RECENTLY DEPARTED
OCTOBER 29, 2024
Actress Teri Garr has died at 79, following a long battle with multiple sclerosis. Garr got her start in Hollywood appearing as a background dancer in several Elvis movies including Viva Las Vegas and Roustabout, and also appeared in Pajama Party with Annette Funicello. She appeared in small guest roles on several 1960s TV series including Star Trek. In the early 1970s, she was a recurring regular on The Sonny & Cher Show, and continued to make guest appearances on other series.
Garr's big break came in 1974 when she appeared in Francis Ford Coppola's The Conversation, a rare dramatic role, and Mel Brook's Young Frankenstein playing Inga, a Transylvanian local. Garr continued on TV while her movie career blossomed with roles in Oh, God! and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. She also had a key role in 1982's Tootsie as Dustin Hoffman's sort-of girlfriend. She became a favorite guest on David Letterman's Late Night with David Letterman during its run on NBC, appearing more than two dozen times. She also made several visits to the show when he moved to CBS. Another key TV role came as she took on the recurring role of Phoebe's mother on Friends. All in all, Garr racked up more than 150 film and TV credits during her 50 year career.
Notable TV credits include an uncredited extra on Batman, The Andy Griffith Show, That Girl, Mayberry R.F.D., The Mothers-in-Law, Room 222, It Takes a Thief, M*A*S*H, The Odd Couple, The Bob Newhart Show, The Girl With Something Extra, Barnaby Jones, McCloud, Cher, Maude, Faerie Tale Theatre, Fresno, Sesame Street, Tales from the Crypt, Dream On, Murphy Brown, The Larry Sanders Show, Women of the House, Men Behaving Badly, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, The Weird Al Show, ER, King of the Hill, Batman Beyond, Felicity, Life with Bonnie, Law & Order: SVU, and How to Marry a Billionaire, her final credit.
Movie credits include Fun in Acapulco, Kissin' Cousins, What a Way to Go, The Cool Ones, Clambake, Head, The Black Stallion, One from the Heart, Honky Tonk Freeway, The Escape Artist, Mr. Mom, Firstborn, After Hours, The Player, Mom and Dad Save the World, Dumb and Dumber, Ready to Wear, Perfect Alibi, Michael, A Simple Wish, Dick, and Ghost World.
SEPTEMBER 9, 2024
Revered, award-winning, iconic actor James Earl Jones has died at 93. Regarded as one of the world's greatest actors, Jones attained EGOT status with two Emmys, a Grammy, an honorary Oscar and three Tony Awards. With nearly 200 screen credits during a six decades career, Jones has had many memorable on-screen roles but will probably be best remembered as the voice of Darth Vader in the Star Wars films, the voice of Mufasa in the original animated The Lion King, and as the voice of CNN.
Born in Arkabutla, Mississippi, Jones overcame a childhood stutter and made his Broadway debut in 1957 after serving in the US Army during the Korean War, appearing in productions of Othello, Hamlet, Coriolanus and King Lear. Jones won his first Tony Award in 1968 for his role in The Great White Hope, which he reprised in the 1970 film adaptation, earning his one and only Oscar nomination and one of five Golden Globe nominations, winning for Most Promising Newcomer - Male. His second Tony came in 1987 for his work in August Wilson's Fences, and he was nominated for On Golden Pond and The Best Man. He also appeared in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Driving Miss Daisy, You Can't Take It With You and The Gin Game. His third Tony was a special Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017. In 2002, the Shubert Organization renamed the 110-year-old Cort Theatre, where Jones made his Broadway debut, as The James Earl Jones Theatre.
Jones' film debut came in Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove (1964), and he earned a Golden Globe nominations for Claudine (1974). Other notable films include The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings, Swashbuckler, The Greatest, Exorcist II: The Heretic, The Last Remake of Beau Geste, A Piece of the Action, Conan the Barbarian, Soul Man, Gardens of Stone, Matewan, Coming to America, Field of Dreams, The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, Sneakers, Sommersby, The Sandlot, The Meteor Man, Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult, Clear and Present Danger, Jefferson in Paris, Cry, the Beloved Country, Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins, Gimme Shelter, and Coming 2 America.
Jones made his TV debut in a 1962 episode of the series Monitor. He starred in his own series, Paris, which lasted for 13 episodes and also had roles on Guiding Light, As the World Turns, The Defenders, Dr. Kildare, Tarzan, The UFO Incident, Jesus of Nazareth, Roots: The Next Generation, Paul Robeson, Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones, The Atlanta Child Murders, Faerie Tale Theatre, Highway to Heaven, L.A. Law, By Dawn's Early Light, Last Flight Out, Law & Order, Picket Fences, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Touched by an Angel, Frasier, Homicide: Life on the Street, Everwood, Two and a Half Men, House, The Big Bang Theory, and Agent X.
Jones also lent his voice to many projects on the big and small screen including The Star Wars Holiday Special, The Flight of Dragons, Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night, Terrorgram, Garfield and Friends, Lincoln, Sesame Street, Under a Killing Moon, People: A Musical Celebration, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Casper: A Sprited Beginning, Stargate SG-1, The Simpsons, Primary Colors, Merlin, Recess, According to Jim, Robots, The Benchwarmers, Scary Movie 4, Click, Jack and the Beanstalk, Star Wars: Rebels, and his final credit role on the Disney+ Star Wars series Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Jones earned two Daytime Emmy Awards nominations, winning one in 2000 for Summer's End, and eight Primetime Emmy Award nominations, winning two: Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Special (Heat Wave, 1991) and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Gabriel's Fire. He also received a Kennedy Center Honor in 2002. To date, Jones does not have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He also received a Lifetime Achievement Award from SAG-AFTRA in 2009 and the National Board of Review in 1995.
SEPTEMBER 2, 2024
Actor and singer James Darren has died at 88. Darren is probably best known for his role as Moondoggie in three Gidget movies -- as well as for performing the title song for the first movie -- and for his role on the 1960s TV series The Time Tunnel and 1980s cop series TJ Hooker.
Philadelphia-born Darren studied acting in New York with Stella Adler, and signed with Columbia Pictures which cast him in his first film, Rumble on the Docks (1956). He made four more films in 1957 and 1958 before landing the Moondoggie role in Gidget in 1959. His performance of the theme song led to a recording career, which landed him a gold record for Goodbye Cruel World in 1961. He appeared in the two theatrical sequels Gidget Goes Hawaiian (1961) and Gidget Goes to Rome (1963).
He continued to appear in a number of films with notable credits in The Gene Krupa Story, All the Young Men, The Guns of Navarone, Diamond Head, Under the Yum Yum Tree, For Those Who Think Young, Venus in Furs, Random Acts, and Lucky (2017), his final film.
Darren made several appearances on television in the 1950s and 1960s, with his first lead role on a series in 1966's The Time Tunnel, which ran for just one season though it made him a regular presence on the small screen. He had better luck in 1982 with TJ Hooker, first appearing as a guest star in one early Season 2 episode, then appearing in the final two episodes of Season 2 as a different character and getting a promotion to regular cast member beginning with the third season, appearing in 66 episodes total.
Other TV credits include The Donna Reed Show, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Love, American Style, S.W.A.T., Police Woman, Black Sheep Squadron, The Feather and Father Gang, Charlie's Angels, Police Story, Hawaii Five-0, Vega$, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, One Day at a Time, Renegade, Silk Stalkings, Diagnosis Murder, Melrose Place, and eight episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Darren was also the singing voice for Yogi Bear in the feature film Hey There, It's Yogi Bear, and provided the voice for his Stone Age self, Jimmy Darrock, on The Flintstones. He also appeared in several TV movies including Mooch, The Lives of Jenny Dolan, Turnover Smith, and Scruples.
Darren is survived by his wife Evy, three sons and five grandchildren.
AUGUST 18, 2024
His career took off, thanks in no small part to his stunning good looks, appearing in Pierre Gaspard-Huit’s Christine opposite Romy Schneider. The two entered into what was one of the most celebrated relationships of the cinema world, but it lasted just five years. The two remained close, reuniting in 1969's The Swimming Pool.
Delon achieved star status after appearing in René Clément’s 1960 crime thriller Plein Soleil (Purple Noon), in which he portrayed Tom Ripley. The same year, he also starred in Luchino Visconti’s Milan-set melodrama Rocco and His Brothers. Delon and Visconti reunited for 1963's The Leopard, which co-starred Claudia Cardinale and Burt Lancaster.
Delon also starred in 1967's Le Samouraï directed by Jean-Pierre Melville, and the two would team again for 1970's The Red Circle and 1972's A Cop. Delon appeared in a string of political thrillers in the 1970s including Borsalino, Doucement les basses, Scorpio, Les granges brûlées, Blood on the Streets, Flic Story and Le Gitan. He also starred in the 1976 Holocaust drama Mr. Klein.
Other notable films include The Joy of Living (Che gioia vivere), Famous Love Affairs (Amours célèbres), L'Eclisse, Any Number Can Win (Mélodie en sous-sol), The Black Tulip (La tulipe noire), Joy House (Les félins), The Yellow Rolls-Royce, Once a Thief, Love at Sea (L'amour à la mer), Lost Command, Is Paris Burning? (Paris brûle-t-il?), Texas Across the River, The Last Adventure (Les aventuriers), Diabolically Yours (Diaboliquement vôtre), Spirits of the Dead (Histoires extraordinaires), The Girl on a Motorcycle, Farewll, Friend (Adieu l'ami), The Sicilian Clan (Le clan des Siciliens), The Love Mates (Madly), Red Sun (Soleil rouge), The Assassination of Trotsky, Indian Summer (La prima notte di quiete), Big Guns, Zorro, Boomerang (Comme un boomerang), Death of a Corrupt Man (Mort d'un pourri), The Concorde... Airport '79, The Medic (Le toubib), Three Men to Kill (3 hommes à abattre), Assassination Attempt (Tegeran-43), To Kill a Cop (Pour la peau d'un flic), Swann in Love (Un amour de Swann), The Passage (Le passage), The Return of Casanova (Le retour de Casanova), The Teddy Bear (L'ours en peluche), One Hundred and One Nights (Les cent et une nuits de Simon Cinéma), Day and Night (Le jour et la nuit), Asterix at the Olympic Games (Astérix aux jeux olympiques) and Disclaimer (Toute ressemblance), his last film in 2019.
