Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Gabriela Kownacka

Actress in film, TV and on stage -- via TVP.info.

Andrei Batashov

Actor and politician -- via the Sofia Echo.

Zigrida Stungure

Actress, director and educator -- via The Baltic Course.

Terry Hayes Sales

Singer, actress and a member of the American Foundation for the Blind's Talking Book Hall of Fame -- via the Louisville Courier-Journal. She recorded more than 900 works!

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Peter Hofmann

Tenor who appeared frequently at the Metropolitan Opera in Wagner productions -- via the Baltimore Sun. He was equally at home with rock music and music theater.

Walter Soplata

A collector of vintage warplanes who kept and restored them in his backyard airplane graveyard/sanctuary -- via Jalopnik.com.

John William Steakley, Jr.

Science-fiction writer -- via the Dallas Morning News. His novel "Vampire$" was adapted for film by John Carpenter.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Vithal Umap

Poet, composer, singer and actor -- via the Times of India.

Alfred Balk

Journalist and editor -- via the L.A. Times

Irena Anders aka Iryna Jarosiewicz aka Renata Bogdanska

Actress and singer -- via Thenews.pl.

Bella Akhmadulina

Poet -- via the New York Times.

Caroline McNairn

Artist -- via the Guardian.

Maurice Murphy

Trumpeter -- via the Guardian.

Laura Hershey

Writer, poet and disability activist -- via the Denver Post.

Giorgos Foundas

Actor - via the Athens News Agency. He appeared in classic films such as "Zorba the Greek," "America, America," "Stella" and "Never on Sunday."

Eileen (Zimmer) Deneen Yaseen

Soprano and voice teacher who specialized in "mono-operas," which she adapted and in which she played all the parts -- via the Chicago Tribune.

Gil McDougald

Yankee baseball great -- via the New York Daily News. He made the All-Star team five times, at three different positions! His career was marred by the line drive he hit into the face of Indians pitcher Herb Score on May 7, 1957. Although Score recovered, his career was never the same; some say McDougald's wasn't, either. His last game was October 2, 1960 -- the day I was born!

Mario Monicelli

Screenwriter and director -- via the L.A. Times. His biggest hit was the hilarious "Big Deal on Madonna Street," but he also made the acclaimed "The Great War," "Casanova 70," "Brancaleone," and "Amici miei."

Irvin Kershner

Film director and educator -- via the L.A. Times. He will be best remembered for his direction of the best movie in the Star Wars series -- "The Empire Strikes Back." Yet he made a lot of interesting films. Roger Corman gave him his start with "Stakeout on Dope Street" in 1958. He created the Western TV series "The Rebel." He made the silly "S*P*Y*S," the strange "Eyes of Laura Mars," and Connery's final Bond outing, "Never Say Never Again."

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Leslie Nielsen

Actor in film and TV -- via the New York Times. After decades as a "serious" actor in films such as "Forbidden Planet," "Tammy and the Bachelor" and, perhaps the nadir of his career, "Day of the Animals," he went against type as the poker-faced idiot doctor on board "Airplane!" This led to a string of vastly more successful and more enjoyable comic performances -- he became one of the best comic actors of his time. His genuine skills, combined with his ability to mock his deadpan seriousness, were priceless.

Here's a masterly analysis of his appeal by A.O. Scott in the New York Times --

And here's a lovely tribute from his friend and co-worker, Robert J. Elisberg -- 

Palle Huld

Danish actor whose world-wide travel as a Boy Scout in 1928, in honor of the 100th birthday of Jules Verne, was the inspiration for the famous "Tintin" comic adventure books -- via kpn.dk.



Here is an explication in English of Huld's connection to Herge's character--

Hazel Plant

Political leader and activist -- via Delaware Online.

Kevin McNicholas

Long-time reporter on government issues in Massachusetts -- via WBUR.org.

Gavin Blyth

TV producer -- via Digital Spy.

Maria Hellwig

Champion yodeler and folk singer -- via unterhaltung.t-online.de. Man, she could yodel!

Ann Southam

Composer -- via CBC News.

Kananginak Pootoogook

Artist -- via CBC News.

Heinz Weiss

Film and television actor -- via welt.de.

Frederick Zenone

Cellist who became expert on resolving labor-management disputes -- via the Washington Post.

Bernard Matthews

Europe's largest poultry farmer -- via the Guardian. Known for his turkeys, he died, ironically, on Thanksgiving.

Mike Craig

Comedy writer and producer, as well as one of Britain's chief experts on the history of its comedy -- via the Telegraph.

Julian Roberts

One of the world's top librarians -- via the Independent.

Robert L. Rands

Archeologist -- via Cryptomundo.com.

Rosaura Andreu

Long-time children's television show host -- via primerahora.com.

Doris McCarthy

Artist -- via City News Toronto.

Laura Pestellini

Film actress -- via Selpolcri.it.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Peter "Sleazy" Christopherson

Musician and member of Throbbing Gristle and Coil, as well as graphic designer, photographer and filmmaker -- via factmag.com.