Rusty White's Film World

APRIL 2005 FILM WORLD OBITUARIES

2011-03-03T09:53:00.018-06:00

JACK KELLER Died Apr. 1, 2005

Composer Jack Keller died of leukemia at age 68. Mr. Keller wrote a number of Top 10 pop hits as part of the Brill Building writers assembled by Don Kirschner in the early 1960s. Among his works were "Venus in Blues Jeans" and "Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool." Mr. Keller wrote the theme songs for the TV series "Bewitched" and "Gidget." Mr. Keller was the producer of the theme song for the TV series "The Monkees." He also produced their first album. Mr. Keller’s music appeared in such films and TV shows as "The Victors," "Here Come the Brides," "Winter a Go-Go," "For Singles Only" and "The Cable Guy."

TAKAO ZUSHI Died Apr. 1, 2005

Japanese Character actor Takao Zushi died of pancreatic cancer at a Tokyo hospital. The 58-year-old actor appeared in number of films over the last 46 years. He began acting as a child. He appeared in Akira Kurosawa’s final film "Madadayo" as well as "Ran." Mr. Zushi’s younger brother Yoshitaka is also an actor. He too appeared in both of the above mentioned Kurosawa films as well as Kurosawa’s "Dreams" and "Dodes’ka-den." The younger Mr. Zushi was memorable in "Dreams" as the Japanese soldier Pvt. Noguchi who encounters the ghost battalion of his former friends who were killed in combat due to his mistake.

HARALD JUHNKE Died Apr. 1, 2005

German singer/actor Harald Juhnke died from the effects of dementia and alcoholism at age 75. Mr. Juhnke was dubbed "The German Frank Sinatra" by fans in his home country. He had a hit record of Sinatra’s signature tune "My Way." Mr. Juhnke appeared in nearly 150 films and TV shows during his lengthy career. He appeared in a number of films before becoming a huge TV star in Germany during the 1960s. Mr. Juhnke fought a well-publicized battle with alcohol. He received worldwide press when he used a racial epitaph on a Black security guard in Los Angeles in 1997. Mr. Juhnke later apologized for the remark. Mr. Juhnke’s film and TV credits include "Der Kommisar," "The Testament of Dr. Mabuse," the title character in the TV series "Sgt. Berry" and "I Wasn’t a Very Good Student Either."

PHILIP AMELIO Died Apr. 1, 2005

Former child actor turned teacher Philip Amelio died of an infection to his heart at age 27. Mr. Amelio played the grandson of Lucille Ball in her final TV series "Life With Lucy." The series ran for 12 episodes in 1986. Mr. Amelio retired from acting as a young teen. In Oliver Stone’s "Born on the Fourth of July" he played the young version of Stephen Baldwin’s adult character Billy Vorsovich. Mr. Amelio also appeared on the soap opera "All My Children" for three seasons. Mr. Amelio devoted himself to teaching high school student. Prayers of comfort to his family and friends.

KAREN CIRAULO Died Apr. 1, 2005

Storyboard artist Karen Ciraulo was killed in a car accident in New Mexico. Ms. Ciraulo worked as a storyboard artist on "The Wild Thornberrys" and "Pinky and the Brain."

POPE JOHN PAUL II Died Apr. 2, 2005

Pope John Paul II died at age 84 after a lengthy illness. Born Karol Wojyla, he became the first non-Italian Pope in over 400 years. During his 27 years as pontiff Pope John Paul II became one of the most respected spiritual leaders in history. His strength in speaking out for the poor and oppressed, the fact he asked the Jewish people for forgiveness for the sins of the Catholic Church against them and his part in breaking down the iron curtain brought him the admiration and respect of peoples of all faiths and political ideologies. Pope John Paul II also stood fast to the tenets of the Christian faith, choosing to serve and honor God no matter whether it upset those who would rewrite the Bible. When he was shot three times by an assassin in 1981, Pope John Paul II visited him in jail and forgave him.

Prior to becoming a priest in 1946, having studied at a clandestine seminary in Nazi occupied Poland, Karol Wojyla was a stage actor and playwright. He was also an accomplished athlete. Two of Pope John Paul II’s plays were turned into films. Burt Lancaster starred in the 1988 film version of "The Jeweler’s Shop." His play "Our God’s Brother" was filmed in Poland in 1997. The Pope’s life was the subject of two Made for TV movies: "Pope John Paul II" with Albert Finney in the title role and "From a Far Country." The Pope was also the subject of a number of documentaries including "The Millenial Pope: John Paul II."

Though I am not a Catholic, I have always admired Pope John Paul II’s defense of the Christian faith against those who would try and dilute Christ’s teachings. He was a man of principle and compassion. I pray that his successor is cut from the same cloth.

JUNE EASTON Died Apr. 2, 2005

Actress June Easton died of lupus at age 72. Ms. Easton was the wife of actor Robert Easton. She was a dialect coach at her husband’s firm "Henry Higgins of Hollywood Inc." Robert Easton is considered one of the top dialect coaches in the film industry. He teaches over 80 different dialects. Clients have include such greats as Laurence Olivier and Gregory Peck. Ms. Easton appeared in several films with her husband including "Paint Your Wagon," "Tai-Pan" and "Timber Tramps."

BETTY BOLTON Died Apr. 2, 2005

Actress Betty Bolton passed away at age 99! Ms. Bolton took part in the very first experimental TV broadcast! Though there is no sound, Ms. Bolton’s image from this first experimental TV broadcast still exists. Ms. Bolton was a famous vaudeville entertainer in England. She began her career as a child. Ms. Bolton was able to play straight drama as well as comedy and musicals. She appeared in a few films before retiring in the 1930s to raise her child. Ms. Bolton’s film credits include "Wolves," "Balaclava" and "Long Live the King."

JACQUES POITRENAUD Died Apr. 2, 2005

French filmmaker Jacques Poitrenaud died at age 83. Mr. Poitrenaud did it all: he wrote, directed, edited, acted, produced and photographer movies! His debut film as a director "The Door Slams" was Catherine Deneuve’s second film. His 1963 film "Strip Tease" has a cult following due to presence of Nico. Nico later gained fame as a member of Andy Warhol’s factory and as the lead singer of The Velvet Underground. Mr. Poitrenaud was assistant director on a number of films by directors Roger Vadim and Michel Boisrond including "Dangerous Liaisons 1960." Mr. Poitrenaud created the Movie Markets which ran in conjunction with the Cannes Film Festival. This May, Mr. Poitrenaud will be honored at Cannes Film Festival.

BLANCHETTE BRUNOY Died Apr. 3, 2005

French actress Blanchette Brunoy died of natural causes at age 86. Ms. Brunoy appeared in nearly 100 films during a career that began in the mid-1930s and lasted until 1998. Ms. Brunoy worked with such directors as Abel Gance and Jean Renoir. Among her many credits are the title role in "Claudine a L’ecole," "Judas Was a Woman," "Shop Girls of Paris," "Bernadette of Lourdes," "Anatomy of a Marriage," "The Holy Terror" and "L’ Enfer." Her final film was "White Lies" with the late Marie Trintignant.

SAUL BELLOW Died Apr. 5, 2005

Nobel prize-winning writer Saul Bellow died at age 89 after a lengthy illness. In 1976 Mr. Bellow won both the Nobel Prize and the Pulitzer Prize. He was the first writer to win the National Book Award three times. His Novel "Seize the Day" was turned into a feature film starring Robin Williams. He wrote the script for the 1967 Yugoslavian TV drama "Izvlacenje." He appeared as himself in the Woody Allen film "Zelig" and in the Israeli documentary "In Search of Identity."

DEBRALEE SCOTT Died Apr. 5, 2005

Actress Debralee Scott died three days after her 52^nd birthday. Ms. Scott had lapsed into a coma for three days last week. When the doctors could not uncover the reason for her collapse, Ms. Scott was sent home. Though Ms. Scott was best known for her role as "Hotzi Totzi" in the hit TV series "Welcome Back Kotter," she had memorable roles in a several films. My first memory of her was as the naked corpse in "Dirty Harry." I first saw the movie when I was young enough to be awed by a glimpse of flesh. Ms. Scott played the young woman who was kidnapped by the film’s serial killer badguy. It was Ms. Scott’s character that led Clint Eastwood’s Harry Callahan to torture the killer in order to find her whereabouts. Ms. Scott is glimpsed as she is pulled dead from a culvert. It’s funny what sticks in your mind when you are 13 years old. Other memorable cameos include her role as one of Harrison Ford’s girlfriends in "American Graffiti." She was the girl who exclaimed to Paul LeMat’s John Milner "Ain’t he neat!" as the hod-rod racers faced off early in the film. Other credits the disaster movie "Earthquake," "The Reincarnation of Peter Proud," the TV series "Angie" and two of the "Police Academy" films. Perhaps her most memorable role was as Cathy Schumway on the TV series "Mary Harman, Mary Hartman" and its spin-off "Forever Fernwood." In the spin-off series her character found herself in lust with her own father, played by Tab Hunter. Tab Hunter replaced Phil Burns in the role. Plastic surgery was the explanation for the drastic change in her father’s appearance. This storyline was just one of many that caused both series to be show late at night in many markets. Ms. Scott was engaged to New York port authority officer J.D. Levi. Officer Levi was killed in the collapse of the World Trade Center on 9/11.

DALE MESSICK Died Apr. 5, 2005

Cartoonist Dale Messick died at age 98. Ms. Messick created the long-running comic strip "Brenda Starr." The red-headed character was a girl reporter who lived through hundreds of adventures. The comic strip began in 1940. Ms. Messick’s heroine went on adventures usually reserved for male characters. Brenda Starr was a prototype of such modern heroines as Lara Croft. The sassy girl reporter was first brought to the screen in the 1945 Columbia serial "Brenda Starr, Reporter." Joan Woodbury played the title role. Jill St. John starred as the title character in the 1970s TV series "Brenda Starr." Brooke Shields and Timothy Dalton starred as Ms. Starr and her dashing beau Basil St. John in the 1989 feature film "Brenda Starr." Ms. Messick appeared as herself in the documentary "Funny Ladies."

JUDITH WEINER Died Apr. 5, 2005

Veteran casting director Judith Weiner died of ovarian cancer at age 58. Ms. Weiner over saw casting for the UPN network for the last 6 years. Her career dated back to the 1970s. She was responsible for Michael J. Fox being cast on "Family Ties." She fought for Fox when the network did not want to cast him the part. Among the many films and TV series she cast are "The Howling," "Some King of Wonderful," "Gross Anatomy," "SOAP," "The Golden Girls," "Ally McBeal" and the TV remake of "The Taking of Pelham One, Two, Three."

FRANCISCO LAUDADIO Died Apr. 6, 2005

Italian director Francisco Laudadio died after a lengthy illness at age 55. Though I have never seen one of his films, I will always be indebted to him for being the man who discovered the beautiful Monica Bellucci! Mr. Laudadio directed Ms. Belluci in the film "La Riffa." In 1983, Mr. Laudadio was given the David di Donatello Award for Best New Director for his film "Grog." His final film was the 2003 production "Signora."

PRINCE RAINIER GRIMALDI III Died Apr. 6, 2005

Prince Rainier III of Monaco, Europe’s longest reigning monarch died of heart, lung and kidney illness at age 81. Rainier had ruled the tiny nation of Monaco for nearly 56 years. His family has ruled Monaco since 1297. Prince Rainier was the widower of American movie star Grace Kelly. The Pennsylvania beauty who won the heart of Rainier. Who could blame him! In 1956, after appearing in eleven films, the blonde beauty retired from the movies and married the prince. Princess Grace was killed in a tragic automobile accident in 1982. She was killed on the same winding road made famous during her car chase with Cary Grant in Alfred Hitchcock’s "To Catch a Thief." Prince Rainier appeared as himself in a number of documentaries and was the subject of an "A&E Biography."

GENE HAZELTON Died Apr. 6, 2005

Animation designer Gene Hazelton died at age 85. Mr. Hazelton work for Disney, Warner Brothers, MGM and Hanna-Barbera. He was the man who designed the opening title sequence for the landmark TV series "I Love Lucy!" Mr. Hazelton worked on such films and shorts as "Fantasia," "Pinocchio," "Tom and Jerry" and "Invitation to the Dance." He also was the designer of Pebbles and Bam Bam on "The Flintstones." He was a member of The Animation Guild, Local 839.

ROBERT GOLDEN Died Apr. 6, 2005

Veteran film editor Robert Golden died at age 93. He was a 67-year-member of the Editor’s Guild! Mr. Golden worked on one of the greatest films ever made: Charles Laughton’s gothic horror film "Night of the Hunter." In 1974, film historian and preservationist Robert Gitt discovered boxes of loose film that turned out to be the rushes and outtakes of Laughton’s classic film. After a number of years, Mr. Gitt was able to assemble the rushes. What emerged was a vision of the director at work. Laughton had his editor keep the film for him rather than throw it away. Thankfully Mr. Golden saved the footage which shows Laughton between takes directing the actors. Turns out that Charles Laughton did not stop rolling film when he yelled cut. Most of Mr. Golden’s work was in the Western genre. He also produced several "Lassie" film compilations.

BILL LAYNE Died Apr. 7, 2005

Disney background artist Bill Layne died at age 94. Mr. Layne worked for Disney Studios for 32 years. His credits include "Sleeping Beauty," "101 Dalmations," "The Sword in the Stone," "Mary Poppins," "The Jungle Book," "Bedknobs and Broomsticks" and "Robin Hood."

JOSE MELIS Died Apr. 7, 2005

Cuban-born composer Jose Melis died at age 85. Mr. Melis was Jack Parr’s musical director. He worked with Mr. parr on a number of shows including "The Tonight Show." Mr. Melis performed on Ed Sullivan’s "Toast of the Town" as well as Jack Parr’s "Startime." He appeared in the film "Senior Prom." Mr. Melis’s song "Pasion Orientale" was used in the Judy Garland version of "A Star is Born."

YOSHITARO NOMURA Died Apr. 8, 2005

Award-winning Japanese director Yoshitaro Nomura died of pneumonia at age 85. Mr. Nomura directed nearly 90 films during his lengthy career. His films were honored with awards by the Moscow International Film Festival," the Japanese Academy, Mystfest and others. His Film Noir thriller "Castle of Sand" is considered one of the best films ever made in Japan by their film community. "Castle of Sand" was based on a best-selling novel by Seicho Matsumoto. Mr. Nomura filmed eight of Mr. Matsumoto’s books. He also looked to American and Great Britain for source material, adapting the works of Agatha Christie as well as the duo Manfred Lee and Frederic Dannay (better known as Ellery Queen) to the screen. Among Mr. Nomura’s credits are "The Incident," "Zero Focus," "The Demon," "Three Undelivered Letters" and "Suspicion."

ONNA WHITE Died Apr. 8, 2005

Honorary Oscar winner Onna White died of natural causes at age 80. Ms. White received an Honorary Oscar for her choreography work in the Best Picture Oscar winner "Oliver!" Ms. White was nominated for eight Tony Awards for her choreography on Broadway. She never won. The classically trained ballerina switched from dancing on stage to creating the dance moves for a number of great Broadway plays. She also worked in film. Her film credits include "Bye, Bye Birdie," "The Music Man," "1776." Lucille Ball’s version of "Mame" and Disney’s wonderful "Pete’s Dragon."

MARY OLGA MOORE Died Apr. 9, 2005

Actress/singer Mary Olga Moore died of cancer at age 54. Ms. Moore played a small part in and sang the title song of "The Happy Hooker." The lame comedy was based on the best selling memoir by Xaviara Hollander co-written by journalist and author Robin Moore. Mary Olga was the wife of Robin Moore. Mr. Moore wrote the film’s title song for his wife to sing. Robin Moore is the author of such books as "The Green Berets" and "The French Connection." Ms. Moore gave up acting shortly after her marriage to Mr. Moore 32 years ago.

IRA KATZ Died Apr. 9, 2005

Behind every explosion or smoke screen that shows up in an action film, there is someone somewhere working in a lab to find a better and safer way to bring that image to the screen. One such person was Ira Katz. Ira Katz was the founder and owner of Tri-Ess Sciences, a company he started in 1950. He developed a number of products that have become the standard in the entertainment industry including Spectrasmoke. Ira Katz died at home at age 89. Thanks for adding that extra spark to our movie lives.

WILLIAM PANCAKE JR. Died Apr. 9, 2005

Special effects technician William Pancake Jr. died at age 42. Mr. Pancake was working on the upcoming Steven Spielberg sci-fi remake "War of the Worlds." Other film credits include "Twister," "The Rock" and "Swordfish." Mr. Pancake was a member of I.A.T.S.E. Local 44. Prayers of comfort for his family and friends, especially his wife and four children.

FAITH MCNULTY Died Apr. 10, 2005

Author Faith McNulty died after a lengthy illness at age 86. Ms. McNulty was a reporter and writer for a number of magazines including "LIFE" and "The New Yorker." She wrote the non-fiction crime book "The Burning Bed," which dealt with a woman who burned her husband to death after years of physical and mental abuse. The book became a multi-award winning TV movie starring Farrah Fawcett. Ms. McNulty covered WWII as a young reporter in London, England.

CHARLES KALISH Died Apr. 11, 2005

Former NBC TV employee Chuck Kalish died at age 87. Mr. Kalish worked on the production side of many NBC TV shows during his lengthy career. His credits include "The Andy Williams Show," "Let's Make a Deal," "The Dean Martin Show" and "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson.

MARGO SKINNER Died Apr. 11, 2005

Actress Margo Skinner died of a massive heart attack in her New York apartment. Ms. Skinner was 55 years old. Ms. Skinner had received a standing ovation the night before as she performed on stage in the play "Moonlight and Magnolias." She was playing the secretary of "Gone With the Wind" producer David O. Selznick in "Moonlight and Magnolias." Ms. Skinner’s film and TV credits include the horror film "Night School," PBS’s remake of "I Never Sang for My Father," "Longtime Companion," "Law & Order" and "The Dave Chappelle Show."

Laura Sutcliffe shared her fond memories of close friend Margo Skinner with me:" This woman was a gift to all who loved her, always a smile, never an unkind word (unless it was in a script). She will be missed every day, even after I stop crying every time I think of the unthinkable loss of her company. I do take solace in the fact that Margo burned bright until the last minute of her life, she was loved and she loved. I guess that's what we all hope we have to the end." To Ms. Sutcliffe's remarks I add, Prayers of comfort for her family and friends.

JOHN BENNETT Died Apr. 11, 2005

Prolific British character actor John Bennett died just shy of his 76^th birthday. Mr. Bennett was a familiar face to horror and sci-fi fans. He appeared in nearly 150 films and TV shows during his 43-year-career. Mr. Bennett appeared in a number of great genre films and TV shows. His horror and sci-fi credits include Terence Fisher’s classic "The Curse of the Werewolf" starring the great Oliver Reed, "Dr. Who," "The House That Dripped Blood," "Face of Darkness," the TV remake of "Jason and the Argonauts," "The Fifth Element" and "Minority Report." Not everyone is as big a horror movie fan as I am. Mr. Bennett appeared in many other types of well-known films. Other credits include "Lawrence of Arabia," "Victim," "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," "The Forsyte Saga," as Josef Goebbels in "Hitler: The Last Ten Days," "I, Claudius," "Watership Down," "The House on Garabaldi Street," the great thriller "Eye of the Needle," "Charlotte Gray" and "The Pianist."

JOHN LATTANZIO Died Apr. 11, 2005

On a recent trip to LA with director Jeremy Benson and producer Mark Williams, we were shown around Sony Studios by my friend Ken Miyamoto. Like many folks in LA, Ken works in the movie business. He’s not one of the folks on screen; he’s a behind the scenes guy. Like thousands of others who all work toward the common goal of providing entertainment for the world. While Ken gave me the grand tour, we saw hundreds of people working on everything from building sets to manning the cash register at the studio gift shop. Movie-goers will probably never know their names. Chances are that you have not heard the name John Lattanzio. I know I hadn’t. John Lattanzio began as a painter, moved on to paint foreman and then construction coordinator. Along the way he also managed to help produce a great TV series. John Lattanzio died at age 81. He was an associate producer on the wonderful Michael Mann TV series "Crime Story." Most of his work took place behind the scenes. He worked with director Mann on his brilliant crime character study "Thief." Mr. Lattanzio was a painter on Terrence Malick’s beautiful "Days of Heaven." He was the construction coordinator on a number of great films by personal favorite Walter Hill. His Walter Hill credits include "Southern Comfort," "The Long Riders," "48 Hrs." and Hill’s homage to Sam Peckinpah "Extreme Prejudice." He also was construction coordinator on John Carpenter’s campy "Big Trouble in Little China." He was a member of I.A.T.S.A. Local 44.

JOHN BROSNAN Died Apr. 11, 2005

While as an undergrad student, I took a course on science fiction films. The book used as the text was John Brosnan’s "Future Tense: The Cinema of Science Fiction." I can’t tell you how much fun I had using Mr. Brosnan’s theories to analyze the movie "Killer Klowns From Outer Space." This wasn’t the only great film book written by Mr. Brosnan. Fans of the James Bond films look to his work "James Bond in the Cinema" as one of the best books on the subject. Mr. Brosnan also wrote many novels. Several of his books were turned into film. They include "Carnosaur," "Beyond Bedlam" and "Proteus." Mr. Brosnan died of acute pancreatitis at age 57.

SAMANTHA DOWNING Died Apr. 12, 2005

Former actress Samantha Downing died of cancer at age 38. Mrs. Downing and her husband Todd Downing worked together on two feature films and a short comedy during the 1980. Ms. Downing, then Samantha Grismore, directed her husband’s script "Kings." She was the script supervisor on "Project" while her husband directed. They also made the short sci-fi comedy "Flotsam." The couple went into the Role Playing Game business, running "Deep 7, LLC" in Seattle, Washington. Ms. Downing donated her body to University of Washington Medical Center in hopes of helping find a cure for the aggressive cancer that took her life. Prayers of comfort for her family and friends.

JOE BARONE Died Apr. 12, 2005

Fireman turned actor/playwright Joe Barone died of respiratory illness at age 65. Mr. Barone appeared in the movie "The Day It Came to Earth" as well as the TV series "The Fall Guy" and "Designing Women." He also wrote plays directed and acted in regional theater. He also hosted radio interviews and SAG & AFI seminar interviews with numerous people in the entertainment industry including Jack Lemon, Robert Loggia and Michael Crichton. He was on the National Board of Directors of AFTRA from 1984 through 1991 and was on the Casting Committee of SAG also during the 1980s. He founded the Top of Texas Players theater group in Amarillo Texas.

JOHNNY JOHNSON Died Apr. 13, 2005

Legendary rock and blues pianist Johnny Johnson died of natural causes at age 80. I grew up Johnny Johnson played piano on Chuck Berry’s classic recordings "Roll Over Beethoven," "Maybellene," "Back in the U.S.A." and "Sweet Little Sixteen." Berry’s song "Johnny B. Goode" was a tribute to his longtime band member. Mr. Johnson played with Berry for over 20 years. Mr. Johnson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001. Mr. Johnson's piano playing has been heard on the soundtracks of countless films featuring Chuck Berry's classic rock and roll standards. He appeared as himself in the outstanding Chuck Berry concert film "Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll" He also appeared in Eric Clapton’s concert video "Eric Clapton: 24 Nights."

PHILIPPE VOLTER Died Apr. 13, 2005

French actor Philippe Volter committed suicide at age 45. Mr. Volter received a Cesar nomination for Most Promising New Actor for his work in Jacques Deray’s "Dark Woods." Mr. Volter was familiar to international audiences for his appearances in "The Music Teacher," "Trois Couleurs: Blue," "Cyrano de Bergerac," "A Mere Mortal" and "The Double Life of Veronique." Prayers of comfort for his family and friends.

JOHN FRED Died Apr. 15, 2005

Rock and Roll singer John Fred Gourrier died of renal disease at age 63. Mr. Gourrier was the lead singer of the band John Fred & His Playboys. They scored a #1 hit in 1968 with "Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)." As a snotty 10-year-old, I used that song to tease my oldest sister Judy. The fact that she did not kill me is a tribute to my big sister’s patience at the time. John Fred wrote the song as a parody of "The Beatles" hit "Lucy in the Sly With Diamonds." Fred’s song was a frisky rocker with fun lyrics. It is one of the songs that brings back memories of one of the best years of my childhood. Thanks for the memories Mr. Fred. His song was used on the soundtrack of Gus Van Sant’s powerful "Drugstore Cowboy."

MARGARETTA SCOTT Died Apr. 15, 2005

Renowned British actress Margaretta Scott died at age 93. Not many actresses can boast Made for TV movie credits from the 1930s, but Ms. Scott could! If not for WWII, TV development would have advanced much quicker than it did. The BBC was airing TV programming during the 1930s. Ms. Scott appeared in early BBC TV versions of "Much Ado About Nothing," "The Taming of the Shrew," "Will Shakespeare" and several others. Ms. Scott’s acting career spanned 70 years and included stage, film and the small screen. My first exposure to her work was in the 1936 sci-fi film "Things to Come." Ms. Scott played two roles in the H.G. Wells film, but one of the roles was cut out along with 40-minutes of the film. The lost footage has never been found. Modern audiences probably remember Ms. Scott best for her role as Mrs. Pumphrey in the TV series "All Creatures Great and Small." Among her many film and TV credits are "The Return of the Scarlet Pimpernel," "Crescendo," "Percy," "Town on Trial," "Lovejoy" and "The Saint."

KIM MOO-SAENG Died Apr. 16, 2005

South Korean actor Kim Moo-saeng died of pneumonia at age 62. Mr. Moo-saeng appeared in over 100 films and TV shows in his native land. He was the father of actor Ju-hyeok Kim. Mr. Moo-saeng’s credits include "Only You," "Dance With Solitude" and "A Deep, Deep Place." He began his career as a voice actor.

JAIME FERNANDEZ Died Apr. 16, 2005

Award-winning Mexican actor Jaime Fernandez died of a heart attack at age 67. Jaime Fernandez was the younger brother of actor/director Emilio Fernandez: General Mapache in Sam Peckinpah’s "The Wild Bunch." The two brothers worked together in eight films. Jaime Fernandez appeared in nearly 200 films and TV shows during his lengthy career. In addition to his work in front of the camera, Mr. Fernandez was the General Secretary of Mexico’s actor’s union for 11 years. International audiences may know Mr. Fernandez best for the role of Friday in Luis Bunuel’s "The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe." While his co-star Daniel O’Herlihy was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for his work in the film, Mr. Fernandez won the Best Supporting Actor Silver Ariel, Mexico’s equivalent of the Oscar. He won three Silver Ariel Awards during his career. He appeared with Charles Bronson and Anthony Quinn in "The Guns of San Sebastian." He had a small part in the Glenn Ford Western "The Day of the Evil Gun."

KAY WALSH Died Apr. 16, 2005

Award-winning British actress Kay Walsh died at age 93. Ms. Walsh was a chorus dancer turned stage and screen actress. She was the second wife of acclaimed director David Lean. Ms. Walsh appeared in over 60 films and TV shows between 1934 and 1981. Ms. Walsh was responsible for one of her husband’s greatest film set pieces. Anyone who has seen the great documentary "Visions of Light" knows that it opens with a cinematographer describing the haunting, rainy opening sequence of David Lean’s "Great Expectations." Ms. Walsh wrote the film’s opening as well as the ending. Both worked. Many critics have stated that Ms. Walsh’s ending was superior to the original by Charles Dickens! Ms. Walsh was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress BAFTA and won the National Board of Review Best Supporting Actress Award for Ronald Neame’s comedy "The Horses Mouth." Ms. Walsh’s many film credits include "In Which We Serve" opposite Sir John Mills, "The Ruling Class," "Scrooge," "The Witches," "Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow," "The Magic Box," Alfred Hitchcock’s "Stage Fright" and "Oliver Twist."

ERIC GELMAN Died Apr. 17, 2005

Who knows what actor Eric Gelman may have ended up sharing with the world? Maybe he had the perfect Hamlet in him? Could be he would have been a great comedian. Then again, he may have ended up being a great character actor. Maybe Eric Gelman would have been one of those actors who was lucky enough to work steady, even if he didn’t achieve fame and fortune. Maybe he would have been one of those actors who kept at it day after day because of his love for the craft. The thing is, we will never know. Eric Gelman was stabbed to death in a robbery attempt in Los Angeles. He had just left work as a waiter. Mr. Gelman was 32 years old. Mr. Gelman appeared on an episode of the TV series "Monk." Prayers of comfort for his family and friends.

DON RAY Died Apr. 17, 2005

Emmy-nominated composer Don Ray died of an infection at age 79. Mr. Ray was a longtime CBS employee. He worked for the network for 29 years. Mr. Ray was nominated for an Emmy as the musical supervisor on "Hawaii 5-0." Mr. Ray’s other TV credits include "Rawhide" and "The Twilight Zone." Mr. Ray received a Special Thanks credit on several silent films that were rescored by Turner Classic Movies for recent broadcasts. They include Lon Chaney Sr.’s "Laugh, Clown Laugh" and Rudolph Valentino’s version of "Camille." Mr. Ray served his country in the US Navy during WWII.

ALISTAIR MCHARG Died Apr. 17, 2005

Scottish singer and entertainer Alistair ‘Scotty’ McHarg died at age 79. Mr. McHarg was one of the most popular variety entertainers in the UK during the 1940s and 50s. He entertained the British troops during the Korean War. Mr. McHarg appeared in the film "London Town" under the name Scotty McHarg. Although he performed six songs in the film, many were cut out before it was released.

BRENT SWIFT Died Apr. 18, 2005

Production designer/art director/producer Brent Swift died of liver cancer at age 60. Mr. Swift’s credits include "Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone," "Seed of Innocence," "Subterfuge," "Cinderella Liberty" and "Alien Nation."

RYAN EFFNER Died Apr. 18, 2005

Property master and special effects technician Ryan Effner died at age 40. Mr. Effner was part of the crew who helped Freddy Kruger thrill and kill us in "A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child." His art department credits include "She’s All That" and "Never Too Young to Die." Mr. Effner played a supporting roll in S.P. Somtow’s zombie horror film "The Laughing Dead." Mr. Effner was a member of I.A.T.S.E. Local 44. Prayers of comfort for his family and friends.

