Tom Laughlin, the maverick actor and filmmaker best known for the "Billy Jack" films, has died. He was 82.
Laughlin died Thursday in Thousand Oaks, his family announced.
Laughlin had been married to actress Delores Taylor since 1954 and also had several ill-fated runs for president. But he was best known for the "Billy Jack" films, which also starred Taylor. In 1967, he wrote and directed (under the pseudonym T.C. Frank) and starred in "The Born Losers," a motorcycle exploitation film that became a big box-office hit. It introduced the world to the part-Native American Vietnam veteran title character.
The 1971 sequel, the vigilante-themed "Billy Jack," was, after a legal battle with studio Warner Bros., released independently. It also became a box-office smash, though it generated controversy for its suggestion of guns and violence as a justice-seeking tool.
Laughlin co-produced and starred in all four "Jack" films, including the little-seen final one, 1977's "Billy Jack Goes to Washington." The third film, "The Trial of Billy Jack," was one of the first movies to get a major television and national advertising push.
Laughlin was also known for his activisim -- he started a Montessori preschool and ran for president on three occasions. He had spoken in recent years of trying to bring the Jack character back to the big screen.
http://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/dec/15/peter-o-toole-dies-lawrence-arabia
http://bit.ly/19tUwDF
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/actress-joan-fontaine-dies-rebecca-suspicion-665831
Monday, December 16, 2013
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Audrey Totter, 95, a blond leading lady of 1940s film noir who starred as a tough-talking dame in "Lady in the Lake," "The Set-Up" and "High Wall," died Thursday at West Hills Hospital, said her daughter, Mea Lane. Totter, a Woodland Hills resident, had a stroke and suffered from congestive heart failure.
Although she had a relatively short film career, Totter created memorable movie moments while under contract with MGM from 1944 to the early '50s. A former radio actress, she had a small part in "The Postman Always Rings Twice," the 1946 movie based on James M. Cain's pulp novel. She landed her breakthrough role in "Lady in the Lake," the 1947 film version of Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe detective story that Robert Montgomery directed and starred in. She also appeared opposite Claude Rains in the 1947 thriller "The Unsuspected," acted with Robert Taylor in "High Wall" (1947), starred in Robert Wise's 1949 gritty boxing drama "The Set-Up" and snarled her way through "Tension" (1949).
"The bad girls were so much fun to play," Totter told the New York Times in 1999.
But in 1952 Totter put aside her performing career to focus on her family, marrying Dr. Leo Fred, who taught at the UCLA School of Medicine, and giving birth to her daughter. Totter later returned to acting, mainly on television, with recurring roles on "Our Man Higgins," "Dr. Kildare" and "Medical Center" and guest spots on "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," "Perry Mason," "Hawaii Five-O," "Murder, She Wrote" and other series.
Totter was born in Joliet, Ill., on Dec. 20, 1917, according to her daughter, and began acting in the '30s in radio dramas.
After her husband died in 1995 and movie buffs rediscovered her film noir scenes on video and cable TV, Totter said she began receiving job offers.
"What could I play?" she said in a 2000 interview with the Toronto Star. "A nice grandmother? Boring! Critics always said I acted best with a gun in my hand."
http://www.latimes.com/obituaries/la-me-passings-20131214,0,7065147.story#axzz2nNTCJkN9
Although she had a relatively short film career, Totter created memorable movie moments while under contract with MGM from 1944 to the early '50s. A former radio actress, she had a small part in "The Postman Always Rings Twice," the 1946 movie based on James M. Cain's pulp novel. She landed her breakthrough role in "Lady in the Lake," the 1947 film version of Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe detective story that Robert Montgomery directed and starred in. She also appeared opposite Claude Rains in the 1947 thriller "The Unsuspected," acted with Robert Taylor in "High Wall" (1947), starred in Robert Wise's 1949 gritty boxing drama "The Set-Up" and snarled her way through "Tension" (1949).
"The bad girls were so much fun to play," Totter told the New York Times in 1999.
But in 1952 Totter put aside her performing career to focus on her family, marrying Dr. Leo Fred, who taught at the UCLA School of Medicine, and giving birth to her daughter. Totter later returned to acting, mainly on television, with recurring roles on "Our Man Higgins," "Dr. Kildare" and "Medical Center" and guest spots on "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," "Perry Mason," "Hawaii Five-O," "Murder, She Wrote" and other series.
