RIP Ollie Mitchell

May 26, 2013, 12:41 pm

Jazz musician ‘Ollie’ Mitchell dies on Big Island

By JOHN BURNETT

Tribune-Herald staff writer

HILO — Ollie Mitchell, trumpeter, bandleader and a legendary studio musician, died May 11 at his Puako home. He was 86.

Founder and leader of the Olliephonic Horns, the Big Island’s “little big band,” Mitchell had suffered from cancer the past few years. As of late, he had stopped playing the trumpet due to macular degeneration and hand problems from an auto accident, said Mitchell’s wife, Nancy.

“He couldn’t really see the notes on the page that well and he had a difficult time pushing the valves on the trumpet, but he still led the band,” Nancy Mitchell said Saturday. She described her husband as “charismatic and handsome” and “just a really nice man with the most positive outlook on life.”

Oliver Edward Mitchell was born April 8, 1927, in Los Angeles. His father was Harold “Pappy” Mitchell, lead trumpeter for MGM Studios, who taught his son the trumpet. The younger Mitchell played in the big bands of Harry James, Buddy Rich and Perez Prado, among others, as well as the NBC Orchestra. He became “first call” trumpeter for many L.A. recording studios, and was part of The Wrecking Crew, a fabled group of 1960s Los Angeles studio musicians whose work can still be heard on golden oldies by The Beach Boys, The Mamas & the Papas, The Carpenters, The 5th Dimenson, Simon & Garfunkel, Nat King Cole, Nancy Sinatra and others.

“You look at their history and who they played with, there was a predictability when you hired them,” said Gary Washburn, Olliephonics keyboardist and teacher-director of the renowned Honokaa High School Jazz Band. “You knew it was going to be done right and done very quickly, in a short amount of time. That was back when they charged by the hour in studios, so you’d might as well get the best.”

Mitchell was also an original member of Herb Alpert’s Tijuana Brass.

“When Herb Alpert took the band on the road he didn’t want to be hooked to that, because he was doing other stuff, too,” Nancy Mitchell said.

Although he made his living in the studio, Mitchell’s passion was live music. He had his own L.A.-based big band, Ollie Mitchell’s Sunday Band. After retiring, Mitchell moved to Honolulu in the 1970s and played with Harvey Ragsdale, who introduced Ollie and Nancy. On their first date, Mitchell took her to see jazz singer Jimmy Borges, who Nancy knew from working on the original “Hawaii 5-0” series.

“Jimmy came over and said, ‘Nancy, what are you doing here?’” she recalled. “I said, ‘Just came here to see you, and this is my date, Ollie Richards.’ Ollie said, ‘No, Ollie Mitchell.’ And Jimmy said, ‘Ollie Mitchell! Oh, man!’ I looked at him with wonder.”

The Mitchells later moved to the Big Island, and he founded the Olliephonics in 1995. Band members include fellow Wrecking Crew veteran, trombonist Richard “Slyde” Hyde. The band is a nonprofit organization dedicated to perpetuating big band music and to music education for youth, especially wind instruments.

“He was all about the music,” said Washburn. “He gave us instruments. He gave us music. He gave us lights. He was just the best. He was a great musician and a really, really nice guy, a lot of fun to play with. He was real loose when it came to the formality of playing music, but he was a taskmaster in terms of playing music correctly. He’ll be missed.”

The Olliephonics play tonight at 7 p.m. at the Blue Dragon in Kawaihae. There’s a $10 cover charge. Washburn has a solo set at 6 p.m.

Private services are planned. In addition to wife Nancy, Mitchell is survived by son, Steve (Tere) Mitchell of Santa Ynez, Calif.; daughter, Marla (Chase) Leavitt of Santa Ynez, Calif.; stepson John Hackleman of Arroyo Grande, Calif.; stepdaughter Susan Hackleman of Grover Beach, Calif.; 12 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. Memorial donations can be made to Olliephonic Horns and mailed to P.O. Box 44493, Kamuela, HI 96743.

MITCHELL, Ollie (Oliver Edward Mitchell)

Born: 4/8/1927, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

Died: 5/11/2013, Puako, Hawaii, U.S.A.

Ollie Mitchell’s westerns – trumpet player:

Hud - 1963

Advance to the Rear – 1964

Big Hand for a Little Lady – 1966

Hang ‘Em High – 1968

Will Penny - 1968

Chisum – 1970

Legend of Nigger Charley - 1972

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RIP Little Tony

May 28, 2013, 9:50 am

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'Little Tony has died. The singer was 72 years old and had long been ill with cancer. He died in the clinic Villa Margherita in Rome, where he was hospitalized for three months. The funeral will take place tomorrow, Tuesday, at the Church of the Divine Love.

Antonio Ciacci, was the real name of Little Tony, who was one of the most celebrated artists of Italian music, among the first Italians to interpret rock'n'roll, a passion that made him win the title "The Italian Elvis Presley". This led to the success of songs like “Riderà” and “Cuore Matto”. He began young, thanks to a musical family: his father, a singer and accordionist, guitarist uncle and two brothers, Henry and Albert, a guitarist and bassist respectively. They played in Castelli Romani, in the dance halls and vaudeville theaters.

In 1958 he moved to England, with his brothers, at the request of an English impresario, Jack Good, who noticed them during a performance at the Teatro Smeraldo in Milan. In England, the group was founded as ‘Little Tony and his Brothers’. The choice of the name, instead of Ciacci was inspired by Little Richard. The band roused an unexpected success that kept them abroad for a few years. And 'at that time, the end of the fifties, the band produced numerous singles like Lucille, Johnny B. Good, Shake Rattle and Roll. Some of his songs were included in the soundtrack of the film, “Blue Monday” about a gangster looking for a wife.

