NOVEMBER 2003 FILM WORLD OBITUARIES

WALTER SMYTH Died Nov. 1, 2003

Minister, founder of Youth for Christ and associate of Billy Graham, Walter Smyth died at age 91. Mr. Smyth headed the development of World Wide Pictures during the 1950s. Among other films, the company produced the movie "Two a Penny" with Cliff Richard and featuring Billy Graham’s 1967 Crusade in London.

FERNANDO VIZCAINO CASAS Died Nov. 2, 2003

Famed Spanish novelist and attorney Fernando Vizcaino Casas died of cancer at age 77. Mr. Casas wrote 40 books during his lifetime, selling over 4 million copies. Mr. Casas’ movie credits include screenplays, additional dialogue and stories for a number of films including "Strange Marriage," "The Young Lovers" and "Las Autonosuyos." Mr. Casas appeared in two films and provided songs for yet another.

RAYMOND G. STOREY Died Nov. 2, 2003

Production designer/producer/actor/art director Raymond G. Storey died of cancer at age 75. Mr. Storey won an Emmy Award for Best Production Design in the TV mini series "East of Eden." Mr. Story appeared in small roles in Ray Harryhausen’s "It Came From Beneath the Sea" and the direct to video movie "Dark Stories: Tales From Beyond the Grave." Mr. Storey worked as an Art Director and Production Designer on a number of films including "More American Graffiti," "Beach Ball," "Splash Too," "Parent Trap III," "Baby… Secret of the Lost Legend," "A Distant Thunder" and "Baywatch." Mr. Storey produced one film, the 1974 horror film "The House on Skull Mountain."

DINO ALEXANDER DE LAURENTIIS Died Nov. 3, 2003

Dino Alexander De Laurentiis, grandson of famed producer Dino De Laurentiis died of melanoma at age 31. Mr. De Laurentiis’ credits include post production supervisor on "Dragonheart: A New Beginning," assistant to the producer on "Black Dog" and "Die Hard 3." He was also visual effect associate producer on the upcoming "The World of Tomorrow."

KEN GAMPU Died Nov. 4, 2003

South African actor Ken Gampu died at age 74. Mr. Gampu was one of the first Black South African actors to be featured in Hollywood films. A long time personal favorite of mine is Cornel Wilde’s "The Naked Prey." The tale of an American guide stripped of everything and hunted by a group of native Africans is still a thrilling film. Mr. Gampu is extremely menacing as the leader of the warriors tracking down Mr. Wilde. Mr. Gampu also had memorable roles in "The Wild Geese," "Zulu Dawn," "The Gods Must Be Crazy" and "A Reasonable Man." Other credits include "Dingaka," the remake of "King Solomon’s Mines," "Jake Speed," "American Ninja 4" and "The Air Up There."

STEPHEN BATES Died Nov. 5, 2003

Conductor/composer/lyricist Stephen Bates died of AIDS related lymphoma at age 50. Though Mr. Bates worked primarily in the theater, he did contribute songs to television. He wrote over 20 songs including the theme song for the children’s TV show "Barney and Friends." He was also the musical director for a fictional AIDS ball on the soap opera "General Hospital." Prayers of comfort for his family and friends.

BOBBY HATFIELD Died Nov 5, 2003

Bobby Hatfield was, with Bill Medley, one half of the greatest Blue Eyed Soul group ever. The Righteous Brothers had a string of hits during the 1960s that landed them in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Mr. Hatfield's death was triggered by acute cocaine intoxication at age 63. The singing due were in Michigan to begin a tour. Their version of the song "Unchained Melody" was featured in the films "Ghost" and "Baby it’s You." The Righteous Brothers appeared in "Beach Ball," "A Swinging Summer" and "Shindig" among others. Their hit songs include "You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling", "(You're My) Soul and Inspiration" and "Rock and Roll Heaven." The later was a comeback hit for the band in 1974. If I remember the chorus correctly" "If there’s a Rock and Roll Heaven, You know they’ve got a hell of a band." I guess that band just added another great singer. Those drugs will kill you folks! Prayers of comfort for his family and friends.

DOROTHY FAY RITTER Died Nov. 5, 2003

Dorothy Ritter, the widow of actor/singer Tex Ritter and mother of the late TV actor John Ritter died at age 88 after a long illness. Under the name Dorothy Fay, Mrs. Ritter appeared in a number of B-movie Westerns, often with Buck Jones. She appeared in "The Philadelphia Story," "Lady Br Good," "Law of the Texan" and "Trigger Pals" among others. Mrs. Ritter is survived by her son Tom who is an attorney.

HAL ENGLAND Died Nov. 6, 2003

Actor Hal England died of heart failure at age 71. Mr. England was best known as a stage actor who appeared in on Broadway in "Love Me a Little," "Conversations at Midnight" and "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying." Mr. England’s film credits include the Clint Eastwood Western "Hang ‘Em High," Brian DePalma’s turkey "The Bonfire of the Vanities" and "Going Under." Mr. England was a frequent guest star on numerous TV series including "Wonder Woman," "Charlie’s Angels," "Quantum Leap" and "Bewitched," in which he played Samantha's cousin Waldo.

JUST BETZER Died Nov. 6, 2003

Oscar winning producer Just Betzer died of a coronary at age 59. Mr. Betzer won the Best Foreign Film Oscar for "Babette’s Feast." The Danish producer also won the BAFTA Best Foreign Film award for "Babette’s Feast." Mr. Betzer produced nearly 40 films during his lengthy career. Mr. Betzer produced films in both his home country and the United States. Other credits include "Winterborn," "Assassination," "And You Thought Your Parents Were Weird," "Nobody’s Perfect," "The Misfit Brigade" and the erotic "The Girl in a Swing" with Meg Tilly.

JUANJO MENENDEZ Died Nov. 7, 2003

Spanish stage and film actor Juanjo Menendez died at age 74 from Alzheimer’s Disease. Mr. Menendez was a beloved comedic actor in his native land. Mr. Menendez achieved his greatest success during the 1960s and 70s. He appeared in nearly 100 films and TV shows during his lengthy career. He appeared in Carol Reed’s "The Running Man" with Laurence Harvey and Lee Remick. Other credits include Luis Bunuel’s "Tristiana" with Catherine Deneuve and Fernando Rey."

EDUARDO PALOMO Died Nov. 8, 2003

Mexican leading man Eduardo Palomo died of a heart attack at age 41. Mr. Palomo was the lead in the popular Mexican soap opera "Wild Heart." Mr. Palomo appeared in the NBC mini-series "Kingpin." Other credits include the upcoming "A Day Without a Mexican" and the TV series "Ramona." Mr. Palomo provided the voice of Tarzan as an adult in the Spanish language version of Disney’s animated film "Tarzan." Mr. Palomo won the Silver Ariel (Mexico’s equivalent to the Academy Awards) as Best Supporting Actor for his work in the 1991 film "Benjamin’s Woman." Prayers of comfort for his family and friends.

BOB GRANT Died Nov. 8, 2003

British comedic actor Bob Grant died at age 71. Mr. Grant was the star of the British comedy TV series "On the Buses." The series inspired three films including "On the Buses," "Mutiny on the Buses" and "Holiday on the Buses." Mr. Grant played a letch bus driver who liked to eye the young girls and hit on his busty conductress. The Dom Deluise film "Lotsa Luck" was inspired by the series. Mr. Grant was also a writer for the TV series "On the Buses." Other credits include "Till Death Do Us Part" and "Sparrows Can’t Sing."

HENRY ROBERTS Died Nov. 8, 2003

Dancer Henry ‘Phace’ Roberts died at age 92. Mr. Roberts was a member of the dance team "The Copasetics." He was a world famous tap dancer who performed for 78 years! His film and TV credits include Francis Ford Coppola’s underrated "The Cotton Club," "Cabin in the Sky," Stormy Weather" and "The Ed Sullivan Show."

IRV "KUP" KUPCINET Died Nov. 9, 2003

TV/radio/print newsman Irv Kupcinet died of pneumonia at age 91. Mr. Kupcinet was a long time journalist for the Chicago Sun Times and hosted a TV show in Chicago for 27 years. Mr. Kupcinet appeared in small parts in Otto Preminger’s films "Anatomy of a Murder" and "Advise and Consent." Mr. Kupcinet was the father of murdered actress Karyn Kupcinet. Uninformed conspiracy theorists have claimed that Ms. Kupcinet’s murder was related to the assassination of JFK. Claims about Ms. Kupcinet formed the basis of the character played by Sally Kirkland in Oliver Stone’s "JFK." The claims concerning Ms. Kupcinet have been easily disproved, yet her murder remains unsolved.

ART CARNEY Died Nov. 9, 2003

Oscar and Emmy winning actor Art Carney died at age 85 after a long illness. Art Carney was best known as the lovable doofus Ed Norton opposite Jackie Gleason’s Ralph Kramden on the classic TV series "The Honeymooners" and "The Jackie Gleason Show." Art Carney’s career underwent resurgence in the 1970s when he won the Best Actor Oscar and a Golden Globe for his performance in Paul Mazursky’s "Harry and Tonto." Mr. Carney was nominated eleven times for Emmy Awards, winning seven! Carney won his long battle with alcohol during this time and appeared in a number of fine films. A personal favorite of mine is "Going in Style." Carney co-starred with George Burns and Lee Strasberg as three pensioners who decide to rob a bank to supplement their fixed income. "Going in Style" is a sweet little film with good humor and rich performances. Carney co-starred with James Cagney in Cagney’s final film, the Made for TV boxing film "Terrible Joe Moran." Carney was also a standout as the stubborn Harry Truman (not the president) in the true life "St, Helens," about the volcanic eruption in 1980. Other credits include Robert Benton’s "The Late Show" with Lily Tomlin, "W.W. and the Dixie Dance Kings" with Burt Reynolds, "The Star Wars Holiday Special," the curio "Movie, Movie," "House Calls," "Firestarter" and "The Last Action Hero." Mr. Carney served his country during WWII and was wounded storming the beaches on D-Day. Thanks for the laughs, and for the tears.

FRED J. BROWN Died Nov. 9, 2003

Oscar nominated Sound Effects Editor Fred J. Brown died at age 68. Mr. Brown was nominated for an Oscar for his work on "Rambo: First Blood Part 2." He won an Emmy Award for the TV version of John Steinbeck’s "The Red Pony." Mr. Brown was nominated for a BAFTA Award for "The Exorcist." Among Mr. Brown’s other credits include "Elmer Gantry," Martin Scorsese’s "Boxcar Bertha," "Hickey and Boggs," Sam Peckinpah’s "The Killer Elite" and "Convoy," "The Deep," Steven Speilberg’s "1941," "The Last Starfighter," John Milius’ "Red Dawn," Walter Hill’s "Extreme Prejudice" and Michael Apted’s "Thunderheart." You can access an excellent interview with Mr. Brown by Loyola Marymount professor Roger Pardee if you CLICK HERE. Professor Pardee has a lengthy list of credits in the sound effects world also. He had the honor of delivering a eulogy for Mr. Brown at the memorial service.

