Robert Z'Dar obit

‘Maniac Cop’ Actor Robert Z’Dar Dies at 64

 He was not on the list.

Actor Robert Z’Dar, a familiar face in B-movies who played the psychotic murderer at the center of the “Maniac Cop” series, died Monday in Pensacola, Florida. He was 64 and had been in Pensacola to appear at a convention. After experiencing chest pains, he went into cardiac arrest at a local hospital.

Robert J. Zdarsky had an enlarged jawline, caused by a rare congenital condition called cherubism, that gave him a somewhat menacing visage. He began acting professionally in 1984 and ultimately appeared in 121 films. In addition to playing Officer Matt Cordell in the “Maniac Cop” franchise, Z’Dar memorably played the villainous henchman known as Face in the Sylvester Stallone-Kurt Russell prison actioner “Tango & Cash.” The actor also appeared in the 1991 gangster film “Mobsters,” starring Christian Slater and Patrick Dempsey.

According to blog the Dissolve, Z’Dar saw his popularity increase when two of his forgotten turkeys (“Soultaker” and “Future War”) were lampooned on “Mystery Science Theatre 3000.”

At the time of his death, Z’Dar was about to shoot a sequel to 1991’s “Samurai Cop.”

Actor

Mind Wiped (2022)

Mind Wiped

3.5

Smiley

2022

 

Spring Fever (2020)

Spring Fever

Roth Chile DeVille

2020

 

Sid Haig in High on the Hog (2019)

High on the Hog

3.5

The Mayor

2019

 

Paul Sorvino, Matthew Bushell, and Fiona Dourif in Chasing Gold (2016)

Chasing Gold

6.3

Roger Gleason

2016

 

Butterflies & Diamonds (2015)

Butterflies & Diamonds

Correctional Officer

2015

 

A Blood Story (2015)

A Blood Story

3.0

Gerry the Jaw

2015

 

Easter Sunday (2014)

Easter Sunday

3.8

Sheriff Arkin

2014

 

Monsters on Main Street (2014)

Monsters on Main Street

4.4

Harvey Seth

2014

 

Super Hell 3: Dreams of Horror

Video

Granny Bob

2014

 

Mike and Corey in LaLa Land (2013)

Mike and Corey in LaLa Land

4.0

TV Series

Uncle Robert (rumored)

2013

 

Mountain Mafia (2012)

Mountain Mafia

5.9

Sheriff Dumas

2012

 

Joe Estevez in The Perfect Candidate (2012)

The Perfect Candidate

6.3

Short

Robert Z'Dar

2012

 

Kurt Angle and Tom Savini in Death from Above (2012)

Death from Above

2.8

Bronson

2012

 

Robert Z'Dar, Dustin Diamond, Joe Estevez, Jake Roberts, Lark Voorhies, Brad Leo Lyon, and Kyle Colton in Little Creeps (2012)

Little Creeps

7.0

Video

Professor Cordell

2012

 

...Can you hear the voices?

The Voices from Beyond

3.6

Albert Graves

2012

 

Rogue Assassin (2012)

Rogue Assassin

5.4

Lester Malick

2012

 

The Girl (2011)

The Girl

4.7

Officer Ben Maynor

2011

 

Salvador's Deli (2010)

Salvador's Deli

Salvador

2010

 

Not Another B Movie (2010)

Not Another B Movie

4.8

Actor #2

2010

 

Mark Cray in Post-Mortem (2010)

Post-Mortem

5.9

Cameron

2010

 

La Femme Vampir Volume 2

4.6

Video

Carl

2010

 

Charles Durning in The Waiter (2010)

The Waiter

4.4

Lester Maleck

2010

 

Meltdown (2009)

Meltdown

3.6

Crazy Eddie

2009

 

Blood, Bullets and Babes (2009)

Blood, Bullets and Babes

Video

Jacoby

2009

 

La Femme Vampir

4.2

Carl

2009

 

Untitled Horror Comedy (2009)

Untitled Horror Comedy

6.1

Smokes Callahan

2009

 

Deeflowered (2008)

Deeflowered

3.3

Video

Det. Chavez

2008

 

Body Shop (2008)

Body Shop

4.5

Market Owner

2008

 

Robert Z'Dar in Yin Yang Insane (2007)

Yin Yang Insane

3.7

Video

The Gangster

2007

 

Circumstances of Fate (2006)

Circumstances of Fate

Video

Big Face Mobster

2006

 

Voices from the Graves (2006)

Voices from the Graves

7.0

Albert Graves

2006

 

Spaced Out (2006)

Spaced Out

4.7

Video

Smiley

2006

 

Drawing Blood (2005)

Drawing Blood

4.9

James Burns

2005

 

Super Hell (2004)

Super Hell

2.6

Video

Granny Bob

2004

 

The Rockville Slayer (2004)

The Rockville Slayer

2.8

The Man

2004

 

Vampire Blvd. (2004)

Vampire Blvd.

