Garry Walberg, 90, a character actor best known for playing Lt. Frank Monahan on the NBC crime drama "Quincy, M.E." from 1976 to 1983, died March 27 at an assisted-living facility in Northridge of chronic pulmonary obstructive disease and congestive heart failure, his family said. A native of Buffalo, N.Y., Walberg had dozens of TV appearances from the early 1950s to the '90s on such series as "Rawhide," "Star Trek," "The Fugitive," "Peyton Place," "Lassie," "Gunsmoke" and "The Odd Couple."http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-passings-20120416,0,3564288.storyhttp://www.imdb.com/name/nm0906918/

HENRY ROBINSON FROM: The Las Vegas Review-Journal ~ (Paid obit) Henry F. "Hank" Robinson, 89, of Las Vegas, passed away April 7, 2012. He was born March 27, 1923 in Covington, Tenn., and was a 23-year resident of Nevada. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II, and was a retired actor-stuntman with hundreds of film and television credits from "The Apple Dumpling Gang" through "Zapped" (see the International Movie Database, IMDB, for details). His "umpire pickle" scene with Leslie Nielsen in "The Naked Gun" is a cult favorite. While best remembered for his 'umpire and baseball coach' roles in over 350 projects, he was a great cowboy, too. From "Bonanza" through "Blazing Saddles", he rode through the Hollywood "wild west". Television roles included 24 episodes of "Mannix" through "Quantum Leap". He was the "baseball consultant" on over 100 projects from "Fame" through "The Wonder Years". He filmed over 210 national commercials. A former pro-baseball player and manager for the New York Yankees, the Pittsburg Pirates, and The Cincinnati Reds organizations (1942-57), Hank had a career average of .301 and 1006 RBI's. He scouted and coached young ballplayers in California and Nevada, developing their skills. More than 250 signed pro-contracts, and hundreds more played college and high school under his coaching. An avid golfer, he had three hole-in-one's to his credit. No services are scheduled. A memorial baseball game is planned for June on Los Angeles. He is survived by his wife, of 62 years, Mildred; daughters, Carin and Debra; and son, Robbie; also, three grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, donations c/o Henry F. Robinson Memorial Fund may be made at any Bank of America.

Character actor Luke Askew, who had a key role in "Easy Rider" as the stranger who brings Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda to a hippie commune and recently played polygamist cult leader Hollis Greene on HBO's "Big Love," died of natural causes in Lake Oswego, Ore., on March 29. He was 80.Askew also played one of the prison guards, the sadistic Boss Paul, in Paul Newman starrer "Cool Hand Luke." He had made his film debut the same year, 1967, in Otto Preminger's "Hurry Sundown," starring Michael Caine, Jane Fonda and Faye Dunaway.In 1968 he appeared in a pair of war movies, "The Devil's Brigade," with Cliff Robertson and William Holden, and John Wayne's jingoistic Vietnam effort "The Green Berets." Askew then headed for a film representing the very opposite point on the cultural spectrum when he was cast in 1969's countercultural "Easy Rider."In the 1970s the actor appeared in Westerns including "The Culpepper Cattle Co.," "The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid," "The Magnificent Seven Ride!" and Sam Peckinpah's "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid," and he had substantial supporting roles in "Walking Tall Part II," in Fonda's "Wanda Nevada" and, memorably, as the thug Automatic Slim in the 1977 action thriller "Rolling Thunder."Askew worked more heavily in television, with guest roles on series including "Bonanza," "Mission: Impossible," "Police Story," "The Rockford Files," "The Six Million Dollar Man," "Quincy" and "Fantasy Island." He also appeared in a number of telepics and miniseries, especially of a Western bent, including "How the West Was Won." Latter TV guest credits include "Knight Rider," "L.A. Law," "MacGyver," "Murder, She Wrote," "Walker, Texas Ranger" and "Everwood."On HBO's "Big Love," he recurred as Hollis Greene on 10 episodes from 2007-2010.Later film credits include the indie film "Traveller," "The Newton Boys" and "Frailty."Francis Luke Askew was born in Macon, Ga., and attended the U. of Georgia.He is survived by his wife, Maggie; a son; a daughter from a previous marriage; and a grandson.Contact Variety Staff at news@variety.com

