1940s Radio Actress Joan Alexander Dies at 94



By Adam Bernstein Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, May 22, 2009; 9:24 AM



Joan Alexander, 94, a leading radio actress of the 1940s best known for playing Lois Lane, the ace reporter who was constantly being rescued from peril by Superman, died May 21 at New York Presbyterian Hospital of an intestinal ailment. After an early modeling and stage career, Ms. Alexander became a versatile performer on dozens of radio serials, notably as the loyal secretary Della Street in "Perry Mason." She played recurring characters on radio soap operas and dramas including "Lone Journey," "Light of the World" and "This is Nora Drake." But Ms. Alexander achieved her greatest prominence -- and enduring fame among devoted Superman fans -- as one of the handful of women to portray Lane, an intrepid reporter for the fictitious Daily Planet. According to many sources, she was the third actress cast as Lane in the serial "The Adventures of Superman," which first aired in February 1940 on New York station WOR and reached a broad audience through syndication on the Mutual network. For the next decade, Ms. Alexander was heard playing opposite actor Bud Collyer as Superman, the Man of Steel from planet Krypton who saves Lane from enemy agents during wartime and from various other foes bent on destroying the American way of life. By day, Superman disguises himself as Lane's nerdy, fumbling newsroom colleague, Clark Kent.



Collyer once told an interviewer, "Joan is one of those rare actresses -- especially in radio where you can't be seen and have to depend entirely on voice -- who can go in on something cold and her instincts are so right as an actress that without even a rehearsal or a read-through, she is right." In addition to their radio work -- the show later aired on the ABC network -- Ms. Alexander and Collyer provided voiceovers in 17 animated Superman shorts, made by Fleischer and Paramount studios, that played in movie theaters during World War II. Ms. Alexander and Collyer reunited in the late 1960s to do voice-overs for the Saturday morning cartoon "The New Adventures of Superman" on CBS.



Ms. Alexander was a regular panelist on the TV game show "The Name's the Same" in the early 1950s and had a supporting role on Broadway in the Jean Kerr comedy "Poor Richard" (1964), starring Alan Bates and Joanna Pettet. She subsequently became a homemaker and hostess, having married for her third and final time to Arthur Stanton, a prominent auto distributor who helped introduce the Volkswagen Beetle to America. The couple was known for throwing sumptuous parties at their homes in New York City and East Hampton, Long Island. Leonard Bernstein conducted "Happy Birthday" to celebrate the 21st birthday of Ms. Alexander's daughter, the novelist Jane Stanton Hitchcock.



Ms. Alexander was born Louise Abras in St. Paul, Minn., on April 16, 1915, to parents of Lebanese heritage. She was 3 when her father died, and her new stepfather shipped her to a convent school on Long Island. As a young woman, she turned to modeling and then to acting, taking a new first name that she borrowed from actress Joan Crawford. She was resourceful, once landing a role by convincing a producer that she could use her Garment District connections to get them free costumes. She later studied acting in Europe with Benno Schneider, a director best known for his work in Yiddish theater, and toured widely on the continent during the Nazi rise to power. "I even got to Casablanca before Roosevelt and Humphrey Bogart put it in on the map," she was quoted as saying, according to Thomas A. DeLong's 1996 book, "Radio Stars." In 1944, she married John Sylvester White, an actor best known for playing assistant principal Woodman in the TV show "Welcome Back, Kotter." The marriage ended in divorce, as did a later marriage to Robert T. Crowley. She was married to Stanton from 1955 until his death in 1987.



Survivors include a daughter from her second marriage, Hitchcock, whom Stanton adopted and who lives in New York City and Washington; a son from her third marriage, Timothy Stanton of New York; a half-sister; and a grandson. A son from her third marriage, Adam Stanton, died in 1993.



After his death, Arthur Stanton reportedly left Ms. Alexander $70 million. Last year, she filed a lawsuit accusing her financial advisers of fraud, professional malpractice and other crimes for losing or stealing much of that fortune. The case is still pending.



British actress Lucy Gordon found dead in Paris



PARIS – French police say British actress Lucy Gordon, who appeared in "Spider-Man 3," was found dead in her Paris apartment after apparently committing suicide.



