Who's Next To Croak?

[Ravi]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_obit_blake_edwards

Master of farce and slapstick, Blake Edwards, dies
AP
By JAKE COYLE, AP Entertainment Writer Jake Coyle, Ap Entertainment Writer – Fri Dec 17, 6:32 am ET

When Julie Andrews began writing her 2008 autobiography, "Home," her husband Blake Edwards had just one piece of advice: "Characters make your story."

In an up-and-down career that spanned writing, directing and producing nearly 50 films, Edwards, who died late Wednesday, cultivated more than his share of indelible characters: Peter Sellers' bumbling Inspector Clouseau of the "Pink Panther" movies, Dudley Moore's equally clueless George Webber from "10," Audrey Hepburn's high fashion wild child Holly Golightly in "Breakfast at Tiffany's."

He knew laughter and sadness, making alcoholism seem hilarious in "10" and desperate in "Days of Wine and Roses." But his strength was comedy, farce and slapstick that he captured in a visual style trained on silent comedies. It was, after all, in his blood.

Edwards' stepfather, Jack McEdwards (the family name), was an assistant director, and his stepfather's father, J. Gordon Edwards, was a pioneering director of silent films. Though born in Tulsa, Okla., Edwards was raised on movie sets. He was an extra and supporting actor before he was a filmmaker.

A child of Hollywood who made his home there, he would forever have a conflicted relationship with the industry he assailed, but to which he kept returning. He dropped in and out of favor, feuded with producers and famously satirized Hollywood in 1981's scathing "S.O.B."

"I was certainly getting back at some of the producers of my life," Edwards once remarked, "although I was a good deal less scathing than I could have been. The only way I got to make it was because of the huge success of `10,' and even then they tried to sabotage it."

But he also made movies that added to Hollywood's bottom line, particularly in the "Pink Panther" films.

In one of his last public appearances at a tribute from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in October, Edwards opened his remarks with fitting sarcasm: "Can I go now?"

When the academy gave him an honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement in 2004, he accepted the award with a slapstick gag right out of his own movies: He careened across the stage in a wheelchair, snagging the statue from Jim Carrey and crashing into the set.

"That felt good," he said, dusting himself off.

Edwards, 88, died from complications of pneumonia at St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica, Calif., after being hospitalized for about two weeks. He had knee problems, had undergone unsuccessful procedures and was "pretty much confined to a wheelchair for the last year-and-a-half or two," said publicist Gene Schwam, who knew him for 40 years.

At the time of his death, Edwards was working on two Broadway musicals, one based on the "Pink Panther" movies. The other, "Big Rosemary," was to be an original comedy set during Prohibition, Schwam said.

"He was the most unique man I have ever known-and he was my mate," Andrews said in a statement Thursday. "He will be missed beyond words, and will forever be in my heart."

A third-generation filmmaker, Edwards was praised for evoking classic performances from Sellers, Moore, Hepburn, Jack Lemmon, Lee Remick and Andrews, his wife of nearly half a century.

Steve Martin, who played Clouseau in the 2006 and 2009 "Pink Panther" productions, said Thursday that Edwards "was one of the people who made me love comedy."

Edwards directed and often wrote a wide variety of movies including "Days of Wine and Roses," a harrowing story of alcoholism; "The Great Race," a comedy-adventure that starred Lemmon, Tony Curtis and Natalie Wood; and "Victor/Victoria," his gender-bender musical comedy with Andrews.

Although many of Edwards' films were solid hits, he was nominated for Academy Awards only twice, in 1982 for writing the adapted screenplay of "Victor/Victoria" and in 1983 for co-writing "The Man Who Loved Women." Lemmon and Remick won Oscar nominations in 1962 for "Days of Wine and Roses," and Hepburn was nominated for "Breakfast at Tiffany's" in 1961.

Edwards had entered television in 1958, creating "Peter Gunn," which established a new style of hard-edged detective series. The tone was set by Henry Mancini's pulsating theme music. Starring Craig Stevens, the series ran until 1961 and resulted in a 1967 feature movie "Gunn."

