Lizabeth Scott obit

Actress Lizabeth Scott, femme fatale in 1940s-1950s film noir movies, dies

She was not on the list.

 Husky-voiced blonde Lizabeth Scott, who played the femme fatale in numerous film noir movies of the 1940s and 1950s alongside leading men including Humphrey Bogart, Burt Lancaster and Charlton Heston, has died at age 92, according to media reports.

Scott, who was often compared to her Hollywood contemporary Lauren Bacall during a career sidetracked by scandal, died on Jan. 31 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, the media reports said. The Los Angeles Times quoted a longtime friend, Mary Goodstein, as saying Scott died of congestive heart failure.

Officials at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center were not immediately available for comment.


Scott excelled in playing beautiful but duplicitous women who ensnare the disillusioned men who populated film noir, a genre of dark-themed American crime and detective movies popular during the 1940s and 1950s that reflected society's insecurities during and after World War Two.


Scott physically resembled Bacall and even appeared opposite Bacall's husband Bogart in the 1947 film noir entry "Dead Reckoning" about a military veteran who encounters her in his quest to solve his war buddy's murder.


Her other noteworthy films included "The Strange Love of Martha Ivers" (1946) with Barbara Stanwyck and Kirk Douglas; "Desert Fury" (1947) with Lancaster; "I Walk Alone" (1948) with Lancaster and Douglas; "Dark City" (1950) with Heston; "The Racket" (1951) with Robert Mitchum; and "Bad for Each Other" (1953) with Heston.


She appeared in more than 20 movies but her career never recovered after her unsuccessful $2.5 million lawsuit in 1955 against a gossip magazine called Confidential that published allegations she was a lesbian.

Her film career all but ended after she starred opposite Elvis Presley in "Loving You" (1957), the rocker's second film. Scott made only one more film appearance, alongside Michael Caine and Mickey Rooney in the 1972 comedy-thriller "Pulp."

While her fame faded with time, she was recognized as one of the most important and prolific film noir actresses.

"What you call film noir I call psychological drama," Scott once said. "It showed all these facets of human experience and conflict - that these women could be involved with their heart and yet could think with their minds."

She was born as Emma Matzo on Sept. 29, 1922, in Scranton, Pennsylvania. She later took "Elizabeth Scott" as her stage name but changed her first name to "Lizabeth" to make it more distinctive. She worked as a model and stage actress in New York City as a young woman before meeting Hollywood producer Hal Wallis and entering the movies.

Wallis cast Scott in the 1945 romance "You Came Along," which led him to use her in a succession of film noir movies.


Her filmography:
Films:
1 1945 You Came Along Ivy Hotchkiss Paramount,

Hal Wallis John Farrow, Ayn Rand Ivy "Hotcha" Hotchkiss Robert Cummings Don DeFore,

Charles Drake, Helen Forrest, Kim Hunter

2 1946 The Strange Love of Martha Ivers* Toni Marachek Hal Wallis Productions/

Paramount, Hal Wallis Lewis Milestone, Robert Rossen Antonia "Toni" Marachek Van Heflin Barbara Stanwyck, Kirk Douglas

3 1947 Dead Reckoning 'Dusty' Chandler Columbia,

Sidney Biddell John Cromwell, Steve Fisher Coral "Dusty" Chandler Humphrey Bogart Morris Carnovsky, William Prince, Marvin Miller

4 1947 Desert Fury Paula Haller Paramount,

Hal Wallis Lewis Allen, Robert Rossen Paula Haller John Hodiak Burt Lancaster,

Mary Astor, Wendell Corey, Kristine Miller

5 1947 Variety Girl Lizabeth Scott Paramount,

Daniel Dare George Marshall, Monte Brice Herself Burt Lancaster Mary Hatcher,

Olga San Juan

6 1947 I Walk Alone Kay Lawrence Paramount,

Hal Wallis Byron Haskin, Charles Schnee Kay Lawrence Burt Lancaster Kirk Douglas,

Kristine Miller, Wendell Corey

7 1948 Pitfall Mona Stevens United Artists,

Samuel Bischoff Andre DeToth, Karl Kamb Mona Stevens Dick Powell Jane Wyatt,

Raymond Burr, Byron Barr, Ann Doran

8 1949 Too Late for Tears Jane Palmer United Artists,

Hunt Stromberg Byron Haskin, Roy Huggins Jane Palmer Don DeFore Dan Duryea,Arthur Kennedy, Kristine Miller

