Who's Next To Croak?

[Ravi]

http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-bea-arthur26-2009apr26,0,176068.story


Bea Arthur, star of 'Golden Girls' and 'Maude,' dies at 86
The Broadway actress and TV star, known for her sharp-tongued characters, died of cancer at her home in Los Angeles.
By Claudia Luther
April 26, 2009

Beatrice Arthur, best known as the acerbic Maude Findlay on Norman Lear's sitcom "Maude" and as the strong-willed Dorothy Zbornak on the long-running "The Golden Girls," died Saturday. She was 86.

Arthur, a stage-trained actress who was a success on Broadway long before television audiences got to know her, died of cancer at her Los Angeles home.

In 1966, the tall and husky-voiced Arthur won a Tony for her performance as Vera Charles, the sharp-tongued sidekick to Angela Lansbury's Mame Dennis in the original production of "Mame" on Broadway, which was named best musical that year.

But Arthur had little experience in either film or TV when Lear spotted her singing a song called "Garbage" in an off-Broadway show, "The Shoestring Revue." In 1971, Lear brought her to Hollywood for a guest role on CBS' "All in the Family." She played Edith Bunker's loud-mouthed cousin, Maude, who tangled with Edith's equally loud-mouthed husband, Archie Bunker, from opposite sides of the political fence.

Within a year, Arthur had her own show, "Maude," which ran for six years on CBS.

In the series, Maude is living in Tuckahoe, N.Y., with her fourth husband, Walter Findlay (Bill Macy), daughter Carol (Adrienne Barbeau), a grandson and a black maid named Florida (Esther Rolle), whose sassy repartee with her boss was one of the best parts of "Maude." (Rolle's character spun off into another series, "Good Times.")

"Maude" came at the onset of the feminist movement and addressed serious issues, including infidelity, death, depression and abortion, but there were always laughs. Maude's most famous line, delivered often and with withering drollery, was: "God will get you for that, Walter."

Playing Maude earned Arthur five Emmy nominations and a statuette in 1977. Despite the show's enormous success, Arthur did not enjoy being the public face of feminism, a role she said was thrust upon her.

"It put a lot of unnecessary pressure on me," she told the Chicago Sun-Times in 2001.

After Arthur left "Maude," she returned to TV briefly in 1983 for ABC's failed takeoff of the British series "Fawlty Towers," titled "Amanda's." She returned to television in triumph in 1985 as Dorothy on "The Golden Girls," the NBC hit that ran from 1985 to 1992, twice won Emmys for best comedy and enjoyed a long afterlife in syndication.

"The Golden Girls" followed the lives of three older women sharing a household in Miami with Dorothy's widowed mother, Sophia (Estelle Getty), who had suffered a small stroke that freed her from the constraints of tact.

Much of what made the show work was the snappy mother-daughter dialogue, with Arthur as the "isle of sanity who could look at the other three characters from the audience's perspective," as producer Paul Witt once said.

The series also starred Betty White as the naive Rose and Rue McClanahan as the saucy Blanche. All four won Emmys for their portrayals; Arthur's came in 1988.

Much quieter by nature than her famous characters, Arthur often said that what she and they had in common was: "All three of us are 5-foot-9 1/2 in our stocking feet and we all have deep voices." And all, she said, tended to be "bubble prickers."

Arthur was born Bernice Frankel on May 13, 1922, in New York City, the daughter of department store owners, and was raised in Cambridge, Md. She often described herself as a shy child, but her classmates remembered her as vivacious, self-assured and funny.

Though she pined to be a June Allyson type -- small and blond and cute -- she made the most of her stature and a voice so deep that on the telephone she was often mistaken for a man. She went to New York City, where she studied at the Dramatic Workshop of the New School with the influential German director Erwin Piscator.

She also joined the famed Actors Studio, where she met her future husband, Gene Saks, who later directed Broadway shows and movies, including several film versions of Neil Simon plays.

In 1954, she got the role of Lucy Brown in the U.S. premiere of Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht's "Threepenny Opera," which opened off-Broadway starring Weill's wife, Lotte Lenya.

