R.I.P.2016
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- Cinematographer
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Actor
Along with László Kovács, a fellow student who fled Hungary in 1956, Zsigmond rose to prominence in the 1970s. He is known for his use of natural light and vivid use of color on features such as The Long Goodbye (1973) and Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977).- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Antonio Carrizo was born on 15 September 1926 in General Villegas, Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was an actor and writer, known for The Human Clay (1955), La mujer de tu prójimo (1966) and Muchachos impacientes (1966). He died on 1 January 2016 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.- Dale Bumpers is an American politician who served as the 38th Governor of Arkansas (1971-1975) and in the United States Senate (1975-1999). He was a member of the Democratic Party. Prior to his death, he was counsel at the Washington, D.C. office of law firm Arent Fox LLP, where his clients included Riceland Foods and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
Bumpers and his wife Betty were both known for their dedication to the cause of childhood immunization. The Dale and Betty Bumpers Vaccine Research Center (VRC) at the National Institutes of Health was established by former president Clinton to facilitate research in vaccine development. - Benjamin Dover's prognostication skills were put on national display in 2007: In his "NostraDover" TV segments he correctly predicted the subprime housing bust 18 months before the markets imploded; he called the stock market's September 2008 bear market freefall 8 months before everything hit the proverbial fan.
When he's not warning America light-years before the usual media talking heads, the Dallas-based 'deal-junkie' who reinvented himself in the early 1990s after recovering from near-fatal motorcycle accident in January, 1989 (14 surgeries from 1989-99).
Publishing: Launched successful publishing company in January 1992 and went on to publish several best-selling titles: Focus of early books was on showing consumers how to work out of severe financial situations by firing debt collectors and playing hardball with creditors. Is widely viewed as one of leading experts on consumers' rights surrounding debt collection, credit reporting and bankruptcy, as well as privacy issues.
Talk radio: Parlayed his heavy radio-based book promotion schedule into his first talk radio gig at Dallas' KLIF/570AM 1992-2000; moved up to Los Angeles talk powerhouse KFI/AM 640 from 2001-2003; returned to Dallas/Fort Worth air on KRLD/1080 from 2004-2005.
Television: Leveraged his growing media-savvy into regular guest/correspondent roles on ABC's 'Mike & Maty Show' (1994-1996) and NBC's 'Leeza Gibbons Show' (1996-2001), as well as local regional reporting roles for WFAA-TV/Dallas (1995-2005), KTRK-TV/Houston (1997-2002), KHOU/Houston (2003-2005) and KVUE-TV/Austin (2003-2005).
Newspaper columnist: Wrote a popular weekly column for The Dallas Morning News (1998-2004).
Website: An early-adopter, Dover's website launched in 1995 and evolved into one of the most popular portals for consumers seeking more than just the usual regurgitated press releases offered by many media outlets. An award-winning website, benjamindover.com has been recognized for its outstanding information content by the Dallas Press Club, winning 'Katie Awards' (2002 & 2004).
Television producer: Television producer: Created "Now What Do You Do?" (NWDYD?), a multi-platformed media vehicle in 2006; launching "Dover 911" interstitials first quarter 2015.
Other: Received BBA/Business from TCU in 1982. - Annie de Reuver was born on 19 February 1917 in Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands. She was married to Jack Philips. She died on 1 January 2016 in Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands.
- Marcel Barbeau was born on 18 February 1925 in Montréal, Québec, Canada. He was married to Ninon Gauthier and Suzanne Meloche. He died on 2 January 2016 in Canada.
- Producer
- Actor
- Cinematographer
Matthiew Klinck was born on 5 September 1978 in Aylmer, Quebec, Canada. He was a producer and actor, known for Greg & Gentillon (2005), Hank and Mike (2008) and Hank and Mike (2000). He died on 3 January 2016 in Selena, Cayo, Belize.- Actor
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Michel Galabru was born on 27 October 1922 in Safi, French Protectorate of Morocco [now Morocco]. He was an actor and writer, known for Subway (1985), La Cage aux Folles (1978) and Asterix and Obelix vs. Caesar (1999). He was married to Claude Etevenon and Annette Jacquot. He died on 4 January 2016 in Paris, France.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Maja Maranow was born on 20 March 1961 in Nienburg/Weser, Lower Saxony, Germany. She was an actress, known for Tatort (1970), Ein starkes Team (1994) and Rivalen der Rennbahn (1989). She was married to Zacharias Preen and Florian Martens. She died on 4 January 2016 in Berlin, Germany.- Producer
- Additional Crew
- Music Department
Robert Stigwood was born on 16 April 1934 in Port Pirie, South Australia, Australia. He was a producer, known for Evita (1996), Gallipoli (1981) and Grease 2 (1982). He died on 4 January 2016 in London, England, UK.- Tancrède Melet was born on 4 February 1983 in Laxou, Meurthe-et-Moselle, France. He was an actor, known for Woyzeck (1993), Ultimate Rush (2011) and Surf the Line (2017). He died on 5 January 2016 in Aurel, Drome, France.
- Composer
- Music Department
- Writer
Elizabeth Swados was born on 5 February 1951 in Buffalo, New York, USA. She was a composer and writer, known for My Depression (2014), American Playhouse (1980) and Rap Master Ronnie: A Report Card (1988). She was married to Rosalind Lichter. She died on 5 January 2016 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Nicholas Caldwell was born on 5 April 1944 in Loma Linda, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005), The Whispers: A Song for Donny (1979) and The Whispers: Can't Do Without Love (1979). He was married to Alberta. He died on 5 January 2016 in Stockton, California, USA.- Guy Corneau was born on 13 January 1951 in Chicoutimi, Québec, Canada. He died on 5 January 2016 in Québec, Canada.
- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Pat Harrington Jr. was born on 13 August 1929 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for One Day at a Time (1975), The President's Analyst (1967) and Move Over, Darling (1963). He was married to Sally Cleaver and Marjorie Ann Gortner. He died on 6 January 2016 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Actress
- Director
- Soundtrack
Silvana Pampanini was born on 25 September 1925 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. She was an actress and director, known for Mademoiselle Gobete (1952), Koenigsmark (1953) and Be Seeing You, Father (1948). She died on 6 January 2016 in Rome, Italy.- Tall and handsome,both athletic and aristocratic-looking, brown-haired (later in life silver-haired), Yves Vincent had everything to charm dames. And charm them he did, in real life, on the stage, on the big and little screen, for nearly fifty years. Born in France in 1921, he was raised and spent his youth in Algeria. Both a sporty type and literature enthusiast, this multi-talented man excelled at water-polo (he was a champion water-polo player in the R.U.A. team), was a good tennis player and a passable horse rider but his love for books finally led him to Radio-Alger where he started his acting career as a member of the channel's acting company. He was also an occasional announcer there. During World War II he was called up to work on the "Camp des Chênes" Youth Camp. And in 1944 he made his first movie in Cairo with his mother as partner. After the war, he debuted in France as a leading man, his good looks and his fine presence boosting his career from the start. He could be a professional knife-thrower (in Pierre Chenal's curious "La Foire aux Chimères", with Erich Von Stroheim),a doctor (in "La Maternelle") or a drug trafficker (in "Méfiez-vous des Blondes", Hunebelle's amusing noir spoof) with equal ease. The trouble is that too many of the movies he was in are now old-fashioned (the worst being "Capitaine Ardant", in which he plays a valiant French officer fighting back against "nasty native rebels") and have been forgotten. So that, after a quick start, Yves Vincent got fewer and fewer roles.In the late sixties and early seventies, for instance, he was reduced to play second fiddle to Louis de Funès in three of his films or to appear in two cheesy soft porn flicks concocted by the king of the genre, Max Pécas. He was luckier at the theater where he appeared - among other plays - alongside Arletty in the French adaptation of Tennessee Williams' "A streetcar named Desire"(Un tramway nommé Désir) and with Edwige Feuillère in "La Dame aux Camélias". He has also done a lot of work on television where he often embodied figures of authority. Yves Vincent retired in 1991.