"Peter Gunn" marked the beginning of a fruitful collaboration between Edwards and Mancini, who composed melodic scores and songs for most of Edwards' films. Mancini won Oscars for the "Breakfast at Tiffany's" score and the song "Moon River," the title song of "Days of Wine and Roses" and the score of "Victor/Victoria."

William Blake McEdwards was born July 26, 1922, in Tulsa, Okla. The family moved to Hollywood three years later.

Edwards began in films as an actor, playing small roles in such movies as "A Guy Named Joe" and "Ten Gentlemen From West Point." After 18 months in the Coast Guard in World War II, he returned to acting but soon realized he lacked the talent. With John Champion, he wrote a Western, "Panhandle," which he produced and in which he acted for the quickie studio, Monogram. He followed with "Stampede."

In 1947, Edwards turned to radio and created the hard-boiled "Richard Diamond, Private Detective," which was converted to television in 1957.

Tiring of the TV grind, Edwards returned to films and directed his first feature, "Bring Your Smile Along." After a few more B movies which he usually co-wrote, he made the big time in 1958 with "The Perfect Furlough," starring Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh, and "Operation Petticoat" with Cary Grant and Curtis.

"Breakfast at Tiffany's" in 1961 established Edwards as a stylish director who could combine comedy with bittersweet romance. His next two films proved his versatility: the suspenseful "Experiment in Terror" (1962) and "Days of Wine and Roses" (1963), the story of a couple's alcoholism, with Lemmon in his first dramatic role.

"The Great Race," about an auto race in the early 1900s, marked Edwards' first attempt at a big-budget spectacle. He spent Warner Bros.' money lavishly, raising the ire of studio boss Jack Warner. The 1965 release proved a modest success.

Edwards' disdain for the studios reached a peak in the 1970 "Darling Lili," a World War I romance starring his new wife, Andrews, and Rock Hudson. The long, expensive Paris location infuriated the Paramount bosses. The movie flopped, continuing Andrews' decline from her position as Hollywood's No. 1 star.

For a decade, Edwards' only hits were "Pink Panther" sequels. Then came "10," which he also produced and wrote. The sex comedy became a box-office winner, creating a new star in Bo Derek and restoring the director's reputation.

"It was my greatest fortune, my life-changing fortune, that he believed in me," Derek said in a statement. "He selected me for the role which shaped everything that ever happened to me. He was a loyal friend and I will miss him and that mischievous expression that would come over his face when he was about to come up with something hilarious."

Edwards scored again in 1982 with "Victor/Victoria," with Andrews playing a woman who poses as a (male) female impersonator. His later films became more personal, particularly the 1986 "That's Life," which he wrote with his psychiatrist.

After Sellers' death in 1980, Edwards attempted to keep the "Pink Panther" franchise alive. He wrote and directed "Curse of the Pink Panther" in 1983, starring David Niven, and "Son of the Pink Panther" in 1993, starring Roberto Benigni. Both were failed efforts.

A 2006 remake of the original with Steve Martin as Clouseau was modestly successful; its 2009 follow up was less so. Both had new directors, with Edwards credited as a writer.

He continued to supervise Andrews' career, which included a short-lived television series and her 1996 return to Broadway in a $8.5 million version of "Victor/Victoria." Edwards directed the show, which drew mixed reviews. When Andrews was the only one connected with the musical to be nominated for a Tony, she announced to a matinee audience that she was declining the nomination because her co-workers had been snubbed.

Andrews and Edwards married in 1968. She had a daughter, Emma, from her marriage to Broadway designer Tony Walton. Edwards had a daughter, Jennifer, and a son, Geoffrey, from his marriage to Patricia Edwards. He and Andrews adopted two Vietnamese children, Amy and Jo.

A longtime painter, Edwards began sculpting in mid-life, and his bronze works in the style of Henry Moore drew critical praise in shows in Los Angeles and Bucks County, Pa.

Edwards is survived by his wife, five children, seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren. His family says a private memorial is planned and a public memorial will be scheduled in the new year.

[Sleepless]

Pete Postlethwaite 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2011/jan/03/actor-pete-postlethwaite-dies?CMP=twt_fd

[Stefen]

Aw, that's too bad. He was still young.  and he was in two of the biggest movies last year (Inception, The Town).

