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BABY PEGGY, 101 - February 24, 2020
Actress Diana Serra Cary, who was famous as a child star in the silent era under the name Baby Peggy, died in Gustine, California, on February 24, 2020. She was born Peggy-Jean Montgomery in San Diego, California, on October 29, 1918. Her father, Jack Montgomery, was a former cowboy who worked in films as a stuntman for Tom Mix in westerns. She was discovered while visiting the set at Century Studios in Hollywood at the age of 19 months. She was cast opposite the studio's canine star "Brownie the Wonder Dog" in the 1921 film "Playmates". She made over 100 short comedy films for the studio over the next three years, becoming one of the leading child stars of the silent era. Her numerous shorts include "Her Circus Man" (1921), "On with the Show" (1921), "The Kid's Pal" (1921), "On Account" (1921), "Pals" (1921), "Third Class Male" (1921), "The Clean Up" (1921), "Golfing" (1921), "Brownie's Little Venus" (1921), "A Week Off" (1921), "Brownie's Baby Doll" (1921), "Sea Shore Shapes" (1921), "A Muddy Bride" (1921), "Teddy's Goat" (1921), "Get-Rich-Quick Peggy" (1921), "Chums" (1921), "The Straphanger" (1922), "Circus Clowns" (1922), "Little Miss Mischief" (1922), "Peggy, Behave!" (1922), "The Little Rascal" (1922), "Little Red Riding Hood" (1922), "Peg o' the Movies" (1923), "Sweetie" (1923), "The Kid Reporter" (1923), "Taking Orders" (1923), "Tips" (1923), "Carmen, Jr." (1923), "Little Miss Hollywood" (1923), "Miles of Smiles" (1923), "Hansel and Gretel" (1923), "Such Is Life" (1924), "Peg o' the Mounted" (1924), "Out Pet"(1924), "The Flower Girl" (1924), "Stepping Some" (1924), "Poor Kid" (1924), and "Jack and the Beanstalk" (1924). She appeared in several silent features including "Fool's Paradise" (1921), "Penrod" (1922), "Fools First" (1922), and "Hollywood" (1923). She signed with Universal in 1923 and starred in the 1923 film "The Darling of New York". She became a major star, making personal appearances and appearing on magazine covers and advertisements. She was named the Official Mascot of the Democratic National Convention in 1924 and stood onstage with the Party's rising star Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Various merchandise carried her likeness including the set of Baby Peggy dolls. She was also seen in the films "The Law Forbids" (1924), "Captain January" (1924), "The Family Secret" (1924), "Helen's Babies" (1924), and "April Fool" (1926). Her career largely ended in 1925 following an argument between her father and producer Sol Lesser about her salary. She continued to perform on the vaudeville stage throughout the United States and Canada for the remainder of the decade. Her parents controlled her salary and money and most of her fortune was squandered or lost when she was still a child. The majority of early films did not survive and records of their production have also been lost over the years. Peggy returned to the screen in small roles in the mid-1930s including "8 Girls in a Boat" (1934), the serial "The Return of Chandu" (1934), "A Girl of the Limberlost" (1934), "Ah Wilderness!" (1935), "Girls' Dormitory" (1936), "Souls at sea" (1937), "True Confession" (1937), and "Having a Wonderful Time" (1938). She abandoned films following her marriage to Gordon Ayres in 1938 and took the name Diana Ayres. She occasional wrote for radio programs and held various other jobs. She later worked a freelance writer for magazines and newspapers. She penned her memoirs, "What Ever Happened to Baby Peggy: The Autobiography of Hollywood's Pioneer Child Star", in 1996. She also wrote about Hollywood in the books "The Hollywood Posse: The Story of a Gallant Band of Horsemen Who Made Movie History" (1975), "Hollywood's Children: An Inside Account of the Child Star Era" (1997), and "Jackie Coogan: The World's Boy King: A Biography of Hollywood's Legendary Child Star" (2003). She self-published her first novel, "The Drowning of the Moon", in 2017. She and Gordon Ayres were married from 1938 until their divorce in 1948. She was married to Bob Cary from 1954 until his death in 2003. She is survived by their son, Mark.
DICK BALDUZZI, 91 - January 27, 2020
Actor Dick Balduzzi died in West Whiteland Township, Pennsylvania, on January 27, 2020. Balduzzi was born in Alliance, Ohio, on February 9, 1928. He served in the U.S. Navy before training as an actor at the Goodman Theatre School of Drama in Chicago. He subsequently moved to New York to began his career on stage. He was a popular character actor on television from the 1950s with small roles in episodes of "The Honeymooners", "Ben Casey", "The Lawbreakers", "The Farmer's Daughter", "Hazel", "I Dream of Jeannie", "Gidget", "Bewitched", "Camp Runamuck", "Love on a Rooftop", "It's About Time", "Judd for the Defense", "The Flying Nun", "It Takes a Thief", "That Girl", "Here Come the Brides", "The Bill Cosby Show", "The Paul Lynde Show", "The Mary Tyler Moore Show", "Thicker Than Water", "The Partridge Family", "Police Story", "The New Dick Van Dyke Show", "The Girl with Something Extra", "Happy Days", "Toma", "Police Woman", "Cannon", "Kojak", "The Bob Crane Show", "The Invisible Man", "McMillan & Wife", "Holmes & Yoyo", "Most Wanted", "The Bionic Woman", "The Amazing Spider-Man", "The Rockford Files", "Barney Miller", "Mrs. Columbo", "Here's Boomer", "Foul Play", "Darkroom", "Simon & Simon", "The A-Team", "Comedy Factory", "Amazing Stories", "Murder, She Wrote", "Jake and the Fatman", and "Columbo". His other television credits include the tele-films "A Bell for Adano" (1967), "Under the Yum Yum Tree" (1969), "The Feminist and the Fuzz" (1971), "Two on a Bench" (1971), "Playmates" (1972), "Message to My Daughter" (1973), "Pete 'n' Tillie" (1974), "A Shadow in the Streets" (1975), "The San Pedro Bums" (1977), "Cocaine and Blue Eyes" (1983), "Carpool" (1983), "Brothers-in-Law" (1985), and "Killer Instinct" (1988). He as featured in a handful of films during his career including "Kelly's Heroes" (1970), "The Don Is Dead" (1973), "Newman's Law" (1974), "Coma" (1978), "Fatso" (1980), "The Postman Always Rings Twice" (1981), "Zorro, the Gay Blade" (1981), "Zapped!" (1982), "Johnny Dangerously" (1984), and "Into the Night" (1985). Balduzzi married Phyllis Jarzembski in 1959 and his survived by her and their daughter.
ORSON BEAN, 91 - February 7, 2020
Actor and comedian Orson Bean, who was a panelist on the early television game show "To Tell the Truth", was killed after being struck by two automobiles while walking through the Venice section of Los Angeles, California, on February 7, 2020. He was born Dallas Burrows in Burlington, Vermont, on July 22, 1928. He graduated from the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School in 1946 before joining the U.S. Army. He began performing as a stage magician after his discharge. He became a stand-up comic at small nightclubs in the early 1950s, taking the name Orson Bean. He served as host of NBC Radio's weekly jazz series "The Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street" for several months in 1952. He soon began a long stint as the featured act at the popular New York City club The Blue Angel and served as host of a summer television variety series of the same name in 1954. His television career, which included multiple appearances on "The Ed Sullivan Show", was briefly sidetracked when he was put on the Hollywood blacklist for dating a Communist girl. He continued to perform on stage and was seen on Broadway in productions of "Men of Distinction" (1953), "John Murray Anderson's Almanac" (1953), the hit comedy "Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?" (1955) with Jayne Mansfield, "Nature's Way" (1957), "Subways Are for Sleeping" (1961) earning a Tony Award nomination, "Never Too Late" (1962), "I Was Dancing" (1964), "The Roar of the Greasepaint - The Smell of the Crowd" (1965), and "Illya Darling" (1967). Bean served as a regular panelist on the game shows "To Tell the Truth", "What's My Line?", and "I've Got a Secret". He was a guest on such television series as "The Arthur Murray Party", "Strike It Rich", "Omnibus", "The Garry Moore Show", "The Vic Damone Show", "Make Me Laugh", "Keep Talking", "The Ben Hecht Show", "Laugh Line", "The Jack Paar Tonight Show" serving as a frequent guest host in the late 1950s and early 1960s, "Stump the Stars", "Candid Camera", "Picture This", "Get the Message", "Password", "The Les Crane Show", "Call My Bluff", "The Joan Rivers Show", "The Joey Bishop Show", "The Generation Gap", "The Jackie Gleason Show", "The Match Game", "The Dean Martin Show", "You're Putting Me On", "Today", "He Said, She Said", "The David Frost Show", "The Dick Cavett Show", "The Mike Douglas Show", "Dinah!", "Celebrity Sweepstakes", "Showoffs", "Tattletales", "Rhyme and Reason", "Stumpers!", "Break the Bank", "The Bob Braun Show", "Match Game", "Hollywood Connection", "The $10,000 Pyramid", "The Alan Hamel Show", "The Merv Griffin Show", "The Toni Tennille Show", "The Alan Thicke Show", "Body Language", "Super Password", "Reading Rainbow", "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" frequently guest-hosting, "Vicki!", and "Dennis Miller". He starred in productions of "Three Men on a Horse" (1952) and "Nothing But the Truth" (1952) for "Broadway Television Theatre" and was Mortimer Brewster in a 1955 production of "Arsenic and Old Lace" for "The Best of Broadway". He was Dr. William Sawyer in a 1959 television adaptation of "Miracle on 34th Street". He was also seen in episodes of "Goodyear Playhouse", "Robert Montgomery Presents", "The Elgin Hour", "Omnibus", "Studio One in Hollywood", "Kraft Theatre", "Playhouse 90", "The Phil Silvers Show", "The Millionaire", "The Twilight Zone" starring in the 1960 episode "Mr. Bevis", "Play of the Week", "The DuPont Show with June Allyson", "Naked City", "The United States Steel Hour", "Vacation Playhouse", "Love, American Style", "NET Playhouse", "Ellery Queen", "Forever Fernwood" as Reverend Brim in 1977, "The Love Boat", "One Life to Live", "The Fall Guy", "The Facts of Life" in the recurring role of Oliver Thompson from 1986 to 1987, "Murder, She Wrote", "Monsters", "Diagnosis Murder", "Ellen", "Thanks", "Ally McBeal", "The King of Queens", "Family Law", "Will & Grace", "Normal, Ohio" as Bill Gamble, Sr., in 2000, "Manhattan, AZ", "Becker", "7th Heaven", "Cold Case", "Two and a Half Men", "Commander in Chief", "The Closer", "The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman", "Women's Murder Club", "How I Met Your Mother", "The Sarah Silverman Program", "Hot in Cleveland", "Mistresses", "Modern Family", "The Bold and the Beautiful", "Another Period" (2016), "The Guest Book", "Teachers", "Superstore", and "Grace and Frankie". Bean was noted later in his career for his role as general store owner Loren Bray in the series "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman", starring Jane Seymour, from 1993 to 1998, and the 1999 tele-film "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman: The Movie". He was Roy Bend in "Desperate Housewives" from 2009 to 2012. His other television credits include productions of "The Star Wagon" (1966), "The Spy Who Returned from the Dead" (1974), "Chance of a Lifetime" (1991), "Just My Imagination" (1992), "Knee High P.I." (2003), "Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of 'Charlie's Angels'" (2004), "Katie Sullivan" (2006), "Safe Harbor" (2009), and "A Golden Christmas 3" (2012). He was a voice performer in the animated shows "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" (1970), "The Hobbit" (1977) as the voice of Bilbo Baggins, "The Return of the King" (1980) as Bilbo and Frodo Baggins, "Garfield in the Rough" (1984), and "Tiny Toon Adventures" (1990) as the voice of Gepetto. Bean appeared in occasional films throughout his career including "How to Be Very, Very Popular" (1955), "Anatomy of a Murder" (1959), "London Affair" (1970), "Forty Deue" (1982), "Smart Alec" (1986), "Innerspace" (1987), "Instant Karma" (1990), "Final Judgement" (1992), "One of Those Nights" (1997), "Being John Malkovich" (1999), "Unbowed" (1999), "Burning Down the House" (2001), "The Gristle" (2001), "Frank McKlusky, C.I." (2002), "Myron's Movie" (2004), "Soccer Dog: European Cup" (2004), "Yesterday's Dreams" (2005), "Alien Autopsy" (2006), "The Lather Effect" (2006), "The Novice" (2006), "Game of Life" (2007), "Mattie Fresno and the Holoflux Universe" (2007), "Ashley's Ashes" (2010), "Wake Up America!" (2016), and "The Equalizer 2" (2018). He was a fan of comics Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy and was co-founder of the group The Sons of the Desert, dedicated to their works. He was author of the 1971 book, "Me and the Orgone: The True Story of One Man's Sexual Awakening", and the 1988 memoir, "Too Much Is Not Enough". He was married to actress Rain Winslow (aka Jacqueline de Sibour) from 1956 until their divorce in 1962, and is survived by their daughter, Michele. He married actress and fashion designer Carolyn Maxwell in 1965. They divorced in 1981 and he is survived by their three children, Max, Susannah, and Ezekiel. He married actress Alley Mills, a co-star on the "Dr. Quinn" series, in 1993, and she also survives him.