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Kitty Kallen was born on 25 May 1921 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. She was an actress, known for The Devil All the Time (2020), The Second Greatest Sex (1955) and Circle of Friends (1995). She was married to Budd Granoff and Clint Garvin. She died on 7 January 2016 in Cuernavaca, Mexico.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Richard Libertini was born in E. Cambridge, Massachusetts, to parents who had come to America from southern Italy. Having grown up in a household where both Italian and English were spoken, he developed an ear for foreign accents. A facility he would later use to advantage on stage and in films.
He graduated from Emerson College in Boston, and for a while earned a living as a trumpet player in the Boston area. Later, he moved to New York, where he teamed up with two former college classmates, MacIntyre Dixon and Lynda Segal, to create an off-Broadway revue called "Stewed Prunes." (This was during the coffee house revolution in the 1960s. Bob Dylan was playing around the corner.) The show was quite successful and after running a year in New York they took it on the road. While playing Chicago, he was asked to join the renowned Second City Improvisational Theatre Group, an association which continues to the present.
After a number of years doing stage work in New York (Woody Allen's Don't Drink the Water (1969) and Paul Sills' Story Theatre (1971) among many others) he eventually moved to L.A. where he began doing films. Three of his most memorable characters are the Spanish-American dictator in The In-Laws (1979) with Alan Arkin and Peter Falk, the Tibetan Mystic in All of Me (1984) with Steve Martin, and Lily Tomlin and the justice of the peace in Best Friends (1982) with Goldie Hawn and Burt Reynolds. Other films include Fletch (1985) with Chevy Chase and Popeye (1980) with Robin Williams.- Anna Synodinou was born on 21 November 1927 in Loutraki, Greece. She was an actress, known for The 300 Spartans (1962), Ilektra (1962) and Dollars and Dreams (1956). She was married to George Marinakis. She died on 7 January 2016 in Athens, Greece.
- Hamdy Ahmed was born on 9 November 1933 in Suhag, Egypt. He was an actor, known for Souq al mot aa (1999), The Beginning (1986) and Cairo 30 (1966). He was married to Ferial Ashour. He died on 8 January 2016 in Egypt.
- Brett Smiley was born on 25 September 1955 in the USA. He was an actor, known for Cinderella (1977) and The Russell Harty Show (1974). He died on 8 January 2016 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA.
- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
German Moreno was born on 4 October 1933 in Santa Cruz, Manila, Philippines. He was an actor and writer, known for Paupahan (2008), Young Love (1970) and Guy and Pip (1971). He died on 8 January 2016 in Quezon City, Philippines.- Actor
- Additional Crew
D. Harlan Cutshall was born on 4 March 1969 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He was an actor, known for Tomorrowland (2015), The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009) and First Wave (1998). He died on 9 January 2016 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.- Umberto Raho was born on 4 June 1922 in Bari, Puglia, Italy. He was an actor, known for Double Team (1997), The Last Man on Earth (1964) and Seven Seas to Calais (1962). He died on 9 January 2016 in Anzio, Lazio, Italy.
- The evil screen villain Angus Scrimm, most famous as "The Tall Man" in Don Coscarelli's Phantasm (1979) and its sequels, grew up in Kansas City, but in his teens moved to California and studied drama at USC under William C. de Mille (brother of Cecil B. DeMille). His film debut came as another "Tall Man" he played Abraham Lincoln in an educational film made by Encyclopaedia Brittanica, which led him to a steady career in theater, television and film. His big-screen debut was in Jim, the World's Greatest (1975), directed by then 18-year-old Coscarelli. During this time he was using his birth name, Lawrence Rory Guy. He adopted the stage name Angus Scrimm three years later for his performance in Coscarelli's horror/sci-fi opus "Phantasm", which would mark Scrimm's permanent impression upon modern cinema. His role as the infamous Tall Man has earned him the praise of critics worldwide, as well as a large following of fans. His success in the "Phantasm" films has been parlayed into numerous other malevolent roles including the evil Dr. Sin Do in The Lost Empire (1984), Vlad the Vampire King in Subspecies (1991) and the nefarious Dr. Lyme opposite Nicolas Cage and Charlie Sheen in Deadfall (1993). Scrimm did intriguing double duty as the diabolical Seer and the angelic Systems Operator in Mindwarp (1991), co-starring Bruce Campbell. He did a shock cameo in the Italian film Fatal Frames (1996), opposite Stefania Stella and Donald Pleasence, and managed a gleeful parody of himself as the hulking henchman in Transylvania Twist (1989). Scrimm has not limited his career efforts to simply acting, however. As a journalist he has written and edited for "TV Guide", "Cinema Magazine", the now-defunct "Los Angeles Herald-Examiner" and other publications. He has also written liner notes for thousands of LPs and CDs, for just about every genre from classical music to jazz, from Frank Sinatra and The Beatles to Artur Rubinstein and Itzhak Perlman. He won a Grammy award for best album liner notes.
- Music Artist
- Actor
- Composer
David Bowie was one of the most influential and prolific writers and performers of popular music, but he was much more than that; he was also an accomplished actor, a mime and an intellectual, as well as an art lover whose appreciation and knowledge of it had led to him amassing one of the biggest collections of 20th century art.
Born David Jones, he changed his name to Bowie in the 1960s, to avoid confusion with the then well-known Davy Jones (lead singer of The Monkees). The 1960s were not a happy period for Bowie, who remained a struggling artist, awaiting his breakthrough. He dabbled in many different styles of music (without commercial success), and other art forms such as acting, mime, painting, and play-writing. He finally achieved his commercial breakthrough in 1969 with the song "Space Oddity", which was released at the time of the moon landing. Despite the fact that the literal meaning of the lyrics relates to an astronaut who is lost in space, this song was used by the BBC in their coverage of the moon landing, and this helped it become such a success. The album, which followed "Space Oddity", and the two, which followed (one of which included the song "The Man Who Sold The World", covered by Lulu and Nirvana) failed to produce another hit single, and Bowie's career appeared to be in decline.
However, he made the first of many successful "comebacks" in 1972 with "Ziggy Stardust", a concept album about a space-age rock star. This album was followed by others in a similar vein, rock albums built around a central character and concerned with futuristic themes of Armageddon, gender dysfunction/confusion, as well as more contemporary themes such as the destructiveness of success and fame, and the dangers inherent in star worship. In the mid-1970s, Bowie was a heavy cocaine abuser and sometime heroin user.
In 1975, he changed tack. Musically, he released "Young Americans", a soul (or plastic soul as he later referred to it) album. This produced his first number one hit in the US, "Fame". He also appeared in his first major film, The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976). With a permanently-dilated pupil and skeletal frame, he certainly looked the part of an alien. The following year, he released "Station to Station," containing some of the material he had written for the soundtrack to this film (which was not used). As his drug problem heightened, his behavior became more erratic. Reports of his insanity started to appear, and he continued to waste away physically. He fled back to Europe, finally settling in Berlin, where he changed musical direction again and recorded three of the most influential albums of all time, an electronic trilogy with Brian Eno "Low, Heroes and Lodger". Towards the end of the 1970s, he finally kicked his drug habit, and recorded the album many of his fans consider his best, the Japanese-influenced "Scary Monsters". Around this time, he appeared in the title role of the Broadway drama The Elephant Man, and to considerable acclaim.
