja Liedtke was killed when she was struck by a garbage truck while crossing a road to her apartment in Sydney, Australia, on August 17, 2007. She was 29. Liedtke was born in Stuttgart, Germany, on October 6, 1977. She studied dance in Spain and England before moving to Australia in 1996. She performed with the Australian Dance Theatre from 1999 to 2003, and starred in Lloyd Newson’s production of The Cost of Living with DV8 Physical Theater on stage and film in 2004. Liedtke was selected to become the
Leo Leyden
LICHTIG, RENEE French film editor and restorer Renee Lichtig died of a stroke in Paris on October 16, 2007. She was 86. Lichtig was born in Shanghai, China, in 1921. She began working in films in the
Tanja Liedtke
223 artistic director of the Sydney Dance Company in May of 2007.
LINDSAY, CYNTHIA Author Cynthia Lindsay died in Santa Monica, California, on May 5, 2007. She was 91. Lindsay was born on May 27, 1915. She began her career in films working as a stunt double for such stars as Sonja Henie and Claudette Colbert. She also seen as a swimmer in Busby Berkely’s 1933 musical Footlight Parade. After a horseback riding injury, she was encouraged to began writing by Boris Karloff. She worked at 20th Century–Fox where she scripted episodes of Bachelor Father and My Three Sons. Lindsay also wrote the 1964 television production of American in Paris. She was also the author of several books, including a biography of Karloff entitled Dear Boris. Her other books include The Native Are Restless, Mother Climbed Trees, I Love Her That’s Why and Home Is Where You Hang Yourself.
2007 • Obituaries
gen y el Fotografo (1982), Fuga Scabrosamente Pericolosa (1985), and Juna Tenia el Pelo de Oro (2006). Linero worked primarily in television from the 1990s, appearing in such productions as Escalona (1992), Brigada Central 2: La Guerra Blanca (1993), Flor de Oro (1995), Momposina (1995), Guajira (1996), Copas Amargas (1996), Tabu (1999), El Precio del Silencio (2002), Retratos (2003), La Saga: Negocio de Familia (2004), E. Pasado no Perdona (2005), and Juegos Prohibidos (2005).
LINKLETTER, JACK Television personality Jack Linkletter, who followed in the footsteps of his father, Art Linkletter, died at his home in Cloverdale, California, on December 18, 2007. He was 70. Linkletter was born in San Francisco, California, on November 20, 1937. He began his career as a child, appearing on his father’s radio programs in San Francisco. He was hosting his own radio shows for CBS as a teenager. After attending college, he served as host of the NBC television quiz show Haggis Baggis in 1958. The following year he hosted the daytime program On the Go, where he took his audience to various locales. He guest starred on the sit-com The Bob Cummings Show in 1959, and appeared in a rare dramatic role in an episode of Zane Grey Theater in 1961. He hosted the variety show Here’s Hollywood in 1962 and the folk music variety show Hootenanny the following year. He joined his father as co-host of House Party from 1969 to 1970. He later served as president of Linkletter Enterprises, managing the family’s varied business interests.
Cynthia Lindsay
LINERO, FRANKY Colombian actor Franky Linero died of a heart attack in Paipa, Colombia, on January 3, 2007. He was 66. Linero was born in Santa Marta, Colombia, in 1940. He began his career in films in the early 1970s, appearing in such features as Una Tarde, un Lunes (1971), Prestame tu Marido (1973), Pistoleros de la Muerte (1975), Colombia Connection (1978), El Inmigrante Latino (1980), Sexy Beach (1980), La VirJack Linkletter (right, with father Art Linkletter)
Franky Linero
LISTER, MOIRA South African–born actress Moira Lister, who was a leading performer on the British stage and screen from the 1940s, died in Cape Town, South Africa, on October 27, 2007. She was 84. Lister was born in Cape Town on August 6, 1923, and studied acting as a child. She performed on stage from an early age and moved to England in 1944 to continue her career. She made her film debut later that year in a small role in The Shipbuilders. She continued to be seen onscreen in such features as Love Story (1944), The Agitator (1945), My Ain Folk (1945), Don Chicago (1945), Wanted for Murder (1946), Mrs. Fitzherbert (1947), Uneasy Terms (1948), So Evil My Love (1948), Frieda (1948), Another Shore (1948), Once a Jolly Swagman (1949), and
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A Run for Your Money (1949). Lister also continued to appear frequently on stage and made her Broadway debut in the 1948 comedy Don’t Listen Ladies! Her film career also continued with roles in such productions as Pool of London (1951), Files from Scotland Yard (1951), My Seal and Them (1951), White Corridors (1951), Something Money Can’t Buy (1952), The Cruel Sea (1953), Grand National Night (1953), The Limping Man (1953), Trouble in Store (1953), John and Julie (1955), The Deep Blue Sea (1955), Seven Waves Away (1957), The Yellow Rolls Royce (1964), Joey Boy (1965), The Double Man (1967), Stranger in the House (1967), and Not Now, Darling (1973). She made occasional appearances on television from the 1960s, appearing in episodes of Danger Man, Zero One, Secret Agent, The Whitehall Warrior, The Avengers, A Touch of Venus, The Sex Game: The Lovemakers, Score with the Scaffold, and Only When I Laugh. She was featured in the recurring role of Jacqui Villiers in the comedy series The Very Merry Widow in the late 1960s. Lister was also a regular on the radio program Hancock’s Half Hour and performed in the series Simon and Laura and A Life of Bliss. Her autobiography, A Very Merry Moira, was published in 1969. She performed mainly in South Africa from the 1980s. She starred as Mrs. Rodgers in the 1989 film version of Agatha Christie’s Ten Little Indians, and played grandmothers in the television productions The Finding (1990) and The 10th Kingdom (2000). Her final film role was in 2007’s Flood.
Moira Lister
Alberto Locatti
a hospital in Nassau, the Bahamas, on March 29, 2007. He was 72. Lockhart was born Bert Cooper in Nassau on September 18, 1934. He came to New York in the mid–1950s to attend school, and soon embarked on an acting career. He made his Broadway debut in a shortlived production of The Cool World in 1960, and starred in the racially-themed drama A Taste of Honey. He subsequently moved to Europe, eventually settling in England. He appeared on British television in productions of Talking to a Stranger (1966), Girl in a Black Bikini (1967), and Light Blue (1968). He also appeared in episodes of Thirty-Minute Theatre, Rainbow City, The Wednesday Play, The Troubleshooters, Play for Today, and Softly Softly. Lockhart was also seen in the films Hung Up (1968), A Dandy in the Aspic (1968), The Mercenaries (1968), Only When I Larf (1968), Salt and Pepper (1968), Nobody Runs Forever (1968), Joanna (1968) opposite Genevieve Waite, Halls of Anger (1970), and Leo the Last (1970). He starred as the Rev. Deke O’Malley in the 1970 film Cotton Comes to Harlem and was Irving Amadeus in the 1970 cult classic Myra Breckinridge. He was also featured in the films Melinda (1972), The African Deal (1974), the werewolf film The Beast Must Die (1974), Uptown Saturday Night (1974) as Silky Slim, Honeybaby, Honeybaby (1974), Let’s Do It Again (1975), The Baron (1977), The Baltimore Bullet (1980), Coming to America (1988) with Eddie Murphy, Predator 2 (1990), and David Lynch’s Wild at Heart (1990)
LOCATTI, ALBERTO Argentine actor and comedian Alberto Locatti died of a heart attack in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on December 13, 2007. He was 71. He began his career on television in the late 1950s, where he was noted for his comic impersonations on such shows as El Show de IKA. He also appeared in several films in the early 1960s including Cristobal Colon en la Facultad de Medicina (1962), La Chacota (1962), and El Mago de las Finanzas (1962). Locatti’s career largely ended in 1980 when he threw his wife, actress Eva “Cielito” Olguin, from their secondstory apartment balcony. Though she survived the fall, he was sentenced to six years in prison. LOCKHART, CALVIN Bahamian-born actor Calvin Lockhart died of complications from a stroke at
Calvin Lockhart
225 and Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992). Lockhart also guest-starred on television in such series as Get Christie Love!, Starsky and Hutch, and Good Times, and was featured in the recurring role of Jonathan Lake in the prime-time soap opera Dynasty from 1985 to 1986. Lockhart returned to the Bahamas in the 1990s, where he worked as a director for several local stage productions with the Freeport Players Guild. He had recently completed filming a movie shot in the Bahamas, Rain.
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time soap opera All My Children, and was featured as an FBI agent in Oliver Stone’s 1991 film JFK.
LOCKWOOD, ALYN Actress Alyn Lockwood died in Tarzana, California, on July 16, 2007. She was 93. She was born in Los Angeles on January 15, 1914. Lockwood began her film career in the mid–1940s, appearing in the popular Blondie film series, which starred Penny Singleton as Blondie and Arthur Lake as her befuddled husband, Dagwood. She played Mary, the switchboard operator and receptionist, Life with Blondie (1945), Blondie Knows Best (1946), Blondie’s Big Moment (1947), Blondie’s Holiday (1947), Blondie in the Dough (1947), Blondie’s Anniversary (1947), Blondie’s Reward (1948), Blondie’s Secret (1948), Blondie’s Big Deal (1949), Blondie Hits the Jackpot (1949), Blondie’s Hero (1950), and Beware of Blondie (1950). Lockwood was also in a handful of other films during her career including The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), Brideless Groom (1947), Pardon My Clutch (1948), Alias Nick Beal (1949), The Crime Doctor’s Diary (1949), Mary Ryan, Detective (1945), Border Rangers (1950), the western Badman’s Gold (1951) which she also scripted, Fun on the Run (1951), Cattle Queen (1951), Come on Seven (1956), Jeanne Eagels (1957), and Jailhouse Rock (1957) with Elvis Presley. Lockwood also appeared on television in episodes of Navy Log, State Trooper, and Border Patrol, before retiring from the screen in the late 1950s.
LOSTAU, PAUL Spanish television actor Paul Lostau died of injuries he received in a traffic accident in Madrid, Spain, on November 27, 2007. He was 29. Lostau was best known for his role as Fortunato Cebrian in the popular television series Brothers and Detectives in 2007. He was also featured as Rafa in Al Filo de la Ley from 2004 to 2005, in the recurring role of Federico in Cuentame from 2005 to 2007, and as Alfredo Roman in Love in Difficult Times from 2006 to 2007. Lostau also guest starred in episodes of Hospital Central, Manolito Gafotas, Los Serrano, El Inquilino, and La Que se Avecina. He also appeared in small roles in several films including Shevernatze un Angel Corrupto (2006), Juego (2006), and Solitary Fragments (2007).
Alyn Lockwood
Paul Lostau
LOGUE, SPAIN, JR. Actor Spain Logue, Jr., died after a twenty-five year battle with AIDS at his home in Dallas, Texas, on December 3, 2007. He was 60. Logue was born in Dallas in 1947. He studied acting at Juilliard in New York before embarking upon a career on stage. He was featured in the Tony Award– winning Broadway musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Logue also appeared in the day-
LUBICH, BRONCO Professional wrestler turned referee Bronco Lubich died of complications from prostate cancer and a series of strokes in Dallas, Texas, on August 11, 2007. He was 81. He was born Bronko Sandor Lupsity in Battonya, Hungary, on December 25, 1925, and moved to Montreal, Canada, with his family in 1937. He began wrestling professionally in 1948, and was soon serving as valet to An-
Spain Logue, Jr.
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gelo Poffo. He teamed with Poffo to hold the Midwest Tag Team Title in Chicago in 1956. They also held the NWA Texas Tag Team Title in 1961. Lubich also formed a formidable tag team with Aldo Bogni, holding several championships in the South and Florida. He teamed with Chris Markoff to hold the NWA Florida Tag Team Title for several months in late 1969 and early 1970. He and Markoff also held the World Class American Tag Team Title in Texas several times in the early 1970s. After retiring from the ring he became a longtime referee in World Class and USWA until the early 1990s.