6.6

Frankenblade

2004

 

Rock n' Roll Cops 2: The Adventure Begins (2003)

Rock n' Roll Cops 2: The Adventure Begins

6.9

Video

Dieter

2003

 

Zombiegeddon (2003)

Zombiegeddon

2.9

Video

Detective

2003

 

Scary Tales: The Return of Mr. Longfellow

5.5

Video

Officer Cordell (segment "The Return of Mr. Longfellow")

2003

 

When Heaven Comes Down (2002)

When Heaven Comes Down

4.5

Video

Doyle McGinty

2002

 

Robert Z'Dar, Chris Watson, David Lawson, Rist Gilgen, Mitchel Auman, and Brock Short in Mob Daze (2002)

Mob Daze

6.8

Bobby

2002

 

Bruce Abbott, Martin Kove, and Tane McClure in Trance (2002)

Trance

5.0

Bongo

2002

 

Broken Rose (2000)

Broken Rose

6.1

Video

Anthony

2000

 

Michael Madsen and Roxana Zal in Strip 'n Run (2000)

Strip 'n Run

4.1

Ralph

2000

 

Coolio, Kevin Connolly, and Ethan Suplee in Tyrone (1999)

Tyrone

3.4

Assface

1999

 

Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction (1997)

Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction

7.9

TV Series

Jay (segment "Ring Toss")

1999

1 episode

 

No Rest for the Wicked (1998)

No Rest for the Wicked

5.9

Dino

1998

 

The Waterfront (1998)

The Waterfront

5.7

Turk Tonasea

1998

 

Crimes of the Chupacabra (1998)

Crimes of the Chupacabra

2.6

Video

Z-Man Lord Invader

1998

 

Decay

5.2

Turk

1998

 

Guns of El Chupacabra II: The Unseen (1998)

Guns of El Chupacabra II: The Unseen

Video

Z-Man Lord Invader

1998

 

Deadly Currency (1998)

Deadly Currency

4.8

Video

Moz

1998

 

Scott Shaw, Kevin Eastman, and David Heavener in Hollywood Cops (1997)

Hollywood Cops

6.0

Sergeant Dieter

1997

 

Shannon Tweed in Stormy Nights (1997)

Stormy Nights

3.9

Alan

1997

 

Pocket Ninjas (1997)

Pocket Ninjas

1.4

Video

Cobra Khan

1997

 

Guns of El Chupacabra (1997)

Guns of El Chupacabra

5.2

Video

Z-Man Lord Invader

1997

 

Daniel Bernhardt in Future War (1997)

Future War

1.7

Video

Cyborg Master

1997

 

The Searcher

4.6

1996

 

Shotgun Boulevard (1996)

Shotgun Boulevard

The Gangster

1996

 

Dangerous Cargo (1996)

Dangerous Cargo

6.4

Igor

1996

 

Frankenblade (1996)

Frankenblade

Short

Frankenblade

1996

 

Lynn-Holly Johnson, David Heavener, Christopher Mitchum, Richard Norton, and William Windom in Fugitive X: Innocent Target (1996)

Fugitive X: Innocent Target

4.5

TV Movie

Brutis

1996

 

Total Force (1996)

Total Force

2.6

Test subject (as Robert Zdar)

1996

 

Lone Tiger (1996)

Lone Tiger

4.9

King Coach

1996

 

Run Like Hell (1995)

Run Like Hell

4.0

Warden

1995

 

Joe Estevez in Equal Impact (1995)

Equal Impact

5.6

Ray Tobin

1995

 

John Cassini and Tara Subkoff in Point Dume (1995)

Point Dume

4.4

Lucky

1995

 

Claude Duhamel and Jennifer Sommerfeld in Destination Vegas (1995)

Destination Vegas

3.8

Killer Cop

1995

 

Shannon Whirry in Fatal Pursuit (1995)

Fatal Pursuit

3.7

Franco

1995

 

American Chinatown (1995)

American Chinatown

4.3

Eric

1995

 

Chad McQueen in Red Line (1995)

Red Line

4.5

Video

Gene

1995

 

Robert Z'Dar and Deron McBee in Enter the Blood Ring (1995)

Enter the Blood Ring

4.3

Mob Boss

1995

 

Professional Affair (1995)

Professional Affair

4.4

Video

Serano

1995

 

Naturally Bad (1995)

Naturally Bad

5.2

Video

Jacoby

1995

 

Julie Strain and Robert Z'Dar in Queen of Lost Island (1994)

Queen of Lost Island

3.3

Steven

1994

 

Ill Met by Moonlight (1994)

Ill Met by Moonlight

5.8

Theseus

1994

 

Juan Fernández in Silent Fury (1994)

Silent Fury

6.4

1994

 

Night Realm

5.0

Lord Jonquin (as Bobby Z'Dar)

1994

 

Cyberkidz (1994)

Cyberkidz

7.0

TV Series

Zeist (1996)

1994–1996

 

The Mosaic Project (1994)

The Mosaic Project

5.9

Video

Harry

1994

 

Double Blast (1994)

Double Blast

3.5

Video

Mongoose

1994

 

Marching Out of Time (1993)

Marching Out of Time

4.6

Muck

1993

 

It's Showtime (1993)

It's Showtime

4.9

Jack

1993

 

India Allen in Wild Cactus (1993)

Wild Cactus

4.6

Grady

1993

 

Maxwell Caulfield and Chase Masterson in In a Moment of Passion (1993)

In a Moment of Passion

3.6

Fritz Brumbacher

1993

 

Powers Boothe and Billy Dee Williams in Marked for Murder (1993)

Marked for Murder

4.9

TV Movie

Biker Convict

1993

 

T.V. (1992)

T.V.