Despite his long and celebrated career, Delon was never nominated for an Academy Award, and received just one Golden Globe nomination for Most Promising Newcomer - Male (The Leopard). He received three French César Awards nominations for Best Actor, winning in 1985 for Our History (Notre histoire). He was awarded an Honorary Golden Bear Berlin Award in 1995 at the Berlin International Film Festival, and an Honorary Golden Palm by the Cannes Film Festival in 2019.
AUGUST 15, 2014
Peter Marshall, best known as the host of the classic game show The Hollywood Squares, has died at 98. Born Ralph Pierre LaCock in 1926 in Clarksburg, West Virginia, Marshall moved to New York, where his mother was a costume designer, and got a job as an usher at the Paramount Theater at the age of 14, thanks to Al Jolson. At 15 he began singing with the Bob Chester Band. Before turning 18, he became a page at NBC in New York and helped out on the Truth or Consequences game show. He moved to California in 1943 but was soon drafted into the Army, where he worked as an Armed Forces DJ and program director at a station in Naples, Italy. He relocated to Florida after the service and became a singer and DJ there.
Marshall met Tommy Noonan in 1949 and the two formed a comedy act with Marshall as the 'straight man', selling out clubs in Los Angeles, and getting booked for 16 weeks at the La Martinique club in New York. The pair appeared in films Jesse James, Holiday Rhythm, FBI Girl and Starlift, for which the duo received the film's only positive reviews. The pair were to co-star with Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, but Marshall was replaced and Noonan stayed on. The exposure for Noonan led to the end of the comedy duo. Marshall teamed with Tommy Farrell and the pair had an ABC TV series, Two of the Most, that aired for three seasons. Marshall worked with Noonan again on films The Rookie (1959) and Swingin' Along (1961), but the pair split for good when Marshall left for London to star in Bye Bye Birdie with Chita Rivera.
Back in the US, Marshall guested on The Lucy Show and 77 Sunset Strip in 1963, and appeared in the films The Cavern and Ensign Pulver in 1964, before becoming host of The Hollywood Squares in 1966. Marshall said it was the easiest job he ever had, usually working one day a week to tape five episodes. Marshall was offered the job after appearing in the Broadway musical Skyscraper, with Julie Andrews, and nearly didn't take the job but heard if he didn't it would go to Dan Rowan, whom Marshall disliked intensely because Rowan, who had been introduced to Dick Martin by Tommy Noonan, never visited Noonan at the Motion Picture & Television Home as he was dying of brain cancer. Marshall was also slated to star opposite Mary Tyler Moore in a production of Breakfast at Tiffany's, assuring the producers his game show would only last 13 weeks. When it was renewed, he was replaced with Richard Chamberlain but Squares ran for 16 years and the show closed before it reached Broadway. Marshall earned six Daytime Emmy nominations for hosting, winning four times. He also earned two Primetime Emmy noms for the nighttime version of the show. After the show ended, Marshall continued to host game shows Fantasy, with Leslie Uggams (earning another Daytime Emmy nomination), All-Star Blitz, Yahtzee and Reel to Reel. Marshall took the Center Square for a week on the 2002 revival of Hollywood Squares, hosted by Tom Bergeron, and took over as host for one day that week. He was inducted into the American TV Game Show Hall of Fame in 2007.
Marshall continued to act with TV credits including The Good Life, Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, Love, American Style, Banacek, Harold Robbins' 79 Park Avenue, Lou Grant, WKRP in Cincinnati, Fantasy Island, CHiPs, The Love Boat, Hotel, Automan, Sledge Hammer!, Burke's Law, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, The Bold and the Beautiful, and The Parent 'Hood.
Film credits include Rabbit Test, Americathon, Annie, Last Dance and Teddy Bear's Picnic. His last credited role was in the 2011 short Minimize Me. Marshall's Broadway credits include La Cage aux Folles and The Music Man. Marshall was diagnosed with COVID-19 in January 2021 and was placed in hospice in February, but survived the virus at home with a new doctor and 24-hour care. His son David died from COVID in August 2021. Marshall died of kidney failure on August 15, 2024. In November 2013, Marshall was inducted into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame.
AUGUST 14, 2024
Oscar, Golden Globe and Emmy nominated actress Gena Rowlands has died at 94. No cause of death was given but she had been battling Alzheiimer's disease for the last five years. During Rowlands' career, she earned a Daytime Emmy Award, three Primetime Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and an honorary Oscar.
Rowlands began her career as a student at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, where she met John Cassavetes who saw her in a student production of J.B. Priestley's Dangerous Corner. Four months later the couple married (1954) and were together until his death in 1989. Rowlands made her first professional stage appearance at the Provincetown Playhouse, and she also appeared on live TV programs. In 1956 she was cast in the play Middle of the Night opposite Edward G. Robinson. Rowlands signed with MGM after 18 months in the play, and made her film debut in The High Cost of Loving in 1958.
Cassavetes directed Rowlands in several films including A Woman Under the Influence and Gloria, both of which earned her Best Actress Oscar nominations, as well as Shadows, A Child is Waiting, Faces, Minnie and Moskowitz, Opening Night and Love Streams. The pair also worked on other films to support their own endeavors with Rowlands' film credits including Lonely Are the Brave, The Spiral Road, Tony Rome, Two-Minute Warning, The Brinks Job, Tempest, Light of Day, Night on Earth, Something to Talk About, She's So Lovely, Paulie, Hope Floats, The Mighty, The Weekend, Taking Lives, and The Skeleton Key. Rowlands was also directed by her son Nick Cassavetes in the 2004 hit The Notebook, where her character battled Alzheimer's. She retired in 2015 with her last film appearance in 2014's Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks.
Rowlands made a major impact on television as well with early appearances on Studio One, The United States Steel Hour, Laramie, Riverboat, Adventures in Paradise, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Islanders, 87th Precinct, 77 Sunset Strip, Bonanza, The Virginian, Dr. Kildare, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Burke's Law, The Long Hot Summer, and The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. She appeared in 39 episodes of Peyton Place, and continued to make guest appearances on many more TV series including Garrison's Guerrillas, Circle of Fear, Medical Center, Columbo, Faerie Tale Theatre, Numb3rs, Monk, and NCIS. She earned an Emmy nomination for her guest role on Monk.
Rowlands got great acclaim for her TV movie work on productions that include A Question of Love, Strangers: The Story of a Mother and Daughter, Thursday's Child, An Early Frost (one of the first TV movies to deal with the subject of AIDS), The Betty Ford Story, Face of a Stranger, Crazy in Love, Silent Cries, Parallel Lives, Best Friends for Life, Grace & Glorie, The Color of Love: Jacey's Story, Wild Iris, Hysterical Blindness, The Incredible Mrs. Ritchie and What If God Were the Sun? She was Emmy nominated for An Early Frost, The Color of Love: Jacey's Story, Wild Iris, and What If God Were the Sun?, winning for The Betty Ford Story, Face of a Stranger and Hysterical Blindness.
Rowlands earned eight Golden Globe nominations for her film and TV work, winning for A Woman Under the Influence and The Betty Ford Story. She also got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her film work in 2019.
AUGUST 9, 2024
Comedian and actress Mitzi McCall has died at 91, as announced by her husband Charlie Brill on Facebook. McCall and Brill met in 1959 and married in 1960, making them one of Hollywood's most successful couples in the industry. TV viewers of the 70s -- and of reruns on GSN and BUZZR -- know the pair from their numerous appearances on game shows such as Tattletales and Match Game.
The pair had the great (mis)fortune to appear on The Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, 1964 -- the night The Beatles made their American TV debut. The pair were booked to appear between the group's two performances, basically closing and opening for the Fab Four. Their material did not suit the audience of 14-year-olds that night and they couldn't hear each other over the screaming for more Beatles, so they bombed but it was still a momentous evening for them.
McCall was born in Pittsburgh in 1932, began appearing on stage in 1948 and had her own local TV show, Kiddie Castle. She made her national TV debut in 1955 on an episode of The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse, and made her film debut the same year in You're Never Too Young, with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. Other notable film credits include War of the Satellites, The Cry Baby Killer, Machine-Gun Kelly, White Palace, The Opposite Sex and How to Live with Them, Edtv, and World's Greatest Dad.
Mitzi's had a longer run on TV. Following an uncredited appearance on The Twilight Zone in 1960, McCall guested on The Jim Backus Show, Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, Love, American Style, The Girl With Something Extra, Maude, Family, The Twilight Zone (1986), Dragnet, Roseanne, Life Goes On, Seinfeld, Madman of the People, Ellen, Almost Perfect, Caroline in the City, Silk Stalkings, Becker, Dharma & Greg, Port Charles, 7th Heaven, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, Hannah Montana, and Chuck.