RUTH HUSSEY Died Apr. 19, 2005

Oscar nominated actress Ruth Hussey died at age 93. She had been in the hospital for a short time following an attack of apendicitis. Ms. Hussey was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performances as the spunky photographer in George Cuckor’s classic screwball comedy "The Philadelphia Story." Ms. Hussey acted in support of Katherine Hepburn, Jimmy Stewart and Cary Grant. She held her own among these movie giants. Ms Hussey appeared in nearly 80 films and TV shows. Ms. Hussey was also a prolific actress on stage and radio. She appeared on numerous episodes of the "Family Theater" radio show which emphasized family prayer. The radio show featured many of the best known actors from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Ms. Hussey appeared in such classic films as George Cuckor’s "The Women," "Madame X," "Northwest Passage" and "The Great Gatsby." She appeared in three of my old movie favorites. She co-starred with Ray Milland in the creepy romantic ghost story "The Uninvited." Ms. Hussey also appeared in "Judge Hardy’s Children" and "Another Thin Man." Ms. Hussey holds a dear place in the hearts on any fan of Andy Hardy and Nick & Nora Charles. Other film credits include "Blackmail," "Tennessee Johnson," "Maise," "Susan and God," "The Lady Wants Mink" and "Stars and Stripes Forever." Ms. Hussey was the mother of Oscar winning filmmaker John Longenecker. She did voice over work on his 1971 Oscar winning Live Action Short Subject "The Resurrection of Bronco Billy."

GEORGE P. COSMATOS Died Apr. 19, 2005

Action film director George P. Cosmatos died of lung cancer at age 64. Mr. Cosmatos was best known "Rambo: First Blood Part II." Mr. Cosmatos also put A-list actor Kevin Costner to shame when his film "Tombstone" outshone and outgrossed Costner’s high-brow film on the same subject "Wyatt Earp." The Italian born director was assistant director on Otto Preminger’s "Exodus" and well as on the Oscar-winning "Zorba the Greek." He wrote and directed the all-star thriller "The Cassandra Crossing." During the production of that film, the director was almost killed in a helicopter crash. Comantos and "Rambo" star Sylvester Stallone reteamed for the brutal and forgettable "Cobra." He then directed "Leviathan," an underwater variation of "Alien." His final film was the 1997 Charlie Sheen vehicle "Shadow Conspiracy."

ROY HANLON Died Apr. 19, 2005

Scottish actor Roy Hanlon died at age 66. Mr. Hanlon was a prolific TV actor in the UK appearing in over 400 TV episodes. He also appeared in a number of films. His credits include Frank Sinatra’s "The Naked Runner," Stanley Baker’s "Robbery," "The Dark Island," "The Fiction Makers," "Journey to Midnight," "Z Cars," "Softly, Softly" and "Taggart."

JERRY MOSS Died Apr. 20, 2005

Veteran property master Jerry Moss died of lung cancer two months shy of his 50^th birthday. The I.A.T.S.E. Local 44 member worked on some of the most popular films of the last 25 years. This is a very simplified explanation that really doesn’t due justice to those men and women working as property masters, but remember this, if you see an object on screen, there is a property master who had to create it and make sure it got in front of the cameras. If you think back to all of the "stuff" onscreen in the following films, you will realize how busy a man Jerry Moss was. His film credits include "Minority Report," "Lemony Snicket’s a Series of Unfortunate Events," "Big Fish," "A.I.," "The Lost World: Jurassic Park," "Mars Attacks!," "Jurassic Park" (he created the insect trapped in amber!), "A Few Good Men," "Bugsy," "Clean and Sober" and "Somewhere in Time." Mr. Moss had to withdraw from "The Pirates of the Caribbean II" because of his illness. Prayers of comfort for his family and friends.

JOHN O’HARE Died Apr. 20, 2005

Actor and playwright John O’Hare died at age 82. Mr. O’Hare was an actor during the early days of TV. He appeared on several "Hallmark Hall of Fame" productions. In the episode titled "21-Plus" he appeared with an actress named Natalie Core. Ms. Core became his wife and survives him after many years of marriage. Mr. O’Hare also appeared on Ed Sullivan’s "The Toast of the Town" and "Lights Out." Mr. O’Hare served his country as a bombardier in the US Army Air Corp in the Pacific during WWII.

VALERIANO ANDRES Died Apr. 21, 2005

Veteran Spanish actor Valeriano Andres died at age 82. Mr. Andreas appeared in over 120 films and TV shows as well as many theatrical productions during his lengthy career. His film career began in the 1940s.

BOB GARDINER Died Apr. 21, 2005

Oscar-winning filmmaker Bob Gardiner committed suicide at age 54. Mr. Gardiner was a pioneer in clay animation. Mr. Gardiner called his process ‘sculptimation.’ Bob Gardiner and Berkley student Will Vinton made the short film "Culture Shock" while still in school. The short film won first prize at the Berkley Film Festival. Their 1973 short film "Closed Mondays" won the Oscar for Best Short Film Animated. "Closed Mondays" is a hilarious little film about a drunken man who stumbles into a museum and reacts as the artwork comes to life. They first tested the drunken character out in a 45-second animation called "Wobby Wino #1." The pair went their separate ways shortly after "Closed Mondays." Mr. Vinton, the creator of the Claymation process went on to create the "California Raisins," earn four more Oscar nominations and win a number of Emmy awards. Prayers of comfort for Mr. Gardiner’s family and friends.

JIMMY THOMPSON Died Apr. 21, 2005

British stage and screen actor Jimmy Thompson died at age 79. Mr. Thompson had a lengthy career on stage, which included performances at the West End, the London Palladium and in New York. His film and TV credits include "Those Magnificent Men and Their Flying Machines," several "Carry On" films, "The Benny Hill Show," "Pinky and Perky" and "Band of Thieves."

JOHN K. MARSHALL Died Apr. 22, 2005

Documentary filmmaker John K. Marshall died of cancer at age 72. Mr. Marshall was known for his series of documentary films, which studied the bushmen of the Kalahari Desert. Beginning with the 1957 film "The Hunters," Mr. Marshall educated the world about all aspects of the lives of the African bushmen.

NORMAN BIRD

Died Apr. 22, 2005

British character actor Norman Bird died of cancer at age 80. Mr. Bird appeared in nearly 120 films and TV shows during his lengthy career. He was also a stage actor having toured with Sir John Gielgud’s Shakespeare Group. Fans of horror and sci-fi films remember Mr. Bird for his work in such films as "Maniac," Ray Harryhausen’s "First Men IN the Moon," "Hands of the Ripper," "Doomwatch" and "Omen III: The Final Conflict." Mr. Bird provided the voice of Bilbo Baggins in Ralph Bakshi’s 1978 animated version of "The Lord of the Rings." Mr. Bird was also adept at comedy and drama. Other memorable credits include "The Hill," "Victim," "The League of Gentlemen," "Whistle Down the Wind," "In Search of the Castaways," "The Wrong Box," "Oh! What a Lovely War," "Shadowlands," and "Young Winston." Mr. Bird served his country as a member of the RAF in WWII.

SIR JOHN MILLS Died Apr. 23, 2005

One of the greats of the British stage and screen has died. Sir, John Mills, patriarch of the famed acting family died at age 97 after a short illness. John Mills won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for David Lean’s 1970 romantic epic "Ryan’s Daughter." John Mills is the father of actors Juliet Mills, Hayley Mills and writer/producer Jonathan Mills. Mr. Mills appeared in nearly 150 films and TV shows during a film career that began in 1932 and continued until his death!

Mr. Mills body of work included something for all ages. John Mills starred in great family films, sophisticated adult dramas, rousing war films and a number of epics. My first exposure to his work was Disney’s "The Parent Trap," which starred his daughter Hayley. Like most men my age, I grew up with a childhood crush on his daughter Hayley Mills. He appeared seven films with his daughter including "Africa-Texas Style!," "The Truth About Spring" and "The Family Way." Other great family films starring John Mills include "Swiss Family Robinson" and "Around the World in 80 Days."

Next to the horror film genre, War movies are among my favorites. John Mills appeared in many great war films. They include "Zulu Dawn," "King Rat," "Operation Crossbow," "The Valiant," "Dunkirk," "I Was Monty’s Double," "Above Us the Waves," "We Dive at Dawn," "The Colditz Story" and "In Which We Serve." He also appeared in the anti-war musical comedy "Oh! What a Lovely War." "Oh! What a Lovely War" was directed by Sir. Richard Attenborough. John Mills also appeared . Richard Attenborough’s directorial biopics "Young Winston" and "Gandhi."

It is hard to do service to a career like that of John Mills in such limited space. His credits speak for themselves. Other memorable films include "Goodbye, Mr. Chips," "Great Expectations," "Scott of the Antarctic," "War and Peace," "The Wrong Box," "Oklahoma Crude," "Lady Caroline Lamb" and "Hamlet."

Two years ago I had the pleasure of interviewing John Mills daughter Juliet Mills. She spoke of her father fondly. Despite losing most of his vision in the 1990s, she said that he was still very sharp. "He’s remarkable. He’s 95 now and he’s still going strong. He has all his faculties. He still regales you with stories and jokes. He’s wonderful." It is nice to know that he was able to enjoy his life until the very end.

ALBERT "GUS" WING III Died Apr. 23, 2005

Skydiver Gus Wing was killed in a freak accident when the plane he had just skydived from hit him and severed both of his legs at the knees. Mr. Wing was still able to guide himself to a safe landing before dying of blood loss. He was 55 years old. Mr. Wing was a well-known skydiving camera man. His eye for exciting aerial shots is evident in such films as "Navy SEALS," "Drop Zone," "Cutaway" and the skydiving films of his friend Norman Kent. Mr. Wing was wearing a camera helmet when the tragic accident happened. It is not yet known if the camera was operating when the tragic accident occurred. Prayers of comfort for his family and friends.

ROBERT FARNON Died Apr. 23, 2005

Composer Robert Farnon died in his sleep at age 87. The Canadian composer was stationed in England during WWII. He stayed and made it his home. He scored nearly 40 films and TV shows as well as working in both Canadian and British radio. His film credits include "Captain Horatio Hornblower," "Quatermass II," "Expresso Bongo," "The Road to Hong Kong" and the cult TV series "The Prisoner." Mr. Farnon was the uncle of "The Sound of Music" actress Charmian Carr and "The Beguiled" actress Darleen Carr.

ALAN GILBERT Died Apr. 23, 2005

TV game show producer Alan Gilbert died at age 84. Mr. Gilbert produced such popular shows as "Let’s Make a Deal," "Split Second," "Keep Talking" and "Penny to a Million."

JACK GLEASON Died Apr. 24, 2005

EMMY and EDDIE Award nominated film editor Jack Gleason died at age 85. Mr. Gleason worked in TV dating back to the 1950s. His work was recognized with an EMMY nomination for the gritty crime drama "The Naked City." The American Cinema Editor nominated him twice for his work on the hit series "Hawaii 5-0." Mr. Gleason’s credits include TV shows as "Route 66," Irwin Allen’s "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea," the outstanding TV movie "Cry Rape" and "The Jerk, Too."

WILLIAM LINDEMANN Died Apr. 25, 2005

Film editor William Lindemann died at age 79. He was a 51-year-member of the Editor’s Guild. Mr. Lindemann worked on such films as Sam Peckinpah’s "The Getaway," the Peter Bogdanovich films "Daisy Miller" and "Nickelodeon" and the Goldie Hawn comedy "The Dutchess and Dirtwater Fox."

MARIA SCHELL Died Apr. 26, 2005

Award-winning Austrian actress Maria Schell died of pneumonia at age 79. Ms. Schell had been admitted to a hospital for her illness two weeks ago. She remained in critical condition. Maria Schell was the first major German star to emerge during the post WWII era. Ms. Schell enjoyed popularity on an international level. She was the sister of Oscar-winning actor Maximilian Schell. Ms. Schell appeared in over 100 films and TV shows during her lengthy career. Ms. Schell won eight Bambi Awards (including seven consecutive wins!) for her acting and also received a Lifetime Achievement Bambi in 2002. Her work was also recognized with two BAFTA nominations and awards at numerous film festivals including Cannes. Ms. Schell played a strong supporting role in "The Mark." Her co-star Stuart Whitman was nominated for an Oscar that year. His competition was Ms. Schell’s brother Maximilian. Her brother won for his role as the defense attorney in "Judgment at Nuremberg." Ms. Schell’s other film credits include "Superman," "The Odessa File," "Voyage of the Damned," Jesus Franco’s "Night of the Blood Monster" and "99 Women," the remake of "Cimarron" with Glenn Ford and "The Magic Box."

MASON ADAMS Died Apr. 26, 2005

Emmy-nominated character actor Mason Adams died of natural causes at age 86. Mr. Adams worked in radio, TV, film and on the stage. How you know him may depend on what generation you come from. Mr. Adams was on the popular radio serial "Pepper Young’s Family," in which he played the title role. He continued working in radio during the 1970s when "The CBS Radio Mystery Theater" thrived with stories of the macabre. That was my first exposure to Mr. Adams. When he appeared in the popular 1977 TV series "Lou Grant," I was able to put a face with the voice. Mr. Adams was nominated for three Emmy awards for playing the editor of the Los Angeles Tribune in Ed Asner’s spin-off from "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." Mr. Adams character in "Lou Grant" was typical of the kind he usually played: wise, kind and gentle. That is why it was such a delight to see him play the evil Col. Mason in the thriller "F/X." Like most badguys, Mason Adams’ character in "F/X" got a deliciously clever comeupance reminiscent to Peter Graves death in Billy Wilder’s "Stalag 17." Others may remember Mason Adams as the voice on the ubiquitous Smuckers TV commercials. "With a name like Smuckers, it has to be good." Mason Adams other credits include "Omen III: The Final Conflict," "Toy Soldiers," the remake of "Not of This Earth," "Houseguest," "Murder, She Wrote" and "Oz."

ROBERT J. SCHIFFER Died Apr. 26, 2005

Legendary make-up man Bob Schiffer died of a massive stroke at age 88. Mr. Schiffer worked on nearly 200 hundred film and TV shows during his 70-year career. He worked at RKP, MGM and for over 30 years was the makeup supervisor for Disney Studios. He was a personal favorite of a number of movie stars including Rita Hayworth, Clark Gable, Marlene Dietrich, Ginger Rogers, Fred Astaire and Burt Lancaster. Mr. Schiffer is credited with creating the 1940’s look of deep red lips and thin eyebrows. Just take another look at Rita Hayworth in "Gilda" to see what I mean. During WWII, Mr. Schiffer was recruited by the government to do makeup for covert operations. He also was involved on the Bay of Pigs to make certain people look Cuban. At the Second Annual Hollywood Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist Guild Awards in 2001, Mr. Schiffer received the Guild's George Westmore Lifetime Achievement Award. Mr. Schiffer’s credits speak for themselves. "Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend," "Splash," "Something Wicked This Way Comes," "Tron," "Pete's Dragon," "Bedknobs and Broomsticks," "The Gypsy Moths," "The Professionals," "Cat Ballou," "Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte," "My Fair Lady," "Cleopatra," "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?," "Birdman of Alcatraz," "The Music Man," "Judgment at Nuremberg," the original "Ocean's Eleven," "Elmer Gantry," "Gigi," "Run Silent Run Deep," "The Amazing Colossal Man," "Pal Joey," "3:10 to Yuma," "Sweet Smell of Success," "Around the World in Eighty Days," "Picnic," "Mister Roberts," "Marty," "The Caine Mutiny," "From Here to Eternity," "Death of a Salesman," "An American in Paris," "All the King's Men," "Knock on Any Door," "The Lady from Shanghai," "Gilda," "The Magnificent Ambersons," "Here Comes Mr. Jordan," "Boom Town," "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," "The Wizard of Oz," "Boys Town," "Captains Courageous," "The Good Earth," "After the Thin Man," "The Charge of the Light Brigade," "The Great Ziegfeld," "A Night at the Opera," "Mutiny on the Bounty," "The Last Days of Pompeii," "She," "The Informer" and "Horse Feathers." Wow! What a list. There are plenty more where those came from!

HASIL ADKINS Died Apr. 26, 2005

If you listened to one different Hasil Adkins song a day, it would take you nearly 17 years to go through his entire library. Hasil Adkins was a one-man-rockabilly band. He wrote and recorded almost 7000 songs during his lengthy and eccentric career. He was more prolific than Wild Man Fischer was, but in many ways he was a kindred spirit to Fischer. Unlike Wild Man Fischer, Hasil Adkins didn’t have a Frank Zappa to stand behind him and release his recordings. Instead, Hasil Adkins played live, nearly 50 years on the road. He released several singles on Norton Records in the early 60s. Mr. Adkins gained newfound popularity in the 1980s when the band The Cramps recorded his song "She Said." Mr. Adkins was the subject of the documentary "The Wild World of Hasil Adkins." He appeared in several films including "Die You Zombie Bastards!" One of a kind Hasil Adkins died three days shy of his 68^th birthday.

CHARLES A. PRATT Died Apr. 27, 2005

Producer Charles A. Pratt died of lung cancer at age 81. Mr. Pratt produced a string of very successful low-budget films for Bing Crosby Productions during the 1970s. Checking out his credits brought back a string of memories from my high school days. The list includes many fond favorites. Growing up not too far from McNairy County meant you knew who Bufford Pusser was. My favorite film by Mr. Pratt was the original "Walking Tall" with Joe Don Baker. Mr. Pratt was to produce two theatrical sequels and a Made for TV version also. As a horror fan, I remember the Saturday afternoon I watched Pratt's blockbuster-horror-film "Willard" at the Crosstown Theater in Memphis. I never did see Pratt’s squeal to "Willard": "Ben," but anyone who grew up at the time can attest to hearing Michael Jackson’s theme song on the radio more times than they wish to remember. Another favorite of mine is "The Reincarnation of Peter Proud." Looking back I think I may have enjoyed the movie because of the ample nudity on display. Though I snuck into the movie a number of times during high school, I can’t really remember if the movie is any good! Probably Mr. Pratt’s crowning achievement as a producer was the Oscar-nominated adaptation of Pat Conroy’s excellent book "The Great Santini." Other credits include the horror comedies "Arnold" and "Terror in the Wax Museum." He also produced the Twiggy vehicle "W." Mr. Pratt was the father of Daytime Emmy winning writer Charles Pratt Jr. Mr. Pratt served his country in the Pacific as a decorated US Army soldier during WWII. He was wounded in combat. Thanks for the service to your country and thanks for the movie memories Mr. Pratt.

LANE NAKANO Died Apr. 28, 2005

Japanese actor Lane Nakano died of emphysema. Lane Nakano co-starred with Van Johnson in the WWII drama "Go For Broke!" It was one of the first American films to feature Japanese American actors in non-stereotypical roles. The film told the story of the 442 Regimental Combat Team made up of Japanese American soldiers fighting in the European Theater of War during WWII. Mr. Nakano and his brother Lyle were no strangers to the 442^nd as both served in the combat unit during WWII! While Mr. Nakano acted in several more films and TV shows during the 1950s and 60s, "Go For Broke!" was his most famous and biggest role. He was also involved in region theater in California. Mr. Nakano was the father of screenwriter Desmond Nakano who wrote "Last Exit to Brooklyn," "Bad Moon Rising" and "American Me" among others. He also wrote and directed "White Man’s Burden."

REX HICKOK Died Apr. 28, 2005

Another sad story from the world of adult films. Rex Hickok who directed under the name Rex Cabo and acted under the name Lance Heywood committed suicide by jumping from the 11^th story of a Long Beach, California apartment building. Mr. Cabo acted in and directed over 100 adult films in the 1990s. Mr. Cabo was the man who discovered 1990s porn superstar Savannah. His famous discovery also committed suicide following a car accident that disfigured her beautiful face. He claimed to be a direct descendant of Wild Bill Hickok. Mr. Hickok was also known as Rex Darkthone, a member of the Church of Satan. Some news reports have misstated that Mr. Cabo was Draconis Blackthorne, when in fact Draconis Blackthorne is a completely different person who is quite alive. Mr. Cabo was quoted as saying "The only thing the cross is good for is to turn upside-down and dig your own grave, for if you trust in the cross, your ass has been sold, you are a slave." Hopefully he came to his senses to accept the blood that was shed for him on the cross before he crashed in the parked police car following his 11-story drop. Prayers of comfort for his family and friends.

CHARLES R. SCHULTHIES Died Apr. 28, 2005

Special effects technician and production designer Chuck Schulthies died at age 82. His son Charles Schulthies II followed in his footsteps and is also a special effects technician. The elder Mr. Schulthies did special effects and was production designer on the classic sci-fi film "Westworld." Other credits include the remake of "Mutiny on the Bounty," "Ben-Hur," "Ice Station Zebra," "Ambush Bay," the TV version of "How the West Was Won," "Diner" and "My Favorite Year." He was a member of I.A.T.S.E. Local 41.

AILEEN RAYMOND Died Apr. 28, 2005

British actress Aileen Raymond died five days after her first husband, actor Sir John Mills. Ms. Raymond had a long and distinguished career on stage, in film and on TV. She began her film career in silent movies. Ms. Raymond appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1929 film "Champagne." Other early film credits include "Elstree Calling" and "Orders is Orders." Ms. Raymond appeared primarily on stage. She enjoyed renewed popularity on TV in the 1960s in the soap Opera "Crossroads" and the police drama "Z Cars." She was married to John Mills from 1931 through 1940. She later married Francis Ogilvy. Their son Jonathan is a writer/director and son Ian an actor best known for his work in the TV series "The Saint."

MARIANA LEVY Died Apr. 29, 2005

Yet another actor has died this month as result of a robbery attempt. Mexican actress Mariana died of a heart attack suffered during a robbery attempt in Mexico City. The popular TV actress was 39 years old. Ms. Levy was being driven by a chauffeur when a lone assailant tried to steel her watch. Ms. Levy appeared in nearly 20 TV series in her native land. Prayers of comfort for her family and friends.

WILLIAM J. BELL Died Apr. 29, 2005

Soap opera writer William J. Bell died of Alzheimer’s disease at age 78. Along with his wife Lee Phillip Bell, Mr. Bell created the popular soap operas "The Young and the Restless" and "The Bold and the Beautiful." Mr. Bell won six Daytime Emmy Awards for "The Young and the Restless." He was nominated another nine times! In addition, Mr. Bell won two Soap Opera Digest awards and was nominated for a Writer’s Guild Award for his hit soap opera. Mr. Bell was also the head writer for "The Days of Our Lives" from 1966 through 1972. His other writing credits include "Another World," "As the World Turns" and "The Guiding Light." Mr. Bell was the father of actress award-winning actress Lauralee Bell and writer Bradley Bell.

JOHNNIE STEWART Died Apr. 29, 2005

British TV producer Johnnie Stewart died at age 87. Mr. Stewart was the creator of the long-running BBC series "Tops of the Pops." "Tops of the Pops" featured musical performances by such groups as The Beatles, The Supremes, Sonny and Cher, Jeff Beck, The Monkees, Stevie Wonder, David Bowie, Queen, Elvis Costello and others. Mr. Stewart also producer "The Terry Thomas Show."

BROOK WILLIAMS Died Apr. 29, 2005

British stage and film comedic actor Brook Williams died of cancer at age 67. Mr. Williams was the son of writer Emlyn Williams and a long-time friend of the late actor Richard Burton. He was part of Burton’s entourage called Burton’s Caravan. He appeared in small roles in thirteen films starring Richard Burton. Mr. Williams was best known for his stage work. His film credits include "The Heroes of Telemark," "Raid on Rommel," "Plague of the Zombies," "The V.I.P.s," "Where Eagles Dare," "Anne of a Thousand Days," "Hammersmith is Out," "The Wild Geese" and "Absolution."

SHERMAN LOUDERMILK Died Apr. 30, 2005

Emmy-nominated art director Sherman Loudermilk died of Alzheimer’s Disease at age 92. Mr. Loudermilk was part of the Emmy-nominated team of designers who brought the TV mini-series "Centennial" to life. Among his other credits are the original "Battlestar Galactica," "The A-Team," "Simon & Simon" and "Moving Violation." Mr. Loudermilk was Cowboy Slim, the host of a local LA TV kid’s show during the late 1940s and early50s. Mr. Loudermilk served his country in the Pacific as a Marine during WWII.

WILLIAM BROWN Died April 30, 2005

Cinematographer William Brown died of colon cancer just shy of his 80th birthday. Mr. Brown was the DP on the TV series "Emergency!" The decorated WWII Army veteran became a professional ice skater following the war and worked with Sonja Henie. He began working in the film industry during the 1950s as a camera operator, camera man and later as a DP. Mr. Brown worked on such films and TV shows as "Clambake," "Change of Habit," "Angel in My Pocket," "Shenandoah," "Munster, Go Home," "The Andromeda Strain," "McHale's Navy," "Night Gallery" and "Ironside."

BRITNEY MADISON Died April 30, 2005

Budding porn star Britney Madison, real name Stacey Pfeiffer was killed in a one-car accident in her home town of Las Vegas. Ms. Madison and her friend Kyle Anderson were both killed when their car went off the road and flew more than 90 feet in the air. Both were 21-years-old. The buxom blond had worked for a number of adult video producers including Diabolic Video Productions, Hustler Video and Platinum X Pictures.

MARCH 2005 FILM WORLD OBITUARIES

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PETER ZVI MALKIN Died Mar. 1, 2005

Peter Zvi Malkin choked to death after vomiting at age 77. A painful and inglorious end to the man who brought one of the world’s most hated criminals to justice. Mr. Malkin was the chief of operations for Israel’s intelligence agency the Mossad. He was the man who captured Nazi war criminal Adolph Eichmann. Mr. Malkin was part of the team headed by Mossad head Isser Harrel. After much tracking and surveillance, Mr. Malkin was in place when Adolph Eichmann stepped out of his apartment in Argentina. Malkin approached Eichmann and said "Un momentito, Senor." He then grabbed Eichmann and wrestled him into an awaiting car. Mr. Malkin wore rubber gloves so he wouldn’t have to touch Eichmann. Mr. Malkin’s sister Fruma and her children were killed in the Holocaust. Mr. Malkin revealed to his mother on her deathbed that it was he who captured Eichmann: "I captured Eichmann. Fruma is avenged." Mr. Malkin’s book "Eichmann in My Hands" was turned into the TV film "The Man Who Captured Eichmann." Actor Arliss Howard portrayed Mr. Malkin in the film. There were a number of documentaries made about the operation. They include "Crime Stories: The Capture and Trial of Adolph Eichmann." For those who are interested, Mr. Harrel wrote an excellent book on the operation called "The House on Garibaldi Street." That book was filmed as a TV movie in 1979. Though there is no character named Peter Malkin in that film, his actions are portrayed. At the time, his identity had yet to be revealed, as he was still a Mossad operative. Thank you for your service to humanity.

REV. WALTER HALLORAN Died Mar. 1, 2005

Jesuit priest Walter Halloran died at age 83 in a Jesuit retirement home. Rev. Halloran was the last surviving priest who performed the 1949 exorcism on a 14-year-old Mt. Rainier, Maryland boy. That exorcism was the inspiration for writer William Peter Blatty, author of the book "The Exorcist." The real exorcism was performed at a St. Louis psychiatric hospital by Rev. William Bowdern. Rev. Halloran was asked to help control the child as he was having violent seizures. Rev. Halloran’s nose was broken during the exorcism. He appeared as himself in the documentary about the real exorcism: "In the Grip of Evil." Rev. Halloran served his country in Vietnam. He earned two Bronze Stars as an airborne chaplain.

NINA LUNN BLACK Died Mar. 1, 2005

Actress turned Washington socialite Nina Lunn Black died of congestive heart failure at age 80. As Nina Lunn she appeared in two movies during the 1940s. She appeared in the first scene of the comedy "The Senator Was Indiscreet." The movie was the lone directorial effort of Pulitzer Prize winning author George S. Kaufman. Ms. Lunn was also Mr. Kaufman’s assistant during the film’s shoot. She appeared in one other film, "Up in Central Park" before leaving Hollywood for the halls of power in Washington.

ROGER MYERS Died Mar. 1, 2005

Propmaker Roger Myers died at age 62. Mr. Myers had worked in the industry since 1976. He was the father of special effects technician Ron Myers. His son worked on the films "Boogie Nights" and "Blade." Both father and son are members of I.A.T.S.A. Local 44.

BARRY STIGLER Died Mar. 1, 2005

Actor Barry Stigler died suddenly at age 56. Mr. Stigler had a long list of voice credits in movies, TV and video games. He often worked under the name Gil Starberry. He was well known to anime fans as he provided voices for English versions of anime shows dating back to the late 1970s. Among his credits are "Gundam," "Transformers," "Street Fighter," "Cowboy Bebop" and "Ghost in the Shell."

CORRADO PANI Died Mar. 2, 2005

Italian actor Corrado Pani died after a lengthy illness. He was two days shy of his 69^th birthday. Mr. Pani appeared in nearly 50 films during his 50 year career. Among his many credits are several Sward and Sandal films from the late 50s and early 60s. Those include "Amazons of Rome," "A Queen for Caesar," "Cleopatra’s Daughter" and "Herod the Great." Mr. Pani appeared in very unpleasant horror film "Watch Me While I Kill." He also appeared in "Under Ten Flags" with Charles Laughton and Van Heflin."

GUYLAINE ST-ONGE Died Mar. 3, 2005

Canadian actress Guylaine St-Onge died of cervical cancer at age 39. Ms. St-Onge was a regular on the TV series "Lonesome Dove" and "Earth: Final Conflict." She appeared in nearly 30 films and TV shows during her short life. Ms. St-Onge played the sexy space vampire Juda in Gene Roddenberry’s "Earth: Final Conflict." Other credits include Jlo’s "Angel Eyes," "One Way Out," the new version of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," the TV series version of "La Femme Nikita" and "Kung Fu: The Legend Continues." Prayers of comfort for her young son.

HERBERT ARMSTRONG Died Mar. 3, 2005

Prolific character actor Herbert Armstrong died at age 80. Mr. Armstrong appeared in over 50 films and TV shows during his career. He can be seen in the original version of "Cape Fear" playing a waiter. Mr. Armstrong's many credits include "The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond," "Something Evil," "Police Story," "Attack on Terror: The FBI vs. the Ku Klux Klan," "Stir Crazy," "Seems Like Old Times," "Big Trouble" and "7th Heaven."

ANNEMARIE HOELLGER NORTH Died Mar. 4, 2005

Annemarie Hoellger North, the widow of Oscar winning composer Alex North died of cancer at age 64. Ms. North managed a symphony orchestra in Munich Germany before moving to the US. Her late husband was nominated for 15 Oscars! He was given an Honorary Oscar in 1988 for his contribution to the movies. Ms. North worked hard to help elevate the appreciation of movie music as an art form.

PAULINE FAWCETT Died Mar. 4, 2005

Pauline Fawcett, the mother of actress Farrah Fawcett and grandmother of actor Redmond O’Neal died at age 91. Ms. Fawcett made a cameo in her daughter’s film "Sunburn." She also appeared with her daughter in "The Barbara Walters Mothers Day Special." She was the second cast member of the workout video "Silver Foxes Aerobics with Richard Simmons" to pass away this year. Sal Pacino, father of Al Pacino died in January. Ms. Fawcett also appeared in her daughter’s current reality TV series "Chasing Farrah."