9 1949 Easy Living Liza Wilson RKO,

Robert Sparks Jacques Tourneur, Irwin Shaw Liza "Lize" Wilson Victor Mature Lucille Ball, Sonny Tufts, Lloyd Nolan, Jack Paar

10 1950 Paid in Full Jane Langley Paramount,

Hal Wallis William Dieterle, Robert Blees Jane Langley Robert Cummings Diana Lynn,

Eve Arden, Ray Collins

11 1950 Dark City Fran Garland Paramount, Hal Wallis William Dieterle,

John Meredyth Lucas Fran Garland Charlton Heston Viveca Lindfors, Dean Jagger,

Don DeFore, Jack Webb, Harry Morgan

12 1951 The Company She Keeps Joan Willburn RKO, John Houseman John Cromwell,

Ketti Frings Joan Willburn Dennis O'Keefe Jane Greer, Fay Baker, John Hoyt

13 1951 Two of a Kind Brandy Kirby Columbia,

William Dozier Henry Levin, Lawrence Kimble Brandy Kirby Edmond O'Brien Terry Moore,

Alexander Knox, Griff Barnett

14 1951 The Racket Irene Hayes RKO, Edmund Grainger John Cromwell,

William Wister Haines Irene Hayes Robert Mitchum Robert Ryan, Ray Collins,

William Talman, Joyce Mackenzie, Robert Conrad

15 1951 Red Mountain Chris Paramount,Hal Wallis William Dieterle, George W. George Chris Alan Ladd Arthur Kennedy, John Ireland, Jeff Corey, Neville Brand

16 1952 Stolen Face Alice Brent / Lily Conover Hammer/Lippert, Anthony Hinds Terence Fisher, Martin Berkeley Alice Brent/ Lily Conover Paul Henreid André Morell, Mary Mackenzie

17 1953 Scared Stiff Mary Carroll Paramount, Hal Wallis George Marshall, Herbert Baker Mary Carroll Dean Martin Jerry Lewis, Carmen Miranda

18 1953 Bad for Each Other Helen Curtis Columbia, William Fadiman Irving Rapper, Irving Wallace Helen Curtis Charlton Heston Dianne Foster, Mildred Dunnock, Ray Collins

19 1954 Silver Lode Rose Evans RKO, Benedict Bogeaus Allan Dwan, Karen DeWolf Rose Evans John Payne Dan Duryea, Dolores Moran, Alan Hale Jr., Stuart Whitman

20 1956 The Weapon Elsa Jenner Periclean Productions, Irving H. Levin Val Guest, Fred Freiberger Elsa Jenner Steve Cochran Jon Whiteley, Herbert Marshall George Cole

21 1957 Loving You Glenda Markle Paramount, Hal Wallis Hal Kanter, Herbert Baker Glenda Markle Elvis Presley Wendell Corey, Dolores Hart

22 1972 Pulp Betty Cippola United Artists, Michael Klinger Mike Hodges (both) Princess Betty Cippola Michael Caine Mickey Rooney, Lionel Stander,Nadia Cassini (final film role)


Radio

During the Golden Age of Radio, Scott would reprise her film roles in abridged radio versions. Typical were her appearances on Lux Radio Theatre: You Came Along with Van Johnson in the Robert Cummings role and I Walk Alone. Scott would also recreate on radio the original film roles of other actresses such as Loretta Young (The Perfect Marriage) and Veronica Lake (Saigon). Scott would even reprise Barbara Stanwyck's role in The Strange Love of Martha Ivers. One notable radio performance was the Molle Mystery Theatre episode, Female Of The Species, in which Scott is Eva Lester, the owner of a beauty salon. Lester tries to murder the rich wife of a man she is having an affair with. Scott was also a guest host/narrator on Family Theater.

