Celebrating Films of the 1960s & 1970s - Obituaries

"GONE WITH THE WIND" CHILD STAR CAMMIE KING CONLON DIES AT AGE 76; PLAYED SCARLETT AND RHETT'S DAUGHTER

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 05:53:00 -0400

Cammie King Conlon, who played Bonnie, the ill-fated daughter of Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler in Gone With the Wind died earlier this week at age 76. She largely retired from show business as a child, but did provide the voice of Faline in Disney's Bambi. Ironically, she had spoken by phone with GWTW star Olivia de Havilland just before her death. For more click here

JACKSON GILLIS, WRITER OF MANY CLASSIC TV SHOWS, DEAD AT 93

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 12:46:00 -0400

Jackson Gillis' name may not be familiar to retro TV fans but his work certainly is. He wrote memorable scripts for classic series such as The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Perry Mason, Columbo, I Spy and many others. Gillis has died at the age of 93. Click here for biography

RETRO ACTRESS AHNA CAPRI DIES IN CAR CRASH

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 09:37:20 -0400

Capri in the acclaimed 1972 film Payday

Sad to report that Ahna Capri was killed in a car accident over the weekend in LA. She began as a child actress in the 50s and morphed into a sexy 60s starlet who resembled a cross between Sandra Dee and Joey Heatherton. Using the name Anna Capri, she appeared in such films as Kisses for My President and The Girls on the Beach (co-star Gail Gerber remembers Anna as "such a lovely girl. I remember when first meeting her I couldn't believe how beautiful she was.") She popped up all over TV in such series as The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Wild Wild West, The Invaders, Run for Your Life, and It Takes a Thief. In the 70s, a la Mariana Hill, she changed her name also to Ahna Capri (she remarked, "Too many people pronounce 'Anna' with a flat 'a' and it comes out as ugly 'Aaana.'") and began to show the world she had more talent than previously being given credit especially in the underrated Payday (1972) opposite Rip Torn as one bastard of a country-western singer. She reached cult status with her appearance in Enter the Dragon (1973) with Bruce Lee and as The Specialist (1975) a sexy assassin for hire. Ahna Capri retired from acting in 1979.- -Tom Lisanti/www.sixtiescinema.com

"ROOTS" PRODUCER DAVID L. WOLPER DEAD AT AGE 82

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 05:29:00 -0400

David L. Wolper, a legend among producers, has died at age 82. Wolper's legacy is an impressive one with a string of highly acclaimed TV documentaries ranging from the Jacques Cousteau specials to The Incredible World of James Bond. His greatest triumph was the 1977 TV mini series adaptation of Alex Haley's Roots, which kept American audiences transfixed for many nights in the era before home video was widespread. Wolper also occasionally produced theatrical films. They include his acclaimed nature documentary feature The Hellstrom Chronicle, the hit comedy If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium and the 1960s epic WWII films The Devil's Brigade and The Bridge At Remagen. Click here to read Huffington Post columnist Dale Olsen's tribute to Wolper's remarkable career.

PATRICIA NEAL, OSCAR WINNER, DEAD AT AGE 84

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 18:21:00 -0400

Neal was one of the few actresses who could hold her own opposite such mercurial giants as director Otto Preminger and stars John Wayne and Kirk Douglas in the 1965 drama In Harm's Way

By Lee Pfeiffer

Patricia Neal, the tough-but-sexy actress who won an Oscar for Hud, has died at age 84. During her lifetime, she lived through many dramatic episodes including being the lover of the married Gary Cooper. She also overcame a severe stroke that threatened to sideline her career permanently, but she made a stunning comeback. Neal's film credits include the sci-fi classic from director Robert Wise The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Subject Was Roses (another Oscar nomination), the Elia Kazan classic A Face in the Crowd, Otto Preminger's WWII epic In Harm's Way and many others. However, it was her performance as the world-weary woman working on an all-male cattle ranch in Martin Ritt's 1963 drama Hud that won her the Best Actress Oscar opposite Paul Newman. Neal's performance has been called one of the great acting achievements of 1960s cinema. She continued to be a mainstay in New York society, appearing at many events up until recently. For more click here For critic John Farr's tribute to Neal, click here

LEGENDARY ART DIRECTOR ROBERT F. BOYLE DEAD AT AGE 100

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 05:51:00 -0400

Robert F. Boyle, one of the film industry's most revered and honored art directors and production designers, died earlier this week at age 100. Boyle worked with many top directors of different generations including Alfred Hitchcock, Don Siegel, Norman Jewison and Joe Dante. Boyle was nominated for four Oscars for his work on North By Northwest, the Jewison films Gaily, Gaily and Fiddler on the Roof and Siegel's 1976 classic The Shootist. Although he never won a competitive Oscar, he was given a lifetime achievement award by the Academy in 2008.He is also the subject of an acclaimed documentary film. For more about his remarkable career click here

ACTOR DAN RESIN (AKA "THE TY-D-BOL MAN") DEAD AT AGE 79

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 18:31:00 -0400

Resin (second from right) with Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield and Ted Knight in the hit 1979 comedy Caddyshack.