Little Tony returned to Italy and, in 1961, and participated in the Festival of Sanremo, paired with Adriano Celentano. Their song ‘24 mila baci’ came in second place. But it will become one of his most popular songs of those years. These were also the years of songs for films, “5 marines per 100 ragazze”, “Rocco e le sorelle”, “Nerone '71”, “La bella Americana” and “Pugni pupe e marina”. But the first real success record came in 1961 with “Il ragazzo col ciuffo” that opened the door to the top of the standings. He did just as well with “Che mi ami ancora” and “Portata al Cantagiro” which were among the greatest hits of 1962. More than a year later, in 1963, when he reached number 2 “Se insieme a un altro ti vedrò” (written by his brother Henry) and the successfully recorded “T'amo e t'amerò” written by Peppino Gagliardi, during which time he began his also his career as an actor in several musicals. He was back in Sanremo in 1964 with “Quando vedrai la mia ragazza” and then a good summer hit “La fine di agosto”. For his next big hit was not until 1966, when participating in the Cantagiro with “Riderà.”. The song will not win the event, but sold over a million copies.

After that the road is all downhill. He then hit it big again with “Cuore matto” which reached number one for twelve consecutive weeks. In 1968 his fourth participation in Sanremo with “Un uomo piange solo per amore man” and then “Lacrime” and “La donna di picche”. After the success of “Bada bambina” Little Tony founded his own label, "Little Records," and came out with “E diceva che amava me” / “Nostalgia”. In 1970 he has another great success, again in Sanremo with “La spada nel cuore” (composed by Charles Donida), which won the fifth place, paired with Patty Pravo.

Little Tony sang the title song “Rainbow… vorrei… vorrei” for “The Longest Hunt (1968)

LITTLE TONY (Antonio Ciacci)

Born: 2/7/1941, Tivoli, Lazio, Italy

Died: 5/27/2013, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Little Tony’s western – singer:

The Longest Hunt – 1968 [sings “Rainbow... vorrei... vorrei”]

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RIP Bill Lansford

May 31, 2013, 4:21 pm

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Bill Lansford, 90, a Latino Marine and Army veteran who sought to bring honor to the contributions of other Latinos who served in the nation’s wars, died May 22 at his Playa del Rey home. The cause was complications of prostate cancer, his wife Ruth said.

Lansford, who was raised in East Los Angeles by his Mexican-born mother, was a major force behind efforts to construct a monument at El Pueblo de Los Angeles for Latino recipients of the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military award.

Although that effort has slowed amid questions over the monument’s planned placement in the city’s historic core, Ruth Lansford said she and others were continuing to seek donations for the project’s $750,000 cost. Along with a memorial wall honoring all Medal of Honor recipients, dedicated in 2009, organizers still hope to erect a sculpture paying tribute to the award’s 40 Latino recipients, she said.

Bill Lansford was also one of two Latino veterans included in filmmaker Ken Burns’ 2007 documentary series “The War,” about World War II, after complaints by Latinos that their wartime contributions had been overlooked. Lansford spoke about the battle for Guadalcanal, in particular his time with an elite Marine commando unit known as Carlson’s Raiders, which went behind enemy lines in 1942 to harass a larger Japanese force.

William Douglas Lansford was born July 13, 1922, in East Los Angeles, the son of Rosalina Melendez, an actress, and Frank Alva Stone, a Los Angeles police officer. His parents were divorced before he was born. (The name Lansford came from a misspelling on his birth certificate of Lunsford, another name used by his father, Ruth Lansford said.)

He dropped out of high school at 16 and joined the Marine Corps at 18. He was stationed in Iceland, then in the Pacific theater during World War II. Several years later, he joined the Army and served during the Korean War.

He became a successful writer for television series such as “Starsky & Hutch,” “Fantasy Island” and “Ironside,” and also wrote several books, including a biography of Pancho Villa that was adapted into the 1968 film “Villa Rides,” starring Yul Brynner.

LANSFORD, Bill (William Douglas Lansford)

Born: 7/13/1922, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

Died: 5/22/2013, Playa del Rey, California, U.S.A.

Bill Lansford’s western – book author:

Villa Rides - 1968

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RIP Nino Baragli

June 1, 2013, 8:47 am

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Noted film editor Nino Baragli has died at 88

Italian film editor Nino Baragli died in Rome on May 29, 2013. He was 88.

Born in Rome on October 1, 1925 as Giovanni Baragli, he was introduced into the film industry by his uncle Eraldo Da Roma [1900-1981]. He started his career in 1944 as a film operator and assistant editor on “Marinai senza stele” by Francesco De Robertis.

During his career he worked as editor in more than 200 productions between 1944 and 1996, including works by Federico Fellini, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Sergio Leone, Damiano Damiani, Luigi Zampa, Giuliano Montaldo, Sergio Corbucci, Mauro Bolognini, Luigi Comencini, Cristina Comencini, Florestano Vancini, Gabriele Salvatores, Alberto Lattuada, Margarethe von Trotta, Pál Sándor, Bernardo Bertolucci, Roberto Benigni, Massimo Troisi.

He won two David di Donatello for Best Editing in 1991 and 1992, for The Voice of the Moon and Mediterraneo. In 1998 he was awarded with a special Silver Ribbon for his career.

BARAGLI, Nino (Giovanni Baragli)

Born: 10/1/1925, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Died: 5/29/2013, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Nino Baragli’s westerns – film editor:

7 Guns for the MacGregors – 1966

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly – 1966

Django – 1966

Little Rita of the West – 1967

Hellbenders – 1967

Up the MacGregors! – 1967

Once Upon a Time in the West – 1968

Duck You Sucker – 1971

The Call Me Providence – 1972

My Name is Nobody – 1972

Lucky Johnny Born in America – 1975

A Genius – 1975

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RIP Jean Stapleton

June 1, 2013, 1:30 pm

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'All in the Family' star Jean Stapleton dies at 90

L.A. Times

By Valerie Nelson

June 1, 2013, 12:56 p.m.