CYLA WIESENTHAL Died Nov. 10, 2003

The wife of famed Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal has died at age 95. A Holocaust survivor, Cyla Wiesenthal is survived by her husband and daughter. Mrs. Wiesenthal was portrayed by actress Renee Soutendijk in the TV movie "Simon Wiesenthal: Murderers Among Us," which starred Ben Kingsley as her husband.

NIKOLAI VOLKOV Died Nov. 10, 2003

Veteran Russian actor Nikolai Volkov died of leukemia at the age 69. Mr. Volkov was nominated as Best Actor in 2001 by the Russian Nika Awards for his performance in Vitaley Melinikov's "The Garden was Full of Moonlight."

MARGARET ARMEN Died Nov. 10, 2003

Pioneer TV scriptwriter Margaret Armen died of a heart attack at age 82. Ms. Armen was one of the first women to achieve success as a scriptwriter for TV. Ms. Armen’s credits include "Dick Powell’s Zane Gray Theater," "The Rifleman," "The Rebel," "Star Trek," "Land of the Lost," "Flamingo Road" and "Barnaby Jones."

DON TAYLOR Died Nov. 11, 2003

British writer/director Don Taylor died of cancer at age 67. Mr. Taylor was a famed director in the British theater scene. He wrote and directed a number of TV films for the BBC. He may be best known for his adaptation of the Thebian Plays for the BBC. His credits include "Antigone," "Oedipus at Colonus," "Oedipus the King," "Two Gentlemen of Verona," "The Crucible" and "In Hiding."

ROBERT BROWN Died Nov. 11, 2003

Veteran British character actor Robert Brown has died at age 85. Mr. Brown appeared in over 60 films and TV shows. He is best know as the second "M" in the James Bond series. He replaced Bernard Lee as the head of MI6. Brown portrayed "M" in the films "Octopussy," "A View to a Kill," "The Living Daylights" and "License to Kill." Mr. Brown portrayed Admiral Hargreaves in the Bond film "The Spy Who Loved Me." Point of Trivia: Both Bernard Lee and Robert Brown appeared in Carol Reed’s classic Noir thriller "The Third Man." Among Mr. Brown’s numerous film credits are "The Man Who Never Was," "Helen of Troy," "A Hill in Korea," "Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ," "Billy Budd," "The Masque of Red Death," "Operation Crossbow," "Demons of the Mind" and "Warlords of Atlantis."

ARTHUR TRUGMAN Died Nov. 11, 2003

Back in 1968, the flame of my desire for the female form was ignited by two things: my brother’s hidden stash of Playboys and the body-painted go-go dancers on "Rowen and Martin’s Laugh In." The "Laugh In" dancers were Goldie Hawn and Judy Carne. Each week they would do the Watusi or the Boogaloo while wearing bikinis. Their bodies were painted with funny comments. Ah, young lust! The lucky guy who painted Ms. Hawn and Ms. Carne week after week was Arthur Trugman. Mr. Trugman was a graphic artist for NBC. He died from complications following a stroke at age 75. Thanks for the memories.

STEFANO ROLLA Died Nov. 12, 2003

Writer/director/ assistant director Stefano Rolla was killed during a car bomb attack on the Italian military headquarters in Iraq. Mr. Rolla was among the 27 people killed in the blast. Mr. Rolla was 65. Mr. Rolla was preparing to shoot a documentary about the peacekeeping forces. Mr. Rolla became an assistant director in the early 60s. He worked on a number of films before turning to writing and directing his own films. Among his films as an assistant director are "Sacco and Vanzetti," Dario Argento’s "Deep Red" and the Terrence Hill/Henry Fonda comedy Western "My Name is Nobody." Mr. Rolla wrote the script for the Jack Palance war film "Legion of the Damned." Prayers of comfort for his family and friends and for all the families of those who died with him.

PENNY SINGLETON Died Nov. 12, 2003

Actress Penny Singleton died at age 95 after suffering a stroke two weeks ago. Ms. Singleton played Blondie Bumstead in a series of films based on the comic strip "Blondie." Ms. Singleton appeared in 29 "Blondie" films during the 1930s, 40s and 50s. Ms. Singleton is also well known as the voice of Jane Jetson on the animated TV series "The Jetsons." Ms. Singleton’s non "Blondie" credits include "After the Thin Man" with William Powell and Myrna Loy, "The Best Man" with Henry Fonda, the TV series "The Twilight Zone" and "Death Valley Days."

JONATHAN BRANDIS Died Nov. 12, 2003

Actor Jonathan Brandis died of at age 27. He was found at home by friends. L.A. County Coroner's office has ruled his death suicide by hanging. Mr. Brandis delivered a standout performance in the Stephen King mini-series "It." Brandis played ‘stuttering Bill’ as a child. Richard Thomas played the character as an adult. Mr. Brandis was nominated for five Young Artist Awards, winning Best Youth Actor Leading Role in a Television Series for his work on the TV series "Seaquest." Mr. Brandis took over Barret Oliver’s role as Bastian in the sequel to "The Never Ending Story." "The Never Ending Story: II" was Mr. Brandis first leading role. He had appeared in a number of films before that including "Fatal Attraction," "Stepfather II" and "Ghost Dad." Mr. Brandis’ other credits include "Ladybugs," "Sidekicks," "Outside Providence," "Hart’s War" and "The Year That Trembled." In addition to his many acting roles on TV and in film, Mr. Brandis wrote an episode for the TV series "Seaquest." Prayers of comfort for his family and friends.

BILL SMILLIE Died Nov. 12, 2003

Character actor, WWII Veteran and prospector Bill Smillie died at age 81. Mr. Smillie had a long career as a character actor on stage, screen and TV. He was born is Scotland, yet he served aboard a US Navy destroyer during WWI! Mr. Smillie’s credits include appearances in "Die Hard 2," "Dead Solid Perfect," "The Philadelphia Experiment," "When Time Ran Out," "Starsky and Hutch" and "The West Wing." Mr. Smillie was the president of the Prospector’s Club of California who we thank for his picture.

KAY E. KUTER Died Nov. 12, 2003

Character actor and director Kay Kuter died of pulmonary problems at age 78. Mr. Kuter is best known to TV fans for his recurring role as Newt Kiley on "Petticoat Junction" and its spin-off "Green Acres." Mr. Kuter appeared in over 100 films and TV shows. He also appeared in nearly 200 stage productions and was a prolific stage director. Mr. Kuter’s credits include "Annabelle’s Wish," "Love Field," "Gross Anatomy," "The Last Starfighter," "Watermelon Man," "The Mole People," "Guys and Dolls" and "Sabrina."

WHITFIELD COOK Died Nov. 12, 2003

Writer Whitfield Cook died at age 84. Mr. Cook adapted Patricia Highsmith’s novel "Strangers on a Train" for Alfred Hitchcock. He also wrote the screenplay for Hitchcock’s "Stage Fright." That script was nominated for an Edgar Award. Mr. Cook wrote a number of scripts for the anthology TV series "Climax." Other credits include the TV series "Front Row Center" and "Life With Father." Mr. Cook also wrote and directed the Broadway play "Violet."

KELLIE WAYMIRE Died Nov. 13, 2003

Trekweb.com has reported that actress Kellie Waymire has died of undisclosed causes at age 35. Ms. Waymire appeared on a number of TV series including "Seinfeld," "Six Feet Under," "Wolf Lake," "Enterprise," "Star Trek Voyager," "Friends," "NYPD Blue," "Judging Amy," "The Practice" and "Ally McBeal." Ms. Waymire’s film credits include "Playing By Heart," "Sunset Strip" and "Something More." Ms. Waymire was best known for her roles as a prostitute during season two of "Six Feet Under" and as Crewman Elizabeth Cutler on "Enterprise." Prayers of comfort for her family and friends.

KELLY WAYMIRE UPDATE

The LA Coroner's office reported that Ms. Waymire died of an undiagnosed cardiac arrhythmia, probably related to mitral valve prolapse(MVP). Ms. Waymire had been diagnosed with MVP as a teen.

JANIS ROTHBARD CHASKIN Died Nov. 13, 2003

Producer Janis Chaskin died of cancer at age 55. Ms. Chaskin was a story editor on the 1994 film "Blink." She was an associate producer and/or executive producer on such New Line films as "Frequency," "In Love and War," "Secondhand Lions," "Delta of Venus" and the upcoming "It’s Not Unusual."

FRANK ISAACS Died Nov. 14, 2003

Emmy winning Special Effects wiz Frank Isaacs died of cancer. Mr. Isaacs won an Emmy for his work on the mini-series "Dune." Mr. Isaacs’ credits include "Metalstorn: The Destruction of Jared-Syn," "Cyber Tracker," "Evil Spawn," "The Lady in White," "The Power Within" and "Hologram Man."

GENE ANTHONY RAY Died Nov. 14, 2003

What a terrible month for young actors. Gene Ray Anthony is the third young actor to die in as many days. In a radio interview this weekend, actress Debbie Allen stated that actor/dancer Gene Anthony Ray had died. According to the website FameForever.com, Mr. Ray died on November 15 at age 41. "Fame" actor Lee Curreri informed FameForever.com that Mr. Anthony died from the onset of a stroke. Mr. Ray shone in his performance as Leroy in the movie "Fame." His audition scene is one of the great scenes in modern film musicals. I never saw the TV series myself, but Mr. Ray’s popularity carried over from the big screen to the small. He played Friday to Michael York’s Robinson Crusoe in the Made for TV film "Robinson Crusoe and Man Friday." Other credits include "Out of Sync" and "Eddie." Mr. Ray was also the associate choreographer on "Eddie." Prayers of comfort for his family and friends.

DOROTHY LOUDON Died Nov. 15, 2003

Tony Award winning actress Dorothy Loudon died of cancer at age 70. Ms. Loudon won a Tony Award for her work in "Annie." Ms. Loudon’s film and TV credits include "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil," "Garbo Talks," "A&E Biography," "The Garry Moore Show" and "Sondheim: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall."

DAVID HOLT Died Nov. 15, 2003

I have always relished the final scene of the 1938 version of "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer." Tom plays a trick on his foppish cousin Sidney Sawyer. The little brat reacts as usual and whines "Aunt Polly!" Rather than coddle the spoiled brat as she had done during the rest of the film, Aunt Polly promptly slaps Sidney hard across the face. Gotta love it. Actor David Holt was the child actor who perfectly captured all things rotten in his portrait of the uber-brat Sidney in "Tom Sawyer." Mr. Holt died of congestive heart failure at age 76. Groomed to be a star by Paramount, David Holt instead became a respectable supporting player. In addition to his role in "Tom Sawyer," Mr. Holt appeared in "The Courage of Lassie," "The Last Days of Pompeii," "Beau Geste," "The Pride of the Yankees" and "The Big Broadcast of 1937."

