Obituaries in the performing arts, 2012

329 Pages·2013·9.725 MB·English

by  Harris M. Lentz Iii

Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2012
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Obituaries in the
Performing Arts,
2012
HARRIS M. LENTZ III
McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Jefferson, North Carolina, and London
This book is dedicated to the memory
of those friends and family lost during 2012—
Velma Gill, Pete Andreoli, Elaine Mayer Walsh,
Nan Gallina, Larry Tauber, Glenna Scott, Bill Cullinan,
Jim Mathis, Ann Waters, Wanda Schaperkotter,
Jeanette Rainey, Vancy Chambers, Zachary Smith,
Paul Scheno, Mack Andreoli—and
William Windom, Warren Stevens, Joel Marston,
George Lindsay, Russell Arms
Front cover, clockwise from top left:Phyllis Diller,
Andy Griffith, Whitney Houston, Dick Clark
ISSN 1087-9617 / ISBN 978-0-7864-7063-1
softcover : acid free paper
©2013 Harris M. Lentz III. All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying
or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,
without permission in writing from the publisher.
Manufactured in the United States of America
McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Box 611, Jefferson, North Carolina 28640
www.mcfarlandpub.com
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgments vi
Introduction vii
Reference Bibliography x
The 2012 Obituaries 1
v
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I greatly appreciate the invaluable assistance of Carlin and Renee Stuart, Maggie Hernandez, Dia
my friend and co- conspirator Carla Clark. Special Barbee, Dave Ramsey, Ray and Judy Herring, Don
thanks also go to my sister, Nikki Walker, and to Bob and Elaine Kerley, Grace Garcia, Daniel Dixon, Brett
King at Classic Images, for granting permission to Fleming, John Beck, Polly Sharp, Zia Lane, Tammy
use information from my columns. Also, thanks to Lambdin, Scotty Scheno, Pierre, Chad Green, Ver-
Kayla Hugel, Tom Weaver, Fred Davis, John Beifuss, linda Hennings, Michael Huggins, Josh Cleary, Sean
Ray Neilson, John Whyborn, Ali Meyer, Boyd and Amber Hart, Kira Christensen, Heather Rich,
Magers at Western Clippings, Andrew “Captain Laura Crofcheck, Richie Cohen and my friends at
Comics” Smith, Timmy Bell, Tony Pruitt, Jason “the Bubba’s Ale House & Grille, Kristen Williams,
Doctor” Heath, Greg Bridges, Bobby Mathews, Kent Stephanie Godman, Cassie Bizzle, Jamie Bromley,
Nelson, George and Leona Alsup, Betty Alsup, Toni Cindy Weaver, Louise Roberts, Mike and Lynn Gehl,
Cerritto, Lois Donnelly, Tina Motroni, Joe and Jean Katelyn Pearce, Ashley Essary, Dave and Lisa Hansen,
Garbarini, Vicki and Ed Bennett, Darla and Randy Caitlyn Pittman, Carrie Minehart, Pancho and Charo
Sellars, Margarete Andreoli, Elena Hart, Dale War- Walker, Arthur Rodgers, Desiree Rodgers, Ciara
ren, Andrew Clark, Aarin Prichard, Dr. Mark Mitaro, N.W. and Ann Gates, Virginia Carpenter,
Heffington, Anne Taylor, Andy Branham, John Nel- Bill and Barbara McKee, the fine folks at J. Alexan-
son, Richard Allynwood, Frank de Azpillaga, Irv ders, Mike Robilio and my friends at Sidecar, the
Jacobs, Bill Warren, Bob Cuneo, Alun Jones, Marty Memphis Film Festival, Ray Grier of the Ellendale
Baumann, Joe Caviolo, John Hiestand, Rusty White, Post Office, Bryan Burgess, Keith Hurd, my friends
Russ Blatt of Life in Legacy, the folks at VoyForums: with the Memphis Team Trivia Leagues at East End
Celebrity Obits (especially Chronicler, Peggy, Grill, the gang at Classic Horror Film Board, Tommy
Rocket, Loren, Greg, Buckeye, Danny, Doc Rock, Gattas, James Gattas, Emma Brown, the University
Darren, Geazer, Teller, Kathy, Ed Tracey, James, of Memphis Library and the Memphis, Shelby
John, Kristian, Loretta, Micki, Davis S., and M issy- County, and Bartlett Public Libraries, and my friends
J o), Joy Martin, Denise Tansil, Louis and Carol Baird, at Horseshoe Lake.