With her distinctive voice, McCall forged a very successful career in voice work for animated series and movies, with credits that include The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show, The Flintstones Comedy Hour, Fred Flintstone and Friends, Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo, The Flintstone Comedy Show, The Ri¢hie Ri¢h/Scooby-Doo Show, The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang, The New Scooby-Doo Mysteries, Lucky Luke, Snorks, TaleSpin, Yo Yogi!, Mother Goose and Grimm, Bobby's World, Duckman, Captain Planet and the Planeteers, Cow and Chicken, Aaahh!!! Real Monsters, Hey Arnold!, The Wild Thornberrys, Ice Age, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, American Dad!, Regular Show, and Crimson Peak, her last credited work.
McCall is survived by her husband and their daughter.
AUGUST 6, 2023
Actor Charles Cyphers, a familiar face from several John Carpenter movies, has died at 85 after a short illness.
Cyphers is probably best known for his role as Sheriff Leigh Brackett in Carpenter's original Halloween, a role he reprised in Halloween II (1981) and then again in 2021's Halloween Kills. He first worked with Carpenter in the 1976 drama Assault on Precinct 13, and went on to have roles in The Fog and Escape from New York.
Cyphers made his film debut in an uncredited role in Cool Breeze (1972), and also had roles in Truck Turner, Vigilante Force, MacArthur, Coming Home, Gray Lady Down, A Force of One, The Onion Field, Death Wish II, Honkytonk Man, Major League, Gleaming the Cube, and Loaded Weapon 1.
Cyphers divided his time between film and television with guest roles on several series. He was a regular on the short-lived The Betty White Show in which he played White's stunt double (a particularly hilarious sight gag with Cyphers, who was much larger than White, in drag), and he was a regular on the 1996-1998 series Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher.
Cyphers' guest star credits include The F.B.I., Cannon, The Secrets of Isis, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Bionic Woman, Phyllis, Charlie's Angels, Wonder Woman, The Tony Randall Show, Barnaby Jones, Alice, Starsky & Hutch, Lou Grant, Hart to Hart, Benson, The Dukes of Hazzard, Airwolf, Matlock, Our House, Dallas, Hill Street Blues, Santa Barbara, Simon & Simon, Night Court, China Beach, 21 Jump Street, Freddy's Nightmares, Jake and the Fatman, Dragnet, Murder, She Wrote, Roc, Renegade, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, California Dreams, SeaQuest 2023, Sliders, Seinfeld, ER, JAG, Murder One, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Pensacola: Wings of Gold.
Cyphers also appeared in several TV movies and miniseries including The Missiles of October, Roots, Our Town, The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald, Someone's Watching Me!, Elvis, Friendly Fire, The Executioner's Song, Memorial Day, and Little House: Look Back to Yesterday.
Cyphers graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts as well as California State University, Los Angeles, where he received his BA in theatre arts.
JULY 18
Newhart began his career as an accountant who broke the tedium of his job by making prank phone calls with his friends, which turned into his signature bit of having a one-sided phone conversation. Newhart was introduced to a Warner Bros. Records executive and landed a contract with the company. His album The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart, released when more hard-edged comics like Lenny Bruce and Mort Sahl were gaining an audience, sold 1.5 million copies and became the first comedy record to top the album charts, and earned Newhart his third Grammy for comedy performance. After two additional successful albums, Newhart was offered a weekly TV series for the 1961-1962 season, and the series titled The Bob Newhart Show won an Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Humor as well as a Peabody Award. The production schedule was grueling, however, and the show ran for just one season. Newhart turned down more TV offers and returned to the nightclub circuit to hone his craft while taking small roles on TV and in films like Hot Millions, Catch-22 and Cold Turkey.
Newhart was unavailable for a role written for him on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, but when MTM Enterprises decided to expand its operations, the co-founder of the company asked Newhart if he was interested in his own series. Having been on the road for twelve years, Newhart wanted a normal life at home with his family and accepted the offer, leading to a second series on CBS also titled The Bob Newhart Show, where he played psychologist Dr. Robert Hartley. The series incorporated his famous telephone bit into just about every episode. Newhart decided to end the series in 1978 after six seasons and 142 episodes, but he was back on CBS in 1982 with another MTM production titled Newhart, where he played the owner of a Vermont inn with his wife Joanna. That series ran for eight seasons and concluded with what is considered to be one of the finest series finales ever, credited to his wife Ginny (no spoilers). Newhart was back on CBS in 1992 for the short-lived Bob, in which he played a cartoonist named Bob McKay. That series ran for just two seasons. He also starred with Judd Hirsch in the one-season series George & Leo. Oddly, Newhart was never Emmy nominated for his 1972 series, but received three nominations for the 1982 series three consecutive years (1985-1987), but never won until a 2013 guest appearance on The Big Bang Theory. He was nominated for writing for the 1961 series, and for guest actor on ER (2004) and two more TBBT appearances in 2014 and 2016, as well as for Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie for his role in The Librarians III: The Curse of the Judas Chalice.
Newhart's notable TV credits include The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Captain Nice, It's Garry Shandling's Show, The Entertainers, Murphy Brown, The Simpsons, Desperate Housewives, NCIS, Hot in Cleveland, The Librarians, and Young Sheldon, his last acting credit. He also made an uncredited cameo appearance on the Svengoolie TV series in 2012 as Dr. Hartley.
Newhart also had a successful movie career but his most famous and beloved role is Papa Elf in the holiday classic Elf with Will Ferrell. Other notable films include On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, The Rescuers and The Rescuers Down Under, Little Miss Marker, First Family, In & Out, Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde, and Horrible Bosses.
In addition to his Emmys recognition, Newhart also earned seven Golden Globe nominations, two for the second The Bob Newhart Show and six for Newhart, winning in 1962 for Best TV Star - Male for the first The Bob Newhart Show. He had five Grammy nominations and three wins, was awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2002, and got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Television in 1999.
JULY 15, 2024
Actor James B. Sikking, best known for his roles on Hill Street Blues and Doogie Howser, M.D., died July 13 at the age of 90 of dementia.
Sikking studied theatre at UCLA and made his film debut in an uncredited role in Five Guns West in 1955. Some of his more notable film credits include The Strangler, The Carpetbaggers (uncredited), Von Ryan's Express (uncredited), In Like Flint (uncredited), Point Blank, Charro!, Daddy's Gone A-Hunting, Escape from the Planet of the Apes (uncredited), The New Centurions, The Terminal Man, Capricorn One, The Electric Horseman, Ordinary People, The Competition, Outland, The Star Chamber, Up the Creek, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Soul Man, Narrow Margin, The Pelican Brief, and Fever Pitch.
Sikking had a long television career beginning with a role on one episode of the 1961 TV series Assignment: Undercover. He appeared on the 1965-1974 TV series The F.B.I. eleven times in several different roles. He took his first series regular role in 1981 on Hill Street Blues, appearing in all 144 episodes through 1987 and earning an Emmy nomination, and then appeared as Dr. David Howser on Doogie Howser, M.D. from 1989-1993 on all 97 episodes. He was also a regular on the short-lived Brooklyn South (1997-1998) and Invasion America (1998).
Other notable TV credits include Perry Mason, General Hospital, Combat!, Rawhide, The Outer Limits, The Virginian, Honey West, My Favorite Martian, My Mother the Car, The Fugitive, The Invaders, Gomer Pyle: USMC, Bonanza, Adam-12, Here Come the Brides, Love, American Style, Hogan's Heroes, Night Gallery, Ironside, Mission: Impossible, The Bob Newhart Show, The Doris Day Show, M*A*S*H, The Streets of San Francisco, Mod Squad, The Rookies, Mannix, Room 222, Cannon, Ellery Queen, Little House on the Prairie, Eight is Enough, Man from Atlantis, Starsky and Hutch, The Bionic Woman, The Incredible Hulk, The Rockford Files, Lucan, Hawaii Five-O, Charlie's Angels, Who's the Boss?, Hunter, Cop Rock, The Guardian, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and The Closer.
Sikking also appeared on stage in plays Exit Strategy, The Big Knife, Put Them All Together, Nobody Loves an Albatross and a tour of Neil Simon's Plaza Suite.
Sikking was named after James Barrie, author of Peter Pan.
JULY 14, 2024
After a very long, very public battle with cancer, actress Shannen Doherty died July 13 at the age of 53.
Doherty began her career as a child star with guest appearances in two 1981 episodes of Father Murphy, a series that was produced by Michael Landon. She guested on The Phoenix and Voyagers! in 1982, voiced the character of Teresa in animated film The Secret of NIMH and had a role in the film Night Shift before being cast by Landon on his series Little House on the Prairie, where she appeared in 18 episodes in 1982 and 1983. She credits the experience on the show and with Landon as a mentor for igniting her love of acting.
After a string of guest roles, Doherty landed a series regular role on Our House (1986-1988) with Wilford Brimley, Deidre Hall and Chad Allen. In 1990 she took on the role of Brenda Walsh on Beverly Hills 90210 for four seasons, and in 1998 she was cast as one of three witchy sisters on Charmed, where she appeared for three seasons. She reprised the role of Brenda Walsh on the 2008 reboot of 90210, and played a fictionalized version of herself in the scripted series BH90210. She also appeared in 11 episodes of North Shore in 2004 and 2005.
Notable TV credits include Magnum, P.I., Robert Kennedy and His Times, Highway to Heaven, The New Leave It To Beaver, 21 Jump Street, Life Goes On, Parker Lewis Can't Lose, Satan's School for Girls, Hell on Heels: The Battle of Mary Kay, All I Want for Christmas, and Riverdale.
Following Doherty's film debuts in 1982, she had a role in Girls Just Want to Have Fun in 1985, and then had her signature film role as Heather Duke in cult classic Heathers (she also made a guest appearance on the short-lived TV series adaptation as a different character).