The next few years saw something of a drop-off in his musical output as his acting career flourished, culminating in his acclaimed performance in Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (1983). In 1983, he released "Let's Dance," an album which proved an unexpected massive commercial success, and produced his second #1 hit single in the United States. According to producer Nile Rodgers, the album was made in just 17 days and was "the easiest album" he'd ever made in his life. The tour which followed, "Serious Moonlight", was his most successful ever. Faced with this success on a massive scale, Bowie apparently attempted to "repeat the formula" in the next two albums, with less success (and to critical scorn). Finally, in the late 1980s, he turned his back on commercial success and his solo career, forming the hard rock band, Tin Machine, who had a deliberate limited appeal. By now, his acting career was in decline. After the comparative failure of Labyrinth (1986), the movie industry appears to have decided that Bowie was not a sufficient name to be a lead actor in a major movie, and since that date, most of his roles have been cameos or glorified cameos. Tin Machine toured extensively and released two albums, with little critical or commercial success.
In 1992, Bowie again changed direction and re-launched his solo career with "Black Tie White Noise", a wedding album inspired by his recent marriage to Iman. He released three albums to considerable critical acclaim and reasonable commercial success. In 1995, he renewed his working relationship with Brian Eno to record "Outside." After an initial hostile reaction from the critics, this album has now taken its place with his classic albums. In 2003, Bowie released an album entitled 'Reality.' The Reality Tour began in November 2003 and, after great commercial success, was extended into July 2004. In June 2004, Bowie suffered a heart attack and the tour did not finish its scheduled run.
After recovering, Bowie gave what turned out to be his final live performance in a three-song set with Alicia Keys at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York in November 2006. He also returned to acting. He played Tesla in The Prestige (2006) and had a small cameo in the comedy David Bowie (2006) for fan Ricky Gervais. In 2007, he did a cartoon voice in SpongeBob SquarePants (1999) playing Lord Royal Highness. He had a brief cameo in the movie ''Bandslam'' released in 2009; after a ten year hiatus from recording, he released a new album called 'The Next Day', featuring a homage cover to his earlier work ''Heroes''. The music video of ''Stars are Out Tonight'' premiered on 25 February 2013. It consists of other songs like ''Where Are We Now?", "Valentine's Day", "Love is Lost", "The Next Day", etc.
In 2014, Bowie won British Male Solo Artist at the 2014 Brit Awards, 30 years since last winning it, and became the oldest ever Brit winner. Bowie wrote and recorded the opening title song to the television miniseries The Last Panthers (2015), which aired in November 2015. The theme used for The Last Panthers (2015) was also the title track for his January 2016 release, ''Blackstar" (released on 8 January 2016, Bowie's 69th birthday) was met with critical acclaim. Following Bowie's death two days later, on 10 January 2016, producer Tony Visconti revealed Bowie had planned the album to be his swan song, and a "parting gift" for his fans before his death. An EP, No Plan, was released on 8 January 2017, which would have been Bowie's 70th birthday. The day following his death, online viewing of Bowie's music skyrocketed, breaking the record for Vevo's most viewed artist in a single day.
On 15 January, "Blackstar" debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart; nineteen of his albums were in the UK Top 100 Albums Chart, and thirteen singles were in the UK Top 100 Singles Chart. The song also debuted at #1 on album charts around the world, including Australia, France, Germany, Italy, New Zealand and the US Billboard 200. At the 59th Annual Grammy Awards, Bowie won all five nominated awards: Best Rock Performance; Best Alternative Music Album; Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical; Best Recording Package; and Best Rock Song. The wins marked Bowie's first ever in musical categories. David Bowie influenced the course of popular music several times and had an effect on several generations of musicians.- Michael Galeota was born on 28 August 1984 in Smithtown, Long Island, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Bailey Kipper's P.O.V. (1996), The Jersey (1999) and Clubhouse Detectives (1997). He died on 10 January 2016 in Glendale, California, USA.
- David Margulies was born on 19 February 1937 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Ghostbusters (1984), Ghostbusters II (1989) and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994). He was married to Carol Grant. He died on 11 January 2016 in New York City, New York, USA.
- Writer
- Director
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Nikos Panayotopoulos was born on November 6, 1941, in Mytilene, Greece. He studied film making in Athens and started his career as an assistant director in Greek and foreign productions.
In 1960-1973 he lived in Paris where he attended film courses at the filmology institute of Sorbonne.
In 1973 he returned to Athens. His first film The Color of Iris (1974) ("The Colours of Iris") was the most unexpected creation of the New Greek Cinema. Since then he lived and worked there, and his beloved wife Marianna Spanoudakis, always by his side, participated faithfully in all of his productions, mainly as a costume designer and also as producer and actress. Since 1974 he wrote and directed films, with a special narrative style in a thematic approach that deals with issues such as erotic delusion and deterioration of human relations.
His films have participated in national and international festivals and have received important distinctions and prizes.
His death came just a few weeks after the release of his film I kori tou Rembrandt (2015) ("Rembrandt's Daughter").- Gari Hardy was born on 26 August 1948 in Bakersfield, California, USA. She was an actress, known for Speedway (1968), It Takes a Thief (1968) and The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. (1966). She was married to Jack Ryan and Robert Lansing. She died on 12 January 2016.
- Often called the First Lady of German cinema, Ruth Leuwerik was at the peak of her popularity during the 1950's when partnered on screen by the leading male stars of the post-war era: Dieter Borsche, Hannes Messemer, Curd Jürgens and O.W. Fischer. She proved her range by alternating between glamorous damsels and emancipated, resilient heroines in quality productions, invariably directed by master film makers like Wolfgang Liebeneiner, Robert Siodmak or Helmut Käutner.
Young Ruth first became enamoured with acting after watching a movie with Greta Garbo at the age of ten. Julius Martin Leeuwerik, a merchant, was sufficiently prosperous to afford his daughter private acting tuition after she was initially rejected by Berlin's premier acting academy. Undeterred, Leuwerik made her theatrical debut in 1943. The war, however, proved decidedly limiting to further career prospects. Between 1947 and 1949, she was able to gain steady theatrical engagements in Bremen and Lübeck. The following year, she came to the attention of film audiences in the vacation comedy, Dreizehn unter einem Hut (1950). Success was almost immediate and work on the stage henceforth took a back seat to the celluloid medium.
Between 1950 and 1963, Ruth Leuwerik starred in 28 pictures, nearly all of them box-office gold. These ranged from creaky melodramas like Die große Versuchung (1952) and Geliebte Feindin (1955) to prestige pictures like Rosen im Herbst (1955) (as Effie Briest, based on the novel by Theodor Fontane) and Ludwig II: Glanz und Ende eines Königs (1955) (as Empress Elisabeth of Austria). Her varied roles encompassed not only the standard Mittel-European aristocratic heroines of the period, but also hardy bourgeois mothers, victims of circumstance and dedicated professional women. She played Maria von Trapp in The Trapp Family (1956) -- long before the musical version with Julie Andrews was conceived -- and showcased her abilities as a serious dramatic actress in the role of a priest's daughter, on trial for murdering her husband, in the title role of A Matter of Minutes (1959). Another moving and sympathetic portrayal was that of the physician Hanna Dietrich, tending to 300 German POW's inside a Siberian concentration camp, in the gritty post-war drama Taiga (1958). This particular performance won her the Golden Gate Award at the San Francisco Film Festival. Arguably the culmination of her career was Liebling der Götter (1960), a biopic of the tragic actress Renate Müller. Voted Germany's most popular actress by Bravo, "the magazine for film and television", Leuwerik also picked up four prestigious Bambi Awards in 1953, 1960, 1961 and 1962. She was the first German actress to participate in a Royal Performance in London in 1960.
From 1964 -- having rejected an offer from Hollywood -- Leuwerik began to withdraw from public life and restrict her appearances to occasional guest spots on television. Unlike other screen divas, her personal life was remarkably devoid of scandal and controversy. Her second husband was the famous German opera singer Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. Ruth Leuwerik died in Munich in January 2016 at the age of 91. - Meg Mundy was born on 4 January 1915 in London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Fatal Attraction (1987), The Doctors (1963) and Ordinary People (1980). She was married to Konstantinos "Dino" Yannopoulos. She died on 12 January 2016 in The Bronx, New York, USA.