vi
INTRODUCTION
This book provides a single source that notes Green Mile; Ann Rutherford, who starred as Scarlett
the deaths of all major, and many minor, figures in O’Hara’s younger sister in Gone with the Wind and
the fields of film, television, cartoons, theatre, music Andy Hardy’s girlfriend, Polly Benedict; Phyllis
and popular literature throughout the world. The Thaxter, Superman’s Ma Kent; character actor Charles
obituaries within this volume contain pertinent Durning, the s ide-s tepping governor in The Best Little
details of deaths including date, place and cause, of Whorehouse in Texas, and Larry L. King, who co-
more than 1000 celebrities who died in 2012. Biog- authored the original play; Nora Ephron, the Oscar-
raphical information and career highlights and nominated writer and director of When Harry Met
achievements are also provided. I have also included Sally…and Sleepless in Seattle; Celeste Holm, O scar-
a c omplete-a s-p ossible filmography for U.S. film and winning actress in Gentleman’s Agreement; Western
television performers. Both print and online resources character actor Harry Carey, Jr.; Richard Zanuck,
used are listed below and in the bibliography. A pho- Oscar- winning producer of Driving Miss Daisy; Tony
tograph has been included for the majority of the Scott, director of the action films Top Gunand True
individuals within. Romance; Native American activist and actor Russell
The year 2012 saw the passing of numerous leg- Means; silent film screenwriter Frederica Sagor Maas;
endary names in films, television, music, and popular Joyce Redman, Oscar- nominated for her roles as the
culture, plus a host of lesser known individuals whose lusty Mrs. Waters in Tom Jones; Simon Ward, star of
accomplishments have left a lasting mark on the per- Young Winston and Supergirl’s father, Z or-E l; Mel
forming arts. We lost such iconic television figures as Stuart, the director of Willie Wonka and the Chocolate
Andy Griffith, star of The Andy Griffith Show and Factory, and David Kelly, who starred as Grandpa Joe
Matlock; George Lindsey, who was featured as Goober in Tim Burton’s version of Charlie and the Chocolate
on The Andy Griffith Show; Larry Hagman, the man Factory; Sylvia Kristel, star of the Emmanuellefilms;
we loved to hate as J.R. Ewing on Dallas; Sherman Zalman King, actor and creator of the erotic Red Shoes
Hemsley, star of The Jeffersons; Ernest Borgnine, the Diaries; Victor Spinetti, who was a foil for the Beatles
Oscar- winning actor who went on to star in the mil- in Hard Day’s Night and Help; Jon Finch, star of
itary sit- com McHale’s Navy; legendary comedienne Roman Polanski’s Macbeth; Swedish film star Erland
Phyllis Diller; Jack Klugman, The Odd Couple’s Oscar Josephson; British comic actors Max By graves and
Madison and star of Quincy; Jonathan Frid, the vam- Eric Sykes; leading men James Farentino and Ben
pire Barnabas Collins on the Gothic soap opera Dark Gazzara; leading ladies Patricia Medina, Zina
Shadows; Hogan’s Heroes star and Family Feud host Bethune, and Deborah Raffin; and character actors
Richard Dawson; 60 Minutes news correspondent Lance LeGault, George Murdock, Cliff Osmond,
Mike Wallace; The Monkees’ Davy Jones; Soul Train Laurie Main, Ian Abercrombe, Peter Halliday, Virgil
creator and host Don Cornelius; and American Band- Frye, Tsilla Chelton, Luke Askew, Bernard Behrens,
standand New Years’ Rockin’ Evehost Dick Clark. Biff Elliot, Al Freeman, Jr., C. Lindsay Workman,
The firmament of Hollywood stars grew dimmer Norm Grabowski, Frederick Treves, Anthony Bate,
with the passing of such performers and filmmakers Philip Bruns, Norman Alden, Frank Brana, Philic
as Michael Clarke Duncan, the gentle giant in The Madoc, Dick Anthony Will iams, and Barry Cahill.
vii
Introduction viii
Numerous other television stars passed in 2012 singer and songwriter Jimmy Castor; soul singer
including Welcome Back Kotter’s Juan Epstein (Rob - Fontella Bass; “Gentle on My Mind” songwriter Al
ert Hegyes) and Arnold Horshack (Ron Palillo); Don DeLory; singer and musician Johnny Otis; Iron But-
Grady, My Three Sons’ Robbie Douglas; Peter Breck, terfly guitarist Larry “Rhino” Reinhardt; singer and
Nick Barkley of The Big Valley; Chad Everett, Medical songwriter Joe South; Memphis Horns sax player
Center’s Joe Gannon; Frank Cady, Mr. Drucker on Andrew Love; the Funk Brothers’ Bob Babbitt; rap-
Green Acres and Petticoat Junction; Yvette Wilson, per Lil Phat; Haitian vodou drummer Frisner Au -
Andell Wilkerson on the sit- coms Moesha and The gustin; yodeler Kenny Roberts; polka musician Eddie
Parkers; Steve Franken, Chatsworth Osb orne, Jr., of Blazonczyk; Chuck Brown, the “Godfather of Go
The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis; Wil liam Windom, Go”; and Keletigue Diabate, the Malian master of
star of My World and Welcome to It; Gary Collins, star the balafon.