WILLIAM BOGERT, 83 - January 12, 2020
Character actor William Bogert, who starred in the television sitcom "Small Wonder", died in New York City on January 12, 2020. Bogert was born in New York City on January 24, 1936. He performed on the stage and appeared in Broadway productions of "A Man for All Seasons" (1963), "Hamlet" (1964), "Cactus Flower" (1965), "The Star-Spangled Girl" (1966), "The Sudden & Accidental Re-Education of Horse Johnson" (1968), and "The Freedom of the City" (1974). He was featured in such films as "Death Wish" (1974), "Dog Day Afternoon" (1975), "The Front" (1976), "The Sentinel" (1977), "Fire Sale" (1977), "Heaven Can Wait" (1978), "Almost Summer" (1978), "The Last Married Couple in America" (1980), "Hero at Large" (1980), "Death Wish II" (1982), "WarGames" (1983) as Mr. Lightman, the father of Matthew Broderick's character, "Whatever It Takes" (1986), "Stewardess School" (1986), "Walk Like a Man" (1987), "A Perfect Murder" (1998), "Backseat" (2005), "Tenure" (2008), "The Flying Scissors" (2000), and "Time Out of Mind" (2014). Bogert was a prolific television performer with roles in episodes of "Hawk", "The Honeymooners", "The Doctors", "Spencer's Pilots" "The Mary Tyler Moore Show", "The Blue Knight", "Police Woman", "Starsky and Hutch", "McMillan & Wife", "The Feather and Father Gang", "Switch", "The Betty White Show", "Baretta", "Mulligan's Stew", "Eight Is Enough", "James at 16", "Lou Grant", "Barney Miller", "One Day at a Time", "Grandpa Goes to Washington", "Taxi", "Project U.F.O.". "Flying High", "Miss Winslow and Son", "Quincy", "Salvage 1", "The Jeffersons", "Here's Boomer", "The Facts of Life", "Alice", "M*A*S*H", "House Calls", "The Incredible Hulk", "Fantasy Island", "The Fall Guy", "Hill Street Blues", the soap opera "Another World" as Curtis Eldon from 1981 to 1982, "Madame's Place" as Dwayne Kellogg in 1982, "Square Pegs", "Bring 'Em Back Alive", "Hart to Hart", "Condo", "The Greatest American Hero", "Knots Landing", "Benson", "The Paper Chase", "Crazy Like a Fox", "Trapper John, M.D." "Matlock", "The Colbys" in the recurring role of Harold Jessup from 1986 to 1987, "Leg Work", "Mr. President", "The Wonder Years", "Amen", "Webster", "American Playhouse", "Mr. Belvedere", "Empty Nest", "Generations", the science fiction comedy "Small Wonder" as neighbor Brandon Brindle from 1985 to 1989, "Melrose Place", "All My Children", "Columbo", "3rd Rock from the Sun", "Spin City", "Profiler", "Fired Up", "Work with Me", "Ed", "Law & Order", "Chappelle's Show" as Kent Wallace, "Frontline" spoof host, from 2003 to 2004, "Hope & Faith", "Gilmore Girls", "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit", and "Difficult People". His other television credits include the tele-films and mini-series "Rich Man, Poor Man - Book II" (1976), "The Death of Richie" (1977), "Kill Me If You Can" (1977), "Ziegfeld: The Man and His Women" (1978), "Sergeant Matlovich vs. the U.S. Air Force" (1978), "A Fire in the Sky" (1978), "The Contest Kid and the Big Prize" (1978), "The Contest Kid Strikes Again" (1979), "Centennial" (1979), "Friendly Fire" (1979), "Better Late Than Never" (1979), "The Scarlett O'Hara War" (1980), "Charlie and the Great Balloon Chase" (1981), "This Is Kate Bennett..." (1982), "I Want to Live" (1983), "Carpool" (1983), "Favorite Son" (1988), "Take My Daughters, Please" (1988), and the animated "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" (1990) in a voice role. Bogert starred in an ad for President Lyndon B. Johnson's reelection campaign against Barry Goldwater, "Confessions of a Republican", in 1964, and reprised the ad for Hillary Clinton's campaign against Donalt Trump in 2016. Bogert was married to muppet puppeteer Eren Ozker from 1977 until her death in 1993.
JULIA BRECK, 78 - January 28, 2020
British actress Julia Breck died in France on January 28, 2020. Breck was born in Newport, England, on August 22, 1941. She performed frequently on stage and television in glamour roles. She worked often with comedian Spike Milligan and appeared with him in the television comedy "Curry and Chips" in the late 1960s. She also worked with Milligan in the series "Oh in Colour" (1970), "Q" (1975-1980), and "There's A Lot of It About" (1982). Breck starred in the controversial Andy Warhol play "Pork" at London's Mercury Theatre in 1971. Breck appeared in the 1972 film "Lovebox", and episodes of "The Liver Birds", "On the Buses", "Man at the Top", "Monty Python's Flying Circus", "Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em", "Churchill's People", "The Wild West Show", "The Melting Pot", and "The Two Ronnies". She was also featured in the 1974 tele-film "Color Him Dead" (aka "K Is for Killing"). Breck was briefly married to actor Brian Coburn in the early 1970s. She married crossword puzzle compiler Sandy Paterson in 1979 and retired to Marmande, France, in 1989, where was an artist and designed sets for the local Theatre Comoedia. Breck is survived by her husband and three sons.
R.D. CALL, 70 - February 27, 2020
Actor R.D. Call died of complications from back surgery in Layton, Utah, on February 27, 2020. Call was born in Ogden, Utah, on February 16, 1950. He studied theater at Utah State University and Weber State University. He moved to Los Angeles in 1975 where he studied at Lee Strasberg's acting school and Lonny Chapman's L.A. Repertory Theater Group. He was directed by Leo Penn, the father of actor Sean Penn, in his television debut in an episode of "Barnaby Jones" in 1979. He appeared in several films with Sean Film including "At Close Range" (1986), "Judgement in Berlin" (1988), "Colors" (1988), "State of Grace" (1990), "The Weight of Water" (2000), "I Am Sam" (2001), and "Babel" (2006), and "Into the Wild" (2007) which Penn directed. Call's other films include "48 Hrs" (1982), "Brewster's Millions" (1985), "No Man's Land" (1987), "War Party" (1988), "Born on the Fourth of July" (1989), "Young Guns II" (1990), "Other People's Money" (1991), "Waterworld" (1995), "Last Man Standing" (1996), "Malaika" (1998), "Murder by Numbers" (2002), "The Work and the Glory II: American Zion" (2005), "Dark Heart" (2006), "The Drop" (2006), "The Work and the Glory III: A House Divided" (2006), "Follow the Prophet" (2009), "Perception" (2012), "Code of Honor" (2016), and "Not a Stranger" (2018). He was seen on television in episodes of "Little House on the Prairie" "V", "Trapper John, M.D.", "Knightwatch", "Paradise", Stephen King's "Golden Years" as Jude Andrews in 1991, "Murder, She Wrote", "The X-Files", "EZ Street" as Michael 'Fivers' Dugan from 1996 to 1997, "The Practice", "Diagnosis Murder", "Walker, Texas Ranger", "Family Law", "JAG", "Supernatural", "Night Walkers", "Burn Notice", "Castle", and "Rogues of LA" as Neil in 2015. His other television credits include the tele-films "The Children of Times Square" (1986), "Timestalkers" (1987), "Unconquered" (1989), "L.A. Takedown" (1989), "Cruel Doubt" (1992), "Jack Reed: Badge of Honor" (1993), and "Logan's War: Bound by Honor" (1998). Call was married to Nita Nickerson from 1972 until their divorce in 1981.
