JEAN-YVES ESCOFFIER Died Apr. 1, 2003
French cinematographer Jean-Yves Escoffier died of heart failure at age 52. After establishing himself as one of the freshest eyes behind a camera in Europe, Mr. Yves-Escoffier began working in America. He lensed many over 30 films. He was nominated for a Cesar Best Cinematography Award for "Bad Blood." He won the Best Cinematographer Award at the European Film Awards for his work on "The Lovers on the Bridge." Mr. Escoffier’s credits include "The Human Stain," "The Crow II: City of Angels," "Three Men and a Cradle," "Good Will Hunting," "The Rounders," "Cradle Will Rock," "15 Minutes" and "Nurse Betty."
LESLIE CHEUNG Died April 1, 2003
Hong Kong actor Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing committed suicide by throwing himself out a window of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Hong Kong. Police report that the 46-year-old actor left a suicide note. Mr. Chueng co-starred with Chow-Yun Fat in John Woo’s landmark action film "A Better Tomorrow." He also appeared in the sequel "A Better Tomorrow II." Mr. Cheung is best known to mainstream audiences for his lead role in the epic, Oscar nominated film "Farewell My Concubine." Mr. Cheung appeared in nearly 60 films. Prayers of comfort for his family and friends.
BOOKER BRADSHAW Died Apr. 1, 2003
Booker Bradshaw was a renaissance man who made his mark in the world of film, television and music. Mr. Bradshaw died of a heart attack at age 62. Bradshaw was a Harvard graduate who was also given a full scholarship to the Royal Academy in London. Mr. Bradshaw sang on the "Ted Mack Amateur Hour" in 1951. Think old school "Star Search." Mr. Bradshaw acted in several films and TV shows. He appeared as Dr. M’Benga in several episodes of the original "Star Trek" TV series. He co-starred with Pam Grier in the sexy Blaxploitation film "Coffy." Other film credits include the Burt Reynolds’s missing-link film "Skullduggery" and the anti-Vietnam war film "The Strawberry Statement." Mr. Bradshaw wrote for many TV shows including "Sanford and Son," "Columbo," "The Rockford Files," "The Jeffersons" and "Planet of the Apes." Mr. Bradshaw was also a noted record producer and tour manager for Motown.
JOHN M. EAST Died April 1, 2003
Author/screenwriter/actor and British porn star John East died at age 70. Mr. East had suffered a stroke in 1999 and had been in poor health ever since. Mr. East’s grandfather was a silent film actor in England. His father was also an actor. Mr. East trained as a legitimate actor. He wrote a respected biography of British comedian Max Miller. In 1977, Mr. East entered the world of porn starring in a series of films with the late British sex symbol Mary Millington. His credits include "The Playbirds" and "Emmanuelle in Soho."
EDWIN STARR Died Apr. 2, 2003
Motown recording artist Edwin Starr died at age 61 of an apparent heart attack. I remember spending the summer of 1970 singing along with the radio every time his best known song "War" came over the airwaves. Edwin Starr’s song became an anthem of the anti-war movement during the Vietnam era. Starr appeared in the British surfing movie (now there’s a concept) "Blue Juice" with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Ewan McGregor. He also appeared as himself in the made for TV documentary "We Are Family." Starr’s song "War" was featured prominently on the soundtrack of the Jackie Chan/Chris Tucker vehicle "Rush Hour." Starr was featured on the soundtrack for Larry Cohen's Blaxploitation film "Hell Up In Harlem" with Fred Williamson. Starr was also a regular on British TV appearing on "Later with Jools Holland" and "GMTV."
MICHAEL WAYNE Died Apr. 2, 2003
Michael Wayne, the oldest son of actor John Wayne, died of heart failure following surgery at age 68. Mr. Wayne co-produced a number of his father’s films including "The Alamo," "The Green Berets," "Brannigan," "Chisum" and "McQ." Mr. Wayne was the chairman of the John Wayne Foundation. Wayne was involved with many Hollywood charities and organizations.
PAT LEAVY Died Apr. 2, 2003
Irish actress Pat Leavy died of undisclosed causes in Dublin. Ms. Leavy appeared in several great films. She appeared in John Boorman’s tale of true-life Irish gangster Martin Cahill" "The General." Other credits include "The Commitments" and "Moll Flanders."