MARGARET TRIGG Died Nov. 15, 2003

Actress Margaret Trigg died at age 39 of undisclosed causes. Ms. Trigg began her career doing stand-up in New York. She made a number of TV appearances on such shows as "The Jon Stewart Show," "Girl's Night Out," "Conan O'Brien" and "Homicide." Ms. Trigg had a starring role on the short-lived, Jim Henson TV series "Aliens in the Family." Ms. Trigg appeared in two films: "R.O.T.O.R" and "Dream House."

FELDMA CULLEN Died Nov. 15, 2003

Irish actress Feldma Cullen died at the age of 55. Ms. Cullen was a renowned stage actress in her native country. She had a long association with the Abbey Theater appearing in a large number of productions. Ms. Cullen appeared in the film "The Abduction Club" and the Made for TV movie "Her Own Rules."

JOSIAH CHILD Died Nov. 15, 2003

Boston Financier Josiah Child died of a heart attack at age 77. Mr. Child was a history buff with a deep admiration for the late Mohandas K. Gandhi. Mr. Child was responsible for helping Sir Richard Attenborough obtain funding for the film. Attenborough had tried for 20 years to get backing for his script. Mr. Child traveled the world helping raise the money. Director Attenborough thanked Mr. Child during his acceptance speech when "Gandhi" won the Best Picture Oscar. Mr. Child founded International Film Investors and Screen Development Ltd., which also financed Roland Joffe’s "The Killing Fields."

ALBERT NOZAKI Died Nov. 16, 2003

Oscar nominated Art Director Albert Nozaki died at the age of 91. Mr. Nozaki shared an Oscar nomination for his work on Cecil B. Demille’s "The Ten Commandments." Mr. Nozaki is best known for his fantastic design work on the 1953 version of "War of the Worlds." Mr. Nozaki created the memorable Martian space ships and the creatures for the classic film adaptation of H.G. Wells’ novel. Other film credits include several George Pal films: "When Worlds Collide," "Houdini" and "Robinson Crusoe on Mars." He worked on the classic comedy "Sullivan’s Travels." His work can also be seen in the Elvis Presley vehicles "Blue Hawaii" and "Loving You." Mr. Nozaki was born in Japan. He grew up in California. Like many Japanese Americans, Nozaki spent WWII in the internment camp at Manzanar. Mr. Nozaki’s brilliant career was cut short by a degenerative eye disease, which lead to total blindness.

DON GIBSON Died Nov. 17, 2003

Country music legend Don Gibson died in Nashville at age 75. Mr. Gibson wrote hundreds of songs, which were recorded by many of the top names in Country and Pop music. He may be best known for the songs "Sweet Dreams," "Oh Lonesome Me" and "I Can’t Stop Loving You." "Sweet Dreams" was recorded by Patsy Cline and became her theme song. The song title also was the title of the Cline bio-pic starring Jessica Lange. Mr. Gibson’s songs also were used in the film "Michael" and "Heartbreak Ridge."

MICHAEL KAMEN Died Nov. 18, 2003

Multi Award winning composer Michael Kamen died at age 55 after a long battle with multiple sclerosis. Mr. Kamen was nominated for two Oscars along with Bryan Adams and Robert John Lange for their work on "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" and "Dan Juan Demarco." The trio won a Grammy for their song from "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves." Mr. Kamen was nominated for an Emmy for his score on the outstanding HBO mini-series "From the Earth to the Moon." He won an astounding eleven BMI Film Music Awards between 1988 and 2002! Mr. Kamen also received two ASCAP Awards and won the BAFTA (British Academy Award) once. Mr. Kamen provided music or orchestration for over 100 films and TV series. In addition to his massive film music output, Mr. Kamen was the co-founder and leader of the New York Rock and Roll Ensemble. He also worked with Kate Bush, Queensryche, Metallica, Pink Floyd and Aerosmith. Among Mr. Kamen’s numerous film credits are a number of my personal favorites. He provided songs for the dated, but fun rock and roll Western "Zachariah." "Zachariah" has one of the coolest movie posters ever! Mr. Kamen played the synthesizer on the great Christian rock musical "Godspell." There are so many great films in his resume that it is hard to pick out the best. Other credits include Tobe Hooper’s "Lifeforce," Mark Lester’s "Stunts," David Cronenberg’s "The Dead Zone," "Highlander," all four "Lethal Weapon" movies, all three "Die Hard" movies, "Mona Lisa," "Pink Floyd’s The Wall," "License to Kill," "The Krays," "Mr. Holland’s Opus," "X Men" and "Open Range." It is sad that such a talent lost his battle so young. We are fortunate that he left an enormous output of work during his short lifetime.

PATRICIA BRODERICK Died Nov. 18, 2003

Writer/producer Patricia Broderick died of cancer at age 78. Ms. Broderick was the widow of actor James Broderick and the mother of actor Matthew Broderick. She wrote and produced the 1996 film "Infinity," which was directed by and starred her son Matthew. She also worked on the script of her son’s Civil War film "Glory." He late husband starred in a number of films and TV shows during the 1960s and 70s including "Alice’s Restaurant."

VIVIAN BONNELL Died Nov. 18, 2003

Actress Vivian Bonnell died of diabetes at age 79. Ms. Bonnell’s film credits include "Ghost." She had a bit part as one of Whoopie Goldberg’s psychic customers in that film. Other film credits include "For Pete’s Sake" with Barbra Streisand and Michael Sarrazin, the Huddy Ledbetter biopic "Leadbelly," "Teachers," "California Dreaming," "Elvis and Me," "The Josephene Baker Story" and "Amazon Women on the Moon." Among her many TV credits are "Sanford and Son," "Married With Children," "Moesha," "Happy Days," "Good Times," "The Jeffersons" and "St. Elsewhere." Ms. Bonnell was a Calypso singer from Antiqua. She recorded under the name Enid Mosier. She was in the original Broadway cast of "House of Flowers" with Diahann Carroll.

GILLIAN BARGE Died Nov. 19, 2003

British actress Gillian Barge died of cancer at age 63. Ms. Barge had a lengthy stage career in England where she appeared in comedies and dramas alike. Ms. Barge appeared in a number of British TV movies and mini-series. Her film credits include "Charlotte Gray," "The Discovery of Heaven" and the upcoming "Love Actually" where she plays one of Hugh Grant’s cabinet members.

LORIS AZZARO Died Nov. 20, 2003

Designer Loris Azzaro died of cancer at age 70. Mr. Azzaro designed the costumes for the TV concert film "Berliner Philharmoniker - Berliner Waldbühne 1996: Italian Night." Mr. Azzaro appeared in the film "Duos sur Canapé" as a designer. He designed clothes for such actresses as Sophia Loren and Raquel Welch.

JIM SIEDOW Died Nov. 20, 2003

Actor Jim Siedow died at age 83 at home in Houston, Texas. You might not know Mr. Siedow’s name, but if you are a fan of horror films chances are he scarred the bejezzus out of you in his most famous film "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre." Mr. Siedow played Drayton Sawyer, the father of the homicidal clan. Any character who sired and raised Leatherface had to be a twisted character. I can’t tell you how disturbing is the scene in which Mr. Siedow’s character torments the girl played by Marilyn Burns as he drives her home for dinner. What is amazing about Mr. Siedow's performance is not only the perfect depiction of insanity, but the degree of humor he brought to the part. His performance in the first sequel was over the top, but then again, the entire sequel was over the top! Jim Siedow appeared in the first sequel "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2" and a few other films. He appeared in an episode of Steven Speilberg's TV series "Amazing Stories." Mr. Siedow served his country in the Army Air Corp during WWII. He was a frequent performer on stage in his hometown of Houston. I spoke with his wife Ruth. She is very appreciative of the many fans who loved her husband’s work and for the prayers of comfort that many people are sending up to heaven on her family’s behalf. Mrs. Siedow laughed as she said "We were married 57 years in September. 57 years and still talking!" Thanks to Mr. Siedow for 30 years of pure terror and for his service to his country. Prayers of comfort for his family and friends.

KEREM YILMAZER Died Nov. 20, 2003

For the second time this month a member of the film community has been killed by terrorists. Turkish actor Yerem Kilmazer was one of 27 people killed in the double bombings in Istanbul. Mr. Kilmazer was one of Turkey’s leading actors. He was driving near the HSBC bank when the terrorist bomb exploded. Mr. Yilmizer appeared in a number of Turkish films as a leading man.

ROBERT ADDIE Died Nov. 20, 2003

British actor Robert Addie died of lung cancer at age 43. Mr. Addie played Mordred in John Boorman’s excellent version of the King Arthur legend "Excaliber." His other film and TV credits include "Robin of Sherwood," "Merlin," "A Knight in Camelot," "Mary, Mother of Jesus," "Captain Jack" and "Intimacy." Mr. Addie also had a successful stage career.

BOYCE HOLLEMAN Died Nov. 21, 2003

Actor/attorney/state legislator Boyce Holleman died of bladder cancer at age 79. Mr. Holleman was a state legislator and district attorney in his native Mississippi. Mr. Holleman appeared in a number of films and TV shows including the TV series "In the Heat of the Night" and "I’ll Fly Away." Mr. Holleman’s film credits include the horror film "The Beast Within," one hit wonder Brian Bosworth’s "Stone Cold," Steve Martin’s "A Simple Twist of Fate" and "Cries of Silence."

LUCY ANDERSON HERRMANN Died Nov. 21, 2003

Lucy Anderson Herrmann died of a stroke at age 82. Ms. Herrmann was the second wife of famed composer Bernard Herrmann. She was married to Mr. Herrmann from 1949 through 1965. She was sometimes referred to as ‘Lucy 2’ as she was the cousin of Herrmann’s first wife, screenwriter Lucy Fletcher. According to Ms. Herrmann’s close friend Bruce Crawford, Ms. Herrmann had suffered a debilitating stroke one month before her death. The photo by Mark Montgomery shows Ms. Herrmann with Bruce Crawford and producer Arnold Kunert at the luncheon following the presentment of Ray Harryhausen’s Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Ms. Herrmann was married to the composer during his most prolific period of creative achievement. Ms. Herrmann was a source on Mr. Crawford’s highly regarded radio documentary about the music and life of Bernard Herrmann. She was also a frequent guest at Mr. Crawford’s Omaha Film Events. Prayers of comfort for her family and friends.

CHRISTOPHER DOWNES Died Nov. 21, 2003

Theatrical dresser Christopher Downes died of cancer at the age of 70. Mr. Downes was one of those rare behind the scenes little people who himself became a celebrity. The play and film "The Dresser" is believed to have been based in part on his life. Mr. Downes was dresser for a number of famed actors including Maggie Smith and her then husband Robert Stephens. Mr. Downes worked with Mr. Stephens on the films "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" and Billy Wilder’s "The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes." Mr. Downes made a cameo appearance in the latter. Mr. Downes was also a theatrical critic.

DAVID STERN III Died Nov. 22, 2003

Novelist David Stern III died at age 94. Mr. Stern wrote "Francis the Talking Mule." His characters became the subject of a movie series, which starred Donald O’Connor. Mr. Stern was a captain in the US Army during WWII when he came up with the idea for Francis. Seven films were made using his characters. Mr. Stern also wrote the script for Roger Corman’s campy "Swamp Woman."