Bronco Lubich
LUCAS, PHIL Phil Lucas, whose career as filmmaker, producer and writer of films, television programs and documentaries relating to Native Americans spanned over four decades, died of complications after heart surgery in Bellevue, Washington, on February 4, 2007. He was 65. Lucas, of Choctaw descent, was born in Phoenix, Arizona, on January 15, 1942. His works covered such issues as Native American arts, health, alcoholism, basic rights and the stereotyping of American Indians in Hollywood. He was seen in the role of Mohawk Sachem the 1993 tele-film The Broken Chain, which told the story of the Iroquois Confederacy, and appeared on the television series Northern Exposure. He directed the 1994 television documentary mini-series The Native Americans, the 1998 film Allan Houser/Hao-
zous: The Lifetime Work of an American Master, and the 2003 tele-film Vis a Vis: Native Tongues. His film Restoring the Sacred Circle won Best Public Service Award at the 2002 American Indian Festival in San Francisco. Lucas co-directed and co-produced the 2003 PBS series Images of Indians, which told the tale of Hollywood’s stereotyping of the Native American in films and television. Lucas taught filmmaking workshops for young Native Americans and continued to be active in American Film Festivals until shortly before his death.
LUCIEN, JON Jazz artist Jon Lucien, whose soulful baritone could be heard for more than 35 years, died from respiratory failure following surgery in Orlando, Florida, on August 14, 2007. He was 65. He was born Lucien Harrigan in Tortola, British Virgin Islands, on January 8, 1942, and was raised in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, by his musician father. He moved to New York City in the mid–1960s, where he embarked upon a musical career. He released his debut album, I Am Now, in 1970. He released his second album, Rashida, in 1973, which earned two Grammy nominations for the title track song and the popular ballad “Lady Love.” Some of his other songs include “Would You Believe in Me,” “Dindi,” “You Don’t Need Me,” “Hello Like Before,” and “Sweet Control.” Lucien released Mind’s Eye in 1974, on which could be heard the songs “Listen Love” and “World of Joy.” His other albums include Songs for My Lady (1975), Premonition (1976), and Romantico (1982). His later works include the albums Listen Love (1991), Mother Natures Son (1993), Endless Love (1997), inspired by his daughters tragic death in the crash of TWA Flight 800, and Precious (1999). Lucien remained active, performing at festivals with a jazz fusion band and had launched his own record label, Sugar Apples Music.
Jon Lucien
Phil Lucas
LUDWIG, JULIAN Film and television producer Julian Ludwig died of lung cancer in Los Angeles on April 13, 2007. He was 82. Ludwig was born in Los Angeles on May 22, 1924. He began his career in films as an actor, appearing in small roles in 1952’s Limelight with Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, and the 1954 science fiction film Gog. Ludwig left acting to
227 work behind the camera as a producer with David L. Wolper’s organization. He was a producer on such series and specials as Biography (1961–1963), Hollywood: The Fabulous Era (1962), Hollywood: The Great Stars (1963), and Hollywood and the Stars (1963–1964). He also served as an executive producer for the film The Texican (1966), and was associate producer for The Devil’s Brigade (1968) and The Bridge at Remagen (1969). He was also involved in the production of the television specials Plimpton! Did You Hear the One About? (1971), Victory at Entebbe (1976), and Celebrate the Century (1999). Ludwig was an associate producer for Clint Eastwood’s Oscar-winning 1992 film Unforgiven.
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recurring role of the District Attorney in the television law series The Defenders in the early 1960s. Ludwig also guest starred in episodes of such series as The Nurses, The Trials of O’Brien, All in the Family, McCloud, Kate & Allie, Wiseguy, The Sopranos, Law & Order, Ed, 100 Centre Street, and Law & Order: Criminal Intent.
Salem Ludwig
Julian Ludwig
LUDWIG , SALEM Character actor Salem Ludwig died in New York City on April 1, 2007. He was 91. Ludwig was born in Brooklyn, New York, on July 31, 1915. He began performing on stage in the late 1930s, appearing in a production of The Drunkard in Long Beach in 1938. He made his New York debut a decade later, appearing in productions of Arthur Miller’s An Enemy of the People, Tennessee Williams’ Camino Real, and Horton Foote’s The Trip to Bountiful. He was featured in the original Broadway production of Inherit the Wind in 1955, and appeared in The Disenchanted in 1958. He also appeared on such early television productions as The Ford Theatre Hour, Goodyear Television Playhouse, Tales of Tomorrow, and Hallmark Hall of Fame before his political opinions landed him on the blacklist for several years. He continued to perform on stage, and returned to the screen in the 1958 feature Never Love a Stranger. He was also seen in the films America, America (1963), The Three Sisters (1966), What’s So Bad About Feeling Good? (1968), I Love You, Alice B. Toklas! (1968), The Next Man (1976), Endless Love (1981), Heartburn (1986), Disorder (1986), Family Business (1989), For Love or Money (1993), Flux (1996), I’m Not Rappaport (1996), Packing for Two (1998), The Object of My Affection (1998), Fast Food, Fast Women (2000), The Business of Strangers (2001), Unfaithful (2002), Riverside (2003), Life on the Ledge (2005), and The Savages (2007). Ludwig also appeared in the tele-films The Defection of Simas Kudirka (1978), A Doctor’s Story (1984). He was featured in the
LUNDBERG, CAROL Animation artist Carol Lundberg died on February 11, 2007. She was 72. Lundberg was born on May 22, 1934. She began working at Filmation in the early 1980s, where she did layout and character design for such series as the animated Star Trek, The Secret Lives of Waldo Kitty, The New Adventures of Batman, The Young Sentinels, The New Adventures of Flash Gordon, The Fat Albert Christmas Special, Shazam!, Blackstar, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, and She-Ra, Princess of Power. Lundberg worked for Marvel’s G.I. Joe series in the early 1980s, and was a designer for Hanna-Barbera’s The Pirates of Dark Water and the 1993 animated feature Once Upon a Forest. Her final credit was as story director for RubySpears’ 1994 series Mega Man.
Carol Lundberg (portrait by Larry Eikleberry)
LUND-SORENSEN, SUNE Danish film director Sune Lund-Sorensen died in Sweden from complications from injuries he received in a fall on January 12, 2007. He was 64. Lund-Sorensen was born in
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Denmark on July 28, 1942. He began writing and directing films in the mid–1960s, with such credits as Himmelekspressen (1965), Trommen (1967), Skrammellegepladsen (1967), King of Smugglers (1985), Mord i Morket (1986), Damish Symphony (1988), Mord i Paradis (1988), Camping (1990), and Joker (1991).
Lamar Lundy (as the Cyclops from Lost in Space)
Sune Lund-Sorensen
LUNDY, LAMAR Football player Lamar Lundy, who played with the Los Angeles Rams during the 1960s and appeared as a giant creature in the original pilot to the Lost in Space television series, died after a long illness in Richmond, Indiana, on February 24, 2007. He was 71. He had been suffering from the neuromuscular disease myasthenia gravis, diabetes, prostate cancer, and a heart problem in recent years. Lundy was born in Richmond Indiana, on April 17, 1935. The 6'7", 250 pound athlete joined the Los Angeles Rams in 1957, and played with the team through the 1969 season. He was a member of the defensive line known as the Fearsome Foursome with Roosevelt Grier, Deacon Jones, and Merlin Olsen from 1963 to 1966. Lundy appeared with his three teammates on several episodes of The Hollywood Palace in 1967. He was featured as a huge monster who threatened the Robinson family in the original un-aired pilot for Irwin Allen’s Lost in Space television series in 1966.
LUZZATI, EMANUEL Emanuel Luzzati, an Italian production designer and director of animated films, died at his home in Genoa, Italy, on January 26, 2007. He was 85. Luzzati was born in Genoa on June 3, 1921. He attended the School of Fine Arts in Lausanne, Switzerland, and returned to Italy after World War II. He began working as a theatrical designer of sets and costumes in Milan. He was costume designer for the 1949 film The Earth Cries Out, and worked on sets at La Scala in Milan and at the Glyndebourne Festival in England. He teamed with Giulio Gianini to create several animated films, notably the Academy Award nominated The Thieving Magpie (1964) and Pulcinella (1973). He also adapted Mozart’s opera The Magic Flute as an animated cartoon in 1978. Luzzati was also an illustrator of children’s books by the Brothers Grimm, and works by Gianni Rodari and Italo Calvino.
Emanuel Luzzati
Lamar Lundy
LYONS, JAMES Film editor and actor James Lyons died of squamous cell cancer and complications from AIDS in Manhattan on April 12, 2007. He was 46. Lyons was born on October 8, 1960. He began working in films in the early 1990s, editing and appearing in Todd Haynes 1991 trilogy Poison. Lyons was also an actor in the films Swoon (1992), Postcards from America (1994), Safe (1995), Frisk (1995), I Shot Andy Warhol (1996), and The Chateau (2001). He served as an editor on The Debt (1993), Dottie Gets Spanked
229 (1993), Late Fall (1994), Safe (1995), Ratchet (1996), Strawberry Fields (1997), Shooting Porn (1997), First Love, Last Rites (1997), Haynes Velvet Goldmine (1998) which he also co-wrote, Sofia Coppola’s The Virgin Suicides (1999), Spring Forward (1999), The Chateau (2001), Prozac Nation (2001), Far from Heaven (2002), Ghostlight (2003), Imaginary Heroes (2004), and A Walk into the Sea: Danny Williams and the Warhol Factory (2007).
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His numerous film credits include Bonzo Goes to College (1952), No Room for the Groom (1952), Francis Goes to West Point (1952), Son of Ali Baba (1952), Conquest of Cochise (1953), The Boy from Oklahoma (1954) as Billy the Kid, The Eg yptian (1954), The Bounty Hunter (1954), The Glass Slipper (1955), Cell 2455 Death Row (1955), The Last Command (1955), Headline Hunters (1955), The Burning Hills (1956), Fury at Showdown (1957), and Cyborg 2087 (1966). MacDuff also appeared frequently on television from the 1950s, with roles in such series as Stories of the Century, Adventures of Superman, The 20th Century–Fox Hour, Death Valley Days, The Adventures of Dr. Fu Manchu, Annie Oakley, West Point, The Lone Ranger, You Are There, Maverick, Sgt. Preston of the Yukon, The Gray Ghost, Tales of Wells Fargo, This Man Dawson, Alcoa Theatre, General Electric Theater, Lawman, Perry Mason, Lassie, and Gunsmoke. He was also featured in the tele-films Perry Mason: The Case of the Skin Deep Scandal (1993) and Lethal Orbit (1996). MacDuff returned to the screen in recent years to appear in Go Fish (2000) and An American Reunion (2003). His daughter was film producer Dana MacDuff.
James Lyons
MABRY, LADONNA Actress LaDonna Mabry died of cancer after a long illness at her home in New York City on February 11, 2007. She was 54. Mabry was born in Detroit, Michigan, on November 16, 1952. She performed frequently on the local stage. She also appeared on television in episodes of such series as Mathnet, The Baby-Sitters Club, Spin City, Law & Order, Oz, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. She was also featured in the 1999 film The Tavern. Mabry also worked on many television and radio commercials and was a fashion model for Yves St. Laurent. Tyler MacDu›
LaDonna Mabry
MACDUFF, TYLER Veteran character actor Tyler MacDuff died of heart failure in Pasadena, California, on December 23, 2007. He was 82. MacDuff was born in Hollywood, California, on September 12, 1925. He began his career in films in the early 1950s.