6.2

TV Movie

Bartender

1992

 

The Summoned (1992)

The Summoned

4.4

Lt. Walsh

1992

 

Shadow of the Dragon (1992)

Shadow of the Dragon

3.7

Capt. Washington

1992

 

Frogtown II (1992)

Frogtown II

3.3

Sam Hell

1992

 

Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence (1992)

Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence

5.0

Matt Cordell

1992

 

The Legend of Wolf Mountain (1992)

The Legend of Wolf Mountain

4.5

Jocko Painter

1992

 

The Deadly Avenger (1992)

The Deadly Avenger

3.9

Video

Kain

1992

 

Robert Z'Dar, Mark Frazer, Mathew Karedas, Melissa Moore, Gerald Okamura, Cameron, and Cranston Komuro in Samurai Cop (1991)

Samurai Cop

4.6

Yamashita

1991

 

Quiet Fire (1991)

Quiet Fire

4.1

Video

Russo

1991

 

Mobsters (1991)

Mobsters

5.9

Rocco

1991

 

Marc Singer and Kari Wuhrer in Beastmaster 2: Through the Portal of Time (1991)

Beastmaster 2: Through the Portal of Time

4.1

Zavic

1991

 

The Big Sweat (1991)

The Big Sweat

2.9

Video

Troudou

1991

 

The Killers Edge (1991)

The Killers Edge

4.7

Video

Miller

1991

 

Dane Farwell and John Wesley Shipp in The Flash (1990)

The Flash

7.1

TV Series

Bodey Nuff

1991

1 episode

 

The Other Side (1990)

The Other Side

Coroner of Manhattan

1990

 

Dragonfight (1990)

Dragonfight

3.2

Lochaber

1990

 

The Final Sanction (1990)

The Final Sanction

4.3

Sgt. Sergi Schvackov

1990

 

Soultaker (1990)

Soultaker

2.5

Angel of Death

1990

 

A Gnome Named Gnorm (1990)

A Gnome Named Gnorm

4.4

Reggie

1990

 

Robert Davi and Robert Z'Dar in Maniac Cop 2 (1990)

Maniac Cop 2

5.9

Matt Cordell

1990

 

Tango & Cash (1989)

Tango & Cash

6.4

Face

1989

 

Young Rebels (1989)

Young Rebels

4.4

Joey Vincenzo

1989

 

Glen Eaton and Frank Zagarino in Trained to Kill (1989)

Trained to Kill

5.0

Walter Majyk

1989

 

Joanna Kerns, Alan Thicke, Kirk Cameron, Tracey Gold, Ashley Johnson, and Jeremy Miller in Growing Pains (1985)

Growing Pains

6.6

TV Series

Cliff

1989

1 episode

 

Jim Brown, Robert Z'Dar, and Harold Diamond in Killing American Style (1988)

Killing American Style

4.1

Tony Stone

1988

 

Dead End City (1988)

Dead End City

4.6

Maximum

1988

 

Evil Altar (1988)

Evil Altar

3.5

Sheriff O'Connell (as Robert Zdar)

1988

 

Fresh Kill (1988)

Fresh Kill

4.3

Manny (as Robert Zdar)

1988

 

Grotesque (1988)

Grotesque

4.4

Eric

1988

 

Maniac Cop (1988)

Maniac Cop

6.0

Matt Cordell

1988

 

The Killing Game (1988)

The Killing Game

4.1

Video

Antonio (as Robert Zdar)

1988

 

Melanie Griffith in Cherry 2000 (1987)

Cherry 2000

5.6

Chet (as Robert Zdar)

1987

 

Code Name Zebra (1987)

Code Name Zebra

4.2

Shigaru (as Robert Zdar)

1987

 

The Night Stalker (1986)

The Night Stalker

5.0

Chuck Sommers

1986

 

Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd in Moonlighting (1985)

Moonlighting

7.6

TV Series

Security Guard (as Robert Zdar)

1985

1 episode

 

Bea Fiedler, Chuck Hemingway, Allan Kayser, Joe Rubbo, and Charlie Stratton in Hot Chili (1985)

Hot Chili

4.1

Bruno (as Robert Zdar)

1985

 

Flesh and Bullets (1985)

Flesh and Bullets

4.0

Don (as Robert West)

1985

 

Hellhole (1985)

Hellhole

5.0

Brad (as Robert Darcy)

1985

 

Producer

Untitled Horror Comedy (2009)

Untitled Horror Comedy

6.1

associate producer

2009

 

Body Shop (2008)

Body Shop

4.5

associate producer

2008

 

Voices from the Graves (2006)

Voices from the Graves

7.0

co-producer

2006

 

The Rockville Slayer (2004)

The Rockville Slayer

2.8

associate producer

2004

 

Scary Tales: The Return of Mr. Longfellow

5.5

Video

associate producer

2003

 