PATRICIA BURKE Died Nov. 23, 2003

British actress Patricia Burke died at age 86. Ms. Burke was a stage actress who was a member of the Old Vic Company with such greats as Laurence Olivier and Ralph Richardson. Ms. Burke’s film credits include "The Trojan Brothers," "The Lisbon Story," "While I Live," "Forbidden," "The Happiness Of Three Women" and "The Day The Fish Came Out."

BILL STRUTTON Died Nov. 23, 2003

Novelist turned scriptwriter Bill Strutton died at age 80. Mr. Strutton was a prolific TV writer in England during the 1950s and 60s. He contributed to 14 TV series including the sci-fi cult classic "Dr. Who." Mr. Strutton created the creature the Zarbi for the "Dr. Who" series. He also wrote for Roger Moore’s series "The Saint." Other credits include "The Avengers," "Ivanhoe," "Riptide," "Top Secret," "The Protectors" and "Paul Temple." A member of the Australian Navy during WWII, Mr. Strutton spent four years in a German POW camp when he was captured during the fall of Crete.

MICHAEL SMALL Died Nov. 24, 2003

Composer Michael Small died at age 64. Mr. Small composed the scores to a number of the best films of the 1970s. He had a long professional relationship with director Alan J. Pakula, having composed the scores for nine of Mr. Pakula’s films. Those films include the great political thriller "The Parallax View," "Klute," "Comes a Horseman" and "Consenting Adults." Other credits include "The Postman Always Rings Twice," "Marathon Man," "Black Widow," "The Stepford Wives," "Audrey Rose," "Pumping Iron," "Going in Style," "Mountains of the Moon" and "Brighton Beach Memoirs."

WARREN SPAHN Died Nov. 24, 2003

Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Warren Spahn died at age 82. Warren Spahn was a grown man! He had guts and determination that is rarely or ever seen in modern professional sports. Mr. Spahn is the winningest left-handed pitcher in the history of the game. Spahn spent the bulk of his 18-year career with the Milwaukee Braves. Spahn appeared as himself in the 1949 baseball film "The Kid from Cleveland." He also did a cameo on the WWII TV series "Combat!"

JORGE STAHL JR. Died Nov. 24, 2003

Mexican cinematographer Jorge Stahl Jr. died of a respiratory illness at age 82. Mr. Stahl shot nearly 200 films during his lengthy career. Among his credits was one of my first movie memories "The Beast of Hollow Mountain." That was probably one of his lessor works, but it was one of my favorite monster movies as a small child. Other credits include "Garden of Evil" for Henry Hathaway, Henry King’s "The Sun Also Rises" and Luis Bunuel’s "Death in the Garden." Mr. Stahl was nominated for 10 Ariel Awards (Mexico's version of the Academy Award), winning four.

TUN TUN Died Nov. 24, 2003

Indian actress Tun Tun died at age 76. Tun Tun was a prolific singer and comedienne appearing in over 100 Bollywood films. Tun Tun began her career as a singer. She was soon overshadowed by other singers. Tun Tun was a heavy woman. She turned to comedy, using her weight to her advantage and continued her career as a comedienne.

FRANCIS CREIGHTON Died Nov. 24, 2003

Actor/director/teacher Francis Creighton died at age 48. Mr. Creighton appeared in Whit Stillman’s excellent films "Metropolitan" and "Barcelona." He directed and appeared in the horror comedy "Malibu Beach Vampires." He co-wrote that film with his brother John Falotico, who also appeared in the movie. Mr. Creighton had a radio interview show while in college. In addition to his film work, Mr. Creighton was a teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

JACQUES FRANCOIS Died Nov. 25, 2003

French actor Jacques Francois died at age 83. No cause of death was listed though it was reported he had suffered from respiratory problems. Mr. Francois appeared in nearly 120 films during his 60-year career. While a majority of his work was in French films, he did appear in a number of international and American productions. Mr. Francois film credits include Fred Zinneman’s "The Day of the Jackal," William Freidkin’s "," "Le Jouet" which was remade in the US as "The Toy," "The Barkleys of Broadway" with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers and as Aramis in the 1953 French version of "The Three Musketeers"

MARY QUEENY Died Nov. 25, 2003

Egyptian film pioneer Mary Queeny died of a heart attack at age 90. Ms. Queeny and her late husband Ahmed Galal set up a production company in 1944 and produced nearly 50 films. Ms. Queeny acted in a number of them. The couple was responsible for establishing Egypt as a film center in the Middle East. The couple were also mentors to a number of young filmmakers. Ms. Queeny’s son Nader is a movie director.

ANNELIESE ROMER Died Nov. 25, 2003

German stage and screen actress Anneliese Romer died at age 81 following a lengthy illness. Ms. Romer was a well-respected stage actress in Berlin. She appeared in a few films and TV series during the 1950s and 60s. Her film credits include "The Girl From Flanders" with Maximilian Schell.

MEYER KUPFERMAN Died Nov. 26, 2003

Composer Meyer Kupferman died of heart failure at age 77. Mr. Kupferman composed seven operas, 12 symphonies, nine ballets, seven string quartets, 10 concertos among hundreds of other works. Mr. Kupferman’s music was featured in the films "Black Like Me," "Hallelujah the Hills," "Truman Capote’s Trilogy" and "Fearless Frank" among others.

LIONEL NGAKANE Died Nov. 26, 2003

South African actor/director Lionel Ngakane died at age 75. Mr. Ngakane was one of the founding members of the Federation of PanAfrican Filmmakers. He appeared in the films "Cry the Beloved Country" with Sidney Poitier, "Duel in the Jungle" with Dana Andrews and Jean Crain, "Two Gentlemen Sharing" and the TV series "Quartermass and the Pit." Mr. Ngakane also directed films. His 1962 debut documentary film "Vukani" was an exploration of the evils of Apartheid. He also directed the documentary "Nelson Mandela" and was a technical advisor on "A Dry White Season," which starred Marlon Brando and Donald Sutherland.

GORDON REID Died Nov. 26, 2003

Scottish actor Gordon Reid died of a heart attack while performing onstage during a production of Beckett’s "Waiting for Godot." Mr. Reid was 64. Mr. Reed was a regular on the TV series "The Casebook of Dr. Finlay." His other film and TV credits include "The Others" with Nicole Kidman, "Leon the Pig Farmer," "Lovejoy," "Poirot" and "Mansfield Park."

JAMES CARTER Died Nov. 26, 2003

Singer James Carter died of a stroke at age 77. Mr. Carter recorded the song "Po Lazarus" while serving on a chain gang at Parchman Prison in Mississippi. The song was chosen for the Coen Brother’s film "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" Mr. Carter was tracked down after the movie became a hit. He attended the Grammy Awards that year.

WILL QUADFLIEG Died Nov. 27, 2003

Famed German theater actor Will Quadflieg died of a pulmonary embolism at age 89. Mr. Quadflieg was one of Germany’s leading theater actors following WWII. He is best known in the film world for his performance as the title character in Peter Gorski’s 1960 version of "Faust." Other film credits include "Lola Montes," the last film by director Max Ophuls. In that film, Mr. Quadflieg played composer Franz Liszt. In 1995, Mr. Quadflieg was awarded an Honorary Bambi Award. The Bambi is the German Film Industry’s highest award.

EDMUND HARTMANN Died Nov. 28, 2003

Writer/producer Edmund Hartmann died of natural causes at age 92. Mr. Hartmann had a long and distinguished career in both film and TV. Mr. Hartmann wrote a number of scripts for comedian Bob Hope including "Paleface" and "Sorrowful Jones." Mr. Hartmann’s film scripts include the Sherlock Holmes films "The Scarlet Claw" and "Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon." He also wrote the adventure film "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves." He also wrote a number of Abbott and Costello films including "Abbott and Costello In Society" and "Ride Em Cowboy." Mr. Hartmann also produced the films "Abbott and Costello In Society" and "Ghost Catchers." He became a TV producer and writer in the 1960s. His most famous and successful TV series were "My Three Sons" and "Family Affair." He also produced the Henry Fonda TV series "The Smith Family" which ran from 1971 to 1972. He was president of the Writer’s Guild of America during the 1950s.

TERRY LESTER Died Nov. 28, 2003

Actor Terry Lester died of undisclosed causes at age 53. Mr. Lester was best known to soap opera fans for his work on such shows as "Santa Barbara" (picture at right with co-star Nancy Grahn), "As the World Turns" and especially "The Young and the Restless." Mr. Lester was also a regular on the Saturday morning sci-fi show "Ark II." His film and TV movie credits include "Airport," "Airport 1975," "KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park," "Barbary Coast" and "Blade in Hong Kong." Mr. Lester was nominated for four Daytime Emmy Awards as Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for "The Young and the Restless." He also garnered three Soap Opera Digest Awards’ nominations for the same series.

NORMAN BURTON Died Nov. 29, 2003

Actor Norman Burton was killed in an automobile crash. He was 79 years old. The first James Bond film I saw in the theaters was "Diamonds are Forever." Being a red-blooded 13 year-old, I was paying more attention to Lana Wood and Jill St. John than to Norman Burton. Mr. Burton played CIA operative Felix Leiter in the film. Mr. Burton had a lengthy career in film and TV. His film credits include the 1960s trash classic "Valley of the Dolls," "Planet of the Apes" (as an ape) and "Escape from the Planet of the Apes" (as a human). Other credits include "Fuzz" with Burt Reynolds, the Oscar winning "Save the Tiger," Irwin Allen’s disaster hit "The Towering Inferno" and Michael Crighton’s brutal sci-fi crime film "The Terminal Man" with George Segal. Mr. Burton appeared in two of my favorite films from the 70s. Both starred Michael Sarrazin: the erotic thriller "The Reincarnation of Peter Proud" and the hilarious "Gumball Rally." Another trash classic starring Mr. Burton is "Scorchy." That film boasts a very sexy Connie Stevens fighting badguys in her underwear. Mr. Burton also portrayed General George S. Patton in the mini-series adaptation of Herman Wouk’s "War and Rememberance." Mr. Burton did guest roles in over 20 TV shows during the 60s through the 80s. Mr. Burton actd in a number of theatrical productions. He taught 'method acting' in Lakeside, California.

JOE STONE Died Nov. 29, 2003

Newspaperman, detective and scriptwriter Joe Stone died of a heart attack at age 90. Mr. Stone had a long and illustrious career as a journalist. He was the brother of actor Milburn Stone, Doc on "Gunsmoke." At his brother’s insistence, Joe Stone tried his hand at scriptwriting. He wrote four scripts for the TV series "Gunsmoke." His brother Milburn won an Emmy for his performance in one of those scripts.

BERT F. BALSAM Died Nov. 29, 2003

Actor Bert F. Balsam has passed. Mr. Balsam was an active supporter of Temple Shalom For The Arts. He appeared in Milos Forman’s "Man on the Moon."