MACK, GUNTER German actor Gunter Mack died of cancer in Grobenzell, Bavaria, Germany, on March 27, 2007. He was 76. Mack was born in Augsburg, Germany, on December 12, 1930. He began his career on stage in post–World War II Munich, and performed frequently theaters throughout Germany. Mack also began appearing in films in the early 1960s with such credits as The Lightship (1963), Yesterday Girl (1966), Death and Diamonds (1968), The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of (1972), I Wasn’t a Very Good Student Either (1974), Only the Wind Knows the Answer (1974), The Brave Little Tailor (1988), Success (1991), and St. Petri Schnee (1991). Mack was also a popular television performer in Germany, appearing in productions of Besuch am Nachmittag (1963), Nobile — Sieben Wochen auf dem Eis (1967), Ein Sarg fur Mr. Holloway (1968), Bel Ami (1968), Der Fall Liebknecht-Luxemburg (1969), Wie Eine Trane im Ozean (1970), Menschen (1970), Chopin-Express (1971), Elsa Brandstrom (1971), Der Andersonville-Prozess (1972), Der Illegale (1972), Liebe Leidet mit Lust (1973), Nebel (1974), Des Christof-
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fel von Grimmelshausen Abenteuerlicher Simplicissimus (1975), Die Babenberger in Osterreich (1976), Tarabas (1981), Uberfall in Glasgow (1981), Gegenlicht (1983), Die Friedenmacher (1994), Die Stunde des Leon Bisquet (1986), Der Meister des Jungsten Tages (1990), Das Babylon Komplott (1993), Der Rote Vogel (1993), In Dieser Stadt Daheim (1994), Um Die 30 (1995), Gestohlenes Muttergluck (1997), Die Zeit mit Dir (2002), and Afrika —Wohin Mein Herz Mich Tragt (2006). His other television credits include episodes of Der Kommissar, Dem Tater auf der Spur, Eurogang, Sonderdezernat K1, Der Alte, Forstinspektor Buchholz, Derrick, Der Fahnder, Ein Fall fur Zwei, Polizeiruf 110, Rosamunde Pilcher, Das Traumschiff, Nicht ohne Meinen Anwalt, and Tatort. He also starred as Dr. Berthold Sanwaldt in the series Alle Meine Tochter from 1995 to 2001.
Ember Iranti Feltes Diadala (2000), and Rokonok (2006). Madaras was featured as Marksman Vogelier in the television series A Tenkes Kapitanya in 1963, and was Vendel Kalanyos in Princ, a Katona in 1966. He was also featured as Vincze Joska in the 1968 series Bors, and was Sgt. Toti in Kantor in 1976. He also appeared in television productions of Michael Strogoff (1975), The Istambul Train (1980), and Zsarumelo (1986).
Jozsef Madaras
Gunter Mack
MADARAS, JOZSEF Hungarian actor Jozsef Madaras died in Mariahalom, Hungary, on April 24, 2007. He was 69. Madaras was born in Rigmany, Hungary, on August 12, 1937. He was a leading actor in Hungarian films and television from the late 1950s. His film credits include The Bells Have Gone to Rome (1958), Pesti Haztekok (1962), Balvany (1963), Germinal (1963), My Way Home (1965), Deadlock (1966), Cold Days (1966), The Hopeless Ones (1966), Father (1966), The Red and the White (1967), Silence and Cry (1967), A Hamis Izabella (1968), Winter Wind (1969), The Confrontation (1969), The Upthrown Stone (1969), Talking Caftan (1969), Agnus Dei (1970), Face (1970), A Crazy Night (1970), The Pacifist (1970), Haho, Ocsil (1971), Horizon (1971), Hold on to the Clouds (1971), Red Pslam (1972), Romanticism (1972), Beyond Time (1973), Wait a Minute (1973), Pokhalo (1974), Electra, My Love (1974), Blindfold (1975), Hajduk (1975), Pikemen (1975), Az Idok Kezdeten (1975), Budapest Fairy Tales (1976), Spider Football (1976), Nobody’s Daughter (1976), Man Without a Name (1976), Ekezet (1977), A Csillagszemu (1977), My Father’s Happy Years (1977), 80 Hussars (1978), The Stud Farm (1978), Peter and Paul (1978), The Fortress (1979), Hungarian Rhapsody (1979), The Tyrant’s Heart (1981), Tolerance (1986), Season of Monsters (1987), Howling V: The Rebirth (1989), God Walks Backwards (1991), The Summer Guest (1992), Blue Danube Waltz (1992), Konyortelen Idok (1992), A Masik
MAGARO, POLLI Veteran character actress Polli Magaro died in a New York City hospital on December 23, 2007. Magaro appeared on stage, screen, and television, and was a contract player with the Metropolitan Opera for 20 years. She was featured in the films Paradise Alley (1978), Easy Money (1983), Vamping (1984), Secret Obsession (1986), One Day in Dallas (1990), Mr. Destiny (1990), Oscar (1991), The Slab Boys (1997), Primary Colors (1998), Perfect Game (2000), and Avenging Angelo (2002). She was also seen in the tele-films The Truth About Alex (1986) and Nashville Beat (1990), and in episodes of Matt Houston, Cagney & Lacey, Titans, Ed, and Boston Public. MAGILL, RONALD Veteran British character actor Ronald Magill died in England on September 6, 2007. He was 87. Magill was born in Hull, East Yorkshire, England, on April 21, 1920. He served with the Royal Corps of Signals during World War II and began
Ronald Magill
231 performing on stage with repertory companies after the war. He appeared on television in episodes of Special Branch and Codename in the 1960s, and was featured as a servant in the 1970 version of Julius Caesar starring John Gielgud and Jason Robards. He began his longrunning role as Amos Brearly, the grumpy sideburned landlord on the soap opera Emmerdale in 1972. He remained with the series for nearly 20 years before retiring in 1991.
MAGNA, LICIA Brazilian actress Licia Magna died of heart failure in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 3, 2007. She was 98. Magna was born Alcina Miranda Tetemberg in Guaxupe, Minas Gerais, Brazil, on February 22, 1909. She was a frequent performer in Brazilian films from the 1950s, appearing in A Sombra da Outra (1950), Assault on the Pay Train (1962), Lollipop (1964), Viagem aos Seios de Dullia (1964), O Mundo Alegre de Helo (1967), Copacabana Fools Me (1968), The Girl Watchers (1969), Um Homem Sem Importancia (1971), Missao: Matar (1972), Um Virgem na Praca (1973), Obsessao (1973), O Libertino (1973), O Mau Carater (1974), Enigma para Demonios (1975), A Extorsao (1975), Uma Mulata Para Todos (1975), The Marriage (1976), Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands (1976), Odio (1977), Quem Matou Pacifico? (1977), As Taradas Atacam (1978), Prova de Fogo (1980), The Kiss (1981), and Mater Dei (2004). She also appeared often on Brazilian television, starring in such series as Maria, Maria, Jogo da Vida, Roque Santeiro, Fera Radical, Voce Decide, Carga Pesada, and A Diarista. She was most recently featured in several episodes of Snakes and Lizards in 2006.
Licia Magna
MAGNUSSON, MAGNUS Magnus Magnusson, who hosted the long-running British television quiz show Mastermind, died of cancer near Glasgow, Scotland, on January 7, 2007. He was 77. Magnusson was born in Reykjavik, Iceland, on October 12, 1929, and went to Scotland with his family as an infant. He began working as a journalist with the Scottish Daily Express in 1953, rising to assistant editor. He moved to The Scotsman in 1961, and was involved with several television documentaries for Scottish Television and the BBC. He became the hose of the short-lived television
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magazine program Tonight in 1957, before returning to The Scotsman. Magnusson reappeared on television as host of the monthly BBC series on archaeology and history, Chronicle, in 1966, and remained with the series until 1978. He was also chosen to host the challenging BBC quiz show Mastermind in 1972. The popular program remained on the air with Magnusson asking contestants questions until 1997. He later wrote a history of his time with the show, I’ve Started, So I’ll Finish, titled from his Mastermind catchphrase. Magnusson was also a storyteller on several episodes of the children’s show Jackonary in the late 1960s, and appeared in cameo roles in episodes of The Goodies and The Dame Edna Experience.
Magnus Magnusson
MAHER , FRANK British stuntman Frank Maher died of complications from emphysema in a Newport, Isle of Wight, hospital on July 13, 2007. He was 78. Maher was born in London on June 18, 1929. He served in the Army Parachute Regiment during World War II. He made his film debut after being wounded in action when he was cast as an extra in the historical drama Caesar and Cleopatra (1945), upon leaving the hospital. He returned to the screen after completing his Army service to work as an extra and stunt performer. He made uncredited appearances in such action films Ivanhoe (1952), The Crimson Pirate (1952), Saturday Island (1952), The Master of Ballantrae (1953) doubling Errol Flynn, and The Devil’s Disciple (1959) with Burt Lancaster. Maher also performed stunts and appeared in small roles in the films The Bandits of Zhobe (1959), Children of the Damned (1963), The Italian Job (1969), One More Time (1970), Innocent Bystanders (1972) and Remembrance (1982). He also worked frequently in television during the 1960s and 1970s as a stunt performer in such series as The Adventures of Robin Hood, The Avengers, Man in a Suitcase, The Saint, The Persuaders, The Champions, My Partner the Ghost, Space: 1999 and Blakes 7. Maher was often associated with actor Patrick McGoohan, serving as his stunt double on the espionage series Danger Man, Secret Agent and The Prisoner. He also assisted in the writing of The Prisoner western-themed episode “Living in Harmony.” In later years, Maher was the co-author of several novels, including The Capricorn Run (1978), Sa-
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hara Strike (1981) and Wipe-Out! (1981), and designed action sequences for such films as Die Hard (1988).
Frank Maher
MAIER, BARBARA Barbara Maier, who appeared in several silent films as a child actress, died in San Diego, California, on May 11, 2007. She was 90. Maier was born in San Diego on February 11, 1917. She and her family moved to Hollywood after she won the Ideal Screen Baby contest. She was seen in such silent films as The Speed Girl (1921), A Doll’s House (1922), and The Bachelor Daddy (1922). MAILER, NORMAN Author Norman Mailer, who was one of the leading American literary figures in the latter half of the 20th century, died of renal failure in a New York City hospital on November 10, 2007. He was 84. Mailer was born in Long Branch, New Jersey, on January 31, 1923. He attended Harvard where he earned a degree in Engineering Science in 1943. He was subsequently drafted into the US Army, where he saw action in the Philippines during World War II. After the war, his experiences with the Army inspired his first book, The Naked and the Dead, in 1948. The book was helmed as one of the finest American novels to emerge in the post World War II era. His 1951 novel, Barbary Shore, examined the politics of the Cold War in a surreal context, and 1955’s, The Deer Park, inspired by the blacklistings in Hollywood. The Naked and the Dead was adapted for film in 1958 and his 1965 novel An American Dream was also filmed the following year. A leading figure in the counter-culture in the 1950s and 1960s, Mailer’s involvement with the anti–Vietnam War movement inspired his 1968 novel, Armies of the Night, which earned him a Pulitzer Prize and a National Book Award. He also penned the 1968 essay on the political conventions of that year, Miami and the Siege of Chicago. Mailer produced, directed and wrote the 1968 film Beyond the Law, and starred in the role of Lt. Francis Xavier Pope. He also directed and starred in the film Wild 90 in 1968. Mailer was an unsuccessful candidate for mayor of New York City in 1970, espousing his desire to transform the city into the nation’s 51st state. His avant garde 1970 film, Maidstone, featured an improvised brawl between himself and actor Rip Torn. Mailer’s literary output included 1970’s Of
a Fire on the Moon about the space program, The Prisoner of Sex (1971), Marilyn (1973) about screen sex symbol Marilyn Monroe, The Fight (1975) about the boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in Zaire, and The Executioner’s Song (1979), about executed murderer Gary Gilmore, which earned him a second Pulitzer Prize. Mailer was featured as illfated architect Stanford White in the 1981 film, Ragtime. His book, The Prisoner of Sex, was adapted for the 1979 film Town Bloody Hall. Marilyn: The Untold Story became a tele-film in 1980, and he adapted The Executioner’s Song for television in 1982. He directed an adaptation of his novel, Tough Guys Don’t Dance, in 1987, starring Ryan O’Neal. He was featured as The Great Writer in 1987’s King Lear, and was magician Harry Houdini in 1999’s Cremaster 2. He wrote a bizarre biography of Christ in the first person with 1997’s The Gospel According to the Son, and combined fiction and non-fiction in his massive 1998 book The Time of Our Time. He scripted the 2000 tele-play American Tragedy, and wrote and produced the 2002 tele-film Master Spy: The Robert Hanssen Story. Mailer also appeared as himself in the films When We Were Kings (1996), Keep the River on Your Right: A Modern Cannibal Tale (2000), Inside Deep Throat (2005), The Outsider (2005) and The Ballad of Greenwich Village (2005). Mailer also guest starred in an episode of television’s Gilmore Girls. He also wrote an essay protesting the invasion of Iraq with 2003’s Why Are We at War? The noted author was married six times and produced at least 8 children, and an adopted stepson. He co-authored the 2005 book, The Big Empty, with his youngest child, John Buffalo Mailer. His final novel, The Castle in the Forest, about the youth of Adolf Hitler as narrated by the devil, was published in 2007.