Other notable film credits include an uncredited cameo as herself in Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult, Almost Dead, Mallrats, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Burning Palms, Bukowski, Undateable John, Fortress, and Darkness of Man. According to IMDb, she has one final role as The Devil in How to Make a Deal with the Devil, which is listed as being in post-production but has no release date as of yet.
JULY 11, 2024
Shelley Duvall, director Robert Altman's muse and protege, has died at 75 of complications from diabetes. Duvall made her screen debut in Altman's Brewster McCloud (1970), and followed that up with Altman's McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971). She made two TV appearances on episodes of Cannon and Love, American Style, and returned to the screen again in Altman's Thieves Like Us (1974), Nashville (1975), and Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson (1976). Duvall made an uncredited appearance on a 1976 episode of Saturday Night Live with Paul Simon as host, and had a memorable but small role in Woody Allen's Annie Hall (1977). Her two most famous roles came in 1980, first as Wendy Torrance in Stanley Kubrick's The Shining, opposite Jack Nicholson, and as Olive Oyl in Altman's musical adaptation of Popeye, opposite Robin Williams.
Duvall's notable film credits include 3 Women, for which she earned the 1977 Cannes Film Festival’s Best Actress Award as well as a BAFTA nomination, Time Bandits, Frankenweenie (short), Roxanne, Suburban Commando, The Underneath, The Portrait of a Lady, and Changing Habits. Duvall was infamously nominated for a Razzie Award for The Shining, but the nomination was rescinded in 2022 with the organization stating it had discovered her performance was impacted by Kubrick's alleged treatment toward her on set, something the Kubrick estate has denied.
Duvall expanded her career to television as a writer, producer and director mainly in children's entertainment programming including Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre (a 1984 Peabody Award winner), Disney Channel's Mother Goose Rock'N'Rhyme, Shelley Duvall's Tall Tales & Legends and Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories. Her shows earned 15 CableACE Awards nominations, with eight wins, and two Primetime Emmy Awards nominations.
Duvall's TV acting credits include Baretta, Twilight Theatre, Booker, The Twilight Zone (1986), The Ray Bradbury Theater, L.A. Law, Frasier (as a caller to his radio show), Wishbone, The Adventures of Shirley Holmes, Maggie Winters, and The Hughleys.
Duvall returned to acting for the first time in 20 years with a role in the horror film The Forest Hills in 2023, which would turn out to be her final role.
JUNE 28, 2024
Actor Martin Mull has died at 80 after a long illness. Mull got his big acting break with his first credited TV job as Barth and Garth Gimble on Norman Lear's Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. He went on to play Barth again on the spin-offs Fernwood 2 Night and America 2-Night. He parlayed that success into a string of appearances in popular and iconic TV and movie roles.
Mull's TV career consisted mainly of guest roles but he had regular or recurring roles on Domestic Life, It's Garry Shandling's Show, His & Hers, The Jackie Thomas Show, Roseanne, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, The Ellen Show, Life With Bonnie, 'Til Death, Two and a Half Men, Dads, Veep, Life in Pieces, Arrested Development, I'm Sorry, The Cool Kids, and The Ranch. His last on-screen role was on The Afterparty.
Other notable TV credits include Wonder Woman, Taxi, Square Pegs, D.C. Follies, The Golden Girls, Dream On, Get a Life, Parker Lewis Can't Lose, L.A. Law, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, The Nanny, Just Shoot Me!, Reba, Reno 911!, The War at Home, Eastwick, Mad Love, Franklin & Bash, Psych, Community, NCIS: Los Angeles, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Grace and Frankie, and Not Dead Yet. Mull also did extensive voice work for animated series Family Dog, The Simpsons, Family Guy, The Wild Thornberrys, Recess, Dexter's Laboratory, Teamo Supremo, Danny Phantom, American Dad!, and Bob's Burgers.
Mull had a key role as Colonel Mustard in the cult comedy classic Clue. Other notable screen credits include Serial, My Bodyguard, Take This Job and Shove It, Mr. Mom, Ski Patrol, Far Out Man, The Player, Mrs. Doubtfire, Jingle All the Way, Come Away Home, Relative Strangers, and Killers.
He also released several stand-up comedy albums, with two of them -- 1977’s I’m Everyone I Ever Loved and the following year’s Sex & Violins -- cracking the Billboard Top 200. A compilation album titled Martin Mull & His Fabulous Furniture In Your Living Room spawned the single 'Dueling Tubas', a parody of the hit 'Dueling Banjos" from the movie Deliverance.
Mull earned one Primetime Emmy Award nomination for his guest role on Veep.
JUNE 26, 2024
Character actor Bill Cobbs has died at the age of 90. Cobbs had a long career on stage and in films and TV with notable film credits including Night at the Museum, The Hudsucker Proxy, Sunshine State, The Bodyguard and Air Bud.
Cobbs' acting career began in the anti-apartheid musical Lost in the Stars in Cleveland, followed by roles in Purlie, with Ossie Davis, and Six Characters in Search for an Author. Cobbs headed to New York and joined the Negro Ensemble Company, and appeared off-Broadway with Adolph Caesar and Esther Rolle in 1971's Ride a Black Horse, followed by Black Vision for the Joseph Papp Public Theater.
Cobbs' movie debut came with a bit part in 1974's The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, with his first TV series role on the fourth episode of Good Times in 1976. Other notable film credits include Greased Lightning, Trading Places, Silkwood, The Brother from Another Planet, The Cotton Club, The Color of Money, Suspect, Bird, New Jack City, The People Under the Stairs, Demolition Man, Fatal Instinct, That Thing You Do!, Ghosts of Mississippi, Paulie, Hope Floats, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, Enough, A Mighty Wind, The Tenant, The Muppets, and Oz the Great and Powerful.
One of Cobbs' most notable TV roles is Dr. Emory Erickson, inventor of the Transporter, on Star Trek: Enterprise. Other TV credits include The Member of the Wedding, The Equalizer, One Life to Live, Sesame Street, Kate & Allie, Spencer: For Hire, L.A. Law, The Slap Maxwell Story, Designing Women, The Trials of Rosie O'Neill, I'll Fly Away, Coach, Empty Nest, Northern Exposure, ER, Walker, Texas Ranger, The Wayans Bros., The Gregory Hines Show, The Sopranos, The Practice, The Others, Touched By An Angel, Six Feet Under, The West Wing, My Wife and Kids, The Division, NYPD Blue, JAG, Soul Food, The Drew Carey Show, Yes, Dear, October Road, Army Wives, One Tree Hill, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, The Glades, Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior, Harry's Law, The Bay, Rake, Greenleaf, The Carmichael Show, Superior Donuts, Agents of SHIELD, and his last credit in the TV miniseries Incandescent Love.
Cobbs received two Daytime Emmy Award nominations for his work on Prime Video series Dino Dana, winning one in 2020 for Outstanding Limited Performance in a Daytime Program.
JUNE 20, 2024
Iconic actor Donald Sutherland has died at 88. Sutherland's 60 year career spans 200 films and TV shows. His son Kiefer remembers him as 'One of the most important actors in the history of film', with starring roles in classics such as M*A*S*H, Klute, Don't Look Now and Ordinary People. Younger audiences know him as President Snow in the original The Hunger Games series. While Sutherland was never nominated for an Oscar, he did receive an honorary Oscar in 2018 for his body of work. He received a BAFTA nomination for Don't Look Now, and three Golden Globe nominations for his film work, winning in 1999 for his Supporting Performance in Without Limits. He was also bestowed with a Razzie nomination for Worst Supporting Actor in Lock Up.
Some of Sutherland's notable film credits include Dr. Terror's House of Horrors, Die! Die! My Darling!, The Bedford Incident, The Dirty Dozen, Start the Revolution Without Me, Kelly's Heroes, Alex in Wonderland, Little Murders, Johnny Got His Gun, Steelyard Blues, The Day of the Locust, 1900, Casanova, The Eagle Has Landed, Kentucky Fried Movie, National Lampoon's Animal House, The Great Train Robbery, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Murder by Decree, Eye of the Needle, Backdraft, JFK, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Six Degrees of Separation, Outbreak, Disclosure, A Time to Kill, Virus, Space Cowboys, The Italian Job, Cold Mountain, Pride & Prejudice, An American Haunting, Fool's Gold, Horrible Bosses, Ad Astra, and Moonfall. IMDb lists one upcoming credit in the film Heart Land, which is listed as being in pre-production.
On television, Sutherland made his debut in a 1962 episode of Studio 4 as a Switchboard Operator, but those auspicious beginnings led to bigger and better things in TV series, TV movies and mini-series. Some of his more noteworthy credits include A Farewell to Arms, The Saint, The Avengers, The Name of the Game, The Winter of Our Discontent, Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All, The Simpsons, Behind the Mask, Path to War, Salem's Lot, Frankenstein, Human Trafficking, Commander in Chief, Dirty Sexy Money, The Pillars of the Earth, Moby Dick, Treasure Island, Ice, Trust, Swimming With Sharks, and his final credit as Judge Parker on Lawmen: Bass Reeves. Sutherland received two Emmy nominations, winning one in 1995 for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Special for Citizen X. He also earned seven Golden Globe nominations for his TV work, winning two for Citizen X and Path to War.
Sutherland appeared on Broadway in a 1981 production of Lolita, and he appears in the Kate Bush video for 'Cloudbusting'.
JUNE 12, 2024
Tony Lo Bianco, known for playing smooth criminals on film, has died at 87 from prostate cancer. Lo Bianco's best known performances are as the con-man in The Honeymoon Killers (1970), a New York cop in God Told Me To (1976), a luncheonette owner in The French Connection (1971), and a crooked undertaker in The Seven-Ups (1973). He also made a career out of playing New York mayor Fiorello La Guardia, first in 1984's Hizzoner! for PBS. The show went to Broadway in 1989 but ran for just 12 performances. He reworked the script, retitled it The Little Flower, and toured the world.