MORRIS ENGEL Died Mar. 5, 2005

Indie-film pioneer Morris Engel died of cancer at age 86. Mr. Engel co-wrote, co-produced, shot and co-directed one of the most influential films of the 1950s. The 1953 film "The Little Fugitive" was a simple film with profound results. The story concerned a 7-year-old boy who runs away from home believing that her killed his older brother. Mr. Engel designed a lightweight camera, which allowed him to shoot the film by hand. He raised his own money and made the movie without studio support. Mr. Engel, his future wife Ruth Orkin and co-director Ray Ashley were nominated for a Best Screenplay Oscar. The film won the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival. Not bad for a non-studio movie released during the days of the Studio System. Mr. Engel also made the films "Lovers and Lollipops" and "Weddings and Babies." Neither was as influential as
"The Little Fugitive." French critic and director Francois Truffaut claimed that Mr. Engel’s work was responsible for the French New Wave movement of the late 50s and early 60s. Indie auteur John Cassavettes also credited Engel with inspiring him to finance his own personal films. He was also one of director Martin Scorsese’s inspirations. Mr. Engel was primarily a photographer. He served his country in WWII as a combat photographer for the US Navy. He hit the beaches on D-Day and photographed what he witnessed. Mr. Engel appeared in documentary "Birth of a Nation." Jonas Mekas’ film focused on indie and avant-garde filmmakers during the last half of the 20^th century. If you are unfamiliar with Mr. Engel’s work, his three films are available on DVD from Kino Video and include a commentary track by Mr. Engel. It might be a smart purchase for aspiring indie filmmakers.

JAMES TYLER Died Mar. 5, 2005

Orchestrator James Tyler died at age 76. Mr. Tyler spent over 50 years working on Broadway. He also worked in TV and film. His credits include "The Great Muppet Caper," "Raggedy Ann and Andy," "Bell Telephone Hour," "Kraft Music Hall" and two films in the video series "The Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare": "Romeo and Juliet" and "Measure for Measure." Mr. Tyler served his country during the Korean War.

VANCE GERRY Died Mar. 5, 2005

Disney layout artist/writer Vance Gerry died of cancer at age 75. Mr. Gerry wrote or co-wrote a number of Disney’s animated features. His writing credits include the 1967 version of "The Jungle Book," "Oliver and Company," "The Aristocats," "The Black Cauldron," "The Great Mouse Detective," "The Fox and the Hound" and "The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh." Mr. Gerry began his career with Disney as an artist. His art credits include "101 Dalmatians," "The Goofy Success Story," "Goofy's Cavalcade of Sports," "The Sword in the Stone," "Hercules," "Pocahontas" and "Tarzan."

SANDY WARD Died Mar. 6, 2005

Character actor Sandy Ward has died leaving us with countless contributions to numerous great films. Mr. Ward appeared in nearly 120 films and TV shows. He contributed nice supporting performances to many of my favorite films. Mr. Ward added spice to many great films. While his roles weren’t always large, he made his presence known when he was on screen. Mr. Ward was also a HAM Radio aficionado.

Actor John Crawford and dear friend of Mr. Ward paid tribute to Mr. Ward this way: "The actor, Sandy Ward, was unique. Fifty years ago when he appeared in his 1^st play at the Players Ring Theatre in Hollywood, the audience took one look at that rugged face, listened to that powerful voice and considered him the next Orson Wells. Later on, Sandy’s very presence was all that was needed to complete the desired aspect. If the role wasn’t there, directors had their writers create more material for him. Yes, they broke the mold when Sandy Ward joined the rest of us on this old globe. And, boy, will he be missed!"

Mr. Ward added his talent to the excellent TV series "Malcolm in the Middle" playing Logger Pete during the third season. He appeared in some of the best Made for TV movies of all time. He appeared in the caustic comedy "Shirts/Skins," "The Kansas City Massacre," "The Execution of Private Slovak" and "The Disappearance of Aimee." Horror fans may remember Mr. Ward from his roles in "The Velvet Vampire" and as Sheriff Bannerman "Cujo." He played the warden in my favorite B movie "Fast Walking." The list of Mr. Ward’s films in quite impressive: "F.I.S.T.," "The Onion Field," "The Rose," "Being There," "Airplane 2," "Under Siege" and "The Perfect Storm."

In addition to his work on "Malcolm in the Middle" Mr. Ward had a recurring role on "Seinfeld." He was a regular on "Dallas" from 1978 and 79. His other TV guest roles included appearances on "Murder, She Wrote," "Hill Street Blues," "The A-Team," "Charlie’s Angels," "Ironside," "The Rockford Files" and "Alias Smith and Jones."

TERESA WRIGHT Died Mar. 6, 2005

Oscar-winning actress Teresa Wright died of a heart attack at age 86. Teresa Wright was the only actor to be nominated for Oscars for their first three films. She is also only one of nine actors to be nominated in both the Best Acting and Supporting Acting Oscar categories in the same year. Though she appeared in less than 50 films, many of them were classics. Teresa Wright’s screen persona epitomized the girl you wanted to take home to meet you mom. That may sound corny, but she was what the girl-next-door was before Hugh Hefner redefined them. Ms. Wright’s first husband was Oscar-nominated screenwriter Niven Busch (Duel in the Sun). Her second husband was the multi Oscar-nominated playwright Robert Anderson (I Never Sang for My Father).

After being discovered on Broadway by Samuel Goldwyn, she was brought to Hollywood amid much hoopla. Goldwyn saw Ms. Wright in the Broadway production of Thorton Wilder’s "Our Town." Ms. Wright held her own against such talents as Bette Davis and Herbert Marshall in William Wyler’s "The Little Foxes." She was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar in her 1941 film debut. The following year she played Lou Gehrig’s wife in "Pride of the Yankees." That film earned her a Best Actress Oscar nomination. That same year she co-starred in the ultimate tearjerker "Mrs. Miniver." She won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her work.

My personal favorites came later. Alfred Hitchcock cast her perfectly in his masterpiece "Shadow of a Doubt." Ms. Wright played the small-town girl who begins to suspect that her favorite uncle Charlie is a notorious serial killer. Ms. Wright once again shone among a stellar ensemble cast that included Joseph Cotton, Hume Cronyn, Macdonald Carey and Wallace Ford. Her best work came in William Wyler’s American classic "The Best Years of Our Lives." If there is any doubt that Ms. Wright was an actress of limited range, this is the film to watch. Ms. Wright played the daughter of a rich banker who finds herself falling in love with a married man. Again, she was part of a great ensemble cast that included Fredric March, Myna Loy, Dana Andrews, Harold Russell, Virginia Mayo and Hoagy Carmichael.

After ten years in Hollywood, Teresa Wright ran afoul of the Studio System. She was bad-mouthed for not being a toadie to the moguls. She suffered financially, but continued to work. In later years she spent more time on stage than in front of the cameras. She starred opposite Marlon Brando in his film debut "The Men." Brando played a man wheelchair bound due to a wound suffered in the Korean War. I always remember his line in which he says that Ms. Wright’s character "makes me feel like a bug." She appeared in a number of feature films during the 1950s before retreating to the stage. Her film appearances after 1960 were limited mostly to a number of Made for TV films.

I remember Teresa Wright in the creepy ABC TV movie "Crawlspace." She co-starred with Arthur Kennedy as an elderly couple who discover a strange young man living in the crawlspace of their home. They adopt the kid to try and help him. It was one of the great little films put out by ABC in the early 1970s as part of their "ABC Tuesday and Wednesday Movie of the Week." "The Elevator" was another TV movie in this series that was a standout. It involved an all-star cast trapped in an elevator with an armed robber. I know an obituary is not the place to say this, but I wish someone would put out those old ABC movies in a boxed set of DVDs! Another great TV movie featuring Ms. Wright was CBS's "Bill: On His Own." The film was a sequel to "Bill." Mickey Rooney played Bill Sackter, a mentally retarded adult learning to live on his own. Soap Opera fans enjoyed Ms. Wright’s brief stint as Grace Cummings during the 1986 season of "The Guiding Light."

Ms. Wright was also a prolific guest star on various TV shows. She appeared in over 60 shows during her career. She was nominated for two Emmy Awards. The first was for her performance as Annie Sullivan in the "Playhouse 90" version of "The Miracle Worker." Patricia McCormack of "The Bad Seed" fame played Helen Keller opposite Ms. Wright. Ms. Wright was also nominated for an Emmy Award for her guest appearance on the TV series "Dolphin Cove." Other guest starring credits include "The Ford Television Theater," Sid Caesar’s "Your Show of Shows," "Climax!," "Studio 57," "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour," "Bonanza," "Picket Fences" and "Murder She Wrote."

Ms. Wright did come back to features occasionally. In 1969 Ms. Wright played Michael Douglas’s mother in his debut film "Hail, Hero!" Like Marlon Brando’s debut, Michael Douglas’s debut dealt with a man returning home from war: this time the Vietnam War. In 1980 Ms. Wright appeared in the romantic cult-classic "Somewhere in Time." Leonard Nimoy cast Ms. Wright in his 1988 film "The Good Mother." Ms. Wright’s final film was shot in my hometown. She played Matt Damon’s landlord in Francis Ford Coppola’s film version of John Grisham’s "The Rainmaker."

DEBRA HILL Died Mar. 7, 2005

Horror movie fans will most probably think of Michael Myers whenever the town of Haddonfield is mentioned. The psychopathic monster is as much a part of the fictional movie geography as Jason is of the fictional Camp Crystal Lake. The movie town of Haddonfield was the name of "Halloween" co-writer and producer Debra Hill’s hometown. Debra Hill rose from her roots in Haddonfield New Jersey to become on of the most successful female producers in Hollywood. Today Debra Hill lost her 13-month battle with cancer. She was 54 years old. Prayers of comfort for her family and friends.

Horror movie fans are loyal. They invariably look for a new talent, a name that guarantee’s quality thrills and chills. I’m one such fan. "Halloween" was a movie phenomenon. Like millions of other genre fans in the 1970s, I was wowed by John Carpenter’s work. I made a point of going to see whatever he did. I also noticed that there was someone else involved with John Carpenter, a co-writer and a producer, someone who shared his vision and believed in his work. That person was Debra Hill. Carpenter and Hill wrote "Halloween" in two weeks. Ms. Hill provided the insight into small-town America and into teenage girls. Carpenter provided the scares.

I guess Debra Hill’s career reminds me of that old TV commercial for Smith-Barney in which John Houseman said "Smith-Barney: They make money the old-fashioned way. They EARN it!" Debra Hill’s rise was like that. She earned her way to the top with hard work that started as a script supervisor on B-movie director Larry Buchanan’s 1976 sexploitation bio-pic "Goodbye, Norma Jean." Ms. Hill worked on two films during that bicentennial year. The other film was a first time effort by John Carpenter. "Assault on Precinct 13" showed what a talented director could do with a very low budget. The film still packs a punch today. Ms. Hill was both the script supervisor and assistant editor in the indie classic. That film marked the beginning of the collaboration with Mr. Carpenter that continued to this day. That is not to say that Ms. Hill was strictly the woman who co-wrote and produced the films of John Carpenter. While that in itself guarantees Ms. Hill a respected spot in Hollywood history, Debra Hill achieved much more in her short life.

In addition to her association with John Carpenter, Debra Hill produced a number of successful films. Her first non-Carpenter production was David Cronenberg’s wonderful adaptation of Stephen king’s "The Dead Zone." Other production credits include Terry Gilliam’s "The Fisher King," Chris Columbus’s "Adventures in Babysitting" and "Heartbreak Hotel," "Big Top Pee Wee" and "Crazy in Alabama." Ms. Hill also produced a string of Made for TV and cable TV films.

As I said before, I’m a horror movie fan. I will always be indebted to Ms. Hill for her partnership with John Carpenter. Ms. Hill wrote and produced "Halloween," "Halloween II," "The Fog" and one I’ll forgive her for "Escape from L.A." The characters she created in "Halloween" were used in five sequels including the upcoming "Halloween 9." Her script for "The Fog" is being remade with director Rupert Wainwright at the helm. Ms. Hill also produced Carpenter’s "Escape from New York." She and Mr. Carpenter co-produced the in name only sequel "Halloween 3: Season of the Witch." This overlooked little gem suffers from having the "Halloween" title. Michael Myers was nowhere to be found. Instead, the movie was an occult thriller involving a demonic toy manufacturer played by the late Dan O’Herlihy who is bent on destroying our children with some very creepy Halloween masks. The film was one of Ms. Hill’s less successful films, but it is worthy of rediscovery.

JOHN BOX Died Mar. 7, 2005

Multi Oscar and BAFTA winning production designer/art director John Box died of vascular disease at age 85. John Box helped some of the greatest directors of all time achieve their vision. In some cases, Mr. Box’s vision exceeded the talent of the directors he worked with. Mr. Box was nominated for six Oscars, winning four and was nominated for six BAFTAs, winning three. Just looking over Mr. Box’s will conjure up memorable and monumental scenes from some of the best films ever made.

Mr. Box won Oscars for David Lean’s films "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Dr. Zhivago." Those two films alone would make one worthy of a place in film history. I could go on and on about the memorable images and sets. However, Mr. Box’s career didn’t end there. He also won Oscars for Carol Reed’s 1968 Best Picture Oscar winner "Oliver" and Franklin J. Schaffner’s "Nicholas and Alexandra." Mr. Box was also nominated for Oscars for Lean’s "A Passage to India" and George Cukor’s "Travels With My Aunt." His three BAFTA wins were for "A Man for All Seasons," Norman Jewison’s original version of "Rollerball" and the Robert Redford/Mia Farrow version of "The Great Gatsby." He was also honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 1999 London Critic’s Circle Film Awards.

Last year I reviewed the Fox Studio Classic DVD release of "The Inn of the Sixth Happiness." The true story of a missionary to china who saved over a hundred children during WWII was a visually stunning film. I was stunned to discover that the movie was filmed in Wales! Mr. Box’s art direction on that film was amazing. I intend to watch it again and see if I can tell that it was not filmed in the orient.

Among Mr. Box’s other credits are William Friedkin’s remake of "The Wages of Fear": "Sorcerer." While the remake doesn’t come close to the original film’s power, Mr. Box’s jungle design work is excellent. He also created the great sets in Michael Mann’s excellent and dark horror film "The Keep." Other credits include "The Cockleshell Heroes," "Our Man in Havana," "The World of Suzi Wong," the 1994 version of "Black Beauty" and "First Knight."

Mr. Box served his country in the Royal Armored Corp during WWII, rising to the rank of Colonel at age 25!

WILLIS HALL Died Mar. 7, 2005

Playwright Willis Hall died one month shy of his 86^th birthday. Mr. Hall was nominated for three BAFTAs for Best British Screenplay in 1961, 62 and 63. All three nominations were shared with Mr. Willis’s longtime writing partner Keith Waterhouse. The first nomination was for the classic "Whistle Down the Wind," which starred Haley Mills and Albert Bates. If you have never seen this film, you are in a position to discover a masterpiece. Next came "A Kind of Loving," an entry in the British Angry Young Man cycle of films. Again, Alan Bates starred and the film was directed by John Schlesinger. "Billy Liar" was Mr. Willis’s best known work. John Schlesinger also directed the film version in 1962. The play version was directed by Lindsey Anderson. Canadian actor aqnd friend Jon Ted Wynne exposed me to another one of Mr. Willis’s works: "The Long and the Short and the Tall." Other credits include "The Valiant," the TV series "That Was the Week That Was" and "Lock Up Your Daughter’s."

I TWO STEP TOO Died Mar. 7, 2005

This is a sad day for horse lovers. The horse I Two Step Too had to be put down due to a nasal tumor. I Two Step Too was one of ten horses used to play Seabiscuit in last years hit film "Seabiscuit." The horse’s owners had the tumor removed last year, but it grew back. I Two Step Too was eleven years old. There were a number of horses hired to play Seabiscuit. Each horse was hired for a specific skill. I Two Step Too was the horse featured in all of the "blow by" scenes. I Two Step Too had the speed needed to add excitement to scenes in the movie where Seabiscuit would blow by the competition and leave them in the dust.

SHARYN LANE Died Mar. 7, 2005

Writer/producer/actress Sharyn Lane died of pancreatic cancer at age 55. Ms. Lane produced the film version of Del Shores "Sordid Lives." She also played a small part in the movie. She also produced several stage plays including "The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife." Ms. Lane did guest spots on the TV series "Married…With Children" and "Parker Louis Can’t Lose." She was also a regular on the very short-lived series "Vinnie & Bobby," which was created by her then husband Ron Leavitt. Special thanks to Ms. Lane's friend, singer/songwriter Kacey Jones for the use of this photo.

OZREN DEPOLO Died Mar. 7, 2005

Croatian composer Ozren Depolo died just shy of his 75^th birthday. Mr. Depolo composed scores for a number of animated shorts as well as a few feature films. He was a noted jazz composer who played the flute and saxophone. Mr. Depolo’s credits include "The Ugly Duckling," "The Grasshopper," "The Specialist," "Whatever You Can Spare" and "Anno Domini."

GORDON KAY Died Mar. 8, 2005

Producer Gordon Kay died in his sleep at age 88. Mr. Kay produced nearly 50 films, many of them B-movie Westerns. He worked for several studios before starting his own independent production company. Mr. Kay producer 29 of the 38 "Rocky Lane" Westerns. Actor Allan Lane played Western hero Rocky Lane in a series of 39 films. He was also well known as the Western hero Red Ryder. Mr. Kay later teamed up with director Harry Keller, producing seven of his films including "The Unguarded Moment" and "Day of the Badman." Mr. Kay also produced seven films starring WWII Medal of Honor winner Audie Murphy. His Audie Murphy films include "Hell Bent for Leather" and "Bullet for a Badman." Mr. Kay also produced the Rock Hudson film "Twilight For the Gods."

LARRY BUNKER Died Mar. 8, 2005

Jazz drummer Larry Bunker died of complications following a stroke at age 76. Mr. Bunker was an in demand jazz percussionist. He played with many of the jazz greats of the past century. Mr. bunker was also a prolific Hollywood studio musician. He worked on movie soundtracks for 51 years. He played with Henry Mancini on such great soundtracks as "Hatari!," "Charade," "Breakfast at Tiffany’s" and "Peter Gunn." Other credits include "Stalag 17," "A Boy and His Dog," "The Incredibles" and "The Truth About Cats and Dogs." Mr. Bunker played with the Bill Evans Trio. The band appeared on the TV series "BBC Jazz 625." He also appeared with two different bands on the TV series "Frankly Jazz."

BRIGITTE MIRA Died Mar. 8, 2005

Acclaimed German actress Brigitte Mira died at age 94. Ms. Mira entered a private hospital last month for weakness associated with her age. Ms. Mira began her performing career as a ballerina. She moved on to become an accomplished singer and cabaret performer. She turned to film in the late 1940s. Ms. Mira appeared in over 120 films and TV shows. During the 1970s she gained great popularity at home due to the TV series "Three Women in a Grill." She gained international recognition during the same time for her work in the films of Rainer Werner Fassbinder. Ms. Mira worked with Fassbinder ten times before his suicide in 1982. Her Fassbinder credits include "Berlin Alexanderplatz," "Fear Eats the Soul," "Satan's Brew" and "Lili Marleen." She also appeared as herself in the documentary "Fassbinder’s Women." Ms. Mira acted with Fassbinder in the bizarre "Adolf and Marlene," which was a love story between Adolf Hitler and Marlene Dietrich. Ms. Mira also worked with the other great German director to emerge from the German Renaissance of the 1970s: Werner Herzog. She starred in Herzog’s masterful "Every Man for Himself and God Against All." The movie was based on the true story of Kaspar Hauser. I highly recommend this movie. It is an unforgettable experience. Ms. Mira won the Outstanding Achievement by an Actress Award at the German Film Awards for her work in Fassbinder’s "Fear Eats the Soul." That same organization also gave her an Honorary Award for her long contribution to the German film industry.

ELIZABETH OWENS Died Mar. 8, 2004

Actress Elizabeth Owens died of breast cancer at age 77. IMDB lists her age as 67. Ms. Owens was primarily a stage actress. She appeared on Broadway as well as off-Broadway and in touring companies. Ms. Owens co-founded the Roundabout Theater with her husband Gene Feist. Ms. Owens’ film credits include Brian De Palma’s "The Bonfire of the Vanities," Costa Gavras’ "Music Box," "Mr. Deeds" and "Two Weeks Notice."

SHEILA GISH Died Mar. 9, 2005

Acclaimed British stage actress Sheila Gish died of cancer at age 62. Two years ago, Ms. Gish lost her right eye to cancer. Sheila Gish may be best known for her stunning performance as Blanche DuBois on the London stage. Though primarily a stage actress, the blond beauty did appear in a number of films and TV shows. Her film credits include "Highlander," "Hitler: The Last Ten Days," "A Day in the Death of Joe Egg" and James Ivory’s "Quartet." Ms. Gish’s first husband was actor Roland Curram. He second husband was actor Denis Lawson, best know as Wedge from the first "Star Wars" trilogy. Mr. Lawson was also the co-star of the excellent, quirky comedy "Local Hero."

WILLIAM MURRAY Died Mar. 9, 2005

Author William Murray died of a heart attack at age 78. Mr. Murray was a longtime writer for "The New Yorker." He also wrote 39 novels, many of them were mysteries set around the world of horse racing. "The Sweet Ride" featured a topless Jacqueline Bissett causing problems for three guys sharing a Malibu beach house played by Tony Franciosa, Michael Sarrazin and Bob Denver in a rare straight role. Mr. Murray’s novel "Malibu" was made into a TV mini-series.

CHRIS LEDOUX Died Mar. 9, 2005

Country & Western singer Chris LeDoux died of bile duct cancer at age 56. Chris LeDoux was the Real McCoy. He was a rodeo cowboy, a bareback bronco rider. Mr. LeDoux was the Rodeo Cowboy’s Association 1976 World Champion Bareback Rider. All along, Chris LeDoux wanted to sing. He took on the musical industry the same way he faced a bucking bronco: with talent, tenacity and perseverance. Mr. LeDoux broke into the music business in the early 1990s. He recorded 36 albums. Mr. LeDoux appeared on and hosted several shows on The Nashville Network. He also performed on several of his buddy Garth Brook’s TV specials. Prayers of comfort for his family and friends.

DANNY JOE BROWN Mar. 10, 2005

I took my daughter Christy to see the "Bubbapalooza" concert back in the late 90s. I had to make sure her musical education was complete. The lineup included The Fabulous Thunderbirds, .38 Special, The Allman Brothers Band and Molly Hatchet. Of the many concerts I took Chris to, this one was among her favorites. We both agreed that Molly Hatchet stole the show. Molly Hatchet’s front man Danny Joe Brown died of complications from diabetes at age 53. Their biggest hit was "Flirtin’ With Disaster." The song was used on the soundtrack of Charlize Theron’s Oscar winner "Monster" as well as in the redneck comedy "Run Ronnie Run."

MATHIAS LEDOUX Died Mar. 10, 2005

French director Mathias Ledoux died at age 51 following a lengthy illness. Mr. Ledoux worked primarily in TV but did direct two feature films. The crime thriller "Three Blind Mice" starred Edward Furlong and Emilia Fox. Mr. Ledoux’s feature debut was "En Face," a sexy thriller starring Clotilde Courau. Mr. Mathias may have been best known for his work on the TV comedy series "Camera Café." He also directed a number of documentaries.

DAVE ALLEN Died Mar. 10, 2005

Irish comedian Dave Allen died in his sleep at age 68. Mr. Allen was a staple on British TV during the 1960s through the 80s. He had successful shows on the BBC, ITV and the Thames networks. Mr. Allen was known for his acerbic wit. His social commentaries took on topics ranging from sex to religion. Mr. Allen sat on a stool with a smoke in one hand and a highball in the other. From this throne Mr. Allen held court for decades. Mr. Allen owned his programs and did not allow rebroadcasts while he was alive. Maybe now, new generations will be allowed to witness Mr. Allen’s wit in reruns. His TV shows include "Tonight with Dave Allen" and "Dave Allen at Large." Mr. Allen also tried his hand at dramatic acting. He appeared on stage and in film. He starred in Stephen Frears’ movie "One Fine Day."

SYDNEY GOTTLIEB Died Mar. 10, 2005

Retired film editor Sydney Gottlieb died at age 100 after taking a slight fall. Mr. Gottlieb was born the day that Teddy Roosevelt was elected to the presidency! He was an assistant film editor at Universal. Though he worked without credit, the 62-year-Editor’s Guild member worked on a large number of films and TV shows. Mr. Gottlieb worked on such films and TV shows as the "Ma and Pa Kettle" film series, "Bonzo Goes to College," "The Creature from the Black Lagoon" and the "Lassie" TV series.

ROBERT LAZARUS Died Mar. 11, 2005

There are the actors and directors who get the glory. There are the gaffers and grips that do the hard work behind the camera. There are the guys and gals who make the deals, without which no one else would work. What good is a movie if you can’t find distribution? The people who put the money together to make movies may not be artists, but without their business acumen, many an artist would starve. Robert Lazarus was one such person. He worked on deals to finance some very good films including "A Simple Plan" and "Primary Colors." He was the executive producer of "Girl’s Best Friend." He worked for Disney, Turner Broadcasting, Paramount and Flixer. Mr. Lazarus passed away of pulmonary disease at age 43. He died way to young. Prayers of comfort to the family and friends.

DANNY CAPPA Died Mar. 11, 2005

Property man and set dresser Danny Cappa died at age 62. Mr. Capa worked on the films "Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult" and "The Chamber" among others. He was a member of I.A.T.S.A. Local 44.

GLENN DAVIS Died Mar. 12, 2005

Grip and stuntman Glenn Davis died of complications following transplant surgery. Mr. Davis did stunts for the TV series "Switch" and the films "Early Frost" and "Starstruck." He was a grip on many films during his lengthy career. His credits include "Die Hard," "Minority Report," "How Stella Got Her Groove back," "8MM" and "Magnolia." Mr. Davis served his country as a helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War.

GERALD ADAMS Died Mar. 12, 2005

Emmy-winning set decorator Gerald Adams died at age 71 after a lengthy illness. Mr. Adams was nominated for six Emmy awards, winning back-to-back awards for his work on the mini series "The Thorn Birds" and the TV movie "The Letter." His other nominations came for "Columbo: Playback," "Captains and the Kings," "The Silent Lovers" and "There Must Be a Pony." Mr. Adams worked on a number of films and TV shows. He helped make things appear creepy on a number of horror films including "Evil Dead 2," "Salem’s Lot," "Dead Again," "Fright Night" and "V: The Final Battle." Other credits include "Paradise Alley," "Goldengirl," "Haywire" and "Lock Up." He was a member of I.A.T.S.A. Local 44.

GUGLIELMO SPOLETINI Died Mar. 12, 2005

Italian actor and stuntman Guglielmo Spoletini died in Rome. Mr. Spoletini used the American pseudonym William Bogart when he appeared in a number of Spaghetti Westerns during the 1960s. Director Gianfranco Pannone found Mr. Spoletini in the late 1990s and used him as the centerpiece of his wonderful documentary "L’America a Roma." Mr. Spoletini led the director to a number of other long forgotten Italian actors who worked during the glory days of the Spaghetti Western. Mr. Spoletini appeared in over 20 films during the 1960s and 70s. Most of them were Westerns. He had a bit part as an Italian taxi driver in the hit horror film "The Omen."

JASON EVERS Died Mar. 13, 2005

Though he appeared in over 115 films and TV shows, Jason Evers is known to millions of bad movie fans as the star of "The Brain That Wouldn’t Die." I saw this memorable stinker on the Memphis monster movie show "Fantastic Features" with your Monster of Ceremonies, Savid. "The Brain That Wouldn’t Die" dealt with a scientist who kept his girlfriend’s head alive in a tray while he figured out a way to attach it to a body. He goes after several sexy strippers in his quest to find a body on which to reattach the head. For some reason, his wife just wants to die. There is also a monster locked in a closet that looks like a reject from "The Hills Have Eyes." Classic cinema. Jason Evers died of heart failure at age 83. Mr. Evers other credits include "Escape From the Planet of the Apes," "Basket Case 2," the enjoyable CBS Movie of the Week "Fer-de-Lance," "The Illustrated Man," "The Green Berets" and "Pretty Boy Floyd."

HAL SEEGER Died Mar. 13, 2005

Producer/director Hal Seeger died at age 87. Mr. Seeger produced and directed over 200 cartoons during his prolific career. His late wife, Beverly Arnold was a voice actress who worked on many of his productions. Mr. Seeger created the "Milton the Monster" cartoon series. He also created the character Batfink. Mr. Seeger was also the patriarch of an entertainment family. His son David is a director and editor, daughter Susan is a writer/producer, daughter Charlene a writer, actress daughter Mindy plays Chris on "The West Wing" and son Efrem is a writer/producer.

LYN COLLINS Died Mar. 13, 2005

R&B singer Lyn Collins died of cardiac arrhythmia at age 56. As a teenager, Ms. Collins began singing with James Brown. He called her the Female Preacher. Ms. Collins went solo after two years with James Brown. She sang the song "How Long Can I Keep It Up?" in the Blaxploitation film "Slaughter’s Big Rip-Off." She also composed music for the Fred Williamson Blaxploitation film "Black Caesar." She appeared as herself in the documentary "James Brown: Soul Survivor."

WINNIE DANGERFIELD Died Mar. 13, 2005

British silent film child actress Winnie Dangerfield died at age 96 after a two-week illness. Ms. Dangerfield was the daughter of screenwriter Ernest Dangerfield. She appeared in a number of films during her childhood using the stage name Unita Hanson. Many were written by her father. As is the case with most films of the silent era, only one of her’s survives to this day. "Sweep! Sweep!! Sweep!!!" was shot in 1913. A copy of it is preserved in the National Film Archive in England. Ms. Dangerfield’s other film credits include "Rough On Uncle," "When the Pie was Opened" and "The Society Visit." Ms. Dangerfield continued to make her living as an entertainer. She appeared in a number of musical and variety stage presentations. Ms. Dangerfield retired in 1999 and moved in the Musicians Benevolent Fund Home in Bromley England in April of 2000.

TOM DILLON Died Mar. 14, 2005

Actor Tom Dillon died at age 86. Though primarily a stage actor, Mr. Dillon appeared in several films and TV shows. He was the president of the Actor’s Fund for 16 years and was involved in much charitable work. His film credits include "Winged Victory," "Slaughterhouse Five," "Anastasia" and "Family Business." Mr. Dillon served his country during WWII.

CHUCK MYALL Died Mar. 14, 2005

Set designer and theme park ride designer Chuck Myall died of kidney failure and emphysema at age 81. Mr. Myall worked on several TV shows and films during the 1950s and 60s including "Perry Mason." He was the man who designed several beloved rides at Disneyworld and Disneyland. Mr. Myall designed "It’s a Small World" and "The Haunted Mansion." A tombstone tribute to Mr. Myall has been placed in the haunted mansion. He was also one of the master planners of Disney World where he also oversaw the huge construction project! Mr. Myall served his country in the US Army Air Corp during WWII.

