Maybe it's my age, but it seems a lot of celebrities and actors who were prominent when I was a kid have passed away this year. There are the more recognizable names such as Ernest Borgnine, Phyllis Diller, etc. but there were also people like Dick Turfeld who did the voice of the robot on Lost in Space, Dick Beals who did the voice of Gumby and Speedy Alka-Seltzer, Doris Singleton who had a recurring role on I Love Lucy. Individual tributes and reminiscences will follow in later blogs.
Here is an alphabetical listing of entertainment figures who left us during the year.
Here is an alphabetical listing of entertainment figures who left us during the year.
Ian Abercrombie, 77, character actor best known as Elaine’s eccentric boss
on “Seinfeld,” other credits included “The Wizards of Waverly Place,” “How I
Met Your Mother,” and “Desperate Housewives.”
Richard Adler, 90, Broadway composer-lyricist, with his partner Jerry
Ross, he wrote the scores for two of the longest-running hits of the 1950s,
"The Pajama Game" and "Damn Yankees," he won a Tony for the
score of "Kwamina" in 1961.
Norman Alden, 87, familiar TV and movie character
actor whose credits ranged from the voice of Aquaman on “Superfriends” to one
of the Joker’s henchmen on “Batman” to recurring roles on “My Three Sons,” and “Mary
Hartman Mary Hartman.”
Cris Alexander, 92, musical actor, appeared in the original Broadway
productions of "On the Town," "Wonderful Town,"
"Present Laughter," and "Auntie Mame," later pursued a
career as a photographer, working in that capacity for New York City Ballet and
Interview Magazine.
Theo Angelopoulos, 76, award-winning Greek filmmaker, his most acclaimed
movies were “The Bee Keeper” and “The Suspended Stride of the Stalk.”
R.G. Armstrong, 95, character actor who
specialized in sheriffs and deputies in western films and TV shows such as “Pat
Garrett and Billy the Kid,” “The Westerner,” “Ride the High Country,” “Gunsmoke,”
and “Have Gun Will Travel,” his numerous additional credits include “The
Fugitive Kind,” “The Great White Hope,” “Predator,” “Heaven Can Wait,” and “Reds,”
also appeared on Broadway in “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” “Orpheus Descending,” and
“The Miracle Worker.”
Jean Banks, 77, senior director of jazz and musical theater at BMI.
Billy Barnes, 85, composer-lyricist whose satirical
revues “The Billy Barnes Revue” and “Billy Barnes’ People” played Broadway,
Emmy nominated for his musical contributions to “Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In,” “The
Danny Kaye Show,” Goldie Hawn’s “Pure Goldie” special, and Cher’s variety
series.
Dick Beals, 85, actor whose boyish pipes provided the voice for such
characters as Speedy Alka-Seltzer and Gumby.
Zina Bethune, 66, actor and dancer who balanced careers in both fields,
starred in the TV series “The Nurses” from 1962-65 and danced with the New York
City Ballet as a teenager, appeared on Broadway in “Grand Hotel” and opposite
Harvey Keitel in the film “Who’s That Knocking at My Door?”
Etel Billig, 79, Chicago-based actor, co-founder of the Illinois Theatre
Center.
Anita Bjork, 89, Swedish actor, for a time hailed
as “the new Garbo,” shot to fame for starring in a 1951 film version of August
Strindberg’s “Miss Julie,” starred in American films shot in Europe such as “The
Long Search” and “Night People,” was directed by Ingmar Bergman in the film “Secrets
of Women” and the play “Madame de Sade.”
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| Ernest Borgnine did the voice for Mermaid Man (left) and Tim Conway was Barnacle Boy |
Ernest Borgnine, 95, "average-joe" star whose
imposing physicality could be either menacing or endearing, won an Oscar for
his performance as a lonely butcher in "Marty," headlined the sitcom "McHale's Navy" from 1962-66, and had a recurring
voice role on "Spongebob Squarepants." Among his over 200 film and TV
credits were "From Here to Eternity," "Bad Day at Black
Rock," "The Catered Affair," "The Dirty Dozen,"
"The Poseidon Adventure," and "The Single Guy." He won a
SAG Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011.
