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RIP William Margold

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RIP William Margold

Adult Industry Legend William Margold Passes Away

AVN
By Peter Warren, Dan Miller
January 18, 2017

Adult industry legend and AVN Hall of Famer William Margold died Tuesday night during the broadcast of his program on XXXPornStarRadio.com from his Los Angeles apartment. He was 73.

Though few details are yet available about the cause of Margold's death, close friend Joanne Cachapero told AVN, "It was sudden and apparently he did not suffer."

News of Margold's passing spread like wildfire this afternoon around the halls of the AVN Show's opening day following a post on fellow Golden Age icon Herschel Savage's Facebook page at around 2:30 p.m. that read, "I am saddened to learn of the passing of Bill Margold. He was doing his radio show last night when he left us. Goodbye for now old friend."

Getting started as a performer in some of the most celebrated movies of triple-X cinema—including 1978's Lust at First Bite (aka Dracula Sucks), 1979's Olympic Fever and 1982's Pleasure Dome—Margold went on to become the head of trade advocacy group the Free Speech Coalition, as well as either founded or co-founded the X-Rated Critics Organization (XRCO), Fans of X-Rated Entertainment (FOXE) and the PAW Foundation. He also for years hosted his own Legends of Erotica induction ceremony during the AVN Adult Entertainment Expo at Raymond Pistol's Showgirl Video on Las Vegas Boulevard.

Of all his ventures, Margold was particularly proud of PAW—an acronym for Protecting Adult Welfare—which he created to assist adult performers in all areas of their lives. Once married to 1970s porn actress Drea, Margold was in the 2010 documentary After Porn Ends, which is about life after being in the porn industry.

AVN Founder Paul Fishbein reflected on Margold's unparalleled impact on adult: "Bill Margold was a bit of a renaissance man who spanned almost the entire history of the adult industry. He was an actor, writer, director and an industry spokesman and historian. I respect him most for his PAW foundation, as he worked tirelessly on behalf of industry performers, in particular young girls who were in need of help or mentoring.

"I also served with him on the board of the Free Speech Coalition for almost 10 years," Fishbein continued. "He was a contrarian and a pain in the ass, but it was all for the common good for First Amendment protection, which he cared about very deeply."

X-Rated Critics Organization chariman "Dirty Bob" Krotts, who charged Margold with overseeing the Hall of Fame induction portion of the annual XRCO Awards Show for many years, echoed Fishbein's comments, offering, "Bill's love of the adult industry was often masked by his gruff exterior. Industry history was near the top of his list of important aspects—he was entrenched in tradition. Now Bill is a real Legend of Erotica. He will be missed."

Veteran adult journalist Jared Rutter, who was closely involved with the XRCO from its early years, commented, "He was really a one-of-a-kind person. He's going to be missed by a lot of people in a lot of areas."

Rutter noted that Margold co-founded XRCO with the late Jim Holliday, who long was considered the go-to adult industry historian. Then when Holliday passed away 10 years ago, Margold inherited the mantle.

"He certainly has a legitimate claim to be called an industry historian," Rutter said. "He was pretty much there from the beginning. He saw many changes happen, many people come and go. I think he'll be most remembered for his work with talent. He was very fond of talent. He respected them and he helped guide quite a few careers. People like Amber Lynn. I think he was influential with Nina [Hartley] too. I think more than a historian, he was really an active part of history and I think that's what he will be remembered for."

Rutter added, "Of course he was very vocal about everything. It's a shock. I thought he'd just go on forever."

Contemporary Richard Pacheco told AVN, "Bill Margold was a huge personality. Abrasive as poison oak when he wanted to be and as charming as your favorite uncle when he wanted to be that."

Nicknamed Papa Bear, Margold from 1972 to 2007 appeared in more than 250 movies, including several dozen as a non-sex performer. He is also credited for giving Ron Jeremy his nickname "The Hedgehog," and appeared in the 2001 biopic Porn Star: The Legend of Ron Jeremy.

Born in Washington, D.C., Margold graduated from California State University at Northridge, with a degree in Journalism. He was the son of Nathan Margold, a Harvard Law School graduate who went on to become Solicitor General of the Department of the Interior under President Harry S. Truman. Nathan was also the author of a landmark study commissioned by the NAACP that studied public education for Black Americans.

Before getting into XXX, Margold reportedly worked as a probation officer, and later worked with agent Reb Sawitz in the office of Reb's Pretty Girls modeling agency, helping ease actresses' entry into the industry and helping to find work for them with a then-small but growing number of directors and production companies. It was there that he gained a reputation among performers as a "go to" advocate for them—a description many talent veterans, both retired and still working, continue to hold.

The Adult Performers Actors Guild (APAG) and Adult Film Crew Local 424 posted this announcement on their joint Facebook page: “It is with extreme sadness and remorse that the officers of the adult performers actors Guild have to announce the passing of adult industry historian, Bill Margold. Bill should always be remembered for the contributions that he gave this industry most importantly by recognizing and appreciating the actors and actresses from the golden era and beyond.”

Hall of Fame actress Brittany Andrews added, “Wow, just heard the news that an old crony has passed away. A Legend among Legends in the Adult Business. Jeesh, I met him when I first got into doing films, over 20 years ago. I hosted a talk show called ‘Talking Blue’ for 9 years, that he participated in quite often. I know over the years, one might say he had a bit of a crass side. However he was always super sweet to me. He very much was an important and integral part of the business, with a loud voice that took action. As a crass bitch myself, I appreciated his demeanor, especially since it was never directed at me LOL I for one, will miss him. RIP Babe.”

Veteran director Luc Wylder posted, “Ok, Bill, William Margold passed away at work, not in a hospital with tube down his throat. This is exactly how he would have wanted it to end. What a performance. CUT! Ok, kill the lights, it's a wrap.”

Close friend John Douglas posted this remembrance on Facebook: “Years ago I did a cable show about The Industry and met a ton of really cool and amazing people. The guy that really opened the door for us was William Margold. Bill. Poppa Bear. The Legend. We became close friends because we loved to verbally spar. Constantly. For years after the show, we would get together to hang out, go out to dinner and I would taunt him mercilessly. Didn't matter because Bill was always right (in his mind). To outsiders it must have looked like we were lifelong enemies. But we did that because we loved each other.

“My partner from that show just texted me letting me know he died suddenly and they just found him about an hour ago. I think the shock of the news is starting to set in. I'm numb.

"I could memorialize him for hours with stories from back in the day (and the narcissist that he was, he would love it) and it seems so surreal right now thinking back on that. But maybe some other time. Gotta absorb this first.”

For its part, the Free Speech Coalition issued the following statement:

"The Free Speech Coalition expresses deep sadness at the death of former FSC Director William Margold. Bill was one of the founders of the modern adult industry both as an actor in the Golden Age of film and in his lengthy career as an advocate for the industry and its performers.

"Jeffrey Douglas, FSC Board Chair, remembered Bill’s contributions to the industry and the organization:

"'Without Bill Margold, the Free Speech Coalition likely would have passed into history in 1995, as had its many predecessors. At that point, interest in the organization had dropped to the point that there were insufficient nominees to fill the Board of Directors, and Bill selected a group to fill the numerous vacancies. His slate, (along with Paul Fishbein, then publisher of AVN) was accepted by acclamation at a general membership meeting in Las Vegas. From that the Free Speech Coalition was reborn.'

"Bill viewed the adult industry, and especially the performing artists, as his family. He was driven by his pursuit of what he believed was in the best interest of talent. Fiercely passionate and happily cantankerous, Bill took pride in plaguing those whom he perceived as his opponents. His gift for epigrams was constantly put to the service of advocating for the 'Family of X.'

"Bill left the Board of Directors of the Free Speech Coalition in the early 2000s with deep regret. He had a vision for both the trade association and the industry that was uncompromising and zealous.

"Bill knew he was unique and reveled in that position. We bow our heads at his passing."

During his tenure with Free Speech, Margold inaugurated a unique type of fundraiser for the organization: naked bowling. Each year, beginning in about 1994, he arranged for a bowling alley somewhere in the city to close its doors to the public for one evening and allow adult stars to doff their clothes and bowl, and FSC charged fans for the privilege of watching it all happen. The fan attendees were also able to photograph the stars and buy videotapes and other items they had for sale. In later years, when the bowling alleys refused to allow complete nudity, the event was done in skimpy bikinis.

Adult performer Mr. Marcus shared his own sentiments about Margold, who had an office next to his in Van Nuys for almost 10 years.

“Bill came from an era when what we do for a living was very risqué but artsy and he was very supportive of everyone who followed after that,” Mr. Marcus said. “I consider him and always will consider him a true porn historian. We need people like him to connect the dots. He spoke on the industry. He talked to mainstream, he dropped quotes. He was a creative cat, and he had love for performers. He called all of us his ‘kids.’ Coming from his era, I can see why he said that.”

Mr. Marcus recalled that he and Margold "used to argue about all kinds of things."

“He didn’t think much of me. I had to prove myself to him," he continued. "There were many a nights I’d sit there and talk to Jim South and many nights I’d sit there and talk to Bill. He always had on the flower Hawaiian shirt like he was on vacation.”

Mr. Marcus added, “He was a big guy and he had a big heart and I guarantee that’s what he’s going to be remembered for. He spoke his mind, he wasn’t afraid to say shit, but deep down inside that dude had a huge heart.”


