Definite List of Deceased Actors from Smokey and the Bandit Franchise
This is list of all main or significant cast members of Smokey and the Bandit movie franchise who have past away in order of death date.
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- Music Department
- Actor
- Writer
Comedian, actor, composer and conductor, educated in New York public schools. He was a master of ceremonies in amateur shows, a carnival barker, daredevil driver and a disc jockey, and later a comedian in night clubs. By the mid-1950s he had turned to writing original music and recording a series of popular and best-selling albums with his orchestra for Capitol Records. Joining ASCAP in 1953, his instrumental compositions include "Melancholy Serenade", "Glamour", "Lover's Rhapsody", "On the Beach" and "To a Sleeping Beauty", among numerous others.Sheriff Buford T. Justice. Appeared in Smokey and the Bandit (1977), Smokey and the Bandit II (1980) and Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 (1983). He died June 24, 1987. Cause of death "colon and liver cancer".- Actor
- Soundtrack
Lew DeWitt was born on 12 March 1938 in Roanoke, Virginia, USA. He was an actor, known for Pulp Fiction (1994), Smokey and the Bandit II (1980) and Dolly (1976). He was married to Joyce Anne Arehart, Glenda Kay Simmers and Judy Fitzgerald Wells. He died on 15 August 1990 in Waynesboro, Virginia, USA.Lew DeWitt. Appeared in Smokey and the Bandit II (1980). He died August 15, 1990. Cause of death "heart and kidney disease".- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Soundtrack
A tall, sinewy, austere-looking character actor with silver hair, rugged features and a distinctive voice, John Robert Anderson appeared in hundreds of films and television episodes. Immensely versatile, he was at his best submerging himself in the role of historical figures (he impersonated Abraham Lincoln three times and twice baseball commissioner Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, men whom he strongly resembled). He was a familiar presence in westerns and science-fiction serials, usually as upstanding, dignified and generally benign citizens (a rare exception was his Ebonite interrogator in The Outer Limits (1963) episode "Nightmare"). He had a high opinion of Rod Serling and was proud to be featured in four episodes of The Twilight Zone (1959), most memorably as the tuxedo-clad angel Gabriel in "A Passage for Trumpet" (doing for Jack Klugman what Henry Travers did for James Stewart in It's a Wonderful Life (1946)).
Known to other youths as 'J.R.', Anderson had a happy childhood, growing up first on a small farm near Clayton, Illinois, and then in the mid-sized town of Quincy where his mother operated a cigar stand. A rangy, outdoorsy type, he excelled at various sports, was a drum major, a member of the track team and the Boy Scouts. During World War II, he served in the Coast Guard, mainly involved in helping protect convoys from U-boat attacks. In 1946, he commenced studies at the University of Iowa, eventually graduating with a Master's degree in Drama. His acting career began on the riverboat 'Goldenrod' (now the oldest surviving Mississippi River Basin showboat in America) and proceeded from there to the Cleveland Playhouse for a year, then the New York stage and summer stock with parts in prestigious plays like "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" and "Home of the Brave". He also occasionally doubled up as a singer on Broadway ("Paint Your Wagon" (1951), "The Emperor's Clothes" (1953)).
Anderson began as a regular television actor during that medium's formative years. In the course of the next four decades, his appearance barely changing, he was consistently excellent wherever he popped up, be it as western lawmen (including a recurring role as Virgil Earp in The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (1955)), as cops, governors, judges and army officers; hard-nosed oil executive Herbert Styles in Dallas (1978), or as kindly patriarch of the Hazard clan in North & South: Book 1, North & South (1985). Though less traveled on the big screen, Anderson was particularly impressive as the furtive second-hand car dealer, 'California Charlie', in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960), the ruthless leader of the renegades, Addis, in Day of the Evil Gun (1968) and, reprising his role as Lincoln, in The Lincoln Conspiracy (1977). One of the best all-rounders in the business, Anderson died of a heart attack at his home in Sherman Oaks in August 1992, aged 69.Governor. Appeared in Smokey and the Bandit II (1980). He died August 7, 1992. Cause of death "heart attack".- A popular NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver and TV commentator/host, Neil Bonnett was one of NASCAR racing's famed "Alabama Gang." During his career, he logged 18 Winston Cup wins for car owners Jim Stacy, Junior Johnson, Bob Rahilly & Butch Mock, and the famed Wood Brothers (for whom he scored half of his wins). His last two wins came back-to-back in 1988 (for RahMoc Racing) at Richmond Fairgrounds and the North Carolina Motor Speedway in Rockingham.
Bonnett was sidelined during his second stint with the Wood Brothers in 1990 after a crash at Darlington, SC in the spring of that year left him with cracked ribs, a broken sternum, and amnesia. During a three-year recovery, he became a racing color analyst for CBS and TBS sports, and hosted the TNN show "Winners" which profiled various racing celebrities.
He was also asked by longtime friend Dale Earnhardt to help him test some of his Richard Childress Racing Chevrolets. During this time, Neal helped his son, David launch his own racing career. It was his friendship with Earnhardt and Childress that led to his racing comeback. After being cleared to race by NASCAR, Childress gave Bonnett a ride for the 1993 DieHard 500 at Talladega. Bonnett ran well in the race until a spectacular crash sidelined him for the afternoon. He raced once more in 1993 at the season ender in Atlanta, and went into the off-season prepared to run a limited 1994 schedule with car owner James Finch. But on February 11, 1994, during the opening practice for the Daytona 500, Bonnett's car blew a tire and crashed in turn four of the Daytona International Speedway, ending the life and career of one of NASCAR's most popular drivers.Older Cop. Appeared in Bandit: Bandit Goes Country (1994). He died February 11, 1994. Cause of death "auto racing accident". - Peter Conrad was born on 8 July 1939 in Niles, Illinois, USA. He was an actor, known for Porky's (1981), Hot Stuff (1979) and The Six Thousand Dollar Nigger (1978). He died on 21 February 1994 in Manchester Center, Vermont, USA.Midget. Appeared in Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 (1983). He died February 21, 1994. Cause of death "undisclosed".