Totter was born in Joliet, Ill., on Dec. 20, 1917, according to her daughter, and began acting in the '30s in radio dramas.
After her husband died in 1995 and movie buffs rediscovered her film noir scenes on video and cable TV, Totter said she began receiving job offers.
"What could I play?" she said in a 2000 interview with the Toronto Star. "A nice grandmother? Boring! Critics always said I acted best with a gun in my hand."
http://www.latimes.com/obituaries/la-me-passings-20131214,0,7065147.story#axzz2nNTCJkN9
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Producer Michael Kagan Dies at 87
11:24 AM PST 11/18/2013 by Mike Barnes
The head of production for Cannon Films in the 1980s, he produced such films as “Death Wish 3,” “Superman IV: The Quest for Peace” and “The Jungle Book.”
Michael Kagan, the head of production at Cannon Films during its heyday who later produced such films as Air America and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, died Nov. 10 of natural causes in London. He was 87.
Kagan was the top production executive from 1982-88 at Cannon, which became a great Hollywood success story after it was purchased by Israeli cousins Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus for $500,000 in 1979.
Also a native of Israel, Kagan served as associate producer on two films directed by British helmer Michael Winner -- the remake of The Wicked Lady (1983), starring Faye Dunaway, Alan Bates and John Gielgud, and Death Wish 3 (1985) – and executive produced Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987) during his time at Cannon.
Kagan’s résumé also includes the Agatha Christie tale Ordeal by Innocence (1984), also starring Dunaway; Déjà Vu (1985), starring Jaclyn Smith; Tobe Hooper’s Lifeforce (1985); the Golan-written and -directed Mack the Knife (1989), toplined by Raul Julia and Richard Harris; and The Jungle Book (1994).
Kagan was a supervising producer for one season on the NBC sitcom Nurses, which aired from 1991-94 and was created by Susan Harris. That show was a spinoff of Harris' Empty Nest, itself a spinoff of The Golden Girls.
Survivors include his wife, Kate.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/producer-michael-kagan-dies-death-wish-cannon-films-657024
[
11:24 AM PST 11/18/2013 by Mike Barnes
The head of production for Cannon Films in the 1980s, he produced such films as “Death Wish 3,” “Superman IV: The Quest for Peace” and “The Jungle Book.”
Michael Kagan, the head of production at Cannon Films during its heyday who later produced such films as Air America and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, died Nov. 10 of natural causes in London. He was 87.
Kagan was the top production executive from 1982-88 at Cannon, which became a great Hollywood success story after it was purchased by Israeli cousins Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus for $500,000 in 1979.
Also a native of Israel, Kagan served as associate producer on two films directed by British helmer Michael Winner -- the remake of The Wicked Lady (1983), starring Faye Dunaway, Alan Bates and John Gielgud, and Death Wish 3 (1985) – and executive produced Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987) during his time at Cannon.
Kagan’s résumé also includes the Agatha Christie tale Ordeal by Innocence (1984), also starring Dunaway; Déjà Vu (1985), starring Jaclyn Smith; Tobe Hooper’s Lifeforce (1985); the Golan-written and -directed Mack the Knife (1989), toplined by Raul Julia and Richard Harris; and The Jungle Book (1994).
Kagan was a supervising producer for one season on the NBC sitcom Nurses, which aired from 1991-94 and was created by Susan Harris. That show was a spinoff of Harris' Empty Nest, itself a spinoff of The Golden Girls.
Survivors include his wife, Kate.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/producer-michael-kagan-dies-death-wish-cannon-films-657024
[
Producer Michael Kagan Dies at 87
11:24 AM PST 11/18/2013 by Mike Barnes
The head of production for Cannon Films in the 1980s, he produced such films as “Death Wish 3,” “Superman IV: The Quest for Peace” and “The Jungle Book.”
Michael Kagan, the head of production at Cannon Films during its heyday who later produced such films as Air America and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, died Nov. 10 of natural causes in London. He was 87.
Kagan was the top production executive from 1982-88 at Cannon, which became a great Hollywood success story after it was purchased by Israeli cousins Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus for $500,000 in 1979.