Before acting, Lo Bianco tried his hand at boxing and baseball, trying out with the Brooklyn Dodgers. He then attended an acting school and did his first scene from Golden Boy as boxer Joe Bonaparte. He founded the Triangle Theater in 1963, and served as artistic director for six years. Jason Miller and Roy Scheider were among those who came through. Lo Bianco made his TV debut in 1963 on one episode of soap opera The Doctors. His big screen debut was in 1965's The Sex Perils of Paulette.
Other notable TV credits include Love of Life, Get Smart, N.Y.P.D., Madigan, The Story of Jacob and Joseph, The Streets of San Francisco, Police Story, Jesus of Nazareth, Champions: A Love Story, Marciano, Marco Polo, The Paper Chase, The Twilight Zone, The Ann Jillian Story, Body of Evidence, Palace Guard, Murder, She Wrote, Homicide: Life on the Street, F/X: The Series, Walker, Texas Ranger, Deadline, Law & Order, and Law & Order: Criminal Intent.
Movie credits include Star!, Serpico, F.I.S.T., Bloodbrothers, City Heat, City of Hope, Boiling Point, The Ascent, Nixon, The Juror, Mafia!, The Pawn, Friends and Family, Endangered Species, Kill the Irishman, and Somewhere in Queens, his final performance. Lo Bianco also won an Emmy for Hizzoner!, and was Tony Award nominated for his performance in the 1983 revival of A View From the Bridge.
JUNE 5, 2024
Paige made her Broadway debut in 1951's mystery comedy Remains to Be Seen opposite Jackie Cooper, but found her signature role in 1954's The Pajama Game. She and her co-star John Raitt were in line for the movie adaptation, but producers notified them that only one of them would be in the movie because they weren't known well in Hollywood. Paige was in line for the film with Frank Sinatra as the male lead, but Sinatra dropped out so Raitt got the movie role opposite Doris Day, who replaced Paige. (Paige later appeared opposite Day in the film Please Don't Eat the Daisies.) Paige returned to Broadway three more times in 1963's Here's Love and 1984's Alone Together. She also replaced Angela Lansbury in the title role of Mame in 1968.
Paige's notable film credits include Bathing Beauty (her screen debut), Hollywood Canteen, Of Human Bondage, Romance on the High Seas, The House Across the Street, Mister Universe, Two Gals and a Guy, Bachelor in Paradise, Follow the Boys, and The Caretakers.
TV credits include Shower of Stars, Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse, Maisie, The Ann Sothern Show, Wagon Train, The Fugitive, The Red Skelton Hour, Columbo, Banacek, Mannix, Doc, Medical Story, Police Story, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Betty White Show, The Love Boat, Alice, Hawaii Five-O, Charlie's Angels, The Rockford Files, All in the Family, Eight is Enough, Happy Days, Flamingo Road, Too Close for Comfort, Matt Houston, St. Elsewhere, Fantasy Island, Night Court, Trapper John M.D., Capitol, Mission: Impossible, General Hospital, Hearts Are Wild, Caroline in the City, and Family Law (her last credit).
Paige received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960 for her work in motion pictures.
MAY 25, 2024
Songwriter Richard M. Sherman who, with his late brother Robert, co-wrote some of the most memorable music in Disney and film history has died at 95. The pair wrote an estimated 1,000 songs for 50 movies, writing more movie songs than anyone in history.
Sherman's career with Disney began with music composed for the Zorro TV series in 1961, and they provided music and songs for Big Red, In Search of the Castaways and The Sword in the Stone among others before 1964's Mary Poppins, which netted the brothers two Oscars for Original Score and Original Song ("Chim Chim Cher-ee"). Sherman continued with Disney on notable projects including The Monkey's Uncle, The Parent Trap, The Jungle Book, The Happiest Millionaire, The Aristocats, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too, Piglet's Big Movie, Saving Mr. Banks and Mary Poppins Returns. The brothers are also responsible for "It's a Small World After All", which is considered the most-performed song ever.
Outside of Disney, Sherman worked on Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Snoopy Come Home, Charlotte's Web, Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, The Slipper and the Rose, The Magic of Lassie, and The Mighty Kong.
Sherman also wrote Ringo Starr's chart-topping "You're Sixteen", and his final works came in 2023 with the main title theme for the animated short Mushka, and as a musician for Disney's Once Upon a Studio short.
The Shermans earned nominations from the Oscars (9), the Annie Awards (1), the BAFTAs (1), CableACE Awards (1), Golden Globes (5), Grammys (6), Laurel Awards (3), Hollywood Music in Media Awards (1), Online Film & Television Association (3), and the Society of Composers and Lyricists Awards (1). In addition to the aforementioned two Oscars, wins include the Winsor McCay Award from the Annies, three Grammys, one Laurel Award, one HMMA, and one OFTA. The brothers were also honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1976 for their contributions to motion pictures. The brothers were also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and were recipients of the National Medal of Honor.
MAY 17, 2024
Prolific Emmy-winning actor Dabney Coleman has died at 92. Coleman is a familiar face from hit movies like 9 to 5, On Golden Pond, WarGames and Tootsie, as well as from his work on TV including Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, Buffalo Bill, The Guardian and Boardwalk Empire. Coleman's final screen role was as the father of Kevin Costner's character in the second season of Yellowstone.
Coleman launched his career with a guest role on the 1961 TV series Naked City, with credits on Ben Casey, Kraft Suspense Theatre, Dr. Kildare, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, The Outer Limits, Hazel, The Donna Reed Show, I Dream of Jeannie and more. His big break came in 1976 with a role on Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman in 148 episodes, and then the 1977 spin-off Forever Fernwood for 130 episodes. Coleman made several films but broke out with 1980's 9 to 5 which finally made him an 'overnight sensation' after 20 years in the business. Coleman returned to television in the 1980s with two series, Buffalo Bill, which ran for two seasons, and The Slap Maxwell Story which lasted one season. The 1990s saw him lead Fox's Drexell's Class and NBC's Madman of the People. He was a regular on CBS' The Guardian and Courting Alex, TNT's Heartland, and HBO's Boardwalk Empire. During his career, Coleman earned six Emmy nominations, winning one for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Special (Sworn to Silence). He also earned a Golden Globe for The Slap Maxwell Story.
Notable TV credits include: The Fugitive, That Girl, The Flying Nun, The Invaders, Mod Squad, Bonanza, Nanny and the Professor, Room 222, Ironside, The President's Plane is Missing, Kojak, Bad Ronald, Mannix, Medical Center, McMillan and Wife, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Cannon, The Love Boat, Diff'rent Strokes, Fresno, Dolly, It's Garry Shandling's Show, Columbo, Law & Order: SVU, Ray Donovan, NCIS, and For the People.
Major film credits include: The Trouble with Girls, Downhill Racer, Cinderella Liberty, The Towering Inferno, Black Fist, The Other Side of the Mountain, Midway, Viva Knievel!, Rolling Thunder, North Dallas Forty, How to Beat the High Cost of Living, Melvin and Howard, Modern Problems, Young Doctors in Love, Cloak & Dagger, The Muppets Take Manhattan, The Man With One Red Shoe, Dragnet, Hot to Trot, Amos & Andrew, The Beverly Hillbillies, Clifford, You've Got Mail, Inspector Gadget, Stuart Little, Moonlight Mile, and Domino.
Coleman received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2014.
MAY 11, 2024
Director/Producer Roger Corman, widely known as the 'King of the B's' died May 9 at the age of 98. The notoriously frugal filmmaker was responsible for many notable films -- both for good and bad reasons -- as well as the horror cycle of films loosely based on the works of Edgar Allen Poe that starred Vincent Price, and The Little Shop of Horrors which has gone on to become both a beloved stage and film musical. Corman also had a keen eye for talent, employing many young up-and-coming actors and filmmakers, giving them their big breaks in the industry. The list includes Jack Nicholson, Ron Howard, Peter Bogdanovich, Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Jonathan Demme, Gale Anne Hurd, James Cameron and Joe Dante. Corman gave Nicholson his screen debut in 1958's The Cry Baby Killer, hired Scorsese to direct Boxcar Bertha and Demme to direct Caged Heat, while giving James Cameron the job of creating props for Battle Beyond the Stars. He gave Howard a chance to direct his first feature film, Grand Theft Auto. Corman told Howard, who complained about the tight budget, that if he did a good job on the film he'd never have to work for Corman again.
Corman's early career was spent with American International Pictures which specialized in cheaply and quickly produced drive-in features. Corman made eight movies for AIP in 1956, and produced more than thirty between 1955 and 1960, all with less than $100,000 budgets. His first directing credit was 1955's Five Guns West. After making several Westerns, he switched to science fiction with 1956's Day the World Ended and 1958's Night of the Blood Beast among them. He capitalized on the US-Soviet Union space race with 1958's War of the Satellites, and took on the new musical genre of rock 'n' roll with Rock All Night, Teenage Doll and Carnival Rock, all in 1957. Despite the reviews, Corman's films almost always turned a profit.
Corman was a pioneer of blending horror with humor in films like Little Shop, A Bucket of Blood and Creature from the Haunted Sea. He tackled more cerebral horror in Dementia 13 and Targets, turned to action with The Wild Angels and Death Race 2000, and went back to rock with Rock 'n' Roll High School. He even tackled racism with 1962's The Intruder, which starred William Shatner. It was the one rare Corman film to lose money. Corman also imported foreign films to America including Cries and Whispers, Amarcord, The Story of Adele H. and Fitzcarraldo, distributed through his company, New World Pictures, which he established in 1970.
