ERNIE CHAN - Conan Comic Book Artist

Filipino-American comic book artist Ernie Chan, who was best known for his work on Marvel's "Conan the Barbarian" series, died of cancer on May 16, 2012, at age 71. He was born in The Philippines on July 27, 1940. He began working in comics at Marvel in the early 1970s, and was soon inking for John Buscema on "Conan the Barbarian" and Sal Buscema on "The Incredible Hulk". Originally known as Ernie Chua, he also illustrated such titles as "Doctor Strange", "Kull the Destroyer", "Spectacular Spider-Man", "Master of Kung Fu", and "Power Man". He also worked at DC in the 1970s and 1980s, where he was co-creator of "Claw the Unconquered" in 1975. He was cover artist on numerous series and drew the "Batman" title for several years. He became a U.S. citizen in 1976 and reclaimed his family name, Ernie Chan. He later worked as an artist and designer for video games and animated productions including "The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest" in the mid-1990s. He largely retired in 2002, but had been involved in illustrating the adult-oriented webcomic "The Vat" in recent years.

RONAN O'CASEY - "Trollenberg Terror" star & Vanessa Redgrave's ill-fated lover in "Blowup"

Canadian-born actor Ronan O'Casey died in Los Angeles on April 12, 2012.  He was born in Montreal, Canada, on June 15, 1922, the son of poet Michael Casey and actress Margaret Sheehy.  He began performing on stage with his mother's theatrical company in Montreal as a child.  He continued his career as an actor in theatrical productions in Ireland and England, and was seen frequently in British films and television productions from the late 1940s.  O'Casey was featured in the films "Give Us This Day" (1949), "The Mudlark" (1950), "Escape by Night" (1953), "Three Steps to the Gallows" (1953), "Double Exposure" (1954), "Tonight's the Night" (1954), "Murder on Approval" (1955), "Tiger by the Tail" (1955), "1984" (1956) as Rutherford, "Reach for the Sky" (1956), "Satellite in the Sky" (1956), "Bitter Victory" (1957), "Blind Spot" (1958), "Inn for Trouble" (1960), "Blowup" (1966) as Vanessa Redgrave's murdered lover,

Dead - in Blowout

 "Feelings" (1976), and "The Double Exposure of Holly" (1976).  O'Casey appeared in television productions of "The Front Page" (1948), "Willie the Squouse" (1954), "The Voices" (1955), "The Trollenberg Terror" (1956) (which was filmed by Hammer several years later and released in the U.S. as "The Crawling Eye"), "Come Read Me a Riddle" (1956), "The Wooden Dish" (1957), "All My Sons" (1958), and "The Town Has Turned to Dust" (1960).  He was featured as Jeff Rogers in "The Larkins from 1958 to 1963, and was the Chief in "The New Forest Rustlers" in 1966.  O'Casey was associate producer for Terry Southern's 1969 comic fantasy "The Magic Christian", starring Ringo Starr and Peter Sellers.  He was married to actress Louie Ramsay from 1956 until 1979.  O'Casey moved to the United States the following year, where he married writer Carol Tavris,  He continued his acting career, appearing in the 1986 tele-film "Beverly Hills Madam", and in episodes of "Dallas", "The A-Team", "L.A. Law", "Shell Game", "Easy Street", "Hotel", "ABC Afterschool Specials", "Sledge Hammer!", "Santa Barbara", and "Falcon Crest".  His later film credits include "The Protector" (1985), "The Beverly Hillbillies" (1993), and "The Drop Off" (2007).







PATRICIA BRESLIN - Leading Lady in Homicidal and Twilight Zone

Actress Patricia Breslin died after a long illness in a Baltimore, Maryland, hospital on October 12, 2011. She was 80.  Breslin was born in New York City on March 17, 1931. She began her career on the New York stage and made her television debut as Juliet in a 1949 production of Romeo and Juliet". She also appeared in episodes of "The Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse", "Broadway Television Theatre" in a 1952 production of "Rebecca", "Kraft Theatre", "Suspense", "Hallmark Hall of Fame", "Armstrong Circle Theatre", "The Mask", "Studio One", "The Web", "Robert Montgomery Presents", "The Best of Broadway" in "Arsenic and Old Lace" in 1955, "Justice", "Appointment with Adventure", "Schiltz Playhouse", and "Alcoa Theatre". She starred as Mandy Miller on the comedy series "The People’s Choice" with Jackie Cooper from 1955 to 1958. She continued to appear in such series as "Maverick", "The Millionaire", "The Rifleman", "The Rebel", "The New Breed", "Tales of Wells Fargo", "Adventures in Paradise", "Alfred Hitchcock Presents", "Thriller", "Bonanza", "Stoney Burke", "Saints and Sinners", "Perry Mason", "Twilight Zone" guest starring with William Shatner in the 1960 episode "Nick of Time", "The Dick Powell Theatre", "Dr. Kildare", "The Greatest Show on Earth", "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour", and "The Virginian". She starred as Laura Brooks in the prime-time soap opera "Peyton Place" from 1964 to 1965, and was Nurse Meg Bentley on the daytime soap "General Hospital" in 1966. She appeared in several films including "Go, Man, Go!" (1954), "Andy Hardy Comes Home" (1958), the William Castle thriller "Homicidal" (1961) as Miriam, Webster, and "I Saw What You Did" (1965). She married NFL team owner Art Modell in 1969, and returned from acting. She and her husband were active in the arts and philanthropy in Cleveland where he owned the Cleveland Browns. She continued her philanthropic endeavors when Modell moved his football team to Baltimore in 1996.