When Heaven Comes Down (2002)

When Heaven Comes Down

4.5

Video

associate producer

2002

 

Chad McQueen in Red Line (1995)

Red Line

4.5

Video

associate producer

1995

 

Thanks

Midnight Massacre (2023)

Midnight Massacre

6.9

in memory of

2023

 

Mikhail Bondarev, Yaroslav Kozak, Leonid Syplyi, Kirill Mieliekiestsev, and Kostiantyn Bakkansky in Vedro (2013)

Vedro

3.8

TV Series

in memory of

2017

1 episode

 

Mark Frazer, Mathew Karedas, and Tommy Wiseau in Samurai Cop 2: Deadly Vengeance (2015)

Samurai Cop 2: Deadly Vengeance

3.5

dedicatee

2015

 

Lukas Nathaniel in The Freddy Jenkins Show (2014)

The Freddy Jenkins Show

4.8

TV Series

in memory of

2015

1 episode

 

When Heaven Comes Down (2002)

When Heaven Comes Down

4.5

Video

special thanks

2002

 

Self

Indie Film School (2011)

Indie Film School

7.4

TV Series

Self

2012–2013

2 episodes

 

Caesar and Otto's Deadly Xmas (2012)

Caesar and Otto's Deadly Xmas

3.6

Self (uncredited)

2012

 

Cinematografia Obsesion (2010)

Cinematografia Obsesion

Video

Self

2010

 

Archive Footage

Ann O. Nymous in The Reel Show (2011)

The Reel Show

8.6

TV Series

Self (archive footage)

2014

1 episode

 

Rock n' Roll Cops Lite (2014)

Rock n' Roll Cops Lite

6.4

Dieter (archive footage)

2014

 

Movie Nights (2010)

Movie Nights

7.6

TV Series

Sam Hell

The White Dragon (archive footage)

2011–2012

2 episodes

 

Gabriel Fernández-Gil, Juan Pérez, David Díaz, Luis Rodrigo, FJ García, Iñaki Reyna, Alvar Gordejuela, and Jon Koldo Etxebarria in Special Collector's Edition (2010)

Special Collector's Edition

7.0

TV Series

Face (archive footage, uncredited)

2010

1 episode

 

Outlaw Prophet (2001)

Outlaw Prophet

2.8

Brutis (archive footage, uncredited)

2001

 

Carissa Carlberg, Lucy Dorado, and Mars Mohamed in Awesomely Righteous & Radical

Awesomely Righteous & Radical

(segment, "Samurai Cop trailer") (archive footage)

Jim LaRue obit

Ex-Arizona coach Jim LaRue dies

He was not on the list.

TUCSON, Ariz. -- Jim LaRue, who coached Arizona's football team for eight seasons and guided the Wildcats to an 8-1-1 record in 1961 and a share of the Western Athletic Conference championship in 1964 before becoming an NFL assistant, has died. He was 89.

The university announced LaRue's death Monday.

The Arizona Daily Star reported LaRue died Sunday night at an assisted living facility in Tucson. A cause of death wasn't immediately released.

LaRue coached the Wildcats from 1959-66 and had a 41-37-2 record.

He led the team to a 6-3-1 mark in 1964 and a share of the WAC title as Arizona, Utah and New Mexico all had 3-1 conference records that year.

But the Wildcats went 3-7 in each of the next two seasons and LaRue was replaced.

"We are saddened to hear the news of Coach LaRue's passing," Arizona athletic director Greg Byrne said in a statement. "He was a positive representative of our department and our football program. His teams and his legacy are an important part of our football program's history."

LaRue later was an NFL assistant coach with Buffalo in 1976 and Chicago from 1978-89 and was on the staff of the Bears' 1985 Super Bowl championship team.

Born in Clinton, Oklahoma, LaRue was a halfback at Carson-Newman, Duke and Maryland from 1942-49 before getting into coaching.

He was a running backs coach at Houston in 1955-56 and took the Arizona job after a couple years away from football.

LaRue later was an assistant at Utah (1968-73) and Wake Forest (1974-75) and then headed to the NFL.

With the Bears, LaRue coached the secondary. Chicago went 15-1 in the 1985 regular season and shut out both playoff opponents to reach the Super Bowl in New Orleans, where the Bears beat New England 46-10.

Funeral services are scheduled for April 6 at Christ Church United Methodist in Tucson.

 

Playing career

1942            Carson–Newman

1943–1944            Duke

1947–1949            Maryland

Position(s)            Halfback

Coaching career (HC unless noted)

1950            Maryland (freshmen)

1951    Kansas State (backfield)

1954    Kansas State (backfield)

1955–1956            Houston (backfield)

1959–1966            Arizona

1968–1973            Utah (DC)

1974–1975            Wake Forest (assistant)

1976    Buffalo Bills (WR)

1978–1989            Chicago Bears (DB)

Head coaching record

Overall 41–37–2

Accomplishments and honors

Championships

1 WAC (1964)

Chuck Brayton obit

Bobo Brayton, longtime WSU baseball coach, dies

 He was not on the list.

