We will probably never see a motion picture phenomenon like George Lucas' "Star Wars" ever again. The United States was still shaking off its Vietnam War hangover in the mid-1970s, and while the top filmmakers of the New Hollywood were mostly attracted to edgy material that explored its characters' damaged psyches, audiences were in the mood to escape. Steven Spielberg's "Jaws" offered emphatic proof of this mindset during the summer of 1975 when it briefly became the highest-grossing movie in U.S. box office history.
Lucas' space opera was an altogether different kind of sensation. The briskly paced yarn about a young farm boy who discovers he might be the galaxy's savior ignited the imaginations of kids the world over, and Lucas deepened the viewer's immersion by employing an array of pioneering special effects and wildly inventive creature/production designs. "Star Wars" was world-building on a scale that matched "The Wizard of Oz,...
Lucas' space opera was an altogether different kind of sensation. The briskly paced yarn about a young farm boy who discovers he might be the galaxy's savior ignited the imaginations of kids the world over, and Lucas deepened the viewer's immersion by employing an array of pioneering special effects and wildly inventive creature/production designs. "Star Wars" was world-building on a scale that matched "The Wizard of Oz,...
- 12/2/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Actor Robert Blake, a man with a long and complex legacy, has died, a representative for his son-in-law Gregg Hurwitz confirmed to Variety. The former child actor was best known for his Emmy-winning role as the cockatoo-owning undercover cop in the popular 1970s TV series “Baretta” and, more infamously, for his trial following the 2001 murder of his wife. He was 89.
As reported by the Associated Press, Blake died from heart disease on Thursday at his home in Los Angeles.
These two aspects of Blake’s legacy were inseparable in some ways, and the personal turmoil that made the latter at least circumstantially plausible (the case against Blake hinged on motive — he may have wanted to be free of his rocky marriage) fueled his acting.
Blake was acquitted of the murder charge, as well as of one count of soliciting murder, in his criminal trial in 2005, but in a civil trial later that year,...
As reported by the Associated Press, Blake died from heart disease on Thursday at his home in Los Angeles.
These two aspects of Blake’s legacy were inseparable in some ways, and the personal turmoil that made the latter at least circumstantially plausible (the case against Blake hinged on motive — he may have wanted to be free of his rocky marriage) fueled his acting.
Blake was acquitted of the murder charge, as well as of one count of soliciting murder, in his criminal trial in 2005, but in a civil trial later that year,...
- 3/10/2023
- by Carmel Dagan
- Variety Film + TV
Gabrielle Upton, who wrote the screenplay for the classic California surfing movie Gidget, starring Sandra Dee, Cliff Robertson and James Darren, has died. She was 101.
Upton died Sept. 13 in Santa Rosa, California, her daughter, Greer Upton, told The Hollywood Reporter. News of her death had not been reported until now.
A three-time WGA Award nominee, Upton wrote for such network shows as The Alfred Hitchcock Hour/Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Ben Casey, Convoy, One Step Beyond, The Bold Ones: The New Doctors, The Virginian, The Big Valley and The High Chaparral.
She also worked on several daytime soap operas during her career, including Guiding Light, As the World Turns, Edge of Night, Search for Tomorrow, The Secret Storm and Love of Life.
After Frederick Kohner took a crack at adapting his best-selling 1957 novel Gidget, the Little Girl With Big Ideas for Columbia Pictures’ Gidget (1959), Upton came on and received sole screenplay credit.
Upton died Sept. 13 in Santa Rosa, California, her daughter, Greer Upton, told The Hollywood Reporter. News of her death had not been reported until now.
A three-time WGA Award nominee, Upton wrote for such network shows as The Alfred Hitchcock Hour/Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Ben Casey, Convoy, One Step Beyond, The Bold Ones: The New Doctors, The Virginian, The Big Valley and The High Chaparral.
She also worked on several daytime soap operas during her career, including Guiding Light, As the World Turns, Edge of Night, Search for Tomorrow, The Secret Storm and Love of Life.
After Frederick Kohner took a crack at adapting his best-selling 1957 novel Gidget, the Little Girl With Big Ideas for Columbia Pictures’ Gidget (1959), Upton came on and received sole screenplay credit.
- 2/24/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Gerald Fried, a composer for some of television’s biggest moments in the 1960s, died Friday at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Bridgeport, Ct of pneumonia at age 95.
Fried won an Emmy for the miniseries Roots, rescuing the project when Quincy Jones missed several deadlines.
His career included scoring five early Stanley Kubrick films, including “Paths of Glory” and “The Killing” and received the only Oscar nomination ever given for a documentary score, 1975’s “Birds Do It, Bees Do It.” Fried earned five other Emmy nominations during his long career.
Fried was a go-to composer in his time. His resume includes providing music for episodes of Star Trek, Gilligan’s Island, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Ben Casey, Mission: Impossible, Lost in Space, Gunsmoke, Wagon Train, Mannix, Police Woman and “Dynasty.
He also composed the themes to the 1950s western Shotgun Slade, the sitcom It’s About Time, and the nighttime soap,...
Fried won an Emmy for the miniseries Roots, rescuing the project when Quincy Jones missed several deadlines.
His career included scoring five early Stanley Kubrick films, including “Paths of Glory” and “The Killing” and received the only Oscar nomination ever given for a documentary score, 1975’s “Birds Do It, Bees Do It.” Fried earned five other Emmy nominations during his long career.
Fried was a go-to composer in his time. His resume includes providing music for episodes of Star Trek, Gilligan’s Island, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Ben Casey, Mission: Impossible, Lost in Space, Gunsmoke, Wagon Train, Mannix, Police Woman and “Dynasty.
He also composed the themes to the 1950s western Shotgun Slade, the sitcom It’s About Time, and the nighttime soap,...
- 2/18/2023
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Composer Gerald Fried, who won an Emmy for the landmark miniseries “Roots” and whose 1960s scores, from “Star Trek” to “Gilligan’s Island,” left an indelible impression on a generation of TV watchers, died of pneumonia Friday at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Bridgeport, Ct. He was 95.
His wide-ranging career included scoring five early Stanley Kubrick films, including “Paths of Glory” and “The Killing”; receiving the only Oscar nomination ever given for a documentary score, 1975’s “Birds Do It, Bees Do It”; and earning five other Emmy nominations for music in specials, TV movies and miniseries.
