Friday, February 6, 2015

Lizabeth Scott

Actress -- via the L.A. Times. AKA Emma Matzo. Largely identified with her roles in film noir, Scott's strong eyebrows and husky voice were her trademarks. She excelled in such films as "The Strange Love of Martha Ivers," "Dead Reckoning," "I Walk Alone," and "Dark City." usually a femme fatale and/or a cabaret singer with a murky past. One of her last films was a late Allan Dwan Western, "Silver Lode," that was slyly coded as an anti-McCarthyism statement.





Richard Bonehill

Fencing champion, sword master, stuntman, and actor -- via Variety. Best known for his work on- and off-camera in the "Star Wars" films.

Robert Blees

Writer and producer -- via Variety. He wrote some great and not-so-great fare -- "Magnificent Obsession," "High School Confidential," "Dr. Phibes Rises Again," "cattel Queen of Montana," and "Frogs," among others.


Marisa Del Frate

Zane Musa

Saxophonist -- via the L.A. Weekly.

Vasco Bendini

Artist -- via Artribune.

Eileen Kaufman

Poet -- via sfgate.com.

Godfrey Kalimugogo

Novelist -- via New Vision (Uganda).

Martin Tapak

Director, actor, dancer, and choreographer -- via westernboothill.blogspot.com.

Odete Lara

Actress and singer -- via O Globo. AKA Odete Righi Bertoluzzi.

Tibor Bitskey

Actor -- via evangelikus.hu.

Thursday, February 5, 2015

Walter Liedtke

Art curator -- via Artnet News. Died in the recent Metro crash -- what a loss! A fine mind for understanding and sharing insights about art.





Monica Scattini

Actress -- via Corriere della Sera.

Norman Yemm

Actor and baritone -- via the Sydney Morning Herald.


Carlos Noguera

Writer -- via El Nacional.

Eddie "The Kydd" Rendini

Guitarist -- via Loudwire.

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Mary Healy

Actress, singer, and entertainer -- via the New York Times. Largely unknown now, she was a huge part of latter-20th-century entertainment, particularly in tandem with her husband, comic/singer/actor Peter Lind Hayes. They starred in radio, on stage, in several TV outings, and in the unique Dr. Seuss-written feature film "The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T." They inaugurated the jingle "see the USA on your Chevrolet"! I remember as them on "What's My Line?"

They worked perfect together, and were an epitome of the husband-wife song-dance-and-variety team of 20th century entertainment. Hayes was the madcap, and Healey the straight partner, always lovely, always charming. He was Harlequin, she was Colombina, and they could sing, do a comedy sketch, dance, just banter, act out a serious scene -- whatever was needed. This kind of versatility and ease of interplay is something to be learned from.












Joseph Alfidi

Pianist -- via Slipped Disc.



The Jacka

Rapper -- via Rolling Stone. AKA Dominic Newton, Shaheed Akbar.

Paul Panhuysen

David Bourne

Musician -- via snn.bz.

Martin Gilbert

Historian -- via the Guardian.

James Dunegan

Former MLB player -- via Lunning Funeral Chapel.

Jos van Manen-Pieters

Writer -- via nos.nl.


Alekos Kitsakis

Singer -- via news.nom.co.

Andriy Kuzmenko

Singer and actor -- via espreso.tv.

Marilyn Holderfield Heinke

Painting of Holderfield by Mary Deutschman
Vocalist -- via legacy.com.


Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Muath Safi Yousef Al-Kasasbeh

Kenji Goto

Monty Oum

Animator -- via the Washington Post.

Tomislav Bradanovic Lincir

Actor, dancer, journalist, and model -- via legacy.com. AKA Alva, Tomislav Lincir Bradovitch.

Valerie Ann Stevenson Joseph

Actress and singer -- via legacy.com.