MARGOLD, William
Born: 10/2/1943, Washington, DC, U.S.A.
Died: 1/17/2017, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

William Margold’s westerns – creative assistant, 2nd unit director:
Space Virgins – 1984 [2nd unit director]
Dirty Western II: Smokin’ Guns – 1994 [creative assistant]

RIP Greg Bronson

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The Arizona Republic
January 22, 2017

Greg Bronson passed away peacefully on January 7th after a long struggle with cancer. Although he grew up in Flagstaff, Arizona, Greg was born in Tuba City, Arizona on September 2nd 1954 where his dad was temporarily working on the new hospital. He attended Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary grade school, Flagstaff Junior High School and Flagstaff High School, graduating in 1973. Greg worked as manager of his dad's lighting store and there began to develop his artistic talents in stained glass work, wood work and any area that sparked his creative imagination. He could envision a project and execute it beautifully whether creating a glass piece, wood carving, costume, picture frame, or painting a room to look as if you were under the sea. He had a passion and patience for quality and perfection in anything he created. Greg moved to California in 1985 and while living there he began working as an extra for the movie studios in Hollywood. This was the start of a long love of acting which he was involved in up to a few months before his death. As his film resume grew, he earned enough credits to obtain his Screen Actors Guild (SAG) membership. After moving to Arizona in 2004, he began working with the independent film industry in Arizona and with the staff and students of Scottsdale Community College theater department. He was involved in hundreds of projects and earned awards for his work and dedication to the Arizona film industry. During his acting career, he amassed and created an extensive wardrobe collection which provided clothing for virtually any part he played. A history of his acting career can be seen on imdb.com. Greg was always willing and able to help with a variety of construction, remodeling, renovation and repair jobs for family and friends. He was well loved by all and a favorite among his siblings and many nieces and nephews with whom he took the time to play with, support and mentor. Greg was the 5th of twelve children and is survived by all of his siblings except an older brother, Steve. His ashes will be interred in Ranchos Palos Verdes, CA with his long-time partner and fiancé, Susan McMillen.


BRONSON, Greg
Born: 9/2/1954, Tuba City, Arizona, U.S.A.
Died:1/7/2017, Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.A.

Greg Bronson’s westerns – actor:
Dead Man’s Hands – 2012 (Byron)
Reskless Abandon – 2013 (Claypool)
Hot Bath an’ a Stiff Drink – 2014 (saloon patron)
Western X – 2016 (S’Danna)
Walking Dead in the West – 2016 (Preacher Black)

RIP Joy Coghill

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The Georgia Straight
By Charlie Smith
January 22, 2017

A Vancouver performing-arts legend has passed away.

Director, actor, and producer Joy Coghill was loved by her peers and audiences throughout a career that lasted nearly seven decades.

Born in 1926 in Findlater, Saskatchewan, she played a monumental role in the development of Vancouver's theatre community. She also distinguished herself on the national stage.

In later years, Coghill was like the community's mother hen, helping older actors find work and even a roof over their heads.

Her cheerful demeanour touched countless souls.

Over the course of her career, she won four Jessie Awards, but this only hinted at the magnitude of her impact.

In 1953, she cofounded Holiday Theatre, which was the first professional Canadian theatre group for children. She continued as its artistic director until 1966.

She also played a key role in the development of Western Gold Theatre Company, which was the first professional Canadian theatre group for seniors.

Later in life, Coghill played a leading role in the creation of the Performing Arts Lodge, a.k.a. PAL Vancouver, which is a social-housing and theatre project near Coal Harbour.

She also wrote a play about Victoria artist Emily Carr called Song of This Place. In the Georgia Straight, Michael Grobermann called the script and performance "a triumph for Coghill".

"It is her first play, but clearly reflects a deep knowledge of, and ease with, the playwright's craft," he noted. "The stage conventions Coghill employs and exploits make this self-conscious drama masterful."

In 2015, Mayor Gregor Robertson honoured her with a lifetime achievement award for her contributions to the arts.

She was also a Member of the Order of Canada, won a Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement and the Gemini Humanitarian Award, and received honorary degrees from Simon Fraser University and the University of British Columbia.

In addition, she received honours during her lifetime from the Union of B.C. Performers and ACTRA Fraternal Benefit Society.

Last year, she was granted the UBCP/ACTRA Lorena Gale Woman of Distinction Award.

According to her website, Coghill moved from Saskatchewan to Glasgow, Scotland, in 1928. Her father, Rev. George Coghill, died in 1939 and the following year, she and her mother and cousins were evacuated to Canada during the Second World War.

She attended Kitsilano secondary school and studied elocution under Anne Mossman.

On the same day that the Japanese air force attacked Pearl Harbour, she was appearing in Vancouver Little Theatre's opening-night production of Bunty Pulls the Strings.

Two years later, Coghill acted in and directed her high-school production of Room in the Tower, which resulted in her winning a scholarship at UBC's summer school of theatre.

In 1948, Coghill moved to Chicago, where she performed in three productions and directed three others while studying for her master's degree in theatre.

She kept up this incredible pace in 1950 when she moved to Kingston, Ontario, where she directed or acted in 13 different plays over 13 weeks.

During the early 1950s, she directed and acted in several plays before marrying radio producer Jack Thorne in 1955. That same year, Coghill appeared on CBC TV alongside William Shatner in Never Say No.

Her first child, Debra Dorothy, was born in 1956, followed by her second, Gordon Alexander, in 1958.

The next year, Coghill went back to work, playing Inez in Frederic Wood Theatre's production of Jean-Paul Sartre's No Exit, and Alice in Anyone for Alice on CBC TV.

Her third child, David Michael John, was born in 1967, coming in another whirlwind decade in her life. The previous year, she directed Clifford Odets's Awake and Sing for the National Theatre School of Canada.

In the 1960s, Coghill also directed The Country Wife, A Month in the Country, Noye's Fludde, Christmas in the Marketplace, The Tunnel of Love, The Beaux Strategem, Androcles and the Lion, Summer of the Seventeenth Doll, and A Streetcar Named Desire. Among the many plays she appeared in that decade was The Ecstasy of Rita Joe, which she also produced, in 1969.

Written by George Ryga, it was a pioneering and critically acclaimed work of theatre that elevated Canadians' understanding of indigenous people.

"This was the only original Canadian work at the Opening Festival of the National Arts Centre in Ottawa," her website states. "All Canadian premiers were in attendance, as was the Prime Minister, Pierre Elliott Trudeau."

Coghill moved to a new home on Okanagan Lake in 1969 but two years later, the family relocated to Montreal after her husband was transferred there. Over the following years, she performed in and directed in several productions in eastern Canada, as well as the 1975 movie Shivers, which was directed by David Cronenberg.

In 1977, she was back in Vancouver to play Gypsy in Camino Real and Abie in Arsenic and Old Lace, two Playhouse Theatre productions directed by Christopher Newton.

She also performed in the 1979 Playhouse Theatre productions of The Crucible and Tales from the Vienna Woods.

In the 1980s, Coghill acted in productions staged in many Canadian cities, including Victoria, Calgary, Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto, and Ottawa. She was also in Anne Wheeler's Change of Heart, which was produced by CBC and the National Film Board, and played Linda Loman in the Playhouse Theatre's Death of a Salesman.

This was a time when Vancouver started becoming known as Hollywood North. Lee Grant cast Coghill in her film Nobody's Child and the Vancouver actor also appeared in the film Blue Monkey and the TV movie Christmas Comes to Willow Creek.

In the 1990s, Coghill remained busy, appearing in Anne Wheeler's The Sleep Room, various TV movies, and Vancouver-shot TV shows such as The X-Files, 21 Jump Street, Stargate, Da Vinci's Inquest, and Poltergeist: The Legacy.

But her greatest mark in that decade may have come in the world of theatre, where she created The Alzheimer Project At Western Gold Theatre Company. It included Aaron Bushkowsky's production of The Strangers Among Us.

In the early 2000s, Coghill appeared before Vancouver city council, successfully arguing for support for the Performing Arts Lodge. She and her husband became two of the first residents in 2006.

Her final film role was in Regarding Sarah in 2008. She was predeceased by Jack Thorne in 2013.


COGHILL, Joy
Born: 5/13/1926, Findlater, Saskatchewan, Canada
Died: 1/22/2017, Vancouver, British Columbia, U.S.A.

Joy Coghill’s western – actress:
Nothing Too Good for a Cowboy  (TV) – 1998 (Violent Hutchison)

RIP Ron Honthaner

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Los Angeles Times
January 24, 2017

January 25, 1933 - January 10, 2017 On January 10, 2017, Ron Honthaner peacefully passed away after a five-month battle with lung cancer. His career in Film & Television started with various jobs on low-budget movies, followed by a post-production position at Columbia/Screen Gems. In 1967, he sold a script to "Gunsmoke," and that became his home for the next seven years - selling the show a second script, working as the series' post production supervisor and then associate producer. During a "Gunsmoke" hiatus in 1973, he directed "The House On Skull Mountain," a low-budget thriller for 20th Century-Fox. Honthaner's skills bridged writing and production, and his credits included the "Gunsmoke" spin-off, "Dirty Sally" and the TV version of "How the West Was Won." His editing credits included the TV shows "Herbie the Love Bug,""Simon and Simon" and "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century" and the indie features, "The Hostage" and "Dark Before Dawn." Honthaner wrote novels as well, and his first published book, "Shadow of the Hawk" was inspired by decades of working in the Western genre and a devotion to cowboy culture and early American history. Honthaner was also a talented craftsman, who turned his hobby of custom woodworking into a satisfying side business and spent many years making beautiful furniture. He is survived by his wife Eve, son Jed, daughter-in-law Jackie, sister Joan Campbell, many nieces and nephews and devoted friends. Donations in his memory can be made to the Motion Picture & Television Fund (www.mptf.com/old/tributegift) or Hospice Charities of America, c/o Sanctuary Hospice - 150 Paularino Ave., Suite C-125 - Costa Mesa, CA 92626.


