ladyhunter
Head of the Swing Shift
RIP George Carlin. What a funny mind. The comedy world lost another great one. He will be missed. 
The Rest In Peace & Remembrance Thread
- Thread starter Destiny
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Dynamo1
Head of the Swing Shift
Actor Henry Beckman dies at 86
Appeared in hundreds of TV shows
By VARIETY STAFF
Mon., Jun. 30, 2008, 5:14pm PT
Character actor Henry Beckman died June 17 in Barcelona, Spain. He was 86.Beckman appeared in hundreds of TV shows, films and commercials in the U.S. and Canada, often playing heavies or roles requiring accents or foreign languages. Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, he served in the Canadian military during WWII and survived the Normandy invasion.
After the war, he ran a theater in New York and then moved to Hollywood to work as an actor, with one of his earliest roles on 1950s series "Flash Gordon."
He appeared in shows during the 1960s including "Dennis the Menace," "Dr. Kildare" and "The Twilight Zone." He had larger roles as George Anderson on "Peyton Place" and Colonel harridan in "McHale's Navy."
He was also known for his role as Captain Clancy in "Here Come the Brides."
Beckman later appeared in shows including "The Rockford Files," "Happy Days" and "Columbo." More recently, he played Detective Briggs in "The X-Files."
His stints in Canada brought two Canadian film awards, first known as the Etrog and now renamed the Genie, in best-supporting actor category, the last in 1978 for "Blood and Guts."
His feature film roles included "The Man Upstairs" with Katherine Hepburn, David Cronenberg's "The Brood," "My Husband's Secret Life," "Lion of Oz," "Shadow of a Doubt" and "Blood River."
Beckman also wrote film scripts, and was a member of the Writer's Guild of Canada, the Screen Writers Guild of America, SAG, AFTRA, ACTRA and the Director's Guild of Canada.
Appeared in hundreds of TV shows
By VARIETY STAFF
Mon., Jun. 30, 2008, 5:14pm PT
Character actor Henry Beckman died June 17 in Barcelona, Spain. He was 86.Beckman appeared in hundreds of TV shows, films and commercials in the U.S. and Canada, often playing heavies or roles requiring accents or foreign languages. Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, he served in the Canadian military during WWII and survived the Normandy invasion.
After the war, he ran a theater in New York and then moved to Hollywood to work as an actor, with one of his earliest roles on 1950s series "Flash Gordon."
He appeared in shows during the 1960s including "Dennis the Menace," "Dr. Kildare" and "The Twilight Zone." He had larger roles as George Anderson on "Peyton Place" and Colonel harridan in "McHale's Navy."
He was also known for his role as Captain Clancy in "Here Come the Brides."
Beckman later appeared in shows including "The Rockford Files," "Happy Days" and "Columbo." More recently, he played Detective Briggs in "The X-Files."
His stints in Canada brought two Canadian film awards, first known as the Etrog and now renamed the Genie, in best-supporting actor category, the last in 1978 for "Blood and Guts."
His feature film roles included "The Man Upstairs" with Katherine Hepburn, David Cronenberg's "The Brood," "My Husband's Secret Life," "Lion of Oz," "Shadow of a Doubt" and "Blood River."
Beckman also wrote film scripts, and was a member of the Writer's Guild of Canada, the Screen Writers Guild of America, SAG, AFTRA, ACTRA and the Director's Guild of Canada.
Dynamo1
Head of the Swing Shift
From TV Guide online:
Stargate SG-1's Don S. Davis Dead at 65
Don Sinclair Davis, an Army vet turned character actor best known to TV fans for his roles as Stargate SG-1's General George Hammond and Twin Peaks' Major Garland Briggs, died on Sunday of a heart attack. He was 65.
A family friend tells the Vancouver Sun that Davis — who called Gibsons, British Columbia, home — had dealt with heart problems for years, and suffered from diabetes.
Davis leaves behind his wife of five years, Ruby, and a son from a previous marriage.
Stargate SG-1's Don S. Davis Dead at 65
Don Sinclair Davis, an Army vet turned character actor best known to TV fans for his roles as Stargate SG-1's General George Hammond and Twin Peaks' Major Garland Briggs, died on Sunday of a heart attack. He was 65.