ETHAL WINANT Died Nov. 29, 2003

Producer and pioneering female TV executive Ethal Winant died from
complications following a heart attack at age 81. The Emmy and Peabody Award winning producer was the first woman to hold an executive position at a TV network. She was an executive with CBS and later NBC. Ms. Winant won a Special Emmy Award for "Playhouse 90." Her film and TV producer credits include "Ronin," "George Wallace" and "Andersonville." Ms. Winant was also a casting director for the TV series "The Wild, Wild West" and "The Twilight Zone." She personally cast the series "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." She was in part responsible for the NBC mini-series "Shogun" and "Murder in Texas."

GERTRUDE EDERLE Died Nov. 30, 2003

Gertrude Ederle, the first woman to swim the English Cannel, died at age 98. Ms. Ederle swam the 21-mile English Channel on August 6, 1926. She became a major celebrity in Europe and the United States for her feat. Ms. Ederle’s swim was measured at 35 miles. She appeared as herself in the 1927 film "Swim Girl, Swim." She also appeared in archived footage in the 1950 documentary "Fifty Years Before Your Eyes." She was a member of the 1924 Olympic Team.

EARL BELLAMY Died Nov. 30, 2003

I can’t imagine anyone who watched TV during the 1960s and 70s not recognizing the name of Earl Bellamy. The ubiquitous director of film and TV directed over 1,500 TV episodes! He also had a lengthy career as a film director and assistant director. Workhorse Earl Bellamy died of a heart attack at age 80. Mr. Bellamy shared the DGA Best Director Award with Fred Zinnemann for the classic "From Here to Eternity." Mr. Bellamy was the assistant director on the film. Mr. Bellamy was awarded the Golden Boot Award from the Motion Picture and Television Fund for his work in Westerns. Mr. Bellamy was an assistant director on over 40 films including the Judy Garland/Frederick March version of "A Star is Born," "From Here to Eternity," "Born Yesterday," "Salome" and "Sirocco." He directed the movies "Walking Tall: Part II," "Sidewinder 1," "Munsters Go Home," "Three Guns for Texas" and others. However, Mr. Bellamy spent most of his career as a TV director, helming both Made for TV movies and TV series episodes. There weren’t many TV series in the 1960s and 70s that he didn’t contribute too. Among his small screen credits are "V: The Mini Series," "Starsky and Hutch," "I Spy," "M*A*S*H,"S.W.A.T.," "ChiPS," "Hart to Hart," "Marcus Welby M.D.," "Then Came Bronson," "The MOD Squad," "The F.B.I.," "Get Smart," "The Munsters," "The Virginian," "The Andy Griffith Show," "McHale’s Navy," "Rawhide," "Perry Mason" and "Wagon Train." The list goes on!

OCTOBER 2003 FILM WORLD OBITUARIES

JULIE PARRISH Died Oct. 1, 2003

Actress Julie Parrish died of ovarian cancer just short of her 63^rd birthday. Ms. Parrish appeared in several feature films and nearly 100 TV episodes. Ms. Parrish’s feature films include the Jerry Lewis version of "The Nutty Professor," "Fireball 500" with Frankie Avalon, "Paradise, Hawaiian Style" with Elvis, "The Devil and Max Devlin" and "The Doberman Gang." Ms. Parrish appeared on numerous TVs show from the 1960s through the 90s including "Star Trek" and a recurring role on "Beverly Hills 90210." Ms. Parrash co-starred in the 1967 comedy TV series "Good Morning World" about life in a radio station.

JOY NEWTON HOUCK JR. Died Oct. 1, 2003

B-movie writer/director/producer and actor Joy N. Houck Jr. died of heart failure at home at age 61. Mr. Houck wrote and directed a number of B-Movies during the 70s and 80s. His Bigfoot movie "Creature From Black Lake" has a cult following. The movie starred Jack Elam, Dub Taylor and John David Carson. Mr. Houck began in horror films during the 1960s, writing, directing and producing "Night of Bloody Horror" and "Women and Bloody Terror." A young actor named Gerald McRaney starred in both. They were his first films! Mr. Houck’s acting credits include "The Shepard of the Hills," Clint Eastwood’s "Tight Rope," "The Big Easy" and the excellent HBO film "Doublecrossed" with Dennis Hopper. I haven’t seen the movie since I was a teenager, but I remember enjoying Charles B. Pierce’s redneck gangster drive-in hit "Bootleggers." Mr. Houck played Bobby Joe Woodall. If I remember correctly, he has some inbred relatives named Big-Un Woodall, Sally Fannie Woodall and Rufus Woodall. Those were the days for fun trashy movies.

DALE OLIVER Died Oct. 2, 2003

Long time Disney animator Dale Oliver died of an aneurysm at age 84. Mr. Oliver was a commercial illustrator who worked for Disney for over 30 years. His film credits include "The Fox and the Hound," "Peter Pan," "Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too," "The Rescuers Down Under," "Sleeping Beauty," "101 Dalmatians" and "Robin Hood." Mr. Oliver served his country as a Glider pilot in Europe in the US Army Air Corp during WWII. To view Mr. Oliver’s sketches from WWII CLICK HERE. After retiring from Disney, Mr. Oliver turned to sculpting among other things. You can see his doll of actor Iron Eyes Cody by HERE.

THEODORE BAKER Died Oct. 2, 2003

Actor/choreographer/director/stage manager Theodore Baker died on October 2, 2003. Mr. Baker began as a singer and dancer on stage in New York. He worked for NBC for many years. He was the stage manager on "Days of Our Lives" for 20 years. Other credits include "Laugh In," "The Dean Martin Show" and "The Mac Davis Show."

WILLIAM STEIG Died Oct. 3, 2003

Children’s author and illustrator William Steig had died at age 95. Mr. Steig wrote the book "Shrek!," which was turned into an Oscar winning film by Pixar. Mr. Steig won the Caldecott medal for his book "Sylvester and the Magic Pebble." Mr. Steig was a famed cartoonist for the New Yorker. The New Yorker began publishing Mr. Steig’s cartoons in 1930! Mr. Steig began writing childrens books at the age of 60! It’s never to late to chase a dream! The short cartoons "Pete’s Pizza" and "Doctor DeSoto" were also based on Mr. Steig’s books.

GUNTHER PHILIPP Died Oct. 3, 2003

German comedic actor Gunther Philipp died at age 85. Mr. Philipp became a doctor in 1943, and practiced medicine after WWII. He turned to acting part time and made his film debut in 1949. Mr. Philipp appeared in over 150 films. He also wrote 22 screenplays. A renaissance man, Mr. Philipp was also a successful race car driver, competitive swimmer and author. Mr. Philipp continued acting on TV and stage almost to the time of his death.

FLORENCE STANLEY Died Oct. 3, 2003

Actress Florence Stanley died of a stroke at age 79. Ms. Stanley worked primarily on stage but she was no stranger to TV and film audiences. She was a regular on the TV series "Barney Miller" and its spin off "Fish." She played the wife of Abe Vigoda’s character Det. Fish. Her film credits include "Bulworth," "Up the Down Staircase," "The Day of the Dolphin," "The Fortune" and "Outrageous Fortune." Ms. Stanley was also a regular on the TV series "Dark Shadows" and "My Two Dads." Ms. Stanley was known for her gravelly voice. She was in high demand for voice work. She voiced characters in a number of animated films and TV shows including "Dinosaurs," "House of Mouse," "Family Guy," "A Goofy Movie," "Atlantis: The Lost Empire" and "Atlantis: Milo’s Return."

ROBERT CANTON Died Oct. 3, 2003

Writer/director Robert Canton died of heart disease at age 65. Mr. Canton made the 1961 documentary "Quetzacoatl" about the muralist Orozco. He also wrote and directed the sexploitation film "Orgy Girls ‘69" with Allan Garfield. He and Mr. Garfield re-teamed for "The Good, the Bad and the Beautiful."

DENIS QUILLEY Died Oct. 5, 2003

British stage and film actor Denis Quilley died of cancer at age 75. Though Mr. Quilley was renowned for his stage work in England, he did appear in numerous films and TV shows during his lengthy career. Mr. Quilley won a SWET Award for his 1980 stage performance in "Sweeney Todd." The SWET Award is a London Theater award comparable to the American Tony. Mr. Quilley’s film and TV credits include "Anne of a Thousand Days" with Richard Burton and Genevieve Bujold, "Murder on the Orient Express," "Evil Under the Sun," "A Dangerous Man: Lawrence After Arabia," "King David," the TV version of "Cleopatra" and "The Black Windmill."

WALLY GEORGE Died Oct. 5, 2003

Right wing talk show host Wally George died of pneumonia at age 71. Mr. George was cut from the same cloth as Morton Downey Jr. His extreme TV show involved inviting guest with opposing views and then insulting and abusing him. I can only describe his show as a cross between the WWE and Jerry Springer. Wally George’s TV show was brutal and often bogus as Mr. George had actors appear as make believe guests. Mr. George was the biological father of actress Rebecca DeMornay but was not a part of her life. In addition to Mr. George’s TV show he appeared as himself in such movies as "Club Fed," "Repossessed" and "A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child."

PETER MILLER Died Oct. 7, 2003

Actor Peter Miller died of cancer at age 73. Mr. Miller appeared in a number of famous films from the 1950s. He may be best known for his co-starring role as Cholly in Robert Altman’s directorial debut "The Delinquents." Mr. Miller co-starred with "Billy Jack" star Tom Laughlin in Altman’s tale of troubled teenagers. Other film credits include "Rebel Without a Cause," "The Blackboard Jungle," "Forbidden Planet" and the Jimmy Stewart Depression era crime comedy "Fool’s Parade." Mr. Miller also appeared on a number of TV shows during the 1950s.

HENRY HERBERT, the 17^TH EARL OF PEMBROKE and 14^TH EARL OF MONTGOMERY Died Oct. 7, 2003

Director/producer and British Earl Henry Herbert died at age 64. Mr. Herbert’s most famous film was the soft-core sex film "Emily" which starred Royal family plaything Koo Stark. His documentary "What Color is the Wind?," which dealt with blind children won an award at the Chicago International Film Festival. Other credits include "Lucia," "The Heroes of Telemark," "Forbidden Passion: Oscar Wilde" and "Malachi’s Cove."

RUTH HALL Died Oct. 9, 2003

Actress Ruth Hall died at age 92. Ms. Hall appeared in over 30 films during her career, which spanned the 1930s through the 1950s. She appeared in the Marx Brother’s comedy "Monkey Business." Other credits include "Her Majesty Love" with W.C. Fields and "Ride Him, Cowboy" with John Wayne. She married Oscar winning cinematographer Lee Garmes.

MARTIN JOHNSON Died Oct. 9, 2003

British production designer Martin Johnson died at age 64. Mr. Johnson began his career with the BBC working on the TV shows "Dr. Who" and "Steptoe and Son" among others. His lengthy film career includes the films "Hidden Agenda," "Black Jack," "The Navigators" and "Sweet Sixteen."