The prolific Fried scored approximately 40 films, some three dozen TV-movies and miniseries, and episodes of another 40 TV series during a career that spanned more than six decades.
Among his most famous TV series music was from the original “Star Trek.” He scored five episodes of the series, most famously the Spock-in-heat episode “Amok Time,” which...
His wide-ranging career included scoring five early Stanley Kubrick films, including “Paths of Glory” and “The Killing”; receiving the only Oscar nomination ever given for a documentary score, 1975’s “Birds Do It, Bees Do It”; and earning five other Emmy nominations for music in specials, TV movies and miniseries.
The prolific Fried scored approximately 40 films, some three dozen TV-movies and miniseries, and episodes of another 40 TV series during a career that spanned more than six decades.
Among his most famous TV series music was from the original “Star Trek.” He scored five episodes of the series, most famously the Spock-in-heat episode “Amok Time,” which...
- 2/18/2023
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Joe E. Tata, who portrayed the endearing Peach Pit diner owner Nat Bussichio on all 10 seasons of the original Beverly Hills, 90210, has died. He was 85.
Tata died Wednesday night, his daughter, Kelly Katharine Tata, announced on a GoFundMe page. Earlier, she wrote that he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2018 and that he had been moved in April to the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills.
In what has to be some kind of record, Tata played henchmen to three supervillains — Frank Gorshin’s the Riddler, Burgess Meredith’s the Penguin and Victor Buono’s King Tut — on the 1966-68 ABC series Batman.
He also appeared in the ’60s on a trio of Irwin Allen-produced sci-fi shows — ABC’s The Time Tunnel (once as Napoleon) and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and CBS’ Lost in Space...
Joe E. Tata, who portrayed the endearing Peach Pit diner owner Nat Bussichio on all 10 seasons of the original Beverly Hills, 90210, has died. He was 85.
Tata died Wednesday night, his daughter, Kelly Katharine Tata, announced on a GoFundMe page. Earlier, she wrote that he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2018 and that he had been moved in April to the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills.
In what has to be some kind of record, Tata played henchmen to three supervillains — Frank Gorshin’s the Riddler, Burgess Meredith’s the Penguin and Victor Buono’s King Tut — on the 1966-68 ABC series Batman.
He also appeared in the ’60s on a trio of Irwin Allen-produced sci-fi shows — ABC’s The Time Tunnel (once as Napoleon) and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and CBS’ Lost in Space...
- 8/25/2022
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
From 2007 to 2010, the Best Drama Guest Actress Emmy category was dominated by women who made single-episode appearances on the same series: “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” The four-year streak set a record between both female guest categories that still stands a decade later. While three of these actresses were over the age of 68, one – Cynthia Nixon – was just 42.
Nixon earned her prize for her performance in the show’s ninth season premiere episode, “Alternate.” She portrayed a woman with Dissociative Identity Disorder whose apprehension on suspicion of child endangerment leads to the uncovering of a complex web of family trauma. At the time of her victory in 2008, Nixon was the seventh youngest winner in her category, and she now ranks 10th.
Since 1963, a total of 35 actresses have won for their roles as guest performers on continuing drama programs, beginning with Glenda Farrell and Kim Stanley, who both won for their appearances on “Ben Casey.
Nixon earned her prize for her performance in the show’s ninth season premiere episode, “Alternate.” She portrayed a woman with Dissociative Identity Disorder whose apprehension on suspicion of child endangerment leads to the uncovering of a complex web of family trauma. At the time of her victory in 2008, Nixon was the seventh youngest winner in her category, and she now ranks 10th.
Since 1963, a total of 35 actresses have won for their roles as guest performers on continuing drama programs, beginning with Glenda Farrell and Kim Stanley, who both won for their appearances on “Ben Casey.
- 8/16/2022
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
During the 2010s, sexagenarian character actress Margo Martindale accomplished an impressive feat by becoming a triple Primetime Emmy winner over a span of five years. Her first victory for her supporting turn on “Justified” in 2011 was followed by back-to-back wins for guest starring on “The Americans” in 2015 and 2016. By the time the latter show ended its six-season run in 2018, she had appeared as Kgb handler Claudia on 32 of its 75 episodes.
Being 64 at the time of her second win, Martindale automatically earned a spot on the list of 10 oldest recipients of the Best Drama Guest Actress award, and then further cemented her placement one year later. Nine older women had already triumphed in the category, including one whose win came less than two years before her 90th birthday.
Since 1963, a total of 35 actresses have won for their roles as guest performers on continuing drama programs, beginning with Glenda Farrell and Kim Stanley,...
Being 64 at the time of her second win, Martindale automatically earned a spot on the list of 10 oldest recipients of the Best Drama Guest Actress award, and then further cemented her placement one year later. Nine older women had already triumphed in the category, including one whose win came less than two years before her 90th birthday.
Since 1963, a total of 35 actresses have won for their roles as guest performers on continuing drama programs, beginning with Glenda Farrell and Kim Stanley,...
- 8/14/2022
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
John Erman, an Emmy-winning director-producer who helmed multiple episodes of such classic TV series as Star Trek, M*A*S*H and Peyton Place along with Part 2 of Roots and much of its sequel miniseries Roots: The Next Generations, has died. He was 85.
His friend, Charles Silver of SMS Talent, told Deadline that Erman died June 25 in New York City after a brief illness.
Born on August 3, 1935, in Chicago, Erman began his show business career as an actor, including an unbilled role in 1955’s Blackboard Jungle before working extensively as a casting director. His first job in that role was with Jim Lister at Republic Studios in New York, and Erman would go on to work with numerous Hollywood legends in this capacity, from Marlon Brando, Henry Fonda and Olivia de Havilland to Woody Allen, Angela Lansbury and Ann-Margret — with whom he’d have a long-running working relationship.
He got his first shot...
His friend, Charles Silver of SMS Talent, told Deadline that Erman died June 25 in New York City after a brief illness.
Born on August 3, 1935, in Chicago, Erman began his show business career as an actor, including an unbilled role in 1955’s Blackboard Jungle before working extensively as a casting director. His first job in that role was with Jim Lister at Republic Studios in New York, and Erman would go on to work with numerous Hollywood legends in this capacity, from Marlon Brando, Henry Fonda and Olivia de Havilland to Woody Allen, Angela Lansbury and Ann-Margret — with whom he’d have a long-running working relationship.
He got his first shot...