A family friend tells the Vancouver Sun that Davis — who called Gibsons, British Columbia, home — had dealt with heart problems for years, and suffered from diabetes.
Davis leaves behind his wife of five years, Ruby, and a son from a previous marriage.
Della
Police Officer
I'm gutted at this news. I adored him on Stargate SG-1 and stopped watching it when him and RDA more or less left the program.
It was really interesting to find out that he was Stunt Man for Macgyver's boss in MacGyver.
RIP Don and deepest sympathies to your wife and son.
Dynamo1
Head of the Swing Shift
Larry Harmon, longtime Bozo the Clown, dies at 83
Jul 3, 9:12 PM (ET)
By JOHN ROGERS
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Larry Harmon, who turned the character Bozo the Clown into a show business staple that delighted children for more than a half-century, died Thursday of congestive heart failure. He was 83.
His publicist, Jerry Digney, told The Associated Press he died at his home.
Although not the original Bozo, Harmon portrayed the popular clown in countless appearances and, as an entrepreneur, he licensed the character to others, particularly dozens of television stations around the country. The stations in turn hired actors to be their local Bozos.
"You might say, in a way, I was cloning BTC (Bozo the Clown) before anybody else out there got around to cloning DNA," Harmon told the AP in a 1996 interview.
Jul 3, 9:12 PM (ET)
By JOHN ROGERS
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Larry Harmon, who turned the character Bozo the Clown into a show business staple that delighted children for more than a half-century, died Thursday of congestive heart failure. He was 83.
His publicist, Jerry Digney, told The Associated Press he died at his home.
Although not the original Bozo, Harmon portrayed the popular clown in countless appearances and, as an entrepreneur, he licensed the character to others, particularly dozens of television stations around the country. The stations in turn hired actors to be their local Bozos.
"You might say, in a way, I was cloning BTC (Bozo the Clown) before anybody else out there got around to cloning DNA," Harmon told the AP in a 1996 interview.
Former North Carolina Sen. Jesse Helms Dies at 86
The Jesse Helms Center posted a brief statement on its Web site saying Helms died at 1:15 a.m. in Raleigh, N.C. - The five-term Republican senator was 86. He formerly chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Christina Applegate Mourns Former Beau's Death
E! News has confirmed that an investigation is under way into the circumstances surrounding the death of 26-year-old Lee Grivas, an aspiring photographer who had been dating the Samantha Who? star off and on for more than two years
The Jesse Helms Center posted a brief statement on its Web site saying Helms died at 1:15 a.m. in Raleigh, N.C. - The five-term Republican senator was 86. He formerly chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Christina Applegate Mourns Former Beau's Death
E! News has confirmed that an investigation is under way into the circumstances surrounding the death of 26-year-old Lee Grivas, an aspiring photographer who had been dating the Samantha Who? star off and on for more than two years
Dynamo1
Head of the Swing Shift
'Love Connection' producer Eric Lieber dies at 71
Jul 5, 9:29 PM (ET)
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Eric Lieber, whose television production credits include the long-running dating show "Love Connection," has died. He was 71.
Lieber died Wednesday of leukemia at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, said his wife, Peggy.
Lieber created "Love Connection" in 1983 after decades producing other game shows, as well as the talk shows of Dick Cavett, Sammy Davis Jr. and Mike Douglas.
"Love Connection," hosted by Chuck Woolery, aired until 1995. Lieber also was executive producer of the 1998-1999 reprise of the series, hosted by Pat Bullard.
Jul 5, 9:29 PM (ET)
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Eric Lieber, whose television production credits include the long-running dating show "Love Connection," has died. He was 71.
Lieber died Wednesday of leukemia at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, said his wife, Peggy.
Lieber created "Love Connection" in 1983 after decades producing other game shows, as well as the talk shows of Dick Cavett, Sammy Davis Jr. and Mike Douglas.
"Love Connection," hosted by Chuck Woolery, aired until 1995. Lieber also was executive producer of the 1998-1999 reprise of the series, hosted by Pat Bullard.