DON DURANT Died Mar. 15, 2005

TV actor Don Durant died at age 72. Mr. Durant had been battling leukemia and lymphoma for several years. Mr. Durant was best known as the star of "Johnny Ringo." The TV series ran from 1959 to 1960. 38 episodes were produced. Mr. Durant played the former gunfighter turned sheriff. His other film and TV credits include "She Gods of the Shark Reef," "Battle Cry," "Perry Mason," "The Twilight Zone," "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," "The Virginian" and "Wagon Train."

ANTHONY WALSH Died Mar. 15, 2005

Lawyer/actor Tony Walsh died of a heart attack at age 64. As a trial lawyer, I know what Mr. Walsh knew; working in front of a jury is like acting. Mr. Walsh worked before juries and before audiences. He was active in regional theater in Ohio. Mr. Walsh also appeared in the excellent HBO biopic "Citizen Cohn."

ANTHONY GEORGE Died Mar. 16, 2005

Actor Tony George died of lung disease at age 84. Mr. George was best known to fans of the cult-gothic soap opera "Dark Shadows." Mr. George played two roles on the series starting in 1967. Mr. George also did an eight-year stint on the soap "One Life to Live" and five years on "Search For Tomorrow." He appeared in over 50 films and TV shows during his career. Other credits include "The Gun of Zangara" with Robert Stack as Elliot Ness, "The Ten Commandments," "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," "Sea Hunt," "Where the Sidewalk Ends" and "77 Sunset Strip."

LEN COWEN Died Mar. 16, 2005

Len Cowen died at age 85. He doesn’t have a single movie credit. He worked at many different trades during his life, none of them related to the movies. He did how ever take part in events, which were the basis for one of my all-time favorite films. Mr. Cowen served as a radio operator during WWII. He was the only American attached to the British forces in India that were charged with destroying Japanese radar installations in Burma. Mr. Cowen won a Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart and the Burma Star. Those operations were dramatized in the excellent Errol Flynn war movie "Objective Burma!" I highly recommend the movie to anyone who has not seen it. It was a favorite of my father’s. As a child, my Dad was very strict concerning bedtimes. That rule went out the window whenever "Objective Burma!" played on the Late Show. Thanks to Mr. Cowen for his service to our country.

SVERRE HOLM Died Mar. 17, 2005

Norwegian actor Sverre Holm died of natural causes at age 73. Mr. Holm was best know to adults in his native land as Benny in the comedy/crime film series "The Olsen Gang." Mr. Holm played Benny Frantzen in 15 films starting with the first "Olsen Gang" in 1969. He also wrote three of the films. Children knew Mr. Holm best as the Stationmaster in the educational TV series "Sesame Station." The series ran for eight years. Mr. Holm appeared in over 30 films and TV shows during his career.

ANDRE NORTON Died Mar. 17, 2005

Writer Andre Norton died of congestive heart failure at age 93. Ms. Norton wrote over 130 books during her lifetime. She was best known for her sci-fi/fantasy books. Her novel "The Beast Master" was the basis for the two "Beastmaster" films and the TV series that followed. Marc Singer played her creation Dar in the two films while actor Daniel Goddard played Dar in the TV series.

LALO GUERRERO Died Mar. 17, 2005

Musician Lalo Guerrero died of prostate cancer at age 88. Mr. Guerrero was called the father of Chicano music. During his 60-year career, Mr. Guerrero recorded over 700 albums and enjoyed popularity in both the Hispanic and English speaking worlds. Mr. Guerrero wrote a number of songs that were used by writer/director Luis Valdez’s interesting musical "Zoot Suit." Mr. Guerrero made appearances in the movies "The Good Girl" and "La Pastorela."

COLONEL JAMES HICKEY Died Mar. 18, 2005

Retired Air Force Colonel James Hickey died at age 88. Col. Hickey oversaw the US Army’s 1^st Cavalry’s change from horses to motorcycles. Col. Hickey’s story was the subject of the Made for TV movie "Born to Ride," which starred John Stamos. Col. Hickey’s daughter Janice Hickey co-wrote the script with her husband Michael Pardridge. Col. Hickey is not the same Col. James Hickey who commanded the forces that actually captured Saddam Hussein.

RAYMOND MERCER Died Mar. 18, 2005

Famed LA lawman Raymond Mercer died at age 86. Mr. Mercer was part of the team that took down West Coast Mafia boss Mickey Cohen. Mr. Mercer was an expert on fraud and forgery. He was a long time technical advisor for Jack Webb’s TV series "Dragnet." Mr. Mercer served his country during WWII in the US Army Air Corp. He was part of the squadron that shot down Pearl Harbor architect General Yamamoto!

LUISA ALESSANDRI Died Mar. 18, 2005

Assistant director Luisa Alessandri died of at age 91. Ms. Alessandri was assistant to Italian master Vittorio De Sica. She worked with De Sica on most of his films from his first in 1940 through his final film in 1974. The films of Vittorio De Sica won a multitude of awards worldwide. They were either nominated for or won a total of thirteen Oscars! Ms. Alessandri’s credits include "The Bicycle Thief," "Umberto D.," "Two Women," "Boccaccio ‘70," "Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow" and "The Garden of the Finzi-Continis."

JOHN DELOREAN Died Mar. 19, 2005

Auto designer John DeLorean died of complications following a stroke at age 80. Mr. DeLorean developed the gull-winged sports car that bore his name. The venture was a failure due to a complicated series of events. Documentary filmmaker D.A. Pennebaker co-directed the 1981 documentary "DeLorean," which chronicled the rise and fall of the maverick carmaker. "Car Crash: The DeLorean Story" was a TV documentary on the same subject. Mr. DeLorean’s greatest gift to the movies was his famed car. The DeLorean was the car used as a time machine in the "Back to the Future" films.

WALTER REUTER Died Mar. 20, 2005

German photographer Walter Reuter died of kidney failure at age 99. Mr. Reuter left Germany in the early 1930s where he moved throughout Europe and Africa. He settled in Mexico in 1942. Mr. Reuter’s photographs of the day to day life of Mexico’s poor indigenous people. He approached his subjects with love and respect and his work became beloved in his adopted home. Mr. Reuter turned to cinema for a time during the 1950s and 60s. He produced, directed, co-directed and photographed 21 documentaries. He photographed Alberto Issac’s documentary "Olympiada en Mexico," which dealt with the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. Mr. Reuter was given a Special Silver Ariel award in 1999 for his contribution to the Mexican film industry. His work was an important part of Mexico’s budding independent film movement during the 1950s. The Ariel is Mexico’s equivalent of the Oscar.

CHARLES PURPORA Died Mar. 20, 2005

Screenwriter Charles Purpora died at age 59. Mr. Purpora wrote the teen comedies "Satisfaction" and "Heaven Help Us." "Satisfaction" starred Justine Bateman. The mediocre movie also featured Julia Robert’s film debut. He also wrote the serious Made for TV film "The Day the Senior Class Got Married." Mr. Purpora won the Humanitas Prize for "The Day the Senior Class Got Married." The Humanitas Prize is awarded for films that communicate and promote positive human values. Mr. Purpora taught screenwriting at NYU. He was also a member of several bands during the 1960s and 70s including "The Front Porch." That band recorded several singles including "Song for St. Agnes." He was also in a band with Shere Hite, who later wrote the sexual best seller "The Hite Report." Mr. Purpora and Front Porch bandmate Marc Scott also wrote music for several off-Broadway shows under the name "Gizmo Delicious."

PAUL KELLY Died Mar. 20, 2005

Former actor and radio talk show host Paul Kelly was killed in an automobile accident at age 46. Mr. Kelly’s car struck a tractor-trailer that was blocking both lanes of traffic. The accident happened at night. The truck became stuck while trying turn around. Sheriff’s deputies were in the process of placing road flares down when Mr. Kelly’s vehicle slammed into the trailer. Mr. Kelly was killed instantly. Paul Kelly was a talk show host at the California radio station KVEC. A station employee told me that everyone was shocked by the tragic loss of Mr. Kelly. Mr. Kelly had worked as an actor in LA prior to moving to radio. He appeared in the movie "The Flintstones" and a couple of first season episodes of "NYPD Blue." Prayers of comfort for his family and friends.

WALTER LEIGHTON Died Mar. 20, 2055

Emmy-nominated editor Walter Leighton died at age 74. Mr. Leighton was nominated for an Emmy for his work on the TV series "LA Law." Mr. Leighton started out as a sound editor during the 1950s. His sound editor credits include "South Seas Adventure," "Hollywood Shuffle," "An Innocent Man" and "Third Degree Burn." Mr. Leighton began film cutting in the early 1960s. He worked on a number of films and TV series. Mr. Leighton edited H. B. Halicki’s original "Gone in 60 Seconds." He also made a cameo in the 90-minute car chase film. Mr. Halicki and Mr. Leighton also collaborated on the car crash extravaganzas "The Junkman" and "Deadline Auto Theft." Director Halicki was killed in 1989 while filming "Gone in 60 Seconds 2." Mr. Leighton’s other credits include the cartoon series "The Flintstones," "Hey There, It’s Yogi Bear," "The Fantastic Four," "Space Ghost," "Moby Dick and the Mighty Mightor" and "Shazzan!" His live action film credits include "C.H.O.M.P.S.," "Wolf Lake" and "Once Upon a Time on a Texas Train."

ANTHONY ROBERTS Died Mar. 21, 2005

Actor turned photojournalist Anthony Roberts died of prostate cancer at age 65. Mr. Roberts appeared in the low budget creature feature "The Beach Girls and the Monster." The grade-z monster movie from the 1960s was directed by 1940s romantic lead Jon Hall. It was his last film as an actor or director. Mr. Roberts won a Pulitzer Prize for a series of photos of the attempted kidnapping of a woman in Los Angeles. Under the name of Kal Roberts, he appeared in two Made for TV movies starring Kris Kristofferson and Johnny Cash: "The Last Days of Frank and Jesse James" and "Stagecoach." Mr. Roberts photographed album covers for Willie nelson, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson. Mr. Roberts was also the voice of God in a series of books on tape produced by the World Bible Society. Though he claimed to have been framed by the police, Mr. Roberts was once convicted of DUI for an offense that was committed while he was driving a limo once owner by John Gotti!

Noted photographer N. Warren Winter took this portrait of Mr. Roberts. Mr. Winter shared his memories with me: "It was the portrait of himself he most liked. In fact, it was taken the moment I met Kal at his studio in Nashville. He very quickly became someone who was like a surrogate father to me. I loved him dearly. I'm deeply sadden, I'm moved to tears. I adore his wife Gloria. They were an amazing couple. He used to introduce me to his Nashville celebrity friends as "the second best photographer in Nashville." He was truly a one of a kind person. A real cowboy in the grandest, most chivalrous sense of the word."

WAYNE MIYATA Died Mar. 21, 2005

Surfer Wayne Miyata died of throat cancer at age 63. Several clips of Mr. Miyata successfully surfing tubes in Hawaii appeared in the excellent documentary "The Endless Summer." Mr. Miyata also was featured in the documentary video "Top of Their Game." Mr. Miyata was also a popular hand-crafter of surfboards.

GEMINI GANESAN Died Mar. 21, 2005

Indian actor Gemini Ganesan died at age 84 after a lengthy illness. Born Ramaswami Ganesan, he went to work for the Gemini film studios in the 1940. While he wanted to be an actor he was hired as an office boy. In 1947 he was cast in his first film. He continued to do supporting roles before hitting it big in 1953. Mr. Ganesan took the name of the first studio he worked for as a stage name. Mr. Ganesan became a popular romantic lead in Indian films of the 1950s and 60s. He appeared in over 200 films made by the various Indian film industries.

BOBBY SHORT Died Mar. 21, 2005

Cabaret singer Bobby Short died of leukemia at age 80. Bobby Short held court since 1968 at the Café Carlyle in Manhattan’s Upper East Side. A child prodigy, Mr. Short began playing the piano as a child and played professionally starting at age 9. Middle America may know Mr. Short best for the series of commercials he did for Charlie perfume. He appeared in a number of films and TV shows including Woody Allen’s "Hannah and Her Sisters," "Superstar: The Life and Times of Andy Warhol" and "Call Me Mister." He was the subject of the 1979 concert documentary "Bobby Short at the Café Carlyle."

BARNEY MARTIN Died Mar. 21, 2005

Actor Barney Martin died of cancer at age 82. Mr. Martin was best known as Jerry Seinfeld’s dad on the hit TV series "Seinfeld." He took over the role from Phil Bruns during the show’s second season. Mr. Martin was a cop before he turned to the entertainment world. He appeared on stage, TV and film. Mr. Martin’s first film appearance was as a juror in Alfred Hitchcock’s "The Wrong Man." He moved to larger roles when Mel Brooks cast him in "The Producers." His film roles include "Charly," "Movie Movie" and both "Arthur" movies. He played Liza Minnelli’s father in the "Arthur" films. Mr. Martin originated the role of Amos Hart on stage in "Chicago." John C. Reilly played the role in the film version. He was also Jackie Gleason’s stand-in on the TV series "Jackie Gleason and His American Scene Magazine." Mr. Martin appeared in nearly 80 films and TV shows.

DON SCHWEIKERT Died Mar. 21, 2005

Background artist Don Schweikert died on March 21. Mr. Schweikert worked on the animated series "Space Sentinels," "Ghostbusters," "She Ra: Princess of Power" and "Batman: The Mask of the Phantom" among others. Mr. Schweikert worked for Warner Brothers, Hanna-Barbera and Filmation during his career. He was a member of The Animation Guild, Local 839.

JULIAN LESSER Died Mar. 22, 2005

Producer Julian Lesser died of cancer at age 90. Mr. Lesser began his career with his father Sol Lesser as an assistant producer on "Tarzan and the Mermaids." His father was the producer of the later non-Maureen O’Sullivan "Tarzan" movies that starred Johnny Weissmuller. Julian Lesser produced several films and a TV series during the 1940s and 50s. His credits include "The Saint Returns," "Whispering Smith vs. Scotland Yard," "Massacre River" and the TV series "Bold Journey."

ROD PRICE Died Mar. 22, 2005

Guitarist Rod Price died instantly after falling down the stairs in his home. The 57-year-old price fell after suffering a massive heart attack. Mr. Price was the lead guitarist for 70s super-group "Foghat." The band was well known for their driving hits "Slow Ride," "I Just Want to Make Love to You," "Fool For the City" and others. The band appeared on a number of TV shows including "In Concert" and a live concert tribute to Don Kirschner and the blues on "MTV." Foghat’s lead singer "Lonesome" Dave Peverett also died at age 57 of died of cancer in 2000.

DAVID KOSSOFF Died Mar. 23, 2005

BAFTA winning actor David Kossoff died of liver cancer at age85. The actor devoted the latter part of his life to a crusade against drug abuse. Mr. Kossoff was the father of the late rock guitarist Paul Kossoff. Paul Kossoff, guitarist for the band "Free" died of a heart attack at age 25 after years of drug abuse. Mr. Kossoff toured schools with his one-man show "Late Great Paul" to warn kids about the dangers of drugs. During his 50-year career, Mr. Kossoff appeared on stage screen and TV. He played the Sheriff of Nottingham in the TV series "Robin Hood." He also starred in the comedy TV series "The Larkins." Among Mr. Kossoff’s many film credits are the original version of "1984," "I Am a Camera" which was the basis for Bob Fosse’s "Cabaret," "The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll," the hilarious "The Mouse that Roared" and it’s sequel "The Mouse on the Moon," "A Kid For Two Farthings" and John Huston’s biopic "Freud." He also appeared in Billy Wilder’s excellent "The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes" but his scenes were deleted. You can see them on the recently restored DVD release of the over-looked film. Mr. Kossoff received a BAFTA as best newcomer for his work in the film "The Young Lovers." Two years later he was again recognized as Best Actor by the Society of Film and Television Arts for his work in "A Kid For Two Farthings."

SIVAD Died Mar. 23, 2005

I feel like a huge part of my childhood has died. Like thousands of other kids in the Mid South, I spent many a Saturday night watching "Fantastic Features" on WHBQ TV. The local creature feature program was hosted by Sivad, Your Monster of Ceremonies. Watson Davis, the local Memphis actor who created Sivad died of cancer at age 92. Davis worked for the Malco theater chain. He was hired by WHBQ in 1962 to host the popular monster movie program. It ran until 1971. Mr. Davis created his costume, reversed his last name and Sivad was born. I still remember arguing with my mother to watch Willis O’Brien’s "The Giant Behemoth" way back in 1964. WHBQ ran a parental warning that the movie about a dinosaur attacking London may not be suitable for young children. My how times have changed. After a couple of years, "Fantastic Features" was moved from a 6 PM time slot to 10:30 at night. I don’t have the space to recall all of the fond memories I have of watching the show. Whether I was sitting up late with my older sister eating cake icing while watching such classics as "The Wasp Woman" or "Attack of the Giant Leeches" or the numerous times I watched with my dad. My father had a wicked sense of humor. He loved to terrorize us by jumping out from the dark. One of my best memories was the night my dad spent the entire show scarring the crap out of my mom and I during one of the shows. Before he finally donned a toupee and never took it off, my father was bald-headed. This particular night he buttoned his short over his head so that all that showed was the hairless top of his head. He added a splatter of ketchup and spent an hour as a headless corpse ambushing us from the darkness as we watched Sivad. My dad was scarier than the movie being shown. The flood of memories is kind of overwhelming. In downtown Memphis sits the Orpheum Theater. Before it was restored and turned into a live theater, the building was the Malco Theater. In 1970 I went to the Malco for All Night monster movies. Sivad made a grand entrance, flying over the huge crowd on a wire and on to the stage. It was a different time. A time long gone. Thank you Mr. Davis for the years of entertainment and enjoyment. Thank you for the times you brought my family together to share some fun, chills and excitement.

CHARLES ANTALOSKY Died Mar. 23, 2005

Actor Charles Antalosky died of cancer at age 67. Mr. Antalosky was primarily a stage actor. He appeared on Broadway and on many regional stages throughout the nation. Mr. Antalosky appeared on the TV series "Remembering WENN" and "All My Children."

PAUL HENNING Died Mar. 25, 2005

Oscar and Emmy nominated writer/producer Paul Henning died of natural causes at age 93. Paul Henning created the classic TV series "The Beverly Hillbillies." During the early 60s my father enforced a 7 PM bedtime for my older brother, sister and myself. The only exception was on Tuesday night when we could stay up to 7:30 in order to watch "The Beverly Hillbillies." Mr. Henning also wrote the memorable theme song. "Come and listen to my story about a man named Jed…" Tonight I’ve watched the news as Terri Schiavo is slowly starved to death while an abundance of evidence is shown that cast doubt on the motives of her guardian. I wonder how this nation has come to this point. I guess one could argue that the beginning of the end of a United States and the division of the country into the Red and the Blue states could be tracked back to 1971. That year the president of CBS made a decision. Despite the fact that Paul Henning’s TV series "The Beverly Hillbillies" and "Green Acres" were still Top 10 shows, the network canceled them both. CBS decided that the home-spun humor and family friendly entertainment that was the hallmark of Paul Henning’s TV series was a thing of the past. It was time for "All in the Family," "M*A*S*H" and other more politically charged shows to break into the airwaves. That was also the year that "Mayberry" was wiped off the TV map. Maybe I’m making a stretch here, but I don’t think that Ms. Schiavo would be judicially executed in those days.

Paul Henning went to law school on the advice of Harry S. Truman, but turned to the entertainment industry instead of the practice of law. Paul Henning began his career as a writer for the radio show "Fibber McGee and Molly." He went from radio to film and TV. He was nominated for an Oscar for his script of the Doris Day/Rock Hudson film "Lover Come Back." Mr. Henning always seemed to put rural and urban America in comedic conflict and the rural world won out. He wrote for such shows as "The Real McCoys," "The Andy Griffith Show" and others. In addition to creating "The Beverly Hillbillies" he also created "Petticoat Junction," "Green Acres," "The Bob Cummings Show," "Bearcats" and "The Dennis Day Show." Mr. Cummings also co-wrote the Steve Martin/Michael Caine comedy "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels." Mr. Henning was nominated for Emmy Awards for his TV series "The Bob Cummings Show" and "The Beverly Hillbillies." The Writer’s Guild gave Mr. Henning an honorary Silver Laurel Award for his contribution to TV. Sorry for getting political in this obituary but I’ve been moved to tears by this whole Terri Schiavo fiasco. I’ve seen the videos of Ms. Schiavo and I was reminded of my own daughter’s battle back to life from severe brain damage. I remember seeing Christy look just like Ms. Schiavo and wondering if she would ever return to me. I feel for Ms. Schiavo’s parents. Somehow I don’t think that Jed or Jethro would stand around and let her die. Paul Henning wrote for a time gone by. A time that I wish would return. A time when life was respected. Maybe Mr. Henning is the lucky one who no longer has to witness the downfall of the human race.

PAUL HESTER Died Mar. 25, 2005

The bad year for aging rock stars continues. So far this year we’ve lost members or management of "The Doors," "Jefferson Airplane," "Traffic," "Duran, Duran," "The Doobie Brothers," "Molly Hatchet," "Blue Cheer," "The Searchers," "Foghat," "Blackfoot" and now "Crowded House." Former "Crowded House" drummer Paul Hester hung himself in a park in Melbourne Australia. Mr. Hester was 46 years old. Mr. Hester was a member of the bands "Split Enz" and later "Crowded House." He co-founded the band in 1985 and left in 1993. The band scored international hits with the songs "Don't Dream it's Over" and "Weather with You." Mr. Hester’s film and TV credits include "The Coca-Cola Kid" and "One Night Stand" as well as the TV series "Hessie’s Shed" and "The Mick Molloy Show." Prayers of comfort for his family and friends, especially his young daughters.

GREG GARRISON Died Mar. 25, 2005

Emmy-winning director Greg Garrison died of pneumonia at age 81. Mr. Garrison was a TV director during the early days of television. He worked on such classic shows as "The Milton Berle Show," "You Show of Shows," "Bachelor Father" and "The Dean Martin Show." Mr. Garrison produced the hilarious "Dean Martin Presents the Gold Diggers." He was nominated for ten Emmy awards During his career. He won in 1969 for directing "The Dean Martin Show." Mr. Garrison also directed the two Joey (Peppermint Twist) Dee feature films "Hey, Let’s Twist" and "Two Tickets to Paris." Actor Joe Pesci played a dancer in "Hey Let’s Twist."

MICHAEL LUKE Died Mar. 25, 2005

Writer/producer Michael Luke died at age 80. Mr. Luke wrote and produced the Orson Welles/Christopher Plummer film "Oedipus the King." I saw the movie on a 9^th grade field trip. I don’t remember much as I spent the movie starring at a girl I had crush on. I comfort myself for my lack of action in pursuing her further than furtive glances by the fact that she is now a lesbian rock and roller. Never had a chance anyway! Mr. Luke also produced "The World Ten Times Over." Other credits as a writer and actor include "The Monte Carlo Story" and "Senso."

DRAGOLJUB MILOSAVLJEVIC Died Mar. 26, 2005

I first became aware of the rich Yugoslav film industry when someone turned me on to Emir Kusturica’s brilliant 1995 film "Underground." "Underground" marked the final film appearance of veteran Yugoslav actor Dragoljub ‘Gula’ Milosavljevic. The beloved actor died after a long illness at age 82. Mr. Milosavljevic appeared in over 60 films and TV series. He was also one of his nation’s most respected stage actors. He was a member of the Serbian National Theater and the Yugoslav Drama Theater. He was the recipient of the Steriya Acting Award.

One of the problems in reporting the passing of actors from other nations is translating information about them found in foreign websites. I want to thank Voja Rodic of www.inet.co.yu for taking the time to translate several articles for me. Regular readers know that I like to share personal memories of people I’ve met or whose work brings back memories. Mr. Rodic shared his fond memories of Mr. Milosavljevic with me. "I might say he was one of my most favorite childhood actors. He starred in many children’s TV series and always played loveable, somewhat confused and lost, characters, that were always bewildered with the big world - very much like most children really are. He has a daughter - Vladica Milosavljevic, in the 80s one of the leading film actresses in ex-Yugoslavia, also with distinguished theatre roles. It was exciting to see how Gula's acting talent was passed on to his daughter. Her choice of roles and characters was rather different, and she didn't remind of her father literally, but one could see how the next generation is using the same gift to build on convincing and exciting characters, showing that the variations of one talent can be ever inspiring for the attentive audience.

I feel a little bit unfair by pointing out Gula's appearances in children programs, but that is the image of him etched in my mind and my emotional memory. As I grew up I watched him in a number of roles that showed the wide span of his talent, but nevertheless, his appearance would bring to me the childhood memories of characters that were funny and clumsy, always carrying a certain note of sadness, a kind of sad clown that will make you laugh, but while you laugh you would have a choking feeling in your chest. It was different from other comedians that would make me laugh and make me want to imitate their gigs, or to retell the jokes and punchlines to friends. After watching Gula one stays bemused - just experiencing the strange feelings he would invoke, and the taste of those feelings stayed with me forever. That was the power of the master actor, but I still don't believe it was just a perfect craftsmanship, I still do believe he was really funny and sad, playful and serious, a true inspiration for invoking emotions that seem to be so rare today. For that I am ever in debt to Gula, and for as long as I live some bittersweet waves of long forgotten emotions (that touch me inside rarely in these hectic days of ever increasing competitive game of life) are my private Goolisms, an island of true sanity and sincerity."

EDDIE SAETA Died Mar. 26, 2005

Director, assistant director, production manager and producer Eddie Saeta died at age 90. Mr. Saeta came from an industry family. His father ran the electrical department at Columbia Studios starting in the 1920s. Mr. Saeta began his career as a teen working for the much feared Harry Cohen of Columbia. Mr. Saeta worked his way from Gofer to producer/director. Not a bad way to go. He worked along side many great American directors. The films he added to ranged from shorts by The Three Stooges to Orson Welles! Mr. Saeta’s credits include "The Lady From Shanghai," "Diamond are Forever," Ray Harryhausen’s "20 Million Miles to Earth," "The Killing of Sister George," the overlooked gem "…All the Marbles," Elvis Presley’s "Harum Scarum" and "This Property is Condemned." Mr. Saeta received a DGA award as assistant director on the original version of "Brian’s Song."

AHMED ZAKI Died Mar. 27, 2005

Award-winning Egyptian actor Ahmed Zaki died of lung cancer at age 55. Mr. Zaki was one of Egypt’s most popular and respected actors. He appeared in over 60 films during a career that began in the 1960s. Mr. Zaki portrayed two of the most prominent men in modern Egyptian history. He played the late presidents Anwar Sadat and Gamal Nasser in "Days of Sadat" and "Nasser ‘56" respectively. Mr. Zaki also produced the biopic about Anwar Sadat. Mr. Zaki was in production on the biopic "Halem," about Egyptian singer Abd al-Halim Hafidh, when he died. Mr. Zaki was likened to Robert DeNiro by producers and directors in the Egyptian film industry. His intensity and professionalism made him one of that nations top movie draws. Mr. Zaki won the Best Actor award at the 2002 Cairo International Film Festival for his work in "Ma’ali al Wazir." His talent was also recognized at the 1999 Shanghai Film Festival where he won another Best Actor award. Mr. Zaki was also a groundbreaker in Egyptian race relations. He was the first Black actor to break free of the stereotypical second banana roles given Black actors in Egypt to become an A-list movie star. His final days were met with an outpouring of love and sympathy from the elite of Egypt as well as the common people. Mr. Zaki had begun production on "Halem" in January. The project was very close to his heart. He had been fighting cancer for over a year when he decided to go forward with the project.

CAROLYN COATES Died Mar. 28, 2005

Actress Carolyn Coates died of cancer at age 77. Ms. Coates was primarily a stage actress, but she did appear in a number of films and TV shows. Ms. Coates was the wife of actor James Noble. Mr. Noble played Governor Gatling on the comedy TV series "Benson." Ms. Coates’s film and TV credits include the remake of "The Postman Always Rings Twice," "The Effects of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds," "The Hustler" and "Mommie Dearest."

ROBIN SPRY Died Mar. 28, 2005

Award-winning writer/director/producer Robin Spry was killed when he lost control of his car and crashed into a retaining wall in Montreal. The Canadian director was 65 years old. Mr. Spry began his career making shorts and documentaries for the National Film Board of Canada. His most famous documentary is "Action: The Crisis of October 1970." The film dealt with the kidnapping of a high-ranking Canadian cabinet minister and the British consul by the Canadian terrorist organization The Front de liberation du Quebec. Mr. Spry was the son of Canadian Broadcasting Corporation co-founder Graham Spry. Mr. Spry was nominated for an Emmy and won the Canadian Gemini Award as one of the executive producers of the mini-series "Hiroshima." The Gemini is the Canadian version of the American Emmy Award. Mr. Spry was nominated for four Genie Awards, the Canadian Oscar. Two for Best Picture: "Un Histoire Inventee" and "A’ Corps Perdu." The other two Genie nominations were for his screenplays for "Hitting Home" and "Suzanne." "Hitting Home" also won the Best Canadian Film award at the Montreal World Film Festival. Mr. Spry was also a producer of the TV series "The Lost World," "Student Bodies" and "Charlie Jade."

DAVE FREEMAN Died Mr. 28, 2005

British comedy writer Dave Freeman died at age 82 after a lengthy illness. Mr. Freeman was Benny Hill’s writing partner in the 1950s and early 60s. They co-wrote the landmark BBC TV series "Benny Hill." Mr. Freeman also wrote a number of the "Carry On" films. His other film and TV credits include :"The Avengers," "Rocket to the Moon," "Simon Simon" and "Bless This House." Mr. Freeman served his country in the Royal Navy during WWII and the Korean War.

HERMAN LAUSE Died Mar. 28, 2005

German stage and screen actor Herman Lause died of cancer at age 66. Mr. Lause appeared in over 70 films and TV shows. He was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Award at the 2004 German Television Awards. He appeared in the landmark German TV mini-series "Berlin Alexanderplatz," which was directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder. Mr. Lause’s other credits include "Wings of Fame," "Schtonk!" and "Hamlet X."

ROBERT SLATZER Died Mar. 28, 2005

Director Robert Slatzer died at age 77 following a lengthy illness. Mr. Slatzer was also an author of many books on the film industry. He was famous for his unsubstantiated and oft-refuted claim that her was briefly married to Marilyn Monroe. His story was turned into the 1991 TV movie "Marilyn and Me" with actor Jesse Dobson portraying Mr. Slatzer. Mr. Slatzer wrote and directed two B-Movie features: "Bigfoot" and biker chick saga "The Hellcats." He also made a cameo in the biker chick film. Mr. Slatzer also directed the documentary "No Substitute for Victory." John Wayne narrated the celluloid attempt to hold back the turning tide of American public opinion against the Vietnam War.

