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, January 9, 2015
Milton Hebald
Sculptor -- via the L.A. Times. His work is seen by thousands -- for instance, formerly at JFK and still outside the Delacorte in Central Park.
Ramon "Ray" Gipson
Lead singer of the G-Clefs -- via the Salem News. Their big hit: "I Understand." I love "Ka-Ding-Dong."
Gerry Fisher
Cinematographer -- via the Telegraph. I am surprised he is not better-known -- he DP'ed many excellent films, including "The Go-Between," "Man in the Wilderness," "Juggernaut," "Mr. Klein," "Wise Blood," Losey's "Don Giovanni," "Wolfen," and "Highlander." He started as a camera operator in 1947, working on films such as "The Bridge on the River Kwai," "The Sundowners," and "Cleopatra."
Terry Becker
Actor, producer, and director -- via legacy.com. AKA Solomon Becker. In front of the camera, his biggest impression was made as Chief Sharkey in the preposterous but beloved '60s TV series "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea."
King Sporty
Songwriter, DJ, musician, and music producer -- via soulandjazzandfunk.com. AKA Noel G. Williams. He wrote "Buffalo Soldier."
Thursday, January 8, 2015
Rod Taylor
Actor -- via Variety. An important member of Australian dramatic radio, Taylor moved on to film and TV and stage in America, and is best known for his roles in "The Time Machine," "The Birds," and "One Hundred and One Dalmatians" (he was the voice of Pongo). His last screen role was a cameo as Churchill in Tarentino's "Inglorious Basterds."
Takao Saito
Cinematographer -- via Yahoo News. One of the "Kurosawa-gumi," the ensemble of actors, artists, and technicians that helped make Kurosawa's films come to life. Beginning as a camera operator on "One Wonderful Sunday" in 1947, he continued in this capacity through "Ikiru," "Seven Samurai," "I Live in Fear," "Throne of Blood," "The Lower Depths," "The Hidden Fortress," "The Bad Sleep Well," and "Yojimbo." He served as DP for "Sanjuro," "High and Low," and "Red Beard." He helped Kurosawa make the transition to color in "Dodes'ka-den," pushing through to even more amazing work in "Kagemusha," "Ran," "Dreams," and "Rhapsody in August." One of the greats.
Chitresh Das
Dancer -- via Mercury News.
http://www.mercurynews.com/entertainment/ci_27273521/pandit-chitresh-das-renowned-indian-dance-master-dies
http://www.mercurynews.com/entertainment/ci_27273521/pandit-chitresh-das-renowned-indian-dance-master-dies
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Rene Vautier
Filmmaker -- via Ouest France. He was sentenced to prison for making anti-colonialist films, one, "Afrique 50," was banned for 40 years. See it below.
The Charlie Hebdo killings
12 are killed at Paris satirical weekly -- via the Telegraph. The dead include several staffers from Charlie Hebdo and two police officers. This post will update periodically as more information comes in.
Here is a complete lit of victims:
Stephane "Charb" Charbonnier, artist and publishing director
Jean "Cabu" Cabut, lead cartoonist
Bernard "Tignous" Verlhac, cartoonist
Georges Wolinski, cartoonist
Bernard "Uncle Bernard" Maris, economist and columnist
Phillipe Honore, cartoonist
Michel Renaud -- former journalist
Mustapha Ourrad -- copy editor
Elsa Cayat -- columnist and analyst
Frederic Boisseau -- building maintenance worker
Franck Brinsolaro -- police officer
Ahmed Merabet -- police officer
They were humorists. They were telling jokes, provoking thought, for crying out loud. Proof positive that the people who can't take a joke are dangerous. Without humor, there's no freedom. It's ironic, but not funny, that one of the slain officers was a Muslim.
Here is a complete lit of victims:
Stephane "Charb" Charbonnier, artist and publishing director
Jean "Cabu" Cabut, lead cartoonist
Bernard "Tignous" Verlhac, cartoonist
Georges Wolinski, cartoonist
Bernard "Uncle Bernard" Maris, economist and columnist
Phillipe Honore, cartoonist
Michel Renaud -- former journalist
Mustapha Ourrad -- copy editor
Elsa Cayat -- columnist and analyst
Frederic Boisseau -- building maintenance worker
Franck Brinsolaro -- police officer
Ahmed Merabet -- police officer
They were humorists. They were telling jokes, provoking thought, for crying out loud. Proof positive that the people who can't take a joke are dangerous. Without humor, there's no freedom. It's ironic, but not funny, that one of the slain officers was a Muslim.
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Monday, January 5, 2015
Ninon Sevilla
Actress and dancer -- via El Universal. AKA Emelia Perez Castellanos. A great star in Mexico and Cuba, who did much to popularize the rhumba.
(William) Patrick Gowers
Composer best known for his film and choral scores -- via Slipped Disc. He was the music director for the groundbreaking production of "Marat/Sade," and scored several film and TV works. He may be best remembered for his work on the Jeremy Brett Sherlock Holmes series.
DEATHCETERA: A weekly roundup of mortality-related news
Not many stories about death this week -- which, ironically, is just fine by me. Sometimes grief and thoughts of mortality must ebb.
DEATH
Do you mind if
we broadcast your husband’s death? Really? Too bad – from Charles
Ornstein via ProPublica and the New York Times
Oh
dear. The misadventures of famous people’s bodies after death – from Jef
Rouner at Cracked
Man
seeks to reunite cremains with dead man’s survivors – via Rachel Southmayd
at heraldonline.com.
MOURNING
Second
slain NYPD officer buried; some police protests continue – via Ashley
Fantz, Ben Brumfield, and Holly Yan at CNN
FUNERALS
Rising funeral
costs are crippling
– from Lucy Berry at al.com
OBITS
Interview with
Margalit Fox, long-time obit writer for the New York Times – via Lourdes
Garcia-Navarro at NPR
Shelly Bordas
Actress and teacher -- via John Moore at the DCPA. Once again, here's a prime example of a life that might be overlooked by big media, but one that made a lot of impact. Shelly's grit was incredible; another huge component of the story is the fact that a creative community of, quite literally, hundreds got on the same page and pitched in to help her and her son -- not just with money, but with time and care and support. I feel very lucky to be even a weensy, tangential part of the scene.
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