Ray Bradbury, 91, iconic science-fiction author who also wrote for the
screen (John Huston's 1956 film version of "Moby Dick"), stage
("The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit," "The World of Ray
Bradbury"), and television ("Alfred Hitchcock Presents,"
"The Twilight Zone," "The Martian Chronicles," "Ray
Bradbury Theatre"). He won an Emmy for an animated adaptation of his novel
"The Halloween Tree" and a special citation from the Pulitzer board
in 2007.
Steve Bridges, 48, comic impressionist, playing President George W. Bush,
he toured with Barbra Streisand and appeared on "The Tonight Show with Jay
Leno."
Frank Cady, 96, TV character actor best known as general-store owner
Sam Drucker on "Green Acres," "Petticoat Junction," and
"The Beverly Hillbillies," also had a recurring role on "The
Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet."
Janet Carroll, 72, character actor, played on Broadway in the musical
“Little Women,” appeared as Tom Cruise’s mother in “Risky Business” and Charles
Kimborough’s wife on “Murphy Brown.”
Dorothy Carter, 94, actress, appeared in three
Broadway plays about the African-American experience before the Civil Rights
movement: “Strange Fruit” (1945), “Walk Hard” (1946), and “Take a Giant Step”
(1953), later became a teacher and writer of children’s books.
Dick Clark, 82, America’s teenager, longtime host of ABC’s “American
Bandstand,” and “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” and the syndicated game show “The
$20,000 Pyramid.”
Gary Collins, 74, actor and TV host who was ubiquitous
on the small screen on such shows as “Charlie’s Angels,” “The Love Boat,” and “Fantasy
Island,” starred in the short-lived series “The Wackiest Ship in the Army,” “Iron
Horse,” and “The Sixth Sense,” hosted the Miss America pageant and Hour
Magazine.
Judith Crist, 90, influential film critic, the
first woman to serve as full-time film critic for a major American newspaper,
the New York Herald-Trubine, she also covered film for TV Guide, Saturday
Review, Ladies Home Journal, and the Today Show.
Hal David, 91, chart-topping lyricist, in
collaboration with Burt Bacharach wrote the score for the Broadway musical “Promises,
Promises,” the team’s canon was the basis of the jukebox musical “The Look of
Love.”
Paul Davis, 59, writer for “Saturday Night Live”
during its early days, partnering with Al Franken, won three Emmys for “SNL”
and another for “The Paul Simon Special.”
Richard Dawson, 79, TV personality who won an Emmy for hosting
"Family Feud," was a popular panelist on "The Match Game," a
regular on “Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In,” and played the fast-talking Cockney
prisoner Newkirk on "Hogan's Heroes" from 1966-71.
Phyllis Diller, 95, pioneering comedienne, one of the
first female stand-up comics to hit it big, after debuting on Groucho Marx’s
game show “You Bet Your Life,” she appeared on virtually every variety and talk
TV show in the 1960s and ‘70s, was the penultimate Dolly in the Broadway run of
“Hello, Dolly,” starred in her own short-lived series “The Pruitts of
Southampton” and “The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show,” as well as the movies “Splendor
in the Grass,” “Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number,” “Eight on the Lam,” and “The
Adding Machine.”
Michael Clarke Duncan, 54, tall, massively-built actor who
was nominated for a supporting Oscar for “The Green Mile,” also appeared in “The
Whole Nine Yards,” “The Scorpion King,” and “Planet of the Apes.”
Stephen Dunham, 48, prolific actor whose TV
appearances include “Just Shoot Me,” “Hot Properties,” and “DAG,” was scheduled
to star opposite his wife Alexondra Lee in “Paranormal Activity” at the time of
his death from a heart attack.
Nora Ephron, 71, Oscar-nominated filmmaker-journalist, she wrote,
co-wrote and/or directed several iconic romantic comedies including
"Sleepless in Seattle," "When Harry Met Sally,"
"Heartburn," "Julie and Julia," and "You've Got
Mail." She wrote the Broadway play "Imaginary Friends" and with
her sister Delia, she co-authored the long-running Off-Broadway hit,
"Love, Loss, and What I Wore."