Dynamo1
Head of the Swing Shift
Actress Evelyn Keyes dies at 91 in California
Jul 11, 10:49 PM (ET)
By BOB THOMAS
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Evelyn Keyes, who played Scarlett O'Hara's younger sister Suellen in "Gone With the Wind" and counted director John Huston and bandleader Artie Shaw among her famous husbands, has died. She was 91.
The actress died July 4 of uterine cancer at her home in Montecito, near Santa Barbara, producer and close friend Allan Glaser said Friday.
Glaser said the news was withheld because lawyers wanted to wait until the death certificate was filed.
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Famous cardiovascular surgeon DeBakey dead at 99
Jul 12, 3:22 AM (ET)
HOUSTON (AP) - Dr. Michael DeBakey, the world-famous cardiovascular surgeon who pioneered such now-common procedures as bypass surgery and invented a host of devices to help heart patients, died Friday night at The Methodist Hospital in Houston, officials announced. He was 99.
DeBakey died from "natural causes," according to a written statement issued early Saturday by spokesmen for Baylor College of Medicine and The Methodist Hospital.
DeBakey underwent surgery in February 2006 for a damaged aorta - a procedure he had developed.
Jul 11, 10:49 PM (ET)
By BOB THOMAS
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Evelyn Keyes, who played Scarlett O'Hara's younger sister Suellen in "Gone With the Wind" and counted director John Huston and bandleader Artie Shaw among her famous husbands, has died. She was 91.
The actress died July 4 of uterine cancer at her home in Montecito, near Santa Barbara, producer and close friend Allan Glaser said Friday.
Glaser said the news was withheld because lawyers wanted to wait until the death certificate was filed.
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Famous cardiovascular surgeon DeBakey dead at 99
Jul 12, 3:22 AM (ET)
HOUSTON (AP) - Dr. Michael DeBakey, the world-famous cardiovascular surgeon who pioneered such now-common procedures as bypass surgery and invented a host of devices to help heart patients, died Friday night at The Methodist Hospital in Houston, officials announced. He was 99.
DeBakey died from "natural causes," according to a written statement issued early Saturday by spokesmen for Baylor College of Medicine and The Methodist Hospital.
DeBakey underwent surgery in February 2006 for a damaged aorta - a procedure he had developed.
Last edited:
Former Press Secretary Dies - Tony Snow 1955-2008 <Snipping>
WASHINGTON (AP) — Tony Snow, a conservative writer and commentator who cheerfully sparred with reporters in the White House briefing room during a stint as President Bush's press secretary, has died of colon cancer, Fox News reported Saturday. Snow was 53 years old.
---
Robert Anthony Snow was born June 1, 1955, in Berea, Ky., and spent his childhood in the Cincinnati area. Survivors include his wife, Jill Ellen Walker, whom he married in 1987, and three children.
REST IN PEACE
WASHINGTON (AP) — Tony Snow, a conservative writer and commentator who cheerfully sparred with reporters in the White House briefing room during a stint as President Bush's press secretary, has died of colon cancer, Fox News reported Saturday. Snow was 53 years old.
---
Robert Anthony Snow was born June 1, 1955, in Berea, Ky., and spent his childhood in the Cincinnati area. Survivors include his wife, Jill Ellen Walker, whom he married in 1987, and three children.
REST IN PEACE
Daquien
Coroner
"Golden Girls" actress Estelle Getty dies at 84.
LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Estelle Getty, the diminutive actress who spent 40 years struggling for success before landing a role of a lifetime in 1985 as the sarcastic octogenarian Sophia on TV's "The Golden Girls," has died. She was 84.
Getty, who suffered from advanced dementia, died at about 5:30 a.m. Tuesday at her Hollywood Boulevard home, said her son, Carl Gettleman of Santa Monica.
"She was loved throughout the world in six continents, and if they loved sitcoms in Antarctica she would have been loved on seven continents," her son said. "She was one of the most talented comedic actresses who ever lived."
"The Golden Girls," featuring four female retirees sharing a house in Miami, grew out of NBC programming chief Brandon Tartikoff's belief that television was ignoring its older viewers.
Three of its stars had already appeared in previous series: Bea Arthur in "Maude," Betty White in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and Rue McClanahan in "Mama's Family." The last character to be cast was Sophia Petrillo, the feisty 80-something mother of Arthur's character.