- 6/29/2021
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Joanne Linville, who played the Romulan commander in a memorable 1968 Star Trek episode and had scores of other screen credits, died Sunday. She was 93. CAA made the announcement but did not disclose a cause of death.
Linville began racking up TV guest roles in the mid-1950s, appearing on such series of the era as Studio One, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Kraft Theatre and Playhouse 90. She continued to guest on drama series throughout the ’60s, including such classics as Bonanza, Gunsmoke, The F.B.I., Route 66, Ben Casey, I Spy and a two-part Hawaii Five-0.
Of her work in that era, she might be most recognizable as Lavinia Gordon, the owner of a ruined Southern mansion in the Civil War-themed 1961 Twilight Zone episode titled “The Passersby,” which also starred James Gregory.
But despite her prolific active career from the mid-’50s to the late-’80s, and included a few latter-day roles, Linville...
Linville began racking up TV guest roles in the mid-1950s, appearing on such series of the era as Studio One, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Kraft Theatre and Playhouse 90. She continued to guest on drama series throughout the ’60s, including such classics as Bonanza, Gunsmoke, The F.B.I., Route 66, Ben Casey, I Spy and a two-part Hawaii Five-0.
Of her work in that era, she might be most recognizable as Lavinia Gordon, the owner of a ruined Southern mansion in the Civil War-themed 1961 Twilight Zone episode titled “The Passersby,” which also starred James Gregory.
But despite her prolific active career from the mid-’50s to the late-’80s, and included a few latter-day roles, Linville...
- 6/21/2021
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Gavin MacLeod, who was the Love Boat captain and played Murray on the Mary Tyler Moore Show, two of the top television shows of the 1970s and 1980s, died today at his home in Palm Desert, Calif. MacLeod was 90 and his death was confirmed by his nephew, Mark See.
No cause of death was revealed, but MacLeod had been in ill health over the last few months.
The affable actor played head writer Murray Slaughter on the Mary Tyler Moore Show and appeared in all 168 episodes over seven years, ending in 1977. He then pulled off a rarity, moving from one long-running hit show to another.
As Captain Stubing on The Love Boat, he appeared in 249 episodes, and later returned in the role for the TV movie The Love Boat: A Valentine Voyage in 1990 and for the “Reunion” episode of the rebooted series Love Boat: The Next Wave in 1998.
MacLeod was...
No cause of death was revealed, but MacLeod had been in ill health over the last few months.
The affable actor played head writer Murray Slaughter on the Mary Tyler Moore Show and appeared in all 168 episodes over seven years, ending in 1977. He then pulled off a rarity, moving from one long-running hit show to another.
As Captain Stubing on The Love Boat, he appeared in 249 episodes, and later returned in the role for the TV movie The Love Boat: A Valentine Voyage in 1990 and for the “Reunion” episode of the rebooted series Love Boat: The Next Wave in 1998.
MacLeod was...
- 5/29/2021
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Lynn Stalmaster, the legendary casting director who worked on nearly 200 movies ranging from “West Side Story” to “Harold and Maude” to “Tootsie,” has died. He was 93.
Stalmaster died Friday morning in Los Angeles, Casting Society of America executive Laura Adler confirmed.
Stalmaster was a pioneer as an independent casting director who worked on a freelance basis. He was renowned for his skill in spotting new talent and matching actors to the perfect roles. He was also a champion for elevating the status of casting directors in the industry. In 2016, he became the first casting professional to be honored with an Oscar when he received a Governors Award tribute from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.
“A pioneer of our craft, Lynn was a trailblazer with over half a century of world-class film and television casting credits. He was a friend and mentor to many of us,” Casting Society of...
Stalmaster died Friday morning in Los Angeles, Casting Society of America executive Laura Adler confirmed.
Stalmaster was a pioneer as an independent casting director who worked on a freelance basis. He was renowned for his skill in spotting new talent and matching actors to the perfect roles. He was also a champion for elevating the status of casting directors in the industry. In 2016, he became the first casting professional to be honored with an Oscar when he received a Governors Award tribute from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.
“A pioneer of our craft, Lynn was a trailblazer with over half a century of world-class film and television casting credits. He was a friend and mentor to many of us,” Casting Society of...
- 2/13/2021
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
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By Doug Oswald
William Holden commands a newly formed commando group in “The Devil’s Brigade,” available by Kino Lorber on Blu-ray. On the heels of the successful “The Dirty Dozen” from the previous year, “The Devil’s Brigade” is based on the 1966 book by Robert H. Adleman and Colonel George Walton. It chronicles the true events of the 1st Special Service, a joint American and Canadian commando unit assigned to the United States Fifth Army. Inspired by true events, the movie follows the standard tropes of this type of action adventure men- at -war movie. A rag-tag group of soldiers are brought together for a mission, they initially mistrust each other, get into a fight, train together, get into another fight this time working together against another group, graduate from their training and then deploy on their mission to fight the enemy.
By Doug Oswald
William Holden commands a newly formed commando group in “The Devil’s Brigade,” available by Kino Lorber on Blu-ray. On the heels of the successful “The Dirty Dozen” from the previous year, “The Devil’s Brigade” is based on the 1966 book by Robert H. Adleman and Colonel George Walton. It chronicles the true events of the 1st Special Service, a joint American and Canadian commando unit assigned to the United States Fifth Army. Inspired by true events, the movie follows the standard tropes of this type of action adventure men- at -war movie. A rag-tag group of soldiers are brought together for a mission, they initially mistrust each other, get into a fight, train together, get into another fight this time working together against another group, graduate from their training and then deploy on their mission to fight the enemy.
- 7/3/2020
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Gene Dynarski, an actor whose roles on episodic TV included the irascible Izzy Mandelbaum Jr. on Seinfeld and the victim of a human bat in a memorable 2000 episode of The X-Files, died Feb. 27 in a Studio City rehabilitation center. He was 86.
Dynarski’s death was announced by friend and playwright Ernest Kearney, who writes on his website that Dynarski had been recuperating from a “mild heart episode” for the last month.
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“I had visited Gene only a few days prior,” Kearney writes. “He seemed his old self, ranting on about me finding him a lawyer to sue the rehab-center…I could tell by the glances of the staff passing by his room that Gene had managed to piss them off. Dynarski...
Dynarski’s death was announced by friend and playwright Ernest Kearney, who writes on his website that Dynarski had been recuperating from a “mild heart episode” for the last month.