- Will Knickerbocker was born on 19 August 1939 in Waterbury, Connecticut, USA. He was an actor, known for Porky's (1981), Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994) and Bad Boys (1995). He died on 7 November 1994 in Deerfield Park, Broward County, Florida, USA.Hotel Clerk. Appeared in Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 (1983). He died November 7, 1994. Cause of death "undisclosed".
- Dee Dee Deering was born on 23 February 1912 in Illinois, USA. She was an actress, known for The Whoopee Boys (1986), Miami Vice (1984) and Let It Ride (1989). She died on 5 March 1995 in Miami, Florida, USA.Mrs. Fernbush. Appeared in Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 (1983). She died March 5, 1995. Cause of death "cancer".
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Jerry Lester was born on 16 February 1910 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was an actor, known for Hardly Working (1980), Smokey and the Bandit II (1980) and Odds and Evens (1978). He was married to Alice Elgie Wall and Ardelle Unger. He died on 23 March 1995 in Miami, Florida, USA.Warehouse Guard. Appeared in Smokey and the Bandit II (1980). He died March 23, 1995. Cause of death "undisclosed".- Actor
- Costume and Wardrobe Department
- Additional Crew
Mel Pape was born on 13 January 1912 in New Braunfels, Texas, USA. He was an actor, known for Caddyshack (1980), Hot Stuff (1979) and Nothing in Common (1986). He died on 24 April 1995 in Austin, Texas, USA.Nude 'Smokey'/Police Officer. Appeared in Smokey and the Bandit (1977) and Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 (1983). He died April 24, 1995. Cause of death "undisclosed".- Bob Hannah was born on 13 February 1939 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA. He was an actor, known for Driving Miss Daisy (1989), Coal Miner's Daughter (1980) and Fried Green Tomatoes (1991). He died on 14 August 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.Bum #2. Appeared in Bandit: Bandit Bandit (1994). He died August 14, 1996. Cause of death "heart attack".
- Bill Dollar was born on 22 August 1950 in Humboldt, Tennessee, USA. He was an actor, known for Stroker Ace (1983) and Bandit: Bandit Goes Country (1994). He died on 21 November 1996 in Gastonia, North Carolina, USA.Announcer. Appeared in Bandit: Bandit Goes Country (1994). He died November 21, 1996. Cause of death "car accident".
- John Megna was born on 9 November 1952 in Queens, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), The Cannonball Run (1981) and Police Woman (1974). He died on 5 September 1995 in Los Angeles, California, USA.P.T. Appeared in Smokey and the Bandit II (1980). He died September 5, 1995. Cause of death "AIDS".
- Jackson "Jackie" Davis was born on December 13, 1920, in Jacksonville, Florida. At a very young age, Davis learned to play piano, and by the age of 8, he was playing with a local dance band. He attended Florida A&M College (now University), graduating in 1943 with a bachelor's degree in music. After serving in the Army, Davis worked as a piano accompanist for legendary jazz artists such as Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington, and Billy Daniels.
Later becoming attracted to playing the organ, he bought his first Hammond electric organ in 1951. As a result, Davis became world renowned as the first musician to popularize jazz on the Hammond organ. By the mid-1950's, he began leading his own sessions, and in 1956, he released his first album 'Hi-Fi Hammond' on Capitol Records. Davis spent 5 years recording albums for Capitol before moving over to Warner Brothers Records in 1961, releasing his first album for the label, 'Easy Does It'.
In 1978, Davis was hired to accompany Ella Fitzgerald on her album 'Lady Time'. 1980 saw Jackie return to the studio to record his self-titled album for EMI Records, as well as making an appearance as Smoke Porterhouse in the classic comedy film 'Caddyshack' (1980). In his later years, he performed at various clubs, jazz festivals and restaurants throughout the country. Davis suffered financially and physically after the devastation of Hurricane Andrew in Florida in 1992. His home was completely destroyed in the storm, the experience contributing to a series of heart attacks and strokes. By 1997, he recovered enough to start performing again, but not long after, his health started to decline, and in November of 1999, Jackie Davis died a month before his 79th birthday, due to complications from a stroke while in a nursing home in his hometown of Jacksonville, Florida.Blackman #1. Appeared in Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 (1983). He died November 15, 1999. Cause of death "complications following a stroke". - Actor
- Director
- Producer
Born into a vaudeville family, O'Connor was the youthful figure cutting a rug in several Universal musicals of the 1940s. His best-known musical work is probably Singin' in the Rain (1952), in which he did an impressive dance that culminated in a series of backflips off the wall. O'Connor was also effective in comedic lead roles, particularly as the companion to Francis the Talking Mule in that film series.Uncle Cyrus. Appeared in Bandit: Bandit's Silver Angel (1994). He died September 27, 2003. Cause of death "heart failure".- Writer
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Veteran comic Pat McCormick was one of those second-tier funnymen whose careers enjoy great longevity on the stand-up and TV variety circuits but fall just short of making it to the all-stars. As a gag writer, however, he reigned supreme. Pat was born on June 30, 1927, in Lakewood, Ohio. Already a king-sized presence in high school, he proved himself a championship hurdler. Shortly after World War II he entered the Army. Discharged in 1948, he had initial designs on a law career but dropped out of Harvard Law School to work in advertising in New York City. On the sly he started writing comedy material for stand-up artists and for TV, forming a duo comedy act in the process with comedian-turned-writer Marc London, whom he had known from his days at Harvard. In the meantime Pat began writing special material for the likes of Phyllis Diller, Jonathan Winters and Henny Youngman.
Pat's big break came when he was hired by Jack Paar to write for his family talk show. This created a chain reaction, as his expertise with offbeat, often warped humor was utilized by Merv Griffin, Red Skelton, Danny Kaye, Lucille Ball, Bette Midler and, notably, Johnny Carson for 12 years on his "Tonight Show." Pat also wrote for such TV shows as "Candid Camera" and "Get Smart." In the '60s, at age 40+, he finally started appearing before the camera. He earned a job as announcer and regular straight man for Don Rickles on his short-lived TV variety show in 1968 and then became a regular on The New Bill Cosby Show (1972). Known for his towering but harmless girth, walrus-styled mustache and balding, combed-over hair style, Pat became a standard fixture on the talk show circuit and the ever-popular Friars Club roasts shown sporadically featuring contemporary comrades Jackie Gayle, Shelley Berman, Slappy White and Shecky Greene. His voice became a well-oiled instrument in hundreds of radio ads and commercials, many of which he wrote.
