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, February 17, 2011
Alan Shallcross
TV producer -- via the Guardian. He produced some great television, including many of the "Complete Plays of Shakespeare" series for the BBC.
Cliff Dapper
Baseball player -- via signonsandiego.com. The first player ever traded for a broadcaster (at least it was Ernie Harwell).
Louis Balta
Social studies teacher, drive-in theater manager, Serbian music expert and radio host -- via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
David F. Friedman
Film producer -- via the New York Times. He pioneered the "sexploitation" film and the splatter film.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Len Lesser
Actor in film, TV and on stage -- via Yahoo News. He may be best remembered as Uncle Leo on the TV series "Seinfeld," but his 60-year career encompassed many comic and dramatic roles.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
Kenneth Mars
Comic actor -- via the Hollywood Reporter. Well, this one really hurts. Mars was one of the funniest performers of the 20th century -- his roles in Mel Brooks films such as "Young Frankenstein" (as the one-armed Inspector Kemp) and "The Producers" (as Franz Liebkind, crazy Nazi playwright of "Springtime for Hitler") make him immortal. He did so much more -- other films, TV, stage work -- nearly 200 IMDB credits alone! He was a voice master as well -- he could do any accent, instantly and with ease and facility. He was eloquently daffy, and somehow subtly slapstick. God bless him! Never forget -- "He vill currrzzz de dey he vasschh borrrrn a Frangeunshhtein!"
George Shearing
Great jazz pianist -- via the BBC. This amazing and prolific performer and composer wrote over 300 tunes, including the standard, "Lullaby of Birdland." He worked with just about everyone of note (so to speak) in nearly 75 years of work.
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