COBINA WRIGHT, JR - Charlie Chan Star

Actress Cobina Wright, Jr., who starred in a handful of films in the early 1940s, died in Solvang, California, on September 1, 2011. She was 90.  Wright was born in New York City on August 14, 1921. Her mother was society columnist Cobina Wright, Sr., who pushed her daughter into a career in show business. She worked as a model and performed on radio. She was also featured in the films "Small Town Deb" (1941), "Murder Among Friends" (1941), "Moon Over Miami" (1941), "Accent on Love" (1941), "Charlie Chan in Rio" (1941), "Week-End in Havana" (1941), "Right to the Heart" (1942), "Footlight Serenade" (1942), and "Something to Shout About" (1943). She married Palmer Beaudette in 1941, and soon retired from show business to raise a family. She was widowed when Beaudette died in 1968.

MARILYN NASH - Chaplin Leading Lady

with Chaplin

 

Actress Marilyn Nash, who was Charles Chaplin’s leading lady in the 1947 film "Monsieur Verdoux", died on October 8, 2011. She was 84.  Nash was born in Detroit, Michigan, in October of 1926. She met Chaplin while visiting Los Angeles in the late 1940s, and he cast her as Girl in "Monsieur Verdoux". Nash made only one further film, the 1951 sci-fi feature "Unknown World". She also appeared in episodes of "Hopalong Cassidy" and "Medic", and performed in numerous stage productions. Her first husband was screenwriter and producer Philip Yordan. She later was featured in the 2007 documentary "Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story", about the exploitation film legend who had been a friend of her and her husband.



CHARLES NAPIER - Star Trek Hippie & Hannibal Lecter Victim

Veteran character actor Charles Napier, whose career ranged from "hero" in Russ Meyer's sexploitation classics, to Hannibal Lecter's victim in "Silence of the Lambs", died in a Bakersfield, California, hospital on October 5, 2011. He was 75. Napier was born in Scottsville, Kentucky, on April 12, 1936. He began his career in the late 1960s, and was noted for his roles in such cult exploitation classics as "Cherry, Harry & Raquel!" (1970), "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls" (1970), and "Supervixens" (1975) for director Russ Meyer. His numerous film credits also include "The Hanging Jake Ellis" (1969), "The Seven Minutes" (1971), "Love and Kisses" (1971), "Moonfire" (1973), "Thunder and Lightning" (1977), "Handle With Care" (1977), "Last Embrace" (1979), "The Blues Brothers" (1980) as dim-witted country singer Tucker McElroy, "Melvin and Howard" (1980), "Wacko" (1982), "China Lake" (1983), "In Search of a Golden Sky" (1984), "Swing Shift" (1984), "Rambo: First Blood Part II" (1985) as the villain Murdock, "Instant Justice" (1986), "Something Wild" (1986), "The Night Stalker" (1987), "Camping del Terrore" (1987), "Deep Space" (1988), "Married to the Mob" (1988), "Hit List" (1989), "Alien from the Deep" (1989), "One Man Force" (1989), "The Last Match" (1990), "Cop Target" (1990), "After the Condor" (1990), "Dragonfight" (1990), "Ernest Goes to Jail" (1990), "Miami Blues" (1990), "Future Zone" (1990), "Maniac Cop 2" (1990), "The Grifters" (1990), "Killer Instinct" (1991), "Under Surveillance" (1991)