More from DeadlineFred The Godson Dies: New York Rapper Had Covid-19, Was 35Shirley Knight Dies: Award-Winning 'Sweet Bird Of Youth' Actress Was 83Tom Lester Dies: 'Green Acres' Actor Was 81
“I had visited Gene only a few days prior,” Kearney writes. “He seemed his old self, ranting on about me finding him a lawyer to sue the rehab-center…I could tell by the glances of the staff passing by his room that Gene had managed to piss them off. Dynarski...
- 4/27/2020
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Gene Dynarski, who appeared as Izzy Mandelbaum Jr. on “Seinfeld” and on the original “Star Trek” television series, has died. He was 86.
Dynarski died on Feb. 27 at a rehabilitation center in Studio City, his friend, playwright Ernest Kearney announced.
The actor starred in the 1997 “Seinfeld” episode “The English Patient” as the son of Lloyd Bridges’ character. The pair reprised their roles in another episode,“The Blood,” on the next season.
Dynarski also worked on two Steven Spielberg films, “Duel” and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” among several television projects, including “Star Trek,” “Batman” and “The X-Files.”
Kearney recounted in a blog post that Dynarski seemed to have a talent for rubbing people the wrong way.
“Spielberg recognized Dynarski’s talents and used him a second time in his sci-fi epic Close Encounters of the Third Kind. In one of the film’s best scenes, Dynarski played the supervisor who...
Dynarski died on Feb. 27 at a rehabilitation center in Studio City, his friend, playwright Ernest Kearney announced.
The actor starred in the 1997 “Seinfeld” episode “The English Patient” as the son of Lloyd Bridges’ character. The pair reprised their roles in another episode,“The Blood,” on the next season.
Dynarski also worked on two Steven Spielberg films, “Duel” and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” among several television projects, including “Star Trek,” “Batman” and “The X-Files.”
Kearney recounted in a blog post that Dynarski seemed to have a talent for rubbing people the wrong way.
“Spielberg recognized Dynarski’s talents and used him a second time in his sci-fi epic Close Encounters of the Third Kind. In one of the film’s best scenes, Dynarski played the supervisor who...
- 4/27/2020
- by Klaritza Rico
- Variety Film + TV
Robert Walker Jr., best known for a classic early Star Trek episode and as the son of Hollywood stars Robert Walker and Jennifer Jones, died Thursday in Malibu, according to family members. He was 79.
The New York native portrayed the twitchy, callow title character in “Charlie X,” the second episode of Star Trek’s pioneering first season in 1966, and also handled the title role of the notable 1960s feature films Ensign Pulver and Young Billy Young.
For Ensign Pulver, the comedic 1964 naval drama, Walker inherited a role that had earned Jack Lemmon an Oscar for best supporting actor for Mister Roberts (1955). In the 1969 gunfighter tale Young Billy Young, Walker was the volatile outlaw who finds a mentor in Robert Mitchum in film that also featured Angie Dickinson and David Carradine. That same year Walker and his wife, Ellie Wood, appeared together in the milestone counter-culture epic Easy Rider.
Walker’s...
The New York native portrayed the twitchy, callow title character in “Charlie X,” the second episode of Star Trek’s pioneering first season in 1966, and also handled the title role of the notable 1960s feature films Ensign Pulver and Young Billy Young.
For Ensign Pulver, the comedic 1964 naval drama, Walker inherited a role that had earned Jack Lemmon an Oscar for best supporting actor for Mister Roberts (1955). In the 1969 gunfighter tale Young Billy Young, Walker was the volatile outlaw who finds a mentor in Robert Mitchum in film that also featured Angie Dickinson and David Carradine. That same year Walker and his wife, Ellie Wood, appeared together in the milestone counter-culture epic Easy Rider.
Walker’s...
- 12/6/2019
- by Geoff Boucher
- Deadline Film + TV
Updating
Dorothy Fontana, the first female Star Trek writer and a stalwart presence in television science fiction for four decades, died on Monday. She was 80.
The screen credit “D.C. Fontana” became a familiar one to several generations of sci-fi television viewers — and Star Trek fans in particular — but most didn’t know the pen name belonged to a trailblazing woman hoping to carve out a career in an arena long dominated by male writers, executives, and fans.
Fontana’s considerable contributions to the Starfleet universe include the classic episode “Journey to Babel” from the original Star Trek series (1966-1969), Yesteryear from the well-regarded Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973), and “Encounter at Farpoint,” the pilot for Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994), which she co-wrote with the brand’s creator, Gene Roddenberry.
The New Jersey native’s television writing career began in 1960 with The Tall Man and her eclectic credits included...
Dorothy Fontana, the first female Star Trek writer and a stalwart presence in television science fiction for four decades, died on Monday. She was 80.
The screen credit “D.C. Fontana” became a familiar one to several generations of sci-fi television viewers — and Star Trek fans in particular — but most didn’t know the pen name belonged to a trailblazing woman hoping to carve out a career in an arena long dominated by male writers, executives, and fans.
Fontana’s considerable contributions to the Starfleet universe include the classic episode “Journey to Babel” from the original Star Trek series (1966-1969), Yesteryear from the well-regarded Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973), and “Encounter at Farpoint,” the pilot for Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994), which she co-wrote with the brand’s creator, Gene Roddenberry.
The New Jersey native’s television writing career began in 1960 with The Tall Man and her eclectic credits included...
- 12/3/2019
- by Geoff Boucher
- Deadline Film + TV
Dorothy Catherine Fontana, a writer on the original “Star Trek” series who had a long association with the franchise, died Dec. 2. She was 80.
Fontana’s death was confirmed by the official “Star Trek” website, which described her as “the legendary writer who brought many of ‘Star Trek’s’ greatest episodes to life.” The website reported that she died after a brief illness but offered no other details.
Fontana was active in the Writers Guild of America for many years, and most recently worked as a lecturer for the American Film Institute.
A native of Fontana was the rare example of a female scribe on the original NBC edition of the enduring sci-fi franchise, although she used the gender-blind screen credit of “D.C. Fontana.” She was credited with creating key elements of the “Star Trek” mythos, including the details on the backstory of Mr. Spock’s upbringing by his human mother Amanda and Vulcan father Sarek.