As for film, the 6'7", 270-pound comedian was best known for playing Big Enos Burdette alongside Burt Reynolds in Smokey and the Bandit (1977) and its 1980 and 1983 sequels. He was also utilized by esteemed director Robert Altman in a couple of his films, portraying hefty President Grover Cleveland in Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson (1976) and Dina Merrill's moneybags husband in A Wedding (1978). He added to the innocuous fun in such popcorn movies as The Shaggy D.A. (1976), Scavenger Hunt (1979), The Gong Show Movie (1980), Under the Rainbow (1981) (for which he also wrote the screenplay), Doin' Time (1985), Rented Lips (1987), and his last, Ted & Venus (1991). On TV, besides the various variety and talk shows he frequented, he appeared as an actor in the sitcoms "Sanford and Son," "Laverne & Shirley," "The Golden Girls" and "Grace Under Fire," among others.
Following a massive stroke in 1998 which rendered him speechless and paralyzed, Pat was placed in permanent care at the Motion Picture & Television Hospital in Woodland Hills, California. He passed away there on July 29, 2005, and was survived by son Ben and a grandson.Big Enos Burdette. Appeared in Smokey and the Bandit (1977), Smokey and the Bandit II (1980) and Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 (1983). He died July 29, 2005. Cause of death "stroke".- Macon McCalman was born on 30 December 1932 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. He was an actor, known for Smokey and the Bandit (1977), Fried Green Tomatoes (1991) and Deliverance (1972). He died on 29 November 2005 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA.Mr. B. Appeared in Smokey and the Bandit (1977). He died November 29, 2005. Cause of death "following a series of strokes".
- Benny Parsons was born on 12 July 1941 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, USA. He was an actor, known for Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006), Herbie Fully Loaded (2005) and Stroker Ace (1983). He was married to Teresa Kiel and Connie Parsons. He died on 16 January 2007 in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA.Self. Appeared in Bandit: Beauty and the Bandit (1994). He died January 16, 2007. Cause of death "complications from lung cancer".
- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Charles Nelson Reilly was born to Charles Joseph Reilly and Signe Elvera Nelson. His father was Irish-American and Catholic, his mother was Swedish-American and Lutheran. As a child he amused himself with improvised puppet theater performances.
He had a traumatic experience in 1944, when present for the Hartford circus fire in Hartford, Connecticut. A fire during a performance of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus killed 167 people and injured 700 people. While Reilly was one of the survivors, he was left with a life-long fear of fires. He never attended public performances of theater and circus again, as an audience member, for fear of another fire.
Reilly wanted to enter show business as a youth, and in particular to become an opera singer. He took lessons at the University of Hartford Hartt School, but eventually realized that his voice skills were inadequate. He turned to theater next, and debuted in film with a bit role in "A Face in the Crowd" (1957). During the late 1950s, Reilly appeared regularly in comic roles in theatrical performances off-Broadway. In 1960, Reilly first gained critical attention, for a small but noteworthy part in Broadway musical "Bye Bye Birdie". In 1961, Reilly joined the cast of the musical "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying". He won his first Tony Award in 1962 for that performance. He kept appearing in Broadway shows for the rest of the decade.
As a notable actor, Reilly started making television appearances in the 1960s. He started as a guest in panel shows and as a player in television advertisements. He eventually gained a key role in the television series "The Ghost & Mrs. Muir", where he appeared from 1968 to 1970. In the 1970s, Reilly was a regular in game shows and children's series, such as "Match Game" and "Uncle Croc's Block".
In 1976, Reilly started teaching acting to others, while shifting his own career from acting to directing. He directed Broadway shows regularly and was nominated for a Tony Award for directing in 1997. He also directed a number television episodes. In the 1990s, he had guest roles in television series such as "X-Files" and "Millennium".
In the 2000s, Reilly was primarily known for the autobiographical play "Save It for the Stage: The Life of Reilly", and for its film adaptation. While touring the United States, he developed respiratory problems which led to his retirement. His illness got worse, and he died due to pneumonia in 2007.Teach. Appeared in Bandit: Bandit Goes Country (1994). He died May 25, 2007. Cause of death "complications from pneumonia".- Rick Marshall was born on 18 November 1948 in Jacksonville, North Carolina, USA. He was an actor, known for Staying Together (1989), House of Cards (1993) and Dead Inn (1997). He was married to April Callahan. He died on 9 June 2008 in Jacksonville, North Carolina, USA.Thug #2. Appeared in Bandit: Beauty and the Bandit (1994). He died June 9, 2008. Cause of death "undisclosed".
- Music Artist
- Actor
- Music Department
Tall, blond haired country & western singer / songwriter from Atlanta Georgia, who usually appears in films portraying good humored Southern type characters. Reed was already writing and singing music in high school, and was signed by Capitol Records to a three-year contract in 1955. However, in 1958, he signed over to NRC Records, and appeared alongside Ray Stevens and Joe South, plus he met his future wife, singer Priscilla Mitchell.
Reed is well known by music fans for his C & W hits including "She Got The Goldmine (I Got The Shaft)", "Lord, Mr. Ford", "When You're Hot, You're Hot" and "East Bound and Down". After striking up a friendship with Burt Reynolds, Reed was cast in small roles in W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings (1975), and Gator (1976). He had a natural on-screen charm, and Reynolds picked him to play trucker "Cledus Snow" in the hugely popular Smokey and the Bandit (1977), plus he returned to the role in Smokey and the Bandit II (1980) and Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 (1983).
More recently, Reed has been seen in Bat*21 (1988) and The Waterboy (1998).Cledus Snow. Appeared in Smokey and the Bandit (1977), Smokey and the Bandit II (1980) and Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 (1983). He died September 1, 2008. Cause of death "complications from emphysema".- Actor
- Director
- Writer
As might be said for the late and great comedians Harvey Korman and Madeline Kahn, it seems that Mel Brooks was the only director on the planet who knew how to best utilize this funnyman's talents on film. Brooks once remarked that, whenever he cast Dom in one of his films he'd add an extra two days to the shooting schedule because of delays between takes due to the constant laughter from cast and crew at Dom's improvisations.