JOHNNIE COCHRAN Died Mar. 29, 2005

Renowned attorney Johnnie Cochran died of a brain tumor at age 67. Mr. Cochran gained worldwide fame for his successful defense of ex-NFL running back O.J. Simpson for the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. Though critics can point to a poor prosecution by the State of California and a lack of courtroom control by Judge Ito, there is no denying that Mr. Cochran’s work on the lengthy trial was nothing less than brilliant. He prevented the State of California from giving The Juice the juice. He led the legal dream team during the yearlong trial. His phrase "If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit" became the stuff of legend. If he didn’t know before, it’s safe to assume that Mr. Cochran now knows whether or not his golf-playing client was really guilty. He appeared in the documentary "The Trial of O.J. Simpson." Johnnie Cochran built his reputation in California long before the Simpson trial. He was a fierce litigator and champion for the rights of those brutalized by rouge elements of the LAPD. Mr. Cochran had recently opened an office in my hometown of Memphis, though that office specialized in medical malpractice suits. I was a bit disappointed, as I practice solely in criminal court and would have loved to watch him work. Mr. Cochran appeared as himself in a number of films and TV shows including Spike Lee’s "Bamboozled," "Showtime," "Arli$$," "Pete Rose on Trial," "The Hughleys," "Saturday Night Live" and "JAG." Of course, his most famous TV appearance was on that ultimate reality TV show "The State of California vs. Orenthal James Simpson."

CLIVE MCLEAN Died Mar. 29, 2005

Adult Video News hall of fame photographer Clive McLean died of cancer at age 60. Mr. McLean worked for Hustler magazine as one of its main photographers for nearly 30 years. Mr. McLean turned to directing videos several years ago. He directed nearly 80 videos in Hustler’s "Barely Legal" series. Mr. McLean appeared in the PBS "Frontline" documentary "American Porn." He was also the subject of the American Movie Classics TV show "The AMC Project: I Want to Be Clive McLean."

RICHARD K. WRIGHT Died Mar. 29, 2005

Veteran prop master Richard K. Wright died of complications from a brain aneurysm at age 65. Mr. Wright suffered the aneurysm on the set of the upcoming Nick Nolte film "Peaceful Warrior." Mr. Wright was the prop master on seven films by the Farrelly brothers. Those films include "There’s Something About Mary," "Dumb & Dumber" and "Me, Myself & Irene." Mr. Wright had over 50 film credits as property master. He was the production designer on the horror film "Sorority House Massacre II." Among Mr. Wright’s credits are "Hard to Die," "Poison Ivy," 976-EVIL 2," "Threesome" and "Albino Alligator."

MICHEL GRISOLA Died Mar. 29, 2005

Award-winning writer Michel Grisola died of a cerebral hemmorahge at age 56. Mr. Grisola won the Cesar (French Oscar) for Best Writing on the Simone Signoret film "L’ Etoile du Nord." Mr. Grisola was a French film critic who began writing novels in the 1970s. He worked mainly in the detective genre. Several of his novels were translated to the screen. Mr. Grisola also wrote a number of screenplays including "Cop or Hood," "I Love You All" and "Death in Therapy."

ASHINI KIBIBI Died Mar. 30, 2005

Kenyan actress and writer Ashini Kibibi committed suicide by hanging at age 36. Ms. Kibibi was a popular soap opera actress in her native land. She received a Humphrey's Fellowship to study screenwriting at the University of Maryland. Ms. Kibibi starred on and co-produced the soap opera "Tausi." She also wrote a number of scripts for various TV shows. Ms. Kibibi suffered a stroke several years ago. She had been suffering from depression and mental illness. Prayers of comfort for her family and friends.

MITCH HEDBERG Died Mar. 30, 2005

Stand-up comedian Mitch Hedberg was found dead in a New Jersey hotel room. The cause of death is not yet known. The 37-year-old comedian got his big break on "The David Letterman Show." Mr. Hedberg wrote, directed and starred in the comedy film "Los Enchiladas." He made a cameo appearance in "Almost Famous." He also did guest spots on "That 70s Show" and "Ed." Mr. Hedberg had released two comedy CDs: "Mitch All Together" and "Strategic Grill Locations." Prayers of comfort for his family and friends.

TED JORDAN Died Mar. 30, 2005

Actor and author Ted Jordan died 80. Mr. Jordan was also credited in several films as Eddie Friedman. He was the nephew of Big Band leader and songwriter Ted Lewis. Mr. Jordan played Nathan Burke for nine years on the hit TV series "Gunsmoke." He appeared in nearly 100 films and TV shows from the 1940s through 1980. He had bit parts in such films as Otto Preminger’s Noir thriller "Whirlpool," "Tokyo Joe" and "Kill the Umpire." Mr. Jordan was briefly married to stripper Lili St. Cyr. He authored the controversial book "Norma Jean," in which he claimed to have a love affair with Marilyn Monroe. Most historians dismissed the book due to lack of cooberation of Mr. Jordan's many claims.

TERRI SCHIAVO Died Mar. 31, 2005

Terri Schiavo's life was taken by the judicial system of the State of Florida and the United States of America. Ms. Schiavo was 41 years old. Ms. Schiavo died after being starved and dehydrated for 14 days. God help this country regain its moral compass. This is the first obituary I’ve included in which the person did not have a film or TV credit. There is little doubt that the story will be turned in a film of some sort in the future. This story hit me hard due to the events I’ve gone through with my own daughter. I am horrified that a group of judges condemned to death a disabled woman who was in no immediate danger of dying. I am horrified that a group of judges prevented a mother and father from putting water on the lips of their helpless daughter. I am horrified that her parents had to be searched for water before being allowed to visit their daughter. I am horrified that her so-called husband denied the family the right to be with Terri when she died. I am ashamed to be an attorney in a system that ruled to starve to death a woman whose only crime was to have been helpless. Many will say that we must respect the rule of law; that we must respect the judges. There were a number of German judges during the 1930s and 40s who believed they were upholding the rule of law. Those judges paid the price of following the rule of law at the war crimes trials at Nuremberg. I fear that we are on a slippery slope into moral oblivion. Please pray for Terri’s parents and siblings. Please pray for this country. Though my heart is filled with anger toward Michael Schiavo, as a Christian I am compelled to ask for prayers on his behalf also. The rule of law must be tempered with mercy.

HIDEAKI SEKIGUCHI Died Mar. 31, 2005

Japanese punk rocker Hideaki Sekiguchi died of a heart attack at age 38. Mr. Sekiguchi was better known as Billy Wolf, or Bass Wolf of the Japanese punk rock band "Guitar Wolf." I first became aware of Guitar Wolf through Memphis filmmaker J. Michael McCarthy. The gonzo director put them in his B-movie classic "The Sore Losers." McCarthy’s film deals with hot-rod Mayans from outer space you come to earth to kill hippies. Guitar Wolf is one of the reasons the movie is so cool. Of course, the petite, blond naked angel helps too! Guitar Wolf released nine albums during their 12-year career. The Tokyo band adopted my hometown as their spiritual Mecca. They played numerous gigs in Memphis including one just nine days before Mr. Sekiguchi died. Maybe the Memphis connection had something to do with Billy Wolf sharing a birthday with Elvis. The band’s first release on vinyl was recorded on Memphis label Goner Records. Mr. Sekiguchi starred with the rest of Guitar Wolf in the Japanese Rock Zombie film "Wild Zero."

AL WASSERMAN Died Mar. 31, 2005

Documentary filmmaker Al Wasserman died of lung cancer at age 84. Mr. Wasserman wrote, produced and directed a number of news documentaries for all three major TV networks. He was the producer of "60 Minutes" for ten years starting in 1976. Mr. Wasserman wrote the Oscar-winning documentary "First Steps." The film deals with a subject dear to my heart, physical therapy for disabled children. Mr. Wasserman also produced the film version of Theodore White’s "The Making of the President 1972."

VAMPIRE CIRCUS BLU-RAY/DVD REVIEW

2010-12-26T11:33:00.003-06:00

Hammer fans became excited earlier this year with the announcement that Synapse Films was set to release three of the famed company's films long unavailable in the US. Synapse obtained the rights to Robert Young's 1972 "Vampire Circus," Peter Sasdy's 1971 chiller "Hands of the Ripper" and the third installment in Hammer's Karnstein trilogy "Twins of Evil." All three films are to be released in BluRay/DVD combo packs. I'm delighted to report that the first release in this series will satisfy all Hammer fans on this side of the pond.

Robert Young's "Vampire Circus" is one of the more intelligent and artistically fascinating films released by Hammer. It is a tale of revenge served very cold. The movie begins with a 12-minute pre-credit sequence, which sets up the rest of the film. Count Mitterhaus (Robert Tayman) has seduced Anna (Domini Blythe) the wife of the local school master. Anna uses her husband's trust to abduct one of his preteen, female students and whisk her away to the Count's castle. What follows is very disturbing. The real-life Moors Murders were not to far in the past when this movie was made. Ian Brady and Myra Hindley's slaughter of a number of young children was seared in to the British psyche in the late 1960s and early 1970s the same way the horrific exploits of Ted Bundy were to those alive in the US at the time. The death of the young child is not that graphic. What chills the viewer's soul is watching actress Domini Blythe as she hungrily awaits her reward while Count Mitterhaus feasts on the child. Ms. Blythe is perfect as the horny, hungry seductee of Satan. As the Count says as he approaches her "On lust feeds another." While the villagers do no arrive in time to save the little girl, the evil Count is staked and his castle burnt to the ground. Anna jerks herself free from the arms of her husband, Professor Albert Mueller (Laurence Payne) and her responsibilities to her own infant daughter and runs back into the burning castle to drag her slain master into the catacombs. The villagers leave the burning castle believing they had forever destroyed the evil within. The dying curse of Count Mitterhaus does ring in their ears: Your children shall die so that I can live again.

15 YEARS LATER:

The town is under quarantine as an unknown plague ravishes the population. No one is allowed to either enter of leave. Armed soldiers guard the frontier. Somehow a circus caravan enters the town. What follows…well, I won't spoil anymore of the plot. I will say that "Vampire Circus" is unique in the genre of vampire films. The emphasis is on sexy and evil. These beasts do not twinkle, would never think of twinkling and would probably kill anyone who twinkled for sport. The cast includes a young Lynne Frederick (long before she became Peter Sellers final wife) as the daughter of Professor Mueller and Count Mitterhaus' love Anna. David Prowse (Darth Vader) is properly and silently menacing as the circus strongman. Anthony Higgins (acting under the name Anthony Corley here) oozes sensuality as Emil, the main vampire threat for the bulk of the movie. Hammer regular Thorley Walters appears as the Burgermeister. Actress Adrienne Corri (the doomed Mrs. Alexander from A Clockwork Orange) is outstanding as the gypsy woman who runs the circus. The way she leads the young to slaughter without a hint of motherly love is chillingly evil.

EXTRA FEATURES

There are observations any knowledgeable film student could make concerning the influences of other artists, which touched the production of this movie. Rather than try and impress you with such insights, let me instead praise the extra features produced for this incredible BluRay/DVD combo. Synapse Films has come up with a treasure trove of original features for this long awaited release. The cool thing about Synapse's release is the fact that all of the extras appear on both the BluRay and DVD discs! Most companies pack all the cool stuff on the BluRay disc. Not so here.

The set includes the new 30-minute making of documentary "Bloodiest Show on Earth: Making Vampire Circus." Included are interviews with film historians such as Tim Lucas, Phillip Nutman and Ted Newsom as well as American director Joe Dante and actor David Prowse. A shorter featurette entitled "Brief History of Circus Horrors" reviews the history of the circus in horror films starting with the 1918 German classic "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari." Yet another featurette puts the spotlight on the British comic book series "The House of Hammer." Other extras include Poster and stills gallery, the original theatrical trailer as well as an isolated music and effects soundtrack.

One last point. Very important because of why we love BluRay. Synapse has done a remarkable job with this transfer. The HD images are among the best you will see. Just beautiful. This is a real treat considering the fact that most US fans have been waiting…well, forever for this classic to be released in the US.

I've been working on building a complete Hammer library for a number of years now. Hunting down out-of-print Anchor Bay discs for example. The three films obtained by Synapse for release in the near future are among the most sought after by Hammer fans like myself. If the future releases of "Hands of the Ripper" and "Twins of Evil" are given the loving treatment which Synapse bestowed on this release, the I'll be in horror heaven. So, probably will you be too!

FEBRUARY 2005 FILM WORLD OBITUARIES

2010-12-12T13:55:00.005-06:00

JOHN VERNON Died Feb. 1, 2005

Classically trained Canadian actor John Vernon died at age 72. Mr. Vernon underwent heart surgery last month and complications arose. Mr. Vernon appeared in or did voice work on over 200 films, TV shows and Video Games. He is probably best known for his performance as Dean Wormer in "National Lampoon’s Animal House." In that role, he delivered the immortal line "Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son." Mr. Vernon reprised the role in the short lived TV spin-off "Delta House."

Though Mr. Vernon may be best remembered for his work in a comedy, he was first and foremost a dramatic actor. He spent five years with The Stratford Festival in Canada. In Canada, Mr. Vernon is best remembered for his lead role in the TV series "Wojeck." Long before "CSI" of "Quincy," John Vernon played a forensic pathologist who solved crimes. Mr. Vernon was nominated for a Best Actor Gemini for his work in the Canadian TV mini-series "Two Men." The Gemini is Canada’s version of the Emmy Award in the US.

My first memory of John Vernon was as the Mayor in Don Siegel’s classic "Dirty Harry." Clint Eastwood’s character Harry Callahan was first introduced in a tart conversation with Vernon’s Mayor. Mr. Vernon fed Clint Eastwood a straight line that led to one of the funniest, albeit dark lines in any film.

Mayor: Callahan, I don’t want any more trouble like you had last year in the Filmore district. Understand. That’s my policy.

Callahan: Yeah, well when an adult male is chasing a female with the intent to commit rape, I shoot the bastard. That’s My policy.

Mayor: Intent? How did you establish thtat?

Callahan: When a naked man is chasing a woman through an alley with a butcher knife and a hard-on, I figure he isn’t out collecting for the Red Cross.

Mayor: (After Callahan leaves his office) I think he’s got a point.

John Vernon would work with Clint Eastwood five years later in the outstanding Western "The Outlaw Josey Wales." Vernon played one of his many villains in the post-Civil War epic. Vernon would also reteam with "Dirty Harry" director Don Siegel in the over-looked Walter Mathau crime caper "Charley Varrick" and "The Black Windmill."

John Vernon was blessed with a deep baritone voice. His vocal talents were used behind the scenes in several films and TV series. John Vernon received a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London. While in school, he was given the voice role of Big Brother in the original film version of "1984." During the 1960s he provided the voices of such cartoon superheros as "Iron Man," "Dr. Strange," "Dr. Doom," "Sub-Mariner" and "The Hulk." He also did voice work on the adult cartoon "Heavy Metal." Most of his work during the last ten years was voice work for cartoons and video games.

In addition to Don Siegel, John Vernon worked with some of the best directors of his day. He appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s flawed thriller "Topaz." John Borman directed him in the superior original version of "Point Blank" opposite Lee Marvin. He also worked with George Cuckor (Justine), Abraham Polonsky (Tell Them Willie Boy is Here) and Andrew V. McLaglen (One More Train to Rob) among others.

Other notable film and TV credits include "Killer Klownes From Outer Space," "I’m Gonna Get You Sucka," "Airplane II," "The Blue and the Gray," "The Sacketts," "Brannigan," "Quincy," "Kung Fu," "ChiPs," "Gunsmoke" and "Bonanza."

FRANCO MANNINO Died Feb. 1, 2005

Sicilian composer Franco Mannino died of complications following surgery at age 80. Mr. Mannino was a frequent collaborator with film director Luchino Visconti. Mr. Mannino published over 600 musical compositions. That does not include his over 100 film scores. He won the David di Donatello Award for Best Score for his work on Visconti’s 1976 film "L'Innocente." In addition to his long collaboration with Visconti, Mr. Mannino worked with such directors as John Huston, Antonio Margheriti and Ricardo Freda. Mr. Mannino scored John Huston’s off-beat adventure film "Beat the Devil." He scored a number of films for Ricardo Freda including the influential horror film "I, Vampiri." "I, Vampiri" is regarded as the first of the modern cycle of vampire films, coming out one year before Hammer’s better known "The Horror of Dracula." Master of horror Mario Bana was the cinematographer and directed a number of scenes. Among the many films of Visconti that Mr. Mannino either scored or orchestrated are "Death in Venice," "Ludwig," " Bellissima" and "Conversation Piece." He was also the music consultant for the documentary "Luchino Visconti." Mr. Mannino was the Principle Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the Mational Arts Centre in Ottawa Canada for much of the 1980s. Mr. Mannino won the "Columbus" prize in the US in 1950.

DEBRA SUE GENOVESE Died Feb. 1, 2004

Booking agent and producer Debi Genovese died at home. Her age and cause of death were not disclosed. Ms. Genovese was a one-time assistant to "Billy Jack" actor/director/writer/producer Tom Laughlin. Ms. Genovese later worked for Burt Sugerman for whom she booked acts and then produced the concert TV series "The Midnight Special." Ms. Genovese also booked talent for the TV series "Solid Gold" and for Don Cornelius’s "Soul Awards."

FRANK J. FLYNN Died Feb. 1, 2005

Studio musician Frank Flynn died of natural causes at age 88. Mr. Flynn spent 40 years playing music for both TV and films. Mr. Flynn served his country in the US Army-Air Corp during WWII.

WOLFGANG BECKER Died Feb. 1, 2005

German TV director Wolfgang Becker died at age 94. Mr. Becker was best known for directing crime shows on TV. He worked on the popular series "Der Kommissar" and "Derrick." He also directed a number of the Made for TV "Tatort" movies. Mr. Becker was not the same Wolfgang Becker who directed the award winning film "Good Bye Lenin!"

CLAIRE GARTRELL DAVIS Died Feb. 2, 2005

Filmmaker Claire Gartrell Davis died at New York Presbyterian Hospital. Ms. Davis was the president of the New York Film and Video Counsel. She co-directed the documentary "The Cross and the Bodhi Tree: Two Christian Encounters with Buddhism." Her other film credits include the documentary "Rajmohan Gandhi: Encounters With Truth" as well as the animated short subjects "Enter Hamlet" and "New York Experimental." Ms. Davis was a former director of the Union Theological Seminary Film Department. Ms. Davis has sat on the juries of film festivals the world over as well as for the Emmy Awards and CINE. She was recognized as one of the world’s foremost authorities in the field of documentary filmmaking. Rev. Gary Ritner warmly remembered his good friend. He told me "Her enthusiasm for life and meaningful films as well as her love for a good story and good company placed her at the scene of hundreds of gatherings in the filmmaker world."

GOFFREDO LOMBARDO Died Feb. 2, 2005

Award-winning Italian producer Goffredo Lombardo died at age 84. Mr. Lombardo produced a number of important Italian films of the post WWII era. Mr. Lombardo is the man credited with discovering actress Sophia Loren. Mr. Lombardo won three David di Donatello Awards for Best Production. Those are the Italian equivalent of a Best Picture Oscar in the US. Mr. Lombardo’s greatest film was Visconti’s "The Leopard." In addition to the Donatello Award, the film won the Palm d’Or at Cannes. You owe yourself the pleasure of seeing this rich film. Criterion released a beautifully restored DVD of the four-hour film last year. Among Mr. Lombardo’s other credits are "The Naked Maja," "Sodom and Gomorrah," "The Angel Wore Red" and "The Four Days of Naples." Mr. Lombardo was the son of silent film actress Leda Gys and producer and studio founder Gustavo Lombardo.

MALCOLM HARDEE Death Confirmed Feb. 2, 2004

British wildman Malcolm Hardee drown in the Thames River. He was 55 years old. Mr. Hardee was reported missing the night of January 31. His body was recovered on February 2. No foul play is suspected. Mr. Hardee appeared in a number of British TV shows, but he was best known for his on and off stage antics. Mr. Hardee’s comedy bordered on Anarchy. He had a naked dance troop called "The Greatest Show on Legs." Mr. Hardee was known to end his shows by standing naked before audiences with fireworks shooting out of his backside. He also did a famous imitation of French president Charles De Gaulle by using his genitals! One of Mr. Hardee’s most famous antics involved stealing the birthday cake from Queen frontman Freddie Murcury’s 40^th birthday party. Mr. hardee’s credits include appearances on "The Black Adder," "The Comic Strip Presents" and "The People vs. Jerry Sadowitz."

MAX SCHMELING Died Feb. 2, 2005

Famed German boxer Max Schmeling died at age 99. Mr. Schmeling was best known as the man who knocked out Joe Louis. Schmeling knocked out Louis in a 1936 fight. Two years later, Louis returned the favor during the first round of their rematch. Though Hitler tried to use Schmeling as a propaganda toll, Schmeling disavowed the Nazis. He actually risked his life hiding Jews from capture. Mr. Schmeling appeared in several films usually playing himself. He was married to actress Anny Ondra from 1933 until her death in 1987. Mr. Schmeling used his fight money to buy a Coca-Cola franchise in Germany. He remained a lifelong friend with Joe Louis and even paid for Mr. Louis’s funeral.

BIRGITTE FEDERSPIEL Died Feb. 2, 2005

Carl Theodor Dreyer’s 1955 film "The Word" in one of the most emotional moving films about faith ever made. The haunting film remains with you long after it ends. Danish actress Birgette Federspiel won the first of her two Bodil awards as Best Actress for her memorable work in "The Word." She won again four years later for "A Stranger Knocks." The Bodil Award is the Danish equivalent to the Oscar. Birgette Federspiel died at age 79. Ms. Federspiel appeared in over 50 films during her 60-year career. She was also an accomplished stage actress. She also starred in the Oscar winning Best Foreign Film "Babette’s Feast." Ms. Federspiel had a nice supporting role in the 1972 sci-fi film "Z.P.G.," which starred Oliver Reed.

MALOU HALLSTROM Died Feb. 3, 2005

Malou Hallstrom, TV producer and ex-wife of director Lasse Hallstrom was found dead by her male companion in a bathtub in Stockholm. The 63 year-old producer’s death is under investigation. No decision as to whether the drowning was accidental or the result of foul play will be announced until after an autopsy. Though it appears that Ms. Hallstrom fell asleep in the tub. Ms. Halstrom edited her ex-husband's feature film "ABBA: The Movie." The film dealt with a Brisbane disc jockey trying to con his way into an interview with the Swedish mega-Pop group during their 1977 tour of Australia. Ms. Hallstrom was very involved in producing shows for Sweden Television.

JEFFREY ROBBINS KANE Died Feb. 3, 2005

Renowned pastel and oils artist and former actor Jeffrey Robbins Kane died from AIDS at age 40. Mr. Kane’s artwork is found in the collections of a number of Hollywood celebrities as well as in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and Metropolis in San Diego. Mr. Kane was a former actor. He appeared in the MJ McDonnell short film "The Big Bowling Ball," which costarred James Remar and the story’s author Anna Nicholas. Mr. Kane also appeared in HBO’s "Tales From the Crypt" and the Soap Opera "Another World." Prayers of comfort for his family and friends.

FRANK RIO Died Feb. 3, 2005

Vaudevillian turned talent agent Frank Rio died at age 80. Mr. Rio was part of the specialty act The Rio Brothers. He performed with his father Eddie Rio and Uncle Larry Rio. The trio appeared in several films during the 1930s and 40s. Their film credits include the short film "Will Bradley and his Orchestra Featuring Ray McKinley present Boardwalk Boogie" and the features "Paramount Headliner: The Star Reporter," "New Faces of 1937," "Casa Manana" and "Hollywood Varieties." Mr. Rio later worked with pwerhouse agency IFA, later to become ICM. He also worked for the William Morris Agency. His clients included Bob Hope, Henry Mancini and Whitney Houston.

OSSIE DAVIS Died Feb. 4, 2005

"The Client" was filmed in my home town. Actor Ossie Davis played a judge in the film. His courtroom scenes were filmed in Division 1 of Shelby County General Sessions Court. That was the courtroom my late father Jim White, presided over for 18 years. My father was touched by the generosity of spirit that Mr. Davis showed him. He also earned my father’s admiration for his valiant acts in the war for Civil Rights. Dad cherished the photo at right, taken during filming of "The Client." When my dad introduced me to Mr. Davis, I was struck by how tall he was. Mr. Davis towered over my dad and me and I’m not a short person. That’s the way Ossie Davis was on screen. He usually towered over the material and the other performers he worked with. Award-winning actor/writer/director Ossie Davis was found dead in his hotel room in Miami at age 87.

Ossie Davis appeared in nearly 200 films, TV shows and documentaries. He was a long-time activist in the Civil Rights Movement. Mr. Davis and his wife actress Ruby Dee also proved that a Hollywood marriage can last. The couple wed in 1948! They worked together countless times in film, on stage and the small screen.

Mr. Davis’s career started in the late 1930s. After a time out during which her served as a medical technician in WWII, Mr. Davis returned to the stage. He was one of the pioneers who paved the way for hundreds of Black actors and actresses to break free from the Hollywood half-wit stereotype of Black people.

Not only was Ossie Davis one of the most accomplished actors of his time, he also wrote and directed. Mr. Davis wrote the play "Purlie Victorious." He adapted his play to Broadway as the musical "Purlie." He received a Best Musical Tony nomination for his writing. Mr. Davis was also nominated for a Tony for his acting in the Musical "Jamaica." Mr. Davis was nominated for three regular Emmy Awards for his work in "King," "Teacher, Teacher" and "Miss Ever’s Boys." He won a Daytime Emmy for the children’s special "Finding Buck McHenry."

Among Mr. Davis’s credits as a film director are two of the best films to come out of the Blaxploitation era. Davis wrote and directed the groundbreaking "Cotton Comes to Harlem." The film introduced Godfrey Cambridge and Raymond St. Jacques as police detectives Gravedigger Jones and Coffin Ed Johnson. The movie spawned one sequel. Mr. Davis also directed Paul Winfield in "Gordon’s War," a tale of a Vietnam vet who takes on drug dealers and pimps in his neighborhood. Both films were unjustly lumped under the Blackploitation umbrella. In fact, they were excellent movies that still hold up today.

One of Mr. Davis’s first films is a personal favorite of mine: "Fourteen Hours." He played a cab driver watching the drama unfold as Richard Basehart’s character threatens to jump to his death off of the ledge of a New York hotel. That movie was also Grace Kelly’s film debut. Mr. Davis worked with director Spike Lee on seven films including "Do the Right Thing," "Get on the Bus," "Jungle Fever" and "Malcolm X." Mr. Daivs also did fine work in several TV mini series including "Roots: The Next Generation" and "Stephen King’s The Stand."

Other film credits include "Bubba-Ho-Tep," "Grumpy Old Men," "Joe Versus the Volcano," "Harry and Son," "Let’s Do It Again," "The Hill" and "The Cardinal."

GERARD GLAISTER Died Feb. 5, 2005

Writer/director/producer Gerard Glaister died at age 89. Mr. Glaister produced a number of BBC TV series during a 50-year-career. Among the 23 TV series produced by Mr. Glaister are "Colditz," "The Brothers," "The Long Chase," "Skorion" and "Howard’s Way." Mr. Glaister also wrote and directed episodes for a number of the series he produced. Mr. Glaister served his country in the RAF during WWII.

MERLE KILGORE Died Feb. 6, 2005

Composer and actor Merle Kilgore died of complications from cancer at age 70. Mr. Kilgore co-wrote the classic Johnny Cash hit "Ring of Fire" as well as "Woverton Mountain" and "Johnny Reb." Johnny Cash’s future wife June Carter wrote "Ring of Fire" with Mr. Kilgore. The song "Ring of Fire" has been featured in a number of films including "U-Turn" and "Roadie." Mr. Kilgore appeared in several films. His credits include Robert Altman’s masterpiece "Nashville," "Nevada Smith" and "Coal Miner’s Daughter."

ARMAND KAPROFF Died Feb. 6, 2005

Master cellist Armand Kaproff died of old age at 85. Mr. Kaproff was one of the most in demand cellist in Hollywood. He was part of both the CBS and NBC orchestras. He also worked of Disney. Mr. Kaproff worked with such composers as Bernard Herrmann, Jerry Goldsmith, Henry Mancini, Toscanini and Leopold Stokowski. Mr. Kaproff recorded for such varied pop and rock artists as Frank Sinatra, Bobby Darin, Barbara Streisand and The Rolling Stones.

JOAN WEIDMAN Died Feb. 6, 2005

Joan Weidman died of cancer. The former cinematographer/producer was the president if International Film Guarantors one of the leading completion bond corporations in the entertainment industry. Ms. Weidman produced the films "Crack House" and "Natural Causes." She was the cinematographer on several films including "Goldy" and "Goldy 2." Ms. Weidman also provided additional photography on the Making Of documentary "SPFX: The Empire Strikes Back."

JOHN PATTERSON Died Feb. 7, 2005

Award-winning director John Patterson died of prostate cancer at age 64. Mr. Patterson won a DGA award and was nominated for two Emmy awards for his work on HBO’s "The Sopranos." Mr. Patterson directed 13 episodes of the groundbreaking cable TV series. He also directed each of the series season finales. Though he directed three low budget features, Mr. Patterson worked primarily in TV. Among his many credits are "The Rockford Files," "Eight is Enough," "ChiPs," "Hart to Hart," "Knot’s Landing," "Magnum P.I.," "Hill Street Blues," "MacGyver," "LA Law," "Law & Order," "Profiler," "Early Edition," "C.S.I." and "Six Feet Under." Mr. Patterson served his country in the USAF as a B-52 bombardier.

KEITH KNUDSEN Died Feb. 8, 2005

I guess the trend of famous rock stars dying didn’t end with January. Keith Knudsen, the drummer for The Doobie Brothers died of pneumonia at age 56. Mr. Knudsen joined the band in 1974 and played on many of their biggest hits. Mr. Knudsen appeared with the band on a number of TV shows including "Saturday Night Live," "What’s Happening" and "The Grammy Awards." Mr. Knudsen later formed the band Southern Pacific with ex-Dobbie Brother guitarist John McFee. Prior to his time with "The Dobbie Brothers," Mr. Knudsen recorded with Lee Michaels of "Do Ya Know What I Mean" fame.

LADA BABICKA Died Feb. 8, 2005

Animator Lada Babicka died after a lengthy career as a cel artist. Mr. Babicka’s credits include "The Little Mermaid," "Batman: The Animated Series," "The Adventures of Batman and Robin," "Oliver & Company" and "The Pagemaster." He worked for Disney, Filmation, Warner Brothers and Hanna-Barbera. Mr. Babicka was a member of The Animation Guild, Local 839.

ARTHUR MILLER Died Feb. 10, 2005

"I’m not a dime a dozen! I am Willy Loman!" Playwright Arthur Miller captured the frustration of American life, the slow grind to the grave like no other American author. The Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright died of heart failure at age 89. Arthur Miller’s "Death of a Salesman" is probably the greatest American play of the past century. Elia Kazan directed the original Broadway production in 1949. That play, along with Miller’s "The Crucible" won the Tony Award for Best Play. Mr. Miller won the very first Best Author Tony in 1947 for his play "All My Sons." He won his second writng Tony for "Death of a Salesman." In 1999, Mr. Miller was given a Special Lifetime Achievement Tony Award. On the personal side, Mr. Miller was the envy of every hot-blooded man in America during the 1950s when he had the pleasure of Marilyn Monroe in his matrimonial bed.