ADALBERTO MARTINEZ Died Apr. 4, 2003
Veteran Mexican actor Adalberto Martinez died at age 87 of emphysema. The song and dance man appeared in over 100 Mexican films and TV shows. He was nominated for a Silver Ariel as Best Actor in 1957 for his performance in the film "El Rey de Mexico." In 1994 he was awarded a Special Golden Ariel for his lifetime of contributions to the Mexican film industry.
ANTHONY CARUSO Died Apr. 4, 2003
Veteran character actor Anthony Caruso died at age 86. Mr. Caruso appeared in nearly 120 films and nealy 110 guest roles on various TV series during his 50 year career. Mr. Caruso was type cast as the heavy in many films. It didn’t matter if the movie was set in Chicago of the 1920s or the Old West, Mr. Caruso was perfect as the villain. Among Mr. Caruso’s many credits are the films "Zebra Force," "Never a Dull Moment," "Young Dillinger" with Nick Adams, "Never Steal Anything Small" with Jimmy Cagney, "Baby Face Nelson," John Huston’s classic Noir "The Asphalt Jungle" and one of my all time favorite WWII films "Objective, Burma!" with Errol Flynn. Among Mr. Caruso’s many TV guest appearances are "Baretta," "Police Story," "Gunsmoke," ‘The Streets of San Francisco," "Star Trek," "The Wild, Wild West" and "Perry Mason."
CECILE DE BRUNHOFF Died Apr. 5, 2003
Cecile De Brunhoff made up stories about an Elephant King for her small boys back in the early 1930s. The boys told their father, Jean the stories their mother had made up and he wrote them out an illustrated the resulting book: "Babar, The King of the Elephants." Cecile insisted that her name be taken off the books as her role was minor. The Babar books have been made in to numerous animated films and TV series.
SUSAN FRENCH Died Apr. 6, 2003
Actress Susan French died at age 91. Ms. French was a character actress who appeared in "Jaws 2," "The House," "The Sting," "The Executioner’s Song," "Somewhere in Time" and "Flatliners."
DAVID GREENE Died Apr. 7, 2003
David Greene was a British actor, writer and director. His work encompasses some of the best shows ever written for TV. Mr. Greene won several Emmy Awards for directing episodes of "Roots," "Rich Man, Poor Man" and the TV movie "Friendly Fire." Mr. Greene’s film "Godspell" (based on the Gospel according to St. Matthew) was nominated for the Golden Palm at Cannes and for the WGA Award by the Writer’s Guild of America. Mr. Greene died of pancreatic cancer at age 82.
In addition to acting in such films as "Daughter of Darkness," writing and producing, Mr. Greene directed over 70 films and TV shows. His credits include "The Twilight Zone," "The Shuttered Room," "The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald," "Gray Lady Down," "Fatal Vision," "Small Sacrifices," "A Season in Purgatory," "The People Next Door" and "Hard Country."
ALAIN DONDEN Died Apr. 7, 2003
French film technician Alain Dondin was killed in a road accident. Mr. Donden did lighting and was an electrician on several well known films including "The Ninth Gate," "Ronin," "Blue," "White" and "Dangerous Liaisons." It takes a lot of foot soldiers to make a movie. Prayers of comfort for his family and friends.
ALEKSANDR FATYUSHIN Died Apr. 7, 2003
Russian actor Alexandr Fatyushin died in Moscow at age 52. Mr. Fatyushin had a lead role in the Oscar winning foreign film "Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears." Mr. Fatyushin appeared in over 30 films and TV series in Russia. Other credits include "Blood for Blood," "Tanks are Running on Taganka," "The Code of Silence" and "The Kidnapping."
CEDRIC FRANCIS Died Apr. 7, 2003
Multi-Oscar nominated producer Cedric Francis died of Alzheimer’s Disease at age 87. Mr. Francis was nominated for Oscars four times for Best Short Subject. Mr. Francis moved to TV in the late 1950s where he worked on such series as "Maverick," "77 Sunset Strip" and "Hawaiian Eye." In addition to his TV producing, Mr. Francis directed a number of episodes of the series "Colt .45." He also produced the Rock Hudson/Julie Andrews film "Darling Lili."
FERENC NEMETHY Died Apr. 8, 2003
Hungarian stage and film actor died at age 77. Mr. Nemethy appeared in nearly 50 films and TV series. While acted primarily in Hungarian films, he did appear in several made for TV films in America and the UK. His credits include parts in horror movie icon Stuart Gordon’s "Daughter of Darkness," "Muderers Among Us: The Simon Wiesenthal Story" and its companion film "Max and Helen" with Martin Landau and Treat Williams. Other credits include the HBO movie "Rasputin" and "Mary, Mother of Jesus."
