Death Takes No Holiday -- The Obituary Thread

[Hibi]

So sad to hear about Nancy Wilson. It seemed like she'd go on forever.

[Sukhov]

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/20/obituaries/donald-moffat-dead.html

Donald Moffat, 87, a Top Actor Who Thrived in Second Billings, Dies

 

Donald Moffat, the character actor who nailed Falstaff’s paradoxes at the New York Shakespeare Festival, a grizzled Larry Slade in Eugene O’Neill’s “The Iceman Cometh” on Broadway and a sinister president in the film “Clear and Present Danger,” died on Thursday in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y. He was 87.

His daughter Lynn Moffat said the cause was complications of a recent stroke.

It might have surprised many Moffat fans to learn that this stage, screen and television actor was a naturalized, thoroughly Americanized Englishman who in the early 1950s had been a player with the Old Vic theater company, the London crucible of many of Britain’s most ambitious performing arts.

Mr. Moffat (pronounced MAHF-at) had long ago lost all traces of his British accent. And in a career of nearly a half-century, he amassed virtually all of his remarkable 220 credits in the United States — roles in some 80 stage plays (he directed 10 more), about 70 Hollywood and television movies and at least 60 television productions, including series, mini-series and anthologies.

[jakeem]

My favorite Donald Moffat role: Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson in "The Right Stuff."

In Philip Kaufman's 1983 film about the early days of America's space program, Johnson arrives outside the home of John Glenn (portrayed by Ed Harris) on the day of the Mercury astronaut's historic orbital flight on February 20, 1962. Anxious for a photo opportunity, LBJ requests a meeting inside with Glenn's wife Annie (Mary Jo Deschanel) during the space mission. But Mrs. Glenn declines because she's embarrassed that she stutters. And then her husband backs her up, prompting the vice president to throw a tantrum in his car.

[mr6666]

Cartoon Brew‏Verified account @cartoonbrew 23h23 hours ago

 

 

Remembering some of the animation greats who passed away this year:

Spongebob creator Stephen Hillenburg,

Claymation creator Will Vinton,

Studio Ghibli co-founder and director Isao Takahata,

and Roger Ramjet creator Fred Crippen.

[jakeem]

Norman Gimbel, the prolific, award-winning songwriter, died on December 19 at the age of 91, it was reported on Friday. The cause of death was not disclosed. 

Gimbel (pictured above left) and his longtime collaborator Charles Fox in 2011

At the 52nd Academy Awards on April 14, 1980, Gimbel shared the Best Original Song Oscar with composer David Shire for "It Goes Like It Goes." The tune was the theme song from "Norma Rae," the 1979 drama for which Sally Field won her first Best Actress award.

Gimbel also contributed to two songs that won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year. He wrote the English lyrics for "The Girl from Ipanema," a 1965 winner for singer Astrud Gilberto and saxophonist Stan Getz. 

A decade later, Roberta Flack's recording of "Killing Me Softly with His Song" was named Record of the Year for 1974. Gimbel and his longtime collaborator Charles Fox won Song of the Year honors.

Gimbel and Fox also created several television theme songs, including the ones for the 1970s series "Happy Days," "Laverne & Shirley" and "Wonder Woman" (featuring Gimbel's unforgettable line: "Get us out from under, Wonder Woman").

 

[Bogie56]

Donald Moffat was a standout in Carpenter's The Thing (1982).

[Princess of Tap]

5 hours ago, jakeem said:

Norman Gimbel, the prolific, award-winning songwriter, died on December 19 at the age of 91, it was reported on Friday. The cause of death was not disclosed. 

Gimbel (pictured above left) and his longtime collaborator Charles Fox in 2011

At the 52nd Academy Awards on April 14, 1980, Gimbel shared the Best Original Song Oscar with composer David Shire for "It Goes Like It Goes." The tune was the theme song from "Norma Rae," the 1979 drama for which Sally Field won her first Best Actress award.

Gimbel also contributed to two songs that won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year. He wrote the English lyrics for "The Girl from Ipanema," a 1965 winner for singer Astrud Gilberto and saxophonist Stan Getz. 