'All in the Family' star Jean Stapleton dies at 90

Jean Stapleton, who played Archie Bunker’s long-suffering wife Edith in the long-running 1970s television series “All in the Family,” died Friday at her New York City home. She was 90.

Stapleton died of natural causes, her family announced Saturday.

She had been a veteran of stage, film and television when she was cast in the CBS sitcom opposite Carroll O’Connor’s loud-mouthed, bigoted Archie Bunker, who often addressed her as "dingbat." She won three Emmys for the role.

“The benign, compassionate presence she developed made my egregious churl bearable,” O'Connor wrote of Stapleton in his 1998 autobiography. He died in 2001.

Born in New York City on Jan. 19, 1923, Stapleton was the daughter of a billboard advertising salesman and an opera singer.

In 1949, she got a break when she was cast in the national touring company of “Harvey.” Many characters later in summer stock, regional and off-Broadway plays, Stapleton starred as a wisecracking waitress in 1953 Broadway production of “In the Summer House.”

Stapleton went on to a feature role as Sister in “Damn Yankees,” singing the hit tune “You've Gotta Have Heart,” and reprised the role in the 1958 film. She also appeared in both the stage and film versions of “The Bells Are Ringing” as Sue, the proprietor of Susanswerphone Service. And she originated the role of Mrs. Strakosh in “Funny Girl,” which made a Broadway star of Barbra Streisand.

Stapleton is survived by her children, television producer Pamela Putch and film and television director John Putch.

STAPLETON, Jean (Jeanne Murray)

Born: 1/19/1923, New York City, New York, U.S.A.

Died: 5/31/2013, New York City, New York, U.S.A.

Jean Stapleton’s western – voice actress:

Pochahontas II: Journey to a New World – 1998 (voice of Mrs. Jenkins)

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RIP Esther Williams

June 6, 2013, 10:13 am

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Esther Williams, the swimming champion turned movie star, has died at age 91.

Williams' publicist Harlan Boll says she died early Thursday in her sleep.

Williams became one of Hollywood's biggest moneymakers in the 1940s and '50s, appearing in spectacular swimsuit numbers that capitalized on her wholesome beauty and perfect figure.

Such films as "Easy to Wed," ''Neptune's Daughter" and "Dangerous When Wet" followed the same formula: romance, music, a bit of comedy and a flimsy plot that provided excuses to get Esther into the water.

The extravaganzas dazzled a second generation via television and the compilation films "That's Entertainment." Williams' co-stars included the pick of the MGM contract list, including Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Red Skelton, Ricardo Montalban and Howard Keel.

WILLIAMS, Esther (Esther Jane Williams)

Born: 8/8/1921, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

Died: 6/6/2013, Beverly Hills, California, U.S.A.

Esther Williams’ westerns – actress:

Callaway Went Thataway – 1951 (herself)

Zane Grey Theater (TV) – 1960 (Sarah Harmon)

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RIP Eddi Arent

June 7, 2013, 12:36 pm

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A bit clumsy, with the look of a bewildered puppy - Eddi Arent has become famous for his performances in the Edgar Wallace movies. The Wallace thrillers belong to the escapism of the late post-war period, but when you look at them today, they are kind of amazing in their quirky humor. Arent died in Munich, Germany on May 28, 2013. He was 88

Arent was born on May 5, 1925 in Gdansk, after the war he began initially as a comedian. He was actually a comedian, not an actor directly, unlike most of his colleagues, he did not come out of the theater. The comic roles gave him an interest in the cinema, in the first of the Wallace films, “Der Frosch mit der Maske” (1959) and then also he had more comic performances, as the cinema put out more adventures, with Karl May Arent was in the "Treasure of Silver Lake" (1962) the butterfly addicted Lord Castlepool.

As the cinema changed in the seventies of the New German Cinema supplanted the postwar cinema, Arent had not done a lot of movies - he made a few more Pop films, and then disappeared into television, especially as the eternal partner of Harald Juhnke with which he turned the sketch series "Harald and Eddi".

ARENT, Eddi (Gebhardt Georg Arendt)
Born: 5/5/1925, Danzig-Langfur
Died: 5/28/2013, Munich, Bavaria, Germany

Eddi Arent's westerns - actor:
The Treasure of Silver Lake - 1962 (Lord Castlepool)

Last of the Renegades - 1964 (Lord Castlepool)

Man with the Long Gun - 1968 (Lord Castlepool)

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RIP Elias Querejeta

June 9, 2013, 7:30 am

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Producer Elias Querejeta dies at 78

He collaborated with filmmakers such as Carlos Saura, Victor Erice and Fernando Leon, among others

Film producer Elías Querejeta died today at age 78 in Madrid, sources told Efe the Federation of Spanish Audiovisual Producers (FAPAE).

His death has occurred at 6 am on Sunday, according to the sources, who have pointed out that his remains will be transferred to the 13 hours a Funeral Home of La Paz (Tres Cantos, Madrid).

The film producer, father of director Grace Querejeta, worked with numerous filmmakers such as Carlos Saura in 'La caza', Victor Erice in the award-winning 'El espíritu de la colmena' and more recently with Fernando Leon de Aranoa in ''Los lunes al sol'.

His latest works as a producer have been 'Siete mesas de billar francés' (2007) and 'Cerca de tus ojos' (2009), which also was his directorial debut.

He has received numerous awards such as the Luis Buñuel film (1980), the National Film Award (1986), Europa Cinema Award for Best European producer in the Italian Festival of Rimini (1987) and the Gold Medal of the Spanish Academy Film (1998).

Querejeta was the producer of one Euro-western: “Yankee Dudler” (1973).