NEIL RUSSELL Died Apr. 8, 2003
Neil "Bing" Russell, actor, minor league baseball owner and father of Kurt Russell died after a short battle with cancer at age 75. Mr. Russell appeared in over 100 films and TV shows during his 40 year acting career. Mr. Russell is beloved by baseball fans in Portland Oregon for the wonderful way he ran his Class A baseball team, The Mavericks. Mr. Russell’s credits (and uncredited appearances) include such films as "Last Train From Boot Hill," "The Magnificent Seven," "Tarantula," "The Deadly Mantis," "Cheyenne Autumn," "Dick Tracy" and "Tango & Cash." Mr. Russell appeared in the great John Carpenter TV movie "Elvis" with son Kurt. The real-life father and son team played father and son Vernon and Elvis Presley! Prayers of comfort for the family.
VERA ZORINA Died Apr. 9, 2003
Famed ballet dancer Vera Zorina died at age 84 in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Ms. Zorina appeared in several MGM films during the 1940s. She was married to choreographer George Balanchine during her MGM years. Ms. Zorina’s credits include "The Goldwyn Follies," "Lover Come Back," "Follow the Boys" and the documentary "That’s Dancing!"
KATHIE BROWN MCGAVIN Died Apr. 10, 2003
Actress Kathie Brown died of natural causes at age 63. Ms. Brown is the wife of actor Darren McGavin. They have been married since 1969. Ms. Brown’s credits include "Murder By Contract," "City of Fear," the TV series "Slattery’s People," "Cinderfella" with Jerry Lewis," "Happy Mother’s Day, Love George" and over 100 guest appearances on such TV shows as "Kolchak: The Night Stalker," "Get Smart," "Gunsmoke," "Perry Mason" and "The Love Boat." Ms. Browne was a breast cancer survivor. Donations to the American Cancer Society would be appreciated. Prayers of comfort for her husband, family and friends.
DAVID SCHALL Died Apr. 11, 2003
Christian actor David Schall died of a heart attack in Los Angeles as age 53. Mr. Schall founded the Actor’s Co-op; an organization aimed at helping Christians succeed in the entertainment industry. Mr. Schall appeared on stage, screen and TV. His credits include "The Sitter," "What Love Sees," "The Theory of Everything," "L.A. Law," "ER" and "Murder She Wrote."
LUCY SAROYAN Died Apr. 11, 2003
Actress Lucy Saroyan died of cirrhosis of the liver and hepatitis C at age 57. Ms. Saroyan was the daughter of playwright and novelist William Saroyan. Ms. Saroyan was the stepdaughter of the late actor Walter Matthau. Ms. Saroyan appeared in several of her stepfather’s films including the hilarious comedy "Kotch" and the taut thriller "The Taking of Pelhem One, Two, Three." Among Ms. Saroyan’s other films is Paul Schrader’s excellent "Blue Collar" in which she played Harvey Keitel’s wife.
SYDNEY LASSICK Died Apr. 12, 2003
Veteran character actor Sidney Lassick’s died at age 80 after a long battle with diabetes and related health problems. Mr. Lassick is best known for his performance as Cheswick in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest." Another memorable role was as Mr. Fromm, the high school English teacher in Brian De Palma’s classic horror film "Carrie." Mr. Lassick appeared in over 100 films and over 200 TV shows during his 44-year career. His first two movie appearances were in the gangster films "The Bonnie Parker Story" with Dorothy Provine and "Al Capone" with Rod Steiger. Mr. Lassick’s career was confined mainly to the stage until the role of Charlie Cheswick came along. Lassick’s touching performance as the kind hearted Cheswick made the powers that be take notice. He never looked back. Mr. Lassick appeared uncredited in Steven Speilberg’s "1941." Other credits include Mel Brook’s "The History of the World: Part I," the John Sayles’s scripted "Alligator," "The Unseen," the great B-movie "Fast Walking" with James Woods and Tim McIntire, "Deep Cover" with Laurence Fishburne, "Sister Act 2" and Milos Forman’s "Man On the Moon" with Jim Carrey. Mr. Lassick served in the Navy during WWII.