Corman infamously funded Constantin Films' ill-fated production of Fantastic Four, which was only made so the company did not lose the rights which were about to expire. Just before the film's premiere everything ground to a halt and the actors received cease and desist orders to stop all promotion as the studio had confiscated the negatives, stating the film would not be released. Some say, and Stan Lee confirmed, that the film was never meant to be released and the cast and crew were unaware. Corman disputed the claim and said he had to be bought out of his contract. Marvel's Avi Arad became involved and offered to give back the money the filmmakers had spent on the film, concerned that the low-budget quality would ruin the franchise. Arad then ordered all prints destroyed in order to prevent its release, but bootlegs exists and can be found online.
Corman received producing credits on more than 400 projects including TV fare like Attack of the 50ft Cheerleader. His former proteges gave him cameos in The Godfather Part II, The Silence of the Lambs, Philadelphia, and The Howling. Corman also received an honorary Oscar in 2009.
Corman's directing credits include It Conquered the World, Attack of the Crab Monsters, Not of This Earth, Machine Gun Kelly, Teenage Cave Man, The Wasp Woman, House of Usher, Last Woman on Earth, The Pit and the Pendulum, The Premature Burial, Tales of Terror, The Raven, The Terror, X: The Man with X-Ray Eyes, The Haunted Palace, The Masque of the Red Death, The Tomb of Ligeia, The Wild Angels, The St. Valentine's Day Massacre, The Trip, The Wild Racers, Bloody Mama and Frankenstein Unbound, his last feature film. Corman had two productions in pre-production including the previously announced Little Shop of Halloween Horrors, a reboot intended to restart the franchise to be directed by Joe Dante.
APRIL 23, 2024
Actor Terry Carter, perhaps best known for his role as Colonel Tigh on the original Battlestar Galactica, has died at 95. He also had a long-running role as Sgt. Joe Broadhurst on McCloud. Carter was also the first Black TV news anchor for Boston's WBZ-TV Eyewitness News, and one of the first Black regulars on the sitcom The Phil Silvers Show, where he played Private Sugarman.
Carter's notable TV credits include Playhouse 90, Naked City, Dr. Kildare, Combat!, That Girl, Mannix, Julia, Search, The Jeffersons, Falcon Crest, The Fall Guy, Mr. Belvedere, 227, and the Swedish mini-series Hamilton, his final TV credit in 2001. He also appeared in TV movies and mini-series including The Green Pastures, Company of Killers, Two on a Bench, The Six Million Dollar Man: The Solid Gold Kidnapping, and The Return of Sam McCloud.
Film credits include Parrish, Attraction, Brother on the Run, Foxy Brown, Benji, Abby, Commander Hamilton, and his last role in 2012's Hamilton: In the Interest of the Nation.
Carter formed the Council for Positive Images in 1979, a nonprofit dedicated to enhancing intercultural and interethnic understanding through media for which he directed several documentary programs for PBS. His 1988 musical documentary A Duke Named Ellington earned an Emmy nomination. Carter also served two terms on the board of Governors of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, was inducted into the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1983, and was a member of the documentary and foreign films committees for the Oscars. He created the mini-series K*I*D*S, for which he won a Los Angeles Emmy. He is survived by his wife and two children.
APRIL 2, 2024
After SCTV ended, Flaherty transferred his talents to the big screen, appearing in films like 1941, Used Cars, Stripes, Going Berserk, Follow That Bird, Club Paradise, One Crazy Summer, Innerspace, Who's Harry Crumb?, Back to the Future Part II, Stuart Saves His Family, Happy Gilmore, The Wrong Guy, Freddy Got Fingered, Slackers, National Security, Home on the Range, and Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.
Flaherty continued to work in television with a regula role on 1997-1998's Police Academy: The Series, and scoring a signature role on Freaks & Geeks in 1999. Other TV credits include The Hitchhiker, Married... with Children, Monsters, Maniac Mansion, Nurses, Phenom, Hardball, Dinosaurs, Dream On, Ellen, Even Stevens, The Industry, That '70s Show, Primetime Glick, Frasier, A Nero Wolfe Mystery, Clone High, The King of Queens, Puppets Who Kill, Tilt, American Dad!, and Family Guy. Flaherty's final performance was as Count Floyd in the 2014 short film Nightlife.
MARCH 31, 2024
Actress Barbara Rush died March 31 at 97. Over her 60-year career, Rush had a role in the sci-fi classic It Came From Outer Space, and had long runs on TV in soaps Peyton Place and All My Children. She appeared on the big screen with some of the biggest leading men in the business including three appearances opposite Paul Newman, and she worked with director Douglas Sirk three times as well.
Rush's film career began in 1950 with a film adaptation of the 1949-1951 TV series The Goldbergs. That was followed by credits in Quebec, When Worlds Collide, Flaming Feather, Taza, Son of Cochise, Magnificent Obsession, Captain Lightfoot, Bigger Than Life, Oh, Men! Oh, Women!, The Young Lions, The Young Philadelphians, Come Blow Your Horn, Robin and the 7 Hoods, Hombre, Superdad, Can't Stop the Music and 1982's Summer Lovers, which was her last film.
Aside from her work on daytime soaps, Rush may be best known for her role on the primetime soap Flamingo Road for all 38 episodes, and as Ruth Camden on ten episodes of 7th Heaven. She also guested on Batman as Nora Clavicle. Rush made her first TV appearance on a 1954 episode of Lux Video Theatre (where she would appear three more times) and continued with a long career on the small screen with roles on Playhouse 90, Saints and Sinners, Ben Casey, The Outer Limits, Dr. Kildare, The Fugitive, Love, American Style, Mod Squad, Night Gallery, Marcus Welby, M.D., McCloud, Moon of the Wolf, Maude, Ironside, The Streets of San Francisco, The New Dick Van Dyke Show, Medical Center, Police Story, Cannon, Mannix, Ellery Queen, The Bionic Woman, The Love Boat, Matt Houston, Knight Rider, Fantasy Island, Finder of Lost Loves, Hotel, Magnum, P.I., Murder, She Wrote, Hooperman and the 1990s revival of The Outer Limits. Her final role was in the 2017 short Bleeding Hearts: The Arteries of Glenda Bryant.
While Rush was never nominated for an Emmy or an Oscar, she did receive a Golden Globe in 1954 as Most Promising Female Newcomer for her performance in It Came From Outer Space. She was married to actor Jeffrey Hunter (best known as the first captain of the USS Enterprise) from 1950 to 1955. She married twice more. When she wasn't on film or TV, Rush took to the stage, winning a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for her one-woman show A Woman of Independent Means, where she played a character from age 7 to her 70s. She took the show on tour and to Broadway. She also toured in 40 Carats, Private Lives, Twigs, Butterflies Are Free, The Unsinkable Molly Brown and I Found April. She is survived by her children Claudia Cowan and Christopher Hunter.
MARCH 29, 2024
Actor Louis Gossett Jr. died Thursday, March 28 at 87. Gossett is best known for his Oscar-winning role in the film An Officer and a Gentleman, and his Emmy-winning role on the TV miniseries Roots. He was the first Black actor to win the Supporting Actor Oscar.
Gossett started acting in a high school production of You Can't Take It With You, then won roles on Broadway in Take a Giant Step and A Raisin in the Sun, a role which brought him great acclaim and which he would reprise in the 1961 film adaptation. Other stage credits include Jean Genet's The Blacks, Tambourines to Glory, Golden Boy, The Zulu and the Zayda and My Sweet Charlie.
Gossett appeared on TV in the late 1960s/early 1970s with roles on The Invaders, Daktari, Bonanza, The Mod Squad and Good Times. His signature role came in the 1977 miniseries Roots where he played Fiddler, which led to a long career on the small screen up to 2019's Watchmen, which earned him a seventh Emmy nomination. Notable TV credits include The Partridge Family, The Rookies, Love, American Style, McCloud, The Jeffersons, The Six Million Dollar Man, Little House on the Prairie, The Rockford Files, Backstairs at the White House, Roots: The Gift, The Josephine Baker Story, Return to Lonesome Dove, Picket Fences, Touched by an Angel, Early Edition, Ellen, The Dead Zone, Half & Half, Stargate SG-1, Family Guy, The Batman, ER, Psych, Boardwalk Empire, Madam Secretary, Extant, The Good Fight, Hawaii Five-0 and his last role in Kingdom Business.
Gossett appeared in several films after his 1961 debut, but it was his turn in 1982's An Officer and a Gentleman, and the historic Oscar win, that cemented him as a movie star. Pre-1982 credits, where he was usually billed as Lou Gossett, include The Bushbaby, The Landlord, Skin Game, Travels with My Aunt, The Laughing Policeman, The River Niger, J.D.'s Revenge, The Deep, and The Choirboys. Post Oscar credits include Jaws 3-D, Finders Keepers, Enemy Mine, Iron Eagle, The Punisher, Toy Soldiers, Diggstown, Monolith, Legend of the Mummy, Y2K, The Highwayman, Left Behind III, All In, Daddy's Little Girls, Why Did I Get Married Too?, King of the Dancehall, The Cuban and his final film role in The Color Purple. Gossett reprised the character Chappy in three sequels to Iron Eagle and for the music video 'Iron Eagle (Never Say Die)'.
During his career, Gossett earned 28 nominations from various organizations including the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films (for Enemy Mine), the CableACE Awards, the Daytime Emmy Awards, the Primetime Emmy Awards, the Golden Globes, the NAACP Image Awards, the SAG Awards and even the Razzie Awards (for Jaws 3-D). He racked up an impressive 19 wins, including two Golden Globes. He was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1992.