PULLMAN — Frederick Charles “Bobo” Brayton, the Washington State University baseball coach with 1,162-career victories, passed away Saturday morning in Pullman. He was 89. “On behalf of Washington State University, I offer our condolences to Eileen and the entire Brayton family,” Washington State Director of Athletics Bill Moos said. “In my opinion, there has never been a greater Cougar icon than Bobo. Like so many, my life was touched and inspired by this wonderful teacher, mentor and friend. He will be dearly missed. I will take it upon myself to see that his legacy lives on for generations and that scores of future Cougars are made aware of this great man.” After playing one season of basketball and baseball at WSU, Brayton enlisted in the Army Air Corps and served 18 months during World War II. When Brayton returned to Pullman, he played three seasons on the diamond (1946-48) as a shortstop and three on the gridiron (1947-49) as a two-way player, ending his collegiate career with eight letters. Under the tutelage of Arthur “Buck” Bailey, Brayton was a three-time All-Northern Division performer in baseball. As team captain in 1947-48, he led the Cougars to back-to-back league titles and appearances in the NCAA District 8 playoffs. Brayton batted .323 with a team-best three home runs in conference play during the 1947 campaign and was a First Team All-American. After graduating from Washington State in 1950, Brayton entered coaching, accepting the head position at Yakima Valley Community College. During his 11 seasons there (1951-61), his teams won 251 games, 10 division titles, and nine state championships. In 1961, when Bailey announced his retirement after 32 years in the Cougar dugout, Brayton took over. Brayton skippered Washington State for 33 seasons (1962-94) and won nearly 70 percent of his games. His Cougar squads captured 21 conference titles, made 10 NCAA postseason appearances and a pair of trips to the College World Series (1965, 1976). Together, Bailey and Brayton combined to win two-thirds of their games in 65 seasons. The current Cougar facility is named Bailey-Brayton Field in their honor. In 1975, the NCAA adopted a 32-team regional format, currently 64 teams, known as the “Brayton Plan,” so named because it came during Brayton’s tenure as the chair of the College World Series Committee. At the time of his retirement, Brayton’s victories ranked fourth on the NCAA all-time list. Among his numerous awards and honors are inclusion as a member of the College Baseball Hall of Fame, State of Washington Sports Hall of Fame, Inland Empire Sports Hall of Fame, WSU Athletic Hall of Fame and Yakima Valley Community College Athletic Hall of Fame.

Brayton was a three-sport varsity athlete at Washington State and played shortstop in 1944 for interim coach Jack Friel and from 1946 to 1948 for Buck Bailey; he was named the school's first baseball All-American in 1947. As an incoming freshman in September 1943, Brayton hitchhiked across the state to Pullman from Skagit County in northwestern Washington. After his freshman year, he served 18 months in the Army Air Forces. His #14 jersey was retired by the school in 2003, and he was inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007.

Bailey–Brayton Field, the Cougars' home stadium since 1980, is named for Brayton and his predecessor, Buck Bailey (1896–1964). When the old field was displaced by the new Mooberry track, Brayton constructed the new stadium on a budget, using items salvaged from Sick's Stadium in Seattle, as well as donated materials and volunteer labor. Formerly Buck Bailey Field, Brayton's name joined his mentor's in January 2000. He led the Washington State Cougars for 33 seasons, from 1962 to 1994.

Big leaguers coached by Brayton include Olerud, Ron Cey, Aaron Sele, Scott Hatteberg, Tom Niedenfuer and Danny Frisella. Brayton took a chance on a skinny kid from Bellevue, and Olerud rewarded him by earning national college player of the year honors in 1988. That’s one of countless reasons why Brayton was inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame, the State of Washington Sports Hall of Fame and the WSU Athletic Hall of Fame.

“Bobo made you grow up fast, but in a very caring environment,” Sele once explained. “He demanded a lot of you on the field, and he demanded a lot of you as a student-athlete. Bobo really helped me grow up."

Richard L. Bare obit

Richard L. Bare, ‘Green Acres’ Director, Dies at 101

 He was not on the list.

Richard L. Bare, who wrote and directed hundreds of episodes of classic TV shows including “Green Acres” and “Twilight Zone,” died March 28 in Newport Beach, Calif. He was 101.

Most episodes of TV series “Green Acres” were directed by Bare, who also directed episodes of “Maverick” — he’s credited with the discovery of James Garner. Bare also directed the “Twilight Zone” episode titled “To Serve Man,” one of the series’ most famous installments. He directed the pilot of “77 Sunset Strip” as well as episodes of “Route 66,” “Maverick,” “Petticoat Junction” and “Nanny and the Professor,” as well as dozens of other series.

Born in Modesto, California, Bare was a film enthusiast from an early age, even building a small theater in his home as a young man. Bare graduated from USC film school, where he would later teach.

Bare began his career in the 1940s at Warner Bros., where he was contracted to write and direct a collection of short films about character Joe McDoakes, with titles such as “So You Want to Be a Detective” and “So You’re Going to Be a Father.”

Out of the director’s chair, Bare channeled his Hollywood experiences into a guide to directing, authoring the book “The Film Director.”