ADDIE MCPHAIL Died Apr. 14, 2002
Silent and early talkie screen actress Addie McPhail died at age 97. Ms. McPhail was the last wife of doomed silent screen comedian Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle. Arbuckle was one of the top silent film stars of the 1920s. His popularity rivaled that of Charlie Chaplin. That was, until Arbuckle threw a huge party at a hotel in San Francisco where starlet Virgina Rappe died. Arbuckle was accused of raping Ms. Rappe and either his great weight or a champagne bottle used in a forceful manner caused an internal injury from which she died. Although Arbuckle was eventually acquitted of Ms. Rappe’s death, his career was all but finished. Arbuckle married Ms. McPhail in 1932 and died the next year. Ms. McPhail appeared in around 30 films during the 1920s and 30s.
TREVOR MURRAY Died Apr. 14, 2003
Irish special effects man Trevor Murray was found dead on location in Bangkok at age 33. According to The Nationalist and Leinster Times foul play was ruled out. Mr. Murray was a model maker of some renown. He built models’ for James Cameron’s "Titanic" and Stuart Gordon’s "Space Truckers." Mr. Murray was the art director on "Dancing at the Blue Iguana," "The Forsaken" and "Bit Players."
MILLA SANNONER Died Apr. 14, 2003
Italian actress Milla Sannoner died at age 62 in Milan. Ms. Sannoner appeared in Sergio Leone’s comedy "Avanti la Musica." She also appeared in the spaghetti Western’s "Massacre at the Grand Canyon" with James Mitchum and "3 Bullets for Ringo" with Mickey Hagerty. Ms. Sannoner also appeared in "Io, Emmanuelle," which was the first film made from Emmanuelle Arsan’s erotic memoirs.
GLENN SAVAN Died Apr. 14, 2003
Writer Glenn Savan died or either a stroke or heart attack at age 49. Mr. Savan was suffering with Parkenson’s disease as well as a debilitating bone and joint disease. Mr. Savan wrote two novels: "White Palace" and "Goldman’s Anatomy." "White Palace" was made into a film with Susan Sarandon and James Spader.
MAURICE RAPF Died Apr. 15, 2003
Screenwriter Maurine Rapt died at age 88. Mr. Rapt was one of the founders of the Screen Writers Guild. Mr. Rapt also started the nation’s film college film society at Dartmouth, where he later taught film. Mr. Rapt’s credits include Disney’s rarely seen version of the Uncle Remus tales "Song of the South" and several other films in the 30s and 40s. Walt Disney specifically hired Rapf to write "Song of the South" because of Mr. Rapf’s background as both a Communist and a Jew. Disney felt that Rapf’s background would deflect any critics who might claim that "Song of the South" was a racist film. Ironically, in interviews, Mr. Rapf himself stated that he thought the film was inherently racist and should not have been made. Mr. Rapf’s father, Harry Rapf was one of the founders of Metro Goldwyn Mayer.
GRAHAM P. JARVIS Died Apr. 16, 2003
Veteran character actor Graham Jarvis died of multiple myeloma at age 72. The generation of the 1970s will remember Mr. Jarvis for his role in the cutting edge sit-com "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman." My how times have changed. My hometown of Memphis was a hotbed of censorship in the 1970s. "American Grafitti" was Rated R in Memphis. "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman" was considered so subversive that it was aired at mid-night! I’d forgotten about all that until strange time until I read about Mr. Jarvis’s death.
Mr. Jarvis turned in some very funny cameos and major performances during the 70s. He played the helpful New Yorker who ends up robbing Jack Lemmon and Sandy Dennis in Neil Simon’s "The Out of Towners." Jarvis’s second movie was the anti-war classic "Alice’s Restaurant." Other credits include "RPM," "A New Leaf," the hilarious "Cold Turkey," the Watergate mini-series "Blind Ambition" in which he played John Ehrlichman, "Silkwood," "Deal of the Century" and "Tough Guys."
In addition to his work on "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman," Mr. Jarvis appeared in recurring roles on such TV series as "7th Heaven," "Six Feet Under," "Fame" and "Forever Fernwood."
LILI MURATI Died Apr. 16, 2003
Hungarian actress Lili Murati died at age 92. Ms. Murati appeared in numerous films including David Lean’s "Dr. Zhivago." Ms. Murati was the subject of one of the most famous movie urban legends. Ms. Murati played the woman with a baby who tries to jump onto a train in Dr. Zhivago. She fell during the take. Legend has it that the woman had her legs amputated in the fall. In fact, she wasn’t severely hurt and came back several weeks later to do the scene again. Ms. Murati appeared in nearly 40 films between 1935 and 1995. David Lean biographer Kevin Brownlow relied on the letters of Ms. Murati when writing his biography of the great director.