Miller’s play "All My Sons" was the first screen adaptation of his works. Edward G. Robinson starred as the industrialist with a deadly secret that is coming back to haunt him. Burt Lancaster starred as Robinson’s son who discovers his father’s tragic flaw. "All My Sons" was remade as a 1986 TV movie starring James Whitmore and Aiden Quinn as the father and son. There was also a Made for TV version of the play in Sweden in 1965. Swedish TV also remade the play in 1979.

"Death of a Salesman" has been translated to the big screen and TV thirteen times! The first film version in 1951 starred Fredrick March and Kevin McCarthy as Willy Lomen and his son Biff. The movie was nominated for five Oscars. There was an Argentine TV version in 1957. 1961 saw TV productions of the play in Swedish and Finland. Lee J. Cobb was nominated for an Emmy for his performance as Willy Loman in the 1966 US TV version of Miller’s play. Miller Won an Emmy for this version. Actor Rod Steiger played the part in the UK’s 1966 TV version. Miller’s play was produced on West German TV three times: in 1963, 1968 and 2001. West Germany co-produced with the US the 1985 TV version starring Dustin Hoffman and John Malkovich as Willy Loman and his son Biff. That version won three Emmy Awards and was nominated for a total of ten. A 1996 British TV version followed. In 2000, Brian Dennehy starred in yet another TV version. The year before, Mr. Dennehy won a Tony Award in the 50^th anniversary Broadway revival of "Death of a Salesman."

Miller’s other famous work was "The Crucible." The play was written at the height of the HUAC hearings. Miller’s tale of the Salem Witch Trials of the 1600s also dealt with the witch hunts lead by Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy. The play was filmed four times. The first version was a German/French co-production starring Simone Signoret and Yves Montand. Ms. Signoret won a BAFTA for her work in the 1957 film. An American film version was not produced until 1967. George C.Scott and Colleen Dewhurst were both nominated for Emmy Award for their work. The TV movie also starred a bewitching Tuesday Weld. The Brits produced a TV version in 1980. The Oscar-nominated 1996 film version starred Winona Ryder, Daniel Day-Lewis and Joan Allen. Mr. Miller was nominated for both an Oscar and a BAFTA for his adaptation of his own play.

Mr. Miller’s most infamous film was "The Misfits." Written for wife Marilyn Monroe, the movie had a troubled production history. It was the final film of the King of Hollywood: Clark Gable. Gable died of a heart attack just a few weeks after shooting wrapped. Many contend that his death was brought on by the grueling stunts he performed as well as dealing with Ms. Monroe’s less than professional behavior on the set. Gossip and legend aside, "The Misfits" is still a good movie. Not a classic, but a very good movie. John Huston directed. The film also co-starred Montgomery Cliff, Thelma Ritter and Eli Wallach. Mr. Miller also did some uncredited work on his wife’s 1960 comedy "Let’s Make Love."

Miller and Monroe divorced in January 1961. In 1962, Mr. Miller wed photographer Inge Morath. They remained married until her death in 2002. The couple met on the set of "The Misfits." They had two children. One son was born with Down’s Syndrome. Miller put his son in an institution and never visited. His wife visited Daniel on a weekly basis. Their other child is actress Rebecca Miller, wife of actor Daniel Day-Lewis.

Mr. Miller adapted Kenrik Ibsen’s "An Enemy of the People" to the screen. It was turned into a Made for TV movie and later, a little-seen theatrical version starring Steve McQueen. I actually saw the Steve McQueen version in a fleabag motel in Barstow California when my car broke down for several days on the way to Disneyland.

Miller won his second Emmy for writing the excellent TV movie "Playing for Time." Vanessa Redgrave starred in the 1980 movie which told the true story of Fania Fenelon, a Jewish woman who survived Auschwitz by playing music for the Nazis.

HUMBERT BALSAN Died Feb. 10, 2005

Actor turned producer Humbert Balsan committed suicide at age 50. Mr. Balsan specialized in producing films for Arab filmmakers, most noatably with Egyptian director Youssef Chahine. Mr. Balsan also co-produced several of the Merchant/Ivory films. Among his numerous credits are "Le Grand Voyage," "The Bathers," "Jefferson in Paris," "Mr. & Mrs. Bridge" and "Quartet." Mr. Balsan also acted in numerous films including "LouLou," "Chanel Solitaire" and "Lancelot du Lac." Prayers of comfort for his family and friends.

YABO YABLONSKY Died Feb. 10, 2005

Writer/director Yabo Yablonsky died of cancer at age 73. Mr. Yablonsky wrote and directed one of the most bizarre and inept films of all time. "The Manipulator" starred Mickey Rooney and 70s cult actress Luana Anders. Rooney is a loony tune who thinks he is a movie director from the 40s. He kidnaps Ms. Anders. This is the kind of film they will be playing in Hell. You will be strapped down and forced to watch it for centuries on end. Mr. Yablonsky stuck to writing after this misguided little film. His writing was not bad. "Revenge for a Rape" was an excellent entry in the ABC "Tuesday and Wednesday Movie of the Week" series. Mike Conners is great as a man who tracks down the three men who raped his wife. Mr. Yablonsky’s best-known film is John Huston’s "Victory." Despite a good story, great director and cast, the film left me feeling empty. Many other critics felt the same way. Mr. Yablonsky’s other credits include "Portrait of a Hitman," "Lena: My 100 Children" and an episode of the great TV series "Crime Story."

STAN RICHARDS Died Feb. 11, 2005

British TV actor Stan Richards died of emphysema at age 74. Mr. Richards had suffered from chronic respiratory problems for several years. Mr. Richards played Seth the Gamekeeper in the long-running British TV series "Emmerdale Farm." Mr. Richards was a regular on the series for 25 years! He left the series in 2003, but made a final guest appearance last December. Mr. Richards also had recurring roles on the TV series "Coronation Street" and "All Creatures Great and Small."

BRIAN KELLY Died Feb. 12, 2004

Actor Brian Kelly died of pneumonia two days shy of his 74^th birthday. Baby Boomers fondly remember Brian Kelly as Porter Ricks, the caring and strong dad on the hit TV series "Flipper." For four years Mr. Kelly raised his sons Bud and Sandy and led them on numerous adventures with the lovable dolphin Flipper. Mr. Kelly also appeared in the feature film "Flipper’s New Adventures." Mr. Kelly appeared in a number of other films and TV series before his acting career was cut short by a motorcycle accident that left him partially paralyzed. Mr. Kelly was set to star in the film "The Love Machine" but was replaced by John Phillip Law following the motorcycle accident. Mr. Kelly turned to real estate but kept his fingers in Hollywood. He was one of the executive producers of Ridley Scott’s sci-fi classic "Blade Runner." Mr. Kelly was once married to 60s actress Laura Devon. His nephew is the Tony nominated actor Brian d’Arcy James. Mr. Kelly served his country in the Marines during the Korean War.

HARRY BAIRD Died Feb. 13, 2005

Actor Harry Baird died at age 73. Mr. Baird was one of a number of talented Black actors who never really got his due. He appeared in a number of films and TV shows during the 50s, 60s and 70s. Mr. Baird co-starred in the BARTA Best Picture winner "Sapphire" in 1959. I remember him best as part of the ensemble cast in the superior original version of "The Italian Job." He made his film debut in "Third Man" director Carol Reed’s "A Kid for Two Farthings." He was a regular on the TV series "White Hunter" and "U.F.O." Mr. Baird had the distinction of starring in the little seen 1968 French film "The Story of a Three-Day Pass." That film was directed by American director Melvin Van Peebles. Van Peebles traveled to France in order to be treated as an equal among men. There he directed what was the first movie directed by a Black American! Mr.Baird’s other credits include "The Mark," "Tarzan the Magnificent," "The Road to Hong Kong" and Hammer’s "The Oblong Box."

LUCIA DE JESUS DOS SANTOS Died Feb. 13, 2005

In 1917, three children claimed to have seen a vision of the Virgin Mary at Fatima Portugal. The children said that the Virgin Mary appeared to them six times. The final vision was supposedly witnessed by nearly 50,000 people. Lucia de Jesus dos Santos and her two cousins Jacinta and Francisco Marta were the subject of worldwide speculation and adoration. Ms. Dos Santos became the Nun Sister Lucia. She died at age 97. Sister Lucia’s cousins died during the worldwide flu epidemics of 1919 and 1920. The Catholic Church beatified the two cousins in 2000, the last step before Sainthood. Actress Susan Whitney portrayed Sister Lucia in the Oscar nominated film "The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima." Actress Inis Orsini played her in the Spanish/Portuguese co-production "Our Lady of Fatima." The events were also the subject of the films "Aparicao" and "The Third Secret of Fatima."

DICK WEBER Died Feb. 13, 2005

The world’s greatest profession bowler, Dick Weber died at age 75. I can remember many a Saturday afternoon watching Mr. Weber bowl perfect games on ABC’s "Wide World of Sports." Fans of "Late Night with David Letterman" will remember Mr. Weber’s many appearances where he would drop bowling balls off of tall buildings into various items like watermelons or TVs. Mr. Weber won over 30 Bowling titles during his career.

JASON BYCE Died Feb. 13, 2005

Actor/teacher Jason Byce died of the incurable blood cancer multiple myeloma at age 60. Though Mr. Byce appeared on Broadway, TV and in films, he may be most recognizable for a Polander All Fruit TV commercial. Mr. Byce was the guy sitting at the fancy dining table with a group of society snobs who made the social faux paux of asking "Would ya please pass the jelly?" Mr. Byce taught musical theater at Kennesaw State University in Georgia. His film and TV credits include "The Program," "All My Children" and the TV series version of "In the Heat of the Night."

JOHN LYKES Died Feb. 13, 2005

Actor John Lykes died of undisclosed causes at age 60. Mr. Lykes appeared several films and TV shows during the 1980s. His credits include "Tapeheads," "Night Court," "Fame," "Moving Violations," "MacGyver," "Murder, She Wrote," "Alice" and "Home Improvement." Thanks to Artnet.com for the use of Mr. Lykes photo!

ALEC STALL Died Feb. 14, 2005

Extreme skier Alec Stall was killed by an avalanche while filming a scene for an up-coming documentary on the sport. The 23-year-old skier was knocked off of Mt. Mansfield in Vermont. The film was being shot by Meathead Films, a company started by several of Mr. Stall’s friends from college. Meathead Films has produced the extreme skiing films "Schooled" and "Epoch." Prayers of comfort for his family and friends.

OTTO PLASCHKES Died Feb. 14, 2005

Producer Otto Plaschkes died of a heart attack at age 75. Mr. Plaschkes was an Austrian Jew who fled the Nazis as a child. His love of film led him to seek work at Ealing Studios during it’s heyday. He began as a cutter. Mr. Plaschkes was an assistant director on Otto Preminger’s "Exodus." He was a production assistant on David Lean’s classic "Lawrence of Arabia." Mr. Plaschkes produced a number of notable films. His production credits include "Georgy Girl" and "Butley," both of which starred Alan Bates. "Butley" was one of the films produced as part of the American Film Theater series. Mr. Plaschkes was incolved in several films from that series including "The Homecoming," "Galileo," "In Celebration" and "The Sailor's Return." Mr. Plaschkes’s other credits include the hit comedy "Hopscotch," which starred Walter Matthau and Glenda Jackson, Robert Ludlum’s "The Holcroft Covenant," "The Bofur’s Gun," the 1984 version of "The Hound of the Baskervilles," the 1986 version of "The Sign of Four" and "A Separate Peace."

NAJAI TURPIN Died Feb. 14, 2005

Middleweight boxer Najai Turpin committed suicide at age 23. The young boxer shot himself in front of his girlfriend following an argument. Mr. Turpin was one of the hopefuls in the up-coming boxing reality show "The Contender." The show debuts on March 7. His episodes Mr. Turpin’s episodes will be aired and the producer is setting up a fund for his orphaned 2-year-old daughter. "The Contender" will be hosted by actor Sylvester Stallone. Prayers of comfort for Mr. Turpin’s family and friends.

PIERRE BACHELET Died Feb. 15, 2005

Composer Pierre Bachelet died at age 60 of an undisclosed illness. Mr. Bachelet composed the music for the erotic films "Emmanuelle" and "The Story of O." His score for "Emmanuelle" was used in nine of the sequels. Mr. Bachelet was nominated for the French Cesar Award for his score for "Les Enfants du Marais."

NICOLE DEHUFF Died Feb. 16, 2005

Actress Nicole DeHuff died of asthma, brochitis and an aggressive staph infection at age 31. Ms. DeHuff co-starred in the hit comedy "Meet the Parents." She played the sister of Ben Stiller’s girlfriend. Ms. DeHuff’s character was given a black eye by an over-enthusiastic Ben Stiller during a game of water volleyball. Ms. DeHuff’s other film credits include "Suspect Zero" and the upcoming "Unbeatable Harold." She appeared on several TV series including "C.S.I." and "C.S.I.: Miami." Prayers of comfort for her family and friends.

GERRY WOLFF Died Feb. 16, 2005

German actor Gerry Wolff died of heart failure at age 84. Mr. Wolff’s wife of 53-years died of heart failure last month. Gerry Wolff was a German born Jew who’s family escaped Hitler to the refuge of England. Mr. Wolff appeared in over 70 films and TV shows during his lengthy career. His best known film was "Naked Among the Wolves" which dealt with a group of prisoners hiding a small Jewish boy from the Germans at the Buchenwald death camp. He was the father of writer/director/actor Thomas Wolff.

HANK STONECIPHER Died Feb. 16, 2005

Construction coordinator Hank Stonecipher died at age 82. Mr. Stonecipher had a lengthy career behind the scenes in the TV industry. He worked on a number of popular TV series and Made for TV movies including "Hart to Hart," "Starman," several of the "Police Story" TV films," "Mike Hammer," "Switched at Birth" and "The Taking of Flight 847: The Uli Derickson Story." Ironically, Mr. Stonecipher died two days before the real Uli Derickson! He was a member of I.A.T.S.A. Local 44.

FRED CRAMER Died Feb. 16, 2005

BAFTA and Emmy nominated special effects coordinator Fred Cramer died at age 74. Mr. Cramer was nominated for a BAFTA for Best Special Effects for Rolland Joffe’s "The Killing Fields." His Emmy nomination came for the great HBO docudrama "The Tuskegee Airmen." Fred Kramer designed the flameguns used by the Sandmen in "Logan’s Run." The guns were actually functional guns that fired flames! Mr. Cramer added his special magic to a number of well known films including "The Deer Hunter," "Good Morning, Vietnam," "Silver Streak," Blake Edward’s "10," "Inchon," "Twister," "I’m Gonna Get You Sucker" and the overlooked 70s gem "Mother, Jugs and Speed." He was a member of I.A.T.S.A. Local 44.

PETER FOY Died Feb. 17, 2005

Aerographer Peter Foy died of natural causes at age 79. Mr. Foy was the theater industry’s foremost expert on ‘flying’ actors with wire rigs. He founded the company Flying by Foy in 1957. Mr. Foy was the man who made Mary Martin fly in her famous run on Broadway in "Peter Pan." Mr. Foy’s harnesses and rigs have been used on such films and TV shows as "The Flying Nun," "Fantastic Voyage," "Superman" and "The Wiz." Mr. Foy served his country as a navigator in the RAF during WWII.

DAN O’HERLIHY Died Feb. 18, 2005

Oscar-nominated, Irish-born actor Dan O’Herlihy died of an undisclosed illness at age 85. Mr. O’Herlihy was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for playing the title role in Luis Bunuel’s "The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe." Last December I took the wife and lids with me to Atlanta to visit my daughter in the hospital. Thanks to modern technology we can watch DVDs in the care. The first movie we watched during the drive was the VCI release of "The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe." I never saw this version growing up. It is a spectacular film with a wonderful performance by Mr. O’Herlihy. This was also director Bunuel’s first English language film. Mr. O’Herlihy had some tough competition for the Oscar that year. He lost to Marlon Brando in "On the Water Front." Horror fans may remember Mr. O’Herliky as the demonic CEO in the flawed but worthwhile "Halloween 3: Season of the Witch." The film has nothing to do with Michael Myers. That may be why it is an object of scorn to others. Had the film been titled something else, it might have developed a greater fan base. In the film Mr. O’Herlihy plays a Halloween mask manufacturer with plans to destroy our children. It is a dark movie worth seeing.

Among Mr. O’Herlihy’s over 150 film and TV credits are a number of true classics. He played McDuff in Orson Welles 1948 version of "MacBeth." He worked with Bette Davis in "The Virgin Queen." Mr. OP’Herlihy gave a fine supporting performance in the 50s melodrama "Imitation of Life." In 1964 he appeared in one of the best thrillers ever made. "Fail-Safe" tells basically the same story as Kubrick’s "Dr. Strangelove." "Fail-Safe" is however a very serious film. It still packs a wallop today.

Among Mr. O’Herlihy’s other notable credits are "Robo Cop" and "Robo Cop 2," the excellent TV mini series "QBVII," "100 Rifles," "Twin Peaks," as FDR in "MacArthur," "The Last Starfighter" and as Joe Kennedy in "The Rat Pack."

ULI DERICKSON Died Feb. 18, 2005

Flight attendant/heroine Uli Derickson died of cancer at age 60. Ms. Derickson was on board T.W.A. Flight 847 on June 14, 1985 when two gunmen hijacked the plane. The terrorist shot US Navy diver Robert Stetham and dumped his body on the tarmac in Beruit. During the remainder of the ordeal, Ms. Derickson risked her life to prevent further bloodshed. Her heroic intervention led to the release of the remaining hostages unharmed. Ms. Derickson’s heroics became the subject of a made for TV movie starring Lindsay Wagner. "The Taking of Flight 847: The Uli Derickson Story" received five Emmy nominations including one for director Paul Wendkos.

KIHACHI OKAMOTO Died Feb. 19, 2005

Award-winning Japanese director Kihachi Okamoto died of throat cancer at age 81. Mr. Okamoto won the Best Director and Best Screenplay Awards of the Japanese Academy for his 1991 crime/comedy "Rainbow Kids." Mr. Okamoto directed over 50 films during his lengthy career. His crime noir film "The Big Boss" is generally considered his best work. Mr. Okamoto was drafted into the Japanese army in the middle of WWII. He returned to that trying time as a director. Mr. Okamoto directed several war films including "Desperado Outpost," "The Battle of Okinawa" and "Japan’s Longest Day."

RICHARD LUPINO Died Feb. 19, 2005

Writer/director/actor Richard Lupino died of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma at age 75. Mr. Lupino was the cousin of actress Ida Lupino. He was a classically trained actor who appeared on Broadway as well as on many noted stages around the world. Mr. Lupino appeared in numerous TV shows dating back to the 1950s. His film and TV credits include "Father Goose," "Midnight Lace," "Never So Few," "Strategic Air Command," "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour," "77 Sunset Strip," "Thriller," "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" and "One Step Beyond." Mr. Lupino was also an author who wrote ten novels.

SANDRA DEE Died Feb. 20, 2005

Golden Globe winning actress Sandra Dee died of kidney disease. Some sources state that Ms. Dee was born in 1942 while others claim it was 1944. Ms. Dee was either 60 or 62 years old. Sandra Dee enjoyed a meteoric rise as a teen idol during the late 1950s. She was one of the top ten box-office draws during her heyday. Girls wanted to look like her and boys wanted to date her. Sandra Dee personified the wholesome girl-next-door in such films as "Gidget," "Tammy and the Doctor," "A Summer Place," "The Reluctant Debutante" and "Tammy Tell Me True." Occasionally she received roles that showed her range. She held her own opposite Lana Turner and Dan O’Herlihy in the Oscar nominated melodrama "Imitation of Life." Peter Ustinov cast her as Juliet in his Cold-War/comedy update of the Shakespeare play, which Ustinov called "Romanoff and Juliet." Despite her virginal screen image, Sandra Dee was a normal woman. She married actor/singer Bobby Darin. The couple appeared together in three films: "Come September," "If a Man Answers" and "That Funny Feeling." The marriage lasted a little over six years. Following her divorce, Universal Studios dropped her from her contract. Good girls don’t get divorces! What a hypocritical double standard. Especially in Hollywood! Sandra Dee continued to work sporadically, but her time on the top ended with her divorce. In 1970 she starred with Dean Stockwell in a so-so adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft’s "The Dunwich Horror." During the 1970s Ms. Dee appeared in a couple of entertaining Made for TV movies. In "The Daughters of Joshua Cabe" Buddy Ebsen plays a mountain man who hires a hooker and two thieves to pose as his daughters in order to get around some homestead law. It was nice to see Ms. Dee play against type. Karen Valentine and Lesley Ann Warren played the other so-called daughters. The following year Ms. Dee appeared in the first film about the Apollo 13 disaster: "Houston We’ve Got a Problem." She also appeared in the pilot film for the TV series "Fantasy Island." Ms. Dee won a Golden Globe as Most Promising Newcomer in 1958.She gained exposure to a new generation through the Broadway play and film "Grease" because of the song "Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee."

We all have a movie that touches us, or which draws us back to a special time in our life. A reader in San Francisco named Janet shared her memories of watching Ms. Dee act in the film "Portrait in Black." I thank her for letting me share it with you:

Anyway, no one mentions it, but Sandra Dee was in a movie called "Portrait in Black" which was filmed here in San Francisco in 1960. I am especially fond of this movie because I was a 12-year old Sandra Dee fan when I saw it being filmed near my elementary school in Pacific Heights. Miss Dee was of course wonderful and my friends and I got a kick out of watching take after take of her trying to park a little sports car in front of the mansion where the movie was being filmed.

The film also stars Lana Turner, Anthony Quinn, Anna May Won, Lloyd Nolan, and John Saxon. It has some fine San Francisco scenery from the period, which brings back many memories of my fair city when I was growing up, much as "Vertigo" does for me.

HUNTER S. THOMPSON Died Feb. 20, 2005

Gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson pulled his latest and last act as a wildman by shooting himself in the head. He was 67 years old. Dr. Thompson was the father of "Gonzo Journalism." His work focused on him as much as whatever subject he was observing. His best know work was the classic "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas." He also wrote the excellent look at the famed California biker organization "Hells Angels." Actor Bill Murray played Dr. Thompson in the 1980 misfire "Where the Buffalo Roam." Thompson was an executive consultant on that film. His best known book "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" was filmed in 1998 and starred Johnny Depp. Dr. Thompson co-wrote the pilot film for the TV series "Nash Bridges" with his neighbor Don Johnson. He was the inspiration of Garry Trudeau’s "Doonsebury" character Duke. Dr. Thompson’s antics were too numerous and detailed to try and summarize in this small space. Read "Fear and Loathing." Prayers of comfort for his family and friends.

JOHN RAITT Died Feb. 20, 2005

Singer/actor John Raitt died of pneumonia at age 88. Mr. Raitt was a famed singer on Broadway. He starred in Rogers and Hammerstein’s "Carousel." He was the father of the excellent Bonnie Raitt. Mr. Raitt’s success on Broadway didn’t translate into a successful film career. He starred opposite Doris Day in "The Pajama Game." It was his only starring film role. Mr. Raitt appeared in small parts in several films during the late 40s and early 50s. He was, however a very popular guest on a number of TV shows during the 1950s and 60s. His TV credits include Ed Sullivan’s "Toast of the Town," "The Dinah Shore Chevy Show" "Shirley Temple’s Storybook," "General Electric Theater," "Death Valley Days," "Shower of Stars" and "The Bell Telephone Hour."

TINA LEIU Died Feb. 20, 2005

Actress/DJ/singer Tina Leiu died of a pulmonary edema at age 29. Ms. Lieu co-starred with her husband/director Jon Hacobs in the up-coming movie "Hey DJ." Ms. Leiu was a regular on the HBO erotic series "Hotel Erotica." Ms. Leiu’s other credits include "Chained Heat III," "Hell Mountain," "Miami" and "Devil and Angel." According to Ms. Leiu’s website, she was a genuine Samoan Princess! Ms. Leiu had success in Germany with the club band "Spankox." Ms. Leiu fell ill with a virus that attacked her heart in 2003. She battled back from the life-threatening illness, but was left much weaker than before. Prayers of comfort to her family and friends, especially her young son.

GUILLERMO CABRERA INFANTE Died Feb. 21, 2005

Cuban novelist G. Cabrera Infante died of septicemia at age 75. Mr. Infante was an early supporter of Fidel Castro, but became one of his harshest critics. Mr. Infante had lived in exile in London for nearly 40 years. Though he is best known for his novels including "Three Trapped Tigers," Mr. Infante was also a screenwriter. Among his credits is the cult classic and personal favorite of mine "Vanishing Point." Mr. Infante adapted writer Malcolm Hart’s story of the last of the free spirits. "Vanishing Point" was an unusual mish-mass of fast car chases, religion, philosophy, drugs, sex and rock and roll. Mr. Infante’s other film credits include "Wonderwall: The Movie" and the upcoming production "The Lost City." Mr. Infante adapted the novel "Under the Volcano" into a screenplay in 1972. His adaptation was not the version filmed by John Huston in 1984. Mr. Infante’s papers including his movie scripts are located at Princeton University.

DR. GENE SCOTT Died Feb. 21, 2005

Pastor Gene Scott was not your run-of-the-mill televangelist. Being an insomniac, I’ve channel surfed across decades. I came across Dr. Scott’s show back in the early 1990s while I was going through my first divorce. While I can’t say that Dr. Scott’s teachings lifted my spirits, he sure was entertaining. Dr. Scott sat in the middle of his low tech set, smoking cigars and going on and on about how the mathematics found in the pyramids of Egypt could unlock the mysteries of the Bible. I liked the way he raised money. The guy would stop in the middle of a talk and say that he needed donations. He wouldn’t start talking again until a goal was met. Dr. Scott wouldn’t spend extra time pleading with the viewers for more money. He’d just sit there smoking his cigar until the goal was met. Once the money came in, he’d go back to his teaching. I can’t say that I agree with his take on Christianity, but Dr. Scott sure was a colorful figure. Famed director Werner Herzog’s documentary "God’s Angry Man" had Dr. Gene Scott as it’s subject. Dr. Scott died of complications following a stroke at age 75.

DON HIGGINS Died Feb. 21, 2005

Emmy Award winning sound editor Don Higgins died at age 80. Mr. Higgins won an Emmy Award for his work on the TV bio-pic "The Amazing Howard Hughes." He was nominated for another Emmy for the mini-series "Dallas: The Early Years." Mr. Higgins was a sound effects editor on Irwin Allen’s TV series "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea." His film credits include Ken Russell’s "Altered States," "Once Bitten" and "The Letter." Mr. Higgens claimed that he was the first editor to bring a computer in the editing room and was fired for doing so.

LEE EUN-JOO Died Feb. 22, 2004

South Korean model turned actress Lee Eun-joo committed suicide by hanging herself. Ms. Eun-joo was 25. Ms. Eun-joo first gained critical notice as a naïve screenwriter who falls for a manipulative ladykiller in "The Virgin Stripped Bare By Her Bachelors." She also starred in the hit drama "Bungee Jumping of Their Own." Ironically Ms. Eun-joo’s final screen appearance in "The Scarlet Letter" was as a woman who commits suicide. Ms. Eun-joo was a gifted pianist. Prayers of comfort for her family and friends.

HEATH LAMBERTS Died Feb. 22, 2005

Actor Heath Lamberts died of kidney failure and cancer at age63. Mr. Lamberts was primarily a stage actor. He created the role of Cogsworth in the original Broadway version of Disney’s "Beauty and the Beast." Mr. Lamberts’ film and TV credits include "Nothing Personal," "Ordinary Magic," "Tom and Huck," "Eerie Indiana," "Road to Avonlea" and "Law & Order." Mr. Lamberts costarred with Blythe Danner and Alan Alda in the overlooked thriller "To Kill a Clown." Lambert and Danner played a couple who are menaced by crazed Vietnam vet Alda.

MARY ETHEL GREGORY Died Feb. 22, 2005

Actress Mary Ethel Gregory died at age 79. The Utah actress appeared in a couple of my favorite films. She played killer Gary Gilmore’s aunt in the excellent TV mini-series "The Executioner’s Song." Actor Eli Wallach played her husband. Ms. Gregory also had a nice supporting role in the wonderful TV adaptation of Stephen King’s "The Stand." She played Alice Underwood, the grandmother of fictional rock star Larry Underwood played by Adam Storke. Ms. Gregory’s other credits include "Footloose," "Double Jeopardy" and the Ted Bundy TV mini-series "The Deliberate Stranger." Ms. Gregory was also active in regional theater in Utah.

TRUDE RITTMANN Died Feb. 22, 2005

Broadway dance and vocal arranger Trude Rittmann died of respiratory failure at age 96. She worked on most of the greats of the Broadway musical theater during the last century. She collaborated with Rogers and Hammerstein, Lerner and Lowe, Irving Berlin and others. Her film credits include "The King and I," "Camelot" and the 1960 TV version of "Peter Pan."

WILFRED LOEFFLER Died Feb. 22, 2005

Cinematographer Bill Loeffler died of cancer at age 74. Mr. Loeffler won an Emmy for his work on the HBO series "Inside the NFL." Mr. Loeffler was a cinematographer for NFL Films for over 30 years.

SIMONE SIMON Died Feb. 23, 2005

French actress Simone Simon died at age 94. The sexy actress was best known for her starring role in producer Val Lewton’s original "Cat People." Ms. Simon played the sexually frigid woman who feared she was turning into a panther. "Cat People" is among the best films of producer Lewton. Though great directors like Robert Wise and Jacques Tourneur actually directed Lewton’s films, the producer got top billing. His moody atmospheric films proved that true terror could be achieved through suggestion. Simone Simon was the most provocative leading lady Lewton ever featured. Ms. Simon made a cameo in the not quit as good sequel "The Curse of the Cat People."

Simone Simon was discovered at a sidewalk café in France. A chance meeting with director Viktor Tourjansky led to her being cast in his 1931 film "The Unknown Singer." Ms. Simon appeared in 15 films in Europe before coming to America. For two years she worked in American films, but did not achieve any real success. She played opposite Jimmy Stewart in "Seventh Heaven" and in five other films. Ms. Simon returned to France and starred in Jean Renoir’s "The Human Beast." She quickly reestablished her place as an European star. That success was short lived as German tanks overran Paris.

Back in the US, Ms. Simon appeared in her two best films. Ms. Simon garnered critical praise as the Devil’s seductress in "The Devil and Daniel Webster." Ms. Simon turns in an amazingly erotic performance, made all the more remarkable considering the constraints of the Production Code. Ms. Simon followed "The Devil and Daniel Webster" with "Cat People." Unfortunately Ms. Simon was never given another role in US films that utilized her talents. After appearing in several b-movies, Ms. Simon returned once more to France. She appeared in Max Ophuls’ Oscar-nominated and BAFTA winning "La Ronde." She retired in 1956 except for a cameo in the 1973 film "The Woman in Blue."