An official with the Paris police headquarters says an autopsy has been ordered to determine the cause of death. The official said Thursday it appeared to be a suicide, but gave no details.

Japanese chanson singer Hideo Ko dies



Hideo Ko, the Japanese singer famous for pioneering the chanson form of French singing, has died of pneumonia at the age of 90.



A native of Karafuto (now a part of the Russian Federation), Mr Ko helped to increase the popularity of the musical genre in Japan, reports Kyodo News.



The performer travelled to France for the first time in the 1950s and went on to release hit songs including Yuri no furu machi wo (Town of Falling Snow).



As well as becoming popular in Japan, he was well-known in France where he would sing songs while wearing a traditional Japanese kimono.I



n 1989, the Japanese government awarded him the Medal with Purple Ribbon.Chanson first became prominent in the Middle Ages and only the melodies survive from the earliest examples of it.



Among the most renowned chanson composers are Pierre Attaignant, Josquin Baston, Antoine Bruhier, Mathieu Gascogne and Pierre Certon.



He also appeared in some Japanese movies:Gyangu 3, Boss of the Underworld: Gang of 11, Goke, Body Snatcher from Hell, Horror of a Deformed Man and Yakuza's Law.



Princess Jasmine (05/08/09)



Cynthia Johnson better known as Princess Jasmine passed away this morning at 7:45 am. Jasmine was a CAC member and was honored this year at the annual reunion. Jasmine had battled cancer for a good while and was unable to attend this years reunion. Her award was fed-ex over night to her following the reunion.



Jasmine was well known in the wrestling world. She had worked for the AWA,NWA,WCW,WWF and tons of Independent promoters. Had feuds in the Caribbean’s, Japan, Africa, the Philippines, Korea, Middle East, and all over the United States & Canada. Trained by Prince Pullins and Dick the Bruiser in 1968, her first match was just three months after training.



Jasmine’s funeral will be at Woods Funeral Home, 1003 S. Halsted St., Chicago Heights, Illinois 60411 . More information as to times and dates will be added as soon as all arrangements are complete.The Cauliflower Alley Club offers condolences to the friends and family of Princess Jasmine.

Frank Aletter dies at 83; character actor known for roles in situation comedies

Associated Press

Frank Aletter wed former Miss America Lee Meriwether on April 20, 1958, in San Francisco. The couple divorced in 1970.

After starting his acting career on Broadway, he starred in the 1960s TV series 'Bringing Up Buddy' and 'It's About Time.'

By Dennis McLellan 5:17 PM PDT, May 14, 2009 Frank Aletter, a veteran character actor who starred in the 1960s situation comedies "Bringing Up Buddy" and "It's About Time," has died. He was 83. Aletter, who was once married to actress and former Miss America Lee Meriwether, died of cancer Wednesday at his home in Tarzana, said his daughter Kyle Oldham.

Legendary Australian actor Charles 'Bud' Tingwell has died in a Melbourne hospital after a battle with prostate cancer.

His agent confirmed the 86-year-old iconic star of The Castle and TV cop show Homicide passed away this morning.

Tingwell was born in the Sydney beachside suburb of Coogee on January 3, 1923.It was not until after his mother died that he discovered why he had been nicknamed Bud - when she was pregnant, friends at the Coogee Surf Club asked her "what's budding in there?'' which became "how's the bud?''.

Tingwell became the youngest radio announcer in Australia when he was employed at Sydney radio station 2CH as a cadet, then joined the Royal Australian Air Force in 1941 and was sent to the Middle East as a photographic reconnaissance pilot.

He entered the film industry in the 1950s, playing the lead in feature film Always Another Dawn. While he was wooed by Hollywood, he chose to stay in Australia working in film, radio and theatre.Tingwell and his wife Audrey moved to London for 17 years in 1956, the actor scoring roles in TV and radio series, four Miss Marple films with Dame Margaret Rutherford and theatre productions.

He returned to Australia in 1973 when Hector Crawford offered him the lead role of Inspector Reg Lawson in the TV series Homicide. Tingwell went on to produce and direct other major Australian TV productions, including The Sullivans, Cop Shop, The Flying Doctors and Prisoner.