Fontana’s death was confirmed by the official “Star Trek” website, which described her as “the legendary writer who brought many of ‘Star Trek’s’ greatest episodes to life.” The website reported that she died after a brief illness but offered no other details.
Fontana was active in the Writers Guild of America for many years, and most recently worked as a lecturer for the American Film Institute.
A native of Fontana was the rare example of a female scribe on the original NBC edition of the enduring sci-fi franchise, although she used the gender-blind screen credit of “D.C. Fontana.” She was credited with creating key elements of the “Star Trek” mythos, including the details on the backstory of Mr. Spock’s upbringing by his human mother Amanda and Vulcan father Sarek.
- 12/3/2019
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
[caption id="attachment_47663" align="aligncenter" width="384"] Angela George at flickr.com/photos/sharongraphics/. Permission (Reusing this file.) Otrs Wikimedia./caption]
Actress Doris Roberts has died at the age of 90. An accomplished performer with a C.V. longer than your arm, Roberts assumed her best-known TV role as Marie Barone, on CBS's Everybody Loves Raymond TV series, from 1996 to 2005.
Born Doris May Green, November 4, 1925, in St. Louis, Missouri, the actress took her step-father's surname. Her earliest TV series roles, in the 1950s, were in properties such as Starlight Theatre, Studio One in Hollywood, Suspense, Look Up and Live, 'Way Out, Ben Casey, Naked City, The Defenders, and The Doctors and the Nurses.
Read More…...
Actress Doris Roberts has died at the age of 90. An accomplished performer with a C.V. longer than your arm, Roberts assumed her best-known TV role as Marie Barone, on CBS's Everybody Loves Raymond TV series, from 1996 to 2005.
Born Doris May Green, November 4, 1925, in St. Louis, Missouri, the actress took her step-father's surname. Her earliest TV series roles, in the 1950s, were in properties such as Starlight Theatre, Studio One in Hollywood, Suspense, Look Up and Live, 'Way Out, Ben Casey, Naked City, The Defenders, and The Doctors and the Nurses.
Read More…...
- 4/19/2016
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
TV, film and Broadway actress Doris Roberts, best known as Ray Romano’s (Raymond Barone) mother Marie on the sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond, has died. Her son, Michael Cannata, says Roberts died in her sleep of natural causes Sunday night. She was 90. A St. Louis native, Roberts began her acting career in the early 1950s on TV’s Studio One, going on to appear in such series as The Naked City, Way Out, Ben Casey and The Defenders. She later segued to film in the 1960s and…...
- 4/18/2016
- Deadline TV
TV, film and Broadway actress Doris Roberts, best known as Ray Romano’s (Raymond Barone) mother Marie on the sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond, has died. Her son, Michael Cannata, says Roberts died in her sleep of natural causes Sunday night. She was 90. A St. Louis native, Roberts began her acting career in the early 1950s on TV’s Studio One, going on to appear in such series as The Naked City, Way Out, Ben Casey and The Defenders. She later segued to film in the 1960s and…...
- 4/18/2016
- Deadline
Doris Roberts, who played Ray Barone’s prying mother on the sitcom “Everybody Loves Raymond,” died Sunday, a representative for the actress told TheWrap on Monday. She was 90. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1925, Roberts began acting in 1952, appearing on the television series “Studio One.” Appearances on “The Naked City,” “Ben Casey” and “The Defenders” followed. She first appeared on the big screen in the 1961 film “Something Wild.” Roberts’ other film credits include “A Lovely Way to Die,” “No Way to Treat a Lady” and “The Honeymoon Killers.” On television, she also appeared on “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,”...
- 4/18/2016
- by Tim Kenneally
- The Wrap
“I was good to you, Ben!” Well, that’s true, Willard, up to a point. Daniel Mann’s Willard (1971) makes a few good and satirical points, one being don’t bite the hand that feeds you, especially as that “hand” might bite you right back. Willard kicked off the 70’s Critters Done Wrong By (trademark pending) subgenre, leading to such memorable fodder as Frogs (1972), Food of the Gods (1976), and Day of the Animals (1977). However, Willard stands out from the (rat) pack by keeping it thrills low key and scurrying on the ground.
Produced by Bing Crosby Productions (yes, that Bing) and distributed by Cinerama Releasing Corporation (they also put out The Beast Must Die and Seizure), Willard received good notices, and more importantly to the genre, pulled in over $14 million Us when it was released in June of ’71. Propelled by top notch performances, Willard delivers the vermin to your doorstep.
Produced by Bing Crosby Productions (yes, that Bing) and distributed by Cinerama Releasing Corporation (they also put out The Beast Must Die and Seizure), Willard received good notices, and more importantly to the genre, pulled in over $14 million Us when it was released in June of ’71. Propelled by top notch performances, Willard delivers the vermin to your doorstep.
- 11/21/2015
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
The man whose 100-plus film and TV credits include voicing Yukon Cornelius in the holiday TV classic Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer and playing the train conductor in Best Picture Oscar winner The Sting died Monday in Los Angeles. Larry D. Mann was 91. The Toronto native got his start on Canadian TV and went on to appear on classic shows ranging from Howdy Doody to MacGyver. In between, his dozens of TV appearances included 77 Sunset Strip, The Big Valley, Ben Casey, My Favorite Martian, Get Smart, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Hogan’s Heroes, Bewitched, Green Acres, Gunsmoke, Quincy M.E., The Dukes Of Hazzard and recurring as a judge on Hill Street Blues. His big-screen credits include The Quick And The Dead, Robin And The 7 Hoods, The Singing Nun, In The Heat Of The Night and The Octogon.
- 1/8/2014
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
Paul Mantee, a popular fixture on TV shows and feature films, passed away on November 7. Mantee had appeared on many TV series over the years and had recurring roles on the 1980s hits Hunter and Cagney and Lacy. He first began appearing in the medium in the late 1959s and eventually guest starred on major programs such as The F.B.I, Mannix, Dragnet, Ben Casey, Dr. Kildare, Batman, The Time Tunnel, Bonanza, Kojak and Seinfeld. Mantee also appeared in small roles in many feature films. In 1964 he had a rare starring role in Robinson Crusoe on Mars, a fairly low-budget sci-fi film that became a major cult hit thanks to its intelligent script, direction and performances. He also had the lead role in the 1968 James Bond spoof A Man Called Dagger. For more click here...
- 11/20/2013
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
John Travolta certainly knows the value of a having a casting director in his corner.
