Obits – Page 5 – We Are Movie Geeks

Actor Louis Jourdan Dead at 93 – Starred in GIGI and Played a Bond Villain

Maurice Chevalier’s rendition of Thank Heaven for Little Girls may be the best known tune from the Best Picture Oscar-winner GIGI from 1958, but it was the romantic lead of the film, Louis Jourdan, who crooned the title song. It was Jourdan’s best-known role, but the French actor had a long, distinguished career, which began in Europe in the late 1930s. During World War II he joined the French underground and his film career came to a halt when he refused to act in Nazi propaganda films. He came to Hollywood where some of his notable film roles included Hitchcock’s THE PARADINE CASE (1947), THREE COINS IN A FOUNTAIN (1954), and CAN-CAN (1960). He played the 007 villain Kamal in OCTOPUSSY in 1983 and I remember him starring in a terrific adaption of DRACULA that was filmed for the BBC in 1977. Louis Jourdan died on Valentine’s Day at his home in Beverly Hills, California at age 93.

From Yahoo News:

Veteran French actor Louis Jourdan, who starred in “Gigi” and “Octopussy”, has died in Los Angeles at the age of 93, his official biographer said.Jourdan died of natural causes at his Beverly Hills home on Saturday, author Olivier Minne told AFP by phone from Paris.”He embodied French elegance and Hollywood offered him the parts to go with that,” Minne said.Like his contemporaries Maurice Chevalier and Jean-Pierre Aumont, Jourdan used his Gallic charm and good looks to conquer Hollywood…..

Read the rest HERE

Brian Clemens Dead at 83 – Wrote for Hammer, Harryhausen, and The Avengers

What an incredible career Brian Clemens had, and what an amazing amount of enjoyment that he brought to so many of us movie (and TV) geeks over the years. Clemens was a British screenwriter and producer with an enormous cult following. He was best known for The Avengers, the show starring Patrick MacNee and Honor Blackman (and later Diana Rigg) for which he wrote the pilot episode and was the chief scriptwriter from 1961 to 1969. Hammer Horror fans admired him for his clever scripts for DR. JEKYLL AND SISTER HYDE (1971) and CAPTAIN KRONOS VAMPIRE HUNTER (1974), which was also his sole directorial credit and one of the best and most unusual films from Hammer Studio. Clemens also wrote the horror films AND SOON THE DARKNESS (1970), SEE NO EVIL (1971), THE WATCHER IN THE WOODS (1980), and the wonderful Ray Harryhausen epic THE GOLDEN VOYAGE OF SINBAD (1974). Brian Clemens was 83.

LA DOLCE VITA Actress Anita Ekberg Dies At 83

“It was I who made Fellini famous, not the other way around” – Anita Ekberg

According to reports (La Stampa), Anita Ekberg has died at age 83.

The Swedish-born actress and sex-symbol of the 1950s and `60s was immortalized bathing in the Trevi fountain in Federico Fellini’s LA DOLCE VITA. Ekberg also starred in King Vidor’s WAR AND PEACE and alongside Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis in 1956’s HOLLYWOOD OR BUST which she won a Golden Globe award for “Most Promising Newcomer.”

From the AP:

Ekberg’s lawyer Patrizia Ubaldi confirmed she died in Rome Sunday morning following a series of illnesses. She had been hospitalized most recently after Christmas. Ubaldi said a ceremony would be held in the coming days at a Lutheran church in Rome, and that Ekberg had specified that her remains be cremated.

Ubaldi also said that in her last days Ekberg was saddened by the illness and her advancing age. “She had hoped to get better, something that didn’t happen,” she said.

Ekberg had long lived in Italy, the country that gave her worldwide fame thanks to the iconic dip opposite Marcello Mastroianni. The scene where the blond bombshell, clad in a black dress, her arms wide open, calls out “Marcello” remains one of the most famous images in film history.

Her curvaceous body and glamorous social life made her a favorite of tabloid press in the 1950s and 1960s. She married twice but never had children – a fact she came to regret later in her life. Some gossip magazines called her “The Iceberg” in a nod to her Scandinavian background.