of Iron Horseand The Sixth Sense; John Ingle, Edward Ray Bradbury’s timeless tales of fantasy and sci-
Quartermaine on the soap opera General Hospital; ence fiction were frequently adapted for film and tel-
Kathryn Joosten, The West Wing’s Mrs. Landingham evision, and his obituary is found within these pages.
and Desperate Housewives’ Karen McCluskey; Lupe Other science fiction and horror figures chronicled
Ontiveros, Desperate Housewives’ Juanita Solis; Jerome include British actor Herbert Lom, star of Hammer’s
Courtland, star of The Saga of Andy Burnett; Alex The Phantom of the Opera and beleaguered Chief
Karras, the football star turned star of Webster; Mous- Inspector Dreyfus in The Pink Pantherseries; William
keteer Bonnie Lynn Fields; banjo player Doug Dillard Finley, star of Phantom of the Paradise; exotic leading
of The Andy Griffith Show’s Darling Family; Johnny man Turhan Bey and his leading lady in The Mummy’s
Lewis, Sons of Anarchy’s Half- Sack; Doris Singleton, Tomb, Elyse Knox; Michael O’Hare, Babylon 5’s
I Love Lucy’s frequent foil Caroline Appleby; Winston Commander Jeffrey Sinclair; cult horror and science
Rekert, star of Adderly, and Jenny Tomasin, scullery fiction actor Richard Lynch; E.T.and Aliendesigner
maid Ruby Finch on Upstairs, Downstairs. Carlo Rambaldi; Harry Harrison, the novelist behind
The music world was stunned by the untimely Soylent Green; Dick Tufeld, the voice of the Lost in
passing of superstar diva Whitney Houston. Other Spacerobot; Robert Fuest, director of the Dr. Phibes
voices stilled include “Moon River” singer Andy films; Emi Ito, Mothra’s diminutive faerie twin;
Williams; disco queen Donna Summer; Robin Gibb Thunderbirds and Space: 1999 creator Gerry Ander-
of the Bee Gees; R&B singer Etta James; musician son; Doctor Who companions Liz Shaw (Caroline
turned actor Levon Helm of The Band and Coal John) and Romana (Mary Tamm); cult actress Susan
Miner’s Daughter; bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs; Tyrrell of Forbidden Zone; John Christopher, the
Mexican- American singer Jenni Rivera; Your Hit British science fiction writer of The Tripods; Forbidden
Parade vocalist Russell Arms; singer and actor Tony Planet’s Doc Ostrow, Warren Stevens; Lina Romay,
Martin; Dorothy McGuire of the McGuire Sisters; Jesus Franco’s muse and star of numerous Spanish
and opera singers Evelyn Lear, Nan Merriman, Diet- horror films; 1950s leading ladies Merry Anders of
rich F ischer-D ieskau, and Marguerite Piazza. Several The Hypnotic Eye and The Time Travelers, Marla
leading composers and songwriters also died includ- English of The She Creatureand Voodoo Woman, Joan
ing O scar-w inner Marvin Hamlisch; jazz pianist and Taylor of Earth vs. the Flying Saucersand 20 Million
composer Dave Brubeck; lyricist Hal David of “Rain- Miles to Earth, and Dorinda Stevens of Horrors of the
drops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” fame; Pulitzer P rize- Black Museum; Morgan Jones, the leading man in Not
winning classical composer Elliott Carter; and the of This Earth; Angharad Rees, British actress in Hands
O scar-w inning songwriter of “It’s a Small World After of the Ripper; Roy Steffens, television’s time- traveling
All” and “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” Robert Captain Z- Ro; Star Wars conceptual artist Ralph
Sherman. McQuarrie; English fencer and stuntman Bob Ander-
Other leading music figures who died in 2012 son, who wore the Darth Vader mask in the climactic
include Booker T. and the M.G.’s and the Blues light- saber battles in Star Wars; James Bond stuntman
Brothers musician Donald “Duck” Dunn; the Beastie George Leech; Russian science fiction writer Boris
Boys’ Adam Yauch; Indian sitarist Ravi Shankar; Strugatsky; Leonardo Cimino, the Scary German
Fleetwood Mac guitarist Bob Welch; country singer Guy in Monster Squad and the Baron’s doctor in
Kitty Wells; the Flying Burritos Brothers singer and Dune; R.G. Armstrong, who starred as evil Uncle
songwriter Chris Ethridge; Doobie Brothers drum- Lewis Vendredi in the television version of Friday the
mer Michael Hossack; composer and singer Dory 13th: The Series; director Danny Steinmann, who con-
Previn; blind guitarist and folk singer Doc Watson; tinued the saga of Jason Voor hees in Friday the 13th
ix Introduction
Part V: A New Beginning, and James Isaac who Langley; and illustrator Robert Temple Ayres, who
helmed Jason X; and Night of the Living Dead’s first created the map that burned during the opening cred-
zombie, Bill Hinzman, and fellow zombies Josephine its of Bonanza. The voices of Speedy Alka- Selzer’s
Streiner and Regis Survinski. Dick Beals and Smurfette and Crusader Rabbit’s
Children’s literature lost Where the Wild Things Lucille Bliss were also stilled.