If not for the faith a legendary one named Lynn Stalmaster had in his talent, the enduring star might never have won the role of "Sweathog" Vinnie Barbarino in the sitcom "Welcome Back, Kotter" ... which set him on a course of fame that exploded soon afterward with the successes of such movies as "Saturday Night Fever" and "Grease." Travolta is among those paying tribute to "my beloved Lynn" (as he puts it) and others in the documentary "Casting By," which has its HBO debut Monday, Aug. 5.
"I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for Lynn and his so believing in me," Travolta recalls for Zap2it. "At age 18, I was up for the movie 'The Last Detail,' in the part Randy Quaid eventually played. Lynn was just hellbent to get me cast in that,...
If not for the faith a legendary one named Lynn Stalmaster had in his talent, the enduring star might never have won the role of "Sweathog" Vinnie Barbarino in the sitcom "Welcome Back, Kotter" ... which set him on a course of fame that exploded soon afterward with the successes of such movies as "Saturday Night Fever" and "Grease." Travolta is among those paying tribute to "my beloved Lynn" (as he puts it) and others in the documentary "Casting By," which has its HBO debut Monday, Aug. 5.
"I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for Lynn and his so believing in me," Travolta recalls for Zap2it. "At age 18, I was up for the movie 'The Last Detail,' in the part Randy Quaid eventually played. Lynn was just hellbent to get me cast in that,...
- 8/5/2013
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
While you might think Susan Lucci had the hardest journey to Daytime Emmy victory, it took Jeanne Cooper 35 years and nine nominations before she won for playing Katharine Chancellor on "The Young and the Restless." The grande dame of daytime died on May 8 at age 84 after a long illness. Cooper began on "Y&R" shortly it premiered in 1973. While her character was an instant success, she was only nominated for the first time in 1989. By then, Katherine had been through alcoholism, a couple of husbands, several feuds with Jill Foster Abbot and even a facelift. That latter storyline was groundbreaking as the actress allowed footage of her own facelift to be used. Prior to even contending at the Daytime Emmys, Cooper had been nominated twice at the Primetime awards: she lost her1962 Supporting Actress nod for “Ben Casey” to Pamela Brown for “Hallmark Hall of Fame” and her 1987 Drama Guest...
- 5/22/2013
- Gold Derby
Jeanne Cooper, who played Katherine Chancellor on the daytime soap opera "The Young and the Restless," has died, TVLine reports. She was 84.
Cooper's son, actor Corbin Bernsen, confirmed the sad news on Twitter today (May 8), writing:
Mom passed this morning. She was in peace and without fear. U all have been incredible in your love. In her name share it 2 day with others.
— Corbin Bernsen (@corbinbernsen) May 8, 2013
Cooper was hospitalized last month with an undisclosed ailment and was said to be in critical condition.
Bernsen also took to his Facebook page to announce the news of his mother's death, sharing, "My mother passed away this morning just a short time ago, peaceful with my sister by her side, in her sleep. I was going to visit this afternoon, thought I had time. Reminder to self - time is a precious thing. I too am at peace however. I said my...
Cooper's son, actor Corbin Bernsen, confirmed the sad news on Twitter today (May 8), writing:
Mom passed this morning. She was in peace and without fear. U all have been incredible in your love. In her name share it 2 day with others.
— Corbin Bernsen (@corbinbernsen) May 8, 2013
Cooper was hospitalized last month with an undisclosed ailment and was said to be in critical condition.
Bernsen also took to his Facebook page to announce the news of his mother's death, sharing, "My mother passed away this morning just a short time ago, peaceful with my sister by her side, in her sleep. I was going to visit this afternoon, thought I had time. Reminder to self - time is a precious thing. I too am at peace however. I said my...
- 5/8/2013
- by Leigh Blickley
- Huffington Post
A very familiar face to television viewers, actor William Windom, has died from congestive heart failure at the age of 88. He passed away on August 16th at his home in Woodacre, California.
Windom was born in New York City in 1923 and was the great-grandson of the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury of the same name. He later served in the Army during World War II.
His first movie role was as Mister Gilmer, the prosecutor of Tom Robinson in 1962's To Kill a Mockingbird but he had been appearing on television for years before that.
Windom's TV work spanned six decades and it's hard to name a classic TV show that he didn't appear on at least once. They include roles on Ben Casey, The Donna Reed Show, The Lucy Show, Twilight Zone, 77 Sunset Strip, The Fugitive, Bonanza, That...
Windom was born in New York City in 1923 and was the great-grandson of the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury of the same name. He later served in the Army during World War II.
His first movie role was as Mister Gilmer, the prosecutor of Tom Robinson in 1962's To Kill a Mockingbird but he had been appearing on television for years before that.
Windom's TV work spanned six decades and it's hard to name a classic TV show that he didn't appear on at least once. They include roles on Ben Casey, The Donna Reed Show, The Lucy Show, Twilight Zone, 77 Sunset Strip, The Fugitive, Bonanza, That...
- 8/20/2012
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
Don Brinkley (not pictured), whose television writing credits include "Trapper John, M.D." (pictured), "The Untouchables," "Ben Casey," "Rawhide," "The Fugitive" and "The Man from U.N.C.L.E," has passed away at the age of 91 on Saturday (July 14) in Sag Harbor, New York.
In addition to his TV writing, Brinkley was also a journalist for CBS Radio News and was honored by the Museum of Broadcasting in 1988.
Brinkley is the stepfather of model and actress Christie Brinkley and her brother Greg. He adopted them when he married their mother Marge. He has two children, Jeff and Kim Brinkley, from his first marriage. Brinkley is also survived by six grandchildren, including Alexa Ray Joel, daughter of Christie Brinkley and Billy Joel.
In addition to his TV writing, Brinkley was also a journalist for CBS Radio News and was honored by the Museum of Broadcasting in 1988.
Brinkley is the stepfather of model and actress Christie Brinkley and her brother Greg. He adopted them when he married their mother Marge. He has two children, Jeff and Kim Brinkley, from his first marriage. Brinkley is also survived by six grandchildren, including Alexa Ray Joel, daughter of Christie Brinkley and Billy Joel.
- 7/15/2012
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Pop2it
New York -- Don Brinkley, a noted television writer and the stepfather of supermodel and actress Christie Brinkley, has died. He was 91.
A spokeswoman for Brinkley said her stepfather died on Saturday in Sag Harbor, N.Y.