1 Lux Radio Theatre "You Came Along" (January 7, 1946) CBS Fred MacKaye,

Robert Smith Ivy "Hotcha" Hotchkiss Van Johnson Don DeFore, Colleen Collins, Jeff Corey,

Betty Bryan

2 Molle Mystery Theatre "Female Of The Species"

(June 7, 1946) NBC Irene Winslow (script-writer) Eva Lester

3 Family Theater "The Perfect Wife" (November 13, 1947) Family Theater Productions James Fee (script-writer) Herself (hostess/narrator) Ralph Morgan Spring Byington

4 Proudly We Hail "The Triumphant Road" (1948) US Army/Air Force Eddie Skrivanek (director)

5 The Screen Guild Theater "Desert Fury"(January 12, 1948) CBS, Bill Lawrence Bill Lawrence(director) Paula Haller John Hodiak Burt Lancaster, Mary Astor, Wendall Corey

6 Lux Radio Theatre "The Perfect Marriage" (December 4, 1948) CBS Jenny Williams Ray Milland

7 Lux Radio Theatre "I Walk Alone" (May 24, 1948) CBS Kay Lawrence Burt Lancaster Kirk Douglas, Wendell Corey

8 Lux Radio Theatre "Pitfall" (November 8, 1948) CBS Mona Stevens Dick Powell Jane Wyatt

9 Radio City Playhouse "Machine" (August 18, 1949) NBC,

Richard P. McDonough Harry W. Junkin (director and script-writer) Mary Hillman

10 Lux Radio Theatre "Saigon" (September 5, 1949) CBS Susan Cleaver John Lund

11 Lux Radio Theatre "California" (January 30, 1950) CBS Lily Bishop Ray Milland

12 Stars Over Hollywood "Night Operator" (March 29, 1952) CBS Paul Pierce (director) Laurie Ann McCrae Harry Bartell Verna Felton, Don Diamond, Louise Arthur, Sidney Miller

13 Stars In The Air "The Strange Love Of Martha Ivers" (April 17, 1952) CBS Harry Cronman (director, script-writer) Martha Ivers Dan Duryea Joseph Kearns, Herb Vigran, Bob Sweeney

14 Guest Star "The Coward" (March 20, 1955) US Treasury Department Louis Graf (director) John Larch Dick Beals, Frank Nelson

Television

Lizabeth Scott transitioned from the radio versions of programs she previously voiced. She continued to guest host for the television version of Family Theater, as well as acting in the then new Lux Video Theatre. Returning to her vaudeville origins, she also appeared in variety programs like the Colgate Comedy Hour and made her singing debut on The Big Record. The 1960s saw Scott continuing to guest-star on television, including a notable 1960 episode of Adventures in Paradise, "The Amazon," opposite Gardner McKay. In Burke's Law "Who Killed Cable Roberts?" (1963), she appears as the widow of a celebrity big game hunter. Scott returned to 20th Century Fox to film "The Luck of Harry Lime" (1965), an episode of The Third Man. She was directed by her former costar Paul Henreid from Stolen Face. She also appeared on the occasional game show opposite actors like John Wayne and George Hamilton.

1 Family Theater "The Denver Express" (August 31, 1949)* St. Paul Films Herself

(hostess, narrator) Regis Toomey

2 The Colgate Comedy Hour (October 19, 1952) NBC, Colgate Palmolive Edward Sobel;

John Grant, Elwood Ullman Herself (and characters in sketches) Abbott and Costello Gisele MacKenzie The Four Pipers, Les Dassie, Sid Fields, Dudley Dickerson, Milt Bronson, Bobby Barber

3 Lux Video Theatre "Amo, Amas, Amat" (December 1, 1952) J. Walter Thompson Agency,

Cal Kuhl Richard Goode, Anne Howard Bailey Margaret Bailey Ralph Meeker Oliver Thorndike

4 Lux Video Theatre "Make Believe Bride" (June 11, 1953) J. Walter Thompson Agency,

Cal Kuhl Howard Loeb, Anne Howard Bailey Betsy Don DeFore Glenn Anders

5 Studio 57 "I'll Always Love You, Natalie" (December 12, 1955) Revue Productions Lawrence Kimble(screenwriter) Clara Townsley Patric Knowles William Roerick, Edward Platt, Ed Reimers

6 The 20th Century Fox Hour "Overnight Haul" (May 16, 1956) 20th Century Fox Television,

Peter Packer Jules Bricken, Leonard Freeman Frances Fowler Richard Conte Richard Eyer

7 Adventures in Paradise "The Amazon" (March 21, 1960) 20th Century Fox Television,

Richard Goldstone Joseph Lejtes, William Froug Carla MacKinley Gardner McKay Claude Akins, Tom Drake

8 Burke's Law "Who Killed Cable Roberts?" (October 4, 1963) Four Star, Aaron Spelling Jeffrey Hayden, Gwen Bagni Mona Roberts Gene Barry Paul Lynde, Mary Astor, Zsa Zsa Gabor, John Saxon

9 The Third Man "The Luck of Harry Lime" (August 27, 1965) 20th Century Fox Television,

John Llewellyn Moxey Paul Henreid, Gene Wang Diane Masters Michael Rennie Jonathan Harris, Willis Bouchey

Don Covay obit

Don Covay, Performer and Writer of R&B Hits, Dies at 78

 

He was not on the list.