A decade later, Roberta Flack's recording of "Killing Me Softly with His Song" was named Record of the Year for 1974. Gimbel and his longtime collaborator Charles Fox won Song of the Year honors.

Gimbel and Fox also created several television theme songs, including the ones for the 1970s series "Happy Days," "Laverne & Shirley" and "Wonder Woman" (featuring Gimbel's unforgettable line: "Get us out from under, Wonder Woman").

 

Norman Gimbel's lyrics were all the rage in the late 50s and 60s.

The first of his records that I bought with Canadian Sunset. It had been an instrumental hit, then Andy Williams recorded it with Gimbel's lyrics and it became one of Andy's first million-selling records.

In the early sixties Gimbel wrote English lyrics for the American version of The Girl From Ipanema sung by Astrud Gilberto. He did the same for the bossanova hit How Inensitive, which was also recorded by Andy Williams.

For Michel Legrand's French movie tunes he wrote lyrics for Watch What Happens and I Will Wait For You from " The Umbrellas of Cherbourg ".

Being a utilitarian Lyricist he also created the immortal words for two of Garry Marshall's hit TV shows.--"Happy Days "and " Laverne and Shirley ".

 

" Down down  down  came the Sun

   Fast fast fast beat my heart

   I knew when the sun set

  From that day we'd never ever part."

[jakeem]

I can't think of any other singing performances by Kirk Douglas onscreen, but the 1954 song "A Whale of a Tale" from Disney's "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" was written by Norman Gimbel and Al Hoffman. 

 

[LawrenceA]

Several lesser-known names have passed away in the last month, and I thought I'd mention a few of them:

Geoff Murphy (1938-2018) - New Zealand director who came to attention with his 1983 film Utu, which has become a cult favorite. This led to Murphy directing a handful of American films, such as Young Guns 2, Freejack, and Under Siege 2: Dark Territory. He then moved to second unit direction, a position he held on all three of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings films.

 

Philip Bosco (1930-2018) - Character actor of stage and screen who won a Tony for 1989's Lend Me a Tenor. He amassed nearly 100 film and television credits over a 50+ year career.

 

Tim Rossovich (1946-2018) Former pro football player who segued into supporting roles in film and television, appearing in numerous action films throughout the 1980s.

 

Michael Seymour (1932-2018) British production designer who won a BAFTA for his work on 1979's Alien.

 

Bill Siegel (1962-2018) - Documentary filmmaker of The Trials of Muhammad Ali and the Oscar-nominated The Weather Underground.

 

Steve Daskewisz aka Steve Dash (1944-2018) - Stuntman and actor remembered for playing Jason Voorhees in Friday the 13th, Part 2.

 

Jorge Grau (1930-2018) - Spanish artist who dabbled in film directing, including the 1974 cult-fave horror movie Let Sleeping Corpses Lie aka The Living Dead At Manchester Morgue.

 

Herb Ellis (1921-2018) - Character actor who appeared in such films as The Killing, Pete Kelly's Blues, The Fortune Cookie, and Hang 'Em High, among many others.

 

Frank Adonis (1935-2018) - Character actor often cast as mobsters, including in Goodfellas, Raging Bull, Casino, and True Romance.

 

Robert Kerman (1947-2018) - Adult-film actor best known for co-starring in the grindhouse horror classics Cannibal Holocaust and Cannibal Ferox.

 

Ringo Lam (1955-2018) - Hong Kong director best known for his 1987 film City on Fire, which served as the inspiration for Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs.

[jakeem]

Dame June Whitfield, the venerable British actress who starred in several BBC television comedies -- including "Absolutely Fabulous," "Happy Ever After" and "Terry and June" -- has died at the age of 93. Her agent reported that she died in her sleep Friday night.

Whitfield, whose career began in the 1940s, made many appearances in musical theater productions and motion pictures and was a regular on radio and television as well. Among her film credits were four installments of the popular British "Carry On" comedy series -- "Carry On Nurse" (1959), "Carry On Abroad" (1972), "Carry On Girls" (1973) and "Carry On Columbus" (1992).

In May 1974, Whitfield teamed with actor Terry Scott (1927-1994) for the BBC1 sitcom "Happy Ever After," in which they starred as a married couple. When the series ended in April 1979, they played a similar couple in "Terry and June." It ran from October 1979 to August 1987.

