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.

ANDREW LASZLO - Star Trek V Cinematographer

 

Cinematographer Andrew Laszlo died in Montana on October 7, 2011. He was 85.  Laszlo was born in Papa, Hungary, on January 12, 1926. He began working as a camera apprentice at a Budapest film studio prior to World War II. He and his family were sent to a Nazi concentration camp during the war, and he was the only survivor. He came to the United States in 1947 and worked as a freelance photographer. He served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps as a combat photographer during the Korean War. Laszlo produced industrial films before becoming a camera operator and cinematographer for television in the late 1950s, working on such series as "The Phil Silvers Show", "Naked City", and "Coronet Blue". He made his feature film debut as cinematographer for 1964’s "One Potato, Two Potato", and filmed the 1966 documentary "The Beatles at Shea Stadium". He also photographed the films "You’re a Big Boy Now" (1966), "The Night They Raided Minsky’s" (1968), "Popi" (1969), "The Out of Towners" (1970), "Lovers and Other Strangers" (1970), "The Owl and the Pussycat" (1970), "Jennifer on My Mind" (1971), "To Find a Man" (1972), "Class of ‘44" (1973), "Cool Red" (1976), "Thieves" (1977), "Somebody Killed Her Husband" (1978), "The Warriors" (1979), "The Funhouse" (1981), "Southern Comfort" (1981), "I, the Jury" (1982), "First Blood" (1982), "Streets of Fire" (1984), "Thief of Hearts" (1984), "That’s Dancing!" (1985), "Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins" (1985), "Poltergeist II: The Other Side" (1986), "Innerspace" (1987), "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier" (1989), "Ghost Dad" (1990), and "Newsies" (1992). He also filmed the television productions "Teacher, Teacher" (1969), "Back Water Gold" (1970), "The Man Without a Country" (1973) which earned him an Emmy Award nomination, "Miracle on 34th Street" (1973), "Hunters of the Reef" (1978), "The Dain Curse" (1978), "Top of the Hill" (1980), the 1980 mini-series "Shogun" earning another Emmy nomination, "Thin Ice:" (1981), and "Love Is Forever" (1983).

DAVID HESS - Last House on the Left Arch-Villain

Actor and songwriter David Hess died on October 8, 2011. He as 69.  Hess was born in New York City on September 19, 1942. He began his career as a singer songwriter in the 1950s under the name David Hill. He for worked Shalimar Music where he penned such songs as "Start Movin’" for Sal Mineo, "Rockin’ Shoes" for the Ames Brothers, and several tunes for Elvis Presley. He wrote and recorded "Speedy Gonzales" under the name David Dante in 1962. He joined Mercury records later in the decade, where he wrote the rock opera "The Naked Carmen". He made his film debut in Wes Craven’s 1972 horror classic "The Last House on the Left", starring as the vile killer Krug Stillo. He also composed the soundtrack for the film. He worked frequently in Europe in the 1970s, and continued to be seen in such films as "Montana Trap" (1976), "The Swiss Conspiracy" (1976), "The Naked Prey" (1977), "Avalanche Express" (1979), "House on the Edge of the Park" (1980),

 "Swamp Thing" (1982) as Ferret, "White Star" (1983), "Armed and Dangerous" (1986), "Let’s Get Harry" (1986), "Camping del Terrore" (1987), "SindromeVeneziana" (1989), "Omicidio a Luci Blu" (1991), "Buck ai Confini del Cielo" (1991), "Jonathan Degli Orsi" (1995), "Nutcracker" (2001), "Zombie Nation" (2004), "Zodiac Killer" (2005), "The Absence of Light" (2006), "Used" (2007), "Go Together" (2007), and "Smash Cut" (2009). Hess was also seen in the tele-film "21 Hours at Munich" (1976), "Jacqueline Susann’s Valley of the Dolls" (1981), "Sadat" (1983), "Ocean" (1989), and "A Fatal Assignment" (1991). His other television credits include episodes of "Baretta", "Knight Rider", "Manimal", "The Fall Guy", "The A-Team", "Noi Siamo Angeli", and "Royal Pains". He also continued his music career, releasing two albums in the 2000’s.



