Deaths: February 4

Abel Santa Cruz was born in 1915 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was a writer and producer, known for Cops and Robbers (1994), Niña de mi corazón (2010) and Destino de un capricho (1972). He was married to Eva Ziegler, Teresa Blasco, Elcira Olivera Garcés and Silvia Montanari. He died on 4 February 1995 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Andrew MacLachlan was born on 27 February 1941 in Trearrdur Bay, Anglesey, Wales, UK. He was an actor, known for Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979), Time Bandits (1981) and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988). He was married to Georgina Morton. He died on 4 February 2019.

Ann Belsky was born on 5 February 1956 in Canada. She is known for Death of a Salesman (1985), Star Wars: Ewoks (1985) and Late Night with David Letterman (1982). She was married to Rick Moranis. She died on 4 February 1991 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA.

Arnold Schulman was born on 11 August 1925 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He was a writer and producer, known for Goodbye, Columbus (1969), Love with the Proper Stranger (1963) and And the Band Played On (1993). He was married to Diana Solomon. He died on 4 February 2023 in Santa Monica, California, USA.

Augusta Dabney was born on 23 October 1916 in Berkeley, California, USA. She was an actress, known for Running on Empty (1988), The Paper (1994) and That Night! (1957). She was married to William Prince and Kevin McCarthy. She died on 4 February 2008 in Dobbs Ferry, New York, USA.

Baird Stafford was born on 23 April 1947 in Boulder, Colorado, USA. He was an actor, known for Nightmare (1981) and Dog Tags (1987). He was married to Harvey Newstrom. He died on 4 February 2023 in Melbourne, Florida, USA.

Popular African-American vocalist and entertainer Barbara McNair dazzled audiences with her singing prowess and exceptional beauty for well over four decades until her death on February 4, 2007 of throat cancer in Los Angeles. The Chicago-born entertainer and one-time secretary was raised in Racine, Wisconsin, one of five children born to Horace and Claudia Taylor McNair. She sang in her church choir and was encouraged by her parents to pursue voice. Following music studies at the Racine Conservatory of Music and the American Conservatory of Music in her hometown Chicago, she moved to Los Angeles and attended USC before relocating once again to New York to pursue her dream.

Barbara worked her way up from typist to singer of small supper clubs to headlining large showrooms as one of America's more visible singers of the late 50s and 60s. A jazz stylist influenced by the great Sarah Vaughan at first, she gently eased into popular music. Her first big break came with a week-long gig on Arthur Godfrey's talent show, which led to bookings at The Purple Onion, The Persian Room and L.A.'s Cocoanut Grove. She began receiving invites on the TV variety circuit ('Ed Sullivan's "Toast of the Town," "The Dean Martin Show" and "The Tonight Show") and made it to Broadway with the musicals "The Body Beautiful" (1958) and "No Strings" (1962), replacing original star Diahann Carroll in the latter. At different times she recorded on the Coral, Signature and Motown labels resulting in such modest hits as "You're Gonna Love My Baby" and "Bobby."

In the late 60s Barbara made a choice to scout out acting roles, hoping to parlay her singing success into a movie career. The singer showed initial promise as a sexy lead alongside Raymond St. Jacques in the gritty crime drama If He Hollers, Let Him Go! (1968) in which she made news with her celebrated nude sequences. She also wore a nun's habit alongside Mary Tyler Moore in Elvis Presley's last feature film Change of Habit (1969), and appeared opposite Sidney Poitier as Virgil Tibbs' wife in both They Call Me Mister Tibbs! (1970) and The Organization (1971). A warm, inviting presence, she pioneered her own syndicated musical TV show The Barbara McNair Show (1969), a rarity at the time for a black entertainer, and guested on all the popular TV programs of the day including "Mission: Impossible," "Hogan's Heroes" and "I Spy."

The early 1970s were a difficult time for Barbara when offers suddenly stopped coming in and her husband/manager, who had mob affiliations, was shot and killed in 1976. Barbara went on to appear in such stage musicals as "The Pajama Game" and "Sophisticated Ladies", and was also seen in a recurring role for a time on General Hospital (1963) in later years. She was also spotted in a couple of obscure films in the 80s and 90s. Barbara's love of performing continued even in lesser venues -- cabaret clubs, cruise ships, special events and even retirement centers in Florida -- still sporting her stunning looks and vocal sparkle. In 2006 she opened for Bob Newhart in Philadelphia and New Jersey. Married four times in all, Barbara died at age 72 and was survived by husband, Charles Blecka.

Bertha Moss was born on 7 August 1919 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She was an actress, known for The Exterminating Angel (1962), No se mande, profe (1969) and Corazón salvaje (1977). She died on 4 February 2008 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Bill Britten was born on 15 November 1927 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He was an actor, known for Bozo the Clown (1959), Bozo's Big Top Circus! (1961) and Bozo's Cartoon Circus Lunchtime Show! (1961). He was married to Mary Louise Jones. He died on 4 February 2020 in Ridgewood, New Jersey, USA.

Brooke Ellison was born on 20 October 1978 in Rockville Centre, New York, USA. She was a writer and producer, known for Hope Deferred (2009), The Brooke Ellison Story (2004) and Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (2024). She died on 4 February 2024 in Stony Brook, New York, USA.