American baby boomers are mourning the death of 79 year old actor Dan Resin, who is better known as the Ty-D-Bol Man in a series of vintage TV commercials for a toilet cleaner. In the absurd, but iconic spots, Resin portrayed a man who lived inside your toilet tank and dispensed information about the effectiveness of Ty-D-Bol in removing bothersome stains. Resin also appeared in feature films, most notably Caddyshack as Dr. Beeper. Despite his affiliation with Ty-D-Bol, he did not live in Flushing, New York! Click here for more (Click here to watch 1971 Ty-D-Bol ad)

FAMED TV CONDUCTOR MITCH MILLER DEAD AT AGE 99

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 13:18:00 -0400

Mitch Miller immortalized in a painting by Norman Rockwell

By Lee Pfeiffer

Mitch Miller, who became a pop culture icon in the 1960s, has died at age 99. Miller was a record producer whose 1960s weekly TV show Sing Along With Mitch made him instantly recognizable throughout the world. The thin man with the Don Quixote look would conduct in a virtually immobile style as his all-male choir sang popular standards. A key novelty of the show was a bouncing ball that allowed audience members to sing along. The concept actually began with a series of records that included lyrics sheets. When transformed to TV, the show proved to be a hit, despite the fact that Miller was on the air when rock 'n roll was booming. Miller had some career mishaps including a notorious flop novelty record he produced for Frank Sinatra, one of the few embarrassments of the great singer's career. Yet, Miller remained a fixture in American pop culture long after his show left the air. Additionally, Miller also contributed to the classic 1962 war movie The Longest Day: his choir sang the title song, which was written by Paul Anka. For more click here

TOM MANKIEWICZ DEAD AT AGE 68; SCREENWRITER FOR JAMES BOND AND SUPERMAN SERIES

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 17:39:35 -0400

Mankiewicz and his wife Rosemary. (Photo: www.MI6.co.uk)

By Lee Pfeiffer

Screenwriter Tom Mankiewicz has died after a battle with cancer. He was 68 years old. Mankiewicz came from a legendary Hollywood family of screenwriters, directors and producers. He was a screenwriting novice when he was tapped by producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman to write the screenplay for the 1971 James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever. The film was especially important for the franchise because it marked Sean Connery's return to the series after a one-film absence. Although most critics attribute the injection of overt (some would say "over-the-top") humor to Roger Moore's assumption of the role in Live and Let Die (1973), this trait was actually introduced by Mankiewicz in Diamonds Are Forever and continued through his other two Bond scripts: Live and Let Die and The Man With the Golden Gun. Although Bond purists tend to be critical of the Mankiewicz trilogy because it brought the character of Bond into the realm of the absurd, there is no denying the films scored with the public and each proved to be a major financial success. Mankiewicz would later serve as Creative Consultant and uncredited screenwriter on the Superman series, where his flair for humor was more readily accepted by fans. Mankiewicz also wrote and directed the hit 1987 big screen comedy version of Dragnet. For an in-depth look at his career, click here to visit the MI6 web site.

PETER FERNANDEZ, VOICE OF "SPEED RACER", DEAD AT 83

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 12:44:00 -0400

Peter Fernandez, who provided the voice for the title character in the cult 1960s Japanimation TV series Speed Racer, has died at age 83. Fernandez also wrote the famous title song for the series. He was associated with other well-known Japanese animation series and even made a cameo in the 2008 big screen live action version of Speed Racer. For more click here

ACTRESS VONETTA MCGEE DEAD AT AGE 65; "THE EIGER SANCTION" AND "SHAFT IN AFRICA" AMONG HER CREDITS

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 15:23:32 -0400

McGee with Eastwood on the set of The Eiger Sanction

Vonetta McGee, one of the most prominent actresses to gain fame during the period of Blaxploitation films in the 1970s, has died at age 65. She had been battling health problems since she was teenager and had been on life support for the last few days. McGee resented the term Blaxploitation and felt frustrated that she never received studio support to emerge as a bigger star. Still, she worked consistently and in hit films like Blacula, Shaft in Africa, Melinda and Thomasine and Bushrod. She also had a few key roles in The Lost Man opposite Sidney Poitier, and most notably, as the female lead, Jemima Brown, in Clint Eastwood's 1975 spy thriller The Eiger Sanction. In later years, she had a recurring role on TV series L.A. Law. For more click here