Also a native of Israel, Kagan served as associate producer on two films directed by British helmer Michael Winner -- the remake of The Wicked Lady (1983), starring Faye Dunaway, Alan Bates and John Gielgud, and Death Wish 3 (1985) – and executive produced Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987) during his time at Cannon.
Kagan’s résumé also includes the Agatha Christie tale Ordeal by Innocence (1984), also starring Dunaway; Déjà Vu (1985), starring Jaclyn Smith; Tobe Hooper’s Lifeforce (1985); the Golan-written and -directed Mack the Knife (1989), toplined by Raul Julia and Richard Harris; and The Jungle Book (1994).
Kagan was a supervising producer for one season on the NBC sitcom Nurses, which aired from 1991-94 and was created by Susan Harris. That show was a spinoff of Harris' Empty Nest, itself a spinoff of The Golden Girls.
Survivors include his wife, Kate.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/producer-michael-kagan-dies-death-wish-cannon-films-657024
[
11:24 AM PST 11/18/2013 by Mike Barnes
The head of production for Cannon Films in the 1980s, he produced such films as “Death Wish 3,” “Superman IV: The Quest for Peace” and “The Jungle Book.”
Michael Kagan, the head of production at Cannon Films during its heyday who later produced such films as Air America and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, died Nov. 10 of natural causes in London. He was 87.
Kagan was the top production executive from 1982-88 at Cannon, which became a great Hollywood success story after it was purchased by Israeli cousins Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus for $500,000 in 1979.
Also a native of Israel, Kagan served as associate producer on two films directed by British helmer Michael Winner -- the remake of The Wicked Lady (1983), starring Faye Dunaway, Alan Bates and John Gielgud, and Death Wish 3 (1985) – and executive produced Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987) during his time at Cannon.
Kagan’s résumé also includes the Agatha Christie tale Ordeal by Innocence (1984), also starring Dunaway; Déjà Vu (1985), starring Jaclyn Smith; Tobe Hooper’s Lifeforce (1985); the Golan-written and -directed Mack the Knife (1989), toplined by Raul Julia and Richard Harris; and The Jungle Book (1994).
Kagan was a supervising producer for one season on the NBC sitcom Nurses, which aired from 1991-94 and was created by Susan Harris. That show was a spinoff of Harris' Empty Nest, itself a spinoff of The Golden Girls.
Survivors include his wife, Kate.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/producer-michael-kagan-dies-death-wish-cannon-films-657024
[
Mad Dog Vachon dead at 84
By GREG OLIVER - Producer, SLAM! Wrestling
Maurice "Mad Dog" Vachon, one of the greatest heels of all-time and a former Canadian Olympic wrestler, passed away this morning at 4 a.m. in Omaha, Nebraska. He was 84 years of age.
He had been in poor health for many years, much of it stemming from a 1987 hit-and-run accident, where Vachon was struck by a driver, which resulted in the amputation of his leg. Most recently, he battled memory issues.
Mad Dog's brother and long-time tag team partner, Paul "The Butcher" Vachon, confirmed the death.
"This is not a pleasure call," said Paul Vachon. "I just wanted to call and let you know first that my brother Mad Dog passed away this morning."
"It was very peaceful," said Maurice's wife, Kathie, of his passing. She will know more about funeral arrangements later this afternoon; she expects the funeral to take place early next week in Nebraska.
With his wild, unpredictable style in the ring, growling voice, and wrestling skills to back up the barking, Mad Dog Vachon went from an Olympic wrestler, representing Canada at the 1948 Games in London, to one of the most hated -- and beloved -- professional wrestlers ever. He held countless championships, including the prestigious AWA World title, based out of Minneapolis.
During his farewell tour of Quebec in 1986, Maurice 'Mad Dog' Vachon made the remarkable transformation from despised wrestler to beloved popular icon. Just as he was hanging up his boots for the last time, doors were finally opening for him. Interviews both in print and on the air praised his contribution to society. He was hired to hawk beer and chocolate bars. He wrote his autobiography and made a rap album in French. And most bizarrely, the veteran of more than 16,000 bouts over almost 40 years was tapped to be a restaurant reviewer.
The words 'Canadian icon' have rarely suited a better man. The love that the public had for him became even more apparent a year after his retirement when he was struck by a car while walking with his third wife Kathie in Des Moines, Iowa. Vachon had his right leg amputated below the knee. The story was carried by media across Canada, and he was flooded by letters from well-wishers.