Norman Mailer
MAKEM, TOMMY Irish singer Tommy Makem, who performed with the Clancy Brothers, died of lung cancer in Dover, New Hampshire, on August 1, 2007. He was 74. Makem was born in Keady, County Armagh, Northern Ireland, on November 4, 1932. His mother, Sarah Makem, was a leading Irish traditional singer. Tommy Makem immigrated to the United States with Liam Clancy in 1955, where they soon joined Liam’s brothers, Tom and Pat, in a singing
233 group. They recorded their first album, The Rising of the Moon, in 1956. They were soon a popular act, performing at Carnegie Hall and on television’s The Ed Sullivan Show and The Mike Douglas Show. They also appeared in an episode of the sit-com Make Room for Daddy. Makem left the group to pursue a solo career in 1969, composing and singing such popular tunes as “Four Green Fields” and “The Winds Are Singing Freedom.” He reunited with Liam Clancy and formed the duo Makem and Clancy in the mid–1970s. They performed together until dissolving the act in 1988, with Makem returning to solo appearances. He was also seen in the films A Time to Remember (1987) and The Mouse (1996), and wrote the 1997 book Tommy Makem’s Secret Ireland. He starred in a one-man show in New York, Invasions and Legacies, in 1999. Makem’s sons Shane, Conor, and Rory followed him into show business as the singing group the Makem Brothers.
Tommy Makem
MALLORY, EDWARD Actor Edward Mallory, who starred as Dr. Bill Horton in the soap opera Days of Our Lives from 1966 to 1980, died after a long illness in a Meyersdale, Pennsylvania, hospital on April 4, 2007. He was 76. Mallory was born in Cumberland, Maryland, on June 14, 1930. He appeared frequently on television from the early 1960s, with appearances in such series as Goodyear Theatre, Perry Mason, Men into Space, Wagon Train, Death Valley Days, Tales of Wells
Edward Mallory
2007 • Obituaries
Fargo, Checkmate, The Tall Man, McHale’s Navy, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Bewitched, and The Munsters. He was also featured in several films including Walk on the Wild Side (1962), Experiment in Terror (1962), Birdman of Alcatraz (1962), The Underwater City (1962), The Interns (1962), and Diamond Head (1963). He replaced Paul Carr as troubled soap opera doctor Bill Horton on the popular NBC daytime drama Days of Our Lives. He remained with the show through 1980, and reprised his role as Dr. Horton several times in the 1990s. Mallory was also seen in the 1977 tele-film Kill Me if You Can, and an episode of the television series Automan in 1984.
MANCINI, AL Character actor Al Mancini died in London, Ohio, on November 12, 2007. He was 74. Mancini was born in Steubenville, Ohio, on November 13, 1932. He was an acting coach at the Beverly Hills Playhouse for over 30 years. Mancini also appeared frequently in films and television productions from the 1960s. He was Tassos Bravos, one of The Dirty Dozen in the 1967 war film. He was also seen in the films The Dirty Game (1965), Don’t Raise the Bridge, Lower the River (1967), To Grab the Ring (1968), Welcome to the Club (1971), Madame Sin (1972), Sherlock Jones (1975), Turk 182! (1985), Agent on Ice (1986), Mission Manila (1987), The Delos Adventure (1987), Big Business (1988), Loose Cannons (1990), Far Out Man (1990), Miller’s Crossing as Tic-Tac, The Public Eye (1992), Falling Down (1993), It Runs in the Family (1994), Babe: Pig in the City (1998) as the voice of Fish, The Joyriders (1999), and Mid-Century (2002). He was featured on television in productions of Poet Game (1972), Arturo Ul (1972), Baffled! (1973), Brass (1985), Tales from the Hollywood Hills: Pat Hobby Teamed with Genius (1987), The Whereabouts of Jenny (1991), Till Death Us Do Part (1992), Arthur Miller’s The American Clock (1993), The Ticket (1997), and The Ransom of Red Chief (1998). Mancini also appeared on television in such series as That Was the Week That Was, The DuPont Show of the Month, Play of the Month, The Prisoner, Virgin of the Secret Service, The Jazz Age, Department S, Armchair Theatre, ITV Saturday Night Theatre’s 1969 production of Salve Regina, UFO in the recurring role of Lt. Andy Conroy, Jackanory, Jason King, The Protectors, Colditz as Captain Harry Nugent, Special Branch, The Hanged Man, Rhoda, All in the Family, 240-Robert,
Al Mancini (from The Dirty Dozen)
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Monsters, Gabriel’s Fire, NYPD Blue, and Joan of Arcadia.
MANCUSO , PAUL Actor turned property master Paul Mancuso died in Show Low, Arizona, on September 23, 2007. He was 42. Mancuso was born on August 20, 1965. He began his career as an actor in the late 1980s, appearing in small roles in the film Campus Man (1987), and the television series Probe and Teen Angel. He worked as a production assistant for the 1987 supernatural comedy film My Demon Lover. He was soon working as a propman and property master for such tele-films as Something to Love For: The Allison Gertz Story (1992), Running Mates (1992), From the Files of Joseph Wambaugh: A Jury of One (1992), Broken Promises: Taking Emily Back (1993), Leave of Absence (1994), Take Me Home Again (1994), In the Shadow of Evil (1995), Robin Cook’s Virus (1995), The West Side Waltz (1995), My Son Is Innocent (1996), No One Would Tell (1996), Stranger in My Home (1997), Robin Cook’s Invasion (1997), Dead By Midnight (1997), A Thousand Men and a Baby (1997), and Two Heads Are Better Than None (2000). His feature film credits include That Campus Man (1987), Stephen King’s Thinner (1996), Bad Boy (2002), Something in Between (2002), and Acting of Intuition (2003).
years later. The film earned Mann the best director’s Oscar, plus Academy Awards for best picture, screenplay and for leading actor Ernest Borgnine. His next film, 1957’s The Bachelor Party, was also based on an earlier television production. He continued to direct such films as Desire Under the Elms (1958), Separate Tables (1958), Middle of the Night (1959), The Dark at the Top of the Stairs (1960), Love Come Back (1961), The Outsider (1961), That Touch of Mink (1962), A Gathering of Eagles (1963), Quick Before It Melts (1964), Dear Heart (1964), Mister Buddwing (1966), Fitzwilly (1967), The Pink Jungle (1968), Kidnapped (1971), Birch Interval (1976), Love’s Dark Ride (1978), Night Crossing (1981), and Bronte (1983). Mann returned to television in the late 1960s, helming a version of Heidi that became somewhat controversial when the NBC network cut away from a football game to air the program, enraging fans. He continued to direct such tele-films as David Copperfield (1969), Jane Eyre (1970), She Waits (1972), No Place to Run (1972), The Man Without a Country (1973), The First Woman President (1974), The Legendary Curse of the Hope Diamond (1975), A Girl Named Sooner (1975), Francis Gary Powers: The True Story of the U-2 Spy Incident (1976), Tell Me My Name (1977), Breaking Up (1978), Home to Stay (1978), Tom and Joann (1978), Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery (1978), Torn Between Two Lovers (1979), All Quiet on the Western Front (1979), To Find My Son (1980), All the Home (1981), The Member of the Wedding (1982), The Gift of Love: A Christmas Story (1983), Love Leads the Way: A True Story (1984), A Death in California (1985), The Last Days of Patton (1986), The Ted Kennedy Jr. Story (1986), April Morning (1988), Ironclads (1991), Against Her Will: An Incident in Baltimore (1992), Incident in a Small Town (1994), and Lily in Winter (1994).
Paul Mancuso
MANN, DELBERT Director Delbert Mann, who won the Academy Award for his film debut Marty in 1956, died of pneumonia in a Los Angeles hospital on November 11, 2007. He was 87. Mann was born in Lawrence, Kansas, on January 30, 1920. He served as a bomber pilot during World War II and studied at the Yale School of Drama. He began directing for the stage at Columbia, South Carolina’s town theatre in the late 1940s. He joined his mentor, producer Fred Coe, in New York where he began working as a television director. He helmed segments of such series as Lights Out, Goodyear Television Playhouse, The Philco Television Playhouse, Producer’s Showcase, Playwrights ’56, Ford Star Jubilee, Omnibus, The DuPont Show of the Month, Sunday Showcase, Playhouse 90, and Startime. Mann’s 1953 television production of Paddy Chayefsky’s drama, Marty, about a shy Brooklyn butcher’s attempt to find love was transformed into his debut film two
Delbert Mann
MANN, WINIFRED Character actress Winifred Mann died in a Mill Valley, California, retirement facility on May 11, 2007. She was 88. She was born Winifred Klein in Brooklyn, New York, on July 20, 1918. She trained for the stage in New York and moved to Los Angeles in the early 1940s. She toured with the USO during World War II and continued to perform on the repertory stage in California after the war. She
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also appeared in films and television from the 1970s. Mann was seen in the films The Candidate (1972), The Second Coming of Suzanne (1974), Smile (1975), and Tell Me a Riddle (1980). She was also featured in the tele-films Sunday Drive (1986) and Eye on the Sparrow (1987), and in episodes of The Streets of San Francisco and Midnight Caller.
MANNING, BERNARD British comedian Bernard Manning died of complications from diabetes and kidney problems in England on June 18, 2007. He was 76. Manning was born in Manchester, England, on August 13, 1930. He began performing as a singer with the Oscar Rabin dance band in London in the 1950s. Returning to Manchester in 1959, he opened the Embassy Club, where he performed as a stand-up comic. His somewhat controversial act, featuring racial and sexual humor, reached a national audience on the Granada television program The Comedians in 1971. He also appeared on television in the 1974 series The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club in 1974, and starred in the 1978 television special Bernard Manning in Las Vegas. He also hosted the 1980 film The Great British Striptease Festival, and appeared in episodes of Saturday Stayback, The Bob Monkhouse Show, A Question of Entertainment, Brass Eye, The Mrs. Merton Show, Freak Out, The Christine Hamilton Show, Lads Army, The Comedy Map of Britain, and The Impressionable Jon Culshaw. The oversized comic’s career faltered somewhat in the 1980s, when his style of humor fell out of favor, though he continued to perform and entertain audiences until his death.
Nancy Mansfield
Huips (2003) and Hupiklubi (2003). Mantere was also featured in several films including Karvat (1974) and Ruuvit Loysalla (1989).
Eeki Mantere
Bernard Manning
MANSFIELD, NANCY Actress Nancy Mansfield died in London, England, after a short illness on July 9, 2007. She was 81. Mansfield was born in London on September 19, 1925. She attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and performed frequently on stage with repertory companies from the 1940s. She was best known for her role as Peggy Masters in the British television series Bergerac with John Nettles from 1985 to 1989. MANTERE, EEKI Finnish actor Eeki Mantere died in Jorvi, Finland, on April 30, 2007. He was 58. Mantere was born in Helsinki, Finland, on January 25, 1949. He was best known for portraying the character Viktor Kalborek on Finnish television in such series as
MANULIS, MARTIN Martin Manulis, a pioneering television producer of the 1950s, died at his home in Los Angeles on September 28, 2007. He was 92. Manulis was born in Brooklyn, New York, on May 30, 1915. He began working in New York as a stage director and producer from the late 1930s. He began producing for television in the early 1950s, working on such anthology series as Studio One, Suspense, and The Best of Broadway. He also produced the drama series Crime Photographer and the first adaptation of an Ian Fleming James Bond story, Casino Royale, for Climax! in 1954. Manulis was best known for his work on the acclaimed drama series Playhouse 90 from 1956 to 1958. The series received six Emmys during its first season, with most going to the acclaimed production of Rod Serling’s Requiem for a Heavyweight, about a downand-out boxer. Manulis also oversaw production of such dramas as The Miracle Worker, Forbidden Area, The Days of Wine and Roses, and The Helen Morgan Story during his years with Playhouse 90. He finished out the decade as a producer for the series Adventures in Paradise, Five Fingers and The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, as head of production at Twentieth Century–Fox Television. Manulis moved into films in the 1960s as
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producer of the 1962 adaptation of his former Playhouse 90 success Days of Wine and Roses. He also produced the films Dear Heart (1964), Luv (1967) and Duffy (1968). He returned to television in the 1970s as executive producer of the series James at 15. He also served as producer for the tele-films and mini-series Double Solitaire (1974), The Day Christ Died (1980), The Fighter (1983), Chiefs (1983), James Michener’s Space (1985), Harem (1986), and Grass Roots (1992). Manulis was married to actress Katherine Bard for 44 years until her death in 1983.