QUEREJETA, Elias (Elias Querejeta Garate)

Born: 10/27/1934, Hernani, Guipúzcoa, País Vasco, Spain

Died: 6/9/2013, Madrid, Madrid, Spain

Elias Querejeta’s western – producer:

Yankee Dudler - 1973

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RIP Harry Lewis

June 10, 2013, 4:39 pm

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RIP Harry Lewis

By Rene Lynch

June 10, 2013, 1:44 p.m.

Actor-turned-restaurateur Harry Lewis -- he founded the Hamburger Hamlet chain of restaurants, and later Kate Mantilini -- has died. He was 93.

Lewis starred alongside the likes of Humphrey Bogart and Edward G. Robinson in 1948's "Key Largo" and had a long list of other film and TV credits. But he was perhaps best known for opening Hamburger Hamlet in 1950 along with the noted celebrity clothing designer who would become his wife. Harry and Marilyn Lewis would expand the Hamburger Hamlet chain to 24 locations before selling it in the late 1980s for about $30 million.

Lewis' Hollywood connections served him well during his time at the helm of Hamburger Hamlet. Among the restaurant's regulars: Ronald Reagan, Tony Curtis and Sammy Davis Jr.

Hamburger Hamlet was known for customized burgers with audacious toppings long before it became the trendy thing to do, as well as an eclectic mix of other homey, comforting fair. Essentially, the Lewises served food that they themselves would enjoy eating.

Lewis and his wife opened several other restaurants as well, including Kate Mantilini in Beverly Hills. It became the backdrops for that famed scene in 1995's "Heat," when Robert De Niro and Al Pacino shared the movie screen for the first time.

Harry and Marilyn Lewis would turn the reins of Kate Mantilini over to their sons in 2009. Their colorful relationship provided much fodder for Marilyn's memoir, "Marilyn, Are You Sure You Can Cook?"

Harry Lewis died Sunday at a convalescent home in Beverly Hills, where he had lived for the past two years.

Lewis is survived by his wife, Marilyn, as well as sons David and Adam and five grandchildren. Burial arrangements are underway.

LEWIS, Harry

Born: 4/1/1920, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

Died: 6/9/2013, Beverly Hills, California, U.S.A.

Harry Lewis’s westerns – actor:

They Died With Their Boots On – 1941 (youth)

Yancy Derringer (TV) – 1958 (Phil Dollar)

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RIP Maxine Stuart

June 12, 2013, 7:48 am

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RIP Maxine Stuart

June 11, 2013, 7:31 p.m.

Los Angeles Times staff and wire reports

Maxine Stuart, 94, a stage, film and TV actress whose long career included memorable guest appearances on "The Twilight Zone" and "The Wonder Years," died Thursday of natural causes at her Beverly Hills home, according to her daughter, Chris Ann Maxwell.

Stuart began her career in New York theater and had a handful of small movie parts but was best known for her television work. In the early 1950s she appeared in dramatic anthology programs and was a regular on "The Edge of Night" soap opera.

After moving to Los Angeles in the late '50s with her then-husband, character actor Frank Maxwell, she was cast in a string of television series. In a 1960 episode of "The Twilight Zone" titled "Eye of the Beholder," she portrayed a woman covered in bandages awaiting her 11th surgical operation to correct her appearance. Stuart played the part until the bandages were removed, when actress Donna Douglas was revealed at the end of the show.

Stuart received an Emmy nomination in 1989 for her guest role as a piano teacher in "The Wonder Years." Her career stretched into the early 2000s and included parts on television in "Dr. Kildare," "Peyton Place," "Murphy Brown," "NYPD Blue," "Chicago Hope" and "Judging Amy."

In 1993, she joined the CBS daytime drama "The Young and the Restless" for a story line about an older couple. William J. Bell, the show's co-creator, cast Stuart after seeing her play an intern on "Murphy Brown."

"She epitomized what I wanted – someone who brought a feistiness, a vitality and energy with her, who's gregarious and fun-loving," Bell told The Times in 1993.

Stuart, then in her 70s, agreed that she still had plenty of energy. "When you're 20, you think, 'Oh, my God, if I ever get to be 30, I'll be so old.' But when you get to be this age, if you don't look in the mirror — or see yourself on TV — you don't know."

She was born Maxine Shlivek on June 28, 1918, in Deal, N.J. She and Maxwell divorced in 1963, and she married writer David Shaw in 1974. He died in 2007.

STUART, Maxine (Maxine Shlivek)

Born: 6/28/1918, Deal, New Jersey, U.S.A.

Died: 6/6/2013, Beverly Hills, California, U.S.A.

Maxine Stuart’s westerns – actress:

Wanted: Dead or Alive (TV) – 1960 (June Koster)

Stoney Burke (TV) – 1963 (Hilda Pollard)

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RIP Gianni Manera

June 12, 2013, 8:29 am

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Gianni Manera died in a Rome hospital June 10, 2013 after a long illness born Colleferro Gianni Manera, director, screenwriter, actor, journalist. He was 73 years old.

At his bedside was his daughter Alma, singer-actress (born from the marriage with director Maria Pia Liotta) and his brother painter Enrico Manera.

Gianni was born in Asmara, February 18 1940 and became known to Italian film goers thanks to his debut film as a writer and director in 1972’s "La Lunga Ombra Del Lupo", which cost him an arrest by the Prosecutor of the Republic of Bologna with the accusation: "Incitement to incite an armed riot through an ideological tool." His other famous titles are “Ordine Firmato in bianco”, “Cappotto di legno” e “Tragedy in New York”. He won numerous awards both nationally and internationally.

In his films he directed prestigious actors such as Michel Constantin, Fred Williamson, Don Murray. Gianni Manera was one of the first directors of independent film.