JOANNE BROUGH Died Feb. 24, 2005

TV producer Joanne Brough died of throat cancer at age 77. Ms. Brough worked her way up in the TV industry from an employee of a local TV station to a network executive. She was a producer of such shows as "Falcon Crest," "Washington Mistress," "Dallas" and "This is Kate Bennett." Ms. Brough left the US in the early 1990s to produce TV shows in Jakarta, Indonesia. She left Indonesia in 1998 when political violence threatened outsiders.

EDWARD PATTEN Died Feb. 25, 2005

I believe it was the comic strip "Doonesbury" that had a running parody of Gladys Knight and the Pips. I remember one strip that focused on the Pips choreography. In the forth frame of the strip, the three guys perform a spin while one of the characters has a thought balloon that says "Here’s the money." I guess the idea of the cartoonist was that it was easy to be a Pip. Gladys did all the work and the Pips road her coattails. The truth was far from the comic strip image found in "Doonesbury." Edward Patten and his cousins Gladys Knight and William Guest were the core of Gladys Knight and the Pips. Mr. Patten was the man who did the choreography and made sure the bills got paid. He was the backbone of the Pips. Mr. Patten appeared as part of the group on a number of TV shows including their own short-lived variety series. Their credits include "The Gladys Knight and the Pips Show," "Soul Train," "The Flip Wilson Show," Ed Sullivan’s "Toast of the Town," "Benson" and "American Bandstand." The band had a number of hit songs including "Midnight Train to Georgia." Their music was used in the film "Claudine." Mr. Patten died of complications following a series of strokes. He was 65. Spin… take a bow!

PIERRE TRABAUD Died Feb. 26, 2005

French actor Pierre Trabaud died at age 80. Though he appeared in a number of films during a career that started in the 1940s, Mr. Trabaud was best known for his voice over work. He played the voice of Daffy Duck, Popeye and Lucky Luke in France. He also did voice work for the X-rated cartoon "Shame of the Jungle." The US version featured voice work by John Belushi and Bill Murray. Mr. Trabaud’s best know live action work was in the classic French children’s film "War of the Buttons." Mr. Trabaud was briefly married to "The Pink Panther" co-star Capucine.

BRANDON MILLER Died Feb. 27, 2005

Brandon Miller died at age 30. Mr. Miller was the former assistant to a number of notable industry figures. Her worked for director John Schlesinger during the late 1990s. Mr. Miller also was an assistant to actress Marsha Mason and worked with both Shirley MacLaine and Paul McCartney. Mr. Miller moved into the corporate world where he was an executive with Estyle, the company behind Babystyle. Prayers of comfort for his family and friends.

SHELLEY HULL Died Feb. 27, 2005

Producer Shelley Hull died of emphysema and pneumonia at age 85. Mr. Hull was the son of "Werewolf of London" and "Objective Burma!" star Henry Hull. Shelley Hull had a long and successful career as a TV producer. His numerous credits include such TV hits as "Starsky and Hutch," "Charlie’s Angels," "The Mod Squad," "The Rookies," "7^th Heaven," "The Over the Hill Gang" and "The Guns of Will Sonnett."

CHRIS CURTIS Died Feb. 28, 2005

Chris Curtis, drummer for the 1960s band "The Searchers" was found dead at home at age 63. No cause of death was reported. Mr. Curtis was a member of British Invasion band "The Searchers." The band took their name from John Ford’s classic John Wayne Western. The band had a string of hits that included "Needles and Pins," "Don’t Throw Your Love Away" and "Sugar and Spice." The band appeared in 1963 comedy "Saturday Night Out." They also performed on the British TV show "Ready Steady Go." Curtis left "The Searchers" in 1966. In 1967 Curtis met organist Jon Lord at a party. Curtis told Lord his concept for a band. Curtis’s band was to be a three-man ensemble called "Roundabout." Curtis left shortly thereafter in a haze of drugs. John Lord and guitarist Ritchie Blackmore stayed together as the core of what would become "Deep Purple." Curtis moved on to producing records and eventually made his living as a civil servant.

JANUARY 2005 FILM WORLD OBITUARIES

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CYRIL FLETCHER Died Jan. 1, 2005

British comedian/talent agent Cyril Fletcher died at age 91 after a short illness. Mr. Fletcher’s career began on stage in the British Variety houses, what we in the US called vaudeville. He appeared in films and on TV. Mr. Fletcher’s first TV appearance was in 1937 TV series "Tele-Ho!" He married actress Betty Astell. The co-starred in the film "A Piece of Cake," which Mr. Fletcher also wrote. He and his wife starred a talent agency. One of his contributions to the world of comedy came as a talent scout. He discovered Sir. Harry Secombe, later to gain fame and amuse millions as part of "The Goon Show" with Peter Sellers and Spike Milligan. Mr. Fletcher appeared in the 1947 film version of "Nicholas Nickleby." He also appeared on the popular 1970s and 80s TV show "That’s Life."

SHIRLEY CHISHOLM Died Jan. 1, 2005

Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to the US House of Representatives died at age 80. Ms. Chisholm was elected to Congress in 1968 and served for 14 years. She sought the Democratic nomination for president in 1972. Her 1972 presidential bid was the subject of Shola Lynch’s critically praised 2004 documentary "Chisholm ’72: Unbought & Unbossed." The film’s title came in part from Ms. Chisholm’s autobiography "Unbought & Unbossed." Ms. Chisholm’s campaign was also the subject of the 1972 German documentary "Shirley Chisholm for President."

ROBERT R. FORTIER Died Jan. 1, 2005

Actor Robert R. Fortier died at age 78. Mr. Fortier appeared in nearly 40 films and TV shows. He had bit parts in five films by Robert Altman including "McCabe and Mrs. Miller" and "A Wedding." Mr. Fortier also appeared in the horror film "Incubus," which was the first film shot in the artificial language Esperanto. His other film and TV credits include "Heaven Can Wait," "Show Boat," several episodes of "The Outer Limits," "Star Trek," "Gunsmoke" and "Bonanza."

PAUL MANNING Died Jan. 2, 2005

Emmy-winning producer Paul Manning died of colon cancer at age 45. Mr. Manning was nominated for two Emmy Awards and won once for co-producing the hit TV series "E.R." Mr. Manning also wrote several episodes. He also wrote 20 episodes for the TV series "LA Law." Mr. Manning also worked on the family TV series "Clubhouse." Mr. Manning wrote the pilot episode of the TV series "The Adversaries." Prayers of comfort for his family and friends.

BARBARA PILAVIN Died Jan. 2, 2005

In the great B-movie "Vice Squad," Wings Hauser created one of the greatest movie villains of all time. He played a killer pimp named Ramrod. Ramrod took pleasure out the smallest things. In one scene, a homeless woman passes him on the street. He pulls out a cigarette lighter and pushes it near the old woman. Hauser’s eyes light up and he tells the woman "I’m the devil baby!" The woman reacts as if Hauser truly is the Devil. The homeless woman was played by character actress Barbara Pilavin. Ms. Pilavin died of complications following a stroke at age 81. She appeared in over 50 films and TV shows during her career. Ms. Pilavin appeared in a number of Italian films including Vittorio de Sica’s Oscar winning Best Foreign Film "The Garden of the Finzi-Continis." In "A League of Their Own," Ms. Pilavin played the older version of Helen, the first base woman played by Anne Ramsey as a young woman. Other credits include the horror film "Frightmare," Charles Bronson’s "10 to Midnight," "Homer & Eddie," "NYPD Blue," "Just Shoot Me!," "Charmed," "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Eerie, Indiana."

TERESA BLAKE Died Jan. 2, 2005

One of the pleasures I’ve had in writing this column is getting to know many people with an interest in the biographic history of film folk. Many people I’ve met only in cyber-space. One such person is Emmy-winning make-up artist and film historian Michael F. Blake. Anyone who purchased the great "Lon Chaney Collection" DVD set last year is familiar with Mr. Blake’s film expertise. I offer Michael and his family my deepest condolences on the loss of his mother. Teresa Blake died of heart failure at age 91. She was the widow of prolific film and TV actor Larry J. Blake. Ms. Blake appeared as herself in Kevin Brownlow’s excellent documentary "Lon Chaney: A Thousand Faces."

C.M.PENNINGTON-RICHARDS Died Jan. 2, 2005

British cinematographer/writer/producer/director C.M. Pennington-Richards died at age 93. Mr. Pennington-Richards was one of the foremost Black and White cinematographers in film history. The 1951 Alastair Sim version of "Scrooge" is by far the best film adaptation of Dickens’ "A Christmas Carol." In addition to the great lead performance, the film works because of Mr. Pennington-Richards’ moody, eerie photography. His other notable cinematographer credits include the original film version of "1984," Edward Dmytryk’s "Obsession" and "Tarzan and the Lost Safari." As a writer, Mr. Pennington-Richards was less prolific, but he did write the excellent "Guns at Batasi." Mr. Pennington-Richards was a busy film director also. His TV director credits include the series "Danger Man," "Ivanhoe" "A Challenge for Robin Hood," "The Invisible Man" and "The Buccaneers." He also directed the films "Mystery Submarine," "The Oracle" and "Hour of Decision" among others.

FRANK KELLY FREAS Died Jan. 2, 2005

Illustrator Frank Kelly Freas died of natural causes at age 82. Kelly Freas was the man behind Mad Magazine’s mascot Alfred E, Newman. Though he didn’t invent the character, Mr. Freas refined him and made him his own. Mr. Freas’s death brought back a flood of memories from my childhood. I thought of my long ago friend Dale Berryhill and his big brother Wayne. Wayne was the guy that introduced me to Mad Magazine. He also introduced me to the fact that all you needed was a camera to make movies. We spent hours filming army me and hot wheels car as we blew them up with firecrackers. Once Wayne tied a lawnmower body to the back of his bicycle and gave all the kids a thrill ride down a steep hill near our house. Being the klutz that I am, I was the kid that fell off and was skinned up from head to toe. Wayne came over to my house later with his camera. He wanted to film my cuts. The way he explained it to my mom was, that when I healed, he would film me being shot with a toy machine gun. My current wounds would fill in for the bullet holes later on. Needless to say, my Mom wasn’t to happy about his influence on me. Wayne was a lot like Alfred E. Newman. He didn’t worry about a thing. It’s funny how memories come back like that. I wanted to include Mr. Freas in this column when I first heard of his passing. His artwork has entertained me for most of my life. The problem was, I couldn’t find a single movie credit for Mr. Freas. Reader Tim Grover contacted me about Mr. Freas. Like me, he was a big fan. I explained my dilemma. This is the Hollywood Obituary column. I needed a movie connection. Mr. Grover and I decided to step up our research. I then remembered a terrible movie I saw back in 1980. "Up the Academy" was a comedy directed by Robert Downey Sr. The film was produced by Mad Magazine. Once they saw the final product, the disavowed the result and removed their name from the project. I went to see the film on the strength of a teaser trailer that included the image of Mr. Freas’s masterpiece: Alfred E. Newman. There were also movie posters that carried the "What, Me Worry" kid’s face. Of course those were all pulled. Menawhile, Mr. Grover responded with some research of his own. A picture of a werewolf drawn by Mr. Freas was featured in "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban." Mr. Grover also pointed out a fact he found in a reference book which stated that Mr. Freas had drawn pre-production illustrations for the project that became "Star Trek: The Motion Picture." Next to Alfred E. Newman, Mr. Freas most widely circulated illustration is probably the cover of Queen’s album "News of the World." The illustration was a reprise of a cover Mr. Freas did for "Astounding Science Fiction" magazine in 1953. Thanks for the trip down memory lane Mr. Freas and thanks for adding color to our lives.

UPDATE: I was contacted by Mr. Feas's widow, illustrator and classical music broadcaster Laura Brodian. Ms. Brodian informed me that her late husband painted the lobby poster for the sci-fi film "The Wizard of Speed and Time." After the film's LA premiere it was released directly to video.

STANLEY WATT Died Jan. 2, 2005

Broadway actor Stanley Watt died of cancer at age 74. In addition to his work on Broadway, Mr. Watt did narration for documentary films for National Geographic, A&E and the Discovery Channel.

WILL EISNER Died Jan. 3, 2005

Comic book pioneer Will Eisner died of complications following heart by-pass surgery at age 87. Mr. Eisner’s career spanned seven decades. In the 1940s he created "The Spirit." In the 1970s he pioneered the graphic novel. His character "The Spirit" was translated to film in the 1963 film "Adventures of the Spirit" and the 1987 TV movie "The Spirit." Mr. Eisner appeared as himself in the documentaries "Comic Book Heroes Unmasked," "Comic Book Confidential" and "The Masters of Comic Book Art."

WARREN KEMMERLING Died Jan. 3, 2005

Character actor Warren Kemmerling died at age 76. Mr. Kemmerling appeared in nearly 100 films and TV shows during his lengthy career. He was on the board of directors of the Screen Actor’s Guild for close to 40 years. Among Mr. Kemmerling’s many credits are the films "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," the American version of the 1984 Japanese remake of the original "Gojira" (Godzilla to the uninitiated), Alfred Hitchcock’s final film "Family Plot," Ron Howard’s first film "Eat My Dust," the excellent Sidney Potier religious allegory "Brother John," the hilarious black comedy "The Loved One" and "The Cheyenne Social Club." He also appeared in a number of great Made for TV movies and mini-series including "The Execution of Private Slovak," "How the West Was Won," "Raid on Entebbe" and "King." Mr. Kemmerling was a familiar face on the small screen for three decades. He appeared on some of TV’s most popular shows including "Gunsmoke," "I Dream of Jeannie," "Bonanza," "The Jack Benny Program," "LA Law," "The A-Team," "The Rockford Files," "The Waltons," "Route 66," "Mission Impossible" and many others. Mr. Kemmerling served his country as a US Marine during WWII. Thanks for your service to our country.

ROBERT GOTTSCHALL Died Jan. 3, 2005

Robert Gottschall died of natural causes at age 89. To call Mr. Gotschall just an actor would be to short-change his long and rich life. He was an actor. Mr. Gottschall acted under the name Robert Shaw beginning in the 1930s. His film career included roles in several films by American master director John Ford. Mr. Gottschall appeared in Ford’s classic "The Grapes of Wrath," "Young Mr. Lincoln" and "Tobacco Road." He also appeared in the Ford directed military training film "Sex Hygiene"! Other credits include "The Great Profile," which starred John Barrymore, Henry King’s "Captain from Castile" and "Honeysuckle Rose." As a child, Mr. Gotschall was a batboy for a Texas League Baseball team. During an exhibition, the young boy played a game of catch with Babe Ruth. Ruth, Gehrig and the rest of the world champion Yankees signed the ball. You can still see the ball today in the Legends of the Game Museum in Arlington, Texas. Mr. Gotschall served his country in the US Army during WWII. He rose to the rank of Lietenuant Colonel and turned the military into a 26-year career. Mr. Gotschall outlived his wife of 62 years by almost two months. He leaves two sons, sculptor Robert Gottschall, Mark Gotschall and a daughter, musician/composer Nancy Brundrett.

HUMPHREY CARPENTER Died Jan. 4, 2005

British biographer Humphrey Carpenter died of heart failure at age 57. Mr. Carpenter had also been suffering from Parkinson’s Disease. Mr. Humphrey may be best know for his biography of J.R.R. Tolkien. His biography of the author of "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy was just one of many books written by Mr. Humphrey. He appeared in several documentaries about J.R.R. Tolkien including "Tolkein Remembered" and "An Awfully Big Adventure: J.R.R. Tolkein."

DANNY SUGERMAN Died Jan. 5, 2005

Danny Sugerman, former manager of rock band The Doors and author of the great Jim Morrison biography "No One Here Gets Out Alive" died of lung cancer at age 50. Mr. Sugerman became friends with Jim Morrison and The Doors when he was still a young teen. His excellent book chronicals his amazing relationship with the band during their heydey. He was the technical advisor on Oliver Stone’s bio-pic "The Doors." Mr. Sugerman also wrote and produced the concert video "The Doors: Live in Europe 1968." His book "Wonderland Avenue" was also the source for a 2001 film. Mr. Sugerman’s widow is Fawn Hall of Iran-Contra fame.

RENE LE HANAFF Died Jan. 5, 2005

French editor/director René Le Hanaff died of natural causes. There is some dispute as to his age. It has been reported that he was either 102, 104 or 105! Mr. Le Hanaff was associated with two of France’s top directors in the 1930s: René Clair and Marcel Carne. He edited Mr. Clair’s first sound film "Under the Rooftops of Paris." His second film with Mr. Clair was the excellent comedy "Liberty for Us." The film pre-dated Charlie Chaplin’s classic "Modern Times." The producers of Mr. Clair’s film sued Chaplin for plagiarism. The case was settled out of court. He also edited René Clair’s romantic comedy "July 14." As he did with René Clair, Mr. Le Hanaff collaborated with director Marcel Carne. His credits with Ms. Carne include the excellent thriller "Daybreak." In addition to his work with other directors, Mr. Le Hanaff directed fourteen films himself.

GABRIELLE DAYE Died Jan. 5, 2005

British character actress Gabrielle Daye died at age 93. Ms. Daye was a regular on the long-running British TV series "Coronation Street" for eight years. She was a respected actress on stage, screen and TV. Her film career dates back to the 1940s. Among her many film and TV credits are the excellent rue-life crime drama "Ten Rillington Place," Lindsay Anderson’s dark comedy "O Lucky Man!," the Oscar winning "Sunday, Bloody Sunday," "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" and "Z Cars." On stage, she acted with most of the greatest British performers of the past century.

ERNEST LENART Died Jan. 6, 2005

German actor Ernest Lenart died at age 92. Mr. Lenart was primarily a stage actor. He worked in his native land, but fled to the US after the rise of Hitler’s Nazi Party. He had a supporting role in the excellent Made for TV movie "21 Hours at Munich" which dealt with the massacre of the Israeli Olympic team by PLO terrorists. Other credits include the WWII film "Target Unknown," and episode of the great TV series "Millennium," "Walk on Water" and the TV mini-series bio-pic "Wagner."

SINDHU Died Jan. 6, 2005

Indian actress Sindhu died of cardiac arrest at age 32. The star of nearly 60 films and TV series in India was out raising money for the victims of last year’s tsunami. After walking for several miles, she collapsed and was rushed to a hospital where she died. Prayers of comfort for her family and friends.

RICHARD CLARKE Died Jan. 7, 2005

British stage and screen actor Richard Clarke died of colon cancer at age 70. Mr. Clarke appeared on Broadway in nearly 20 plays. Although most of his work took place on stage, Mr. Clarke did appear in several films and TV shows. His credits include the great Titanic film "A Night to Remember," "Midnight Cowboy," "John and Mary," the TV version of "The Elephant Man," "Meet Joe Black" and the TV mini series "The Kennedys of Massachusetts."

WARREN SPEARS Died Jan. 8, 2005

Choreographer/dancer Warren Spears died of undisclosed causes at age 50. Though born in American, Mr. Spears transplanted himself to Denmark where he was the artistic director and choreographer of the New Danish Dance Theater for 12 years. Prior to moving to Denmark, Mr. Spears was part of the Alvin Ailey dance group. He appeared in director Lars von Triers innovative and highly original digital movie "Dancer in the Dark." The movie starred Bjork, Catherine Deneuve, David Morse and Peter Stormare.

EVERETT WILSON Died Jan. 8, 2005

17-year-old Everett Wilson was killed in an automobile. The driver of the car was arrested for DUI. Mr. Everett and his twin brother Ronald were one set of several twins who played Bill Cosby’s infant grandson Nelson Tibideaux on the hit TV series "The Cosby Show." Prayers of comfort for his family and friends.

BADJA D’JOLA Died Jan. 8, 2005

Actor Badja D’jola died of a heart attack at age 56. Mr. D’jola appeared in nearly 50 films and TV shows during his career. His best role was as Leon Issac Kennedy’s boxing opponent in "Penitentiary." Mr. D’jola played the bad-ass character "Half Dead." It is a great performance in a so-so movie. He also had a nice supporting role in Wes Craven’s "The Serpent and the Rainbow." Mr. D’jola’s other film and TV credits include "Mississippi Burning," "A Rage in Harlem," "The Lonely Guy," "The Last Boy Scout," "NYPD Blue," "Rosewood," "The Hurricane," "Night Shift," "The Waterdance," "ER," "The X Files," "Millennium" and "Roc."

HASKELL GORDON Died Jan. 8, 2005

Actor Haskell Gordon died of respiratory failure at age 83. Mr. Gordon was primarily a stage actor, but he did appear on TV. His small screen credits include "Route 66" and the Soap Opera "One Life to Live." Mr. Gordon appeared in the original Broadway productions of "1776" and "Sugar Babies." I never met Mr. Gordon, but if he was anything like his brother, director Stuart Gordon he must have a very nice gentleman. Stuart Gordon directed the cult classic "Re-Animator." I had the pleasure of meeting Stuart Gordon several years ago in Chicago.

GONZALO GAVIRA Died Jan. 9, 2005

Sound effects editor Gonzalo Gavira died of circulatory problems at age 79. Mr. Gavira was part of the Oscar-winning team that created the demonic sounds for the blockbuster film "The Exorcist." Robert Knudson and Christopher Newman were awarded the Oscar for the team’s effort. Mr. Gavira created special sound effects for the movie such as for the scene in which Linda Blair’s head turned 360 degrees. Mr. Gavira was nominated for a BAFTA for the same film. He was given two special awards for his lifetime of work at Mexico’s Ariel Awards. Mr. Gavira worked on over 60 films around the world. His credits include Alejandro Jodorowsky’s cult classic "El Topo," Sergio Leone’s "The Good, The Bad and the Ugly," "The Towering Inferno," "Mark of the Devil 3" and "Deathstalker 3."

KOJI HASHIMOTO Died Jan. 9, 2005

Japanese director Koji Hashimoto died of from injuries sustained in a fall while mountain climbing at age 68. Mr. Hashimoto directed the 1984 remake of "Godzilla." He also directed the sci-fi film "Sayonara Jupiter." For most of his career, Mr. Hashimoto was an assistant director. He worked on many of Toho Studio’s monster movies. The second movie I ever saw in a theater was "King Kong vs. Godzilla." Mr. Hashimoto began his AD career working on that epic monster battle. Mr. Hashimoto’s other AD credits include "Gihidra: The Three-Headed Monster," "Frankenstein Conquers the World," "Monster Zero," "Atragon 2," "Godzilla’s Revenge" and "Tidal Wave." Mr. Hashimoto’s work wasn’t restricted to giant rubber monsters. He was Akira Kurosawa’s AD on "Dodes’ka-den."

ERWIN HILLIER Died Jan. 10, 2005

Austrian cinematographer Erwin Hillier died at age 93. Mr. Hillier was one of the most influential cinematographers in the history of British film. He was one of a group of artists working on the early films of Powell and Pressburger productions who invigorated British film. Along with Alfred Hitchcock’s early work, the Powell/Pressburger team produced films that showed that the British film industry could consistently produce films that rivaled or even surpassed those made by their American cousins. Erwin Hillier’s first job was an assistant camera operator of Fritz Lang’s macabre 1931 masterpiece "M." The chilling story of a child murderer played by Peter Lorre is as powerful today as when first released. "M" is a complete film in every respect. The cinematography, direction and acting fuse to terrify and rivet the audience. Mr. Hillier moved to England and worked on the Powell and Pressburger films "The Silver Fleet," "I Know Where I’m Going" and "A Canterbury Tale." Mr. Hillier’s early Black and White photography is among the best in motion picture history. He was also quite good when working in Color. Among his more memorable film credits are "The Dam Busters," "The Long and the Short and the Tall," "Operation Crossbow," "The Quiller Memorandum," Ray Harryhausen’s cowboy and dinosaurs fantasy "The Valley of Gwangi," "The Shoes of the Fisherman" and "A Boy Ten Feet Tall." Mr. Hillier was nominated for a BAFTA for his work on "A Boy Ten Feet Tall."

BUNTY WEBB Died Jan. 10, 2005

Canadian actress Bunty Webb died just shy of her 74^th birthday after a lengthy illness. Ms. Webb was very active in regional theater in Canada. In addition to her work founding and encouraging regional theaters, she worked in numerous films and TV shows. Among her many credits are "A Simple Wish," "Double Jeopardy," "Tommy Boy," "Sing," "Higher Education," "Bedroom Eyes," "Maniac Mansion" and "Alfred Hitchcock Presents."

AMRISH PURI Died Jan. 11, 2005

Legendary India screen villain Amrish Puri died of a brain hemorrhage at age 72. Mr. Puri appeared in more than 200 Bollywood productions. In addition to his highly successful career in his native country, Mr. Puri appeared in two well-known international productions. He was the evil priest Mola Ram in Steven Speilberg’s "Indian Jones and the Temple of Doom." He was the guy who met a nasty end when he fell off the river gorge suspension bridge. His performance was one of the highlights of an otherwise disappointing sequel. He had a rare good-guy role in Sir Richard Attenborough’s Oscar-winning bio-pic "Ghandi." Mr. Puri won numerous acting awards for his deliciously evil performances.

JIMMY GRIFFIN Died Jan. 11, 2005

Oscar-winning composer and co-founder of the 1970’s soft-rock band "Bread" Jimmy Griffin died of cancer at age 61. Along with David Gates, Robb Royer and Jim Gordon, Mr. Griffin founded the band "Bread," which had a string of hits during the early 1970s that included "Baby, I’m-a Want You," "Make It With You" and "If." Mr. Griffin shared the Best Original Song Oscar with fellow "Bread" member Robb Royer and Fred Karlin for the song "For All We Know." The song, performed by "The Carpenters" was used in the film "Lovers and Other Strangers." Mr. Griffin was also a member of the country music band "The Remmingtons." Mr. Griffin appeared in two films in the early 1960s: Frank Sinatra’s lone directorial attempt "None But the Brave" and the teen comedy "For Those Who Think Young."

SPENCER DRYDEN Died Jan. 11, 2005

Spencer Dryden, former drummer for the psychedelic 60’s band "Jefferson Airplane" died of cancer at age 66. Mr. Dryden replaced the band’s original drummer in 1966 and left the band in 1970. "Jefferson Airplane" recorded such hits as "White Rabbit" and "Somebody to Love." He was a member of "The New Riders of the Purple Sage" after leaving the "Jefferson Airplane." Mr. Dryden was the nephew of screen legend Charlie Chaplin. Mr. Dryden appeared in a number of documentaries with "Jefferson Airplane." In fact he appeared in three of the best Rock films ever made: "Monterey Pop," "Woodstock" and "Gimme Shelter." He appeared with "The New Riders of the Purple Sage" on the TV series "Beat Club." Mr. Dryden had been in ill health for some time. He had also lost his home and possessions in a house fire in 2003.

THELMA WHITE Died Jan. 11, 2005

Actress Thelma White died of pneumonia at age 94. Ms. White starred in the 1936 cult-classic "Reefer Madness." Though the film was made as a serious warning against the dangers of marijuana, its naïve propaganda and ridiculous claims made the movie a favorite on the college midnight movie circuit in the 60s and 70s. I must admit laughing through the film several times back in the days that I inhaled. Ms. White came to film from the world of vaudeville and radio. She appeared in a number of B-movies during the 30s and 40s. After a crippling illness ended her acting career, Ms. White became an actor’s agent for such folks as James Coburn and Robert Blake.

SAL PACINO Died Jan. 12, 2005

Pacino family patriarch Sal Pacino died of a heart attack at age 82. Mr. Pacino was the father of Oscar-winning actor Al Pacino (Scarface) and filmmaker Roberta Pacino. If the old cliché that a man’s greatest legacy is his children is true, then Mr. Pacino has indeed left a rich legacy. However, in researching Mr. Pacino’s life it becomes clear that he had a full, rich life in his own right. Mr. Pacino was a theater actor and director in the 1950s. He then began a 30 year career in the insurance field. He was a night club owner and late in life returned to acting. An accomplished dancer, Mr. Pacino appeared as a swing dancer in the film "Younger and Younger." He appeared as himself as one of the fit senior citizens in the workout video "Richard Simmons and the Silver Foxes: Fitness for Senior Citizens." Though Mr. Pacino usually appeared in smaller roles, he did have a leading role in the crime comedy "Soldati, I." Mr. Pacino’s widow, actress Katherin Kovin appeared with her husband in a number of films. Mr. Pacino’s daughter Roberta and her husband Mark Oliver Richman own the film production company "Quarter to Three Films." The company took its name from a Frank Sinatra song that was one of her father’s favorites. Prayers of comfort for his family and friends.

DANNY BENSON Died Jan. 12, 2005

Sound engineer Danny Benson died of esophageal cancer at age 65. Mr. Benson did sound work for film, TV and stage. He was the sound engineer for the legendary comedy improv group "The Committee" during the 1960s. "The Committee" featured Howard Hessman and Ed Greenberg among others. They were featured in the film "Billy Jack." Mr. Benson also worked on the classic Lenny Bruce animated short film "Thank You, Masked Man." Mr. Benson’s film credits include "The Right Stuff," "The Dead Pool," "Birdy," "Maxie" and "Die Laughing." Mr. Benson also worked on the PBS TV series "Sesame Street."

RUDOLPH MOSHAMMER Died Jan. 14, 2005

German fashion designer Rudolph Moshammer was murdered in his home at age 64. Mr. Moshammer was strangled with a phone cord by a man who claimed that Mr. Moshammer had paid him for sex. Mr. Moshammer’s clients included actor/governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Mr. Moshammer appeared in a number of German TV series and films, usually playing himself.

CARL MOHNER Died Jan. 14, 2005

German actor and respected painter Carl Mohner died of Parkinson’s Disease at age 88. Mr. Mohner appeared in over 60 films and TV series during his life. During the 1960s, he took up painting. His works are found in some of the best art collections in the world including the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C. Mr. Mohner may be best known for his role in the WWII thriller "Sink the Bismark." He played Captain Lindemann, commander of the feared German battleship. He also starred in one of the best ‘perfect robbery goes wrong" films, the frech crime classic "Rififi." If you are a fan of Kubrick’s "The Killing" or Tarantino’s "Reservoir Dogs," you owe it to yourself to catch Jules Dassin’s "Rififi." Mr. Mohner also wrote and directed "The Istanbul Adventure." Among Mr. Mohner’s other credits are "The Fall of Rome," "Carmen, Baby," "Callan," "The Babysitter" and "Cave of the Living Dead."

CLINT PRENTICE Died Jan. 14, 2005

Actor and LA civil servant Clint Prentice died at age 77. Mr. Prentice acted in New York and LA. He appeared in the crime film "Angel’s Hill." Mr. Prentice worked as a Welfare Administrator for the County of Los Angeles for 27 years.