- Actor
- Director
- Soundtrack
Brian Bedford was born on 16 February 1935 in Morley, Yorkshire, England, UK. He was an actor and director, known for Nixon (1995), Robin Hood (1973) and Grand Prix (1966). He was married to Tim MacDonald. He died on 13 January 2016 in Santa Barbara, California, USA.- Actor
- Writer
Conrad Phillips was born on 13th April 1925 and, after serving in the Royal Navy (having forged the birth date on his ration book to make himself appear older and thus eligible to enlist) during the Second World War, turned to acting as a career. He 'trod the boards', appearing in films (TV and cinema) and the stage between 1948 and 1991 when pain in his back, hip and both knee joints (arising as a result of accidents during his acting), brought about a premature end to his acting career. He is best known for his lead role in the long-running TV series, William Tell, which had 39 episodes between 1958 and 1959.
Conrad married his second wife, Jennie, in July 1968 and at the time of his death they were living in Chippenham, Wiltshire. Before that they bought and ran a dilapidated Scottish hill farm called Skeoch. Jennie wrote a book about the time there and this was on sale in both paperback and ebook formats. After Skeoch, they moved to France and spent 20 years restoring an old French barn. Conrad was also an author.
To aid his musings, Conrad loved the occasional whisky or, better still, a cold pint of the local brew, Wadworths 6X.- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Alan Rickman was born on a council estate in Acton, West London, to Margaret Doreen Rose (Bartlett), of English and Welsh descent, and Bernard Rickman, of Irish descent, who worked at a factory. Alan Rickman had an older brother (David), a younger brother (Michael), and a younger sister (Sheila). When Alan was 8 years old, his father died. He attended Latymer Upper School on a scholarship. He studied Graphic Design at Chelsea College of Art and Design, where he met Rima Horton, who would later become his longtime partner.
After three years at Chelsea College, Rickman did graduate studies at the Royal College of Art. He opened a successful graphic design business, Graphiti, with friends and managed it for several years before his love of theatre led him to seek an audition with the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). At the relatively late age of 26, Rickman received a scholarship to RADA, which started a professional acting career that has lasted nearly 40 years, a career which has spanned stage, screen and television, and overlapped into directing, as well. In 1987, he first came to the attention of American audiences as the Vicomte de Valmont in "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" on Broadway (he was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance in the role). Denied the role in the film version of the show, Rickman instead made his first film appearance opposite Bruce Willis in Die Hard (1988) as the villainous Hans Gruber. His take on the urbane villain set the standard for screen villains for decades to come.
Although often cited as being a master of playing villains, Rickman actually played a wide variety of characters, such as the romantic cello-playing ghost Jamie in Anthony Minghella's Truly Madly Deeply (1990) and the noble Colonel Brandon of Sense and Sensibility (1995). He treated audiences to his comedic abilities in such films as Dogma (1999), Galaxy Quest (1999) and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005), and roles like Dr. Alfred Blalock in Something the Lord Made (2004), and as Alex Hughes in Snow Cake (2006), showcased his ability to play ordinary men in extraordinary situations. Rickman even conquered the daunting task of singing a role in a Stephen Sondheim musical as he took on the role of Judge Turpin in the movie adaptation of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007). In 2001, Rickman introduced himself to a whole new, younger generation of fans by taking on the role of Severus Snape in the film versions of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001). He continued to play the role through the eighth and last movie Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011).
Alan Rickman died of pancreatic cancer on 14 January 2016. He was 69 years old.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
René Angélil was born on 16 January 1942 in Montréal, Québec, Canada. He was an actor and writer, known for Céline Dion: The Colour of My Love Concert (1993), Omertà (2012) and L'apparition (1972). He was married to Céline Dion, Anne Renée and Denyse Duquette. He died on 14 January 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Franco Citti was born on 23 April 1935 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. He was an actor and director, known for The Godfather (1972), The Godfather Part III (1990) and Accattone (1961). He died on 14 January 2016 in Rome, Lazio, Italy.- Ava Norring was born on 25 July 1929 in Bogács, Hungary. She was an actress, known for The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1952). She was married to Leverett Saltonstall Miller and Fred S. Norring. She died on 14 January 2016 in Woodland Hills, California, USA.
- Rajesh Vivek Upadhyay was an acclaimed Indian stage and film actor who had appeared in over 70 films acting in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi cinema since the late 1970s. He was perhaps best known for his roles in the multi-award-winning Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (2001), Swades (2004), and Jodhaa Akbar (2008). All three movies were directed by Ashutosh Gowariker. He is also remembered for his earlier roles in Raj Kapoor's blockbuster final film Ram Teri Ganga Maili (1985), the Ramsay brothers' cult horror film Veerana (1988) in which he plays a priest, and Shekhar Kapur massively acclaimed Bandit Queen (1994) as well as the popular TV series Mahabharat (1988). He was also nominated for his role on Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (2001) by the International Indian Film Academy for his performance in a comic role.
He has a M.A in Ancient History and Archaeology from the T.D Degree College in 1970-71. - Actress
- Soundtrack
Noreen Corcoran was born on 20 October 1943 in Quincy, Massachusetts, USA. She was an actress, known for I Love Melvin (1953), General Electric Theater (1953) and The Girls on the Beach (1965). She died on 15 January 2016 in Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California, USA.- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Anil Ganguly was born on 26 January 1933 in British India. He was a director and writer, known for Tapasya (1976), Kora Kagaz (1974) and Dil Ki Baazi (1993). He died on 15 January 2016 in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Producer
Dan Haggerty was born on 19 November 1942 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was an actor and producer, known for Big Stan (2007), Elves (1989) and Abducted (1986). He was married to Samantha Hilton and Diane Rooker. He died on 15 January 2016 in Burbank, California, USA.- Director
- Writer
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Andrzej Kotkowski was born on 17 February 1940 in Lwów, Lwowskie, Poland [now Lviv, Ukraine]. He was a director and writer, known for Obywatel Piszczyk (1988), Olimpiada 40 (1980) and Spokojne lata (1982). He was married to Halina Golanko. He died on 15 January 2016 in Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland.- Michèle Martin was born on 29 November 1919 in Clermont-Ferrand, Puy-de-Dôme, France. She was an actress, known for Un sourire dans la tempête (1950), Le bal des passants (1944) and L'escadron blanc (1949). She died on 15 January 2016 in Vénissieux, Rhône, France.
- Theodor Danetti was born on 26 August 1926 in Corabia, Romania. He was an actor, known for Bunraku (2010), Modigliani (2004) and Hellhounds (2009). He died on 16 January 2016 in Bucharest, Romania.
- Actor
- Director
German Lupekin was born on 1 January 1919. He was an actor and director, known for Honeymoon (1956), Zdravstvuy i proshchay (1973) and Krug (1972). He died on 16 January 2016.- Actor
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Singer, songwriter, and music producer Clarence Henry Reid began his career in the music industry doing acceptable and respectable mainstream commercial R&B fare in the 1960's and 1970's, but it was his outrageously raunchy and profane alter ego of no-holds-barred parodist Blowfly whereby Reid made his greatest and most lasting impact as one of the more colorful and idiosyncratic practitioners of American outsider music.