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| Chad Everett on the cover of TV Guide |
James Farentino, 73, rough-hewn actor whose credits included “Police Story,”
“Dynasty,” and “Jesus of Nazareth” (Emmy nomination) on TV, and “Night of the
Iguana,” “A Streetcar Named Desire,” and “Death of a Salesman” on Broadway.
Norman Felton, 99, TV producer whose biggest hits were the 1960s series
"The Man from UNCLE" and "Doctor Kildare."
Al Freeman, Jr., 78, versatile actor, starring in
Broadway and Off-Broadway productions of “Tiger Tiger Burning Bright,” “Blues
for Mister Charlie,” “The Slave/The Toilet,” “Trumpets of the Lord,” played
Malcolm X on “Roots: The Next Generation,” became the first African-American
actor to win a daytime Emmy award for Best Actor for “One Life to Live,” starred
opposite Patty Duke in the TV-movie “My Sweet Charlie.”
Buddy Freitag, 80, theatrical producer whose credits include the Broadway
productions of "Memphis," "Porgy and Bess," "Nice Work
If You Can Get It," and "End of the Rainbow."
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| Jonathan Frid with Grayson Hall on the immortal Dark Shadows |
Ben Gazzara, 81, gritty performer who made the transition from leading
man to character actor, starred in the original Broadway productions of “Cat on
a Hot Tin Roof” and “A Hatful of Rain,” the TV series “Run for Your Life,” and
the films “Anatomy of a Murder,” “The Big Lebowski,” “Summer of Sam,” and John
Cassavetes’ “Husbands,” “Opening Night,” and “The Killing of a Chinese Bookie.”
His last Broadway appearance was in a 2006 Lincoln Center revival of “Awake and
Sing.” He was nominated for three Tonys, won an Emmy for the HBO film
“Hysterical Blindness,” and a Drama Desk Award as part of the “Awake and Sing”
ensemble.
Don Grady, 68, sitcom actor who played Robbie Douglas on “My Three Sons”
from 1960-71, later became a songwriter and musician.
Andy Griffith, 86, beloved TV icon, headlined as the folksy sheriff on the “The Andy Griffith
Show” (1960-68) and the foxy senior-citizen lawyer on “Matlock” (1986-1995),
nominated for Tony Awards for “No Time for Sergeants” and “Destry Rides Again,”
starred in the movies “A Face in the Crowd,” “Onionhead,” and the screen version of “Sergeants.”
Ulu Grosbard, 83, film and stage director, nominated for Tonys for his
staging of "The Subject Was Roses" and "American Buffalo,"
his films included the screen version of "Roses," "True
Confessions," and "Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those
Terrible Things About Me?"
James Grout, 84, British actor, Tony-nominated for "Half a
Sixpence," appeared in such TV productions as "All Creatures Great
and Small," "Yes Minister," "Rumpole of the Bailey,"
and "Inspector Morse."
Larry Hagman, 81, played one of TV’s most popular
villains, J.R. Ewing on “Dallas” (1978-91) and on its update in 2012 on TNT, he
also played the put-upon astronaut who finds a bottle with a genie in the sitcom
“I Dream of Jeannie” (1965-70), appeared on Broadway in “Comes a Day” “The Warm
Peninsula,” “The Nervous Set,” and “The Beauty Part,” the son of legend Mary
Martin.
Marvin Hamlisch, 68, Tony, Emmy, Grammy and
Oscar-winning composer, best known for “A Chorus Line” and the film scores for “The
Way We Were” and his adaptation of Scott Joplin’s rags for “The Sting,” other
Broadway credits include “The Goodbye Girl,” “The Sweet Smell of Success,” “Smile,”
and “They’re Playing Our Song,” his more than 40 film scores include “Ordinary
People,” “Sophie’s Choice,” “3 Men and a
Baby,” and “Take the Money and Run.”