Don Brinkley was a television writer and producer whose career spanned more than 50 years.
His credits included "Trapper John, M.D.," and such 1950s and 1960s staples as "Wanted: Dead or Alive," "The Untouchables," "Ben Casey," "Rawhide," "The Fugitive," "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." and "Medical Center."
In 1988, he was honored by the Museum of Broadcasting in New York.
He also was a journalist for CBS Radio News.
He is survived by his second wife, Marge, and two children – Christie, who was adopted by Don – and Greg. He had two children with his first wife Lois. His grandchildren include musician Alexa Ray Joel.
A spokeswoman for Brinkley said her stepfather died on Saturday in Sag Harbor, N.Y.
Don Brinkley was a television writer and producer whose career spanned more than 50 years.
His credits included "Trapper John, M.D.," and such 1950s and 1960s staples as "Wanted: Dead or Alive," "The Untouchables," "Ben Casey," "Rawhide," "The Fugitive," "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." and "Medical Center."
In 1988, he was honored by the Museum of Broadcasting in New York.
He also was a journalist for CBS Radio News.
He is survived by his second wife, Marge, and two children – Christie, who was adopted by Don – and Greg. He had two children with his first wife Lois. His grandchildren include musician Alexa Ray Joel.
- 7/15/2012
- by AP
- Huffington Post
New York -- Don Brinkley, a noted television writer and the stepfather of supermodel and actress Christie Brinkley, has died. He was 91.
A spokeswoman for Brinkley said her stepfather died on Saturday in Sag Harbor, N.Y.
Don Brinkley was a television writer and producer whose career spanned more than 50 years.
His credits included "Trapper John, M.D.," and such 1950s and 1960s staples as "Wanted: Dead or Alive," "The Untouchables," "Ben Casey," "Rawhide," "The Fugitive," "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." and "Medical Center."
In 1988, he was honored by the Museum of Broadcasting in New York.
He also was a journalist for CBS Radio News.
He is survived by his second wife, Marge, and two children – Christie, who was adopted by Don – and Greg. He had two children with his first wife Lois. His grandchildren include musician Alexa Ray Joel.
A spokeswoman for Brinkley said her stepfather died on Saturday in Sag Harbor, N.Y.
Don Brinkley was a television writer and producer whose career spanned more than 50 years.
His credits included "Trapper John, M.D.," and such 1950s and 1960s staples as "Wanted: Dead or Alive," "The Untouchables," "Ben Casey," "Rawhide," "The Fugitive," "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." and "Medical Center."
In 1988, he was honored by the Museum of Broadcasting in New York.
He also was a journalist for CBS Radio News.
He is survived by his second wife, Marge, and two children – Christie, who was adopted by Don – and Greg. He had two children with his first wife Lois. His grandchildren include musician Alexa Ray Joel.
- 7/15/2012
- by AP
- Aol TV.
Release Date: Oct. 25, 2011
Price: DVD $199.99
Studio: Entertainment One
Robert Wagner is Alexander Mundy in It Takes a Thief.
The arrival of the 1960s’ classic action-adventure television series It Takes a Thief: The Complete Series marks the show’s home entertainment debut.
Fusing the heist and espionage genres, the show aired on ABC-tv for two and a half seasons, beginning in January, 1968.
Inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s 1955 film To Catch a Thief starring Cary Grant, It Takes a Thief stars Robert Wagner (TV’s Hart to Hart) as dashing Alexander Mundy, the world’s greatest cat burglar … until the day he got caught. As part of his pardon to stay out of prison, Mundy uses his wily skills in the world of espionage, helping to steal for the Sia, an American spy agency.
Technically under house arrest, Mundy travels the world over, performing daring acts of thievery in the name of the U.
Price: DVD $199.99
Studio: Entertainment One
Robert Wagner is Alexander Mundy in It Takes a Thief.
The arrival of the 1960s’ classic action-adventure television series It Takes a Thief: The Complete Series marks the show’s home entertainment debut.
Fusing the heist and espionage genres, the show aired on ABC-tv for two and a half seasons, beginning in January, 1968.
Inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s 1955 film To Catch a Thief starring Cary Grant, It Takes a Thief stars Robert Wagner (TV’s Hart to Hart) as dashing Alexander Mundy, the world’s greatest cat burglar … until the day he got caught. As part of his pardon to stay out of prison, Mundy uses his wily skills in the world of espionage, helping to steal for the Sia, an American spy agency.
Technically under house arrest, Mundy travels the world over, performing daring acts of thievery in the name of the U.
- 9/22/2011
- by Laurence
- Disc Dish
He played leads – but never became a star. He played supporting parts – but was never considered a second-stringer. He moved between the big and little screen easily throughout much of his career without ever looking like he’d overreached (for the former), or was slumming (in the latter). The only thing that mattered – the one thing that was consistent whatever the vehicle, whatever the medium, whatever the size of the role – was the caliber of his work. By his own description, Cliff Robertson, who passed away this week one day after his 88th birthday, was a “utility player” who shone whatever his position.
Still in his 20s, he was already working regularly on TV during those early, hectic days of live broadcasting in the early 1950s, and just as immediately demonstrating the utility that marked his career. His range was limitless as he performed in everything from heavyweight drama anthology...
Still in his 20s, he was already working regularly on TV during those early, hectic days of live broadcasting in the early 1950s, and just as immediately demonstrating the utility that marked his career. His range was limitless as he performed in everything from heavyweight drama anthology...
- 9/12/2011
- by Bill Mesce
- SoundOnSight
Every fancy pants movie star has a skeleton in their closet that they don’t want to speak of. Whether it is Jason Alexander in The Burning, Tom Hanks in He Knows You’re Alone, or Demi Moore in Parasite – some of the biggest names in show business have started off their careers doing horror films. Perhaps the biggest of them all is ladies man George Clooney, who cut his teeth on the films Return of the Killer Tomatoes, and my spotlight movie of the day – Return to Horror High. Instead of talking to George, I got in touch with actress Lori Lethin to wax nostalgic about this overlooked slasher.
Jason Bene: After starring in Bloody Birthday and The Prey, were you happy to do another slasher film, especially one that was spoofing the genre?
Lori Lethin: I loved doing Return to Horror High. I thought it was so...
Jason Bene: After starring in Bloody Birthday and The Prey, were you happy to do another slasher film, especially one that was spoofing the genre?