Claudio Bonadío was born on 1 February 1956 in San Martín, Argentina. He died on 4 February 2020 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Dieter Schaad was born on 2 April 1926 in Wiesbaden, Hesse, Germany. He was an actor, known for Die Denunziantin (1993), Victor and the Secret of Crocodile Mansion (2012) and Club der roten Bänder (2015). He was married to Dagmar Hessenland. He died on 4 February 2023 in Wiesbaden, Hesse, Germany.

Donald Byrd was born on 9 December 1932 in Detroit, Michigan, USA. He was an actor and composer, known for Confidence (2003), Very Bad Things (1998) and A Bronx Tale (1993). He was married to Lorraine Glover. He died on 4 February 2013 in Dover, Delaware, USA.

Edwin Jackson was born on 19 December 1991 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. He died on 4 February 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.

Esmond Bradley Martin was born on 17 April 1941 in New York, New York, USA. He was married to Chryssee Martin. He died on 4 February 2018 in Nairobi, Kenya.

Iglesias was a prolific supporting actor found in many Hollywood westerns of the 50s and 60s. He was born Eugene Luis Francisco Iglesias Carrillo in San Juan, Puerto Rico, said to have come from a distinguished family with connections to José Luis Alberto Muñoz Marín, the first elected governor of Puerto Rico. Iglesias arrived in California as a student, was signed by Columbia and made his debut as Mel Ferrer's determined younger matador brother in The Brave Bulls (1951). Thereafter, he found his niche in westerns playing an assortment of colourful characters, sometimes outlaws (perhaps his best-remembered tole as Johnny Sombrero in The Duel at Silver Creek (1952)), often Native Americans (Chibiabos in Hiawatha (1952), Gray Eagle in Jack McCall, Desperado (1953), Chato in Taza, Son of Cochise (1954) and Walk the Proud Land (1956)). Other roles cast him as Italians (the impassioned patriot Rollo D'Anterras in Mask of the Avenger (1951)), Hispanics (Don Manuel Arriega in Cowboy (1958)) or Portuguese (Paulo in East of Sumatra (1953)). Iglesias segued into TV work from the mid-60s and retired from acting in 1970.

Born in Pasadena, California, George Nader became interested in acting while still in school and appeared in several productions at the Pasadena Playhouse. This led to several small parts in movies before earning the lead role in the ridiculous 3-D thriller Robot Monster (1953). The movie was bad but profitable, and Nader soon had a contract with Universal Pictures. Unfortunately, the studio already had on its roster such good-looking and athletic actors as Rock Hudson, Tony Curtis and Jeff Chandler, so Nader often found himself being cast in their leftovers, usually playing parts that emphasized his "beefcake" appeal. (At 6' 1" and 180 pounds, Nader had the kind of physique fan magazines drooled over and unlike many of his colleagues, he frequently appeared with his chest hair intact.) However, he did enjoy a few good years in the mid-1950s, turning in a commendable performance in Away All Boats (1956) before his career began to decline. He tried his hand at three TV series and then relocated to Europe, where he enjoyed a modest revival in the late 1960s starring as "Jerry Cotton" in a series of West German films.

Giampiero Artegiani was born on 14 May 1955 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. He was a director and writer, known for Silvia Salemi: Si, Forever (2003), I Hate Summer (2020) and Il mostro di Firenze (2009). He died on 4 February 2019 in Rome, Lazio, Italy.

Gianluca Floris was born in 1964 in Cagliari, Italy. He was an actor, known for Falstaff (2006), Il Corsaro (2005) and Verdi: Attila (2019). He was married to Stefania Medda. He died on 4 February 2022 in Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy.

Gianni Minervini was born on 26 October 1928 in Naples, Campania, Italy. He was a producer and actor, known for Where's Picone? (1984), Turné (1990) and Fuori stagione (1980). He died on 4 February 2020 in Rome, Italy.

Irina Sanpiter was born on 17 December 1957 in Moscow, RSFSR, USSR. She was an actress, known for Ekipazh (1980), Nata d'amore (1984) and Lacrime napulitane (1981). She was married to Toni Evangelisti. She died on 4 February 2018 in Rome, Lazio, Italy.

Izzy Young was born on 26 March 1928 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Det finns inga smålänningar (1981), Evil Ed (1995) and Folklore Center Blues (2017). He died on 4 February 2019 in Stockholm, Sweden.

Jan Hintjens was born on 25 August 1958 in Schoten, België. Jan was a director and producer, known for Odmazda (2001), Marie Antoinette Is Not Dead (1996) and Ely-paly or Mitki in Europe (1990). Jan died on 4 February 2022 in Bornem, België.

Jane Milmore was born on 25 March 1955 in Laramie, Wyoming, USA. She was a producer and writer, known for Daddy Dearest (1993), Anything But Love (1989) and The Hughleys (1998). She was married to Richard Vaczy. She died on 4 February 2020 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Joe Dowell was born on 23 January 1940 in Bloomington, Indiana, USA. He was an actor, known for Rock & Chips (2010), Kottan ermittelt (1976) and Schlager-Raketen (1960). He died on 4 February 2016 in Bloomington, Illinois, USA.