Arthur adored Lenya and often referred to the experience as the highlight of her life, the time that she realized "I was good, damn good."

Around that time, working in television on "Caesar's Hour" with Sid Caesar on NBC, she said she learned to be "outrageous" by doing "under fives" -- under five lines -- in sketches. During the 1950s, she appeared many times in various roles on Kraft Television Theatre.

Several years later, she created the role of Yente, the matchmaker in the original 1964 Broadway production of "Fiddler on the Roof," directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins.

Next she was part of the original 1966 production of "Mame" and became a lifelong friend of Lansbury.

"The two of us together were dynamite, you know?" Lansbury said on CBS' "Sunday Morning" in 2002. "I mean, we really managed to just take off like birds."

Although she had wanted the part of Mame, Arthur was talked into taking the gal-pal role by husband Saks, who was directing the musical. But she didn't accept being second banana quietly, using humor to make her point.

According to "Balancing Act," Martin Gottfried's 1999 biography of Lansbury, Arthur told people that the original name of the show was "Vera" and that it was changed only because composer Jerry Herman couldn't find rhymes for that name. Then she would dramatically pause, Gottfried wrote, and say, "Steve Sondheim could have."

"She was perfect for Vera," Gottfried concluded.

Indeed, when "Mame" opened on May 24, 1966, the New York Post's Richard Watts wrote that Arthur's Vera was "a portrait in acid of a savagely witty, cynical and serpent-tongued woman who is at once a terror, a scourge, the relentless voice of truth and a pleasure to have around."

And Time magazine said Arthur "delivers a line as if someone had put lye in her martinis."

When "Mame" came to the screen, Lucille Ball, who replaced Lansbury as the lead character, insisted on having Arthur as Vera, even though Arthur was upset that Lansbury had not gotten the title role.

"She was the greatest Vera Charles in the world," Ball told the Hollywood Reporter. "We wrapped the whole production around [her]."

The film, also directed by Saks and riddled with production problems, was a critical flop.

Arthur did few movies, among them "That Kind of Woman" (1959) and "Lovers and Other Strangers" (1970).

In 2002, "Bea Arthur on Broadway: Just Between Friends," a one-woman show she developed with composer Billy Goldenberg, appeared on Broadway for two months. The show also toured the U.S., Canada, Australia and elsewhere.

"I simply wanted to see if I had the guts to just come out and be myself, which is something I never felt very comfortable doing," Arthur told her audiences in the show.

In addition to performing, Arthur supported animal rights and AIDS research. She had lived in Los Angeles for many years.

Before marrying Saks, Arthur was married briefly to playwright Robert Alan Aurthur, from whom she acquired part of her stage name. "Bernice" became "Beatrice" because she always hated her given name, and she simplified the spelling of his last name.

Arthur and Saks, who married in 1950 and divorced in the late 1970s, had two sons, Matthew and Daniel, who survive her, as do two grandchildren.

Luther is a former Times staff writer.

[SiliasRuby]

I was so angry when I read this....so sad.

[cinemanarchist]

I've always had this idea in waiting to get a full back tattoo of The Last Supper but with the Golden Girls (and Empty Nest neighbors) instead. There would be cheesecake and Bea/Dorothy would of course be Jesus. I also always wanted to be responsible for an IMAX Golden Girls movie...that's just not going to happen. Bea Arthur was truly one of a kind and she will be missed.

[Ravi]

April 22

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/entertainment/8012994.stm

Film-maker Cardiff dies aged 94

Cinematographer and director Jack Cardiff, who actress Marilyn Monroe once described as "the best in the world", has died aged 94.

He was best known for his work on movies such as The African Queen and Sons and Lovers, and was awarded an Oscar for Black Narcissus in 1948.

The filmmaker was also presented with an Honorary Oscar in 2001.

Born to two music hall artists, he grew up in the theatre, resulting in a showbusiness career spanning 90 years.

He moved into film as a runner on the 1928 drama The Informer, then progressed to work as a camera operator and, eventually, cinematographer.