Lori Lethin: I loved doing Return to Horror High. I thought it was so...
- 3/18/2011
- by Jason Bene
- Killer Films
After his electrifying performance as Blacula (1972), the great William Marshall was briefly considered a worthy successor to Christopher Lee's vampire king. A respected Shakespearean actor with an impressive theatre background, he was set to become a major horror star of the seventies, but like his fellow stage actor Robert Quarry, who achieved the same status as Count Yorga, his film career faded rapidly after the genre went through a radical re-think following the commercial success of The Exorcist (1973).
Marshall remained in New York to train in as an actor and director in Grand Opera and Shakespeare, although he had to support himself in a variety of jobs before making his professional stage debut. At 6ft 5inches, he was an impressively built, handsome, strong-featured actor with a booming bass baritone voice to match his towering presence. Not surprisingly, he quickly built up a formidable reputation as America's finest Shakespearean actor,...
Marshall remained in New York to train in as an actor and director in Grand Opera and Shakespeare, although he had to support himself in a variety of jobs before making his professional stage debut. At 6ft 5inches, he was an impressively built, handsome, strong-featured actor with a booming bass baritone voice to match his towering presence. Not surprisingly, he quickly built up a formidable reputation as America's finest Shakespearean actor,...
- 2/15/2011
- Shadowlocked
George Lucas will always be known as the genius behind Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Darth Vader. But it was Irvin Kershner, a professorial and genteel man of the old school, who directed the film most Star Wars aficionados consider the greatest chapter in the saga, 1980′s The Empire Strikes Back. It was to Kershner’s credit that he never jockeyed for the limelight or clawed for the credit. He was a quiet craftsman who believed in letting the images he put on screen speak for him. The news that Kershner passed away earlier today leaves a giant black hole...
- 11/29/2010
- by Chris Nashawaty
- EW.com - PopWatch
Director Sydney Pollack 1934-2008.
Director Sydney Pollack passed two years ago today. I had the good fortune to meet and interview Sydney Pollack twice, both of which are included here: first in 1999 for his well-made but ill-fated romantic drama "Random Hearts," and again in 2006 for what would be his final film, "Sketches of Frank Gehry," a masterful documentary look at the eponymous architect's life, work and process. It was also in many respects a personal investigation for Pollack himself, which he spoke quite candidly about during our conversation.
This has been a tough year for those of us who were weaned on the films of the so-called "Easy Riders and Raging Bulls" who made the iconic films of the late 1960s and 1970s, with the loss of such figures as Pollack, Roy Scheider, and others of the era. Pollack was certainly among the lions of that pack, but was perhaps...
Director Sydney Pollack passed two years ago today. I had the good fortune to meet and interview Sydney Pollack twice, both of which are included here: first in 1999 for his well-made but ill-fated romantic drama "Random Hearts," and again in 2006 for what would be his final film, "Sketches of Frank Gehry," a masterful documentary look at the eponymous architect's life, work and process. It was also in many respects a personal investigation for Pollack himself, which he spoke quite candidly about during our conversation.
This has been a tough year for those of us who were weaned on the films of the so-called "Easy Riders and Raging Bulls" who made the iconic films of the late 1960s and 1970s, with the loss of such figures as Pollack, Roy Scheider, and others of the era. Pollack was certainly among the lions of that pack, but was perhaps...
- 5/26/2010
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
Ricardo Montalban, who became a household name for his performance as the wish-granting Mr. Roarke on "Fantasy Island," died Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles. The actor was 88.
Montalban's death was announced at a meeting of the city council by president Eric Garcetti, who represents the district where the actor lived. Garcetti did not give a cause of death.
Although he was best known as the charming Roarke on ABC's 1978-84 hit series, Montalban was also a gifted character actor who won an Emmy for his portrayal of a Sioux chief in the miniseries "How the West Was Won."
Montalban's suave manner and patriarchal dignity became his trademarks, and for a period in his late career, he served as the TV pitchman for Chrysler. His dignified intonation -- "rich Corinthian leather" with his regal rolling of the "R's" -- caught viewers' favor and was widely repeated.
Montalban could also play the most dastardly villains,...
Montalban's death was announced at a meeting of the city council by president Eric Garcetti, who represents the district where the actor lived. Garcetti did not give a cause of death.
Although he was best known as the charming Roarke on ABC's 1978-84 hit series, Montalban was also a gifted character actor who won an Emmy for his portrayal of a Sioux chief in the miniseries "How the West Was Won."
Montalban's suave manner and patriarchal dignity became his trademarks, and for a period in his late career, he served as the TV pitchman for Chrysler. His dignified intonation -- "rich Corinthian leather" with his regal rolling of the "R's" -- caught viewers' favor and was widely repeated.
Montalban could also play the most dastardly villains,...
- 1/14/2009
- by By Duane Byrge
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Acclaimed director, producer, and actor Sydney Pollack has died of cancer. He was 73.
- 5/27/2008
- IMDb News
Sydney Pollack, who won an Academy Award as best director for "Out of Africa," died Monday of cancer at his home in Pacific Palisades. He was 73.
Pollack also was nominated for a best director Oscar for "Tootsie" and "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" Pollack won an Emmy for his direction of "The Game" in 1965, starring Cliff Robertson. In addition to his Oscar for "Out of Africa," which also won best picture, that film also earned Pollack the best director honor from the New York Critics Film Circle.
Among the 100 best American love stories ranked by American Film Institute in June 2002, Pollack is the only director credited with two films near the top of list: "The Way We Were," at No. 6, and "Out of Africa," which is ranked No. 13.
In 2000, Pollack was honored with the John Huston Award from the DGA as a "defender of artists' rights."
His filmography included...
Pollack also was nominated for a best director Oscar for "Tootsie" and "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" Pollack won an Emmy for his direction of "The Game" in 1965, starring Cliff Robertson. In addition to his Oscar for "Out of Africa," which also won best picture, that film also earned Pollack the best director honor from the New York Critics Film Circle.
Among the 100 best American love stories ranked by American Film Institute in June 2002, Pollack is the only director credited with two films near the top of list: "The Way We Were," at No. 6, and "Out of Africa," which is ranked No. 13.
In 2000, Pollack was honored with the John Huston Award from the DGA as a "defender of artists' rights."
His filmography included...
- 5/26/2008
- by By Duane Byrge
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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