DON COVAY, AN R&B singer and songwriter who wrote songs that would be covered by the Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, Little Richard and others, has died. His daughter, Ursula, confirmed the singer passed away on the morning of Saturday, January 31st, following decades of battling disabilities brought on by a stroke. He was 78.

In the Sixties, Covay’s soulful voice and skill for writing upbeat R&B songs made for a number of hits for both him and the artists who covered them. His first radio hit, 1961’s “Pony Time,” reached Number One for Chubby Checker the following year. His biggest pop hit, 1964’s “Mercy Mercy,” which featured Jimi Hendrix on guitar, would go on to be the lead track on the U.S. version of the Rolling Stones’ 1965 album Out of Our Heads. And his 1965 hit “See Saw,” which he co-wrote with Steve Cropper, would become a Top 10 hit for Aretha Franklin three years after it came out. Prior to that, though, Franklin made a Number Two hit out of “Chain of Fools,” a song that Covay had written with Otis Redding in mind in the Fifties.

Additionally, as songwriter and onetime employee at famed songwriting outpost the Brill Building, Covay would write hits for Solomon Burke (“I’m Hanging Up My Heart for You”), Gladys Knight and the Pips (“Letter Full of Tears”), Wilson Pickett (“I’m Gonna Cry”) and Little Richard (“I Don’t Know What You’ve Got but It’s Got Me”). He also wrote songs for Etta James and Redding, and his own recordings have been covered by several artists, including Gene Vincent, Steppenwolf, Bobby Womack, Small Faces and many others.

Covay was born Donald Randolph in Orangeburg, South Carolina in 1936, the son of a Baptist preacher. He performed in his family’s gospel quartet, the Cherry Keys, and made his first secular recordings in the mid-Fifties with the doo-wop group Rainbows. By 1957, Covay found a gig chauffeuring Little Richard, who nicknamed him “Pretty Boy,” and appearing as an opener in the Little Richard Revue. His boss went on to produce his first single, “Bip Bop Bip,” which failed to chart. Although he recorded other singles in the Fifties, his first hit came in with “Pony Time.”

After finding success with both his own singles and as a songwriter, Covay put together an R&B supergroup, the Soul Clan – which found him singing alongside Solomon Burke, Ben E. King, Joe Tex and Arthur Conley, in 1968. Their single, “Soul Meeting,” charted in the R&B Top 40. Toward the end of the decade, Covay was playing in another group, the Jefferson Lemon Blues Band, with Shirelles guitarist Joe Richardson and folk musician John Hammond. Their single, “Black Woman,” bowed at Number 43 on the R&B chart.

In the Seventies, Covay worked in A&R for Mercury Records, but also scored one of his biggest solo hits, “I Was Checkin’ Out, She Was Checkin’ In,” in 1973. He also scored hits that decade with “Somebody’s Been Enjoying My Home,” also in 1973, “It’s Better to Have (And Don’t Need),” in 1974, and “Rumble in the Jungle” – a tune that was inspired by Muhammad Ali’s famous match with George Foreman – in 1975. He notched his last hit, “Badd Boy,” in 1980. In 1986, Covay contributed backing vocals, alongside the likes of Tom Waits, Jimmy Cliff and Patti Scialfa, to the Rolling Stones’ Dirty Work.

In 1992, Covay suffered an inter-cranial stroke, which prevented him from performing. He nevertheless continued to write songs.

The following year, a number of artists who had drawn inspiration from the singer-songwriter put out the tribute compilation, Back to the Streets: Celebrating the Music of Don Covay. It featured contributions from Rolling Stones guitarists Mick Taylor and Ron Wood, Bobby Womack, Iggy Pop, Ben E. King, Todd Rundgren, Robert Cray and others. Also, in 1993, the Rhythm and Blues Foundation gave Covay a Pioneer Award.

The singer-songwriter put out a new album in 2000, Adlib – which featured contributions by Paul Rodgers, Wilson Pickett, Paul Shaffer and Huey Lewis, among others, and art by Ron Wood. A collection of rare Covay recordings, Super Bad, came out on 2009.