William Hanley, 80, award-winning playwright and screenwriter, his plays
included the Broadway hit "Slow Dance on the Killing Ground" and the
Off-Broadway one-acts "Mrs. Daly Has a Lover" and "Whisper in My
Good Ear," he won Emmys for the TV movies "Something About
Amelia" and "The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank."
Robert Hegyes, 60, actor best known for playing Jewish-Puerto Rican
sweathog Juan Epstein on the ABC comedy series “Welcome Back, Kotter,” he also
appeared on “Cagney and Lacey,” “The Love Boat,” and “News Radio.”
Sherman Hemsley, 74, actor best known as the brash
George Jefferson on “All in the Family” and its spinoff “The Jeffersons,” also
starred on “Amen” and in the Broadway show “Purlie.”
David Hess, 69, horror film actor who played serial killers in
"The Last House on the Left" and "The House on the Edge of the
Park."
Celeste Holm, 95, versatile, long-lived actor whose warm, witty persona
graced theatre, film, and TV, won an Oscar for “Gentlemen’s Agreement,” was
nominated for “Come to the Stable” and “All About Eve,” the original Ado Annie
in “Oklahoma!,” also starred on Broadway in “Bloomer Girl,” “Affairs of State,”
and “I Hate Hamlet,” played the Fairy Godmother in the second version of
Rodgers and Hammerstein’s TV “Cinderella.”
Whitney Huston, 48, top-selling singer, starred
in the movie “The Bodyguard” and the 1997 TV-movie update of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s
“Cinderella.”
John Ingle, 84, actor best known for his
long running role of Edward Quartermaine on “General Hospital,” one of the few
network daytime dramas still in production, also appeared on “Days of Our
Lives,” “Beverly Hills 90210,” and “Melrose Place.”
Eiko Ishioka, 73, award-winning costume designer whose last Broadway
credit was “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark,” she won an Oscar for “Bram Stoker’s
Dracula,” a Tony for “M. Butterfly,” and a Grammy for the cover design of Miles
Davis’ “Tutu” album.
Kathryn Joosten, 72, won two Emmys for her performance as a nosy neighbor
on "Desperate Housewives" and played the president's secretary on
"The West Wing."
Erland Josephson, 88, Swedish actor who collaborated with Ingmar Bergman in
over 40 films and plays including "The Magician," "The Hour of
the Wolf," "Face to Face," and mostly famously as Liv Ullmann's
husband in "Scenes from a Marriage."
Davy Jones, 66, actor-musician, member of the pop-rock group The
Monkees who starred in their own TV series, played the Artful Dodger in the
original Broadway production of "Oliver!"
Alex Karras, 77, NFL defensive tackle and actor, served
as a commentator on ABC’s “Monday Night Football,” co-starred with his wife
Susan Clark in the TV movie “Babe” and the sitcom “Webster,” his most memorable
film role was Mongo in Mel Brooks’ “Blazing Saddles,” also appeared in “Victor/Victoria”
and “Against All Odds.”
David Kelly, 82, Irish actor whose film credits include “Charlie and
the Chocolate Factory” and “Waking Ned Devine.”
Jerome Kilty, 90, actor-playwright whose works
include “Dear Liar,” based on the correspondence between George Bernard Shaw
and Mrs. Patrick Campbell, “Dear Love” about Robert and Elizabeth Barrett
Browning, and “Look Away” about Mary Todd Lincoln, as an actor he played Phil
Hogan in the 1984 revival of “A Moon for the Misbegotten,” other credits
include “Mastergate,” “Quadrille,” and “The Iceman Cometh.”
Larry L. King, 83, journalist-author, co-wrote the
book for the musical “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas,” which was based on
an article he wrote for Playboy Magazine.
Zalman King, 70, actor and filmmaker, achieved notoriety for his
erotically-tinged movies including “9 ½ Weeks.”
Howard Kissel, 69, longtime drama critic for the New York Daily News,
appeared in Woody Allen's "Stardust Memories," author of "The
Abominable Showman," a biography of producer David Merrick.