MERVYN BLAKE Died Oct. 9, 2003

Award winning actor Mervyn Blake died at age 95 after a long illness. The actor started his career on the London stage but moved to Canada in the 1950s and remained there. He appeared at the Stratford Festival in Canada for 42 consecutive seasons! Mr. Blake’s film and credits include "Seeing Things," "The Black Tulip" and "The Boys from Syracuse." Mr. Blake served in the British Army during WWII and was present for the liberation of the Bergen-Belsen death camp.

MATT ROE Died Oct. 9, 2003

Writer/actor Matt Roe died of multiple myeloma at age 51. Mr. Roe appeared in nearly 40 films and TV shows. He also wrote three scripts, which were produced. Mr. Roe’s acting credits include "Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult," "Child’s Play 2," "Puppet Master," "My Blue Heaven," "Judging Amy," "Lois and Clark" and "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine." Mr. Roe wrote "The Minion" which starred Dolph Lundgren.

HAMILTON BENZ Died Oct. 10, 2003

Actor/writer Hamilton Benz died at age 93. Mr. Benz wrote dramas for TV during the 1940s and 50s. His credits include "The Gentle Rain," "The Straight and the Narrow," "Armstrong Circle Theater," "The Lux Video Theater" and "Addio Mimi!" Mr. Benz worked principally on stage but he did appear in the film "The House on 92^nd Street."

VICTORIA HORNE OAKEY Died Oct. 10, 2003

Actress Victoria Horne, the widow of actor Jackie Oakey died at age 91. Mrs. Oakey acted under the name Victoria Horne. She retired from film two years after she married Jackie Oakey. Ms. Horne appeared in over 40 films. She was memorable as the evil sister-in-law in "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir." Other credits include "Harvey" with Jimmy Stewart, "Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff" and the serial "Secret Agent X-9." Other credits include "The Snake Pit," "Forever Amber" and "The Scarlet Claw." Her late husband was a silent film star who made a successful transition to the talkies. He is best known for his performance as Napaloni, the dictator of Bacteria in Charlie Chaplin’s "The Great Dictator." Mr. Oakey received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for the film.

JULIA TREVELYAN OMAN Died Oct. 10, 2003

Production designer Julia Trevelyan Oman died of cancer at age 73. Ms. Oman worked mainly as a theater designer in England, but she did work on a number of films. Ms. Oman’s credits include Sam Peckinpah’s controversial "Straw Dogs," Tony Richardson’s "The Charge of the Light Brigade," the 1970 version of "Julius Caesar" and the TV series "The Forsyte Saga." Ms. Oman also illustrated several books.

TOMMY KELLY Died Oct. 10, 2003

Former child actor turned teacher Tommy Kelly died at age 78. Mr. Kelly made his film debut as the title character in the 1938 film "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer." That same year he played the title character in "Peck's Bad Boy at the Circus." He appeared in a total of 19 films betwwen 1938 and 1950. He retired and made a career as a school teacher. His other film credits include "Gone With the Wind," "Life Begins for Andy Hardy," Battleground" and "The West Point Story."

MICHAEL HEGSTRAND Died Oct. 11, 2003

Mike Hegstrand aka Road Warrior Hawk has died at age 46 of undisclosed causes. He, along with Joe Laurinatis (Road Warrior Animal) formed one of the most popular tag teams in wrestling history. The pair took their look from the Mel Gibson hit film "The Road Warrior." The Hawk appeared with his partner in almost 50 wrestling TV series and videos. Prayers of comfort for his family and friends.

DONALD MACKECHNIE Died Oct. 11, 2002

Actor/stage director and drama coach Donald MacKechnie died of AIDS related illness at age 65. Mr. MacKechnie was a longtime playwright and stage director. He acted in the film "Fat Man and Little Boy" and the TV series "Tales From the Darkside" and "Hotel." He was the staff director of the National Theater at the Old Vic in England. He directed many of the greatest actors in British history including Laurence Olivier, Anthony Hopkins and John Gielgud.

RAM GOPAL Died Oct. 12, 2003

Indian dancer Ram Gopal has died. His exact age is unknown but he is believed to have been in his 80s or 90s. Mr. Gopal was discovered in the 1930s and brought to America. He exposed Western audiences to traditional Indian dance. Mr. Gopal’s film credits include appearances in "The Purple Plain" and "The Blue Peter." He was the choreographer on the Elisabeth Taylor film "Elephant Walk."

WILLIAM BRICKELL Died Oct. 13, 2003

Stuntman Butch Brickell died of undisclosed causes at age 46 in Miami. Mr. Brickell was a racing enthusiast who drove very fast and did stunt work in such films and TV shows as "The Specialist," "2 Fast 2 Furious," "Seaquest DSV," "Bad Boys" and "Fair Game."

ANNE ZIEGLER Died Oct. 13, 2003

Singer/actress Anne Ziegler died at age 93. During WWII she and her husband Webster Booth was a very popular singing due in England. She appeared in several films including "Demobbed" and "The Laughing Lady."

JAMES WOODWORTH Died Oct. 14, 2003

Stage manager and set construction manager James "Woody" Woodworth died of emphysema at age 73. Mr. Woodworth worked on the Christopher Reeve film "Somewhere in Time." Among his numerous TV credits are "Barney Miller," "The Ernie Kovacs Show," "The Lawrence Welk Show," "American Bandstand," "Welcome Back Kotter" and over 20 Oscar telecasts. Mr. Woodworth was the stage manager for the famous televised debates between JFK and Richard Nixon. He was awarded the Directors Guild of America's Franklin J. Schaffner Lifetime Achievement Award for his long career.

DAVID SCHWARTZ Died Oct. 14, 2003

Writer David Schwartz died at age 92. Mr. Schwartz began his writing career in the 1930s. He wrote for a number of TV shows including almost the entire "Amos and Andy" series, "The Donna Reed Show" and "Playhouse 90." Mr. Schwartz’s film credits include the Rat Pack movie "Robin and the 7 Hoods," "Sex and the Single Girl" starring Natalie Wood, "The Bobo" which starred Peter Sellers. Mr. Schwartz was nominated for the Writer’s Guild Best Musical for his "Robin and the 7 Hoods" screenplay.

MICHAEL BONDELLI Died Oct. 14, 2003

Stuntman Michael Bondelli died of a heart attack on the set of Michael Mann’s upcoming film "Collateral" starring Tom Cruise. Mr. Bondelli was a stunt driver who worked on "A Man Apart," "Daredevil," "We’re Talking Serious Money," "Top of the World" and "Speed" among others.

SARI PRICE Died Oct. 14, 2003

Actress Sari Price died of a heart attack at age 70. Ms. Price appeared in a number of films and TV shows including the TV movies "Eleanor and Franklin," "Amelia Earhart," "Kill Me If You Can" about condemned rapist Caryl Chessman and "The People vs. Jean Harris." Ms. Price’s TV credits include "Charlie’s Angels," "Gidget," "The Andy Griffith Show" and "The Partridge Family." Ms. Price appeared on a couple of "Partridge" episodes. She was a long time friend of the star Shirley Jones and was the bride’s maid at Ms. Jones wedding to actor Jack Cassidy.

ETHEL BEARD Died Oct. 15, 2003

Actress Ethel Beard died of heart failure at age 85. Ms. Beard was primarily a radio actress during the 1940s. She performed on the Experimental Playhouse of the Air radio shows with many well-known actors including Hume Cronyn and Jonathan Winters. She appeared as a hostess on Merv Griffin’s TV show "Play Your Hunch."

MARK HANNA Died Oct. 16, 2003

Writer/actor Mark Hanna died at age 86 from a stroke. Marl Hanna is best know for sci-fi scripts of the 1950s. He wrote or co-wrote with Charles Griffith the scripts for three of the most popular B-Movies to come from that era: "Not of This Earth," "Attack of the Colossal Man" and "Attack of the 50 Foot Woman." "Attack of the 50-Foot Woman" was remade by HBO and starred Daryl Hannah. "Not of This Earth" was remade twice, once with former underage porn star Traci Lords. Mr. Hanna received credits on each remake. Mr. Hanna’s other writing credits include "Jet Attack" starring John Agar, "The Gatling Gun" and the Blaxploitation film "Slaughter" which starred football great Jim Brown. Mr. Hanna wrote three films for legendary producer Roger Corman. In addition to "Not of This Earth," Mr. Hanna’s Corman credits include "The Undead" and "Naked Paradise." Mr. Hanna acted in several films during the 1950s.

STU HART Died Oct. 16, 2003

This is turning out to be almost as bad a year for professional wrestlers as for others in the film industry. Wrestling patriarch Stu Hart died at age 88. Mr. Hart is the 25th major wrestling figure to died this year. Mr. Hart was the father of wrestlers Owen and Bret Hart. They followed their father into the ring. Mr. Hart founded Stampede Wrestling in Canada in the 1940s. He appeared in a number of WWF and WWE videos.

BERNARD SCHWARTZ Died Oct. 17, 2003

Oscar nominated producer Bernard Schwartz died of complications from a stroke at age 85. Mr. Schwartz was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar for the Loretta Lynn biopic "Coal Miner’s Daughter." Other film credits include "Sweet Dreams" about singer Patsy Cline, "St. Elmo’s Fire," "Psycho II," the great thriller "Roadgames," the Blaxploitation hits "That Man Bolt," "Hammer" and "Bucktown." Mr. Schwartz also produced the effective horror film "Eye of the Cat" with Michael Sarrazin, the sci-fi classic "Journey to the Center of the Earth," "Jennifer on My Mind," "The Shuttered Room" and "A Global Affair."

JANICE RULE Died Oct. 17, 2003

Actress turned psychoanalyst Janice Rule died at age 72. Ms. Rule appeared on stage and screen. She had over 60 film and TV credits. Ms. Rule’s on-screen persona was sultry and intelligent. Among her credits are Robert Altman’s "3 Women," Cost-Gavras’ "Missing," "The Swimmer" with Burt Lancaster, "Kid Blue" with Dennis Hopper and Warren Oates, the Matt Helm spy spoof "The Ambushers" and "Welcome to Hard Times" with Henry Fonda. Ms. Rule co-starred with Marlon Brando, Robert Redford, Robert Duvall, Jane Fonda and Angie Dickinson in "The Chase." "The Chase" is one of the more interesting misfires of the 1960s. Arthur Penn directed the all star cast in the Lillian Hellman scripted mess. The behind the scenes stories are more interesting than anything that ended up on screen. Ms. Rule as Robert Duvall’s wife is sexy and mean as the town tramp. Ms. Rule also appeared in the classic comedy "Bell, Book and Candle." She played Jimmy Stewart’s girlfriend, at least until Kim Novak came into the picture. Ms. Rule had another Kim Novak connection. She played the part of Midge opposite Paul Newman in the original Broadway cast of William Inge’s "Picnic." Kim Novak played the part in Joshua Logan’s film version! Ms. Rule received her Ph.D. in 1983 and practiced as a psychoanalyst in New York and LA. Her husbands included actor Ben Gazarra and "Rainmaker" playwright N. Richard Nash.