[polkablues]

"I thought it mattered. I thought that music mattered. But does it? Bollocks. Not compared to how people matter."

[modage]

I just rewatched The Town and Inception and was thinking that he looked very thin in those.  Terribly sad news.  He was great.

[polkablues]

Peter Yates, director of Bullitt and Breaking Away.

[pete]

no!

[matt35mm]

German movie producer Bernd Eichinger dead

BERLIN - German movie producer, director and screenplay writer Bernd Eichinger, who produced well-known films "The Neverending Story" and "Downfall," has died. He was 61.

Eichinger suffered a deadly heart attack Monday night during a dinner with family and friends in Los Angeles, German production firm Constantin Film AG said in a statement Tuesday.

"We are all shocked by this unbelievable news and we feel with his family and relatives," the firm said in a statement. Eichinger, a former Constantin top executive and major shareholder, served as the deputy chairman of the firm's supervisory board.

Over his 40-years in the industry, Eichinger was widely credited for his ability to turn novels and stories into movies that not only pleased critics, but also proved popular at the box office.

One of his most successful productions was the 2004 film "Downfall," for which he also wrote the screenplay. The movie depicts the last days of Nazi Germany in Adolf Hitler's bunker in Berlin and was nominated for an Academy Award in 2005.

His 2008 movie "The Baader Meinhof Complex," devoted to the history of Germany's left-wing terrorist group Red Army Faction, was also nominated for a foreign-language Oscar.

In 2005, German newspaper Tagesspiegel referred to him as a "genius" poised to succeed with whatever movie he touches. "May the critics be upset, people love his stuff," it said.

Eichinger also produced "The Name of the Rose," based on an Umberto Eco's novel and "The House of the Spirits," which was based on Isabel Allende's book. He alsoco-authored the screenplay of the successful 2006 movie "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer," after pressing author Patrick Suesskind, a friend of his, for years to sell him the movie rights.

"Bernd Eichinger's death means the loss of a great German filmmaker and producer who marked international cinematography as few others have done," German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said in a statement late Tuesday. Culture Minister Bernd Neumann added: "He was the German movie scene's motor — his reliable sense for topics and issues impressed millions of spectators."

Eichinger, born 1949 in southern Germany, started his career at Munich film school in 1970, and founded his first production company four years later.

In 1979, he bought a 25 percent stake in then-struggling movie production and distribution company Constantin, which he later increased to a 50 percent stake, successfully turning the firm around while laying the foundations for his extensive film business.

Eichinger, who lived in both Germany and Los Angeles, is survived by his wife Katja and a 29-year-old daughter from an earlier relationship.

[tpfkabi]

I was/am really sad that the lead singer of Broadcast, Trish Keenan, died.
This may be for film related people only though.

[Pwaybloe]

That's right bigideas.  Someone that passes on that's not in the film industry... I mean, c'mon.  Who really gives a shit? 

[The Perineum Falcon]

Maria Schneider, star of such films as LAST TANGO IN PARIS and THE PASSENGER, has died after an illustrious career. She was 58.

Truly breaking out at the age of 19 in the Bernardo Bertolucci masterpiece LAST TANGO IN PARIS, the actress found not only a heap of controversy to be waded through in the film's wake, but also a troublesome production, later leading her to say that she "felt a little raped," with regards to the film's infamous "butter scene." She spoke out against the way she was treated on the film, and while that didn't directly effect her following career, it was something she found hard to overcome.
She would then be seen on the Michelangelo Antonioni masterpiece, THE PASSENGER, starring alongside another huge name (Marlon Brando was her co-star in TANGO), Jack Nicholson. Always one to pick the perfect director, se went on to work with the likes of Franco Zeffirelli (JANE EYRE) and even Marco Bellocchio, on his film, THE CONVICTION.

Her filmography may not be big, but it is powerful. Please, go hunt out this wonderful actress' canon, it's one that can't be missed.

She will be missed.

from Gordon & the Whale

[Stefen]

Too young. 