Martin Manulis
MANUSHI, VIOLETA Albanian actress Violeta Manushi died in Tirane, Albania, on July 26, 2007. She was 81. Manushi was born in Tirane on March 6, 1926. A popular performer on stage and screen, she was seen in the films Tana (1958), Debatik (1961), Vitet e Para (1965), The Lady from the Town (1976), Zemrat qe nuk Plaken (1977), Pertej Mureve te Gurta (1979), The Friend from the Country (1980), Taulanti Kerkon nje Moter (1984), Rrethimi i Vogel (1986), and Eja! (1987).
was noted for his collaborations with director Renato Pozzetto. Manzotti produced such films as Stormtroopers (1976), Neapolitan Mystery (1978), Hot Potato (1979), Prickly Pears (1980), Culo e Camicia (1981), Nessuno e Perfetto (1981), La Casa Stregata (1982), Porca Vacca (1982), Looking for Jesus (1982), The Girl from Trieste (1982), Mani di Fata (1983), Rich and Poor (1983), The Story of Piera (1983), This and That (1983), Bianca (1984), The Future Is Woman (1984), My Brother Has Come (1985), Light Blast (1985), Nothing Underneath (1985), The Corruption (1986), Da Grande (1987), Gli Invisibili (1988), Ballet (1988), The Sabbath (1988), They Only Come Out at Night (1988), Stradivari (1989), Fratelli d’Italia (1989), Burro (1989), the horror film Two Evil Eyes (1990) directed by George Romero and Dario Argento, All Women Do It (1992), and Farfalle (1997). In recent years Manzotti worked primarily in television, producing the television productions Amico mio 2 (1998) and Mio Figlio ha 70 Anni (1999), and the series Un Prete tra Noi and Camici Bianchi.
MARCEAU, MARCEL French mime Marcel Marceau died in Paris on September 22, 2007. He was 84. He was born Marcel Mangel in Strasbourg, France, to a Jewish family on March 22, 1923. He worked with the French Resistance during the German occupation in World War II. He began his career as a performer after the liberation of Paris. He studied under leading mime Etienne Decroux at the Charles Dullin School of Dramatic Art. He soon created his on-stage persona, Bip, a sad-faced harlequin with white face, sailor suit, and battered top hat with a red rose on top. He formed his own mime troupe in the late 1940s, and toured Europe and the United States during the 1950s. He soon became an international star, single-handedly reviving the art of mime. He appeared in several films from the 1950s including Pantomimes (1954), Die Schone Lugnerin (1959), It (1966), and We Called Him Robert (1967). Marceau starred as Professor Ping in Roger Vadim’s camp sci-fi classic Barbarella with Jane Fonda in 1968, and was Malcolm Shanks and Old Walker in William Castle’s Shanks in 1970. He made a cameo appearance in Mel Brooks’ 1976 comedy Silent Movie, having the only speaking role when he said “Non!” when asked to appear in the film. He was also seen in
Violeta Manushi
MANZOTTI, ACHILLE Italian film producer Achille Manzotti died in a private hospital in Rome of cancer on July 20, 2007. He was 63. Manzotti was born in Fara d’Adda, Lombardia, Italy, on November 10, 1943. He began producing films in the mid–1970s, and
Marcel Marceau
237 The Islands (1983), Paganini (1989), The Jodorowsky Constellation (1994), and Joseph’s Gift (1998) as the Snake. Marceau performed frequently on television variety shows with appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Dinah Shore Show, The Hollywood Palace, Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In, The Flip Wilson Show, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, and The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. He continued his steady level of performances throughout his life, continuing to tour as Bip at venues around the world.
MARIE-JEANNE Ballerina Marie-Jeanne died of congestive heart failure in Austin, Texas, on December 28, 2007. She was 87. She was born Marie-Jeanne Pelus in Manhattan, New York, in 1920. She studied dance at the School of American Ballet, and performed with George Balanchine’s Ballet Caravan from 1937 to 1940. She was noted for her performances in Eugene Loring’s Billy the Kid (1938) and Lew Christensen’s Filling Station (1938). Marie-Jeanne later danced with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, the American Ballet, the Original Ballet Russe, Balanchine’s Concerto Barocco, and Marquis de Cuevas’ Ballet International. She starred in productions of William Dollar’s Constantia and Andre Eglevsky’s Colloque Sentimental in 1944. She also appeared with the Grand Ballet du Marquis de Cuevas and the New York City Ballet before her retirement in 1954. Marie-Jeanne was also the author of two dance related novels for juveniles, Yankee Ballerina (1941) and Opera Ballerina (1948). She occasionally returned to ballet to help train young dancers for roles in Balanchine ballets.
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mask vs. mask bout to Anibal in the late 1980s. He also teamed with Gran Markus, Jr., who wasn’t his son but had permission to use the name, before his retirement due to illness in 1990.
El Gran Markus
MARLETTE, DOUG Pulitzer Prize–winning cartoonist Doug Marlette was killed when the car he was a passenger in skidded into a tree on a rain-slick road in Marshall County, Mississippi, on July 10, 2007. He was 57. Marlette was born in Greensboro, North Carolina, on December 6, 1949. He began his career as an editorial cartoonist for The Charlotte Observer in 1972. He was working in Charlotte and for The Atlanta Constitution when he won the Pulitzer for editorial cartooning in 1988. The following year he joined the staff of New York News Day. Marlette was also noted for his popular syndicated comic strip Kudzu, which he began in 1981.
Marie-Jeanne
MARKUS, EL GRAN Juan Chavarria Galicia, who wrestled as the masked grappler El Gran Markus, died of a heart attack and complications from diabetes on November 15, 2007. He was 68. Markus was born in Torreon, Coahuila, Mexico, on December 27, 1938. He was a major star in the Texas area during the 1970s, feuding with such stars as Jose Lothario and Red Bastien. He held the Texas Heavyweight Title several times in 1974 and 1975. He teamed with Gino Hernandez to hold the World Class American Tag Team Title several times in 1979. He also held the World Class Caribbean Title in 1979. Markus lost a
Doug Marlette
MARSAC, MAURICE Veteran character actor Maurice Marsac died in Santa Rosa, California, on May 6, 2007. He was 92. Marsac was born in La Croix, France, on March 23, 1915. He worked in the French Embassy in London during the 1930s and was a captain in the French Army reserves. He returned to France after the start of World War II, where he worked with the French Resistance. Marsac subsequently came to
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the United States as a salesman for French wines. He soon embarked on a career in acting, appearing in numerous films, often as a French waiter or maitre d.’ His many film credits include Paris After Dark (1943), This Is the Life (1944), Our Hearts Were Young and Gay (1944), To Have and Have Not (1944) with Humphrey Bogart, The Searching Wind (1946), The Razor’s Edge (1946), Crime Doctor’s Gamble (1947), The Woman from Tangier (1948), Rogues’ Regiment (1948), Take One False Step (1949), The Secret of St. Ives (1949), Once More, My Darling (1949), Tyrant of the Sea (1950), The Iroquois Trail (1950), Fugitive from Montreal (1950), Three Husbands (1951), Captain Pirate (1952), One Minute to Zero (1952), Assignment: Paris (1952), The Happy Time (1952), Against All Flags (1952), April in Paris (1952), The Desert Song (1953), The Caddy (1953), How to Marry a Millionaire (1953), Rhapsody (1954), The Black Shield of Falworth (1954), Jump into Hell (1955), Ride the High Iron (1956), Four Girl in Town (1957), China Gate (1957), Band of Angels (1957), Les Girls (1957), Tarzan and the Trappers (1958), Lafayette Escadrille (1958), Gigi (1958), Twilight for the Gods (1958), Me and the Colonel (1958), It Started with a Kiss (1959), The Black Chapel (1959), Scent of Mystery (1960), Can-Can (1960), Perro Golfo (1961), Armored Command (1961), King of Kings (1961), Werewolf in a Girls’ Dormitory (1962), Come Fly with Me (1963), Captain Sinbad (1963), Take Her, She’s Mine (1963), Wild and Wonderful (1964), What a Way to Go! (1964), The Pleasure Seekers (1964), The Art of Love (1965), Clarence, the CrossEyed Lion (1965), Gambit (1966), Monkeys, Go Home! (1967), Double Trouble (1967), Caprice (1967), How Do I Love Thee? (1970), The Poseidon Adventure (1972), Herbie Rides Again (1974), The Jerk (1979) with Steve Martin, The Big Red One (1980), Deal of the Century (1983), and Dragnet (1987). Marsac was also seen in the tele-films The Legendary Curse of the Hope Diamond (1975), Cover Girls (1977), Ike (1979) as Gen. Henri Giraud, The French Atlantic Affair (1979), Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy (1981) as Charles DeGaulle, Bare Essence (1982), The Jerk, Too (1984), and Robert Kennedy and His Times (1985). His numerous television credits also include guest roles in such series as Dangerous Assignment, Terry and the Pirates, Biff Baker, U.S.A., The Public Defender, Foreign Intrigue, General Electric Theater, The Red Skelton Show, The Millionaire, Cavalcade of America, The Stu Erwin Show, You Are There, Climax!, Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Letter to Loretta, Our Miss Brooks, I Love Lucy, It’s a Great Life, Adventures of Superman, The Adventures of Hiram Holliday, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, Jane Wyman Presents the Fireside Theatre, The Adventures of Jim Bowie, The Gale Storm Show, Suspicion, Telephone Time, Northwest Passage, Peter Gunn, One Step Beyond, Angel, The Real McCoys, G.E. True, The Richard Boone Show, My Favorite Martian, The Beverly Hillbillies, The Rogues, My Living Doll, Twelve O’Clock High, Run for Your Life, The Tammy Grimes Show, Green Acres, Combat!, Tarzan, Hogan’s Heroes, Get Smart, Garrison’s Gorillas, Daniel Boone, The Queen and I, To Rome with Love, It Takes a Thief, Family Affair, Insight, My Three Sons, The F.B.I., Bewitched, O’Hara,
U.S. Treasury, Mission: Impossible, Search, Mannix, The Six Million Dollar Man, Chase, Columbo, McCloud, Cannon, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Get Christie Love!, The Bionic Woman, Barnaby Jones, The New Avengers, The Rockford Files, Wonder Woman, Good Times, Soap, A Man Called Sloane, Hart to Hart, Family Ties, The Facts of Life, Casablanca, Night Court, The Fall Guy, The A-Team, and L.A. Law. Marsac and his wife, Melanie, were married for 55 years until she passed away on April 16, 2007, several weeks before his own death.
Maurice Marsac
MARSDEN, ROBERT British actor Robert Marsden died in England on April 5, 2007. He was 85. Marsden was born in West Hampstead, England, on August 22, 1921. He began his career on the Shakespearean stage at Stratford-upon-Avon in 1940, and joined the BBC Drama Repertory Company several years later. He remained active on the stage and radio for several decades, sometimes directing productions. He was also featured as Black Dog in a 1957 television production of Treasure Island. He also appeared as Abraham Lincoln, a role in played on stage on several occasions, in an episode of Doctor Who in 1965. Marsden also appeared in the 1965 film spy spoof Licensed to Kill (aka The Second Best Secret Agent in the Whole Wide World). He was also a drama teacher from the 1960s, performing less frequently as his eyesight and health began to fail.