Dick Clark, Entertainment Icon Nicknamed 'America's Oldest Teenager,' Dies at 82. ...ABCApril 18, 2012Dick Clark, the music industry maverick, longtime TV host and powerhouse producer who changed the way we listened to pop music with "American Bandstand," and whose trademark "Rockin' Eve" became a fixture of New Year's celebrations, died today at the age of 82.Clark's agent Paul Shefrin said in statement that the veteran host died this morning following a "massive heart attack."Born in Mount Vernon, N.Y., on Nov. 30, 1929, Richard Wagstaff Clark began his lifelong career in show business began before he was even out of high school. He started working in the mailroom of WRUN, a radio station in upstate New York run by his father and uncle. It wasn't long before the teenager was on the air, filling in for the weatherman and the announcer.Clark pursued his passion at Syracuse University, working as a disc jockey at the student-run radio station while studying for his degree in business. After graduating in 1951, Clark went back to his family's radio station, but within a year, a bigger city and bigger shows were calling.Clark landed a gig as a DJ at WFIL in Philadelphia in 1952, spinning records for a show he called "Dick Clark's Caravan of Music." There he broke into the big time, hosting Bandstand, an afternoon dance show for teenagers.From the Beatles to the Boss: 50 Years of 'Bandstand' Memorabilia Watch VideoRinging in the New Year in Style Watch VideoRyan Seacrest's 'New Year's Rockin' Eve' Preview Watch VideoWithin five years, the whole country was watching. ABC took the show national, and "American Bandstand" was born.Blazing a New Trail in Pop Music"American Bandstand's" formula was simple. Clean-cut boys and girls danced to the hottest hits and the newest singles. In between, Clark chatted with the teens, who helped "rate-a-record," turning songs into sensations. Everyone showed up on "American Bandstand," from Elvis Presley to Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry to Chubby Checker.When Dick Clark moved to Hollywood in 1963, "American Bandstand" moved with him. He started Dick Clark Productions, and began cranking out one hit show after another; his name became synonymous with everything from the $25,000 "Pyramid" to "TV's Bloopers & Practical Jokes" to the "American Music Awards." In 1972, Dick Clark became synonymous with one of the biggest nights of the year.

Sad news came in over the weekend, as it was announced yesterday that actor William Finley, best known for his work with Brian De Palma, had passed away on Saturday at the age of 69. The actor was a long-time friend of De Palma, having appeared in his early films "Woton's Wake," "Murder a la Mod" and "The Wedding Party," before turning heads as Emil Breton, the husband of Margot Kidder's character, in the director's breakout picture "Sisters."The duo would go on to work together many times, with Finley cropping up in "The Fury," "Dressed To Kill" (as the uncredited voice of killer Bobbi) and most recently, in "The Black Dahlia," but there's one, or rather two parts that the actor will forever be remembered for: as Winslow Leach/The Phantom, the songwriter ripped off and framed by Satanic record producer Swan (Paul Williams), only to be reborn after a horrific mutilation as The Phantom, in De Palma's rock opera classic "Phantom of the Paradise," his riff on "Phantom of the Opera."The film's had an ever-growing cult in the years since its release, thanks to the support of people like Edgar Wright (who, sadly, had written an email to Finley, a fan of the director's only a few hours after Finley passed away -- you can read Wright's touching account and tribute over on his website), and Finley's performance in the picture is absolutely wonderful, a tragic monster that deserves to live alongside Lon Chaney in the Phantom hall of fame. In memory of the actor, you can find five tidbits about the film that you might not be aware of. And if you've never seen it, the film's available on DVD now.