ROBERT CONRAD, 84 - February 8, 2020
Actor Robert Conrad, who starred in the off-beat western series "The Wild Wild West", died of heart failure in Malibu, California, on February 8, 2020. He was born Conrad Robert Falk in Chicago, Illinois, on March 1, 1935. He dropped out of high school in his early teens to work in the trucking industry. He also sang with a vocal trio at local Chicago venues. He later attended Northwestern University where he studied theater arts. He became friends with actor Nick Adams, who encouraged him to move to Hollywood and help get him a small part in the 1958 film "Juvenile Jungle". He continued to appear in occasional films throughout his career including "Thundering Jets" (1958), "Paratroop Command" (1959), the short "Red Nightmare" (1962), "Palm Springs Weekend" (1963), the Spanish film "La Nueva Cencicienta" (aka "The New Cinderella") (1964), "Young Dillinger" (1965) as Pretty Boy Floyd opposite Nick Adam's Dillinger, "Ven a Cantar Commigo" (1967), "The Bandits" (1967) which he also wrote and directed, "Murph the Surf" (1975), "Sudden Death" (1977), "The Lady in Red" (1979) as John Dillinger, "Wrong Is Right" (1982), "Moving Violations" (1985), "Samurai Cowboy" (1994), "Jingle All the Way" (1996), "New Jersey Turnpikes" (1999), and "Dead Above Ground" (2002). Conrad was best known for his roles on television, appearing in episodes of "Bat Masterson", "Maverick", "Highway Patrol", "Lawman", "Colt .45", "Sea Hunt", "The Man and the Challenge", "Lock Up", "The Gallant Men", "Temple Houston", and "Kraft Suspense Theatre". He starred as private detective Tom Lopaka on the Warner series "Hawaiian Eye" from 1959 to 1963, and guest-starred in the role in several episodes of "77 Sunset Strip". He starred as government agent Jim West in the western spy spoof "The Wild Wild West" from 1965 to 1969. He was Deputy District Attorney Paul Ryan in the tele-films "D.A.: Murder One" (1969) and "D.A.: Conspiracy to Kill", the drama series "The D.A." from 1971 to 1972, an episode of "Adam-12", and the 1978 tele-film "Confessions of the D.A. Man". He starred as espionage agent Jake Webster in the short-lived adventure series "Assignment: Vienna" from 1972 to 1973. He starred as legendary World War II fighter pilot Major Greg 'Pappy' Boyington in the series "Baa Baa Black Sheep" (aka "Black Sheep Squadron") from 1976 to 1978 and directed several episodes. He was Pasquinel in the western mini-series "Centennial" from 1978 to 1979 and was private eye Oscar 'Duke' Ramsey in the short-lived drama "The Duke" from 1979. He was secret agent Thomas R. Sloane in the short-lived spy thriller "A Man Called Sloane" in 1979, also directing an episode. Conrad reprised the role of Jim West in the tele-films "The Wild Wild West Revisited" (1979) and "More Wild Wild West" (1980). He starred as search and rescue officer Jesse Hawkes in the series "High Mountain Rangers" from 1987 to 1988. He also wrote and directed several episodes of the series which also starred his sons Christian Conrad and Shane Conrad, his wife LaVelda Fann, and son-in-law Timothy Erwin. His daughter, Joan Conrad, served as executive producer. He also starred in the short-lived spin-off series "Jesse Hawkes in 1989. He starred as Griffin 'Tooter' Campbell in the similarly themed 1994 tele-film "Search and Rescue" and the subsequent short-lived series "High Sierra Search and Rescue" in 1995. He also appeared in episodes of "Mannix", "Mission: Impossible", "Columbo", "J.J. Starbuck, "Just Shoot Me!" in a cameo role, and "Nash Bridges". His other television credits include the tele-films "Weekend of Terror" (1970), "Five Deadly Women" (1971), the unsold pilot "Adventures of Nick Carter" (1972) in the title role, "The Last Day" (1975), "Smash-Up on Interstate 5" (1976), "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" (1979), "Coach of the Year" (1980), "Will: The Autobiography of G. Gordon Liddy" (1982) in the title role, "Confessions of a Married Man" (1983), "Hard Knox" (1984), "Two Fathers' Justice" (1985), "The Fifth Missile" (1986), "Assassin" (1986), "Charley Hannah" (1986), "One Police Plaza" (1986), "Police Story: Gladiator School" (1988), "Glory Days" (1988) which he also directed, "Anything to Survive" (1990), "Mario and the Mob" (1992), "Sworn to Vengeance" (1993), and "Two Fathers: Justice for the Innocent" (1994). He was a guest on such television series as "Here's Hollywood", "The Joey Bishop Show", "Dateline: Hollywood", "The Linkletter Show", "The Merv Griffin Show", "Battle of the Network Stars", "Don Adams' Screen Test", "Circus of the Stars", "Celebrity Challenge of the Sexes", "The Bob Braun Show", "The Hollywood Squares", "Dinah!", "American 2-Night", "Donny and Marie", "The Mike Douglas Show", "Laugh-In", "The Toni Tennille Show", "The Regis Philbin Show", "Saturday Night Live" as guest host for a 1982 episode, "The Billy Crystal Comedy Hour", "The Irv Kupcinet Show", "WrestleMania 2" as a guest referee in 1986, "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson", "One on One with John Tesh", "Late Night with Conan O'Brien", and "Vicki!". Conrad had a reputation as a tough-guy on and off the screen, often performing his own stunts in his roles. He was seriously injured on the set of an episode of "The Wild Wild West" when he fell from an chandelier and landed on his head. He recovered after several months and resumed filming. He starred in television commercials for Everready batteries in the late 1970s, placing a battery on his shoulder and daring viewers to challenge its power with the slogan ""I dare you to knock this off." He began a long-running talk radio series, "The PM Show with Robert Conrad" for CRN Digital Talk Radio in 2008. He also appeared in the 2010 documentary film, "Pappy Boyington Field". Conrad was seriously injured in an automobile accident in 2003 when he crashed into another vehicle, also injuring the other driver. He was convicted of drunk driving, fined, and sentenced to six months of house arrest. Conrad was married to Joan Kenlay from 1952 until their divorce in 1977, and is survived by their five children. He was married LaVelda Fann from 1983 until their divorce in 2010 and is also survived by their three children.
KEVIN CONWAY, 77 - February 5, 2020
Actor Kevin Conway died of a heart attack in Manhattan, New York, on February 5, 2020. Conway was born in New York City on May 29, 1942. He trained as an actor at HB Studio and the Dramatic Workshop at Carnegie Hall in New York City and began his career on stage in the mid-1960s. He was featured in Off-Broadway productions of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", "One for the Road", "Other People's Money", and "When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder?", earning a Drama Desk Award in 1974. He performed on Broadway in the plays "Indians" (1969), "Moon Children" (1972), "The Plough and the Stars" (1973), "Of Mice and Men" (1974) as George to James Earl Jones' Lenny, "The Elephant Man" (1979) as Frederick Treves, "On the Waterfront" (1995), and "Dinner at Eight" (2002). He appeared frequently in films and television from the early 1970s. His film credits include "Believe in Me" (1971), the 1972 adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.'s, "Slaughterhouse-Five" as Roland Weary, "Portnoy's Complaint" (1972), "Shamus" (1973), F.I.S.T." (1978), "Paradise Alley" (1978), the horror film "The Funhouse" (1981) as Freakshow Barker Conrad Straker, "Flashpoint" (1982), "Funny Farm" (1988), "Homeboy" (1988), "The Sun and the Moon" (1990) which he also directed, "One Good Cop" (1991), "Rambling Rose" (1991), "Jennifer 8" (1992), "Gettysburg" (1993) as Sgt. Buster Kilrain, "The Quick and the Dead" (1995), "Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace" (1996), "Mercury Rising" (1998), "The Confession" (1999), "Two Family House" (2000), "Thirteen Days" (2000) as General Curtis LeMay, "Black Knight" (2002), "Gods and Generals" (2003) reprising his role of Sgt. Buster Kilrain, "Mystic River" (2003), "Invincible" (2006), "American Loser" (2007), and "Is That a Gun in Your Picket?" (2016). He appeared on television in episodes of "The Doctor", "A World Apart", "One Life to Live", "Mr. Inside/Mr. Outside", "Visions", "The Firm", "Miami Vice", "The Equalizer", "In the Head of the Night", "The Beachcombers", "Northern Exposure", "Star Trek: The Next Generation" as the clone of the Klingon Kahless in the "Rightful Heir" episode in 1993, "Cobra", "New York News" as Jim Kowalski in 1995, "Homicide: Life in the Street", the revamped science fiction anthology series "The Outer Limits" as the Control Voice from 1995 to 2001, "Law & Order", "Michael Hayes", "JAG", "Dark Angel", "Oz" in the recurring role of Seamus O'Reilly" from 1999 to 2003, "Brotherhood", "The Black Donnellys" as Ian Reilly in 2007, "The Bronx Is Burning" as Gabe Paul in 2007, "Life on Mars", "Law & Order: Criminal Intent", "The Good Wife" in the recurring role of Jonas Stern from 2009 to 2011, and "Person of Interest". He was the narrator for the series "Who Killed Jane Doe?" (2017-2018), "Unmasked" (2018), and "Prairie Dog Manor" (2019). Conway was also seen in television productions of "Hogan's Goat" (1971), "Rx for the Defense" (1973), "Johnny, We Hardly Knew Ye" (1977) as David F. Powers, "The Deadliest Season" (1977), "The Scarlet Letter" (1979) as Roger Chillingworth, the 1980 public television adaptation of Ursula K. LeGuin's "The Lathe of Heaven" as Dr. William Haber, "The Elephant Man" (1982) as Treves, "Rage of Angels" (1983), "Something About Amelia"(1984), "Attack on Fear" (1984), "Jesse" (1988), "When Will I Be Loved?" (1990), "Breaking the Silence" (1992), "The Whipping Boy" (1994), "Streets of Laredo" (1995) as Mox Mox, "Calm at Sunset" (1996), "Sally Hemmings: An American Scandal" (2000) as Thomas Paine, "The Flamingo Rising" (2001), and "What About Sal?" (2008). He was married to Mila Burnette from 1966 until their later divorce.
KIRK DOUGLAS, 103 - February 5, 2020
Actor Kirk Douglas, who starred in such films as "Champion", "Spartacus", and "Paths of Glory", died in Beverly Hills, California, on February 5, 2020. He was born Issur Danielovitch to Russian Jewish immigrants in Amsterdam, New York, on December 9, 1916. He graduated from St. Lawrence University, working as a janitor to pay for his tuition. He subsequently moved to Manhattan, where he earned a scholarship to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. He graduated in 1941 and performed on Broadway in a small role in a production of "Spring Again". He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1942 and was commissioned as an ensign after attending Midshipman School at Notre Dame. He served as a communications officer on anti-submarine patrol in the Pacific during World War II. He was honorably discharged with the rank of lieutenant in 1944 following injuries sustained by the premature explosion of a depth charge. He returned to Broadway, appearing in the plays "Kiss and Tell", "Trio", "Alice in Arms", "The Wind Is Ninety", and "Woman Bites Dog" over the next several years. He also performed on radio and in commercials. He made his film debut opposite Barbara Stanwyck in 1946's "The Strange Love of Martha Ivers". He continued his career in the films "Mourning Becomes Electra" (1947), the film noir "Out of the Past" (1947), "I Walk Alone" (1947) the first of seven films co-starring Burt Lancaster, "The Walls of Jericho" (1948), "My Dear Secretary" (1948), and "A Letter to Three Wives" (1949). Douglas earned acclaim and an Academy Award nomination for his role in the boxing classic "Champion" in 1949. He became one of the foremost leading men in Hollywood in the 1950s, starring as jazz musician Rick Martin in "Young Man with a Horn" (1950) and as Jim O'Connor in the film adaptation of Tennessee Williams' "The Glass Menagerie" (1950). He was unscrupulous reporter Chuck Tatum in Billy Wilder's "Ace in the Hole" (aka "The Big Carnival") (1951) and the villainous Detective James McLeod in William Wyler's "Detective Story" (1951). He also starred in the films "Along the Great Divide" (1951), "The Big Trees" (1952), and "The Big Sky" (1952). He received another Academy Award nomination for his role as Jonathan in 1952's "The Bad and the Beautiful" opposite Lana Turner. He we seen in the films "The Story of Three Loves" (1953), "The Juggler" (1953), and "Act of Love" (1953). He starred in the title role in the international production of Homer's Greek epic myth "Ulysses" (1954). He starred as Ned Land in the Disney adaptation of Jules Verne's science fiction classic "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea", and appeared in "The Racers" (1955) and "Man Without a Star" (1955). Douglas formed his own movie company, Bryna Productions, in 1955 and was star and