Reid was born on February 14, 1939 in rural Cochran, Georgia. Clarence grew up in a poor family and received little in the way of a formal education. Reid first started coming up with filthy parody versions of popular hit songs when he was seven years old and working as a sharecropper in the fields of Georgia after dropping out of grade school. Clarence eventually moved to Florida in the mid-1960's and continued to work doing menial jobs while establishing an initial foothold in the music industry. Reid eventually secured a steady gig as a staff songwriter for Deep City Records in Miami, Florida. Moreover, Clarence also pursued a solo singing career on the side with strictly modest results, although his self-pressed release of his song "Blowfly's Rapp" in 1964 has been widely cited as one of the first ever known instances of a rap song in existence. (Reid eventually did a much more explicit version of this song called "Rapp Dirty" in 1980.) Among the notable songs that Reid had a hand in writing and/or producing are "Clean Up Woman" by Betty Wright and 'Rockin' Chair" by Gwen McCrae. In addition, Clarence played a key role in shaping the sound of KC & The Sunshine Band as well as wrote songs for such major soul artists as Wilson Pickett and Sam & Dave.
However, in 1971 Reid launched a whole new career for himself after recording and releasing an entire album of dirty songs called "The Weird World of Blowfly" under the alternate name of Blowfly. In an attempt to avoid jeopardizing his mainstream musical career, Clarence appeared on the album cover as a kind of wacky superhero wearing a mask and bodysuit in order to hide his actual identity. Said mask and bodysuit would go on to become key trademarks of Reid's Blowfly persona. Although his lewd and lascivious song parodies not surprisingly failed to receive much in the way of play on commercial radio stations, Clarence/Blowfly nonetheless became a significant cult figure in the world of outsider music with over twenty party albums released altogether over the course of several decades (his 1980 album "Blowfly's Party" even went all the way to #26 on Billboard magazine's Black Albums chart).
Alas, not everyone appreciated Reid's cheerfully bawdy brand of musical parody. For example, songwriter Stanley Adams sued Clarence over his send-up of his song "What a Difference a Day Makes" called "What a Difference a Lay Makes." Moreover, Reid earned no money in royalties from various musical artists who sampled his songs throughout the years due to the fact that he had to sign away the rights to his publishing catalog in 2003 in order to pay off debts. Moreover, in 2014 Clarence had to raise money through an online crowfunding campaign in order to save his home from foreclosure. Reid died from liver cancer at age 76 at a hospice facility in Lauderdale Lakes, Florida on January 17, 2016. Although he's sadly no longer with us, Clarence and his infamous alter ego of Blowfly will continue to forever tickle our funny bones in the best and most dirty way possible.- Mike Sharpe was born on 28 October 1951 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. He was an actor, known for WWF Championship Wrestling (1972), Spectrum Wrestling (1977) and WWF Prime Time Wrestling (1985). He died on 17 January 2016 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
- Actor
- Composer
- Music Department
Glenn Frey was born on 6 November 1948 in Detroit, Michigan, USA. He was an actor and composer, known for Jerry Maguire (1996), Thunder Force (2021) and In America (2002). He was married to Cindy Frey and Janie Beggs. He died on 18 January 2016 in Washington Heights, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA.- Asha Patil was born in 1936 in Rukadi, Kolhapur, British India. She was an actress, known for Manaacha Mujra (1969), Shivrayachi Soon Tararani (1993) and Mardani (1983). She died on 18 January 2016 in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India.
- Rita Davies was born on 24 February 1933 in Hertfordshire, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), Children of Men (2006) and The Best Offer (2013). She was married to Ian MacNaughton. She died on 19 January 2016 in Princess Alice Hospice, Esher, Surrey, England, UK.
- Micole Diana Mercurio was born in Chicago to Mary and Michael Mercurio on March 10, 1938. The first born of her generation and a beautiful child, she flourished under the attention of her extended Italian-American family. Her father had been a captain in the Italian Army and became a private in the American Army to serve his country and support his family. Her mother was a working woman. She grew up, married a local boy, and had four children. Tragically, SIDS took one child. Ever-resilient, she forged on enduring more tragedy until she went West.
Once in California, she had a series of jobs, the kinds of things you do to make ends meet. She worked at a magazine, did some legal assistant work as a temp and pursued the dream of acting. Micole studied acting with Milton Katselas, working as an "intern" in lieu of paying tuition. She accepted all and any roles and endured through a lot of rejection. Hollywood is not kind to women over 40, especially back in 1980. Big blond hair, a winning smile and that sparkle that lights up a room, she soon got her AFTRA and SAG cards. She taught ESL to adults at night and would audition during the day. She continued to do theater and worked really hard, using her emotional history to bring depth and range to her acting.
Micole helped to mentor the next generation of actors after she formally retired from film, television and theater. She helped coach new talent and continued to teach. She volunteered at rehabilitation facility, driving for hours round trip to do so. She was a warm and wonderful person and a tremendous talent and will be greatly missed. - Writer
- Director
- Additional Crew
Ettore Scola was born on 10 May 1931 in Trevico, Campania, Italy. He was a writer and director, known for A Special Day (1977), The Family (1987) and Passion of Love (1981). He was married to Gigliola. He died on 19 January 2016 in Rome, Lazio, Italy.- Sheila Sim was born on 5 June 1922 in Liverpool, Lancashire [now in Merseyside], England, UK. She was an actress, known for A Canterbury Tale (1944), The Night My Number Came Up (1955) and West of Zanzibar (1954). She was married to Richard Attenborough. She died on 19 January 2016 in Denville Hall, Northwood, Hillingdon, London, England, UK.
- Frank Sullivan was born on 23 January 1930 in Hollywood, California, USA. He was married to Marilyn. He died on 19 January 2016 in Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii, USA.
- William Brower was born on 28 February 1926 in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. He was an actor, known for The Ford Theatre Hour (1948), Kraft Theatre (1947) and Studio One (1948). He died on 20 January 2016 in Birmingham, Alabama, USA.
- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Sound Department
Marc Cassot was born on 16 June 1923 in Paris, France. He was an actor, known for Le Hobbit: Le Retour du Roi du Cantal (2015), War Gods of Babylon (1962) and Il était un musicien (1978). He died on 21 January 2016 in Paris, France.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Lois Ramsey was born on 18 June 1922 in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. She was an actress, known for Grass Roots (2000), The Box (1974) and The Box (1975). She was married to Cuthbert Ward Ramsey. She died on 21 January 2016 in Marrickville, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.- Actor
- Music Department
Boguslaw Kaczynski was born on 2 May 1942 in Biala Podlaska, Lubelskie, Poland. He was an actor, known for Baryton (1985), Opera z mydla (2013) and Niania (2005). He died on 21 January 2016 in Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland.- Additional Crew
Mrinalini Sarabhai was born on 11 May 1918 in British India. She is known for Shakuntala (1978), Camera Three (1955) and Music on 2 (1965). She was married to Vikram Sarabhai. She died on 21 January 2016 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India.- Andrzej Graziewicz was born on 27 June 1940 in Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland. He was an actor, known for Le retour d'Arsène Lupin (1989), Zawsze w niedziele (1966) and H.M. Deserters (1986). He died on 22 January 2016 in Poland.
- Espectrito was born on 18 December 1966 in Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Mexico. He was an actor, known for WWE Raw (1993), Starfighters (1992) and AAA Sin Límite (1992). He died on 23 January 2016 in Mexico.