 "The Silence of the Lambs" (1991) as Hannibal Lecter victim Lt. Bill Boyle, "Indio 2 - La Rivolta" (1991), "Soldier’s Fortune" (1991), "Lonely Hearts" (1991), "Frogtown II" (1992), "Center of the Web" (1992), "Mean Tricks" (1992), "Eyes of the Beholder" (1992), "National Lampoon’s Loaded Weapon 1" (1993), "Skeeter" (1993), "Philadelphia" (1993) as Judge Garnett, "Silent Fury" (1994), "Body Shot" (1994), "To Die, To Sleep" (1994), "Silk Degrees" (1994), "Raw Justice" (1994), "Savage Land" (1994), "Fatal Choice" (1995), "Felony" (1995), "Hard Justice" (1995), "Ripper Man" (1995), "3 Ninjas Knuckle Up" (1995), "Jury Duty" (1995), "Ballistic" (1995), "Alien Species" (1996), "Billy Lone Bear" (1996), "Expert Witness" (1996), "Original Gangstas" (1996), "The Cable Guy" (1996), "No Small Ways" (1997), "Macon County Jail" (1997), "Riot" (1997), "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery" (1997), "Steel" (1997), "Centurion Force" (1998), "Armstrong" (1998), "Second Chances" (1998), "Beloved" (1998), "Los Gringos" (1999), "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me" (1999), "The Big Tease" (1999), "Pirates of the Plain" (1999), "Lima: Breaking the Silence" (1999), "Never Look Back" (2000), "Cypress Edge" (2000), "Very Mean Men" (2000), "Nutty Professor II: The Klumps" (2000), "The Thief and the Stripper" (2000), "Forgive Me Father" (2001), "The Hunter’s Moon" (2001), "Down ‘n Dirty" (2001), "Extreme Honor" (2001), "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron" (2002) as the voice of Roy, "Dinocroc" (2004), "The Manchurian Candidate" (2004), "Lords of Dogtown" (2005), "Suits On the Loose" (2005), "The Kid & I" (2005), "Annapolis" (2006), "Your Name Here" (2008), "bgFATLdy" (2008), "One-Eyed Monster" (2008), "The River Bridge" (2008), "Shadowheart" (2009), "Life Blood" (2009), and "The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard" (2009). Napier appeared frequently on television from the 1960s. He was featured as Adam, an alien hippie, in the 1969 "Star Trek" episode "The Way to Eden". he was also seen in episodes of "Mannix", "Hogan’s Heroes", "Mission: Impossible", "Kojak", "The Streets of San Francisco", "Baretta", "The Rookies", "Black Sheep Squadron", "Delvecchio", "The Rockford Files", "The Oregon Trail" as Luther Sprague in 1977, "Starsky and Hutch", "B.J. and the Bear" in the recurring role of Hammer, "Walking Tall", "Concrete Cowboys", "Private Benjamin", "The Incredible Hulk", "Seven Brides For Seven Brothers", "Knight Rider", "Simon & Simon", "CHiPs", "Tales of the Gold Monkey", "Dallas" in the recurring role of Carl Daggett, "Gun Shy", "The Dukes of Hazzard", "Night Court", "Wiz Kids", "The A-Team", "Street Hawk", the sci-fi western "Outlaws" as Wolfson Lucus in 1986, "Guns Of Paradise", "L.A. Law", "The Golden Palace", "Renegade", "Coach", "Rebel Highway", "Murder, She Wrote", "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman", "Hudson Street", "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine", "Pacific Blue", "George & Leo", "Party of Five", "The Magician", "Walker, Texas Ranger", "Roswell", "Diagnosis Murder", "The Practice", "Son of the Beach", "The 4400", "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation", "Monk", "Curb Your Enthusiasm", and "Cold Case". He also appeared in the tele-films "Alien Attack" (1976), "Ransom for Alice!" (1977), "Big Bob Johnson and His Fantastic Speed Circus" (1978), "Gridlock" (1980), "The Blue and the Gray" (1982), "The Outlaws" (1984), "The Cartier Affair" (1984), "The Incredible Hulk Returns" (1988), "War and Remembrance" (1989), "Treacherous Crossing" (1992), "John Carpenter Presents Body Bags" (1996), " Max Is Missing" (1995), "Trash" (2003), and "Fielder’s Choice" (2005). Napier was also a popular voice actor in animated productions, with roles in "The Critic" as Duke Phillips, "The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest", "Jumanji", "Superman" as General Hardcastle, "Buzz Lightyear of Star Command", "Men in Black: The Series" as Zed, "God, the Devil and Bob", "The Legend of Tarzan", "The Mummy: Secrets of the Medjai", "Justice League", "The Simpsons", "The Batman", "Squidbillies", "Ned’s Declassified", "School Survival Guide", and "Archer". His autobiography, "Square Jaw and Big Heart", was released earlier in 2011.



BETTY LUSTER - MST3000's Mr. B Natural

Dancer Better Luster died in Florida on May 25, 2011. She was 89.  She was born on April 27, 1922. She began performing with a dance troupe in the late 1930s, and was featured in a small role on Broadway in a 1940 production of Irving Berlin’s "Louisiana Purchase". She was a hostess for the 1950 television gameshow "Sing It Again", and was a regular performer on the variety series "Seven at Eleven". She returned to Broadway in "The Wayward Saint" in 1955. She became best known for her title role in 1957’s "Mr. B Natural" as a hep pixie who encourages high school students to pursue music in an educational short sponsored by a musical instrument manufacturer. The short achieved fame when it was included in a 1991 episode of "Mystery Science Theater 3000". Luster retired from show business in the late 1950s.