HONTHANER, Ron (Ronald Honthaner)
Born: 1/25/1933, U.S.A.
Died: 1/10/2017, Costa Mesa, California, U.S.A.

Ron Honthaner’s westerns, producer, screenwriter, film editor:
Gunsmoke (TV) – 1968-1972 [screenwriter]
Gunsmoke (TV) – 1971-1975 [producer]
Dirty Sally (TV) – 1974 [screenwriter]
Across the Great Divide – 1976 [film editor]
How the West Was Won (TV) – 1978 [film editor]
Hot Lead and Cold Feet – 1978 (saloon patron)

RIP Stephen Lee Davis

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Stephen Lee Davis

Knoxville News Sentinel
January 25, 2017

New York, NY

Stephen Lee Davis died of natural causes on Wednesday, January 18, 2017 in New York City. He was 61. Preceded in death by his father, Don L. Davis. Steve is survived by his wife, Elizabeth "Buffy" Barton; their sons, August Davis (13) and Harper Davis (10); his mother, Joann Myers; his sister, Donna Ierulli (David); and his brother, Mike Davis (Chanda). He was loved by many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Steve was born in Maryville, TN and was a popular student at Maryville High School where he began his lifelong love of music, playing guitar, and jamming with his friends. He graduated from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville where he pursued his other enduring passion by majoring in Theater. While in college, Steve appeared in numerous productions at the Clarence Brown Theater and toured with the legendary English actor Anthony Quayle in Macbeth. After graduation, Steve worked for Delta Airlines. He was married to Donna Higgins McGill from 1980 to 1986. Steve had many adventures on stage and film with fellow actor David Keith, his friend since childhood, including a role in the 1988 movie Heartbreak Hotel. In 1985, Steve (who was known by friends and colleagues as "Dawg") moved to New York, the city he loved, where he began a career as an assistant director and director in the film and television industries. A proud member of the Directors Guild of America, his many film credits include Marley & Me, The Devil Wears Prada, The Hunger Games, The Hours, Mrs. Doubtfire and most recently, Collateral Beauty. He worked extensively on television shows such as "Sex and the City,""Ed," and "30 Rock," where he also directed several episodes.

Those who worked with Steve on TV and movie sets always said he was "the best." As his good friend Mike Pitt put it, "Steve treated people like they should have been treated." It was on the set of the movie Serendipity that Steve met his wife Buffy. They were married on August 12, 2002 and had two beautiful boys. They loved their friends, their cat June, their Dog Coal, and their church First Presbyterian where during the Christmas season Steve was the best Santa the Tartan Fair could have wished for. None of those who knew "Dawg," will be the same without the big, kind, strong, loving man who was Stephen Lee Davis. As a wise man says in The Wizard of Oz, "A heart is not judged by how much you love but by how much you are loved by others." By that measure, or any other, Steve Davis had a very good and very large heart.

In lieu of flowers, the family request donations be made to Little River Watershed Association, littleriverwatershed.org. Memorial service will be held 7:00 p.m., Friday, January 27, 2017 at Miller Funeral Home Magnolia Chapel. A celebration of life will follow at Green Meadow Country Club (1700 Louisville Road, Alcoa, TN 37701) Family will receive friends from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Friday at Miller Funeral Home, Maryville, (865) 982-6041, www.millerfuneralhome.org


DAVIS, Stephen Lee
Born: 1935, Maryville, Tennessee, U.S.A.
Died: 1/18/2017, New York City, New York, U.S.A.

Stephen Lee Davis’ westerns – assistant director:
The Cowboy Way – 1994
American Outlaws - 2001

RIP Mary Webster

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R.I.P., MARY WEBSTER, who died on January 23, 2017. Chicago-born, she was a Pasadena Playhouse graduate and Broadway actress (DEAR CHARLES with Tallulah Bankhead) before turning to television on a regular basis. Webster (who should not be confused with the British actress of the same name) acted in the movies THE DELICATE DELINQUENT (1957), THE TIN STAR (1957), EIGHTEEN AND ANXIOUS (1957), and THE CLOWN AND THE KID (1961). Her best known credit was as leading lady in MASTER OF THE WORLD (1961) with Vincent Price and David Frankham. It was the latter who reported her death (https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1706780416280496&id=100008456617700). Webster's last screen job was the 1963 TWILIGHT ZONE episode "Death Ship."


WEBSTER, Mary
Born: 1935, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.
Died: 1/23/2017, Dallas, Texas, U.S.A.

Mary Webster’s westerns – actress:
The Tin Star – 1957 (Millie Parker)
Black Saddle (TV) – 1959 (Mary Wyle)
Buckskin (TV) – 1959 (Minnie)
Colt .45 (TV) – 1959 (Martha Swift)
Frontier Doctor (TV) – 1959 (Delia Davenport)
The Restless Gun (TV) – 1959 (Abigail Garrick)
Tombstone Territory (TV) – 1959 (Angela Worth)
Death Valley Days (TV) – 1959, 1960 (Laura Frick, Mrs. Tilghman)
The Texas (TV) – 1959, 1960 (Bess Wallen, Carrie Nagle)
Shotgun Slade (TV) – 1960 (Cora Davis)
The Tall Man (TV) – 1961 (Marian Swift)

RIP Mary Tyler Moore

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Mary Tyler Moore dead at age of 80

New York Daily News
By Nancy Dillon, Larry McShane
January 25, 2017

Mary Tyler Moore really did turn the world on with her smile — and her incandescent acting skills.

The Brooklyn-born actress, one of the nation’s most beloved stars after her Emmy-winning turns as housewife Laura Petrie and single career woman Mary Richards, died Wednesday.

She just turned 80 this past Dec. 29.

“Mary Tyler Moore passed away at the age of 80 in the company of friends and her loving husband of over 33 years, Dr. S. Robert Levine,” said a statement from her longtime publicist Mara Buxbaum.

“A groundbreaking actress, producer, and passionate advocate for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Mary will be remembered as a fearless visionary who turned the world on with her smile."

Moore, who had struggled with health problems including diabetes, was reportedly hospitalized in Connecticut for the last several days.

The ambitious young actress, after starting her career in TV commercials, became one of the queens of the small screen through her work in a pair of classic comedies in the ‘60s and ‘70s.

She first emerged on “The Dick Van Dyke Show” from 1961-66, joining an ensemble cast on the show created by comedy genius Carl Reiner, and then as the headliner in “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” from 1970-77.

She earned two Emmys opposite Van Dyke and another three on her eponymous show. Moore also won a Tony Award for her part in the Broadway show “Whose Life Is It Anyway?,” and earned an Oscar nomination for her role as an emotionally-distant mom in the Robert Redford-directed “Ordinary People.”

Moore had her eye on the Hollywood eye from an early age, as she revealed in an early interview.

“I gave up college to learn to become a star,” she once said. “I don’t just hope for it. I work for it. I expect it.”

Her first big break came as Happy Hotpoint, the sprightly mascot of the Hotpoint Appliance Co. She sported pointy ears and a leotard when the ads first ran on “The Ozzie and Harriet Show” when Moore was still a teen.

She then appeared as a secretary in a network detective series where only her shapely legs appeared on camera.

Moore bolted after 13 weeks, intent on making her face as famous as her legs.

She using her notoriety to land a variety of guest-starring shots on popular programs like “The Millionaire” and “77 Sunset Strip.”

It was actor Danny Thomas who steered the young actress to Carl Reiner and “The Dick Van Dyke Show.”

Moore, a bit down after a week of fruitless auditions, nearly blew off her meeting with Reiner. And she quickly blew him away.

“That’s all it took — three lines,” he later recalled.

Reiner had found his Laura Petrie, and signed her to a five-year deal.

Moore was first diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 33, around the start of her run on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show"— a show featuring her as an independent young woman working in a Minneapolis TV newsroom.

In the show's memorable opening credits, Moore is seen tossing her beret in the sky as the theme song plays the lyrics, "You're gonna make it after all."

She acknowledged that her diagnosis of diabetes at the time of her success was difficult to handle.

"When the doctor said I had diabetes, I conjured images of languishing on a chaise longue nibbling chocolates," she told USA Today in 2009. "I have no idea why I thought this."

She quickly learned about the possible complications and delicate balance she would have to maintain with insulin syringes and blood sugar readings.

Moore's later career focused on TV specials and film. She wrote two memoirs, acknowledged she was a recovering alcoholic, became an international spokeswoman for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and served as an activist for animal rights.

Moore told the Chicago Tribune in 2004 that she'd undergone several laser surgeries to treat her deteriorating vision. She said considerable "splotchiness and dimming" in her eyes were a problem.

Vision problems forced her to give up her cherished ballet and horseback riding, she told USA Today, but she replaced them with other forms of exercise, including Pilates.

She carried a loaded syringe in her pocket while dining out so she could give herself a quick injection of insulin if needed, she said in 2009.

"I shoot myself right through my clothes there at the table, right here in my thigh. I seldom wear white as a result," she told the newspaper.

She later underwent brain surgery in 2011.


MOORE, Mary Tyler
Born: 12/29/1936, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.A.
Died: 1/25/2017, Greenwich, Connecticut, U.S.A.