Robert Marsden
239 MARTEL, SHERRI Professional wrestler and manager Sherri Martel, who was often known as Sensational Sherri, was found dead at her mother’s home in Birmingham, Alabama, on June 15, 2007. She was 49. She was born Sherri Russell in New Orleans, Louisiana, on February 8, 1958. She made her debut in wrestling in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1980. She competed for nearly a year and subsequently trained with Donna Christentello, and the Fabulous Moolah in South Carolina. She left wrestling in 1982 after suffering an eye injury, but returned to the ring in June of 1985. She became known as Sensational Sherri, and won the AWA Women’s Title from Candi Devine in September of 1985. She also managed tag team champions Buddy Rose and Doug Somers in the AWA in 1986, and Kevin Kelly in 1987. She exchanged the women’s title several times with Candy Devine until July of 1987, when she left the AWA and entered the WWF. She defeated the Fabulous Moolah for the WWF Women’s Title in July of 1987. She lost the title to Rockin’ Robin in October of 1988 in a match in Paris, France. She also managed such WWE superstars as Ted DiBiase and Shawn Michaels. Martel left the WWF in July of 1993 and made brief appearances with Smoky Mountain Wrestling and ECW. She entered WCW in 1994 where she initially worked with Ric Flair. She later managed the tag team Harlem Heat as Sister Sherri, leading them to several tag team championships in 1994 and 1995, before leaving WCW in 1997. She appeared on the independent circuit over the next several years and briefly resurfaced in WCW in 2000. Martel was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in April of 2006.
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Who, including The Invisible Enemy, which introduced K-9 in 1977. Martin also wrote such television productions as Thick as Thieves (1974), Machinegunner (1976), King of the Castle (1977), Follow Me (1977), Murder at the Wedding (1979), Into the Labyrinth (1982), and Succubus (1987). Martin later wrote several police thriller novels including I’m Coming to Get You (1996) and Arm and a Leg (1999).
Dave Martin
MARTIN, JANIS Rockabilly singer Janis Martin died of cancer in a Durham, North Carolina, hospital on September 3, 2007. She was 67. Martin was born in Sutherlin, Virginia, on March 27, 1940. She began singing as a child and was a frequent talent contest winner. She was performing on radio by the age of 11, and soon became a regular on the Richmond, Virginia, radio program Old Dominion Barndance. She recorded the rockabilly song “Will You Will-Yum” in 1956 and scored a major hit with the single. She also recorded the popular songs “My Boy Elvis” and “Drugstore Rock ’n’ Roll,” and was soon appearing on such television programs as American Bandstand and The Today Show. She was billed by promoters as “the female Elvis,” and performed at the Grand Ole Opry. Her career largely ended in 1957 when her marriage and pregnancy led to her RCA label dropping her. She tried a brief comeback in the early 1960s without success, but the emerging popularity of rockabilly in Europe led to
Sherri Martel
MARTIN , DAVE British television writer Dave Martin, who was best known as the co-creator of Doctor Who’s robotic canine companion K-9, died in England of lung cancer on March 30, 2007. He was 72. Martin was born in Handsworth, Birmingham, England, on January 1, 1935. He worked as an advertising copywriter before teaming with Bob Baker to write for television in the 1970s. They scripted episodes of such series as Z Cars, Public Eye, Pretenders, Arthur of the Britons, Hunter’s Walk, and Sky. They wrote eight chapters of the popular British science fiction series Doctor
Janis Martin
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a more successful comeback in the late 1970s. Her new popularity extended to the United States by the 1990s, when she performed a duet with young country singer Rosie Flores on the album Rockabilly Filly. She was also featured in the documentaries Welcome to the Club: The Women of Rockabilly (2001) and Rebel Beat: The Story of LA Rockabilly (2007). Martin had completed her own album shortly before her death.
MARTINEZ, MARILYN Hispanic comedian Marilyn Martinez died of colon cancer in a Hollywood, California, hospital on November 3, 2007. She was 52. Martinez was born in Denver, Colorado, on February 9, 1955. She moved to Los Angeles in the early 1980s and was performing at the Comedy Store in the 1990s, where she became a popular stand-up comic and starred in Showtime’s Original Latin Divas of Comedy in 2007. She was also featured in Martin Lawrence’s First Amendment Stand Up on Starz in 2007. Martinez starred in the 2003 comedy special Hot Tamales Live: Spicy, Hot and Hilarious, and the 2004 cable reality series Urban Jungle. She was featured in an episode of Daman Wayans’ comedy series My Wife and Kids, and appeared in several films including Choose Life (1999), For da Love of Money (2002), Pauly Shore Is Dead (2003), and El Matador (2004).
Steve Massarsky
MASTREY, TAWN Heavy metal radio disk jockey Tawn Mastrey died of complications from Hepatitis C in a Minneapolis, Minnesota, hospital on October 2, 2007. She was 53. Mastrey was born on August 20, 1954. She began working in radio in the early 1970s and became a noted proponent of the heavy metal music scene at station KNAC-FM in Long Beach, California, in the 1980s. She moved to Los Angeles’ KQLZ-FM in 1989 and worked at stations in Portland, Oregon and Minneapolis in the 1990s. She was a regular voice on the syndicated radio show Nights With Alice Cooper and hosted Absolutely High Voltage. In recent years, Mastrey worked with Sirius Satellite Radio as host of the daily heavy metal program Hair Nation until poor health forced her retirement several months before her death.
Marilyn Martinez
MASSARSKY, STEVE Steve Massarsky, the co-founder of Valiant Comics, died of complications from cancer in Manhattan, New York, on October 5, 2007. He was 59. Massarsky was born on March 21, 1948. He was an attorney who worked as an entertainment lawyer with such personalities as Cyndi Lauper, Aerosmith and baseball star Willie Mays. He also advised such commercial properties as the Cabbage Patch Dolls and Psychedelic Furs. He co-founded Voyager Communications, which operated Valiant Comics, in the 1990s. Valiant initially scored great success with the publication of such titles as Harbinger, Blooodshot, Rai, X-O Manowar, and Archer & Armstrong. They also resurrected several Gold Key titles for a new generation including Magnus, Robot Fighter, Turok, Son of Stone, and Solar, Man of the Atom. Valiant later became known as Acclaim before ceasing publication later in the decade.
Tawn Mastrey
MATHEWS, KERWIN Actor Kerwin Mathews, who starred in such fantasy classics as The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, The 3 Worlds of Gulliver and Jack the Giant Killer in the late 1950s and early 1960s, died in his sleep at his home in San Francisco, California, during the night of July 4, 2007. He was 81. Mathews was born in Seattle, Washington, on January 8, 1926. He attended college in Wisconsin and worked as a high school English teacher before traveling to Hollywood to act in the 1950s. He appeared in productions at Pasadena Playhouse before making his film debut in
241 Columbia’s 5 Against the House with Kim Novak in 1955. Mathews also appeared on television in episodes of Space Patrol, The Ford Television Theatre, Playhouse 90, Matinee Theatre, and Goodyear Theatre, and in the 1957 film The Garment Jungle. He was best known for starring as Sinbad in the 1958 film The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, which featured the stop-motion animation work of special effects master Ray Harryhausen. Mathews battled a cyclops, a dragon, and a platoon of animated skeletons in the popular fantasy. He also starred in the films Tarawa Beachhead (1958), The Last Blitzkrieg (1959), The Warrior Empress (1960), and Man on a String (1960). He again teamed with Ray Harryhausen for The 3 Worlds of Gulliver, a 1960 adaptation of Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels. As Dr. Lemuel Gulliver Mathews met the tiny Lilliputians and the giant Brobdingnagians. He starred with Spencer Tracy and Frank Sinatra in the 1961 thriller The Devil at 4 O’Clock and was a swashbuckling hero in 1962’s Pirates of Blood River. He returned to the realm of fantasy in the title role in 1962’s Jack the Giant Killer. Mathews worked frequently in Europe in the 1960s, starring in the 1963 Hammer psychological thriller Maniac, and in the films OSS 117 (1963), Shadow of Evil (1964), The Viscount (1967), and The Killer Likes Candy (1968). He starred as composer Johann Strauss in Disney’s 1963 production of The Waltz King, and starred as Cmdr. Jonathan Shaw in the 1967 science fiction film Battle Beneath the Earth. He was also seen in the television productions of Ghostbreakers (1967), Dead of Night (1969), and Death Takes a Holiday (1971), and the films A Boy ... a Girl (1969), and Barquero (1970). He appeared in two episodes of television’s Ironside in the early 1970s, and starred in several low-budget horror films including Octaman (1971), The Boy Who Cried Werewolf (1973), and Nightmare in Blood (1978), before retiring from the screen.
2007 • Obituaries
per la Vita (1954). Soon rising to editor, he cut such features as Blood and Defiance (1962), Revenge of the Black Knight (1963), Spartacus and the Ten Gladiators (1964), The Last Tomahawk (1965), Agent 3S3: Passport to Hell (1965), Kill Johnny Ringo (1966), Agent 353, Massacre in the Sun (1966), Target Frankie (1967), The Magnificent Tony Carreras (1968), Goldface, il Fantastico Superman (1968), Guess Who’s Coming for Breakfast (1968), Isle of Lost Women (1969), Count Dracula (1970), Fistful of Diamonds (1970), La Salamandra del Deserto (1970), The French Sex Murders (1972), and Black Cobra (1976). Mattei made his directoral debut with 1970’s Armida, il Dramma di Una Sposa. He continued to direct numerous European exploitation films using such pseudonyms as Vincent Dawn, Jordan B. Matthews, Gilbert Roussel, Stefan Oblowsky, Michael Cardoso, Jimmy Matheus, David Hunt, Werner Knox, Pierre Le Blanc, and many others. He directed, and often scripted, such films as Love Sacrifice (1976), Private House of the SS (1977), S.S. Extermination Love Camp (1977), Mondo Erotica (1977), Emanuelle and the Erotic Nights (1978), Cicciolina Amore Mio (1979), Sexual Aberration — Sesso Perverso (1979), The Other Hell (1980), The True Story of the Nun of Monza (1980), Zombie Creeping Flesh (aka Virus) (1980), Porno Holocaust (1981), Caligula and Messalina (1982), Nero and Poppea: An Org y of Power (1982), Emmanuelle in Hell (1982), The Seven Magnificent Gladiators (1983), Women’s Prison Massacre (aka Emanuelle Escapes from Hell) (1983), Rats: Night of Terror (1984), White Apache (1986), Double Target (1987), Scalps (1987), Strike Commando (1987), Robowar (1988), Cop Game (1988), Zombi 3 (1988), Strike Commando 2 (1988), Born to Fight (1989), Desire (1990), Three for One (1990), Shocking Dark (1990), Dangerous Attraction (1993), Telephone Murder (1994), Eyes Without a Face (1994), Legitimate Revenge (1995), Cruel Jaws (1995), Body and Soul (1996), Killing Striptease (2001), Venetian Caprice (2002), The Other Woman (2002), Snuff Trap (2003), Cannibal Ferox 3: Land of Death (2003), Cannibal World (2003), The Tomb (2004), Belle da Morire 2 (2005), The Jail: A Women’s Hell (2006), and Island of the Living Dead (2006).
Kerwin Mathews
MATTEI, BRUNO Italian film director Bruno Mattei, who was noted for the cult horror films he helmed under the pseudonym Vincent Dawn, died in a Rome, Italy, hospital after a long illness on May 21, 2007. He was 75. Mattei was born in Rome on July 30, 1931. He began working in films in the early 1950s, serving as an assistant editor on Lulu (1953) and Tua
Bruno Mattei
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MAUCH, BOBBY Robert J. “Bobby” Mauch, who was a child star with his twin brother Billy in the 1930s, died in Santa Rosa, California, on October 15, 2007. He was 86. Mauch was born in Peoria, Illinois, on July 6, 1921, and raised in Los Angeles. He and his brother made their debut as the Mauch Twins in the 1937 film adaptation of The Prince and the Pauper with Errol Flynn. The twins appeared in several other films together in the late 1930s, including Penrod and His Twin Brother (1938), Sons of the Plains (1938), Penrod’s Double Trouble (1938), Football Romeo (1938), and I’ll Tell the World (1939). Bobby Mauch later worked in television as an editor from the 1950s with such credits to his name as Dragnet and Cheyenne.