APRIL DERLETH - Arkham House Heir



with brother Walden



The Arkham House Logo

April Derleth, the president and co-owner of Arkham House publishers, died at the family home in Saul City, Wisconsin, on March 21, 2011. She was 56.  She was born on August 9, 1954, the daughter of horror author and Arkham House co-founder August Derleth. Arkham House was founded by Derleth and Donald Wandrei in 1939, and developed a cult following by publishing many of the early works of H.P. Lovecraft and other horror authors. Derleth ran the company until his death in 1971. April graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1977, and took over as president and CEO of Arkham in 1994. She and her brother, Walden, were co-owners of the publishing house, which also served to keep her father’s works in print.

GEORGE BAKER - Leading British Actor in Return of the Fly, I, Claudius and The Ruth Rendell Mysteries

British actor George Baker, who starred as Chief Inspector Wexford in the television series "The Ruth Rendell Mysteries" for over a decade, died of complications from pneumonia and a stroke on October 7, 2011. He was 80.  Baker was born in Varna, Bulgaria, where his father was an English businessman and diplomat, on April 1, 1931. He began his career on stage performing in repertory theater while in his teens. He toured with the Old Vic in the 1950s. He also began a long film career, with roles in "The Intruder" (1953), "The Ship the Died of Shame" (1955), "The Dam Busters" (1955), "The Woman For Joe" (1955), "The Extra Day" (1956), "The Feminine Touch" (1956), "Hell in Korea" (1956), "These Dangerous Years" (1957), "No Time For Tears" (1957), "The Moonraker" (1957), "Tread Softly Stranger" (1958), "Sword of Lancelot" (1963) as Sir Gawaine, "The Finest hours" (1964), the 1965 sci-fi thriller "Curse of the Fly" as Martin Delambre, "Mister Ten Per Cent" (1967), "You Only Live Twice" (1967), "Justine" (1969), "Goodbye, Mr. Chips" (1969), the 1969 James Bond film "On Her Majesty’s Secret Service", "The Executioner" (1970), "A Warm December" (1973), "Three For All" (1975), "The Spy Who Loved Me" (1977), "Intimate Games" (1978), "The Thirty Nine Steps" (1978), "ffolkes" (1979), "Hopscotch" (1980), "Out of Order" (1987), "For Queen and Country" (1988), and "Back to the Secret Garden" (2001). He frequently appeared on television throughout his career with roles in productions of "The Willful Widow" (1956), "Doomsday For Dyson" (1958), "The Truth About Melandrinos" (1958), "Nick of the River" (1959) as Detective Inspector Nick Nixon, "Rupert of Hentzau" (1964), "Curtain of Fear" (1964), "The Master" (1966), "The Queen and Jackson" (1966), "Candida" (1971), "I, Claudius" (1976) as Tiberius, "Vintage Murder" (1977), "Colour Scheme" (1977), "Ngaio Marsh’s Opening Night" (1977), "Bird Fancier" (1983), "The Secret Adversary" (1983), "Goodbye Mr. Chips" (1984), "We’ll Support You Evermore" (1985), "A Woman of Substance" (1985), "If Tomorrow Comes" (1986), "At Bertram’s Hotel" (1987), "The Canterville Ghost" (1987), "Journey’s End" (1988), "Johnny and the Dead" (1995), and "Little Lord Fauntleroy" (1995).