The tale of Maurice Vachon is amazing enough if one were to leave out his accession into mainstream culture. Born in Ville Emard, a working class section of Montreal, in 1929, Vachon was the second oldest of 13 children. His father was a strongman who worked for the local police force. Teased about his name — 'Vachon le cochon' — Maurice got into many scraps as a youth. At 12, his father started him training at amateur wrestling at the Montreal YMCA. He dropped out of school at 13 to work various jobs, and pursue his athletic endeavours.
Encouraged by his father, Maurice took to wrestling quickly and made the Canadian Olympic team for the 1948 London Games. "When you walk into the Stadium at Wembley in London, there's probably 6,000 athletes there, King George VI is there, the Queen, and they play your national anthem -- it gives you goosepimples," Vachon said. The Montrealer competed at 174 pounds and finished in seventh place, eliminated in the third round. Besides the competition, it is worth noting that Vachon met future pro opponents Verne Gagne and Joe Scarpello at the Games.
Undeterred by his Olympic defeat, Vachon rebounded in 1950 to claim at the British Empire Games (the forerunner of the Commonwealth Games) in New Zealand. "When you wrestle professional, the money goes in your pocket," Vachon said. "When you wrestle amateur, the medals, they go in your heart."
Growing up, Vachon had always been a fan of the pro game and upon his return to Canada, he wrestled a bit around Montreal before heading to Northern Ontario for the Kasaboskis, which was a summer territory. The 5-foot-8, 240-pound Vachon was a hit and other opportunities came along.
Before he was a Mad Dog, Maurice Vachon represented Canada at the Olympics and British Empire Games.
"Mad Dog had an instant reputation when he started wrestling professional because he had been a bouncer in a Montreal nightclub, he'd never lost a streetfight. He loved to fight," said his brother Paul Vachon.
He was in Hawaii when he first met Portland promoter Don Owen, who invited Vachon to come to his territory. Vachon attacked his opponent, the referee and a ringside police officer before the bell in his Pacific Northwest debut and was disqualified, fined and suspended. Owen told him that he looked like a mad dog, and the name stuck, as did Owen's decision to bill Vachon from Algeria.
An indication of Vachon's importance:
- He received the Iron Mike Mazurki Award from the Cauliflower Alley Club in 2003, the top award in professional wrestling
- He is a member of the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame in Amsterdam, NY (Class of 2004)
- He is a member of the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in Waterloo, Iowa (Class of 2003)
- He is a member of the WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2010)
- He entered the Quebec Sports Hall of Fame (Class of 2009)
- He was on the Canadian Olympic team in 1948 at the Games in London, England - He won a the gold medal at the 1950 British Empire Games in New Zealand - He is a member of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996) - In The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Heels, Greg Oliver and Steven Johnson ranked him the fourth greatest bad guy in the history of professional wrestling
- In The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Canadians, author Greg Oliver ranked Vachon the fourth greatest Canadian pro wrestler ever
- In The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Tag Teams, also written by Oliver and Johnson, the team of Butcher and Mad Dog are ranked in the Top 25
In 1999, Vachon was the subject of an hour-long documentary on The Comedy Network called Wrestling With The Past where he told road stories and hammed to the camera. His 1988 autobiography, Une vie de chien dans un monde de fous means The Life of a Dog in a World of Crazies.
http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2013/11/21/21283811.html
By GREG OLIVER - Producer, SLAM! Wrestling
Maurice "Mad Dog" Vachon, one of the greatest heels of all-time and a former Canadian Olympic wrestler, passed away this morning at 4 a.m. in Omaha, Nebraska. He was 84 years of age.
He had been in poor health for many years, much of it stemming from a 1987 hit-and-run accident, where Vachon was struck by a driver, which resulted in the amputation of his leg. Most recently, he battled memory issues.
Mad Dog's brother and long-time tag team partner, Paul "The Butcher" Vachon, confirmed the death.
"This is not a pleasure call," said Paul Vachon. "I just wanted to call and let you know first that my brother Mad Dog passed away this morning."
"It was very peaceful," said Maurice's wife, Kathie, of his passing. She will know more about funeral arrangements later this afternoon; she expects the funeral to take place early next week in Nebraska.
