Say Goodbye: 2014 Deaths - May 1 - August 31

Assi Dayan was born on 23 November 1945 in Moshav Nahalal, British Mandate of Palestine [now Israel]. He was an actor and writer, known for Life According to Agfa (1992), Mr. Baum (1997) and Electric Blanket (1994). He was married to Aarona Malkind, Vered Tandler-Dayan, Caroline Langford and Smadar Kilchinsky. He died on 1 May 2014 in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Juan Formell was born on 2 August 1942 in Havana, Cuba. He was a composer, known for Lantana (2001), Los pájaros tirándole a la escopeta (1984) and El Benny (2006). He died on 1 May 2014 in Havana, Cuba.

Heinz Schenk was born on 11 December 1924 in Mainz, Germany. He was a writer and actor, known for Kein Pardon (1993), Der Geizhals (1992) and Der eingebildete Kranke (1996). He was married to Gerti Schenk. He died on 1 May 2014 in Wiesbaden, Hesse, Germany.

Nanni Fabbri was born on 15 August 1941 in Forlì, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. He was a director and assistant director, known for Morte di un seduttore di paese (1978), Tentativo di corruzione (1983) and Blow Hot, Blow Cold (1969). He was married to Angiola Baggi. He died on 1 May 2014 in Rome, Lazio, Italy.

Scott Johnson died on 1 May 2014 in Tanana, Alaska, USA.

Gabe Rich died on 1 May 2014 in Tanana, Alaska, USA.

Eli Woods was born on 11 January 1923 in Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Mr. H Is Late (1988), Little Dorrit (1987) and A Private Function (1984). He was married to Pamela. He died on 1 May 2014 in Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, England, UK.

It's hardly surprising that the son of renowned Russian-born concert violinist Efrem Zimbalist Sr. (1889-1985) and Romanian-born opera singer Alma Gluck (1884-1938) would desire a performing career of some kind. Born in New York City on November 30, 1918, surrounded by people of wealth and privilege throughout his childhood, Efrem Zimbalist Jr. received a boarding school education. Acting in school plays, he later trained briefly at the Yale School of Drama but didn't apply himself enough and quit. As an NBC network radio page, he auditioned when he could and found minor TV and stock theatre parts while joining up with the Neighborhood Playhouse.

Following WWII war service with the Army infantry in which he was awarded the Purple Heart after being wounded, a director and friend of the family, Garson Kanin, gave the aspiring actor his first professional role in his Broadway production of "The Rugged Path" (1945) which starred Spencer Tracy. With his dark, friendly, clean-scrubbed good looks and a deep, rich voice that could cut butter, Zimbalist found little trouble finding work. He continued with the American Repertory Theatre performing in such classics as "Henry VIII" and "Androcles and the Lion" while appearing opposite the legendary Eva Le Gallienne in "Hedda Gabler".

Zimbalist then tried his hand as a stage producer, successfully bringing opera to Broadway audiences for the first time with memorable presentations of "The Medium" and "The Telephone". As producer of Gian Carlo Menotti's "The Consul", he won the New York Drama Critic's Award and the Pulitzer Prize for best musical in 1950. An auspicious film debut opposite Edward G. Robinson in House of Strangers (1949) brought little career momentum due to the untimely death of his wife Emily (a onetime actress who appeared with him in "Hedda Gabler" and bore him two children, Nancy and Efrem III) to cancer in 1950. Making an abrupt decision to abandon acting, he served as assistant director/researcher at the Curtis School of Music for his father and buried himself with studies and music composition.