 


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with wife Louie Ramsey

His other television credits include the series "The Dickie Henderson Show", "ITV Play of the Week", "Maigret", "Zero One", "It Happen Like This", "The Full Man", "Thursday Theatre", "Gideon C.I.D.", "Drama ‘65", "Undermind", "Londoners", "The Wednesday Play, "The Baron", "Half Hour Story", "The Prisoner" as the new Number Two in the 1967 premier episode, "Thirty-Minute Theatre", "Armchair Theatre", "ITV Playhouse", "Harry Worth", "The Sex Game", "Kate", "Paul Temple", "Doomwatch", "Up Pompeii!", "The Goodies", "Fraud Squad", "The Persuaders!", "The Main Chance", "The Man Outside", "New Scotland Yard", "The Fenn Street Gang", "Some Mothers Do ‘Ave "Em", "The Protectors", "Bowler" as Stanley Bowler in 1973, "Zodiac", "Dial M for Murder", "Survivors", "Spy Trap", "Hudson & Halls", "Z Cars", "Get Some In !", "Softly, Softly: Task Force", "Three Piece Suite", "Empire Road", "Square Mile of Murder", "Lady Killers", "Doctor Who" as Login in the 1980 "Full Circle" serial, "Jackanory Playhouse", "Crown Court", "Goodbye Darling", "The Gentle Touch", "Q.E.D.", "The Chinese Detective", "Triangle" as David West from 1982 to 1983, "Spyship", "Hart to Hart", "Marjorie and Men", "Dead Head", "Robin of Sherwood" in the recurring role of Sir Richard of Leaford, "Screen Two", "The Charmer", "Bergerac", and "Minder". Baker starred as Detective Chief Inspector Reg Wexford on "Ruth Rendell Mysteries" from 1987 through 2000, and was Godfrey Eagan on "No Job for A lady" from 1990 to 1991. His later television credits include episodes of "Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased)", "Coronation Street", "Midsomer Murders", "MI-5" (aka. "Spooks" ), "Heartbeat", and "New Tricks". His third wife, actress Louie Ramsey, played his wife Dora on the "Ruth Rendell Mysteries". She died earlier in 2011.

The Dead Zone - DIANE CILENTO - Australian Leading Lady and Star of "The Wicker Man"

DIANE CILENTO - Australian Leading Lady and Star of "The Wicker Man"

Australian actress Diane Cilento, who was a leading star in British films and television in the 1960s, died on October 6, 2011. She was 78.  Cilento was born in Brisbane, Australia, on October 5, 1933, the daughter of two leading medical practitioners. She lived with her father in New York while in her teens, where she began working on stage productions. She earned a scholarship to London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in the early 1950s. She was nominated for a Tony Award in 1956 for her role as Helen of Troy in a production of Jean Giraudoux’s "Tiger at the Gates". She also appeared in the films "All Hallowe’en" (1952), "Dead on Course" (1952), "Moulin Rouge" (1952), "Meet Mr. Lucifer" (1953), "Passing Strange" (1954), "Passage Home" (1955), "The Woman for Joe" (1955), "The Angel Who Pawned Her Harp" (1956), "A Novel Affair" (1957), "Paradise Lagoon" (aka "The Admirable Crichton") (1957), "The Truth About Women" (1957), "Jet Storm" (1959), "Stop Me Before I Kill!" (1960), "The Naked Edge" (1961), and "I Thank a Fool" (1962). She was also seen on television in productions of "A Tomb with a View" (1951), "The Taming of the Shrew" (1956) for "Hallmark Hall of Fame", "Anna Christie" (1957), "The Concert" (1959), "Rain" (1960), "Vanity Fair" (1961), and "Jeannette" (1961), and episodes of "Espionage", "ITV Play of the Week", "Blackmail", "Court Martial", and "Thirty-Minute Theatre". She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Molly Seagrim in Tony Richardson’s 1963 film version of Henry Fielding’s ribald novel "Tom Jones". Cilento married James Bond star Sean Connery in 1962, and her acting career was often overshadowed by their frequently tempetuous relationship. She continued to appear in such films as "The Third Secret" (1964), "Rattle of a Simple Man" (1964), "Once Upon a Tractor" (1965), "The Agony and the Ecstasy" (1965) as Contessina de Medicini opposite Charlton Heston’s Michelangelo, "Hombre" (1967) with Paul Newman, and "Negatives" (1967). She was also body double for Mie Hama in underwater scenes in 1967’s "You Only Live Twice", starring Connery as James Bond. She was featured on British television in the 1968 "Late Night Horror" production of "The Kiss of Blood", and was Lady Sarah Bellasize in "Rogues’ Gallery" in 1969. She starred in the 1972 sci-fi film "Z.P.G." and was Hann Reitsch in "Hitler: The Last Ten Days" in 1973. She also starred in the tele-film "Spell of Evil" (1973), and episodes of "The Persuaders!" and "Affairs of the Heart". She and Connery divorced in 1973. 

