RIP: Reel Important People -- September 4, 2006
Filed under: Obits
Ed Benedict (c.1912-2006) - Animator and designer who started out at Walt Disney in 1930, went on to Universal and MGM, and eventually worked for Hanna-Barbera, creating the designs for Ruff and Reddy, Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound and The Flintstones. In an RIP twist this week, Benedict had worked as a layout artist on the Droopy Dog short Blackboard Jumble, which spoofed Blackboard Jungle, a film starring Glenn Ford.- Claude Blanchard (1932-2006) - Canadian actor who appeared in Jésus de Montréal, Gina and Rafales. He died of a heart attack on August 20th.
- Alexander Buzo (1944-2006) - Australian playwright and humorist who was uncredited for his rewrite work for Ned Kelly (the one with Mick Jagger). He died on August 16th.
- Marion Cajori (c.1950-2006) - Filmmaker who made documentaries about artists. Her most well-known is Joan Mitchell: Portrait of an Abstract Painter. She died of cancer on August 8th, in New York.
- Jude Carabba (c.1959-2006) - Actress who appeared in a bit part in Casino and some TV shows. She was stabbed to death by her boyfriend Wednesday, in Staten Island, New York.
- Nellie Connally (1919-2006) - Wife of former Texas Governor John Connally and passenger in JFK's limo the day the President was assassinated. She can be seen in the famous Zapruder film and a number of documentaries that include footage from that home movie. She died in her sleep on Friday, in Austin, Texas.
- Jon Dough (c.1963-2006) - Adult film star who appeared in over 1000 titles -- including The World's Luckiest Man, in which he has sex with 101 women -- since his debut in 1985 and directed over 70. He took his own life on August 27th, in Chatsworth, California.
- Fritz Ford (c.1928-2006) - Actor and stuntman who worked on National Lampoon's Vacation, Planet of the Apes, The Desert Rats, Soylent Green, The Long Gray Line and who appeared in Damien: The Omen II. He died in his sleep on August 25th, in Ohio.
- Glenn Ford (1916-2006) - Read Martha's post on the actor.
- Gerald Green (1922-2006) - Novelist whose books were adapted into The Last Angry Man and His Majesty O'Keefe, and who produced Salvador, High Risk and My First Mister. He died of pneumonia on Tuesday, in Norwalk, Connecticut.
- Steve Irwin (1962-2006) - Read Scott's post.
- James S. Langsbard (c.1934-2006) - VP of international theatrical distribution for 20th Century Fox for 21 years, and later a financial consultant for producers Mel Brooks, Jake Eberts, Alberto Grimaldi and the major studios. He died of cancer on August 20th, in Los Angeles.
- Naguib Mahfouz (1911-2006) - Nobel Prize-winning author (pictured) who had many works adapted for the screen and even wrote some screenplays. Films based on his works include Saladin and the Great Crusades, Al-Kahira Thalatin, The Beginning and the End and Midaq Alley. He died Wednesday after suffering from a bleeding ulcer, in Egypt.
- Stella Moray (1923-2006) - British character actress best known in musical theatre who appeared in The Lovers! and Arthur's Dyke. She died August 6th.
- Karen Murray (c.1963-2006) - Documentarian who directed Life's Evening Hour. She died of lung disease on August 24th, in Toronto, while waiting for a double lung transplant.
- Norma Nannini (c.1936-2006) - Executive secretary to Variety editors Abel Green, Syd Silverman and Peter Bart. She died of pancreatic cancer on August 10th, in NYC.
- Willi Ninja (c.191-2006) - Dancer and choreographer (Madonna's Vogue music video) who appeared as himself in the documentary Paris is Burning. He died Saturday of suspected AIDS related illnesses.
- Joseph Stefano (1922-2006) - Read my post on the Psycho screenwriter.
- James Tenney (1934-2006) - Experimental composer who scored Stan Brakhage's Interim, Unglassed Windows Cast a Terrible Reflection and Christ Mass Sex Dance, as well as the documentary Brakhage, about the experimental filmmaker. He also appeared in the doc and in Brakhage's Desistfilm and Loving. He died of lung cancer on August 24th.
- Colin Thiele (1920-2006) - Australian author whose novels have been adapted into Storm Boy, Blue Fin and The Fire in the Stone. He died this morning of heart complications, in Queensland.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
9-05-2006 @ 1:36AM
Scott said...
Appreciate your column. What about Jim Mathias?
Reply