'Tarzan' actress Brenda Joyce dies
Starred as Jane in five of the series' movies
By Mike Barnes

July 17, 2009, 06:17 PM ET
Brenda Joyce, the only "Jane" to star opposite two different Tarzans in the talking era of the big screen, died July 4 at a nursing home in Santa Monica. A friend said she was 92.

After Maureen O'Sullivan exited the "Tarzan" series after six films, the strikingly blond Joyce stepped in to star with Johnny Weissmuller in "Tarzan and the Amazons" (1945). She played the intrepid Jane Parker in four more movies, culminating with "Tarzan's Magic Fountain" (1949) opposite the new Tarzan, Lex Barker.

As a model and 21-year-old student at UCLA, Joyce was spotted by a Fox talent scout and named the studio's Discovery of the Year for 1939. That year, she was given the plum role of Fern Simon in "The Rains Came," an adaptation of the Louis Bromfield novel that starred Myrna Loy, Tyrone Power and George Brent.

In addition to the "Tarzan" films, Joyce appeared in such pics as "Little Old New York" (1940), "Marry the Boss's Daughter" (1941), "The Postman Didn't Ring" (1942) and "The Spider Woman Strikes Back" (1947).

Joyce didn't make a movie after 1949. She worked for a decade in Washington for the Department of Immigration and appeared in two episodes of PBS kids show "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" in 1971.

Gordon Waller of Peter and Gordon died July 16 in Connecticut. This
announcement is on Peter and Gordon's MySpace page. Our deepest
condolensces to his family, Peter Asher and his fans:

We are deeply saddened to report that some time after 8:00 p.m. last
night east coast time, Gordon Waller went into cardiac arrest and was
taken to the emergency room. Despite intensive efforts on his behalf
by hospital personnel, Gordon passed away early this morning. Please
keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

His partner of nearly five decades, Peter Asher, will be issuing a
statement shortly. We hope you will join us sending love and
condolences to his family.

Bill Sparkman (”Sparky” to everyone who knew him) passed away on Thursday, July 9, 2009 at the age of 79. He was the devoted husband of Boris Karloff’s only child, Sara Jane Karloff. Fans who would meet Sara at conventions might not have noticed the quiet, bearded man often sitting next to her, but Sparky was Sara’s backbone and strength during these past decades.

A retired Air Force Colonel who had once worked extensively with NASA and the Space Shuttle program, Sparky was the definition of a gentleman: kind, gracious, patient, good natured. Although he never met Sara’s father Boris (Sparky had been a widower when he and Sara married), he reminded you of the man Boris probably was.

He will be greatly missed.