With his wild, unpredictable style in the ring, growling voice, and wrestling skills to back up the barking, Mad Dog Vachon went from an Olympic wrestler, representing Canada at the 1948 Games in London, to one of the most hated -- and beloved -- professional wrestlers ever. He held countless championships, including the prestigious AWA World title, based out of Minneapolis.
During his farewell tour of Quebec in 1986, Maurice 'Mad Dog' Vachon made the remarkable transformation from despised wrestler to beloved popular icon. Just as he was hanging up his boots for the last time, doors were finally opening for him. Interviews both in print and on the air praised his contribution to society. He was hired to hawk beer and chocolate bars. He wrote his autobiography and made a rap album in French. And most bizarrely, the veteran of more than 16,000 bouts over almost 40 years was tapped to be a restaurant reviewer.
The words 'Canadian icon' have rarely suited a better man. The love that the public had for him became even more apparent a year after his retirement when he was struck by a car while walking with his third wife Kathie in Des Moines, Iowa. Vachon had his right leg amputated below the knee. The story was carried by media across Canada, and he was flooded by letters from well-wishers.
The tale of Maurice Vachon is amazing enough if one were to leave out his accession into mainstream culture. Born in Ville Emard, a working class section of Montreal, in 1929, Vachon was the second oldest of 13 children. His father was a strongman who worked for the local police force. Teased about his name — 'Vachon le cochon' — Maurice got into many scraps as a youth. At 12, his father started him training at amateur wrestling at the Montreal YMCA. He dropped out of school at 13 to work various jobs, and pursue his athletic endeavours.
Encouraged by his father, Maurice took to wrestling quickly and made the Canadian Olympic team for the 1948 London Games. "When you walk into the Stadium at Wembley in London, there's probably 6,000 athletes there, King George VI is there, the Queen, and they play your national anthem -- it gives you goosepimples," Vachon said. The Montrealer competed at 174 pounds and finished in seventh place, eliminated in the third round. Besides the competition, it is worth noting that Vachon met future pro opponents Verne Gagne and Joe Scarpello at the Games.
Undeterred by his Olympic defeat, Vachon rebounded in 1950 to claim at the British Empire Games (the forerunner of the Commonwealth Games) in New Zealand. "When you wrestle professional, the money goes in your pocket," Vachon said. "When you wrestle amateur, the medals, they go in your heart."
Growing up, Vachon had always been a fan of the pro game and upon his return to Canada, he wrestled a bit around Montreal before heading to Northern Ontario for the Kasaboskis, which was a summer territory. The 5-foot-8, 240-pound Vachon was a hit and other opportunities came along.
Before he was a Mad Dog, Maurice Vachon represented Canada at the Olympics and British Empire Games.
"Mad Dog had an instant reputation when he started wrestling professional because he had been a bouncer in a Montreal nightclub, he'd never lost a streetfight. He loved to fight," said his brother Paul Vachon.
He was in Hawaii when he first met Portland promoter Don Owen, who invited Vachon to come to his territory. Vachon attacked his opponent, the referee and a ringside police officer before the bell in his Pacific Northwest debut and was disqualified, fined and suspended. Owen told him that he looked like a mad dog, and the name stuck, as did Owen's decision to bill Vachon from Algeria.
An indication of Vachon's importance:
- He received the Iron Mike Mazurki Award from the Cauliflower Alley Club in 2003, the top award in professional wrestling
- He is a member of the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame in Amsterdam, NY (Class of 2004)
- He is a member of the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in Waterloo, Iowa (Class of 2003)
- He is a member of the WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2010)
- He entered the Quebec Sports Hall of Fame (Class of 2009)
- He was on the Canadian Olympic team in 1948 at the Games in London, England - He won a the gold medal at the 1950 British Empire Games in New Zealand - He is a member of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996) - In The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Heels, Greg Oliver and Steven Johnson ranked him the fourth greatest bad guy in the history of professional wrestling
- In The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Canadians, author Greg Oliver ranked Vachon the fourth greatest Canadian pro wrestler ever
- In The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Tag Teams, also written by Oliver and Johnson, the team of Butcher and Mad Dog are ranked in the Top 25
In 1999, Vachon was the subject of an hour-long documentary on The Comedy Network called Wrestling With The Past where he told road stories and hammed to the camera. His 1988 autobiography, Une vie de chien dans un monde de fous means The Life of a Dog in a World of Crazies.