When she auditioned, Getty was appearing on stage in Hollywood as the carping Jewish mother in Harvey Fierstein's play "Torch Song Trilogy." In her early 60s, she flunked her "Golden Girls" test twice because it was believed she didn't look old enough to play 80.
"I could understand that," she told an interviewer a year after the show debuted. "I walk fast, I move fast, I talk fast."
She came prepared for the third audition, however, wearing dowdy clothes and telling an NBC makeup artist, "To you this is just a job. To me it's my entire career down the toilet unless you make me look 80." The artist did, Getty got the job and won two Emmys.
It culminated a long struggle for success during which Getty worked low-paying office jobs to help support her family while she tried to make it as a stage actress.
"I knew I could be seduced by success in another field, so I'd say, 'Don't promote me, please,"' she recalled.
She also appeared in small parts in a handful of films and TV movies during that time, including "Tootsie," "Deadly Force" and "Victims for Victims: The Theresa Saldana Story."
After her success in "The Golden Girls," other roles came her way. She played Cher's mother in "Mask," Sylvester Stallone's in "Stop or My Mom Will Shoot" and Barry Manilow's in the TV film "Copacabana." Other credits included "Mannequin" and "Stuart Little" (as the voice of Grandma Estelle).
"The Golden Girls," which ran from 1985 to 1992, was an immediate hit, and Sophia, who began as a minor character, soon evolved into a major one.
Audiences particularly loved the verbal zingers Getty would hurl at the other three. When McClanahan's libidinous character Blanche once complained that her life was an open book, Sophia shot back, "Your life's an open blouse."
Getty had gained a knack for one-liners in her late teens when she did standup comedy at a Catskills hotel. Female comedians were rare in those days, however, and she bombed.
Undeterred, she continued to pursue a career in entertainment, and while her parents were encouraging, her father also insisted that she learn office skills so she would have something to fall back on.
Born Estelle Scher to Polish immigrants in New York, Getty fell in love with theater when she saw a vaudeville show at age 4.
She married New York businessman Arthur Gettleman (the source of her stage name) in 1947, and they had two sons, Carl and Barry. The marriage prevailed despite her long absences on the road and in "The Golden Girls."
Getty was evasive about her height, acknowledging only that she was "under 5 feet and under 100 pounds."
In addition to her son Carl, Getty is survived by son Barry Gettleman, of Miami; a brother, David Scher of London; and a sister, Rosilyn Howard of Las Vegas.
LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Estelle Getty, the diminutive actress who spent 40 years struggling for success before landing a role of a lifetime in 1985 as the sarcastic octogenarian Sophia on TV's "The Golden Girls," has died. She was 84.
Getty, who suffered from advanced dementia, died at about 5:30 a.m. Tuesday at her Hollywood Boulevard home, said her son, Carl Gettleman of Santa Monica.
"She was loved throughout the world in six continents, and if they loved sitcoms in Antarctica she would have been loved on seven continents," her son said. "She was one of the most talented comedic actresses who ever lived."
"The Golden Girls," featuring four female retirees sharing a house in Miami, grew out of NBC programming chief Brandon Tartikoff's belief that television was ignoring its older viewers.
Three of its stars had already appeared in previous series: Bea Arthur in "Maude," Betty White in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and Rue McClanahan in "Mama's Family." The last character to be cast was Sophia Petrillo, the feisty 80-something mother of Arthur's character.
When she auditioned, Getty was appearing on stage in Hollywood as the carping Jewish mother in Harvey Fierstein's play "Torch Song Trilogy." In her early 60s, she flunked her "Golden Girls" test twice because it was believed she didn't look old enough to play 80.
"I could understand that," she told an interviewer a year after the show debuted. "I walk fast, I move fast, I talk fast."
She came prepared for the third audition, however, wearing dowdy clothes and telling an NBC makeup artist, "To you this is just a job. To me it's my entire career down the toilet unless you make me look 80." The artist did, Getty got the job and won two Emmys.
It culminated a long struggle for success during which Getty worked low-paying office jobs to help support her family while she tried to make it as a stage actress.