 She subsequently starred as the pagan school teacher, Miss Rose, in the cult classic "The Wicker Man" (1973) starring Christopher Lee and Edward Woodward. Cilento starred as Diana Clark in the 1978 series "Tycoon", and in the television productions "Big Toys" (1980) and "For the Term of His Natural Life" (1983). She was also seen in the films "Duet for Four" (1982) and "The Boy Who Had Everything" (1985), co-starring with her son, Jason Connery. She starred as Authoritax in the 1994 series "Halfway Across the Galaxy and Turn Left". Cilento met playwright Anthony Shaffer while working on "The Wicker Man" in the early 1970s, and they married in 1985. They remained together until Shaffer’s death in 2001. She penned her autobiography, "My Nine Live", in 2006.



The Dead Zone - GASPAR 'CAPULINA' HENAINE - Mexican Comedian

GASPAR 'CAPULINA' HENAINE - Mexican Comedian

Mexican comedian Gaspar Henaine, who was best known as the chubby comic star Capulina, died in Mexico City on September 30, 2011. He was 85.  Henaine was born in Chignahuapan, Puebla, Mexico, on January 6, 1926. He began his career as part of the musical trio "Los Excentricos del Ritmo" in the early 1940s, and led his own group, Los Trincas, later in the decade. He mixed music with comedy on stage and radio, and made his film debut in the early 1950s. He was best known for his character Capulina, and frequently teamed with Marco Antonio Campos, as Viruta, as a comedy duo known as the Mexican version of Laurel and Hardy. Viruta was the slender brains of the team, and Capulina was his chubby sidekick and foil. They starred in numerous popular comedies for over a decade including "La Sombra del Otro" (1957), "So los Chupo la Bruja" (1958), "Voyage to the Moon" (1958), "Los Legionarios" (1958), "Muertos de Miedo" (1958), "Desert Tigers" (1960), "En Peligro de Muerte" (1962), "Los Invisibles" (1963), "Los Astronautas" (1964), "Los Reyes del Volante" (1965),  "Detectives O Ladrones..? (Dos Agentes Inocentes)" (1967), and "El Camino de los Espantos" (1967). Capulina and Viruta also starred in the popular television series "Comicos y Canciones" in the 1950s and 1960s, before embarking on solo careers later in the 1960s.

Capulina remained a popular film star, appearing in "Operacion Carambola" (1968), "El Zangano" (1968), "Santo Contra Capulina" (1969) co-starring with the famed masked Mexican wrestler, "Capulina Speedy Gonzalez" (1970),  "Capulina Contra los Vampiros" (1971), "El Rey de Acapulco" (1972), "Capula Contra las Momias (El Terror de Guanajuato)" (1973), "Capulina Contra los Monstruos" (1974), "El Sonambulo" (1974), "El Investigador Capulina" (1975), "El Karateca Azteca" (1976),  "El Rey de Monterrey" (1981), "El Sargento Capulina" (1983), and "Mi Compadre Capulina" (1989).  He returned to television in the late 1980s with the comic program "Las Aventuras de Capulina", and hosted the touring production "Capulina's Circus" from the early 1990s.