But even as she became one of Sweden’s most famous exports, Ekberg maintained a problematic relation with her native country. She never starred in a Swedish film and was often at odds with Swedish journalists, who criticized her for leaving the country and ridiculed her for adopting an American accent.

Born on Sept. 29, 1931, in the southern city of Malmo, Ekberg grew up with seven siblings.

In 1951 she won the Miss Sweden competition, after being recommended to enter by organizers who saw her on the street, and went to the United States to compete for the Miss Universe title.

She didn’t win but became a model in Hollywood and later started taking on small acting roles.

Her role in Federico Fellini’s “La Dolce Vita” – where she played a movie star – shot her to stardom. The movie was a colossal success and came to define the wild and carefree days of the early 1960s.

Hosting a Swedish radio program in 2005, Ekberg recalled shooting the scene in the Trevi Fountain in Rome. She said it was shot in February, the water in the fountain was cold and Mastroianni was falling over in the fountain drunk on vodka.

“And there I was. I was freezing,” she said. “They had to lift me out of the water because I couldn’t feel my legs anymore.”

“I have seen that scene a few times. Maybe too many times. I can’t stand watching it anymore, but it was beautiful at the time,” she said.

Ekberg remained in Italy for years, appearing in scores of movies, many forgettable. She returned in two Fellini movies: “Clowns” and “Intervista.”

Ekberg married Briton Anthony Steel in 1956, but divorced him four years later. In 1963 she married again to actor Rik van Nutter, but that marriage also failed.

In an interview with Swedish tabloid Aftonbladet in 2006, Ekberg said her only regret in life was never having children.

Actor Rod Taylor of THE BIRDS, THE TIME MACHINE Dies at 84

People.com is reporting that actor Rod Taylor died Wednesday at the age of 84 of natural causes.

His daughter Felicia Taylor, a former CNN correspondent, confirmed the news Thursday.

“My dad loved his work. Being an actor was his passion – calling it an honorable art and something he couldn’t live without,” she said in a statement.

“He once said, ‘I am a poor student sitting at the feet of giants, yearning for their wisdom and begging for lessons that might one day make me a complete artist,” she continued, “ ‘so that if all goes well, I may one day sit beside them.”

Born on Jan 11, 1930 in Sydney, Australia, Rod Taylor is best remembered for his starring roles in Alfred Hitchcock’s THE BIRDS (1963) and George Pal’s THE TIME MACHINE (1960). He also provided the voice of Pongo in Disney’s 101 DALMATIANS (1961). Taylor also starred in TV’s “The Twilight Zone” in an episode called “And When the Sky Was Opened.”

‘There are so many incredible feelings I have for him. Rod was a great pal to me and a real strength, we were very, very good friends,’ said actress Tippi Hedren in a statement to People.

His final role was in Quentin Tarantino’s INGLORIOUS BASTERDS (2009) as Winston Churchill.

Filmography (TCM):

1. Kaw (2007)

2. Zabriskie Point (1970) as Lee Allen .

3. Darker Than Amber (1970) as Travis McGee .

4. The Man Who Had Power Over Women (1970) as Peter Reaney .

5. The High Commissioner (1968) as Scobie Malone .

6. Dark of the Sun (1968) as Curry .

7. The Hell With Heroes (1968) as Brynie MacKay .

8. Chuka (1967) as Chuka .

9. Hotel (1967) as Peter McDermott .

10. The Liquidator (1966) as Boysie Oakes .

11. The Glass Bottom Boat (1966) as Bruce Templeton .

12. Young Cassidy (1965) as John Cassidy .

13. 36 Hours (1965) as Maj. Walter Gerber .