Audrey Tingwell, who he described as ``the love of my life'' on his personal website, died in 1996, shortly before their 45th wedding anniversary.

He credits the team from Working Dog productions - including Rob Sitch, Tom Gleisner and Santo Cilauro - for saving him in the weeks following her death by offering him a role in their film The Castle.

"It turned out to be the greatest therapeutic experience for me,'' he said on his website of his role as a barrister.Tingwell and Audrey had two children, son Christopher and daughter Virginia Tingwell, who is also an actress.He was awarded the A.M. (Member of the Order of Australia) in the 1999 Queen's Birthday Honours List for his services to the performing arts as an actor, director, producer, and to the community.http://www.watoday.com.au/lifestyle/people/film-and-tv-legend-charles-bud-tingwell-dies-20090515-b56s.html

From a Blog Post:With all the news of “X-Men” spin-offs and typical Hollywood deals littering the trades the last few days, I’m surprised no one has picked up on the news that filmmaker Marc Rocco, perhaps best known for directing the 1995 film “Murder in the First,” was found dead in his Northridge home over the weekend.I was informed of the news earlier today by a mutual friend, so I called the Devonshire division of the Los Angeles Police Department in Northridge to get the details. It seems Rocco was found by a friend on Friday, May 1 after he had not been seen for nearly a week. Police say there was no foul play involved and they are still awaiting autopsy results. It appears to be a natural death, I’m told. Five days later, nothing at Variety, nothing at The Hollywood Reporter, nothing at the L.A. Times — nothing anywhere. According to police, no one has even called asking questions yet. Bizarre.

I never saw Rocco’s earliest work, 1987’s “Scenes from a Goldmine,” the Corey Feldman/Corey Haim starrer “Dream a Little Dream” and 1992’s “Where the Day Takes You.” “Goldmine” and “Dream” both featured Rocco’s father Alex, who starred as Moe Greene in “The Godfather.” But I always loved “Murder in the First,” which featured first-rate performances from both Christian Slater and Kevin Bacon.It was one of those films that sort of came and went in the early weeks of 1995. Fortunately the Screen Actors Guild and Broadcast Film Critics Association remembered Bacon’s work come year’s end, the former nominating his career-best leading performance, the latter awarding him for it. Nowadays it seems most people forget the film until it pops up on TNT or the like, but it was a confident showcase that proved Rocco had some real directorial chops.I always wondered what happened to the director after that. He seemed to have a few projects on the horizon, according to his IMDb page, but the last two films he worked on were 2005’s “The Jacket” (story and producer credits) and 2007’s “Take” (executive producer). He popped up two years ago to direct the music video for Eddie Vedder’s “Guaranteed” from the “Into the Wild” soundtrack, however. Variety reported in January of 2007 that Rocco was set to adapt Jim Thompson’s “The Killer Inside Me” and that he was “mobilizing to direct” his original script “The Winter Hill Gang,” which had been set up at Paramount several years ago with Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner producing.Sad news. Rocco was 43. He is survived by his wife, sister and younger brother.

Former Red Sox great Dom DiMaggio dies at 92

MARION, Mass. (AP) — Dom DiMaggio, a seven-time All Star who still holds the record for the longest consecutive game hitting streak in Boston Red Sox history, has died at his Massachusetts home. He was 92.DiMaggio died at about about 1 a.m. on Friday, according to his wife, Emily.

KSDK -- St. Louis actor Mickey Carroll, who played several roles in the classic film the Wizard of Oz, has died.

Carroll was 89 years old. Details on memorial or funeral arrangements are not yet available.Forum: Comment on the passing of Mickey Carroll According to his website, Carroll's entry into acting started as a teenager. He played a bellhop in Phillip Morris ads at the age of 17. By 18 he was appearing in shows with Mae West.

In 1939, he was invited to Hollywood to play a part in the Wizard of Oz. He played the part of the Munchkinland Town Crier. He also marched as a Munchkin Soldier and as one of the candy-striped "Fiddlers" who escorted Dorothy down the yellow brick road toward Emerald City.