Bobby Mauch (left, with brother Billy from The Prince and the Pauper)
MAXWELL, LOIS Canadian-born British actress Lois Maxwell, who was best known for her role as Miss Moneypenny in 14 films in the James Bond series, died of cancer in a Perth, Australia, hospital on September 29, 2007. She was 80. She was born Lois Hooker in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, on February 14, 1927. She began her career on radio in Canada and went to England during World War II with the Canadian Army’s Entertainment Corps. She began her film career after the war in a small role in 1946’s A Matter of Life and Death (aka Stairway to Heaven). She was also seen in 1946’s Spring Song, and went to Hollywood for a role in 1947’s That Hagen Girl, with Shirley Temple and Ronald Reagan. Maxwell continued to appear in such films as Corridor of Mirrors (1948), The Big Punch (1948), The Decision of Christopher Blake (1948), The Dark Past (1948), Love and Poison (1949), The Crime Doctor’s Diary (1949), Kazan (1949), Tomorrow Is Too Late (1950), Brief Rapture (1951), The Woman’s Angle (1952), Lady in the Fog (1952), Mantrap (1953), Women of Twilight (1953), Aida (1953), Torpedo Zone (1954), Satellite in the Sky (1956), Passport to Treason (1956), High Terrace (1956), Kill Me Tomorrow (1957), Time Without Pity (1957), Face of Fire (1959), The Unstoppable Man (1960), and Stanley Kubrick’s 1962 adaptation of Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita as Nurse Mary Lore. Maxwell began her long-running association with the James Bond series in 1962’s Dr. No, starring Sean Connery as the British secret agent. She appeared in Miss Moneypenny, the secretary to Bond’s superior, M. Though she appeared in the next thirteen Bond films,
her total screen time was approximately one hour, with less than 200 lines to her credit. She graced the screen as Moneypenny in From Russia with Love (1963), Goldfinger (1964), Thunderball (1965), You Only Live Twice (1966), On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) with George Lazenby taking over as James Bond, Diamonds Are Forever (1971) with Sean Connery returning as Agent 007, Live and Let Die (1973) marking Roger Moore’s debut as Bond, The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), Moonraker (1979), For Your Eyes Only (1981), and Octopussy (1983). She left the Bond series, as did Roger Moore, following 1985’s A View to a Kill. At age 58, she was deemed a tad too old to play Bond’s unrequited love, and was replaced by 26-year-old Caroline Bliss in the next Bond outing. Maxwell’s other film credits include Come Fly with Me (1963), the classic psychological horror film The Haunting (1963) as Grace Markway, the 1967 James Bond spoof OK Connery, The Adventurerers (1970), Agatha Christie’s Endless Night (1971), From Hong Kong with Love (1975), Summer Rain (1976), Age of Innocence (1977), Lost and Found (1979), Mr. Patman (1980), and Martha, Ruth & Edie (1988). Maxwell also appeared frequently on British television from the 1950s, gueststarring in episodes of such series as Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Presents, O.S.S., Danger Man, One Step Beyond, No Hiding Place, Zero One, ITV Play of the Week, The Avengers, Ghost Squad, the marionette adventure series Stingray as the voice of Lt. Atlanta Shore, Gideon’s Way, The Baron, The Saint, My Partner, the Ghost, Department S, UFO, The Persuaders!, and Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Maxwell starred as Nancy Williams in the 1969 television series Adventures in Rainbow Country. She was also featured in television productions of The Ambassadors (1965), Sporting Chancer (1976), Peep (1984), The Blue Man (1985), Rescue Me (1988), Lady in the Corner (1989), and Hard to Forget (1998). She made her final appearance on screen in the 2001 feature The Fourth Angel.
Lois Maxwell
MAYBERG, K ATHARINA German actress Katharina Mayberg died in Hamburg, Germany, on February 21, 2007. She was 83. Mayberg was born in Hamburg, Germany, on March 31, 1923. She was a leading film actress in Germany from the late 1940s, ap-
243 pearing in such features as Mr. Gaspary’s Sons (1948), The Marriage of Figaro (1949), Der Theodor im Fussballtor (1950), Unvergangliches Licht (1951), Der Blaue Stern des Sudens (1951), The Unholy Intruders (1952), Marriage for One Night (1953), Die Todesarena (1953), Eternal Love (1954), Rose-Girl Reslie (1954), Die Schone Mullerin (1954), They Were So Young (1954), Klisura (1956), Der Erste Fruhlingstag (1956), Siegfried (1957) as Brunhiilde, El Batallon de las Sombras (1957), Mazurka der Liebe (1957), Dr. Crippen Lives (1958), Immer die Radfahrer (1958), Ich Heirate Herrn Direktor (1960), A Mother’s Revenge (1960), Junge Leute Brauchen Liebe (1961), Mann im Schatten (1961), The Breakthrough (1963), Loveplay (1972), and Der Schimmelreiter (1978). Mayberg also appeared on German television in productions of Madame Sans-Gene (1960), Jan Himp und die Kleine Brise (1966), Die Vitrine (1972), and Ein Herrlicher (1976), and episodes of Cliff Dexter, Polizeifunk Ruft, Percy Stuart, Familie Werner auf Reisen, and Motiv Liebe.
2007 • Obituaries
former with their touring show Wonderful World of Horses. He soon teamed with an Appaloosa stallion named Chief Bear Paw to create the comedy act about a tipsy horse and his trainer. He continued the act for over 30 years, though Chief Bear Paw was replaced on several occasions. Maynard-Visingard performed at the Arabian Nights dinner show in Kissimmee, Florida, from the 1990s.
Gaylord Maynard-Visingard
Katharina Mayberg (with Hans Sohnker)
MAYNARD, RICHARD Television producer Richard Maynard died at his home in San Fernando Valley, California, on January 2, 2007. He was 64. Maynard was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on August 30, 1942. He taught film and television studies at several colleges and universities before he began producing tele-films in the mid–1980s. Maynard’s credits include Bridge Across Time (1985), Timestalkers (1987), Supercarrier (1988), The Neon Empire (1989), Mission of the Shark: The Saga of the U.S.S. Indianapolis (1991), Stompin’ at the Savoy (1992), The Babysitter’s Seduction (1996), and Gold Coast (1997). Maynard also produced several theatrical releases including Blood Brothers (1993) and Normal Life (1996). MAYNARD-VISINGARD, GAYLORD Circus performer Gaylord Maynard-Visingard, who was noted for his comedy act that included a seemingly drunken horse and rider, died of cancer on October 6, 2007. He was 69. Maynard-Visingard was born in New York City on February 21, 1938, from a long line of circus performers. He began his career working as an acrobat and clown, before joining The Royal Lipizzana Stallion Show in 1970. He was stage manager and per-
MAYNOLOVSKI , S OTIR Bulgarian actor Sotir Maynolovski died in Sofia Bulgaria, on November 21, 2007. He was 77. Maynolovski was born in Varna, Bulgaria, on October 31, 1930. He was a leading stage and film star who appeared in such films as Tsar and General (1966), The Death of Alexander the Great (1968), Set Out Again (1969), Men on a Business Trip (1969), Confession (1969), The Prince (1970), The Quiet Fugitive (1972), The Kindest Person I Know (1973), Glow Over the Drava River (1974), The Dragon (1974), Memory of the Twin Sister (1976), The Girl with the Harmonica (1976), Illusive Stories (1977), Sunstroke (1977), The Blood Remains (1980), Three Deadly Sins (1980), Maybe a Frigate (1980), Autumn Sun (1982), Where Do You Live? (1983), Roman Jar (1983), Salvation (1984), Reference (1985), Cry for Help (1986), Transports of Death (1986), Monday Morning (1988), Late Full Moon (1996), and Tuvalu (1999).
Sotir Maynolovski
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MAYOLO, CARLOS Colombian film director Carlos Mayolo died in Bogota, Colombia, on February 3, 2007. He was 61. Mayolo was born in Cali, Colombia, on September 10, 1945. He began directing films in the early 1970s, helming Monserrate (1970). He also wrote, directed and appeared in the film Agarrando Pueblo (1977), and was featured as an actor in 1982’s Pure Blood. Mayolo was best known for writing and directing the 1983 horror film Carne de tu Carne (Flesh of Your Flesh). He also directed Aquel 19 (1985), and wrote, directed and starred as the Guardian in 1986’s La Mansion de Araucaima. He was featured in the 1987 film Cobra Verde, and directed the television series Azucar (1989) and Brujeres (2000).
MCDONALD, DANIEL Stage, film and television actor Daniel McDonald died of brain cancer at his home in New York City on February 15, 2007. He was 46. McDonald was born in New York City on July 30, 1960. He began working in films in the mid–1980s, appearing in Where the Boys Are ’84 (1984), The Falcon and the Snowman (1985), Million Dollar Mystery (1987), Bound by Honor (1993), What’s Love Got to Do with It (1993), At Risk (1994), Let It Be Me (1995), Jaded (1996), and The Ice Storm (1997). He was also seen in the telefilms Thompson’s Last Run (1986), The Betty Ford Story (1987), Home Fires (1987), Columbo: No Time to Die (1992), As Good as Dead (1995), Held in Havana (2000), and Tempting Adam (2004). McDonald’s other television credits include episodes of The Fall Guy, Call to Glory, Cagney and Lacey, Shadow Chasers, Freddy’s Nightmares, Murder, She Wrote, Herman’s Head, New York Undercover, New York News, Law & Order, Sex and the City, D.C., Madigan Men, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and CSI: Miami. McDonald made his debut on the Broadway stage in a production of Steel Pier in 1997, earning a Tony Award nomination for his performance. He also appeared on Broadway in productions of High Society (1998) and Mamma Mia! (2001).
Carlos Mayolo
MCCORKLE, GEORGE George McCorkle, a founding member for the southern rock group the Marshall Tucker Band, died of cancer in a Lebanon, Tennessee, hospital on June 29, 2007. He was 60. He was born on October 11, 1946. A guitar player, McCorkle helped form the Marshall Tucker Band in the 1970s and wrote their first hit, “Fire on the Mountain,” in 1975. He remained with the band until 1984 when he embarked upon a solo career as a songwriter. He wrote “Cowboy Blues” for Gary Allan and songs for Beverley Mitchell and John Corbett. McCorkle also released a solo album, American Street, in 1999.
George McCorkle
Daniel McDonald
MCGANN, BRAD New Zealand film director Brad McGann died after a long battle with bowel
Brad McGann
245 cancer in Auckland, New Zealand, on May 2, 2007. He was 43. McGann was born in Auckland on February 22, 1964. He began working in films in the 1990s, directing the shorts It Never Rains (1996), Come as You Are (1996), and Possum (1997). He directed his only feature, In My Father’s Den, in 2004, adapting Maurice Gee’s novel. The film won awards for best picture and director at the New Zealand Screen Awards in 2005, as well as international recognition at the Toronto Film Festival.
MCGHEE , BILL Character actor William “Bill” McGhee died of breast cancer at his home in Mexia, Texas, on February 17, 2007. He was 76. He was born in Mexia on July 24, 1931. McGhee performed frequently on the local stage in Dallas and became one of the first black actors in the area to become a member of the Screen Actors Guild. McGhee also appeared in over a dozen films including Free, White and 21 (1963), The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald (1964), High Yellow (1965), Curse of the Swamp Creature (1966), Fair Play (1972), Quadroon (1972), Don’t Look in the Basement (1973) as asylum inmate Sam, Slick Silver (1974), DriveIn (1976), 1918 (1985), and On Valentines Day (1986).