Whitfield (pictured below right) co-starred with Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders in the long-running BBC comedy series "Absolutely Fabulous" -- "Ab Fab" for short. She appeared as the mother of the character played by Saunders, who also created and wrote the series. "Ab Fab" became a worldwide sensation that ran -- off and on -- from 1992 to 2012. The cast headlined a 2016 feature film titled "Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie."

Whitfield was made a dame in the Queen's 2017 birthday honors. The actress was recognized for her services to drama and entertainment through the years. 

She is survived by her daughter, the actress Suzy Aitchison. 

[Sukhov]

8 hours ago, LawrenceA said:

Several lesser-known names have passed away in the last month, and I thought I'd mention a few of them:

Geoff Murphy (1938-2018) - New Zealand director who came to attention with his 1983 film Utu, which has become a cult favorite. This led to Murphy directing a handful of American films, such as Young Guns 2, Freejack, and Under Siege 2: Dark Territory. He then moved to second unit direction, a position he held on all three of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings films.

 

Philip Bosco (1930-2018) - Character actor of stage and screen who won a Tony for 1989's Lend Me a Tenor. He amassed nearly 100 film and television credits over a 50+ year career.

 

Tim Rossovich (1946-2018) Former pro football player who segued into supporting roles in film and television, appearing in numerous action films throughout the 1980s.

 

Michael Seymour (1932-2018) British production designer who won a BAFTA for his work on 1979's Alien.

 

Bill Siegel (1962-2018) - Documentary filmmaker of The Trials of Muhammad Ali and the Oscar-nominated The Weather Underground.

 

Steve Daskewisz aka Steve Dash (1944-2018) - Stuntman and actor remembered for playing Jason Voorhees in Friday the 13th, Part 2.

 

Jorge Grau (1930-2018) - Spanish artist who dabbled in film directing, including the 1974 cult-fave horror movie Let Sleeping Corpses Lie aka The Living Dead At Manchester Morgue.

 

Herb Ellis (1921-2018) - Character actor who appeared in such films as The Killing, Pete Kelly's Blues, The Fortune Cookie, and Hang 'Em High, among many others.

 

Frank Adonis (1935-2018) - Character actor often cast as mobsters, including in Goodfellas, Raging Bull, Casino, and True Romance.

 

Robert Kerman (1947-2018) - Adult-film actor best known for co-starring in the grindhouse horror classics Cannibal Holocaust and Cannibal Ferox.

 

Ringo Lam (1955-2018) - Hong Kong director best known for his 1987 film City on Fire, which served as the inspiration for Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs.

Robert Kerman was also in the wonderful classic Debbie Does Dallas too. 

[Bogie56]

Sister Wendy Beckett who had an art history television show in Britain has passed away, aged 88.  She became an unlikely popular personality on tv with her enthusiasm for classic art.  Many found it humorous to listen to her descriptions of female breasts etc.

[speedracer5]

5 hours ago, Bogie56 said:

Sister Wendy Beckett who had an art history television show in Britain has passed away, aged 88.  She became an unlikely popular personality on tv with her enthusiasm for classic art.  Many found it humorous to listen to her descriptions of female breasts etc.

 

In 11th grade, in my AP European History class, we watched multiple episodes of Sister Wendy's art show.  Even though she wasn't talking about the most exciting of topics, she was enjoyable to watch because of how she described the paintings.  She was hilarious. The kids in the class actually looked forward to seeing more episodes of her show. 

[Princess of Tap]

9 hours ago, Bogie56 said:

Sister Wendy Beckett who had an art history television show in Britain has passed away, aged 88.  She became an unlikely popular personality on tv with her enthusiasm for classic art.  Many found it humorous to listen to her descriptions of female breasts etc.

 

Sister Wendy was one of the most vivacious and charismatic narrators and art historians I've ever seen on a documentary.

She was an unlikely International television Superstar.

She had one of the highest scores in Oxford for her specialty.

 Of course, I knew she was a nun, but I was shocked to find out that she was one of those sequestered nuns who was not allowed to speak or to have any contact with the outside world for the most part.

For someone who was so loquacious and personable that seemed to be a contradiction to me.