Mary Tyler Moore’s westerns – actress:
Once Upon a Horse – 1958 (dance hall girl)
Bronco (TV) – 1959 (Marilee Goddard)
Riverboat (TV) – 1959, 1960 (girl in coach, Lily Belle de Lesseps)
The Deputy (TV) – 1960 (Amy Collins)
The Overland Trail (TV) – 1960 (Joan Ransom)
Wanted: Dead or Alive (TV) – 1960 (Sophie Anderson)
Stagecoach West (TV) – 1961 (Linda Anson)

RIP Woody Eney

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Blileys Funeral Home
January 16, 2017

ENEY, Harry E. III, better known as "Woody," died January 16, 2017 at ManorCare Imperial, after a long battle with Parkinson's disease. He is survived by his wife, Sharon; daughter, Kim Murray; and grandchildren, Remy and Chandler. Woody was an actor and playwright who had his beginnings in Richmond, Va. He went on to perform on stage, TV and film in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle, Houston and many other theaters across the country. Highlights of his many TV performances were Mork & Mindy, Diff'rent Strokes, Happy Days, Taxi, Family Ties and Little House on the Prairie. He appeared in the movies, Three Fugitives, Jagged Edge, Firefox and Homeward Bound. As a stage actor, he studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, and went on to perform with the Seattle Repertory Company, Alley Theatre Company in Houston, and Goodman Theatre in Chicago, among others. After retiring from the stage, he began to write plays, and won Best Original Script for his play, "Call Me Henry," at the Jewel Box Theatre in Oklahoma City; he also had "Forty Acres and a POW" done at Sycamore Rouge Theatre in Petersburg. Woody loved to entertain and make people laugh, and those who knew him are left with many happy memories. There will be no funeral or memorial service; the family will have a private interment at Quantico National Cemetery. You may honor him by donating to The American Parkinson's Disease Association. Sharon would like to thank the nurses, aides and staff at Manor Care Imperial for their kindness and loving care.


ENEY, Woody (Harry E. Eney)
Born: 6/8/1937, Canberia, Australia
Died: 1/16/2017, Richmond, Virginia, U.S.A.

Woody Eney’s western – actor:
Little House on the Prairie (TV) – 1981 (Royal Wilder)

RIP Bill Moss

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William P. Moss II

The Desert Sun
January 27, 2017

William Moss, oil executive, movie producer, rancher, author, political confidant, and spiritual mentor, died at his home in Indian Wells, California, on January 22nd at age 96. Born in Wyoming in 1920, Moss grew up in the oil fields of Odessa, Texas and attended San Marcos Academy.

He graduated from Baylor University and served in the Army Air Corps during World War II.

After moving to Hollywood and becoming a movie producer he returned to Texas to raise his family and enter the oil business as an independent oil operator.

In 1968 he organized the Petroleum Corporation of America with J. Howard Marshall of Houston. In 1987 it was merged with Presidio Oil Company. Mr. Moss had residences in Dallas, Washington DC and New York and established Dallas, Texas as his permanent home Moss was a lifelong Republican and a GOP fundraiser. It was in Odessa, TX that he first met another young oil-man, George Herbert Walker Bush, who would have a significant influence on his life.

In 1988 Moss served on the George H.W. Bush for President National Steering Committee.

President Bush appointed Moss Chairman of the President's Drug Advisory Council (within the Executive Branch), to organize and to advise the President on enlisting the country's private sector in a war on drugs. This effort was the genesis of the privately-funded organization, which exists today across 40 states, known as the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions.

Bill Moss and fellow Texan, Robert Mosbacher, former Secretary of the Department of Commerce, were leaders in initiating Team 100; a successful national GOP fundraising organization. Bill Moss was a founder of the National Republican Senatorial Trust Committee.

He founded the William Moss Institute in conjunction with American University, Washington, D.C. Moss served on the University's Board of Trustees and was chairman of the Investment Committee.

At Southern Methodist University, Moss established the Free Enterprise Institute. He was a friend of the late Senator John Tower and was an early supporter of the John Goodwin Tower Center for Political Studies. He served on the Board of the Margaret Thatcher Foundation.

Moss was the Founder and Chairman of the Television Corporation of America which produced the Peabody award-winning "784 Days that Changed America - from Watergate to Resignation."

On Christmas day, 1995, he married businesswoman and active Republican, Dianne Ingels, who subsequently partnered with him in many public service initiatives. Dianne and Bill were instrumental in conceiving, and initially funding, the Washington National Cathedral's Center for Global Justice and Reconciliation with Director Canon John L. Peterson.

At age 85, Moss had a spiritual awakening and his own experience of "amazing grace". He admitted he was an alcoholic and dedicated his life to assisting others on a journey in spirituality to sobriety. He published two books, "Finding Inner Peace During Troubled Times" and "It's Never Too Late".

In the introduction to his book, "It's Never Too Late", President George H. W. Bush wrote: "My guess is that his story will touch many hearts, and perhaps save a soul or two. His message of returning to God and fully realizing and living his faith is both powerful and inspirational. My way of trying to prove 'it's never too late' is to jump out of perfectly good airplanes. Bill's way is to open his heart."

In his earlier life Moss had counted presidents, prime ministers, and world leaders among his friends. Now his heart was broken open for other travelers along the way - among them the greatest and the least, the mighty and the broken - as Moss realized "we are all so much the same." His counsel and prayer were sought out by countless individuals and groups. He was recognized for his spiritual contributions to the work of the Salvation Army and Prison Fellowship. Senator Jack Danforth said of Moss, "my friend was a life force, offering hope to countless people."

In the desert, Dianne and Bill Moss are members of The Vintage Club and Eldorado Country Club, where Bill was a founding member. They were members of Los Angeles Country Club and Bel Air Country Club. Mr. Moss was a member of the Bohemian Club for four decades and enthusiastically attended 38 summer encampments at the Bohemian Grove in northern California.

William Moss' first marriage to actress Jane Withers ended in divorce. They had three children. In addition to his present wife, Dianne, he leaves his daughter Wendy Moss, his son William P. Moss III, 3 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren. His son, Randy, pre-deceased him.

Memorial services are scheduled for St. Margaret's Episcopal Church, Palm Desert, CA. on February 1st at 11 AM and at St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, Dallas, TX on February 3rd at 3 PM. Heartfelt appreciation is expressed to Dr. Joel Hirschberg, Dr. Khoi Le, Dr. Rachelle Steiner and the staff of Eisenhower 24/7. In lieu of flowers, Bill and Dianne Moss encourage friends to contribute to the capital campaign for Eisenhower's Surgical Hospital by sending contributions to: Eisenhower Medical Center Foundation, 39000 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270.


MOSS, Bill (William Paul Moss II)
Born: 1920, Graybull, Wyoming, U.S.A.
Died: 1/22/2017, Indian Wells, California, U.S.A.

Bill Moss’ westerns – actor:
Overland Mail – 1942 (Ben Briston)
Bonanza – 1964

RIP Mike Connors

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Mike Connors, Star of 'Mannix,' Dies at 91

The Hollywood Reporter
By Mike Barnes
1/26/2017

'Mannix,' the last series from Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz’s Desilu Productions, aired for eight seasons from September 1967 until April 1975.

Mike Connors, who took a punch as well as anyone while playing the good-guy private detective on the long-running Saturday night action series Mannix for CBS, has died. He was 91.

A former basketball player for legendary coach John Wooden at UCLA, Connors died on Thursday, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed, but no other details were readily available.

Mannix, the last series from Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz’s famed TV company Desilu Productions, aired for eight seasons from September 1967 until April 1975. Created by Richard Levinson and William Link and developed by executive producer Bruce Geller, the hit series featured a memorable score from jazz great Lalo Schifrin and starred Connors as a noble Korean War veteran who leaves a large Los Angeles detective agency to strike out on his own.

Mannix drove several hot automobiles during the series’ run (some souped up by George Barris), including a 1969 Dodge Dart, a 1970 Plymouth Barracuda convertible and a 1974 Dodge Challenger. He was often seen bailing out of these cars when the brakes were tampered with — that is, when he wasn’t getting beaten up or shot at by the bad guys. (By one count, Mannix was shot 17 times and knocked unconscious 55 other times on the show.) His athleticism and striking dark looks were perfect for the role.

Though Mannix was criticized for being excessively violent when it aired, Connors said in a 1997 interview with the Los Angeles Times that the series was tame by modern-day standards.

“We did have car chases and fights,” he recalled, “but when you compare them to shows that are on now, we were very, very low-keyed.”

For all the physical abuse, Connors became one of the highest-paid stars on television, earning $40,000 an episode at the height of the show’s ratings run. (He sued CBS and Paramount in May 2011, claiming he was never paid royalties on the show despite being owed millions of dollars.)

Connors received four Emmy nominations from 1970-73 and six Golden Globe mentions from 1970-75 but won just once, picking up a trophy from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in 1970. The only Emmy the show ever received was given that year to Gail Fisher, who played Mannix’s prim and steady secretary Peggy. Fisher was one of the first African-American actresses to have a regular series role on TV.

The Armenian-American actor was widely recognizable for three other series: Tightrope (1959-60), in which he starred as an undercover agent infiltrating organized crime; Today’s FBI (1981-82), in which he played an FBI supervisor; and the syndicated series Crimes of the Century (1989), which he hosted. He played Robert Mitchum’s war-time comrade in the 1988-89 miniseries War and Remembrance.

Born Krekor Ohanian in Fresno, Calif., on Aug. 15, 1925, Connors served in the Army Air Force during World War II, then came to Westwood on a basketball scholarship. While aiming toward law school, he developed a passion for acting and appeared in several plays. He was encouraged by Oscar-winning writer-director William Wellman (A Star Is Born), who spotted him while playing for the Bruins.