executive producer for "The Indian Fighter" (1955). He earned another Oscar nomination for his role as artist Vincent Van Gogh in 1956's "Lust for Life". He appeared in "Top Secret Affair" (1957) and was Doc Holliday in the 1957 western classic "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral" (1957). He also produced the films "Spring Reunion" (1957), "Lizzie" (1957), "The Careless Years" (1957), and "Ride Out for Revenge" (1957) through Bryna. He continued to produce many of his subsequent films. He starred as ill-fated Colonel Dax in Stanley Kubrick's anti-war classic set during World War I, "Paths of Glory" (1957) and was Einar in "The Vikings" (1958). He starred as Marshall Matt Morgan in the 1959 western "Last Train from Gun Hill", and appeared in the films "The Devil's Disciple" (1959), "Operation Petticoat" (1959) in a cameo role, and "Strangers When We Meet" (1960). He reunited with Kubrick for the 1960 epic "Spartacus", starring as the gladiator slave who leads a rebellion against Rome. He helped break the Hollywood blacklist by crediting screenwriter Dalton Trumbo on the film. He continued to appear in such films as "Town Without Pity" (1961), "The Last Sunset" (1961), "Lonely Are the Brave" (1962) as modern-day cowboy Jack Burns in what he often considered his favorite film, "Two Weeks in Another Town" (1962), "The Hook" (1963), the mystery "The List of Adrian Messenger" (1963) as the murderous George Brougham, "For Love or Money" (1963), the political thriller "Seven Days in May" (1964), "In Harm's Way" (1965), "The Heroes of Telemark" (1965), "Cast a Giant Shadow" (1966) as Colonel Mickey Marcus, a hero of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, "Is Paris Burning?" (1966) as General George Patton, the western "The Way West" (1967) as Senator William J. Tadlock, "The War Wagon" (1967) with John Wayne, "A Lovely Way to Die" (1968), the crime drama "The Brotherhood" (1968), Elia Kazan's "The Arrangement" (1969), the off-beat western "There Was a Crooked Man..." (1970) with Henry Fonda, the adventure thriller "The Light at the Edge of the World" (1971) based on a novel by Jules Verne, "A Gunfight" (1971) with Johnny Cash, "Catch Me a Spy" (1971), "The Master Touch" (1972), "Scalawag" (1973) which he also directed, "Posse" (1975), "Once Is Not Enough" (1975), "The Chosen" (aka "Holocaust 2000") (1977), the horror thriller "The Fury" (1978), the western comedy "The Villain" (1979) as Cactus Jack, "Home Movies" (1979), the science fiction "Saturn 3" (1980) opposite Farrah Fawcett, the time travel feature "The Final Countdown" (1980), "The Man from Snowy River" (1982), "Eddie Macon's Run" (1982), and "Tough Guys" (1986) reuniting with Burt Lancaster for a final time. Douglas starred on Broadway as Randle P. McMurphy in a theatrical production of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" in 1963. He aspired to star in a film version which he never managed to make. He later turned the film rights over to his son, Michael, resulting the the Oscar-winning 1975 feature starring Jack Nicholson. Douglas continued to make occasional films over the next two decades including "Oscar" (1991), "Welcome to Veraz" (1991), "Greedy" (1994), "Diamonds" (1999), "It Runs in the Family" (2003) co-starring his son Michael and grandson Cameron Douglas, and "Illusion" (2004) before retiring from the screen. Douglas appeared on television in productions of "The Special London Bridge Special" (1972), the musical version of "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" (1973) in the title roles, "Mousey" (1974), "Victory at Entebbe" (1976), "Arthur Hailey's the Moneychangers" (1976), "Remembrance of Love" (1982), "Draw!" (1982), "Amos" (1985), "Queenie" (1987), "Inherit the Wind" (1988), "The Secret" (1992), "Take Me Home Again" (1994), and "Empire State Building Murders" (2008). He was also seen in episodes of "The Lucy Show", "Tales from the Crypt", "Coach", "Touched by an Angel", and "The Simpsons" in a voice role. He was a frequent guest on talk and variety shows including "We, the People", "The Jack Benny Program", "The Ken Murray Show", "Name That Tune", "The George Gobel Show", "The Colgate Comedy Hour", "Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall", "The Magical World of Disney", "The Mike Wallace Interviews", "This Is Your Life", "The Steve Allen Plymouth Show", "What's My Line?", "Person to Person", "The Tonight Show", "The Jack Paar Tonight Show", "Here's Hollywood", "The Ed Sullivan Show", "The Joey Bishop Show", "The Don Rickles Show", "The Merv Griffin Show", "The Johnny Cash Show", "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In", "The David Frost Show", "V.I.P.-Schaukel", "The Dick Cavett Show", "Dinah's Place", "The Dean Martin Show", "Dinah!", "Today", "The Mike Douglas Show", "Saturday Night Live" hosting an episode in 1980, "The Don Lane Show", "Good Morning America", "Circus of the Stars", "Good Morning Britain", "The Arsenio Hall Show", "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson", "Clive James' Postcards from...", "Late Night with David Letterman", "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno", "The Rosie O'Donnell Show", "Late Night with Conan O'Brien", "Clive Anderson All Talk", "Biography", "The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn", "The Oprah Winfrey Show", "Larry King Live", "Jimmy Kimmel Live!", and "Real Time with Bill Maher". He was recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Jimmy Carter in 1981 and received the AFI Life Achievement Award in 1991. He was recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors in 1994 and of an honorary Academy Award in 1996. He received the Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998 and was awarded the National Medal of Arts from George W. Bush in 2002. He was subject of the documentary films "... A Father... A Son... Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" (2005) and "Kirk Douglas: Before I Forget" (2009). Douglas authored his autobiography, "The Ragman's Son", in 1988. He continued to write such books as "Dance with the Devil" (1990), "The Gift" (1992), "Last Tango in Brooklyn" (1994), "Young Heroes of the Bible" (1999), "Climbing the Mountain: My Search for Meaning" (2001), "My Stroke of Luck" (2003), "Let's Face It: 90 Years of Living, Loving, and Learning" (2007), "I Am Spartacus!: Making a Film, Breaking the Blacklist" (2012), and "Life Could Be Verse: Reflections on Love, Loss, and What Really Matters" (2014). Douglas survived a helicopter crash in 1991 and a major stroke in 1996. He was married to actress Diana Dill from 1943 until their divorce in 1951, and is survived by their two sons, actor Michael and producer Joel. He married French producer Anne Buydens in 1954 and she survives him. He is also survived by their son, producer Peter Douglas. Another son, actor Eric Douglas, died of an overdose of drugs and alcohol in 2004.
PATRICK JORDAN, 96 - February 10, 2020
British actor Patrick Jordan, who was featured in a small role in the science fiction blockbuster "Star Wars", died at his home in Alpheton, Suffolk, England, on February 10, 2020. Jordan was born in Harrow, Middlesex, England, on October 10, 1923. He began his career on stage in the 1940s and appeared in a production of "Richard II" at the Old Vic in 1946. He was seen frequently in films including "Stryker of the Yard" (1953), "The Black Glove" (1954), "River Beat" 1954), "Double Exposure" (1954), "The Diamond Wizard" (1954), "Johnny on the Spot" (1954), "The Embezzler" (1954), "Profile" (1954), "Cross-Up" (1954), "Companions in Crime" (1954), "The Gilded Cage" (1955), "The Flaw" (1955), "No Smoking" (1955), "Stock Car" (1955), "It's a Great Day!" (1955), "Operation Conspiracy" (1956), "Pursuit of the Graft Spee" (1956), "The Secret Place" (1957), "Carve Her Name with Pride" (1958), "The Man Upstairs" (1958), "The Angry Hills" (1959), "The Giant Behemoth" (1959), "SOS Glacier Pilot" (1959), "Sink the Bismarck!" (1960), "The League of Gentlemen" (1960), "Young, William and Eager" (1961), "The Frightened City" (1961), "Man Detained" (1961), "Emergency" (1962), "Dilemma" (1962), "The Longest Day" (1962), "The Amorous Mr. Prawn" (1972), "In Search of the Castaways" (1962), "The Break" (1962), "Wings of Mystery" (1963), "A Place to Go" (1963), "Underworld Informers" (1963), "The Victors" (1963), "The Marked One" (1963), "Delayed Flight" (1964), "Joey Boy" (1965), "Bunny Lake Is Missing" (1965), "The Heroes of Telemark" (1965), "Where the Bullets Fly" (1966), "You Only Live Twice" (1967), "Robbery" (1967), "Play Dirty" (1969), "The Last Escape" (1970), "Too Late the Hero" (1970), "Man of Violence" (1970), "The Amorous Adventures of a Young Postman" (1970), "Perfect Friday" (1970), "In the Devil's Garden" (1971), "The Salzburg Connection" (1972), "Paganini Strikes Again" (1973), "Madhouse" (1974), "The Slipper and the Rose" (1976), and "The Pink Panther Strikes Again" (1976). He was featured in the uncredited role of Imperial Officer Siward Cass, an aide to Peter Cushing's Grand Moff Tarkin, the 1977 science fiction classic "Star Wars". Jordan appeared on television in productions of "The Browning Version" (1949), "All on a Summer's Day" (1953), "The Silent People" (1954), "Jane Eyre" (1970), "Jack the Ripper" (1973), "The Nine Tailors" (1974), "The Hanged Man" (1975), "The Way of the World" (1975), "Murder Motel" (1975), "Paradise Postponed" (1986), and "Wycliffe and the Cycle of Death" (1993). His other television credits include episodes of "Portrait of Alison", "The Vise", "Patrol Car", "The Count of Monte Cristo", "The Adventures of the Big Man", "The Buccaneers", "O.S.S.", "White Hunter", "Interpol Calling", "Rendezvous", "One Step Beyond", "The Pursuers", "The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre", "Stryker of the Yard", "Espionage", "Cluff", "Secret Agent", "Blue Light", "The Troubleshooters", "Emergency-Ward 10", "Vendetta", "No Hiding Place", "Thirty-Minute Theatre", "The Informer", "The Prisoner", "Man in a Suitcase", "The Borderers", "The Wednesday Play", "Softly Softly", "My Partner the Ghost", "ITV Playhouse", "Gardy", "UFO", "Owen, M.D.", "The Persuaders!", "Doomwatch", "The Adventurer", "Special Branch", "Nobody Is Norman Wisdom", "Arthur of the Britons", "The Adventures of Black Beauty", "Dixon of Dock Green", "Softly Softly: Task Force", "Public Eye", "Spy Trap", "The Main Chance", "The Molly Wopsies", "Killer", "It's Childsplay", "Van der Valk", "Wilde Alliance", "Return of the Saint", "Accident" as Lionel Megson from 1978 to 1979, "Danger UXB", "Minder", "Buccaneer", "Angels", "Terry and June", "Nanny", "Squadron", "Jury", "Shine on Harvey Moon", "Birds of Prey 2", "Cold Warrior", "My Brother Jonathan", "Crossroads", "Poirot", and "The Bill". Jordan was married to illustrator Margery Gill from 1946 until her death in 2008.
JACK KEHOE, 85 - January 14, 2020
Actor Jack Kehoe died of complications from a stroke in Los Angeles, California, on January 14, 2020. Kehoe was born in Astoria, New York, on November 21, 1934. He served in the U.S. Air Force after high school in the early 1950s. He studied acting with Stella Adler in New York City after his discharge and began his career on stage. He performed on Broadway in "The Ballad of the Sad Cafe" (1963) and "The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel" (1977), and appeared in Off-Broadway productions of Bertolt Brecht's "Drums in the Night" (1967) and Eugene O'Neill's "A Moon for the Misbegotten" (1968). Kehoe was seen in the films "The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight" (1971), "The Friends of Eddie Coyle" (1973), "Serpico" (1973), "The Sting" (1973) as the Erie Kid, "Law and Disorder" (1974), "Car Wash" (1976), "The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh" (1979), "On the Nickel" (1980), "Melvin and Howard" (1980), "Reds" (1981), "The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez" (1982), "The Star Chamber" (1983), "Two of a Kind" (1983), "The Pope of Greenwich Village" (1984), "The Wild Life" (1984), "The Killers" (1984), "The Little Sister" (1985), "Flight of the Spruce Goose" (1986), "The Untouchables" (1987), "D.O.A." (1988), "Midnight Run" (1988), "Dick Tracy" (1990), "Young Guns II" (1990), "Servants of Twilight" (1991), "Falling Down" (1993), "The Paper" (1994), "Gospel According to Harry" (1994), and "The Game" (1997). He was featured on television in episodes of "N.Y.P.D.", "Most Wanted", "American Playhouse", "Quincy", "Call to Glory", "Miami Vice", "Scarecrow and Mrs. King", "Murder, She Wrote", "Fame", and "The Twilight Zone". He was also seen in the tele-films "A Hatful of Rain" (1968), "Shell Game" (1975), "Chicago Story" (1981), and "A Winner Never Quits" (1986). Kehoe largely retired from the screen in the mid-1990s.