- Additional Crew
Marvin Minsky was born on 9 August 1927 in New York City, New York, USA. He is known for Technocalyps (2006), The Singularity Is Near (2010) and Horizon (1964). He was married to Gloria Rudisch. He died on 24 January 2016 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA.- Actress
- Producer
Forouzan (also spelled Foroozan) was born in Bandar-e Anzali, Iran. She started her career by dubbing films. Her first movie was Sahel-e Entezar. She acted in many popular Iranian films and also worked with visionary directors of the Mowj-e Now, such as Dariush Mehrjui (Dayere-ye Mina) and Ali Hatami (Baba Shamal). She started her cinematic career as a voice-over actress. In 1964 she starred in Siamak Yasemi's Sahele Entezar, but it was Ganje Qarun, another film by Yasemi, that made her very famous. She co-starred in this film with Fardin. After Ganj-e Qarun Fardin and Forouzan made a golden cinematic couple and co-starred in some of the highest-grossing films of the era, known as Persian Films or Film Farsi (in Persian: Filme Farsi). Persian Film was the popular genre of movies produced in Iran before the Iranian revolution of 1979. Siamak Yasemi, Iraj Ghaderi, Shapur Gharib and Fereydun Goleh were some of the other famous directors that she collaborated with. After the 1979 revolution Forouzan was banned from playing in movies and grew more and more isolated. She rarely conducted interviews and died on 24 January 2016 in Tehran. After Forouzan's death, Persian-language websites and forums dedicated posts and articles in her memory. Her popularity remained intact despite not having acted in a new film since 1978.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Tommy Fujiwara was born on 30 June 1932 in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. He was an actor, known for Hawaii Five-O (1968), One West Waikiki (1994) and The Six Million Dollar Man (1974). He was married to Colette Carter Fujiwara. He died on 25 January 2016 in Kaneohe, Hawaii, USA.- Concepción Picciotto was born in Spain. She died on 25 January 2016 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA.
- Actress
- Make-Up Department
- Music Department
Kalpana, born in Kerala, India, was a highly acclaimed Indian actress who left an indelible mark on the South Indian film industry. Her full name was Kalpana Ranjani, and she began her career in the early 1980s, establishing herself as a versatile and talented artist.
From an early age, Kalpana displayed a passion for acting and the performing arts. Her innate talent and dedication to her craft earned her numerous accolades and a devoted fan following. Kalpana's journey in the world of cinema started with Malayalam films, where she quickly gained recognition for her exceptional acting skills and captivating screen presence.
Over the years, Kalpana expanded her repertoire to include Tamil, Kannada, and Telugu films, further solidifying her status as a pan-Indian actress. She was known for her ability to effortlessly switch between comedic and dramatic roles, showcasing her versatility as an actress. Her performances were characterized by a unique blend of charm, wit, and emotional depth.
Kalpana's memorable roles in films like "Manichitrathazhu," "Godfather," and "Kilukkam" endeared her to audiences across the country. She received several awards for her outstanding contributions to the film industry, including the Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Actress.
Tragically, on January 25, 2016, Kalpana passed away, leaving behind a legacy of timeless performances and an enduring impact on Indian cinema. Her untimely departure was mourned by fans, colleagues, and the entire entertainment industry. Kalpana's contributions to the world of cinema continue to be celebrated, and her influence remains alive through the films that showcase her extraordinary talent and passion for storytelling.- Tall, dour-faced and slouch-shouldered character actor Abe Vigoda proved himself in both gritty dramatic roles and as an actor with wonderful comedic timing.
Vigoda was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Lena (Moses) and Samuel Vigoda, a tailor -- both Russian Jewish immigrants. His father was a tailor on the Lower East Side. He made his first stage appearance at the age of 17 and plodded away in small theater shows for over 20 years. For the majority of film-goers, Vigoda first came to prominence in The Godfather (1972) as the double-crossing Tessio, pleading to no avail with Robert Duvall to save his life "for old times' sake". Vigoda had roles in a few nondescript TV films before landing the plum role of the dour, unsmiling, urinary tract-tormented Sgt. Phil Fish on the sitcom Barney Miller (1975), his best-known role. The character of Fish proved popular enough to be spun off to his own (albeit short-lived) series, Fish (1977).
With his long, blank, rarely smiling face, he remained in high demand in mafioso-type roles, and for a while in the mid-1980s, he was mistakenly believed to have been dead, leading a producer to remark, "I need an Abe Vigoda type actor", not realizing Vigoda was still alive. The 1990s and beyond became busy again for Vigoda, making appearances in North (1994), The Misery Brothers (1995), A Brooklyn State of Mind (1998), and Crime Spree (2003). He continued acting into his 90s, surprising audiences with his entertaining style.
Vigoda died in his sleep on January 26, 2016, , a month before his 95th birthday, in suburban Woodland Park, New Jersey. He was interred in Beth David Cemetery in Elmont, New York. - Doris Abeßer was born on 15 March 1935 in Berlin, Germany. She was an actress, known for Doktor Martin (2007), Verliebt und vorbestraft (1963) and Das Leben beginnt (1960). She was married to Günter Stahnke. She died on 26 January 2016.
- Hugh Armstrong was born on 6 March 1944 in East Retford, Nottinghamshire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Girly (1970), Death Line (1972) and The Beastmaster (1982). He died on 26 January 2016 in Kilburn, London, England, UK.
- Tommy Kelly was born on 6 April 1925 in Bronx, New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938), Peck's Bad Boy with the Circus (1938) and Irene (1940). He was married to Susie Burch. He died on 26 January 2016 in Greensboro, North Carolina, USA.
- Actor
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Colin Vearncombe was born on 26 May 1962 in Liverpool, Merseyside, England, UK. He was an actor and composer, known for Starter for 10 (2006), The Pier (2011) and Es ist nur eine Phase, Hase (2021). He was married to Camilla. He died on 26 January 2016 in Cork, Ireland.- Actor
- Writer
- Music Department
Bill Martin wrote and appeared in The Hoyt Axton Country Western Boogie Woogie Gospel Rock and Roll Show 1975. He wrote Harry and the Hendersons,1987 (screen credit William E. Martin) with writing partner Ezra D. Rappaport and director William Dear. The Bigfoot character was modeled after Bill Martin's expressive face. Bill Martin also wrote much of Michael Nesmith's Elephant Parts, and performed in several of the sketches. Nesmith produced An Evening With Sir William Martin, in which Martin parodied Orson Welles. Martin had a cameo role in Hey, Hey It's the Monkees, a 1997 television movie that reunited the band. Bill Martin also played keyboards for Linda Ronstadt and other bands, and penned songs recorded by the Monkees, Harry Nilsson and Dan Fogelberg.
Bill Martin died January 27, 2016- Costume Designer
- Art Director
- Costume and Wardrobe Department
François Barbeau was born on 27 June 1935 in Montréal, Québec, Canada. He was a costume designer and art director, known for Laurence Anyways (2012), Atlantic City (1980) and Leolo (1992). He died on 28 January 2016 in Montréal, Québec, Canada.- Actor
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Paul Kantner was born on 17 March 1941 in San Francisco, California, USA. He was an actor and composer, known for Forrest Gump (1994), Wet Hot American Summer (2001) and A Serious Man (2009). He died on 28 January 2016 in San Francisco, California, USA.- Actor
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
The son of television producer Don Fedderson, Mike Minor was raised in San Francisco and educated at the University High School in Los Angeles and Brown Military Academy in San Diego. At 14, Mike was taking voice lessons when he got his first professional singing gig at the "Ye Little Club in Beverly Hills". Mike's early TV work began with guest appearances on such shows as The Donald O'Connor Show (1954) and The Joey Bishop Show (1961). Mike Minor is best recognized as "Steve Elliott" on Petticoat Junction (1963). Mike married actress Linda Henning in 1968, who co-starred on Petticoat Junction (1963) as "Betty Jo". The marriage lasted for five years. Mike has been on a number of TV soaps including As the World Turns (1956) and All My Children (1970), and Another World (1964) as "Dr. Royal Dunning". In 1999, Mike began performing on Broadway at the Duffy Theatre, starring as Inspector James Ascher in "A Perfect Crime".- Fred Ornstein was born on 15 August 1930 in Bronx, New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993), Gang Related (1997) and South Beach (1993). He was married to Bea and Larissa. He died on 28 January 2016 in Santa Monica, California, USA.
- Signe Anderson was born on 15 September 1941 in Seattle, Washington, USA. She was married to Michael Alois Ettlin and Jerry Anderson. She died on 28 January 2016 in Beaverton, Oregon, USA.
