Writer -- via the New York Times.
Interesting, overlooked, and significant obituaries from around the world, as they happen, emphasizing the positive achievements of those who have died. Member, Society of Professional Obituary Writers.
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Jonathan Hardy
Actor, writer, and director -- via the New Zealand Herald. Most notably, he wrote the screen play for "Breaker Morant."
Fern Persons
Actress -- via the Chicago Tribune. Known most for her work on stage and extensive work in Golden Age radio, in such shows as "Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy," "Author's Playhouse," "The Bartons," "Hot Copy," and "Midstream." Films include "Field of Dreams" and "Hoosiers."
Friday, August 3, 2012
Don Bagley
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Edward Lee "Big Ed" Stevens
First baseman for the Dodgers and the Pirates -- via legacy.com and the Houston Chronicle. Interestingly, he was replaced in 1947 by Jackie Robinson; in 1948, he replaced Hank Greenberg.
John Keegan
Military historian, writer, and journalist -- via the Telegraph. Best known for his brilliant work "The Face of Battle."
Norman Alden aka Norman Adelberg
Character actor -- via the Hollywood Performer. He was in everything! This remarkable performer amassed 237 IMDb credits. He could be seen in the corner of your screen in everything from "The Untouchables" to "My Three Sons" to "Gunsmoke." He was the voice of Aquaman on "Superfriends." He played Coach Leroy Fedders, who drowned face-down in a bowl of Mary Hartman's soup on "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman." He was Frank Heflin, the scientific mastermind who aided "Electrawoman and Dynagirl" on their cheesy Chicago kids' superheroine series. He was Lou, who ran in the diner in "Back to the Future," and the lackadaisical Cameraman Bill in "Ed Wood." He was always there, and he never phoned it in. A great professional!
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Gore Vidal
Author, playwright and gadfly -- via the New York Times. Always pithy and provocative, Vidal used his insider's perspective on the American political system to inform his contrarian work. Whether he was exploding the myths of American history in his novels, or writing fabulously well-written and -conceived essays, or just spouting off on the usual governmental insanity, he was a lot of fun to listen to and read. He thought of the American Empire as on its last legs, and our state on the verge of becoming a military dictatorship. He might be right. However, despite his cynicism, I believe that he espoused these thoughts in part to stimulate us to turn away from the seeming inevitable and act out of our higher selves.
UPDATE: August 2 -- the New York Times obituary referenced in my initial post contained several egregious errors -- via Gawker.
UPDATE: August 2 -- the New York Times obituary referenced in my initial post contained several egregious errors -- via Gawker.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Monday, July 30, 2012
Tony Martin aka Alvin Morris
Singer and actor -- via the San Francisco Chronicle. He worked in radio (he was Burns and Allen's singer for a while), film ("The Big Store," "Til the Clouds Roll By," "Hit the Deck"), concerts and more.
Chris Marker aka Christian François Bouche-Villeneuve
A great filmmaker, in a category by himself -- via the Guardian. In my opinion, one of the great directors of the 20th century.
He fought in the Resistance during World War II; he became a journalist and photographer. He fell in with the Left Bank Film Movement. He was the assistant director on Resnais' "Night and Fog."
Then he began making his own films. They are classified as documentaries, but defy definition, being meditations on themes, profound essays that open out to resonances that reverberate long after the movie is over. My two favorites are "La Jetee," which inspired Gilliam's "12 Monkeys," and "Sans Soleil."
A radical assembly of techniques -- filmed photographs, eruptions of fantasy, narrated commentary, quotation -- illustrate a seemingly random sequence of thoughts that ends up making constellations of connections out of widely disparate objects and events.
Notably, Marker worked with no budget whatsoever. For instance, for "Sans Soleil" he shot silent footage and laid in a soundtrack via an old audio cassette recorder. Making a virtue of poverty, he worked with what was at hand and turned out a remarkable series of absolutely unique and beautiful creations.
He fought in the Resistance during World War II; he became a journalist and photographer. He fell in with the Left Bank Film Movement. He was the assistant director on Resnais' "Night and Fog."
Then he began making his own films. They are classified as documentaries, but defy definition, being meditations on themes, profound essays that open out to resonances that reverberate long after the movie is over. My two favorites are "La Jetee," which inspired Gilliam's "12 Monkeys," and "Sans Soleil."
A radical assembly of techniques -- filmed photographs, eruptions of fantasy, narrated commentary, quotation -- illustrate a seemingly random sequence of thoughts that ends up making constellations of connections out of widely disparate objects and events.
Notably, Marker worked with no budget whatsoever. For instance, for "Sans Soleil" he shot silent footage and laid in a soundtrack via an old audio cassette recorder. Making a virtue of poverty, he worked with what was at hand and turned out a remarkable series of absolutely unique and beautiful creations.
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