However, apparently she had been a teacher at one time and then was felled by epilepsy and preferred the intersanctum of prayerful contemplation.

Unbelievably, her segments were not scripted or rehearsed.

It always amused me how the television critics were confounded as to how well she could describe lustful and romantic art. LOL

I've been to the Louvre many times, but she gave me more excitement and joy about art than I ever had from visiting that or any other Art Museum.

Sister Wendy herself was a treasure for art and the culture of humankind.

[HIGHWAY]

 

Top 500 Sondra Locke (1944–2018) Actress | Director | Soundtrack     Sondra Locke was born May 28, 1944 as Sandra Louise Smith, probably in Madison, Alabama. She was the daughter of Raymond Smith, a military man stationed nearby, and Pauline Bayne. Smith departed the scene before Sondra's birth. In 1945, her mother wed William B. Elkins, and together they had a son, Donald, in 1946. The short union ended in divorce... See full bio » Born:  May 28, 1944 in Madison, Alabama, USA Died:  November 3, 2018 (age 74) in Los Angeles, California, USA

[LawrenceA]

1 minute ago, HIGHWAY said:

 

Top 500 Sondra Locke (1944–2018) Actress | Director | Soundtrack     Sondra Locke was born May 28, 1944 as Sandra Louise Smith, probably in Madison, Alabama. She was the daughter of Raymond Smith, a military man stationed nearby, and Pauline Bayne. Smith departed the scene before Sondra's birth. In 1945, her mother wed William B. Elkins, and together they had a son, Donald, in 1946. The short union ended in divorce... See full bio » Born:  May 28, 1944 in Madison, Alabama, USA Died:  November 3, 2018 (age 74) in Los Angeles, California, USA

 

There was a dedicated thread, in case you missed it:

http://forums.tcm.com/topic/257685-actress-sondra-locke-1944-2018/?tab=comments#comment-1924457

 

[Wayne]

You know who nobody (and I mean NOBODY --- not TCM, CBS Sunday Morning, nor even the Emmy telecast) remembered in their In Memoriam tributes?

ROBERT MANDAN (star of TV's "Soap" and "Three's A Crowd"), Feb. 2, 1932--April 29, 2018.

 

[jakeem]

Ray Sawyer, a member of the rock group Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show from 1969 to 1981, died last week at the age of 81. According to his publicist, Sawyer's death occurred in Daytona Beach, Florida, after "a brief illness." 

The Alabama-born vocalist and percussionist co-founded the band with Dennis Locorriere, Billy Francis and George Cummings. He left the group in the early 1980s to pursue a solo career. He had been retired from the music business for three years.

Sawyer, who wore Western-style hats and an eyepatch (he lost his right eye in a 1967 auto accident), was the lead vocalist for the band's novelty song "The Cover of 'Rolling Stone'." Written by Shel Silverstein, the recording became a Top 10 hit on the Billboard pop chart in 1973.

An illustration of the band appeared on the cover of the March 29, 1973 issue of Rolling Stone magazine. Each of the band members reportedly bought five copies for their mothers. 

The band's other well-known songs included "Sylvia's Mother" (also written by Silverstein), "Only Sixteen," "Sharing the Night Together," "When You're in Love with a Beautiful Woman," "Better Love Next Time," "Sexy Eyes" and "Baby Makes Her Bluejeans Talk."

[Princess of Tap]

.

9 hours ago, Wayne said:

You know who nobody (and I mean NOBODY --- not TCM, CBS Sunday Morning, nor even the Emmy telecast) remembered in their In Memoriam tributes?

ROBERT MANDAN (star of TV's "Soap" and "Three's A Crowd"), Feb. 2, 1932--April 29, 2018.

 

I remember this actor so well from my childhood because he was in one of my mother's favorite soap operas,  "Search for Tomorrow".

It's always thrilling to see a soap opera actor who breaks out and gets into the mainstream.

I can remember being in New York City in 1970 and trying to get tickets to Lauren Bacall in "Applause". There was nothing available but I was so shocked to see this face on the theater Lobby cards, co-starring with Lauren Bacall on Broadway!