In 1954, Efrem returned to acting and copped a daytime television soap lead (Concerning Miss Marlowe (1954)). It was famed director Joshua Logan who proved instrumental in helping Zimbalist secure a Warner Bros. contract. Despite forthright second leads in decent films such as Band of Angels (1957) with Clark Gable and Yvonne De Carlo; Too Much, Too Soon (1958) starring Dorothy Malone and Errol Flynn; Home Before Dark (1958) with Jean Simmons and Rhonda Fleming; The Crowded Sky (1960) with Dana Andrews, Rhonda Fleming, Troy Donahue and Anne Francis; A Fever in the Blood (1961) opposite Angie Dickinson and (his best) Wait Until Dark (1967) with Audrey Hepburn, it was television that made the better use of his refined, unshowy acting style. His roles as smooth private investigator Stu Bailey on 77 Sunset Strip (1958) and dogged inspector Lewis Erskine on The F.B.I. (1965) would be his ultimate claims to fame.

A perfect gentleman on and off camera, Zimbalist's severest critics tend to deem his performances bland and undernourished. Managing to override such criticisms, he maintained a sturdy career for nearly six decades. In 1991, he made fun of his all-serious reputation and pulled off a Leslie Nielsen-like role in the comedy parody Hot Shots! (1991). In addition to theater projects over the years, he has made fine use of his mellifluous baritone performing narrations and cartoon voiceovers, including that of Alfred the butler on a "Batman" animated series.

In 2003, he completed his memoirs, entitled "My Dinner of Herbs". The father of three, grandfather of four and great-grandfather of three, he settled in Santa Barbara and later in Solvang, California with longtime second wife Stephanie until her death in 2007 of cancer. Their daughter, also named Stephanie (Stephanie Zimbalist), is the well-known actress who appeared with Pierce Brosnan in the Remington Steele (1982) television series, in which Zimbalist had a recurring role. He and his daughter also appeared on stage together in his later years, their first being "The Night of the Iguana". His elder daughter Nancy died in 2012.

Zimbalist died peacefully at his Solvang home of natural causes at the age of 95 on May 2, 2014; he had been outside watering his lawn at his Solvang, Calif., ranch when a handyman found him lying dead in the grass. "He was healthy, playing golf three days a week, and always in his garden," Zimbalist's son said.

Mohammad Reza Lotfi was born on 7 January 1947 in Gorgan, Iran. He was a composer, known for Hajji Washington (1983). He died on 2 May 2014 in Teheran, Iran.

Jessica Cleaves was born on 10 December 1948 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She was an actress, known for The Night Before (1988) and Soul! (1968). She died on 2 May 2014 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Mary Ellen Tanner was born on 9 November 1946 in Kentucky, USA. She died on 3 May 2014 in Covington, Kentucky, USA.

Lester Armistead was born in 1947 in the USA. He died on 2 May 2014 in the USA.

Howard Smith was born on 10 December 1936 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. He was a director and actor, known for Dawn of the Dead (1978), Marjoe (1972) and Gizmo! (1977). He was married to Susan Calder. He died on 1 May 2014 in Manhattan, New York, USA.

Michael Travis was born on 13 April 1928 in Detroit, Michigan, USA. He was a costume designer, known for Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1967), Play of the Week (1959) and The Steve Lawrence Show (1965). He died on 1 May 2014 in Studio City, California, USA.

Aziz Sattar was born on 8 August 1925 in Soerabaja, Soerabaja, Dutch East Indies [now Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia]. He was an actor and director, known for Penyamun Tarbus (1980), Ali Baba Bujang Lapok (1961) and Tak kisahlah beb (1989). He was married to Hashimah Delan, Siti Rumina Ahmad and Dayang Sofiah. He died on 6 May 2014 in Kajang, Malaysia.

Timothy John Byford was born on 24 July 1941 in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England, UK. He was a director and writer, known for I Want to Be a Showjumper (1969), Neven (1974) and Nedjeljni zabavnik (1982). He was married to Mila and Jenny. He died on 5 May 2014 in Belgrade, Serbia.

Jacqueline Taylor was born on 29 June 1925 in Compton, California, USA. She was an actress, known for Washee Ironee (1934), For Pete's Sake! (1934) and Hi'-Neighbor! (1934). She was married to Jack Fries and Ben Bard. She died on 5 May 2014 in Citrus Heights, California, USA.