　

The Dead Zone - MUZAFFER TEMA - Leading Turkish Actor

MUZAFFER TEMA - Leading Turkish Actor

Turkish actor Muzaffer Tema, who was featured in the 1960 science fiction film "12 to the Moon", died in Cesme, Turkey, on October 4, 2011. He was 92.  Tema was born in Istanbul, Turkey, on June 15, 1919. He was featured in over 100 films from the late 1940s including "Fato: Independence or Death" (1949), "Ingiliz Kemal Lawrence Karsi" (1952), "The Female Serpent" (1956),  "12 to the Moon" (1960), as part of an international cast credited as Tema Bey, "The Wild Cat" (1962) which he also produced, directed, and wrote, "The Lions of Gallipoli" (1964), "Horrible Revenge" (1965), "Revenge of the Angels" (1966), "The Crying Woman" (1967), "Kanunsuz Kahraman - Ringo Kid" (1967), "Killing vs. the Flying Man" (1967), "The Book That Should Burn" (1968), "The Four Bullies" (1970), "Adventure Road" (1974), and "Who Breaks... Pays" (1975).

ROBERT CARTLAND - British Actor in Doctor Who in the 1960s

British character actor Robert Cartland died on July 14, 2011. He was 89.  He was born in Hackney, England, in 1922. He began his career on stage in the late 1940s, and was featured in the 1948 film "A Gunman Has Escaped. He was best known for his roles on television in such episodes as "Dead Giveaway", "Maigret", "Legend of Death", "Doomwatch", "The Adventurer", "Whodunnit?", "Great Mysteries", "Spy Trap", and "Convington Cross".  Cartland was the voice of Rill in the 1965 William Hartnell "Doctor Who" serial "Galaxy 4", and was Malpha, a Dalek ally, in the subsequent one-off, "Mission to the Unknown".  Cartland was also featured in the 1983 film "The Ploughman’s Lunch" and the 1984 television production "Squaring the Circle".

NORMA EVERHARDT - Leading Lady of 1958's "The Return of Dracula"

Actress Norma Everhardt, who was best known as the leading lady in the 1958 horror film "The Return of Dracula", died of a stroke in a New York City hospital on September 16, 2011. She was 82.  Everhardt was born in Oakhurst, New Jersey, in 1929. She began her career as a model while in her teens with John Robert Powers. She relocated to Hollywood in 1951, where she was soon appearing in films and television. She was featured in small roles in the films "Sailor Beware" (1952) and "Jumping Jacks" (1952). She was featured in 1953’s "Problem Girl", before marrying French actor Claude Dauphin in 1955. She subsequently starred in the cult classics "Live Fast, Die Young" (1958) and "The Return of Dracula" (aka "Curse of Dracula") (1958) as Rachel Mayberry, opposite Francis Lederer as the Vampire Count. Everhardt was also seen on television in episodes of "Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok", "Captain Gallant of the Foriegn Legion", "Whirlybirds", "Telephone Time", "State Trooper", "Dragnet", "The Lawless Years", "The Best of the Post", and "Hogan’s Heroes". She largely retired from the screen in the 1960 and remained married to Dauphin until his death in 1978.

NICO MINARDOS - Veteran Character Actor in Films and Television

(fr. The Twilight Zone Museum)