Rosette C. Lamont, 84, theater critic and author, authority on Samuel Beckett
and Eugene Ionesco.
Evelyn Lear, 86, American soprano, specialized in contemporary operas
such as “Lulu,” “Wozzeck,” and "Erwartung,” she also sang “The Marriage of
Figaro,” “Don Giovanni,” “Tosca,” and “Manon Lescaut.”
Johnny Lewis, 28, actor who starred on “Sons of
Anarchy” and “The OC.”
George Lindsey, 83, character actor who played the jovial gas station
attendant Goober Pyle on “The Andy Griffith Show,” “Mayberry RFD,” and “Hee
Haw.”
Mort Lindsey, 89, orchestra leader for Judy Garland and Merv Griffin,
won an Emmy for Barbra Streisand’s TV concert, “A Happening in Central Park.”
Herbert Lom, 95, Czech-born character actor
remembered as the long suffering boss of Inspector Clouseau (Peter Sellers) in
the “Pink Panther” films, appeared in over 100 additional movies including “Spartacus,”
“El Cid,” “War and Peace,” “The Ladykillers,” and “The Roots of Heaven.”
Richard Lynch, 76, actor best known for his villainous roles in such
films as "Scarecrow," "The Seven Ups," "Little
Nikita," "The Ninth Configuration," and "Deathsport."
Theodore Mann, 87, producer, co-founder of the
Circle in the Square Theatre, produced such classic productions as “Long Day’s
Journey Into Night,” “The Iceman Cometh,” “Summer and Smoke,” and hundreds of
others.
Albert Marre, 87, director of the original Broadway
productions of “Kismet,” “Milk and Honey,” “The Chalk Garden,” and “Man of La
Mancha.”
Tony Martin, 98, singer-actor from
Hollywood’s golden age of movie musicals, he crooned in such films as “Ziegfeld
Girl,” “Casbah,” “Music in My Heart,” “Till the Clouds Roll By,” “Two Tickets
to Broadway,” and “Easy to Love,” was married to the dancer Cyd Charisse with
whom he performed a nightclub act after movie musicals went out of fashion.
Nolan Miller, 79, Emmy-winning costume designer best known for creating
sensational outfits for Joan Collins’ Alexis Carrington on “Dynasty,” his 40
years of credits range from “Gilligan’s Island” to “Hart to Hart.”
Tom Murrin, 73, aka The Alien Comic, performance artist-writer, his
plays were performed at La MaMa ETC and Theatre for the New City, he organized
variety nights at P.S. 122 and covered the arts for Paper Magazine.
Frederick Neumann, 86, actor-director, acted in several
Samuel Beckett works including “Mercier and Camier,” “Company,” and “Worstward
Ho,” co-founder of the Obie-winning experimental theater troupe Mabou Mines,
appeared on Broadway in “Richard III” and “The Iceman Cometh,” and in the films
“Prince of Tides” and “Reversal of Fortune.”
Patricia Neway, 92, Tony winner for her performance as the Mother Abbess
in the original Broadway production of “The Sound of Music.”
Mark O’Donnell, 58, playwright, Tony winner for
co-authoring the book of “Hairspray” with Thomas Meehan, the duo also
collaborated on the book for “Cry-Baby,” another musical based on a John Waters
film, his plays included “That’s It, Folks,” “Fables for Friends,” and “Strangers
on Earth.,” worked with Bill Irwin on the script for “Scapin,” a 1997
adaptation of Moliere’s play.
Martin Pakledinaz, 58, film and theater costume designer, won Tony Awards for
"Thoroughly Modern Millie" and "Kiss Me, Kate," was
nominated for “The Life,” “Golden Child,” “The Pajama Game,” "Gypsy,"
"Blithe Spirit," “Lend Me a Tenor,” "Anything Goes," and
“Nice Work If You Can Get It,” he also designed for ballet and opera.
Ron Palillo, 63, actor best known as the geeky Arnold
Horshack on “Welcome Back, Kotter,” also appeared on “The Love Boat,” “The A
Team,” and “One Life to Live.”