The lovable, butterball comedian was a mainstay on 1960s and '70s TV variety as a "second banana," or comic-relief player. While his harsher critics believed his schtick would be better served in smaller doses, Dom nevertheless went on to find some range in a few moving, more restrained projects. Those few glimpses behind all the mirth and merriment revealed a dramatic actor waiting to be unleashed. As they say, behind every clown's smile, one finds tears.
He was born Dominick DeLuise on August 1, 1933, in Brooklyn, New York, to parents John, a sanitation engineer, and Vicenza (DeStefano) DeLuise, both Italian immigrants. A natural school-class clown, his irrepressible sense of humor helped Dom fit in at school, and he started drawing belly laughs fairly young in his very first school play that had him portraying an inert copper penny! He later attended New York's High School of Performing Arts, but when it came to college, he decided to major in biology at Tufts University, outside Boston. That decision failed to expunge the idea of being a comedian from his head and heart, however, and that determination finally prevailed.
Dom's formative years as an actor were spent apprenticing at the Cleveland Playhouse, where which he gamely played roles in everything from contemporary shows like "Guys and Dolls" and "Stalag 17" to classics like "The School for Scandal" and even "Hamlet." He earned his first professional paycheck playing the titular Bernie the dog in "Bernie's Last Wish." Dom also got a taste of what it was like in front of the camera in Cleveland, appearing on the local TV kiddie's show "Tip Top Clubhouse."
Back in NYC, he took over the lead role of Tinker the toymaker in another children's local program, Tinker's Workshop (1954), for one season in 1958. He also started making noise on the off-Broadway scene. Appearing in the plays "The Jackass" and "All in Love," he became part of the featured ensemble of the 1961 musical revue "An Evening with Harry Stoones," which included 19-year-old Barbra Streisand. More outlandish musical roles came his way in the early 1960s with "Little Mary Sunshine" (as Corporal Billy Jester) and "The Student Gypsy, or the Prince of Liederkrantz" (his Broadway debut as Muffin T. Raggamuffin). While appearing in the lighthearted summer stock spoof "Summer & Smirk" in Provincetown, Massachusetts, Dom met fellow performer Carol Arthur (née Carol Arata). They married on November 23, 1965. Their three sons, Peter DeLuise, Michael DeLuise and David DeLuise all eventually found their way into show business. In 1971, Dom returned successfully to Broadway in a perfectly-suited Neil Simon vehicle, "The Last of the Red Hot Lovers."
Dom was first noticed on the smaller screen, creating the sketch character of Dominick the Great, a magician who tries in vain to mask his inept prestidigitations with feigned dignity on Garry Moore's popular show. The comedian truly thrived in this TV variety atmosphere and soon began popping up seemingly everywhere: (The Hollywood Palace (1964), The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (1967), The Jackie Gleason Show (1966)). Balding, blushing, dimpled and moon-faced (comparisons to a ripe tomato were not wide of the mark), he was readily equipped with a high-wattage, Cheshire Cat smile that became his trademark. At his best, looking embarrassed or agitated, the laughs usually came at his own expense, whether playing a panic-stricken klutz or squirming nervous-Nelly type. Dom took his magician character to the ensemble comedy show The Entertainers (1964), which also showcased Carol Burnett and Bob Newhart, and found more regular employment as a bumbling private eye in puppeteer Shari Lewis' daytime children's program, and as a foil for Dean Martin on the entertainer's regular and summer replacement shows. Dom again repeated his Dominick the Great character on Martin's show and received great reception. He later found himself part of Martin's "in-crowd" of comedians on his "celebrity roasts."
Dom's obvious comic genius was more readily evident, and succeeded better, in tandem with other performers than it was on its own. Hosting duties for his very first comedy/variety program The Dom DeLuise Show (1968), which featured wife Carol as part of the regular roster, lasted only one summer. The sitcom Lotsa Luck! (1973), which showcased Dom as bachelor Stanley Belmont having to contend with a live-in mother (a harping Kathleen Freeman) and sister (an ungainly Beverly Sanders), was canceled after its first season. He gave it a rest for awhile before trying once again with the sketch-like sitcom The Dom DeLuise Show (1987), but it, too, quickly faded. Another brief stint was as host of a revamped Candid Camera (1991).
While Dom made an unlikely film debut as a high-strung Air Force technician in the gripping nuclear drama Fail Safe (1964) starring Henry Fonda, it was in zany, irreverent comedy that he found his true calling. Appearing in support of others such as Sid Caesar and Mary Tyler Moore, respectively, in the so-so comedies The Busy Body (1967) and What's So Bad About Feeling Good? (1968), he proved a delight as an inept, dim-witted spy in the Doris Day caper The Glass Bottom Boat (1966).
Mel Brooks first cast Dom as the miserly Russian Orthodox priest, Father Fyodor, in his film The Twelve Chairs (1970), and found plenty of room for the comedian after that -- as campy director Buddy Bizarre in Blazing Saddles (1974), the silly-ass director's assistant in Silent Movie (1976), Emperor Nero in History of the World: Part I (1981), the voice of the cheese-oozing Pizza the Hutt in the "Star Wars" parody Spaceballs (1987), and as Sherwood Forest's very own puffy-cheeked Godfather, Don Giovanni, in Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993).
A very close friend of action star Burt Reynolds, Dom romped through a number of Reynolds' freewheeling films as well, including Smokey and the Bandit II (1980), The Cannonball Run (1981) and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982). One of his finest scene-stealing film roles, in fact, was as Reynolds' schizo pal in The End (1978). Dom went on to direct a number of stage productions for his close friend at the Burt Reynolds Theatre in Jupiter, Florida -- among them "Butterflies Are Free," "Same Time, Next Year" (starring Burt and Carol Burnett), "Brighton Beach Memoirs" (starring son Peter), and the musical "Jump" (featuring wife Carol). Still another comic buddy, Gene Wilder, handed Dom the roles of the indulgent opera star in The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother (1975) and harassed movie mogul Adolf Zitz in The World's Greatest Lover (1977). Dom later joined Wilder once again, along with Wilder's wife Gilda Radner, in the leaden comedy Haunted Honeymoon (1986), a clumsy haunted-house spoof that even Dom, in full drag, could not salvage.