Character actor Nico Minardos died in Los Angeles on August 27, 2011. He was 81.  Minardos was born in Athens, Greece, on February 15, 1930. He studied at the Sorbonne in Paris and graduated from the University of California in Los Angeles. He began his acting career in the early 1950s, and was a contract player at 20th Century Fox. He appeared in numerous films during his career, including "Monkey Business" (1952), "The Ten Commandments" (1956), "Ghost Diver" (1957), "Day of the Evil Gun" (1968), "Cannon For Cordoba" (1970), and "Assault On Agathon" (1977) which he also produced. He appeared frequently on television from the mid-1950 through the mid-1980s, with roles in episodes of "Soldiers of Fortune", "Broken Arrow", "Have Gun-Will Travel", "Whirlybirds", "Maverick", "Five Fingers", "Adventures in Paradise", "Sugarfoot", "Route 66", "The Case of the Dangerous Robin", "The Rebel", "Hawaiian Eye", "Twilight Zone" as the Doctor in the 1962 episode "The Gift", "77 Sunset Strip", "Naked City", "The Rogues", "Perry Mason", "Burke’s Law", "Ben Casey", "Daktari", "The Flying Nun", "It Takes a Thief", "The Name of the Game", "Mod Squad", "The Immortal", "Mission: Impossible", "Ironside", "Primus", "The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries", "The Greatest American Hero", "The A-Team", and "Simon & Simon". Minardos survived a canoe accident in September of 1966 while filming the television movie "High Jugle". He and actor Eric Fleming (the star of tv's "Rawhide") were thrown into the Huallaga River in Peru when their canoe capsized. He was able to swim to shore but Fleming drowned in the mishap. Minardos was also seen in the the tele-films "The Challengers" (1970) and "River of Mystery" (1971). He largely retired in the 1980s, but was the subject of Owen Prell’s 2010 documentary film "Finding Nico".



DERRETT LEE - Starlost Production Coordinator

Film and television producer Derrett Lee died in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on July 5, 2011. He was 64.  Lee was born in Toronto on August 19, 1946. He was a producer of the 1973 Canadian film "The Hard Part Begins", and served as production coordinator for the short-lived syndicated sci-fi television series "The Starlost" starring Keir Dullea. He was later associate producer for the 1983 horror film "American Nightmare".

JACK ADLER - DC Comics Cover Artist and Production Manager

Comic book artist and executive Jack Adler died in New York City on September 18, 2011. He was 91.  Adler was born in Manhattan, New York, on July 1, 1917. He began working at DC Comics in 1946, working in production and as a colorist. He served as assistant production manager from 1960 to 1975, and was production manager and vice president of production from 1975 until his retirement in 1981. He was also cover artist for numerous DC Comics titles during his tenure there, including "Western Comics", "Tomahawk", "All-Star Western", "Big Town", "Strange Adventures", "G.I. Combat", "Our Fighting Forces", "Mystery in Space", "Showcase", "Sea Devils", "Blackhawk", "Green Lantern", "Detective Comics", and "Challengers of the Unknown".

PAUL E. HUNT, 67 - Cult Film Producer and Director

Film producer and director Paul Edward Hunt, who was noted for his work in B films in the 1960s and 1970s, died of a heart attack in Redondo Beach, California, on September 13, 2011. He was 67.  Hunt was born in Redondo Beach on October 14, 1943. He was making surfboards when he was cast in a small role as a surfer in the 1964 film "North Swell". He directed "The Psychedelics" in 1966, and also helmed, and frequently produced, wrote, and photographed, the films "The Harem Bunch" (1968), "You" (1968), "Wild, Free & Hungry" (1969),"Fusion" (1970), "Machismo: 40 Graves for 40 Guns" (1971), and "California Country" (1973). He was also producer of the films "Surfari" (1967), "Blow the Man Down" (1968), "All the Way Down" (1968), "Tropic of Scorpio: (1968), "The Pleasure Machines" (1969), "House of a Thousand Dreams" (1969), "The Toy Box" (1971), "Erika's Hot Summer" (1971), and Orson Welles' unfinished "The Other Side of the Wind" (1972), and was seen in small roles in "Four Kinds of Love" (1968), "Mantis in Lace" (aka "Lila") (1968), "The Scavengers" (1969), and "The Other Side of the Wind" (1972). He produced, directed, wrote, and was featured in the 1973 science fiction film "The Clones". He produced and directed the films "Home Grown" (1974) and "Woman in the Rain", and directed, scripted, and appeared in the 1977 western "The Great Gundown".

