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.
Thursday, June 4, 2015
Gunther Schneider-Siemssen
Stage designer for opera -- via the New York Times. Best know for his sumptuous designed for Wagner, especially the Met's famed Otto Schenk "Ring" cycle.
Katherine Chappell
Visual-effects editor -- via Vulture. A promising young talent, she was mauled to death while on vacation by a lion in Africa.
John Carter
An instantly recognizable face -- an actor and director, on stage, film, and television -- via legacy.com. Beginning the New York theater, Carter moved west and racked up more than 100 credits on TV -- specializing in judges, doctors, and the like later in his career -- and in films such as the Pacino "Scarface," "Badlands," and others. One of those solid, dependable pros who are much better performers than one might assume.
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
Margaret Juntwait
Metropolitan Opera radio announcer -- via Parterre. This one hurts. I thought she was sick, as she was out this season of broadcasts; however, she chose not to announce her illness as various hosts filled in for her. She picked up beautifully from the previous host Peter Allen, and kept me spellbound for a decade. Her warm tone, impeccable knowledge, and sense of fun informed every performance. Truly a model of the informed and welcoming voice on the air.
My mother also died from ovarian cancer. I am intimately acquainted with its horrors. My condolences to her family and friends and colleagues. I loved, loved, loved listening to her.
My mother also died from ovarian cancer. I am intimately acquainted with its horrors. My condolences to her family and friends and colleagues. I loved, loved, loved listening to her.
Alberto De Martino
Screenwriter and director -- via Corriere della Sera. One of the great cinematic schlockmeisters, he made B-movies in almost every popular genre of the time -- gladiator films ("Hercules vs. the Giant Warriors"), "macaroni combat" films ("Dirty Heroes"), spaghetti Westerns ("He Who Shoots First"), horror ("Blood Link"), gangster films ("Crime Boss"), and even the hilarious superhero movie "The Pumaman," immortalized by treatment on "Mystery Science Theater 3000." Many of these films were ripoffs of American hits -- "The Antichrist" for "The Exorcist," "Holocaust 2000" for "The Omen," etc. Often cast a Hollywood star or two to punch up the box office -- he worked with Kirk Douglas, John Cassavetes, Donald Pleasence, Telly Savalas, Dorothy Malone, Mel Ferrer, Arthur Kennedy, Martin Balsam, and so forth.
Florentino Soria
Screenwriter, director, actor, journalist, teacher, and film historian -- via El Pais. Best known for writing the "chorizo" Western "Sabata the Killer."
Hiroshi Koizumi
Actor -- via godzilla-movies.com. Although he started his career with a significant role in Naruse's "Late Chrysanthemums," he is best role for his multiple roles in Godzilla and other Japanese kaiju films.
William Bronder
Actor -- via Dignity Memorial. Perhaps best remembered as the junkman Milo Pressman in "Stand by Me."
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
Nico Castel
Tenor, language and diction coach, and translator of libretti -- via Slipped Disc. A specialist in comprimario (supporting) roles, he also preserved and transmitted many Shepardic Jewish songs.
Carole Mathews
Actress -- via westernboothill.blogspot.com. AKA Jean Deifel. Beginning as a dancer (her time in a nunnery was truncated by her nomination as Miss Chicago in 1938), she worked extensively in early television.
Al Webb
Journalist --via UPI. One of the classic old-school pre-digital globetrotters who could get in and get the story from anywhere.
Jean Ritchie
Folk musician, songwriter, and singer; a pivotal figure in American traditional musics -- via mudcat.org. AKA "The Mother of Folk." Her encyclopedic knowledge of folk songs, derived from her Kentucky culture, made her a last living link to a lost world.
Monday, June 1, 2015
Julie Harris
Oscar-winning costume designer -- via Variety. Known for her work on films such as "Darling" (Oscar), "Rollerball," "Live and Let Die," and "A Hard Day's Night."
Betsy Palmer
Actress -- via cleveland.com. AKA Patricia Bets Hrunek. Although the mainstream media keeping whingeing on about her "defining" role as the killer in "Friday the 13th," she had a long cfareer on stage and in TV and in films such as "The Tin Star" and "Mister Roberts."
Johnny Keating
Musician, composer, songwriter, and arranger -- via the Scotsman. Bet known for his theme for the long-running British TV sereis "Z Cars," some of his '60s hi-fi arrangements were resurrected for use in the New Lounge movement.
Sunday, May 31, 2015
Friday, May 29, 2015
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