Connors got his professional start in 1952 in an RKO release, Sudden Fear, as Touch Connors (Touch had been his nickname at UCLA). He continued in small roles for a number of years, with turns in Island in the Sky (1953), starring John Wayne, and as a herder in The Ten Commandments (1956) with Charlton Heston.

He made his TV debut in 1954 with a role on Ford Theatre and continued with numerous small roles while gaining recognition as a heavy on such Westerns as Gunsmoke, Maverick, Wagon Train and Cimarron City.

He changed his name to Mike Connors in 1958 and appeared in such movies as Live Fast, Die Young (1958) and Situation Hopeless … But Not Serious (1965), which starred Alec Guinness. He landed one of his best early movie roles in the 1966 remake of Stagecoach, playing the cardsharp.

Throughout his career, which spanned nearly 50 years, Connors made numerous guest-star appearances on such shows as The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp; The Millionaire; The Untouchables; The Fall Guy; The Love Boat; Walker, Texas Ranger; Murder, She Wrote; Burke’s Law; The Commish; Diagnosis Murder (as Joe Mannix); and, in 2007, Two and a Half Men.

He voiced the character Chipacles in Disney’s animated series Hercules.

Other film credits included Sudden Fear (1952) opposite Joan Crawford; Too Scared to Scream (1985), which he also produced; Avalanche Express (1979); James Dean: Race With Destiny (1997), as studio head Jack Warner; and Gideon (1999).

Connors was active in charitable organizations, including Operation Missing Persons, an educational program to promote awareness of the neurological disorder dystonia. He also served as a spokesperson for the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill.

Connors and his wife Mary Lou celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2005.


CONNORS, Mike (Krekor Ohanian)
Born: 8/15/1925, Fresno, California, U.S.A.
Died: 1/26/2017, Tarzana, California, U.S.A.
Mike Connors’ westerns – actor:
Five Guns West – 1955 (Hale Clinton)
The Twinkle in God’s Eye – 1955 (Lou)
Frontier (TV) – 1955 (Tomas)
The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (TV) – 1955 (Mel Dunlap/Lou Rinaldi)
Flesh and the Spur – 1956 (Stacy Daggett)
The Oklahoma Woman – 1956 (Tom Blake)
The Adventures of Jim Bowie (TV) – 1956 (Rafe Bradford)
Gunsmoke (TV) – 1956 (Bostick)
Have Gun – Will Travel (TV) – 1957 (Johnny Dart)
Maverick (TV) – 1957 (Sheriff Barney Filmore/Ralph Jordan)
The Sheriff of Cochise (TV) – 1957 (Jess Stiles)
Cheyenne (TV) – 1958 (Roy Simmons)
Cimarron City (TV) – 1958 (Bill Thatcher)
Jefferson Drum (TV) – 1958 (Simon Pitt)
Lawman (TV) – 1958 (Hal Daniels)
The Texan (TV) – 1958 (Larry Enright)
Wagon Train (TV) – 1958 (Lt. Miles Borden)
The Californians (TV) – 1959 (Charles Cora)
Bronco (TV) – 1959 (Hud Elliott)
The Rough Riders (TV) – 1959 (Randall Garrett)
The Dalton That Got Away – 1960 (Russ Dalton)
Redigo – 1963 (Jack Marston)
Stagecoach – 1966 (Hatfield)
Walker, Texas Ranger (TV) – 1998 (Judge Arthur McSpadden)

RIP Barbara Hale

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Barbara Hale, the Loyal Della Street on 'Perry Mason,' Dies at 94

The Hollywood Reporter
By Mike Barnes and Duane Byrge
January 27, 2017

The Emmy-winning actress, a former starlet at RKO Pictures, starred opposite Raymond Burr on the long-running legal drama.

Barbara Hale, who played the steadfast secretary Della Street opposite Raymond Burr on the legendary courtroom drama Perry Mason for nine seasons and 30 telefilms, has died. She was 94.

Hale, a former contract player at RKO and Columbia who made more than 50 films before landing her signature role, died Thursday at her Sherman Oaks home in Los Angeles.

Survivors include her son William Katt, best known as the star of the 1980s ABC series The Greatest American Hero. He reported her death on Facebook.

"We’ve all been so lucky to have her for so long," Katt wrote. "She was gracious and kind and silly and always fun to be with. A wonderful actress and smart businesswoman, she was most of all a treasure as a friend and mother!"

Hale was mulling retirement to raise her three young children with her husband, actor Bill Williams (The Adventures of Kit Carson), when producer Gail Patrick Jackson approached her about playing Della on Perry Mason.

She quickly accepted the gig when she discovered that Burr, her old friend from RKO, was going to star as the fictional defense attorney in the series based on the Erle Stanley Gardner mystery novels.

Hale received two Emmy nominations (winning in 1959) for playing the quiet beauty who was the rock of stability on Mason's team. She liked the fact that Della was unmarried and without kids so it wouldn't confuse her real-life children.

Perry Mason, with its distinctive Fred Steiner theme song, "Park Avenue Beat," aired on CBS from 1957-66 as the first network hourlong show to be filmed, not done live.

In 1985, Burr and Hale came back for the NBC telefilm Perry Mason Returns to kick things off again. (It also marked the first time that Katt played Paul Drake Jr., the son of Mason's right-hand man/private investigator portrayed by William Hopper on the CBS original.)

Della "was to a great degree, a woman who knew what everybody was thinking," Hale said in a 1993 interview with the Chicago Tribune. "She was informed and very observant of everything that went on. That was my challenge as an actress — to be a necessary part of the office without being too aggressive. Della was quietly overpowering: She knew when to speak and when to keep her mouth closed."

Four of the Perry Mason telefilms were made after the death of Burr, with Paul Sorvino and Hal Holbrook stepping in. Hale retired from acting after the last installment, 1995's A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Jealous Jokester.

Hale also played a murder suspect on a 1971 episode of Burr's follow-up to Perry Mason, the NBC crime drama Ironside.

Barbara Hale was born April 18, 1922, in DeKalb, Ill. After graduating from Rockford (Ill.) High School, she studied art and drawing at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts (not surprisingly, she often sketched during lulls on the Perry Mason set) and modeled for a comic strip called Ramblin’ Bill. That got her tryout at RKO.

The day after she arrived in Los Angeles, she visited the studio and casting director Dick Stockton.

"As I was shaking hands with him, the phone rang," she recalled in the Tribune story. "He took the call and as he listened, he started looking at me. 'Yeah, yeah, yeah, just a minute.' He turned to me and asked, 'Honey, can you say a line?' I said, 'I don't know.'

"He said into the phone, 'There's a kid in the office right now. I think she'll work. I'll send her right over.' He told his assistant, 'Take her to wardrobe, take her to makeup, take her to Stage 6. One of the kids is sick. We've got to have a girl there immediately.'"

"It hit every paper the next day. Cinderella story. First day on the lot, she gets … of course they said a starring part. I had one line, but you know about those things."

The movie was Gildersleeve’s Bad Day, one of seven 1943 films in which she appeared as uncredited eye candy. She did receive her first credit that year when she played a debutante in Higher and Higher, one of Frank Sinatra’s first movies.

Hale met fellow RKO contract player Williams (real name: Herman Katt) on the set of West of the Pecos (1945), and they married in 1946. They were together until his death in 1992.

After appearing in such films as The First Yank in Tokyo (1945), The Boy With the Green Hair (1948), The Window (1949) and, with her husband, The Clay Pigeon (1949), Hale delivered perhaps her most notable movie performance in the Columbia sequel Jolson Sings Again (1949), playing a nurse and the singer's new wife.

Hale then appeared often as the female lead in a number of top-level movies, including Lorna Doone (1951) with Richard Greene, The First Time (1952) with Robert Cummings, Seminole (1953) with Rock Hudson and Hugh O’Brian, The Lone Hand (1953) and The Oklahoman (1957) with Joel McCrea, A Lion Is in the Streets (1953) with James Cagney, 7th Cavalry (1956) with Randolph Scott and The Houston Story (1956) with Gene Barry.

After the Perry Mason series ended, Hale appeared in the star-studded Airport (1970), in the lamentable The Giant Spider Invasion (1975) and alongside her son in the John Milius surfing picture Big Wednesday (1978). She also played Katt's mom on a 1982 episode of The Greatest American Hero.

"We’re all a little lost without her," Katt wrote, "but we have extraordinary stories and memories to take with us for the rest of our lives."


HALE, Barbara
Born: 4/18/1922, DeKalb, Illinois, U.S.A.
Died: 1/26/2017, Sherman Oaks, California, U.S.A.

Barbara Hale’s westerns – actress:
The Falcon Out West – 1944 (Marian Colby)
The Lone Hand – 1945 (Sarah Jane Skaggs)
West of the Pecos – 1945 (Rill Lambeth)
The Sabre and the Arrow – 1953 (Julia Lanning)
Seminole – 1953 (Revere)
The Far Horizons – 1955 (Julia Hancock)
7th Cavalry – 1956 (Martha Kellogg)
The Oklahoman – 1957 (Anne Barnes)
Slim Carter – 1957 (Allie Hanneman)
Custer (TV) – 1967 (Melinda Terry)
Buckskin – 1968 (Sarah Cody)
The Red, White and Black – 1970 (Mrs. Alice Grierson)
Chester, Yesterday’s Horse – 1973 (Mrs. Belle Kincaid)

RIP John Hurt

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Hollywood legend John Hurt dead: Two-time Oscar nominee and Elephant Man actor passes away aged 77 after battling cancer and suffering intestinal complaint

Daily Mail
By Rachael Burford, JJ Nattrass, Anthony Joseph
27 January 2017

The Elephant Man star had a career which spanned more than six decades
He is survived by his wife of 12 years Anwen Rees-Myers
Hurt had recently starred in the Oscar nominated biopic, Jackie
The actor's website, Facebook and Twitter accounts have all been closed down

Sir John Hurt, the two-time Oscar nominated star of the Elephant Man, has died aged 77 after battling cancer.