Are writer and illustrator Maurice Sendak; Encyclo- The world of sports entertainment lost such
pedia Browncreator Donald J. Sobol; Jan Berenstain, leading wrestlers as Chief Jay Strongbow, Buddy
creator of the Berenstain Bears; and Else Holmelund Roberts, Gorgeous George Jr., Brad Armstrong, Mike
Minarik, Little Bear’s creator. Other losses include Graham, Bobby Jaggers, Dara Singh, Kitty Burke,
leading comic books artist Joe Kubert, who was Doug Furnas, Red Bastien, Joe Blanchard, Brain
known for his illustrations of Sgt. Rock and Hawk- Damage, and MS-1.
man; French graphic illustrator and conceptual Television reality shows have created a new breed
designer Jean “Moebius” Giraud; Jonah Hexartist and of celebrity, and suffered such losses as Joey Kovar of
c o-c reator Tony De Zuniga; Golden Age comic artists Real World Hollywood; female impersonator Sahara
Sheldon Moldoff and John Severn; Tank McNamara Davenport of RuPaul’s Drag Race; pop singer Leslie
cartoonist Jeff Millar; and Manga artist Keiji Naka- Carter of House of Carters; logger Jimmy Smith of Ax
zawa. Men; gator hunter Mitchell Guist of Swamp People;
The numerous passings of the past year also boxer Jeff Fraza of The Contender; coal miner Andy
include such celebrated individuals as Helen Gurley Christian of Coal; appraiser Wendell Garrett of
Brown, the author of Sex and the Single Girland edi- Antiques Roadshow; chef Keith Greene of Hell’s
tor of Cosmopolitan; controversial playwright and Kitchen; and fisherman Jose Wejebe of Spanish Fly.
novelist Gore Vidal; Neil Armstrong, the first man I have been writing obituaries of film personal-
to step foot on the moon, and Sally Ride, the first ities for over thirty years, beginning with a column
American woman in space; British astronomers Sir in Forry Ackerman’s Famous Monsters of Filmlandin
Bernard Lovell and Sir Patrick Moore; Sesame Street the late 1970s. Many of the film obituaries in this
director Emily Squires; Judy Freudberg, creator of work are taken from my monthly column in Classic
Sesame Street’s Elmo; Peter Bergman, co- founder of Images(P.O. Box 809, Muscatine, IA 52761), a news-
the comedy group Firesign Theatre; Al Franken’s paper devoted to classic films and their performers.
comedy partner, Tom Davis; body modifier Dennis Information on the passing of the individuals
“Cat Man” Avner; popular artists LeRoy Neiman and found in this volume has been gathered from a myriad
Thomas Kinkade; film critics Judith Crist and An - of sources. Primary sources include The New York
drew Sarris; hairstylist Vidal Sassoon; $10,000 Dollar Times, The Los Angeles Times, Times(of London), The
Pyramid game show creator Bob Stewart; Norman Washington Post, Variety, Time, People, TV Guideand
Felton, the co- creator of The Man from U.N.C.L.E.; Newsweek. Other sources include Boyd Mager’s West-
prolific television director Don Medford; French ern Clippings, The Memphis Commercial Appeal, The
a vant-g arde filmmaker Chris Marker; boxing trainer Hollywood Reporter, The(Manchester) Guardian, The
Angelo Dundee; crime novelist Reginald Hill, creator Comics Buyer’s Guide, Locus, Pro Wrestling Torch, Psy-
of Dalziel and Pascoe; Cambodian King and some- chotronic Video, The Comics Journaland Facts on File.
times filmmaker Norodom Sihanouk; South Korean Several sources on the internet have also been helpful,
cult leader Sun Myung Moon; I Love Lucy director including Voyager Forums Barbara’s Obits & Memo-
and Bewitched producer William Asher; I Love Lucy rials (hosted by Chronicler) (http://www.voy. com/ 221
editor Dann Cahn; football player turned actor Ben 392/), Life in Legacy (http://www.lifeinlegacy.com/),
Davidson; Dorothy Gilman, creator of Mrs. Pollifax, Boot Hill (http:// westernboothill.blogspot.com/), and
Spy; veteran Japanese director Kaneto Shindo; 3-D the Internet Movie Database, Ltd. (www.imdb.com/).
pioneer Ray Zone; 1953 Miss America Neva Jane