He started his career very young, first as an actor (he was an integral part of the theater company of RAI in Turin) and then as a director. Anton Giulio Majano chose him for one of his first TV series, "Lieutenant Sheridan," and again for Rai he starred in "Life of Dante" with Giorgio Albertazzi. He worked with Alberto Lupo, Luisa Rivelli, Maurizio Arena, Michele Palcido and Philipe Leroy.

Manera was involved in two Euro-westerns appearing as an actor in “7 Dollars to Kill” (1966) starring Anthony Steffen and Fernando Sancho and “A Wreath for the Bandits” (1968) for which he also wrote the screenplay:

MANERA, Gianni (Colleferro Gianni Manera)

Born: 2/18/1940, Asmara Eritera, Italy

Died: 6/10/2013, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Gianni Manera’s westerns – actor, screenwriter:

Seven Dollars to Kill – 1966 (gambler)

A Wreath for the Bandits – 1968 (Malo) [screenwriter]

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RIP Soh Hang-suen

June 13, 2013, 3:43 pm

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Soh Hang-suen dies at 61

Veteran Hong Kong actress Soh Hang-suen has died after battling diabetes in Hong Kong Queen Elizabeth Hospital. She was 61.

So is a former TVB actor who graduated from TVB's first artistes' training course in 1972. She had taken part in more than ten TVB dramas including "Police Cadet 1988", "The File Of Justice" and "Detective Investigation Files".

She was awarded with the Best Supporting Actress award for her performance in the award-winning film "Life Without Principle" in 31st Hong Kong Film Awards. She was unable to attend the event due to her bad health condition at that time.

In an interview in April 2012, the actress revealed that she had had her toe amputated after it became necrotic. She lamented that she had become more wistful after facing so many difficulties and challenges in her life.

HANG-SUEN, Soh

Born: 1952, Hong Kong, China

Died: 6/12/2013, Hong Kong, China

Soh Hang-suen’s western – actress:

The Millionaires Express – 1986 (Fong Tin’s mom)

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RIP Evaristo Márquez

June 16, 2013, 8:52 pm

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Evaristo Marquez, Columbian actor who shared the screen with Marlon Brando

Evaristo Marquez died from cardiac arrest in Cartagena, Columbia. He was 73.

Born on August 23, 1939, in a family of African descent devoted to agriculture in Palenquera, Marquez became known internationally following his participation in the film “Quemada” (1969) where he co-starred opposite film star, Marlon Brando directed by Gillo Pontecorvo.

Before his involvement with Pontecorvo he was a herdsman and he was illiterate. Márquez appeared in three more movies during the 1970s including his only Euro-western “Lucky Johnny: Born in America (aka Dead Aim) (1975). With the decline of his film career, Márquez returned to work as a herdsman.

Of his experience with Brando, Márquez said "he never made me feel inferior to him, he regarded me as a brother", and "indeed, there was no one like Brando; that way of changing the expression of his face, of his eyes; even more, he was a brave man."

In 2008 Márquez appeared in “Chimbumbe”, a short film shown at the Cartagena Film Festival.

In August 2010 Márquez appeared in “El Tambor Magico”, a short film made by San Basilio de Palenque children.

MARQUEZ, Evaristo

Born: 8/23/1939 San Basilio de Palenque, Bolivar, Columbia

Died: 6/15/2013 Cartagena, Columbia

Evaristo Márquez’s western – actor:

Lucky Johnny: Born in America – 1975 (Lucius)

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RIP David Campling

June 17, 2013, 5:11 pm

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BAFTA-nominated sound editor for 'Sunday Bloody Sunday' David Campling.

Film and sound editor David Campling, who worked on such films as “Platoon” and “The Terminator,” died May 9 in Los Angeles of cancer. He was 73.

Campling earned a BAFTA nomination for his sound work on 1971’s “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” directed by John Schlesinger and was nominated for an MPSE Golden Reel award for “Platoon.”

Trained at Pinewood and Twickenham Studios, Campling’s sound editing career began with Roman Polanski’s 1966 “Cul-de-sac.” He did sound work on such varied films as “The Day of the Locust” and “Carry on Doctor.”

Most of his editing work was for TV including MTV’s “Undressed” and telepics such as “Knots Landing: Back to the Cul de Sac” and “Through the Eyes of a Killer.”

A longtime BAFTA Los Angeles board member who did a stint as treasurer, he produced the org’s tribute to Schlesinger at the Egyptian Theater in 2002. He co-founded the Heritage Archive project and was responsible for the taping and editing of many of the most popular interviews in the series.

He was also a member of the Motion Picture Sound Editors guild.

“BAFTA Los Angeles is saddened to learn of the passing of long time member and dear friend, David Campling,” the org said in a statement. “He was a dear friend of BAFTA Los Angeles.”

Survivors include his wife, Patricia.

CAMPLING, David

Born: 11/2/1938, U.K.

Died: 5/9/2013, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

David Campling’s western – editor:

Ruby Jean and Joe (TV) – 1996 [editor]

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RIP Grady Hunt

June 17, 2013, 5:30 pm

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Grady Hunt Dead; Designed Costumes for Fantasy Island

Nine-time Emmy nominated costume designer Grady Hunt died May 5 in Hollywood. He was 91.

Born on May 16, 1921 in Lone Oak, Texas, the costumer began his career — after serving in the Navy during WWII — by opening a couture shop called Gradis in Dallas, Texas. After moving to Los Angeles in the 1950s, his first project was designing costumes for then-theater director Aaron Spelling.

Hunt was a costumer for Columbia Pictures for 15 years, and is most remembered for his work on “The Milton Berle Show,” “Saturday Night Review” and the “Colgate Comedy Hour” as well as styling such stars as Anne Baxter, Joan Crawford, Eartha Kitt, Ruta Lee and Donna Wynter.

His Emmy-nominated work included “Fantasy Island,” “The Dream Merchants” (1980), “Belulah Land” (1981), “Ziegfield: The Man and His Women” (1978), “Quark” (1978), “The Quest” (1977), “The Snoop Sisters “ (1974) and “Columbo: Dagger of the Mind” (1973).