A statement from the singer-songwriter’s family said that when Covay assessed his career, he shrugged off being called “a genius songwriter.” Instead, he said he was simply “a song physician.”

Robert Blees obit

Robert Blees, Writer & Producer, Dies At 96

He was not on the List

Robert Blees, a prolific film and television writer and producer, has died. Blees, whose screenwriting credits include Magnificent Obsession, starring Rock Hudson and Jayne Wyman, and Autumn Leaves, starring Joan Crawford and Cliff Robertson, died January 31 at the home of his daughter in Menlo Park, CA. He was 96.

His other film writing credits include Cattle Queen Of Montana, starring Ronald Reagan and Barbara Stanwyck, The Glass Web, The Black Scorpion, From The Earth To The Moon, High School Confidential, and Frogs.

In the 1960s, he was a producer on several hit TV series, including Bonanza, Combat! and Kraft Suspense Theatre. He also wrote for Columbo, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Airwolf, Zane Grey Theater, and Cannon, among many other popular TV shows.

A former member of the board of directors of the Writers Guild and the Producers Guild, he served for many years on the board of the Motion Picture & Television Fund. “While my tenure on MPTF’s board overlapped Bob Blees’ for only a few years, it didn’t take long to appreciate his grace and intellect as well as his compassion for the people of our industry,” said MPTF CEO Bob Beitcher. “Bob served the entertainment industry through his tireless dedication as a board member, which spanned 30 years. Based on the thousands of lives he touched through his many contributions to his industry, Blees will be remembered for his storytelling and the goodness he promoted. He was a true gentleman.”

Born on June 9, 1918, in Lathrop, MO, Blees studied at Dartmouth College and worked as a writer and photographer for Time and Life magazines. He came to Hollywood in 1940, landing a job as a scenarist for Warner Bros. During World War II, he served as a bomber navigator in the U.S. Army Air Corps.

 

Writer

Dean Butler and Caryn Richman in Gidget's Summer Reunion (1985)

Gidget's Summer Reunion

6.2

TV Movie

Writer

1985

 

Ernest Borgnine, Jan-Michael Vincent, and Alex Cord in Airwolf (1984)

Airwolf

6.7

TV Series

written by

1985

1 episode

 

Savage Harvest (1981)

Savage Harvest

5.7

Writer

1981

 

Flamingo Road (1980)

Flamingo Road

6.5

TV Series

written by

1981

1 episode

 

Project U.F.O. (1978)

Project U.F.O.

7.2

TV Series

writer

story

teleplay

1978–1979

7 episodes

 

Shelley Fabares, Stephen McHattie, Jenny O'Hara, and Eugenie Ross-Leming in Highcliffe Manor (1979)

Highcliffe Manor

7.0

TV Series

creator

1979

1 episode

 

Peter Falk in Columbo (1971)

Columbo

8.3

TV Series

written by

1978

1 episode

 

What Really Happened to the Class of '65? (1977)

What Really Happened to the Class of '65?

7.8

TV Series

writer

1978

1 episode

 

Curse of the Black Widow (1977)

Curse of the Black Widow

5.7

TV Movie

story by

teleplay by

1977

 

David Janssen in Harry O (1973)

Harry O

7.6

TV Series

story

teleplay

1975

1 episode

 

A Woman for All Men (1975)

A Woman for All Men

5.0

written by

1975

 

Cannon (1971)

Cannon

6.8

TV Series

teleplay

writer

1973

2 episodes

 

Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972)

Dr. Phibes Rises Again

6.3

written by

1972

 

Frogs (1972)

Frogs

4.4

screenplay by

1972

 

Shelley Winters, Chloe Franks, Hugh Griffith, Lionel Jeffries, Mark Lester, and Ralph Richardson in Whoever Slew Auntie Roo? (1972)

Whoever Slew Auntie Roo?