Change-of-pace roles were few and far between. One that did come Dom's way was the compulsive-eating protagonist in Fatso (1980). Directed by and co-starring Brooks' wife Anne Bancroft, Dom managed to mix comedy with pathos. Obesity was also a chronic, real-life problem for the comedian and, at one point in 1999, it was reported that he had tipped the scales at 325 lbs. On a positive note, this passion for food actually fed into a more lucrative sideline -- as a respected chef and culinary author ("Eat This" and "Eat This Too") in which he appeared all over the tube cooking and demonstrating his favorite recipes. He also found time to write children's books on the side.
Dom tackled broad comedy films with great abandon -- a wallflower he was not -- but they were hit-or-miss. Some of his biggest misses were the Mae West disaster Sextette (1977), the Dudley Moore showcase Wholly Moses! (1980) (although Dom was arguably the best thing in it), Loose Cannons (1990), in which he appeared as portly pornographer Harry "The Hippo" Gutterman, Driving Me Crazy (1991), which filmed far away in Germany, and The Silence of the Hams (1994), a parody on the horror genre in which he played Dr. Animal Cannibal Pizza.
Films could also be a family affair. True to life, Dom played a sympathetic kiddie show host in the moving TV-movie Happy (1983). Also the executive producer, he was joined by wife Carol and all three sons in the cast. In addition, Dom offered a cameo in Between the Sheets (2003), a film written by Peter, directed, edited and executive-produced by Michael, and featuring roles for the rest of the family.
Dom's voiceover skills did not go untapped, either, in films including the animated features The Secret of NIMH (1982), An American Tail (1986) and All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989), plus all of their offshoots. The heavily-bearded DeLuise even displayed scene-stealing antics on the operatic scene, once playing the speaking part of Frosch the Jailer in Johann Srauss II's operetta "Die ," at the Metropolitan Opera.
Suffering from various physical ailments in later years, some of which were exacerbated by his chronic obesity and diabetes, Dom's health declined, and he died in 2009 at age 75. His wife and three children survive him, as do three grandchildren.Doc. Appeared in Smokey and the Bandit II (1980). He died May 4, 2009. Cause of death "kidney failure and respiratory complications from cancer".- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Tony Curtis was born Bernard Schwartz, the eldest of three children of Helen (Klein) and Emanuel Schwartz, Jewish immigrants from Hungary. Curtis himself admits that while he had almost no formal education, he was a student of the "school of hard knocks" and learned from a young age that the only person who ever had his back was himself, so he learned how to take care of both himself and younger brother, Julius. Curtis grew up in poverty, as his father, Emanuel, who worked as a tailor, had the sole responsibility of providing for his entire family on his meager income. This led to constant bickering between Curtis's parents over money, and Curtis began to go to movies as a way of briefly escaping the constant worries of poverty and other family problems. The financial strain of raising two children on a meager income became so tough that in 1935, Curtis's parents decided that their children would have a better life under the care of the state and briefly had Tony and his brother admitted to an orphanage. During this lonely time, the only companion Curtis had was his brother, Julius, and the two became inseparable as they struggled to get used to this new way of life. Weeks later, Curtis's parents came back to reclaim custody of Tony and his brother, but by then Curtis had learned one of life's toughest lessons: the only person you can count on is yourself.
In 1938, shortly before Tony's Bar Mitzvah, tragedy struck when Tony lost the person most important to him when his brother, Julius, was hit by a truck and killed. After that tragedy, Curtis's parents became convinced that a formal education was the best way Tony could avoid the same never-knowing-where-your-next-meal-is-coming-from life that they had known. However, Tony rejected this because he felt that learning about literary classics and algebra wasn't going to advance him in life as much as some real hands-on life experience would. He was to find that real-life experience a few years later, when he enlisted in the navy in 1942. Tony spent over two years getting that life experience doing everything from working as a crewman on a submarine tender, the USS Proteus (AS-19), to honing his future craft as an actor performing as a sailor in a stage play at the Navy Signalman School in Illinois.
In 1945, Curtis was honorably discharged from the navy, and when he realized that the GI Bill would allow him to go to acting school without paying for it, he now saw that his lifelong pipe dream of being an actor might actually be achievable. Curtis auditioned for the New York Dramatic Workshop, and after being accepted on the strength of his audition piece (a scene from "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" in pantomime), Curtis enrolled in early 1947. He then began to pay his dues by appearing in a slew of stage productions, including "Twelfth Night" and "Golden Boy". He then connected with a small theatrical agent named Joyce Selznick, who was the niece of film producer David O. Selznick. After seeing his potential, Selznick arranged an interview for Curtis to see David O. Selznick at Universal Studios, where Curtis was offered a seven-year contract. After changing his name to what he saw as an elegant, mysterious moniker--"Tony Curtis" (named after the novel Anthony Adverse (1936) by Hervey Allen and a cousin of his named Janush Kertiz)--Curtis began making a name for himself by appearing in small, offbeat roles in small-budget productions. His first notable performance was a two-minute role in Criss Cross (1949), with Burt Lancaster, in which he makes Lancaster jealous by dancing with Yvonne De Carlo. This offbeat role resulted in Curtis's being typecast as a heavy for the next few years, such as playing a gang member in City Across the River (1949).
Curtis continued to build up a show reel by accepting any paying job, acting in a number of bit-part roles for the next few years. It wasn't until late 1949 that he finally got the chance to demonstrate his acting flair, when he was cast in an important role in an action western, Sierra (1950). On the strength of his performance in that movie, Curtis was finally cast in a big-budget movie, Winchester '73 (1950). While he appears in that movie only very briefly, it was a chance for him to act alongside a Hollywood legend, James Stewart.
