Sonderkommando -- via the New York Times.
Interesting, overlooked, and significant obituaries from around the world, as they happen, emphasizing the positive achievements of those who have died. Member, Society of Professional Obituary Writers.
Friday, October 12, 2012
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Sammi Kane Kraft
Actress -- via the Hollywood Reporter. Best known for her role in the remake of "The Bad News Bears."
Harris Savides
Cinematographer -- via indieWire. He did great work on films such as "Milk," "American Gangster," "Zodiac,"and "Elephant."
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Turhan Bey aka Turhan Gilbert Selahattin Sahultavy ak The Turkish Delight
Actor -- via the Guardian. Immensely and briefly popular during the period 1941-1953 in Hollywood, the svelte, swarthy-looking Bey played exotic villains and romantic heroes, mostly in the "sword and sandal" spate of Arabian-themed films that swept Hollywood during the period.
My favorite of his? "TheMummy's Tomb" --
My favorite of his? "TheMummy's Tomb" --
Alex Karras aka The Mad Duck
Athlete and actor -- via the L.A. Times. One of my favorite people of all time. A strong and brilliant defensive tackle, he excelled for the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Detroit Lions. George Plimpton's "Paper Lion" contains numerous achingly hilarious stories about Karras' incessant comedic sallies (although Karras was not with Detroit at the time, suspended that season for gambling on NFL games).
He took a fling as a professional wrestler. He started acting, and he turned out to be quite good. I love him in the 1973 TV movie "The 500-Pound Jerk." He was the inimitable Mongo in "Blazing Saddles":
He met actress Susan Clark when making "Babe," a TV movie about Babe Didrickson Zaharias. They married, and worked frequently together, most significantly on the sitcom "Webster."
He was on the early years of "Monday Night Football." He did great work in "Centennial," "Victor/Victoria," and "Against All Odds." He was inherently funny, and idiosyncratic. What a treat it was to be around when he was.
He took a fling as a professional wrestler. He started acting, and he turned out to be quite good. I love him in the 1973 TV movie "The 500-Pound Jerk." He was the inimitable Mongo in "Blazing Saddles":
He met actress Susan Clark when making "Babe," a TV movie about Babe Didrickson Zaharias. They married, and worked frequently together, most significantly on the sitcom "Webster."
He was on the early years of "Monday Night Football." He did great work in "Centennial," "Victor/Victoria," and "Against All Odds." He was inherently funny, and idiosyncratic. What a treat it was to be around when he was.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Frank Wilson
Songwriter, producer, and minister -- via the BBC. He sang "Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)," one of the most rare records in existence.
Monday, October 8, 2012
Russell Scott aka Blinky the Clown
TV children's show host -- via the Denver Post.
He passed away on Aug. 27. He had the longest carer of a children's television show host in American history. He started "Blinky's Fun Club" in 1958 in Colorado Springs on KKTV; in 1966 he moved to KWGN in Denver, where he remained on the air until 1998.
He was an integral part of our childhoods in Denver. We all watched Blinky. He did funny routines with puppets such as Barney the Dog; he sang silly songs; he gave us safety tips; he interviewed police officers, firefighters, zoo personnel -- anyone who might interest a kid. He sang "Happy Birf-day" every day --
Of course, his appeal was cheesy, and we laughed at him as much as we laughed with him. Yet it was nice to know he was always there. Through him, we got to see old Heckle and Jeckle cartoons, and Mighty Mouse, Popeye, The Mighty Hercules, and more. He told us to "Please stay out of those streets." He told us to "Mind your mommies and daddies." He told us not to trust strangers, or play with matches, or to forget our pleases and thank yous.
(Did you know that, for a time, he had a second noon-time show as a different persona? Yes indeed. I can't find any documentation on it, but he played Cap'n Dooley, a silly old-time riverboat captain, who had a mascot, the morose puppet Moe the Crow.)
It was our deepest wish to get to go to Blinky's show in person. My friend Tony Watson got to go as part of his Boy Scout troop -- I remember watching him wave at me from the screen as I cursed him bitterly (and ineptly, as only an 8-year-old can). There had long been rumors that Blinky was actually mean. When Tony got back to school the next day, we asked him about his brush with fame. "Before the show," he said, "Blinky was sitting in the back, playing piano and SMOKING." GASP! Our hero was, if not a misanthrope, at the least a melancholy jester.
Blinky's later years were tough. The station brought in Berg and Prince, mimes who clashed with the irascible star. He was dumped unceremoniously by Channel 2. In 2004, his wife of 62 years divorced him. Of the more than 10,000 shows he performed, only TEN survive. Most were thrown out by KWGN.
He kept on with Blinky's Antiques on South Broadway until 2008. Brian Malone's documentary "Blinky" provides us with an in-depth portrait of him --
Clowns are creepy and scary, by and large. But Blinky was loved, despite his flaws. I miss him.
He passed away on Aug. 27. He had the longest carer of a children's television show host in American history. He started "Blinky's Fun Club" in 1958 in Colorado Springs on KKTV; in 1966 he moved to KWGN in Denver, where he remained on the air until 1998.
He was an integral part of our childhoods in Denver. We all watched Blinky. He did funny routines with puppets such as Barney the Dog; he sang silly songs; he gave us safety tips; he interviewed police officers, firefighters, zoo personnel -- anyone who might interest a kid. He sang "Happy Birf-day" every day --
Of course, his appeal was cheesy, and we laughed at him as much as we laughed with him. Yet it was nice to know he was always there. Through him, we got to see old Heckle and Jeckle cartoons, and Mighty Mouse, Popeye, The Mighty Hercules, and more. He told us to "Please stay out of those streets." He told us to "Mind your mommies and daddies." He told us not to trust strangers, or play with matches, or to forget our pleases and thank yous.
(Did you know that, for a time, he had a second noon-time show as a different persona? Yes indeed. I can't find any documentation on it, but he played Cap'n Dooley, a silly old-time riverboat captain, who had a mascot, the morose puppet Moe the Crow.)
It was our deepest wish to get to go to Blinky's show in person. My friend Tony Watson got to go as part of his Boy Scout troop -- I remember watching him wave at me from the screen as I cursed him bitterly (and ineptly, as only an 8-year-old can). There had long been rumors that Blinky was actually mean. When Tony got back to school the next day, we asked him about his brush with fame. "Before the show," he said, "Blinky was sitting in the back, playing piano and SMOKING." GASP! Our hero was, if not a misanthrope, at the least a melancholy jester.
Blinky's later years were tough. The station brought in Berg and Prince, mimes who clashed with the irascible star. He was dumped unceremoniously by Channel 2. In 2004, his wife of 62 years divorced him. Of the more than 10,000 shows he performed, only TEN survive. Most were thrown out by KWGN.
He kept on with Blinky's Antiques on South Broadway until 2008. Brian Malone's documentary "Blinky" provides us with an in-depth portrait of him --
Clowns are creepy and scary, by and large. But Blinky was loved, despite his flaws. I miss him.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Jerome Horwitz
Researcher who created AZT, the first effective drug to fight AIDS -- via the New York Times.
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Lia Lee
Victim of epilepsy whose treatment inspired a book that led to new understanding about the intersection of Eastern and Western medicines and cultures -- via the New York Times.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)