- Director
- Writer
- Actor
Although François Truffaut has written that the New Wave began "thanks to Rivette," the films of this masterful French director are not well known. Rivette, like his "Cahiers du Cinéma" colleagues Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard, Claude Chabrol and Éric Rohmer, did graduate to filmmaking but, like Rohmer, was something of a late bloomer as a director. He made two shorts (At the Four Corners (1949) and The Quadrille (1950), starring Jean-Luc Godard); in the mid-1950s he served as an assistant to Jean Renoir and Jacques Becker; and in 1958 he was, along with Chabrol, the first of the five to begin production on a feature-length film. Without the financial benefit of a producer, Rivette took to the streets with his friends, a 16mm camera, and film stock purchased on borrowed money. It was only, however, after the commercial success of Truffaut's The 400 Blows (1959), Resnais' Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959) and Godard's Breathless (1960) that the resulting film, the elusive, intellectual, and somewhat lengthy (135 minutes) Paris Belongs to Us (1961), saw its release in 1960. In retrospect, Rivette's debut sketched out the path which all his subsequent films would follow; PARIS NOUS APPARTIENT was a monumental undertaking for the critic-turned-director, with some 30 actors (including Chabrol, Godard and Jacques Demy), almost as many locations, and an impenetrably labyrinthine narrative. His next film, the considerably more commercial The Nun (1966), was an adaptation of the Diderot novel which Rivette had staged in 1963. The least characteristic of all his features, it was also his first and only commercial success, becoming a succèss de scandal when the government blocked its release for a year. Rivette's true talents first made themselves visible during the fruitful period, 1968-74. During this time he directed the 4-hour Mad Love (1969), the now legendary 13-hour Out 1 (1971) (made for French TV in 1970 but never broadcast; edited to a 4-hour feature and retitled Out 1: Spectre (1972)), and the 3-hour Celine and Julie Go Boating (1974), his most entertaining and widely seen picture. In these three films, Rivette began to construct what has come to be called his "House of Fiction"--an enigmatic filmmaking style influenced by the work of Louis Feuillade and involving improvisation, ellipsis and considerable narrative experimentation. Unfortunately, Rivette seems to have no place in contemporary cinema. On the one hand, his work is considered too inaccessible for theatrical distribution; on the other, although his revolutionary theories have influenced figures such as Jean-Marie Straub & Danièle Huillet and Chantal Akerman, he is deemed too commercial to be accepted by the underground cinema; he still employs a narrative and uses "name" actors such as Jean-Pierre Léaud, Juliet Berto, Anna Karina and Maria Schneider. Since CÉLINE AND JULIE, Rivette's career has been as mysterious as one of his plots. In 1976 he received an offer to make a series of four films, "Les Filles du Feu." Duelle (1976), the first entry, received such negative response that the second, Noroît (1976)--which some critics call his greatest picture--was held from release. The final two installments (one of which was due to star Leslie Caron and Albert Finney) were never filmed. The 1980s proved no kinder. He made five films, but only one of them, Love on the Ground (1984), opened in the US (it received disastrous reviews). Although he continues to be an innovative and challenging artist, Rivette has failed to find the type of audience that has contributed to the commercial success of his New Wave compatriots.- Albert Low was born in 1928 in London, England, UK. He died on 29 January 2016 in Montreal, Canada.
- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Born In Philadelphia, Tom Kennerly moved with his family to the San Fernando Valley at the age of two, and has returned when the industry requires it, and sometimes when it doesn't. His commitment to helping independent film makers cross the finish line with their projects has turned into a few short books and an occasional seminar on no-budget film making. He resides in his adopted hometown of Camp Hill, Pennsylvania.- Actor
- Soundtrack
One of Britain's finest products of the stage, film and TV, actor Frank Finlay, he with the dark and handsomely serious-to-mordant looks, was born on August 6, 1926, in Farnworth, England, the son of Josiah, a butcher, and Margaret Finlay. Of English, Irish and Scottish descent, Frank attended St. Gregory the Great School and then was actually training to follow in his father's footsteps as a butcher himself when his side interest in acting eventually won out. He became a member of the Farnworth Little Theatre and met his future wife, Doreen Shepherd, a fellow member at the same time. They married in 1954, had three children (two sons, one daughter) and were married for over 50 years until her death in 2005.
Finlay began his professional career on the repertory stage with roles in The Guilford Theatre Company's 1957 productions of "Jessica" and "The Telescope". Graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), he built up a strong and sturdy theatrical reputation at the Royal Court Theatre between 1958 and 1960 where he was seen to good advantage in such plays as "Chicken Soup and Barley", "Sugar in the Morning", "Sergeant Musgrave's Dance", "Roots", "I'm Talking About Jerusalem", "The Happy Haven" and "Platonov". Making his Broadway debut in "The Epitaph of George Dillon" in 1959, he also sparked a noteworthy professional association with Laurence Olivier at the National Theatre, the highlight being his intense but subtle portrayal of "Iago" to Olivier's "Othello" in 1964.
Marking his film debut in a bit role in The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962), Finlay sandwiched in a steady stream of British film parts (including Private Potter (1963), Doctor in Distress (1963), Agent 8 3/4 (1964), The Comedy Man (1964), A Study in Terror (1965) (as "Jack the Ripper" Inspector Lestrade), The Jokers (1967), The Deadly Bees (1966) and Robbery (1967)) in between theatre assignments. His greatest film opportunity occurred when he was given the right by Olivier to recreate his Iago role opposite the legendary actor in the masterful film adaptation of Othello (1965). Finlay, Maggie Smith (as "Desdemona") and Joyce Redman (as "Emilia") all received Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for their illustrious "supporting" work of Olivier (who was also Oscar nominated). Frank went on to nab a "Most Promising Newcomer" nomination from the BAFTA committee as well. To date, this has been the actor's only Oscar recognition.
Frank, who had a dashing role as "Porthos" for director Richard Lester in the ripe Dumas adaptation of The Three Musketeers (1973) (and its sequels The Four Musketeers: Milady's Revenge (1974) and The Return of the Musketeers (1989)), has had primarily an international cinematic career. Films include The Shoes of the Fisherman (1968), Cromwell (1970), The Molly Maguires (1970), Shaft in Africa (1973), The Wild Geese (1978), Murder by Decree (1979) (again as "Inspector Lestrade"), The Return of the Soldier (1982), The Key (1983) [The Key], Lifeforce (1985), La montagna dei diamanti (1991), So This Is Romance? (1997), Silent Cry (2002) and, most notably, the Oscar-winning WWII picture The Pianist (2002), directed by Roman Polanski, in which he portrayed the patriarch of a displaced Jewish family that included "Best Actor" son Adrien Brody.
Classical television notice came in middle age with Frank's strong performances as "Jean Valjean" in the British TV mini-series Les Misérables (1967) and the title role in Casanova (1971). He also went on to win stellar praise and a BAFTA award for his chilling portrayal of "Adolf Hitler" in The Death of Adolf Hitler (1973). Finlay and Susan Penhaligon courted controversy in the drama series Bouquet of Barbed Wire (1976) and were reunited in further controversy the following year with its follow-up Another Bouquet (1977). More plentiful and prestigious BBC-TV work came with his roles as Shakespeare's "Brutus" and "Shylock", not to mention his award-winning performances as "Voltaire" and "Sancho Panza".
In Count Dracula (1977), Finlay played "Van Helsing" to nemesis Louis Jourdan's velvety-voiced vampire; in A Christmas Carol (1984), he was the dour, shackled "Jacob Marley", who pays a ghostly visit to George C. Scott's crusty "Ebenezer Scrooge"; and in Eroica (2003), he portrayed composer "Franz Josef Haydn" alongside Ian Hart's "Beethoven" in the mini-series Eroica (2003). Frank ended his on-camera career gracing such programs as the mini-series Johnny and the Bomb (2006), Prime Suspect 7: The Final Act (2006) and Four Seasons (2008) and the TV series Life Begins (2004).
