2004

I like to keep up on the passings of people who don't get much press. This is a compilation of obits I've collected for the last couple of years.



2004:

Paul Atkinson-(died April 1)-(age 58)-was the guitar player for THE ZOMBIES and played on their biggest hits: "She's Not There", "Tell Her No" and "Time of The Season". When the group originally split in '67, he became a music executive signing bands like ABBA, JUDAS PRIEST, MR. MISTER and PATTY SYMTH and later "discovering" BRUCE HORNSBY.He died in Californa of liver and kidney disease.



Niki Sullivan-(Apr. 6)-(66)-was the rhythm guitarist in "The Crickets" with Buddy Holly and played on such classic songs as "That'll Be The Day" and "Oh Boy". He left the group shortly before it's break-up and briefly recorded for Dot Records in 1958. He died in his sleep at his home in Missouri.



Joseph Zimmerman-(Apr. 1)-(92)-invented the first telephone answering machine in 1948! It used a 78 rpm record and recorded a 30 second message! He also held many other patents.



Rene Laloux-(Mar. 14)-(74)-was a French writer/director responsible for the incredible animated movie FANTASTIC PLANET (1973). He directed several other films and shorts but none had the international impact of FP.



On April 15th 2004 manga artist Mitsuteru Yokoyama died at age 69. Yokoyama was best known in North America for his creations Tetsujin 28 go (Gigantor) and Giant Robo. Earlier today Yokoyama's house caught fire, leading to his death at approximately 10:30pm Tokyo Time. He died at Tokyo Metropolitan Hospital. Information for the funeral service is pending. Yokoyama was born in 1934, in Kobe. He began writing manga in high school. In 1956, he began "Tetsujin 28 go" in Shonen Magazine. His life work, the 60 volume retelling of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, won the Manga Artists Association award in 1991.Other works by Yokoyama include Otenba Tenshi, Babel II, and Magical Witch Sally.



New York born screenwriter Nelson Gidding died on May 8th at the age of 85 of natural causes. A POW during WW 2 he later wrote screenplays for several films directed by Robert Wise: I WANT TO LIVE! (Oscar nominated), ODDS AGAINST TOMORROW, THE HINDENBURG, THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN and the classic ghost story THE HAUNTING. Gidding started out in early TV on shows like "Inner Sanctum" and "Douglas Fairbanks Presents". Other films include THE HELEN MORGAN STORY, SKULLDUGGERY, Irwin Allen's BEYOND THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE, THE MISFIT BRIGADE, JOURNEY OF HONOR and the idiotic THE MUMMY LIVES, his last in 1993.



HUBERT SELBY JR.-Apr. 26-(75)-wrote the novels "Last Exit To Brooklyn" and "Requiem For A Dream" after a stint in the Merchant Marines and drug addiction. Both books became successful cult favorites.



ALBERT PAULSEN-Apr. 25-(78)-was an Emmy winning actor who was seen on Broadway, movies and TV. He made numerous TV show apperances in the '60's, '70's and '80's ranging from THE MAN FROM UNCLE, COMBAT!, THE ODD COUPLE and the soap opera General Hospital. Movie appearance include CHE!, SEARCH FOR THE GODS, THE LAUGHING POLICEMAN and EYEWITNESS.



CONNIE CEZON-Mar. 26-(78)-was an actress best known for her appearances in several late period Three Stooges shorts including "Corny Casanovas". She was also in two episodes of THE ABBOTT & COSTELLO SHOW and had a re-occuring role on TV's PERRY MASON. Her last role was an uncredited bit in Jerry Lewis' THE ERRAND BOY (1961).

FRED KARLIN-Mar. 26-(67)-Composed music for 130 movies & TV movies and won an Academy Award for the song "For All We Know" which was a big hit for The Carpenters. He also wrote several highly reguarded books on movie music.

ROBERT BURNS-(57)-was art director on many horror films, most notably THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE and RE-ANIMATOR. Other films include THE HILLS HAVE EYES, THE HOWLING, DON’T GO NEAR THE PARK, BLOOD SONG, MICROWAVE MASSACRE and PLAY DEAD. He died May 31.

