Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Cliff Osmond aka Clifford Osman Ebrahim


Osmond as Purkey, left, with Noam Pitlik in "The Fortune Cookie."


Actor and acting teacher -- via the New York Times. A prolific character actor, his best-remembered role will be that of dour private eye Chester Purkey in Billy Wilder's "The Fortune Cookie."





Robert Barnes

Jazz musician, composer, and arranger -- via the Reno Gazette- Journal.

Larry L. King

Journalist, author, and playwright -- via the New York Times.  Best known for writing "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas."


James Benet

Journalist, author, anti-fascist fighter -- via the San Francisco Chronicle. One of the last living members of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade.

Jimmy McCracklin

R & B/blues songwriter, vocalist, and pianist -- via the Rolling Stone. He co-wrote "Tramp"!



Friday, December 28, 2012

Harry Carey Jr. aka Dobe (pronounced "Dough-bee")

Actor -- via the Miami Herald. The last of the classic Western film actors. Carey's namesake was a silent film cowboy who made a series of films with a young John Ford. (Carey Sr. is probably best remembered as President of the Senate in "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.") Ford used him in 10 films; he appeared in 11 with John Wayne. His specialty was Westerns -- he also appeared in classics such as "Rio Bravo," "Red River," and "Pursued."

He was nearly always the freckled-faced kid -- the naive and excitable young man who saved the day or lost it impetuously. One could do much worse than play cowboy for a living!

NEW: I am afraid that the New York Times, in its obit, mischaracterizes him as a "sidekick" to John Wayne. He was not a companion in the sense of a Gabby Hayes; he was simply part of the so-called John Ford stock company. (P.S. John Wayne was not in "Wagon Master.") He could and did have a fine acting career that was not dependent on the Duke for its success.












Fontella Bass

Singer who co-wrote and recorded "Rescue Me" -- via the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.



Thursday, December 27, 2012

Gerry Anderson

Animator, puppeteer, producer -- via the Guardian. He created several key fantasy/adventure/sci-fi TV shows in the 1960s and 1970s, including "Thunderbirds," "Space: 1999," "UFO," "Fireball XL5," and "The Protectors."









Judith Waegell

Rancher and cellist -- via the Sacramento Bee.


Buddy Belshe

Lifeguard -- via the Orange County Register.


Kamil Sonmez

Folk singer -- via en.haberler.com.

Leman Cidamli

Actress -- via hurriyet.com.tr.


Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Book review: "How They Croaked"


How They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous
Georgia Bragg, illus. Kevin O’Malley
Walker and Company, 2011

O death where is thy sting . . .and whence comes our fascination with thee? Who knows. We are often drawn to the unknowable; mysteries frustrate us.

As someone who has made a hobby of blogging obituaries of the obscure but worthy, I can testify that studying death, dying, memory, and reputation is a way of controlling and channeling the fearful impulses that range around the prospect of demise.

Georgia Bragg’s first non-fiction title for children tackles that very topic – introducing us to the deaths and postmortem fates of the corpses of 19 historical figures. Bragg’s sardonic, informal prose keeps the tone light, as do Kevin O’Malley’s gleefully grim illustrations. They allow young readers to absorb the gruesome details with fascination without boring them with technical talk.

“How They Croaked” is not just a book (extremely late) celebrity gossip. Bragg succeeds in contextualizing each person in his or her historical context; relates information about medicine and health in different historic ages; includes useful sidebars on everything from “What to do with Old Mummies,” “Cupping,” “Gout,” and “Cremation 101.”

Is this book too morbid for kids? Actually, it’s pitched perfectly at them (I found it first at a school book fair), giving insights and offering a friendly yet scientifically sound approach toward thanatology.

Georgi Kaloyanchev

Actor -- via focus-fen.net.

Avraham Mor

Actor -- via via ynetnews.com.

Alida Chelli

Actress and singer -- via ilsole24ore.com.

N.M. Mohan

Journalist, children's story and comics writer -- via The Hindu.

Ed Grady

Actor -- via westernboothill.blogspot.com.