[mogwai]

Lena Nyman (I Am Curious Yellow) has passed away. She was 66.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lena_Nyman

[Ravi]

http://blogs.indiewire.com/kohn/archives/tura_santana_rip._1935_-_2011/?sms_ss=facebook&at_xt=4d4dcfa2f6b726dd%2C0#

Tura Satana, RIP. 1935 - 2011.

Just a day after my interview with "Dark Stars Rising" author Shade Rupe comes news that "Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!" star Tura Satana passed away last night in Reno. Since Rupe listed Satana as one of his favorite interviews form the book, I asked him to share some thoughts, which he graciously supplied. You can find his reminiscence below.

Tura Satana, born Tura Luna Pascual Yamaguchi, July 10, 1935, in Hokkaido, Japan, grew up in an Italian, Jewish, Polish neighborhood on the west side of Chicago, IL after her family were released from the Manzanar relocation camp for Japanese-Americans after the war. Asians didn't mix well in the neighborhood and Tura found herself constantly fighting with the African-American girls on her way to and from school, skills that would serve her throughout her life. At age nine an a half Tura was brutalized and raped by five boys from the neighborhood. She then formed a girl gang with her Italian, Jewish, and Polish girlfriends called the Angels. After her parents placed her with an abusive uncle, Tura walked away to start her own life, becoming a cigarette girl at the Moulin Rouge on Hollywood Boulevard.

By age 15 she was a burlesque dancer with a fake ID. She was discovered by Turk Prujan who hired Tura for his Trocadero nightclub, also on Sunset. She also earned money modeling, becoming a favorite of famed actor Harold Lloyd, with results printed in Harold Lloyd's Hollywood Nudes in 3-D. During her tour in New Orleans, Tura performed down the street from Lili St. Cyr before working for Harold Minsky, who was married to Lily's sister. While performing in Chicago at the Follies Theater, Elvis Presley became infatuated and the two started an affair resulting in a marriage proposal. She declined, but kept the ring.

While working the Follies Theater in Los Angeles, a Warner Brothers scout approached Tura and she earned her Guild card on Hawaiian Eye. Subsequent television roles including The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Girl from U.N.C.L.E., and Burke's Law. While working at the Pink Pussycat in West Hollywood, Billy Wilder and his wife came in one night and enraptured with Tura's performance realized they had finally found the girl to play Suzette Wong in the Shirley Maclaine-starring Irma La Douce. Tura's performance earned her additional roles as the nightclub dancer in Dean Martin's Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed? and the job of Carol Burnett's choreographer for the film.

Tura earned her most visible role while performing in Irma La Douce. She got a call from her agent to come read for Russ Meyeer. She didn't have time to change so she showed up in the wedding dress she was wearing for Irma La Douce. Russ handed her the script for "Leather Girls," the original title of Faster, Pussycat! Kill Kill! and asked how she would play her. Tura replied, "I'd make her kind of feminine, but also a bitch on wheels." After her cold reading Russ told her, "You are definitely Varla."

Ted V. Mikels gave Tura two more classic roles in Astro-Zombies, and Charlie's Angels precursor The Doll Squad, where she starred alongside Francine York and Michael Ansara.

Deciding to spend her time raising her two daughters, Tura left show biz and returned to her nursing career which she first studied while in high school, and continued to go to nursing school while dancing. One nigh, a druggie who had been turned in to the police by one of the doctors came looking for him and shot Tura twice but only hit her once, in the stomach. In 1981 she was hit by a driver without a license, heading at her at 60 miles per hour in a 25 mph zone. She spent two years in the hospital. They told her she would never walk again but she told the doctor, "Not only will I walk again, doc, but I'm going to do everything else I used to do." She made that promise shy of her martial arts moves.

When I interviewed her, I asked her if she had any words to live by. "One of the things that I always said, and it was one of my father's favorite sayings, 'Always be good to the people on the way up, because you're going to meet them on the way down.' I have always lived by that philosophy.
   
"The one thing you've got to remember is that you just never accept defeat. Remember to never let life get you down, because there is always something new to learn tomorrow. Life is to be lived, and lived well."

Tura Satana passed away February 4, 2011, in Reno, NV.

A press release from her manager will be released in a few days.

[mogwai]

Gary Moore, dead at 58.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Moore