Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Ray Harryhausen

Special effects artist; visual effects pioneer; master of stop-motion animation -- via comingsoon.net. Another great shaper of my imagination, along with Ray Bradbury, who was Harryhausen's boyhood pal!

Passed the torch by his mentor and inspiration, Willis O'Brien ("King Kong"), Harryhausen pushed the art form to its limit over the course of 30-plus years in the movie business. It may seem quaint now, but his monsters, gods, and mythical creatures enthralled us when we were kids. Whether the film itself was good or no was usually about a 50/50 proposition, but we would go specifically to see Harryhausen's creations.

He was our master of a fantasy and sci-fi bestiary -- from "Mighty Joe Young" in 1949 to "Clash of the Titans" in 1981, and between -- "It Came from Beneath the Sea," "20 Million Miles to Earth," three Sinbad films, "Jason and the Argonauts," "One Million Years B.C.," "The Valley of Gwangi" . . . and more. Thanks Ray!





Joe Astroth

Former MLB catcher -- via legacy.com.

Charles Banks Wilson

Artist -- via the Tulsa World.

Dvora Omer

Children's author -- via the Jerusalem Post.

Sid Selvidge

Musician -- via the Memphis Flyer.



Gordon Sherwood

Composer -- via artsjournal.com.




Monday, May 6, 2013

Cedric Brooks

Saxophonist and reggae musician -- via Vibe.



Barbara Delahunty

One who loved obituaries; hers is enchanting! -- via the Red Wing Republican Eagle.

Paul Shurey

Music promoter -- via the London Evening Standard.

Mike Gray

Writer and filmmaker; best known for writing "The China Syndrome" -- via the New York Times.


Emil Frei III

Oncologist -- via the New York Times.

Jacqueline Brookes

Actress and teacher -- via Broadway World. Worked a lot in Shakespeare, and New York soaps. She was the first New York Halie in Shepard's "Buried Child," and I saw her in it at the Theatre de Lys. More importantly, she was our acting teacher. She was tough and funny and earnest; she called us all guttersnipes and taught us to be proud of it. She told me, "When you know what it is you want to do, you will be great." She was right! It all worked out. Thanks so much, Jackie!

Virginia Gibson

Singer, dancer, and actress -- via the Hollywood Reporter. She appeared in "seven Brides for Seven Brothers"; she was best known to me as one of the hosts of ABC's "discovery" documentary series for kids.





Joe Cahill

Lighting designer -- via the Boulder Daily Camera.

Fran James

Master weaver -- via the Seattle Times.

Samuel Cywiak

Rabbi and author -- via the St. Augustine Record.

George Horse Capture

Anthropologist, writer, activist, and welder -- via the Great Falls Tribune.


John Williamson

Sexual revolutionary -- via the New York Times.


Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Shamshad Begum

Playback singer -- via the New York Times. One of the first, and the greatest of the 1940s.





Cheng Naishan

Writer -- via china.org.cn.

Vivi Bach

Actress; the "Danish Bardot" -- via Die Welt.





Layton Kor

Climber -- via the Denver Post.