NINO MANFREDI-(83)-was an Italian actor who made over 100 films in his native country. He also directed several. He died June 4th.

MILDRED VAN DORN-(94)-Early talkies actress who made a handful of films from 1929-34. She was in two shorts with Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, CLOSE RELATIONS and HOW’VE YOU BEEN? (Arbuckle’s entire talkie career consisted of only 6 short films!) and the seldom seen IRON MAN (with Jean Harlow; directed by Tod Browning. She appeared in other shorts directed by Mack Sennett and WILD COMPANY, an early talkie that featured Bela Lugosi. Originally from NYC, she died June 5th.

ALOHA PORTER (94)-played the devil in the 1935 version of DANTE’S INFERNO and some shorts directed by the above-mentioned Fatty Arbuckle. She died June 1st.

DONALD TRUMBULL-(95)-was a special effects artist who started his career working as a rigger on THE WIZARD OF OZ. He later did SFX on STAR WARS, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, LIFEFORCE and SPACEBALLS. He is the father of Douglas Trumbull. He died June 9th.

DANNY DARK-(65)-was a DJ who was the voice of Clark Kent/Superman on the ‘70’s cartoon series SUPERFRIENDS. He died June 15th.

ARTHUR KENNARD-(77)-was known as “The Spook Agent” in Hollywood as he represented Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, Boris Karloff and Lon Chaney Jr. He died on June 26th. Some of his other clients included Mary Astor, Raymond Burr and Sebastian Cabot.

BOB MURPHY-(79)-long time TV & radio announcer for The New York Mets died of cancer on Aug. 2nd. After stints in Boston and Baltimore, Murphy joined The Mets at their inception in 1962 and remained with them until last year when he retired due to illness.

FAY WRAY-(97)-Actress best known for her role as “Ann Darrow”, the woman terrorized by a giant ape in the original KING KONG. She made nearly 100 films beginning in 1923. Some her most famous include DOCTOR X (with Lionel Atwill), THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME (with her KK co-star Robert Armstrong), THE VAMPIRE BAT (again with Atwill and Dwight Frye), MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSECUM (with Atwill again!). She appeared on ‘50’s TV and had her last film role in 1958. She made one last isolated TV appearance in 1980’s GIDEON’S TRUMPET. Originally from Canada, she died on Aug. 7th in Manhattan where she lived for many years.

JERRY GOLDSMITH-(75)-well known film & TV composer who wrote his for score in 1948 (TV's STUDIO ONE) and went on to wrote over 300 scores! His film work included PLANET OF THE APES, PATTON, RIO LOBO, CHINATOWN, THE OMEN, ALIEN, GREMBLINS, RAMBO, several later STAR TREKs and many many more. His TV work included such classics as HAVE GUN WILL TRAVEL, THE TWILIGHT ZONE, THRILLER and THE MAN FROM UNCLE. Although nominated 17 times for Oscars he won only once (for THE OMEN). He had uncredited cameos in the movies GREMBLINS 1 & 2. He died July 21 of cancer.

ILLINOIS JACQUET-(81)-Blues/Jazz saxaphonist with nearly 300 compositions to his name. He had many hits in the '40's & '50's including "Black Velvet". He played with many "jazz giants" including Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker and Ella Fitzgerald. He's the subject of the 1994 film bio TEXAS TENOR. He died July 22 of a heart attack.

GEORGINE DARCY-(68)-was a dancer best known as "Miss Torso" in Hitchcock's REAR WINDOW. She also had roles in DON'T KNOCK THE TWIST and WOMEN AND BLOODY TERROR. Originally from Brooklyn she died on July 19 of natural causes.

IRVIN S. YEAWORTH JR.-(78)-was the director of the cult film classic THE BLOB. He also made THE 4-D MAN and DINOSAURUS (all three were produced by JACK H. HARRIS). He later made mainly religious shorts. He died in Jordan in a car accident