Hunt’s partner of 54 years, Emmy-award winning costume designer William L. “Bill” Jobe, died in 1997. He is survived by his sister Dorothea Lawson.

HUNT, Grady

Born: 5/16/1921, Lone Oak, Texas, U.S.A.

Died: 5/5/2013, Hollywood, California, U.S.A.

Grady Hunt’s westerns – costumes, costume supervisor, costume designer:

The Shakiest Gun in the West – 1968 [costume designer]

The Virginian (TV) – 1970 [costume supervisor]

Alias Smith and Jones (TV) – 1971 [costume designer]

One More Train to Rob – 1971 [costume designer]

The Devil and Miss Sarah (TV) – 1971 [costume designer]

Hec Ramsey (TV) – 1973-1974 [costume designer]

Virgin Cowboy – 1975 [costumes]

The Quest: The Longest Drive (TV) – 1976 [costume designer]

Banjo Hackett: Roamin’ Free (TV) – 1976 [costume designer]

The Quest (TV) – 1976 [costume designer]

Go West, Young Girl (TV) – 1978 [costume designer]

The Legend of the Golden Gun (TV) – 1979 [costume designer]

The Shadow Riders (TV) – 1982 [costume designer]

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RIP Katherine Woodville

June 20, 2013, 5:25 pm

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Katherine (Kate) Woodville (4 December 1938 – 5 June 2013; age 74) was an English actress who was quite prolific during the 1960s and 1970s, appearing in a number of movies and guest-starring in several television series, including Mission: Impossible (1968 with Joseph Campanella), the Kung Fu episode "The Gunman" (with Andrew Prine), the World War II TV miniseries The Rhinemann Exchange (1977 with Stephen Collins, Rene Auberjonois, John Hoyt, and Jeremy Kemp), and Days of our Lives (1977). The murder of her character in the first episode of The Avengers was the driving force of the first year, and the reason for the title. She married The Avengers star Patrick Macnee in 1965, but they divorced four years later. She later married Edward Laurence Albert in 1978 and they remained married until his death in September 2006. Katherine passed away on June 5 after a decade-long battle with cancer. She was 74.

WOODVILLE, Katherine

Born: 12/4/1938, London, England, U.K.

Died: 6/5/2013, Portland, Oregon, U.S.A.

Katherine Woodlville’s westerns – actress:

The Virginian (TV) – 1970 (Vanessa MacKenzie)

Kung Fu (TV) – 1974 (Nedia Chamberlain)

Posse – 1975 (Mrs. Cooper)

Little House on the Prairie (TV) – 1978 (Bess Bevins)

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RIP Miguel Morayta

June 20, 2013, 7:01 pm

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Mexican filmmaker Miguel Morayta died yesterday June 19^thof natural causes at age 105 years of natural causes.

In an interview with Ricardo Morayta, son of the director, explained that the death of his father was because of his age, a few months shy of 106 years, "He had no disease, just his heart was very tired and stopped beating."

He recalled that his father was a person very dear to the film community of the Golden Age, but unfortunately his colleagues of those years all went ahead of him, "My father was the longest-serving director in history."

The last movie that he filmed was "Los amantes fríos" (1977), but his son said he never stopped writing, even though he was retired, "He made many films in the Golden Age, and we know that he will be remembered for many of them. "

He said that education was what father left them, "Because he was always hardworking, dedicated, honest and with many principles, which he taught us from childhood".

Ricardo said he would like a tribute to made in memory of his father, "Because he deserves it, he was a man who gave so much to his country, was much loved in Mexico and in countries like Spain, where he wrote several books ".

At the funeral, held at a funeral home in Colonia Roma, went yesterday family, friends and representatives of the guild cinematic, including Victor Ugalde, president of the Mexican Society of Directors-Directors of Audiovisual Works.

Ugalde recalled that besides being a prolific film director and writer, Miguel Morayta was founder of the Mexican Society of Directors-Directors of Audiovisual Works, the Union of Cinema Production Workers and the General Society of Writers in Mexico.

The filmmaker, who was born on August 15, 1907 in Spain but lived the past six decades in Mexico, he was director of over 70 films and writer of more than 50, among which " El médico de las locas" (1955) , ""¡Ay Jalisco no te rajes!" (1964) and "Capulina contra los monstruos" (1973), to name a few.

A Morayta, who in 1988 received the Gold Medal of Merit of the Director for 50 years of work in film, he is survived by his sons Richard and Michael, and six grandchildren.

MORAYTA, Miguel (Miguel Morayta Martinez)
Born: 8/15/1907, Ciudad Real, Castillo-La Mancha, Spain
Died: 6/19/2013, Mexico City, Federal District, Mexico

Miguel Morayta's westerns - director, screenwriter:
Charo a la fuerza - 1948 [director, screenwriter]
Soul of Steel - 1957 [director, screenwriter]
'Mal de amores' - 1957 [diector]
Juan guerrero - 1963 [direcor, screenwriter]
Rutilo el forastero - 1963 [director]
Guns for San Sebastian - 1968 [screenwriter]
Juan el desalmando - 1970 [director, screenwriter]
Hermanos de sangre - 1974 [director, screenwriter]

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RIP Elliott Reid

June 25, 2013, 6:10 am

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Longtime film, TV actor with a comic touch

Elliott "Ted" Reid, 93, a longtime character actor in films and on television, stage and radio who played opposite Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell in the classic comedy "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," died Friday in Studio City, said his nephew Roger R. Jackson.

Reid died of heart failure at an assisted living facility where he had resided in recent years, his nephew said.

Although Reid had a number of dramatic roles, he was best known for his comic touch in such films as "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes."