Frank Pierson, 87, Oscar-winning screenwriter for “Dog
Day Afternoon,” was also nominated for “Cat Ballou” and “Cold Hand Luke,”
president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from 2001-5.
Dory Previn, 86, lyricist, received three Oscar nominations for best
song including two in collaboration with her then-husband Andre Previn, she won
an Emmy in 1983 for the music for the TV movie “Two of a Kind.”
Deborah Raffin, 59, actor whose credits include the films
“Forty Carats” and “Once Is Not Enough” and the TV mini-series “Noble House” and
“Haywire,” later launched Dove Books-on-Tape, one of the most successful audio
book companies.
David Rakoff, 47, humorist-actor, appeared on
NPR’s “This American Life” and in “One Woman Shoe” and “The Book of Liz,” both plays
by Amy and David Sedaris presented Off-Broadway, wrote the screen adaptation of
the short film “The New Tenants” which won an Oscar for Best Live-Action Short
Subject in 2009.
Joyce Redman, 96, stalwart of the British stage, Oscar nominee for “Tom
Jones” and “Othello,” starred on Broadway in “Anne of the Thousand Days.”
Natina Reed, 32, R&B singer with the group
Blaque, starred in the 2000 film “Bring It On,” died in a car accident.
Lee Rich, 85, Emmy-winning producer of
"The Waltons," "Dallas," and "Eight Is Enough."
Martin Richards, 80, film and stage producer who won a Best Picture Oscar
for the movie version of “Chicago” which he also produced on Broadway in 197, his
productions include “On the Twentieth Century,” “Grand Hotel,” and the original
and revived versions of “La Cage Aux Folles,” films include “The Boys from
Brazil,” “The Shining,” and “Fort Apache The Bronx.”
Jack Richardson, 78, playwright whose works included "Xmas in Las Vegas"
and "Lorenzo" which had brief Broadway runs, "The Prodigal"
which won Obie and Drama Desk awards, and "Gallows Humor," also
served as drama critic for Commentary.
Joan Roberts, the original Laurie in Rodgers and
Hammerstein’s “Oklahoma,” more recently, she appeared in the 2001 revival of “Follies,”
presented by Roundabout Theatre Company
Ann Rutherford, 94, MGM starlet who played Mickey Rooney's sweetheart in
several "Andy Hardy" films and the younger sister of Vivien Leigh
(Scarlett O'Hara) in "Gone with the Wind," she later appeared
as Suzanne Pleshette's mother on "The Bob Newhart Show."
Andrew Sarris, 83, distinguished film critic for the Village Voice and
the New York Observer, his influential 1962 essay "Notes on the Auteur
Theory" introduced the term "auteur" to the American vernacular.
Hal Scaefer, 87, jazz pianist, and vocal coach for
Marilyn Monroe, also worked with Mitzi Gaynor, Betty Grable, and Judy Garland,
wrote the scores for “The Money Trap” and “The Amsterdam Kill.”
Tony Scott, 68, director of film thrillers
including “Unstoppable,” “The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3” (remake), “Man on Fire,”
and “The Fan.”
Martin E. Segal, 96, patron of the arts, chairman
of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, 1981-86.
Isiah Sheffer, 76, co-founder of Symphony
Space, director and host of the Selected Shorts series performed at Symphony Space
and broadcast on NPR.
Robert B. Sherman, 86, half of the songwriting team with his brother Richard
who wrote memorable songs for such films as "Mary Poppins,"
"Chitty Chitty Bang Bang," and "The Jungle Book," and the
Broadway musical "Over Here!" They won two Oscars for "Mary
Poppins."
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| Doris Singleton with Lucille Ball on an episode of I Love Lucy |
Doris Singleton, 92, actor best known for her recurring role on “I Love
Lucy” as Lucy Ricardo’s near-sighted neighbor Carolyn Appleby, also appeared on
“The Dick Van Dyke Show,” “The Munsters,” “All in the Family,” and “Dynasty.”
Bradshaw Smith, 57, cabaret performer and producer of the “Broadway Beat”
cable series.