The four-time married, Derbyshire-born star has been an enigmatic and much-beloved presence on the screen for more than six decades.

The Harry Potter actor had recently battled pancreatic cancer but in October 2015 was given the all clear.

At the time he said: 'I am overjoyed, I am thrilled. It all looks great for the future, it's fantastic.'

Despite the all-clear Sir John continued to endure periods of ill health. He suffered intestinal complaints and last July he was forced to pull out of a West End production of The Entertainer on medical advice.

Speaking to the Radio Times he was matter-of-fact about his mortality. 'I can't say I worry about mortality, but it's impossible to get to my age and not have a little contemplation of it,' he said.

In July 2015 he received a knighthood, and said he wished his parents had been alive to see him presented with the honour.

He added: 'It does make one inordinately proud.'

Hurt is survived by his wife of 12 years Anwen Rees-Myers.

The son of a clergyman, Hurt rose to fame in A Man For All Seasons in 1966 and then stared in Hollywood blockbusters such as Alien, the adaptation of George Orwell's 1984 and found a new generation of fans in the Harry Potter franchise.

The double Oscar nominee also had prominent TV roles in Doctor Who, the Naked Civil Servant and The Gruffalo.

Hurt recently starred in the Oscar-nominated biopic of President John F. Kennedy's widow, Jackie, which is currently showing in cinemas.

I n his early years he was notorious for his wild lifestyle and once describe his career as not bad 'for an old drunk'.

After cutting down on his drinking, Hurt poured his energies into his acting work.

In 2012 the British Academy of Film and Television Arts honoured him with a lifetime achievement award.

The actor's official website and Facebook and Twitter accounts have been closed down.


HURT, John (John Vincent Hurt)
Born: 1/22/1940, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England, U.K.
Died: 1/27/2017, England, U.K.

John Hurt’s westerns – actor:
Heaven’s Gate – 1980 (William C. Irvine)
Even Cowgirls Get The Blues – 1993 (The Countess)
Dead Man – 1995 (John Schofield)
Wild Bill – 1995 (Charley Prince)
The Proposition – 2005 (Jellon Lamb)

RIP Kevin Geer

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Kevin Geer, Actor on Broadway in 12 Angry Men and Side Man, Has Died

Playbill
By Robert Viagas
January 26, 2017

His many film and TV credits include Pelican Brief, M*A*S*H, and MacGyver.
Kevin Geer, a busy actor on Broadway, Off-Broadway, in films, and on TV, died of a heart attack January 25.

Geer made numerous appearances Off-Broadway in plays as diverse as Larry Shue’s The Foreigner at the Astor Place Theatre, and Donald Margulies’ Found A Peanut at the Public Theater. He made his Broadway debut in the 1988 Blythe Danner A Streetcar Named Desire. He originated the role of Jonesy in the Tony-winning 1998 drama Side Man—a role he created at Classic Stage Company and later reprised in London—and played Juror No. 2 in the hit 2004 revival of Twelve Angry Men.

The lanky actor played a wide range of roles from bankers to detectives, professors, CIA agents and Congressmen in a wide variety of TV shows and movies including The Pelican Brief, The Tavern, The Contender, The Men Who Stare at Goats with George Clooney, and American Gangster with Denzel Washington.

His long list of TV assignments date back to the 1970s with M*A*S*H, and continued with The Equalizer, MacGyver, China Beach, New York Undercover, Steeltown, Oz, and an appearance as Young Tom in the TV movie adaptation of Tennessee Williams’ Sweet Bird Of Youth with Elizabeth Taylor. Geer’s most recent TV appearance was in a 2016 episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

Among those who tweeted memorials were actor Donna Murphy, actor-writer Harvey Fierstein, director Michael Mayer, and Side Man playwright Warren Leight:

[Kevin is pictured above on the left] 


GEER, Kevin
Born: 1954, U.S.A.
Died: 1/25/2017, U.S.A.

Kevin Geer’s western – actor:
The Only Good Indian – 2009 (Peairs)

RIP Selene Walters

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Los Angeles Times
January 29, 2017

February 21, 1924 - January 24, 2017 Selene Walters Lamm, born Betty Flo Walker in Dexter, Missouri, in 1924 and best known for her roles as a young starlet in Hollywood and for her journalistic contributions, has died at the age of 92. She passed away peacefully on Tuesday, January 24 in her Beverly Hills home with her beloved daughter, Eliza, by her side, according to her children Eliza and Alexandra Lamm.

From the beginning of her long life, Selene was loved by all and was crowned first in a beauty contest at the tender age of 10. She was also crowned her high school's queen all four years, which quickly allowed her to move on and win hearts and roles in the booming era of the golden age of Hollywood. Before making the move to the West, Selene attended Missouri University and pledged into the Delta Delta Delta sorority.

With the onset of the war, she had to make quick decisions and at the behest of her beloved brother, Jimmy, she moved out to Washington D.C., which is where her life really began. Selene began modeling in several high fashion department stores before she got her big break with the famous John Robert Powers Models in New York City. She was featured on the cover of magazines and eventually was truly discovered at the fabled "21" restaurant by Buddy de Silva, the President of Paramount Pictures at the time. From there she was unstoppable and traveled all over the world - Rome, Monte Carlo, Rio, Tokyo, Korea, Munich, Hamburg, Deauville, Bahamas, Haiti, Tehran, Athens and many other gorgeous locales. Selene appeared in over 21 films during her career as an actress and had the opportunity to star alongside the likes of the famous Jimmy Stewart in the "FBI Story."

Although she had an amazing bicoastal life in Los Angeles and New York City, Selene began to look at other career options and found that her love for writing and travel called for a new adventure as a columnist, which led her travels all over the globe. Selene mingled with everyone she met, and formed relationships with high society players, including Andy Warhol, Frank Sinatra and even the Shah of Iran. She continued her journalist career through the 1990s.

During her years living in New York City, Selene met and married the love of her life, Franklin J. Lamm in 1975, who passed away in 2007. She and Frank carried out their wishes to have a family and adopted three children - David Lamm, Alexandra Lamm and Eliza Lamm during the 1980s. She is survived by all three children and her biological daughter, Scarlett Norris Adams. Funeral service will be held on Wednesday, February 1, 2017, 9:30 a.m. at the Wee Kirk O' the Heather at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.


WALTERS, Selene (Elizabeth Florence Walker)
Born: 2/21/1924, Dexter, Missouri, U.S.A.
Died: 1/24/2017, Beverly Hills, California, U.S.A.

Selene Walters’ western – actress:
The Texan (TV) – 1959 (Rosalie)

RIP Richard Portman

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Oscar-winning sound guru Richard Portman dies at 82

Tallahassee Democrat
By Mark Hinson

Academy Award-winner and retired Florida State film school professor Richard Portman, who mixed the sound for such famed movies as “Star Wars” (1977) and “Harold and Maude” (1971), died Saturday night at his home in Betton Hills. He was 82. Portman’s death followed after a fall, a broken hip and other medical complications.

“He was an icon of his craft of motion picture sound re-recording, recognized with the highest honors of his field,” daughter Jennifer Portman wrote on her Facebook page. “He was eccentric, irreverent and real.”

The tall, lanky Portman, who preferred to wear kaftans and a long braided pony tail down his back, was, indeed, hard to miss. He was a walking contradiction: an ex-Marine with hippie tendencies who developed his own free-flowing philosophy about life but was a stickler when it came to punctuality. Anyone invited to Portman’s house for dinner knew to show up at 7 p.m. sharp, not 7:05 p.m.

“His presence is still here,” wife Jackie Portman said on Sunday morning as she stood in the living room of their home. “It’s still surreal. This is going to take some time.”

Portman was born in Los Angeles. He was the son of sound engineer Clem Portman, who worked on such classics as “King Kong” (1933), “Citizen Kane” (1941) and “It’s A Wonderful Life” (1946).

“I was never very good in school,” the younger Portman wrote in his unpublished memoir, humorously titled “They Wanted A Louder Gun.” “I felt alien and different from my school mates and did poorly. I was an idiot. I retreated deep into a dream world where I could be alone.”

After serving five years in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean War, Portman came home in 1957 and could not find a job. He approached his father, who helped him get his foot in the door as a machine loader in the re-recording room at Columbia Pictures. His father told him: “Don’t ruin my reputation.”

Portman did not.

Over his long career in Hollywood, Portman worked on nearly 200 films, including “Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory” (1971), “Little Big Man” (1970), “Young Frankenstein” (1974) and “Paper Moon” (1973).

“I worked with Peter Bogdanovich on 'They All Laughed' and 'Daisy Miller' - which wasn't a very good film," Portman told the Tallahassee Democrat in 2007. "I think 'Paper Moon' is his masterpiece. I thought it was better than 'The Last Picture Show.’ It ('Paper Moon') was the one of the few movies I worked on that I went back to see in the theater. I wanted to make sure they got it right. And they did."

He also developed a close working relationship with director Robert Altman and helped perfect the overlapping, multi-tracking dialogue style in such films as “Nashville” (1975) and “3 Women” (1977).