DAVID LODGE Died Oct. 18, 2003

British actor and ‘fourth Goon’ David Lodge died at age 82. Mr. Lodge was a longtime friend of Peter Sellers. He often appeared with Goons Sellers, Spike Milligan and Michael Bentine on stage and radio. Mr. Lodge appeared in over 150 films and TV series. He was known for both his comedic talent and his ability to portray tough military men. He served in the RAF in WWII. Chances are you have seen Mr. Lodge in any number of films. His credits include "The Cockleshell Heroes," "Guns at Batasi," "Bobbikins," "Captain Clegg" with Peter Cushing, "Catch Us If You Can" with the Dave Clark Five, "Oh! What a Lovely War," "Scream and Scream Again," "The Railway Children," one of my daughter’s favorite movies from her childhood "Mr. Horatio Knibbles" and "Sahara." Mr. Lodge appeared with his friend Peter Sellers in 15 films including "A Shot in the Dark," "The Magic Christian," "The Return of the Pink Panther" and "Up the Creek."

ROY SILVER Died Oct.18, 2003

Producer Roy Silver died of a brain tumor at age 71. Mr. Silver produced Dalton Trumbo’s WWI anti-war film "Johnny Got His Gun." Dalton Trumbo adapted his novel and directed this interesting film, which stars Timothy Bottoms as a soldier who loses everything except his life during WWI. The introspective film features Jason Robards and Donald Sutherland as Christ. Mr. Silver also produced Ray Bradbury’s "The Picasso Summer" starring Albert Finney and Yvette Mimieux. Mr. Silver was also an artist’s manager. He also owned the Tetragrammaton Record label and was responsible for signing one of my favorite groups Deep Purple.

GUY ROLFE Died Oct. 19, 2003

When I was 5 years old, I had nightmares for weeks after seeing Guy Rolfe’s face without its mask at the end of William Castle’s "Mr. Sardonicus." The skull-like death grin creeped me out like nothing I had ever seen before. "Mr. Sardonicus" remains one of my favorite B-Horror movies. British actor Guy Rolfe has died at age 91. Mr. Rolfe appeared in a number of mainstream films in both Great Britain and America, but he is best remembered for his work in horror films. In addition to "Mr. Sardonicus," his horror film credits include "And Now the Screaming Starts," "The Bride," "Dolls," and four of the "Puppet Master" films. Mr. Rolfe’s mainstream credits include "Nicholas and Alexandra," "King of Kings," "Tarus Bulba," "The Fall of the Roman Empire," "Ivanhoe" and "Fools Rush In" among others. Thanks for the nightmares!

EVE NEWMAN Died Oct. 19, 2003

Oscar nominated film and music editor Eve Newman died of cancer complications at age 88. Ms. Newman was nominated for two Best Film Editing Oscars for her work on the thriller "Two Minute Warning" and "Wild in the Streets." Ms. Newman was a film editor and music editor on over 40 films. She began her career as an animator for Disney, working on "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves." Her film credits include the Billy Wilder classic "Some Like It Hot." She was the music editor for a number of Roger Corman films including "House of Usher," "The Raven" "The Terror" and "Pit and the Pendulum." Other credits include "Master of the World," "X: The Man With X-Ray Eyes" and "Operation Bikini." Ms. Newman switched from music editing to film editing in 1964. Her film editing credits include "Muscle Beach Party," "Beach Blanket Bingo," "Bloody Mama," "Paradise Alley," "Three in the Attic," "The Other Side of the Mountain" and "No Small Affair."

WILLIAM SARGENT JR. Died Oct. 19, 2001

Producer/promoter William Sargent died of a heart attack at age 76. Mr. Sargent was man who brought us Pay-Per-View. His production credits include a video to film version of Richard Burton’s stage version of "Hamlet." The filmed play was given limited release in 1964. Other credits include "The T.A.M.I.Show," which was one of the first filmed rock concerts. The film from the early 1960s has The Rolling Stones and The Beach Boys on the same bill. Mr. Sergant also produced and distributed "Richard Pryor: Live in Concert" and "Give 'Em Hell Harry" with James Whitmore.

GILBERT PARRA Died Oct. 19, 2003

Legendary LA County Homicide detective Gilbert Parra died of liver cancer at age 65. Mr. Parra’s exploits were the basis for the characters played by James Caan and Alan Arkin in the hit comedy "Freebie and the Bean." I was very surprised to hear that these characters were based on a real person. Although "Freebie and the Bean" is one of my guilty pleasures, the two title characters were inept brutes with no respect for the Constitution. I will assume that liberties were taken in writing the script. Mr. Parra also inspired characters in the Nick Nolte cop drama "Mulholland Falls." Mr. Parra acted in a number of films including "8 Million Ways To Die," "Wisdom," "There Goes My Baby" and "L.A. Takedown." He was the technical advisor on Michael Mann’s "Heat," "Mulholland Falls" and Hal Ashby’s "8 Million Ways To Die." In real life, Mr. Parra worked the streets during the Watts Riots, the Riots that followed the Rodney King verdict and was involved in the SLA shootout.

LYNN MATHIS Died Oct. 20, 2003

Actor Lynn Mathis died at age 49 of hypertensive cardiovascular disease. Mr. Mathis was a busy actor in the Dallas/Fort Worth theater scene where he had performed over 50 Shakespearean roles! He was an eight-year Artistic Associate of the Kitchen Dog Theater in Dallas. Mr. Mathis also worked in film and TV. Mr. Mathis’ credits include the upcoming feature film "The Alamo," "Walker Texas Ranger," as the warden in "The Life of David Gale," "The Newton Boys" and "Night Vision." Mr. Mathis played a number of characters in the children’s educational TV series "Wishbone." Mr. Mathis won the Best Actor Award at the Ed Wood Memorial Film and Video Festival for his work in the short comedy "Flowers on a Muumuu." He also won the Best Actor Award at the 1999 California Independent Film Festival for the same movie. Mr. Mathis was on the faculty of KD Studio Actor Conservatory. Mr. Mathis' widow is film makeup artist Renée LeCuyer.

JACK ELAM Died Oct. 20, 2003

Harmonica: And Frank?

Snaky: Frank sent us.

Harmonica: Did you bring a horse for me?

Snaky: (laughs) Well…looks like we’re… looks like we’re shy one horse.

Harmonica: (nodding head) You brought two too many.

That exchange between Charles Bronson as Harmonica and Jack Elam as Snaky opens Sergio Leone’s masterpiece "Once Upon a Time in the West." Jack Elam played the leader of a trio of killers sent to kill Bronson. The 12-minute opening credit scene is a wonderful set piece, made all the more memorable because of Jack Elam’s craggy face. As his character waits for the train carrying Bronson to arrive, he does battle with a pesky fly. Elam huffs and puffs to make the fly leave him alone. He finally captures it in the barrel of his six-shooter. Sergio Leone originally wanted Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef and Eli Wallach from "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" to portray the trio of killers. Instead he used Jack Elam, Woody Strode and Al Mulock (who committed suicide on the set!). Sergio Leone liked faces. He was the master of the close up. Actor Danny Aiello was upset when he was asked to do a camera test for "Once Upon a Time in America," until he realized it wasn’t a matter of talent, but that Leone just wanted to see what his face would look like in an extreme close-up. Jack Elam’s visage delighted Leone. Though he was only in the first scene of the movie, "Once Upon a Time in the West" is one of his best screen performances.

Veteran character actor Jack Elam has died at age 84 of undisclosed causes. Elam’s age was in dispute as the actor lied about his age to make himself older so he could get work. Jack Elam appeared in over 200 films and TV shows. He was adept at playing both villains and comedic roles. His list of Western film credits includes a number of the best in the genre. In addition to "Once Upon a Time in the West," his credits include "The Gunfighter," "High Noon," "Rancho Notorious," "Vera Cruz," "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral," "The Comancheros," "Rio Lobo," "Hannie Caulder" and Sam Peckinpah’s "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid." Those are just some of his film credits. When it comes to TV Westerns, chances are he made a guest appearance. He had over 100 TV credits in guest roles.

While Jack Elam could play the meanest killer to walk the face of the earth, he could make you laugh. His unique face and roaming blind eye were just two of the tools he used to make people laugh. Among his comedic films were "The Slowest Gun in the West," "Never a Dull Moment," "Support Your Local Sheriff!," "The Over-the-Hill Gang," "Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County," "Support Your Local Gunfighter," the TV remake of "Cat Ballou," "Hawmps!," "Hot Lead and Cold Feet," "The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again" and the first two "The Cannonball Run" movies. Thanks for the frights and the laughs. Prayers of comfort for his family and friends.

DONALD G. JACKSON Died Oct. 20, 2003

Independent filmmaker Donald G. Jackson died of Leukemia at age 60. Filmmaker/actor Scott Shaw confirmed Mr. Jackson’s passing. "Yes, sadly Don passed away on Monday, 20 October 2003, at about 3:00 PM after a long battle with Leukemia. He was diagnosed with the disease in 1995. The doctors gave him from six months to six years to live. But, he beat the odds. He lived, and continued to create films, for eight years!" My friend, Pixar animator Stephen Wong has long sung the praises of Mr. Jackson’s post-apocalyptic film "Hell Comes to Frog Town." Stephen said "Frogtown is just a hilarious flick. What other movie has a girl performing a strip tease for a bunch of giant mutated frogs? Aside from "They Live," it’s also "Rowdy" Roddy Piper’s most entertaining work."

Mr. Jackson began making 8mm films during the 1960s. He never looked back, writing, directing, producing and editing a long string of B-Movies via a process he called Zen Filmmaking. Actor Scott Shaw appeared in 13 of Mr. Jackson’s films. Mr. Jackson’s provided additional cinematography on James Cameron’s "The Terminator." His directing credits include "Demon Lover," "The Roller Blade 7," "Big Sister 2000," "Frogtown 2," "Lingerie Kickboxer" and "Blade Sisters." Thanks for the fun movies and thanks for the inspiration you gave to so many indie filmmakers.

VIRGINIA BOGART Died Oct. 20, 2003

Former Disney/Hanna Barbera/Filmation animator Virginia Bogart died at age 85. Ms. Bogart worked for Disney but retired to raise her family. She returned to the business when her children were grown and worked for both Hanna Barbera and the Filmation. She retired a second time in 1987.

ELLIOT SMITH Died Oct. 21, 2003

Oscar nominated composer and folk punk musician Elliot Smith has, according to press reports, apparently committed suicide at age 34. Mr. Smith died of a single stab wound to the chest. Mr. Smith had been fighting a battle with alcoholism. Mr. Smith’s song "Miss Misery" from the movie "Good Will Hunting" was nominated for the Best Song Oscar. Mr. Smith’s songs have been used on the soundtracks of numerous films including "American Beauty," "The Royal Tenenbaums," "Keeping the Faith" and "Zero Effect." Mr. Smith appeared in the film "Southlander." Mr. Smith was working on his sixth album "From A Basement On A Hill" at the time of his death. Prayers of comfort for his family and friends.