Dave Bergman

Former MLB player -- via WXYZ. Best known as part of the 1984 Series-winning Tigers, and for his exemplary game-winning at bat in extra innings on June 4, 1984. Roy Lee Jackson was pitching for the Blue Jays -- Bergman fought off 12 pitches, then sent the 13th out of the park for a three-run walk-off win. (Even more amazing, he went in the hole 0-2 right away!)





Arturo Camsssi

Artist -- via La Nazione.

Vladimir-Georg Karassev-Orgussar

Filmmaker and broadcaster -- via coldwarradios.blogspot.co.uk. AKA Vladimir-Georg-Julian Orgussar, Vladimir Karasjov.

Richard McBrien

Renegade theologian -- via the New York Times.

Eddie "Cookie Dough" Bell

Drag performer -- via sfgate.com.

Monday, February 2, 2015

Johnny Goodman



Producer and production manager for film and TV -- via the Hollywood Reporter. Responsible for much British action/adventure television that I loved, including "The Saint," "The Champions," "The Persuaders!," "Danger UXB," and "Reilly: Ace of Spies."


John Leggett

Writer; former director of the Iowa Writers' Workshop -- via the Writers' University. I am particularly enamored of his nonfiction work "Ross and Tom: Two American Tragedies," about the sudden success and early suicides of writers Ross Lockridge Jr. ("Raintree County") and Tom Heggen ("Mister Roberts"). 

Al Severinsen

Former MLB pitcher -- via legacy.com.

John "Hoppy" Hopkins

Photographer -- via the Independent.

Juan Carlos Galvan

Actor -- via westernboothill.blogspot.com.

Deathcetera: The week in news of mortality and mourning

DEATH

The Black Death – the upside! – by Larry Jimenez at Listverse

10 faces of death from world mythology – via Jonathan H. Kantor at Listverse

Visualizing statistics on 10 unusual causes of death – from David Taylor at proofreader.com

The rise of the death caf̩ Рfrom Sophie Elmhirst at Prospect magazine

Adventures of the psychopomp – via Barbara Cashman in Denver Elder Law





MOURNING

Mindfulness and meditation can aid the grieving – from Via Brian Simmons at Elephant Journal


New Buddhist mini-altars aid the mourning – Alison Lesley in World Religion News


FUNERALS

The 9 most innovative funeral professionals – by Rochelle Rietow at funeralOne


Where the dead are preserved traditionally – from Fred Kibor at the Standard Digital (Kenya)




OBITS

Sexist, insulting obit for novelist McCullough causes stir – by Claire Fallon at the Huffington Post

A tribute to a 10th-grade English teacher – by John Dickerson in Slate

King Abdullah: evil dictator or advocate of democracy? Depends on who you read – from Keane Bhatt at Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting

Self-penned obit starts with a gag – via Fausto Giovanny Pinto

Democrat gets to crack on the Republicans in her obit – via the Moscow-Pullman Daily News


Recording life’s stories – from Wanda Moeller at the Ottumwa Courier

Carl Djerassi

Maurizio Arcieri

Vocalist -- via Libero.

Taeko Kono

Writer and critic -- via Kyodo News.

Vanja Orico

Actress, singer, and filmmaker -- via  El Globo. AKA Evangeline Orico.

Will McBride



Photographer -- via Kaltblut.

Sunday, February 1, 2015

Geraldine McEwan

Actress -- via the Hollywood Reporter. AKA Geraldine McKeown.She was in the original production of Orton's "Loot," appeared across from Olivier in Strindberg's "Dance of Death," but she will be best remembered popularly as Miss Marple.

Don Covay

Singer and songwriter -- via soultracks. AKA Donald Randolph. He wrote some classics, including "Chain of Fools," "See Saw," "Sookie Sookie," and more. Started off as a child gospel singer, then started singing R & B with the likes of a young Marvin Gaye, and finally broke in to the big time with Little Richard and Solomon Burke.










Israel Yinon

Than Wyenn

Actor, humorist, and dramatist -- via Variety. A ubiquitous character actor who appeared in dozens of films and TV shows.