“Altman’s film family were free-spirited people who liked to have fun,” Portman wrote in “They Wanted A Louder Gun.” “Others might say they were lawless lunatics who should be in jail. I developed a kinship with them right away.”

Although Portman loved to sip a cold beer, he was serious about his job. He was nominated for 11 Academy Awards for his work on “Kotch” (1971), “The Godfather” (1972), “The Candidate” (1972), “Paper Moon,” “The Day of the Dolphin” (1973), “Young Frankenstein,” “Funny Lady” (1975), “Coal Miner’s Daughter” (1980), “On Golden Pond” (1981) and “The River” (1984). He brought home the Oscar for the Vietnam War movie “The Deer Hunter” (1978). The statue was proudly displayed on the mantel over his fireplace.

Along the way in Hollywood, Portman met a young writer-director-producer named Jack Conrad while mixing the sound on Conrad’s road movie “Country Blue” (1973), which was filmed in North Florida and South Georgia. Conrad, a Tallahassee native, told Portman about the city’s lush environment and its fabled seven hills. In the late ‘80s, Conrad helped Portman line up a one-man show of the sound-mixer’s bright, colorful, cartoon-style paintings at the LeMoyne Center for the Visual Arts. Portman took a liking to Tallahassee.

In 1995, he joined the faculty at the Florida State film school and became a beloved educator, whom the students called Dr. Zero, a name he relished. He was instrumental in creating the film school.

“I'm a teacher now and I'm happy,” Portman told the Tallahassee Democrat in 1998. “I get to be young again with my students. If nothing else, Florida State will have the only film school in the nation where directors learn sound from the start. That's never been done. When I came along, and we needed something, we just invented it ourselves. But this is soon going to be the finest film program in the country. You wait and see. Gosh, I suddenly sound like a good advertisement for the FSU film school. But it's true. You can write that down."

He was right. This year, Florida State film school graduate Barry Jenkins, who was taught by Portman, garnered eight Oscar nominations for his movie “Moonlight,” including best director and best picture.

In 1998, Portman was honored with a lifetime achievement award from the Cinema Audio Society. As part of a video tribute, lauded film editor Walter Murch told a story involving “Star Wars.” Jennifer Portman, who works as the news director for the Tallahassee Democrat, wrote about it in 2015 when another “Star Wars” film opened at the box office. It went like this:

“He (Murch) told the story about how my grandfather developed a naming convention for organizing sound reels. Before digital sound – back when the visual action and its accompanying sound were on tangible magnetic film, stored on giant metal reels – he passed along to my dad the technique of identifying parts of the working picture as ‘reel two, dialogue two.’ They shortened it when speaking aloud.”

In the the early ‘70s, when Murch was working in the dubbing room with director George Lucas on “American Graffiti” (1973), he used the Portman shorthand and said, “R2-D2.”

Lucas, who was nodding off in the dubbing room, woke up.

"What did you say?" Murch recalled Lucas saying.

Murch replied: "R2-D2."

Lucas, who was writing ‘Star Wars’ at the time, scrawled it in his notebook. Movie history was made.

A memorial for Portman is being planned during the early spring, around his birthday on April 2, potentially in Railroad Square Art Park.

“I think we’re going to show ‘Harold and Maude,’ because he loved that film so much,” Jackie Portman said. “And then if anyone wants to get up and say anything, they are welcome.”

Surely, the sound levels on the microphone will be adjusted just so.


PORTMAN, Richard
Born: 4/2/1934, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.
Died: 1/28/2017, Betton Hills, Florida, U.S.A.

Richard Portman’s westerns – sound man:
Little Big Man – 1970 [re-recording mixer]
The Hired Hand – 1971[sound re-recordist]
Man and Boy – 1971 [re-recording mixer]
Buck and the Preacher – 1972 [dubbing mixer]
The Cowboys – 1972 [re-recording]
The Honkers – 1972 [re-recording mixer]
Junior Bonner – 1972 [re-recording mixer]
The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean – 1972 [dubbing mixer]
Oklahoma Crude – 1973 [sound re-recordist]
The Master Gunfighter – 1975 [dubbing mixer]
Posse – 1975 [(re-recording mixer]
Buffalo Bill and the Indians or Sitting Bull’s History Lesson – 1976 [re-recording mixer]
Heaven’s Gate – 1980 [re-recording mixer]
Timerider: The Adventure of Lyle Swann (1982) [(head sound mixer]

RIP Frank Tidy

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Hollywood Reporter
By Mike Barnes
1/30/2017

The British veteran also worked on five films with director Andrew Davis, including 'Under Siege' and 'Steal Big Steal Little.'

Frank Tidy, the veteran British cinematographer who shot Ridley Scott's The Duellists and five films for director Andrew Davis, has died. He was 84.

Tidy died Friday at a nursing home in Kent, England after a battle with dementia, his son Patrick told The Hollywood Reporter.

Tidy served as Scott’s cinematographer on hundreds of commercials for RSA, the director's U.K. production company with his brother Tony Scott, starting in the 1960s. His first feature credit came on the war drama The Duellists (1977), which starred Keith Carradine, Harvey Keitel and Albert Finney.

Critics admire the film for Tidy's use of natural sources, like an open window or candlelight, to light the film.

"The artfully choreographed showdowns are staged in some of the most gorgeous settings ever committed to film," Stephen Pizzello wrote in American Cinematographer magazine after The Duellists was released on DVD. "Critic Pauline Kael praised The Duellists for its 'Gericault-like compositions,' and Tidy's lighting would earn the approval of Vermeer himself."

Scott said in his DVD commentary that he "had no concerns about how much [of the imagery] was in the shadows. Frank knew that this was what I liked … I don't mind sometimes if [the frame] goes totally dark. Frank just really knew how far to go."
Tidy received a BAFTA Film Award nomination for his work.

Tidy first collaborated with Davis on the Chuck Norris action film Code of Silence (1985) and then partnered with the American director on The Package (1989), starring Gene Hackman; Under Siege, toplined by Steven Seagal; Steal Big Steal Little (1995), starring Andy Garcia; and Keanu Reeves' Chain Reaction (1996).

Tidy also shot two films helmed by Canadian Phillip Borsos: The Lucky Star (1980) and One Magic Christmas (1985).

Tidys film résumé also includes The Mean Season (1985), Alan Alda's Sweet Liberty (1986), The Butcher's Wife (1991), Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot (1992), Getting Away With Murder (1996) and Hoodlum (1997).

A native of Liverpool, Tidy began his career as a stop-motion cameraman for an animation studio in London. In 1965, he formed Valley Films with director Roger Woodburn and cinematographer Peter Biziou, and they worked extensively on commercials.

His son Patrick is a veteran assistant director in Hollywood who is now at work on the Kiefer Sutherland ABC drama Designated Survivor.

Survivors also include his daughter Katharine and grandchildren Sean, Ellen and Amy.


TIDY, Frank
Born: 1932, Liverpool, Merseyside, England, U.K.
Died: 1/27/2017, Kent, England, U.K.

Frank Tidy’s westerns – cinematographer, photographer:
The Grey Fox – 1982 [photography]
Wagons East – 1994 [cinematographer]
Black Fox (TV) – 1995 [director of photography]

RIP Robert Ellis Miller

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The Hollywood Reporter
By Stephen Galloway
1/30/2017

Robert Ellis Miller, Director of 'Reuben, Reuben,' Dies at 89

He also helmed 'The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter' and 'Any Wednesday.' His late wife was the documentarian Pola Miller.

Robert Ellis Miller, the veteran director of films including 1968’s The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter and 1983’s Reuben, Reuben, died Friday. He was 89.

He had been living at the Motion Picture & Television Country House since the death of his wife, documentarian Pola Miller (nee Chasman), two years ago.

Miller’s film version of Heart, the 1940 Carson McCullers novel about a deaf man’s relationship with a teenage girl in 1930s Georgia, starred Alan Arkin and introduced an unknown Sondra Locke to the screen. Both received Oscar nominations for their work, and the movie was nominated for a Golden Globe in the best drama category.

“Arkin, as Singer, is extraordinary, deep and sound,” wrote Renata Adler in a New York Times review. “Walking, with his hat jammed flat on his head, among the obese, the mad, the infirm, characters with one leg, broken hip, scarred mouth, failing life, he somehow manages to convey every dimension of his character, especially intelligence.”

Dan Bronson, the writer of HBO’s The Last Innocent Man, used Heart to teach students about the grammar of motion pictures during an earlier career as an academic. “Heart is one of the films that gave me the resolve to turn my back on tenure and ride the rollercoaster of Hollywood,” he noted in an essay about the movie. “But it did more than inspire me. It moved me.”

Miller’s most warmly received film was the comedic drama Reuben, Reuben, starring Tom Conti as a debauched poet battling writer’s block. The picture was included in competition at Cannes — which Miller regarded as one of the highlights of his career — and earned Conti and writer Julius J. Epstein Oscar nominations. It too was nominated for a Golden Globe (best drama).

“Very much in the British tradition of quality,” noted critic Emanuel Levy, “Robert Ellis Miller’s Reuben, Reuben is a modest, intimate and intelligent film, featuring an Oscar-nominated turn from Tom Conti, better known for his stage work.”

A warm, good-humored man with a love of puns and an infectious enthusiasm, he was fond of describing how MCA Universal’s powerful executive Lew Wasserman would confuse him with the similar-looking director Arthur Hiller. “Miller-Hiller!” he’d bark. “Hiller-Miller!”
He spoke warmly of Bette Davis, whom he had once directed, and whose neighbor he was in Los Angeles’ famed Colonial building, doing a spot-on imitation of the intimidating star as she would listen, hawk-like, then flick her cigarette ash across the floor, either in approval or disapproval.