Throughout his prolific career on TV and film, Frank has maintained on the stage giving sterling performances in classic and contemporary plays as in with "Much Ado About Nothing (as "Dogberry"), "The Crucible", "Saturday Sunday Monday", "Filumena", "Amadeus" (a most affecting Salieri), "Mutiny" (as "Captain Bligh"), "Beyond Reasonable Doubt" and as the rigid father in the 1992 period production of "The Heiress." On January 30, 2016, Finlay died of heart failure in Surrey, England, at the age of 89.- Noelle Middleton was born on 18 December 1926 in Sligo, Ireland. She was an actress, known for Court Martial (1954), The Circle (1957) and St. Ives (1955). She was married to Keith Kenneth Woodeson. She died on 30 January 2016 in Strandhill, Co. Sligo, Ireland.
- Kenny Sailors was born on 14 January 1921 in Bushnell, Nebraska, USA. He was married to Marilynne Corbin. He died on 30 January 2016 in Laramie, Wyoming, USA.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Terry Wogan was a television and radio broadcaster who was most associated with his work for the BBC. He was known for his own long-running primetime chat show, Wogan (1982), as well as being a regular presenter of [error] and commentator of The Eurovision Song Contest. Among his other works for the BBC were his highly-rated Radio 2 programmes, as well as being the first presenter of Blankety Blank (1978).
Born in Limerick, he wrote over a dozen books throughout his life, including two autobiographies, and died in January 2016, aged 77.- Crackhead Bob was born on 23 August 1959 in New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Private Parts (1997), WCW Monday Nitro (1995) and WWE Raw (1993). He died on 31 January 2016 in Harris County, Texas, USA.
- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Bob Elliott was born on 26 March 1923 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for Quick Change (1990), Cabin Boy (1994) and Get a Life (1990). He was married to Virginia Lee Peppers and Jane Frances Underwood. He died on 2 February 2016 in Cundy's Harbor, Maine, USA.- Actor
- Music Department
- Additional Crew
Joe Alaskey, among the most talented voice actors in the business, impeccably recreated many of the original characters which the late cartoon pioneer Mel Blanc invented. A natural mimic and gifted actor, his amazing "ear" for voices enabled him to imitate almost anything, including some of the most obscure show business personalities. Alaskey was one of the most employed voice actors in the business during his career.- Alba Solís was born on 18 October 1927 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She was an actress, known for Estrellas de Buenos Aires (1956), Tres citas con el destino (1954) and Escándalo nocturno (1951). She died on 3 February 2016 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- Actor
- Composer
- Music Department
Maurice was born in Memphis on December 19, 1941, but moved to Chicago as a teenager. His father, Verdine, was a doctor. For many years, they lived in the South Shore section on the South Side. He attended Crane Junior College and the Chicago Conservatory of Music. It was while he was at the conservatory that he got the call to fill in for a drummer a Betty Everett session. The song was "You're No Good" and it marked White's debut as a session drummer. He played on many sessions for Chicago based artists such as Etta James, Fontella Bass, The Impressions, The Dells, Little Milton, Howlin' Wolf and Billy Stewart. Soon after, he was touring with The Dells as their drummer. Then Isaac "Red" Holt left the Ramsey Lewis Trio and Maurice replaced him. He spent three years (1966-69) with Ramsey before deciding to form his own group. Hiring a local band that included his younger brother Verdine, Maurice founded the Salty Peppers and later changed the name to Earth, Wind & Fire (in IMDb as Earth Wind & Fire) after the elements of the earth. As well as creating hits with the group, he wrote and produced such artists as the Emotions, Ramsey Lewis, Deniece Williams, Barbra Streisand, Jennifer Holliday, Pockets and Neil Diamond. Maurice White no longer tours full time with Earth, Wind & Fire. He started feeling the effects of Parkinson's Disease in the late 1980s, and it gradually began to escalate. He still records with the group and performs occasionally.- Aleksandra Zavyalova was born on 4 February 1936 in Titovka, Sosnovskiy rayon, Voronezhskaya oblast, RSFSR, USSR [now Tambovskaya oblast, Russia]. She was an actress, known for Khleb i rozy (1960), Fro (1965) and Alyoshkina lyubov (1961). She was married to Dmitriy Buchkin. She died on 3 February 2016 in St. Petersburg, Russia.
- Ya'ackov Ben-Sira was born on 20 March 1927 in Brussels, Belgium. He was an actor, known for The Jesus Film (1979), Lend Me Your Wife (1988) and Sahara (1983). He died on 4 February 2016 in Tel Aviv, Israel.
- Betty Hankins was born on 14 July 1944. She was an actress, known for Power Rangers Lost Galaxy (1999). She was married to Adolphus Hankins. She died on 4 February 2016 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Brian Knighton was born on 21 April 1971 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. He was an actor, known for Eastern Championship Wrestling (1993), ECW Double Tables (1995) and ECW as Good as It Gets (1997). He was married to Laura Russell. He died on 4 February 2016 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
- Additional Crew
Edgar Dean Mitchell (September 17, 1930 - February 4, 2016) was a United States Navy officer and aviator, test pilot, aeronautical engineer, ufologist and NASA astronaut. As the Lunar Module Pilot of Apollo 14, he spent nine hours working on the lunar surface in the Fra Mauro Highlands region, making him the sixth person to walk on the Moon.- Actor
- Stunts
Dave Mirra was born on 4 April 1974 in Syracuse, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for George Lopez (2002), Las Vegas (2003) and Nitro Circus (2009). He was married to Lauren Blackwell. He died on 4 February 2016 in Greenville, North Carolina, USA.- Composer
- Music Department
- Writer
Ray Colcord is a film and TV composer living in Los Angeles, a past President of the Society of Composers & Lyricists, and a governor of the Television Academy. He's written the music for more than 700 television shows, feature films, miniseries and specials, garnering Emmy nominations, ASCAP awards, BMI Awards, and Dramalogue awards along the way. His films include Heartwood, The King's Guard, Wish Upon A Star, The Paper Brigade, Off Your Rocker, and Amityville Dollhouse. His television work includes Family Affair, Lost At Home, Big Brother Ii, Iii, And Iv, Boy Meets World, Promised Land, Dinosaurs, The Facts Of Life, 2-2-7, My Two Dads, Where I Live, Hiller & Diller, Trial & Error, Silver Spoons, Touched By An Angel, and The Simpsons. As an A&R man for Columbia records he was responsible for signing Aerosmith to their first record deal and co-produced their second album, Get Your Wings. He also wrote the theme for Project Literacy (I'm Changing My Life), and The Homecoming Queen's Got A Gun, and I Like 'Em Big And Stupid, for Earth Girls Are Easy, with Julie Brown. As music director of the Groundlings he worked with Phil Hartman, Jon Lovitz, Mindy Sterling, Paul Reubens, Lorraine Newman, Edie McClurg, Cassandra Peterson and Kevin Nealon. He toured as a keyboard player with Lou Reed, John Hammond Jr., and Roy Head, and played on Don Maclean's American Pie album. Ray attended Rice University in Houston, has taught Music Production for Film & Television at UCLA extension, and is also on the board of directors of the Film Music Society.- Natasa Manisali was born in August 1961 in Athens, Greece. She was an actress, known for ...Ystera, irthan oi melisses (2000), Deception (1992) and Oi mikromesaioi (1992). She died on 5 February 2016 in Athens, Greece.
- Cindy Mong was born on 18 April 1965 in Taiwan. She was an actress, known for A Good Wife (2013), China Heat (1992) and The Triangle Land (2012). She died on 5 February 2016 in Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.