In an article for The National Gallery in 2007, Cardiff described his early film set experiences.
FILMS OF JACK CARDIFF
# 1918 Performed as an actor in the silent film My Son, My Son
# 1937 Cinematographer on Wings of The Morning, the first Technicolor movie shot in the British Isles
# 1946 Shot the post-war masterpiece A Matter of Life and Death, starring David Niven
# 1947 Won an Oscar for Black Narcissus
# 1950 Worked on The African Queen, directed by John Huston
# 1957 Worked with Marilyn Monroe in The Prince and the Showgirl
# 1960 Directed Scent of Mystery, the first film in Smell-O-Vision
# 1960 Adapted DH Lawrence's Sons and Lovers, starring Trevor Howard

"I suppose I was much less than an apprentice when I first went behind the camera," he wrote.

"I was a runner, whose main job was to supply the German director with Vichy water because he had a problem with flatulence.".

He also described how, as a child, he used to watch art directors work in theatres, painting the backdrops and setting up the lights.

"I was fascinated by two men up in the wings, one on each side of the stage, following the actors with a spotlight," he wrote.

"I spent a lot of time with them and a stirring was born in me which I later recognised as an urge to create. Light and colour became my world."

In 1937 he shot Wings of the Morning, the first film in Britain to be shot in Technicolor.

He also worked with cinema greats Laurence Olivier and Marilyn Monroe in the 1957 movie The Prince and the Showgirl.

He was made an OBE in 2000.

Inspiration

In 2001, he took part in an interview with readers of the BBC news website, in which he revealed he would have been a painter if he had not worked in film.

In fact much of his work was inspired by impressionist painters - he said the lighting and colour palette of Black Narcissus "was inspired by Vermeer".

Cardiff was admired by many in the film industry, including Martin Scorsese.

The director once described the 18-minute dance sequence in 1948's The Red Shoes as "a moving painting".

Scorsese added the cinematographer could "paint with the camera".

When asked which films he was most proud of, Cardiff said the "successful" ones had really made their mark.

"Naturally, I am proud of successful films that I have enjoyed working on like The Red Shoes and the Black Narcissus and I have had a certain satisfaction from that.

"But the films that I am most proud of - the film for instance that I made under great difficulty, Sons and Lovers, I wanted to make it into a good film because the book is marvellous and I didn't want to let the author down."

Published: 2009/04/22 16:00:44 GMT

© BBC MMIX

[mogwai]

Comedian Dom DeLuise Dies 

Dom DeLuise, the comedian who became a household name in the '70s and '80s for his small but memorable roles in Blazing Saddles, Cannonball Run and Spaceballs, died late Monday night in a Los Angeles hospital. He was 75.

DeLuise got his big break in 1964 as a as a regular performer on TV's The Entertainers. He soon became a regular guest star on The Dean Martin Summer Show. The exposure led to Deluise's landing his own eponymous comedy program on CBS that lasted for a season.

In the '70s, DeLuise moved to the big screen, becoming a regular fixture in various Mel Brooks films. After meeting Burt Reynolds on the set of Brooks's Silent Movie, the two actors became friends and worked together in several films, including two Cannonball Run movies, Smokey and the Bandit II and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.

DeLuise, who often made jokes about his rotund figure, was an avid chef who wrote four cookbooks. He also wrote seven children's books. He married actress Carol Arthur in 1965. His three sons - Peter, Michael and David - are all actors. DeLuise's death was first reported by TMZ.com.

[ᾦɐļᵲʊʂ]

DeLuise's death was first reported by TMZ.com.

Almost more tragic than the death itself.

[Bethie]

I'm calling Farrah Fawcett.

[jtm]

i got Ed McMahon.

[mogwai]

I'm calling Farrah Fawcett.

i bet dom deluise is longing for some company since they both starred in "cannonball run".

[SiliasRuby]

I'm calling Farrah Fawcett.

i bet dom deluise is longing for some company since they both starred in "cannonball run".

'cannonball run', such a beauty of a movie.