As his career developed, Curtis wanted to act in movies that had social relevance, ones that would challenge audiences, so he began to appear in such movies as Spartacus (1960) and The Defiant Ones (1958). He was advised against appearing as the subordinate sidekick in Spartacus (1960), playing second fiddle to the equally famous Kirk Douglas. However, Curtis saw no problem with this because the two had recently acted together in dual leading roles in The Vikings (1958).Lucky Bergstrom. Appeared in Bandit: Beauty and the Bandit (1994). He died September 29, 2010. Cause of death "cardiopulmonary arrest".- Actor
- Writer
Born on April 30, 1938 in Venice, California, Gary Collins was one of the most versatile actors in the entertainment industry. Gary attended Santa Monica City College and then enlisted in the United States Army for two years. While in uniform, Gary discovered acting and performed as a radio and television personality for the Armed Forces Network. A talented and diverse actor, he portrayed a variety of characters in films, television movies, miniseries, television series and on stage. In addition to these roles, Gary was also well known for his easygoing style and warmth as a Host. Gary was married to actress, television personality and former Miss America Mary Ann Mobley. He and his wife were involved with the March of Dimes for more than 20 years and they were active volunteers in relief organizations to end world hunger. They were also involved with the National Foundation for Ileitis and Colitis. Gary Collins died at age 74 of natural causes on October 13, 2012 in Biloxi, Mississippi.Governor Denton. Appeared in Bandit: Bandit Bandit (1994). He died October 13, 2012. Cause of death "natural causes".- Ed Grady was born on 31 August 1923 in Kinston, North Carolina, USA. He was an actor, known for The Notebook (2004), Lolita (1997) and A Simple Twist of Fate (1994). He was married to Carolyn Frances Ramsay and Diana Jayne Elliott. He died on 10 December 2012 in Columbia, South Carolina, USA.Preacher. Appeared in Bandit: Bandit Goes Country (1994). He died December 10, 2012. Cause of death "undisclosed".
- Mimi Eisman currently works at an acting school in Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA. She has taught a student who was also on an episode of one life to live. She did a few movies and a TV show and was on Saturday night live a few times and now, she's teaching young kids who are interested in acting.Glenda. Appeared in Bandit: Bandit Bandit (1994). She died September 25, 2013. Cause of death "cancer".
- Lucy Alpaugh was born on 5 December 1926 in Buffalo, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for Super Mario Bros. (1993), Paradise (1991) and Bandit: Beauty and the Bandit (1994). She died on 8 June 2014 in Jamestown, New York, USA.Aunt Sara. Appeared in Bandit: Beauty and the Bandit (1994). She died June 8, 2014. Cause of death "undisclosed".
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Born on February 17, 1937 in Biloxi, Mississippi, Mary Ann Mobley is one of the few Miss Americas to have true success as an actress or television personality (the others are Barnaby Jones (1973) beauty Lee Meriwether, television hostess Phyllis George, Consumer advocate/game show panelist Bess Myerson and Eraser (1996) heroine Vanessa Williams). After serving as Miss America 1959, Mobley soon became a sought-after guest star in episodic television of the 1960s, appearing on many hit series of that era - Perry Mason (1957), Mission: Impossible (1966), The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964), The Virginian (1962), to name a few. Her most important contribution to 1960s popular culture, though, was appearing opposite Elvis Presley in two films - Harum Scarum (1965) and Girl Happy (1965). Her success in film led to a 1965 Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer, an award she shared with Mia Farrow and Celia Milius. She also starred in a number of other B-movies of the 1960s, such as Get Yourself a College Girl (1964) and For Singles Only (1968).
Her television and film output decreased in the 1970s as she raised her daughter, Clancy Collins White, with her husband, Gary Collins. During that decade, her television appearances were mostly guest roles on series such as the iconic series Love, American Style (1969), Fantasy Island (1977), The Love Boat (1977) and the game show Match Game (1973), on which she was a frequent panelist alongside such other famous wiseacres as Betty White, Brett Somers, Patti Deutsch and Charles Nelson Reilly. She and Collins also appeared a number of times performing death-defying high-wire acts and other athletic, outrageous stunts on the annual television event Circus of the Stars (1977).
In the 1980s, she starred as stepmother "Maggie McKinney" in the final season of Diff'rent Strokes (1978), appeared in a recurring role as alcoholism counselor "Dr. Beth Everdene" on the prime-time soap opera Falcon Crest (1981) and continued to pop-up as a guest star on series like Hotel (1983) and Matt Houston (1982) and game shows like The Hollywood Squares (Daytime) (1965) and Body Language (1983). She also acted as her husband's frequent guest co-host on his successful talk shows Hour Magazine (1980) and The Home Show (1988), as well as on installments of the Miss America Pageant. In the 1990s, she made guest appearances on the sitcoms Designing Women (1986), Hearts Afire (1992), Hardball (1994) and Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996). She and Collins were also hosts of an oft-run late 1990s television infomercial for "SelectComfort", a specialty bed product. Also during the 1990s, she toured in the popular play, "Love Letters", with her husband, and performed a cabaret act at the Cinegrill in Hollywood.
Mary Ann and other "Match Game"/"Hollywood Squares" regulars of the 1970s and 1980s (such as Charo, Nipsey Russell, Paul Lynde and Jo Anne Worley) were riotously spoofed on Saturday Night Live (1975) in a 2002 game show sketch called "Super Buzzers" with Tina Fey playing Mary Ann. Mary Ann and her husband soon got a chance to demonstrate their own good humor, appearing as themselves in a satiric infomercial parody on the Showtime series Dead Like Me (2003) in 2003 (the fake infomercial was for a no-effort body-toning contraption - which spontaneously combusts!).Annie. Appeared in Bandit: Bandit Bandit (1994). She died December 9, 2014. Cause of death "breast cancer".- Actress
- Soundtrack
Dawn Sears was born on 7 December 1961 in East Grand Forks, Minnesota, USA. She was an actress, known for Bandit: Bandit Bandit (1994), Bandit: Bandit Goes Country (1994) and Bandit: Bandit's Silver Angel (1994). She was married to Kenny Sears. She died on 11 December 2014 in Gallatin, Tennessee, USA.Singing Troubadour/Troubadour. Appeared in Bandit: Bandit Goes Country (1994), Bandit: Bandit Bandit (1994), Bandit: Beauty and the Bandit (1994) and Bandit: Bandit's Silver Angel (1994). She died December 11, 2014. Cause of death "lung cancer".- J. Michael Hunter was born on 25 November 1949 in Portsmouth, Virginia, USA. He was an actor, known for Blue Velvet (1986), The Handmaid's Tale (1990) and Waterland (1992). He died on 21 June 2016 in Norfolk, Virginia, USA.Bob. Appeared in Bandit: Bandit's Silver Angel (1994). He died June 21, 2016. Cause of death "undisclosed".