Afterward, Carroll traveled with Presidents Frank D. Roosevelt and Harry Truman as they campaigned across the country. He would warm up the crowds before the candidates gave their speeches.

By the mid 1940's Carroll was spending much of his time in St. Louis, where he settled down and worked in the family business. KSDK

LOS ANGELES - Dom DeLuise, the portly actor-comedian whose affable nature made him a popular character actor for decades with movie and TV audiences as well as directors and fellow actors, has died. He was 75.

DeLuise died Monday night, son Michael DeLuise told KTLA-TV and radio station KNX on Tuesday. The comedian died in his sleep after a long illness. Calls to his agent were not immediately returned.

The actor, who loved to cook and eat almost as much as he enjoyed acting, also carved out a formidable second career later in life as a chef of fine cuisine. He authored two cookbooks and would appear often on morning TV shows to whip up his favorite recipes.As an actor, he was incredibly prolific, appearing in scores of movies and TV shows, in Broadway plays and voicing characters for numerous cartoon shows.

Writer-director-actor Mel Brooks particularly admired DeLuise's talent for offbeat comedy and cast him in several of his films, including "The Twelve Chairs," "Blazing Saddles," "Silent Movie," "History of the World Part I" and "Robin Hood: Men in Tights." DeLuise was also the voice of Pizza the Hutt in Brooks' "Star Wars" parody, "Spaceballs."

The actor also appeared frequently in films opposite his friend Burt Reynolds. Among them, "The End," "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas," 'Smokey and the Bandit II," "The Cannonball Run" and "Cannonball Run II."

Another actor-friend, Dean Martin, admired his comic abilities so much that he cast DeLuise as a regular on his 1960s comedy-variety show. In 1973, he starred in a situation comedy, "Lotsa Luck," but it proved to be short-lived.

Other TV credits included appearances on such shows as "The Munsters," "The Girl From U.N.C.L.E.," "Burke's Law," "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" and "Diagnosis Murder."

On Broadway, DeLuise appeared in Neil Simon's "Last of the Red Hot Lovers" and other plays.Because of his passion for food, the actor battled obesity throughout much of his life, his weight reaching as much as 325 pounds at one point. For years, he resisted the efforts of family members and doctors who tried to put him on various diets. He finally agreed in 1993 when he needed hip replacement surgery and his doctor refused to perform it until he lost 100 pounds.

He and his family enrolled at the Duke University Diet and Fitness Center in Durham, N.C., and DeLuise lost enough weight for the surgery, although he gained some of it back afterward.On the positive side, his love of food resulted in two successful cookbooks, 1988's "Eat This — It Will Make You Feel Better!" and 1997's "Eat This Too! It'll Also Make You Feel Good."At his Pacific Palisades home, DeLuise often prepared feasts for family and friends. One lunch began with turkey soup and ended with strawberry shortcake. In between, were platters of beef filet, chicken breast and sausage, a bowl of spaghetti and meatballs and a saucer of lettuce.

He strongly resembled the famed chef Paul Prudhomme and joked in a 1987 Associated Press interview that he had posed as Prudhomme while visiting his New Orleans restaurant, K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen.

DeLuise was appearing on Broadway in "Here's Love" in the early 1960s when Garry Moore saw him and hired him to play the magician "Dominick the Great" on "The Garry Moore Show."

His appearances on the hit comedy-variety program brought offers from Hollywood, and DeLuise first came to the attention of movie-goers in "Fail Safe," a drama starring Henry Fonda. He followed with a comedy, "The Glass Bottom Boat," starring Doris Day, and from then on he alternated between films and television."I was making $7,000 a week — a lot of money back then — but I didn't even know I was rich," he recalled in 1994. "I was just having such a great time."

He was born Dominick DeLuise in New York City on Aug. 1, 1933, to Italian immigrants. His father, who spoke only Italian, was a garbage collector, and those humble beginnings stayed with him throughout his life. While working in summer stock in Provincetown, Mass., he met a beautiful young actress, Carol Arthur, and they were soon married. The couple's three sons, Peter, Michael and David, all became actors and all appeared with their father in the 1990s TV series "SeaQuestDSV," in which Peter and Michael were regulars.
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