ELLIOT SMITH UPDATE

The LA Coroner's office stated on December 30, 2003 that they are unable to determine if Mr. Smith's fatal stab wound was self-inflicted or the result of an attack. The spokesman said either scenario is possible based on their tests. There were no illegal drugs in Mr. Smith's system at the time of his death. The LAPD is continuing their investigation.

DERYA ARBAS Died Oct. 21, 2003

Turkish/American actress Derya Arbas has died at age 35. The cause of death has not been determined but friends believe she died of a heart attack. Ms. Arbas was the daughter of Turkish beauty queen and actress Zerrin Arbas and Native American actor Dehl Berti. Ms. Arbas appeared in seven films including "Dilan" and "The White Bicycle." Ms. Arbas also appeared in the indie film "Hang Your Dog in the Wind" under the name Derya Berti. Ms. Arbas had just returned to Loa Angeles from Istanbul where hse had buried her grandfather, famed Turkish painter Avni Arbas. Ms. Arbas had been working as a writer and photographer.

FRED BERRY Died Oct. 22, 2003

Actor Fred Berry died of a stroke at age 52. Mr. Berry was best know for his role as Rerun in the hit TV series "What’s Happening" and "What’s Happening Now!." Mr. Berry appeared in one of my favorite B-Movies "Vice Squad." He played Sugar Pimp, who had the misfortune to have a run in with the evil Ramrod played by Wings Hauser. More recently, Mr. Berry had a cameo role in the David Spade comedy "Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star." Other credits include "In the Hood," "Bum Runner" and an episode of the NBC TV series "Scrubs." Mr. Berry won a long battle with alcohol and drug addiction. He became a Baptist minister in the 1980s, but returned to acting and doing special events as his Rerun character.

GARY WALKER Died Oct. 22, 2003

Makeup artist and hair stylist Gary Walker died after a short illness. His age was not released. Mr. Walker was a 30-year-verteran of the film industry. He was a member of I.A.T.S.E. Locals 798 (east coast) and 706 (west coast). Mr. Walker was working on the film "The Punisher" when he became sick. His other credits include "The Sopranos," "When Billie Beat Bobby," "Roswell," "SeaQuest DSV," "Psycho IV: The Beginning" and "Somebody Has to Shoot the Picture."

HENRY B. DONOVAN Died Oct. 23, 2003

Writer/producer Henry B. Donovan died at age 89. Mr. Donovan wrote and produced the Jackie Coogan TV series "Cowboy G-Men." He was the president of Telemount Pictures. He directed the films "Magic Lady" and "Our Flag."

ALEX GRAF Died Oct. 23, 2003

Production manager Alex Graf was killed in a automobile accident at age 32. Mr. Graf was on location in China filming the upcoming Columbia release "Mountain Patrol," when the taxi he was riding in collided with a truck. Mr. Graf also worked on the much ballyhooed "Warriors of Heaven and Earth."

MADAME CHIANG KAI-SHEK Died Oct. 24, 2003

One of the most powerful women of the 20^th century has died at the age of 106. Madame Chiang Kai-Shek outlived all of her contemporaries. The wife of Chinese leader Chiang Kai-Shek, Madame Chiang took a leading role in her husband’s battle with the Communist Chinese and also the Japanese during WWII. Born Soong Mei-Ling in 1897, Madame Chiang was the daughter of a wealthy minister and publisher. Educated in America, she married the future leader of the Nationalistic movement in China. Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek led the revolt against the Manchu Dynasty. She raised millions of dollars for the war against Japan during a tour of the US. Following WWII, her husband’s Nationalistic Party battled Chairman Mao’s communist party. In 1949 she followed her husband and his government into exile in Taiwan. Chiang Kai-Shek died in 1975 after which Madame Chaing moved to New York.

Madame Chiang appeared in Frank Capra’s film made for the US Army "The Battle of China." She appeared in the documentary "The People Between" which was made during the battle for power between her husband and Mao’s communists. Other credits include "Vietnam: A Television History" and "The Century of Warfare" among others. Madame Chiang was a devout Christian and attributed her longevity to her faith in God.

THE CONCORDE Last Commercial Flight Oct. 24, 2003

British Airlines will officially cease operations of the world's only supersonic commercial airline today. The SST made it possible for travelers to leave London and arrive in New York 1 and ½ hours before they left England! The SST was foreseen as the future of aviation by its designers. However only 16 of the planes were produced. Limited seating and high fuel consumption were just two reasons the Concorde became too expensive to maintain. The sleek jet appeared in a number of films, most notably "The Concorde: Airport 1979."

JOANNA LEE Died Oct. 24, 2003

Award winning writer/producer/director/actress Joanna Lee died of bone cancer at age 72. Ms. Lee began her career as an actress, appearing in Ed Wood’s infamous "Plan 9 from Outer Space." Other acting credits include "The Brain Eaters," "Death Valley Days" and "Leave it to Beaver." Ms. Lee turned to writing after suffering serious injuries in an auto accident. She won an Emmy for her script for an episode of "The Waltons." Shw was nominated for another Emmy for her scipt for the TV bio-pic "Babe" with Susan Clark as famed female athlete Babe Didrikson Zaharias.

ANNE GERETY Died Oct. 25, 2003

Stage actress Anne Gerety died of a heart attack at age 77. Ms. Gerety was the older sister of actor Peter Gerety. Ms. Gerety performed primarily on stage, but did appear in a few TV show and movies. She had a supporting role in Robert Altman’s sci-fi misfire "Quintet," which starred Paul Newman. Ms. Gerety did guest shots on "St. Elsewhere," "Benson" and "Barnaby Jones." She also provided the voice of Aunt Beru in the NPR "Star Wars: The Original Radio Drama."

JACK TEMCHIN Died Oct. 26, 2003

Stage producer Jack Temchin died of a heart attack at age 57. The co-founder of ‘The Play Company’ devoted his career to producing new international plays. He wrote scripts for the TV series "Freddy’s Nightmares" and HBO’s "Tales From the Crypt." Mr. Temchin also produced Brian DePalma’s strange but very interesting comedy "Home Movies."

ELIM KLIMOV Died Oct. 26, 2003

Russian director Elim Klimov died of natural causes at age 70. Mr. Klimov directed one of the most harrowing war films ever produced. "Come and See" is a must see for history and war buffs. Word to the wise, this is one of the most brutal depictions of war ever put on film. "Come and See" won the Grand Prize at the Moscow Film Festival. Mr. Klimov directed twelve films between 1959 and 1985.

ROD RODDY Died Oct. 27, 2003

Rod Roddy, the announcer on "The Price Is Right" for 17 years died of breast and colon cancer at age 66. Other credits include announcing for the game show "Whew!," "Battlestars," "Press Your Luck," "Love Connection" and "Family Feud." He did voice work for "House of Mouse" and "Mickey’s House of Villains." Mr. Roddy was also the announcer on the TV shows "Soap" and "The Roseanne Barr Show."

STEPHANIE TYRELL Died Oct. 27, 2003

Award winning songwriter and record producer Stephanie Tyrell died at age 54 after a lengthy battle with cancer. Ms. Tyrell wrote over 200 songs. Her song "How Do You Talk to an Angel" reached number one in 1992. Ms. Tyrell was nominated for an Emmy and won a Cable Ace Award. Her songs have been featured on the soundtracks of "Father of the Bride," "The Client," "Mystic Pizza" and "The Brady Bunch." Prayers of comfort for her family and friends.

STEVE YACONELLI Died Oct. 29, 2003

Cinematographer/DP/ camera operator Steve Yaconelli drowned while scuba diving. He was 62 years old. Mr. Yaconelli’s film and TV credits include "Papillon," "Animal House," "The Blues Brothers," "Continental Divide," "War Games," "Bram Stoker’s Dracula," "The Temp," "Cabin Boy," "Blue Sky," "Frankie and Johnny" and "Exit to Eden."

RICHARD CANGEY Died Oct. 29, 2003

Veteran stuntman Richard Cangey died at the age of 70 in Cypress California. Mr. Cangey did stunts for a number of TV series including "Vega$," "Baretta," "Daniel Boone," "The Big Valley" and "Mission Impossible." He also worked on the 1975 version of "Capone" with Ben Gazarra. Mr. Cangey was most notably associated with the popular TV series "The Wild Wild West." Mr. Cangey wrote the book "Inside The Wild Wild West" about his years working on the series. Mr. Cangey was a longtime friend of series star Robert Conrad and also worked with him on the TV series "The D.A."

SAUL KAHAN Died Oct. 30, 2003

Actor/publicist Saul Kahan died of heart failure at age 64. Mr. Kahan appeared in the John Landis films "Schlock," "Into the Night" and "Kentucky Fried Movie." He was the publicist for a number of hit movies including "Animal House," "Space Balls," "The Blues Brothers" and "Blade Runner." Mr. Kahan’s first film as an actor was in the camp, 1960s sci-fi film "The Tenth Victim." "The Tenth Victim" utilized the ‘bra-gun’ 30 years before "Austin Powers."

BETH GEDDES Died Oct. 30, 2003

TV producer/writer Beth Geddes died of cancer. Ms. Geddes produced the hit TV series "The People’s Court" for 20 years. Other credits include "Dinah’s Place" and "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson."

WILLIAM SWETLAND Died Oct. 31, 2003

Actor William Swetland died at age 90. Mr. Swetland had a long career on stage, both on Broadway and regional theater. Mr. Swetland’s TV credits include Chekhov’s "The Seagull," Eugene O’Neill’s "Ah! Wilderness," "The Quinns," "A Christmas Without Snow" and an episode of "Naked City."

ROBERT GUENETTE Died Oct. 31, 2003

Award winning writer/producer/director Robert Guenette died of brain cancer at age 68. Mr. Guenette won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary for "Great Movie Stunts: Raiders of the Lost Ark." Mr. Guenette’s other documentary credits include "SPFX: The Empire Strikes Back," "The Making of Star Wars" and "The Mysterious Monsters." Mr. Guenette produced the first shot on video feature length film "Victory at Entebbe," which starred Kirk Douglas, Burt Lancaster, Anthony Hopkins, Richard Dreyfuss, Linda Blair and Elisabeth Taylor. Mr. Guenette’s 1965 documentary "William Faulkner’s Mississippi" won an Emmy Award. Mr. Guenette also produced and directed the Nostradamus documentary "The Man Who Saw Tomorrow."

BRUCE EDWARD HALL Died Oct. 31, 2003

Actor/puppeteer Bruce Edward Hall died of cancer at age 49. Mr. Hall’s acting credits include one of my personal favorites: "The Equalizer" with Edward Woodward, "The Muppets Take Manhattan," "Romper Room," "Whirligig!" and "Poor Little Lambs." Mr. Hall was a fourth generation Chinese American. He was also a published author with a number of books and articles to his credit.