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.
Friday, June 26, 2015
John M. Stephens
Cinematographer and cameraman -- via legacy.com. Started off doing a lot of second-unit and specialty shooting, starting with John Sturges's would-be epic Western comedy, "The Hallelujah Trail" in 1965. He worked with the greats on films such as "Seconds," "Temple of Doom," "Midnight Run," and "Titanic." Served as DP on the great 'B' trilogy, "Billy Jack," "Boxcar Bertha," and "Blacula," as well as Friedkin's underrated "Sorcerer."
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Patrick Macnee
Actor -- via the BBC. Macnee played John Steed, the perfect gentleman and secret agent in the British TV series "The Avengers." This show was my absolute favorite as a child, and Steed was pleasant, well-spoken, intelligent, witty, and tough -- and Macnee was a great foil for the succession of great female partners he would play against in the original series and its remake. For better or worse, he was typed as such for the rest of his career. He had some fun with his image in films such as "Spinal Tap" and "The Howling," and he is one of the few actors to have played both Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson. A lot of fun as a performer, his bonhomie always cheered me up. We still have to fact-check the assertion that he was tossed from Eton for selling porn and running a bookie joint.
Anthony Sydes
Child actor -- via the Hollywood Reporter. Best remembered as Peter, the child who Santa (Edmund Gwenn) promises a fire engine in "Miracle on 34th Street" (1947).
Larry Johnson
Tenor with the Artistics -- via Vintage Vinyl News. They sang background for Major Lance ("Monkey Time") among others. Their big hit: "I'm Gonna Miss You" in 1966.
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Nicola Badalucco
Screenwriter and journalist -- via Trapani Oggi. Best known for writing scripts such as "Death in Venice" and "The Damned."
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Don Featherstone
Artist best known for creating the iconic plastic pink flamingo lawn ornament -- via the Sentinel and Enterprise.
Colette Marchand
Ballerina -- via the New York Times. Received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Marie in "Moulin Rouge" (1952).
Magali Noel
Actress and singer -- via ANSA. A favorite of Fellini, she is best known for playing Gradisca in "Amarcord." As a singer, her big hit was the controversial "Hurt Me Johnny" in 1959 -- an extrememly masochistic rock 'n' roll song that was banned from French radio. She also appeared in classics such as "Rififi" and "Satyricon."
Dick Van Patten
Actor -- via Entertainment Weekly. A stalwart character actor who started on Broadway at age 7 in 1935, Van Patten is best known for playing Tom Bradford, the father on American TV dramedy "Eight is Enough." A Mel Brooks regular as well, he specialized in comedy and playing nebbishes.
Monday, June 22, 2015
George "Foghorn" Wilson
Child actor -- via Digital Spy UK. AKA Karl Wentzlaff. He pestered Marilyn Monroe in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," annoyed Clifton Webb in "Mister Scoutmaster," and traded quips with Cary Grant in "Monkey Business." His one starring vehicle was "The Rocket Man."
Gunther Schuller
Composer, conductor, writer, and teacher -- via the New York Times. A gifted musician who moved into composing and conducting. He was adept in both classical and jazz, and advocated a Third Stream movement that combined the best of both. This wound up happening primarily inside his own compositions, but he was a catalyst for the cross-pollination that enriches cultures. He ran Tanglewood for a while; his GM Recordings put a lot of good music out that might never have been heard otherwise.
Laura Antonelli
Actress -- via ANSA. AKA Laura Antonaz. Known primarily for her sexual allure in films, and despite her tragic personal life, she could act, conveying character in films that often weren't up to par. Part of the brief wave of sophisticated European erotic that vanished when cheaper cable-TV imitators churned out product.
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Earl Norem
Illustrator -- via Facebook. He worked across a vast array of media -- magazines, comic books, trading cards, murals, program covers, movie posters and the like.
Chang Ch'ung-ho
Poet, educator, opera singer, and calligrapher -- via book.ifeng.com. AKA Ch'ung-ho Frankel.
Sunday, June 21, 2015
Harold Battiste
Composer, label founder, arranger, saxophonist, pianist, music producer, and educator -- via the L.A. Times . He arranged "You Send Me" for Sam Cooke; founded AFO Records, the first African American artist-owned label. They produced Barbara George's "I Know," and Ellis Marsalis's first album. He worked on "Ya Ya," "You Talk Too Much," and "I Got You Babe" (he worked with Sonny and Cher for 15 years). You can even hear his piano of the early Tom Waits album "Blue Valentine." He discovered Dr. John.
His crisp, simple, tasteful settings that support the music are a model for future music producers. And who else would have put an oboe in "I Got You Babe" and have it make the song? That's a heck of a lot of good music he sent our way.
His crisp, simple, tasteful settings that support the music are a model for future music producers. And who else would have put an oboe in "I Got You Babe" and have it make the song? That's a heck of a lot of good music he sent our way.
Wendell Holmes
Vocalist, guitarist, pianist, and songwriter -- via Billboard. A guy who could and did play just about anything, with his brother Sherman and drummer Popsy Dixon as the Holmes Brothers. Great makers of inspirational music! Soul music was derived from gospel -- the Brothers weren't afraid to use the complete arsenal of sul, blues, and funk technique to create a rich, propulsive Christian music.
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