Click here to watch the original trailer for The Eiger Sanction

ALAN HUME, ACCLAIMED JAMES BOND AND STAR WARS DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY, DEAD AT 85

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 11:57:35 -0400

Alan Hume, one of the most accomplished directors of photography has died aged 85.A veteran of over 100 films, Alan Hume began his career as a clapper boy on David Lean's In Which We Serve, Great Expectations and Oliver Twist. He progressed up the ranks to focus puller by his third film with Lean. When Our Girl Friday (starring a young Joan Collins) came along in 1953, Hume was promoted to camera operator and shot 27 more films as camera operator in 7 years. He gained a reputation for being fast, efficient and a brilliant photographer - which deeply impressed Carry On producer Peter Rogers, who put Hume under contract and offered him the chance to become a director of photography in 1960 on No Kidding. Over the next forty years, Hume lit over 150 films and TV shows.Among his credits were fifteen Carry On films, Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Stepping Out, Shirley Valentine, A Fish Called Wanda, The Land That Time Forgot, Shout At The Devil and TV shows The Avengers, Space Precinct and Acapulco HEAT. James Bond producer Albert R. Broccoli was so impressed by Hume's work that he hired him for four 007 blockbusters: The Spy Who Loved Me, For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy and A View to a Kill.

Alan Hume was regarded as a true gentleman within his chosen industry. As a friend and supporter of Cinema Retro, we mourn his loss.- Dave Worrall and Lee Pfeiffer

(Cinema Retro columnist Gareth Owen co-authored Alan Hume's 2004 autobiography A Life Through the Lens: Memoirs of a Film Cameraman. To read about Hume's remarkable career, click here to order from Amazon USA , click here to order from Amazon UK.)

BREAKING NEWS! ELLIOTT KASTNER, FAMED PRODUCER, DEAD AT AGE 80

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 12:24:56 -0400

Kastner with Clint Eastwood on the set of the 1969 MGM epic Where Eagles Dare. (Photo: Cinema Retro Archives)

By Lee Pfeiffer

Producer Elliott Kastner has died at age 80. Known for his humorous personality and penchant for off-color jokes, Kastner was a larger-than-life character. Although born in America, he made England his home through much of his career and maintained an office at Pinewood Studios until the end of his life. Kastner moved from the music industry into film production with his first credit as producer on the 1965 film Bus Riley's Back in Town. He was one of the first producers to secure independent financing for his films, then sell the distribution rights to major studios. Kastner had many high profile films to his credit including Harper with Paul Newman, The Missouri Breaks and The Nightcomers- both with Marlon Brando, and perhaps most notably the 1969 MGM WWII film Where Eagles Dare with Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood. The film was based on a story by Alistair MacLean and Kastner went on to adapt other works by the author for the screen including Breakheart Pass, Fear is the Key and When Eight Bells Toll. He also brought the character of detective Philip Marlowe back to the screen in the 1970s with The Long Goodbye, The Big Sleep and Farewell, My Lovely, the latter two starring Robert Mitchum.

Continue reading "BREAKING NEWS! ELLIOTT KASTNER, FAMED PRODUCER, DEAD AT AGE 80"

RONALD NEAME, LEGENDARY BRITISH FILMMAKER, DEAD AT AGE 99

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 10:35:39 -0400

By Lee Pfeiffer

Ronald Neame, the legendary cinematographer-turned-screenwriter-turned producer-turned director, has died from complications from a fall. He was 99 years old. Neame's impressive resume goes back to the early days of sound films, having worked on on Alfred Hitchcock's Blackmail. The multi-talented Neame also took up screenwriting and earned Oscar nominations for co-writing the scripts for the classics Brief Encounter and Great Expectations. He was considered a pioneer in the use of Technicolor and was so revered in the British film industry that he was made a Commander of the British Empire. Neame represented the by-gone era of gentleman directors who generally dressed nattily on film sets and brought a wealth of culture to their productions. He directed such high profile films as Tunes of Glory, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, The Chalk Garden, Gambit, Scrooge, The Odessa File and the blockbuster 1972 hit The Poseidon Adventure. For more click here

SINGER/SONGWRITER/ACTOR JIMMY DEAN DEAD AT AGE 81

nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 13:32:00 -0400

Dean as Willard Whyte in Diamonds Are Forever

Jimmy Dean, who turned his brand of corn pone charm into a major asset, has died at age 81. Dean jumped to fame with his classic Country and Western ode Big Bad John in 1961. He successfully entered many different careers ranging from TV show host to entertaining before large audiences in concert. The food company he started still bares his name, though he had sold his interests in it many years ago. Dean also dabbled in acting and landed a role still revered by James Bond fans: as the reclusive billionaire Willard Whyte in the 1971 007 blockbuster Diamonds Are Forever. For more click here