MARCH 20, 2024
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| © Baumann Manfred |
Prolific character actor M. Emmet Walsh has died at 88. Walsh was a staple in films and TV with signature roles in Blade Runner, Blood Simple, Ordinary People, Slap Shot, Knives Out, The Righteous Gemstones and Sneaky Pete.
Walsh began his career guesting in TV series in the late 1960s, with bit parts in films including Alice's Restaurant, Little Big Man and Escape from the Planet of the Apes. Notable TV credits include Arnie, Julia, All in the Family, Ironside, Bonanza, The Bob Newhart Show, McMillan & Wife, The Rockford Files, The Waltons, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, Starsky and Hutch, James at 16, Little House on the Prairie, AfterMASH, Amazing Stories, Tales from the Crypt, The Flash, Home Improvement, Early Edition, The X-Files, NYPD Blue, Ed, Frasier, Army Wives, Damages, Empire, and American Gigolo.
Notable films include Little Big Man, Cold Turkey, What's Up, Doc?, Serpico, At Long Last Love, The Prisoner of Second Avenue, Bound for Glory, Airport '77, The Jerk, Brubaker, Reds, Cannery Row, Silkwood, The Pope of Greenwich Village, Missing in Action, Critters, Back to School, Raising Arizona, Harry and the Hendersons, Narrow Margin, Cops and Robbersons, Romeo + Juliet, My Best Friend's Wedding, Wild Wild West, The Iron Giant, Racing Stripes, The Mimic, and his final role in Outlaw Posse.
Walsh also appeared in two Broadway shows, 1969's Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie with Al Pacino and Hal Holbrook, and 1973's That Championship Season. He also won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead for his performance in Blood Simple. In 1979, he established the Blarney Fund Education Trust, which provides scholarships to Vermont students.
MARCH 7, 2024
Singer and actor Steve Lawrence, best known for his performing partnership with his wife Eydie Gormé, has died at 88 from complications from Alzheimer's disease. The couple became a sensation after a mid-1950s appearance on The Tonight Show starring Steve Allen, and continued performing together until her death in 2009. The couple became household names with appearances on 1960s variety shows including The Ed Sullivan Show, The Hollywood Palace, The Carol Burnett Show, The Danny Kaye Show, The Judy Garland Show, and The Julie Andrews Hour, and Steve made many solo appearances on Burnett's show.
Lawrence also appeared in the Broadway production of What Makes Sammy Run? in 1964, earning a Tony Award nomination for his performance, and the couple appeared in the Broadway show Golden Rainbow, which was a flop but introduced the standard 'I've Gotta Be Me'. The couple also made several TV specials in the 1970s including Steve and Edie On Stage (1973), and Emmy-winners Our Love Is Here To Stay (1975) and Steve & Edie Celebrate Irving Berlin (1978), all produced by Lawrence. They also won a Grammy for the 1960 album We Got Us. The couple also covered Soundgarden's 'Black Hole Sun' for the 1997 compilation album Lounge-A-Palooza (it's great, by the way).
Lawrence also continued his acting career with TV credits including Saints and Sinners, Carol for Another Christmas, Medical Center, The New Dick Van Dyke Show, Night Gallery, Here's Lucy, Sanford and Son, Police Story, Supertrain, Alice in Wonderland, Hardcastle and McCormick, Murder, She Wrote, Empty Nest, Frasier, The Nanny, Diagnosis Murder, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, The Cleaner, Hot in Cleveland, Awake, and a final role on Two and a Half Men in 2014.
Lawrence's film credits include Stand Up and Be Counted, The Blues Brothers, The Lonely Guy, Blues Brothers 2000, The Contract, and The Yards.
FEBRUARY 28, 2024
Beloved comedian Richard Lewis has died at 76 after suffering a heart attack at his home on February 27. Lewis had also been living with Parkinson's disease, which he revealed in April 2023.
Lewis got his start in the New York and Los Angeles comedy clubs in the 1970s and became a favorite on The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson. He made his acting debut in the 1979 NBC special Diary of a Young Comic, which aired in the Saturday Night Live time slot. His first TV comedy special, I'm in Pain, was broadcast on Showtime in 1985. HBO comedy specials followed in 1988, 1990 and 1997. In 1989 he was cast opposite Jamie Lee Curtis in the ABC sitcom Anything But Love, which ran for four seasons. He also starred with Don Rickles in the short-lived sitcom Daddy Dearest, and with Kevin Nealon in the equally short-lived Hiller and Diller. His most notable TV role came in 2000 when he played a fictionalized version of himself on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, which he returned to for its current and final season despite being mostly retired due to his Parkinson's. Lewis also appeared in several films, his most notable role as Prince John in Mel Brooks' Robin Hood: Men in Tights.
TV credits include: House Calls, Riptide, Tribeca, The Larry Sanders Show, Tales from the Crypt, Rude Awakening, V.I.P., Presidio Med, Alias, Two and a Half Men, 7th Heaven, The Dead Zone, Las Vegas, George Lopez, The Simpsons, Everybody Hates Chris, Law & Order: SVU, The Cleaner, Code Black and BoJack Horseman.
Film credits include The Wrong Guys, Once Upon a Crime..., Wagons East, Leaving Las Vegas, The Maze, Hugo Pool, Game Day, Confessions of an Action Star, Vamps, She's Funny That Way, Bucky and the Squirrels and Sandy Wexler.
FEBRUARY 26, 2024
Dierkop got his start on ABC's Naked City in 1960 where he appeared uncredited eight time. He then appeared on Broadway in General Seeger, which closed after two performances. Back to Hollywood, Dierkop was the uncredited pilot of the Seaview in the pilot episode of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. He worked with Paul Newman for the first time in 1961's The Hustler, again uncredited, but with his role in 1964's The Pawnbroker, he got his first screen credit. Dierkop's other notable film credits include Gunn, The St. Valentine's Day Massacre, The Sweet Ride, Angels Hard as They Come, Night of the Cobra Woman, The Hot Box, The Student Teachers, The Sting (his third appearance with Newman and second with Robert Redford), Messiah of Evil, Texas Lightning, Silent Night, Deadly Night, Grotesque, Maverick, and his last role in 2018's Heaven & Hell.
Dierkop had a prolific career on television with credits including a credited, but different, role on Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Lost in Space, The Girl from U.N.C.L.E., The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Andy Griffith Show, Captain Nice, Mr. Terrific, Star Trek, Batman, Adam-12, Ironside, It Takes a Thief, Daniel Boone, Land of the Giants, The F.B.I., Love, American Style, Mission: Impossible, Bonanza, Alias Smith and Jones, Kung Fu, Mannix, Dusty's Trail, Gunsmoke, Kojak, Cannon, Vega$, The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo, CHiPs, Fantasy Island, T.J. Hooker, Days of Our Lives, The Fall Guy, Simon & Simon, MacGyver, ER, and Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction. And if you look closely, you'll see Dierkop sitting at the bar in the music video for R.E.M.'s Man on the Moon.
FEBRUARY 25, 2024
Actor Kenneth Mitchell died February 24 at 49 from complications of ALS. Mitchell may be best known for his roles in the Star Trek Universe. He played Klingon Kol in Season 1 of Star Trek: Discovery and Kol-Sha (Son of Kol) in Season 2. After being diagnosed with ALS in 2020 and required the use of a wheelchair, he was kept in the Discovery family with the new role of Auriello, who used a hoverchair. He also voiced three characters in Star Trek: Lower Decks. Prior to his involvement with Trek, he had a prominent role on CBS' Jericho as Eric Green, brother to Skeet Ulrich's Jake Green.
Of his involvement with Star Trek, Mitchell said of his Klingon characters, "Whether someone is good or bad is all about perspective, and it’s about understanding that culture. You’ll get to know the Klingons on our show, and then people can decide if we really are the villains.' He also said in a 2020 interview after his diagnosis, "Being a part of Star Trek keeps me inspired and gives me purpose. Hopefully, that will keep going."
Mitchell began acting in two short films in 2000 and 2001, then landed a regular role on the 2001 TV series Leap Years for its last nine episodes. He had recurring roles on Odyssey 5 in 2002, Seasons 4 and 5 of The Ghost Whisperer, Switched at Birth Season 3, six episodes of Frequency and Nancy Drew, and his last role in three episodes of FX series The Old Man. He was also a regular on The Astronaut Wives Club, which ran for one 10-episode season. Other notable TV credits include Grey's Anatomy, CSI: Miami, The Unit, Flashpoint, Meteor (mini-series), Without a Trace, Lie to Me, Hawaii Five-0, Law & Order: L.A., Criminal Minds, Private Practice, Castle, The Mentalist, Grimm, Drop Dead Diva, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, NCSI: Los Angeles, Bones, Body of Proof, Haven, NCIS, CSI: Cyber, Minority Report (mini-series), Major Crimes, Code Black, Notorious, The Detectives, and was the voice of Edo Voss on Apple TV's See.
In films, Mitchell's last role was as Joseph Danvers in 2019's Captain Marvel. Other film credits include The Recruit, Miracle, Tennis, Anyone...?, Home of the Giants, and Blood Honey.
His family released the following statement: "With heavy hearts we announce the passing of Kenneth Alexander Mitchell, beloved father, husband, brother, uncle, son and dear friend. For five and a half years, Ken faced a series of awful challenges from ALS. And in truest Ken fashion, he managed to rise above each one with grace and commitment, to living a full and joyous life in each moment. He lived by the principals that each day is a gift and we never walk alone."