JAN SCOTT Died Apr. 17, 2003
Art director and production designer Jan Scott died at age 88. Ms. Scott had the distinction of winning 11Emmy Awards, more than any other woman in history. Ms. Scott worked both on TV and feature films. Ms. Scott’s credits include "The World of Henry Orient," "Roots," the truly terrifying "Trilogy of Terror," "A Girl Named Sooner," "Blind Faith," "Eleanor and Franklin," "Eleanor and Franklin: The Whitehouse Years" and George Cukor’s final film "Rich and Famous."
EMIL LOTEANU Died Apr. 18, 2003
Russian director Emil Loteanu died at age 66. Mr. Loteanu was nominated for Golden Palm at Cannes in 1978 for his film "The Shooting Party." His films "Fiddlers" and "Queen of the Gypsies" both won prizes at the San Sebastian International Film Festival. Mr. Loeanu’s other credits include "Anna Pavlova," "The Shell" and "The Morning Star" among others.
JOHN MORRIS Died Apr. 19, 2003
Australian movie pioneer John Morris died of cancer at age 69. Mr. Morris directed and produced nearly 50 documentaries in his early days. Mr. Morris became one of the more powerful figures in the Australian film industry during the 1970s and 80s. Mr. Morris was responsible for helping such budding Australian directors as Peter Weir and Bruce Beresford when he worked at the South Australian Film Corporation. Mr. Morris later became the CEO of Australian Film Finance Corporation. The Australian Film Finance Corporation had numerous hits during Mr. Morris’s tenure including "Shine" and "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert."
DEBBIE BARHAM Died Apr. 20, 2003
26-year-old British screenwriter Debbie Barham died of anorexia nervosa. Ms. Barham began writing for British radio while still a teenager by lying about her age and submitting unsolicited jokes. She wrote the comedy short "The Real Men Behaving Badly." Her other credits include the TV series "Planet Mirth" and "Rory Bremmer, Who Else?"
JOHN DOUGLAS Died Apr. 20, 2003
British composer John Douglas died of prostate cancer at age 82. Mr. Douglas’s score for the 1970 film "The Railway Children" was nominated for the Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards. Mr. Douglas worked in film and TV, in England and America. He scored the great British sci-fi film "The Day of the Triffids." He also scored the pre-"Core" the-world-is-going-to-blow-up-from-the-inside-out-sci-fi thriller "Crack in the World" with Dana Andrews! He also scored the great John Moxey horror film "Circus of Fear." Mr. Douglas might be best known to American audiences for his TV themes for "The Incredible Hulk," "G.I. Joe" and
"Transformers."
NINA SIMONE Died Apr. 21, 2003
American born singer Nina Simone died at age 70 in her adopted home of France. Ms. Simone sang a wide range of musical genres. Her best work focused on love, heartbreak and social causes. Ms. Simone appeared as herself in the documentary "Brel" about composer Jacques Brel. Her music was featured in numerous films. The American remake of "La Femme Nikita," "Point of No Return" not only featured her music but her spirit as well. The lost killer played by Bridget Fonda often discusses Nina Simone’s views of men, love and sex during the film. Ms. Simone’s credits as singer and composer on film also include Sean Penn’s "The Crossing Guard," "Four Women," "Shallow Grave," "Stealing Beauty" and "The Thomas Crown Affair."
DON WIDENER Died Apr. 22, 2003
Documentary filmmaker Don Widener died of lung cancer at age 73. Mr. Widener’s most famous film was only aired once. Widener made a documentary called "The Powers That Be," which warned of the dangers of a nuclear reactor melt down. Ironically, the 1971 film was narrated by Jack Lemmon, eight years before Lemmon starred in "The China Syndrome." Pacific Gas and Electric brought suite against Widener, alleging that he doctored the audio portions of an interview with a Pacific Gas and Electric employee. Widener was eventually vindicated by the courts, but the film was kept off of the air and his career ruined.
ANDREA KING Died Apr. 22, 2003
Actress Andrea King died of natural causes at age 84. Ms. King was a contract actress with Warner Brothers during the 1940s and 50s. Ms. King never made the jump to Movie Star with the public. She appeared in strong supporting roles in several very good movies. She also appeared with top billing in a number of smaller B-movies. Ms. King’s credits include "God Is My Co-Pilot," "Hotel Berlin," "The Beast With Five Fingers" with Peter Lorre, "My Wild Irish Rose," "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" with William Powell, "Red Planet Mars" with Peter Graves, "Prescription-Murder" which was the pilot film for Peter Falk’s "Columbo" TV series, the Blaxploitation horror film "Blackenstein" and "The Linguini Incident" with David Bowie. Ms. King had a lengthy TV career starting in the 1950s. She appeared in several episodes of "Perry Mason" and "77 Sunset Strip" among others. Ms. King was given a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1970.