Dick Ayers was born on 28 April 1924 in Ossining, New York, USA. He is known for Suspense (1949), With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story (2010) and Fantastic Forum (2007). He was married to Charlotte Lindy. He died on 4 May 2014 in White Plains, New York, USA.

Gary Becker was born on 2 December 1930 in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, USA. He was married to Guity. He died on 3 May 2014 in Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Charles Marowitz was born on 26 January 1934 in New York, USA. He was a writer, known for Shylock, Late Night Line-Up (1964) and A Touch of Don Juan (1966). He was married to Jane Windsor and Julia Crosthwait. He died on 2 May 2014 in Agoura Hills, California, USA.

Antony Hopkins was born on 21 March 1921 in Bush Hill Park, Edmonton, London, England, UK. He was a composer and writer, known for Decameron Nights (1953), Billy Budd (1962) and Cast a Dark Shadow (1955). He was married to Beatrix Taylor and Muriel Alison Purves. He died on 6 May 2014 in Ashridge, Hertfordshire, England, UK.

Tatiana Samoilova (Tatyana Samojlova) is a Russian film actress known for the leading roles in The Cranes Are Flying (1957) and Anna Karenina (1967).

She was born Tatiana Evgenievna Samoilova on May 4, 1934, in Leningrad (St. Petersburg), Russia. Her father, Evgeniy Samoylov, was a notable Russian actor, Her mother, Zinaida Ilyinichna, was Jewish. Young Samojlova studied music under the tutelage of her mother. During the Second World War, she escaped from the siege of Leningrad with her parents, and moved to Moscow. There she studied ballet and graduated from the Ballet School of Stanislavsky Theatre. She was invited by Maya Plisetskaya to join the ballet school of Bolshoi Theatre, but she chose to be a dramatic actress. From 1953-1956 she studied at Shchukin Theatrical School, then at State Institute of Theatrical Art (GITIS), graduating in 1962, as actress. While a student, Samojlova made her film debut in Meksikanets (1955).

Samojlova shot to fame with the leading role as Veronika in Letyat Zhuravli (The Cranes are Flying 1957) by director Mikhail Kalatozov. In spite of the initial cold reception by the Soviet officialdom, the film was loved by public in Russia and internationally. It became the first and only Russian film to be awarded the Golden Palm at the Cannes Film Festival in 1958. Samojlova won a Special Mention at Cannes and was nominated for Best Foreign Actress BAFTA Film Award in 1959. She received many offers internationally, and was invited to work in Hollywood, but the Soviet government forced her to decline any jobs outside the Soviet Union.

During the 60s, her career stagnated due to overall stagnation in the USSR under Leonid Brezhnev. In 1960 Samojlova lost her job with Mayakovsky Theatre in Moscow, and was practically unemployed for several years. Her next success came with the title role in Anna Karenina (1967), an adaptation of the eponymous novel by Lev Tolstoy by director Aleksandr Zarkhi. Samojlova starred as Anna Karenina opposite her ex-husband Vasiliy Lanovoy.

During the 80s and 90s, Tatiana Samojlova had a lengthy pause in her film career. She made a comeback in several TV series in the 2000s. She was married four times, and has one son. Samojlova was designated People's Actress of Russia (1993). She is living in Moscow, Russia.

Akshin Ali-zade was born on 22 May 1937 in Baku, USSR. Akshin was a composer, known for Sizi dünyalar qadar sevirdim (1985). Akshin died on 3 May 2014.

Zarko Petan was born on 27 March 1929 in Ljubljana, Slovenia. He was a writer and director, known for Nas clovek (1985), Kavarna Astoria (1989) and Vikend (1963). He died on 3 May 2014 in Slovenia.

Jean Gaven was born on 16 January 1922 in Saint-Rome de Cernon, Aveyron, France. He was an actor, known for ...And Hope to Die (1972), Our Men in Bagdad (1966) and Riff Raff Girls (1959). He was married to Dominique Wilms. He died on 5 May 2014 in Paris, France.