FEBRUARY 9, 2024
Nixon and Roper split and Nixon continued with a solo career, collaborating with artists such as Country Dick Montana and John Doe. His Don Henley Must Die hit Number 20 on the Modern Rock Charts, and good sport Henley even performed the song with Nixon in 1992. Nixon took on acting roles with his film debut in 1989's Great Balls of Fire, followed by Rock 'n' Roll High School Forever, Super Mario Bros., Car 54, Where Are You?, Buttcrack, A Four Course Meal and Papercut 2. He appeared on an episode of Up All Night, and provided the voice of Sheriff Lester T. Hobbes in the videogames Redneck Rampage and Redneck Rampage Rides Again. His last appearance was as a guest on the podcast Jello Biafra's Renegade Roundtable in 2022. An album of unreleased tracks, Whiskey Rebellion, was released in 2009, and the documentary The Mojo Manifesto: The Life and Times of Mojo Nixon was released in 2023.
FEBRUARY 2, 2024
Actor Carl Weathers, best known for his appearances in the first four Rocky movies as Apollo Creed, has died in his sleep at the age 76. Recently Weathers appeared in nine episodes of Disney+ series The Mandalorian, and he is currently appearing in a series of ads for FanDuel with Rob Gronkowski.
Weathers got his start in films with an uncredited role in 1973's Magnum Force, followed by guest appearances on Good Times and Kung Fu in 1975. His star took of in 1976 with Rocky. Weathers has more than 75 acting credits on his resumé with appearances on the big screen in Bucktown, Friday Foster, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Semi-Tough, Force 10 from Navarone, Death Hunt, Predator, Action Jackson, Happy Gilmore, Little Nicky, Eight Crazy Nights, The Comebacks, Think Like a Man Too and he provided the voice of Combat Carl in Toy Story 4.
TV credits include S.W.A.T., The Six Million Dollar Man, Cannon, McCloud, Most Wanted, Starsky and Hutch, Barnaby Jones, The Streets of San Francisco, Tales of the Unexpected, The Hostage Heart, The Bermuda Depths, The Defiant Ones, Tour of Duty, Street Justice, In the Heat of the Night, Alien Siege, The Shield, ER, Brothers, Psych, Arrested Development, Toy Story of Terror, Colony, Magnum P.I. and a recurring role spanning Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D. and Chicago Justice.
Weathers was also a director with episodes of Renegade, Silk Stalkings, Pensacola: Wings of Gold, Sheena, For The People, Hawaii Five-0, The Last O.G., Law & Order, FBI, Chicago Med and The Mandalorian to his credit.
Actor Don Murray, Oscar nominated for his role in 1956's Bus Stop, has died at 94. Murray may be best known to TV viewers as Sid Fairgate on primetime soap Knots Landing, his time on the show ending with a literal cliffhanger as Sid drove off the side of a cliff in the Season 2 finale. At 17, Murray worked as an usher for CBS and attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, scoring a role in the original 1951 Broadway production of The Rose Tattoo. He turned down a contract with Universal, not wanting to just be put in anything they wanted. Murray continued to act over the years with a notable role in the Twin Peaks revival in 2017, and his last appearance in the film Promise in 2021.
Murray began his career as a guest on several TV series in the early 1950s, then headed to Broadway for a 1955 revival of The Skin of Our Teeth, leading director Joshua Logan to seek him out for the role in Bus Stop, Murray's film debut (Hope Lange also made her debut in the film and the two would marry soon after). 20th Century Fox wanted to sign Murray to a long-term contract, but he refused until the studio agreed to give him time off if he wanted to return to Broadway. Murray ended up getting out of his contract, not happy with the projects the studio was giving him, and wrote, produced and starred in The Hoodlum Priest.
Other film credits include The Bachelor Party, A Hatful of Rain, From Hell to Texas, Shake Hands with the Devil, One Foot in Hell, Advise & Consent, Baby the Rain Must Fall, The Plainsman, The Viking Queen, Happy Birthday, Wanda June, Justin Morgan Had a Horse, Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, Cotter, Endless Love, Radioactive Dreams, Peggy Sue Got Married, Scorpion, Made in Heaven, Ghosts Can't Do It, and Elvis is Alive.
TV movie and series credits include his debut on Studio One, Danger, The United States Steel Hour, Playhouse 90, The Intruders, Love Story, The Sex Symbol, Amy Prentiss, Police Story, A Girl Named Sooner, How the West was Won, Rainbow, Crisis in Mid-air, Thursday's Child, A Touch of Scandal, T.J. Hooker, Hotel, The Stepford Children, Matlock, Mistress, A Brand New Life, Sons and Daughters, Murder, She Wrote, Wings, The Single Guy, Hearts Adrift and Soldier of Fortune, Inc.
Murray was also a writer, penning two episodes of Knots Landing and screenplays for The Cross and the Switchblade (Erik Estrada's film debut), Childish Things, and Call Me By My Rightful Name.
JANUARY 30, 2024
Broadway legend Chita Rivera has died at 91 following a brief illness, according to a statement released by her daughter. Rivera is one of the most nominated performers in Tony Awards history with ten nominations and two wins (The Rink, Kiss of the Spider Woman), and she was the recipient of the 2018 Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre.
Rivera became an overnight sensation with her appearance in 1953's Guys and Dolls, attaining leading lady status with 1954's Can-Can, followed by Mr. Wonderful (1956) and what would become her signature role of Anita in 1957's West Side Story, playing the role on Broadway and London's West End. Her other Broadway shows include Bye Bye Birdie, Jerry's Girls, Seventh Heaven, and The Mystery of Edwin Drood, with her most recent appearance in 2015's The Visit. She toured with Born Yesterday, The Rose Tattoo, Call Me Madam, Threepenny Opera, Sweet Charity, Kiss Me Kate, Zorba, The Dancer's Life and Can-Can with The Rockettes.
Rivera also appeared on the small and big screen, making her TV debut on the 1954 The Outer Limits episode 'The Bellero Shield'. Other TV credits include One Life to Live, The Carol Burnett Show, The Marcus-Nelson Murders, The New Dick Van Dyke Show, Once Upon a Brothers Grimm, Pippin: His Life and Times, Mayflower Madam, Will & Grace, Kalamazoo?, Johnny and the Sprites and the Netflix movie adaptation of tick, tick... BOOM!
Film credits include Sweet Charity, her first theatrical film, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and Chicago. Rivera was awarded The Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama and received the coveted Kennedy Center Honor. PBS's Great Performances also aired the career retrospective Chita Rivera: A Lot of Livin’ To Do, and she recently released the solo album And Now I Swing, and the autobiography Chita: A Memoir.
JANUARY 23, 2024
The movie proved popular enough for the Fox Network to order a series that debuted later in 1989, which lasted for just a single 22-episode season. The series, though, developed a large and vocal fan base and the network commissioned a series of TV movies between 1995 and 1997, five in all, to continue and wrap up the story. Graham appeared as Ambassador Soval in 12 episodes of Star Trek: Enterprise over the course of its four season run.
Graham continued to act in TV series and movies, with a role in 2022's Jeepers Creepers: Reborn, and a guest role in the upcoming sci-fi series Manhattan Transfer. Graham is survived by his wife Becky and daughter Haylee. No cause of death has been reported.
JANUARY 22, 2024
Director Norman Jewison died Saturday, January 20 at the age of 97. Jewison's work over more than 40 years earned three Oscar nominations for Best Director and four for Best Picture, with a total of 46 nominations for his films overall and 12 wins. He was also the recipient of the prestigious Irving G. Thalberg Award, and has three Emmy wins for his television work.
Jewison began his career as an actor on stage and radio for the CBC in Canada, and went on to write, direct and produce a wide variety of popular programs for the CBC. He went to New York in 1958 to direct the TV series Your Hit Parade, which led to more TV work, then filmed a series of comedies for Universal before becoming an independent producer. His first big effort was 1965's The Cincinnati Kid which led to a string of popular films including The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming (Best Picture nominee), In the Heat of the Night (Best Director nominee), The Thomas Crown Affair, Fiddler on the Roof (Best Picture & Director nominee), Jesus Christ Superstar, Rollerball, And Justice for All, Best Friends, A Soldier's Story (Best Picture nominee), Agnes of God, Moonstruck (Best Picture & Director nominee), Only You and The Hurricane. His last film was 2003's The Statement. TV credits include The Big Party, An Hour with Danny Kaye, The Million Dollar Incident, The Broadway of Lerner and Loewe and The Judy Garland Show.
Jewison received the Best Director Award at the Berlin Film Festival, the Donatello Award from Italy and the Genie Award from the Canadian Academy. In 2010 he was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Directors Guild of America, and was honored with retrospectives by the Film Society of Lincoln Center and the Toronto International Film Festival in 2011. Jewison founded the Canadian Film Centre and was the first recipient of its Lifetime Achievement Award. He is survived by his wife, Lynne St. David, three children and five grandchildren.
JANUARY 21, 2024
Actor David Gail has died at 58. Gail debuted in 1990 on an episode of Growing Pains, and after guesting on shows like Doogie Howser, M.D., Murder, She Wrote and Matlock, landed the role of Stuart Carson on Beverly Hills 90210 for a Season 1 episode and returned for a 7-episode arc in Season 4, briefly engaged to Shannen Doherty’s Brenda Walsh. Gail was then a regular on Robin's Hoods and Savannah before becoming the second Dr. Joe Scanlon on Port Charles, the General Hospital spin-off, for 216 episodes. He also guested on V.I.P., JAG and ER, appeared in TV movies Full Eclipse, Two Came Back and Hollywood Mom's Mystery, and films Some Girl, Bending All the Rules, Perfect Opposites and The Belly of the Beast. Gail also performed voice work for the video game Blacksad: Under the Skin. No cause of death has been reported at the time of publication.
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