14. Do Not Disturb (1965) as Mike Harper .

15. Sunday in New York (1964) as Mike Mitchell .

16. Fate Is the Hunter (1964) as Capt. Jack Savage .

17. A Gathering of Eagles (1963) as Hollis Farr .

18. The Birds (1963) as Mitch Brenner .

19. The V.I.P.s (1963) as Les Mangrum .

20. Seven Seas to Calais (1963) as Sir Francis Drake .

21. One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961) as Pongo.

22. The Time Machine (1960) as George, Time Traveler .

23. Ask Any Girl (1959) as Ross Taford .

24. Separate Tables (1958) as Charles .

25. Step Down to Terror (1958) as Mike Randall .

26. Raintree County (1957) as Garwood B. Jones .

27. The Catered Affair (1956) as Ralph Halloran .

28. The Rack (1956) as Al .

29. Hell on Frisco Bay (1956) as Brodie Evans .

30. Giant (1956) as Sir David Karfrey .

31. World Without End (1956) as [Herbert] Ellis .

32. Top Gun (1955) as [Lem] Sutter .

33. Long John Silver (1955) as Israel Hands .

34. The Virgin Queen (1955) as Corp. Gwilym .

Watch the trailer for the Rod Taylor documentary in development, “Pulling No Punches.”

Alfred Hitchock’s The Birds (1963). Credit: Universal/Getty Images.

THE LOST BOYS Actor Edward Herrmann Dies At 71

Veteran actor Edward Herrmann, 71, who played in director Joel Schumacher’s THE LOST BOYS and Richard Gilmore on television’s Gilmore Girls, died Wednesday (Dec. 31) in New York.

Herrman had been in treatment for brain cancer for months according to a statement released by his talent agent, Robyn Stecher.

His family told TMZ, which first reported the news, he had been in a hospital intensive care unit for nearly a month when the decision was made to remove him from a respirator.

Herrmann won a Tony Award for his 1976 portrayal of Frank Gardner in the Broadway play Mrs. Warren’s Profession. He earned Emmy nominations as Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the made-for-television productions Eleanor and Franklin in 1976 and Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years in 1977.

His previous film work included The Town That Dreaded Sundown (2014), The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), The Aviator (2004), Intolerable Cruelty (2003) and The Cat’s Meow (2001).

Herrmann’s voiceover work could be heard on a number of programs on PBS and The History Channel, as well as television commercials for Dodge.

Source: UPI

Oscar Winning Actress Luise Ranier Dead at 104

How tragic! The good ones are always gone too soon! But seriously, I read when THE ARTIST came out that Luise Ranier, who outlived all of the legendary stars of her era, had actually seen it at a theater at age 100! Good for her! Here’s some crazy trivia: when she was almost 90, Luise Ranier came out of retirement to play Michael Gambon’s Grandma in THE GAMBLER (1997). When George Kennedy was almost 90, he came out of retirement to play Mark Wahlberg’s Grandpa in THE GAMBLER (2014)…Coincidence?! Ms Ranier was the first actress to win back-to-back Oscars for THE GREAT ZIEGFELD (1936) and THE GOOD EARTH (1937). George Kennedy won just the one Oscar for COOL HAND LUKE in 1967.

From CNN Entertainment:

Luise Rainer, who won back-to-back Oscars in the 1930s for “The Great Ziegfeld” and “The Good Earth” only to quit Hollywood at the height of her fame, has died. She was 104. Rainer’s death was first reported by her daughter, Francesca Knittel Bowyer, on Twitter. “Mummy had the fragility of an orchid, the energy of a hummingbird, the tenacity of a hunter. She could change calm waters into a raging storm with a look and the lift of a finger,” Bowyer told CNN in an email. “My heart is a hole without her, but that hole will definitely be filled with incredible memories, sweet, salty and funny. I want her memory to linger with those who knew her and be given to those who did not.”…..

Read the rest HERE

http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/30/showbiz/movies/feat-obit-luise-rainer/

COLOSSUS: THE FORBIN PROJECT & THE TAKING OF THE PELHAM ONE TWO THREE Director Joseph Sargent Dead At 89

The director that epitomized the 1970’s, Joseph Sargent, has sadly passed away. (1925-2014)

With a career lasting 50 years, Sargent brought to the big screen such thrilling cinema as THE TAKING OF THE PELHAM ONE TWO THREE, MACARTHUR, WHITE LIGHTNING and COLOSSUS: THE FORBIN PROJECT.