- Actor
- Producer
- Director
David Huddleston was born on 17 September 1930 in Vinton, Virginia, USA. He was an actor and producer, known for The Big Lebowski (1998), Blazing Saddles (1974) and The Producers (2005). He was married to Sarah C. Koeppe and Carole Ann Swart. He died on 2 August 2016 in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA.John Conn. Appeared in Smokey and the Bandit II (1980). He died August 2, 2016. Cause of death "kidney and lung disease".- Al Wiggins was born on 4 July 1936 in Waller County, Texas, USA. He was an actor, known for Road Trip (2000), Drumline (2002) and Nell (1994). He was married to Barbara Stum. He died on 22 February 2017 in Jeffersonville, Indiana, USA.Wilson. Appeared in Bandit: Bandit Goes Country (1994). He died February 22, 2017. Cause of death "undisclosed".
- Music Artist
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Don Williams was born on 27 May 1939 in Floydada, Texas, USA. He was a music artist and actor, known for Smokey and the Bandit II (1980), W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings (1975) and The Wendell Baker Story (2005). He was married to Joy Bucher. He died on 8 September 2017 in Mobile, Alabama, USA.Don Williams. Appeared in Smokey and the Bandit II (1980). He died September 8, 2017. Cause of death "emphysema".- Robert D. Raiford was born on 27 December 1927 in Concord, North Carolina, USA. He was an actor, known for Super Mario Bros. (1993), The Program (1993) and The Handmaid's Tale (1990). He died on 17 November 2017 in Concord, North Carolina, USA.Host. Appeared in Bandit: Bandit Goes Country (1994). He died November 17, 2017. Cause of death "undisclosed".
- Actor
- Composer
- Producer
Mel Tillis was born on 8 August 1932 in Tampa, Florida, USA. He was an actor and composer, known for The Cannonball Run (1981), Grosse Pointe Blank (1997) and Every Which Way But Loose (1978). He was married to Julia Ann Edwards and Doris Yvonne Duckworth. He died on 19 November 2017 in Ocala, Florida, USA.Fairground Owner/Mel. Appeared in Smokey and the Bandit II (1980) and Bandit: Bandit Goes Country (1994). He died November 19, 2017. Cause of death "respiratory failure".- Dean Whitworth was born on 17 October 1937 in Wise County, Virginia, USA. He was an actor, known for Cold Mountain (2003), Trapper County War (1989) and Sommersby (1993). He died on 1 September 2018 in Butler, Tennessee, USA.Jake. Appeared in Bandit: Bandit's Silver Angel (1994). He died September 1, 2018. Cause of death "undisclosed".
- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Enduring, strong-featured, and genial star of US cinema, Burt Reynolds started off in T.V. westerns in the 1960s and then carved his name into 1970s/1980s popular culture, as a sex symbol (posing nearly naked for "Cosmopolitan" magazine), and on-screen as both a rugged action figure and then as a wisecracking, Southern type of "good ol' boy."
Burton Leon Reynolds was born in Lansing, Michigan. He was the son of Harriette Fernette "Fern" (Miller) and Burton Milo Reynolds, who was in the army. After World War II, his family moved to Riviera Beach, Florida, where his father was chief of police, and where Burt excelled as an athlete and played with Florida State University. He became an All Star Southern Conference halfback (and was earmarked by the Baltimore Colts) before a knee injury and a car accident ended his football career. Midway through college he dropped out and headed to New York with aspirations of becoming an actor. There he worked in restaurants and clubs while pulling the odd TV spot or theatre role.
He was spotted in a New York City production of "Mister Roberts," signed to a TV contract, and eventually had recurring roles in such shows as Gunsmoke (1955), Riverboat (1959) and his own series, Hawk (1966).
Reynolds continued to appear in undemanding western roles, often playing a character of half Native American descent, in films such as Navajo Joe (1966), 100 Rifles (1969) and Sam Whiskey (1969). However, it was his tough-guy performance as macho Lewis Medlock in the John Boorman backwoods nightmare Deliverance (1972) that really stamped him as a bona-fide star. Reynolds' popularity continued to soar with his appearance as a no-nonsense private investigator in Shamus (1973) and in the Woody Allen comedy Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex * But Were Afraid to Ask (1972). Building further on his image as a Southern boy who outsmarts the local lawmen, Reynolds packed fans into theaters to see him in White Lightning (1973), The Longest Yard (1974), W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings (1975) and Gator (1976).
At this time, ex-stuntman and longtime Reynolds buddy Hal Needham came to him with a "road film" script. It turned out to be the incredibly popular Smokey and the Bandit (1977) with Sally Field and Jerry Reed, which took in over $100 million at the box office. That film's success was followed by Smokey and the Bandit II (1980) and Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 (1983). Reynolds also appeared alongside Kris Kristofferson in the hit football film Semi-Tough (1977), with friend Dom DeLuise in the black comedy The End (1978) (which Reynolds directed), in the stunt-laden buddy film Hooper (1978) and then in the self-indulgent, star-packed road race flick The Cannonball Run (1981).
The early 1980s started off well with a strong performance in the violent police film Sharky's Machine (1981), which he also directed, and he starred with Dolly Parton in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982) and with fellow macho superstar Clint Eastwood in the coolly received City Heat (1984). However, other projects such as Stroker Ace (1983), Stick (1985) and Paternity (1981) failed to catch fire with fans and Reynolds quickly found himself falling out of popularity with movie audiences. In the late 1980s he appeared in only a handful of films, mostly below average, before television came to the rescue and he shone again in two very popular TV shows, B.L. Stryker (1989) and Evening Shade (1990), for which he won an Emmy. In 1988, Burt and his then-wife, actress Loni Anderson, had a son, Quinton A. Reynolds (aka Quinton Anderson Reynolds), whom they adopted.