Born in Turlock, California, he attended USC School of Cinematic Arts where he directed his most notable student film, The Oval Portrait, an adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's story. He became notable post-graduation for writing and directing the Joe McDoakes series of short films for Warner Brothers between 1942 and 1956, featuring George O'Hanlon in the title role.

On television, he directed seven classic The Twilight Zone episodes: "To Serve Man", "What's in the Box?", "The Fugitive", "Third from the Sun", "The Purple Testament", "Nick of Time" and "The Prime Mover". He directed almost every episode of the 1960s-1970s CBS television series Green Acres. He also directed feature films, including Shoot-Out at Medicine Bend and Wicked, Wicked. On May 2, 2014, he acquired the rights with producer Phillip Goldfine to produce a movie and Broadway play based on Green Acres. He was once married to actress Phyllis Coates.

His memoir, Confessions of a Hollywood Director discusses his directorial work, as well as behind-the-scenes information, and his service as a captain in the Army Air Forces' First Motion Picture Unit. Bare also wrote The Film Director: A Practical Guide to Motion Picture and Television Techniques (1971; ISBN 0-02-012130-X), a text to teach the craft of directing to aspiring filmmakers. On November 19, 2007, Bare announced that he was working on a revival of Green Acres.

Filmography

 

Two Gun Troubador (1939)

Smart Girls Don't Talk (1948)

Flaxy Martin (1949)

The House Across the Street (1949)

Return of the Frontiersman (1950)

This Side of the Law (1950)

‘’So You Want To Be A Plumber’’(1951)

So You Want to Learn to Dance (1953)

Shoot-Out at Medicine Bend (1957)

Girl on the Run (1958)

I Sailed to Tahiti with an All Girl Crew (1968)

Wicked, Wicked (1973)

Bek Nelson obit

 Actress Bek Nelson Has Died

She was not on the list.

She was a model and showgirl who turned to acting at age 29, making seven films and two dozen television shows in her first three years.

She was born Doris Dee Stiner in Goin, Tennessee. Her parents were Ralph Stiner and Mae Cole Stiner. She had four younger brothers and a younger sister.

The family moved from Tennessee to Canton, Ohio, when Stiner was 18 months old. Her father worked as a metal sander and then later as an inspector for Timken Roller Bearing Company. At age 10, Stiner won a "Cutest Child" contest. She attended Lincoln High School from 1941 thru 1945. While in high school, she was active in dramatics, chorus, and student government, and had roles in the junior- and senior-class plays.

After graduation, Stiner and a girlfriend moved to New York City, where Stiner found work as a Powers model. Her specialty was modeling swimsuits, for which she became well known through newspaper photos and ads. She first lived in Manhattan, then moved to Newark, New Jersey, as her swimsuit career built up. She won a number of small, local beauty contests, which again brought her newspaper publicity. She also served as a model for publicizing events and trade shows.

By 1951, however, she decided to take on a regular performing gig as a dancer with the Copacabana chorus line. Her first night was a disaster, as the presence of the audience rattled her. She credited the nightclub's manager for her recovery:

I went completely to pieces when I saw the audience, but Mr. Entratter, an understanding man, told me to sit at a table and watch the show. The next night I went on and performed like a pro, otherwise my career would have ended before it began.

Stiner did well enough to hold her job for two years. While at the Copacabana, comic strip artist Milton Caniff picked her out to be his model for the character Miss Mizzou in Steve Canyon. Years later, the Knoxville Journal ran an old photo of her posing for Caniff, with a large sketch of the character and the artist's hands and distinctive signature visible in the foreground.

In 1953, new owners took over the Copacabana, and Entratter left to be general manager of the Sands Hotel. Stiner and four other Copacabana dancers were let go, and all five decided to follow Entratter to Las Vegas to be showgirls. Entratter billed them as the "CopaGirls", using them for publicity that encouraged other young women to try out for a contest to become a CopaGirl at $150 a week.

Stiner was at the Sands for at least three years. According to her later recounting with interviewers, she was performing there when Cinerama filmed the floor show. A talent scout for Columbia Pictures saw the film, noticed her, and signed her to a contract with that studio. However, her first work with Columbia, filming Pal Joey, did not start until April 1957, while newspaper photos from one year earlier show her doing a modeling assignment in Los Angeles as "Bek Nelson". This is the earliest verifiable use of her stage name. Columnist Lowell E. Redelings said "there's quite a story to how she got that unusual first name", but didn't see fit to share it with his readers.

Bek Nelson appeared on camera for an episode of a ZIV-produced television program, Science Fiction Theatre, which was first broadcast in August 1956. She had no lines and the two-minute part was uncredited, but it clearly establishes that her screen debut came prior to her contract with Columbia. She also did TV commercials prior to being signed by Columbia.

While filming Pal Joey during April and May 1957, Bek was used for an uncredited bit as a nurse in Operation Mad Ball, which was also in production on the Columbia lot. She then co-starred in a Columbia comedy short Tricky Chicks with Muriel Landers, playing nightclub hostesses suspected of being foreign agents. According to columnist Hedda Hopper, Columbia head Harry Cohn was "giving Bek Nelson a big, big build-up."

