By Lee Pfeiffer

John Barry, one of the last of the great film composers who came to prominence in the 1960s, has died at age 77. Barry had been suffering ill health for a number of years and had not scored a movie since 2001. Barry came to fame in the early 1960s with his band The John Barry Seven, which scored a number of hits on the UK charts. However, it was when he turned to composing film scores that his career soared. Barry was hired to arrange composer Monty Norman's score for the first James Bond film Dr. No in 1962. His memorable version of the Bond theme remains one of the most recognizable pieces of music in the world. The success of the Bond theme led to long-standing legal disputes between Barry and Norman about who should be listed as the composer of record on the piece. Norman prevailed, but few doubt it was the Barry touch that made the theme so memorable. Barry was then hired to write the score for the the next Bond film From Russia With Love, leading to a long-term association with the series through The Living Daylights in 1987. Barry's theme songs for the Bond movies, often written with top lyricists and recorded by prominent singers and rock bands, became substantial hits.

Barry expanded beyond the Bond franchise with a stunning number of acclaimed film scores. Among them: Zulu, The Ipcress File, Born Free, Walkabout, The Lion in Winter, Midnight Cowboy, The Deep, Somewhere in Time, Out of Africa and Dances With Wolves. He was awarded five Oscars, though curiously he was never nominated for a Bond film. He had intended to return to the franchise to write the score for GoldenEye in 1995, but negotiations with MGM fell through and Barry chose not to work on the film. Barry is one of the legendary composers of his era, such as Elmer Bernstein and Jerry Goldsmith, who have built loyal followings. Barry's talents were not limited to movies. He also composed scores for stage musicals and albums not relating to motion pictures. For more click here 

By Lee Pfeiffer

David Frye, who soared to fame in the late 1960s with his devastating mimicry of Richard M. Nixon, has died in Las Vegas at age 77. Frye was an omnipresent fixture on TV variety shows especially in the lead-up to the presidential election in 1968 which saw Nixon rise from being a political has-been to being the leader of the free world after his narrow defeat of Democratic candidate Hubert Humphrey. Although Frye was an equal opportunity satirist, spoofing both liberals and conservatives, he was so closely associated with Richard Nixon that few remembered his other targets. Arguably, his career declined as some the figures he spoofed ended up with less-than-comical legacies. President Lyndon Johnson refused to run for re-election and emerged from the White House as a battered and embittered man, a victim of his Vietnam policy that overshadowed his often remarkable advances in social programs. Senator Robert F. Kennedy, whose speech patterns Frye amusingly linked to that of Bugs Bunny, was assassinated in 1968. President Nixon resigned in disgrace in 1974 after the Watergate scandal, and although Frye continued to spoof him, the nation was so torn apart by the lingering scandal, there wasn't much room for laughs. Nixon had emerged as a tragic figure, deserted by his most loyal supporters when the wake of his administration's legal transgressions became known. By the time he re-entered public life and regained some respectability as an elder statesman, the bloom was off the rose for Frye's impersonations of him. Lost in the midst of his political impersonations was the fact that Frye also had the ability to mimic legendary actors such as Kirk Douglas and George C. Scott. However, as the celebrities and political figures of our time diminished in stature, so, too, did Frye's popularity. Still, he gamely persevered and continued to with his nightclub act, comedy albums and videos that took on both Bush administrations and President Bill Clinton. Click here for more and to view vintage clips of Frye's act.