http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2013/11/21/21283811.html
December 1926 - October 2013 The McGee and Grossman families are mourning the passing of Shell Beach resident Roger L. McGee, born on December 9th 1926 in St. Louis, MO. Roger and his wife Adele moved to Shell Beach in recent years to spend time with their loving and extended family. Roger had a long and successful film career spanning 20 years, with roles ranging from The Little Rascals and Shirley Temple to A Streetcar Named Desire and The Forbidden Planet, among others. Following his film career, Roger became a consummate real estate developer with projects throughout California and Nevada. Between 1987 and 2011, Roger and Adele spent nearly 25 happy years in Kailua, Kona Hawaii enjoying the wonderful Hawaiian lifestyle to the fullest. Roger was "larger than life" and was renowned for his sense of humor, competitive sportsmanship, extensive travels, unparalleled poker ability and phenomenal singing voice. Roger touched the lives of everyone he crossed paths with¿ He will be dearly missed by all. Roger is survived by his wife Adele, his children Baron, Robert, Thomas, Gary and Amy and his grandchildren Jacob, Sara, Max and Emily.
http://westernboothill.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2013-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&updated-max=2014-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=50
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-jane-kean-who-played-trixie-on-the-honeymooners-has-died-20131127,0,1122003.story#axzz2lxq8xADp
Film, television and theatre actor died November 26, 2013 at Lenox Hill Hospital due to complications following surgery. Beloved husband of Jane Sparkes Musante, married June 2, 1962 in Manhattan. Visitation at Greenwich Village Funeral Home, 199 Bleecker Street, on Monday, December 2nd from 2-5 and 7-9 pm. Mass at Our Lady of Pompeii Church, 25 Carmine Street, Manhattan on Tuesday, December 3rd at 10:30 am. Interment will be held on Wednesday at Island Cemetery, Block Island, RI. Online condolences: greenwichvillagefuneralhome.com - See more at:
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/latimes/obituary.aspx?n=Tony-Musante&pid=168213616#sthash.zFi2gFdv.dpuf
http://comicbook.com/blog/2013/11/26/famed-superman-artist-al-plastino-dies/
http://westernboothill.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2013-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&updated-max=2014-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=50
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-jane-kean-who-played-trixie-on-the-honeymooners-has-died-20131127,0,1122003.story#axzz2lxq8xADp
Film, television and theatre actor died November 26, 2013 at Lenox Hill Hospital due to complications following surgery. Beloved husband of Jane Sparkes Musante, married June 2, 1962 in Manhattan. Visitation at Greenwich Village Funeral Home, 199 Bleecker Street, on Monday, December 2nd from 2-5 and 7-9 pm. Mass at Our Lady of Pompeii Church, 25 Carmine Street, Manhattan on Tuesday, December 3rd at 10:30 am. Interment will be held on Wednesday at Island Cemetery, Block Island, RI. Online condolences: greenwichvillagefuneralhome.com - See more at:
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/latimes/obituary.aspx?n=Tony-Musante&pid=168213616#sthash.zFi2gFdv.dpuf
http://comicbook.com/blog/2013/11/26/famed-superman-artist-al-plastino-dies/
Santa Clarita, California (CNN) -- Actor Paul Walker, who shot to fame as star of the high-octane street racing franchise "Fast & Furious," died Saturday in a car crash in Southern California. He was 40.
Walker's publicist Ame van Iden confirmed his death, but said she could not elaborate beyond statements posted on Walker's official Twitter and Facebook accounts.
Walker was a passenger in a friend's 2005 Porsche Carrera GT and both were attending a charity event for his organization, Reach Out Worldwide, in the community of Valencia in Santa Clarita, about 30 miles north of Hollywood.
The website for the charity said the Saturday event was intended to benefit victims of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.
Speed was a factor in the crash, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office said.
The wreck took place about 3:30 p.m. (6:30 p.m. ET), about 300 yards from the office park where the event was held. The speed limit there is 45 mph.
Up and down the road near the crash site were burned rubber and doughnut marks as though someone smoked their tires in figure 8 patterns.