Cohn had Columbia cast her in four more films made in 1957, to be released in 1958. She had a small, uncredited part as a dance-hall girl in Cowboy, then a feature role as a stewardess in the disaster film Crash Landing. Bek told the Knoxville Journal that the ocean rescue scene was filmed at the studio lake, with the director requesting "Please don't anyone stand up in the water... we don't want anyone to know our ocean is only three feet deep." Next came another comedy short, with The Three Stooges in Flying Saucer Daffy. Finally, she went back to an uncredited dance-hall girl bit in Gunman's Walk

Bek's next film for Columbia, Bell, Book and Candle, was made and released in 1958. It was also her last film; Harry Cohn died of a heart attack at the end of February that year. His successors let her contract finish up in 1958 with lending her out for television shows.

When she was not making films, Columbia lent Bek out to television production companies, including the associated Screen Gems. As 1957 was top-heavy with film work, she did only two TV programs that year, but 1958 had her doing 15 episodes, a large number for anyone not playing a series regular. Included among these were 9 episodes of the ABC series Lawman, where she had a recurring role as a widowed restaurant owner. Columnist Jack Gaver mused, "It is difficult to decide which name is odder -- Bek Nelson or Dru Lemp. The former plays the latter ..." An unknown TV Key Mailbag editor found the name confusing. A letter writer asked who played the mean guy, "tall, with strange eyes, and an unusual face" on "The Deputy" episode of Lawman. The editor replied, "the villain on that show was an actor named Bek Nelson".

By 1959, Bek Nelson was an independent actress, represented by the Harold L. Gefesky Agency, with whom she remained throughout her show-business career. Once again she appeared on 15 episodes of shows, including another small recurring bit on four episodes of The Third Man. Guest star, feature player, and bit part were all represented in her resume of parts that year, and for years to come. She had no professional vanity about her billing status, but like other television actresses of the time, found doing Westerns to be limiting.

A girl in a television horse opera can be typed as a dance-hall hostess, a rancher's wife, a rancher's daughter, a gambling-hall queen, or a gal from the East visiting the rugged West. And the last choice is that of the frontier town's restaurant owner, which I currently fill.

For 1960 and 1961, the number of television roles she accepted were reduced to half or less of previous years. She was married now, her husband had a successful acting career, and they were hoping to start a family. Subsequent years had her sometimes do only two shows a year. Her career did pick up some in 1964 and 1965; she had a small part in her husband's award-winning indie film The Lollipop Cover and a brief recurring role on Peyton Place, for most episodes of which she was shown just talking on the phone, without directly interacting with the other actors. Her final acting job was a pro bono bit in 1966 for Insight, a syndicated show usually shown on Sundays.

According to an article in TV Guide, Bek was married shortly after moving to New York in 1945, with the marriage being annulled.

Reporting the aftermath of a fire in Laurel Canyon during July 1959, the Los Angeles Times cited a Mrs. Bek Nelson Gordon as saying several houses near hers on Willow Glen Road had been lost. However, actor Don Gordon and Bek Nelson did not take out a marriage license until much later. They were married under her birth name on December 31, 1959, in Los Angeles. At that time, a cohabitating single actress could suffer a serious career setback if the situation became widely known.

This was Gordon's third marriage and Bek's second. Gordon told an interviewer in October 1960, "she doesn't want to be an actress, and I'm glad. I think women should stay home, keep house, and have babies." Bek evidently agreed, for she stopped acting after the couple adopted a daughter in 1966. The couple remained married for 20 years, divorcing in 1979.

Actress

Insight (1960)

Insight

7.5

TV Series

Carole

1970

1 episode

 

Peyton Place (1964)

Peyton Place

7.3

TV Series

Phyllis Sloan

Phyllis Sloane

1965–1966

4 episodes

 

Invisible Diplomats

7.1

Short

Jackie

1965

 

Don Gordon in The Lollipop Cover (1965)

The Lollipop Cover

6.5

Waitress

1965

 

Burke's Law (1963)

Burke's Law

7.3

TV Series

Miss Smith

1964

1 episode

 

Shelley Fabares, Donna Reed, Carl Betz, and Paul Petersen in The Donna Reed Show (1958)

The Donna Reed Show

7.4

TV Series

Mrs. Gayley

1964

1 episode

 

Raymond Burr in Perry Mason (1957)

Perry Mason

8.3

TV Series

Dana Kent

Janice Edley

Miriam Coffey

1961–1964

3 episodes

 

Ben Casey (1961)

Ben Casey

7.1

TV Series

Christine Stevens

1964

1 episode

 

Breaking Point (1963)

Breaking Point

7.4

TV Series

Mady

1964

1 episode

 

Whitney Blake, Shirley Booth, Bobby Buntrock, and Don DeFore in Hazel (1961)

Hazel

7.2

TV Series

Dr. Phyllis Gordon

1963

1 episode

 

Sam Benedict (1962)

Sam Benedict

7.9

TV Series

Beverly Reade

1963

1 episode

 

The Marquis Chimps in The Hathaways (1961)

The Hathaways

7.1

TV Series

1962

1 episode

 

Cain's Hundred (1961)

Cain's Hundred

7.9

TV Series

Frances Colerane

1962

1 episode

 

The Joey Bishop Show (1961)