CHARLES LANYER, 77 - February 11, 2020
Actor Charles Lanyer died from complications following surgery in Los Angeles, California, on February 11, 2020. He was born Charles Lee Layne in Kirkland, Washington, on July 10, 1942. He graduated from Princeton University in 1964 and was a teaching fellow in Beirut, Lebanon, for two years. He attended the University of Washington after returning to the United States, earning a degree in acting in 1972. He began his career on stage with the American Conservatory in San Francisco. He appeared frequently on television from the late 1970s with roles in episodes of "Meeting of the Minds", "The Greatest American Hero", "Dallas", "Hill Street Blues", "Remington Steele", "T.J. Hooker", "The Paper Chase", "Cagney & Lacey", "St. Elsewhere", "MacGyver", "Blacke's Magic", "The Twilight Zone", "Moonlighting", "Matlock", "Mr. Belvedere", "The Practice", and "Inconceivable". He also appeared in television productions of "Alice at the Palace", "Special Bulletin" (1983), "Memorial Day" (1983), "Robert Kennedy and His Times" (1985), "Kids Don't Tell" (1985), "A Fighting Choice" (1986), and "Top Kids" (1987). Lanyer was featured in the films "The Stepfather" (1987), "The Delos Adventure" (1987), "Fire Birds" (1990), "Die Hard 2" (1990), "The Hit List" (1993), "Hard" (1998), "The Astronaut's Wife" (1999), and "The Last Producer" (2000). He continued to perform on stage with the South Coast Repertory Theater, Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts, and the American Conservatory Theater. Lanyer is survived by his wife, Sally.
ANDREE MELLY, 87 - January 31, 2020
British actress Andree Melly, who was featured in the Hammer horror film "The Brides of Dracula", died at her home in Ibiza, Spain, on January 31, 2020. Melly was born in Liverpool, England, on September 15, 1932. Her brother, George Melly, was a leading jazz singer. Andree began her career on stage in Worthing in the early 1950s and later performed with the Old Vic. She was featured in a handful of films including "So Little Time" (1952), "The Belles of St. Trinian's" (1954), "The Secret Tent" (1956), "A Novel Affair" (1957), "Nowhere to Go" (1958), "Beyond the Curtain" (1960), and "The Big Day" (1960). She was notably featured as Gina, who was transformed into a vampire by Baron Meinster, in the Hammer horror classic "The Brides of Dracula". She was also seen as the vampiric Natalia Marley in the 1964 horror comedy "The Horror of It All" with Pat Boone. Melly starred as Tony Hancock's girlfriend in the radio series "Hancock's Half Hour" from 1955 to 1956, and was a regular panelist on the BBC radio series "Just a Minute" from 1967 to 1975. She appeared frequently on television with roles in productions of "The Poppenkast" (1952), "A Loan from Lorenzo" (1953), "The Maid of Domremy" (1954), "Cornelia" (1955), "The Orderly" (1955), "Act of Violence" (1956), "Woman in a Dressing Gown" (1956), "The Gambler" (1956), "Plaintiff in a Pretty Hat" (1956), "My Flesh, My Blood" (1958), "Little Women" (1958), "Night of the Ding-Dong" (1958), "Hot Summer Night" (1959), "People of the Night" (1959), "Dangerous Ice" (1959), "Musical Chairs" (1960), "Boeing-Boeing" (1962), "The Quails" (1963), "A Case of Character" (1964), "The Navigators" (1965), "Uncle Jonathan" (1969), "The Insider" (1970), "Tiny Revolutions" (1981), and "T.Bag and the Pearls of Wisdom" (1990). Melly's other television credits include episodes of "Assignment Foreign Legion", "The Men from Room 13", "Maigret", "A Life of Bliss", "You Can't Win", "Tales of Mystery", "Zero One", "The Human Jungle", "The Sex Game", "The Doctors" as Lena Freeman in 1970, "The Benny Hill Show", "Spy Trap", and "Turn on to T-Bag". Melly married actor Oscar Quitak in 1964 and later retired to Spain. She is survived by Quitak and their two children, Natasha and Mark.
KELLYE NAKAHARA, 72 - February 16, 2020
Actress Kellye Nakahara, who was featured as nurse Kellye Yamato in the television series "M*A*S*H", died of cancer at her home in Pasadena, California, on February 16, 2020. Nakahara was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, on January 16, 1948. She was best known for her role as Korean War nurse Lt. Kellye Yamato on the series "M*A*S*H" from 1973 to 1983. She also appeared in episodes of "Kolchak: The Night Stalker", "Little House on the Prairie", "At Ease", "Matt Houston", "Lottery!", "Otherworld", "Hunter", "Growing Pains", "Dream On", "Crisis Center", "NYPD Blue", "Sabrina the Teenage Witch", and the animated "The Wild Thornberrys" in a voice role. Nakahara was featured in several films including "Clue" (1985), "Amazon Women on the Moon" (1987), "She's Having a Baby" (1988), "Shattered" (1991), "3 Ninjas Kick back" (1994), "Black Day Blue Night" (1995), and "Doctor Dolittle" (1998). She was active on the local stage in Pasadena and was a noted watercolor artist. Nakahara married David Wallett in 1968 and is survived by him and their twin sons.
CLAUDETTE NEVINS, 82 - February 20, 2020
Actress Claudette Nevins died in Los Angeles, California, on February 20, 2020. She was born Claudette Weintraub in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, on April 10, 1937. She was a graduate of the High School of Performing Arts and New York University in 1957. She began her career on stage and appeared on Broadway in productions of "The Wall" (1960), "Danton's Death" (1965), "Wait Until Dark" (1966), and "Plaza Suite" (1968). She was featured as Pam Albright in the cult 3-D horror film "The Mask" in 1961. She starred opposite Brock Peters in the national Broadway tour of "The Great White Hope" before settling in Los Angeles. She performed regularly with the Matrix Theatre Company. Nevins appeared often in television from the early 1960s with roles in episodes of "The Doctors and the Nurses", "The Defenders", Andy Griffith's short-lived series "Headmaster" as Margaret Thompson in 1970, "The F.B.I.", "The Bob Newhart Show", "The Magician", "Petrocelli", "Police Story" in the recurring role of Ellen Calabrese from 1973 to 1974, "Archer", "Harry O", the animated series "Return to the Planet of the Apes" as the voice of Judy Franklin and Nova in 1975, "Electra Woman and Dyna Girl" as the Empress of Evil, "The Rockford Files", "Lou Grant", "Rafferty", "The Fitzpatricks", "Switch", the comedy series "Husbands, Wives & Lovers" as Courtney Fielding in 1978, "Three's Company", the short-lived drama series "Married: The First Year" as Barbara Huffman in 1979, "Mrs. Columbo", "M*A*S*H", "Shirley", "The Lazarus Syndrome", "Barnaby Jones", "Knots Landing", "Family", "Hart to Hart", "CHiPs", "Cassie & Co.", "Police Squad!", "Magnum, P.I.", "One Day at a Time", "The Mississippi", "Legmen", "Hardcastle and McCormick", "Lime Street", "New Love, American Style", "The Tortellis", "Brothers", "Head of the Class", "Trial and Error", "Just in Time", "CBS Summer Playhouse", "L.A. Law", "Out of This World", "Snoops", "Mancuso, FBI", "Free Spirit", "Dallas", "Lifestories", "Designing Women", "The Antagonist", "The Young Riders", "Veronica Clare", "Teech", "Civil Wars", "Picket Fences", "Beverly Hills, 90210", "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman", "Thunder Alley", "Coach", "ER", "7th Heaven", "Melrose Place" in the recurring role of Constance Fielding from 1992 to 1998, "Ally McBeal", "Judging Amy", "The District", "Providence", "The Agency", "Without a Trace", "JAG" in the recurring role of Mrs. Porter Webb from 1997 to 2004, and "Strong Medicine". Her other television credits include productions of "The Unvanquished" (1967), "Mrs. Sundance" (1974), "Guilty or Innocent: The Sam Sheppard Murder Case" (1975), "The Dark Side of Innocence" (1976), "Rich Man, Poor Man - Book II" (1976), "The Possessed" (1977), "Husbands and Wives" (1977), "More Than Friends" (1978), "Behind the Screen" (1981), "Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy" (1981), "Take Your Best Shot" (1982), "Don't Go to Sleep" (1982), "There Were Times, Dear" (1985), "Child of Darkness, Child of Light" (1991), "Dead Silence" (1991), "Abandoned and Deceived" (1995), and "Widow's Kiss" (1996). She also appeared in the films "...All the Marbles" (1981), "Over Here, Mr. President" (1983), "Tuff Turf" (1985), "Jake's M.O." (1987), "Sleeping with the Enemy" (1991), "Sweet Evil" (1996), "The Doyles" (1997), "Star Trek: Insurrection" (1998), "Something's Gotta Give" (2003), and "Eulogy" (2004). Nevins married Elliot Nevins in 1956 and they later divorced. She married real estate investor Benjamin Pick in 1962 and they remained together until his death in 2017. She is survived by their two daughters.
JIM OWEN, 78 - March 7, 2020
Country singer and songwriter Jim Owen died on March 7, 2020. Owen was born in Robards, Kentucky, on April 21, 1941. He moved to Nashville and began his music career in the late 1969s. He wrote several hit songs including "Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man" for Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn, Mel Tillis' "Too Lonely Too Long and "One More Drink", Porter Wagoner's "Little Boy's Prayer," and June Stearns "Sweet Baby on My Mind". He performed and recorded his own works and had minor hits with "Drifting Cowboys", "Ten Anniversary Presents", and "Hell Yes, I Cheated". He starred in the 1980 television special "Hank Williams: The Man and HIs Music". He was also seen in an episode of "Nashville 99" and the tele-films "The Country Western Murders" (1979) and "Stark: Mirror Image" (1986). He also produced and toured with the live stage show "An Evening with Hank Williams" and made numerous appearances with the Grand Ole Opry. He was also a leading performer at venues in Branson, Missouri.
CHARLES PORTIS, 86 - February 17, 2020
Author Charles Portis, who was best known for writing the western classic "True Grit", died of complications from Alzheimer's disease in Little Rock, Arkansas, on February 17, 2020. Portis was born in El Dorado, Arkansas, on December 28, 1933. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean War and attended the University of Arkansas of Fayetteville after his discharge. He graduated with a degree in journalism in 1958. He wrote for the campus newspaper while in college and joined the staff of the "Northwest Arkansas Times" after graduation. He worked for various other newspapers including the "Commercial Appeal" in Memphis and the "Arkansas Gazette". He wrote for the "New York Herald Tribune" in the early 1960s, frequently covering the civil rights movement in the South. He left journalism to write fiction in 1964 and his first novel, "Norwood", was released in 1966. It was adapted for a film starring Glen Campbell and Joe Namath in 1970. He was best known for his 1968 western novel "True Grit". John Wayne received an Academy Award for his starring role as U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn in the 1969 film version, which also starred Kim Darby and Glen Campbell. Wayne reprised the role in the 1975 sequel "Rooster Cogburn" opposite Katharine Hepburn. The Coen Brothers produced a remake of "True Grit" starring Jeff Bridges, Hailee Steinfeld, and Matt Damon in 2010. Portis' other novels include "The Dog of the South" (1979), "Masters of Atlantis" (1985), and "Gringos" (1991), He also wrote articles for "The Saturday Evening Post" and "The Atlantic Monthly", which published his 1999 memoir "Combinations of Jacksons".
