Artist Joe Messerli, b. 1930, died on June 23, 2010 in his home of
Fairfield CT. Last Christmas he mentioned that he was battling cancer.

Messerli had a long and varied career that encompassed film,
television and publishing. He was an animator and background artist at
the UPA Studios in the 1950s, and while at UPA, he designed THE
TWILIGHT ZONE's title logo for Rod Serling. At NBC Burbank, he created
the title artwork seen on every episode of BONANZA (1959 - 1973), and
in the mid-1970s he drew/painted interstatial artwork for THE TONIGHT
SHOW.


Most of his career was spent in publishing, working on Looney Tunes,
Hanna-Barbera, Disney, etc. titles for Western Publishing, and later
for brief periods at DC and Marvel. These titles, particularly at
Western, included comic books, coloring books, Little Golden Books,
licensed products, etc.


While at Western Publishing, he was one of the primary artists on The
Three Stooges comic books from 1959 - mid-1960s, distributed by Dell,
and then Western's in-house Gold Key label; inventoried work and
reprints kept his artwork in issues into the early 1970s.


The home page of Joe Messerli's website provides much more detail on
his career credits...

http://www.joemesserli.com/

Allyn Ferguson dies at 85; prolific Hollywood composer
The Emmy-winning composer co-wrote the themes for "Charlie's Angels" and "Barney Miller" and wrote music for many other programs and movies. He was also an arranger and conductor.

June 28, 2010By Dennis McLellan, Los Angeles Times

Bob Chamberlin, Los Angeles TimesAllyn Ferguson, a prolific, Emmy-winning composer who co-wrote the themes for the popular TV series "Charlie's Angels" and "Barney Miller," has died. He was 85.

Ferguson, who also was known as an arranger and conductor, died of natural causes June 23 at his home in Westlake Village, said his daughter, Jill Ferguson.

Teamed with composer Jack Elliott in a television scoring partnership, Ferguson and Elliott wrote the themes for "Charlie's Angels" and "Barney Miller" in the 1970s as well as scores for episodes of numerous other series, including "The Rookies," "Starsky and Hutch," "Police Story" and "Banacek."

'Camelot' visual effects supervisor dies

Passed away in Ireland while shooting Starz series


By Mike Barnes
June 28, 2010, 06:51 PM ET
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3iee6a0d1f3...


Visual effects supervisor Steven Hodgson died June 16 while on the set
of the upcoming Starz TV series "Camelot" in Ireland. He was 50.


Hodgson, who had been battling cancer for several years, also worked on
the recent films "Hot Tub Time Machine" (2010), "The Uninvited" (2009),
"Vantage Point" (2008) and the July 30 release "Charlie St. Cloud" and
on the 2008 miniseries "Impact."


"Camelot," which focuses on the King Arthur legend, began production
Monday for a debut next year on Starz.


Hodgson was nominated for a Gemini Award -- Canada's highest honor for
work in TV -- for his efforts on "Impact" and on 2004's "The Collector."


Hodgson was born in Scotland and based in Vancouver. Survivors include
his wife, Patricia; children Michael, Lawrence, Madison and Elizabeth;
and his brother, Craig Hodgson.


Corey Allen, the last remaining cast member of "Rebel Without a Cause," died June 27 in Hollywood of natural causes. He was 75.
Allen played "Buzz," the tough in a black leather jacket who fatally challenges James Dean's character to a chicken race in the iconic "Rebel." After graduating from UCLA, he appeared in the short "A Time Out of War," which won an Oscar in 1954. Allen started performing in legit in plays around L.A., where he was seen by "Rebel" helmer Nicholas Ray, who cast him as Buzz.

Other film roles followed in such pics as "Private Property," "Party Girl," "Darby's Rangers" and "The Chapman Report." He also acted in television on series including "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," "Perry Mason," "Bonanza" and "Gunsmoke."

Meanwhile, Allen branched into directing and helmed Equity plays as well as TV series beginning in 1969 such as "The New People," "Mannix," "Hawaii Five-O," "Barnaby Jones," "Police Woman" "Quincy Jones" "The Rockford Files."

In 1983 he won an Emmy for helming "Hill Street Blues." He was nommed by the DGA for "Hill Street Blues" and "The Streets of San Francisco."

His last outing was 1994's "The Cosby Mysteries." Over the course of 25 years he directed more than 75 series, including "Star Trek: The Next Generation," "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" and "The Paper Chase," for which he won an ACE cable kudo. He helmed some 20 telepics, among them "The Ann Jillian Story," which earned its eponymous star a Golden Globe in 1989.

Allen was also a teacher and instructed at the Actors Workshop, Margie Haber Studio and Columbia U., where he set the curriculum for the acting and directing courses.

Survivors include his daughter Robin Duncan, who ran Allen's business affairs for many years; four grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and a brother.

MY NOTE: At least one other actor Jack Grinnage, who played Moose, is still alive.