Directors Guild of America President Paris Barclay made the following statement upon learning of the passing of director Joseph Sargent:

“When it comes to directing Movies for Television, Joe’s dominance and craftsmanship was legendary – for the past 50 years. With eight DGA Awards nominations in Movies for Television, more than any other director in this category, Joe embodied directorial excellence on the small screen. He was unafraid of taking risks, believing in his heart that television audiences demanded the highest quality stories – whether chronicling uncomfortable historic events like the infamous Tuskegee syphilis study in Miss Evers’ Boys, or compelling personal stories about inspiring individuals like heart surgery pioneers Alfred Blalock and Vivien Thomas in Something the Lord Made. His biographies demonstrated an exactitude for period accuracy while simultaneously infusing historical figures with true-to-life spirit and passion. Joe once said that he was “drawn to projects possessing ‘edge’ – material that can make some comment or contribution to the condition of man,” and it is this ‘edge’ that is his enduring directorial legacy.”

Joe Sargent was a Guild member for more than 53 years, joining the Guild in 1961.

Sargent was nominated for nine DGA Awards, with eight in the category of Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television. He won four DGA Awards; in 1973 as “Most Outstanding TV Director, 1973” and for The Marcus-Nelson Murders, also in 1973; in 2004 for Something the Lord Made; and in 2005 for Warm Springs.

His additional five DGA nominations for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and Mini-Series include: For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story in 2000; A Lesson Before Dying in 1999, Miss Evers’ Boys in 1997; World War II: When Lions Roared in 1994; and Miss Rose White in 1992.

Sargent served on the DGA’s Western Directors Council from 1974-83; and the 1973 and 1977 Negotiating Committees. He was also active on the Guild’s Movies for Television and Creative Rights Committees.

His early television directorial work included Bonanza, Mr. Novak, Daniel Boone, Gunsmoke, The Fugitive, Star Trek (The Corbomite Maneuver (Nov 10, 1966), The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color, The Invaders, and It Takes a Thief.

His first feature film was Colossus: The Forbin Project, released in 1970. During the 1970’s and ‘80s Sargent alternated between television and film, helming such theatrical features as The Man (1972), White Lightning (1973), The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974), MacArthur (1977), Goldengirl (1979), Coast to Coast (1980), Nightmares (1983), and his final feature, Jaws: The Revenge (1987), after which he primarily focused on movies-for-television.

During the later part of his career, Sargent directed numerous award-winning and critically acclaimed television movies—many biographical or based on historical events. These include The Karen Carpenter Story (1989), Caroline? (1990), Never Forget (1991), Somebody’s Daughter (1992), Miss Rose White (1992), Abraham (1993), World War II: When Lions Roared (1994), the mini-series Streets of Laredo (1995), Mandela and de Klerk (1997), Miss Evers’ Boys (1997), Crime and Punishment (1998), A Lesson Before Dying (1999), For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story (2000), Bojangles (2001), Something the Lord Made (2004), Warm Springs (2005), Sybil (2007), and Sweet Nothing in My Ear (2008).

Oscar-Winning Director Mike Nichols Dead at 83

Mike Nichols, the entertainment icon and husband of ABC News Anchor Diane Sawyer, has died suddenly Wednesday at the age of 83. He won the Oscar for directing THE GRADUATE, though it didn’t win best picture, and went on to direct some key adult films of the ’70s and ’80s: CATCH-22, CARNAL KNOWLEDGE, SILKWOOD, WORKING GIRL. I was surprised to see just 21 films on his directorial resume, as he seemed more prolific, but he was involved in theater, winning nine Tonys for bringing Angels in America, and Monty Python’s Spamalot and more to the stage.