He was back on screen, but still the roles weren't grabbing the public's attention, until his terrific performance as a drunken politician in the otherwise woeful Striptease (1996) and then another tremendous showing as a charming, porn director in Boogie Nights (1997), which scored him a Best Supporting Actor nomination. Like the phoenix from the ashes, Reynolds resurrected his popularity and, in the process, gathered a new generation of young fans, many of whom had been unfamiliar with his 1970s film roles. He then put in entertaining work in Pups (1999), Mystery, Alaska (1999), Driven (2001) and Time of the Wolf (2002). Definitely one of Hollywood's most resilient stars, Reynolds continually surprised all with his ability to weather both personal and career hurdles and his almost 60 years in front of the cameras were testament to his staying ability, his acting talent and his appeal to film audiences.
Burt Reynolds died of cardiac arrest on September 6, 2018, in Jupiter, Florida, U.S. He was eighty two.Bandit. Appeared in Smokey and the Bandit (1977), Smokey and the Bandit II (1980) and Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 (1983). He died September 6, 2018. Cause of death "heart attack".- C.K. Bibby was born on 15 October 1930 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA. He was an actor, known for Bull Durham (1988), Unmasking the Idol (1986) and The Order of the Black Eagle (1987). He was married to Nancy Culbreath Bibby. He died on 8 February 2019 in Concord, North Carolina, USA.Charley. Appeared in Bandit: Bandit Goes Country (1994). He died February 8, 2019. Cause of death "undisclosed".
- Marilyn Gleason was born on 25 October 1925 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. She was an actress, known for The Toy (1982), Mr. Billion (1977) and Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 (1983). She was married to Jackie Gleason and George Horwich. She died on 2 April 2019 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA.Lady Getting Ticket. Appeared in Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 (1983). She died April 2, 2019. Cause of death "undisclosed".
- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Harold Reid was born on 21 August 1939 in Augusta County, Virginia, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for The Gospel Road: A Story of Jesus (1973), Drive-In (1976) and Smokey and the Bandit II (1980). He was married to Brenda. He died on 24 April 2020 in Staunton, Virginia, USA.Harold Reid. Appeared in Smokey and the Bandit II (1980). He died April 24, 2020. Cause of death "kidney failure".- Actor
- Stunts
- Director
Cass began his career in the motion picture industry as an extra - but soon he was alternating between acting parts and stunt work. The stunt work eventually prevailed and Cass went on to become one of Hollywood's top stunt co-ordinators and Second Unit Directors. This led to his producing several films which, in turn, led to first-unit directing.
Dave has co-produced Miramax Films' Texas Rangers (2001); a trio of Burt Reynolds' TV movies titled Hard Time (1998), for the TNT network - writing one episode, and directing another, Hard Time: The Premonition (1999). He has also co-written several other films including Enter the Devil (1972) and Hard Ground (2003). Dave was the director of The Hallmark Channel's mini-series, Johnson County War (2002), another take on the infamous Wyoming cattle wars, this one an adaptation by Larry McMurtry. Cass has directed two Gentle Ben TV movies, plus Night of the Wolf (2002), starring Anne Archer and Robert Urich, for Animal Planet.
And from Hallmark, again, David directed a city girl/country boy love story, Straight from the Heart (2003), which garnered the highest ratings ever for a Hallmark Channel TV Movie.Local Tough Guy. Appeared in Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 (1983). He died August 28, 2020. Cause of death "complications from cancer".- Additional Crew
- Actor
- Stunts
Cress Horne was born on 1 December 1959 in the USA. He was an actor, known for The Fugitive (1993), Nell (1994) and The Gingerbread Man (1998). He died on 18 December 2020 in Marvin, North Carolina, USA.Helicopter Pilot. Appeared in Bandit: Beauty and the Bandit (1994). He died December 18, 2020. Cause of death "undisclosed".- Actor
- Additional Crew
Michael Dennis Henry was born August 15th, 1936. He was an athletic professional football player at the time he entered the movies. He played for the Pittsburgh Steelers (1958-61) and the Los Angeles Rams (1962-64). During part of that time (1961-64) he was under contract with Warner Brothers and played a variety of bit parts (TV's Surfside 6 (1960), Hawaiian Eye (1959), Cheyenne (1955) & the movie, Spencer's Mountain (1963)). He earned the role of Tarzan when series producer, Sy Weintraub began looking for a "younger Burt Lancaster" type, anticipating not only more Tarzan movies but a TV series as well. Weintraub was a Rams fan and had seen a TV documentary about them called Men from the Boys, produced by and featuring Mike Henry. Mike only made three Tarzan movies. He suffered animal bites, food poisoning, infections, and impossible work schedules in Mexico and especially Brazil. He wound up suing Weintraub for "maltreatment, abuse, and working conditions detrimental to my health and welfare." Just before his second Tarzan release in 1967 he was signed as Sgt. Kowalski in John Wayne's The Green Berets (1968). He made more movies, including the part of "Junior", as a naive son of Jackie Gleason, with the role of Buford T. Justice! in the Smokey and the Bandit (1977) movie set there were three.Junior. Appeared in Smokey and the Bandit (1977), Smokey and the Bandit II (1980) and Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 (1983). He died January 8, 2021. Cause of death "Parkinson's disease and chronic traumatic encephalopathy".- Dave Hager was born on 7 August 1944. He was an actor, known for Catch Me If You Can (2002), Double Jeopardy (1999) and The Bay (2012). He died on 22 September 2021 in Wilson, North Carolina, USA.Edgar. Appeared in Bandit: Bandit Goes Country (1994). He died September 22, 2021. Cause of death "undisclosed".
- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
A social misfit, Belzer was kicked out of every school he ever attended, due to his uncontrollable wit. His mother (Frances) died of breast cancer when Richard was 18. Four years later, his father (Charles) committed suicide. A dedication is written to Charles Belzer in Richard Belzer's "UFOs, JFK, and Elvis: Conspiracies You Don't Have To Be Crazy To Believe" (Ballantine Books, 1999).Big Bob. Appeared in Bandit: Bandit Bandit (1994). He died February 19, 2023. Cause of death "undisclosed".- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Mark Joy was born on 31 July 1950 in Des Moines, Iowa, USA. He was an actor and producer, known for Black Knight (2001), The Last of the Mohicans (1992) and Pecker (1998). He died on 24 January 2024 in Richmond, Virginia, USA.Agent Thatcher. Appeared in Bandit: Beauty and the Bandit (1994). He died January 24, 2024. Cause of death "undisclosed".