In that 1953 movie, Reid memorably played Ernie Malone, a private investigator hired to keep track of Monroe's character, Lorelei Lee, who is suspected of being a gold digger by her fiance's wealthy father. Along the way, Malone falls for Monroe's best friend, Dorothy Shaw, played by Russell.

Reid also played Fred MacMurray's self-important romantic rival in Disney's "The Absent-Minded Professor" in 1961 and its 1963 sequel, "Son of Flubber," as well as a local prosecuting attorney in "Inherit the Wind" in 1960.

A gifted mimic, Reid developed an impersonation of President Kennedy, which he performed for the president at a 1962 Washington dinner. Time magazine reported that the president was "convulsed" by the performance.

Edgeworth Blair Reid — he later took Elliott as his stage name — was born Jan. 16, 1920, in New York City. His father, Blair Reid, was a banker, and his mother, Christine Challenger Reid, an artist. At 15, he landed a role on the radio program "The March of Time," where he worked with Orson Welles, who later invited him to join his Mercury Theatre company, doing both radio and stage productions. Reid became a regular.

In addition to his film and radio work, Reid appeared often on television series and variety shows. He was a regular guest on shows hosted by Dinah Shore and Jack Paar in the 1950s and a cast member on the U.S. version of David Frost's 1960s political satire program "That Was the Week That Was." He also appeared in episodes of "I Love Lucy," "Perry Mason" and "Murder, She Wrote," among many others.

REID, Elliott (Edgeworth Blair Reid)

Born: 1/16/2013, New York City, New York, U.S.A.

Died: 6/21/2013, Studio City, California, U.S.A.

Elliott Reid’s westerns – actor:

Sierra – 1950 (Duke Lafferty)

The Wild Wild West (TV) – 1966 (Governor Marcus Hawthorne)

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RIP Richard Matheson

June 25, 2013, 6:13 am

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Richard Matheson I Am Legend Creator Has Died Age 87

The Guardian Express

By Michael Smith

Richard Matheson, one of the most iconic writers in America has died aged 87 according to his daughter who posted the information on Twitter. The I Am Legend creator has died after a long battle with an undisclosed illness.

Richard Burton Matheson was born on February 20, 1926 and died on June 24, 2013. He was an American author and screenwriter, who worked primarily in the fantasy, horror, and science fiction genres. He is perhaps best known as the author of The Shrinking Man, Hell House, What Dreams May Come, Bid Time Return (filmed as Somewhere in Time), A Stir of Echoes, and I Am Legend.

All of the above mentioned books have been adapted as major motion pictures, the last at least three times with Will Smith playing the doomed character in I Am Legend. Matheson also wrote several television episodes of The Twilight Zone for Rod Serling, including “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” and “Steel”. He later adapted his 1971 short story Duel as a screenplay which was promptly directed by a young Steven Spielberg, for the TV movie of the same name.

Matheson was born in Allendale, New Jersey. He was the son of Norwegian immigrants Fanny (née Mathieson) and Bertolf Matheson, a tile floor installer. Matheson was raised in Brooklyn and graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School in 1943. He entered the military and spent World War II as an infantry soldier.

In 1949 he earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri and moved to California in 1951. He married Ruth Ann Woodson on July 1, 1952 and has four children, three of whom (Chris, Richard Christian, and Ali Matheson) are writers of fiction and screenplays.

Matheson wrote 14 episodes for the iconic American television series The Twilight Zone, including Steel and the famous Nightmare at 20,000 Feet which became the most legendary and iconic episode of the cult favourite series. He also wrote Little Girl Lost, a story about a young girl tumbling into the fourth dimension.

On all of Matheson’s scripts for The Twilight Zone, he also wrote the introductory and closing statements spoken by creator Rod Serling. He adapted the works of Edgar Allan Poe for Roger Corman, and Dennis Wheatley’s The Devil Rides Out for Hammer Films. He also contributed a number of scripts to the Warner Bros. western series Lawman between 1958 and 1962. He wrote the Star Trek episode The Enemy Within which is considered one of the best episodes of the television series.

In 1973, Matheson earned an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for his teleplay for The Night Stalker, one of two TV movies written by Matheson that preceded the series Kolchak: The Night Stalker. Matheson also wrote the screenplay for Fanatic (The US title was, Die! Die! My Darling!), starring Tallulah Bankhead and Stefanie Powers.

The legendary horror novelist Stephen King has listed Matheson as a creative influence and his novel Cell is dedicated to Matheson. As well as Stephen King filmmaker George A. Romero has also frequently acknowledged Richard Matheson as an inspiration and listed the shambling vampire creatures that appear in the first film version of I Am Legend (Which starred Vincent Price in the lead role.) as the inspiration for the zombie “ghouls” he created in Night of the Living Dead.

Anne Rice stated that when she was a child, Matheson’s short story “A Dress Of White Silk” was an early influence on her interest in vampires and fantasy fiction.

Richard Matheson received the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement in 1984 and the Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Horror Writers Association in 1991. The Science Fiction Hall of Fame inducted him in 2010.

At the annual World Fantasy Conventions he won two judged, annual literary awards for specific works which included the World Fantasy Awards for Bid Time Return as the best novel of 1975 and Richard Matheson: Collected Stories as the best collection of 1989.

As a writer Richard Matheson can be seen as one of the most influential, if not the most influential person in the Science Fiction, Horror, and Fantasy genres. His work and creations which have scared, entertained, and enthralled readers for generations will continue to do so long after his death.

The news that Richard Matheson has died aged 87 by his daughter via Twitter has stunned the world. The 87 year-old author died after a long battle with an undisclosed illness. T

His daughter said it best on her Facebook wall when she wrote of his death. It said, “My beloved father passed away yesterday at home surrounded by the people and things he loved…he was funny, brilliant, loving, generous, kind, creative, and the most wonderful father ever…I miss you and love you forever Pop and I know you are now happy and healthy in a beautiful place full of love and joy you always knew was there…”

The I Am Legend writer was a fictional creator who had no peers and was a man who wrote legends of his own. R.I.P. Richard Matheson, a literary giant.