LOVELADY POWELL, 89 - February 2, 2020
Actress Lovelady Powell died in Long Island, New York, on February 2, 2020. She was born Lovelady Hedges in Columbus, Ohio, on May 9, 1930. She studied theater at Northwestern University before moving to New York City to become an actress in the mid-1950s. She performed in musical revues and recorded an album in 1956. She was featured in a 1962 Off-Broadway production of "Riverwind" and appeared in "Hot September" in 1965. She appeared on television in episodes of "The Danny Kaye Show", "That Was the Week That Was", "Look Up and Live", and "The Merv Griffin Show". She was featured as Portia Fitzsimmons in the Gothic soap opera "Dark Shadows" in 1967 and was Aunt Birdie Clayborn on "The Secret Storm" from 1969 to 1970. Powell was featured in several films including "I Never Sang for My Father" (1970), "The Possession of Joel Delaney" (1972), and "The Happy Hooker" (1975). She later worked in commercials and operated the Glad Hands Antique Shop with her longtime partner, Peggy White, in Sag Harbor, New York.
KENNY ROGERS, 81 - March 20, 2020
Legendary singer, songwriter, and actor Kenny Rogers, who recorded such hits as "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)", "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town", and "Lucille", and starred in a series of tele-films based on his song "The Gambler", died while under hospice care at his home in Sandy Springs, Georgia, on March 20, 2020. Rogers was born in Houston, Texas, on August 21, 1938. He began playing the guitar in his youth and formed the vocal group, the Scholars, while in high school. He later played bass in several jazz groups before moving to Los Angeles in 1966. He joined the pop-folk group the New Christy Minstrels and teamed with bandmates Mike Settle, Terry Williams, and Thelma Camacho to form the rock group First Edition in 1967. They scored a hit with their pop recording of Mickey Newbury's "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)" in 1968. The band became known as Kenny Rogers and the First Edition with the release of Mel Tillis' country song "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town". The group also recorded the songs "But You Know I Love You", "Tell It All, Brother", "Reuben James", and "Something's Burning" before disbanding in 1976. Rogers launched a solo career and scored a major hit with his recording of "Lucille", also earning his first Grammy Award. He teamed with country star Dottie West to record several hit songs including "Every Time Two Fools Collide", "All I Ever Need Is You", and "What Are We Doin' in Love". His other hits include the Grammy Award-winning "The Gambler" (1978) and "Coward of the County" (1979). He had a major hit with his 1983 duet with Dolly Parton, "Islands in the Stream". He recorded a host of other hit albums and songs including "Don't Fall in Love with a Dreamer" with Kim Carnes, "Lady", "I Don't Need You", "Through the Years", "Love Will Turn You Around", "We've Got Tonight" with Sheena Easton, "This Woman", and "Crazy". He was part of the supergroup USA for Africa for the charity hit song "We Are the World" in 1985. His song, "The Gambler", inspired the 1980 tele-film of the same name, with Rogers starring as the Brady Hawkes. He reprised the role in the sequels "Kenny Rogers as The Gambler: The Adventure Continues" (1983), "Kenny Rogers as The Gambler, Part III: The Legend Continues" (1987), "The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw" (1991), and "Gambler V: Play for Keeps" (1994). He starred as Uncle Matthew in the tele-film version of "Coward of the County" in 1981. He was also seen in the tele-films "Saga of Sonora" (1973), "Grandpa, Will You Run with Me?" (1983), "The Dream Makers" (1985), "Wild Horses" (1985), "Christmas in America" (1990), and "Rio Diablo" (1993). He starred as Jack MacShayne in the tele-films "MacShayne: Winner Takes All" and "MacShayne: The Final Roll of the Dice" for "The NBC Mystery Movie" in 1994. He appeared as himself in the tele-films "Big Dreams & Broken Hearts: The Dottie West Story" (1995) and "Get to the Heart: The Barbara Mandrell Story" (1997). He was also seen in episodes of "Evening Shade", "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman", "Touched by an Angel", "How I Met Your Mother", and "Reno 911!". He starred in the films "Six Pack" (1982) and "Longshot" (2001), and was a voice performer in the 2010 documentary "Change in the Wind". Rogers was a guest and performer on such television shows as "The Clay Cole Show", "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour", "Pat Boone in Hollywood", "The Peter Martin Show", "Operation: Entertainment", "The Jonathan Winters Show", "The Merv Griffin Show", "The Joey Bishop Show", "The Dennis Wholey Show", "The Barbara McNair Show", "The Val Doonican Show", "The Young Generation", "This Is Tom Jones", "The Andy Williams Show", "The Red Skelton Hour", "The Everly Brothers Show", "That Good Ole Nashville Music", "The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour", "The Johnny Cash Show", "The Golden Shot", "American Bandstand", "Make Your Own Kind of Music!", the 1971 special "Kenny Rogers and the First Edition: Rollin' on the River", "The David Frost Show", "It's Your Bet", the variety series "Rollin' on the River" as host from 1971 to 1973, "The Bobby Goldsboro Show", "Mel Tillis Time", "Music Hall America", "The Wolfman Jack Show", "Dolly", "Dinah!", "Top of the Pops", "Des O'Connor Tonight", "Disco", "The Midnight Special", "Perry Como's Easter by the Sea", "The Captain and Tennille in Hawaii", 1979's "A Special Kenny Rogers", "The Muppet Show", 1979's "Kenny Rogers and the American Cowboy", "A Christmas Special... With Love, Mac Davis", "Lynda Carter Special", "The Mike Douglas Show", "Fridays", "Hee Haw", 1980's "Kenny Rogers' America", "Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters", "American Bandstand's 30th Anniversary Special", "Roy Acuff.. 50 Years the King of Country Music", "Sheena Easton... Act One", 1983's "Kenny Rogers Live in Concert", "Live... And in Person", "Champs-Elysees", "Donald Duck's 50th Birthday", 1984's "Kenny & Dolly: A Christmas to Remember", "Salute to Lady Liberty", "We Are the World: The Story Behind the Song", "Night of 100 Stars II", 1985's "Kenny Roger"s and Dolly Parton Together", "Solid Gold", "George Burns' 90th Birthday Party: A Very Special Special", "The Late Show", "Lou Rawls Parade of Stars", "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson", 1989' "Kenny Rogers' Classic Weekend", "Kenny, Dolly and Willie: Something Inside So Strong", "The Geraldo Rivera Show", "Late Night with David Letterman", "Sinatra 75: The Best Is Yet to Come", "George Burns' 95th Birthday Party", "The Chuck Woolery Show", "One on One with John Tesh", "Hot Country Nights", 1992's "Kenny Rogers: Christmas", "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno", 1993's "Kenny Rogers: Keep Christmas with You", the documentary series "The Real West" as host from 1992 to 1994, "The Big Breakfast", 1995's "Kenny Rogers Going Home", "Cybill", "Pearl", "Dolly Parton: Treasures", "Opryland's Country Christmas", 1996's "Kenny Rogers: The Gift", "Kathie Lee Gifford: We Need a Little Christmas", "Late Show with David Letterman", "Late Night with Conan O'Brien", 1999's "Live by Request: Kenny Rogers", "The Frank Skinner Show", "Austin City Limits", "Dolly Parton: Platinum Blonde", "High Point Casinos of the World", "The Nick & Jessica Variety Hour", "American Idol", "The Ellen DeGeneres Show", "Biography", "Foxworthy's Big Night Out", "The Late Late Show", "Mornings with Kerri-Anne", "Larry King Live", "The Wendy Williams Show", "The Oraph Winfrey Show", 2011's "Kenny Rogers: The First 50 Years", "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon", 2012's "Backstory: Kenny Rogers", "The Colbert Report", "Piers Morgan Live", "Song by Song", "Good Morning America", "Jimmy Kimmel Live!", "Rachael Ray", 2013's "Kenny & Dolly: An Intimate Conversation", "Great Performances", "The Big Interview with Dan Rather", "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon", "Extra with Billy Bush", "Entertainment Tonight", and "Today". He was involved in several other business ventures besides entertainment, opening the fast-food chicken chain, Kenny Rogers Roasters, and the Sprint car manufacturing firm, Gamblers Chassis. He was featured in a GEICO commercial in 2014, dealing a card game while singing a bit of "The Gambler". Rogers was also noted as a photographer and his work was featured in the books "Kenny Rogers' America" (1986) and "Your Friends and Mine" (1987). He penned the 2012 book "Luck or Something Like It: A Memoir", and co-wrote the 2013 novel "What Are the Chances". Rogers was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Country Music Association in 2013. Rogers toured in concert throughout his career until announcing his retirement in 2015. He appeared at a tribute concert in his honor in Nashville in October of 2017. Rogers was married to Janice Gordon from 1958 until their divorce in 1960 and to Jean Rogers from 1960 until their divorce in 1963. He was married to Margo Anderson from 1964 until they divorced in 1976, and to actress Marianne Gordon from 1977 until their divorce in 1993. He married Wanda Miller in 1997, and she survives him. He is also survived by five children, one each with Janice Gordon, Margo Anderson, and Marianne Gordon, and twin sons with Wanda Miller.
DYANNE THORNE, 83 - January 28, 2020
Actress Dyanne Thorne, who starred in the title role in the cult exploitation film "Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS", died of pancreatic cancer in Las Vegas, Nevada, on January 28, 2020. She was born Dorothy Ann Seib in Park Ridge, New Jersey, on October 14, 1936. She began her career as a singer and stage actress. She also performed as a comic foil to such comedians as Allen & Rossi, Vaughn Meader, and Tim Conway and appeared on such television variety series as "The Tonight Show", "The Red Skelton Show", and "The Merv Griffin Show". She appeared in small roles in the films "Who Was That Lady?" (1960), "Lash of Lust" (1962), "Love with the Proper Stranger"(1963), "Sin in the Suburbs" (1964), the short "Encounter" (1965), and "The President's Analyst" (1967). She was also seen on television in episodes of "The Felony Squad" and the "Star Trek" episode "A Piece of the Action" in 1968. She was billed under various names for subsequent films including Lahna Monroe, Penni Walters, Rosalee Stein, and Frenchie Dior. She was the Fairy Godmother in the 1971 adult version of "Pinocchio" and was the villainess Andrea Hilliard in the thriller "Point of Terror" (1971). He was also seen in the films "Love Me Like I Do" (1970), the horror film "Blood Sabbath" (1972) as Alotta, Queen of Witches, "The Swinging Barmaids" (1975), "Beyond Fulfillment" (1975), "Alias Big Cherry" (1975), and the adult science fiction "Wam Bam Thank You Spaceman" (1975). Thorne starred as the sadistic Ilsa in 1975's "Ilsa: She Wolf of the SS". She continued her torturous ways in the sequels "Ilsa, Harem Keeper of the Oil Sheiks" (1976), and Ilsa the Tigress of Siberia" (1977). She also starred in Jess Franco's 1977 semi-sequel "Ilsa, the Wicked Warden", which was also known as "Wanda, the Wicked Warden" and "Greta, the Mad Butcher". Her other films include "Lollipop Palace" (1976), "Chesty Anderson U.S. Navy" (1976), "Up Yours" (1979), "Hellhole" (1985), "La Nieve del Sur" (1985), "Aria" (1987), and "Real Men" (1987). Her later television credits include an episode of "The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo", the 1980 tele-film "Pleasure Palace", and the 1985 mini-series "Space". She returned to the screen for a pair of independent horror films in 2013, "House of Forbidden Secrets" and "House of the Witchdoctor", and played herself in 2018's "Exploitation". Thorne married musician and actor Howard Maurer in 1975 after appearing with him in the first "Ilsa" film. He also worked with his wife in the sequels and he wrote several Las Vegas comedy shows for Thorne and himself. Thorne and Maurer became ordained non-denominational ministers and operated the outdoor wedding company, A Scenic Wedding, in Las Vegas. Thorne frequently performed marriage ceremonies for couples as the infamous Ilsa. She is survived by Maurer.