6.1

screenplay

1972

 

Kraft Suspense Theatre (1963)

Kraft Suspense Theatre

7.7

TV Series

story

1964

1 episode

 

Kraft Mystery Theater (1961)

Kraft Mystery Theater

7.9

TV Series

Writer

1962

1 episode

 

Buddy Ebsen and Tuesday Weld in Bus Stop (1961)

Bus Stop

7.3

TV Series

adaptation

1961

1 episode

 

Sebastian Cabot, Anthony George, and Doug McClure in Checkmate (1960)

Checkmate

7.6

TV Series

story

1961

1 episode

 

Rod Taylor in Hong Kong (1960)

Hong Kong

8.2

TV Series

written by

1961

1 episode

 

Barbara Stanwyck in The Barbara Stanwyck Show (1960)

The Barbara Stanwyck Show

7.6

TV Series

teleplay

1960

1 episode

 

Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse (1958)

Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse

8.0

TV Series

writer

1960

1 episode

 

Dick Powell in Zane Grey Theatre (1956)

Zane Grey Theatre

7.5

TV Series

writer

1960

1 episode

 

Tales of the Vikings (1959)

Tales of the Vikings

8.2

TV Series

writer

1960

1 episode

 

David Janssen in Richard Diamond, Private Detective (1957)

Richard Diamond, Private Detective

7.8

TV Series

writer

1959

1 episode

 

Craig Stevens in Peter Gunn (1958)

Peter Gunn

8.0

TV Series

written by

1958

1 episode

 

From the Earth to the Moon (1958)

From the Earth to the Moon

5.1

screenplay

1958

 

Anita Ekberg in Screaming Mimi (1958)

Screaming Mimi

5.8

screenplay by

1958

 

Russ Tamblyn and Mamie Van Doren in High School Confidential! (1958)

High School Confidential!

6.1

screenplay

story

1958

 

Climax! (1954)

Climax!

6.7

TV Series

adaptation

1958

1 episode

 

The Black Scorpion (1957)

The Black Scorpion

5.4

screenplay

1957

 

Lux Video Theatre (1950)

Lux Video Theatre

7.6

TV Series

original screenplay

1956

1 episode

 

Joan Crawford and Cliff Robertson in Autumn Leaves (1956)

Autumn Leaves

6.8

written by

1956

 

Arlene Dahl, Rhonda Fleming, and John Payne in Slightly Scarlet (1956)

Slightly Scarlet

6.5

screen play

1956

 

Alfred Hitchcock in Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955)

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

8.5

TV Series

written by

1955

1 episode

 

Rod Cameron and Julie London in The Fighting Chance (1955)

The Fighting Chance

7.3

story

1955

 

John Bromfield and Maxie Rosenbloom in Damon Runyon Theater (1955)

Damon Runyon Theater

7.7

TV Series

teleplay

1955

1 episode

 

Anne Baxter and Rock Hudson in One Desire (1955)

One Desire

6.2

Writer

1955

 

Ronald Reagan and Barbara Stanwyck in Cattle Queen of Montana (1954)

Cattle Queen of Montana

5.6

screenplay

1954

 

Lex Barker, Howard Duff, and Mala Powers in The Yellow Mountain (1954)

The Yellow Mountain

5.8

adaptation

1954

 

Magnificent Obsession (1954)

Magnificent Obsession

7.0

screenplay

1954

 

Shelley Winters, Colleen Miller, and Barry Sullivan in Playgirl (1954)

Playgirl

5.7

screenplay

1954

 

The Glass Web (1953)

The Glass Web

6.6

screenplay

1953

 

Barbara Stanwyck and Lyle Bettger in All I Desire (1953)

All I Desire

7.0

screenplay

1953

 

Robert Cummings, Diana Lynn, Lora Lee Michel, and Lizabeth Scott in Paid in Full (1950)

Paid in Full

6.2

screenplay

1950

 

Eddie Bracken and June Preisser in Sweater Girl (1942)

Sweater Girl

6.8

Writer

1942

 

Producer

Project U.F.O. (1978)

Project U.F.O.

7.2

TV Series

producer

1978–1979

5 episodes

 

What Really Happened to the Class of '65? (1977)

What Really Happened to the Class of '65?

7.8

TV Series

producer

1978

1 episode

 

A Woman for All Men (1975)

A Woman for All Men

5.0

producer

1975

 

Bonanza (1959)

Bonanza

7.3

TV Series

producer

1967–1968

13 episodes

 

Vacation Playhouse (1963)

Vacation Playhouse

7.9

TV Series

producer

1966

1 episode

 

Off We Go

TV Movie

producer

1966

 

Kraft Suspense Theatre (1963)

Kraft Suspense Theatre

7.7

TV Series

producer

1963–1964

7 episodes

 

Combat! (1962)

Combat!