Bill McGhee
MCGOWN, JILL Author Jill McGown, who penned the detective series Hill and Lloyd, died in Kettering, Northamptonshire, England, on April 6, 2007. She was 59. McGown was born in Campbeltown, Argyll, Scotland, on August 9, 1947, and later moved with her family to Corby, Northampshire, England. She worked various jobs until launching her career as a writer in 1983 with A Perfect Match, the first of numerous Hill and Lloyd detective books. Her other works for this series include Redemption (1988), Death of a Dancer (1990), The Murders of Mrs. Austin and Mrs. Beale (1991), The Other Woman (1992), Murder ... Now and Then (1993), A Shred of Evidence (1995) which was adapted for the 2001 tele-film Hill and Lloyd, Verdict Unsafe (1997), Picture of Innocence (1998), Plots and Errors (1999), Scene of Crime (2001), Births, Deaths and Marriages (2002), and Unlucky for Some (2004). McGown also penned other non-serial novels including Record of Sin (1987), An Evil Hour (1986), The Stalking Horse (1987), and Murder Movie (1988). She also
2007 • Obituaries
wrote the psychological thriller Hostage to Fortune under the pseudonym Elizabeth Chaplin.
Jill McGown
MCLAUGHLIN, LEE Actor and stuntman Lee McLaughlin died in Northridge, California, on September 20, 2007. He was 71. McLaughlin was born in Chester, Pennsylvania, on May 4, 1936, and was raised in Forth Worth, Texas. He moved to Los Angeles in 1958 and began working as an actor in the early 1960s. He performed stunt work and appeared in small roles for nearly a decade on the television western series Bonanza. McLaughlin appeared in episodes of such series as Switch, CHiPs, Fantasy Island, and Starsky and Hutch. He was also featured in the tele-films Bonanza: The Next Generation (1988) and Raven Hawk (1996). McLaughlin worked on a handful of films during his career including Up Your Alley (1971), Silver Streak (1976), Bound for Glory (1976), The Car (1977), The Cheap Detective (1978), Back Roads (1981), Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 (1983), Young Guns (1988), Elvira, Mistress of the Dark (1988), The Skateboard Kid (1993), Forced to Kill (1993), Tall Tale: The Unbelievable Adventures of Pecos Kid (1995), Baby Face Nelson (1995), In the Light of the Moon (2000), and Greasewood Flat (2003).
Lee McLaughlin
MCNAIR, BARBARA Singer and actress Barbara McNair died of throat cancer in Los Angeles on
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February 4, 2007. She was 72. McNair was born on March 4, 1934, and raised in Racine, Wisconsin. She sang in church choir as a child and was performing in nightclubs by her early teens. Her career took off after winning Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts on television, and she was soon singing in major venues throughout the country. She appeared in several Broadway productions including The Body Beautiful (1958) and No Strings (1962). She also began making appearances on television variety series including The Tonight Show, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Bell Telephone Hour, Hullabaloo, The Dean Martin Show, Playboy After Dark, and The Hollywood Palace. She also recorded songs under several labels including Motown and had hits with the “You’re Gonna Love My Baby,” “You Could Never Love Him,” and “Bobby.” She made her feature film debut opposite Raymond St. Jacques in the crime drama If He Hollers, Let Him Go! (1968). Her nude scenes in the film and subsequent layout in Playboy magazine brought her much notoriety. She was also seen in such films as Stiletto (1969), Venus in Furs (1969), Change of Habit (1969) as a nun with Elvis Presley and Mary Tyler Moore, They Call Me MISTER Tibbs! (1970) as Sidney Poitier’s wife, and The Organization (1971). She was also featured in the 1969 tele-film The Lonely Profession, and hosted her own variety show The Barbara McNair Show in 1969. Her other television credits include episodes of The Eleventh Hour, Dr. Kildare, I Spy, Hogan’s Heroes, To Rome with Love, McMillan and Wife, The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, The Flip Wilson Show, The Mod Squad, Mission: Impossible, Police Woman, Vega$, General Hospital, Hell Town, The Redd Foxx Show, and The Jeffersons. McNair’s career was damaged in the early 1970s when she and her third husband, Rick Manzi, were arrested on charges of possession of heroin. Manzi was murdered in 1976 in what was likely a mob killing. McNair continued to perform in small clubs and appeared in several independent films in the 1990s including Fatal Charm (1990) and Neon Signs (1996).
1941. He began working in films and television as a gaffer in the mid–1960s. He worked as director of photography for such television series as Kojak, The Incredible Hulk, Darkroom, Voyagers!, St. Elsewhere, Steven Spielberg’s Amazing Stories which earned him an Emmy Award in 1986, and Baywatch. McPherson also photographed the tele-films The Archer: Fugitive from the Empire (1981), Senior Trip (1981), Eleanor, First Lady of the World (1982), V (1983), Hot Pursuit (1984), A Reason to Live (1985), Acceptable Risks (1986), and Alien Nation (1989). He was also cinematographer for the films Just One of the Guys (1985), Jaws: The Revenge (1987), *batteries not included (1987), Short Circuit 2 (1988), Fletch Lives (1989), Career Opportunities (1991), and Bingo (1991). McPherson also directed the telefilms Strays (1991), Dirty Work (1992), Fade to Black (1993), Incident at Deception Ridge (1994), and Simon & Simon: In Trouble Again (1995), and episodes of the series The Incredible Hulk, Darkroom, Alien Nation, Swamp Thing, Strange Luck, JAG, Sliders, Babylon 5, Nash Bridges, Beverly Hills, 90210, and Seven Days.
MEIER, RHIANNON Film executive Rhiannon Meier, a vice president at Red Wagon Productions, was killed in Hollywood in the early hours of December 8, 2007, when the car she was a passenger in was struck by another vehicle which ran a red light. She was 28. Fellow film executive Sam Cassel, who was the driver of the car, was also killed in the crash. Meier was born in Lawrence, Kansas, on November 12, 1979. She began her career at the Motion Picture Corp. of America, and also worked at MGM and Catch 23, Entertainment. She served as producer Brad Krevoy’s assistant on the films Pavement (2002), After School Special (2003), and Blast! (2004). She served as director of development for Blue Star Pictures, where she was co-producer of Daddy Day Camp (2007) and associate producer for Bangkok Dangerous (2008). She joined Red Wagon Productions as vice president of creative affairs earlier in 2007. She was involved in the development of the forthcoming film Living Dead Girl at the time of her death.
Barbara McNair
MCPHERSON, JOHN
Cinematographer and director John McPherson died at his home in Westlake Village, California, on December 21, 2007. He was 65. McPherson was born in Los Angeles on December 30,
Rhiannon Meier
MELFI, PHIL Film producer Phil Melfi died of heart failure in McMinnville, Tennessee, on Novem-
247 ber 6, 2007, several weeks after undergoing bypass surgery. He was 38. Melfi was born in Queens, New York, on December 27, 1968. He was president of MoviePartners Inc. and produced the horror films Tenebrous (2007) and The Cursed (2008).
2007 • Obituaries
MENDOZA, LYDIA Lydia Mendoza, an early Tejano music singer known as the Lark of the Border, died in San Antonio, Texas, on December 20, 2007. She was 91. Mendoza was born in Houston Texas, on May 21, 1916. She began her career in the 1930s, and became one of the first Mexican-American singing stars with her hit “Mal Hombre.” She recorded more than 200 songs during her career including the popular hits “Angel de Mis Anhelos” and “La Valentina.” She was awarded the National Medal of Arts at the White House in 1999.
Phil Melfi
MELLY, GEORGE British jazz singer and author George Melly died of complications from lung cancer and dementia at his home in London on July 5, 2007. He was 80. Melly was born in Liverpool, England, on August 17, 1926. He served in the Royal Navy toward the end of World War II. After the war he became involved in the jazz scene in London, singing with Mick Mulligan’s Magnolia Jazz Band. He began working as a film critic for The Observer in the early 1960s, and was writer of the satirical comic strip Flook for the Daily Mail. Melly also scripted the films Smashing Times (1967) and Take a Girl Like You (1970), and was the storyteller on several episodes of The Jackonary television series in the late 1960s. He returned to music in 1974, singing with John Chilton’s Feetwarmers until 2003. He also wrote several books including Revolt into Style (1970) about Pop Art, his 1977 memoir Rum, Bum and Concertina, and Paris and the Surrealists (1991). He continued to perform in concerts for most of his life, despite failing health in recent years.
Lydia Mendoza
MENON, RAVI Indian Malayalam language actor Ravi Menon died of cancer in a hospital in Perinthalmanna, India, on November 24, 2007. He was 57. Menon was born in Sreekrishnapuram, India, in 1950. He studied at the Film and Television Institute of India and made his film debut in 1973’s Nirmalyam. He appeared in more than fifty films during his career including Two Minds (1973), Shalini Ente Koottukari (1978), Aarathi (1981), Uyarangalil (1984), Shyama (1986), Sruthi (1987), Naradhan Keralathil (1987), Naaduvazhikal (1989), Mukham (1990), Indrajaalam (1990), and Maanthrikam (1995).
Ravi Menon George Melly
MENOTTI, GIAN CARLO Italian composer Gian Carlo Menotti, who was noted for writing the
Obituaries • 2007
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popular contemporary operas Amahl and the Night Visitors and The Medium, died at the Princess Grace Hospital in Monaco on February 1, 2007. He was 95. Menotti was born to a prosperous merchant family in Caedegliano, Italy, on July 7, 1911. He learned to play musical instruments from his mother as a child and was writing songs by the age of five. He studied at the Verdi Conservatory of Music before coming to the United States in 1928 to attend the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. His first opera, Amelia Goes to the Ball, was produced in Philadelphia in 1937 and later performed at the Metropolitan Opera. He was commissioned by NBC Radio to write a one-act opera, The Old Maid and the Thief, which was broadcast in 1939. His subsequent work, The Island God, was less successful in 1942, but he achieved acclaim for The Medium, which had a lengthy run on Broadway in 1946. Menotti earned the Pulitzer Prize and the Drama Critics Circle Award for his 1950 work The Consul. His best known work, Amahl and the Night Visitors, was written for NBC in 1951, and was performed frequently on television on television, most recently in 2002. He received a second Pulitzer Prize for The Saint of Bleecker Street, which was produced on Broadway in 1954. Menotti also wrote the librettos for Samuel Barber’s operas Vanessa and Hand of Bridge, and Lukas Foss’ Introductions and Goodbyes. He also continued writing his own operas, which included Labyrinth (1963), The Last Savage (1963), Martin’s Lie (1964), Help, Help, the Globolinks (1968), The Most Important Man (1971), The Hero (1976), The Egg (1976), and The Trial of the Gypsy (1978). Menotti was the founder of the Festival of Two Worlds, a music festival in Spoleto, Italy, that was initiated in 1958. He also formed the Spoleto Festival U.S.A. in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1977, which he was involved with for 16 years. He produced, directed, and wrote the work Goya, which was broadcast on television in 1986.
dier (1959), The First Date (1960), The Girls (1961), The Day the War Ended (1961), Young-Green (1962), A Mother’s Heart (1965), Clean Ponds (1965), A Mother’s Devotion (1966), The Grey Illness (1966), We’ll Live Till Monday (1969), A Man at His Place (1972), No Return (1973), One Hundred Days After Childhood (1974), Poseidon Speshit na Pomoshch (1977), The Sixth (1981), Serafim Polubes i Drugiye Zhiteli Zemli (1983), Konets Operatsii Rezident (1986), Visit to Minotaur (1987), Loan for a Marriage (1987), Nikolai Podvoysky (Stranitsy Zhizni) (1987), The Hat (1990), The Ghosts of the Green Room (1991), and The Man of No Return (2006). She was married to director Stanislav Rostotsky until his death in 2001. Their son, actor Andrei Rostotsky, was killed in a fall while performing a stunt for a film in 2002.
Nina Menshikova
MERLINO, SILVIA Argentine actress Silvia Merlino died of a heart attack in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on June 27, 2007. She was 63. Merlino was born in Buenos Aires in 1944. She began her career as a teenager in the late 1950s. She was best known for her role as Silvia in the comedy televisio