Fred Foy, the man who immortalized the Lone Ranger on radio through his now legendary introduction, has died at age 89. Click here for details on his life and career. (Thanks to Graham Hill for the tip)

Cole in Twist Around the Clock

Clay Cole, perhaps the only host of a rock 'n roll TV variety show to rival the popularlity of Dick Clark in the 1960s, has died at age 72. Cole helped popularize such bands and singers as The Beatles, The Who, Neil Diamond, The Doors and The Rolling Stones (though he loathed their unkempt appearance). Cole was co-starred with Chubby Checker in the film Twist Around the Clock. It was on a broadcast of Cole's show televised from New Jersey's legendary Palisades Amusement Park that Checker introduced his version of The Twist that would be synonymous with the his name. Cole's popularity endured enough to have had a fan club- The Claymates- in existence for the last 50 years. For more click here

Director/writer Blake Edwards, who graduated from directing episodic TV in the 1950s to being one of the top feature film directors of his era, has died at age 88. He had been quite infirm for over a year. Julie Andrews, Edwards' wife since 1968, was at his side when he passed away. Edwards had his share of films that were unsuccessful with critics and the public, but when his films did click they were often huge successes. He directed the Pink Panther series despite having personal differences with his temperamental star Peter Sellers. He also had an enormous hit with the 1979 comedy 10 that made Bo Derek a household name. Less appreciated by mainstream audiences was S.O.B., his scathing 1981 satiric attack on Hollywood studio executives that many speculated was based on Paramount's having cut his 1970 film Darling Lili against his wishes. Julie Andrews starred in several of his films, most successfully in Victor, Victoria. Edwards also directed the classic film adaptation of Truman Capote's Breakfast at Tiffanys. For more on Edwards' life and career click here

By Bruce Marshall

Director and actor Lamont Johnson passed away in October at age 88. Every obituary I have read leads with the sentence "Emmy- winning director..." and he did do marvelous work on episodic TV (The Twilight Zone), "Movies of the Week" (That Certain Summer) and mini-series (Lincoln).

On a personal level, I will always remember him as one the best, most underrated directors of the 70s. One of his films- The Groundstar Conspiracy (1972) stars George Peppard  -who has never been better- as a ruthless government investigator in the first, and, imho, best of the classic conspiracy thrillers from the 70s (All The President's Men, The Parallax View, Three Days of the Condor, Executive Action). Like much of Johnson's best television work, complex political, moral and ethical issues are weaved into an engrossing  melodrama. Unlike the other fine films mentioned , there is real pathos here. One cannot help but feel an emotional connection to Michael Sarrazin and Christine Belford as they struggle to make sense of their shattered lives. The final confrontation between Sarrazin and Peppard in a deserted security complex is absolutely mesmerizing, and will leave you breathless. The Groundstar Conspiracy was not a box-office hit,  but it did receive considerable critical acclaim. When it made its network television premiere, TV Guide promoted  it with a "Close-up" review - an honor reserved only for the most prestigious motion pictures. A true suspense classic, it deserves to be rediscovered by future generations of film fans.

French poster for The McKenzie Break

Another 70s thriller worth seeking out is The McKenzie Break (1970) starring Brian Keith. Keith plays a Irish/British officer tasked with preventing German soldiers from escaping an Allied POW camp in Scotland (!) This one of the most intriguing WWII films ever made. A classic battle of wits combined with exciting action, this dynamic film, like Groundstar, has an unforgettable climax. 

For the Cinema Retro family, the passing of Mr. Johnson is especially poignant. A fan of old -time radio, I am a regular listener to Greg Bell's satellite radio program Radio Classics on Sirius/XM. One evening, whilst listening to an episode of Tarzan, Mr. Bell informed his audience that Tarzan was voiced by none other than Lamont Johnson. Thrilled by this news, I proposed an article featuring an interview with Mr. Johnson, to CR. editor-in-chief Lee Pfeiffer. Lee was supportive of the idea and encouraged me to  begin preparation. I tried as hard as I could  to reach  Mr. Johnson over the summer but to no avail. I will always regret the missed opportunity.

In the meantime, I recommend visiting the Archive of American Television web site where you can access a lengthy interview conducted with Lamont Johnson about his outstanding work in the medium.

Comments on this article can be sent to the the author combrm@yahoo.com

(Note: The Groundstar Conspiracy is out of print on DVD. Click here to order The McKenzie Break on Amazon)

(Legendary New York restaurant owner Elaine Kaufman has died at age 81, a staggering loss to Gotham's social scene. Elaine's restaurant was a favored hang-out for celebrities, largely because Elaine would use her less-than-shy demeanor and imposing physical presence to ensure that no one pestered the stars. Long time ABC radio film critic Bill Diehl shares his memories of Elaine in this exclusive column for Cinema Retro) 

By Bill Diehl

This photo was taken last year when I dined at Elaine's with my one-time intern, Emily Smolar, now a producer at Paula Zahn's "On the Case."  Emily took the photo. I reminded Elaine that I first met her in the late 1960s when WNEW's Jim Lowe took me up to her restaurant at 88th and Second Avenue.  "Elaine," he said, "I want you to meet one of the newest member's of our WNEW staff, newsman Bill Diehl."  And as I recall Elaine said, "Jim, any friend of yours is a friend of mine."  I was never a frequent visitor to Elaine's after Jim's introduction although I returned in the mid 80s for the promotion of a book about Hugh Hefner's Playboy, "Mr.Hugh Hefner and the American Dream," by Steven Watts. 
Hef wasn't there (I did meet him in 2000 when I had a private visit to 'The Mansion' for an interview) but his daughter Christie was at Elaine's for the book party along with lots of other celebs. 

Among the quotes about Elaine's passing---these from the Daily News:

Author Gay Talese: "We're all a little less alive today with Elaine dead."  

Woody Allen: "She protected everybody. The bar was so full of celebrated people. But you were
never bothered, because everybody was a bigger deal than you." 

And I love this,  from the N.Y.Times obit---a guy at the restaurant once asked Elaine for directions at the men's room.
Elaine said, "It's in the back...take a right at Michael Caine." She was quite something, a real New York fixture.  Lots of obits in the NY Papers...NY Times of course has a lengthy one, also the Daily News and the NY Post. 

Food was never great at Elaine's but of course celebs didn't go there for the food...they wanted a 'den mother' and that was Elaine.  

Click here for NY Times obituary