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.
Monday, June 8, 2015
Mary Ellen Trainor
Actress -- via the Hollywood Reporter. She was Mrs. Walsh in "The Goonies," she was in all four "Lethal Weapon" films, and plenty else. Lots of TV, too. A solid pro.
Sunday, June 7, 2015
Hermann Zapf
Ruth Duskin Feldman
Original 'Quiz Kid' and writer, educator, gifted-education expert, and madricha -- via the Chicago Tribune. "The Quiz Kids" was an NBC radio show, modeled on the earlier "stump the experts" show "Information Please," that ran from 1940 to 1953, making its young players stars. Feldman later examined the phenomenon in her book "Whatever Hapened to the Quiz Kids?," bringing gifted-education issues to the awareness of the American public.
Ronnie Gilbert
Singer, songwriter, and activist; one of the original members of the Weavers -- via the New York Times. A great singer and a fine spirit.
Richard Johnson
Actor, writer, and producer -- via the BBC. Best known for his work in the classics, as well as adventure films such as "Khartoum" and "Operation Crossbow."
Pierre Brice
Actor -- via Deutsche Welle. AKA Pierre-Louis Baron de Bris. Best known for his long-standing portrayal of Apache chief Winnetou in 11 film adaptations of Karl May's "Shatterhand" adventure novels.
Larry Kolber
Songwriter and lyricist -- via legacy.com. Best known for writing the words to the pop hit "I Love How You Love Me."
Friday, June 5, 2015
Will Holt
Songwriter, performer, librettist, and lyricist -- via the New York Times. Most notably, wrote the lyrics for pop hit "Lemon Tree" and the score for "The Me Nobody Knows."
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.
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