[modage]

Jay Bennett, dead at age 45

Jay Bennett, a rock musician with deep ties to Chicago best known as a former member of Wilco, died early Sunday morning in downstate Urbana, where he had been running a recording studio, according to a spokesman for his family.

The singer and multi-instrumentalist was 45 years old.

"Early this morning, Jay died in his sleep and an autopsy is being performed," said Edward Burch, a friend and musician who collaborated with Bennett on the 2005 album "The Palace at 4 a.m." "The family is in mourning and is unavailable for comment at this time."

Born in the Chicago suburb of Rolling Meadows, Bennett began playing in bands as a teenager. He attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and earned multiple degrees in secondary education, math and political science. In between, he co-founded the Replacements-like power-pop band Titanic Love Affair, which released three albums during the alternative-rock heyday between 1991 and 1996, when it was dropped from its label.

Bennett was working at a VCR repair shop in Champaign when he was tapped to join Wilco as it toured in support of its first album, "A.M." A talented arranger and versatile musician who could play virtually any instrument he picked up, from mandolin to Mellotron, Bennett formed a fruitful partnership with Wilco bandleader Jeff Tweedy. His contributions over a seven-year period were key to the albums that resulted in the band's national breakthrough, including "Being There" (1996), "Summerteeth" (1999) and "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" (2002).

Relations between Bennett and Tweedy, both painstaking perfectionists, soured during the latter recording, as documented in the film "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart," and Bennett left the band. Earlier this month, Bennett filed a lawsuit against Tweedy for breach of contract and unpaid artist's royalties, stemming in part from his role in the film.

In late April, Bennett wrote on his MySpace blog about dealing with intense pain from a hip injury suffered during a dive from the stage while playing with Titanic Love Affair. He was preparing to have surgery, but was concerned about his lack of health insurance. However, he also was looking forward to finishing his fifth solo album, "Kicking at the Perfumed Air," at his studio, Pieholden Suites, named after the song on "Summerteeth" that best encapsulates his talents as an arranger.

"This whole experience [with the hip pain] has really taught me to look both inward and outward for support, and I've learned things about myself that I thought I had completely figured out years ago," Bennett wrote. "Family and friends have helped me to keep faith in a future that will actually be much more carefree than my constricted present state. I encourage you all to tell me stories of recovery, as they really do help... All in all, I'm 'in a really good place' right now; I'm just waiting until I can make it all happen."

Bennett's former bandmates in Wilco are touring in Spain and could not be reached for comment. But Burch said he had spoken to bassist John Stirratt, and the band was "broken up" about the news.

"He was an extremely talented musician and a great person, and I'll miss him terribly," Burch added.

[Gamblour.]

Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique? (a coworker said this immediately and I couldn't stop laughing, even though it's pretty awful)

http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/06/04/obit.david.carradine/index.html

Actor David Carradine found dead

(CNN) -- American actor David Carradine has been found dead in a Bangkok, Thailand, hotel, according to his personal manager, Chuck Binder.

David Carradine became famous in the 1970s after starring in the television series "Kung Fu."

Binder said Thursday that the death is being investigated but could provide no other details.

Carradine, who became famous in the 1970s when he starred in the television series "Kung Fu," was 72.

Modern audiences may best know him as "Bill" in Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill" films.

[Fernando]

Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique? (a coworker said this immediately and I couldn't stop laughing, even though it's pretty awful)

http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/06/04/obit.david.carradine/index.html

Actor David Carradine found dead

(CNN) -- American actor David Carradine has been found dead in a Bangkok, Thailand, hotel, according to his personal manager, Chuck Binder.

David Carradine became famous in the 1970s after starring in the television series "Kung Fu."

Binder said Thursday that the death is being investigated but could provide no other details.

Carradine, who became famous in the 1970s when he starred in the television series "Kung Fu," was 72.

Modern audiences may best know him as "Bill" in Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill" films.

RIP 


edit: because gamblour beat me to it, im quoting his post.

[matt35mm]

Looks like it was suicide by hanging.

[pete]

David Carradine Found Hanged In a Bangkok Hotel Room Say Reports

admin-edit: page width fucked up by shitty, lengthy link