JACK KINE Died Jan. 14, 2005

British TV special effects pioneer Jack Kine died at age 83. Mr. Kine worked for BBC TV for 40 years. He co-founded the BBC’s Visual Effect’s Department. My love of more mature science fiction was sparked by the film "Quatermass and the Pit." The film dealt with the discovery of a ancient Martian spacecraft uncovered by a crew dig a subway tunnel in London. The taut thriller features some creepy Martians designed by Mr. Kine. He was particularly associated with the early years of the long-running TV series "Dr. Who." Mr. Kine and his co-worker Bernard Wilkie created hundreds of effects, quite often breaking new ground in their field. Thanks for making the ‘fantastic" a little more real. Mr. Kine also authored the book "Miniature Scenic Modelling."

DEEM BRISTOW Died Jan. 15, 2005

Actor Deem Bristow died of a heart attack at age 57. Mr. Bristow was best know to fans of the video game Sonic the Hedgehog. He provided the voice of the villains Dr. Eggman and Dr. Robotnik since the games inception. Mr. Bristow provided voices for a number of other video games. His film and TV credits include "Problem Child," "Terminal Exposure" and "Glitch!"

DAN LEE Died Jan. 15, 2005

Animator Dan Lee died of cancer at age 35. Mr. Lee designed the character Nemo for Pixar’s "Finding Nemo." Mr. Lee’s other credits include "A Bug’s Life," "Monsters Inc." and "Toy Story 2." Prayers of comfort for his family and friends.

RUTH WARRICK Died Jan. 15, 2005

Emmy-nominated actress Ruth Warrick died of pneumonia at age
88. She made her film debut in the ultimate indie film "Citizen Kane." Ms. Warrick played the put upon first wife of Orson Welles’s character Charles Foster Kane. Ms. Warrick was a member of the famed Mercury Theater. Ms. Warrick is probably best known for her work on several popular Soap Opera’s. She was one of the original cast members of "All My Children." She also worked regularly on "The Guiding Light," "Loving," "As the World Turns" and "Peyton Place." Ms. Warrick was nominated for several Emmy and Daytime Emmy Awards. In 2004 she received a Lifetime Achievement Emmy. Ms. Warrick starred in Walt Disney’s now politically incorrect "Song of the South." Other film credits include "Daisy Kenyon," "The Great Bank Robbery," "The Corsican Brothers," "Journey Into Fear," "China Sea" and "Three Husbands."

ELIZABETH JANEWAY Died Jan. 15, 2005

Author Elizabeth Janeway died at age 91. Ms. Janeway wrote seven novels during her career. Later in life, she wrote several books in support of the woman’s rights movement. Ms. Janeway’s book, "Daisy Kenyon" was turned into a film by director Otto Preminger. The film starred Joan Crawford and featured Ruth Warrick in a supporting role. Ms. Warrick died the same day as Ms. Janeway.

AGUSTAN GONZALEZ Died Jan. 16, 2005

Award-winning Spanish actor Augustan Gonzalez died of pneumonia at age 74. Mr. Gonzalex appeared in more than 180 films during his long and distinguished career. He was nominated four times for the Best Supporting Actor Goya. In 1982 the Cinema Writers Circle Awards presented him the Best Supporting Actor Award for his work in "El Poderoso Influjo de la Luna." His lengthy list of credits includes "Belle Epoque," "The Beehive," "Gary Cooper, Who Art in Heaven," "Chocolate," "The Nest" and "That Man in Istanbul."

ROGER IBANEZ Died Jan 16, 2005

Spanish actor Roger Ibanez died at age 71. Mr. Ibanez was born in France to Basque/Spanish parents. He was a staunch opponent of former Spanish dictator Francisco Franco. Mr. Ibanez appeared in several weel-known European films. His credits include Bunuel’s "That Obscure Obect of Desire" and Pierre Granier-Deferre’s "Le Train."

VIRGINIA MAYO Died Jan.17, 2005

Screen star Virginia Mayo died of heart failure and pneumonia at age 84. Ms. Mayo was one of the biggest stars in the Warner Brother’s stable of actors during the 1940s and 50s. She appeared in over 70 films and TV shows during her lengthy career. Ms. Mayo starred opposite James Cagney in my all-time favorite film: Raoul Walsh’s "White Heat." The blond bombshell had much more than looks. She was also an accomplished actress who got better over time. In "White Heat," she played the wife of Cagney’s psychopathic Oedipus-conflicted gangster Cody Jarrett. Ms. Mayo turned in a great performance as a no-good moll. Of course, Cagney's performance overshadowed everyone else in the film, so you have to watch close to appreciate Ms. Mayo’s work. She rivialed Jane Greer as one of Film Noir’s all-time bad girls. Ms. Mayo also did a good turn as a bad girl in William Wyler’s 1946 classic "The Best Years of Our Lives." She played the two-timing wife of returning Army/Air Corp officer Dana Andrews. It is a small but vital role in Wyler’s three-hour ensemble piece. Ms. Mayo held her own against such stars as Fredric March, Myrna Loy, Teresa Wright, Hoagy Carmichael and Dana Andrews. The following year, Ms. Mayo made a big impression as Danny Kaye’s co-star in "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty." She co-stared with Danny Kaye in five films including "A Song is Born." Ms. Mayo married actor Emmy-nominated Micheal O’Shea in 1947. The couple met on Ms. Mayo’s second film, the bio-pic "Jack London." Her future husband played the title role. The couple was married until Mr. O’Shea’s death in 1973. She never remarried. Virginia Mayo’s other credits include "The Girl From Jones Beach" opposite Ronald Reagan, "The Princess and the Pirate" opposite Bob Hope, "The West Point Story" also with James Cagney, "Captain Horatio Hornblower" opposite Gregory Peck and "Along the Great Divide" opposite Kirk Douglas. Ms. Mayo slowed her career down in the early 1960s. She appeared more on TV than in the movies, although she continued to appear in films until 1997. Ms. Mayo was adept at song, dance and drama. She appeared in a number of Western films. In 1988, she was awarded the Golden Boot Award for her lengthy career. Ms. Mayo had a successful life both on and off screen. To quote her "White Heat" co-star, I guess you could say she "Made it Ma! Top of the World!"

BASIL HOSKINS Died Jan. 17, 2005

British stage actor Basil Hoskins died at age 75. Mr. Hoskins was a classically trained actor who spend decades trodding the boards in England and the US. He appeared with Lauren Bacall in her hit musical "Applause." Mr. Hoskins talents ranged from Shakespeare to musicals to Soap Opera doctors. His film and TV credits include "Cold Comfort Farm," the Tony Perkins horror film "Edge of Sanity," "The New Avengers," "The Avengers," "Flame Over India" and "Desert Attack." Mr. Hoskins was the life partner of the late actor Harry Andrews.

LAMONT BENTLEY Died Jan. 18, 2005

What a terrible month for young actors and automobile accidents. 31-year-old actor Lamont Bentley was killed in a one-car accident. He is the third young actor to die in a car crash this month! Mr. Bentley was thrown from his car after it went off of the freeway. Mr. Bentley was best known for his supporting role in the UPN TV series "Moesha." He played Moesha’s friend Hakeem. Mr. Bentley had a number of film and TV credits. He appeared in the excellent horror anthology "Tales From the Hood." Mr. Bentley also appeared in the so-so Dr. Dre/Snoop Dog comedy "The Wash." In the Made for TV bio-pic "Too Legit: The M.C. Hammer Story," Mr. Bentley played slain rap star Tupac Shakir. Prayers of comfort for his family and friends.

GABRIELLA BRUNE Died Jan. 18, 2005

British actress Gabriella Brune died at age 92. Ms. Brune’s film career dated back to the 1930s. Her film credits include "The Wife of General Ling," "The Titfield Thunderbolt," "A Run For Your Money," "Mandy," "The Green Pack" and "The Public Eye."

CAL BOLDER Died Jan. 19, 2005

Actor/body builder Cal Bolder died of cancer at age 74. Mr. Bolder appeared in several films and TV series during the 1960s. Fans of bad movies know Mr. Bolder as the muscular monster in "Jesse James Meets Frankenstein’s Daughter." Other credits include "Heller in Pink Tights," "One of Our Spies is Missing," "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.," "Bonanza" and the "Friday’s Child" episode of "Star Trek." Mr. Bolder also published a novel titled "Last Reunion" under his real name E.C. Craver. Mr. Bolder served his country in the US Marine Corp.

CHUCK OLIN Died Jan. 20, 2005

Chicago documentary filmmaker Chuck Olin died of a blood disease at age 68. Mr. Olin started his film career as an assistant to fellow Chicago filmmaker Philip Kaufman on the 1967 Jon Voight comedy "Fearless Frank." After this one venture into commercial movies, Mr. Olin set his sights on the world of documentary films. He produced and directed a number of films including "The Murder of Fred Hampton," "In Our Own Hands: The Hidden Story of the Jewish Brigade in World War II," "Box of Treasures," and the Emmy-Award winning "Palette of Glass: The America Windows of Marc Chagall."

PARVEEN BABI Died Jan. 20, 2005

Indian actress Parveen Babi was found dead in her apartment. The 50-year-old former sex symbol suffered from schizophrenia and had been a recluse for a number of years. Ms. Babi was a major Bollywood star during the 1970s and 80s. She was one of the first Indian actresses to openly flaunt her sexuality. She broke many of the taboos of Hindi films. Unfortunately, Ms. Babi died alone, forgotten by those who worked with her during her heyday. She withdrew from the public light as her mental illness took over her life. She converted to Christianity toward the end of her life. Ms. Babi appeared in over 50 films during her short but extremely successful film career.

BEVERLY DENNIS Died Jan. 20, 2005

Actresses turned psychotherapist Beverly Dennis died of multiple myeloma at age 79. Ms. Dennis appeared in several films in the early 1950s including William Wellman’s "Westward the Women" and "Take Care of My Little Girl." Ms. Dennis was also a regular on the TV series "The Red Buttons Show." She replaced actress Dorothy Jolliffe in the role of Red Buttons’ wife. Ms. Dennis fell victim to the HUAC blacklist. She left the show after one season and was replaced by actress Betty Ann Grove. Ms. Dennis and her first husband, actor Russell Dennis, were both blacklisted and their careers ended before they really took off. Ms. Dennis went back to school and started a second successful career as a psychotherapist. She was the mother of the current Psychedelic Furs keyboardist Amanda Cramer.

ROBERT DWAN Died Jan. 21, 2005

Writer/director Robert Dwan died of pneumonia at age 89. Mr. Dwan directed Groucho Marx during the entire 14-year Radio and TV run of the quiz show "You Bet Your Life." Mr. Dwan was also a writer for Art Linkletter’s "People are Funny." Mr. Dwan also directed a TV version of "The Mikado." Grouch Marx also appeared in that production.

STEVE SUSSKIND Died Jan. 21, 2005

Yet another actor has been killed this month in an automobile accident. Actor/singer Steve Susskind was killed in Sunland California at age 62. Mr. Susskind was one of the founders of the Doo Wop group The Roomates. Along with Jack Carlson, Bob Minsky and Felix Alverez, Steve Susskind recorded several songs including "Band of Gold." Their biggest hit was "Please Love Me Forever" on which they backed 14-year-old singer Cathy Jean. The record producers released the song as being recorded by Cathy Jean and the Roomates. The fact is that their tracks were recorded separately. The Roomates disbanded in 1964. Jack Carlson shared the following with me:"We had a 40 year Roomate reunion at Steve's this past May and enjoyed reliving the fun we had singing back in the 60's in New York City. We hadn't all been together since 1964. It was a wonderful time." Mr. Susskind was a board member of AFTRA. Mr. Susskind had an additional and successful career as an actor doing both live action and voice acting. Horror fans will remember him as the pot smoking hippie Harold Hatcher in "Friday the 13^th:3D." He also appeared in the lame horror film "House." Among Mr. Susskind’s many voice work credits are Disney’s "Monster’s Inc.," "Osmosis Jones" and "Challenge of the Gobots." Other film and TV credits include "Star Trek V: The Voyage Home," a priest on several episodes of "Friends," "Melrose Place," "Wings," "Married With…Children," "The Jeffersons" and "Archie Bunker’s Place." Prayers of comfort for his family and friends.

PATSY ROWLANDS Died Jan. 22, 2005

British actress Patsy Rowlands died at age 71. Ms. Rowlands was best known for her work in the British "Carry On" comedy film series. Ms. Rowlands appeared in nine films, a documentary, a TV special and an episode of the TV series version of the "Carry On" films. Her "Carry On" credits include "Carry On Again Doctor," "Carry On Loving," "Carry On Matron" and "Carry On at Your Convenience." She appeared in nearly 80 films and TV shows during her career. Other credits include Roman Polanski’s "Tess," "Tom Jones," "A Kind of Loving," "Z Cars," "Danger Man" and "The Avengers."

CONSUELO VELAZQUEZ Died Jan. 22, 2005

Composer Consuelo Velazquez died of heart failure at age 84. Ms. Velazquez wrote numerous songs, but was best known for the ballad "Besame Mucho." The song was recorded by numerous artists from Placido Domingo to The Beatles. The song was featured in several films including George Stevens classic "Giant." Ms. Velazques contributed songs to over 30 films and TV series.

JOHNNY CARSON Died Jan. 23, 2005

TV legend Johnny Carson died of emphysema at age 79. Next to Lucille Ball, Johnny Carson was the most influential performer in the history of entertainment TV. Hey folks, this is my column and that’s my opinion! Johnny Carson ruled the world of late night TV for 30 years as host of NBC’s "The Tonight Show." Johnny Carson was an everyman. He came into our homes, made us laugh and exposed us to more entertainers than ever before. He was a star maker. Johnny Carson had a quality that made you welcome him into your home. Though he was a very private man, he appeared on TV as someone who would be glad to have a beer with you. Maybe it was his self-deprecating humor. The secret to Johnny’s success is that he made his guests look good. Though David Letterman comes close to capturing Carson’s secret quality, those who followed Carson vie for the spotlight with their guests. He knew what made entertaining TV. Johnny spared no expense with The Tonight Show Band. Carson’s third band leader, Doc Severinsen was an amazing jazz and pop musician. I always envied the studio audience who got to hear the band play during commercial breaks. Then there was Johnny’s sidekick Ed McMahon. Say what you will about the man, he was a perfect foil for Johnny Carson’s subtle humor. Ed’s intro "Heeeeere’s Johnny" entered the vernacular. Stanley Kubrick’s "The Shining" is proof. Johnny Carson exposed America to the big stars, the oddities, the wonders of nature (that includes Carol Wayne as well as the animals from the San Diego Zoo) and common folks with uncommon stories. Johnny Carson’s comedic timing was impeccable. He was also a pro at recovering from a joke that bombed. Mr. Carson’s death brings back memories of my father. I knew that I was growing up in the eyes of my dad when he began to let me stay up and watch Johnny Carson with him. Some of my earliest "Tonight Show" memories were of a young Joan Rivers joking about a padded bra that was so thick that she once fell over and bounced right back up, of Jimi Hendrix experiencing an equipment malfunction halfway through his song (Flip Wilson was the guest host that night), of the numerous and hilarious conversations with actors Burt Reynolds and Robert Blake. I remember being the class clown in fifth grade by doing my Art Fern imitation. We all have our memories. I grateful to him for mine.

PHILIP DEGUERE JR. Died Jan, 24, 2005

Writer/producer/director Philip DeGuere Jr. died of cancer at age 60. Mr. DeGuere created the TV series "Simon and Simon." He was nominated for and Edgar Allen Poe Award" for producing and episode of the series. Mr. DeGuere’s other producing credits include the TV series "Baa, Baa Black Sheep," "Max Headroom," the 1985 version of "The Twilight Zone," "Whiz Kids" and "Air America." He also directed episodes of "Baa, Baa Black Sheep," the Made for TV movie "Dr. Strange" and two episodes of the 19856 version of "The Twilight Zone." Mr. DeGuere also had many writing credits. In addition to writing for those shows he produced and directed, his other writing credits include the great Western TV series "Alias Smith and Jones," "Baretta," "Magnum P.I.," "JAG" and "The Dead Zone."

RAY PETERSON Died Jan. 25, 2005

Country music composer Ray Peterson died of cancer at age 69. Mr. Peterson score Top 10 hits singles for "Tell Laura I Love Her" and "Corrina, Corrina." He also had a hit single with "The Wonder of You," long before Elvis scored a hit with the same song. Mr. Peterson had a song featured in the comedy "One Way Wahini." The 1994 Whoopie Goldberg film "Corrina, Corrina" also featured Peterson’s song. He appeared in the documentary "At the Drive In." He also performed on Ed Sullivan’s "Toast of the Town."

VICKKI LA MOTTA Died Jan. 25, 2005

The ex-wife of boxer Jake La Motta died at age 75. Ms. La Motta had undergone open-heart surgery six months prior to her death. The turbulent abusive relationship between Jake and Vikki La Motta was the subject of Martin Scorsese’s masterpiece "Raging Bull." Robert De Niro and Cathy Moriarty portrayed the couple. Ms. La Motta landed on her feet after she left her once abusive husband. She posed for Playboy at age 51 and proved that she was still a beauty. Ms. La Motta began her own successful cosmetics company. Ms. La Motta appeared as herself in the documentary "Sports on the Silver Screen."

RUDI FALKENHAGEN Died Jan. 26, 2005

Popular Dutch actor Rudi Falkenhagen died of throat cancer at age 71. He may be best known to international audiences for his role as the father of one of the lead character’s in Paul Verhoven’s excellent 1980 film "Spetters." Mr. Falkenhagen did the voice of McQuack in the Dutch version of "Darkwing Duck." He also had a supporting role in the Klaus Kinski sci-fi thriller "Lifespan." Mr. Falkenhagen appeared in over 30 films and TV series during his career.

JOSIE MCAVIN Died Jan. 26, 2005

Oscar and Emmy winning set decorator Josie McAvin died at age 85. Ms. McAvin was the only person from Ireland to win both the Oscar and an Emmy. Ms. McAvin was nominated for three Best art Direction-Best Set Direction Oscars for her work on "Tom Jones," "The Spy Who Came in from the Cold" and "Out of Africa." She won her Oscar for "Out of Africa." Ms. McAvin won the Outstanding Individual Achievement in Art Direction for a Miniseries or a Special Emmy for the mini-series "Scarlett." "Scarlett" was the sequel to "Gone With the Wind." Ms. McAvin’s other credits include "The Mark," "Sinful Davy," "Ryan’s Daughter," "Heaven’s Gate," "Educating Rita," "The Dresser," "The Dead" and "Michael Collins."

PAUL PARTAIN Died Jan. 27, 2005

Actor Paul Partain died of cancer at age 58. Mr. Partain played one of the most annoying, yet memorable characters in film history. The character Franklin Hardesty may not grate on movie-goers nerves the way Jar Jar Binks does, but he sure came close. Paul Partain played the doomed, wheelchair bound Franklin Hardesty in Tobe Hooper’s classic 1974 horror film "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre." Despite the character’s whining, you still hate it when he finally meets the chainsaw-toting monster Leatherface in the woods. Mr. Partain was able to take this pathetic character and make him sympathetic. The claustrophobic film grows to a crescendo of terror that really gets going at the point that Partain’s character is killed. His death scene is terrifying as his character is the most vulnerable of all the victims. Tobe Hooper’s film traps the viewer in an unrelenting journey of terror. The movie builds slowly. Mr. Partain’s character is trapped in his chair from the outset. As things go wrong for Franklin, his sister and her friends, the movie-goer develops a kinship with Franklin. Suddenly our theater seat is as confining as Franklin’s wheelchair. We are trapped under Mr. Hooper’s masterful cinematic manipulation. Suddenly, we are thinking the thoughts Mr. Partain’s character has been voicing. We are not happy and wish we could leave. Too bad, too late. Paul Partain served his country in Vietnam. He made his film debut in Sidney Lumet’s "Loving Molly?" He worked with Peter Fonda twice. First in "Outlaw Blues" and then in the cult classic "Race With the Devil." Mr. Partain also had a supporting role in the William Devane/Tommie Lee Jones revenge thriller "Rolling Thunder." He returned in one of the "Chainsaw" sequels. Mr. Partain joined original "Chainsaw" actors Marilyn Burns and John Dugan in a cameo for "The Return of the Chainsaw Massacre." In numerous interviews, Paul Partain was revealed to be an intelligent, thoughtful and talented man. The world of horror films is sadder today for his passing.

JONATHAN WELSH Died Jan. 27, 2005

Award-winning Canadian actor Jonathan Welsh died at age 57 of an unspecified illness. Mr. Welsh won the Canadian Gemini Award as Best Supporting Actor for his work in the TV series "E.N.G." The Gemini Award is Canada’s award for outstanding work in English language TV. There is a separate award for the French language TV in Canada. Mr. Welsh’s other film and TV credits include "Starship Invasions," "Switching Channels," "Agency," "City on Fire," "Mafia Princess," "Total Recall 2070" and "Milgaard."

NICOLE DUFRESNE Died Jan. 27, 2005

Actress and playwright Nicole DuFresne was murdered during a robbery in New York. Ms. DuFresne, her fiance and another couple were approached by a group of men demanding money. Ms. Dufresne is reported to have asked the men "What are you going to do, Shoot us?" Not a question I’d recommend asking a person pointing a gun at you. Ms. DuFrensne was 28 years old. Ms. DuFresne gained recognition in the world of theater for co-writing the play "Burning Cage." She acted in numerous plays in the US and Canada. Ms. DuFresne appeared in several indie and student films. Her film credits include "The Prescribed Method," "7 Stories" and "Pretty." Prayers of comfort for her family and friends during this tragic time.

EMILY BERNSTEIN Died Jan. 27, 2005

Studio musician Emily Bernstein died of liver cancer at age 46. Mr. Bernstein was the principle clarinetist with the Pasadena Symphony. She also played with the Los Angeles Opera. She also played on the soundtracks of a number of films. She was not the daughter of the late composer Elmer Bernstein. While Mr. Bernstein’s daughter shares the same name and is also involved in movie music, the two women are different persons. Ms. Bernstein’s film credits include "The Terminal," "Seabiscuit," "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "Conspiracy Theory."

KAREN BACH Died Jan. 28, 2005

French adult film actress Karen Bach committed suicide at age 31. Ms. Bach took an overdose of pills after writing a suicide note for her parents. I used the word "actress" for a reason. Ms. Bach was the co-star of the controversial 2000 film "Baise Moi." The tale of two women who go on a murder spree is one of the most challenging films ever made. "Baise Moi" was either hailed as a masterpiece or condemned as an indulgent exercise of excess. The two lead actresses both came from the world of adult film. Ms. Bach delivered a stunning performance as Nadine, a woman whose soul had been eroded by degradation. Her character only felt alive when killing or screwing strangers. "Baise Moi" was Ms. Bach’s final film. I don’t know why she took her own life. Ms. Bach chose a tough profession. In one film, she showed that she had the potential to rise above the work she usually did. Prayers of comfort for her family and friends.

JACQUES VILLERET Died Jan. 28, 2005

Award-winning French comedic actor Jacques Villeret died of internal bleeding just shy of his 54^th birthday. Mr. Villeret was a popular actor in France for nearly 30 years. He appeared in nearly 90 films, TV series and documentaries during his career. Mr. Villeret acting was recognized with three nominations for Cesar Awards, the French equivilent of the Oscar. Mr. Villeret won the Best Actor Cesar for the hit comedy "The Dinner Game." He also won the Best Actor award at the Lumiere’s for "The Dinner Game." He also won the Best Supporting Actor Cesar for his work in Claude LeLouch’s "Robert and Robert." His third nomination was as Best Supporting Actor in the comedy "Waiter!"

JIM CAPALDI Died Jan. 28, 2005

Rock drummer Jim Capaldi died of stomach cancer at age 60. What a month for the world of rock. Mr. Capaldi makes the third major rock star from the 1960s to die so far this year. Mr. Capaldi was one of the founders of the great British band "Traffic." Traffic was created by Capaldi, Steve Winwood, Dave Mason and Chris Wood! The band was recently inducted into the Rock and Roll hall of Fame. Traffic appeared in the 60s teen comedy "Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush." They were also the subject of the 1972 concert documentary "Traffic Live at Santa Monica." Though the band broke up in the early 70s, the reunited in 1994 to appear at "Woodstock 94." The band also reunited to appear at the tribute concert for George Harrison one year after the former Beatle’s death. The concert was filmed as the TV documentary "Concert for George."

ALAN JAMES Died Jan. 28, 2005

Railroad manufacturer turned movie producer Alan James died of heart failure at age 74. Mr. James turned to the film business late in life. He produced three films: "Without Evidence," "Morgan’s Ferry" and David Mamet’s "Lakeboat House."

EPHRAIM KISHON Died Jan. 29, 2005

Oscar nominated writer/director Ephraim Kishon died at age 80. Mr. Kishon was best known as Israel’s leading satirist. He wrote 700 books that have sold 43 million copies worldwide! Mr. Lishon was also a world class chess player, having created his own computer chess game. Mr. Kishon survived the horrors of the Nazi death camps, once because the camp commander wanted someone to play chess with. Mr. Kishon wrote and directed a number of films. The 1970 comedy "The Policeman," which Mr. Kishon wrote and directed was nominated for the Best Foreign Film Oscar and won the Golden Globe in the same category. Mr. Kishon was competing with himself that same year at the Golden Globes. His film "The Big Dig" was also nominated for Best Foreign Film. Mr. Kishon also wrote and directed the 1964 film "Sallah," which featured "Fiddler on the Roof" star Topol. "Sallah" was also nominated for the Best Foreign Film Oscar and Golden Globe. It won the Golden Globe.

DARRYL ARMSTRONG Died Jan. 29, 2005

Canadian actor Darryl Armstrong died at age 23. His death is still under investigation by the Toronto police. Mr. Armstrong was found under a bridge in that city. Though some news reports stated that Mr. Armstrong jumped from the bridge, the police are investigating the possibility that he may have been the victim of a hit-and-run driver. Mr. Armstrong appeared in episodes of the TV series "Queer as Folk" and "Degrassi: The Next Generation." Prayers of comfort for his family and friends.

TONI BERGER Died Jan. 29, 2005

German actor Toni Berger died of natural causes at age 83. Mr. Berger appeared in nearly 100 films and TV series during his lengthy career. He worked with director Ingmar Bergman in "The Serpent’s Egg" and "From the Life of the Marionettes." In addition to his many film roles, Mr. Berger was very active in the folk theater scene in Munich.

TRICIA GOKEN Died Jan. 29, 2005

29-year-old script supervisor Tricia Goken, along with her fiancée Denis Tri was killed in an automobile accident. Ms. Goken was the script supervisor on such films as "Felicity" and "Alias." Other credits include "The Keening," "All Over the Guy" and "The Road Home." Prayers of comfort for the family and friends of the couple.

RON TOMME Died Jan. 29, 2005

Soap opera actor Ron Tomme died at age 73. Mr. Tomme played Bruce Sterling on the long running soap opera "Love of Life." Mr. Tomme appeared on the show from 1958 through 1980! He also appeared on "The Guiding Light," "Ryan’s Hope" and several episodes of "Dallas."

JOAN TOMPKINS Died Jan. 29, 2005

Actress Joan Tompkins died of natural causes at age 89. Ms. Tompkins career spanned six decades. She worked on stage, radio, TV and in film. Ms. Tompkins was the widow of "Little House on the Prairie" actor Karl Swenson. Ms. Tompkins appeared in over 70 films and TV shows. She was a regular on the soap opera "General Hospital." Old-time radio fans may remember her as the lead in "This is Nora Drake." The daily 15-minute radio serial ran on both NBC and CBS radio in 1947 and 48. CBS then became the sole broadcaster of the show through the end of its run in 1959. Ms. Tompkins appeared on Broadway in "Fly Away Home" with Montgomery Cliff, "Pride and Prejudice" and "My Sister Eileen." Her film and TV credits include the nice little thriller "Zig-Zag," "Popi," "The Christine Jorgenson Story," "Perry Mason," "Mission Impossible," "Night Gallery" and "Bonanza." Mr. Tompkins retired from acting following the death of her husband in 1978.

RON FEINBERG Died Jan. 29, 2005

Prolific character and voice actor Ron Feinberg died at age 72. Mr. Feinberg provided voices for numerous animated characters during his lengthy career. He was also a familiar face to TV viewers through his live action work. Mr. Feinberg's voice credits include "Hong Kong Phooey," "The Scooby-Doo/Dynomutt Hour," "Spiderman," "The Incredible Hulk" and "Transformers." As a character actor Mr. Feinberg appeared as General De Gaulle in "The Missiles of October." He appeared in director L. Q. Jones cult classic "A Boy and His Dog." Other credits include the original version of "Brian's Song."

COLEY WALLACE Died Jan. 30, 2005

Boxer Coley Wallace died of heart failure at age 77. Mr. Wallace was the only boxer to ever defeat champion Rocky Marciano. He did it when both fighters were amateurs during a Golden Gloves tournament. Mr. Wallace appeared as heavyweight champion Joe Louis in the bio-pic "The Joe Louis Story" and Martin Scorsese’s "Raging Bull." Mr. Wallace’s other film credits include "Carib Gold" and "Rooftops." He also appeared on Ed Sullivan’s "Toast of the Town." Mr. Wallace’s pro-boxing record was 20 wins and 7 defeats. He lost his biggest fight against Ezzard Charles in 1953.

MARTYN BENNETT Died Jan. 30, 2005

Composer/musician Martyn Bennett died of cancer at age 33. Mr. Bennett was a musical prodigy who began playing bagpipes at age 10. Mr. Bennett scored the short sci-fi short film "Im." Mr. Bennett also scored a number of plays. He had the honor of playing the bagpipes at the world premiere of Mel Gibson’s "Braveheart." He fought Hodgkin’s lymphoma since 2000. Prayers of comfort for his family and friends.

ERICH KAESTNER Died Jan. 31, 2005

Camera designer Erich Kaestner died at age 93. Mr. Kaestner was co-designer of the Arriflex 35 and Arriflex 16 hand-held motion picture cameras. Mr. Kaestner was awarded two scientific and technical Oscars during his career. Sometimes, the artists need to pause and reflect on the artistry of the engineers that make movie magic possible. Thank you for your life’s work Mr. Kaestner.

WARREN ROTHENBERGER Died Jan. 31, 2005

Cameraman Warren Rothenberger died at age 82. Mr. Rothenberger was a combat photographer assigned to Patton’s Third Army during WWII. Mr. Rothenberger was awarded a Bronze Star for his work during some of WWII’s bloodiest battles. Mr. Rothenberger worked as a camera operator on a number of well known films. His credits include the James Bond film "Live and Let Die," "Aaron Loves Angela," "Popi" and "Trading Places.

MITZI LUUKKONEN Died Jan. 31, 2005

Painter Mitzi Luukkonen died at age 87. Ms. Luukkonen worked at several animation studios including Hanna-Barbera, Disney and for Ralph Bakshi. She was a member of I.A.T.S.E. Local 839.