8.4

TV Series

producer

1962–1963

13 episodes

 

Buddy Ebsen and Tuesday Weld in Bus Stop (1961)

Bus Stop

7.3

TV Series

producer

1961–1962

8 episodes

 

Additional Crew

Hollywood Rocks the Movies: The Early Years (1955-1970) (2000)

Hollywood Rocks the Movies: The Early Years (1955-1970)

6.7

TV Movie

source: additional footage

2000

 

Project U.F.O. (1978)

Project U.F.O.

7.2

TV Series

story editor

1978–1979

10 episodes

 

Buddy Ebsen in Barnaby Jones (1973)

Barnaby Jones

6.9

TV Series

executive story consultant

1973

13 episodes

Than Wyenn obit

Than Wyenn, Prolific Character Actor, Dies at 95

He was not on the list.

He appeared in scores of projects, including 'Imitation of Life,' 'Splash,' 'Being There' and 'The Twilight Zone.'

Than Wyenn, a busy character actor whose lengthy list of credits include the films Imitation of Life and Splash and a memorable episode of The Twilight Zone, died Friday at the Motion Picture & Television Fund retirement home in Woodland Hills, his family announced. He was 95.

Wyenn spent more than 40 years in film and television and has a whopping 150 credits listed on IMDb.

In “Execution,” a 1960 episode from the first season of The Twilight Zone, Wyenn played a bad guy who gets what’s coming to him when he is transported via time machine into a hangman’s noose in the Old West. The episode also features future Gilligan’s Island star Russell Johnson.

Wyenn played the Italian film representative Romano who woos Lana Turner’s character in the 1959 melodrama Imitation of Life and appeared as Mr. Ambrose in Splash (1984), starring Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah. He also showed up in such films as Beginning of the End (1957), Pete Kelly’s Blues (1959), The Boy and the Pirates (1960) and Being There (1979).

A native of New York, Wyenn toured nationally with a Shakespearean troupe, moved to Los Angeles and starred in the world premiere production of Baruch Lumet’s Once Upon a Tailor at The Circle Theater.

He worked primarily in television during his career, popping up on such shows as Dragnet, Zorro, Perry Mason, Wanted: Dead or Alive, The Untouchables, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Mission: Impossible, The Six Million Dollar Man, Hart to Hart, Barnaby Jones, Burke's Law, Quincy M.E. and T.J. Hooker.

A voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences since 1966,  Wyenn worked for 37 years as the drama consultant for the Los Angeles Bureau of Jewish Education.

Survivors include his wife of 71 years, Guy; sons Joel and Neil; and grandchildren Morgan, Diana, Michael, Shane and Brittany.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles (jewishla.org) or Bridge House).

Filmography

Year       Title       Role       Notes

1949      The Undercover Man     Cabbie Uncredited

1953      A Slight Case of Larceny                 Clerk      Uncredited

1954      Tennessee Champ           Usher    Uncredited

1954      The Human Jungle           Forger   Uncredited

1954      The Adventures of Hajji Baba      Auctioneer          Uncredited

1954      Black Tuesday    Bank Teller          Uncredited

1955      Pete Kelly's Blues             Rudy Shulak       

1955      The Naked Street             Rosalie's Doctor                Uncredited

1955      Good Morning, Miss Dove            Mr. Harry Levine               Uncredited

1956      The Ten Commandments             Slave      Uncredited

1957      Hot Rod Rumble               Arnie's Boss       

1957      Beginning of the End       Frank Johnson  

1957      The Invisible Boy              Prof. Zeller         

1958      The Brothers Karamazov               Waiter Uncredited

1958      The True Story of Lynn Stuart      Nat         Uncredited

1958      I Want to Live!   San Francisico Hood        Uncredited

1959      Imitation of Life                Romano              

1960      The Boy and the Pirates                 Hunter

1965      The Money Trap               Phil Kenny           Uncredited

1966      Gambit Airport Official   Uncredited

1967      Rosie!    Psychiatrist        

1968      The Pink Jungle Customs Agent

1977      Black Sunday      Israeli Ambassador         

1977      The Other Side of Midnight          Greek Priest      

1979      Being There        Ambassador Gaufridi     

1984      Splash   Mr. Ambrose    

Geraldine McEwan obit

Miss Marple actress Geraldine McEwan dies aged 82

She was not on the list.

Geraldine McEwan, the Miss Marple actress, has died aged 82.

McEwan starred in the role of Agatha Christie's spinster consultant detective Jane Marple in 12 films aired on ITV.