Donald Smith, 79, cabaret producer for the Algonquin Hotel's Oak Room, founded the Mabel Mercer Foundation and created the
New York Cabaret Convention.
Victor Spinetti, 82, Welsh actor best known for his roles in three Beatles
movies ("A Hard Day's Night," "Help!," "Magical
Mystery Tour"), he won a Tony Award for "Oh! What a Lovely War,"
additional screen credits include "The Taming of the Shrew,"
"Voyage of the Damned," and "Return of the Pink Panther."
Sage Stallone, 36, son of actor Sylvester Stallone, co-starred with his
father in “Rocky V” and “Daylight,” directed the short film “Vic.”
Joan Stein, 59, theater and film producer,
won a Tony for “Side Man,” stage credits include “Catch Me If You Can” and “9
to 5” on Broadway, “Love Letters,” “Forever Plaid,” and “Picasso at the Lapine
Agile” in Los Angeles.
Joan Taylor, 82, actor-writer, a regular on the TV series "The
Rifleman," appeared in several other shows including "Wagon
Train," "Mike Hammer," "77 Sunset Strip," and
"Peter Gunn," and co-wrote the 1992 film comedy "Fools Rush
In."
Ron Taylor, 78, cameraman who filmed the
terrifying underwater scenes for “Jaws” and “Jaws 2,” also worked on the
underwater footage for such films as “Age of Consent,” “Blue Water, White
Death,” “The Last Wave,” and “The Blue Lagoon.”
Paul Trueblood, 76, musical director-accompanist, among his many collaborators were Mary Martin, Mike Nichols and
Elaine May, Betty Comden and Adolph Green, Elaine Stritch, Helen Gallagher, Dorothy Loudon, and Diane Keaton.
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| Dick Tufeld provided the voice for the Robot on Lost in Space |
Dick Tufeld, 85, announcer and actor, the voice of the robot on the
“Lost in Space” TV series.
Susan Tyrrell, 67, quirky character actor nominated for a supporting
Oscar for “Fat City,” her additional film credits include “Cry-Baby,” “Islands
in the Stream,” “Zandy’s Bride,” and “I Never Promised You a Rose Garden.”
Gore Vidal, 86, one of America’s most
distinguished and challenging authors, in addition to his many best-selling
novels and essay collections, his Broadway plays included “Visit to a Small
Planet,” “Weekend,” “Romulus,” and “The Best Man” which was successfully
revived in 2000 and 2012. He also wrote for film (“The Catered Affair,” “Suddenly
Last Summer”) and television and appeared on numerous talk shows as well as on “Rowan
and Martin’s Laugh-In” and “The Simpsons” and in films such as “Gattaca” and “Bob
Roberts.”
Andy Williams, 84, mellow-voiced, legendary singer
and TV personality, recorded 18 gold and three platinum albums, hosted the Emmy
winning “Andy Williams Show” from 1962 to 1971 and several Christmas specials into the 1990s,
as well as the Grammy Awards several times, owned the Moon River Theatre in
Branson, Missouri.
Dick Anthony Williams, 77, actor and producer, co-founded the New Federal
Theater, played Malcolm X in the TV mini-series “King” and on stage in “The
Meeting,” received Tony nominations for “Black Picture Show” and “What the
Wine-Sellers Buy” for which he also won a Drama Desk Award.
Nicol Williamson, 75, volatile Scottish actor, his temperamental off-stage
behavior sometimes rivaled his performances, starred in “Excalibur” and “The
Seven Per Cent Solution” on film and as Hamlet, Macbeth, and Uncle Vanya on
stage.
Richard Zanuck, 77, high-powered movie producer, won Best Picture Oscar
for “Driving Miss Daisy,” was head of production at 20th Century Fox which was
run by his father Daryl, then moved to Warner Brothers, collaborated with Tim
Burton on several films including “Sweeney Todd,” “Charlie and the Chocolate
Factory,” “Big Fish,” and “Dark Shadows,” other production credits include “The
Sound of Music,” “The Verdict,” “Cocoon,” and “Jaws.”
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