"I knew I could be seduced by success in another field, so I'd say, 'Don't promote me, please,"' she recalled.
She also appeared in small parts in a handful of films and TV movies during that time, including "Tootsie," "Deadly Force" and "Victims for Victims: The Theresa Saldana Story."
After her success in "The Golden Girls," other roles came her way. She played Cher's mother in "Mask," Sylvester Stallone's in "Stop or My Mom Will Shoot" and Barry Manilow's in the TV film "Copacabana." Other credits included "Mannequin" and "Stuart Little" (as the voice of Grandma Estelle).
"The Golden Girls," which ran from 1985 to 1992, was an immediate hit, and Sophia, who began as a minor character, soon evolved into a major one.
Audiences particularly loved the verbal zingers Getty would hurl at the other three. When McClanahan's libidinous character Blanche once complained that her life was an open book, Sophia shot back, "Your life's an open blouse."
Getty had gained a knack for one-liners in her late teens when she did standup comedy at a Catskills hotel. Female comedians were rare in those days, however, and she bombed.
Undeterred, she continued to pursue a career in entertainment, and while her parents were encouraging, her father also insisted that she learn office skills so she would have something to fall back on.
Born Estelle Scher to Polish immigrants in New York, Getty fell in love with theater when she saw a vaudeville show at age 4.
She married New York businessman Arthur Gettleman (the source of her stage name) in 1947, and they had two sons, Carl and Barry. The marriage prevailed despite her long absences on the road and in "The Golden Girls."
Getty was evasive about her height, acknowledging only that she was "under 5 feet and under 100 pounds."
In addition to her son Carl, Getty is survived by son Barry Gettleman, of Miami; a brother, David Scher of London; and a sister, Rosilyn Howard of Las Vegas.
Dynamo1
Head of the Swing Shift
Author Alexander Solzhenitsyn dies at 89
Aug 3, 5:55 PM (ET)
MOSCOW (AP) - Alexander Solzhenitsyn, the Nobel Prize-winning author whose books chronicled the horrors of the Soviet gulag system, has died of heart failure, his son said Monday. He was 89.
Stepan Solzhenitsyn told The Associated Press his father died late Sunday, but he declined further comment.
Aug 3, 5:55 PM (ET)
MOSCOW (AP) - Alexander Solzhenitsyn, the Nobel Prize-winning author whose books chronicled the horrors of the Soviet gulag system, has died of heart failure, his son said Monday. He was 89.
Stepan Solzhenitsyn told The Associated Press his father died late Sunday, but he declined further comment.
Dynamo1
Head of the Swing Shift
Hollywood player Bernie Brillstein dies at 77
Aug 8, 11:46 AM (ET)
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Bernie Brillstein, a veteran Hollywood manager, producer and power broker, has died of heart disease, his production company said Friday. He was 77.
Brillstein died Thursday night at a Los Angeles hospital, Brillstein Entertainment Partners CEO Jon Liebman said in a statement.
As a manager and talent agent, Brillstein helped guide the careers of John Belushi and Jim Henson, and as a producer, he helped bring "Saturday Night Live" and "The Sopranos" to television.
Brillstein founded the influential management and production company Brillstein-Grey Entertainment with partner Brad Grey in 1991.
Aug 8, 11:46 AM (ET)
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Bernie Brillstein, a veteran Hollywood manager, producer and power broker, has died of heart disease, his production company said Friday. He was 77.
Brillstein died Thursday night at a Los Angeles hospital, Brillstein Entertainment Partners CEO Jon Liebman said in a statement.
As a manager and talent agent, Brillstein helped guide the careers of John Belushi and Jim Henson, and as a producer, he helped bring "Saturday Night Live" and "The Sopranos" to television.
Brillstein founded the influential management and production company Brillstein-Grey Entertainment with partner Brad Grey in 1991.
katpin31791
CSI Level Three
Alot of deaths since I was last here. Some I knew some I didn't. Bozo the Clown I grew up on. My husband enjoyed listening to Tony Snow. Estelle Getty will be missed. Loved her in the Golden Girls & Stop! Or my Mom will Shoot. Scarlett O'Haras younger sister. Wow.! All will be missed & May they ALL RIP.
- Status