He was featured in the 1988 film "The 13th Floor", and produced, directed, and wrote the 1987 horror film "Twisted Nightmare". He produced "Demon Wind" in 1990, and produced, directed, and wrote 1993's "Merlin", and appeared onscreen as the Mayor. He was involved with David Carradine's film "Mata Hari", starring daughter Callista Carradine, which has been in production for over 25 years.

FRANCES BAY - Leading Character Actress

Actress Frances Bay, who began her acting career later in life in films and television, died in a Tarzana, California, hospital on September 15, 2011. She was 92.  She was born in Mannville, Canada, on January 23, 1919. She was an aspiring actress in her youth, and occassionally performed on the radio Winnipeg and Toronto. After marrying her childhood sweetheart, Charles Bay, she abandoned her acting career to raise a family in the United States. She rekindled her interest in acting while living in New York in the early 1970s. She became a familiar face in films and television after moving to Los Angeles later in the decade. She made her film debut as a sweet elderly lady in the 1978 comedy "Foul Play" with Goldie Hawn and Chevy Chase. She was featured in numerous films over the next thirty years, including "Chilly Scenes of Winter" (1979), "The Attic" (1980), "Double Exposure" (1983), "The Karate Kid" (1984), and "Nomads" (1986). She was featured as Aunt Barbara in David Lynch’s 1986 film "Blue Velvet", and became one of his repertory players, appearing in the film "Wild At Heart" (1990), and television’s "Twin Peaks" (1990) and the film sequel "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me" (1992) as Mrs. Tremond.  Her other film credits include "Big Top Pee-wee" (1988), "Twins" (1988), "The Karate Kid, Part III" (1989), "Arachnophobia" (1990), "The Grifters" (1990), "The Pit and Pendulum" (1991), "Critters 3" (1991), "Single White Female" (1992), "Inside Monkey Zetterland" (1992), "The Paper Boy" (1994), John Carpenter’s "In the Mouth of Madness" (1994), "Happy Gilmore" (1996) as Adam Sandler’s Grandma, "Krippendorf’s Tribe" (1998), "Inspector Gadget" (1999), "Stranger Than Fiction" (2000), "The Movie Hero" (2003), "A Freudian Image" (2003), "The Red Scarf" (2006), "Ring Around the Rosie" (2006), "Repo Chick" (2009), and "Bare Knuckles" (2010). She was also seen in the tele-films "Topper" (1979), "Murder In Texas" (1981), "Second Sight: A Love Story" (1984), "Police Story: Monster Manor" (1988), "By Way of the Stars" (1992), "Brave Secrets: The Legacy of Hilltop Drive" (1992), "Rossini’s Ghost" (1996), "Annie’s Point" (2005), and "Oh, Baby" (2005). Her other television credits include episodes of "Hart to Hart", "Remington Steele", the "Faerie Tale Theatre" production of "Little Red Riding Hood" (1983) as Granny, "Happy Days" in the recuring role of Grandma Nussbaum, "Amazing Stories" as Mrs. Santa Clause in the episode "Santa ‘85", "Santa Barbara", "T.J. Hooker", "Alien Nation", "ALF", "Normal Life", "Equal Justice", "Tales From the Crypt", "Over My Dead Body", "Father Dowling Mysteries", "Hunter", "Quantum Leap", "Baby Talk", "Who’s the Boss?", "L.A. Law", "Middle Ages", "The X-Files", "Platypus Man", "The Marshal", "Murder, She Wrote", "Diagnosis Murder", "Seinfeld" as the elderly woman Jerry steals a loaf of marble rye from, "C-16: FBI", "Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction", "Da Vinci’s Inquest", "The Hughley’s" in the recurring roles of Mrs. Fitch, "ER", "Passions", "Charmed",  "Cavemen", and "Grey’s Anatomy". Bay also starred as Aunt Ginny in the comedy series "The Middle" from 2009 until 2011. Her right leg was amputated below the knee after being struck by a car in Glendale in 2002 but she continued her career after her recovery. She also was seen frequently on the local stage. Bay was widowed in 2002.