Spradlin gave a memorable performance in his brief appearance in Apocalypse Now.

Character actor G.D. Spradlin, who portrayed gruff, no-nonsense tough guys, died last week at the age of 90. Spradlin had a a commanding screen presence and his most memorable roles include a corrupt U.S. senator in The Godfather Part II and the U.S. Army general who sends Captain Willard on his secret mission to kill Colonel Kurtz in Apocalypse Now. For more click here

Most people think of Ursula Andress as the first on-screen James Bond girl. In fact, eight years before Andress made her memorable entrance in the 1962 007 film Dr. No, actress Linda Christian portrayed the femme fatale in the 1954 live CBS one-hour TV version of Casino Royale that starred Barry Nelson as "Card Sense" Jimmy Bond. Christian had been a contract player for MGM and was once married to screen heartthrob Tyrone Power. She passed away this week after a battle with cancer at age 87. For more click here

Actress Googie Withers has died at age 94. Among her classic films: Alfred Hitchcock's The Lady Vanishes, One of our Aircraft is Missing and Shine. Click here for details

Schwartz was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2008.

Producer Sherwood Schwartz has died at age 94. Schwartz started off as a writer during the Golden Age of television and graduated to developing and producing his own shows. His most notable successes were Gilligan's Island and The Brady Bunch. Both were disdained by critics but were popular during their initial runs and became even more so in syndication. He is survived by his wife of 70 years. Click here for more

Acclaimed British actress Anna Massey, the daughter of actor Raymond Massey, has passed away at age 73. Widely respected in England for her many costume dramas on British TV, Massey is best known to American audiences for her roles in two classic films about serial killers: Michael Powell's  Peeping Tom and Alfred Hitchcock's Frenzy, in which she played the ill-fated barmaid Babs. Massey overcame many obstacles and crisis in her personal life including battling anorexia and a tumultuous marriage to actor Jeremy Brett. Massey was awarded a CBE title in 2004. For more click here

(For coverage of the making of Peeping Tom, see issue #20 of Cinema Retro)