The Joey Bishop Show

6.6

TV Series

Annabelle Johnson

1961

1 episode

 

Bat Masterson (1958)

Bat Masterson

7.3

TV Series

Martha Yale

1961

1 episode

 

Howard Duff and Barbara English in Dante (1960)

Dante

7.6

TV Series

Cara Chandler

1961

1 episode

 

Lock Up (1959)

Lock Up

7.7

TV Series

Naomi Matson

1961

1 episode

 

Westinghouse Playhouse (1961)

Westinghouse Playhouse

8.2

TV Series

Airline Stewardess

1961

1 episode

 

The Best of the Post (1960)

The Best of the Post

7.6

TV Series

Mrs. Kearns

1960

1 episode

 

The Brothers Brannagan (1960)

The Brothers Brannagan

7.3

TV Series

Nancy Randolph

1960

1 episode

 

Andrew Duggan, Arlene Howell, Richard Long, and Van Williams in Bourbon Street Beat (1959)

Bourbon Street Beat

7.8

TV Series

Myra Norton

1960

1 episode

 

Henry Fonda in The Deputy (1959)

The Deputy

7.0

TV Series

Claudia

1960

1 episode

 

Edd Byrnes, Roger Smith, and Efrem Zimbalist Jr. in 77 Sunset Strip (1958)

77 Sunset Strip

7.7

TV Series

Marie Lang

1960

1 episode

 

Wanted: Dead or Alive (1958)

Wanted: Dead or Alive

8.0

TV Series

Hannah

1960

1 episode

 

Shotgun Slade (1959)

Shotgun Slade

6.8

TV Series

Kathy

1959

1 episode

 

Men Into Space (1959)

Men Into Space

7.8

TV Series

Jane Farrow

1959

1 episode

 

Bachelor Father (1957)

Bachelor Father

7.2

TV Series

Sheila Maybrook

1959

1 episode

 

Man with a Camera (1958)

Man with a Camera

7.3

TV Series

Nurse Purdy

1959

1 episode

 

Mike Connors in Tightrope (1959)

Tightrope

8.2

TV Series

Judy

1959

1 episode

 

Bonanza (1959)

Bonanza

7.3

TV Series

Glory

1959

1 episode

 

Michael Rennie in The Third Man (1959)

The Third Man

7.8

TV Series

Linda

Janet

1959

4 episodes

 

Craig Stevens in Peter Gunn (1958)

Peter Gunn

8.0

TV Series

Virginia Carter

1959

1 episode

 

Buckskin (1958)

Buckskin

7.9

TV Series

Melissa Jankins

1959

1 episode

 

Rod Cameron in State Trooper (1956)

State Trooper

7.8

TV Series

Sara Williams

1959

1 episode

 

Mike Hammer (1958)

Mike Hammer

8.0

TV Series

Dorothy Webb

Sergeant Maureen Hurley

1959

2 episodes

 

John Payne in The Restless Gun (1957)

The Restless Gun

7.5

TV Series

Dixie Starr

1958

1 episode

 

Lawman (1958)

Lawman

8.1

TV Series

Dru Lemp

1958

9 episodes

 

Lee Marvin in M Squad (1957)

M Squad

8.1

TV Series

Ruby Angel

1958

1 episode

 

Flight (1958)

Flight

7.8

TV Series

Lorraine

1958

1 episode

 

James Stewart, Jack Lemmon, Kim Novak, Elsa Lanchester, Hermione Gingold, Ernie Kovacs, and Janice Rule in Bell Book and Candle (1958)

Bell Book and Candle

6.8

Tina - Shep's Secretary

1958

 

Behind Closed Doors (1958)

Behind Closed Doors

7.7

TV Series

Kitty

1958

1 episode

 

Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Joe Besser, and Jules White in Flying Saucer Daffy (1958)

Flying Saucer Daffy

6.0

Short

Tyrin

1958

 

Panic! (1957)

Panic!

8.3

TV Series

1958

1 episode

 

Gunman's Walk (1958)

Gunman's Walk

7.0

Dance Hall Girl (uncredited)

1958

 

Crash Landing (1958)

Crash Landing

5.4

Nancy Arthur

1958

 

Greer Garson and Florenz Ames in Telephone Time (1956)

Telephone Time

7.1

TV Series

1958

1 episode

 

Jack Lemmon and Glenn Ford in Cowboy (1958)

Cowboy

6.7

Charlie's Girl (uncredited)

1958

 

Playhouse 90 (1956)

Playhouse 90

8.3

TV Series

Fran Pauling

1957

1 episode

 

Rita Hayworth, Frank Sinatra, and Kim Novak in Pal Joey (1957)

Pal Joey

6.6

Lola (uncredited)

1957

 

Tricky Chicks

5.1

Short

Bek

1957

 

Tales of the Texas Rangers (1955)

Tales of the Texas Rangers

8.1

TV Series

Claire Tatum

1957

1 episode

 

Operation Mad Ball (1957)

Operation Mad Ball

6.5

Nurse (uncredited)

1957

 

Science Fiction Theatre (1955)

Science Fiction Theatre

8.1

TV Series

Assistant in Truman Bradley Intro (uncredited)

1956

1 episode