MONIQUE VAN VOOREN, 92 - January 25, 2020
Belgian actress Monique van Vooren, who starred in the 1953 film "Tarzan and the She-Devil", died in Manhattan, New York, on January 25, 2020. She was born Monique Bronz in Brussels, Belgium, on March 25, 1927. She was a skater and model in Belgium. She appeared in the 1950 Italian film "Tomorrow Is Too Late" starring Vittorio De Sica. She came to the United States in 1950 and performed on Broadway in the musical revue "John Murray Anderson's Almanac' in 1953. She starred as Lyra, the She-Devil, in the 1953 film "Tarzan and the She-Devil" with Lex Barker. She was also seen in the films "The Infiltrator" (1955), "Ca Va Barder" (1955), "Ten Thousand Bedrooms" (1957), "Gigi" (1958), "Happy Anniversary" (1959), the fantasy "Fearless Frank" (1967) with Jon Voight, Pier Paolo Pasolini's "The Decameron" (1971), the erotic crime thriller "Sugar Cookies" (1973), "Ash Wednesday" (1973), and the horror film "Flesh for Frankenstein" (aka "Andy Warhol's Frankenstein") (1973) as Baroness Katrin Frankenstein. She returned to Broadway to appear in the musicaal "Man on the Moon" in 1975. Her later films include small roles in "Wall Street" (1987) and "Greystone Park" (2012). Van Vooren also appeared on television in a 1957 production of "Mayerling" for "Producers' Showcase" and "What Makes Sammy Run?" for "Sunday Showcase" in 1959. She was also seen in episodes of "The DuPont Show of the Week", "The United States Steel Hour", "The Trials of O'Brien", "Batman" as the Penguin's moll, Miss Clean, in 1968, and "Moby Tick" (1970) for "NBC Experiment in Television". She was a guest on the series "The Colgate Comedy Hour", "The Ed Sullivan Show", "The Ben Hecht Show", "I've Got a Secret", "To Tell the Truth", "Playboy's Penthouse", "The Tonight Show", "The Jack Paar Tonight Show", "Talent Scouts", "The Jack Paar Program", "Missing Links", "The Hollywood Palace", "That Regis Philbin Show", "Password", "The Les Crane Show", "The Young Set", "The Eamonn Andrews Show", "Girl Talk", "P.D.Q.", "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson", "Pat Boone in Hollywood", "The John Gary Show", "The Merv Griffin Show", "The Mike Douglas Show", "The Joe Franklin Show", "Tomorrow Coast to Coast", and "Late Night with David Letterman". Van Vooren also performed in regional theatrical productions and recorded several albums. She wrote the book, "Night Sanctuary", in 1983. She married Curt H. Pfenniger in 1950 and they later divorced. She was married to Gerald Purcell from 1958 until his death in 2002, and is survived by their son, Eric.
MAX VON SYDOW, 90 - March 8, 2020
Swedish actor Max von Sydow, who starred in Ingmar Bergman's "The Seventh Seal", was Jesus Christ in "The Greatest Story Ever Told", played the title role in "The Exorcist", and was Ming the Merciless in "Flash Gordon", died at his home in Provence, France, on March 8, 2020. He was born Carl Adolf von Sydow in Lund, Sweden, on April 10, 1929. He formed an amateur theater while attending Lund Cathedral School. She served in the Swedish Military for two years before studying at the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm from 1948 to 1951. He was soon performing on stage and made his film debut in Alf Sjoberg's "Only a Mother" (1949). He joined the Norrkoping-Linkoping Municipal Theatre in 1951 and the City Theatre in Halsingborg in 1953. He performed with the Malmo City Theatre from 1954 and worked frequently with director Ingmar Bergman. He was featured in the films "Miss Julie" (1951), "Ingen Mans Kvinna" (1953), and "Ratten Att Alska" (1956) before starring as Antoius Block in his first film with Bergman, "The Seventh Seal", 1957. Von Sydow, as a disillusioned 14th-century knight, is especially memorable for a scene where he plays chess with Death. He worked frequently in films with Bergman including "Wild Strawberries" (1967), "Brink of Life" (1957), "The Magician" (1958), "The Virgin Spring" (1958), "Through a Glass Darkly" (1961), "Winter Light" (1963), "Hour of the Wolf" (1968) one of many films opposite Liv Ullmann, "Shame" (1968), "The Passion of Anna" (1969), and "The Touch" (1971). He became a leading star in Swedish films, appearing in "Prasten i Uddarbo" (1957), "Brink of Life" (1958), "Kvinnlig Spion 503" (1958), "The Wedding Day" (1960), "Adventures of Nils Holgersson" (1962), "The Mistress" (1962), "4x4" (1965), and "The Reward" (1965). He earned international acclaim for his role as Jesus Christ in George Stevens' 1965 biblical epic "The Greatest Story Ever Told". He was the Reverend Abner Hale in the 1966 adaptation of James Michener's "Hawaii" and was Oktober in the spy drama "The Quiller Memorandum" (1966). His other films include "Here's Your Life" (1966), "Black Palm Trees" (1968), "Made in Sweden" (1969), John Huston's cold war thriller "The Kremlin Letter" (1970), the psychological horror film "The Night Visitor" (1971), Jan Troell's "The Emigrants" (1971), "The Apple War" (1971), "Embassy" (1972), and "The New Land" (1972). He starred as Father Lankester Merrin in William Friedkin's horror classic "The Exorcist" (1973), and was Henry Haller in the 1974 adaptation of Herman Hesse's novel "Steppenwolf". He also appeared in the films "Egg! Egg! A Hardboiled Story" (1975), the thriller "Three Days of the Condor" (1975) as the elegant assassin Joubert pursuing Robert Redford, the science fiction film "The Ultimate Warrior" (1975), "Dog's Heart" (1976), "Illustrious Corpses" (1976), "Foxtrot" (1976), "The Desert of the Tartars" (1976), "Voyage of the Damned" (1976), "Exorcist II: The Heretic" (1977) reprising his role as Father Merrin, "March or Die" (1977), "Black Journal" (1977), "Brass Target" (1978), "Hurricane" (1979), "Bugie Blanche" (1979), and Bertrand Tavernier's futuristic drama "Death Watch" (1980). He starred as Ming the Merciless in the 1980 production of the cult science fiction film "Flash Gordon". He continued to appear in the flms "Escape from Victory" (1981), "She Dances Alone" (1981), John Milius' "Conan the Barbarian" (1982) as King Osric, "Flight of the Eagle" (1982), "Hit Man" (1982), "Le Cercle des Passions" (1983), the comedy "Strange Brew" (1983), "Never Say Never Again" (1983) as the villainous Ernst Stavro Blofeld to Sean Connery's James Bond, "Dreamscape" (1984), David Lynch's adaptation of Frank Herbert's science fiction classic "Dune" (1984) as planetary ecologist Doctor Kynes, "Code Name: Emerald" (1985), "The Repenter" (1985), Woody Allen's "Hannah and Her Sisters" (1986), "The Second Victory" (1986), "The Wolf at the Door" (1986), and "Duet for One" (1986). He received an Academy Award nomination for his role as Lassefar Karlsson in Bille August's 1987 film "Pelle the Conqueror". His other films include "Katinka" (1988), the supernatural comedy "Ghostbusters II" (1989) as the voice Vigo, "The Bachelor" (1990), "A Violent Life" (1990) as Pope Clement VII, "Father" (1990), "Penny Marshall's "Awakenings" (1990) with Robin Williams, "A Kiss Before Dying" (1991), "Europa" (1991) as the narrator, Wim Wenders' science fiction drama "Until the End of the World" (1991), "The Ox" (1991), "The Best Intentions" (1991), "The Silent Touch" (1992), "Grandpa's Journey" (1993), the 1993 adaptation of Stephen King's "Needful Things" as the diabolic Leland Gaunt, "Time Is Money" (1994), "Judge Dredd" (1995) as Judge Fargo, "Hamsun" (1996), "Jerusalem" (1996), Disney's animated feature "Hercules" (1997) as the voice of Zeus, the fantasy "What Dreams May Come" (1998), "Snow Falling on Cedars" (1999), "Sleepless" (2001), "Druids" (2001), "Intacto" (2001), Steven Spielberg's science fiction "Minority Report" (2002) with Tom Cruise, "Les Amants de Mogador" (2002), "Heidi" (2005), "The Inquiry" (2006), "Rush Hour 3" (2007), "Emotional Arithmetic" (2007), "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (2007), "Solomon Kane" (2009), "A Man and His Dog" (2009), "Oscar and the Lady in Pink" (2009), Martin Scorsese's "Shutter Island" (2010), the animated "Moomins and the Comet Chase" (2010) as the narrator, "Robin Hood" (2010) starring Russell Crowe, "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" (2011) earning another Oscar nomination for his role as the Renter, "Truth & Treason" (2012), "Branded" (2012), the IMAX short "Dragons 3D" (2013), "The Letters" (2015), "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" (2015) as Lor San Tekka, "The First, the Last" (2016), "The Command" (aka "Kursk") (2018), and "Echoes of the Past" (2020). He performed on stage in Sweden throughout his career and made his Broadway debut in a 1977 production of "The Night of the Tribades". He also appeared on Broadway in the play "Duet for One" in 1981 and starred as Prosper in "The Tempest" at London's Old Vic in 1988. He directed the Swedish film "Katinka" in 1988. Von Sydow appeared on television in productions of "Herr Sleeman Kommer" (1957), "Rabies" (1958), "The Diary of Anne Frank" (1967) as Otto Frank, "Kvartetten Som Sprangdes" (1973), "Samson and Delilah" (1984), "The Soldier's Tale" (1984), "Le Dernier Civil" (1984), "Kojak: The Belarus File" (1985), "The Last Place on Earth" (1985), "Quo Vadis?" (1985) as the Apostle Peter, "Christopher Columbus" (1985) as King John of Portugal, "Gosta Berlings Saga" (1986), "Red King, White Knight" (1989) earning an Emmy Award nomination, "Hiroshima: Out of the Ashes" (1990), "The Best Intentions" (1991), "Och Ge Oss Skuggorna" (1993), an episode of "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles" as Sigmund Freud in 1993, "A Che Punto e la Notte" (1994), "Radetzkymarsch" (1994), "Uncle Vanya" (1994), "Citizen X" (1995), "Samson and Delilah" (1996), "Private Confessions" (1996) directed by Liv Ullmann with a script by Ingmar Bergman, "Hostile Waters" (1997), "The Princess and the Pauper" (1997), "Solomon" (1997), "Nuremberg" (2000), "Hidden Children - Escape of the Innocents" (2004), and "Dark Kingdom: The Dragon King" (2004). He was featured as Cardinal von Walburg in several episodes of "The Tudors" in 2009 and was a voice performer in a 2014 episode of "The Simpsons". Von Sydow was featured as the Three-Eyed Raven in the HBO fantasy classic "Game of Thrones", earning an Emmy nomination in 2017. Von Sydow was married to Christina Inga Britta Olin, who often served as his assistant in films, from 1951 until their divorce in 1979. He is survived by their two sons, Clas and Henrik, who both appeared with him in the film "Hawaii". He married French documentary filmmaker Catherine Brelet in 1997 and adopted her two children from a previous marriage, all of whom survive him.