"I don't know if the marks in the road are related to the crash," said Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Brian Allen.
Deputies arrived at the scene to find a vehicle on fire, he said
Once fire crews put the flames out, they found two occupants, both of whom were pronounced dead at the scene.
Saturday evening, all that remained was the burnt mangled metal of the red car and a light pole that had been knocked down.
The county coroner said that, given the condition of the bodies, it will take some time to definitively identify them.
Box office success
Walker's career began on the small screen, first with a commercial for Pampers when he was 2, and then with parts in shows such as "Highway to Heaven" and "Touched By An Angel."
His first few movie roles were as supporting characters in teen flicks, most notably in "Varsity Blues."
His career really took off when he was cast as undercover cop Brian O'Conner infiltrating a street-racing gang in 2001's "The Fast and the Furious."
The box-office success of the surprise summer hit yielded numerous sequels. And along with Vin Diesel, Walker was one of the franchise stalwarts.
At the time of his death, he was working on the seventh film of the franchise, due out next year.
Walker wasn't just a car enthusiast on the silver screen, off-screen, the actor competed in the "Redline Time Attack" racing series.
On his verified Twitter account, Walker described himself as "outdoorsman, ocean addict, adrenaline junkie ... and I do some acting on the side."
Walker also is the star of "Hours," an independent film scheduled to be released December 13 about a father struggling to keep his newborn infant alive in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.
Twitter and other social media exploded with reactions to Walker's death.
"Completely numb and saddened to hear of the tragic death of Paul Walker," wrote one.
Hollywood condolences came from Will Smith, Jack Osbourne, DMX and others.
Dick Dodd, lead singer and drummer for the ’60s garage rockers the Standells, has passed away. He was 68 years old.
Dodd, who came to fame via the Standells’ big hit, ‘Dirty Water’ in 1966, had been battling stage four cancer. His illness was only recently announced via his Facebook page, and a Go Fund Me page was set up. A posting recently stated, “The doctors have found two places in Dick’s brain. Right now, they aren’t going to worry about it. The tumor in his esophagus will be treated with chemo directly into the tumor. He won’t be able to eat, so he will have a feeding tube. His spirits, however, remain upbeat.”
Though they only had one Top 40 hit, the Standells have long been considered gararge rock royalty among fans with countless classics like ‘Why Pick On Me?,’ ‘Try It,’ ‘Sometimes Good Guys Don’t Wear White’ and the theme song from the movie ‘Riot On Sunset Strip,’ in which the band appeared. Despite the ‘Boston, you’re my home’ lyrics in ‘Dirty Water,’ Dodd was California born-and-bred. He was an original member of surf rockers the Bel-Airs, and as a child, was a Mickey Mouse Club Mouseketeer.
‘Dirty Water,’ which hit No. 11 on the Billboard charts in the summer of 1966 has had a long life outside of the band, and been covered by countless acts. It has become the official victory song of the Boston Red Sox due to its references to the city, and the band has actually performed at several Red Sox games.
Dodd, who came to fame via the Standells’ big hit, ‘Dirty Water’ in 1966, had been battling stage four cancer. His illness was only recently announced via his Facebook page, and a Go Fund Me page was set up. A posting recently stated, “The doctors have found two places in Dick’s brain. Right now, they aren’t going to worry about it. The tumor in his esophagus will be treated with chemo directly into the tumor. He won’t be able to eat, so he will have a feeding tube. His spirits, however, remain upbeat.”
Though they only had one Top 40 hit, the Standells have long been considered gararge rock royalty among fans with countless classics like ‘Why Pick On Me?,’ ‘Try It,’ ‘Sometimes Good Guys Don’t Wear White’ and the theme song from the movie ‘Riot On Sunset Strip,’ in which the band appeared. Despite the ‘Boston, you’re my home’ lyrics in ‘Dirty Water,’ Dodd was California born-and-bred. He was an original member of surf rockers the Bel-Airs, and as a child, was a Mickey Mouse Club Mouseketeer.
‘Dirty Water,’ which hit No. 11 on the Billboard charts in the summer of 1966 has had a long life outside of the band, and been covered by countless acts. It has become the official victory song of the Boston Red Sox due to its references to the city, and the band has actually performed at several Red Sox games.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
