Monday, April 13, 2015

Rudy Nappi

Illustrator -- via theredpillroom.blogspot.com. A supreme painter of sleazy cover art for exploitation and romance pulp novels (and hey, even some Jean-Paul Sarte -- see above), he also did many of the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew covers as well!



Vera Pap

Actress --via hvg.hu. Best known for her role as the protagonist in "Angi Vera."

Gerry Corr

Gerry third from right in photo.
Musician and leader of the Corrs -- via the (Irish) Independent.

Paul Almond

Filmmaker and writer -- via the Hollywood Reporter.


Gerald Perman

Founder of the Vocal Arts Society -- via the Washington Post.


Monte Merrick

Nina Companeez

Screenwriter and director -- via Le Figaro.

Lukacs Bicskey

Actor -- via westernboothill.blogspot.com.


Rogvold Sukhoverko

Actor -- via Tass.

Jayakanthan

Writer, filmmaker, critic, and activist -- via The Hindu. AKA JK.

Ivan Doig

Writer -- via the New York Times.

Richie Benaud

Cricketer and sports broadcaster -- via the New York Times.

Robert Walker

Animator and director -- via the Animation World Network. Co-directed "Brother Bear."


Eddie Aiona

Prop master -- via Variety.


Ralph Clemente

Filmmaker and educator -- via the Orlando Sentinel.

Gunter Grass

Nobel-winning writer, and poet, playwright, essayist, sculptor, and activist -- via the New York Times. He has a jacked-up legacy. A person who condemned his countrymen for their involvement with Nazism, he revealed 60 years on that he himself was a member of the SS during World War II. This severely compromised the integrity of his calls for an honest facing up to the past.

His writing is still meaningful and inspiring. An early wielder of magic realism, Grass taught us how to weld together fantasy, realism, and cultural observation in effective and profound ways. Although he will be best remembered for "The Tin Drum," two other books of his had a far greater effect on me personally -- "The Flounder" and "On Writing and Politics." I forgive him.

Sunday, April 12, 2015

Richard L. Bare

Director, producer, and screenwriter -- via Variety. A well-traveled but little-hailed comic creator, he started off with a string of 63 comedy shorts for Warners featuring Joe McDoakes (George O'Hanlon) a beleaguered Everyman. (O'Hanlon is best remembered as the voice of George Jetson.) He moved on to television, where he helmed episodes of such series as "77 Sunset Strip," "Maverick" (he is rumored to have "discovered" James Garner), "The Twilight Zone" (most notably the classic episode "To Serve Man"), and "Petticoat Junction."

His biggest achievement was guiding "Green Acres" to success. One of the most bizarre sitcoms made, its air of deadpan surreality was unique -- no doubt in part of Bare's direction.



Eugene Louis "Luigi" Facciuto

Choreographer and dance teacher -- via Broadway World.

Stanley Kutler

Historian -- via the New York Times.

Jose Capellan

Former MLB pitcher -- via the New York Daily News.

Ion Trewin

Journalist, editor, and publisher -- via the Guardian.


Friday, April 10, 2015

Judith Malina

Director, actor, and writer; co-fonder of the Living Theater -- via the New York Times. A theatrical revolutionary who with Julian Beck created controversy, scandal, discussion, and advanced the boundaries of performance in America. Prodcutions such as "The Connection," The Brig," and "Paradise Now" changed everything.






Lisa Simon

TV producer and director -- via Deadline.

Gardner Taylor

Minister -- via the San Jose Mercury News.

Malcom Bennett

Poet and writer -- via the Guardian.

Leonard J. "Sam" Linde

Former drummer for the Charlatans -- via legacy.com. He was replaced by Dan Hicks.

Emily Debrayda Phillips

Leon Bass

Educator -- via philly.com. His life was changed by arriving at Buchenwald a day after it was liberated. He spent much of his life testifying regarding it. An eloquent witness in the cause of human rights and truth.




Lon Simmons

Sports broadcaster known for his calls of 49ers and Giants games -- via sfate.com. He calledJim Marshall's wrong-way fumble recovery and safety; he was there for the earthquake game in the '89 Series.



Evelyn Starks Hardy

Billy DeLury

Dodgers employee for almost 65 years -- via the Los Angeles Daily News. Hired, 1950. 

William P. "Billy" O'Connor

Original drummer for Blondie -- via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He bailed before their first album -- he did not like New York in the mid-'70s. Clem Burke replaced him. (Billy was a smart guy -- it was terrifying.)

Klaus Rifbjerg

Writer -- via dr.dk.

Mathias Gnadinger

Actor -- via tz.de.

"Mpok" Nori

Comedian -- via the Jakarta Post. AKA Nuri Sarinuri.

Ayla Arslancan

Actress -- via Hurriyet.

Dick Mills

Richard Dysart

Actor -- via the New York Times.

Tut Taylor

Dobro player -- via the Tennessean. AKA Robert Taylor, Sr. He was a key player on John Hartford's "Aereo-plain" in 1971; won a grammy for his participation in "The Great Dobro Sessions."










Johnny Helms

Trumpeter -- via legacy.com.

Vivian Nathan

Actress and acting teacher -- via Riverside Memorial. AKA Vivian Firko. An original member of the Actor's Studio, she worked on Broadway from 1948 to 1977; on TV from 1953 to 1989; and in 19 films such as "Teacher's Pet," "The Outsider," and "Klute."

Joel Spira

Inventor of the solid-state light dimmer -- via the Washington Post.

Thursday, April 9, 2015

Indra Bania

Actor -- via the Indian Express.

Richard Moore

Poet and filmmaker -- via the San Jose Mercury News.

Peter Stichbury

Potter -- via conetenanddescending.wordpress.com.

Gian Vittorio Baldi

Filmmaker -- via Il Resto del Carlino.

George Wang

Actor -- via westernsallaitaliana.blogspot.com. AKA Wang Yie.


Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Geoffrey Lewis

Actor -- via Variety. A versatile character actor who "was in everything," (219 IMDb credits!) Lewis was adept at everything from slapstick to thrillers. Later, he founded the excellent storytelling/music ensemble "Celestial Navigations" with Geoff Levin. Notable films: "Thunderbolt and Lightfoot," "The Great Waldo Pepper," "Smile," "Every Which Way But Loose," and "Bronco Billy."




Milton DeLugg

Musician, composer, and arranger -- via legacy.com. He did so much. After starting off as a talented accordionist (he wrote "The Georgette Waltz" for Laurel & Hardy's "Flying Deuces" in 1939), DeLugg worked much in radio -- he was the conductor for Abe Burrows' short-lived 15-minute weekly radio show. He  became the musical director of the forerunner to the "Tonight" show, "Broadway Open House." He wrote "Orange Colored Sky," he produced Buddy Holly's "Rave On!" He wrote "Roller Coaster," the outro theme for "What's My Line?", and much of the classic peppery pseudo-Herb Alpert themes for Chuck Barris and his game shows. He served for decades as the musical director for Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Oh, and he wrote the theme for "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians," "Hooray for Santa Claus!"