LYLE WAGGONER, 84 - March 17, 2020
Actor Lyle Waggoner, who starred on the comedy series "Carol Burnett Show" and was Steve Trevor to Lynda Carter's "Wonder Woman", died of cancer at his home in Los Angeles, California, on March 17, 2020. Waggoner was born in Kansas City, Kansas, on April 13, 1935. He briefly attended Washington University in St. Louis before serving as a radio operator in West Germany for the U.S. Army. He studied mechanical engineering at the General Motors Institute of Technology after his discharge. He also worked in sales and promotions and appeared on stage in a production of "Li'l Abmner" in Kansas City. He moved to Los Angeles in the 1960s, where he appeared in the films "Swamp Country" (1966), "Catalina Caper" (1967), the science fiction "Journey to the Center of Time" (1967) as an alien, and the horror film "Love Me Deadly" (1972). He tested for the role of the Caped Crusader for the "Batman" series in 1965, but lost out to Adam West. He appeared on television in episodes of "Gunsmoke", "Lost in Space" as a Mechnical Man in the "Deadliest of the Species" episode in 1966, "The Governor & J.J.", "The ABC Comedy Hour", "Marcus Welby, M.D.", and "The Barbara Eden Show". He became announcer for the comedy variety series "The Carol Burnett Show" in 1967 and served as the handsome straight man in comedy skits for the series through 1974. He also appeared in television productions of "Hellzapoppin'" (1972), "Once Upon a Mattress" (1972) with Carol Burnett, "The Toy Game" (1973), and "Letters from Three Lovers" (1973). Waggoner was the first centerfold for "Playgirl" magazine in June of 1973. He starred as Major Steve Trevor in the first season of "Wonder Woman" starring Lynda Carter from 1975 to 1976 when the series was set during World War II. He portrayed the character's son, Colonel Steve Trevor, Jr., when "Wonder Woman" was set in contemporary times due to budget constraints from 1976 to 1979. He was also seen in episodes of "Maude", "The San Pedro Beach Bums", "Flying High", "Supertrain", "Time Express", "Charlie's Angels", "Mork & Mindy", "The Love Boat", "Romance Theatre", "Fantasy Island", "Gun Shy", "Happy Days", "Hardcastle and Mccormick", "Simon & Simon", "The New Mike Hammer", "It's a Living", "The Golden Girls", "Alright Already", "Murder, She Wrote", "Daddy Dearest", "Burke's Law", "Ellen", "Pauly", "The Naked Truth", "Love Boat: The Next Wave", "That '70s Show", and "The War at Home". His other television credits include productions of "The Love Boat II" (1977), "The Gossip Columnist" (1980), "Gridlock" (1980), "Bulba" (1981), "The Ugily Family" (1982), "The Great American Strip-Off" (1985), and "Living Straight" (2003). His later film credits include "Zero to Sixty" (1978), "Surf II" (1984), "Murder Weapon" (1989), "Danger USA" (1989), "Gypsy Angels" (1990), "The Girl I Want" (1990), "Wizards of the Demon Sword" (1991) as Lord Khoura, and "Dead Women in Lingerie" (1991). He was a guest on numerous game, talk, and variety shows including "The Hollywood Squares", "The Jimmie Rodgers Show", "The Merv Griffin Show", "The Jerry Reed When You're Hot You're Hot Hour", "The Ken Berry 'Wow' Show", "It's Your Bet" as host from 1970 to 1972, "Celebrity Bowling", "The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour", "Dinah's Place", "Tattletales", "Don Adams' Screen Test", "The Bob Braun Show", "The Sonny and Cher Show", "The Cross-Wits", "Battle of the Network Stars", "The Mike Douglas Show", "The Alan Hamel Show", "The Jim Nabors Show", "The Alan Thicke Show", "Dance Fever", "Tattletales", "Match Game", "Family Feud", "Super Password", "Vicki!, "Cybill", and "The Queen Latifah Show". He was narrator for the 2003 tele-film "Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt". He also appeared in several specials with Carol Burnett and was a guest for 2017's "The Carol Burnett 50th Anniversary Special". Waggoner created Star Waggons, a company that rented motor homes for actors for use on film and television sets, in 1979. He married actress Sharon Kennedy in 1960 and is survived by her and their two sons.
STUART WHITMAN, 92 - March 16, 2020
Actor Stuart Whitman, who was a rugged leading man in such films as "The Mark" and "The Comancheros", died of complications from skin cancer at his home in Montecito, California, on March 16, 2020. Whitman was born in San Francisco, California, on February 1, 1928. He moved to Los Angeles with his family as a teen during World War II. He enlisted in the U.S. Army after high school and worked with the Corps of Engineers for three years. He also was a champion lightweight boxer while serving in the army. He attended Los Angeles City College after his discharge in 1949 and also began studying to be an actor with the Michael Chekhov Stage Society. He also attended the Ben Bard Drama School in Hollywood and performed with them on stage. He appeared in small roles in the classic science fiction films "When Worlds Collide" (1951) and "The Day the Earth Stood Still" (1951). Whitman was also seen in the films "Barbed Wire" (1952), "One Minute to Zero" (1952), "All I Desire" (1953), "The Man from the Alamo" (1953), "The All American" (1953), "The Veils of Bagdad" (1953), "Appointment in Honduras" (1953), "Walking My Baby Back Home" (1953), "Rhapsody" (1954), "Prisoner of War" (1954), "Silver Lode" (1954), "Return from the Sea" (1954), "Brigadoon" (1954), "Interrupted Melody" (1955), "The Magnificent Matador" (1955), the serial "King of the Carnival" (1955), "Diane" (1956), "7 Men from Now" (1956), "Crime of Passion" (1956), and "War Drums" (1957). He starred as Johnny Chandler in the 1957 drama "Johnny Trouble" and the rugged Whitman graduated to more prominent roles. His other films include "The Girl in Black Stockings" (1957), "Hell Bound" (1957), "Bombers B-52" (1957), the war film "Darby's Rangers" (1958) with James Garner, "Ten North Frederick" (1958) with Gary Cooper, "China Doll" (1958), "The Decks Ran Red" (1958), "The Sound and the Fury" (1959), "These Thousand Hills" (1959), "Hound-Dog Man" (1959) with Fabian and Carol Lynley, the biblical drama "The Story of Ruth" (1960) as Boaz, "Murder, Inc." (1960), "The Mark" (1961) earning an Academy Award nomination for his role of convicted child molester Jim Fuller, "The Fiercest Heart" (1961), "Francis of Assisi" (1961), "The Comancheros" (1961) with John Wayne, "Convicts 4" (1962), the all-star war film "The Longest Day" (1962), Rene Clement's French World War II film, "The Day and the Hour" (1963), "Shock Treatment" (1964), the western "Rio Conchos" (1964), "Signpost to Murder" (1964), the adventure spoof "Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines" (1965), "Sands of the Kalahari" (1965) battling a pack of wild baboons, "See You in Hell, Darling" (1966), "Ternos Cacadores" (1969), "The Last Escape" (1970), "The Invincible Six" (1970), "Captain Apache" (1971), the cult horror filmms "Night of the Lepus" (1972) fighting a horde of giant killer rabbits opposite Janet Leigh, "Run, Cougar, Run" (1972), Laurence Harvey's "Welcome to Arrow Beach" (1974), the Hammer crime film "Shatter" (1974), "Las Vegas Lady" (1975), "Crazy Mama" (1975), "Mean Johnny Barrows" (1975) with Fred Williamson, "Strange Shadows in an Empty Room" (1976), Tobe Hooper's horror classic "Eaten Alive" (aka "Death Trap", "Horror Hotel", "Starlight Slaughter") (1976), "Oil" (1977), "Assault in Paradise" (aka "Maniac") (1977), "The White Bufalo" (1977), the horror film "Ruby" (1977) with Piper Laurie, "Run for the Roses" (1977), "La Mujer de la Tierra Caliente" (1979), "Guyana: Cult of the Damned" (1979) as Reverend James Johnson, "Delta Fox" (1979), "Jamaican Gold" (1979), "Cuba Crossing" (1980), "Under Siege" (1980), "Demonoid" (1981), the horror anthology film "The Monster Club" (1981), "When I Am King" (1981), "Magnum Thrust" (1981), "Butterfly" (1982) with Pia Zadora, the Italian thriller "Invaders of the Lost Gold" (1982), "Vultures" (1984), "Treasure of the Amazon" (1985), "First Strike" (1985), "Deadly Intruder" (1985), "Moving Target" (1988), "Deadly Reactor" (1989), "Omega Cop" (1990), "The Color of Evening" (1990), "Smoothtalker" (1990), "Mob Boss" (1990), "Gypsy" (1990), the Japanese film "Heaven & Earth" (1991) as the English language narrator, "Private Wars" (1993), "Sandman" (1993), "Lightning in a Bottle" (1993), "Trial by Jury" (1994), "Improper Conduct" (1994), "Land of Milk & Honey" (1996), and "Second Chances" (1998). Whitman appeared frequently on television throughout his career. He was featured in episodes of "Boston Blackie", "The Range Rider", "The Roy Rogers Show", "Stories of the Century", "Lux Video Theatre", "The Star and the Story", "Four Star Playhouse", "Cavalcade of America", "Navy Log", "The Adventures of Dr. Fu Manchu", "Gunsmoke", "Dr. Christian", "Zane Grey Theater", "The Silent Service", "Alcoa Theatre", "Harbor Command", "Goodyear Theatre", "Trackdown", "Highway Patrol" in the recurring role of Sergeant Walters from 1956 to 1957, "The Court of Last Resort", "Have Gun - Will Travel", "Target", "Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre", and the "ABC Stage 67" production of "The People Trap" in 1966. He starred as Marshal Jim Crown in the western series "Cimarron Strip" from 1967 to 1968. He was also seen in episodes of "Bracken's World", "Circle of Fear", "Night Gallery", "The Streets of San Francisco", "The F.B.I.", "Love, American Style", "Hec Ramsey", "Police Story", "Caribe", "Cannon", "S.W.A.T.", "Ellery Queen", "Harry O", "Quincy", "Most Wanted" (1977), "The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries", "Tales of the Unexpected", "Knight Rider", "The Master", "Fantasy Island", "Matt Houston", "Cover Up", "Roughcuts", "Finders of Lost Loves", "Tales from the Darkside", "Hunter", "The A-Team", "Blacke's Magic", "Hardcastle and McCormick", "Simon & Simon", "Hotel", "Jack and Mike", "J.J. Starbuck", "Knots Landing" in the recurring role of Mr. Willis in 1990, "Murder, She Wrote", "Superboy" in the recurring role of Clark Kent's foster father, Jonathan Kent, from 1988 to 1982, "Time Trax", "The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.", "Walker, Texas Ranger", "Courthouse", and the animated "Aaahh!!! Real Monsters" in a voice role. His other television credits include the tele-films and mini-series "Only Way Out Is Dead" (1970), "City Beneath the Sea" (1971), "Revenge!" (1971), "The Woman Hunter" (1972), "The High Flying Spy" (1972), "Intertect" (1973), "The Man Who Died Twice" (1973), Disney's "Run, Cougar, Run" (1973), "The Cat Creature" (1973), "Go West, Young Girl" (1978), "The Pirate" (1978), "Women in White" (1979), "The Last Convertible" (1979), "The Seekers" (1979), "Condominium" (1980), "Beverly Hills Cowgirl Blues" (1985), "Stillwatch" (1987), "Once Upon a Texas Train" (1988), "Hemingway" (1988), "Wounded Heart" (1995), "Shaughnessy" (1996), and "The President's Man" (2000). Whitman was also very successful in real estate and retired from acting in 2000. He was married to Patricia Ann LaLonde from 1962 until their divorce in 1966 and is survived by their four children. He was married to Caroline Boubis from 1966 until their divorce in 1976 and is survived by their son. Whitman married Julia Paradiz in 2006 and she also survives him.
Thanks to Carla Clark, Tom Weaver, Ray Nielsen, Boyd Magers, John Beifuss, Jimmy Covington, Laura Wagner, Tom Betts