He was one of the last of the old school comedians. Rubber-faced Charlie Callas has died at age 83. A favorite of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, Callas was a staple of variety TV in the 60s and 70s, usually incorporating sound effects to great effect into his act. Callas was not without controversy and, despite being a frequent guest on The Tonight Show, once so offended Johnny Carson that he was banned from the show- on broadcast TV! Callas also morphed into making feature films, appearing in Jerry Lewis' The Big Mouth and in several Mel Brooks films. Click here for more

American baby boomers have lost another pop culture icon: the seemingly ageless Jack La Lanne has died at age 96. La Lanne was the first person to host a fitness show on American TV. His show began to be broadcast nationally in 1959. At the time, it was an innovative idea to encourage people of all ages to exercise and keep fit. La Lanne eschewed fancy equipment in favor of working with the basics. His name became synonymous with exercise and fitness and he opened the door to the countless exercise shows that now appear on international TV stations. He remained in the spotlight and retained his status of being a household name for generations of Americans. For more click here

York on the set of the 1968 film Duffy

By Lee Pfeiffer

Acclaimed British actress Susannah York has died from cancer at age 72. York, a RADA graduate, first came to prominence in the early 1960s, scoring a key role in Tunes of Glory. A rebellious spirit in the rebellious 60s, York's career initially thrived with memorable roles in films such as Tom Jones, The 7th Dawn, Sands of the Kalahari, Kaleidoscope, A Man For All Seasons, Battle of Britain and the provocative lesbian drama The Killing of Sister George. In 1970, she received a Best Supporting Actress nomination for They Shoot Horses, Don't They? True to character, she refused to attend the ceremonies. Although the best parts were behind her, York still received star billing in "A" grade productions like X, Y and Zee (aka Zee and Company) with Elizabeth Taylor and Michael Caine, and the 1974 adventure film Gold opposite Roger Moore. She also played the role of Lara in the first two Superman movies. By the 1980s, York's career came off the rails largely because she chose to devote most of her time to raising her children and working on social causes. She hit financial troubles in the late 1980s and had to sell possessions to pay her bills. For more click here

British director Peter Yates has died at age 82. Yates began his career as an assistant director for Tony Richardson and gained a reputation for action movies with his acclaimed 1967 film Robbery. His proficiency with handling large-scale car chase sequences in that film led to his being hired by Steve McQueen to direct Bullitt the following year. The San Francisco car chase sequence in that film is still regarded by many as the best in movie history. Yet Yates' talents were not just limited to action films. His work ranged from moving dramas such as Breaking Away, The Dresser and The Friends of Eddie Coyle to comedies such as The Hot Rock and the big budget 1977 adventure pic The Deep. for more click here

Character actor Bill Erwin has died at age 96. He appeared in countless TV series ranging from The Twilight Zone to Perry Mason and My Name is Earl. His portrayal of grumpy old man Sid Fields in a classic 1993 episode of Seinfeld earned him an Emmy nomination. Erwin also appeared in many feature films, most notably as the bellman in Somewhere in Time. For more click here

Pete Postlethwaite, the acclaimed British actor of stage and screen, has died from cancer at age 64. Postlethwaite had been nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the 1993 film In the Name of the Father. He was equally at ease performing Shakespeare on stage and appearing in commercial movie hits like The Lost World and Inception. Steven Spielberg, who directed him in the former, regarded him as "the best actor in the world." For more click here

Anne Francis, the sultry blonde actress who pioneered the image of women as action heroes in Honey West, has died at age 80 after battling cancer for several years. Francis entered show business at an early age, modeling as a child. She later performed on radio before landing roles in some high profile films such as Bad Day at Black Rock and the 1950s sci-fi classic Forbidden Planet. In the mid-60s, Francis broke new ground by starring as Honey West, the sexy private eye who solved cases while toting around a pet ocelot. The show only lasted a single season, but quickly developed a cult following that endures to this day. Francis was among the first actresses to portray a woman as credible hero in an era where most females were consigned to playing demure housewives. Francis also appeared in a classic episode of The Twilight Zone as a woman who finds herself trapped in a closed department store amidst some very lifelike mannequins. By the late 1960s, Francis was regarded as a supporting actress. She had roles in Funny Girl, Brainstorm and the Jerry Lewis comedy Hook, Line and Sinker, but she thrived through her work on television, where she remained active until her illness forced her into retirement several years ago. For more click here

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Grant McCune, who shared an Oscar for his ground-breaking special effects and miniature work on the original Star Wars has died at age 67. McCune was one of the most respected artists in his field. Click here for more about his life and career.