MATHESON, Richard (Richard Burton Matheson)

Born: 2/20/1926, Allendale, New Jersey, U.S.A.

Died: 6/24/2013 Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

Richard Matheson’s westerns – screenwriter:

Buckskin (TV) – 1959

Wanted: Dead or Alive (TV) – 1959

Have Gun – Will Travel (TV) – 1960

Cheyenne (TV) – 1960

Lawman (TV) – 1960, 1961, 1962

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RIP Mikki Jamison

June 29, 2013, 11:42 am

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McGOLDRICK, Mikki 1942 ~ 2013 A star was born when Mikki McGoldrick, daughter of Jim and Milaine McGoldrick, arrived on November 13, 1942 in Sacred Heart Hospital, Spokane, Washington. Even as a young girl Mikki aspired to become an actress. Fueled by dreams and determination she headed south for Hollywood after graduating from Lewis and Clark High School in 1960. Under the advice of family friend Eric Johnston (President of the American Motion Picture Association of America), she enrolled in the Pasadena Playhouse taking up residence in the Hollywood Studio Club. Her inquisitive mind and commitment to on-going learning and education led her to complete a two-year program at Lost Angeles City College while pursuing her acting dream at the same time. With confidence (and some degree of naivete) she approached Jack Warner one evening at a Hollywood gathering and introduced herself as Mikki McGoldrick from Spokane, Washington. He was impressed and it wasn't long before she had a contract with Warner Brothers Studio and was featured as their Deb Star of the Year, an honor bestowed on Natalie Wood not too many years previously. While under contract with Warner Brothers (under her professional name Mikki Jamison), she performed in many of their popular series programs like Wagon Train, Maverick, Adam 12, Seventy-Seven Sunset Strip, The Donna Reed Show, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, and yes, she did date her teenage idol Ricky Nelson and there's a picture to prove it. As her career was blossoming, she took a leave of absence for marriage and motherhood. Her son Jaimie Trueblood was born in 1971. (Many years later Jaimie went on to become a talented photographer and is a much sought after "stills" photographer in the motion picture industry.) In the mid 1970s she returned to acting with roles in the Wonder Woman series and two movies, Poco, Little Lost Dog and The Sea Gypsies. Unfortunately the demands of movie making and motherhood were not compatible, so she pursued a new career and became a licensed real estate broker in the Los Angeles area for a number of years. She and her childhood friend, Carol Capra, also partnered up in real estate in the Spokane area many years later. Mikki's love of the lakes and family brought her back to the Pacific Northwest every summer where Jaimie along with his cousins Petyr and Virgil Beck developed their own connections, to each other and to those special places, Lake Coeur d'Alene and Lake Pend Oreille. Once a Spokanite, always a Spokanite. The draw of the Pacific Northwest was strong and in 1990 Mikki moved back to her hometown bringing her future husband with her. On Christmas Eve, 1992 she and John Rovtar were married and John introduced the community to his interior design talents establishing John Rovtar Design Studio. Over the years Mikki's movie star craze was superseded by the "travel bug" and she became a tour director leading tours across the country from the Canadian Rockies to Nova Scotia. That "travel bug" acted up on multiple occasions. She was always researching the next trip. Of course a primary object of her investigations always included the best restaurants. Anybody familiar with Mikki was aware of her passion for food. On one occasion she was observed asking the server what the best dessert might be. When informed there were three favorites, she ordered and ate all three. Mikki pursued her passions with cheerful enthusiasm and high spirits. Although grandmothering was something that came late for her, she entered into it with all the excitement and imagination one might predict. Where for so long there were none, suddenly there was one, then two, three, and four. Mikki was in her element. Who says all good things happen while we're young? Perhaps it is fitting that Mikki's last days were spent "up at the lake" getting her boats cleaned and ready for the arrival of the grandchildren. Following in her father's footsteps, she and her husband John had become recent members in the Inland Empire Chapter of the Antique and Classic Boat Society and were looking forward to forging new friendships and sharing the boating tradition with their grandchildren. Her years both at Coeur d'Alene and at Lake Pend Oreille were deeply engrained in her nature and were an integral part of who she was. Mikki is survived by her mother, Milaine McGoldrick; husband, John Rovtar; son, Jaimie Trueblood, daughter-in-law, Amber Trueblood, grandchildren, Cameron, Dylan, Mason, and Ethan; sister, Molly McGoldrick Beck, brother-in-law, Barry Provorse; "as good as a sister," Carol Ealy Capra; nephews Petyr and Virgil Beck and their children Kyle, Tess, Violet, Sage, and Mica; uncle, Ray Betts; cousins, Anne Wagstaff (Peter), Wendy Flynn (Larry), Lisa Johns (Justin), Ann Ferguson-Venegas, John Lally (Polly), Lee Letsch (Taysa), Scott Letsch, Paul Ferguson, Tom Pendarvis; her husband John's children, Angie and Justin and grandchild Luca; numerous McGoldrick cousins, and a cat named Blackie. A memorial gathering will be held at the Manito Golf and Country Club on Saturday, June 22nd at 1:00 pm. If one so desires, a contribution in her honor can be made to the Spokane Humane Society (6607 N. Havana St., Spokane, WA 99217) or to a charity of one's choice. Like her mother and sister, Mikki was an animal lover.

JAMISON, Mikki (Mikki McGoldrick)

Born: 1/13/1942, Spokane, Washington, U.S.A.

Died: 6/15/2013, Spokane, Washington, U.S.A.

Mikki Jamison's westerns - actress:

Maverick (TV) - 1962 (Maureen)

Wagon Train (TV) - 196?

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