My mother would have been so shocked too. LOL

[mr6666]

Don Lusk, Last Living Disney Animator Of Golden Age, Dies At 105

 

...... Of the seventeen Disney animated features between Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and 101 Dalmatians, Lusk was an animator on 13 of them. He animated Cleo and Figaro in Pinocchio, the Arabian Fish Dance in the “Nutcracker Suite” of Fantasia, Alice falling down the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland, Flora and Merryweather throwing pink and blue pixie dust at each other in Sleeping Beauty, and the nanny in 101 Dalmatians running out into the streets and yelling for help after the puppies are stolen. ...

Other Disney credits include Bambi, Song of the South, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, Cinderella, Peter Pan, and Lady and the Tramp. In 1941, Lusk was one of 334 employees who walked out on strike over working conditions at the studio. ......

https://www.cartoonbrew.com/rip/don-lusk-last-living-disney-animator-of-golden-age-dies-at-105-168427.html

[Barton_Keyes]

Writer, actor and comedian Bob Einstein died on January 2, 2019. He was 76.

Einstein got his start as a writer on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in the 1960s, and went on to create and star in the 1980s Showtime comedy series Super Dave. The character of naively optimistic stuntman Super Dave Osborne, whose stunts invariably went wrong with spectacular results, was a staple of 1980s television who made many appearances The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and Late Night with David Letterman. Since 2004, Einstein has had a recurring role on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, the tenth season of which is currently in production.

Einstein was the older brother of Oscar-nominated actor Albert Brooks (BROADCAST NEWS).

[jakeem]

Bob Einstein did double duty on "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour," appearing from time to time as Officer Judy. In a March 1969 segment, he lip synched to guest Judy Collins' version of the Randy Newman song "I Think It's Going to Rain Today." 

 

[lavenderblue19]

How sad. I liked Bob Einstein so much. He was so funny and talented. His role in Curb Your Enthusiasm as Marty Funkhouser was hilarious. I always looked forward to episodes he was in. Condolences to his friends and family.

RIP Bob Einstein

[jakeem]

Daryl Dragon, who was one-half of the Grammy Award-winning recording duo Captain and Tennille, has died at the age of 76. A spokesman said Dragon experienced renal failure on Wednesday at a hospice in Prescott, Arizona. His ex-wife and singing partner Toni Tennille was by his side when he died.

"He was a brilliant musician with many friends who loved him greatly," Tennille said in a statement. "I was at my most creative in my life, when I was with him." 

Dragon was the son of the American conductor, composer, and arranger Carmen Dragon (1914-1984), who -- with Morris Stoloff -- won the 1944 Academy Award for the musical score of the Rita Hayworth-Gene Kelly picture "Cover Girl." The elder Dragon also composed the score for the 1956 sci-fi thriller "Invasion of the Body Snatchers."

The younger Dragon got his nickname from Mike Love of The Beach Boys who called him "Captain Keyboard" because of his tendency to wear yachting caps.

He teamed up with the Alabama-born Tennille in 1974 and they married a year later. Their first hit single as Captain & Tennille was "Love Will Keep Us Together," which was written by Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield. It was the best-sellng single of 1975 and went on to become Record of the Year at the Grammy Awards held in 1976.

Although Tennille stood out as the lead vocalist, Dragon played keyboards and bass and was respected in the music industry for his prowess as a producer.

Among the duo's other hits: "The Way I Want to Touch You," "Lonely Night (Angel Face)," "Shop Around," "Muskrat Love," "You Never Done It Like That" and "Do That 
To Me One More Time."

During the 1976-1977 television season, the duo hosted its own variety program on ABC -- "The Captain and Tennille Show." Despite good ratings, they were anxious to get back on the road and requested that the show not be picked up for a second season. 

In the late 2000s, Dragon developed a tremor condition that made it difficult for him to perform music. Tennille filed for divorce in 2014, but she is said to have remained close to her ex-husband.

[LawrenceA]

Al Reinert (1947-2018) - Writer and director. He helmed the 1989 NASA documentary For All Mankind, and later wrote the screenplay for Apollo 13 (1995).

 

Richard Marks (1943-2018) - American film editor who received 4 Oscar nominations during his career, for Apocalypse Now (1979), Terms of Endearment (1983), Broadcast News (1987), and As Good As It Gets (1997).