The Bafta award winner had a long and successful career in theatre, television and films which saw her work with the likes of Laurence Olivier and Kenneth Williams.

Her son Greg and daughter Claudia said in a statement: "Following a stroke at the end of October and a period in hospital, Geraldine McEwan passed away peacefully on January 30.

"Her family would like to thank the staff at Charing Cross Hospital who cared for her incredibly well."

She starred along side Laurence Olivier in numerous stage plays, including Love for Love, The Entertainer, The Dance of Death, and A Flea in Her Ear. Geraldine originated the female role in Joe Orton's Loot.

Her film work includes The Dance of Death with Laurence Olivier, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves with Alan Rickman, Henry V and Love's Labour's Lost, both with Kenneth Branagh, Vanity Fair, and The Magdalene Sisters.

In 2004, McEwan was chosen as the new Agatha Christie sleuth, Jane Marple and filmed twelve two hour mysteries before retiring from the role in 2008.

She said at the time: "Of course, it is terribly disappointing to have to pass the baton on, but it has been a marvellous experience to inhabit this role for the last few years, and I am sure that my successor, whomever she may be, will thoroughly enjoy her time with the production team - and with the extraordinarily talented group of writers and actors that they come up with for each series.

"It's been an absolute pleasure to work on Miss Marple since 2003, and I leave with fond memories."

John Challis, who played Boycie in the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses, said working alongside McEwan in a National Theatre production of The Rivals was "a highlight my career", adding that she was "generous and kind to all of us". "God bless you," he said.

McEwan was born in Old Windsor, England and made her theatre debut at the age of 14 at the Theatre Royal in Windsor.

By the age of 18 she was starring in London's West End in several long-running popular productions.

During the 1950's she acted with the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre in Stratford-Upon-Avon and joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1961.

In 1976 she had the distinction of being nominated for an Olivier Award in two separate categories.

She won the BAFTA Best Actress Award in 1991 for her performance as the Mother in Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit and in 1995 she won the Evening Standard Best Actress Award for her performance of Lady Wishfort in The Way of the World.

The couple had son Greg and daughter Claudia together and she did not re-marry after Cruttwell's death in 2002.

Asked how they combined successful careers with a family life, Cruttwell was quoted saying: "I really don't know how we did it. Geraldine took care of it all."

Filmography

Title       Year       Roles     Notes

There Was a Young Lady               1953      Irene    

No Kidding          1960      Catherine Robinson         Beware of Children (U.S.)

Dance of Death 1969      Alice     

The Bawdy Adventures of Tom Jones      1976      Lady Bellaston  

Escape from the Dark     1976      Miss Coutt           The Littlest Horse Thieves (U.S.)

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie    1978      Jean Brodie         7 episodes

Mapp and Lucia                1985–1986          Emmeline Lucas (Lucia) 10 episodes

Foreign Body      1986      Lady Ammanford            

Henry V                1989      Alice     

Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit 1990      Mother                

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves    1991      Mortianna          

Mulberry             1992–1993          Miss Farnaby      13 episodes

Moses   1995      Miriam TV Mini-Series

Red Dwarf           1999      Cassandra            Series 8, Episode 4, "Cassandra"

The Love Letter 1999      Constance Scattergoods               

Titus      1999      Nurse   

Love's Labour's Lost        2000      Holofernia          

Contaminated Man         2000      Lilian Rodgers   

Food of Love      2002      Novotna              

The Magdalene Sisters   2002      Sister Bridget    

Pure       2002      Nanna  

Carrie's War       2004      Mrs. Gotobed    TV movie

Vanity Fair           2004      Lady Southdown             

The Lazarus Child             2004      Janet    

Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit               2005      Miss Thripp         Voice

A Matter of Loaf and Death          2008      Miss Thripp         Voice, Uncredited

Arrietty                 2010      Haru      UK version, Voice, (final film role)

Miss Marple in Marple: 2004–2008

Name    Year

Marple: The Body in the Library 2004

Marple: The Murder at the Vicarage        2004

Marple: 4:50 from Paddington    2004

Marple: A Murder Is Announced               2005

Marple: Sleeping Murder              2005

Marple: The Moving Finger          2006

Marple: By the Pricking of My Thumbs    2006

Marple: The Sittaford Mystery    2006

Marple: At Bertram's Hotel          2007

Marple: Ordeal by Innocence      2007

Marple: Towards Zero    2008

Marple: Nemesis              2008