Here’s more on Nichol’s death from USA Today:

Mike Nichols, esteemed director/writer/producer and husband of Diane Sawyer, has died.ABC reports he died suddenly on Wednesday evening of cardiac arrest. He was 83.Nichols’ death was announced by ABC News President James Goldston.”He was a true visionary, winning the highest honors in the arts for his work as a director, writer, producer and comic and was one of a tiny few to win the EGOT-an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony in his lifetime,” Goldston said in the statement. “No one was more passionate about his craft than Mike.””His humor, his intellect, the stories,” said Robin Roberts on Thursday morning’s Good Morning America, recalling visiting him at his home…..

Read the rest HERE

Actor Richard Kiel Dead at 74 – Played Bond Villain ‘Jaws’

Sad but not surprising. I’d met Richard Kiel several times over the years and he was always in a wheelchair – never saw him stand up to his 7’2” height. He was always super-nice though and posed with my young nephew while pretending to crush his head. He was probably best known for two roles: as ‘Jaws’ in THE SPY WHO LOVED ME and MOONRAKER, he was the only recurring 007 villain to be played by the same actor, and the Twilight Zone episode To Serve Man is part of TV folklore. He starred at age 23 as a caveman in EEGAH and had roles in the horror films HOUSE OF THE DAMNED, TWO ON A GUILLOTINE, and THE HUMAN DUPLICATORS. He had a small part in THE NUTTY PROFESSOR with Jerry Lewis and acted opposite Clint Eastwood in PALE RIDER, Burt Reynolds in THE LONGEST YARD (“I think I broke his fucking neck!”) and Adam Sandler in HAPPY GILMORE. Kiel acted in tons of Television shows. He was in The Man From U.N.C.L.E pilot, played a ghost on Gilligans Island, and a swamp monster in the The Spanish Moss Murders episode of The Night Stalker. Richard Kiel died from complications following a fall last week as his home in Fresno, California. He was 74. RIP big guy.

From The Hollywood Reporter:

Richard Kiel, the 7-foot-2 actor who played Jaws, the James Bond villain with the teeth of steel, died Wednesday, according to TMZ. He was 74. Kiel broke his leg last week and was in a hospital in Fresno, Calif., a family member told the website. Kiel’s signature character appeared in the Bond films The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) and Moonraker (1979). The actor also played an alien in the famed 1962 Twilight Zone episode “To Serve Man,” a hitman in the Gene Wilder–Richard Pryor comedy Silver Streak (1976) and Adam Sandler‘s boss in the classic golf comedy Happy Gilmore (1996)…..

Read the rest HERE

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/james-bond-villain-richard-kiel-732088

Marilyn Burns, Star of TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE Dead at 65

Fay Wray may get the prize as the best screamer in moviedom, but nobody’s screams seemed as intense and as real and as horrified as Marilyn Burns as Sally Hardesty, the ‘last girl’ from the original 1974 TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE.

If ever there was an actress in horror who will be immortalized for a single role, it’s gotta be Ms Burns. I just saw TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE in its new souped-up incarnation this past weekend when it was screened at The Hi-Pointe as part of Late Night Grindhouse and was still impressed at what an unnerving performance director Tobe Hooper coaxed from her for the film. Her post-CHAINSAW career was almost non-existent (Hooper’s follow-up EATEN ALIVE, the TV movie of HELTER SKELTER and a couple of cameos here and there were about it). I met her a few times on the horror con circuit and she was a very pleasant woman who seemed more than comfortable with her one-hit fame. Marilyn Burns died yesterday at age 65.

From Variety:

Marilyn Burns, one of the original “scream queens” who starred in Tobe Hooper’s original 1974 “Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” died Tuesday in Texas. She was 65 and was found dead in her home near Houston.

“Texas Chainsaw” was her first lead role; in it she played teenager Sally Hardesty, who goes with her brother and friends to the cemetery where her grandfather is buried and ends up as the only survivor of an encounter with the insane family led by chainsaw-wielding Leatherface.

Burns was born in Erie, Penn., raised in Texas and had small parts in films including Robert Altman’s “Brewster McCloud” while she was still in high school, and George Roy Hill’s “The Great Waldo Pepper.”……..

Read the rest HERE

http://variety.com/2014/film/news/marilyn-burns-who-starred-in-texas-chainsaw-massacre-dies-at-65-1201276500/

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