An astute but generous observer of the industry, Miller recalled meeting the young Steven Spielberg, who came to visit one of his sets, and remembered how gracious the twenty-something was.
Once asked to name the greatest myth about the movie business, he replied: “That the camera never lies.”
At Harvard, he was president of its Dramatic Club and a member of the Hasty Pudding Society. He entered television upon graduation, assisting other major directors including Sidney Lumet before going on to direct such shows as Naked City, Route 66, The Twilight Zone and The Rogues.

His first feature was 1967’s Any Wednesday, starring Jane Fonda and Jason Robards Jr. Other credits included Sweet November, The Buttercup Chain, The Big Truck and The Girl From Petrovka. His last film was the 1996 ABC TV movie The Angel of Pennsylvania Avenue.

Miller and his wife spent several years living in London, where Miller directed the Timothy Dalton starrer Hawks. Among the other A-list stars he directed were Goldie Hawn, Anthony Hopkins, Peter Ustinov, Cicely Tyson, Omar Sharif and James Coburn.

He received an Emmy Award nomination for 1991’s ABC drama series Alcoa Premiere and a DGA nomination for an episode of 1963’s TV series Breaking Point.

An active member of the Directors Guild of America, Miller was a lifetime trustee of its pension plan. He was also a charter founder of the Artists Rights Foundation and a member of the Motion Picture Academy.

Survivors include his sister, Judith Merwin, nieces Sara Merwin and Deborah Chasman, nephews Peter Merwin, Daniel Merwin, Clifford James and Daniel Chasman, brothers-in-law Chellis Chasman and Donald Merwin.

His funeral will take place at 12.30 p.m. on Wednesday at Sinai Chapels in Fresh Meadows, N.Y. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations go to the Motion Picture & Television Fund.       


MILLER, Robert Ellis
Born: 7/18/1932, New York City, New York, U.S.A.
Died: 1/27/2017, Woodland Hills, California, U.S.A.

Robert Ellis Miller’s westerns – director:
The Rebel (TV) – 1959
Zane Grey Theater (TV) – 1959, 1960, 1961
Wide Country (TV) - 1962
The Virginian (TV) – 1963
Ishi: The Last of His Tribe (TV) - 1978

RIP Hal Geer

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Dignity Memorial

Hal Geer, retired cartoon executive, dies at 100

Hal Geer, a retired Warner Bros. Cartoons executive and World War II combat cameraman, passed away in Simi Valley, California on Thursday, January 26. He was 100 years old.

Born Harold Eugene Geer on September 13, 1916 in Oronogo, Missouri, Mr. Geer lived through most of the twentieth century and into the twenty-first. He married his sweetheart Nancy Walker in 1939 and enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1941, two weeks after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. As a combat cameraman in World War II he survived 86 missions flying over China with the Flying Tigers, sometimes doubling as a gunner on B-24 and B-25 planes while shooting images for newsreels. He received his battlefield commission as second lieutenant from the legendary General Claire Chennault, leader of the Flying Tigers.

After the war ended, the entertainment industry beckoned and Hal and Nancy Geer moved to Hollywood where Mr. Geer spent the next four decades working as a film editor, writer, director and producer for Walt Disney, Warner Bros. and independent production companies. He worked on 25 feature films, more than 500 television shows, 400 commercials and 100 short-subject films. Most of his career was spent at Warner Bros. working with his beloved cartoon characters Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Road Runner, Wile E. Coyote and their Looney Tunes cohorts. In 1985 Mr. Geer spearheaded a successful campaign to give Bugs Bunny his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. A year later, at age 70, he announced his retirement as vice president and executive producer of Warner Bros. Cartoons.

Six years prior to his retirement , Mr. Geer's wife Nancy had passed away in 1980. He later met and in 1983 married Carol Jones, who also worked at Warner Bros. They spent the first dozen years of their retirement seeing the world from cruise ships where Mr. Geer was on the lecture circuit.

At the age of 99, Mr. Geer wrote and published his memoirs in a book entitled The Life, Times and Tales of Hal Geer. He presented personalized copies of his book to each of the more than 60 guests who attended his 100th birthday celebration held on September 11, 2016. In his memoirs he wrote:

I don't know what the purpose of life is. We try to do the best we can while we exist. My purpose was to make the world a better place. I know I made some people happy. I want to be remembered for the things I've done: combat photographer, newsreels and historical films. I hope I also entertained people and brought some laughter into their lives.

Hal Geer is survived by his wife Carol, daughter Nancy Matthews, son Wally Geer and stepdaughter Brenda Lee Jones, grandchildren Christo Kuzmich and Jamie Jones, and great- grandchildren Matthew Jones, Savannah Jones, Whitney Kuzmich and Sylvia Kuzmich, who will all remember him for making them happy and bringing laughter into their lives.

The memorial service will be Saturday, February 11, at 10:00 am at Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks Memorial Park, 5600 Lindero Canyon Road, Westlake Village, California. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Simi-Conejo Valley Chapter of the Military Association of America, P.O. Box 940482, Simi Valley, CA 93094-0482.


GEER, Hal (Harold Eugene Geer)
Born: 9/13/1916, Oronogo, Missouri, U.S.A.
Died: 1/26/2017, Simi Valley, California, U.S.A.

Hal Geer’s westerns – film editor:
Fistic Mystic – 1969
Injun Trouble - 1969

RIP Frederick Parslow

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The Age
February 1, 2017

Parslow A.M.
14.8.1932 - 26.1.2017

ACTOR

Loving husband of
Joan Harris A.M. (dec.).
Doting father of
Justin Harris Parslow.

A corner stone
of Australian
show business

Love you always Dad


PARSLOW, Frederick (Frederick Henry Parslow)
Born: 8/14/1932, Buckinghamshire, England, U.K.
Died: 1/26/21017, Caulfield, Victoria, Australia

Frederick Parslow’s western – actor:
Wrangler - 1989

RIP Stephen Joyce

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Dignity Memorial

Stephen Joyce, 85, of Wickenburg, AZ, passed away peacefully on January 26, 2017 in Surprise, Arizona.

He was born March 7, 1931 in New York City, to Stephen James Joyce and Ruth Rita Reilly. The family resided in Brooklyn, New York where he attended Parochial schools, Xavier High, a Jesuit Military school and Fordham University where he majored in theater. At the beginning of the Korean War he joined the Air Force where he spent two years in the Far East. After his return to the United States, he would be stationed at Williams Air Force Base in Arizona. There he soon met the love of his life, Billie Jean. After his discharge from the Air Force, he commenced pursuit of the career he majored at Fordham University, theater, and a few weeks after his discharge of he was cast as the juvenile lead In a George Montgomery movie Street of Sinners. Stephen proved to be an accomplished thespian, and he would go on to have a very successful career, with many credits to his name in legitimate theater. He would be nominated for several awards, including the Theater World Award for his portrayal of the title role in Stephen D in New York, the Joseph Jefferson Award for his portrayal of the title role Da in Chicago, and the Drama Desk award for his role as Captain Blakely in The Caine Mutiny Court Martial at the Circle in the Square in New York. In addition to his successful career in the legitimate theater, he would go on and be cast in many television shows, including such iconic shows as Rawhide, Bonanza, Law and Order, Kojak, Miami Vice, Combat, Outer Limits, Ben Casey, and others too numerous to list. He would also be cast in in numerous movies, including The Greatest Story Ever Told; the Irish Whiskey Rebellion; The Dark Secrets of Harvest Home; One Police Plaza; A Stranger is Watching; The Red Spider; Stranger on my Land; Billy Bathgate; and Invasion. Stephen and the love of his life, Billie Jean, retired to Wickenburg Arizona over twenty years ago, where he was able to live out his dream of being a Western cowboy, horses and all. Sadly, he was preceded in death by his wife, Billie Jean Joyce, and daughter, Tony Magdon. One of Stephen's great joys was being a parent, and he was a dedicated and caring father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He is survived by his daughter, Carol Foy, his son, Michael Joyce, grandchildren Hans Olesen, Jenny Roehner, Siobhan O'Connor, Melissa Magdon, Christine Watts, J.J. Magdon; and great-grandchildren Ashley Magdon; Alexandra, Jocelyn, and Michaela Olesen; Nika and CiCi Roehner; and Zachary and Addie O'Connor. He will be missed by all. A Visitation will be held 10:00am, Thursday, February 2, 2017 in the Chapel at Greenwood Memory Lawn Mortuary, 719 N. 27th Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona followed by a Graveside Service at 11:00am.


JOYCE, Stephen (John Stephen Joyce)
Born: 3/7/1931, New York City, New York, U.S.A.
Died: 1/26/2017, Surprise, Arizona, U.S.A.

Stephen Joyce’s westerns – actor:
Rawhide (TV) – 1959, 1960, 1961 (Vic, Hanson Buck, Wilbur, Sidney Porter)
Pony Express (TV) – 1960 (Tommy Brand)
U.S. Marshal (TV) – 1960 (Mike Tully)
Bronco (TV) – 1960, 1961 (Billy the Kid, Phil Welty)
Bonanza (TV) – 1961 (Jerome Bell)
Outlaws (TV) – 1961 (Tim Wace)
The Rebel (TV) – 1961 (Sham Hardy, Frank Daggett)
The Dakotas (TV) – 1963 (Billy Daneer)
Stranger on My Land (TV) - 1988
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