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Actor Brad Sullivan, died of cancer New Year's Eve.



Sullivan (1931-2008), a Chicago-born Korean War vet, enjoyed a successful career that included stage (six Broadway plays, five Off-Broadway), many movies, and dozens of TV appearances, not including his two series roles: As Zollicofer Weed, a coach, in "I'll Fly Away" (1991-92) and Father Leo, a priest, in "Nothing Sacred" (1997-98).



Kevin Anderson, who starred in the latter, also appeared with Sullivan in the 1989 Broadway revival of Tennessee Williams's Orpheus Descending (later televised). Anderson played the male lead, Val Xavier; Sullivan was Jabe, the husband of Lady Torrance (Vanessa Redgrave).



Sullivan's movies included "The Sting," "Slap Shot," "The Untouchables," "The Prince of Tides," and "The Fantasticks" (in which he and Joel Grey played the fathers). Sullivan's last role was in a 2000 "Law & Order" episode.



His Broadway debut was in 1977's The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel. For Working, Sullivan earned a Drama Desk nomination as Best Featured Actor in a Musical. Other Broadway credits: The Wake of Jamey Foster, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, On the Waterfront.Brad liked to share stories about his films.



After shooting "Ghost Story," Fred Astaire's final film, Brad recalled that, during on-location meals, the legendary performer (who seemingly ate little) always encouraged Brad to take food from his plate.



Speaking of "The Untouchables" scene where Al Capone (Robert DeNiro) circles a table of mobsters (one of them, Sullivan) and suddenly bashes-in an offender's skull with a baseball bat, Brad was astonished that the actors' tuxedos (seen only from the waist up and splattered with fake blood), each cost $1,500.



Unlike some "Prince of Tides" colleagues, Brad got along well with star-director Barbra Streisand. But he was never quite sure if the contents of a can of dog food that Kate Nelligan (playing his wife) served him was the real thing. Brad said that an actor should never question a director, and that it had tasted okay, whatever its pedigree.



Whenever I interviewed an actor who had worked with Brad Sullivan, he or she liked the man, and admired his talent. That's how I shall remember my friend. Bravo, Brad!



John Scott Martin



Published Monday 12 January 2009 at 14:30 by Catriona Martin



My father John Scott Martin had an acting career that spanned half a century and included West End musicals, the Monty Python films and even a role as chief Dalek in Doctor Who.



Born in Toxteth, Liverpool, on April 1, 1926, his first performanceswere as a chorister at St Philemon’s church.After active service with the Gordon Highlanders, he joined theLiverpool Grand Opera Company. A professional panto at the Liverpool Empire would start an acting career that lasted more than 50 years.



He performed in West End shows, such as Kismet, Oliver! and The Streetsof London, and played the rabbi opposite Topol in Fiddler on the Roofat Manchester Opera House.



John worked in the early days on live television. He appeared in more than 110 episodes of Doctor Who and as the chief Dalek, attempted to exterminate the first five doctors.



In film, John worked with Monty Python in Eric the Viking and TheMeaning of Life, he appeared in Little Shop of Horrors and Pink Floyd’s The Wall. His characterful face made him perfect for the retiring 192 in the 118 118 commercial and his final role was as Rico in Mine All Mine for Red Productions.



John lived in Great Maplestead, where he was church warden and school governor and, as he loved people, he enjoyed village life. As he bravely battled Parkinson’s disease, cared for by his devoted wife Margaret, he took great pleasure in following and supporting my acting career. He passed away peacefully, aged 82, on January 6. A perfect gentleman, warm, kind and funny, he will be missed by so many.





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Alvin Ganzer, who directed hundreds of movies and television shows, including "Hawaii Five-0" and "Hawaiian Eye," died Jan. 3 in Po'ipu, Kaua'i. He was 97.



Ganzer was born in Cold Springs, Minn., and moved to California at an early age. Desperate for work during the Great Depression, the young Ganzer took a job in the casting department at Paramount Pictures in 1932. Murial Ganzer said her husband wouldn't have gotten that job if not for President Franklin D. Roosevelt's plan to stimulate the economy by forcing the major movie studios to hire young people. "I don't think he made $35 a month because nobody made any money those days," Murial Ganzer said. "His job was to go outside every morning with a board and hire extras for pictures that were being done by Cecil B. Demille and those people who had to hire hundreds of extras. They were hiring these extras for a buck or two a day."



It was with Paramount that Ganzer developed a love for movie production and met up-and-coming actors such as Anthony Quinn, who was hired as an extra by Ganzer.



Ganzer worked his way up and served as first director on many popular films, including the Bob Hope/Bing Crosby "Road" shows. In the 1950s, when many movie studios began to shut down, Ganzer made the move to the small screen as television began to gain in popularity. The transition went smoothly for Ganzer, who directed episodes of "Gunsmoke," "The Man from U.N.C.L.E.," "Route 66," and "The Twilight Zone." Later in his TV career, he directed several episodes of "Police Woman" and "Ironside." Ganzer's career also brought him to Hawai'i, where he directed episodes of "Hawaiian Eye" and "Hawaii Five-0" when the crime series began in 1968. Murial Ganzer said her husband was asked to direct more episodes of "Hawaii Five-0," but had commitments on the Mainland. Ganzer continued to work until the late 1970s before retiring. About six years ago, he and his wife moved to Kaua'i to live with their son. Murial Ganzer said her husband led a "wonderful" life. "He had a very interesting life. He had many people who loved him and adored him," she said. "He was a very talented, wonderful human being." In addition to his wife, Ganzer is survived by son, Alvin; daughter, Carolynn Jacobs Finnegan; three grandchildren; and 13 great- grandchildren.