ROBERT SUHOSKY Died Apr. 24, 2003
Robert Suhosky, 11-year US Marine veteran, Fox publicist and writer of the 1982 horror film "The House Where Evil Dwells" died of pancreatic cancer at age 74. Mr. Suhosky oversaw publicity of FOX’s TV division during the 1960s. His film "The House Where Evil Dwells" is considered a minor ‘bad-movie’ cult classic by genre fans.
LYRIC BENSON Died Apr. 25, 2003
Budding actress Lyric Benson was shot and killed by her ex-boyfriend who shall remain nameless out of respect to Ms. Benson. It seems that Ms. Benson recently returned to her Christian roots and decided that she needed to re-examine the fact she was living with her boyfriend without being married. Apparently her ex also had some other problems. Ms. Benson was shot in the face in the presence of her mother who also witnessed the ex-boyfriend’s suicide. Ms. Benson was a graduate of Yale. She had recently completed an episode of "Law and Order: Criminal Intent." Although they share the same name, Ms. Benson is not the same actress named Lyric Benson who is the daughter of actor Robby Benson. It was reported that Ms. Benson had left instructions to donate her organs. Prayers of comfort for Ms. Benson’s family and friends. May they gain comfort from their friend and daughter’s faith.
PETER STONE Died Apr. 26, 2003
Peter Stone became the first writer to win the Oscar, Tony and Emmy! Mr. Stone died of pulmonary fibrosis at age 73. Mr. Stone sometimes wrote under the pseudonym Peter Joshua, which happened to be the name of Cary Grant’s character in the great film "Charade" also written by Mr. Stone. Stone won the Oscar for Best Screenplay for his WWII comedy "Father Goose" also starring Cary Grant. Mr. Stone wrote one of my favorite films of the 70s: "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three" with Walter Mathau and Robert Shaw. His other screen credits include "Sweet Charity" with Shirley MacLaine, the hilarious "Skin Game" with James Garner and Louis Gossit Jr., the underrated "Silver Bears" with Michael Caine and Cybil Shepard, "Arabesque" with Gregory Peck and Sophia Loren and the all-star comedy thriller "Who is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?" Mr. Stone won an Emmy for his work on the TV series "The Defenders." Mr. Stone won three Tony awards for the musicals "1776," "Titanic" and "Woman of the Year." "1776" was later turned into a film.
JESSE NILSSON Died Apr. 26, 2003
25-year-old actor Jesse Nilsson died heart failure related to his lifelong asthma and a recent bout with pneumonia. Mr. Nilsson was the co-star of the TV series "Adventure Inc." with Michael Biehn. Mr. Nilsson appeared in the film "The Skulls." Other credits include "Teenage Space Vampires" and the TV series "Our Hero" and "University."
CICCIO INGRASSIA Died Apr. 28, 2003
Famed, award winning Italian comic actor Ciccio Ingrassia died at age 79 of heart failure. Mr. Ingrassia made more than 150 films with his comedy partner, Franco Franchi. Mr. Ingrassia had a memorable cameo in Federico Fellini’s "Armacord." He also appeared in Vitoria De Sica’s "The Last Judgment." Other credits include the black comedy "Traffic Jam," "The Handsome, the Ugly and the Stupid," Mario Bava’s "Dr. Goldfoot and the Sex Bombs" with Vincent Price and "War, Italian Style" which was one of Buster Keaton’s final films. Mr. Ingrassia made 14 films with Italian horror/gore director Lucio Fulci, however all of their films were comedies! Mr. Ingrassia won Best Supporting Actor Awards from both the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists and the David di Donatello Awards.
LIONEL WILSON Died Apr. 30, 2003
Voice actor Lionel Wilson died at age 79. Mr. Wilson was the voice of the funnel-headed animated character ‘Tom Terrific’ on "The Captain Kangaroo Show." Mr. Wilson also provided the voice of the old farmer Eustace Bagg on the Cartoon Network’s darkly twisted "Courage, The Cowardly Dog." Other voice characters include ‘Billy Bear’ from the 1960s and the voices of ‘Sidney the Elephant and Stanley the Lion’ from another series of animated shorts in the 1960s. Mr. Wilson did live action work appearing in Hal Ashby’s "The Landlord" and "The Aldrich Family" TV series.
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